Chapter 33
MAX
It’s been days and still no letter.
Gnawing on my bottom lip, I pace the office—the queen’s office. When I was first led here, the whole room had been covered in sheets and a thick layer of dust. I didn’t expect much, but once the covers were thrown away and the room cleaned, I could see the allure.
The wide windows face the garden and when open, the scents of the parrot tulips fill the room. With a lush red carpet, black lacquered desk and elegant armchair, it’s stately, refined but no overwhelming displays of wealth.
Tiredly, I fix the few items on the desk—the ink well and quill—before returning to my pacing. The letter was a big risk—I hadn’t spoken to them in sometime. But my mother had said to trust in my allies. They had been my only ones for so long.
A shout from the garden pulls me away, and I look down as a maid holds a tiny ball of flame in her hands. Nothing more than to light a candle wick, she screams and shouts, a few guards coming to her aid. She’ll be alright, it’s becoming common now.
Magic is returning to the world. Fae, whose ancestors once had magic and would’ve passed it on to them, are developing rapidly.
Most are gaining fire magic here. Mal’s contacts in the Woodland Kingdom, someone who remains loyal, informed us just yesterday that a few Lord’s daughters had begun controlling plants and making flowers bloom.
Baris just smiled, pleased.
It’s still so odd to me. I started this. My love for Kaden, my determination to not let him go, fractured Neith’s curse and allowed magic to return. With Aoife’s death, it opened up, returning magic to our land.
I see it outside. The red sands glitter like jewels instead of the dullness from before. The air is sweeter and more vibrant. Baris claims that Seti is happy with the development—the world has been set right.
All that’s left is to handle Griffin and his Humans.
Not all Humans are bad, no. But Griffin and his horde were corrupted by Aoife. Her influence still runs through them and they will stop at nothing to take and destroy, much like they did during the days of The Great War.
I won’t let the world get to that point again. The Shadowlands and the Dark Fae will be the shield to the rest of the world once more, and we will end it before it begins.
Fee walks into the office, boots thudding on to the floor.
I open my mouth to ask, but she shakes her head. “Nothing yet. But we need you for the oil.”
The burning bush oil is tricky to handle. Only Baris and I are well versed in how to harvest it and have it stashed in various jars. Fee is the key to it all.
Grabbing my cloak, I walk with the princess to the main gates, Kaden and the rest of our group there. We’re all dressed for war. We know after this assault, we’ll be opening ourselves up to a return attack.
We spent the better part of the last few days preparing.
The villages in the path of the upcoming battle and further back have been evacuated.
The lords’ troops have arrived and were given posts through the castle walls and into the woods.
We have an arsenal ready, with stashes of swords hidden around should we need it.
But we’re still not ready. We know what to do and yet, everything feels heavy.
Kaden rubs my cheek, his gloved hand scratchy. “This will work.”
The world is falling apart, he’s needed to lead and still he’s finding the time to reassure me.
Quietly, I nod and exhale. This will work.
The Coal stallions gallop into the forest. Not quite to the barrier, we keep quiet, the vials in our bags stuffed with linen so as to remain silent.
The party divides up once we reach a few paces from the nearest camp.
A wide path is cut into the trees, with smaller footpaths off of it.
It skirts the magical boundary that keeps the monsters inside, and all paths lead to a section of camps.
Griffin has his men set up in strategic locations. We cannot sneak into the camps without being seen, but that’s not our goal today. We want to surround the camps.
Mal, Fee, and Samkien take the left, whereas Reid, Layla, and Zeke take the right. I grab hold of Layla’s hand, and squeeze. “Stay with them. If you stray too far, a monster will eat you.” It doesn’t feel right having her here, but to leave her at the castle seemed worse.
She smiles softly. “All monsters fall under Nylxa's domain. They won’t touch me.”
I doubt that.
Kaden, Baris, and I head further down the middle path. We all give each other one singular nod. Dump the oils and return to the meeting location. Fee will do the rest.
We walk in silence, and I take extra care not to trip. At the end of the carved path stands a wall of trees, but we know what lies beyond it. Carefully, we step through the brush and hunker down low.
It’s truly amazing what the Humans have built—and terrifying.
White, blue, and red tents are camped down the large hill. Trees overshadow everyone here but the sun shines bright and campfires blaze happily. A few men cheer, and in the far distance, some kept women wash laundry or cook meals.
My stomach clenches in disgust. They’ve not changed at all.
We set to work, dumping the oil quietly and cautiously around the camp. We have to be close enough for the shock and fire to hurt their forces, but not too close to be detected. It’s slow going, and tedious, but when the last vial is empty, we return to the meeting place.
Thank Azure, everyone else is there.
“Everything go well?” Kaden asks, clapping a hand on Reid’s shoulder. He’s holding his side, blood seeping between his fingers.
“A little fight, nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Turning to Fee, I touch her arm. “Your turn.”
She shakes out her hands, shifting her weight. What we’re asking of her is big—and for someone so new to magic, it’s nearly impossible. But it’s the only way to set it off without being caught in the crossfire.
Mal grabs her hand and I slap my fist to Kaden as he growls in warning. Now is not the time for the protective big brother shit.
“You can do this,” he murmurs, seemingly for her ears only. She glances into his eyes, a vulnerability passing there not usually seen on Fee. But it’s beautiful, and I find myself biting back a smile. “Just concentrate. Use what we went over.”
“You think I can do this?” she asks, rare nerves showing.
I can’t help the smile now, even as Kaden snorts and Reid widens his eyes in shock. Having brothers is the worst.
“I know you can.”
He lifts her hand, mere breaths from his mouth when a voice whispers from behind us. I turn, lowering my shields and hear the beating of drums. They’re not close, but they will be here soon.
“If you could stop wooing my sister, now would be the time to finish the plan,” Kaden mutters, pulling me and shoving Reid to the far trees. Zeke and Samkien helps us hide, covering us with their bodies and swords. Only Fee stands in the middle, a warrior who will end this.
The flames grow in her hands, a dragon of fire, and she exhales, pushing it higher. It gets bigger, longer, until it circles in a ring. Transfixed, my mouth parts in awe at her ability.
Then with a flick of her wrist, she sends it out into the world.
The oil ignites and there’s a pause before a boom rocks the earth. The trees shatter closest to the impact and the branches over us sway with the release.
Gripping to Kaden, I hold tight, burying my head. Mal wraps Fee back, pressing of their bodies to a trunk.
Then, the yelling.
All shouts of anger, confusion, and pain fill the air, screaming to the Gods for help. We don’t bother to check, but run through the brush to find the horses. The plan rests on us getting back to our army as soon as possible to fight their assault.
At least now, we should be more even.
Before we reach the horses, soldiers stumble onto the path, cutting us off. They glare, holding swords and daggers of silver malice, skin covered in blood from the blast. Within moments, the path is crowded as they escape the flames and I gasp.
In the far back, Griffin sits on a white horse.
“He’s here,” Kaden mutters, turning to take a blade. The melee is wild, and chaotic, as the soldiers recognize us and begin to swing their swords.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. We weren’t prepared for this.
Zeke and Samkien spilt up, each protecting our flanks, but we quickly have to pull our weapons to survive. If we want to make it back, we have to hack our way through.
I have a better plan.
Releasing my shields, I let my magic rise with the beating of their hearts. They hammer into my skull, tiny drums that tap-tap-tap with an odd familiar quality.
Not stopping to think about it, I raise my fingers, stained red and disjointed and seek out the nearest heart. It pops, like compressing a snail, and I spin, dodging another blade while I crush their heart. Then the next. And the next.
I don’t stop, not until blood runs down my cheeks and I sway on my feet. Samkien is there, catching me as my knees give out and he calls for Kaden.
My husband drops beside me, Baris standing overhead. He’s quite capable with a sword.
“You used too much,” he says, wiping my face.
I shake my head. “Not enough.”
More soldiers come and all three men swing their weapon to keep them away. A flare of light in the distance shoots through the air, Fee blasting Humans back.
“We can’t win like this,” Baris shouts, shoving a man away. “We need to retreat.”
“I’m aware of that, Baris.” Kaden’s shadows spiral out, knocking into men, capturing some into their endless darkness, never to be seen again. “But getting through seems to be the problem.”
“Whatever we decide, we must do it quickly,” Samkien says, twirling to intercept a sword. He parries and punches the Human, kicking him back.
Kaden nods, mind made up. I sway and he holds me against his side. “Stay close. I’ll keep us covered as long as I can. We’ll push our way out.”