I think I'm getting back into the swing of writing after the rampage of writing block.

Zerrin: glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one even more.

Jess aka spectral lady: Yeah, i didn't like losing Dora either, I wasn't happy with writing that chapter overall.

on top of cloud 9: Amara's a clever horse: plus Serrina always leaves it with only a bolt for her to unlock, so she'll always have a quick escape. Must admit, the last chapter was confusing for me too... i might have been drunk when i wrote it, i'm not sure!

The end is coming near.

Chapter 15

"Halt! Identify yourself!" the guard demanded, standing terse and tall at the top of the stairs to the opulent royal corridor; he held his sword out steady, ready to cut her back if necessary. Light fromthe wall'smageglobe gave his face a waxy cast of sickly yellow.

Serrina, with a vicious smile, swept a low bow and whipped her hood back, to give the guard a mocking grin. He stepped back, startled. "Good gods, you have your father's grin."

"I know," Serrina replied coolly. "I come to see Kyra: it's an urgent call."

The man flushed. "I cannot allow you, milady." He scuffed his foot across the tiles. "Nothing personal," he muttered.

She raised an eyebrow. "I am the lady of thieves, am I not? And you are a light-fingered gambler, are you not?"

He still refused to meet her eyes. "Yes," he said softly, guiltily. "But my orders..." his voice choked, "my orders come from someone else now."

"Who?" Serrina asked coldly.

"Me," a girl said. She stood behind the guard. Guilt and embarrassment were clearly etched on the guard's features. Stepping up beside him, the girl ran her hand down his muscular arm, a thin smile on her lips and she tossed her head back triumphantly.

Serrina gave an exasperated laugh. "Lena. Dear Lena. Long time no see." She slipped her hand to her belt, laying her fingers over her dagger.

"Wish it could have been forever," Lena agreed sweetly. "We shan't see each other ever again after this, I promise." Today she'd dressed herself in a stolen guard's uniform, and had even procured a sword for herself. She launched herself at Serrina, bringing up her sword and swinging it around, Serrina easily dodged, as Lena brought the side of her foot hard into Serrina's belly.

With a gasp, Serrina tumbled back, fiery pain roaring through her.

"I've got very good, darling," Lena mocked, as Serrina tossed her head and got up to her feet, lowering herself into a fighter's crouch. "I've got Gift. My teacher says I'm very promising."

"You been going down to the graveyard for lessons?" Serrina asked sweetly, "or the toilet?"

Lena flushed angrily, her lip lifting in a snarl. "You're just jealous. He said you'd be."

Serrina gave her a bright smile, and brought her fist into Lena's stomach. "This for that, lackwit."

Lena roared at her old nickname and threw herself at Serrina slinging her arm around her neck. Serrina tossed her head back into Lena's face and felt Lena's nose crack: the girl screamed.

"Lena lackwit," Serrina taunted.

Again the girl stumbled up to her feet, her limbs shaking with fury. "Come to me!" she shouted and the sword she'd dropped flew back to her hand. She lunged forward, shoving the blade again and again, trying to impale Serrina with a starved desperation in her jerky movements.

Serrina leapt back, ducked, hearing the sword blade clang against the wall, heard shouts coming from others, knew they'd be coming soon. What would they think? She threw her cloak to the ground and launched herself at Lena, trying to get a stranglehold, the girl pushed her back with the blade, Serrina dropped to her hands and swept her foot around, sending the girl flying. Lena flipped back to her feet and leapt, slamming both her feet into Serrina's stomach. She stepped back, and her foot skidded backwards, she felt herself falling.

A sharp edge bit into her back and she gave a shrill sound of pain, kicking her leg back against the wall, the stairs! She realised in terror, scrabbling for purchase, for something to grip. She jammed her foot against the wall harder and slammed her back up against the wall, able to shove herself up to her feet again. She gasped a gasp of relief for it, trembling, then rolled her shoulders quickly in recovery. The guard came forward and she blocked his first fist, startled. She'd never known a man to hit a female! it enraged her, but worse...

He shoved her back against the wall. He didn't say he was sorry: he just looked it as he pinned her there. She looked down, at the seemingly endless set of stairs that stretched out below her, feeling sick.

Lena rested her sword casually against Serrina's throat. "That'll do, Bernard," she told the guard with a smile. He stepped back, looking ashamed.

"Good night, Serrina," Lena said.

Then she whipped her leg around in a high kick, at the same time pushing with her hand, and her mind, shoving Serrina down the stairs, tumbling helplessly.

Lena stood at the top of the stairs, hands on her hips, Serrina's cloak in one hand. "Don't worry," she told Serrina, "someone's looking after Kyra!" Then she gave a wild laugh, her eyes glowing madly.

Serrina hit the bottom stair, pain radiating down her body. "What've you done?" she whispered, darkness eating at the edges of her vision. She saw Lena turn and walk away, in the direction of Kyra's chamber.

She tried to shove herself up to her feet but she couldn't: heat roared up her body like every bone in her body was broken, every nerve impaled and bruised. She whimpered, trying again: failure was no option.

"I'm sorry, Sneak."

The guard stood over her, his sword in his hands. He was bringing it up high.

Serrina stared at him in puzzlement, her eyes wounded with betrayal. "Eel," she whispered.

Eel threw himself at the guard, escaping the shadows where he'd waited hopelessly for Serrina to admit she needed help. With a roar, he threw the guard against the wall. Serrina shut her eyes.

"Come on, come on," Eel begged her, "wake up, Sneak!" His voice was piteous. His hands moved over her body, and he told her he couldn't feel any broken bones, but she told him it was a lie.

"I'll get Alanna!" Eel snapped. "Hold on, Sneak. Hold on!"

"No!" Serrina gasped. "Get Kyra. Get her away from Lena. Please, Eel. Keep her safe."

"I can't leave you alone here!" Eel snarled, and she was only glad he didn't try to shake sense into her.

"Kyra is…" Serrina gave a gasp as new pain shot down her spine. She was running out of time. "Eel, Kyra is in danger. Her father's after her soul." She squeezed her eyes shut, a tear escaping them. "My father wanted Roger back. He planned to take Roger's power for himself. He let the deathlings loose, but he…" she forced her eyes open, to try and let Eel feel her desperation, "he didn't understand…the deathlings only obey the dead. Roger took control. That's why my father died. And then Roger turned the deathlings on Lasha." Because of something she'd kept for me.

"I betrayed our king," Serrina whispered, "by turning the key in the lock, unlocking the deathlings." Her mind ran back to that night. She'd felt so triumphant, having obeyed her father and then she'd been unable to sleep in the place by the fire where she'd always liked sleeping: she'd dreamed of death. Guilt had begun its rampage through her. She'd woken up and the deathlings…

A sob wracked her injured body followed by a sob of pain. "It's my fault!" she sobbed. "Everything of it! Father, Lasha! Dora, Kyra's mother…everyone."

Eel took Serrina in his arms, tenderly pushed back her fringe, "shh," he whispered, his pale eyes shining with tears. He comforted her as guilt and grief attacked Serrina again.

She fell back limply, a warm glow in her heart: love for her beloved ones. They told her that she couldn't let Kyra join them. "Get Kyra to me," she told Eel, her voice shook but it held a thread of who she was.

"Who orders me?" Eel asked softly.

Serrina gazed at him. "Serrina Sneak orders her beloved."

Gratitude shone in his eyes with a wary hope. Gently he laid her down on the floor. "I'll be back in a moment," he promised, and was gone.