by J L Lawrence
“Today, we march into a world that is not our own. I wish I could stand before you and promise we will all survive. But I’ve never lied to you and won’t start now. There are no guarantees of living. However, there will certainly be death. What I can promise you is that we are fighting for a higher purpose. To protect our way of life. Our freedom to live as we choose and not be enslaved by our enemies.
“We stand together in battle with our friends and family. Evil won’t win because it can’t understand the concept of love and hope. These gifts provide a light inside each of us that can never be extinguished. It burns bright for eternity.
“Love is our reason for survival and can conquer any obstacle. But each of you must continue to make the choice to stand against the evil forces that only want darkness and destruction. Evil wants to drain the light from each of us, until not even a glimmer exists. To smother hope, until only despair remains.
“But I know each of your hearts, and you’ve fought so valiantly to protect us all. You’ll fight and stand beside each other for a cause much larger than comprehension. Choice must exist, and good and evil will always coexist, yet we can defeat the Omega and his army.
“This is our time. Our time to protect the world we love and those that can’t fight for themselves. We want our future generations to live in a monster free world just as many of you did. You can give them the chance to pursue the ever elusive happy-ever-after we all seek.”
Her voice softened. “I don’t know who lives and who dies. I can’t even guarantee a victory. But I will fight until I take my last breath. And I will stand beside you through the battle and mourn those that fall to give us all a better life.”
Slowly, she lifted the tone in her voice. “I believe we will be victorious, because we have to be and none of us will give up. We march as one. Fight as one. Conquer as one. This is our day. Our time. When the smoke has cleared, all of us will stand triumphant against our foes. The time of the Rising has come, and it’s ours for the taking!”
She spread her arms, letting the tattoo come to life. Sparks flew from her fingertips. Phoenix wings burst out from her shoulder blades as she rose several feet in the air. “I am your Mystic!” Her voice deepened and vibrated the air around them. “Rise with me to defeat the Omega and seal the Hell Realm!”
She spun and fully transformed into a phoenix, creating a firework display in the sky. She didn’t risk staying in this form long and expending energy, but she proved her point and demonstrated her power. Returning to the platform, she regained her original appearance.
The warriors cheered and chanted her name. They were revved up and ready to charge ahead. She refused to acknowledge the prick of sadness deep within. Some might live. Some would surely die. She couldn’t dwell on what she couldn’t control. If she survived, she vowed to honor each of the fallen.
The chanting halted as she opened the portal behind her. Weapons drawn, all the soldiers took their place. She signaled to Zane that they were coming. He joined with her to open the portal for the Ghost Realm. Sweat rolled down her back from the exertion as she maintained both portals.
Her phoenix squawked his displeasure with her efforts. She sent large amounts of energy into the atmosphere, hoping it justified the risk.
* * *
Xander couldn’t take his eyes off Kate. And when had she gained wings that could appear at her command? The moment she turned into her alternate form of the phoenix, all the warriors were hooked. They had no doubts they were following the most powerful being of all. He could see that they would follow her to the ends of the earth. He couldn’t blame them. He’d do the same.
No one but him could see the pull on her energy levels. If she didn’t exercise more control, she’d be depleted before she made it to Braxus.
As the portal widened, every gaze shifted to the snarling beasts awaiting them on the other side.
Stupid demons didn’t notice the shimmer beside the portal. He connected to Kate to help control the amount of energy she expended for the Ghost Realm. She’d established contact with Roxy.
He tried not to think about Gregory standing next to her. He’d been his best friend and had sworn to stand beside him during this battle to protect Kate. The lies haunted him. It hurt more when he thought about how long the deception lasted.
Kate gently reminded him that Gregory had returned to fight in order to help them win. Maybe. He’d have to trust him one last time to protect his wife and the human warriors. Gregory hated humans, so this could be a total disaster.
Pushing doubt aside, he anchored Kate while she merged the portal with Zane. The sheer amount of power required became staggering. Her glimmer started to waver and the phoenix screeched its warning. He reached forward to forcefully disconnect her, when she let it go.
“It’s done.” Other than being a little out of breath, she seemed to recover quickly. Zane had sent her an energy boost and Rowena had decided to help, too. She certainly had a way with people.
Time for the face-off. The portal provided the dividing line between warriors. It reminded him of an old-fashioned battle where the opponents lined up on opposite sides of the field, flying their flags and riding, or running toward each other in a blaze of glory. Kate raised her arms and prepared to cross over.
She covered them in a shield. It would buy a little time for everyone to get in formation and for Roxy to create the distraction. If most of the humans could make it past the assassins, then this crazy plan might work. He didn’t want to consider what would happen if they didn’t. His priority was to keep Kate moving.
The swell of power built inside her. He held her steady. Warriors were twitching with apprehension. With a final push, they were all sucked inside the portal. He immediately blocked her ability to connect with all the warriors. She didn’t fight back. A miracle in itself. He wouldn’t question it.
The moment they landed, demons charged and bounced off her shield. She couldn’t risk holding it long.
A blinding light flashed through the sky. Roxy and Gregory burst through, followed by a sizable army. Xavier, Cian, Joseph, and Tristan led the human soldiers to the sides, while Roxy and Gregory led the charge to surround the assassin demons. Their strength appeared slightly diminished in this realm, but still fierce.
Swords clashed as they prevented the attack on the humans and eliminated demons right and left. A few soldiers were caught in the crosshairs, but most advanced to fight the battle meant for them.
They watched a moment, mesmerized by the quick purging of high-level demons. Why hadn’t they thought of this before? Gregory ordered his soldiers to expand and cleared the path for Kate and their group to advance.
With a final look over his shoulder, Xander watched his former friend slice through demons and send spells to protect them. Because of him and Roxy, none survived to follow them. A strange pang hit his heart, reminding him what could’ve been.
He stayed linked with Kate as they formed their unit to cut through the middle of the battlefield. Marcus and Ace led the way. Tristan and Xavier would join them farther along. They kept a tight formation and tried to ignore the chaos surrounding them. If they lost focus or began fighting too early, the drain on her energy would be worse. He stayed linked to Kate’s mind.
Roxy broke into Kate’s thoughts. “Drop the remaining portal, Kate. We’ve taken care of the first wave. You’ve given Gregory and I permission to stay for the battle, but you must let the others return. Zane needs to assist his brothers with the traps. We’ll protect the humans and assist the warriors.”
When had Kate agreed to let the two of them stay behind? What had that cost? Kate hesitated to listen to Roxy because she didn’t want to lose warriors, but she needed to build energy levels again. He reminded her of the end goal. “Let it go, Kate. They served their purpose.”
Kate relented and dropped the connection. Zane sealed it. Only Roxy and Gregory remained in the fight. As he searched Kate’s mind, he realized that had been Rowena’s gift, not h
ers. How odd. He dropped it for the moment. It didn’t matter in the grand scheme.
Ace kept his men on the outer perimeter creating the perfect wall. For the moment, they were able to advance with ease. He hadn’t exactly expected the minions to cause much issue. He checked in with Xavier, who’d assisted getting them past the assassins. The humans were holding their own. Barely.
* * *
Xavier ducked a punch and sliced off a head. “Keep Kate moving forward. We’re doing okay, but there are more than we anticipated. It’s like a swarm. I can’t keep track of either side. I know we’ve lost some but I don’t know the count. As soon as Gregory arrives, I’ll join you.” Words he never thought he’d say especially considering the circumstances. The humans were giving it everything they had. He tried to watch over Kate’s closest friends, figuring they would cause the greatest distraction if they were killed. She’d taught them well.
Chris, Teri, Randy, and Nate stayed back to back. Randy front-kicked one minion in the center of the chest. As it fell backward, Teri sliced off its head. Chris had brought his shotgun and blew the head off another one, while Nate used flaming arrows aimed at the heart. Xavier took down several, before he could even get there to help them.
“Nice. Keep working your way through them. When you get control of the area, Kate wants you to be extra careful. Only confront what you can defeat and stick together.”
Two more demon wannabes jumped in front of her. Xavier shook his head. Didn’t they ever learn? He sent two fire blasts and incinerated them. To add extra clearance, he sent several fireballs into the mass of half-demons.
Gregory popped in beside him. “That’s my job. Go protect Kate and Angie. I’ll watch over the humans.”
Xavier wished he could aim a blast at him, but it wasn’t the time or place to rehash old wounds. He wanted to return to Angie, so he’d have to get over his baggage and trust him. If anything happened to Kate’s human friends, at least it wouldn’t be on him. Then she’d destroy Gregory, and he’d suffer for a second time. He sure as hell planned to watch that show.
“Fine. Don’t screw up. Xander won’t be there to protect your ass this time.”
“I wouldn’t expect him to. I’ll do right by you. I swear.” His sincerity almost swayed him. Nope. Still didn’t like him.
Roxy came in next. “Go, you stubborn idiot. We got this. This is not important, no matter how much she loves them. Get her to the inner circle and be there for Xander. Her battle will not be easy.” She punched one halfling in the nose, then spun to land a sidekick in the chest of another. Gregory engulfed the first one in flames while Roxy took the head off the second with her sword.
Xavier felt confident they had this under control. He made his way toward Kate and tried not to count the number of humans he had to step over along the way. He hoped Xander had fully blocked her mind, or she might not make it to the final battle. He sent the warning to Xander so he could prevent further distractions.
* * *
Xander reinforced the block he’d created in Kate’s mind as Xavier popped in at his back. His nerves eased a little, knowing his brother added protection for Kate and himself. From the reports he’d received so far, Kate’s friends were still alive. Their fighting skills proved to be superior, but the sheer number of minions had been a shock. Refusing to connect with Gregory, Roxy allowed him to keep watch through her.
A thick layer of blood covered the ground like a blanket of red snow. It sent chills up his spine. He shook his head to wipe away the images, while they inched forward. His thoughts drifted to Gregory again. He needed to forgive him and move on. What would he have risked to protect Kate? Though he hoped he wouldn’t have harmed his best friend. Much as he hated to admit it, having Gregory protect Kate’s former team gave him comfort. For that alone, he’d figure out how to let the past go.
“If they survive.” Xavier’s thoughts pierced his own. “Don’t give him too much credit too quickly. I’m still sort of hoping he’ll give Kate a reason to kick his ass.”
“Shut up, Xavier.” Some things never changed.
They finished crossing through the layers of minions and approached the next wave of demonic assassins. This road wouldn’t be as easy. Braxus would’ve given them one mission; Block the Mystic’s path to slow her down and drain her energy.
They happened to be extremely good at their assigned task. Their progress slowed to a crawl. Ace’s men were well trained and no one came near Kate, but they’d have to fight their way out of this one. He didn’t see any other way to break through. Using this much energy early on couldn’t be good for her.
Tristan and Nikki joined them to reinforce the boundaries around Kate. Nikki had worked with the Faery Realm and moved them into position. He hated having his sister in this battle, too. At least he could keep her close, and he could help protect her. He let Xavier take the lead on that role, so he could keep his focus on Kate.
The outer circle fought with sword and crossbow, allowing them progress toward the final battle. At this rate, Kate would arrive sometime next month. He didn’t want to risk any more of her energy stores, but this approach wasn’t working.
Kate and Rowena launched fire blasts to help clear the path. More demons moved into position, boxing them in like sardines.
“Kate, be careful using up your powers.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
He wanted to argue, but couldn’t. She opened her arms and pooled the light inside. A massive wave of light extended around them, killing hundreds of demons. Within seconds, they were surrounded again. She prepared for another blast.
“Stop. You’re wasting your energy. Save it for the battle. We need to find another way. Right now, you’re giving Braxus exactly what he wants. The more you use on demons, the less you have against him.”
Nodding, she refrained from sending the second strike, but that didn’t keep her from fighting. She’d already drawn her bow and fiery arrows, killing as many as she could. He had to get her to the final stage soon or she’d never leave the fight.
She picked up on his thoughts. “Maybe you have a point, Xander. However, if we never escape this area, I won’t make it anyway. You got any other bright ideas?”
The demons were getting too close. He manifested his crossbow and Xavier covered his back, using lightning strikes. Being stuck in the center of this entourage made hand-to-hand combat tricky. His mind raced with options, while they killed as many demons as they could target. They couldn’t risk separating, so they were all sitting ducks. None of his ideas were appealing.
“We better do something soon, boys and girls!” Angie yelled over her shoulder as she sent three flaming arrows incinerating her demonic targets. “Or I’ll die of old age before we get there. Please tell me someone has a plan. Even a little one would be an improvement!”
An electrical blast flew out above his head. Kate took out a demon over his shoulder, then turned back to Angie. “I’ve got a plan, but y’all aren’t gonna like it.” She avoided his eyes.
He got a sinking feeling in his gut when he caught some of her thoughts. She wouldn’t. “You can’t possibly be serious. You’ll put the entire species at risk. Think about this.”
Angie threw up her hands. “What are you talking about?”
Xander ignored her and cautioned Kate again. She’d already made up her mind. Stubborn woman.
“We’re at war and they want to help, Xander. I’ll protect them so Braxus doesn’t learn of their assistance. You once turned into one, as can many of our warriors. Who’s to say this wasn’t all part of our plan? How could he determine real versus illusion? Plus, I don’t plan on him being alive at the end. They’re allies and we need to be grateful.”
Maybe, but he wasn’t convinced this could work. The ramifications could affect the realms for centuries.
Angie looked from one to the other and finally exploded. “Will one of you tell us what the hell is happening?”
Instead of answering, Kate pointe
d high in the air. “Look up.”
Several dragons burst though the overcast sky in an array of colors. Pale light in the realm bounced off their glistening scales. It created a rainbow reflection on the ground across the barren land. Ardan trumpeted his order, and they all dove in unison. Flames erupted, melting demons on impact. Kate warned her soldiers to use a shield. It got a little warm, but none of her guys were harmed.
“Well done, Kate.” Rowena stared in admiration. He’d heard rumors that she’d asked the dragons to join her battle, but they had declined.
Nikki and Angie cheered with those around them. The dragons continued to attack the demons while clearing a path for them. Xavier and Marcus created protective barriers for the dragons as the demons threw energy blasts and used other weaponry. They ran forward trying to reach the next phase.
It didn’t take long for the demons to remember their purpose, and once again, they piled up and blocked the entrance to the wizarding circle. They’d almost made it. The dark wizards on the other side had no desire to face Rowena or Marcus, so they added a twenty-foot wall of jagged thorns—probably tipped with poison—to further prevent them from moving forward. Great. A new obstacle.
Kate signaled Ardan, and he circled toward her. Xander didn’t even want to ask what her next idea entailed. Ardan trumpeted once again, following the orders of their beloved Mystic. How had she wound them around her finger so fast? Somehow, she’d manage to unite all realms. He hoped that earned her some extra bonus points. She needed all she could get.
* * *
The dragons circled above Kate’s head. She desperately wanted to protect them, but Xander reminded her that it was too late for doubts and that her battle with Braxus would end the blood bath. The fighting had become intense on both sides with many dying.
It’s up to me to end this.
She pushed guilt aside. “Ardan, I hate to ask this of you, put I need a huge favor.”
