To the left of Theron’s legions, Valerian’s flight of dragons stands in clusters—men so big, they dwarf the Fae on their right by at least a foot, with fierce expressions and keenly watchful eyes. The various clusters exhibit different emotions. The oldest, most battle-hardened dragons are easiest to spot by their calculated indifference and the focus they’re applying to their weapons. The youngest, with less battle experience, stand out with their spikes of excitement and nervousness. Most of the dragons are ready, but two distinct clusters catch my eyes. Instead of anticipation, contempt shadows their faces, mainly when they look at Valerian. They’re big, battle ready men, which means they can back up the trouble they bring. I narrow my eyes. I guess I’ll have to speak to this group of assholes before we head into battle. The last thing we need is internal conflict rising up on the battlefield from some cocky little shits who think they should be leading the dragons. I signal to Valerian to meet us in the middle.
A murmur arises from the dragons and the Fae when Fallon arrives with his father’s league of Elven warriors. Fallon’s warriors are elite soldiers, honed to be lethal from hundreds of battles over the years, and their almost mythical reputation proceeds them. Fallon himself has led them in battle for the last fifteen hundred years, and once the battle begins, they will annihilate everything in their path. They move like a single killing machine with a simple flick of Fallon’s hand. Garrett, a brute of a man and second-in-command, steps to Fallon’s side. They have a few words and clasp arms, then he returns to the Elven warriors, while Fallon walks over to meet us.
“I wasn’t sure your father would agree to send troops,” I admit, looking at Fallon. “He isn’t my biggest fan.”
“He’s…not feeling well these days, so we try not to bother him with too many details,” Fallon explains quietly, his eyes filled with turmoil. “Garrett and I agreed to make the call.”
Nodding my appreciation, I scan the assembled troops and place the call to Vargas, who appears a second later.
“Is everyone ready? It would be best if Astor is on the ground when the troops come through. We don’t want anyone to mistake their entry for an attack,” he suggests.
Before he steps into the portal, Fallon calls out, “Where’s Arden?”
Tensing, I glance at Valerian, Theron, and Fallon before I answer. “I asked her to stay behind. This battle is going to be brutal and bloody. I…we didn’t want her anywhere near it.” I flick a hand between Astor and me. “She agreed.” My phone rings. It’s Lucifer. I’ll call him back when I’m in position. Silence greets me when I glance up. Vargas has a huge grin on his face, but I’m not sure what it means. The reactions from the others are mixed, but we don’t have time to discuss. The phone rings again. Looking at Astor, I raise an eyebrow. “Go.” He steps through the portal.
“Poor delusional bastard,” Vargas murmurs to nobody and everybody. “I’ll take the first group down to meet with Astor, then I’ll come back for the second. Daire’s taking the dragons in from the sky. But we have to hurry. Fae are up first.”
When the Fae assemble in the middle of the field, Vargas waves an arm, and a huge portal appears before them. As one of Lucifer’s trusted commanders, Vargas can lead whole armies into the Underworld. It’s a special power only given to Vargas, Alain, and me. With timing being so critical, all three troops need to be in place within minutes of each other, which is why I enlisted Vargas’ help.
Theron leads his legions into the portal. According to my battle plan, they’ll be flanking the enemy on the right, and Fallon’s warriors will mirror on the left. Astor, leading my small troop, will be center. The dragons will support all three from above. In a triangle formation, we’ll move forward as one, herding the enemy into my father’s soldiers and trapping them between us. They might surrender, but I doubt it. Demons fight viciously when cornered, and if they feel like they’ve got Alain’s backing, they’ll likely fight to the death. I wonder when he’ll decide to join his army. According to Callyx, he’s still with my father.
I open a large portal for the dragons. Whistling, I call for the minokawa. An ancient, gigantic bird-like creature, also called Eater of the Sun, flies through the portal. Golden and beautiful, it’s easily the size of a dragon, with a razor-sharp beak and claws. The dragons collectively draw a breath and step back into a fighting stance, with some fanning out behind and in front of Valerian. I’m surprised but relieved. It’s the first sign the dragons have shown of their willingness to protect their king.
“Before we go through, I want to make something clear. You are to leave your internal bullshit on this plane. It has no place on the battlefield, and I promise you, it will only get you killed. If either Valerian or I see you jeopardize any of our troops with your stupidity, we’ll end you, and you’ll never see home again. Got it?” I stare at each dragon in the two clusters I noticed earlier. One has the grace to be ashamed, but the other only displays defiance.
Valerian turns to his flight and commands, “Change to your dragons now. We go in from above.” He changes swiftly into his dragon. Several dragons inhale sharply at his size, because even among them, he’s the biggest. I watch the two clusters from earlier and notice one particular male scoffing at Valerian. This must be one of his new challengers. He’s going to be a problem.
With a blur, I reach his side and take his throat in my hand. In this form, my strength is superior to his in every way. I hold him down and pull my sword. “I told you to leave the fucking shit at the door. Did you not hear me?” He wheezes, but I only squeeze harder. If he can breathe, my point isn’t going to come across. Cutting off all air, I wait until he’s turning blue. The other dragons move toward me, but Valerian steps in and cuts them off. “I can always tell when someone is too stupid to realize when they have it good. If it were up to me, I’d cut off your head now.” He starts to slowly slide down, my grip the only thing holding him up. It’s a sure sign he’s about to stop breathing. It would be an ideal time to cut off his head. I peer up at Valerian. “Kill him?”
Valerian’s amber eyes narrow on the man. He shakes his head no. I sigh. His generosity only puts the inevitable on hold. This one won’t give up. He knows it, but Valerian is too stubborn to admit it. I release the asshole, and he falls to the ground, coughing and wheezing.
“Hurry up and fucking change! We need to go now,” I growl, pissed off at this delay. I mount the minokawa and watch the rest of them shift. When they’re all ready, including the asshole, I open the portal and wave for them to enter, Valerian leading the charge. I follow up behind them and close the portal. We descend toward the flat rocky ground below us. The troops on the ground look up when we fall into place above them.
Astor will lead my troops, and I’ll command everyone from this vantage point until the battle starts. We brought everyone in about twenty miles out to remain undetected, but we’ll soon be on the outskirts of the battlefield. My mind drifts to Arden for a brief second, content to know she’s safe at The Abbey.
15
ARDEN
As soon as the portal closes behind Daire and Astor, I run to my room to get my armor and weapons. Tearing into the closet, I pull out my armor. It was originally Solandis’ armor, given to her by the light Fae queen, but she rarely goes to battle and handed it down to me. Made of lightweight, nearly impenetrable fabric, it molds to the wearer, protecting every inch of them. This suit even has a hood I can pull over my head to protect every inch, even my eyes. Stripping down, I pull the suit on and activate the magical shield I added to it. Between the fabric and my magic, I should be able to deflect most spells and dampen the impact of any weapons.
My hands shake a little, but I ignore them, focusing instead on the final touches. I add a weapons’ holster to my back for my swords, as well as a couple of thigh holsters for two guns. One shoots tranquilizers and the other regular bullets. Sometimes, if you don’t know how to kill something, putting it to sleep is better than nothing, and these babies work fast.
Rolling my hair into a smooth bun, I pin it down, pull the hood on, then roll it down to cover my entire face. No need to let anyone see me. Plus, it gives me an advantage when enemies turn to face me and find no facial features. Anything to give me an extra second in battle.
If Daire had let me finish my sentence, I’d have told him I’d been in battle. Only a few times, but probably more than most of the enemy. I think it’s sweet he wants to protect me. I do. He’s right—battle is brutal. The first time Vargas took me to battle in the Underworld, I fought hard, and after we won, I went to my tent and cried for hours. It shook me. Blood, limbs, and bodies everywhere. The destruction. The killing. The brutality. And it took me another fifteen years before I could summon the courage to go with Vargas to my second battle, then the next and so forth.
I like fighting, but battle is different. Some aspects appeal to me—the sheer numbers, challenging fighters, the chaos, and the feeling you’re fighting for something instead of just fighting. But the deaths and gore wear on you.
I didn’t ask to go to battle. Vargas insisted. We don’t know what this destiny of mine holds, but he tried to prepare me for everything. And not for the first time, I’m thankful for the experience, especially now, because it means I can help Daire. And Vargas and Callyx. I pick up the phone and text Vargas. Thirty seconds later, I’m stepping out of the portal into an army camp.
Turning in a circle, I eye the chaos around me. Tents are pitched everywhere, and from the beautiful to the grotesque, demons and creatures surround me, rushing around, shouting orders, and pulling on armor and weapons. Some leap on beasts waiting nearby and take off. Others shift into dangerous beasts, snapping and growling, before rushing to the front line. When a hand reaches out and grabs my arm, I lash out.
“Fuck, Arden, stop. It’s me,” Callyx grits out. “Why the fuck are you here? I couldn’t believe it when Vargas texted me to come get you. This one’s going to be bad. Really bad.” He swipes his blond hair out of his eyes. “Come on. Stay close to me and my men.” He takes off swiftly, dragging me behind him, until I jerk my arm out of his hand.
“The… He knows I have a lot of family here, and I couldn’t stay behind when I could help,” I state, being purposely vague in case anyone is listening.
Callyx sighs exasperatedly. “I know, but your family can take care of themselves.” He waits to see if I’m going to argue, but I don’t.
