Chapter 29

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

~ Princess Blake ~

M orning light shines on us as we race to the armory. Of course, the witches would attack during daylight hours when the demons are ordinarily heading to their beds. Majority of the demon army is already positioned beyond the castle gates, but off-duty soldiers stream from the barracks inside the walls, rushing past us as we walk into the armory.

Inside the building is chaos, and General Josek is already there, fully dressed for battle. Spittle flies from his mouth as he barks orders to the soldiers, and they strap on their armor, grabbing their weapons. “Hurry up you maggots! Do you think the witches are going to wait before they start murdering your families? The witches are killing demons as we speak!”

The ancient general walks over the moment he spies me, his armor rattling, and his tail flicking from side to side. I’ve never liked the psychotic demon who was always too quick to resort to torture, but he stood by Dad’s side during the last great war with the witches, and it’s a comfort knowing he’ll be fighting with us now.

“Your highness,” the general says, his face as hard as stone as he stops in front of me and my mates. “I’ve never hidden the fact that I’ve always disliked you.”

My mates tense like they’re ready to put the demon in his place.

“Fuck listenin’ to that,” Nate comments, but I hold up a hand, making sure they don’t do anything.

General Josek doesn’t look the least bit concerned by their presence, though he must know I could have him slaughtered for simply speaking against me.

“You don’t say,” is all I respond to the demon general.

“I’ve never agreed with the choices your father made regarding you, including that stupid competition of his,” General Josek says. “But none of that matters now.”

My brows slam down. “What other choices?”

His gaze hardens like granite. “The time I feared has come, princess, and I believe your father may be right.” He clears his throat. “That despite it all, you and your mates may be the only ones who can save us in the end.”

“Nice to know there’s no pressure,” Dante drawls sarcastically in my head, but I’m too busy staring at the general to respond. From as early as I can remember General Josek has treated me with disdain, only interacting with me when forced to. For him to be saying this sends a shiver down my spine.

A strange spark of emotion penetrates the general’s hard eyes, and his hand twitches. For a startling moment, I think he’s going to reach for me, but he doesn’t.

He clears his throat again. “Your father has left something for you in the back room,” he says abruptly, and he turns, marching away from me and barking orders to his soldiers again.

“What was that all about?” Prince Callan asks, but I just wave them forward, leading them to the back.

My steps falter as we enter the small, adjoining room, and I spy what’s in the center of the space. Held up by metal stands are six sets of armor, all of them in different sizes. Intricate swirls and marks are etched into the metal, and the light from the sky window above streams onto the polished silver, making the air sparkle.

Nate whistles aloud, and a slender demon who’s fussing with one of the sets peers up.

“Princess,” the male says as we walk over, and I recognize him as Dad’s master armorer, Master Mathyl. The demon has the gift of being able to manipulate different metals to a small degree. I’d once asked if I could have the master create a set for me, but Dad had turned me down, saying I needed to learn to fight without the armor before I earned my metal plates.

“Are these…” I trail off, still unable to overcome my shock.

The demon peers at me proudly. “Hand crafted for you and your mates, your highness. Your father had me start working on them the moment he returned from Toralyn. Admittedly, I had to obtain help from a few of my assistants to get it done in such a short timeframe, but I hope you are happy with them none-the-less.

Stepping forward, I run my fingers over the breastplate of the smallest set of armor, and the wings that are intricately carved there.

“I would have expected the royal crest,” I say to Master Mathyl.

“Ah yes, your father requested those to be added. You’ll have to take that up with him,” the master armorer replies.

The demon smiles at the others, indicating which sets of armor belong to each of them. “Given the specifications provided by the king, and the fact I had no accurate measurements for your mates, my assistants and I had to combine our gifts to create armor that will respond to the wearer.”

“Meanin’?” Nate asks.

“The armor will adjust to your body,” Master Mathyl explains. “I also consulted an armorer from the beast realm to make this happen.”

Nate’s brows lift. “So you’re saying if I shift…”

“Then your armor will change to accommodate you,” Master Mathyl replies, his eyes twinkling.

“Whoa, that’s awesome,” Shade squawks.

The corner of Prince Callan’s lips kick up. “Now we won’t have to see your naked ass every time you turn back.”

“Wait, now I’m not sure how I feel about this,” Shade amends, cawing with laughter in my head.

I circle the armor, still finding it hard to believe that Dad had these made for us, but there’s no time to waste. I thank the master and get the armor down, dressing hastily as the war alarm continues to blare in our ears. Once we’re strapped, we load ourselves up with weapons. The only thing left is my hair, and Mason steps forward, his fingers working quickly to create a long braid.

When he’s done, he presses a kiss to my head. “There, my mate. Now you are ready.”

My lips quirk into a smile. “How did you learn how to do that?”

“I have a sister, remember?” he replies with a grin.

“Gee you guys look badass,” Shade comments, flapping her wings from where she’s perched on the top of one of the stands.

My mates are looking at me like they want to tear my armor off, and my body heats. Alaric hefts an ax, and I stare at my mates, my heart fluttering.

“We’d better go,” I say, shouts still sounding in the main room of the armory.

Grabbing me, Dante pulls me to him, and he kisses me deeply. When he steps back, Prince Callan takes his place, followed by Nate. My shifter’s hand snakes around me as he devours my mouth. “Time to be the life of the party, gorgeous,” he says when he pulls his lips from mine.

Alaric is next, and his kiss is rough and demanding. Like he’s making a promise that if I die, he’ll follow me to the shadow realm. When he breaks away, he grips under my chin and rubs his thumb over my lips. “This isn’t our final battle, enchantress. You make sure you stay alive. No matter the cost.”

I nod once, mostly because I know that’s what he needs.

Mason is the last to kiss me, and when he reluctantly pulls away, I swallow thickly.

“You don’t have to come,” I tell my centaur. “I know what happened the last time you were on a battlefield with the witches. I don’t want to put you through that.”

“The only thing I regret from that battle was that I wasn’t strong enough to help my brethren,” he replies, sadness touching his eyes before he gives me a determined smile. “This time will be different, my mate.”

I give him a soft smile. “Let’s hope so.” Stepping back, I rest my hand on the hilt of my sword. “Shade, you stay out of reach of the action,” I tell my crow friend. “Keep an eye on the area and be our eyes from the sky.”

“You’ve got it,” she chirps back.

I think of the rules Dad has taught me since I was young. Rule number three of being a demon royal: Never surrender.

Letting out a long breath, I roll my shoulders. “All right. Let’s go kill some witches.”

My boots slam to the ground outside the castle gates, and I let Dante down as Mason and Prince Callan land beside me, folding their wings. Alaric jumps from Mason’s back, and Nate roars in his large cat form, leaping from the top of the castle walls to land near us. The ground shudders, and demon soldiers move around us, giving us space.

Ranks of demon soldiers advance forward as General Josek screams at them, his war helmet already splattered with blood, and the scene ahead of us is a mess of demons and witches.

Chemical weapons fly through the air, landing on demons and incinerating them with acid. A demon lifts his hand, sending out a wave of power, and three witches fall to the ground, clawing at their eyes.

“There are four large portals a few hundred yards from the castle walls, and witches keep pouring from them,” Shade reports from high up in the air. “Gods, Blake, there are so many witches.”

“And inside the castle walls?” I say to her, knowing full well there wasn’t any action happening there only moments ago.

“Nothing yet,” she replies. “But the soldiers there are ready if any witches breach the walls.”

“Okay, good.” One of my other crows sends me a mental image of Hawke, the leader from the Bloodsky clan, fighting alongside his demons as witches advance on their clan house. I hadn’t wanted to involve my birds, but I needed their eyes, and all around the city, witches seem to be popping out of portals, attacking the clan houses, and targeting the biggest clans. No doubt, the witches have figured out that we’re weaker if we’re divided.

I curse because I’d been counting on the demon soldiers from the different clans banding together.

The generals from the war council have organized their troops around the castle walls, with General Kaldoth remaining inside the walls with his soldiers. A few hundred yards in front of us, a massive green portal burns in the middle of the street, the flames sizzling and licking the air as witches continue to stream from it.

My mates and I join the battle, cutting through the witches without mercy. Nate rips the head off another witch before tossing her body to the side, and Alaric dodges a spell aimed at him, ducking low, and cutting the witch’s legs out from under her.

Prince Callan sends out a burst of wind power, blowing a dozen witches back. They crash into the surrounding buildings, but a few of the witches on the ground form up, chanting as they form a magical barrier before them, keeping his power at bay.

A witch hurtles a glowing orb at General Josek, and I grab the shield of a fallen soldier and throw it, deflecting the weapon before it comes into contact with the general’s face. The ancient general nods his head at me and spins, cutting down three more witches in front of him.

Six witches form a line, aiming their chemical weapons, and an incubus demon sends out a burst of power. The witches lower their arms, shaking their heads as they fight against the demon’s influence, and they start chanting something which allows them to regain control of themselves. Tossing their chemical weapons, the orbs smash against the castle wall, the acid burning small holes in the stone.

An arrow soars past my head, and Mason rears on his hind legs, charging a witch heading straight for me. The tattoos on my arms flare to life, and my mates and I regroup, working as a team and taking down witches.

When the last witch around us has fallen, the ground is littered with bodies, and the demons cheer, lifting their weapons into the air.

I don’t let myself celebrate. There are multiple portals around the city, and I leave General Josek and the demons, and my mates and I move to the next closest portal on the eastern side of the castle.

Dad is there, and sweat streams from him as he spins, spearing a witch and lifting her into the air before tossing her away.

I land beside him and throw him the sword of a fallen demon.

“Good of you to join us, daughter,” the king says, catching the sword and driving it into a witch who lets out a high-pitched scream before crumpling to the ground.

“You shouldn’t be here!” I shout above the noise of the battle. “Retreat inside the castle walls, my king.”

Dad ignores me, charging another group of witches who advance. I beat him to them, and my mates and I dispatch them before Dad has a chance to act. I frown. Aside from the chemical weapons and a few smaller spells, the witches don’t perform much magic. “I thought they’d be stronger,” I yell.

“They’ve been cut off from the power of their ancients,” Dad answers. “It’s why they’ve wanted demon power for so long.” I think of all I learned about King Celzar taking from the witches, and the incident with his love, Yenna, which started this all. A thread of sadness winds through me, but I don’t have time for weakness. Not now while the witches are at our door.

Nate jumps into a pile of witches, swiping out with his paws, and blood drips from his maw as he makes quick work of them.

A witch hurtles an orb at my head, and Alaric catches it, smashing it back into the witch’s chest. She cries as the acid burns through her cloak, eating into her flesh, and she falls to her knees before slamming face first to the ground.

More witches advance, and Alaric growls, his body growing in size. His plates of armor adapt to match his changing form, and the male grows so large his head reaches higher than the castle walls. He lumbers forward, striding to the portal and grabbing the witches as they exit the circle of flames.

The scent of burning flesh and smoke stings my nose, and the witches continue to fall. Blood sprays into my eyes as I take a witch’s head, and I turn to see a witch advancing on Prince Callan.

“Look out!” My cry comes too late as a blade drives between Prince Callan’s wings. Snarling, I grab out two knives and send them flying through the air. The witch falls with them buried in her throat.

“I am fine, mate,” Prince Callan says, pulling out the sword.

“You’re not fine,” I hiss, rushing over to him, but I stare in surprise as his wound knits together, his body already starting to heal as fast as a demon’s would.

“Looks like our bond also came with a few other upgrades,” Prince Callan says with a twist of his lips. “That would normally take me hours to heal from.”

I hold out my hand, hauling him to his feet, and I turn to the witch who’s on the ground, blood trickling from her mouth.

“You think this is it, don’t you half-breed?” the witch mocks, spitting out blood. I recognize her instantly as the witch who’d spoken to me through Ivar.

“You,” I growl. “What are you talking about?”

She smiles, and coughs, struggling for air. “This is only the beginning,” she says, and the light drains from her eyes, her head falling to the side.

Cheers erupt around me, and I lift my gaze to find the demons are yelling and shouting triumphantly.

The witches around us are all down, and no more are coming through the portal. My mates come closer to me, grinning, but I can’t shake the feeling of unease pressing on my chest. This is only the beginning. The witch’s words echo in my mind, and when a dead demon twitches at my feet, my heart stutters.

“Oh crap, Blake. The fallen demons!” Shade shrieks in my head. “They’re rising! Oh, the bodies!” Her fear explodes through my senses, and suddenly a barrage of images from my crows around the city come to me, of dead demons climbing to their feet, black marks covering their skin.

Two dead demons grab my wings from behind, sending pain shooting up my spine.

Dad cuts through one of the demons, and I twist as I go for the other. Before I can lash out with my blade, the demon is beheaded, and Dante comes into view. “You good, princess?”

“I could be better,” I say, giving him a grim smile. My eyes scan over the scene around us. All the fallen demons are rising and attacking the demon army, and a new wave of witches starts emerging from the portal again, dodging around Alaric’s massive form and sending a volley of chemical weapons his way. He stumbles back, avoiding the acid, and with the fallen demons on the witches’ side, now we’re grossly outnumbered.

I turn to Dad. “What is happening? The marks on the fallen demons. They look just like yours.”

The king’s eyes are so dark they’re like black pools of night. “Come with me, daughter,” he snarls.

My mates bolt toward me as the witches and undead demons advance on us. Alaric bounds over from the portal, grabbing me, Dad, and my mates, and carrying us over the castle walls in his giant form before setting us down. The moment our feet are on the ground, his body starts to shrink until he’s in his smaller form, and Nate changes back as well.

“We need to get to the vault!” King Dalton yells as the demon soldiers still outside the gates scream, overwhelmed by the forces they’re now facing.

“We can’t leave them!” I shout back.

The front gate sizzles, neon goo burning through the thick steel as witches send a volley of chemical weapons at it.

“If we don’t get to the vault, we’re all done,” Dad says, his eyes colder than I’ve ever seen them.

“Don’t need to fuckin’ tell me again,” Nate says to the king, and lifting me over his shoulder he races toward the castle. My mates and the king follow him, and General Kaldoth shouts after us.

Guilt twists in my gut, but I don’t fight Nate.

“No, wait! Shade is out there!” I shout, panicked as the front doors of the castle close behind us, and Prince Callan and Mason bar the door.

“She’s a tough bird,” Alaric replies. “She’ll be fine as long as she stays out of their reach.”

“Shade,” I send to her, but there’s something blocking our connection. Dammit.

My heart pounds as I whirl toward Dad. “ Tell us what’s in the vault.”

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