Chapter 41
They were on day two of traveling, which was how long Gyrial had said it would take them to arrive at the fae mountains. So when Gyrial shouted “Just past this hill!” over his shoulder an hour ago, Kaid had never been more happy to hear the fae male’s voice.
Gyrial came to a stop in front of two incredibly large boulders at the base of a mountain range. The Spellid Mountains.
Gyrial dismounted his steed and walked between the boulders, shouting in a language Kaid had never heard before, but matched Gyrial’s accent.
Two soldiers appeared between the boulders—fae, judging by their pointed ears—clad in golden armor with humongous swords across their backs. They answered Gyrial in their language, the three fae conversing in what sounded like agitated tones.
“They will not let us pass,” Gyrial said to the group.
One of the soldiers stepped forward, throwing his long, almond colored braids behind his shoulder. “Tell them what we actually said, Gyrial Bohr.” His accent made him almost impossible to understand and it took Kaid a moment to translate. The soldier spit as if Gyrial’s name tasted foul.
Gyrial’s face heated. “We cannot pass without a duel. I am not allowed access to fae land until I face the general.”
Asta dismounted Thurs and stood next to Gyrial, arms crossed. “Then we duel.”
“No,” Gyrial protested at the same time the almond-haired soldier asked, “Do we have a volunteer?”
“I will duel with your general if that is what it takes,” Asta stated confidently, as if dueling a fae general was a miniscule task.
“Asta, you do not know what you’re agreeing to.” Gyrial stepped between Asta and the soldiers who were wearing cruel smirks. Kaid dismounted his horse and stood next to Gyrial, as well. If the male was concerned for her safety, so was he. Kaid heard Asta scoff behind him.
The two soldiers laughed as another fae male appeared from behind the boulders.
This fae was exceptionally tall, even when compared to the other preternatural beings surrounding him.
He moved with the grace of a mountain cat—undetectable and graceful.
The gleaming silver sword he held was as long as his body was tall and Soren, Revna, and Tova unsheath their swords in response.
The male had long black hair sectioned into thick locks adorned with beads and jewels, but his dark skin and amber eyes were what Kaid concentrated on as he looked back and forth between the male and Gyrial. They were nearly identical.
“You are the same coward you have always been, Gyrial, if you are willing to let this female do your fighting for you,” the fae sneered. His voice was gravelly and rough, a vast contrast to his movements.
“Even worse, General,” the almond-haired soldier said, “he is protesting that anyone duels.”
So this mountain of a male was the general. That made sense. Kaid still found himself comparing Gyrial to the general, and he knew there was only one conclusion to be made.
“He’s your father,” Kaid said aloud.
The general’s eyes jumped to Kaid. “That’s right, boy.
I’m General Bohr. And the male you’re standing next to is my traitorous deserter of a son.
” The general spat at Gyrial’s feet. Kaid was glad that expelling saliva was not a part of any siren traditions that he had observed yet, and hopefully it remained as such.
Gyrial laughed in disbelief. “We have different memories of my departure, Father.”
“Then choose your second and duel me, so you may petition the council.” General Bohr hardened his stare as he crouched into a fighting stance.
“I am his second,” Asta declared as she stepped around Kaid and Gyrial’s protection.
Kaid grabbed her forearm. “Asta, there are multiple warriors here that can be his second. You do not have to.”
“I am a warrior,” she replied through gritted teeth, yanking her arm from his grasp and stepping forward.
General Bohr laughed. “Standard duel law. Tap in your second as needed. We go until a forfeit.”
Gyrial opened his mouth to reply but Asta beat him to it. “Agreed.”
As if someone were dragging a stick through the dirt around them, a circle drew itself around the two fae males, pushing Asta and the almond-haired guard out.
Then, General Bohr lifted his blade and lunged for Gyrial.
Gyrial blocked his father’s strike with ease, his feline reflexes allowing him to swiftly duck and swing when necessary. Now that the pair were moving fluidly, it was hard to tell the difference between the males aside from their attire.
The fight went on for some time, Asta and the almond-haired soldier pacing around the fight like caged lions awaiting a meal. Whatever magic had drawn the duel ring prohibited them from stepping over it.
Kaid’s heart felt like it would soon beat directly out of his chest. Why would Asta ever involve herself in such a fight? They were accompanied by two siren warriors and a sea dragon, for Knud’s sake. Asta was a brilliant fighter, but she was not trained to battle fae warriors.
Or was she? Gyrial had been the one to train her, after all.
Kaid watched as Gyrial raised his sword and came straight down above General Bohr’s head, the male barely having enough time to bring his enormous blade up and block the blow, but for the first time, the general stumbled back a step.
It was just one step, but it was monumental.
Asta shouted encouraging words to Gyrial as the other fae soldier begged to be tapped in.
Gyrial attacked with strike after strike, pushing his father back more with each swing of his blade. Although the general was blocking each, he was wearing down.
“Forfeit!” Gyrial shouted in his father’s face. However, his father only answered with a grin before reaching back and tapping the fae soldier’s arm. The magic allowed the third male to enter the fight.
The soldier sprung forward, diving for Gyrial. But General Bohr did not back down. He, too, continued toward Gyrial with an onslaught of hits.
Kaid didn’t understand. The general had tapped out, so why was he still fighting? Asta was clearly thinking the same thing as she watched, bewildered.
“You cheat!” Gyrial bellowed as he was pushed back by the two opposing fae.
“You were never good with fae wording, son,” General Bohr laughed. “I said tap in your second as needed. I never said that meant you tap out.”
Kaid then realized what that meant. Even if Gyrial tapped Asta in, it would still be two incredibly powerful fae warriors against an out-of-practice fae soldier and a human-born siren. Kaid only hoped that Asta learned to use her merfolk strength and agility quickly.
Asta reached out her arm multiple times, attempting desperately to reach Gyrial in order to tap in.
“Tap me!” she insisted.
“No!” Gyrial responded.
He would rather lose—or die—then let Asta enter the fight. He never planned on letting Asta duel. Kaid suddenly earned respect for the male, and though they sought after the same woman, he knew that they would both give their lives for her as well.
Gyrial just barely parried a hit to his shoulder—which would have severed his arm—using his short sword as Asta screamed. Her shrill noise caused distraction for a moment, and Kaid’s heart stopped as Gyrial’s hand connected with hers on his withdrawal from the attack.
It was Asta’s turn.
The blonde princess came in like a hurricane made of steel. She did not parry using a short sword, but instead, opted for holding two long swords. Kaid couldn’t believe her strength as she battled with two swords that, before his transformation, Kaid could barely hold himself.
Though Gyrial was clearly distraught with her maneuvering her way into the duel, he did not let that stop him from joining her. Together, they moved in unison, pushing the other pair closer and closer to the boulder path.
Asta jumped as Gyrial’s father swung for her shins and before her feet landed back on the ground, she struck his exposed elbow with her sword. Blood sprayed from the wound, decorating the warriors and dirt in red. She was the first to draw blood.
Asta hissed, bearing her siren teeth, but Kaid realized before it was too late. A bloodthirsty, newborn siren was like no other creature.
She moved so quickly that she was a blur.
The only part of her that was discernable was her blonde tresses.
The almond-haired soldier stumbled, falling flat on his back.
Gyrial took advantage and kneeled above the male, holding his sword to his throat and pinning his arms to the forest floor with his knees.
The soldier let out a grunt, his feet kicking but ineffective.
General Bohr made the mistake of glancing toward his partner for only a millisecond, and that’s all the little blonde siren needed.
She kicked the male square in his chest, knocking the air from his lungs.
He doubled over and she kneed him in the face, his nose making a crunch of defeat.
Blood once again sprayed and covered Asta, but she did not stop.
She grabbed the male’s hand and wrenched the sword from it, tossing it far away from the fight.
Then, she grabbed the general by the back of his head and yanked him until his knees hit the ground.
Asta bent down and spoke so closely to the general’s face that spit smattered his skin. “Forfeit, or I swear to the gods I will snap your neck and leave you here.”
General Bohr swallowed loudly before whispering, “I forfeit.”
Soren let out a surprised laugh and Kaid heard Tova whisper, “Fuck yeah, asshole” under her breath.
Asta, however, did not let go of the general’s locks. “You will also apologize to your son.”
The general’s eyes shifted to Gyrial, then met Asta’s. “I’m—” he sucked in a breath as Asta’s grip tightened, her eyes intently watching the trail of blood dripping from his nose. “I’m sorry.”
Asta dove forward and latched onto General Bohr’s neck with her mouth and Kaid ran for her.
“No!” he shouted as Asta feasted on the blood that had sent her into a frenzy in the first place. “Asta, no!”
Gyrial got to her first and tried to pull her off the general, but she shoved him so hard that the fae actually flew backward.
Kaid knelt down next to her and petted her matted hair. “Asta, you are not a cold-blooded killer. This is not you. This is your siren.”
Her gulping slowed down, but she continued to feed. The general’s face was a shade lighter and his eyes fluttered shut.
“Asta,” Kaid gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Stop. You’re killing him.”
She froze, her feeding paused. She squeezed her eyes shut, and Kaid knew that she was battling the voice in her head that told her to keep feeding. The voice that the sirens had inherited from the finfolk. Her hands shook as she shoved the general to the ground, her mouth disconnecting with a pop!
Asta looked to Kaid with blood-stained lips and tears in her eyes, her hands shaking. One of her hands grabbed the other immediately and began cracking various joints in her fingers and all Kaid could do was pull her into a tight embrace until she came back to him.