The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bailey Ardisone

  Ender announced quietly, “We are not far from the castle.”

  “When you say “not far,” how “not far” are you talking exactly?” Rydan took hold of my arm to help steady me.

  “We are incredibly close. Keep quiet.” Ender slid behind a tree.

  “Really?” Panic erupted in my chest from fear of being seen by Ohtar. “What if his hunters see us before we see them?”

  An arrow whizzed past my head, hitting a tree in front of me. I stopped frozen in my tracks, shocked. Oh, crap. Not again, and definitely not so soon. Why, oh why, hadn't I knocked on wood before asking that stupid question?

  “Creations of Ohtar’s!” Ender shouted as Mycah ripped an arrow into one of their heads from a great distance. I hadn’t even seen them yet and already Mycah killed one of them. My eyes were entranced by how ugly these things were as they ran in hordes toward us, getting closer and closer. I had been expecting elf soldiers like before, but not these things. They were deformed and mangled. Ugly was a nice word to describe them. “They are wicked, vile monsters with no emotions other than joy in killing.”

  Rydan swiftly, and with utmost elegance, drew an arrow from his back, set it up in his bow, and plunged it into an eyeball. I shook myself out of my surprise and sliced my sword at one that got close enough, just missing its throat. We were all engaged in a fight seconds later of them spotting us.

  They reeked of decaying flesh and mud, making me gag. Their smell was putrid and repulsive, and ten times worse the moment my sword thrashed open a gut or severed a head.

  Mycah, Rydan, and even Ender, moved with fluidity as they switched between bow and sword, not missing a beat. They took out one after the other effortlessly. Dancing in between bodies, Mycah impaled one’s chest then slammed the blade backward behind him without even having to turn around, skewering another, to then slice a third’s neck with an upward stroke before leaping into the air and submerging the sword deep into a fourth’s brain.

  He didn’t even look bothered by the battle, his face staying calm and serene. All the while this detestable gang grunted and huffed, squealing like pigs and jabbering useless noise. They were tall, robust, and strong, and what they lacked in skill they made up for in numbers. There had to be hundreds.

  Rydan and Lómë worked as a team, watching each other’s backs like they were one another’s second skin, as did Naminé and Calen. Rydan ducked from a cross attack to his head, then jammed his sword into the creature’s stomach. He immediately switched to his bow and shot an arrow through another’s heart, then went back to his sword and stabbed a third in the neck.

  It was exhausting, but wholly transfixing, watching these two fight. I tried to keep my focus on my own battle and rammed my blade up through the creature’s chin and out the top of his head. He fell hard to the ground, and I spun around to chop another’s arms off. Sweat poured off of me as I exerted energy I didn’t have to give.

  Rydan skated on the ground as if it were slick and wedged himself between my back and a creature who had just been about to attack me. Rydan punctured the evil monster in the heart with an arrow that he held in his hand.

  “Thanks,” I said quickly, noticing his eyes glowing a perfect shade of fiery orange before getting back to work. One after another, we took down the onslaught of Uglies.

  Mycah swiveled, parried, and leapt from rock to rock as he cut, sliced, plunged, and who knew what else, his elven blade into dozens upon dozens of these things. He was a killing machine, and none of it fazed him one bit. None of them could touch him, as hard as they tried; he either blocked them with his sword or got to them first.

  Drawing from the land, it was harder to command Aselaira than it was my home of Lassaira, but I knew I could do it. Sweat beaded at my temples as I split my attention from the elements to sword fighting, trying to do both. As I brought my blade across one’s chest, I at the same time pulled a boulder near a group that had been running over and pummeled them with it. They fell face first into the grass as I dropped the giant rock on their backs. That effort alone had me completely out of breath as I fell to my knees once again, gasping for air.

  Lómë sprinted gracefully, and oh-so beautifully, toward a massive guy and charged into him like a force to reckon with. She stood on her back legs, towering over the beastly creature, and devoured his face in her mouth. Roaring, she pounced from the falling body onto the next, knocking it onto its butt and sinking her fangs deep into its neck.

  “Tell Master, tell Master,” I heard one of them order quietly in a deep, rumbling voice. The one commanded with a deadly task that could ruin us took off running in the direction of where we had just been going, which I assumed would be the castle.

  “Mycah!” I shouted, pointing to the creature. I would go after it, but I had one chopping away at my head currently. Mycah, too, had dozens on him, but once he saw what I pointed at, he slid on his knees out of reach from the group and shot two at once with one arrow. It penetrated the first heart and out the back into the next like an ugly-creature-kebab.

  He drew another arrow and fed it to the escaping tattler, and although it slammed into his back, he kept running, not caring at all. Mycah let go of another arrow, ducking out of the way from a blow aimed at his head. This time, the arrow made it to the back of the guy’s leg, but he still did not stop. My heart started crashing against my chest. He was going to get away. Naminé, Ender, all of them were engaged in fights and couldn’t help.

  Mycah rammed his blade into an attacking creature’s chest, then almost too fast for my eyes to see, he slid another arrow over his shoulder and sailed it through the air and in between tall trees, piercing the slithering devil through its temporal lobe. Its footfalls slowed before it crashed on its face, a puff of dirt shooting upward around the fallen body.

  My shoulders sagged from overwhelming relief, but I had to keep my attention on the monster swinging a club at my throat. He swung again, and I ducked below as it collided with a tree. This guy was huge and beefy, and his batting arm was powerful to match. The force of his attack was strong; my hair got thrown about as the metal-spiked club whipped above my head.

  I rolled into a somersault away from the corner he had backed me into and jumped up to my feet again, striking at my opponent. He knocked my measly attack away with a sword he held in his other hand, then swung again at my face with that darned club.

  Grrrr. I didn’t like that weapon. I ducked and rolled to the side again, dodging his assaults. This guy was so big, it was hard for me to get any moves in, and my weakened body didn’t help matters.

  Ripping a branch from overhead, I flung it down in a flash and smashed it atop his body, causing him to bend forward as it weighed on his back. Taking my cue, I did a full spin on my heel to build momentum and stabbed my blade into his mouth. Yeah, that took care of him.

  Rydan finished the few stragglers that remained, and Mycah chased after a couple that tried to get away. But they didn’t. I wiped my forehead with the back of my sleeve, working to catch my breath. That was insane. We just took out an entire army of…of…I didn’t even know what the things were called. Uglies. They were Uglies in my book.

  “What the hell were those?” Rydan asked, obviously thinking of the same thing I had been. We all gathered around, catching our breaths.

  “I couldn’t tell you. They’re an abomination—Creatures born from malice and evil intent. Their sole purpose is to serve Ohtar. He’s gone bloodthirsty.” Mycah cleaned his weapons and took back his arrows that were stuck in carcasses that littered the ground. Rydan reclaimed his arrows as well and cleaned them off one by one.

  “But you’ve fought them before?” I inquired, cleaning off my own weapon.

  “Unfortunately, yes.” Mycah unpacked water for each of us as he spoke. “They are what hunted me after a bit of time spent in the Earthly realm. Every now and again Ohtar would send them, and I assumed it was because he needed his best soldiers for the war against Lassaira. But eventually they stopped, or I was jus
t harder to find, I’m not sure which.”

  “Scary,” I noted out loud, a shiver running down my spine. I couldn’t imagine facing those things as a little kid and being completely alone. I hated the idea of Mycah having to more. “You don’t think Ohtar knows we’re here, do you?”

  “It would be a tragedy if he did. Let us hope that he doesn’t,” Ender said.

  Mycah tucked a bit of my hair behind my ear, caressing my cheek as his hand lowered. My breath caught at the way his blue eyes that shone both brighter and darker than the ocean dropped sadly to my lips and back up to meet my yearning gaze. “We should keep moving. We mustn’t linger.”

  Nodding silently, I broke from his intoxicating stare and forced my feet to get a move on. Rydan ruffled my hair as he passed me, and Lómë bounded up to his side.

  A loud clapping, as if someone were praising our win, had us all halting to a stand. To our horror, an entire army of Night Elves, along with hundreds more of those Uglies, stepped out of the shadows, and every single one of them had arrows readied at our heads. We were completely surrounded. Ohtar himself caught my eye, sending my heart crashing to my toes. He was still clapping his hands. “Marvelous. Truly, I am impressed. You have the finest skills in all the land when it comes to the blade, Remycah. You certainly never cease to amaze. Ahh, if only that were enough to help you now. Sadly, it is not.”

  He snapped his fingers at the fleet of warriors. “Restrain them.”

  “This is madness. Stop this!” Ender demanded as they drew closer, but none listened. “Do you not understand who this is? Standing before you is Remycah Avel Zafriel, son of Remydan Zafriel. True heir of the throne of your very kingdom! This is treason!”

  “Hush your traitorous tongue! Do not speak of treason when you yourself were sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment,” Ohtar shouted at Ender. Dozens swarmed us like locusts, while the rest kept their weapons aimed.

  “Don’t do this, Sarqua,” Mycah looked at the proud elf in his eyes as he approached.

  “I answer only to King Ohtar—Lord of our realm. Do not waste your breath.” Sarqua helped restrain Mycah’s wrists.

  “Then you are stupid,” Mycah spat. A collection of snickers and whispers from the army collided together. Both Sarqua and Ohtar ignored him. We had no other choice but to surrender.

  Once we were all bound with our hands behind our backs, they pushed us onward like cattle. My eyes went to Mycah’s face. His head was bowed, his eyes were closed, and his jaw was clenched tight. The dark strands of his disarrayed, midnight hair fell over his brow. My heart was heavier than a mountain as I watched his chest rise and fall with his sharp breaths.

  I slid my gaze to Rydan, who already had his eyes on mine. We stared at each other seamlessly, transferring hopelessness and comfort together, searching for solace in one another. Lómë and Calen had been trapped in nets, and they acted groggy and disoriented, giving me the impression the ropes were laced with magic that could disable a Fëa’s powers. Naminé and Ender were behind me, preventing me from getting a good look at them, but I was sure their eyes were filled with hopelessness.

  We marched with fear tormenting my heart. My tired legs couldn’t handle my weight, and I faltered in my step. The soldiers holding my arms dragged me along without any pause for me to regain my footing. I struggled against their hold to try and get my balance, and yet, the fatigue wouldn’t have it.

  Castle Edhel-N’dor loomed ceremoniously in the distance once we breached the darkened forest. I was queasy and determined at the same time. All we had to do was get to Ohtar, who led our brigade at the front. This was what we wanted. If we were face-to-face, we could take him out. After figuring out a way to get unrestrained, of course.

  Unexpectedly, the second we cleared the trees Mycah whistled his melodious tune. Instantly, Dúlin broke from the sky, as if out of nowhere, and came hurling down in a spinning cyclone. His gigantic dragon wings were wrapped around his body, until finally, just above the soldiers’ heads, they unfurled open like a blooming leaf, spreading wide. He lit a scorching flame at all those in his path, igniting guttural outcries in his wake.

  “Stop him!” Ohtar ordered as his horse reared backward. “Take down the dragon!”

  I shuddered from the sound of dying elves. It caused an influx of blinding pain and agony deep inside my system. At the same time, Mycah wrenched his bound wrists from Sarqua’s hold. He tore the ropes apart with a roar, then fluidly grabbed the dagger from Sarqua’s belt and chucked it to Rydan, who had just finished freeing his own hands.

  The soldiers and Uglies reacted instantaneously, but there was nothing they could do against Dúlin, and Mycah and Rydan were able to defend any attacks unleashed upon them. Ender had helped Naminé out of her restraints, though I stayed kneeling on the ground helplessly. I couldn’t pick myself up, let alone undo my ties. The heaviness in my eyes and chest were too much to bear. I collapsed to the ground completely, my cheek hitting the dirt, as I struggled with consciousness. I didn’t know what was happening to me, but it was more excruciating than ever before.

  I watched from my place on the ground as Ender stretched his arm out quickly in front of his body toward the group of soldiers aiming bows at Mycah, and magically, all the arrows were sucked away.

  As Dúlin dipped low in another pass of screaming fire, a hidden elf appeared from behind a tree and chanted an Elvish phrase as he threw his arms above his head toward the dragon. My eyes widened in pure terror as a silver substance coated Dúlin’s body starting from his tail and spread like a rapid tide up to his head. Mycah’s Fëa roared in crackling fury one last time before he dropped like a stone and plunged to the hard ground in a loud crash. The land trembled and shook from the force. Mycah’s face snapped to his dragon’s fall, and I could see the devastation in his eyes as he yelled, “No!”

  But it was too late.

  In his distraction, a massive group swarmed Mycah like bees on honey, taking him down along with his Fëa. Rydan and Ender were next, followed by Naminé, then me. But it was the moment a sharp knife was held to each of our throats from behind that made everyone stop struggling and accept being caught. There were just too many of them and way too few of us. The hidden elf that had taken down Dúlin came trudging over to each of us, and while chanting a group of Elvish words, he held his hands over our heads.

  “Foolish boy. You forced me to suppress your powers,” Ohtar commented from his seat atop a mighty grey horse. He took off again toward the castle. “Make haste.”

  Two soldiers fisted my arms roughly and forced me to my feet, though I couldn’t manage to stay like that. I was back to being dragged along, my feet scraping against the surface of the ground. Everyone else was tied even stronger than before and kicked forward to a walking pace, the daggers never lifting from our throats, but it didn’t appear Mycah gave thought to any of it. He looked utterly wrecked and hopeless.

  There was a long trip through the valley of houses, stables, and workshops, then up the side of the mountain through the outer castle wall. A deafening, mighty horn blared as we approached. Within its hold lay the courtyard filled with more elves exhibiting skills of every kind. There was the weaponry, master of arms, carpenter, and seamstress. Everything you could think of was being made in these quarters.

  As Ohtar continued onward from atop his high horse, every elda he passed bowed to the ground. I wanted to vomit in disgust over the ridiculousness of it. Eventually, we made it to the end of the courtyard, but we were forced to wait outside and stare at the serene elves going about their business. Sarqua and Ohtar took stairs that led to a tall tower that over looked the people.

  A loud horn blew, drawing everyone’s attention to the false king inside his tainted tower. His malevolent voice echoed, “My people! Oh, my people, there is much mirth and merriment to be had. I come to you now with the most precious of glad tidings.”

  Every Night Elf present gathered around the tower as we stood hostage at its base. Ohtar continued in a sick, vil
e bellow, “We have captured the traitors!”

  A boisterous applause resonated into the dissipating dusky sky. Night was falling over us, and an increasing amount of elves crammed into the streets to hear Ohtar’s announcement. My head lulled forward against my will. Any strength I had left in me was quickly vanishing.

  I tried to keep my eyes open as Mycah stepped forward, but the several soldiers latched onto his arms and shoulders held him back. From where he stood, he shouted, “Listen! I beg of you, listen to me!”

  All cheering quieted, and every pair of eyes surrounding us zeroed in on his face. This was it. This was exactly what he wanted. Hope ballooned beneath my ribs. Once Mycah revealed that he was the true king because Ohtar murdered his father, we’d be set free. That’d have to listen to their true king. We were finally going to defeat Ohtar.

  “Do not pay attention to this traitor!” Ohtar shouted from above.

  “No, you must listen!” Mycah pleaded over his evil uncle. “You are being deceived! Ohtar is the true traitor. He killed your king and my father Remydan Zafriel. I am Remycah Avel Zafriel, royal heir to the throne. We must put an end to this sick treachery. Join with me now, and help me take back the kingdom that is rightfully mine. Rightfully ours!”

  Gasps and murmuring spread rapidly. Ohtar laughed, “My people, pay no heed to the nonsensical ramblings of a convicted wrongdoer. This lunacy, this absurdity, is only a desperate attempt to be spared execution.”

  “You murdered my father! We will not stand for this, not anymore. Not whilst I’m here to ensure you pay for what you’ve done!” Mycah jerked his arms from the soldiers’ hold and stepped closer to the audience.

  “Lies!” a person somewhere lost in the crowd exclaimed. Several others joined him. “Lies! Lies!”

  Oh, thank God. They believe Mycah. I could cry from happiness.

  “You are the murderer! You are the traitor!” they shouted, pointing to Mycah. Wait, what?! “Are you not the hypocrite, the terrorist, who loves our enemy? King Ohtar informed us it was you who betrayed our King Remydan, usurping the throne for yourself! You have been conspiring with our gravest adversary, the princess of Lassaira!”