Chapter 51 Resist
SOUNDTRACK: Uprising by Damned Anthem
~ MELEK ~
It was the most difficult hour of my life thus far. My son lay on the floor, shaking, groaning, pleading for his life, as his body was wracked with… something. Something that threatened to tear him from himself.
In the end, I was forced to hold him down, to stop him hurting himself as the convulsions threw him around, and his increased strength threatened to get him killed.
Yilan helped. When I had him down and pinned, she touched his head and whispered in his ear, and even in the throes of his pain, Gall’s eyes began to focus.
I murmured to him, as quietly and gently as I could, that he would live. That we would find Istral. That he was a father—a fact I prayed was true—and that soon, we’d all defeat the Fallen fuck.
“…just keep fighting, Gall. Resist. Don’t let him pain you into retreat…”
Yilan sat at Gall’s head, combing back his hair from his sweaty face, her tears mingling with his at times. But neither of us moved. Yilan had checked in with several Fetch who all said the same thing.
The battle raged on, but something had shifted. Neph were dying—some under the blade, others in convulsions, like Gall’s.
That sobered us for a time, and I felt myself slipping back into fear.
Had I inadvertently pointed Gall towards death?
No… Gall wasn’t worsening. He was strengthening.
Soon, the fits only took him for moments, and between he could speak.
Then, they stopped and he slept for a moment. That was frightening at first, but Yilan reminded me how deeply we slept after battle.
Healing.
We could feel it.
Then, seemingly from nowhere, Hever appeared at my shoulder.
“How is he doing?”
I startled, and almost clocked the old Neph, but Yilan was startlingly warm in her greeting—and to my surprise, she leaned back so Hever could touch Gall’s face and look into his eyes.
“He’ll be well,” he said quickly. Did his lips twitch towards a smile? Had I ever seen Hever smile? “His body fights the battle his heart has already won.”
Then he patted Gall’s shoulder, met his blinking gaze and definitely smiled. “Well done, Gall. Very, very well done.”
I was stunned. I looked at Yilan. She had tears in her eyes. ‘I’ll explain later, but… yes, we trust Hever now.’
Well, thank God for that. I turned to the man, and tried not to appear too shocked. He returned to his usual dour countenance, but his eyes were alight.
“We’re winning,” he said.
Thank God. I looked down at Gall. “I should get out there, but—”
“I’ll stay with him. He’s safe, don’t worry.
The battle you fought here was more important than the bloodshed in the corridors.
You and your family are far more powerful than you can imagine, Melek.
Gather… Remain together… Resist… Love. While enemies must be toppled, this is not, at its heart, a battle of flesh and blood—and you have done very well to uncover the enemy’s limit.
Gall isn’t the only leader who deserves accolades tonight. ”
We’d been talking for a few minutes, when I realized Gall hadn’t convulsed in some time.
I looked down to find him murmuring to Yilan, both of them looking very worried. I was about to ask, when I heard one of them whisper Istral.
Of course.
“We need to find her,” I said grimly, desperately, against all hope, praying that somehow she’d been able to resist in a way that brought her back to the palace, and we could remove her completely.
“When the rest is done. We’ll do it. We’ll do whatever we have to do—no matter what,” Yilan said fiercely, meeting eyes with Gall again, and stroking back his hair. He nodded, but tears shone at the corners of his eyes.
I turned back to Hever. “Gall is… weak right now. We need—”
“He’ll be safe,” Hever said quietly, nodding. “I brought friends for both of us. Don’t worry. Go. I’ll make certain of it myself.”
Then he nodded behind me where Jann had just entered, blood-splattered and ragged, tears and slices in his clothing, and bruises on his body—but he walked confidently, and without apparent pain, leading a group of allied Neph and Shadekin soldiers that included Jhonas.
I quickly clasped Gall’s hand, and whispered assurances to him that we wouldn’t be gone long, then jumped to my feet to meet Jann coming in.
Unaware of what had happened between us, the men with him beamed, all talking at once about Jann’s escapades through the palace.
“…we gathered behind him because he hewed through them like grain in a field. We barely had to fight!” Jhonas exclaimed, then turned to scan the room, and his smile faltered. “Where’s Diadre?”
Jann hunched, but glanced over his shoulder.
“She’s on her way. She was held up helping some of the servants.
” He said the words quietly, but they soothed Jhonas, who returned to joking and celebrating with the others, who clearly believed the bulk of the fighting was done.
And they were likely right. But there were still sounds of clashing and shouts filtering through the walls and ceilings.
There were still lives to save, and some to take.
And we had to ensure the rest of the city bent the knee, or the battle cry would rise again.
As Hever settled himself at Gall’s side, and I assured my son we would find Istral, we prepared to make a final advance on the palace, to sweep the halls from top to bottom.
We opened the doors along the side of the banquet hall, with guards posted to ensure only allies made it in, and told the present Shadekin to reach as many as they could, telling them all to gather here and we would advance together.
While Jhonas and Yilan conferred about whatever means it was they used to reach the minds of those open to change, Jann sidled up to my right and a flickering tension began in my shoulders.
For a moment we both stood silently, watching my mate and her Captain. But I knew we would move soon, and I was too tired to hold questions, or fight worries.
I turned to my best friend, the man I called brother, and looked him in the eye.
He met my gaze, but his was dark. Shadowed.
Shamed.
“I did as you asked,” he said quietly. “I took as many of those bastards out as I could. And I protected the others. But… no sign of Istral. Yet.”
I sighed. “Thank you.”
Neither of us spoke. He bowed his head like he might turn away, so I grabbed his shoulder and made him stay.
“I know why,” I said. “I don’t agree. But I understand.”
His jaw flexed. “I… I will serve until… until I can’t anymore. I won’t waver again. But, Melek… Diadre and the baby—”
“When the day comes that you leave us—when you’re old enough to look like Hever—I’ll make sure your mate and family remain safe.”
He nodded, but his eyes were far away. “Thank you,” he murmured.
I sighed. “Jann—”
“It was too much, Melek. I wasn’t strong enough. And I hate that I know that now… but I suppose I can take some comfort in the fact that I was right.”
I frowned. “About what?”
He gave a weak smile. “I always said you’d make the better King.”
I huffed. “That remains to be seen.”
“No, Mel. It doesn’t. You don’t get a crown to prove yourself. You were given the crown because you showed yourself right for it. I should have listened earlier. I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.” I meant the words, but there was a niggle of unease that still made a knot in my stomach when I thought of the moment he’d come for me.
“I… don’t deserve that. But I’ll make every effort to earn it while I can.”
“Haven’t you heard, Jann? A crown isn’t earned—you show yourself right for it before it even reaches you.”
He looked at me, startled, but I clapped his shoulder. “Let’s clear this fucking place, take this people, and find my daughter-in-law. We’re going to win this, Jann. We’ll win for certain.”
He looked less certain, but nodded and we turned together.
Troops trickled in. The banquet hall grew noisier.
Then Diadre arrived, trotting, her face tight with tension—some of which eased when she saw Jann, then turned to frustrated resignation when her brother picked her up and twirled her around.
Just as I’d pulled Yilan to my side and looked for Jann, preparing to make this final advance together, there was an almighty boom from within the palace. The floors trembled, and a trickle of dust showered down from the rafters.
A current of unease rippled through the soldiers in the hall, but they were already in formation, and now the leaders began issuing orders that would get us out to take the last of the palace from Lucifer and his loyalists.
“Don’t be distracted,” I called to them all. “We have our task—no matter what weapons he’s brought to bear, as long as we remain strong and don’t give in to fear, we know how to res—”
“God, you beat that drum until it gives them all headaches, Melek.”
The crowd murmured, then the hum grew agitated as the dark shadows in the peak of the massive hall’s ceiling grew darker, as if storm clouds brewed.
I looked up to find Lucifer, standing in the air… and holding Istral to his side. But Istral, unable to defy the laws of physics, and dangling from his arm by her armpits, kicked and scrambled, simultaneously trying to free herself, and cling to him so she wouldn’t fall.
Yilan’s hand landed on my arm, her fingers digging into my bicep.
But it was Gall who howled in rage and pushed back to his feet, staggering, eyes bloodshot, his body hunched with pain.
“Let her go! Let her go!”
Lucifer opened his arm, and Istral shrieked as she slipped—but the fucker grabbed her at the last possible moment, and pulled her effortlessly back to his side.
“Are you sure that’s what you want, Gall? What? I didn’t hear you—”
Gall groaned. Jann and Hever both took hold of him, but he only stood there, weeping. “Izzy! Izzy, I’m sorry!”