Chapter 52
Chapter Fifty-Two
Rankor
“Okay, so I just want to make sure I have everything straight,” Elaijah announced, awkwardly dropping one of the three leather balls he was attempting to juggle.
He’d dropped more times than he’d caught a single one, but my brother was nothing if not a determined individual.
“Theadora is the Goddess of the Veil and Camilla is the Goddess of Madness. And you just happen to be best friends with both of them—”
“I don’t know if I would say I’m best friends with Camilla.”
Elaijah continued on as if he hadn’t heard me. “And Clay is now king, and technically engaged to Elaina, but in love with Theadora, who is married to that ancient guy, Caldrius? Elaina isn’t mad about that though, because she’s become entangled with Camilla.”
I lifted my brows, pausing from strapping the greave of my polished armor onto my left calf. “I hadn’t noticed that.”
“Iris is a member of the Order and obviously very attached to a very dangerous criminal, who seems equally attached to her. And you and Kent are both still in your same positions in the army and both still spending your nights alone?”
He lifted the ball from the ground and began tossing the three in the air again. He managed to catch two before dropping the third again and cursing under his breath.
“What exactly is the point of this line of questioning?” I grumbled, switching to my right leg.
Elaijah snorted, setting aside the balls to glance out the window of the room we were sharing. He lifted his arms high above his head, stretching his back from side to side.
He’d put on more muscle in the weeks we’d been training together.
It had been a slow process, but he was definitely getting better at anticipating blows and counter-maneuvering.
Daily, he went out to the training yard with the other young soldiers and worked until he was a mess of sweat and blood.
His determination to join the oncoming battles still didn’t thrill me, but I was minutely less worried about him.
There was a small amount of comfort in knowing that he now, at least, knew how to manage a sword and determine if he was going to win or lose a fight.
And he was coming to terms with the fact that a decision to flee should swiftly follow any realization that you are about to lose a fight.
“That’s strange,” he mused, pulling his left arm across his chest to stretch out his deltoid muscle. “It was such a nice day out a few minutes ago.”
My fingers stilled on the leather straps of my breastplate, and I was at his side in an instant, staring out at the rolling fog that emerged at a steady pace from the far woods.
It spread unnaturally, covering the fields where our soldiers trained.
Below, from where he stood instructing Mortals on the proper hand grip on a shield, Kent stiffened, glancing first towards the fog and then lifting his head to meet my gaze through the window.
Shit.
We jerked into action at the exact same time.
“Get to the women and children,” I barked at Elaijah, spinning on my heels.
He sputtered, barely catching his sword when I threw it at him.
“Your assigned legion will meet you there,” I told him, my movements quick and decisive as I gathered the remaining pieces of my armor. “Barricade them inside the East Lodge. Secure the windows first, then the doors.”
Elaijah followed me as I started making my way out the winding halls of the primary Manor, my pace unforgiving even as I continued securing the armor to my body.
“Form a perimeter around the house and hold the line. Do not let them die.”
A sheen of sweat formed over his brow. “I don’t understand.”
It was a tried-and-true tactic, one I remembered well from the day of the battle that ended the Great War. Water and Air Elementals working in perfect harmony to create a fog so thick that it was impossible to see through—impossible to determine where they were coming from.
Iris and Nikolai barreled out of their room, skidding as they stopped themselves from colliding into us.
Nikolai was still half-dressed, shrugging on a shirt while Iris palmed a Blade of Arto in each palm.
Her loose hair instantly shifted into a tightly plaited braid as thick leather garments covered her body.
“We saw the fog,” she breathed, eyes intense.
I focused on Nikolai. “Clear it.”
He nodded. “I have a few other Water and Air Elementals in my employ, but we’ll need more.”
“I’ll send them to you.”
And that was all that needed to be said.
He nodded firmly, and then we were all moving again, adrenaline sending power into each of our steps.
Elaijah scurried after us, breaking into a jog as we burst out onto the lawn.
Already, chaos ruled around us—soldiers desperately trying to shrug on armor, weapons being passed about quickly, women and children sprinting towards the spot we had designated as their shelter.
It had only been a matter of minutes, and the fog was impossibly thick, forcing me to squint as I sought Kent.
Nikolai took off at a sprint towards his men, his hands already lifted in the air and his upper lip curled back as he worked to clear some of the fog over our forces.
“Rankor!” Elaijah gripped my forearm, tugging me to face him. His wide eyes were desperate. “What in all of creation is happening?”
Horns began blaring in the distance, a steady hum that settled over us, alerting everyone on Nikolai’s sprawling property to what was about to happen. Elaijah’s head jerked towards them, his jaw going slack.
I squeezed my brother’s shoulder and gave him a gentle shove towards the East Lodge, saving my magical strength for when I would need it.
Because I was about to need all of it.
“We’re under attack, Elaijah.”
His eyes widened, and he glanced towards the large spy towers we had recently constructed, where guards heaved deep breaths to blow into the warning horns. With another quiet curse, he stumbled backward.
“You wanted to fight?” I asked him, hating the desperation that was settling deep in my chest. “You got your wish. Now go. Stay alert and stay smart. I will never forgive you if I return and find your body.”
Resolution hardened his features, and he rolled out his sword wrist, back straightening as his grip on my forearm shifted into that of a goodbye.
“Take your own advice, brother.” He squeezed my arm before turning on his heel and running at full speed towards his assigned post.
My least favorite part of battle had always been the quiet beforehand. I hated that lull of time after everyone has finally gathered their weapons and gone to their stations, when a stillness falls over you. All that's left to do is breathe and wait for the enemy to come.
You know it’s unavoidable—the violence, the blood, the death.
Even in the silence, your ears have already started to ring from the anticipation of the shouts and the clash of steel.
And even though you know you should be breathing deeply, sending as much oxygen to your muscles as you can, you can’t seem to take in a single deep inhale.
There’s no other moment in all of creation that feels quite so anxiety-inducing.
From the back of my horse, I glanced up at Kent, who had taken a position on one of the top balconies of the Manor.
The lack of proper walls forced archers to spread across balconies, tiled ridges in the roof, and windows.
From the ground, our legion spread wide in rows and rows of infantry, crowded with both Descendants and Mortals.
Above, the beat of Elaina, Damon, and Veric’s powerful wings was a pounding rhythm that echoed in my heartbeat.
Kent nodded to me, lifting two fingers to his brow and tipping them off. It was a code we had created for ourselves years ago in the Great War.
A code that meant I’m ready to fight or to die.
My teeth ground together as I lifted my own hand and did the same.
Then I turned back to the men in front of me, who all stood staring at the tree line.
And we all waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The silence stretched on and on. As our Elementals fought against theirs, the fog seeped back and forth. The horses made soft neighs of impatience.
My pulse pounded in my ears, so intensely I felt as if my head might burst.
And then, from above, Damon gave a single, quick snort of warning.
They were coming.
The war had officially begun.
There was a sensation of falling as my heart lurched, and I readied myself, lifting my sword in one hand and shield in the other, forcing aside all hints of doubt or fear.
“Archers, at the ready!” Kent yelled behind me.
I pulled my horse to the left, running down the line of infantry and back.
“Fight for your king!” I bellowed to the men, straining my voice to stretch it as far and as loud as I could. “Fight for your country. Fight for the Realm itself!”
Boots lifted and fell in a unifying beat as I brought my steed to rest in the center of the line.
“For the realm!” They echoed. “For the realm.”
Veric roared above us, Elaina joining him until their screeches shook the ground beneath us.
Damon opened his maw, swooping low and releasing a plume of dragonfire that sent a wave of heat brushing my hair back over my shoulders.
As the enemy began emerging in clean lines of shining black armor, I took a single, fortifying breath and sent a desperate plea to my God, begging him to protect us.
“Loose!” Kent commanded, and the arrows began flying over my head.