Chapter 13
Kaden
Marching through the corridors, our guards flank our backs as one unit. My siblings each take one of my sides, their weapons already pulled. This is normal for us, raging into a battle, ready to defend with little information.
People shove through our crowd, clinging to the walls for stability. It’s chaos; no one here has lived through a siege before.
How lucky for their short lives.
Fee grabs the edge of her skirt, ripping the hem and discards the fabric in a quick motion. Kicking out of her heels, she keeps stride, eyes focused. Before me, my sister morphs from a princess, to a warrior, ready for combat.
Reid twirls his twin daggers between his knuckles. He’d much rather wager coin or flirt with the females, but it seems my years of training are finally paying off, as he scans the crowd, keeping his defenses high.
“Zeke,” I call, summoning the Captain of our guard. A tall Fae, with black hair and matching eyes, he has a jagged scar along his jaw from years ago. Most cultures would hide it, but in my lands, a scar shows strength. “Report.”
“Yes, my heir.” He comes to my side, respecting Fee’s position. “It’s the Crimson Army. Forces are thin. The palace guards are being taken down mercilessly.”
“Fools,” Fee scoffs, shoving a lord out of her way. “They’re too drunk to fight back.”
“Two nights of parties will tend to do that,” Reid comments, flipping a dagger into the air. “They were caught unaware.”
“Rookies.”
“Split up.” I point to the hallways, stopping abruptly. “Two guards each. No soldier gets inside from this point on.” I disregard the point that soldiers are already at the main entrance, fighting Griffin’s guards. I can hear the clank of metal and splitting skin from swords against flesh.
Freshly spilled blood saturates the air and I have to breathe through my mouth to avoid triggering my beast. He’s been tame lately and I cannot allow him any reason to awaken now.
Guards nod. This isn’t my palace, I shouldn’t care if the Crimson Army takes out Griffin’s forces. It’ll be easier for me to destroy him and it would save me the trouble with my father.
But I hear the innocents down the halls. And the advisor’s scent—spicy and alluring, hangs around the corner. No other scent surrounds her.
She’s alone, unprotected, in the middle of a siege.
How stupid can these Witches be?
It bothers me to know she’s alone. Sitting at the table in the ballroom, she looked forlorn, abandoned, that I was compelled to speak to her. I can deny it, think it was just my lust for knowledge and my want to seek out her magic to exploit, but it was deeper than that.
I wanted to erase the sadness on her face. I wanted to hear her voice. I wanted her eyes upon me so my lungs would function again.
Forcing my guards to protect halls, Humans, who would soon let us be killed, is not using them to the best of their abilities. They should be on the field with me, cutting down our enemies. It’s what an intelligent heir would command.
And yet…
I don’t want those red bastards anywhere near her.
Knowing they haunt these halls and she’s vulnerable, twists my gut, my beast roaring inside my mind. We both know she isn’t my responsibility and yet the need to keep her safe, forces me to make stupid choices.
Watching the advisor kill doesn’t change my mind. She’s different— special. I need to protect her.
Zeke nods and commands the rest of our guards into action as I continue on, not bothering to check. He’ll make sure they do their job and I can focus on doing mine. Ending the threat.
At the front gates, sword in hand, I growl at the fucking mess before me.
How has the king stayed in power for this long, if his grounds are in such disarray?
The high banks of Griffin’s moat are filled with freshly killed bodies. The murky water below, red and tacky has bits of charred flesh bobbing onto the surface. The field is muddy, vast, with no clear leader giving commands. In a word: anarchy.
The Dark Army would never react this way to an attack.
But this is Griffin’s arrogance showing—he thought he was invincible, untouchable by the Red Plague. Unfortunately, he’s learning the hard way that they come for us all.
Inhaling, I smell the fear of the soldiers, watch as their swords miss targets and the raiders take full advantage. They’re obliterated, bodies discarded like trash.
I’d feel something close to pity if they weren’t my enemy.
There’s movement to my side, a raider coming to take a quick kill but I react. My sword jabs out quickly, body honed from combat as I slice the man from neck to middle. Hot blood rushes out into the cool night, spraying my face and hands.
My cursed beast preens, grinning in my mind’s eye, begging for a taste of the carnage. He’s a savage thing, manifested inside my mind like a raging monster, chained so I may remain as I am—a Fae, and not some beast that kills without abandon.
Fee swings her sword, a long cut that connects with a different guard.
He lands one single blow—knuckles to her chin—and her head snaps back.
Smirking, I watch as her control breaks, that savagery she holds deep inside coming out as she yells.
Flailing wildly, her rage drives her forward, sword moving too quick for the Human to watch.
Soon, he’s nothing but chunks on the bloody ground. I’m proud.
“Feel better?” I ask, a river of red running between our boots.
Exhaling, she glares at me. “Not yet.”
More raiders come to us and she grins. “But I will be.”
We make quick work of the ill-prepared soldiers. We’ve had years, decades of training, fighting in combat with more vicious threats than this. The guards don’t stand a chance.
“What’s the plan, big brother?” Reid asks, wiping the back of his mouth. I see his daggers are stained red, two dead raiders at his feet.
Pride warms my belly. Reid doesn’t like battle, but he’s good.
“Take the right. Fee, the left. Don’t do anything that will cause you harm.” I glare at Fee; I might be the cursed one, but she’s the one I worry about.
Reid laughs, lips quirking, offering a weak salute. “So no jumping from the castle walls, got it.”
I glare at him, even as Fee snorts, running away. Siblings.
Scanning the grounds again, I try to locate any innocents caught in the battle.
The guards knew what they signed up for when they wore their uniform, but the courtiers, the servants, need someone to fight for them.
I’ve seen the carnage these raiders can leave behind, what they will do to those weaker than them.
I will not let innocent people be hurt because their king does not fight for them.
Thankfully, they’ve gone. It just leaves this bloody mess.
More men break out over the bridge, boots pounding against the flimsy wooden boards. My chest tightens as the welcomed surge of fear, anticipation, and rage fills my limbs.
They hone my skills, allowing me to see all weaknesses when in battle. My mind, a sharpened tool that runs constantly when not fighting, focuses during these moments. There is a quiet peace that only comes with a sword in my hand.
My hits are sure, powerful. Swords block and strike, the sounds of scraping metal dulled by the howling of the beast in my ears as he enjoys the bloodshed.
Twisting into the air, a raider misses a tackle.
Flipping, I adjust the sword in my grip, slicing into his spine as he cuts into two.
Squelches of ripping flesh and popping cartilage have me grinning in triumph.
Three soldiers fall at my feet in quick succession as the battle draws on and I step on their backs as I go.
Smoke hovers into the air, fires breaking out from missed arrows and more guards fall. I block a few hits, expert swordsmanship cutting down those who rush me without thought.
My mind worries about my siblings, but I know better. Fee is a warrior, trained since birth to lead. And I trained Reid. They’ll both be fine.
Griffin’s guards fall by the dozens as hours drag on. The raiders feel like a never-ending wave, cutting down their forces with strong strikes. Dripping in blood, I scream as a moment of distraction causes me to be injured.
Two daring red soldiers flinch when I look over my shoulder, amber eyes swallowed by black. They’re both incredibly young, Human and stupid to attack me. My shadows react, called on by my need to fight, and I lash out, black hands grabbing their throats.
It’s barely more than a twitch before their necks are crushed, heads bent at an odd angle and bodies discarded. My shoulder burns, body already mending the cut but it doesn’t mean it’s pleasant. All Fae can heal but it hurts to fuse our skin back together.
Until now, I’ve refused to use my magic. It takes more energy than raising a sword, and in the middle of battle, it’s the opportune time for my beast to seize control. I can’t allow that to happen.
But right now, all those thoughts have fled me as my body aches and the smell of blood grows too much to ignore.
It’s been too long since I’ve tasted blood. But I can’t risk my control. Not now.
The beast rampages inside me as I stalk the battleground, dispatching brave raiders.
Leaping out, my shadows crush bodies, slamming them into the ground or castle walls.
Palace guards watch, mouths slacked but I don’t care.
Wrangling my beast, I shove it further back, white knuckling my control as my magic annihilates.
I kill everyone. Royal guards, raiders, they all look the same. They all die the same.
Once the rush stops, I drop against the palace wall, face sweating, body sore and close the lid on my beast. He goes with a fight, thrashing, clawing and I wince, feeling those nails rake into my skull.
It’s been so long since he’s been unmanageable. This doesn’t bode well for my mission.
Pushing my head into the stoned wall, I close my eyes, exhaling through the grit and ignore the call of blood. It’s there, sweet at candy, but I refuse. I can’t.
An aroma, ripe and full of life, assaults my nose and my beast howls, lurching from his mental cage. Falling to my knees with need, my fingers dig into the mortar, holding firm.
What is that?
Glancing up, I see her in the window. Her black, almost violet strands billowing in the air, soot painting her pale cheeks to a stark gray. Her eyes catch me though, red dripping from their corners like a fallen goddess.
Her fingers raise, tips black from my angle, twisting into odd patterns with an unnatural grace. She plays with the strings of life, a goddess of life and death as I follow her gaze.
The Witch swings his sword at a raider with another advancing from behind. I’m too far to do anything, but I don’t need to. The woman above me sees it. Fingers move and the solider jerks, feet stopped, eyes wide.
I can smell his terror from here.
Blood pours from his mouth as his hands claw at his chest, digging for a way to ease the assault. But it’s not there, and I inhale, smiling at the surge of magic coming from above.
His body crumples, blood soaking the already covered ground as life explodes from his eyes.
The advisor—Max’s magic is beautiful, so strong it stirs my beast into a godsdamn frenzy.
But how—
Blood magic. Surprise slaps me across the face, pieces falling into place quickly. She’s a blood summoner—she can control a being’s blood.
The Witch finally finishes his kill, looking to the dead body in confusion. When I peer up at the window, she’s gone. No one would know she saved the Witch. Except for me.
Something in the way her eyes had looked, full of carnage and beauty, hits my chest, hard. My monster thrashes against his bars, begging for release as I walk away. I need distance otherwise, my control will fail completely.
Walking a few paces, I see the lord who attempted to assault her run into my path.
Impaling a soldier, he leans over his corpse, stumbling back. Somehow the weasel is still alive. I’d be more impressed if I didn’t want to rip his throat out for daring to touch her.
He dared to harm a woman—not just any woman. One who matters to me. My resolve snaps and I fly across the battlefield, Fae speed abnormally quick.
He barely registers me before I’m grabbing his throat, his weak Human legs dangling over the dirt. He gurgles something unintelligible, but I ignore it, beast howling, rage coursing through my veins.
Smiling at his struggle, he freezes, his terror seizing his lungs and I grin, inhaling his fear.
“You and I need to have a little chat, Human.”