The New Age: Book 5 of The Bloodmoon Wars (A Paranormal Shifter Romance Series)

by Sara Snow

  We agreed to have human and satyr archers on the walls around the city and on the inner walls surrounding the castle, in case the Queen’s army got through.

  Along with the archers, witches would man the walls as well, helping to hold the enemy back. Werewolf Guards, more witches, fae, and centaurs would be positioned outside the wall and within. Most of the human soldiers would stay inside the walls to aid the supernaturals if the walls were breached. But the goal was to prevent that.

  There was a knock at the door, and Ichiro walked in with two kitsune in fox form by his side.

  “Took you long enough,” Grayson growled at him, though he smiled.

  Ichiro eyed the clay replica of the city on the table. “What did I miss?”

  After Grayson filled him in, I leaned forward, pointing to the clay structure.

  “I’ll stay in the castle,” I told the others. “Move as many residents as you can onto the castle grounds, and I'll erect a barrier around it. I'll need two others from my coven to maintain it, but that’ll work as an added defense.”

  “Why not protect the whole city?” Faelen asked.

  I stood up, my eyes scanning the replica. “The city is too large,” I told her. “It could be done with multiple witches, but we’d lose power quickly. If it’s only the castle we’re shielding, we’ll be able to keep the barrier up for longer. There’s not enough time to make a permanent barrier.”

  “We should have thought of that before,” Faelen sighed.

  General Asen didn’t look fond of the idea, but I wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Nobles aren’t the only ones who get to hide inside the castle walls. There is more than enough room for everyone.”

  "Our objective is to keep as many citizens as we can out of the Queen's hands,” Grayson added. “Each human or supernatural turned becomes another vampire for us to defeat." Grayson's voice was stern, leaving no room for debate.

  Asen nodded to a human guard by the door. “Open the castle gates and have as many citizens as you can find brought inside.”

  “Yes, General Asen,” the man responded, wearing the same silver and black armor as Asen. He left with three others that were in the room with us.

  “I’ll go see what’s happening on the wall,” Connor announced, and Darian joined him.

  Once Elinor, Cyrus, and the others arrived, they'd have to join the battle in whatever way they saw fit. They hadn’t sent word of what their plans were, but I knew they were up to something.

  "Ichiro, you're a fire-type fox, correct? Could you remain inside the castle walls?" Asen asked, and Ichiro nodded. “Your power will come in handy if the vampires manage to get inside. Fire works effectively against them, am I right?”

  Loud horns echoed through the castle, cutting Asen’s statement short. We all looked at each other, and Grayson’s eyes turned black as his claws began to elongate. His wolf was ready.

  “Enough planning.” I nodded to Faelen, who drew her sword. “They’re here.”

  Faelen

  The Queen’s army arrived at noon, and for four hours, they remained unmoving outside the castle walls. There were more than enough of the Resurrected to launch an attack on the city—thousands of them—but still, nothing happened. There were no vampires visible since it was still daytime, but I had no doubt they’d appear the moment the sun went down.

  The order had been given that no one was to attack the Queen’s army. The powers that be felt it wouldn’t be wise for us to make the first move.

  “They’re stalling,” Circe whispered by my side. We stood on a balcony that gave us a clear view of the city walls and the army beyond it. "They're using the sight of their numbers to try and intimidate us. Naturally, after a few hours, adrenaline will go down and be replaced by impatience."

  “They’re waiting until our focus breaks,” I whispered back.

  “Correct.”

  I growled. “We should attack. We know for sure they are stalling until nightfall. We should hit them now, while the vampires are away.”

  “No,” she answered. “If we attack now, we’ll waste our resources. We don’t know when or how the vampires will attack. We don’t want to be scattered and uncoordinated. We must wait.”

  My brows furrowed tightly. “What if that’s what they’re counting on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  "Think about it. They're waiting for nightfall for the vampires to arrive, sure. But what if this"—I pointed towards the army—"is just a first wave to break through our ranks? They’re all pawns being used to clear the way for the vampires.” She looked thoughtful, and I continued. “Don’t you see? All the people we have here? That’s all there is. While for them, it’s just their first wave.” I spoke louder. “It doesn’t matter what we do. If we attack, they get their war started sooner. But if we don’t, they’ll still get what they want—us playing their game.”

  She turned away, heading back inside, where she called three of her coven members forward. I listened as they chanted to create the barrier spell while I kept my eyes on the army.

  I inhaled and reached out to Grayson’s mind outside the wall.

  “Grayson, we might have a problem.” I told him what Circe and I had just discussed. Then I stared at the unmoving bodies of the Resurrected, while outside the wall, Grayson instructed the fae to move to the front. They had initially been placed at the back as defense since so few had arrived to aid us.

  Werewolves in their second form were to have been in front to tackle the first wave of the Resurrected, but Grayson seemed to now have other plans. The fae began to combine their powers, creating a towering wall of thorns to surround the city. Then they retreated and the kitsune stepped forward—all fire-type kitsune, from what I could see.

  "Thanks, Faelen,” Grayson’s voice echoed in my thoughts, and I ended the mind-link.

  I wasn’t sure what his plan was, but all the supernatural creatures—other than werewolves and fox shifters—were making their way back inside the city. So I assumed he was trying to use fire and earth magic instead of bodies as our first defense. Once the vampires arrived, we’d still have plenty of able-bodied fighters left. There were several water- and earth-type kitsune still beyond the walls, too, aiding the wolves.

  Initially, the plan had been to prevent the Queen’s army from passing through the wall. And while that was still a priority, we needed to be prepared for when the vampires arrived.

  There were gaps in the wall of thorns, allowing us to see the army.

  A shimmering light began rising upward around the castle as Circe completed the barrier spell. As she did, the sound of thundering howls sent chills down my spine. The Resurrected werewolves were on the hunt.

  I grew tense as Grayson and the hundreds of werewolves outside the city howled in response. When the sky turned orange, the Resurrected finally launched their attack.

  The fae who had climbed up onto the city walls all held their hands out. The wall of thorns began moving forward, covering the ground and the Queen’s army. As the charging Resurrected werewolves hit the wall of thorns, the fire kitsune set it ablaze.

  I watched as the werewolves burned, their howls of pain filling my heart with sadness. Rain clouds gathered overhead, no doubt controlled by Resurrected witches, and it abruptly began to rain on the vines, putting out the fire.

  The kitsune ran over the bridge that had been created by the fallen vines, and Grayson and the remaining werewolves followed, killing any Resurrected werewolves that hadn’t already been burned to death.

  Satyr and human archers aimed their bows at the sky and released their arrows. Thousands of them rained down on the Resurrected.

  Then, the satyrs and humans switched places, allowing new archers to step forward. They released more arrows, and this time, the satyrs’ arrows caught fire in mid-air as the rain stopped. They impaled the Resurrected witches, fae, and werewolves of the Queen’s army, setting them ablaze.

  Suddenly, the walls were bombarded with lightning bolts, whi
ch sent the city’s protectors flying.

  Witches manning the walls targeted those witches who’d been Resurrected, and my hands on the railing tightened, bending the iron. I swallowed hard as vines erupted from below the earth, wrapping around the kitsune and werewolves. The sand around the city was already soaked wet with blood. Fire blazed, lightning struck the earth, and werewolves ripped into each other.

  I could hardly keep up with what was happening.

  Circe appeared by my side, her jaws clenched tightly, while behind us, her fellow witches continued to chant, keeping the barrier up.

  A rumbling began to shake the castle like an earthquake and almost knocked me over. But it stopped as quickly as it had begun.

  “What was that?” As I turned to Circe, she grabbed my arm and ducked, pulling me down with her.

  To our right, a part of the city wall exploded, and a giant king cobra appeared from under the ground. My shoulders drooped. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  It held its head up and shrieked, and Circe and I covered our ears as the sound shook our eardrums. Giant snakes only lived in the desert close to the Black Souls Market. How the Vampire Queen had managed to get ahold of one was beyond me. But one thing was clear: we were screwed.

  The sun fell below the horizon. To our left, more part of the wall exploded, and another snake appeared. As the world grew dark, vampires began to pour through the holes created by the snakes.

  Circe slammed her hand on the railing. “They tunneled under the sand with the snakes!”

  The serpents ripped through our defenses inside the city, and my blood chilled when I saw vampires attacking everything in their path. A female satyr who’d been bitten fell to the ground, her body contorted . . . and my breath hitched as her eyes turned red.

  No!

  The vampires were turning every human, witch, fae, and satyr they could.

  One of the snakes came barreling towards the castle, its forked tongue flicking at the air as it crushed everything in its path. I felt like its yellow eyes were on me, prying into my soul, until it crashed into the barrier and was thrown back.

  The second snake threw itself at the barrier as well, and the witches started chanting even louder, their voices strained.

  Goddess, we need help!

  A sound I’d never heard before, more haunting than that of the cobra’s hissing, echoed through the night, startling the snakes, and for a second, the fighting paused.

  From above, the clouds parted, and fire rained down on one of the giant cobras. Its body curled and twisted as it shrieked in pain and then horror when a monstrous green dragon broke through the clouds.

  It fell on the snake, its massive clawed feet pinning the cobra to the ground. Then it held its head back, its throat turning red as it breathed fire back into the sky.

  I couldn’t contain my emotions as another dragon appeared from behind the castle—a black dragon that was twice the size of the first.

  “Yes!” I screamed with hope and a sense of approaching victory as the dragons roared and my skin dotted with goosebumps.

  I’d never seen a dragon before, and no doubt many others present could say the same, but they were truly a sight to behold. I could hear the howls and cries of hope echoing in and outside the wall as the black dragon picked up the second snake and took it away.

  Circe held my hand, almost crushing my fingers. I knew what she was feeling. For a second, when the vampires had broken into the city, I'd caught a glimpse of a dark future. It hadn't been a vision, just my hope shattering. But now, my blood was racing with a profound sense of conquest.

  We were going to win this war.

  Bright wings I knew could only belong to Theanos appeared in the sky, and he came flying towards the barrier, carrying something. I realized Grayson was holding onto his transformed legs. They passed through the barrier, and Circe and I stepped back, allowing him to release Grayson.

  The Alpha was covered in blood and gore, his eyes as dark as the skies above. Theanos’ dragon feet transformed into those of a human, but he kept his wings out as he landed on the balcony.

  “Thank you, Theanos,” Circe breathed out, swiping at the hair sticking to her face.

  She hurried over to the other witches, lending her strength to help maintain the barrier around the castle. Even though many of the vampires flooding into the city were being killed or burned by the dragons, some were still getting through.

  “Where is Elinor?” I asked Theanos, as his thick scaly tail swayed behind him.

  “Amythia and Will are still at the Queen’s castle.” His eyes moved back and forth rapidly over the burning city. “That’s where she and the others are headed.”

  He climbed onto the railing, his wings spreading wide as his feet began to transform, his toes joining to form four sharp talons.

  “Wait!” I held onto his arm. “I’m still a werewolf with strength and skill. I want to join you.”

  “Faelen, you don’t have to,” Grayson said. But I looked down at the city below me, hearing the wails of people being killed or turned, and suddenly, I couldn’t sit still anymore.

  Theanos’ body grew larger, his skin covered in bright scales. He looked like a dragon but with black eyes like a demon, and although he was nowhere as large as the others, he was still formidable. Before I could change my mind, I climbed onto his back and Grayson handed me a sword that was lying on the ground.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” I said, nodding to him. Then Theanos roared and dove off the balcony.

  17

  Elinor

  Two Hours Prior to the Attack on the City

  Several portals opened in the Vampire Territory, and as Skye and I exited ours together, she immediately covered her mouth and nose.

  My eyes began to water, too, from the foul, overpowering scent of Bleeders, and I held my breath for a second to compose myself. Scarlet appeared beside me next, a sword in her hand, and then Saleem. But Saleem looked nothing like she had before.

  She was years younger.

  She stood tall, no longer somewhat hunched, and appeared to be in her early twenties like us. Her face was devoid of wrinkles, her hair thick and black in braids over her shoulder. As I stared at her bright eyes and rosy cheeks, I found myself unable to believe she had used Cyrus's blood to age backwards.

  She’d had to use black magic to do it, but still, it was impressive.

  The Vampire Territory was as ominous as I’d expected it to be. Trees were either rotten or dead, and the ground was covered in feces and mud. Even though it should still be sunset, the sky was dark, covered by thick smoke with only pockets of light shining through.

  To our left, I saw a small building with black smoke rising from a large chimney. I could hear the crackling of a fire coming from inside it, but that was all.

  “There are little shacks like that throughout the whole territory,” Scarlet told me. “They were built by black magic witches and spelled to produce the thick black smoke you see. It's how the Queen’s kept the sun blocked out for years." Scarlet walked forward, and the other witches, rogue wolves, and demons who’d agreed to accompany us followed her.

  There were forty of us in total, and I prayed it would be enough. The Queen’s castle was up ahead, clearly visible in the stark landscape. So far, the information we’d gotten was true—the territory was unprotected.

  Skye looked down at her daggers that had yet to turn blue. We were safe from vampires for now, at least. She released a breath, and she, Saleem, and I walked off to join the others.

  Ahead of us, the large group walking with Scarlet—a blend of witches, werewolves, and demons—split into three and went to surround the castle. Scarlet rejoined us.

  “We’ll hang back for a moment.” Scarlet pushed her braid over her shoulder and down her back. She had switched out her dress for pants, as had Saleem, but they were both still wearing leather corsets. “They’ll take care of the guards in the forest and around the castle. Then we’ll have our wa
y in.”

  We stopped walking and crouched down. There wasn’t much in the barren surroundings to keep us hidden, but at least with our black clothing, we wouldn’t stand out. I glared at the castle. It was a grand monstrosity without many windows. But there were a few balconies, with the largest one at the very top of the castle.

  Somewhere inside that building was Will.

  I growled. “Once we get inside, can you guys handle the guards? I’m going to make my way to Will and Amythia.”

  “I’ll come with you. Cyrus and Theanos will both be going to the city, and you’ll need backup,” Saleem said. Obviously sensing my hesitation, she added, “Don’t even think of saying no. I might look young, but I’m still a lot older than you.”

  I knew that as powerful as I was, I'd need someone else’s help to face the Queen. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s just hope the two of us will be enough.”

  “And let’s hope that Theanos and Cyrus get to the city in time,” Skye whispered.

  She was still worried about Cyrus asking his father for help. But I knew my friend. Cyrus would never act without having a plan. I had no doubt that he’d come back from the Underworld to help us.

  An explosion went off to our left, drawing our attention.

  I growled as I called on my power, and my divinity warmed my skin. At the same time, Skye’s daggers started to glow blue.

  Screams, shrieks, and yells from our comrades who’d gone ahead filled the air, and we got to our feet. Just in front of us, a thin, pale hand shot up from the ground, and I watched in horror as a Bleeder dug its way out from beneath the soil.

  Its red eyes widened at the sight of us, and it hissed hungrily. Skye threw her sword, and it pierced the Bleeder’s skull. In the meantime, I counted fifteen others clawing their way out of the ground.

  I growled as I called on my wolf, my eyes turning black, and my claws elongated. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself.