by Candy Crum
She looked at Amon, but he shook his head. "That wasn't me."
Arryn stepped forward. "Whoever it was is on our side. If that monster isn't fighting against us, we have no reason to be afraid. Let's go."
Snow knelt to allow Arryn to mount with less effort, and Dante did the same so Corrine and Amara could climb onto his back. They all ran forward, and Arryn pulled her bow from her back.
With this group, she didn't have to worry about anyone with a good conscience. She could see the darkness in their hearts as she got closer, and she let the arrows fly. She nocked and loosed one arrow after another as she rode in large circles.
Her eyes wandered to the red-skinned figure, and she realized it, or rather she, didn't look like a monster. She was just over six feet tall, with a long, lean, curvy body. She thwarted Zuri's men with little effort. As she slammed another to the ground, stepping on his chest, her eyes wandered to Arryn.
Focus! the masculine voice hissed in her mind.
Arryn heard the scream of a child, and she turned to see a woman cut down as she tried to flee with her toddler in her arms.
"Corrine!" Arryn shouted as she dismounted from Snow.
The younger druid slid to a stop by Arryn's side, her hands flying out in front of her as her eyes turned neon-green. As Corrine focused on healing the mother and possibly the child, Arryn ran toward the group of men who'd injured them.
Arryn smiled as they lunged at her. "That was a big fucking mistake. I'm back on solid ground now, bitches."
Her eyes flashed green, and vines burst through the ground. One wrapped around her first target, lifting him into the air before slamming him to the ground and snapping his neck. She then reached into the sky, feeling the moisture lingering in it from it evaporation off the great river.
She pulled her hands down and ice spikes formed. Flinging her arms outward, she took out the other two. A man grabbed her from behind, and she kicked upward with incredible flexibility, striking him in the face. He stumbled back, and she thrust a hand out. He flew several feet back and landed hard on the ground, where Corrine quickly ended him.
Though Arryn didn't like it, his wasn't the first life Corrine had taken, and Arryn had learned not to underestimate her.
Stop worrying about the girl. She's doing fine. Behind you.
She turned as the voice warned her, and she saw a wall of men headed her way. Thunder cracked overhead again, and she decided to use the resources she had available to her. She lifted her hand to the sky as if reaching for something, and when she yanked down, a lightning bolt struck the ground, throwing men in different directions.
Interesting, the voice said in her mind, but she ignored it.
Thanks for the commentary and the warnings, but if you're not going to show your face, stay the fuck out of my head. I don't like intruders I don't know, she sent back.
If you had a sufficient mental barrier and weren't so distracted, I wouldn't have to keep intervening—Arryn of the Dark Forest.
That caught her off-guard, but she realized he had probably picked that up from her mind. Shaking it off, she put her arms straight out and called the rain. It began to pour all around her, and as the remaining fighters grew closer, she froze it into thousands of tiny balls.
"You shouldn't have come for Jadid," she said. "Please accept my welcome gift."
She thrust her hands forward and the projectiles soared through the air, piercing dozens of men. She stumbled back and realized she'd used far too much energy. The ice balls hadn't cut through even half of them, and she still needed to get to Zuri.
Turning, she saw Amon fighting with several men. He took on five at once. It didn't take much for her to realize he'd been very humble when speaking about his skills earlier. As more approached, a giant portal ripped open directly behind him.
Fear took her until she realized it was an illusion Amon had pulled from the minds of his enemies. He sent imaginary beasts chasing others down as he continued to fight. It almost made her laugh to see it.
The leader and several of his men are inside the city. One of the children has gone for him.
"Shit," Arryn said out loud.
As she ran forward, she caught sight of Corrine battling two men. It didn't take much for her to win while using Kemetian magic. She finished them and caught up to Arryn. The younger druid was about to say something when her eyes widened, and her finger pointed.
Turning, Arryn saw an old man with a staff raised high in the air. She felt a familiar tingle and watched from a safe distance as lightning shot down, taking out several men at once. He was a nature-magic user.
Then the man turned and thrust his staff outward, a blast of energy sending a group of men backward as the other physical magicians helped. He uses physical magic, too?
GO! the voice shouted in her mind, but she froze for a second when she saw his blood-red eyes staring into hers across what had become a battlefield.
She nodded once before heading into the city. "Corrine! Come with me. Amara went after Zuri alone."
They rushed in, working side by side to fight off Zuri's men when they came at them. Zuri had staggered his troops through the city, so it was relatively easy with them working together.
"I don't have much power left," Arryn said. "But don't heal me. Save it. We have no idea what we'll find."
The tigers roared as they took men down and came to their humans’ sides. Each druid climbed onto her mount and rode toward the pyramid palace. As they passed Zuri's men along the way, Arryn shot as many as she could with her bow. The remaining soldiers continued to fight, and she prayed there were enough of them to make a difference.
As they approached the steps of the palace, she saw Zuri sitting at the top with ten men at the base in a straight line. Amara was in front of them, her hands in the air. One of the men grabbed her and dragged her up the stairs.
"Don't fucking hurt her," Arryn growled, both tigers loosing growls of their own.
"Oh, I'm not going to hurt her. I'm going to kill her. I doubt there will be much pain involved in what I have planned."
Arryn opened her senses, but she felt no fear coming from Amara. She wondered if this had been the girl's plan all along. Arryn looked down to hide her white eyes as she reached out.
Was this your plan? Arryn sent.
I'm fine. Don't be scared for me. I'm exactly where I need to be, but you should leave.
I can't. I won't leave until I know you're safe, Arryn replied.
Amara groaned, and Arryn looked up, her white eyes on display. She saw a knife at Amara's throat, but the girl still felt no fear.
"What type of magician are you?" Zuri asked.
Arryn looked up at him. "One that's far too strong for you."
You sure about this? Arryn sent to Amara.
Hell, yes. When I give you the signal, shield yourself and Corrine.
Arryn's eyes widened as she thought through the implications. What did she have planned? Was it powerful enough to hurt them?
Zuri laughed. "Women. You're all the same. You run your mouths all day long and expect to be taken seriously when you're this weak." He tightened his grip on Amara.
A loud laugh escaped Arryn. "Oh, that's hilarious. You can't even begin to understand the fatal mistake you've made."
"Yeah? What was that, sweetheart?"
Now. I'm ready now! Amara shouted through the link.
"You made an enemy out of her," she said, nodding toward Amara.
The girl's eyes flashed gray with green around the edges, and Arryn formed a shield around herself, Corrine, and the tigers. She watched in horrified amazement as Amara's hands thrust outward. She felt the energy take all eleven men as her death touch grew. The power slammed into Arryn's barrier, and she realized that had she not barricaded them as Amara had warned, it would have touched her, too.
The men choked and gasped for air as blood poured from their noses. Zuri's hands fell away from Amara as he dropped to his knees, and she turned and looked him in
the eyes as he stared into hers.
"I told you I'd find a way," she said as his head hit the ground. "I told you I'd get revenge for the evil you brought. No one deserves what you did, and I'm going to make damn sure you never hurt anyone like that again."
He gasped for air, but she clenched her fists, every one of the men dying on the ground.
"Very interesting indeed," the masculine voice Arryn had heard in her head said from behind her.
She whipped her head around to see a tall man standing next to the red woman, each of them wrapped in a barrier just as she and Corrine were. Arryn felt around to make sure Amara's power had dissipated before she let down her shield and dismounted. She walked up to the man and looked into his red eyes as they faded to normal.
As she studied him, she realized she'd never seen him before, but there was something familiar about him. "Who are you?" she asked.
He smiled as he looked down at her, stroking his long beard. "I was hoping I'd get to meet you, though I must say you could use some work."
She growled at him, offended. "Excuse me? I need some work?"
He nodded. "Indeed. You're incredibly powerful, but you have no idea how to tap into it. You're holding back. You don't access all your powers at once, you switch between them. Hmm. Yes, you definitely need some work, but we can do that before the next battle."
"Listen, old man, I don't know who you are—"
He waved his staff and his free hand in the air. "Ah, yes. Forgive me. My name's Ezekiel, though I'd wager where you come from, you might know me as the Founder."
Epilogue
It took the queen's army nearly a full day to return, but when they did, the city was on its way to being secure. Arryn took control in the queen's stead and gathered groups of people to help remove the bodies.
She was happy to see that most of the soldiers returned with the queen, but she was surprised to see the monarch return with so many of the men who fought for Zuri. Mistaken or not, they'd still fought against her.
"It's been a long few days," Asim had said. "They have reunited with their families and are welcome to stay in neighboring towns, though they will help build more homes."
When Cathillian walked through the gates, Arryn wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "You won't fucking believe what happened!"
He laughed. "With you, I never can."
Once there was a clear path to the palace, everyone met under the shelter house, though the only food available was fruit and bread. No one complained as they sat down to eat and discuss the next steps.
"I'm exhausted, and I'd really love to get this over with," Asim said. "No offense, Arryn. I'm sure this is important, but we need sleep."
The druid laughed. "Trust me, I know that more than most. I'm surprised I didn't pass out this time. I usually do."
"That's because you held back and let an old man do the work for you," Ezekiel said from behind her.
Everyone stiffened as he and the red-skinned woman walked up. Arryn rolled her eyes and shook her head. She barely knew the man, and already he was on her ass. She couldn't wait to see what torture was in store for her when they began training. As she opened her mouth to speak, Cathillian's shock wore off enough for him to say, "Holy shit."
"Uh, Arryn?" Asim asked, pointing.
"That's...that's the Founder," Cathillian said, interrupting.
Arryn nodded. "Yes. Everyone, I'd like you to meet Ezekiel, the Founder. And this is Lilith."
"Hello," Lilith said. "I understand that given what all you have heard or seen with an open Rift south of here, my appearance might be shocking. I assure you, I am here to help."
"And we have a lot of work to do," Ezekiel said. "As you know well, war is coming, and we must prepare. Arryn and I have a lot of work to do."
"What kind of work?" Bast asked. "Reinforcing Jadid? Training? If it's training, I'm in. It's not every day you get to meet the Founder." She bowed her head in respect. "I'm a fast learner."
Arryn sighed. "Definitely training. I've been off lately, and it's time I got myself back together. Ezekiel is going to help me do that. After all, he's the one who trained Hannah, and she's been kicking ass all over the world. So, as much as it's going to be a pain in my ass, I'm grateful for it. We have a world to save."
Ezekiel nodded. "Yes, we do. This isn't the first Rift, and it surely won't be the last." He turned to Arryn. "I already trained one Hannah. It looks like I get to suffer through another one who is just as quick-witted. I assure you that this will be just as much a pain in my ass."
She smiled. "Well, I do try."
FINIS
Want more from the Age of Magic?
Checkout The Magic Below Paris, from C.M. Simpson and Michael Anderle. Book one is Trading Into Shadow and it’s available now from Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited.
Get your copy now
Author Notes - Candy Crum
June 7, 2020
WOW! I honestly can’t believe it’s been two years already! What a wild two years it’s been. So many growths, setbacks, lessons learned, and more!
I turned thirty-five in April (or—as I like to call it—my 7th Annual 29th birthday haha!). I always imagined that would be super scary for me, but honestly, I was happy about it! Instead of marking me getting older, it marked my achievements. Over the last year, I’ve worked super hard to get my life exactly where I want it, and I’m excited to say, it’s there.
Because of that positivity, when I write, it’s SO much easier. It’s back to being my work and my hobby. If I go a day without writing or creating something, I feel like I’m going stir crazy! Writing 3,000 words or more in a couple to few short hours now isn’t difficult at all, and OH I missed that! The one thing I’ve learned most over the last two years is that stress is the thief of joy.
Other than that lesson, something that has stayed consistent throughout everything is all of you showing support (especially when I had so many health issues – thank you more than you’ll ever know!) and also the friendships I’ve made within LMBPN. The employees, the writers, and the readers. It’s a family, and I enjoy being a part of it.
With that being said, I’m encroaching on super scary territory! This is book EIGHT! There are only… nine books in this core series! You can’t see it, but I’m mentally projecting a big ol’ shocked face right now. That’s crazy! Only one book left!
Now, don’t get too worried. I’m going to close the series properly, but it’ll be left off in a way that we can pick up in case Arryn decides to get into some shenanigans in the future. I honestly don’t think I can ever leave her entirely. That is truly a sad thought!
I’m excited to say my youngest (who is TWELVE NOW—oh my goodness) is working more on an outline for his own book. I love that he wants to write, and I plan to help him in every way. This path was totally his decision—but I do think it has a lot to do with me. He’s definitely mama’s boy, and I love that so much.
He has lots of ideas, and we’re working on how to outline and process them so he can write them. He still has a hard time with dedication. He’s twelve, though, so I totally understand! I wanted to be an author at his age, and I was the same way. I didn’t actually start writing until I was in my mid-twenties. So, we’ll get him there if he decides to stick with it! I’m SO proud of him. <3
Another big accomplishment in our house is that I’ve almost gotten my oldest (fourteen) to stop telling verbal stories.
Now, before anyone thinks “CANDY! What a horrible thing to do!” please just hear me out.
This kid... When he TELLS me these stories he comes up with, these monsters he designs (and he draws *every* *single* *one*), the names he comes up with, and the MASSIVE backstories for his characters, I get so worked up because I’m thinking, “This kid is a literal storytelling genius, and he won’t write any of it down! He’s going to forget it at some point, and it’ll be lost!”
He’s fourteen, and his stories blow me away. His brother and I are both creative, bu
t we have to work at it. Brandon (my oldest), it just comes natural to him. He’s more like his dad. His mind has always been a wild and crazy place. One of my favorite characters of his is named Matilda, and every time he tells me about her, I think, “Michael would love her.”
It’s all very sci-fi and has incredibly powerful imagery. He wants to design video games, and that’s why he doesn’t ‘write.’ But I told him if he wrote all this stuff down, even just as short stories that were roughly written in a notebook, and kept them for later, he can guarantee he’ll never forget. He’ll always have them.
Now, he’s starting to talk about writing actual books and using it for later to turn into video games or comics. Because of that, he’s starting to read. That’s something he’s never done, which is wild to me because he’s so good at storytelling. I’m hoping he continues to read and learns more about how to put a story together. So, if he continues down that path, I’ll totally let you know. You’ll definitely want to read those.
Thank you everyone for sticking with me and supporting me through everything. You are all the absolute best, and I can’t wait for all of you to see what’s next! I just turned in a sample for a new fantasy series I’m working on called, “The Mortiferian.” Unsure yet who will be publishing it, but I’ll definitely keep you updated on that and also on The Feisty Druid finale, “Damn the Rift.” I’ve already written a lot of the outline, and I’m starting it soon.
I hope everyone stays safe and happy, and I can’t wait to see you on the next one!
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
June 7, 2020
The joy of creatives is twice as much when your own children share your passion!
So, in our family, we have three guys, and two of them are professional authors, and one has written fanfic. I’m proud of all three, and sometimes I just have to realize that while they can all write, they might not WANT to write.
