by Renee Carr
Joshua drew back another fire breath, knowing he was running out of steam. What he blew this time was half of what he had blown before, and it was clear the end was near.
Just as he was considering backing toward her lifeless form and lying down, to accept his fate with tears in his eyes, he felt the air fill with magic.
He looked up, as did every supernatural creature on the battleground.
Coming at them, with no ship, and just powerful magic in their hands, were more witches than he even thought existed in the entire universe. They flew on magic streams, and the look on their faces was a collective one of determination. In unison, they reared back and there was a magical flash that blinded him.
Joshua felt darkness take him, and he closed his eyes, accepting it. He felt Leah’s leg on his tail and felt a peace settle over him.
I love you, he thought to her.
The darkness rushed toward him, and he was prepared to never wake up again. But, sometime later, his eyes fluttered open, as the light came rushing back to him.
“What the...” He sat up suddenly, his head spinning and his vision blurry.
He remembered the battle, and then he remembered Leah. He was in human form, and he spun around, expecting to find her still lying beside him. However, Leah’s form was no longer there.
“Leah!” he screamed, before he made sense of his surroundings. His heart hammered and he felt like he might faint out of fear.
Fear. Joshua was never afraid; he was never so much as startled.
“I’m here,” said Leah’s soft voice, and put her hand on his shoulder.
He spun around again and immediately wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her in close.
“Oh, thank Creator,” he breathed. “Thank Creator. Are you alright? What happened? Where are we...”
“It’s okay, Joshua,” Leah said softly and hugged him tighter. “It’s okay. We’re safe.”
“What the heck happened?” he asked when he felt a bit more coherent. “You were shot?”
“I was,” she said. “And I was told that it would be sore for a while, but I’m okay. Thanks to the witches.”
“The witches...” Suddenly, he remembered the legion of witches that had appeared at the end of the battle.
“The witches,” said Cory’s voice, and Joshua saw his younger brother walk into his vision. Cory was surrounded by several witches, and they all looked to be in good spirits. He was grinning, unharmed, and the witches were looking at him like reunited puppies to their master. How Cory had managed to get every witch enchanted with him was a fact that Joshua accepted he would never understand. Cory and the witches would go down in history as a united force, and Joshua briefly saw a bright future for the kingdom, with such a unified front.
“Oh my Creator,” Joshua managed at last. “I thought we were all dead.”
“We very nearly were,” Cory said. “If it weren’t for you and the witches, we’d all be dead... instead of just... half of us.”
It was only then that Joshua looked around at the battlefield. He had seen slaughters before, but this was like nothing that he had so much as read about. Every wolf was dead, lying on the ground in pieces. There wasn’t a single wolf that even had a hope of drawing breath again.
There were some dragon corpses, as well, faces that he knew and mourned instantly.
Across the field, Christine was on the landing platform of the ship, sobbing over her father’s body. It was a sobering moment, and Joshua cleared his throat, struggling to find the words in the face of such a tragedy.
“This is...” he started when one of the witches stepped forward.
“We had permission,” she said, looking him right in the eye. “Our condition for rescuing the prince was that we would show no mercy when it came to sparing his life. And we did, just as we promised.”
“Who gave you such permission?” Joshua asked. “My brother Nathan is allied with the wolf Alpha, he would have never...”
“The queen,” the witch said. “Queen Ivy gave us permission. The king could not.”
Joshua felt his stomach drop further than it already had.
“Why could he not?” he asked and the witch met his eyes.
“You know your brother,” she said at last. “You know how he is. He was not able to, at the moment the decision had to be made.”
“We have to go home,” Joshua said as he drew Leah closer. He thought that the terror was over, but fear over Nathan’s fate brought back his heart palpitations all over again. “Now.”
“I agree,” Cory said. “I’ve had my fill of adventure for the next few days.”
“Right...” Joshua looked around, his voice still shaking. “Leah?”
“I’m here,” she reminded him. “I’m here. What do you need?”
“Round up whoever is able to walk, and get them on the ship,” he said. “As for the wolves...”
“We will take care of the dead,” one of the witches said. “We will return them to their clans.”
He breathed a sigh of relief at that.
“Thank you,” he said and then his gaze fell on Christine, still crying. “I’ll... I’ll just be a moment.”
“Do you want me to come?” Leah asked him softly, but he shook his head.
“No,” he said. “I have to do this by myself.”
He found his legs were still shaking as he crossed the field. Away from the survivors, it was dead silent, save for Christine’s sobs.
“Christine, I’m sorry,” he said gently as he dropped to his knees beside her. “I’m sorry.”
She looked up, tears in her eyes.
“What are you sorry for?” she asked.
“For all of this,” he said. “For the way I treated you, for...”
She wiped her eyes, trying to find the words in her broken heart.
“I knew he was up to something rotten,” she said. “I just knew it and I didn’t speak up. I thought... I thought for once, he was finally letting me be happy. But he wasn’t. He always controlled me, Joshua, from the moment I was born. I was stupid, to think I was finally free.”
“You have always been free,” Joshua said to her. “And you are a talented warrior, with a bright future. Everything you want is within your grasp, I promise you.”
“Except for you,” she said, and he looked away. “I was stupid to think that too.”
“You weren’t,” he said at last. “I led you on. I...”
“No,” she replied. “I knew you were in love with Leah. It was so obvious. I just tried to... deny it.”
“Leah and I...” he started and she shook her head.
“Leah and you are fated mates, and everyone can see that,” she whispered. “Even I could. I just... I wanted that for myself. I wanted my fated mate, and I fell in love with the idea that it could be a prince.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am.”
“You’ve given me so much,” she reached for his hand. “You plucked me out of the academy when I thought no one would see me or care about what I could do; you believed in me. I think maybe... maybe that was what you were supposed to do for me, in this life.”
“I am sorry, though,” he said. “I shouldn’t have gone about it the way I did. The truth is, Christine, I was in denial myself. I didn’t... I didn’t see what was in front of my face for years. Which is typical of me, really.”
“Maybe...” Christine sniffled. “Maybe we can be friends?”
“I’d like that,” he said. “And I’d be honored if you wanted to stay with the guards.”
“Yes,” she said, and looked back at her father’s lifeless body. “It’s all I have now.”
“You have all of us,” he promised her. “And you have ice. You are special, Christine, unique, and you have a place in this universe that no one will ever forget.”
She nodded, although it was clear her heart was still breaking.
“What now?” she asked. He swallowed.
“I have to go home,” he
said. “Nathan is... possibly unwell. The witches said that they would take care of the dead, and we will take the living. But if you want to go with your father...”
“No,” she said softly. “No. He is gone. I’ll say goodbye at the funeral but... I have to find a new way, now. I’ll come with you if you’ll have me.”
“Of course,” he said, and helped her up. Leah was waiting a short distance away and opened up her arms. Christine fell into them, and Joshua breathed a sigh of relief as they walked arm in arm to the dragon ship.
“Well,” Cory said to him as they lingered behind, “that could have been so bad for you.”
“Could have been a second war,” Joshua agreed. “But for now, at least, we have peace. Are you ready to go home, brother?”
“To whatever is at home,” Cory said, following Joshua to the ship.
“To whatever is at home,” Joshua echoed.
Chapter 17
“They are back,” Ivy said to Nathan, the minute they received confirmation from the landing dock. His phone was in their bedroom, whereas hers was constantly on her person. She did better with the constant updates, while he preferred to focus on the moment. “And they are safely docked, with the landing bay secure.”
The two of them had been sitting for throne duty, but at the moment, Nathan didn’t care about the long line of people who had been waiting to see them.
He rose, holding his hand out to Ivy, who took it. His pace was quick, but he wasn’t going anywhere without her.
“Thank you,” he said to her as they practically rushed down the hallway.
“For what?” she asked him and he smiled.
“For being there for me, this whole time.”
“Hello, they are my family too,” she said. “It’s not like I have anyone else.”
“I know,” he said and stopped suddenly. Ivy gave him an odd look.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
“I know that I have not been the easiest partner as of late,” he said. “And I know that my mind has been in chaos. But...”
“Nathan,” she looked him right in the eye. “Listen to me. I knew who you were when I married you. And I told you then that you never had to explain anything to me. I know you. That’s all I need.”
“Thank you,” he said and she smiled, taking his hand.
“Come on, let’s go see your hooligan brothers,” she said.
They looked rough, but Nathan expected them to. What he didn’t expect was for them to rush to him and grab him, hugging him tight.
“Whoa,” he said. “Whoa. Hello.”
“Are you alright, brother?” Joshua asked, pulling back. Nathan’s face contorted in confusion.
“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” he said.
“He’s fine,” Ivy said, although her voice was filled with the words that were unsaid. “And I’m glad that you two are also still walking and talking.”
“We very nearly weren’t,” Joshua said. “If it weren’t for the witches...”
“Yes,” Nathan said. “This is going to be a mess. I’ve already called Devon. He is understandably upset.”
“We will deal with it together,” Joshua said. “And I will tell Devon, in no uncertain terms, that it was necessary to save Cory’s life. To save all our lives, actually. I would not hesitate to tell him that we would expect him to do the exact same, should the situation be reversed.”
“And the ambassador?” Nathan asked.
“Gone,” Joshua said. “But Christine knew nothing of his nefarious plan. She’s a mess. We all are.”
“How about,” Ivy said, looking at the state of them, “you both take showers, and get some sleep. Nathan and I can hold the fort one more day.”
“Would you be open to holding it two more days?” Cory said with a yawn. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
“Come, brother,” Nathan said with a smile. “I’ll make sure that no one bothers you.”
He and Cory stepped ahead and Ivy hung back with Joshua a moment, watching them go.
“Is he alright?” Joshua asked Ivy. She raised an eyebrow.
“Cory?” she asked.
“Nathan,” he said and Ivy shed a tear.
“He’s...” she tried to find the right words. “Obviously it wasn’t easy. I’ve not seen him this bad in a while, to be honest. But now that you are here, I’m sure he’ll be alright.”
“I heard you gave the orders, for the witches,” he said and Ivy shrugged.
“I did what I had to,” she said. “You’re my family.”
“Speaking of family,” Joshua said as Leah and Christine came off the ship together. “I, um... Christine and I ended things.”
“Oh,” Ivy said. “Well, that’s probably for the best, given what’s happened.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t quite the reason.” Joshua had a funny look on his face. “I think Leah and I... I think we’re fated mates.”
Ivy burst out laughing at that.
“Of course you are,” she said. “The beggars on the street who see you two once a year could have told you that.”
“Uh, it wasn’t that obvious,” Joshua answered and Ivy just smiled.
“Whatever,” she said. “It was. It was just like Nathan and me. Everyone on Earth who saw us together asked when we were getting married before we even officially started dating. They knew.”
“Well, apparently, I was the last to be invited to the party, then,” Joshua said. “Anyways, I’ve, uh... we haven’t talked about it quite yet. I imagine it’s going to make work a little difficult.”
Ivy shrugged.
“Only if you break up,” she said. “How’s Christine taking it?”
“She gets it,” Joshua said. “But then, she’s had a rough time lately too.”
“Yeah,” Ivy looked to the two women with a sad smile. “Look, why don’t you go and get some rest. I’ll make sure they are alright. And then when you’re ready, go and see Leah first. Don’t worry about the rest of us, for half a second.”
“Thank you, sister,” he said and she shrugged.
“It’s not like I have been getting any girly gossip lately,” she said. “This will be my moment to be a gossiping human.”
“Do you think you’ll go back to Earth soon?” he asked her and Ivy sighed.
“I don’t think so,” she said. “I think I need to stay around Nathan for a while. I know my career is important, but so is saving the universe.”
Joshua grinned at that.
“Oh, you think you just saved the universe, do you?” he asked.
“I did,” Ivy said. “And the bards better write songs about me, or I’ll write them myself. Now, excuse me.”
She headed toward Christine and Leah and Joshua watched them for a few moments. Leah looked like she was in pain, but she was standing up straighter with every passing moment. She was strong, and she was going to heal fast, thanks to the witch magic in her. He didn’t know if the witches healed everything that failed her, but he also knew that Leah’s mind and heart were stronger than her body, and that was all she needed to keep moving forward. And he was hoping that their feelings for each other, now that they weren’t so confused, would also be a healing factor.
But even if she didn’t heal, he would still love her forever, just as she was.
Today, the world was chaos. But here in the palace, he was happy, and he was safe. Everyone he loved was alright, today, and that was more than he could say for many others at this moment.
Across the hangar, Leah looked up and caught his eye. He winked at her and she smiled and winked back before he began heading through the palace to his bedroom. Normally, it was a short walk. Today, however, it seemed impossibly long. Each step made him more exhausted and he was almost asleep before he unlocked his door.
There was one thing that Joshua had to do before he fell asleep and he dreaded it. He knew he had to call Devon before news reached him from his community. Although Nathan had a pre-existing relationship
with Devon, Joshua had been there and bore witness to the wolf slaughter. He should be the one to do it.
The line rang several times before it was answered. Joshua could barely stay awake, and he almost slumped over with gratitude when the wolf Alpha answered.
From the look on Devon’s face, Joshua could tell that he had heard already.
“I’m sorry,” Joshua started the conversation by apologizing. “I should have called you from the ship.”
“I have identified a lot of the bodies,” Devon said, trying to keep his voice even despite his grief. “They were rebels, having long since strayed from the pack. But it does not make the news any easier.”
“No,” Joshua said. “It does not. I tried to spare them, Devon, but they had Cory... they had my brother, and I didn’t know how to save him.”
“My understanding was that it was magic that killed them, in the end,” Devon said. “It was the witches.”
“Yes,” Joshua said. “They came to rescue Cory. They did what I could not. Perhaps we were wrong. Perhaps more lives could have been spared. Perhaps...”
“Joshua,” Devon spoke quietly. It was clear his soul was breaking with grief, but he still took the time to speak kindly. “You are the prince, the second in line for the throne. You were born to be concerned with your family, and your kingdom. You are also the captain, and you must be the one to use force when others cannot stomach it.”
“I am not ruthless...” Joshua answered, his stomach turning.
“No,” Devon said. “You are not. I do not blame you for your part in this. I only hope that their lives are not lost in vain. I hope that we can both learn from this.”
“What can we learn?” Joshua asked, confused.
“That alliances can be powerful,” Devon said. “The witches saved Cory’s life today, and had your brother not made an alliance with me earlier in his life, I might have been inclined to send a royal attack force. There could have been much more death today, but there was not, because of the alliances that held, no matter what the cost. Promise me that you will always remember that, when your time comes.”
“When my time comes?” Joshua repeated, perplexed. Devon shook his head.
