The End of Hatred

by Rebecca Hefner

  Pulling her sword from her back, Miranda began to fight. Countless men, faceless and enraged, fought each other on the open field that butted against the barracks. One swung his sword at her and she blocked him, turning to hold her sword at his throat.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” she said, knowing she had the upper hand.

  “Marsias is my true ruler,” the man said, his eyes filled with hatred. For her. By all the gods, she had never expected it to come to this. Not wanting to kill one of her own men, she walked behind him as she held the blade to his neck and then knocked him unconscious with the hilt.

  More men followed, one after one. It became increasingly harder not to kill them as they were all furiously trying to harm her. Where the hell was Ken? She looked behind her to see him fighting valiantly, protecting her. Doubt swelled in her as she fought and she wondered if she had made the right decision defying her father’s wishes. Even though they were stuck in perpetual war, wasn’t it better than fighting each other?

  “Enough!” her father bellowed, standing on a platform at the edge of the barracks. His expression was cruel in the light of the waning sun and his gaze leveled on hers as she stood twenty feet away on the field, her sword still raised in protection.

  “As you can see, Miranda, our troops support my rule. Your defiance of me can only mean that the Vampyre king poisoned your mind toward me, and to our people, on your journey. You have been manipulated by our enemy. Therefore, you are not of sound mind to rule. I hereby command that you are committed to the care of the infirmary where a professional can treat your condition properly.”

  Miranda stared at him. She felt apart from her body, drifting in a world where reality had vanished. After all, how did one respond when someone they loved betrayed them so deeply? Every heartbeat seemed to fracture off a piece of the treacherous organ, shattering it into tiny pieces in her chest.

  At that moment she had no choice but to admit that her father was her greatest foe. Not Crimeous, not the Vampyres. Her own father. Wetness pooled in her eyes but she didn’t care. Unashamed, she spoke. “I am Miranda, descendent of Valktor, and the rightful heir to the Slayer throne. For all that can hear, I declare myself Queen of the Slayers. You accept me as your queen or you will be designated a traitor. This goes for you too, Father.” Lifting her sword, she pointed it directly at him, standing in the semi-darkness of the barracks across the field. “What is your decision?”

  “I am king!” he bellowed, pounding his chest with his fist. “Attack her and all that support her! I don’t want one soldier on her side left alive.”

  Voices mixed in various yells as the men resumed fighting. Miranda fought off her attackers. In between bouts she looked at the field and observed that the fifty men Kenden had assigned her were still fighting against her father’s men. Of course, her cousin had been smart enough to assemble a group of soldiers most loyal to her. It was imperative that she pulled them from this battle. Not only were they fighting their own men, they wouldn’t have enough troops left to fight Crimeous when the time came. Making a firm and fast decision, she yelled, “Retreat!” Lifting her sword, she ran across the field, toward the woods.

  Boot steps and labored breath sounded behind her and she knew that her men were following. In the distance she heard her father yell, “Cease fighting. The enemy has retreated. We will fight them another day.” His men cheered in support.

  Miranda led them to a clearing, knowing they didn’t have much time to regroup. Catching her breath, she did her best to stand tall. “How many casualties?” she asked.

  “Only two, my queen,” the soldier named Larkin answered.

  “Two,” she said, shaking her head in anger. “That’s two too many. Let this be a warning for us that we must always be on alert. The Earth is changing faster than we know and we must take care to protect what we love.”

  The men mumbled in agreement. Miranda realized they were in need of a serious pep talk. The Slayers had just broken into civil war. Worst-case scenario was upon them.

  “Soldiers, I know your families are at home, on Uteria or Restia, and I believe with all of my heart that no harm will come to them. My father’s anger rests with me and his betrayal is meant for me only. Although he has lost his way, know that we both only wish for our people to be free of war.” Lifting her hands, she stood taller, spoke louder. “My grandfather’s blood runs true in me. I ask that you trust me as your commander. I have a plan to defeat Crimeous and to return home with his head and claim my throne. You all will be rewarded tenfold for your bravery and support. Let’s restore our great kingdom to the bloodline of Valktor, the first Slayer. Our true king!”

  A roar sounded from her men and they began whistling and clapping. She took a moment to revel in the feeling, the surge of pride, and then she sobered.

  “My father will send his spies after us. I plan to lead us down the River Thayne. We must trek smartly since we are on foot. I am going to make some unorthodox decisions over the next few days. I ask you to trust me as your leader and your queen. I promise you that I will fight for our people’s future and peace until my dying breath.”

  Turning, she began the long journey northward on the river, the men falling in line behind her. She wondered where Kenden was and asked Larkin as he fell in step beside her. He was a competent soldier and although she didn’t know him well, Ken had always spoken of his bravery and loyalty.

  “He is not with our battalion,” Larkin said. “But I didn’t see him fall on the battlefield either. It is quite possible he has retreated on his own to strategize, now that civil war is upon us.”

  Miranda nodded. “Thank you, Larkin. Please keep me updated on the morale of the men. I need you to be my eyes and ears.”

  “Yes ma’am,” he said, giving her a salute. “Everyone in our battalion is a loyalist to Valktor and his bloodline. Your support is vast within this group and I will make sure that it stays that way.”

  “I appreciate your support,” she said. Nodding, he fell back to march with the troops.

  Miranda pulled out her phone and began to text as she walked.

  Miranda: Need your help. Father attacked my battalion as we trained. Civil war imminent. Meet me at the wall. Bringing 50 soldiers. Will accept your offer of 20 more. We will train at your facility. Hope your offer to align still stands.

  She waited with bated breath for the light to blink on her phone, indicating that he’d written back. Finally, several minutes later, the screen glowed.

  Sathan: Yes. ETA?

  Well, a soothsayer he was not. No long drawn out prose for this Vampyre. Way to under-emphasize the moment. Geez.

  Miranda: Sunset tomorrow. We’re on foot.

  Sathan: We’ll be at the wall.

  Well, shit. She’d just aligned with the species that sucked her people dry. One day she was gonna write a fucking book. For now, she marched, followed by her men, into the darkness.

  Chapter 19

  Kenden caught up with them halfway through their journey to Astaria. He was driving a Hummer and pulled up beside her. She commanded the soldiers to take ten minutes to rest and relieve themselves if needed and stepped to the driver’s side of the Hummer to speak to her cousin as he exited the vehicle.

  “Crap, I thought you were wounded. Thank god you’re okay.”

  “I grabbed the Hummer so that we’d at least have that.”

  “Good thinking,” she said with a nod.

  His brown eyes glowed in the light of the morning sun.

  “I don’t want to separate from you, Randi, but I need to follow up on the lead I was researching in the human world.”

  “What is it?” she asked, her heart starting to pound. “It must be bad if you feel it necessary to follow up with this much urgency.”

  “I believe that Crimeous had another child and that she lives in the human world. If this is true, she could be a powerful ally in our quest to best him. It’s said that Darkrip shares his father’s unique powers. If she does too,
I want to try to sway her to fight with us. We’ll need every ounce of support we can get.”

  Miranda inhaled sharply. “Wow. You just dropped a bomb on me. Okay, let me think.” She rubbed her forehead with her fingers. “I don’t really need you to be at Astaria with me while we train to attack Crimeous. How long do you think it will take to find her?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “She’s extremely elusive. I’m determined to find her and speak to her. Traveling to the human world is taxing and I don’t want to have to keep making trips there. If I go, I won’t come back until I make contact with her.”

  “Okay,” Miranda said, breathing out of her puffed cheeks. “You have to go. Aligning with someone who shares Crimeous’ powers would help our cause immensely.”

  Concern filled his handsome face. “I’m worried to leave you with the Vampyres without my protection. Do you feel safe going to their compound without me?”

  Inhaling deeply, she nodded. “Sathan and Latimus were extremely kind to me throughout our journey. They wish to end this war as much as we do. I feel that our agreement on that ensures my safety.”

  His chestnut irises darted back and forth between hers. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” she said, her tone firm.

  Exhaling, he looked to the sky, contemplating.

  “Okay,” he said, lowering his gaze to her. “I’ll head into the human world and try to locate this woman and prove she’s Crimeous’ daughter. If she is, I’ll try to sway her to our cause. I won’t have cell service there so I’ll work as quickly as possible. I hate to leave you but our troops are strong. I assembled the best fighters for you. Larkin is extremely capable and can take command in my absence.”

  “Okay,” she said, terrified to be without him, but understanding that another ally with Darkrip’s powers would give them a significant advantage.

  He wrapped his powerful arms around her and she fell into the hug, pulling him as close as possible. “I’m scared,” she whispered. It was something she would only admit to him.

  “I know,” he said, his low-toned voice reverberating over her head. “But you’re the most amazing person in this world, Randi. Your grandfather’s blood runs so strong in you. You can do anything you set your mind to.” Pulling back, he gazed into her as he held her upper arms. “I love you more than anything. Please remember that.”

  “I love you, too,” she said, hugging him once more. “Please be safe.”

  “You too,” he said, placing a kiss on her hair.

  They called Larkin over and explained their plan in detail. He nodded in assent and headed to command the troops to march again.

  With one last squeeze of her hand, Kenden hopped into the Hummer and drove away. Anxious heartbeats pounded in her chest.

  “Ready, princess?” Larkin asked beside her.

  “Ready.”

  With firm resolve, she led her men to Astaria.

  * * * *

  Sathan met her at the spot where the river intersected the wall, the dim light of dusk above her head. Fifty soldiers marched behind her tiny frame. And yet, there was a strength about her that was undeniable. Some people were just born leaders. His Slayer had come into her own and she was magnificent.

  Stopping only two feet from him, she tilted her back. “It was as you predicted. You can gloat or we can work together. It seems that you are now my greatest ally in our quest for peace.”

  “My only wish is to find a solution where both our people can live without war.”

  Silently searching him with her gaze, she seemed to struggle to believe him.

  “Come,” he said, gesturing toward the opening in the wall. “Darkness has fallen and I want to get you and your soldiers behind the safety of the wall.”

  Inhaling a deep breath, she nodded and waved toward her men to follow her. There was no turning back now. Once inside the wall, Sathan motioned toward the eight-wheeled camouflaged tanks. “Each can fit fourteen men. The rest can ride in the Hummer with Latimus. You’ll ride in my Hummer so that we can discuss details on the way to the compound.”

  Turning, she instructed her men to load into the vehicles and gave Latimus a nod of thanks. He scowled at her in return and Sathan shot him a glare. Jumping into the driver’s seat, he extended his hand to her to help her. Her expression told him to pound sound. Grabbing the handle above, she hopped in and buckled her seatbelt.

  “I’ve made accommodations for your soldiers to bunk in the vacant cabins at the edge of the compound. The lodgings are bare but not lacking. Each house will sleep ten men.”

  “And I will bunk with them?”

  “No, I want you at the main castle. You’re too valuable to be left unsecured.”

  A muscle twitched in her jaw and her hand clenched, still fisting the handle above her window. “I’m trying not to tell you to fuck off right now but I’m finding it increasingly hard,” she said. “I’m thankful for your help but you’ve got another thing coming if you think you’re making decisions for me.”

  “It’s only practical, Miranda. The main house is most secure. You’ll have access to Wi-Fi and cell service, which is spotty at best by the cabins. Don’t make this difficult. You have enough challenges right now.”

  “Fine,” she said, staring blankly through the windshield. His heart squeezed at her dejected expression. How must she be feeling, now that her father had betrayed her? Attacked her? He wanted to ask but felt she needed space.

  The rest of the ten-minute drive was filled with mundane information. His staff would prepare meals for the troops three times per day. Although Vampyres ate food to savor the flavor, blood was their main source of sustenance. Assigning members of his staff to feed the Slayers was warranted. Twenty of his warriors would train with her men every night, dusk until dawn, so that they could coalesce as a team and form a strategy to attack Crimeous.

  Sathan pulled up in front of five thatch-roofed cottages. As her men piled out of the vehicles, they lined up so she could address them.

  “Take tonight and the day tomorrow to rest and prepare, troops. We begin to train at dusk tomorrow alongside twenty Vampyre soldiers. This is a first for our people and I hope that you all understand the importance of working with the Vampyres. I will not tolerate petty infighting or animosity between species. We are all one team. Our people are on the verge of peace and we must keep our eye on the prize.”

  The men responded with several chants of “here, here” and loud whistles through their fingers. They all piled into the cabins and she turned to him.

  “Ready or not, we’re aligned. I hope they’re ready.”

  I hope you’re ready, he thought, assessing her impassive expression. “Let’s get to the castle.”

  * * * *

  Miranda was silent most of the short drive to the main house. As they approached the large castle, the dark stones seemed to glow in the moonlight. It was a bit larger than the castle at Uteria and she figured it probably had a few more bedrooms than her home. Balconies jutted from some of the rooms on the second floor and four towers formed points at the corners. Statues of goblins and gargoyles hung from the stones, warning away foes.

  After driving through a large meadow, they pulled up to what looked to be a large, enclosed warehouse. This must be the barracks as they looked similar to what they had at Uteria.

  Sathan parked the Hummer in the dim barracks warehouse and led her through the cavernous space to a back-door entrance to the main house. After navigating a dim hallway, they walked through a sizeable room that she assumed they used for parties or balls, and then into a large foyer. A grand, spiraling staircase stretched up to a second floor. The chandelier above was sparkling and looked to be made of diamonds.

  “Miranda, this is Lila,” he said. A woman, the most beautiful and perfect she’d ever seen, seemed to float toward her. Waist-length blond hair fell in bouncy curls from her scalp. Flawless pale skin was mostly hidden underneath her cream-colored gown. Lavender-colored eyes gazed dow
n on her as her pink lips formed a kind smile.

  “Hello, Miranda. It is nice to meet you. I’ve heard quite a bit about your journey with our king. I’m here to help in any way I can.”

  “You must be the betrothed. Nice job,” Miranda said, shooting a glance at Sathan. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Slayer, Vampyre or any other species.”

  The Vampyre blushed, only adding to her beauty. “That is very kind. Although your mother was said to be the fairest of all of Etherya’s creatures. If she favored you at all, then I would believe it.”

  “Yeah, I packed up my modeling career years ago to fight for my people. Much more noble in my eyes.”

  “She likes to joke,” Sathan muttered to Lila.

  The woman nodded in consent. Although she was gorgeous there was a stiffness about her. She reminded Miranda of Kalil, formal and unyielding.

  “Lila will show you to your chambers. She can lend you some clothing. It won’t be the right size but hopefully you can find something that will work. My soldiers will supply yours with training clothes and gear.” He smiled at the blond woman and Miranda felt a tiny twinge of…jealousy? No, it couldn’t be.

  “Thank you, Lila.” Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he left the room. And there was the twinge again. For whatever reason, she didn’t like the Vampyre kissing the woman he was supposed to marry. She figured there would be time to unpack that later.

  “Come,” the woman said, turning to float up the stairway and Miranda followed. Did they teach that floating thing in Vampyre etiquette school or something? She’d have to check into that.

  Reaching the top of the stairs, the woman turned down a dimly lit hallway. They passed several closed doors and then she led her into a bright bedroom. “This is my chamber. We’ll take a look at my clothing and see if we can find some things that will work. You seem to be about five-foot-six and a size four, right?”

  “Yes,” Miranda said, shocked at how ornate the room was. Everything from the four-post canopied bed to the curtains to the drawers was so feminine. She had more pillows on the bed than Miranda even knew existed on the planet.