By the time they rolled past Nyad, the Cosa magic had worn off. As they rolled through the quiet town, people nodded to them and muttered greetings. It made Seth antsy, and he quickened the horses’ pace any time someone passed them. Luckily, it was dark, and there weren’t many people out.
Next to him, Evan read the map with a lantern while Seth drove the horses. The stars were out, bright in the night sky. They found the cottage on the outskirts of town, and an Avialie couple met them outside.
The man was stout with muscles twice the size of Seth’s head. “I’m Biran.” He motioned to his wife, who was shorter than him but nearly as wide. “This is Val.”
Seth shook their hands, and he and Evan introduced themselves. “Thank you for bringing us in.”
“Of course,” Biran said. He motioned to the horses. “Let’s take care of them. Val, will you take the ladies inside?”
The three men watered the horses and unhooked them from the carriage. Their stables weren’t big enough for the carriage, so it sat behind the house under a slight covering of trees.
Inside, the house was larger than Seth had expected it to be. Two stories, many bedrooms. Seth wondered if the couple had ever had children, or if they hadn’t had the chance before the curse. Why did they have such a large house if it was just the two of them? It would make him feel lonely, even if he had Sashe with him.
“We thought you’d be here earlier,” Val said as she stirred something in a pot over the fire in the living area.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Seth said, smiling at the others. “We stopped for a light dinner.”
“The others should be here soon,” Biran said. “Alastor’s son, the Cosa, and. . .who was the other one?”
“Chad the Boren,” Val said.
“Why is he coming?” Sierra asked.
“I’m not sure,” Biran said. “We didn’t ask.”
Val served them stew, telling them more than once that it had been ready an hour ago.
Seth exchanged guilty looks with Sashe. “If you hadn’t made us all lay down in a square,” he muttered. She smacked him on the shoulder.
Biran showed them a map of Nyad, pointing out the Thieran in town who would help them if anyone got hurt. He also pointed out where they were to take the dead bodies if there was a surprise attack. The thought of it made Seth’s stomach twist in anxiety, but at least they were prepared.
Val showed them their rooms, and Seth had nearly fallen asleep when someone knocked on his door. He sat up as Biran’s voice came from the hallway. “The others are here,” he said.
“I’ll be back, Sierra,” Seth whispered. “I’m going to go talk to Dar.”
“Okay,” Sashe mumbled as Seth pulled on his boots.
Dar was the only one downstairs. He told them Matilda was fortifying the Cosa barriers while Chad checked the horses. Seth asked about their journey. They met one Protector on the road, Kilar. He was traveling to Belisha alone, and he saw them despite their Cosa cover.
“He was alone?” Seth asked, his brow furrowed. “But why?”
“Maybe the others are in Shyra,” Dar suggested.
Seth chewed on his lip. “How did they find out about us, though?”
“He didn’t say, obviously,” Dar said. He accepted a bowl of stew from Val. “Thank you.” He stirred it for a moment, blowing on the steam. “I can’t help but think that Sierra would be right, though. Only a small handful of people knew about the prophecy, and nearly all of them know there’s a safe house somewhere in Nyad.”
Seth looked over his shoulder towards the steps. If something happened to Sashe—something even worse than what had already happened—he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. There was no way he could let that happen. “Do you think it’s safe here?”
Dar glanced sideways at Val, who was piling bowls to take outside to clean. After she left, he said, “I think we should leave after tonight.”
“Where are we going to go?” Seth asked.
Dar set the bowl on the table in front of him. “I don’t know. I keep trying to predict how the Protectors are going to retaliate, but I have no idea what they’ll do.”
Seth smiled. “Sierra said we should go to Jolen.”
Dar took another bite of his stew. “I like that idea.”
“The four of us, you and Matilda.” Seth shrugged. “It could be nice.”
Dar’s face fell, and he stared into his bowl. “Not Matilda.”
“Why not?”
Dar glanced around again. “I caught her with Chad last night.”
“You. . .oh, my god.”
“They didn’t see me, but I saw them sleeping together. They didn’t even lock her door.” He shook his head and rubbed his forehead. “I haven’t talked to her about it yet because it seems so ridiculous compared to all this.”
Seth leaned forward. “If I saw Sashe with another man, I’d go out of my mind, no matter what was going on. The world could be ending, and I’d still want to kill him.”
“Yeah, well, Matilda and I aren’t exactly you and Sashe.”
Seth sighed. “I’m sorry, Dar.” He paused. “I’m sorry about everything. You were right.”
Dar frowned, meeting Seth’s eyes. “Seth. . .”
“I should have listened to you. I should have listened to my instincts. I knew something was wrong, but we didn’t even. . .” He buried his face in his hands, letting out a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry, I’m making this about me, but you and Matilda—”
“I’ll deal with it later,” Dar said gruffly. “Unless we all just run away to Jolen. Then maybe I won’t have to.”
Seth chuckled.
“Besides, what is there to say, really? I should have known she’d do something like this. Sierra was right.” Dar smirked. “It seems like we need to listen to each other more often.”
“Next time,” Seth said quietly.
They sat in silence for a moment as Dar finished his stew. Seth yawned. “I should go to bed. Where are you sleeping?”
“Some room down here.”
Seth stood and stretched his arms over his head. “Goodnight, Dar.”
“‘Night.”
Seth paused by the steps. He watched as Dar set his bowl down and leaned back in his chair, his shoulders tense, his face a mask of disquiet. “Hey, Dar.”
Dar looked up, raising his eyebrows.
“I’m sure you’ll find your own Sashe. Or Sierra or whatever. You know, a woman you’d do anything for you, someone who won’t sleep with Chad.”
Dar nodded, and his lips curved into a small smile. “Maybe someday.”
Upstairs, Val had given Seth and Sashe a small room that reminded him of his bedroom in Jolen. The round window above the bed brought back memories of when he was a child. Sashe sat up when he came in. “Seth?”
“It’s me,” he said.
“What did Dar say?”
Seth told her about Kilar as he got undressed again. He crawled into bed, and she curled up next to him, setting her head on his shoulder and wrapping an arm around his torso. “I wonder how they’re going to react,” she said quietly.
“I don’t know,” he replied, wrapping his arm around her. “Waiting is the worst part.”
“I think their reaction might be worse,” she mumbled into his chest.
He kissed her forehead. “We’ll deal with it in the morning.”
A restless night followed. Every small noise awoke Seth. He kept dreaming of Sashe dying. He’d lay close to her after he woke up, and she’d randomly snuggle close to him throughout the night. Maybe she was having nightmares, too.
A week after the miscarriage, she told him she had a nightmare about him dying, one that snuck through the Mahri sleep potions. He wasn’t sure what would be worse: living without her or dying and leaving her without his protection. Not that he’d kept her very safe in the past, but he cherished her more than himself. He’d do anything to keep her safe. He’d failed once. He wouldn’t again.
They woke up early, neither of them having slept very well. Seth helped Sashe, tying up the back of her dress. No corset, but she looked as beautiful as ever. She didn’t look as unhealthy as she had a couple weeks ago when she first had the miscarriage.
“I love you,” he told her.
She smiled, turning, and she was about to respond when the door flung open. Val stood in the doorway, her eyes wide. “They’re coming! An Avialie just contacted me from the edge of the village, and there are dozens of them. We’re getting help—you need to get out of here!”
Seth turned to look at Sashe, who stared as Val vanished into the hallway. She looked at him, her eyes shining with tears. He reached for her, but she turned away and scrambled for her shoes. “We need to go,” she said.
Seth grabbed his shoes, his sword, and his bag. In the hallway, he nearly ran straight into Evan. His clothes had been thrown on haphazardly, as well as Sierra’s. They all ran downstairs.
“Val, tell us all the details,” Seth said, buckling his sword belt on.
“There are some Avialies watching the road,” Val said, “and they said they saw Niculai and Tisha coming with at least ten other Protectors. They’re sending reinforcements, and Cosas are covering the house, but the Protectors probably have a Cosa.”
“What if they just want to. . .I mean, what if they’re not here to hurt us?” Sashe asked, her voice shaking.
“I’m not taking that chance,” Seth said.
“Why would they bring a dozen men if they just want to talk?” Sierra asked.
“But why aren’t they under Cosa spells?” Sashe asked. “Why are they letting the Avialies see them?”
Seth glanced around. “Where’s Dar?”
“He’s keeping watch outside,” Val said. “So are the others. If we can get Matilda to cover you, you could slip out on horses and go to the safe house in Johnston.”
“These safe houses obviously aren’t safe,” Seth said. “Someone ratted us out.” He looked at the others. “Remember what we said yesterday?”
They nodded.
“Do you all have weapons?” Seth asked.
Evan and Sierra motioned to their swords, but Sashe only had a dagger. “Where’s your sword?” Seth asked.
“In the trunk upstairs.”
“Go get it.”
“But—”
“Please, Sashe. You know how to use it; you should have it on you.”
“I’ll get it for you,” Sierra said. She dashed upstairs.
Just as her dress disappeared, the door opened and Dar strode in. “They’re right outside,” he said breathlessly. “They have Jared. Matilda’s not going to be able to hold it up. They want Sierra and Sashe.”
“What?” Seth asked, his hand reaching for his sword hilt.
“They must know we’re nearby, because that’s what they said. They said if we give up Sierra and Sashe, the rest of could go free.”
“Well, we don’t know if they’ll hurt them, do we?” Val cried.
Evan and Dar stared at her in disgust. Sashe backed away, and Seth stepped in front of her, drawing his sword.
“You need to get out of here!” Dar said, his voice rising. He drew his sword and ran to the door. “Go out the back door!” he called back before disappearing outside.
Sashe grabbed Seth’s arm. “We can’t leave him!”
Upstairs, Sierra screamed.
Seth’s heart pounded against his chest. Evan pushed past him. He was about to follow when the front door opened.
Tisha strode in, a sword in his hand. It’d been at least a year since Seth had last seen him, since Tisha stayed in Renaul to avoid Avialies and Seth rarely went to the royal city. He hadn’t changed, though: hair the color of ink slicked back, an arrogant smirk placed on his face. “Hand over Sashe, and this will all be over.”
“Never!” Seth tried to change, but he hit a Cosa barrier. He raised his sword.
“We’re not going to hurt her, Seth,” Tisha said.
Seth scoffed. “The promise of a Protector.”
Three more men poured into the room behind him. None of them wore friendly looks. Seth’s hands gripped his sword, his palms growing sweaty. He glanceed sideways at Sashe. “You need to leave,” he said quietly to her.
“No!” She took her dagger out. It looked so small compared with his sword—with Tisha’s sword.
“Is this your final choice, Sashe?” Tisha asked, taking a step closer. “You choose the Avialies?”
“Always,” Sashe whispered.
Tisha attacked. Seth raised his sword to defend himself, and the two of them engaged each other. The other men went for Sashe. Val’s screams rose above it all as she tried to escape. Dar and Alastor ran in through the front door, screaming battle cries.
Tisha was a worthy opponent. He was nothing like the Protectors Seth had fought in Jolen so many years ago, nothing like the ones he’d fought over the past eight years. He was an expert with the sword, and Seth only just nearly avoided each blow. They circled each other in the room, and Tisha used the furniture to his advantage. Seth was half-distracted by making sure Sashe was all right, nearly getting his arm chopped off a few times.
After ten minutes of fierce dueling, he shoved Tisha to the ground. Tisha scrambled for his sword, and Seth raised his own to deal a deadly blow—when Sashe screamed. He spun around and saw her across the room: a man held a dagger to her throat as she fought against him.
The man was angled away from Seth. Seth ran forward and stabbed him in the stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tisha coming for him, and he just barely dodged out of the way of his sword. He swiped at Tisha’s shins, and his sword made shallow cuts in the man’s legs. Tisha cried out in frustration, and they began dueling again.
They were surrounded by Protectors and Avialies fighting. Alastor and Dar were up against Protectors named Keiran and Lesado, Biran against Niculai.
“We don’t wish to harm anyone, Seth,” Tisha said as they dueled back and forth. “You know Sierra and Sashe don’t belong with you.”
Seth watched as Niculai stabbed Biran in the stomach. Val screamed and threw herself on his bloody body. “NO!” she sobbed. “Please, stop. Can you save him? Oh, please, I’ll do anything!” She turned on Niculai and clasped her hands in front of her chest as though she were praying. Niculai hesitated, smirking, and slit her throat.
“No!” Seth yelled. Tisha drove him up against the wall, their swords in midair between them as they fought for the upper hand.
“Tisha, watch out!” someone yelled.
Tisha spun around and ducked from an attack. Damon stood there with his sword, panting, his teeth bared. Seth felt a wave of relief as Evan’s father began helping him with Tisha. As their fight raged on, they drove Tisha up against the fireplace. Seth’s blood pounded in his ear—maybe, finally, they would stop him.
“Seth!” Damon yelled, his eyes darting over Seth’s shoulder.
Seth spun around. Another Protector charged him. As they dueled, he drove Seth back into one of the bedrooms. Seth gained the upper hand in the battle, though, and stabbed him in the chest. He darted for the corridor and heard Tisha’s voice.
“Put your sword down, Seth,” he shouted.
At the other end of the hallway, Tisha held Sashe with a dagger to her neck.
Seth gritted his teeth, glaring at him. His eyes swept the area around them: Damon lay on the ground, bleeding from the stomach. He groaned as he held his hands to the womb. Maybe Seth could still save him.
Sashe let out a whimper as Tisha drew his dagger closer to her. A drop of blood fell from her neck, and Seth’s heart slammed against his chest. He dropped his sword, swallowing.
“I’m sorry, Seth,” she said, her eyes shining with tears.
He shook his head. “No, this is my fault.”
A curly-haired Protector ran past Tisha straight to Seth. He laughed and punched him in the stomach. Seth doubled over, and the man kneed him in the face. Pain blossomed in his nose, and a warm flow of blood accompanied it. He groaned, trying to stand. The man punched him in the gut again, and Seth fell to his knees. He tried changing again, but he hit the Cosa barrier.
“Just let her go,” Seth said through a mouthful of blood. “Take me instead.”
Tisha shook her head. “No, she had her chance. She’s going to die like an Avialie.”
Seth tried to charge him, but the other Protector stopped him, flinging him back towards the ground. Seth started wrestling with him; he didn’t even care that the man’s muscles were twice his size. Sashe’s scream made him freeze. Blood stained Tisha’s dagger and her dress in the abdomen.
“Don’t!” Seth shouted. “Let her go!”
Sashe began to struggle, and Tisha bared his teeth. She kicked him in the shin, and he wrapped his arm around her throat.
“Stop, please!” Seth yelled. His eyes stung, and he was faintly aware of tears falling down his cheeks. “Please, let her go!”
She didn’t stop struggling; she used the techniques Seth had taught her years ago in Dar’s manor. She aimed a kick and hit him between the legs. Tisha buckled, and she fell out of his arms onto the ground. She crawled for a nearby sword, but Tisha tackled her from behind. Seth fought and struggled, but the other Protector had his arms hooked around his back, and he couldn’t go anywhere.
Another Protector joined them, helping Tisha pin Sashe down.
“I think Seth needs to watch this,” Tisha said breathlessly. “This is what happens when they try to change their fate.”
Seth recognized the third Protector, the man holding Sashe down. His name was Declan, and he used to come by Jolen when he was younger. When the Protectors were just concerned citizens, not an organized group of murderers.
“This is the one who was pregnant, right?” Declan said. “She had an Avialie right here.” He patted Sashe’s womb. He brought a dagger down and drew it across her stomach, dragging screams out of both Sashe and Seth.
Seth’s heart pounded in his ears. He wasn’t going to watch them kill his wife. He had never fought of hard to get out of a hold.
The unnamed Protector trying to hold him groaned and grunted. “Tisha, he’s—I don’t think I can—”
Seth freed an arm and elbowed the man in the nose as hard as he could. He heard something crack. He spun around and punched the man across the face. Someone suddenly grabbed him from behind, and he was wrestling against the two of them.
“Oh, for God’s sake, just kill him!” Tisha yelled. “It’s not worth the trouble.”
“No!” Sashe screamed.
Seth kicked out with force, his feet connecting with the unnamed man. Declan had his arms, though, and he held him to the ground as he pinned a knee on Seth’s chest.
“No, stop!” Sashe yelled. “I’ll go with you, Tisha!”
“You had your chance, darling.”
Where was Evan? Dar? Did they know this was happening? How could they leave them to this? Seth fought, but Tisha soon helped the others pin him down. He saw a flash of Sashe’s face over their shoulders as she beat on their backs. Tisha hit her in the face, though, and flung her back. Seth got an arm free after hearing her cry of pain and hit Tisha in the ear, but Declan pinned it down again. It was pathetic. He was going to die.
Maybe this was what he deserved after killing Protectors: those four in Renaul when he was sixteen; the one who was raping Avialie women in Shyra; the ones from Belisha who were terrorizing Jeshro’s manor.
He’d killed Protectors, and now Protectors would kill him. It was justice.
No. Why did he deserve this instead of Tisha or Niculai?
“Arlan, grab her!” Tisha shouted.
“Let him go! Just let him go, please!” Sashe’s voice was shrill, shaking.
“It’s okay, Sashe,” Seth said. He couldn’t see her. Maybe if these men would get out of the way—he just wanted to see her one last time. No, god, he had to fight harder just in case they killed her, too.
“Get him up, she should see this,” Declan spat.
They dragged him onto his knees, and someone—Declan—grabbed his hair, exposing his throat.
Sashe was fighting against the muscular curly-haired man, but she made no progress. Her fists beat on his arms, but she stopped when she saw him. Her mouth fell open. “No, please,” she moaned.
He suddenly realized this was how his father died. Seth was going to die because he was an Avialie and he had fought against the Protectors. He was going to die for the same reasons his father had and in the same manner. He met Sierra’s eyes, letting tears fall down his cheeks. He didn’t care about dignity anymore. “I’m sorry, Sashe. I love you.”
“No!” she screamed. She started fighting with renewed vigor. “No, let him go!”
An excruciating pain erupted in his neck. He gasped, and another wave of pain washed over him. Warm, wet blood; screams echoing in his head; no air, just pain. Pain, above all else.
He hit the ground. He heard Sashe’s voice, sobbing, crying, moaning. He should have fought harder for her. God, he hoped she survived. Or maybe not. Maybe she’d be happier with him wherever he was going. She could meet his parents. Their unborn baby.
He felt a warm hand touch his. Sashe’s hand. Her fingers tightened around his as the world turned white.