“The Spider Guild is behind this,” she said. “Thren is turning their fear to his own ends.”
“It doesn’t matter who is behind it,” Melody said. She stood at the other set of windows in the room, Nathaniel at her side. “They won’t harm us, no matter who it is. I know it.”
“My guards will be enough,” Alyssa said, and Zusa caught the way her eyes narrowed when seeing how Melody tightly clutched Nathaniel’s hand in hers. “They once tried to burn my home to the ground. They failed, and they will fail again.”
“Of course they will,” Zusa said, kissing Alyssa’s cheek. “You have me.”
She pushed open the window and leapt through, the cold wind blowing across her hair. Landing with a roll, she sprinted until she reached a tree. Climbing its limbs with ease, she neared the top, and, hidden among the leaves, scanned the crowd anew, taking in numbers and weaponry. They were in the hundreds, far outnumbering Alyssa’s house guards. They were poorly geared, though, very few wielding any sort of weaponry beyond a torch or a knife.
More worrisome, though, was how she saw more than just the Spider Guild’s cloaks among them, lurking at the outer edges of the crowd. Hawks, Wolves, Serpents...it seemed every guild but the Ash had come to play. Many more foes might be hidden in the nearby homes and alleys, and could strike from any angle. So far their gate held, despite the throng that pressed against it. Torches could do little to the stone fence surrounding the estate. So long as they did not bring out ladders and rope, or found a way to...
“No,” she whispered. “Daverik, no!”
She could not move, too stunned by the betrayal. Four Faceless Women leapt over the crowd, their gray cloaks billowing behind them. They sailed over the fence with ease, landing among the handful of guards at the gate. Three of the four formed a perimeter, cutting and slashing with their daggers. Shadows bled from their bodies, giving them an unearthly, terrifying image. The fourth slashed the lock with both blades. Black sparks fell to the ground. The women leapt away.
Just like that, the gates were open, and the furious crowd poured in like a wave. The house guards closed the gap as quickly as they could, their shields locking together and their swords stabbing, but they would soon be overrun. Zusa knew she must help them, but there was no way she could. The four Faceless had rushed the mansion, leaping at various windows and smashing through. She thought of them running the halls, searching, their daggers eager to take away the life of her love.
She thought of Daverik’s warning. He’d told her to stay away. He’d known this would happen.
“Damn you,” she said as she leapt from the tree. Arms wide, she sailed across the yard, propelled forward with strength born of magic. Karak’s magic, which she would turn against his blind, foolish servants. Alyssa had closed the window, but Zusa crossed her arms at the last moment and crashed right on through. Glass cut her skin, tore at her wrappings, but she ignored the pain. Rolling to a stop on one knee, she looked to Alyssa, saw the growing fear in her eyes.
“It’s not lost,” Zusa said, rising. “Not yet.”
The door opened, but it was not a Faceless, only Lord Gandrem in his polished armor. In his left hand he held a sharpened sword.
“Milady,” he said, tilting his head toward Melody Gemcroft. “Might I have the honor of standing at your side and protecting you with my life?”
“It’s only an honor if you keep her alive,” Zusa said. “By the window, now.”
“Window?”
“Do as she says, please,” Alyssa said. Zusa was glad to see that Nathaniel was back at her side. John glanced between them, still clearly confused, but he accepted the order of his host. He stood before the window Zusa had smashed, his weapon drawn, and overlooked the fight below.
Putting her back to them, Zusa closed the door to the room and leaned her side against it. Closing her eyes, she focused her senses, listened for the slightest sound that might reveal their presence. She heard screams from all about the mansion, servants and guards fighting, fleeing, dying. Getting closer.
From the other side, she heard a soft exhalation of air.
Zusa somersaulted as the door was kicked open. She was curling in midair when the Faceless Woman rushed in, searching. Melody screamed. Nathaniel cried out. Before the woman could attack, Zusa landed between her and Alyssa.
“Stay back!” she screamed at John, who had turned to help. “Stay at the window!”
The Faceless lowered her body, tensed for a lunge. Zusa recognized those hazel eyes, that small frame.
There’s Ezra, thought Zusa. Where are the others?