Crown & Prophecy

27. The Last Stand

Ben glanced over his shoulder. Even from a distance, he could tell something was amiss. Raveena's face was as pale as ashes and Sylvia was advancing toward her. He wondered briefly where Calum was but then he saw the cyclone of fire and realized he must be inside of it. Was he in trouble? Did he need help? Ben started toward him, but someone grabbed his arm. He looked up. It was Jonah.

"You can't interfere," he said breathlessly. "We have our hands full with these knights. We need to keep them away from Sylvia and Calum." He raised his sword to stop a blade from piercing Ben. "We need you."

Ben took one last glance then raised his hand. He knew Jonah was right. A whole group of Raveena's soldiers flew backwards, freeing him and Jonah to move on. It took a good chunk of energy out of him. He couldn't do it again. Not until it was absolutely necessary. Calum and Sylvia were more than capable of taking on Raveena. He needed to concentrate on the problem in front of him.

"We need to drive them out into the courtyard!" he yelled.

Jonah nodded in understanding and moved forward, his sword striking soldiers right and left. Lily wasn't too far from him, swinging at a group of her own soldiers. Matilda and Merrick were on the other side of the room doing their fair share of cutting down too, but it didn't seem like they were getting anywhere. Even with the knights of Elyria to help them, the soldiers kept coming. Ben was beginning to wonder where Raveena had acquired so many. Baleria wasn't a big kingdom, only half the size of Elyria.

"There's too many of them!" Lily shouted in frustration. "We have to do something!" She buried her sword in the heart of a knight in front of her. "How about a little magic?"

Ben blocked an attack with his sword and then used his foot to push his adversary out of the way. "Not yet. We should conserve our strength. Save magic for an impossible situation."

"This seems pretty impossible to me!" She struggled against another knight and barely overpowered him. "I say do it!"

"Not yet!" Matilda shouted. She seemed to be pretty good with a sword. "Ben's right!"

Lily rolled her eyes and pulled one of Ben's tricks. As unladylike as it seemed to her, she used her foot to push a knight from her path. She had seen him do it a countless number of times. She wasn't expecting the knight to grab it. With an evil smirk, the knight yanked with all of his might. Lily's balance waivered and she fell on her back on the stone floor. Her sword flew from her hand. The impact knocked the breath out of her. The sound of the breath leaving her lungs caught Jonah's attention immediately.

"Lily!" he cried.

Jonah swung his sword swiftly at the knights in front of him, but they came at him hard, knocking him backwards. A sense of urgency befell him as he tried to make his way to Lily.

Lily backed slowly backed away from the evil advancing toward her, scrambling toward the sword. It was just out of her reach, taunting her with every glint in the sun's rays. The knights raised their swords. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't reach her own. Lily did the only thing she could think of to do she braced herself, her eyes on the impending danger. She realized this could be it. This could be her undoing.

Jonah cried out for her again, his voice frantic, but his opponents were holding him back and he couldn't break free. He needed help. "Ben!"

Ben finished off the man in front of him with a stab to the chest. He whirled around at the sound of Jonah's frantic voice. With his eyes, Jonah pointed out the danger. There were soldiers coming at him from all angles. It was time. Ben took a second to concentrate, then swung his sword. A gust of wind blew through the castle and hit his adversaries with such power it knocked them back against the wall. They slid down it, unconscious. Ben turned in Lily's direction and did the same. The knights around her were knocked unconscious as well.