Adeline took a deep breath, her voice steady but filled with venom. "Do not let anyone here escape alive."
"As you wish," he said simply, his tone as cold as the frost gathering around his hands.
The men charged, their war cries echoing through the forest. Adeline and Cassian moved in unison, their years of training and innate abilities taking over.
Adeline raised her hands, electricity sparking between her fingers. With a fierce cry, she unleashed a torrent of lightning, striking down the first wave of attackers. The air crackled and hummed with energy as her power surged, illuminating the clearing in flashes of blinding light.
Cassian, meanwhile, worked methodically. He summoned a blizzard of ice shards, sending them hurtling toward their enemies with deadly precision.
The attackers fought back, their weapons releasing bursts of heat and energy designed to counter their powers. Adeline gritted her teeth as she dodged a fiery blast, retaliating with a bolt of lightning that sent her assailant sprawling.
Cassian stayed close to her, his eyes constantly scanning for threats. He moved like a shadow, his icy attacks swift and unrelenting.
The fight was brutal and unyielding. The attackers’ numbers seemed endless, but Adeline and Cassian refused to back down.
The battle seemed endless, and Adeline could feel the weight of exhaustion bearing down on her. She had been fighting for what felt like hours, her lightning crackling as she sent surge after surge to stun the assassins who swarmed them.
Cassian, steadfast and focused, followed up each of her attacks with precision, cutting down their immobilized enemies with ruthless efficiency.
It felt like they had formed an unspoken agreement—Adeline would disable their opponents, and Cassian would eliminate them. Their coordination was seamless, but Adeline’s energy was waning. Her body screamed for rest, her limbs heavy as she struggled to summon the power she needed.
She could not heal herself, all the healing powers and focus she had was going into maintaining the armour around her and Cassian. She did not have the time to heal herself.
Cassian noticed her faltering. Though he didn’t say anything, concern flickered in his eyes. His own stamina was holding up—he had secretly been training in preparation for moments like this. But Adeline, still young and inexperienced, had yet to build the same endurance. The assassins kept coming in relentless waves, their numbers seemingly endless.
"Adeline, are you alright?" Cassian asked, his voice sharp with worry as he dispatched another enemy.
"I’m fine," she said through gritted teeth, though her trembling hands betrayed her words.
Cassian’s eyes narrowed. She wasn’t fine. She was pushing herself too hard, and he knew it. But this wasn’t the time to argue. The assassins were just as determined to kill her as they were to kill him. Cassian needed a plan—and fast.
He scanned their surroundings, his mind racing. There was a small pond nearby, shimmering faintly under the dim light of the forest. An idea sparked in his mind. If he could lead the assassins into the water, his ice magic would become exponentially more effective. The water would amplify his power, giving him an overwhelming advantage.
"Come with me," he said abruptly, grabbing Adeline’s hand.
"What?!" she exclaimed, stumbling as he pulled her along.
"Trust me," Cassian said firmly, his grip unwavering.
Adeline didn’t resist, allowing him to lead her. Each step Cassian took left a trail of ice in its wake, they were walking towards the centre of the pond, away from the assassins. There were too many and could overwhelm them... He had already been fighting for a long time.
Cassian hoped that someone would notice that something was amiss and come for them. Until then they had to hold out.
The assassins hesitated, momentarily thrown off by the sudden change in terrain.
"Should we follow them?" one of the assassins muttered, uncertainty in his voice.
"They’re just buying time!" another barked. "We can’t let them escape!"
Despite their words, the hesitation lingered. The assassins knew that stepping into the water would put them at a disadvantage. Their footing would be unstable, their aim compromised, and their movements sluggish.
Cassian smirked grimly. "Exactly what I was counting on," he muttered under his breath.
When they reached the center of the pond, Cassian turned to Adeline. "Stay behind me and focus on ranged attacks," he instructed.
Adeline nodded, her resolve rekindled despite her exhaustion. She raised her hands, and lightning surged from her fingertips, striking the assassins who lingered at the edge of the water.
Cassian, meanwhile, unleashed his ice magic with renewed intensity. The surface of the pond froze over in jagged patterns, trapping several assassins who had hesitantly stepped onto the ice. Others, still on the banks, found themselves unable to approach without slipping.
The duo’s combined attacks created chaos among their enemies. Those who tried to use elemental magic against them found their efforts futile. Fire fizzled out in the damp air, and water-based attacks were absorbed by the pond itself.
Adeline’s lightning and Cassian’s eyes were thriving, taking the lives of more and more assassins.
Adeline felt a surge of satisfaction as they began to gain the upper hand. For the first time since the ambush began, she allowed herself a glimmer of hope.
But just as they were starting to strategize their next move, a new figure appeared at the edge of the pond.
"Lucas," Adeline hissed, her eyes narrowing in fury.
Cassian stiffened. Of course, it had to be him.
Lucas, dressed in dark armor that gleamed faintly in the light, stepped forward with an air of confidence. His men parted to let him through, their expressions shifting from uncertainty to grim determination.
"You’ve done well to survive this far," Lucas said, his voice smooth and mocking. "But it ends here."
Cassian’s jaw clenched. Lucas was the mastermind behind this ambush, and now he was here to finish what his assassins couldn’t.
Lucas extended a hand, and the ground beneath him began to shift. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a bridge of solid stone that stretched across the pond, creating a direct path to Adeline and Cassian.