The air above the courtyard shimmered with energy, and Alex felt it ripple across his skin like water.
Reyne curled his fingers and a crimson dart burst from his hand.
"Your Highness, stay back!"
William raised his palm, and a massive, silver magic circle materialized before them.
The dart crashed against the barrier's surface and shattered into a thousand fragments.
William flicked his fingers, summoning a gust of wind that struck Reyne, who shielded himself with another spell.
Alex held his breath, his eyes wide with awe and terror as he watched the battle of magic before him.
With every exchange, his admiration for William grew. He wasn't just powerful or skilled—he was precise and cunning. He bent the wind to his will, directing it with surgical accuracy against his opponent.
Reyne, on the other hand, didn't seem ready to yield and countered with equal precision.
"You're nothing without your familiar, Court Mage!"
William frowned and twisted his wrist; the wind swept across the courtyard and slashed Reyne's forearm.
"I don't need Caedos to defeat someone like you."
"You're as arrogant as every other noble!"
Reyne gathered a sphere in his palm and hurled it at him. William raised a barrier, but the sphere shattered it.
"Watch out!" Alex shoved William to the ground.
A flaming dart grazed his ear, scorching his skin and a few strands of hair.
Reyne launched another dart at them; William grabbed Alex by the arm and pulled him down.
The next blast struck a barrier mere inches from Alex's face.
"Are you all right?" William murmured.
Sweat beaded his brow, his cheeks were pale, his lips bluish. His chest rose and fell rapidly like bellows. He wasn't all right—he must have reached his limit.
They were in trouble. If they didn't stop him soon, they would die.
Alex pushed himself up. "How much longer can you hold on?"
"I'm not sure. Not much, I'm afraid. Healing the wounds on my temple and palm has taken some energy, and you don't have as much magic as Caedos."
Alex gauged the distance between himself and Reyne.
"I only need about twenty seconds. If you can keep him busy for that long, I can reach him and strike."
"If you move too far away, I'll lose access to your magic."
"If we coordinate, you won't need it."
William pressed his lips together, clearly unhappy with that plan.
"All right. Twenty seconds. I can do that."
With a flick of his fingers, he dropped the barrier and conjured two magic circles: the first spat a wave of fire, the second a vicious gust of wind.
Both struck Reyne, who shielded himself behind a translucent crimson barrier.
Alex took a deep breath and darted forward.
He closed the distance between them, slid along Reyne's side, and drove his blade in a swift thrust. The tip hit the barrier, and Reyne turned toward him.
His eyes narrowed, hatred twisting his once-elegant features.
"You!" Reyne yelled and pointed a finger at him. A volley of darts shot toward Alex, who raised his sword to block them.
Pain lanced through his shin, and another dart tore into his side.
Alex staggered back and fell to his knees on the cobblestones. He pressed a hand to his side, and something warm and sticky smeared his fingers.
His heart sank, and his gaze darted to William. The mage was bent over, the fire and wind he had summoned were gone.
Had William been hurt because of him? How much blood was he losing?
Reyne loomed over him, his once-beautiful lips curved in a satisfied smirk.
"My compliments, Your Highness. You almost managed to beat me."
"What do you want from me?"
"Nothing you can offer. But if we take you hostage, the king will have no choice but to listen."
Alex frowned. Why was he speaking in the plural? Wasn't he acting alone?
"I doubt my father would agree to negotiate with you. Of all his children, I'm the one he can stand the least."
Reyne kicked the sword away. "Your father has two weaknesses. One is his beloved wife. The other—his precious children."
"Then you're leaving me no choice but to kill myself."
"I doubt you would." He turned his head slightly toward William. "Try it, and the mage will die in agony."
Alex clenched his fists, rage and hatred flaring in his chest. "You really are a bastard."
"Just like you nobles. This kingdom doesn't need parasites clinging to centuries-old privilege, nor does it need an incompetent royal family that starves its people."
Reyne crouched and gripped his chin.
"You have a pretty face, Your Highness. You'd do well in a brothel. When the monarchy falls I might pay you a visit—pick up where we left off. I remember you liked the way I touched you."
"Get your filthy hands off me, you disgusting bastard!"
"You're not in a position to give me orders."
Reyne released his grip on Alex's chin and grabbed him by the hair, dragging him a few steps before letting go.
"Your mage doesn't look very well."
Alex turned toward William, but before he could even try to get up, Reyne kicked the prince in the stomach.
"If you help him, it's no fun."
He kicked him again and again, and with every blow, Alex's gaze flicked to William.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Reyne's voice grew harsher. "That's what I felt for months, dragging myself through the alleys for a scrap of moldy bread."
"I-I'm sorry," Alex murmured. "But W-William has nothing to do with this. He… he's like you."
The mage's face hardened, then a sharp smile bloomed on his lips. "That changes a lot."
Reyne turned his back on Alex, reached William, and grabbed him by the hair.
"A commoner kissing a noble's ass. Disgusting!" He dragged William in front of Alex and pinned him down. "I was going to keep your mage alive, but now you've given me a better idea, Your Highness."
He drew a dagger and brought it to William's throat.
Alex froze, with his breath caught in his chest. "Don't do it…"
"Why not? It will hurt, right? If you suffer, that's good enoguh for me."
"He's innocent. He's only been at court a few days; he has nothing to do with you and me. Or with my father."
Reyne pressed the blade to William's neck, and a drop of blood slid down his skin.
Alex pushed himself up on his elbows, but didn't have the courage to move. If he tried to reach him, would he be condemning William to death?
"Please," he murmured. "I'll do whatever you want, but let him go."
Reyne gave a harsh laugh. He stood and kicked him square in the face.
"Look at you! Begging for the life of a Xianese half-blood. Is he your lover? Is that why you're defending him?"
Alex spat blood and saliva. His face throbbed as if a drum were beating under his skin, his nose was so swollen he could barely breathe.
This was going terribly. He could take these blows, but William… If he hadn't lost consciousness yet, he would soon.
Reyne curled his lips into a sharp smile and snapped his hand up; a red flash glittered between his fingers.
"Watch the half-blood take his last breath."
A whistle cut through the air, and an arrow lodged in Reyne's shoulder. The crimson flash vanished with a sizzle, and the mage cursed loudly.
"Son of a bitch!" Lady Lynden, standing at the gate, lowered her crossbow. "You've killed my husband!"
Reyne made an angry grimace. "That idiot got what he deserved!"
"He was a good man!"
"He was a parasite!" Reyne raised his uninjured hand, and a crimson glow enveloped it. "But if you care so much, I'll kill you too, so you can keep him company."
Alex's eyes widened. Lady Lynden would never reload the crossbow in time. She would die, and it would be his fault.
Because he hadn't managed to kill Reyne when he had the chance.
"Your Highness…"
Alex spun toward William: the mage was handing him a dagger.
The garish one with which Reyne had tried to assassinate them.
The prince hoped it was at least sharp enough.
He grabbed the weapon, unsheathed it, and thrust it between Reyne's shoulder blades.
The bastard convulsed, gasping for air, and his hand fell limply at his side.
Alex pressed his full weight on the dagger's hilt and pushed the blade deeper. Warm, sticky blood ran between his fingers.
Reyne turned his head to look at him, a surprised expression lighting up his hazel eyes.
Then he fell dead to the ground, his eyes glassy and lips parted.
Alex staggered backward and dropped beside William. He lifted the mage by the shoulders and brushed a lock of hair from his face.
William was pale, his skin icy, and his breathing so faint it was barely perceptible. His face was bruised from all the blows he had suffered, and fresh blood flowed from the wounds on his side and shin.
He was alive, but for how much longer? How could Alex stop the bleeding?
"William? William!" He gave the mage a gentle slap on the swollen cheek. "Wake up, Will!"
The mage's eyelids fluttered.
"If you die, I swear I'll descend into hell myself to slap you!"
William's eyes snapped open, and he gave him a look sharp as a blade.
"Could you lower your voice? You're giving me a headache."