Page 52 of House of Darkness (The Fallen Star #1)
ESTRELLA
Idid it. I convinced the war countess to back Roman. Her soldiers were among the most brutal and effective killers in the world, capable of swaying the outcome of the coming war. It was the most significant thing I had ever achieved.
Snow danced from the sky in fluffy clumps, peppering my furry jacket, a gift from Ylva.
I wouldn’t need it once we crossed the mountains, but it was essential until then.
I shuddered, not from the cold but from the weight of the moment.
On a rickety platform of frostbitten wood, Roman stood to my right, clad in similar furs and leather.
Ylva stood beside him, her armor barely covering her legs and chest, her torso still painfully visible in the glistening light.
We stood shoulder to shoulder, overlooking the largest gathering of vampires I had ever seen.
Lumbering men and women filled the clearing, armed to the teeth with blades, their chainmail gleaming in the snow.
A brutal anticipation vibrated through the icy air, sending goosebumps crawling up my arms as their stares burned into their countess and tsar, like well-trained hounds poised to lunge.
Roman squeezed my hand before dropping it to step forward.
His wings were tucked away against the cold, but his presence was intimidating nonetheless.
His powers unfurled like ink against the snow, spilling over the dais and those gathered beneath him.
Muscles rippled under the thick fabric of his Fj?llr?v furs and leathers, and the helmet he wore, adorned with the snarling teeth of a fox, echoed the fangs he bared.
I knew he had battled over what to say that would convince these warriors to lay down their lives for this cause. My breath hitched as I awaited the most important speech I’d likely ever hear.
“Let there be no mistake, vampires and vampiresses. Today, we march toward war. We march toward bloodshed that will soak the very grounds of this country. Many of us will march for the last time, and those destined not to return will find honor and glory on foreign soil.”
A rumble of approval coursed through the crowd. Fj?llr?v customs revered those who fell in battle above all else, closely followed by acolytes who died in childbirth. Any Fj?llr?v vampire aspired to die in battle, to be immortalized as a hero by their House.
“This war is not about who sits on the throne. If it were, I would gladly step aside to save my fellow soldier. This war is for progress itself. It’s about finding community and ending the senseless violence so we, and our children, might know peace and prosperity.
So we all can find happiness, regardless of status.
This isn’t about humans versus vampires; it’s about removing the leeches that hold us back so we can heal. Together.”
Silence fell after he finished, broken only by the clouds of icy breath escaping the warriors’ mouths.
Then, it happened. One soldier raised their battle axe high and roared, the sound cutting through the crisp air and settling in my bones.
One by one, soldiers followed suit, raising their weapons and chanting words that were foreign, yet I understood completely.
They were ready for honor, death, and bloodshed.
The thunder of footsteps over frozen ground echoed like a drumbeat to their chanting symphony, reverberating through my soul, bringing warmth to my fingertips. Roman bared his teeth in a smile and then struck his armored chest with his fist.
“Lead the charge, Your Highness,” Ylva urged. An air of confidence enveloped her, as though she were truly in her element.
Roman shook his head. “I’ll have to ride with my acolyte. She won’t be able to keep up and doesn’t know how to ride a horse. Lead your soldiers, Ylva.”
She dipped her head and leaped into the crowd, her soldiers parting to grant her access to the front. I turned to Roman, my brows furrowing. “They won’t be on horses?”
He smiled back. “They’re faster on foot.”
With that, a sable horse was brought forward. Roman lifted me effortlessly and placed me in the deep-set saddle from our vantage point on the platform before slipping in behind me. “You can lead the army, Roman. I can figure this out.”
His hands gripped my thighs as he shifted, his length pressing against my backside. Heat rushed to my cheeks at the contact, even through the thick furs. “I quite like it here,” he purred, his breath tingling against my ear. He pressed a kiss to my neck, silencing any remaining argument I had.
Ylva reached the front and faced her army.
With a cat-like yowl, she turned and began to jog.
Weapons clanged against one another as the unit followed their countess’ lead, surging across the frostbitten ground like an avalanche of metal, furs, and fangs, moving with shocking speed.
Roman clicked his tongue, urging the horse forward, and the animal broke into a brisk trot to keep pace with the vampires surrounding us, its nervous whinnies and harsh panting filling my ears.
With each shuddered step, we closed in on the violence to come, a brutal satisfaction built within me at the promise of death to those who had wronged me.