Master of Chains - Jess Lebow [100]
"Stop!" shouted Liam. "Just stop, everyone." He needed a moment to get everything clear in his head.
Ryder took a step back, his eyes darting back and forth between Knoblauch and Liam. "What's going on here?" he glared at his brother. "Liam! It's me, Ryder. Your brother."
"This is your brother?" said Knoblauch as he got to his feet.
Liam nodded, holding his hand up to stay Knoblauch while he got everything straight in his head. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Yes."
"Liam, we don't have much time. There will be guardsmen here any moment."
Liam lowered his sword. "There are guardsmen here already."
Ryder looked at Knoblauch. "But there are two of us. Surely we can take this one."
Liam shook his head. "I'm also in Purdun's elite guard."
Ryder's face dropped. "What?"
"I am an elite guard," repeated Liam, not able to look at his brother.
Ryder's eyes narrowed. "You sold out?" He shook his head. "How could you?"
"It's not what you think," pleaded Liam. But even as he said it, the words felt hollow on his tongue.
"No?" said Ryder, making a show out of looking around the room. "So you're working both sides?" He made a move toward Knoblauch, launching his spiked chain at the veteran.
"Stop," shouted Liam, reacting to his brother attacking his friend.
Knoblauch batted it aside with seemingly little effort. But Liam could tell by the look on Ryder's face that his brother hadn't really tried to hit the veteran. It had been a test-just like when they were young.
Ryder glared at Liam. "How could you do this? The moment I'm gone, you go running to the baron."
Liam felt his face get red. "It didn't happen that way."
"Oh no?" Ryder stepped sideways, pacing around Liam like a threatening snake, gathering his chain to him. With a smooth overhand motion, he brought it over his shoulder, striking at Liam.
Liam jerked back, but he was too slow. Ryder's chain caught his long sword on the hand guard. Liam tried to keep hold of it, but Ryder was stronger, and sword went tumbling to the floor.
Liam sidestepped away from Ryder, shaking his tingling hand. He matched his brother's steps, and the two men circled, facing each other. If this were another man-any other man-Liam would already have his short sword in hand.
"I suppose you've betrayed the rest of the family as well," spat Ryder, his face growing angrier.
The center of Liam's stomach grew a heavy lump-Samira.
"Ryder, I'm sorry." He held his empty hands up in front of him. "I thought you were dead."
"That's no excuse."
Liam averted his eyes, his chest nearly caving in on itself with guilt. "I know."
"I was counting on you."
He nodded again, almost able to feel Samira's touch on his skin. "I know."
"You should have continued where I left off," chided Ryder.
"What?" The images in Liam's head scattered, and he finally looked up at his brother.
"You should have led the Awl-not abandoned them." Ryder glared. "If you really thought I was dead, then you should have taken my place."
"What happened that day, Ryder?" blurted Liam. "I watched you fall. I went back to tell our family that you died. But you didn't. And you didn't let us know. What were we supposed to think?" Liam could feel the guilt in his stomach being replaced with righteous anger. "If you didn't die, why didn't you come back?"
"Because he'd been sent to Westgate," came a voice from the double doors.
Ryder spun around.
Captain Phinneous, backed by what appeared to be his entire unit, stepped through the doors. "Welcome back, Ryder," said the captain. "I see you've grown accustomed to your chains."
* * * * *
"We wait for his signal," said Giselle. The Broken Spear had been waiting in the wooded plain outside Zerith Hold for a full day. The sun was setting, and soon it would grow dark again. Still no signal.
"There is no use waiting," said Nazeem. "He has been captured."
"Then we go in and get him out," replied