Arades held up a fist and immediately all movement stopped. He cocked his head, clearly straining his ears. Three fingers went up. Three guards.
Slowly, quietly, Jack drew his swords. Arades mirrored him, as did the others.
Arades carefully turned the handle. The hiss of burning flesh hit Jack’s ears but it was the squeak and grind of the metal hinges that had Arades throwing open the door and dashing inside.
Three Battle Imps burst into action. Arades ducked swiftly under one huge arm and stabbed one creature’s back as Jack’s sword thrust into its belly. It fell to its knees. The other two were dealt with as efficiently. Their heads rolled with two strikes on each neck.
It was pitch black outside the tower save for the pools of light from the occasional sconce on the castle wall. Jack was grateful; he did not yet want to see what horrors had befallen his home. Rubble crunched under his feet. No matter where they stepped, it was impossible to be silent. It did not matter, the din coming from the hundreds of cages packed into the courtyard was enough to drown out the sound of an approaching army, much less this small invading team.
Jack peered around. In the centre was a stone circle. The ground dipped slightly as if worn down. He pulled his gaze away, not wanting to think about the thousands of souls ripped apart there. Dipping his chin, he indicated the shadows near the wall.
They all ran and ducked down.
“We start at this end and take out the guards. Quietly. Gunnald, where do you need to be for the best shot?” Jack’s guard indicated the other side of the courtyard by inclining his head and left them. “Master Dervin? Go. Fly swiftly,” Jack commanded.
In the blink of an eye, the shapeshifter was gone, flapping his magnificent wings and climbing high.
“Let’s go,” hissed Arades.
Together the group of human and fae warriors descended upon the unsuspecting Dust Devils and Battle Imps guarding the Ashmea.
Jack tensed his muscles and fought for his life. Blood and dust covered him by the time a warning roar and the flap of heavy wings heralded the arrival of the guardians.
The cages on the far side of the castle courtyard burst into flame. Vaalor spewed a torrent of fire from his huge jaws. He crashed, talons first, into the ground, making Jack stumble but the green and gold dragon did not falter, only continued to burn their enemy. He flicked his barbed tail, sending a squad of Battle Imps flying.
A moment later, Ilya slammed into the ground nearby. Tremors ran up Jack’s legs and Vico, who was nearest, fell to his knees. Ilya whipped her head their way and roared. A warning.
“Quick run! They will deal with the Ashmea. We need to fight the guards.”
But even as Ilya and Vaalor spewed fire, the cages heated and melted, setting hundreds of the Ashmea free.
Jack’s gut tightened at their terrifying screeches. He ducked as one swooped above his head. Arades knocked him to the ground. Jack spat dirt from his mouth, rolled on his back and flipped to his feet. Tom now fought the creature alongside Arades as Zane protected their backs. Forgotten by the beast, Jack leaped behind it and swung at the spine on its neck. The beast was over a foot taller than him, and his blade bounced harmlessly of its armoured exoskeleton.
“Jack! Take its limbs!” yelled Arades as he somersaulted over the thing’s head and ripped apart its membranous wings with the razor edge of his own.
Jack and Tom increased their assault, giving it no time to think about Arades.
The general’s feet hit the ground. He immediately bent his knees and jumped, heaving his sword above his head.
Jack judged his moment. “Now!” he bellowed at Tom.
They attacked simultaneously with speed and accuracy borne of hour upon hour of hard training. Arades struck at the same time Tom and Jack spun on their knees. Black, oily blood splattered from its severed legs and spine. Jack jumped back. Tom followed. Arades did not stop striking. He pushed his magic into his wings, and it flowed down his arm into his sword. He grinned at Jack’s shocked face.
“My daughter. Uses. Magic,” he panted. “Other fae. Use theirs. Don’t see why I can’t!” And he cleaved off the Ashmea’s head.
Flames licked at the air, the heat almost painful on Jack’s exposed skin. “Let’s get out. Leave the dragons to it!” Jack yelled.
They sprinted under the stone arch into the outer bailey. It was mayhem. Their fae forces had landed and were battling to retake the castle. Havron was leading them, burning any enemy who stood in his way. The First Legion fought alongside fae from the Fire Mountains, whose wings glowed green and gold as well as red.
Havron saw Jack—and grinned, cocking his head at the Battle Imps that guarded the drawbridge out to the city. An invitation.
The blue-skinned monsters didn’t stand a chance, focused as they were on the First Legion.
Jack and his guard attacked. He felt no remorse as his swords sliced through flesh and crunched into bone.
Havron jogged over as his men continued to fight around them. “We need to fight a path down through the city to let our army in,” Havron told them.
Heat and light bathed them as Ilya roared. The sound of flapping wings drowned out any further words. Ilya took to the skies, giving chase to the Ashmea who were single-mindedly leaving the fray and heading north. Droves of them lifted from the grounds outside the castle, visible now in the weak light of dawn.
“Shit! They were being kept outside the castle too!” Jack exclaimed, his belly turning. Diamond had said how many human prisoners were being held. There had not been nearly enough Ashmea in the cages to account for them all. He cursed his stupidity.
Vaalor spewed flame up into the air, catching a lone Ashmea. Burning, it fell to the ground. He batted it out of the way with one huge wing before he continued up to fight beside Ilya.
“Rayan fights outside the city with the wizards and the rest of our army. There are legions of Dust Devils and Seekers out there,” Havron panted as they fought side by side.
“Any giants?” yelled Jack.
“Not that I saw, but the camp was huge. It will take Prince Rayan and Queen Teya far longer than we anticipated to gain control of the grasslands.”
Jack nodded. “Then we are on our own. We will clear the castle and work our way down through the city.”
“Yes, sir,” Havron replied, shooting a stream of hot red magic into the chest of a charging Battle Imp.
Jack couldn’t help but wish he had that sort of power.
“Right flank!” bellowed Havron. “Fight with King Oden and the General! Move! Left, clear the castle!”
In a smooth move, the squadron of red fae stepped back, their gaps immediately filled by others. Their timing was perfect.
“Good luck, majesty,” Havron said grimly as the Dust Devils swirled in through the castle gates.
“To the gates!” bellowed Arades.
They all sprinted into the thick of it. Blood spilled and heads rolled in a never-ending cascade. Jack’s arms began to tire and shake. He fought back-to-back with Roin, Arades and Zane nearby.
Swiping the head off yet another rotting corpse, Jack leaned heavily on one sword, dragging air down into his heaving lungs. Dust crunched between his teeth and the stench of rotting flesh and blood stung his nose. Sweat trickled into his eyes, stinging them. He wiped it away with his arm, blinking furiously, wishing for a drink.
Roin eyed him anxiously. “You need to rest, sire.”
“No!” bit out Jack. “There is no rest in a battle. I fight and survive—or I die. It is the way of things, Roin, You know that.”
Roin nodded toward the fae. “They could get you out of here. Back to the ship,” he panted, wiping the blood from a cut on his forehead.
“I will not leave! This is my home!”
“I know, but we are winning now. Look,” Roin instructed, pointing down what had once been the main street.
Their troops had worked their way down through the city. Jack hadn’t realised how close to the main city gate
s they had come. His heart soared.
Zane yelled as a Dust Devil swirled forward from an alley, dancing around them before becoming corporeal. It lunged at Tom’s back. Zane threw himself in front of his mate, earning a slash to his chest from the rusty blade.
“Zane!” Tom yelled. Without pause, he cleaved the rotting corpse’s head off.
Jack straightened and sighed with relief as Tom helped Zane back to his feet. Arades pulled a bandage from his tunic and quickly wrapped the wound. Jack watched them, happy to let the First Legion take the lead for a moment whilst he caught his breath.
A sharp pain jolted him from his exhausted state. He screamed as a blade appeared through his shoulder.
“No!” yelled Arades, spinning so swiftly he was just a blur.
Jack registered the grotesque head of a Battle Imp rolling beside him as he fell to his knees. His legs just wouldn’t support his weight any more.
Zane caught him as his body became lax. “My king!”
“I’m. All. Right,” Jack panted, feeling anything but.
“Karl! Unis! With me. I am taking him to the healers in the harbour. Now!” bellowed Arades. “Roin! You’re in charge. Lead them and take what is left of our city back!”
Jack felt himself lifted as the others charged ahead. Pain lanced through his shoulder as Arades set an urgent pace with his wings. Jack fought the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him. Instead, he blinked, tears burning his eyes. From this height he saw the devastation, the flames devouring his home.
Arades cursed. Jack’s blood soaked through his own armour and seeped across the general’s. “Stay with us, Jack. You cannot die. You have too much to live for. You have your home and kingdom to rebuild—and a beautiful woman to win when this is all over. You hear me, Jack? You deserve that. I know you think you don’t but, by the goddess, you do. Now fight for it! Fight to stay alive, my king. We need you.”
Jack grunted. It soothed his soul somewhat to know this tough warrior, someone who had known and served his father, wanted Jack to live—that he needed Jack. Fighting the urge to pass out, Jack watched his home and the army below disappear into the black curtain of smoke.
Chapter 23
“What happened to Valentia’s shield?” asked Eryanth as they stood opposite the Red Wizard.
Erzion slouched in the chair in his study, a sheen of sweat glistening on his pale skin.
Eryanth exchanged a worried look with Diamond.
He is exhausted. What can we do?
Nothing, my love. He is trying to keep his spells in place around Catava and fight off Erebos’ magic. He has been fighting for months. We must find the sword and the other keys before he can no longer fight, Diamond stated.
What do we do when we find them?
Diamond turned her eyes to him. He caught his breath at their glow.
“Destroy them,” she whispered.
Erzion lifted his tired eyes in surprise then grinned. “You have your Nexus,” he stated. “Mind melding between fae can only happen when you have mated with your Nexus. I am happy for you both,” he smiled. “Truly happy,”
“Thank you, my lord,” Eryanth responded.
Erzion sighed. “I have been in many battles in my long life, but the last time I killed my own kind was when Lunaria ordered me to serve Griana. In these last weeks I have had to kill so many of my own again, it has sickened me. They are men that I used to command, confused by the war and where their allegiance should lay. I have saved some by persuading them their queen is no longer in control and bringing them to Catava; others I have had to watch from afar as they have been taken by evil.” He sighed and rubbed his face. “You know I cannot protect the city for much longer. My strength is fading. My spells will fall soon. The dark god—he is just too powerful for me now,” he told them.
Eryanth nodded, fear for all those in the city tightening his heart. “How long?” he asked.
“Tomorrow,” the Red Wizard answered, his shoulders drooping under the weight of his sadness. “I am sorry, majesties.”
“No. Don’t,” Diamond uttered, rushing around the desk to take Erzion’s hand. “You should feel no guilt in what you have had to do. No one has done more for this kingdom—for its people—than you. You have protected us from evil for over a thousand years. It is up to us to help you now.”
Erzion stared at her. He did nothing to hide the tears shining in his eyes. “I was honoured to take that vow to your grandmother to protect your throne and people. Despite the blood I have shed, I am honoured beyond words to be here by your side—to fight alongside my true queen and king.” He looked at Eryanth as a tear tipped from his eye. “Lexon would be proud of his bloodline, my king. You are as strong as he ever was—and as lucky in your soulmate. I will fight to the end for you both; if it is my time to join my friend in Eternity, then I will do so with no regrets.”
Diamond swallowed hard. “You are not going to die, Erzion. You can’t; I need you too much.”
Erzion smiled gently. “No, my queen, you don’t. You have your king—and you have my son. His magic is as powerful as mine. When he returns, if something should befall me, he will take my place as lord of this city.”
Eryanth’s heart squeezed at the look of panic on Diamond’s face. “Lord Wizard, we may all die in this battle, but we are not yet at that point. We can still win against the darkness. Your queen can still end Erebos,” he rumbled. For a moment he turned away lest Diamond see the devastation that cleaved his soul at the thought of her death.
Erzion nodded, clearly too exhausted to speak, but the understanding and sadness in his gaze almost had Eryanth releasing the tears he held in.
Diamond placed a kiss on the back of Erzion’s hand and let go. “Erzion, please hold on as long as you can. Reinforcements will be here in two days,” Diamond said.
Eryanth kept his face blank, hoping that statement was true. They had heard nothing from Jack, but Eryanth chose to believe all his friends had been successful and they had won the battle for Stormguaard. He did not want to consider any other possibility.
Erzion released a steady breath as his eyes closed for a moment. “Hundreds of Ashmea arrived weeks ago, and hundreds more flew overhead only days ago. Erebos has his army. Soon they will come for the innocent people of this city as well as both of you.”
“We have our magic. We will help defend the city.”
Erzion shook his head. “I appreciate that, majesties, really I do; but once my magic fails, the city will eventually fall—even with your magic. There are too many entrances that will no longer be under glamour, and there is no way out for the people. Erebos has the remainder of Griana’s fae warriors patrolling the forest. There has been no escaping that way since you left.”
“Why are they willingly helping him?” Diamond questioned, her brows dipping.
“They have been promised exemption from his tortures.” Erzion shook his head. “The idiots believe him.”
“Who leads Griana’s fae forces now?” asked Eryanth, part of him already knowing the answer.
“Thorn,” Erzion answered. “Though none of the warriors answer to Griana anymore. No one has seen her for months, not since the night the dark god took your body,” Erzion told them.
They both stared at the wizard.
“No one?” ground out Eryanth.
“No.”
“What happened to her?”
Erzion shrugged. “I don’t know. I would not let my spies back in the palace after Erebos was resurrected. It was too dangerous. Maybe he killed her for letting you go,” he suggested to Diamond.
“Maybe,” Diamond agreed. “But that is not our concern right now. If he did, it is one less enemy we need to worry about.”
Eryanth flared his nostrils. Anger heated his belly, his guardian thrashing. He wanted to be the one to end Griana, for all she had done. No matter, there was one other person in particular he wanted to end. A promise he had to fulfil. Hate raged through him. He blocked his mind from his mate.
I will avenge you very soon, my friend, he promised Tallo’s memory. His stomach clenched as he thought about the way his friend had died. Smooth, armoured scale glided under his calloused fingers as he rubbed at his heart, trying to ease that sense of loss, the one he buried on a daily basis but which never really went away.
Ophelia bustled into the study carrying a tray of food and drink. “I heard you had returned, majesties,” she beamed and curtsied to them. “It’s so good to see you back and together.”
Diamond embraced Ophelia. “Thank you. It is lovely to see you too.”
Ophelia cast a worried eye over her mate. “He is exhausted,” she stated.
“I know. We will do our very best to help him and protect the city, but first,” Diamond turned back to Erzion. “We must retrieve the ruby keys.”
“Did Elexon say where he hid Dragonsblood?” Eryanth asked, forcing himself to slowly unclench his fingers and stretch them out.
“Yes, it is in the bolthole you hid in,” he said to Diamond. “It was the nearest out-of-sight place. Sulphurious knows the keys are in or near the tower, but he cannot knock it down. The marble of the wall was impregnated with Lunaria’s magic. It cannot be destroyed by a guardian or a god.”
Diamond met Eryanth’s mind. He allowed his to bloom open. Eat first, he commanded.
Her eyes flared with defiance but he held her gaze. No matter her power, he would not allow her to neglect herself. He cocked a brow as she decided whether or not to fight him.
His lips twitched and he sent his magic to wrap around her, caressing her face gently. Please, my queen. You need to stay strong. Then we will retrieve the sword together.
Diamond rolled her eyes and smiled. “Fine, my king. You win; we will eat, then go,” she agreed.
Eryanth stepped forward and pressed his lips to Diamond’s.
Sulphurious flapped his wings and arced flame into the dark sky.
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