From Slave To Queen (by Karyn Anderson) novel Chapter 294

As the black clad assailants lunged at her, Athena met them with an unnerving smile playing on her lips

The men exchanged bewildered glances at the sight before them, as if thinking, “She’s at death’s door…and still smiling?”

Just as they were raising the blades, every one of them suddenly clutched their chests, their movements freezing mid–strike

The next instant, blood gushed from their mouths as they collapsed to

to the ground

A searing pain ripped through his chest. One of the assailants staggered, eyes wide in shock as he glared at Athens. “You… you poisoned on?” he gasped before collapsing.

Athena slowly rose to her feet, brushing the dirt from her clothes. With an icy smile, she said, “Without poison, how else could I kill you scumbag

Her master taught her to keep compassion in her heart, but also warned her when facing the truly wicked, extraordinary measures are necessary. show them mercy is to be cruel to herself

When facing these black clad assailants, she feigned weakness to full them into a false sense of security.

Then, when the opportunity arose, she struck them down with a single, lethal blow

All the black–clad assailants collapsed, blood gushing from every orifice as they died.

Athena stopped over their lifeless bodies with chilling composere

Just then, one of the dying black clad assailants suddenly locked his arms around Athena’s leg with a desperate burst of strength.

Blood gushed from his mouth and nose as he glared up at her with manic eyes, clearly intent on dragging her down to death with him.

“Forget it! Let go!” she said.

But Athena’s injured leg gave way, and with a sudden yank, the black–clad assailant dragged her hard to the ground.

Seeing her fall, the man’s face contorted into a crazed grin. He said, “if i’m going down, you’re coming with me?

The dying black–clad man raised his dagger and hanged at Athena.

Athena instinctively snatched up a blade and, without a moment’s hesitation, slashed down at her attacker’s am

The black clad assailant was already on his last legs, so when Athena severed his arm, he collapsed without a sound.

Athena kicked the corpse aside. Gritting her teeth, she dragged her injured leg and painfully limped away.

The mountain path was breacherous, the night obscuring h

her vision.

With each painful step, Athena moved forward, chasing the faint shimmer of distant light

Jessa will surely come for me,”

„Athena thought with certainty.

Suddenly, a noise came from behind Athena’short skipped a beat as she quickly scrambled under a large boulder for cover

The footsteps grew louder. Athena som several more black–clad assailants appear on the slope above her,

“That damned woman!” one of the black clad assailants snarled. “She’s killed so many of our men. When I get my hands on her, bear her limb from

limb/”

Realizing these were more of the black–clad assailants‘ accomplices, Athena pressed herself deeper beneath the boulder and stilled her breathing.

Chapter 294

Only when their footsteps had faded into the distance and Athena was certain the danger had passed did she finally emerge from behind the boulder.

“Found you at last,” a cold voice came from behind, freezing Athena in her tracks.

Athena whirled around, only to find those black clad assailants staring at her with murderous glints in their eyes.

Little did she know, they had been patiently lying in ambush all this time, just to lure Athena out into the open

With no escape in sight, Athena subtly clenched her fists, bracing herself for a desperate last stand. If she was going down, she would take them with her,

The black–clad assailants, seemingly consumed by a frenzied hatred for Athena, swung their long blades and rushed at her.

With a swift motion, Athena unleashed a volley of hidden blades from her sleeve.

Aware of the hidden blades” deadly nature, the black–clad assailants frantically swung their swords to parry.

A sharp metallic clang sliced through the night with startling clarity.

However, the black–clad assailants only faltered for a split second before charging at her again.

The whistling of blades sliced through the air behind her, so close that Athena could almost taste the metallic tang

if that blade struck true, it would surely be her end.

In a desperate move, Athena threw up her arm, ready to sacrifice it if that was what it took to survive

Suddenly, at this critical moment, a dark figure flashed across Athena’s vision.

A sickening sound of a longsword piercing flesh filled her cars

The black–clad assailants let out blood–curdling screams and crumpled to the ground all at once. The forest reeked of blood.

Athena’s terrified gaze snapped to where alone swordsman stood, sword still in hand,

The dim light only revealed the man’s silhouette and his taut, narrow waist.

Only when Athena’s eyes adjusted to the dim light did she finally make out the man’s face.

“Prince Xander!” Athena gasped in surprise

Xander flashed to her side, finding Athena leaning against a boulder, her body swaying precariously.

The commotion had already alerted the black–clad assailants lurking in the distance.

His voice carried both urgency and deadly intent. Athena immediately wrapped her arms around his neck.

Xander tightened his grip around Athena’s waist and whirled. His longsword flashed, strel rang out as he cleaved an incoming arrow clean in two

“With that injured leg of yours, if I let you walk on your own, you wouldn’t make it out of these woods by dawn,” he said.

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