by J. M. Kearl
That’s what I thought at the end of the contest. I thought I was triumphant holding that spear. I thought that we could go home then.
Zyacus nodded slowly. “I know but you can’t lose hope. You must believe. I believe in you.”
My head whipped toward Zyacus. “You heard me think that about the contest?” I was sure I didn’t say that aloud. We hadn’t communicated telepathically outside of him being in wolf form before.
“I guess I did.”
Marching to my left Taz brought out his sword. “We stick together no matter what. It’s best to fight in pairs. Obviously Visteal and Zyacus, and Aric and I will watch each other’s backs.”
“Look at you, giving orders,” Aric said with a light shove. “Someone grew a pair.”
Taz shoved him back. “I’ve always had a pair. I just know my place among the royalty.” He lightly cleared his throat. “Uh, Vis, you would tell me if you saw my death right?”
“I’d tell you to stay out of this battle if I had,” I assured him.
“What about me?” Aric asked. He smiled but his tone was all serious.
I let out a huff. “I saw you die once, Aric, and you came back to life. Honestly I don’t know if I can see vampires die their second death but I do believe you’ll make it.” I looked at Zyacus. “And before you ask, you’ll live too.”
When we reached the camp, the agonizing cries cut through me. Men laid in lines on the ground, groaned and whimpered. Fae not dressed in armor rushed around yelling orders. Aric brought his hand to his face, covering his mouth and nose. “I can’t be here.”
Taz grabbed his arm before he could bolt. “We stick together.”
I did feel bad for Aric but he had to be able to handle the smell of blood. “Aric you have to get used to it. It will be everywhere once we get to the fighting. You can’t turn on us or lose yourself so much that you can’t fight.”
“I would never turn on any of you but… this is a lot for me. We aren’t fighting. When we’re fighting I have a focus.”
“Taz, why don’t you and Aric go wait over there,” I pointed toward a large palm tree far away from the camp but still visible. “I want to see if I can help before we go out there.”
“Sure, Vis. We can do that.”
Zyacus and I made our way into the camp. Groups of what had to be human women carried bowls of water and cloths to the injured. A couple held crates of clinking bottles. Hopefully, healing potions. By the looks of things healing major wounds with magic was a limitation of the Fae as it was with most magic-born.
“We can heal some of them but we will never leave trying to help them all.” Zyacus pointed further ahead. “See there, more and more are being brought in.”
My heart sank. I wanted to help but he was right. Something caught on my foot and stopped me. A Fae man had his hand wrapped around my ankle. “Please,” he whispered. “Please help me. I don’t want to die.”
Dropping to my knees I took hold of his hand. “Where are you injured?” He was covered in blood, so I had no idea where it stemmed from.
He started shaking. “Mmmy leg.”
His right thigh. I placed my hand over it and the warmth of healing magic radiated over my palm. He sighed and the pain-stricken expression on his face softened. “Thank you, lady. Thank you.”
Zyacus and I moved through the camp healing those we could until a horn blew. I stood from a soldier’s side and peered in the distance.
“That is the trumpet of Night Court,” said the man I’d saved.
A little thrill jolted through me. Astaroth had arrived. As much as I despised him, he was here to help even if it were for his own selfish reasons.
The Fae pushed himself up and smiled at me. “You are a miracle.”
I shook my head. “I’m just a girl with a powerful ability.”
Zyacus knelt beside a man with a bad head injury, healing the gaping wound. I didn’t know how much power his stone had but I didn’t want him using it all to save these people when he might need it for himself. I tapped the top of his head and he looked up.
“It’s time. The Night Court has arrived.”
He rose to his full height. “You want to meet with Nightfrost before we go out and fight?”
I started walking toward where we’d left Aric and Taz. “I think we should. I don’t want to go in blind. I need to know where Valefrost is positioned and I bet Astaroth knows.” The camp here was absolute chaos. I had no idea who was in charge to even ask.
After grabbing the boys we appeared in the midst of the Night Court. They were a mix of vampires, wolves, Fae with black skin and white hair, many creatures I had never seen before. After asking a couple Fae where the Winter-Night Court prince was, they pointed us in the direction of the largest tent. Guards stood outside dressed in shiny black armor.
I tapped a finger against my lips. “Perhaps you three should wait out here.”
Zyacus crossed his arms. “Hurry. And if you take too long I’m coming in.”
I sped-walked to the entry but a couple guards standing off to the sides blocked the way with their spears.
“Who are you?” the Fae asked. The white moon tattooed on his forehead stood out against his dark smoky skin.
The one on the other side with the red eyes sniffed the air. “Must be a human. Magic-born.”
“I need to see Prince Astaroth.”
The curtains pushed aside and the bastard himself stepped out. “Ah, there you are. The pain in my royal ass.”
Prick. “I didn’t come here to bicker. Where is your father?”
He held a dagger and had the tip of it pressed against the thumb of his left hand. “Massacring the Summer Fae certainly. I bet he’s killed at least a hundred since the sun came up this morning.” He didn’t sound angry or upset, rather indifferent. As if we were talking about the weather. “It’s difficult to fight the man when every attack on him goes back on the faerie attacking.”
I hadn’t really thought about that. It didn’t even matter how large his armies were, no one could touch him and if they tried, they basically killed themselves. He could fight the entire military alone and still win. Unless they were true humans but how many of them would be brave enough to take him on?
“It’s his favorite thing you know. Laughing when they cut him but the wound doesn’t show up on his flesh, but theirs.”
“Why am I not surprised… oh, because it sounds like something you would do.”
He chuckled. “Visteal, why do you think so little of me?” He started toward me then walked right by. I fell into step beside him hoping he wasn’t going for the boys… yep, he was. He looked down at me. “I take no pleasure in torturing unless there is a reason for it.”
I snorted. “I thought Fae couldn’t lie.”
He smiled. “I rather missed that sharp tongue of yours.”
When the boys saw us coming Taz immediately shrunk back. He stood half behind Zyacus, keeping his eyes pinned on the dagger he fidgeted with. I’d nearly forgotten Astaroth had beaten and locked Taz in a cage to be fed on by vampires. “You owe my friends an apology.”
His dark eyes briefly turned down toward me. “That’s the thing you haven’t seemed to understand yet. I don’t apologize or regret anything.”
Zyacus and Aric both stood a little taller when we approached. I stepped over to be on their side. “We came here for the location of your father. Nothing more.”
Ignoring what I said, Astaroth spun his dagger around his hand. “Boys.” Then he turned to me. “You’ll find him on the far north end. With Bastian and Aenea.”
I felt like he just punched me in the stomach. “So they are with him? I thought they were on our side.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Fae are only on the side of their best interest. Now, it’s time to go kill some faeries.” He slid his sword out of its holster and started off toward the battlefield.
Rubbing his scruffy chin, Zyacus said, “I’ll call Froststorm and tell her we’re ready.”
Taz gently shook his head. Zyacus and Aric looked uncomfortable. I didn’t know if we should fight near him or not.
“I won’t hurt any of you. Satisfied?” He looked at me squarely. “But I do want to see my father die.” In a loud booming voice he raised his sword overhead. “To battle Night Court!”
The camp erupted into cheers and chanted “Night! Night! Night!” Everyone who had been sitting or gathered in groups pulled their weapons. Some shifted to wolves, moving in small packs.
My body trembled as I took my first step to fight. “We stay together.”
The soldiers ahead of us broke into a sprint. The vampires and wolves were the first to clash with the wall of Winter. A massive Winter troll swung a club, taking out several people in one swing. Astaroth was only a few paces ahead of us. His black mist lashed out, circling around its victims, and killing them almost instantly.
He had a sword in hand but with the other he flicked and swished his wrist. Anyone in his path screamed before they dropped dead. I wondered how he did it.
A screaming Winter Fae launched an ice spear at me. I threw my arms up along with a magic shield; the spear splintered.
I formed an energy orb and propelled it at him; it hit and knocked him several yards back. Froststorm roared from above. Screams of terror answered her. She swooped down, slashing her talons at the giant troll.
When a group of Night Fae clashed with a couple shadow creatures, the snarls of the beasts and cries of those being attacked brought me back to the forest where I’d killed one. They needed help. Flames erupting from my palms, I ran at them. One of the shadow creatures turned, shifting intermittently from solid to air.
The fire roared from my hands and engulfed the beast. It came through at a sprint—ah I thought fire killed these things! It jumped, flying through the air at me. I dove and pulled my sword. What magic worked against this thing?
It snapped at my sword when I slashed, turning into shadow before my blade could catch anything solid.
Suddenly the thing squealed, shook, and burst into a spray of blood and shadow. Astaroth stepped where it had been moments ago. “Quit messing around.”
I glanced to my left where the boys battled a group of Winter Fae. “How did you…”
Astaroth’s hand flashed out and grabbed my wrist. I almost pulled away but then I felt my magic flaring, wild and frenzied. Exactly the opposite of what I’d worked to control. Somehow he was drawing it out.
“Direct that raw power at your enemy.”
“You’re going to kill me.” My voice trembled with fear. I felt like I was going to explode from my own magic. That I would burst like that creature and be nothing but pieces of flesh and bone and blood spread all over this battlefield.
His jaw hardened. “Your own magic couldn’t kill you. You’ve been suppressing it.”
“Because I can’t control it fully!” I shrieked as the power increased, making my skin burn from the inside. I tried to tug out of his grip but he held firm.
He jerked me around, leveling my palm at another troll who stumbled around taking out groups of faeries with its club. “Force all that power at that troll. Don’t think of a spell, or your training; set it free, unleash hell.”
That’s what Zyacus had said too. To let it go. I gritted my teeth and channeled the overwhelming power coursing and screamed as it ripped from me. The troll didn’t even make a sound when blood poured from its mouth, nose, eyes, ears, and it fell over with a great crash.
Releasing his hold, Astaroth smirked. “Not bad.”
It wasn’t lost on me that no one attacked Astaroth or me as we stood there. And I didn’t know if it was because they were afraid of him or me.
Appearing out of nowhere, Zyacus touched my shoulder. “Are you alright?” He glared at Astaroth.
My whole body felt alight with a cool fire. I was more than alright. It sounded crazy in my head but I felt as if I could take on the whole of Winter alone.
I stretched my hand forward and directed my destructive power at the other shadow creatures now feasting on a dead body and they burst into nothing.
Zyacus’s mouth dropped, in awe and thrilled and terrified all at once. “I knew you had it in you.”
Astaroth strolled ahead. “Let’s carry on our reign of terror.”
Taz and Aric joined us as we stalked across the battlefield, tearing apart any who dared step in our path. Froststorm shredded and turned masses into statues of ice but she stuck close. I found I had to simultaneously shield her and throw attacks.
Magic attacks exploded randomly, swords clinked, arrows whistled, warriors cried in agony and triumph. The air reeked of metallic blood and death. It made my stomach coil. Everything was chaos and evil and glorious.
After a while I pulled my sword lit with a blue flame that would slice easier and cut through the enemies. It almost seemed unfair that six of us could inflict so much damage. Taz and Aric and Zyacus were shielded by Astaroth and me. Not physically but no one dared come at us. Some ran when they saw us coming.
This was how Astaroth had earned his reputation of being the most powerful Fae in the realm.
We were halfway across the field when a different sounding horn blew. Astaroth whipped around. “That is the horn of Autumn.”
They rode in on horseback and with charging horned creatures and men who appeared half beast, clashing with both Summer and Night on the opposite end of Winter.
In the distance King Venos shouted from the back of a horse, pointing at the Autumn warriors. “They will box us in!”
Astaroth cursed and vanished.
I turned to Zyacus. “What do we do? They’re herding us all to the center.”
Turning in a circle he slowly shook his head. “I—I don’t know. Where is the Spring Court?”
“Shouldn’t they be here?” Taz’s horrified expression hit me hard. As many Winter Fae as we’d taken out it seemed their numbers only grew. The enemy had us surrounded. Although both Summer and Night Courts fought fiercely, our side was outnumbered.
“Dragon’s fire,” Aric breathed. “The Summer King was just hit with an arrow.”
I turned in time to see him fall from his horse. That’s all it took for many of the Summer Fae around him to turn and run.
“No!” I yelled. “They’re retreating!”
Ahhh! I should have told him to stay out of the battle! I should have told him!
A black cloud appeared and with it Astaroth. “Get to my father! I will push back Autumn until Spring reaches us. They are on the horizon.”
I still had yet to find him but I nodded. The boys and I ran through soldiers. Taking out those in our path but avoiding them if we could. Fighting them only slowed us down.
And then there he was, not even fighting but sitting on the back of a huge white wolf, smirking at everything before him.
“This is it boys,” I said and pushed away the anxiety building in me. I pulled my bow and arrow. Closing one eye I pinned the point to his chest and let it fly. It deflected like I knew it would but I had his attention.
“King Valefrost!” I shouted. “I challenge you to a duel.”
“Destroy him,” Zyacus said in my ear.
He turned to the men on either side of him and laughed. That’s when I noticed one of them was… Bastian. His blue eyes stared into me with—sorrow. It didn’t matter. If he’d chosen him there was nothing I could do.
If Valefrost wouldn’t get down on his own I’d make him. I charged ahead and skidded to a halt when Aenea jumped in front of me and slashed her sword.
My heart clenched. “What are you doing?” I couldn’t understand why they had been all for me and had now turned. Why would they take his side? They had wanted me to kill him.
“It’s not personal, Visteal.” She had tears in her eyes. “But he ha
s my babies. And if I don’t kill you, he’ll kill them.”
My eyes flicked past her. Twin boys with deep purple hair and creamy skin just like her cried in the arms of a man in armor. They couldn’t have been more than two.
“Aenea, no.” I dodged her sword as it sliced at me. “Don’t do this.” I pleaded and shoved her back with a push of magic when she jabbed at me again.
“I have no choice.”
“I will kill him, and your babies will be safe,” I said, blocking her sword. She had to see reason. She had to. I couldn’t stomach killing her. She was my friend. She’d married Zyacus and I. She’d been kind…
The sadness in her eyes morphed into a rage and she struck harder, sending me stumbling back.
King Valefrost laughed. “This is the girl who is supposed to kill me?”
I threw my magic at her and clenched my fist, forcing her to her knees, crying out in agony. “Enough!” I released my magic and she got up as if I’d never done anything at all.
Zyacus ran in and tackled her. “Go!” He smashed her hand into the ground over and over until she dropped her sword. Aric jumped to help in holding her down as she thrashed. Taz stood guard making sure no one snuck in to attack them.
I picked a knife from my belt and threw it at Valefrost. “You must be a coward just like Astaroth said you were.”
He shifted on the wolf’s back. The soldiers surrounding him turned to get his reaction.
Lifting a hand, he nodded at Bastian. “Take care of her.” He reached over and curled his fingers on one of the baby’s heads. Oooo that bastard. That horrid, horrid creature.
Bastian drew his sword and slowly marched at me. A group of soldiers swarmed in and attacked Taz, forcing Zyacus to get up from holding Aenea. Aric put her in a headlock but she fought like a maniac. No one would be here to stop Bastian but me.
My heart crashed against my ribs. “Bastian, you know I can do this. Just let me go past you,” I pleaded with him as he got closer. He too had almost become family. How could I fight him? How could he fight me? Those babies…
“I know you can.” Bastian swung at me and then hit me with a blast of icy winter then sent me flying back. I hadn’t been expecting him to really attack me. “But if I don’t try to kill you, he will end my grand babies.”
