Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jace
I watched from an elevated hilltop as the last of our army pulled through the mountain pass, the nighttime air and lack of light hiding our location from anyone from the Kingdom of Pura who might be looking towards the mountains.
It was one of the reasons we had banned all fire for the night, making sure that everyone had food rations that would last them until we marched towards the Kingdom of Pura come dawn.
Finias was right—from here, I could see the massive barrier that surrounded the entire kingdom in a dome shape.
The fuckers were isolating the kingdom completely to gain control, and I feared it could be working.
Throughout the entire day of traveling, I had managed to keep calm.
But now, I could feel anger and frustration welling up inside of me, my Hellhound calling for a level of bloodshed I was more than happy to embrace.
Our tent for the night was set up next to one belonging to Commander Pandora and her men.
The two temporary residences overlooked the massive grouping of soldiers—all of whom seemed to have begun mental preparations for the fight to come tomorrow.
It wasn't just a fight for Pura, and they knew that. It was so much more.
I wasn't quite sure how I was keeping it together, considering I normally would have been the first to demand we go after my mate.
I couldn't, though. Ama needed me to lead this war forward.
My mate needed me to be strong, and that was exactly what I was going to fucking do.
That was how I would prove to her that I was worthy of her love.
I regretted wasting so much of my time with her fighting this.
Not the mate bond, but the life Ama led that came along with making her happy.
These other men—men I was grudgingly gaining respect for.
There may have been a lot we disagreed about, but Ama's safety and wants were not on that list. I could...
I thought I could handle being around them if it meant making her happy.
Plus, my Hellhound had apparently begun to consider them our pack.
It was a surprising turn of events, considering I'd never been protective of anyone but my parents.
But now? Now these men were considered part of our pack because my mate wanted them there.
It was an odd way of coming to terms with the reality that I would do anything to keep Ama in my life.
Whether that was leading an army into battle for a kingdom that hated what we were or accepting these other men my mate considered hers—or both.
"You good?" Damien asked, appearing beside me.
Of all of them, I related most to Damien.
Despite his Hellhound being a vicious opponent, he was a rather collected individual, and the fight he seemed to have between his two halves often reminded me of my own struggles.
I couldn't imagine being a pure-blood, but being a hybrid was no walk in the park, especially when the factions of magic inside you were so different.
Where my Wraith magic was a cool, calm, chill beneath my skin, my Hellhound was all fire and anger.
It left me feeling like I was suffering from fucking whiplash sometimes.
"Yes." I turned back towards the tent, where the others were looking over the massive army.
Finias was sitting on the elevated ledge and ignoring Nico, who stood a few feet away, pacing back and forth.
I was glad to see the Incubus was no longer wallowing in self-pity, but his energy now was almost manic.
The two of them were strong in their own ways, but I could see how much Ama disappearing had affected them, completely ruining their ability to focus.
On the other end of the spectrum, Drayven, Adrien, and Colt seemed hyper-focused, even when in disagreement on how to handle the situation.
I could hear Colt in the tent, arguing with the other two men, and I was only partly curious about what.
I knew the man had lost it a bit since Ama had left—and by “a bit”, I meant completely.
I honestly felt bad for my little mate when she got back, and I had a feeling she was going to be absolutely floored by the change in Colt.
"Do you think we have a chance of winning this?" I asked the quieter Hellhound.
Damien's eyes darkened as he looked back over the army before turning back towards the Kingdom of Pura. "If everything goes according to plan and we are able to pull from our houses? Absolutely. If not, or if their allegiances have turned...I'm not certain."
I appreciated the honesty.
"They respect you," he stated, looking towards the army. "I've been around a lot of military leaders and rulers who have been liked or feared, but these soldiers genuinely respect you. If anyone can prepare them for this battle, Jace, it's you."
Turning towards the cliff ledge, I nodded in agreement before walking towards Finias. His gaze immediately narrowed on me, but he didn't say anything.
"Do you have any runes that could help amplify my voice?"
He blinked, then stood easily, "Why?"
"I want to speak to them." I tipped my head towards the army, and he nodded sharply after a moment.
When he moved to use one of his runes, I stepped away, barely hearing the words he mumbled as the space around us filled with a wind that circled around me.
I knew he would use it to project my voice, so I briefly considered what I would say, the words coming easily to me.
"Sons and daughters of Impurus!" My voice filled the space, and heads turned, the conversation of the army dying down as they directed their attention towards me.
"Tomorrow, we fight for the future of not only the Kingdom of Pura, but also the Kingdom of Impurus. I know this war was unexpected, this threat not one we could have predicted, but all of you have taken a stand to be the brave men and women who guard our great kingdom every single day. A group of soldiers banded together not just through training, but also through a singular purpose—to protect.”
"It is this purpose that brings us to where we are today. Time lends perspective, and we are not the same group of hybrids we once were, exiled and on the run from a genocide crafted by our pure-blood counterparts. Now, we are a kingdom and force to be reckoned with—one that has amassed a massive amount of power through the blessing of the devil himself.”
"This type of power comes with responsibility, though" I explained firmly.
"The responsibility to help this realm, no matter our personal past or experiences. We must put those times behind us and use this war to finally bring all of us together. To band together and fight against the House of Runes, which seeks to drag the Kingdom of Pura further down before coming for our own homes, our own kingdom, our own families.”
"When we fight tomorrow, brothers and sisters, I want you to remember the stand you are taking.
Remember that you are not only fighting for our Kingdom, but also the future of the realm—the realm your children will live in long after your time.
Fight to show who we are as hybrids. Fight to show them what being part of the Kingdom of Impurus means! "
I could feel the adrenaline pumping through me as the sound of shields clattering and calls of agreement filled the space, a charged energy electrifying everyone.
I could feel my Hellhound racing back and forth through my consciousness, and I couldn't help the small smile that slipped onto my face with the knowledge that I was one step closer to fighting this war and getting my mate back.
The wind around me cut off as I stopped speaking, and I turned towards Finias to thank him, noticing his eyes were slightly narrowed but filled with what almost appeared to be respect.
He offered a curt nod and walked back towards the tent.
I was almost fucking positive that was as close as I was going to get to friendliness from the assassin.
"That was good," Damien clapped a hand on my shoulder as I looked towards the others, who stood near the entrance of the tent, all offering me different looks.
"You mean that? About putting the past behind us?" Drayven asked, his eyes filled with caution.
I decided I would be honest with them.
"Yeah, I did." I exhaled and got the words out before I could be a chicken shit.
"Listen, I know none of this started in a good way.
From the time you first met me, I was trying to take Ama away and convince her she didn't belong with any of you.
You were all desperate for help, and I tried to withhold it from you so I could have some type of leverage to keep my mate...
and that was wrong. It was wrong of me to put my bias against all of you when there was nothing to back it up. "
Surprise registered on most of their faces, and I continued, "I can't lose Ama.
I am still getting used to this idea of us sharing her...
but she's right. She isn't something to be split up, and if anyone has the ability to love multiple people, it's Ama.
The woman was bullied and berated for years because of how she was born, but when shit went down in Pura, her automatic reaction was to find help.
To find a way to save the very people who hurt her.
She has one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen, and if she believes we can make this work, then I am going to do my best as well.”
I hesitated, "Maybe this really was fate. Maybe the Fates knew the realm needed a change, so they brought all of us together in order to change the realm. I mean, we represent the future of all different houses and kingdoms—it would only make sense."
"We need to get her back first," Colt muttered, but then he nodded. "You're right, Jace. You're fucking right, and I'm done fighting this. I would do anything to get Ama back, even if it means being with all of you."
Nico spoke up, "I know I fucked up. I know I did. But if that's what Ama wants, then I am going to try to find a way to be okay with it...it just may take some time."
"Let's get done with this fucking war and then try to figure out how we can make it work." Drayven exhaled before looking towards Adrien and Damien. "Are both of you okay with that?"
"I've marked Ama. I go where she goes," Damien said simply, and I felt a stab of jealousy. He had marked her, and you’d better believe that the minute I had a chance, I was going to mark up her pretty little neck as well—the Hellhound symbol of mating for life.
"Adrien?" Colt asked quietly.
Adrien blinked, "That's never been in question. If Ama wants something, she gets it. It's that simple."
"What about you, Finias?" I asked, and the assassin looked back from where he'd been staring towards the Kingdom of Pura.
Finias looked at all of us and spoke quietly. "I will always be at Ama's side. No matter what. Whether any of you are there or not, I will be with her."
He paused for a minute and added, "If that means being alongside all of you, then so be it."
A dark smile crossed his face as he added, "Just know, if you fuck up, I won't hesitate to end your life."
That was probably as good as we were going to get with that.
Drayven grunted, "Good enough for me."
When he turned towards the tent, Damien nodded for me to join them, and I couldn't lie—a feeling of acceptance strummed through me, making me feel as if I wasn't alone.
Being royalty had encouraged isolation, and as I looked back at the Kingdom of Pura before following the others into the tent, I realized that the city that had symbolized so much hate for so long had brought me a brotherhood, the likes of which I'd never known before.