Chapter 13 - Blood on the Marble
The assassins struck with terrifying synchronization. One hurled a volley of poisoned throwing daggers toward the balcony, while the other two scaled the stone pillars with grappling lines, aiming directly for Lyra.
Caspian moved faster than the eye could follow. He intercepted the mid-air daggers with a sweep of his massive paw, deflecting them harmlessly against the stone floor, then lunged forward like a striking avalanche.
With a deafening crash, he collided with the first assassin climbing the pillar, sending the intruder hurtling backward into the courtyard below.
The second assassin managed to slip past Caspian’s flank, his blade flashing toward Lyra's throat with lethal intent. Lyra didn't panic. Remembering the awakened magic of her royal pendant, she grabbed the golden amulet at her chest. It flared with a blinding, protective pulse that slammed into the assassin like a physical wall, throwing him off balance.
That single second of hesitation was all Caspian needed.
In a blur of white fur and flashing claws, Caspian pinned the remaining intruder to the marble floor, his jaws inches from the assassin's throat.
"Who sent you?" Caspian roared aloud, his voice shaking the stone foundations of the palace.
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The assassin, bleeding from a shoulder wound, let out a harsh, defiant cough and sneered. "Lord Malric sends his regards. The North will never bow to a king who kneels to a human whore. The war has already begun."
With a sharp snap of his jaw, Caspian silenced the threat, then looked up at Lyra. Her chest heaved, but her eyes blazed with fierce determination. There would be no more waiting for peace. The enemy had declared war at their doorstep.
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