Storm Princess 3: The Princess Must Reign

by Jaymin Eve

  Baelen’s growl could be straight from a gargoyle’s throat. “With all due respect, Marbella, Rhydian Valor is mine.”

  “I won’t get in your way.” I focus on the rider beside Rhydian. Another Valor male. In fact, there are many of them. They must not have any idea what they’re facing if they volunteered for this part of the battle.

  That’s okay. I’m used to males underestimating me.

  Baelen’s muscles bunch.

  My heart rate increases.

  Together, we run to the edge of the cliff and leap from it, our swords raised, lightning licking the air, flying straight at the elves.

  A thousand Outlier gargoyles follow us, razor-sharp wings spread for maximum impact. They will try to spare the stallions and eagles if they can, aiming for the riders instead.

  Baelen slams into Rhydian, lifting him bodily off his stallion, one big hand around his throat, holding him mid-air as the stallion bucks in terror and tries to escape. As soon as Rhydian’s legs leave the saddle, the stallion escapes while Rhydian kicks the air.

  Baelen says, “You were a fool to come here, Rhydian.”

  Rhydian snarls. A glint of steel is the only warning before he thrusts a dagger toward Baelen’s ribs. I quell a split second of fear. Baelen has the storm power but he isn’t invincible…

  Before the dagger even nears him, Baelen punches Rhydian straight in the heart with a blast of lightning. It’s fast and brutal. Then he drops Rhydian’s lifeless body into the masses of watching elves below.

  An Outlier zooms past me, cutting a nearby elf from his seat as I hit my target. His sword is raised and he kicks his stallion to make it turn and dodge me while slicing across the air at my neck. But it’s hard to dodge my power. I duck and a single brush of my hand on his skin is all it takes for my destruction to shriek through him. I grab the back of his armor as I fly upward, wrenching him away from his ride so the death stroke doesn’t kill the innocent horse too. The elf crumbles into dust in my hands.

  My body fills with lightning as I snatch up a dagger and fling it, electrified, straight into the next elf’s chest. Another elf screams as Senturi rips him from his ride and there’s a crash as Baelen slams two elves into each other, breaking both their necks. Their deaths are savage, but quick.

  My concern now is Priscilla. I knew she couldn’t stay out of the fight. She soars past me, close enough to get my attention, but far enough that I can’t get to her quickly—not with the other elves and gargoyles in my path. Her target is my Storm Command. As usual, she wants to strike where it will hurt me most. On the rocky precipice, my ladies brace, swords and shields ready while Jasper and Sebastian take up battle stances beside them, shields raised. They can’t fly up to meet her. All they can do is brace for the impact. An emerald death bolt grows in her hands as her eagle soars toward them. She wants to take them out in one blow. I’m seconds behind her. Close. But too far to get in between them. I can’t throw my destructive power across the distance or I could hit my friends…

  I scream, using my storm power instead to churn the air around her, upsetting the eagle so it wobbles and tips but she stays on.

  Damn! No!

  She’s only a breath away from releasing her power when Senturi soars out of nowhere, razor-sharp wings glinting in the early sun. Priscilla jolts and aims the death blow at him instead. My heart leaps into my throat but he darts to the right, spreads his wings to full capacity, avoids the death blow, and flies right at the eagle.

  I feel a moment of pity for the bird…

  Priscilla screams as Senturi’s wings cut right through the animal, barely missing her legs. She launches herself off the dying creature and lands on the cliff top in the middle of my waiting Storm Command. My ladies are ready, ducking and spinning, fighting with grace and heart as Priscilla tries to kill them with her power.

  She really should have learned how to use a sword.

  My Storm Commanders are everywhere and nowhere all at once and within moments Priscilla rocks beneath the blow of a dagger to her heart, screaming out her frustration as she wrenches the weapon out and flings it back at Jordan, missing her by a mile. Priscilla is full of sorcery and will be hard to kill but Jordan attacks her with a savagery I’ve never seen before, whirling and stabbing Priscilla three more times in quick succession, before slitting her throat and screaming, “That’s for Elise!”

  I zoom over the top of them, shouting, “Jordan! Get clear!”

  I wait another moment for my friends to leap out of the way…

  Then I release my power straight at Priscilla. At the last moment, she drops and rolls and the deathblow strikes the rock instead. She rolls straight over the edge of the cliff, stretching her hand out as she falls, compelling the nearest creature to fly to her. A stallion with an empty saddle soars beneath her and she drops onto its back, landing on her stomach in an ungraceful heap before righting herself. She darts away.

  She wants to hurt me. She’ll be back.

  On the other cliff top, Indira, Erit, and Roar fly upward to meet airborne elves who make it as far as the cliffs. Their swords flash as they drop five elves from their rides while Gilda finishes the enemy off after they fall onto the rocky surface. Indira’s flung dagger finds the heart of another rider as he attempts to cut Erit from the sky. On the third cliff, Llion, Liliana, Welsian, and Arlo are a blur of movement, protecting the position in front of Talia, taking out any elves who try to get past, flinging the bodies down onto the waiting forces below.

  I return to the fight and after that, it’s fast and bloody.

  The gargoyles fight with everything they’ve got and the elves are at a disadvantage because they can’t leave their rides. What’s more, the gargoyles use their wings as shields, avoiding every attempt to stab or maim them. They have every advantage in the air.

  What feels like moments later, a cry of triumph goes up from the gargoyles as the last airborne elf falls. Winged creatures flee as fast as they can from the battle now that they’re free from their riders. The only airborne elves now are the Elven Commanders, coasting in the distance, glaring and red-faced, while their griffins gnash the air like angry beasts.

  Something tells me that the danger isn’t over.

  A horn blows from a distant location and Priscilla is the first to tip her stallion, urging it down toward the ground in a rush of wind. The other Elven Commanders are quick to join her as they drive their griffins toward the earth.

  As I float in the air in front of the cliffs, Baelen returns to my side, frowning like I am. His voice is a low growl: a rumbling tone I’m hearing a lot today. “Where are they going?”

  Also responding to the horn, the elves on the ground drop, crouch, and ball up their bodies, slipping their shields across their backs. The Elven Commanders dismount and join them, hunkering down, disappearing in the mass of bodies.

  “Something’s coming. But… what? Shadow panthers?” I search the ground but the cage is still closed.

  Below and to our right, Grayson finally makes a move.

  So far he has stayed out of the aerial fight, remaining beside Talia and Elise’s shield at ground level, studying it. Now it seems he’s ready to fight back.

  He flies up into the air, hovering halfway between the ground and the cliff top, one palm pressed flat against the protective barrier, his other arm outspread toward the crouching elven army. His power washes over them, a glistening barrier just like ours growing and spreading a few feet above them, sealing over the back of the last elf, covering the entire army.

  I soon see why.

  A black cloud tears toward us.

  It’s talon crows. Hundreds of them.

  They will kill indiscriminately. Even the elves are in danger, which is why Grayson has protected his army. At the same time, he is putting enormous pressure on our shield. He wants to break it to allow the talon crows through. On the other side of our barrier, Talia and Elise scream with the effort to maintain their power, their voices muffled through the shield. Thei
r arms shake. Their heads are thrown back. Grayson is hurting them, sending torturous pain through the shield right into their bodies.

  My heart wrenches because there’s nothing I can do to help them. Tears burn at the back of my eyes. Don’t give up, Talia. Hold on, Elise. Our shield must hold. The talon crows can’t get through. It’s bad enough that the gargoyles on this side of the shield will face the vicious black birds. We can’t expose our entire army to them.

  On the cliff tops, my gargoyle friends rally and prepare. My elven friends, including Elyria, are most vulnerable because they can’t fly away. Gratitude floods my heart when Jordan orders the Storm Command to form a defensive shape, urging Elyria into the middle and asking Jasper and Sebastian to join her. Sebastian gives his wife an admiring grin before he knuckles down—he’s secure enough in himself to listen to her. In fact, I’m pretty sure he thinks she’s damn sexy taking charge of this situation. He lifts and links his shield with the others to create a box around themselves, swords resting against the arc cut out of the top of each shield, ready to spear any crows that fly into them.

  Senturi joins Baelen and me in the air, along with the other Outliers, lining up in defensive formation as we wait for the horde to arrive. He is covered in blood, a gruesome sight that sends shivers down my spine.

  He asks Baelen, “Do you still remember how to kill a crow, Wrathful One?”

  A scary grin breaks across Baelen’s face. “We will make new chains today.”

  Senturi jiggles the chain around his neck and for the first time, I realize it’s actually two, not one. “I wasn’t sure if I should give yours back.”

  One of them is Baelen’s?

  Baelen continues to smile. Just like a wolf before it bites. “No need, brother.”

  The black birds soar toward us, only three hundred feet away and closing. They are a large black mass of razor-sharp feathers, brutal tusks, and giant claws. Fighting them one by one will take a lot of time. Time that Elise and Talia don’t have. They won’t hold out that long.

  My nightmare returns to me. Pedr Bounty’s grandson’s voice echoes in my mind. I see a girl on a mountain… lightning’s striking, claws are ripping, but she’s fighting back.

  I suddenly speak up. “I have an idea, but it involves spoiling your fun.”

  Baelen raises an eyebrow at me. “Just as long as I’m part of the plan.”

  Senturi opens his arms wide. “Of course, Marbella, please tell us.”

  “Senturi, would you please ask the Outliers to get behind us. Far back, please.” My heart swells when he immediately obeys me without question. He trusts me. Completely.

  When Senturi and the Outliers are safely located near the shield, I whisper to Baelen, “You are always part of my plan, Baelen Rath.”

  In the back of my mind, I pray: Hold on Elise and Talia. Not much longer.

  I reach for Baelen’s hand, connecting our power. He grins as he understands what I want to do and our power combines in a flash.

  Acid rain.

  I listen for his heartbeat as he closes his eyes for a moment. Connecting with him is like coming home. Everything he feels for me rises to the surface. Even in the middle of battle, his thoughts are for me. And mine are for him.

  The birds are only fifty feet away. I open my eyes, turning to face Baelen, meeting his burning gaze and drowning in the smile he gives me. Drops of acid rise up from our skin, filling the air around us for ten feet in all directions, forming a thick, crimson barrier. Lightning ignites between us at the same time, crackling from his body to mine and back again.

  The birds are almost upon us.

  We turn to face them. Wait a moment longer…

  Then we release our power.

  Giant ropes of electricity shriek out from our bodies, striking into the middle of the flock of birds and out to the sides, circling them completely. Acid rain rushes along each charged rope, splattering everything in its path. The birds screech and scream, pulling up, beating their wings, trying to get away. The ones closest to the lightning light up for a split second before they disintegrate instantly. The birds further away are unluckiest, cawing as their wings light up, burning, holes growing where the acid rain touches them. Hundreds fall within seconds, most of them turning to ash before they reach the ground.

  Our acid rain won’t harm the elves below us because of the shield across them, although a big part of me hopes it will upset Grayson’s concentration. I follow the falling crows, checking Grayson’s response. He hasn’t taken his eyes off me. I jolt with surprise as he continues to watch me, his eyes half-open slits—even when each drop of our acid rain onto his protective shield makes him flinch with pain. His hands are shaking. Talia and Elise have stopped screaming but their arms drop to their sides, the shield wobbling. Worry races through me because the reason they’ve stopped screaming is because they are almost unconscious.

  It looks like Grayson isn’t fairing much better.

  “Marbella!”

  Baelen’s shout has me spinning back as a final crow spears down toward me from above. It must have been right in the sun for me to miss it. Baelen’s open hand flashes out between us, ready to pluck it out of the air in front of me, but before he touches it, its body explodes.

  I gasp in surprise. Baelen jolts. White dust floats over us.

  White dust… That’s sorcery…

  I spin to Grayson in the distance. His eyes are wide open now. For a second, his gaze burns me across the distance.

  Did he just kill the bird so it couldn’t hurt me?

  He looks away, and I force myself to focus on Talia and Elise. Baelen’s worried glance tells me the shield is about to break. He flies back toward the cliff top. We need to prepare for when the shield comes down; we need to get Talia and Elise out of here because they’ll be vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.

  As soon as he speaks to them, Llion and Liliana immediately rise up and fly toward Talia, stopping in front of the shield, ready to carry her away as soon as it breaks. Erit and Indira head toward Elise. They will take them as far behind the battle lines as they can to give them time to recover.

  It’s time for the Outliers to do the same.

  “Senturi!” I call to the older gargoyle. “You have fought bravely. You’ve protected us all. Now I want you to take the Outliers and go to the back of our army. I need you to regain your energy and form our final defensive line if the elves get through.”

  He places his hand on my shoulder, his wings beating the air across my body. “We will be ready.”

  Baelen calls our gargoyle friends together onto the central peak. As I land on the cliff top beside him, Jordan and my Storm Command are shaking their heads. Baelen has just told them to leave as well. Jasper and Sebastian are also determined to stay and Roar, Welsian, and Arlo plant their feet next to my ladies, but Roar kisses Gilda fiercely and tells her to go with Indira.

  As Gilda reluctantly flies away, casting glances back at her husband, a crack tells me that our shield is finally gone. The glistening barrier disperses into nothing and Talia and Elise drop to the ground, hunched over their knees, heads low, barely conscious. They’ve done so much for us. I wish I could fly to each of them, hug them, and tell them to be safe, but the battle on the ground is about to begin.

  I race to the edge of the cliff with Baelen close beside me, assessing where we are needed most.

  The protective shield that Grayson placed over the elven army dissolves and a shout goes up as Grayson mobilizes them. Inside the ravine, the elves surge forward, screaming a battle cry. The sound of clashing swords echoes up to the cliff top, sending a shudder down my spine. I want to fly down to fight them but the gargoyles who had been safe behind the shield spring into action, ready to meet the elven army in combat.

  The elves are skilled fighters, but the gargoyles have everything to lose. They fight with their clawed feet and wing daggers that can slice through rock and make easy work of elven armor. Twenty gargoyles rise into the air with elve
s in their claws, ripping them apart. The hidden caverns also open up, sending a volley of arrows into the attacking elves.

  Golden-tipped arrows fly toward Grayson, piercing his chest and arms, sending him spinning before he can use his power against the gargoyles. My eyes widen in amazement at the resilience and power of my people, the way they don’t cower in the face of his sorcery, the way they fight back with everything they’ve got.

  But what truly surprises me is the restraint Grayson shows. Plucking the arrows out, he doesn’t retaliate with magic, floating above the elves and shouting orders while he dodges the next volley of arrows. Like me, he could decimate the enemy army, but so far he has chosen not to. Maybe it’s the gargoyle inside of him, but despite what he said earlier about killing my people, so far he has chosen to allow the elves and gargoyles to fight each other without his interference.

  Baelen seeks my attention with a gentle touch to my arm. “The shield is down but the Elven Command hasn’t tried to fly past us yet.”

  “We need to find them before they do.”

  “And end them,” Baelen says. “One way or another.”

  The Elven Commanders, along with Priscilla, have disappeared into the groups of elves located at the back of their army—among soldiers in the major Houses who have not engaged in battle yet and furthest from the battlefront: an unexpected move.

  “There,” Baelen says, pointing. “Elwyn Elder is with his House. I’ll go after him.”

  I look for Pedr Bounty and locate him among other elves in the House of Bounty. “I’ll take Pedr Bounty. I don’t see the other two yet.”

  “We’ll find them. Be on the lookout.”

  “Be safe, Baelen.”

  He kisses me before we separate.

  I zoom toward Pedr, covering the distance in several seconds, a tornado shrieking around me. The Bounty elves see me coming and scatter, shouting to each other, forming a large ring around the space where I land. I hit the ground only paces away from Pedr, my knees bending to take the impact so that I can land firmly on my feet.