4. Calista
Chapter 4
Calista
“Release him.” I stood before Queen Eldinar in the royal chambers where she sat upon her throne, wearing her armor and short swords at her hips instead of her elegant dress. It was clear she expected Alaric to march on her forest rather than leave like Talon had asked. “You must realize that he could escape that prison whenever he wishes. He could call upon the dead to rip off the door or have Khazmuda come to his rescue. But he refrains from doing both out of respect for you and your kingdom.”
She listened to all of this with a bored look on her face.
“Queen Eldinar?—”
“Yes, I heard you.” She sat with her legs crossed, her fingers drumming on the armrests. Uncle Ezra wasn’t present at her side, so he must be preparing for the battle that might arrive at their doorstep. “If he wants out, all he has to do is tell me what was said. His unwillingness to share information makes me question his intentions.”
“I think your questions are questionable, Your Majesty.”
Her eyes narrowed so fast.
“We both know you sent him out there in the hope he would die.”
Her fingers continue to drum on the armrests. “I still believe the world would be better off without an angry necromancer.”
“Then your forest would be ruled by Behemoths as we speak.”
“Your father would be alive and you would rule Scorpion Valley if he hadn’t taken power, so your argument is untrue.”
“He still saved your forest?—”
“Because you nearly destroyed it.” She raised her voice, her words echoing off the stone walls covered with ivy. “I don’t trust him. I can’t escort him to the dragon haven when such a doubt festers in my heart. I fully understand that our cell won’t hold a man such as the Death King, but I must restrain him until the battle is finished.”
“What battle?”
“Did you really think Alaric and the dark elves would leave this forest?” she asked incredulously. “I suspect they forged an agreement that will compromise the gateway to the Realm of Caelum. We’ll be subjugated and killed. And if the Death King is free of his prison, he will raise his sword and his army against us.”
“How many times do I have to say it?” I snapped. “He would never do that.”
“You’re young and deep in the forest of lust. Even the weeds look like roses in a garden.”
My physical attachment to him went deeper than the flesh. I felt cleansed by his touch, made whole by the healing powers of his eyes. “It’s more than lust.”
She stared at me for a long time, her thoughts locked behind the gates of her intelligent eyes. “Then he must have told you the details of that conversation.”
My heart squeezed when it missed a beat, and a cloud of suffocation moved over me and blocked out the sun. Talon hadn’t asked me to keep his secret, but I knew he’d shared it with me because our trust was ironclad. “No.”
She cocked her head slightly, her eyes homing in on my face. “And you didn’t ask?”
“I knew he wouldn’t tell me.”
Her fingers had been still on the armrest for the last few minutes, but they started to tap once again. “I don’t believe you. If your relationship is so deep, then it’s based on trust, loyalty, and love. That means he wouldn’t hesitate to tell you—and he wouldn’t hesitate to believe that you would guard his secret.”
I held her gaze and did my best not to harden my expression.
“Keeping this information to yourself when I granted you asylum in my kingdom undermines your character.”
Talon’s voice came into my head. Your queen is a manipulative liar. “You granted me asylum because you didn’t trust me. Don’t pretend you did it out of the goodness of your heart. I love your forest and I admire your commitment to protecting a race that’s not your kin, so I would never do anything to compromise your kingdom or your people.”
I returned after sunset, bringing him dinner I’d made in my kitchen. I slid the bowl through the bars on the floor then dropped the fork inside it. I also brought a canteen of water, along with some wine.
There was an armchair in the corner, and he sat there, covered in shadows. Fireflies were visible through the window. Some of them came into his cell and hovered there, acting as a beacon in the dark building.
One came close, and then his face was illuminated. The light highlighted his sharp jawline, his bottomless eyes. He stared at me, his ankle resting on the opposite knee, looking like he sat upon a throne rather than an old chair.
“I talked to Queen Eldinar today. Tried to negotiate your release.”
“Don’t waste your time, baby.”
I sat on the floor on the other side of the bars, wishing we weren’t separated by the metal. “How does Khazmuda feel about this?”
He released a slight chuckle. “If he knew, you would know exactly how he felt about it.” He left his chair then joined me on the floor. “He would burn down this forest and everyone inside it.” He sat with a straight spine and took a bite from the bowl. It was a medley of vegetables and I’d tried to make something as hearty as possible, but I knew it wouldn’t satisfy him the way meat would. But he didn’t complain. “Thank you for dinner.”
“I wasn’t sure if they were feeding you.”
“They gave me a bag of seeds like I’m a fucking bird.”
An uncontrollable chuckle escaped. “Another joke?”
“It’s only a joke if I’m kidding.” He took a couple bites then opened the wine I’d provided.
“I’ll get her to release you.”
“She knows she can’t keep me long. I already see her plan.” He spoke in between bites.
“What’s her plan?”
“If Alaric and the dark elves vacate the lands, she’ll release me. If they don’t, they’ll march on this forest. She’ll keep me confined through the battle to ensure I don’t assist Alaric. She wins in any scenario, because if I release myself from this prison, I would have to violate her one rule, and she’ll use that to justify her hatred.”
“Do you think Alaric will come?”
He stared down at his bowl as he finished off the last few bites. “I don’t know. But I can’t leave until I have the location of those dragons, so I’ll wait until I have that answer. Whether there is a great battle…or there is no battle at all.”
“I’ll keep trying to get her to release you.”
“Don’t waste your time, baby.” He grabbed the wine and took a heavy drink.
“I just got you back.” I looked at the bars that separated us, the solid metal that neither one of us could pierce. My bed was supposed to be warm with him beside me. I was supposed to feel smothered by his kisses to my mouth and neck. I was supposed to feel safe when his mountain loomed over my valleys. Once I had him in my grasp again, I never wanted to be apart, and then he was ripped right out of my hands. “It’s hard for me.” He might be the cause of all my misery, but he was also my savior, the only man who proved his loyalty, the only man who could protect me from my nightmares.
He set the wine aside as he looked at me. “I’m right here, baby.”
“It’s not the same.” I grabbed on to the bar, cool to the touch.
His hand moved to mine, where it rested against the metal. “Baby, look at me.”
I continued to focus on our joined hands.
He didn’t command me to meet his stare the way he did before. Now, he was gentle, giving me the time to find my courage on my own. His fingers were warm against mine, still strong with undying confidence.
I finally looked at him again.
He rested his forehead against the bar. “I’m right here.”
I did the same, feeling parts of his skin against mine.
“I’m always here.”
I woke up beside him on the hard floor of his cell.
It was morning, the song of the birds more distracting than the sunshine. Our hands were still together through the doors where we’d left them the night before. I stared at him beside me, even more handsome when his guard was down.
I lay there and studied his face, seeing the shadow on his jawline, the little scar on his neck that must be from the tip of a knife. If we were in my tree house, we would be naked under the sheets, and the second he opened his eyes, he would be on me again, smothering me with the same kisses he’d given me the night before.
I hadn’t thought I’d enjoy sex after what happened with General Titan, but I craved it whenever I was with Talon. It was an experience so surreal it felt like a dream. The connection was greater than our bodies, involving our souls. Sex had broken me, but with Talon, it healed me.
I gently pulled my hand from his and left the prison to return to my tree house. I wanted to shower and make him breakfast. After the long journey up the vines of the tree house, I showered then worked in the kitchen, trying to make him something he might like, but all I had was oatmeal with berries. He probably preferred something hearty for breakfast, like eggs and bacon, but that simply wasn’t possible.
I donned my armor once again and headed back down the vines, but when I reached the bottom, I knew something was amiss—because there were at least twelve guards there.
I stepped off the last vine with the bowl of oatmeal in my hand. “Did you need something?”
“Queen Eldinar requests your presence,” one of the guards said.
“And she needed twelve of you to deliver that message?” I asked sarcastically.
The one in the lead gestured to the path. “Leave that here, and let’s go.”
I left the bowl at the bottom of the stairs to be retrieved later and let them escort me to the queen, treating me like a prisoner when I’d done nothing wrong. When I entered the royal chambers, I could feel the tension like humidity on a summer day.
The queen wasn’t seated in her chair. She stood before me, in her armor and weapons like she was ready to march to battle. The look she gave me was as icy as a winter morning full of fog. “The enemy marches for Riviana Star.”
Disappointment was heavy as a stone dropped in my stomach.
“The Death King’s request seems to have fallen upon deaf ears.” The look in her eyes was borderline maniacal, her stare so full of accusation like all of this was entirely my fault. “The dark elves do not march alone. They’ve struck an alliance with the Behemoths who fled the last battle. Our armies are evenly matched, and the outcome of this battle balances on the edge of a knife.”
The sweat on my palms was instant. The fear in my heart was palpable. “Shit.”
“You claim the forest is your home, so you will fight with us.” It wasn’t a request, but a command. “Every able-bodied elf is called to battle. Our army is simply not enough to challenge the foes who seek to destroy not only our kingdom, but the afterlife as well. Many of us will die, but if the Realm of Caelum is protected, we will live on. Can we count on your sword?”
Talon had trained me in the blade and I was a decent swordsman, but I was no soldier. I was also no coward, and leaving Riviana to its fate wasn’t an option. “Of course you can, Queen Eldinar. And I know you can count on the Death King’s as well.”
Her eyes narrowed. “The Death King’s allegiance is uncertain. He’ll remain locked in his prison during the battle. Since the prison is located so far to the east, he’ll remain unaware of the battle until its victory has already been determined.”
My heart had already dropped once, but it managed to drop again. “If you already doubt your ability to triumph, then it makes even less sense to ignore his aid. Let him fight for you.”
“No,” she said. “And to make sure you don’t defy my wishes, you’ll stay at my side.”
“This is a mistake?—”
“Letting him into my forest was the mistake.” She turned to General Ezra. “Equip her with her sword and daggers.”
General Ezra retrieved my weapons and presented them to me.
I looked at the sword that Talon had given me and hesitated before I took it. It was heavier than I remembered, probably because I would need it in battle rather than training, probably because I would need it to protect my own life. I secured it at my hip and slipped my daggers into my greaves.
My uncle stood before me. “I asked her to pardon your participation, but since all elves have been called to fight, it would be a blatant form of nepotism on my part…and she’s right.”
“I understand, Uncle Ezra. I want to fight. I would just prefer to do it with Talon at my side.” It was selfish, my desire for self-preservation, but I knew Talon was the only one who could watch my back and his front at the same time.
All he did was give a nod and step away.
I felt an icy chill move up my body despite the beautiful morning. The tranquility had been destroyed by the impending doom headed this way. When Talon woke up and realized I wasn’t there, he would be suspicious. And when I didn’t come back before this evening, he would grow more suspicious.
He would probably figure it out entirely on his own.
He would call upon the army of the dead, break his vow to the queen, and save us all.
They arrived at nightfall.
I couldn’t see their flesh, but I could see their fire. Torches glowed in the distance, so many of them that they looked like stars in the dark sky. They appeared between the trees then disappeared again, only to pop up a second later.
I wanted to pretend I wasn’t scared, but I was.
Queen Eldinar and General Ezra marched to the Great Tree with her personal guard of twenty-four soldiers. They were bigger than the other elves, more muscular with heavier armor and sour faces.
I was among them, unable to leave because their eyes were always on me.
When I looked upon the Great Tree for the first time, I could see the magic with the naked eye. There was no fire on her trunk or limbs, but she was illuminated by an internal glow that seemed to come from deep within. The Great Tree stood alone in a large clearing of grass, distinctly separate from the neighboring trees that were at least a hundred feet away. It possessed a thicker trunk, with branches as wide as the nearby trees and a height that reached way into the sky.
And the music…it was louder here. But it was also warped and pained, like Riviana could feel the intruders step into her lands.
In the center of the tree was a door made of withered branches, stretching across the front to make a solid barrier. The branches looked sturdy and gnarled, so it would take a long time to clear it, even with a sharp axe.
Queen Eldinar stopped in front of the Great Tree and gazed upon it with a mother’s love. “I will protect you with my life, Riviana.” She moved to the tree and placed her palm on the center of the door. Then she whispered under her breath words in her native tongue.
The song changed, turning soft like a lullaby.
My uncle watched her from where he stood, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, looking at her with the same love she gave the tree.
When Queen Eldinar turned away from the tree, she went straight to my uncle.
“ Fleur Nia ,” he said quietly. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I will not let this tree fall.” She looked at him with calm determination, a hint of resignation. “I suspect it’ll claim my life, but as Queen of Riviana Star, it is my duty. I can’t let this tree fall.”
Uncle Ezra struggled to find words, visibly overcome with emotion he couldn’t express in the presence of his men. His eyes dropped down to the ground between them, and he inhaled a heavy breath. “I will do my best to hold the perimeter.” He raised his chin and looked at her again, his pain suppressed as much as possible.
She cupped his cheek. “I know you will.”
He grabbed her by the wrist, and he turned into her palm, placing a kiss against the inside of her hand. He rested there, just holding her wrist as he stared at her, the undying love like a beacon of light in his eyes. Then he moved into her and cupped her cheeks before he kissed her, his fingers slipping into her hair, kissing her like they were alone rather than on display in front of an audience.
My stare felt intrusive, so I looked away.
Uncle Ezra eventually walked away and left the tree, knowing he might never see his wife or me again.
I looked at Queen Eldinar.
She stared at him until he disappeared from the clearing. Then she was back to her callous expression, her eyes full of blood lust and her mouth set in hard determination. Her armor was formfitting, showing her petite size with the muscles in her arms and legs. For a monarch who seemed to sit on the throne all day, she appeared strong.
After a few minutes passed, I addressed her. “I know he would protect the tree, Queen Eldinar.”
She stared into the clearing, her eyes trained on something that wasn’t there.
“Please…”
“He couldn’t care less about this tree, Calista,” she said. “He couldn’t care less about how it affects us all since he’s barred entry.”
“What do you mean, he’s barred entry?”
She continued to stare ahead.
“Queen Eldinar?—”
“I will not change my mind, Calista. He would be the first to set this tree ablaze.”
“He’s not the villain you think he is?—”
She turned to me, her expression furious. “Calista, I just said goodbye to my husband for probably the last time. Do you think I give a damn about your underworld lover right now? My only concern is protecting the afterlife for all those whom I love. Because once Alaric gets inside, we’ll all be damned.”
“He would protect this tree, Queen Eldinar.”
“You know nothing, child.”
“The tree may mean nothing to him, but if it means something to me, then he’ll do whatever it takes to protect it,” I said. “You’re making the wrong decision.”
She looked ahead again. “This conversation has concluded. Do not speak to me again.”
I wanted to fire up and unleash a line of insults, but I knew nothing I said would change her mind. Instead, I stared into the clearing lit by fireflies and hoped Uncle Ezra and his soldiers were enough to stop the enemy from entering the forest.
“They’re here.” Queen Eldinar hadn’t moved from her position, standing with a straight spine and staring hard into the night.
I noticed the music had stopped, and I feared what that meant.
“Riviana is afraid.” She seemed to say it to herself rather than the men who flanked the tree. And she seemed to have forgotten I was there because she didn’t look at me once.
Then I heard it…the sound of battle.
The sound of steel on steel. The screams of victory and the screams of anguish that indicated defeat. Blood spilled into the dirt and poisoned the roots of the trees. The fires from the torches had taken hold of trees in the distance, and I watched them light up into the sky.
The battle had only begun—and it was too much.
I’d experienced battle two times in my life, but both events had been brief. I’d either run for my life, or someone had come to my rescue. But in this instance, I was cornered, unable to run to Talon because one of the twenty-four guards would apprehend me.
I was unable to run to the one person I needed.
The cries of battle grew louder, and I was scared that my uncle’s voice was among them.
The fires continued, torching the trees, and those flames inched closer and closer.
Queen Eldinar remained unintimidated.
I wasn’t afraid to admit it—I was fucking terrified.
The music had died, but now the tree began to scream. A wail of anguish, a petrified chorus that repeated endlessly.
“They’re in the forest,” Queen Eldinar said. “Prepare yourself.”
“Fuck.”
My uncle’s commands echoed into the forest and the clearing. “Move to the north. The others block the enemies coming from the south.”
That did not sound good.
Eleven soldiers appeared in the clearing, making a new line to protect the tree from the enemies who were able to flood into the clearing.
My knife remained in my scabbard because I was afraid to draw it. As soon as I did…this would be real.
Once Uncle Ezra had the elves in their lines, he ran straight for us and stopped in front of the queen. “Alaric has other allies. We’re outnumbered. They’ll break the perimeter in the next minute.” He spoke without being out of breath, either because of his fitness or because of the adrenaline.
Queen Eldinar remained calm, and she seemed to be the only one. “Who are the allies?”
He didn’t answer straightaway.
“I asked you a question, General.”
He grimaced before he said it. “Goblins.”
I’d never heard of a goblin. Didn’t even know what they looked like. But fuck, that sounded bad.
“I’m not surprised Alaric would befriend such creatures.” She pulled her short blades from their scabbards. “We need more elves to protect the tree.”
“The enemy has the forest surrounded on most sides. If our men don’t reduce the flow, we’ll be overrun.”
Queen Eldinar issued no other order, like she had none. “Then we’ll do what we can.”
We were fucked.
When screams pierced the night, Queen Eldinar looked at the clearing again. A dark pool of enemies carrying torches broke past the perimeter and the tree line and started to flood the grassy area. Even from this distance, I could distinguish the differences in the dark elves, the way their skin looked sickly and gray. I recognized the Behemoths from the edge of the forest, the creatures that were seven feet tall. But the goblins…they were a terrifying sight to behold. Their skin was black and shiny, two fangs protruding from their mouths, slightly hunched with lanky arms and legs. They didn’t release deep cries like the Behemoths, but high-pitched screams I couldn’t even describe.
We were all about to die.
Queen Eldinar turned to her men. “Hold your ground. If we lose the tree, we lose it all.”
While her back was turned, I looked at my uncle. “Uncle Ezra?—”
“Run, Calista,” he whispered. “I will tell no one.”
“I’m not going to run.” I was scared enough to flee, but my obligation to the elves was stronger. “But if you want me to live, then release Talon.”
Queen Eldinar remained distracted by her men, getting them into formation to protect the door to the Realm of Caelum.
Uncle Ezra stared at me, the enemy growing bigger in the distance behind him.
“He’s the only one who can save us, and you know it.”
He continued to stare, the decision weighing on his mind.
“I promise you.” I moved my hand over my heart. “He will fight for us.” There was no doubt in my heart or my mind. No matter how much Talon wanted those dragons, he wouldn’t let the elves perish. He wouldn’t let the afterlife be taken by those who would corrupt it. He wouldn’t betray the people I cared deeply for.
Without saying a word, Uncle Ezra turned toward the east—and ran.
More enemies poured into the clearing, coming from different sides where the ranks had broken. The line of elves before the trees was quickly decimated by the feral creatures that cut down the elves like they were on a chopping block.
The Behemoths formed a line then charged, breaking down the elves and making a path straight for the trees.
Queen Eldinar was ready. “Stay behind me, Calista. I will do what I can to protect you.”
I gripped my sword with both hands, wishing I had the surge of strength Inferno had given me when we were fused. I had been infinitely stronger, infinitely faster. Now, I faced an army with death in their eyes, and I felt powerless to stop it.
If Talon didn’t arrive in the next minute, all hope would be lost. Queen Eldinar would be skewered, the door would be compromised, and I’d probably be dead.
The Behemoths were upon us, and the guards in service of the queen immediately rushed to her protection. The orcs barreled down on them while I stood back to get out of their way. The queen was clearly the superior fighter because she took out an orc entirely by herself, while one of the guards was cut down dead within a single swipe.
She might be shorter and smaller than the others, but what she lacked in strength, she made up for in speed. She moved so quickly and faked her dodges that she tripped another Behemoth before she sliced him across the neck. Her prowess was impeccable, but the victory was short-lived because a pool of enemies poured into us now that the path to the tree was clear.
It was chaos—dark elves, goblins, and Behemoths all coming at once.
All I could do was try to stay alive, swing my sword at anything that came too close. A goblin screamed before he rushed me with a bloody dagger in his hand, but Talon’s training took over as muscle memory and I struck him down.
Another goblin jumped on me and stabbed his blade into my chest, but my armor was strong enough to stop the blade before it penetrated my skin. I shoved my black sword straight through his chest, and he screamed before he rolled off and died.
I pushed myself to my feet and already saw a pile of dead bodies before the tree.
Queen Eldinar was facing off with five enemies entirely on her own, and she already had a dagger sticking out of her arm where she’d been stabbed. She cut down the sword of a Behemoth, but a goblin got her from the side and stabbed her armor with a sword that then broke off into two pieces.
I looked at the tree when I saw a dark elf approach, carrying an axe with a smirk on his face.
Queen Eldinar screamed when a blade swiped across her side and sliced her flesh.
Most of the guards had fallen, their dead bodies on top of the monsters they’d already slain.
I had to make a choice, and I had to make it fast. I pushed myself to my feet and sprinted at the dark elf who had reached the tree. I grabbed my dagger and stabbed it right into his neck, making him release a blood-curdling scream. He twisted sideways with his axe to strike me, but I ducked just in time to avoid the hit. I slammed his arm down on my knee and made him drop the axe before I grabbed the dagger and stabbed him once again.
This time, he fell to the ground.
Queen Eldinar was the last one standing, and somehow, she was still alive—but barely.
She continued to hold her sword, but she swayed. A dark elf slammed her shoulder with his sword, but she was too slow to dodge it. The dark elf kicked her next, sending her to the grass, her white armor smeared with her own red blood. He grinned as he stood above her, savoring his victory with a cruel smile.
She was too weak to fight, her body finally giving out.
“Your Majesty.” He raised his sword to stab her right through the chest.
“No!” More enemies swarmed into the clearing, trying to get to the tree, and I was blocked from the queen. All I could do was raise my sword and try to stay alive, but I knew I would be next.
But then I saw him appear out of nowhere. With his black sword and matching cape billowing behind him, he sliced his blade clean through the dark elf’s neck and severed his head from his shoulders. “ Calista !” He couldn’t turn to look for me, his blade cutting down all the foul creatures that came for him, handling more than Queen Eldinar had but without taking a hit. I knew Khazmuda’s strength had fired off in his veins, and he was an opponent who couldn’t be matched.
Uncle Ezra reached the queen before I could. He ripped a chunk of his cape and secured it around where she bled.
A goblin tried to descend upon them from the rear, but I sliced him through the back and made him drop. “Talon, I’m here!”
He defeated another group of enemies with a sword that moved quicker than lightning, cutting off heads and arms, having the strength of more than twenty soldiers combined. When he killed the last one closest to him, he turned to look at me.
Time seemed to stop as he stared at me, his stare so pissed off it was violent, but also so relieved at the sight of me. “General Ezra, protect the door. Calista, attend to the queen and be the eyes in the back of my head.”
General Ezra released his wife even though it probably broke him to do so. He unsheathed his blade and struck down the goblins and elves who stabbed and clawed at the door made of branches.
I rushed to the queen and supported her head. Where the cape was tied around her waist, I applied pressure to stop the bleeding. She breathed hard, and her eyes started to mist over. “Stay with me, Your Majesty.” I looked up to watch Talon.
He single-handedly kept the entire army back, moving from side to side to cut down the foes who tried to break the ranks and get to the tree. The few who made it through were cut down by Uncle Ezra.
I watched Talon work, watched sweat pour from his forehead and his cape whip around as he moved with strength and grace. The gift of his dragon gave him a power that couldn’t be matched by enemies a foot taller than him.
But I knew there were too many.
He knew it, too, because he turned to the queen. “If I don’t call upon the dead, we’re all finished. Do I have your permission?”
She continued to breathe hard, her face going pale.
Talon turned away and executed a flurry of blows too fast to watch. He stabbed a Behemoth in the chest, straight through his armor because his blade was made of dragon scales, and then beheaded another goblin, exerting such strength that every strike was a one-hit kill. “I will not die for nothing. Do you want me to save your fucking tree or not?” He looked down at the queen without an ounce of pity for her slow demise, the rage like bonfires in his gaze.
She breathed hard before she opened her lips to speak, but nothing came out. All she could do was nod before her eyes closed and her body weakened in my hold.
Talon turned away and lifted his palm as I’d seen him do in the past. His fingers closed into a hard fist before he slammed it hard against his chest.
I heard the collective scream through the forest, the God of Caelum screaming in protest at the defilement.
Talon turned back to the battle and slashed his blade across his foes, keeping them away from the tree. It only took a few minutes for the tide of the battle to change, where Talon was met with fewer foes as he protected the tree.
The dark elves and their allies were forced to turn their attention to the army of the dead who popped out of the ground to fight under Talon’s command. It divided the monsters into sections, all fighting on different sides.
Uncle Ezra kept his position at the Realm of Caelum, his back to the door. “ Fleur Nia ?”
I checked her pulse. “She’s still alive.” Her eyes had closed, and her breathing had decreased.
“Hold on, Fleur Nia ,” he said. “For me.”
Her eyes opened briefly, but then they closed again.
I continued to apply pressure while stopping the bleeding in other places.
Talon cut down more of the enemies, stopping anyone from approaching the queen or the tree. But then the enemies disbanded, leaving a large opening as a dark elf approached, his armor black like oil, his eyes sinister as they locked on Talon.
Talon spun his blade around his wrist as he stared at the challenger.
The dark elf kept his distance. “Queen Eldinar hovers between life and death. You may be able to raise an army of the dead to fight for you, but they cannot speak. She won’t give you what you seek once she’s beyond the veil, not that she ever intended to give it to you anyway. Step aside—and I’ll give you what you want most.”
Talon remained still, his cape blowing in a gust of wind. His face was hidden from me, so I didn’t know his reaction to those words…if he was tempted or disgusted.
The elf continued to stare him down. “Give me the Realm of Caelum, and not only will I give you the location of the dragons, but I will also give you the dragons.” He raised his fingers and tapped them against his temple. “If they refuse to serve you, I will make them serve you. You will reclaim your lands in full glory. You will control the minds of your enemies. You will be the greatest king who ever lived.”
Queen Eldinar started to breathe harder in my arms. “No…” Her voice escaped as a painful whisper. She tried to leave my arms, but her body was too weak to cooperate. “Calista…stop him.”
“I don’t need to stop him…” I believed—and I believed with all my heart.
The dark elf continued. “The Realm of Caelum is forbidden to us. We can change that. We can defeat the God of Caelum and make it exactly what we want. You can have it all, Talon. Your revenge—and your salvation.”
I didn’t fully understand the elf’s words. They spoke a language I could understand, but the message was still foreign to me.
“All you have to do is step aside.” He raised his arm and gestured to his right, like he wanted Talon to step off the stage and let the curtain close behind him. “And you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted.”
I waited for Talon to raise his sword, but it didn’t happen.
Talon continued to stand there, his cape whipping around him, the battle going on right before his eyes, elves still being cut down as they sacrificed themselves to protect the forest and the tree.
My heart started to wane. My grip on faith began to slip. I was just about to say his name when he spoke first.
“I decline your offer, Alaric.” He spun the blade around his wrist then moved forward.
Alaric hesitated for a split second, seemingly surprised by Talon’s decision. But he unsheathed his sword and blocked Talon’s blade before it slammed down on him. He turned with his own blow, and the two of them became locked in a battle with blades that danced quicker than could be watched.
Unlike the other monsters that challenged Talon, Alaric was actually skilled with the blade and quick on his feet. Talon’s blows never met their mark because his speed was equally matched. The men circled each other as they tried to find an opening in the other’s armor. Both of their capes whipped around them in an elegant dance, their swords clashing and grinding when they slid past each other.
Uncle Ezra stepped forward and defeated the enemies that tried to make it to the tree, protecting us and the doorway on his own. My uncle was a general and a great swordsman, but the difference between his abilities and Talon’s became obvious when it took him three or four blows to strike down his enemy rather than one.
I did my best to keep the queen alive, but there was only so much I could do. Enemies surrounded us as they tried to make it to the tree, and Talon was locked in a battle with his equal. The forest continued to be ravaged by monsters and fire. Smoke wafted into the sky and blocked out the stars. Screams continued to pierce the night.
Alaric evaded Talon’s attack and stepped back. “Why do you defend this bitch?” he snarled. “She will never give you that location. If you kill me, it’ll be gone forever. Do you understand what you’re doing?—”
Talon took the opening and sliced his blade clean through his neck.
Alaric’s head dropped to the ground, and his body crumpled underneath it.
He turned back to face me, his cape spinning behind him, and marched to me with the same rage on his face. “Ezra, get the queen to a healer. Take Calista with you. I will defend the tree until the enemy is defeated.” He turned back around to face the dark elves, Behemoths, and goblins that still wanted to claw at the tree. He spun his blade around his wrist once more then attacked, striking down his enemies with ease.
General Ezra didn’t question Talon and scooped his wife into his arms. “Come on, Calista.” He began to turn away.
But I stayed and looked at Talon, not wanting to abandon him.
“Calista.” My uncle’s voice captured my attention. “He’ll be alright.”
Talon slew another enemy before he turned to me, and our eyes locked. “ Go .”
Uncle Ezra ran through the forest to take her to the east, where the most vulnerable members of the elven society were to remain until the battle was over. The healers were there already, treating some of those who had been removed from the front line.
But once the queen was brought in, they turned all their focus on her.
They immediately removed the pieces of armor that were still intact, and with no regard to her dignity, they cut her clothing free. Her pale skin was visible from her neck down to her hips. Her breasts were on full display, but no one seemed to care because of the circumstances, not even my uncle.
I looked away out of respect for her.
“Save the queen,” Uncle Ezra ordered. “Save my wife.”
I stepped outside because I didn’t want to watch my uncle suffer. I wasn’t a healer, but I had watched Queen Eldinar inch closer to the end as I held her in my arms, watched the light grow fainter with every passing minute. Her injuries seemed too dire, her loss of blood too great. When I looked down at myself, all the blood on my armor was hers.
I gazed into the distance and saw the fires burning the forest. Listened to the cries of battle raging on. I knew it would all end soon, because the Death King would save us all. I continued to look into the distance and then noticed a great rush of wind blow through the entire forest—and then the fires were extinguished.
I knew who had conjured the wind from nothing. “Riviana…”