Calling All Heroes

by James Cox

  “Retreat!” A guard yelled. “Retreat!”

  They fled? I stabbed the guard before me in the arm. He cried out, stumbled and ran away from me. They were retreating? Those who could still run were hauling their butts as fast as they could back toward Kings Bridge. Three trolls still waited there, and I had no desire to rush those beasts. I rested my hands on my knees, hunched over, as I tried to catch my breath.

  “Why would she pull back her men?” Aneen asked, moving beside me with her hands still splayed. “Their lives are of no concern to her and the battle had not swayed in our direction.”

  It had been more like a standoff. We gained very little ground toward the city. Now the guards regrouped on the other side of the river and the trolls awaited our approach. “It doesn’t matter why she did, it’ll give us time to get the wounded away.”

  “The sun.” Alexander looked at us, wide eyed. “She’s wasting time for the sun to set.” He glanced at the battlefield. “Then she’ll unleash the vampires. We have to get into the castle.” Alexander leveled his gaze on me. “Now.”

  “It’ll take a day to traverse the city!”

  “Not if I use my vampire speed but I-I can’t carry you both.” He slammed his fist against the nearest tree trunk. A handful of wounded Aos Si fell out, but quickly flew back to their perches.

  “I will not leave you here for their mercy.” Aneen said.

  “You won’t.” I took her hand. “I’ll keep Kierce by my side. He’s almost as badass as you are.” I grabbed Alexander’s hand. “Bring her to the castle. End the queen before the vampires have a chance to join this fight.”

  Alexander hissed out a breath. “You’ll be unprotected.”

  “I have a sword. I am not without skills.”

  “You’re human!” Alexander yelled.

  “I’m also surrounded by banshees, Aos Si and a very pissed off bird shifter.” I squeezed his hand. “Do not make me feel weak, Alexander.”

  “Weak is one thing you are not.” He took a deep breath. “Perhaps I’m just overly protective. You both are … you both…”

  I kissed him, bloody and all, I placed my lips on his. The emotion was plain to see on his face, but I felt it in the way his mouth lingered on mine. “Keep her safe,” I whispered in his ear. I knew Aneen could save herself, but as Alexander said, I was overly protective as well.

  Alexander nodded, his lips pressed together in a thin line. “You better not fucking die.”

  “I don’t plan on it.” Dullahan’s dick, I hoped with all my heart none of us were fatally struck.

  Alexander swept Aneen into his arms. I let go of her hand and watched them zip through the field along the base of the mountains. They’d sneak in easily enough without me. Aneen and Alexander were on their way to the castle.

  I’d hold the battlefield until they returned, stained in the queen’s blood.

  Chapter Nine

  The able bodied dragged the wounded off the field and behind an old, abandoned home that was a strong wind away from falling down. No sooner had a healer among us begun to bandage and stitch than I led us back into the fight. Our feet made an ironic drum sound as we marched quickly across the field of the dead. Blood made the grass slick, but nothing would stop our forward momentum.

  Banshees took the lead, humans behind them and Aos Si hovering above everyone. We approached the river as we did this entire event—with courage and no small amount of hope. The guards fired arrows. Without Aneen we all had to take cover where we could. I slid behind a tree, hunkering with two banshees as the arrows fell. I heard the screams of the injured, but did not stop to lend aid.

  Keep going. Keep fighting.

  The trolls were nowhere to be seen as I turned to face the bridge crowded with guards. A warrior’s shout came from my lips and I led the remaining army right down their throat. The sound of blades clashing blades filled the air. The hint of clouds drifted over the sun as we fought, not just for our lives, but for those we loved. For the entire population of Otherworld.

  It was a battle that would go into history.

  We were gaining ground, too. The banshees were climbing up the bridge, walking along the thick stone rail as they fired arrows. A troll suddenly lurched forward at the end of the bridge. It was massive, taking up the entire path as it roared with stained teeth. It was Laren that flipped over my damn head and rolled to face the creature. She opened her mouth and let out a scream that was not human. It was high pitched and almost piercing. I clasped my hands over my ears as did every human in the vicinity. The Aos Si scattered, climbing into the sky as if a predator were right behind them. The troll cried out and covered its ears. That’s when Laren sliced her blade across his gut. He fell to his knees. She slid the sword across his throat and slammed an arrow into his forehead. There’s nothing like Aneen’s light, Alexander’s fangs, flying Aos Si, and screaming banshees to make a human feel so insignificant.

  Laren leapt over the dead troll and did a flying kick into a group of guards. She easily matched their sword strokes and before they could overwhelm her, more banshees gracefully ran over the rail of the bridge.

  “Kill only the guards!” I yelled as I rushed over the stone path and into my city. Fairaine Village had been my home all my life. My father lived somewhere on the outskirts of town. I had no doubt he was at the window, staring at the ensuing battle and longing not to see my face. It had been years since I saw him. This was no time to think of my life spent in this town. A guard came at me with a gleam in his eyes that was clearly tears. I fought him easily, avoiding the slow swing of his sword. When he fell over and rolled into the river I gave him my mercy. “Don’t move and you’ll live through this.”

  His hand opened and he dropped his sword. Though his eyes were closed he crawled toward the shadows of the bridge and slunk within them.

  The streets were teaming with battles. Blood splattered on buildings and stone streets where I once played. Damn it, there were too many innocent people in the way. “Citizens of Fairaine. Stay in your homes! We will not harm the innocent.” I shouted as loud as I could and a moment later I heard a voice echoing my words. The thought of them huddling in their homes, scared but safe, made me feel better. Enough innocent blood had been spilt by this queen. I spun around and the enemy was on me before I could react.

  The sword plunged into my gut. Pain tore through me, taking my breath away. I swung my arm in a wide arch and hit the guard across the face. He cried out and fell back. I couldn’t go after him. His sword was still protruding out of me. Agony crawl up my nerves as I fell to my knees. This couldn’t be happening. Warm blood gushed down my body. I grasped the blade and pulled with all the strength I had left. I nearly passed out from the pain as the blade slipped free of my bloody hands. With one last tug it clattered to the ground. I was staring down as this hole in my body, bloody and gaping. I … I was going to die. The thought made tears spring to my eyes.

  The guard struggled to his feet. His hand over the deep gash in his face from temple to chin. “Traitor,” he whispered.

  His voice would be the last I heard. Not Aneen’s laugh? Not Alexander’s sexy growls? I wasn’t ready to die. I stared down at that wound like it was someone else’s body. Maybe it was, because. before my eyes, the blood stopped flowing. I watched, too shocked to breathe, as the wound began to knit closed. Slowly the inner skin began to stretch together and sharp stinging sensations replaced the pain. I was… Was I actually healing? The blood. My head jerked up. It had to be Aneen’s and Alexander’s blood. My reaction to it, their blood must have changed me. I glanced at the guard who was grabbing his sword off the ground. A smile lingered on my lips so when he stared at his victim he would not see fear. “Fuck. You.” I pulled my dagger out of my belt and stabbed him right in the heart.

  His eyes showed his shock. The sword clattered to the ground just before he did with a thick, wet, plop.

  I could heal. I could heal!

  I’d deal with the fact that I was no longer human
later. Much later. After we won the battle kind of later. There was a twinge of pain in my stomach, but with each breath it was fading. I lifted to one knee, then to my feet. Surging forward I charged down the street with a war cry that would impress Alexander. I knocked out a guard with the hilt of my sword and then punched another. When he was down I gave him a kick to the head and moved on. A deep voice cried out and I ran forward to find the Aos Si, Fall, struck by a Troll’s oversized hand. He went flying onto a thatched roof, rolled down and landed in a wicker basket. The guard beside it flinched, startled, and then grabbed the fairy.

  Fall bit him, but the guard began to squeeze the tiny fairy.

  I threw my dagger. It flew hilt over blade, glinting in the sunlight and when it reached the guard, it slammed into his neck. Blood sprayed everywhere. He collapsed, his arm falling out, and a banged-up fairy crawled free.

  “You saved me.” He slurred, shaking out his wings before surging to the sky. “You saved my life.”

  “We’re on the same side. Of course, I saved your life.” I retrieved my dagger and returned it to my belt. “Keep…” I was going to tell him to keep fighting. We were only in the streets of Fairaine. The castle still awaited us. However, his expression was odd. He closed his eyes and pinched his lips together.

  Fall rose to eye level, winced and lowered to the rim of the wicker basket. “The queen has a brew of potent herbs and flowers, rare stuff.” Fall lifted to the windowsill, further out of my reach. “She plans to get it onto the princess. One full sniff and Aneen will lose her memories.”

  Dullahan’s dick!

  “I don’t know when it’s going to happen. But she’s going to try to get the princess in a small space and break the vial at her feet. Once she inhales the smoke, she will not remember you or the half vampire.”

  “How do you know this?” I growled the words, fists clenching around my sword.

  Fall looked at the ground.

  “You’re a spy for her.” The words were thick on my tongue and hard to get out. “You were on watch when the vampire came. He didn’t get past you, you let that bloodsucker in!”

  “Do you want to save your princess or do you want to catch me? There’s not enough time to do both.” Fall stared at me, shifting to the sky slowly. “For what it’s worth, good luck.” He flew off.

  I had a feeling I’d never see him again. There was not enough time to warn them. I’d never make it through the battles. Alexander was right, I was just human. Even if I could heal now, I was a disadvantage. That still wouldn’t stop me from trying. A light blasted into the sky on the main road. Aneen! I would not stop until I found them. “Kierce?” He was nowhere near me. I started to run toward the flashes of light. “Dusk?” I leapt over a fallen guard and was nearly impaled by an arrow. A banshee took out the archer at the end of the street for me. “Thorn?”

  “Fuck you want?” Thorn asked appearing to my right, sprayed with blood.

  “Warn Aneen. Her mother plans to erase her memories!”

  “Fucking fuck!” Thorn raced off.

  I ran through the gauntlet of the streets, stopping to avoid a fight. I was not afraid. It was not cowardice that led me to run from the battle, it was love. My love of that half vampire and the Dullahan’s offspring. Their lives meant more to me than anything in Otherworld. I made my way to the main road, still running, hoping that no archer spotted me.

  There!

  Huge flashes of white erupted down the main road. Aneen. I charged forward only to fall to the ground to avoid a sword. I rolled to the left, further out into the open and surged to my knees. Kierce was suddenly swooping down from the sky. He latched his talons onto the man’s head and I ran my sword through the guard. Kierce flew off as I leapt to my feet. I rounded a corner and spotted my princess.

  She was facing at least a dozen guards as Alexander battled a nasty looking troll. I threw my dagger, it struck the guard trying to approach her. “Stefen?” She was breathing heavily when she ducked behind an overturned carriage.

  “Did Thorn make it to you?” I asked as I came up from behind her.

  “I’ve not seen him.” She shot light out, striking several guards. They screamed and withered on the ground, but did not die.

  She hadn’t seen the Aos Si? He should have beaten me here. I glanced around, suddenly blocking a guard that tried to sneak from the building nearby. Our swords clashed as Alexander killed the troll and then rushed toward me. He ripped the guard’s throat open. Blood sprayed in a wide arch and made me want to gag.

  Thorn flew wildly toward us, Dusk behind him. “Found a wee bit of trouble on my way ‘ere.” He was breathing heavy and looked like he was favoring his arm.

  “What are you doing here?” Aneen asked, her gaze on the main road to the castle that was now filled with bodies.

  “Your mother.” I was breathing hard myself. “She plans to … to erase your memory. I think this whole battle has been a trap to get you to come to her.”

  “Fuck, that’s what I’d do.” Alexander hit the downed carriage. “I’d lure the enemy in then surround and crush.”

  “T’en we need a better trap to beat ‘er fucking trap,” Thorn said as he landed on Alexander’s shoulder. I’d never seen that Aos Si ever give in and rest on a human. It shouldn’t have surprised me that it was Alexander. They really could have been kin.

  Aneen slowly looked up and smiled. “I have an idea…”

  ****

  The idea would have been great if we didn’t have to travel through the entire city to get to the queen. I supposed that was her plan, too—have us fight our way to her so we were exhausted by the time we arrived. Alexander found a working carriage and we all piled up into it. It didn’t take long for others to find another carriage and the fleet of us sped down the main road as the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky.

  We’d never make the castle by nightfall.

  The thought was terrifying, which was why nobody said it but lying to ourselves wouldn’t stop the vampires from attacking. A fear settled in the pit of my stomach at what was to come. I knew that the warriors who had my back would not all survive. I’d have a hard enough time protecting myself from the creatures of the blood. My mind flashed back to Alexander pinned to a tree by daggers. That had been one vampire, just one. What if the queen had gathered more? What if behind those stone castle walls lay a horde of hungry vampires just waiting for the sun to set?

  “We’ll make it.” Alexander spoke softly, cranking the shaft of the carriage so it raced down the main road at dangerously fast speeds.

  We were avoiding battles, with both trolls and guards. There was no time to stop and fight. We had to get to the queen. Aneen believed that if she was no longer on the throne that the vampires would slink back to the dark caves high in the mountains. I hoped with all my heart she was correct.

  The city whirled by. Shadows grew. The dying light of the sun created colorful displays on the wispy clouds. The carriages roared over the stone path, careening around corners so quickly that the wheels creaked. The frame rattled and still Alexander did not slow down. I felt like the sun was our timer. The more it sunk into the horizon, the closer we came to death. The battle still raged behind us. There were distant sounds of swords clashing, screaming arrows and an explosion that sent fire licking at the sky.

  There may not be a city to claim once Aneen sat on the throne.

  And then it happened. The darkness spread wider and wider. Sunlight became dull rays and the hint of stars graced the sky. “Night,” I whispered. Some of the warriors with us flinched. Others squeezed their weapons tighter. A sound traveled on the wind. It was a roaring hiss the likes of which I had never heard. I eased closer to Aneen who spread her hands out before her. She heard it, too, then?

  “Prepare yourselves,” Alexander whispered, never stopping cranking the carriage. We flew by silent homes where families were probably hiding.

  We still had hours of travel through the city to get to the queen, but our fight would
begin before that. I hunkered down and tried to control the fearful hitch in my breathing. The plan would work. I had to believe the plan would work. There was the crackling hiss of fire being lit within the carriage. The roof of our ride, which was ripped off and placed back on began to loosen at the edges. Hold for a little longer, just a little longer. “We can do this.” My voice was so soft I don’t know if she heard me.

  “Now!” Alexander yelled.

  The dark figure that sped toward me was a complete blur. The top of the carriage ripped off and Laren popped up. She screamed, the sound would have knocked me out this close, but she directed it toward the creatures coming at us. Her voice was so high pitched that the vampire immediately dropped to its knees and covered its ears. The pale skin looked sickly. I only caught a glimpse before Dusk threw a ball of fire at the creature. It screamed low and surged to its feet as he caught fire. A moment later the ball of flames vampire was surging through the city, probably in search of water or something to stop its skin from burning.

  “One down…” Laren muttered.

  A scream came from the second carriage. One moment a banshee was sitting there and the next she was knocked off the carriage. The vampire threw her onto the nearest roof. She rolled when she hit and spun when she bounced. Her head jerked up and she screamed so loud I actually felt a twinge of pain in my ears. A moment later she leapt off the building, onto the pale creature and sliced his head clean off with a dagger. “You’re brilliant,” I said to Aneen. It had been her plan. Use every being’s skills, the banshees’ scream, the Aos Si’s magic and human carriages.

  A dark figure darted out from the shadows, but the smart vampire didn’t attack one of us. He stayed low, slamming into the side and darting away. Our carriage teetered. The broken wheel creaked and snapped. Aneen went flying forward as did most of us. But I didn’t hit the ground. Alexander was there. He grabbed both of us, yanking hard so we fell against his body and avoiding bashing our heads on the stone. The second carriage was going so fast it couldn’t stop. It crashed into the first. Our warriors went flying in all directions, fire burst from the wreckage and a flaming piece of wood flew over my head.