49. Izzy
IZZY
“How could you think you could ever win against me!” Valnea shouted in victory.
“Oh?” I said with a vicious grin, blood bubbling up out of my mouth and down over my chin. I grabbed her hands on the hilt of the sword, keeping them in place, so she couldn’t do more damage by twisting the blade, or moving it, or even withdrawing it. I wanted to keep that blade right where it was.
The exultation and triumph in Valnea’s eyes faltered.
With a thought, I healed the massive internal bleeding. It would hurt like hell when this sword came out and I’d have to heal myself again, but for now, I was stable. And with my hands clamped around Valnea’s she could do little but spit at me.
Because I’d also woven a binding on the earth around us, like I’d done in the titan arena, cancelling any other earth magic which wasn’t stronger than mine. And in the next instant, Valnea must have tried something because her eyes went even more wild.
“What did you do?” she hissed.
“I’ve beaten you,” I whispered, then headbutted her for lack of anything better to do, since my hands were occupied.
Valnea staggered but couldn’t fall back with her hands still trapped by mine. She swayed on her feet, and before she could recover, I bound her.
“Call off your forces, you’ve lost,” I said, stronger.
“Never!” she spat, because I hadn’t bound her to obey me. I’d put the same binding on her as I had on Saldrea. Every violent thought she had against me would happen to her instead.
Later, I would wish I’d done something else, because the binding showed me just how cruel and disgusting the false queen was. It all happened so fast, she didn’t have time to stop it, to realize what she was doing and save herself.
Cuts sliced her skin, flaying her, as long claw marks tore off the skin of her face.
Her eyes were yanked out, as was her tongue, then her teeth.
Her arms and legs were crushed, bones broken to nothing, then the limbs were ripped right off.
A massive slice from neck to navel opened her up and her ribs were broken wide open, her organs pulled out, as what remained of her seemed to be boiled alive.
She didn’t even scream as she disintegrated before me in a horrifying display.
What.
The.
Fuck?
I was too stunned to be sick, which was good, because retching with this sword still through me wouldn’t have been pleasant.
The battlefield went deathly still and silent.
A lot of people had seen that.
And the enemy would have no clue I’d put a binding on Valnea, it would look like I’d done that to Valnea. Which… I supposed I had, in an indirect way.
And I used their hesitation, their horror, as much as I didn’t want to.
“Cease this fighting now!” I bellowed, using magic to project my voice for hundreds of feet. “And send word to all your forces to surrender!”
Weapons clattered to the ground, men knelt in submission, orders were shouted and relayed.
It was done.
Five men came to me. They all looked rough themselves, but they fussed over me like mother hens.
“Are you okay?”
“Did you do that to Valnea?”
“I’d thought I’d lost you.”
“Let me heal you.”
“No, I’ll heal her, you heal yourself, you wound-magnet.”
“Shut up, I’m fine. It’s not my blood… well, maybe fifty-fifty. Oh… wait, I’m still bleeding, never mind. I should heal myself.”
They crowded close, a barrier against the world, shutting out the horrors of war and surrounding me in love.
Huh… Love.
I recalled thinking — however long ago — that life altering sex was worth winning this war for. But I’d been wrong. I wanted the sex, sure, but this love — this attention and adoration and dedication, this unity between all of us — was truly worth fighting for and winning for.
And after fighting so hard for it… I no longer feared it. I wanted it more than anything else in the world.
Well, second most to one other rather urgent need.
“Ah… I don’t think I can do this myself, so could someone… pull this sword out of me?” I asked awkwardly.
Four stunned faces stared back at me. I could see it. They couldn’t imagine hurting me. But one face gave a solemn nod, a sad smile. Myel came to me, he put one hand on my cheek and closed his eyes. Our bond surged even as he yanked the sword out…
And I felt nothing.
He cried out in pain, taking my agony from me. He doubled over, dropping the sword as I quickly healed myself again. Then I knelt and soothed him. He didn’t need healing, but the pain still lingered in his soul.
And since this seemed like a teachable moment, I looked up at the other four. “Sometimes love is doing something you know will hurt you and your partner, but it has to be done.” I didn’t know where that came from, but it seemed legit.
“Also,” I said, helping Myel sit up. “Can we all stop and appreciate what a fucking badass Myel was today? If not for him, we might all have died.”
“I saw it all,” Koar said, shaking his head. “He was the only one who shook off the Sylphim attack. Then he fought Valnea to give Izzy time to recover before slaying two dragons like it was nothing.”
Koar knelt next to Myel. “You have my undying respect and honor,” he said bowing his head to the man.
“Size isn’t everything,” Bayn said, and coming from that massive man, that meant something. “Heart is what really matters. And you’ve got the biggest heart I’ve ever seen.”
“You mean balls,” Rook corrected.
“That too,” Bayn conceded.
Myel smiled at all of them then turned to me. “The terrified little shifter boy is gone,” he said, voice regaining strength. “I know my worth.”
“And so does everyone else,” I said, kissing his dirt-smeared forehead.
I helped him up and pushed through the wall of lovers. “Now let’s make sure this fight is over and our friends are safe.”
“Yes, my queen,” Koar said stoically.
Huh… I guessed there was no denying it now. I was queen. I’d definitely earned it.
Time to change this world for the better.