Chapter 4 #2
I allowed the power to surge through me once more.
It jolted my muscles, tightening them and making them twitch from the intense charge.
I had to clench my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering and lower my lids to slits because the waning sun on the horizon blinded my now-sensitive vision.
The magic and wrath coursing through me were so strong that it made it hard to concentrate.
I forced myself to focus on taking hold of as many dark elves as possible.
To my dismay, I sensed well over a hundred within our proximity.
Jax should have warned us about an ambush of this scale.
Had something happened to him? I didn’t have time to dwell on that question as I immobilized as many of the enemy as possible, stretching my abilities far more than ever before.
By the time I hit the maximum I could grasp with my mind, I controlled sixty-three of them.
Loden and the Frostdar fought the rest that could still move.
I was stretched too thin to break that many necks simultaneously, since their resistance to such a tactic would be too great, and obliterating their heads would require far more power than that.
Instead, I focused on their hearts. Those proved easier, though the deaths would be less spectacular.
The god who fueled me enjoyed gruesome displays, but my logical side prevailed, aiming for greater numbers.
I wanted as many of my grandfather and uncle’s soldiers dead as possible.
The dark elves’ army would learn to fear me.
I wanted their terror to spread so much that whispering my name made them wonder if I’d appear to slaughter them right then and there.
A raw shout escaped my lips as I sent a massive wave of power through them all at once.
It was so strong that it distorted the light and air around me.
That vital organ inside them, which they needed to survive, exploded.
The surge I’d sent was more substantial than anticipated as their chests burst open, spraying blood everywhere.
As their bodies collapsed to the ground, I fell to my knees and braced myself on my hands as I panted through the agony coursing through me.
The magic felt as if it had ripped my insides to shreds on its way out.
It was unlike anything I’d felt before. In the back of my mind, the God of Wrath laughed with pleasure.
Of course, he’d approved of the massacre.
With my power nearly depleted, I could finally feel calmer, and the deity’s glee over the slaughter of hearts slowly faded.
The fighting continued to rage from every direction, but the Frostdar had formed a circle around me, so I was protected.
Once I caught my breath and the pain eased a fraction, I watched in awe as the bluish-gray warriors fought with impressive tenacity.
They’d coated their swords in a sheen of frost and sliced through their foes despite the elves’ tough armor.
Some had even formed thick ice shields and used them to block blades and magic spells.
Neither the males nor the females hesitated to take on enemy after enemy, rarely faltering even when injured.
They showed unmatched grace and power. I had met with the Frostdar quite a few times over the years and had seen them fight in duels, but this was something else.
They were so fierce that I could hardly look away.
I was also impressed with Loden for his part in the battle.
He used his light powers to handle the dark elves standing on the roofs above, attempting to hit us with magic spells.
My half-elf, half-druid companion shot beams of light that cut through them, so they fell dead in two halves.
Sometimes, one or both ends plummeted to the ground to land on one of our enemies, stalling their advance in a rather gruesome manner.
By the time I regained complete control of my body and no longer felt like a thousand needles stabbed my muscles, all our attackers were dead. I’d hated that I could only watch, but taking out over half of the soldiers in one swift strike had been all I could manage.
Bindthor strode toward me and helped me to my feet. “The magic you are using is dangerous, but I can’t say I’m not grateful for it right now. We’d all be dead, otherwise.”
He knew how to cut to the heart of the matter.
“I would have avoided it if possible,” I said, letting go of his meaty hand.
He shook his head in regret, brushing his long, navy hair against his shoulders. “The last I heard, the princess and her daughter are in the castle, but I’m not certain if Lord Jacthor returned from Porrine before the attack. He dropped his son off there shortly after dawn for a visit.”
He spoke of the princess’ husband and their firstborn child.
I stilled. “Did they go by portal or horseback?”
“They left through the portal, but ours has been misbehaving the last few days. It only opens from our end. We’ve been waiting for someone to come look at it and find out what is wrong.
” He kept a watchful gaze around us, and I did the same.
“The lord intended to ride back and return by mid-afternoon, but I didn’t see him before the dark elves attacked us. ”
I swore under my breath and turned from him as I fought to control a fresh wave of anger. They’d unknowingly delivered the next in line to the throne after Prince Armin to the enemy. I hadn’t been aware that the eighteen-year-old boy would be there, or I would have looked for him as well.
“What? What is it?” Bindthor asked.
Taking a deep breath, I turned back around and met his gaze.
“Karganoth invaded Porrine about two hours after dawn. Apparently, it happened so fast that they managed to overwhelm the palace guard and kill the king and queen. I arrived in the early afternoon to chaos and barely managed to save the prince.”
Horror filled his icy, white eyes. “If they attacked there sooner, why didn’t we hear about it?”
“I wasn’t in the city when it happened. From what I understand, some sebeskas were sent out, but most were intercepted.
One made it to Raumandia, but the soldiers they sent to help were met with an overwhelming force.
” I shook my head. “I barely managed to save the few who hadn’t been slaughtered yet and give them a chance to escape. ”
Bindthor let out a growl and paced before me.
The rest of the Frostdar were taking a moment to catch their breath and patch fresh wounds.
As much as I wanted to hurry, I also needed a few minutes to recuperate.
I was starting to feel the God of Wrath’s power resurging inside me, and knew I had little time before it would take over again.
For some reason, he was pushing it into my body more than ever before.
It called for chaos and death. I needed to discuss as much as I could before it became difficult to think clearly.
“Is the prince safe now?” Bindthor asked.
I gave him a curt nod. “Yes.”
He searched my gaze, likely trying to interpret what I meant by that, before sighing. “But you know nothing of Zelthor?”
He referred to Princess Lillian’s son. “I didn’t see him or know to look for him, or I would have. The prince didn’t mention him being there, but perhaps he missed his arrival since he was out hunting this morning.”
Bindthor grimaced. “They weren’t supposed to arrive until this evening, but my lord decided to leave early. I don’t know why, except he’d received a missive last night that changed his plans.”
Could that have been a setup as well? Had the dark elves hoped to get as many of the royal family in one place at the same time as possible?
The answers didn’t matter at the moment.
My body was beginning to hum again as the God of Wrath’s magic surged inside me once more, clouding my thoughts of anything except action and battle. He was an impatient deity.
But just then, Jax appeared before us, heaving and out of breath.
“I’m sorry, Dare.” He wheezed. “One of the dark elves saw me through the invisibility spell, and they chased me. I didn’t manage to lose them and make my way back until a few minutes ago.”
I ran an irritated hand through my hair.
Of course, Karganoth would have had someone with the ability to do that within their forces.
I should have considered it. More than likely, they had one or two who could move without being seen as well, and that was how they ambushed us.
I wished I’d had the foresight to bring the clarity stone, but it sat in my room in Crystal Castle.
There’d been no chance to return home since I left to rescue my wife last night.
“Did you manage to see how many forces they have around Lavender Castle?” I asked.
He nodded, sucking in another breath. “At least five hundred.”
Frustrated murmurs surrounded me. Even with my boosted power, I couldn’t handle that many.
I’d have to resort to teleporting, but even then, there were protections on the lord’s home to prevent that since it was a known ability among highborn dark elves in my mother’s family line.
There was one place they’d left open for me in case of an emergency.
It was located at the back of the keep in a spot no one would think to go.
I’d still have to attempt entering the castle, where most guards wouldn’t recognize me. Still, I had little choice.
“All of you need to leave the city immediately,” I said, running my gaze across the group.
“Jax, Loden, take the Frostdar back to our arrival point. Bindthor, if you come across any more of your soldiers along the way, bring them as well. I will meet you with the princess and her daughter soon. They’ll need all the protection they can get. ”
The three of them were aware that I could teleport and had been sworn to secrecy, but I no longer had the luxury of hiding my ability. Vital lives would be lost if I didn’t use it now.
Under normal circumstances, I couldn’t move two people with me at once, but so much power surged through me that I felt confident I could do it easily now.
The problem would be how long I could keep going afterward.
My body could only handle so many surges before I would have to rest. So far, I could cope with the discomfort, and I’d keep going until I couldn’t anymore.
Whatever it took to complete the duty I’d promised to our fallen monarch.
He’d put his trust in me, and that meant something.
“We’ll meet you there,” Loden promised. The others nodded their agreement.
I would be alone from this point forward, but I promised myself I would not fail.