Page 26 of Off with Her Head
"Alert the army. Prepare the blood sigils for defensive configuration. Send word to Commander Lysander to mobilize all available forces." Her voice is calm but commanding, that of a strong ruler.
Chapter
Ten
RAVENNA
Blood magic flows through the very stones of Darkmore as I activate the castle's defensive sigils. Ancient symbols carved generations ago pulse with crimson light, responding to my will. Walls that appeared merely decorative now reveal their true purpose—not just barriers of stone and mortar, but magical fortifications designed to repel invasion.
Beside me, Scarlett watches with focused fascination as I press my bleeding palm to sigil after sigil, awakening protections dormant since the last great war. "Your entire castle is a weapon," she observes, those green-blue eyes tracking the ripple of magic spreading through Darkmore's structure.
"A sanctuary first," I correct her. "A weapon only when necessary."
The distinction matters. Unlike Underland, where power displays are constant and theatrical, Darkmore conceals its strength until needed. We value subtlety, efficiency, purposeful revelation rather than constant demonstration. Our magic, like our nature, remains hidden until circumstances demand its emergence.
And emerge it has. From the highest tower to the deepest foundation, blood sigils now pulse with defensive energy.Shadows thicken along the walls, transforming from mere absence of light into a semi-solid barrier. Windows that allowed the perpetual twilight to filter in now darken, the glass becoming as impenetrable as iron. Even the roses in the Blood Tree's greenhouse extend their thorns, preparing to defend the castle's magical core.
I feel each activation through my connection to Darkmore, each pulse of power demanding its price in blood and will. The strain would normally leave me weakened, especially with the lingering effects of Mara's corruption still in my system. But Scarlett's magic flows alongside mine.
Together, we are more than either of us could ever be alone.
Commander Lysander enters the throne room where we've established our command center, his face grim but composed. Unlike the extravagant throne rooms of Underland, Darkmore's seat of power is functional—a circular chamber of black stone with a throne of obsidian at its center, blood sigils carved into the floor in patterns that channel magical energy toward any who sit there.
"The first wave approaches the outer wall, My Queen," he reports, bowing to me before acknowledging Scarlett with a respectful nod. Time for proper formality has evaporated in the face of imminent attack. He hesitates, something I've rarely seen in this man trained since childhood to face Darkmore's various threats without flinching. "The Ironwood legion. There’s something wrong, Your Majesty. As if something has remade them from the inside out."
"Mara is poisoning them," Scarlett says, moving to stand beside me at the strategy table where a map of Darkmore and its surroundings has been laid out. Black markers indicate our forces; white markers designate the approaching enemy.
"How many?" I ask Lysander, calculating our odds. Darkmore's forces have always been smaller than Underland's card army or Ironwood's iron-clad legions.
"At least five hundred, perhaps more." Lysander gestures to the western approach. "They've divided into three units—the main force advancing directly toward the castle and smaller contingents circling to the north and south to prevent escape or reinforcement."
A solid strategy. If we were alone, if we were merely Darkmore facing an external threat, I might be concerned. But we are not alone. Not anymore.
"Your shadow-warriors," Scarlett says, studying the map. "They can move through darkness itself, yes? Appear where the enemy least expects?"
Lysander glances at me, seeking permission to share military secrets with a foreign queen. But those distinctions seem increasingly meaningless. I nod, granting approval.
"Yes, Queen of Hearts. The elite among our forces can step between shadows, emerging some distance away. But only within the borders of Darkmore, where the sky provides sufficient darkness."
"And the crystal weapons interfere with this ability?"
"To some extent," he admits. "They don't prevent shadow-walking entirely, but they make it more difficult, more dangerous. A warrior might emerge half-formed, or in the wrong location, or unable to return to corporeal form at all."
Scarlett nods, absorbing this information. Then she surprises both Lysander and me by pushing aside the traditional markers and placing her hands directly on the map. Magic flows from her fingers, red energy spreading across the parchment.
The map comes alive beneath her touch. Miniature versions of Edmund's forces appear, moving in real-time toward the castle. Tiny crystal weapons glow with sickly light, corruptedcreatures shamble alongside iron-clad soldiers. But most remarkably, I can see threads of magic connecting them all—thin filaments of energy leading back toward a central source somewhere beyond the map's edge.
"Mara is controlling them," Scarlett explains, her eyes glowing with heart magic. "Not directly commanding each soldier, but influencing the crystals, which in turn guide the troops. It's a network, a web with her at its center."
I lean closer, fascinated by the display of magic I've never witnessed before. Where my magic allows me to see possible futures, it seems her magic can reveal the present in extraordinary detail.
"Can you see where she is?" I ask, searching the map for my sister's location.
Scarlett shakes her head. "She's beyond the range of this map. But I can see the flow leads westward, toward Ironwood. She's directing this attack remotely, through the crystals."
"If we can disrupt those connections," Lysander begins, his strategic mind immediately grasping the implications, "we might be able to break her control over the legion."
"Precisely." Scarlett looks up at me, our eyes meeting in shared understanding. "The crystals act as conduits for her dark magic. But our united power might be able to interfere with the signal, perhaps even reverse it."
