Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(74)

There was a rumble, and then dust floated from behind us. Anders jumped on top of me, pinning me to the ground. We stayed that way until the dirt settled.

“Was that an explosion?” I asked.

“They just blocked one of the ends to this tunnel.”

The idea of being buried alive or trapped underground scared me more than facing Morlet did. “So we can’t go back that way?”

He shook his head. “Which means we’re walking into a trap.” Anders rolled off me and pulled me to my feet. “We’re going to have to fight for our lives,” he said, still holding my hand.

Which meant I was going to have to kill.

“It’s never an easy choice to make,” Anders said, squeezing my hand and releasing it. “But you can do it.”

My stomach felt queasy, and my arms shook. The bo staff warmed, sending a wave of soothing calmness through me.

Anders led the way and we continued on, listening for sounds of an ambush. When we came to an intersection, he pushed me against the wall while he peered at the three other tunnels. “If someone is going to attack us, it’ll be here. I’ll go first. Once I make it to the tunnel directly across, you go.”

I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants and lifted my weapon, preparing to protect Anders when he made his way across to the other tunnel.

“Kaia,” he said, his voice soft. “If anything happens to me, do whatever you can to save yourself.”

“Nothing’s going to happen,” I insisted.

He stepped closer to me, almost touching. “I wish things were different,” he whispered. “If only you weren’t engaged to Vidar.”

I was about to question him when he abruptly stepped back, unsheathed a pair of daggers, and exited the tunnel. Two arrows sailed directly toward his torso. He jumped to the side, and the arrows narrowly missed him. A dozen soldats stormed into the intersection with their swords drawn.

I raised my bo staff and released a sliver of power, hitting one of them in his stomach. He dropped to the ground. Leaping over him, I swung at another one, striking his head and knocking him out. Spinning my weapon on the palm of my hand above my head, I unleashed a bit of power, hitting several men at once. They fell to the ground. Anders threw his daggers into his two opponents’ chests. They toppled over. Every single soldat lay unconscious or dead.

“Are you hurt?” Anders asked.

“No,” I answered, gasping for air. My weapon warmed, and my breathing evened out as my strength replenished.

The corners of his mouth rose into a devious smile as he surveyed the damage. “You’re a lethal little warrior.”

During the fight, I hadn’t even hesitated once; it was as if the bo staff and the power inside of me had guided me through it.

Voices echoed from one of the tunnels.

“Which way do we need to go?” I whispered.

Anders pointed to the tunnel that the voices were coming from. My heart sank. We were going to have to fight more men. The sound of marching resounded from the other tunnel. We were trapped.

“Ready yourself,” Anders said as he raised his bloody daggers before him. “I’ll need you to release enough power to strike down as many as you can right away—otherwise we won’t stand a chance.”

I lifted my weapon, pointing the end toward the tunnel with the voices. It hummed, ready to be used.

My father stormed out of the tunnel, his eyes wild. “Run!” he yelled. “The King’s Army is down here searching for you. They have orders to kill anyone you’re with and to take you alive.” He coughed, blood splattering on the ground. “There are six men pursing me.”

Anders wrapped his arm around my father, pulling him back into the dark tunnel. I ran over to help, but Papa shoved me away.

“Get out of there,” he said, wheezing.

“We can’t leave him,” I cried as Anders dragged me to the intersection.

“The only way to save him is to fight.” He clasped my shoulders, looking into my eyes. “Killing blows.”

I nodded, and he released me.

Six soldats ran out of a tunnel. Anders turned and slashed one across the chest with his knife while throwing his second knife at another. I aimed my bo staff and unleashed a chunk of power, killing the remaining four at once. My arms started shaking.

Papa crawled into the intersection. “Kaia,” he wheezed. “Get out of here. Don’t risk your life for me.”

“I can’t leave you here,” I cried, dropping to my knees and hugging him.

“Please,” my father begged. “You are the only one who can end this. Rescue the Krigers, kill Morlet, and save Nelebek. Do it for me.”

I shook my head, unable to leave him. The sound of boots marching down one of the tunnels was so loud, it was hard to hear my father speak.

“They’re almost here,” Anders said, his hands clutching his knives. “There’s only one tunnel that’s clear right now.”

I stood, prepared to fight to save my father. We weren’t leaving without him.

“I love you, Kaia,” Papa said. “Know that I am doing this for you.” He pulled out a dagger and plunged it into his chest.

“No!” Everything around me spun, and the air was knocked out of me. I collapsed on the ground.

Anders’s strong hands grabbed my shoulders, steadying me.