Blood price

The temple ruins offered little protection. Crumbled stone pillars cast long shadows under the moon, broken statues of forgotten gods stood half-buried in the earth, and creeping vines wrapped around the remains of what had once been a sacred place.

Sacred. I nearly laughed.

Nothing was sacred anymore. Not after what I had seen.

"Again," Kael ordered, tossing me my dagger.

The metal felt cold in my palm. Heavy, even though I had held it for weeks now.

I lunged at him.

Too slow.

He dodged, twisting to my blind side, and slammed the hilt of his sword into my ribs. I gasped, stumbling back, but before I could recover, he knocked me off balance. I hit the ground hard, breath stolen from my lungs.

"Dead," Kael said flatly, staring down at me.

Anger flared in my chest.

I gritted my teeth, pushing myself up. The whispers coiled around me, slithering through my thoughts.

Weak. Undeserving.

You let your father die.

I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them, Kael was still watching, waiting for me to break.

I wouldn't.

Not now.

Not ever.

I grabbed my dagger and stood again. Kael's mouth twitched, just slightly.

"Again," I growled before he could say anything.

This time, when he moved, I was ready.

---

The Attack

A branch snapped.

Both Kael and I stilled. The night had been too quiet—unnaturally so. Now, the sound of rustling leaves, distant footsteps, and the slow shift of weight against stone echoed in the ruins.

We weren't alone.

Kael locked eyes with me, his expression cold, calculating. "They found us."

I tightened my grip on my weapon, my pulse quickening.

The first arrow flew from the darkness. Kael yanked me behind a broken column just in time, the sharp whistle of the arrow slicing the air where I had stood.

Bounty hunters.

No, not just them. I felt it. Something else had come with them.

"Four at the front, three flanking from the left," Kael murmured, scanning the area. His hand hovered over the hilt of his sword.

"More behind," I whispered. "They're trying to box us in."

Kael's lips pressed into a thin line. He reached into his cloak, pulling out two small throwing daggers and handed me one. "You know what to do."

I did.

We moved as one.

Kael went for the closest enemy, his sword a silver blur under the moonlight. I took the left, my pulse thundering as I lunged at a man drawing his blade.

The clash of metal rang through the ruins. Sparks flew. Someone screamed.

I ducked, rolling beneath a wide swing, then drove my dagger into a man's side. He grunted, staggering back. Another attacker rushed me from behind—I barely twisted in time, his blade grazing my arm.

Pain flared.

Another arrow whistled through the air—this one aimed at Kael.

"Kael!" I shouted.

He turned too late.

I didn't think. I moved.

The world slowed as I threw my dagger. The blade spun through the air, striking the archer in the throat. Blood gurgled from his lips as he collapsed.

Kael spared me the briefest glance. "Not bad."

Before I could answer, something changed.

The whispers returned, louder now.

He's coming.

The air thickened, pressing against my chest. The shadows twisted unnaturally. A shiver ran down my spine as I turned—

A man stood just beyond the ruins, cloaked in black, his face obscured. He wasn't a bounty hunter.

I knew that immediately.

Kael saw him, too. His grip on his sword tightened. "Elaris, get back."

But I couldn't move.

The figure stepped forward, the ground beneath him darkening. A sensation I couldn't describe crawled through me, wrapping around my ribs, squeezing tight.

A single thought surfaced in my mind.

Run.

But before I could react, the bounty hunter I had wounded lunged at me.

My dagger was gone. My body was sluggish. I barely managed to twist away, but his blade caught my shoulder, pain searing through me.

The whispers surged. The shadows deepened.

I was losing my way.

---

The Guidance Spirit Appears

The world blurred. The trees distorted. My limbs felt leaden, the air thick like water. The whispers screamed, dragging me down.

Let go. Let it take you. You were never meant to win this war.

No.

A flicker of light.

Soft. Gentle. A warmth I hadn't felt in so long.

A voice—steady, unshaken—spoke inside me.

"Not yet, child."

The light pulsed, cutting through the darkness. It shimmered ahead of me, guiding me forward. I forced my feet to move, drawn to it.

The bounty hunter lunged again—

But I reacted this time.

I twisted, grabbing his wrist, and drove my dagger straight through his heart.

His breath hitched. His body went rigid, then crumpled.

The whispers shrieked.

The light dimmed.

I had killed before—but never like this. Never by choice.

My hands trembled. Blood dripped down my fingers.

Kael was beside me in seconds, his sword clashing with another enemy. I barely registered the fight around me. The weight of my kill pressed down, suffocating.

Kael grabbed my arm, shaking me. "Stay with me, Elaris!"

I blinked. The battle returned.

A final enemy charged at Kael, raising his weapon—

I didn't hesitate. I threw my dagger, hitting him square in the chest. He collapsed, unmoving.

Silence.

The battle was over.

My heart pounded against my ribs. I turned back toward where the light had been—

But it was gone.

Kael sheathed his sword, his expression unreadable. "You felt it, didn't you?"

I swallowed hard. "The spirit."

"Not the throne spirit," he said quietly. "Something else."

Something that had saved me.

But I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear what it had to say.