Chapter 33
Ara
The sunrise brought dragons.
Huge creatures with massive wingspans flew over Athos, breathing fire along down on the barrier. Dozens of them circled, lighting up our shield with orange flames.
Our soldiers were stationed at the edge of the barrier, waiting in case the fae broke through. Laera, Selena, and Aspasia stood in the rear, ready to reinforce the shield with whatever they could. I stood nearby, my hands already trembling as I resisted the urge to call forth the shadows too soon.
Ryvin was near the front, standing next to Vanth. Bahar’s men were hidden among the fae, staring skyward, probably anxious to join the aerial fight. We didn’t want to risk the king knowing we had dragons. Not until necessary. All we could do was wait until the shield fell.
Thousands of fae soldiers marched for us, surrounding the palace grounds. Their armor gleamed in the early morning light. I watched in horror as they prepared the battering rams.
Our soldiers readied their catapults.
Teams of fae raced forward, battering rams slamming into the barrier, making the ground shake.
Catapults released, launching heavy stones skyward, before they crashed into the fae army. Only the first two hit before the fae began to use magic to catch the stones and throw them back toward us. They bounced off the shield, but every time they hit, I winced at the sound.
Flames roared as they lit bundles inside the catapults, launching them at the fae beyond. The fire was extinguished before it hit any of our enemies.
Battering rams slammed into our shields again, making the ground shake once more. The barrier buzzed and flickered, but it was holding.
Twice more they charged the shield, but the battering rams didn’t get through. Dragons continued their onslaught from above, but their flames were ineffective.
I started to feel like maybe we could do this. Maybe they’d realize they couldn’t win. But even that was a false victory. We couldn’t stay barricaded in the palace grounds forever.
The fae soldiers parted, making a path. A group walked toward us, led by the king himself.
Ryvin moved closer to the shield and Vanth held his arm out in front of the prince, preventing him from taking another step. I left my position, pushing my way through our lines to reach the front.
When Vanth saw me, he lowered his arm, and I made sure I was standing slightly in front of Ryvin. He wouldn’t risk accidentally pushing me beyond the shield.
The Fae King stopped only a few foot spans from us. His lips were upturned in a thin, unsettling smile that promised chaos. “Son, how good to see you again. I see you did let this Athos whore win you over.”
Ryvin’s fists clenched and he took a step forward. I grabbed his arm. “Don’t. He’s trying to bait you.”
The king turned his attention to me. “I found out something about you recently. About your parentage. You could be quite valuable once you’re trained up a bit and you learn to bite your tongue.”
“I have enough training to send you to the Underworld,” I sneered. Until he mentioned it, I hadn’t even thought about the fact that I might be able to use my magic against him. Now, ideas flooded my mind. If Bahar and his dragons failed, I was another option.
The king held up his wrist, showing several gold bracelets that reminded me of the one Ryvin wore. “I’ve been collecting these over the years. They prevent your mother from using her magic against me. I’m guessing they’ll work exceptionally well on you since you’re only half goddess.”
“Coward,” I hissed.
“No, not a coward. I’m prepared. I strategize. Which is how I know I’ll win, and you’ll lose.” The king’s eyes left mine, as if noticing something, then he returned his gaze to me. “It seems I’ll be in the market for a new queen once I execute my old one for treason. If you’re seeking more power, I can make you an offer.”
“Stay calm, princess,” Laera whispered as she walked past me.
I felt a strange cooling sensation crawl through my body. I knew I was fuming, but everything inside me was suddenly so light I might float away. I realized Laera was using her magic on me. I should be furious, but she probably prevented me from doing something stupid.
“Father,” Laera said flatly.
He clicked his tongue. “I expected eventual betrayal from Ryvin, but I thought you were loyal.”
“You always underestimated the women in your life,” she replied.
“That I did. I won’t make that mistake again,” he said.
“No, you won’t. Because you’ll be dead,” she said.
He laughed, letting it linger as he rested his hand on his stomach and threw his head back. The people who had accompanied him and were waiting right behind him looked at each other uncomfortably. I could tell they weren’t sure if they should join in. He stopped abruptly, and they looked relieved that he was finished.
“You won’t even leave the safety of your shield, how exactly are you going to kill me?” The king asked.
She glared at him.
“We are prepared to spend months camped outside your shield. We have provisions to last us through winter. But I have the feeling we won’t need to stay that long. There are other ways to solve this, you know,” the king said.
“We are not going to surrender our city to you,” I said.
“You are not the queen,” he hissed.
“But I am,” Lagina called as the soldiers parted for her to join us. She stood tall and proud, staring down the king as if he was nothing more than a slug. “And Athos is done bowing to the fae.”
“Then Athos will cease to exist,” the king said.
“You can try,” Lagina snapped. “But humans are stronger than you realize.”
“We’ll see about that,” the king said. He turned to his men. “Begin the attack.” He turned and walked away.
The soldiers with the battering rams fell back and a new group pushed forward. These men were not clad in armor. Instead, they wore loose fitting tunics and trousers in expensive materials. They were polished and clean, none of them had the appearance of a soldier.
My brow furrowed as I took them in. Were they here to try diplomacy? They had to be nobles. They were far too nicely dressed to be anything else.
Just as I was about to ask Ryvin, the men raised their hands and the shield began to vibrate.
“Throw everything you’ve got at it!” Laera yelled as she raced back to where her mother and Selena were standing. The fae women lifted their arms to the sky, offering their magic to the shield.
I looked back at the line of fae. They were attacking our shield with magic. Wide-eyed, I turned to Ryvin. “Can they do that? Is that going to work?”
Ryvin’s jaw clenched, and I didn’t need him to respond. We were on borrowed time.
Dark tendrils began to swirl around me, shadows billowing up, responding to my stress. “Can you take them out? The fae? Can you use your magic?”
He shook his head. “It won’t penetrate the shield. Only physical things can get through. I’ll have leave.”
“Not yet,” Vanth replied. “Get back there, Ara. We’ve got archers and catapults and we might as well use them.”
Rvyin fell back with me. Our job would begin once the shields were down. For now, all we could do was watch.
Archers stepped forward and struck quickly, knocking down several of the fae at the barrier. The fae soldiers moved forward, creating a wall with their shields in front of the magic users. Our archers fired back, occasionally getting something through before the fae changed tactics, sending some of their magic wielders to protect the others rather than focus on the shield. At least that would slow them down.
We launched catapults, but the payload never hit anyone. The fae stopped it before it reached the ground. So our archers took to shooting at random intervals and in irregular directions to try to catch the fae off guard.
The shield cracked. The sound like a whip, followed by a rumbling. It was weakening. I glanced over at Ryvin.
It was late afternoon when our archers ran out of arrows. We had craftsmen making more, but they couldn’t keep up. Our soldiers fell back, retreating from the barrier.
Half of them were sent to rest, while the others were given rations and waited, just in case. There wasn’t anything else we could do.
Suddenly, the attack ceased. The magic on the shield stopped. The fae troops began to leave. Our soldiers whispered and shuffled their feet, some of them moving closer to the shield to get a better look.
“What are they doing?” I asked.
Ryvin looked to the sky. “I guess he’s calling it early tonight. They must be close.”
I saw Laera walking toward us. Her face shone with sweat and she had dark circles under her eyes. “There isn’t much left. He could break it before nightfall if he wanted, but I think he’d rather they save some of their magic.”
“He plans to break it and then attack immediately,” Ryvin said.
“That’s my guess.” Laera rubbed her eyes, then shook out her hands. “I’m nearly spent. I need to sleep or I won’t be able to help tomorrow.”
“Go on,” Ryvin said. “We’ll need everyone at their best in the morning.”
“If he waits until morning,” she replied.
“He’ll want them rested,” Ryvin said.
“What’s happening?” Mortagan asked as he approached Ryvin. “Where are they going? We can’t have won.”
“No, we didn’t win.” Ryvin explained his theory and Mortagan looked grim. “I’ll inform my men.”
“What happens in the morning?” I asked.
“We fight,” Rvyin said.
I looked out at the retreating soldiers. We had a depleted Athonian army, a few hundred vampires, a handful of dragons, and Ryvin. His magic was enough to take down many of our opposition, but I didn’t think it would be enough.
“I can tell where you’re going in your head.” Ryvin put his arms around me and pulled me closer. I looked up into his silver eyes. He seemed relaxed, but I had a feeling that was for my benefit.
“Stop trying to think about everything,” he said. “That’s what you’re doing, isn’t it?”
“How is it that you’re always so quick to know what it’s in my head?” I narrowed my eyes. “Do you have some of that power that your father and Laera share?”
He kissed my forehead. “No, you’re just very easy for me to read.”
I frowned, hoping that wasn’t the case for everyone. “It’s hard not to think of how many soldiers your father brought.”
“You have to remember, they’re loyal to him out of fear. And we have dragons, which they aren’t expecting.” His smile was genuine and there was a confident spark in his eyes. “He’s nothing against dragon fire. We only have to take him down to end this whole thing. With him gone, the fight is over.”
He pulled me into an embrace and I leaned against him, trying to release my tension, but it wouldn’t ease. We’d failed so many times to take down the king, but every time that happened, it had been us taking the risk. This time, it was my sisters and my whole city. If we failed, everyone went down with us.