“If
you come between Brie and me, then be prepared to kill me,” Samuel growled, a
deep primal sound.
“Relax,”
I said through clenched teeth. “I won’t lie to you. I crave Brie, but I’m not a
king from the ancient times. I would never kill a queen’s mate and make her
mine through force.”
“Good.”
Samuel backed up. “Then maybe you can touch her again. If that is what she
craves.”
She will.
“What’s
number two?” I asked as Samuel rushed off farther into the forest.
He
laughed. “I think it’s better if I showed you. Yen delivered me a message when
we finished…attending to my queen.”
“And
what did it say?”
We
arrived at the end of the forest toward the place where the mages had mounted
in defense hours before. Samuel pointed forward. My stomach dropped to my feet.
“The
Quiet King arrived.”
“And
my brother has brought friends.” I sighed.
A
dark silhouette of hundreds upon hundreds of vampires shielded in thick leather
and wielding swords flanked the border of mage territory and vampire land. A
mile lay between us. I could not make out too much detail. Yet I knew for sure
that masks covered their faces—the ones that vampires wore when they battled
during the day. Wagons rested behind them and probably held more armor and
swords.
“It
seems the feast will have to be cut short.” My hands shook.
A
bulky frame hovered above all of the royal battalion. It was a vampire. His
massive hooves dragged in the air. Even in the shadow of night, I spotted the
outline of huge muscles and gigantic horns. He floated on evil with wicked
blood flowing through his body.
“Hello,
dear brother.” I pushed my fangs out of my gums.
“How
long do you think he’s been in his king’s form?” Samuel flexed his hands and
cracked his neck back and forth.
“There
was word in the city he was far out by the elfkin. If that was true, then he
should have approached from the north of mage territory. Not here from the
south. Which means he went to his caste and most likely checked on Phinova’s
corpse.”
“How
do you think he got here so soon?”
“Your
scent and hoof prints were all over his castle. He tracked you.” I watched as
Nai’s body floated back and forth over his troops’ heads. “He’ll come for us
sometime during the day. He knows we’re in the camp and can’t come out during
the day, which means he doesn’t want to fight us.”
“Do
you think he knows you’re here, too?”
“He’s
more familiar with my scent than his own. We’re twins, after all.”
“He’s
never been able to pass over into mage territory.”
“That’s
what the hundreds of men are for.” I centered my view on the lines of wagons
behind the hundred soldiers. “I bet the wagons have more men. The mage will
burn these troops and stab their hearts with sticks. While they’re busy, he’ll
come over.”
“You
know your brother well.”
“No.”
I shook my head. “I know my father. These are his tactics. Nai has never
improved or expanded. I’ve heard descriptions of all his battles. They mimic my
dad’s. We were made to study our father’s war movements most of our prince
years in the hopes that we would take his place in future wars.”
Samuel
glanced my way. “Then what should we do?”
“Get
the Ground Mover to give us a spell or enchantment so that we can fight during
the day. He’ll be unprepared.”
Chapter Fourteen
~Brie
The
war had gone on for hours. Magic exploded in the sky with thunderous booms and sparks
of vibrant yellows, blues, and greens. It thickened the air so much I covered
my nose with my arms to not choke on all the enchantments.
“Go
ahead. Don’t be afraid, little ones.” I helped mage children onto wagons. A few
pregnant mage gazed off into the distance, hoping to catch a view past the
forest to where the war persisted. Their husbands and fathers fought while they
raced to the wagons for safety. Surely, it was a hard choice to make, but a
necessary one.
“It
will work out.” I gently took a young mother’s hand as she carried a baby against
her chest. Green silk swaddled the baby as she suckled on her mother’s breast.
“Come. Men and women fight the Quiet King for us, so that we can live free
lives without fear. Don’t let this all be for nothing.”
My
words motivated many to climb onto all of the wagons. Tears painted their
faces, old and young, men and women. Terror and dread swam in their eyes.
Probably without meaning to, waves of magic radiated from their bodies and
rattled my teeth.
“Queen,
I believe everyone is in the wagons.” Tote slid the door I was near closed.
“You need to get on the first one with Leeta and Olivia so we can leave.”
“I’m
not going.” I stomped off to my horse and touched my leather pants to make sure
my dagger remained.
“N-no.
The Horned King gave me strict orders to—”
“Go
on, Tote. Get these mage and dominas to the north and far away to safety.”
“But,
your majesty…”
I
paused, turned to him, and embraced him. “My kings are out there, so that’s
where I’ll be. Leave. This isn’t your fight. When I see you again, we’ll laugh
about this as we smoke Zumayan mushrooms and drink bitter wine, but for now,
you must go.”
Tote
hugged me back. Tears glistened in his eyes. “I haven’t served you long. It was
barely two days. However, I’ll never forget you three. I will pray to Ambi and
Ressi for all of your safety.”
“Thank
you.” I released him, ran off, and got on my horse.
I’d
overheard the Ground Mover talking to Ian and Samuel as he painted a magical
paste on their bare skin. They all remained in a room with the door cracked
open a few inches. The magical paste was brown goo with specks of silver. It
coated their whole bodies as they stood in their kings’ forms. They both
boasted big hooves, yet Ian’s were tan-brown and Samuel’s solid black. Horns
decorated their heads—Samuel’s polished obsidian curved back with sharp tips
while Ian’s light brown horns twisted over and over as they curved back. They
both possessed gigantic muscular forms. At another time my body would’ve melted
into gushing need at the sight of those large frames and the thick cocks that
hung between their thighs. Not this time. Today was war. It was the final
moment to decide the rest of our lives.
“Where
the glitter birds rest and the sun doesn’t shine in the forest.” My horse
trotted as I repeated the Ground Mover’s words out loud. He’d told Ian and
Samuel to go that place. I figured it would be a dark area in the forest close
to where the birds had flown over.
“We’re
going to fight the vampires with no mercy until midday,” Ground Mover said.
“We’ll burn as many as many as we can and send sticks up in the air to rain
down on all his flanks, but when the sun lowers to the mid-point of the sky,
that is when we will fall back. Then you rise from the earth and come. I’ll
have a boulder in the sky hovering over the Quiet King. By then I should know
his location.”
“And
will your mage attack us, being that we wear horns and hooves?” Samuel kneeled
so Ground Mover could pour the goo over his head.
“You
wear the sign of Ressi right now.” Ground Mover snapped his fingers and
clucked. The silver in the brown paste gleamed and sparkled on their bodies.
“When you run into the sun all of my people will recognize that you are with
us.”
“How
long can we be in the sun without burning?” Ian observed the glittering effect
on his arms.
“You
have two hours. After that, your skin will burn.”
“Then
let’s go tell our queen.” Ian headed to the doorway. I tiptoed away.
My
horse and I raced through the forest. “Where the glitter birds rest and the sun
doesn’t shine in the forest.”
I
lifted my view to the sky, searching for nests or glitter birds on the
branches. Sunlight peeked through the forest’s tree-topped ceiling. A gleam of
light appeared to the right. I snapped my attention in that direction. Golden
nests lounged several feet ahead, right on the edge of the forest where the war
occurred. I jumped off my horse and raced that way. Warm, wet soil smoothed
against my feet. I sank a little with each step that hit the ground.
A
dusty fog lurked ahead and hovered over the whole field. Roars and screams,
clucking and grunts, ripping noise, and the cracking of bones and swords all
sounded on the battlefield. Several feet closer, the forest opened to war and
death. I placed my hand over my nose at the stench of smoke from burning
vampire flesh. The metallic scent of blood also saturated the area. Mangled
bodies covered the ground. Decapitated mage heads lay next to vampire heads
being cooked to a crisp by the sun. Torn arms entwined with ripped-out legs.
Rocks
and clumps of dirt rained in the sky and added to the obscure view. Sticks with
sharpened edges traveled in the air, targeting vampires on the other side. I
managed to see some mage in their beaded garb or wolf cloth, green slick suits,
and even floating strips of white now was dirtied with blood and pain. They
battled hard and with no restraint, wielding sticks, rocks, air that whipped
vampires off their feet, and huge bubbles of water that encased vampires’ faces,
snatching their breath away.
I
yanked out my dagger and stepped onto the field, trying not to tread on the
dead. It was impossible. On every inch of space laid corpses. No grass or soil
to place my feet could be seen. On the battlefield, clouds of smoke and dust
floated over all the fighting like a foggy ceiling. The haze blocked out the
sun. But even with the distorted view, I observed that the sun hung in the
middle of the sky, signaling it was midday.
Where are you, Ian and Samuel?
I thought back to Ground Mover’s promise that he’d make sure a boulder followed
the Quiet King around so they can see. A boulder materialized half a mile
ahead. I rushed toward it.
Hands
seized me and dragged me back.
“Blasted
woman!” Samuel roared. I turned his way. He looked like some sort of mud
monster with horns and dirt-smothered hooves. “You’re supposed to be safe in
the wagons heading away from here.”
“Why?”
I struggled out of his grip. “Women are fighting out here today. The only
people on the wagons are pregnant women, children, sick, and the old. Are you
saying I’m one of them?”
“You
may be pregnant.”
That
caught me by surprise. I almost stumbled back. “I don’t think I am.”
“I’m
sure of it. I’ve planted my seed enough to put hundreds of babies in your
belly.”
My
mouth dropped open. “Are you trying to breed with me?”
“Does
it matter now, blasted woman? We’re in a war!” He sneered as Ian approached
decorated in even more mud.
“Ambi
and Ressi say if we unite, we’ll conquer all.”
“We
united last night—”
“Quiet,
Samuel. And just stay between us, Brie.” Ian tugged me his way. “I’m not
surprised you’re here. I’m only shocked it took you so long. You don’t listen
to anyone. I didn’t think you’d start today.”
“Blasted
queen.” Samuel grunted. “I’ll be worried about you the whole time.”
“You
would’ve been worried regardless.”
Ian
laughed. “He’s been whining the whole time, stressed about you.”
I
got between them. “And were you worried?”
“Only
that you wouldn’t find us.”
“Then
let’s go.”
They
rushed off. I followed, keeping their pace and stepping on dead bodies. The
symbols on my body brightened and illuminated the area. The closer we
approached, the clearer the Quiet King’s image became. Dressed in a leather
mask and uniform, he flew above everyone. Every now and then he slashed his
hands into the air and someone would scream.
So much power. Can we beat him?
Many
mage surrounded him, trying as much as they could to beat him, but the Quiet
King remained above them. We neared. Sticks flew his way and bounced off him.
Water splashed to the side, avoiding his masked face. He roared and sliced his
hand into the air. All the mage around him collapsed back from the invisible
impact. Their bodies crashed to the ground. Dirt and rocks lifted in the air
and then dropped back onto them.
“Look
at his legs.” Ian clamped his hand onto my wrist as we sped up. “They’re still
limp and dangling. He still can’t walk. What’s holding him up?”
“Evil?”
Samuel asked through clenched teeth.
“No
evil I know.” Ian shook his head. “If wicked magic could make people fly, many
would dabble in dark magic. No. Someone or something is keeping him above
ground. Let’s go around him.”
We
darted between fighting bodies. Some bumped into us. Heads flew by me. Blood
and mud sprayed on my skin. I rushed with my kings with no time to wipe my
face. My legs burned. My feet ached. I gritted my teeth and pushed on.