Fuller and Simon were deadlocked in combat, forcing Simon to focus entirely on containing the Dragon and Tiger Hall leader—he was pinned down, unable to help his team.
That left Lirael's guards to face Fuller's thugs alone. These men were no pushovers, but neither were they a match for the overwhelming numbers. The moment steel clashed, each found themselves battered by five or six attackers simultaneously. The odds were impossible.
Simon's team was drowning from the start. Outnumbered and outgunned, every guard—except Simon—now fought through gritted teeth against half a dozen equally skilled opponents. Five against one? Those were suicide odds. Survival alone would be a miracle.
No illusions of victory—only a last-ditch struggle remained. Stall. Survive. Pray Lirael escaped. The stren
