Chapter Nineteen #2
Rina…Rina would see her father. I struggled to control the emotion that threatened to overwhelm me with that realization. Swallowing thickly and pushing past the urge to weep my gratitude, I held Malakai’s head higher and spoke to the crowd.
“Kneel or face the same fate!”
The easy slaughter of their comrade seemed to snap people into action.
The humans kneeled first, followed by the vampyres.
One by one, they took a knee, some with eyes glued to the ground, some with their eyes stuck on the head in my grip, and others still with eyes locked on my face.
I stood above them, heart pounding in my chest and watching, hearing the fighting outside the castle courtyard slowly halting—the streets falling silent as word traveled beyond the courtyard and through the battleground.
My men stood around me, keeping me close, yet allowing me to stand on my own. With a heavy sigh, I spoke to Tristan as he approached. “You're alright?” I kept my voice quiet, though I never allowed my arm to slip, hoisting Malakai’s head above me as I gazed at the crowd.
“We lost some men,” he stated, his voice edged with frustration, “but we never stopped fighting.”
“Have our soldiers begin to move those who are injured inside,” I said as I observed the space around us.
“We need to begin tending to injuries, especially those the humans have suffered. I know we have medical staff that we brought with us, and I’m sure Malakai had some on hand as well.
Find them. We will need all the help we can get to ensure no more lives are lost.”
“And what of those who have knelt and aren’t injured?”
“They should aid in clean-up efforts as well as moving the bodies of the fallen.”
“And those who continue to fight?”
I looked at my right hand, trusting and knowing that he would be able to carry out what was necessary to ensure this land was no longer threatened. “I will not have anyone threaten what we are doing here today. If they do not kneel, their choice is clear.”
Tristian nodded sharply and began to shout directives to our soldiers.
As he moved away from me, I took stock of those surrounding me in the courtyard.
Many of the citizens of the Thaician Empire kept their gazes locked on me, an array of emotions flitting over their faces as my eyes flicked from one to another.
With a resigned sigh, I lowered Malakai’s head, realizing that I needed to speak to them directly, to hopefully provide some relief for those who never wanted to be here.
“For those who had family in the outskirt villages along the main road: many of your family have been taken to our ships for safety during the battle. Now that it is over, they will be able to return home. It was imperative to us that we ensured no innocents were injured or killed in the battle to end Malakai’s reign. ”
The relief reflected in so many of the faces in the courtyard filled me with a sense of pride. We could have easily ignored the civilians. We could have opted to do nothing to protect them. But as Myrin had once said, this was as much of a rescue mission as it was a war.
The next hour felt like a blur.
I felt like I was on autopilot in a frozen state of numbness as I spoke to humans and vampyres alike.
Those from Malakai’s empire seemed to fear asking questions about their families and villages at first, so I did my best to comfort them, wishing nothing more than to provide them with the peace of mind that they were more than likely safe.
That had been the easy part. The hardest part, the part that threatened to shatter my icy walls, was watching how many children were carried away for a proper burial. I stared at the accumulating bodies, forcing myself to come to terms with the price of war.
A shaky breath left me, and I felt my knees going weak with the weight of everything that had happened today.
“Kyella.” Kolvar blocked my view of the courtyard. My men had been aiding in the efforts to organize the chaos, but it didn’t surprise me that one of them appeared the very moment I felt as if I couldn’t go on.
“I’m fine,” I promised, in a soft whisper.
“You aren’t,” Elijah hissed, appearing next to him as Dakath wrapped an arm around my waist. I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head, teeth bared as he emphasized, “You are not. Fucking. Fine.”
The sensation of numbness, the one that had kept me going faded quickly as I stood, surrounded by the men I loved.
Images of everything that had occurred flashed through my mind, from the bloodshed and destruction in the capital, the fear in the villager’s expressions, to everything I had learned from Lazarus of what had happened to my mother. Of the fate that had befallen her.
I hadn’t realized I was crying until I was wrapped in Kolvar’s arms. Emotion overwhelmed me, and the world around me began to go hazy through the veil of my tears. I choked down a hiccupping breath as Kolvar began pulling away from the courtyard.
Moments later, I stood in a large communal bathroom, nose stuffy and breaths shaky as Elijah helped me remove my armor. I sniffled and lurched, unsteady on my feet from the demands of the day.
“Dakath went to find us some fresh clothes while we wash up,” he said, fingers working deftly through the buckles and straps holding my armor in place. “Kolvar is standing guard at the door. I need some of this damn blood off you.”
I nodded in understanding, not able to form actual words, as he silently helped clean off the heavy blood from my face and hair.
When Dakath returned with simple linen clothing, I helped Elijah wash off our armor as Kolvar and him cleaned up.
I moved on autopilot, mind hazy. With a groan, my body drooped, exhaustion hitting me suddenly.
“Fuck, we need to get her somewhere to feed.” Kolvar’s voice was thick with panic as I swayed on my feet. My head spun, stomach revolting at the idea of consuming blood, despite the necessity.
My body was lifted before I could dispute, and I decided to point them in the only direction I could think of to feed and rest for the night. It was the only place I had been able to call my own for so damn long.
My old bedroom.
The space was as simple as I remembered it, the large window showcasing the view of the sea.
With a jolt, I realized it was the very window that had changed everything.
The window that Tristan had pushed me from.
I shook my head with the realization that, while it felt like Tristan had pushed me to my destiny a very long time ago, it hadn’t truly been that long at all.
I crawled onto the bed, my men joining me, and I didn’t hesitate or bother protesting when Kolvar offered his neck to me. I slid onto his lap and buried my fangs into the crook of his neck, knowing that I needed to replenish my strength from the fights and wounds I sustained.
While the war was over, there was still work to be done. I had to be strong enough to not only lead my people, but to lead those of the Thaician Empire toward their new future as well.