Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ama
I had never been so eager for a fight, and that was saying something because I quite enjoyed hitting people in the face with my wing. Maybe I would even pull that little move out today.
Honestly, after Nico and I this morning, and every other touch and kiss with my men, I was feeling far more energized, despite the lack of sleep.
I could feel both sides of my power beneath my skin, boiling with anger and the need for vengeance as we watched the dawn light slowly start to appear in the east.
Never in my life had I felt so complete and at peace with myself in regards to my power. It was licking under my skin in a heat that had me practically purring at how great it felt. This was what it was like to fully accept my hybrid nature and let both sides out to play without constraints.
I felt dangerous, and I liked it.
I had never expected to find myself in this position, riding on a horse next to Commander Pandora as my mates and her lieutenants talked quietly behind us, readying to lead our military into battle.
I hadn't known exactly how she would treat me, considering everything that had gone on while I was kidnapped and how my men had reacted.
I had been nervous she would resent me because I had disappeared right when everything got serious and we arrived outside of Pura.
I'd been concerned that she would have retracted her support, which would have screwed us because I knew that, despite the king and queen's orders, they trusted Pandora and her judgment. What she decided went. So of course, I’d been pleasantly surprised when she had come to our tent and brought me a uniform to wear.
I'd been even more surprised when it was a legitimate copy almost of hers, without the military medals.
It fit perfectly and as I rode next to her, I felt a surge of confidence that poured out of me, encouraging my Reaper magic to produce my scythe.
The metal was cold and familiar in my hand, a solid weight that had me feeling prepared and confident in conjunction with my wings extending out through the slits in the back of my uniform.
"Have you ever fought in a battle like this before?" Pandora asked curiously, tilting her head towards me.
"No," I admitted, keeping my head forward but watching her out of my peripheral vision.
"Just keep pushing forward, and try to avoid large groups," she suggested. "It's easy to get overwhelmed and forget where the enemy is coming from."
I nodded, but before I could respond, a horn sounding in the distance had everyone looking towards the capital entrance, where troops were filing and marching out.
I frowned, not understanding why their commanders thought it was a good idea to attack offensively right now when they could have reacted defensively to save lives.
"Their king doesn't care about lives lost," she explained with a pissed expression crossing her face. "He is picking a method that he hopes will work in exchange for a proven, more slow-moving method. He's impatient, and it's going to cost him his entire militia."
I swallowed, realizing that I would have to kill...could I do that? Could I kill someone?
"You’d better decide, Ama, because indecision can cost you your life and the lives of others," Pandora stated quietly, clearly reading the confusion and fear in my eyes at the thought of having to take a life for the first time.
I nodded, knowing that, if it meant saving my father and keeping my mates safe, I could kill.
I could kill for all the hybrids who had been slain purely for what they were, and for all the hybrid children to come who deserved to live their lives full of zealous passion.
Not stowed away in a castle being ridiculed at every moment like I had been.
It was a startling realization that I found myself oddly comfortable with having to kill for this future I dreamed of as I narrowed my eyes on the horizon.
When the call went out to move forward, I felt my body tense.
I had already kissed all of my men and told them that I loved them, but there was an uneasiness in my gut.
More than that, images of Luce kept flashing behind my eyes.
I found myself missing him and wondering how he was handling our fallout...
these types of emotions were far from helpful right now.
Being part of a war of this magnitude was an odd experience--especially the fact that it was truly my first battle.
One moment, we were making our way forward, the other militia charging towards us, and the next I was thrown into the middle of the action with no way out.
My senses were so overwhelmed, it was almost like I wasn't hearing at all because of all the noises, and I began to just act on instinct.
I charged forward on my horse, using my scythe to hit those who charged towards me, and the impact sent a vibration through me that shook me to my core.
Finally, my brain and body seemed to start to work together.
The blood.
The faces.
The screams.
Nothing else mattered but the way my magic began to start dominating the space. My wings snapped out as I launched myself from atop my horse and landed amongst other foot soldiers, my scythe lighting up brighter than ever in conjunction with my Succubus magic working with my Reaper abilities.
Heads turned my way, and their desire for my bloodlust surged around me as I began to reap their souls with a precision I hadn't realized I was capable of in the midst of battle. Body after body dropped, and their souls’ energy only provided me with more power as I filled the space with a level of dominance I'd only seen before from my father.
There was a smile on my face, even as I turned to meet someone trying to approach me from behind. I turned and hit them right in the sternum with my weapon, and they cried out, dropping to their knees in front of me.
My head snapped up to meet Drayven's gaze, his body appearing right behind the man, clearly intent on killing him if I hadn't gotten to him first.
"I got him," I assured as a low rumble came from his throat.
Before he could say anything, he tugged me forward by my waist, turning us as he literally severed someone's head with his own scythe, the victim’s scream drowned out by the other roars of battle around us. Drayven looked down at me, seeing my face covered in blood from his recent kill, and huffed.
"I don't even have time to analyze why watching you kill is so fucking hot," he grumbled. I ducked with him as someone shot an arrow over our heads. I slipped back and out of his arms.
"Because you find everything I do hot," I offered with a coy smile as I swept up into the air and came down on someone charging towards Drayven, my weapon lodged against their neck as I scowled at the way it didn't go through.
I pulled it out and the body dropped as I looked back up at Drayven, seeing his smile growing.
Unfortunately, I couldn't tease the man for long because I began to get caught up in other battles, coming across each of my men as we worked our way closer to the capital, the enemy forces slowly dwindling. I found myself enjoying the kills, especially when they were attacking my mates.
When I came to stand next to Finias, whose entire body was soaked in blood, I realized that he was more determined than I'd ever seen him.
He wanted to get to his parents, and I knew it wasn't for a reason they would enjoy.
No, he was going to kill them, and likely in a torturous, agonizing, drawn out way.
Before I could say anything, a voice called out to me to duck, and you’d better believe I did. I jolted as a body collided with mine and an arrow flew over my head. The frame was about my size, and when we rolled, Zurie thrust out her hand to help me up as we both stood.
"Good to see you're alive," she joked, the grin on her face speckled with the blood of our enemies.
"Good to see you're half dead still," I teased as three more soldiers came towards us and we fought through them. I hadn't realized until that moment just how much I'd missed Zurie until the two of us were working side by side to kick ass.
I also hadn't realized just how badass my friend was and found myself thoroughly impressed by how she was able to kill with such ease.
"We are nearly into the capital!" Colt called out from above as I launched myself into the sky to see the sea of bodies growing thinner as we reached the last mile stretch before our entrance into the capital.
I narrowed my eyes as I soared higher and realized that there was no mass amount of forces awaiting us.
If we made it through the entrance, we were mostly in the clear. Well, not mostly, but it would be mainly hunting down the king and queen at that point and freeing our parents. I felt hope surge through me realizing that this was possible. We could fucking do this.
"Fuck—" I groaned as an arrow zoomed right past me, Colt's frame slamming into mine to avoid it. I let out a sound of frustration at whoever had shot that as I looked up to find him staring at me in panic.
"I'm fine," I promised.
His exhale was rough, "Remind me to make sure we never get into a fucking war again. I can't handle watching you in this much danger."
I grinned, "What if I like this?"
"Then I will train and fight with you all you want so I am confident in your abilities." He seared his lips against mine before driving towards a group of soldiers, my eyes moving up back towards where the arrow had come from.
I zoomed forward towards the archer, who was facing the other direction and aimed right towards some of our men.
I tackled them onto the surface of the roof, and they let out a cry of surprise as I took an arrow from their quiver and brought it right down into their chest. Right where I had found out Finias had been shot.
They cried out in pain as I leaned forward and narrowed my eyes.
"Where are they?" I demanded, spit flying from my mouth at the force with which I yelled.
"Who?!" He cried out as I dug the arrow down deeper, his eyes widening in fear. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the dude pissed his pants at this point.
"The king and queen," I bit out harshly, not enjoying prolonging this conversation longer than it needed to be. I needed this answer now.
"The ballroom," he whispered, blood coming out of his mouth. Of course they were. They were cowards, letting everyone else fight their battles for them.
My hatred for them burned so brightly I felt like I would combust and tear this place down right the fuck now.
"How many forces are on the inside?!" I hissed.
"I don't know!" he screamed as I stood up and looked towards the Summit building.
We had killed so many, there couldn't be many left.
Jumping towards the ledge, I leapt off and sailed back down towards where Pandora was fighting through a group of men, easily slaughtering each and every one, which spoke of her skill and countless hours of practice.
"The king and queen are still in the capital within the ballroom," I called out, hoping she could hear me over the clanging of weapons and cries of agony of the fallen.
"Do you know where that is?" she asked, driving her sword into someone's gut as if it was just a regular day of the week and she was asking where a coffee shop was.
"Yes," I confirmed as we neared the entrance into the capital.
There was no hiding from us. I knew Finias wanted them dead, but I wanted them to suffer, not only for what they had done to this kingdom and everyone in it but because they had hurt my mate.
The man I loved. They had treated him like a disposable weapon that could be discarded when they were done with him and expected him to wait at their beck and call.
Never giving him love and making him feel like there was nothing to life besides killing and being a good little servant.
I planned on returning the favor tenfold.