Alex crouched in the bushes and peered at the hut.
A couple of men armed with crossbows stood guard outside. One was sitting on a crate near the entrance; the other was on the roof. The hostages had to be inside.
His hunch had been right.
"Do you have a bow?"
The gamekeeper shook his head. "I have an old crossbow, but it's at the castle. I can go back for it if you want."
"That would take you too long."
This was one of those moments when a mage would have been useful. And Alex had just argued with the only mage he had.
He scanned the area. The trees were thick and some branches jutted out over the roof. "Maybe I have an idea. You stay hidden and wait for my signal."
He had a couple of daggers and the element of surprise. If he knocked out the guard on the roof, he could steal his crossbow and kill the one at the entrance.
He slipped along the edge of the woods until he reached a tree. With a few agile leaps he climbed up and moved along one of the bigger branches until he was above the roof. The brigand was directly beneath him.
Alex calmly drew his dagger and bent over the branch. The wood creaked under his boot and the guard tensed. Shit. He'd heard it!
The prince dropped down, gripped the man's face, and drove the blade into his throat. The brigand made a strangled sound before collapsing to the ground.
Alex sheathed the dagger, grabbed the crossbow, and made his way to the edge of the roof. He aimed at the other man, but found him already dead on the ground. Who the hell had killed him?
"Well, better that way."
He waved to the gamekeeper and slid down from the roof. Muffled noises came from inside the hut, but they were too faint to tell whether there were any other captors. The only way to find out was to break in.
Alex took a breath and kicked the door. It came down with a thud and a cloud of dust. He stepped inside with the crossbow raised, but relaxed at once.
"You all right?"
The hostages, bound and gagged, nodded. There were about ten of them and, judging by their clothes, they were mostly servants. Only Lady Lynden and her daughter wore embroidered vests.
The gamekeeper reached him and helped free them. It had been easier than he'd expected.
As soon as Lady Lynden was able to speak and move, she bowed. "Your Highness, you have my deepest gratitude."
"I only did what I had to."
"Where's my husband?"
"He's fine, but I can't promise there won't be consequences for having collaborated with the enemy."
The woman pressed her lips together and nodded. "I understand. I beg your forgiveness on his behalf. He's a good man, but he's never had much resolve or cunning."
Alex shrugged. "We'll talk about it once we've stopped the mad mage."
If it were up to him, he would have let it go, but he was a prince in name only. In practice, he didn't count for much.
He turned to the gamekeeper. "Take them somewhere safe and stay with them. I can count on you, right?"
The man nodded. "I know these woods. I'll keep them all safe."
"Good. I'm going back. I need to finish this."
"Be careful."
Alex stepped out of the hut, but an arrow whistled past his ear and lodged in the wall behind him. A fierce burning flared across his face and something warm trickled down his cheek.
"Fuck."
He pressed his fingers to the wound and scanned the trees with a rapid glance. Another arrow missed him by only a few inches.
"Against the wall, now!"
Alex ducked back into the hut and pressed himself against the wall. The door lay on the ground—he'd kicked it down—and would do little to protect them.
"They're back," Lady Lynden murmured.
"Do you know how many?"
"Two are posted as guards and a third moves back and forth, carrying orders from the castle."
Typical! Couldn't that guy have chosen another time to do his duty?
Another arrow thudded into the door frame.
"How did they take you hostage?"
"They broke into the bedchambers during the night. They killed the guards and took our daughter. I gave myself up voluntarily so she wouldn't be left alone."
"Did they use magic?"
"Only the handsome young man did." The woman frowned. "But it was strange. I didn't see any familiar with him."
Lord Lynden was right then. Reyne used a different source of magic.
"Surrender, bastards!" a voice shouted from outside.
"Never!" Lady Lynden shouted back.
"Oh, come on, beauty! If you hand over the prince, we won't hurt you."
"If you want His Highness, you'll have to go over my dead body."
Alex offered a bitter smile. "Aren't you being a little dramatic?"
"No. My family is loyal to the crown, and so am I."
A rare sentiment among the nobility, and Alex appreciated the woman all the more for it. She also reminded him of William, though he couldn't have said why.
The sound of running footsteps brought him back to reality.
"Everyone, back!"
He barely managed to raise the crossbow when the brigand burst into the shack, arrow nocked.
"Your Highness… It's a pleasure to meet you."
The brigand was tall and solid enough to fill the doorway, muscles taut with tension. A horrible scar slashed diagonally across his face.
Alex pressed his lips together. He couldn't go around him, and he wasn't sure he could shoot faster. From that distance, he wouldn't even be able to dodge the arrow. His only chance was that the man would tire and lower the bow first.
The brigand bared his teeth. "Congratulations on making it this far."
"What do you want from me?"
"Don't ask me. I only follow orders." The brigand's grin widened. "Reyne sends word that if you surrender, he'll spare the mage."
Alex shivered with dread. "You captured William?"
"Oh, yes!" The man clicked his tongue. "He's quite cute. Now I see why you fancy him so much."
He released the string, and Alex barely had time to widen his eyes. The arrow sank into his shoulder, and pain tore a scream from his throat. How. Fucking. Painful.
The crossbow slipped from his hands. The prince bent over, fingers gripping the arrow shaft. It was all his fault, his stupid naivety! That bastard had tried to distract him, and he had fallen for it.
The brigand kicked the crossbow aside and grabbed his shoulder. His fingers dug into flesh, drawing another scream. "The little prince is truly naive."
"You know… I tend to trust people."
"Too bad people don't trust you the same way."
The man kicked him, and Alex collapsed to the floor, pressing a hand against his stomach, blood filling his mouth.
"Where is William?" The question slipped out before he could stop it. Why, at a moment like this, was he still thinking of him?
The brigand chuckled. "Oh, so you really like him. And here I thought I was joking."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know, but I guess he chose to leave. No reason to stick around with you, right?"
Alex bit his lip and swallowed the pain. "No, I suppose not."
Who would follow a disappointing prince like him?
"You're mistaken." William's sharp voice made his heart jump.
Alex jerked his head up. The mage smash a ceramic vase over the brigand's head. A cascade of acorns fell to the floor, but the man remained standing.
"Son of a bitch!" He wiped the blood from his face and turned to William.
"Watch your language, there's a girl here."
"Who cares?" the other shouted, raising a hand and slapping him.
William hit the wall, a trickle of blood running down his forehead. "Is that all you can do?"
The brigand grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. "You should have left."
"I tried, but my prince is a total idealist."
"Too bad. You seemed much more reasonable."
"You're not. But if you let me go, I might not turn you into a toad."
The man chuckled. "And with what magic?"
William paled. "I have a familiar."
"That's not here anymore." The brigand showed a wide grin. "Reyne assured us it flew off tonight. You requested reinforcements, right? But by the time they arrive, it'll be too late."
Alex froze. They had spied on them this far? Things were looking very bad. And, as if that weren't enough, William kept taunting him. Couldn't he see how much he was risking?
The brigand sank his fingers into William's throat, and the mage gasped for air.
"Don't worry, mage, we'll take care of your prince. He'll make a valuable hostage to force the king's hand. You, on the other hand, aren't very useful."
"Leave him alone!" Alex lunged at the man with all the strength his wounded shoulder allowed and drove the dagger into his side.
The brigand screamed and punched him in the face, slamming him against the wall.
"You're going to pay for this!"
Then, he released William and grabbed Alex by the neck, lifting him off the ground.
At that moment, an arrow struck him in the head. The tip pierced his skull, and a gush of blood poured over Alex. The brigand released his grip and collapsed. Dead.
Alex slid against the wall with a sigh of relief and lifted his gaze. On the other side of the room, still clutching the crossbow, stood Lady Lynden.
The prince grimaced. "You're… really tough."