Page 23 of The Sins of Silas (The Otacian Chronicles #2)

Chapter Twenty-Three

MERRICK

A handful of the Forsmontian guard rushed to the castle’s balcony, readying their bows, and Hendry joined them. Roland and Edmund had rushed to the front of the castle along with Silas, Lena, and Viola to fight at ground level. Elowen was also stationed down below, ready to heal anyone who needed it.

Era stood, chest rising and falling as she covered her mouth, staring out one of the large glass windows. Silas had ordered her to remain inside.

“Era,” I said softly as I tied back my hair. “You ready for some more practice?”

She chewed on her lip, glancing out at the impending army. “Those are my people,” she said quietly. “What kind of princess kills her own soldiers? ”

I gently grasped her shoulder. “I think instead you should be asking yourself, what kind of soldiers would harm their own princess?”

She studied me with uncertainty, and my hand slid down her arm before holding hers I read her.

“I won’t force you to do something you’re uncomfortable with. Ever.” I squeezed her palm as tears filled her eyes. “If you do not wish to fight, find somewhere safe in the center of the castle and wait.”

Leroy rushed forward, ready to descend the steps. “You will not fight, and that’s an order!” he shouted at Emma.

She trudged along anyway. “I will defend my kingdom! I will not sit back when my power could be of help.”

Leroy halted on the steps, his gaze agonized as he took her in. “The children need you, Emma.”

Her lip trembled, but she kept her chin high. “If the kingdom falls, it won’t matter, and you know it,” she whispered.

“I’m fighting too!” Quin announced as he began following them.

Both parents turned around and said, “No!”

“You need to keep your siblings safe,” I interjected, and Quin regarded me with widened eyes. “You’re the best person to defend them if it came down to it.”

I thought of my own sibling. Elowen would be safe at the bottom of the castle.

She had to be.

Quin blinked, then nodded, following his parents’ orders to stay back.

I turned back to Era. “Why don’t you stay with them?” I offered, just as a loud boom filled my senses, causing the building to rattle and us all to stumble. I grasped Era’s arms before she could fall.

“Fuck! They brought catapults,” a guard grumbled. Tears spilled down Era’s cheeks.

“Go,” I insisted. “Go hide.”

Her lip wobbled, and she nodded, escaping somewhere safe.

I rushed out to the balcony, witnessing an influx of Otacians flood in from the damage they caused to the front gate.

Thousands. Thousands .

They planned to overthrow this place.

I held my bow, loosening a breath and closing my eyes as I focused my ice magic on the enchanted weapon. I withdrew an arrow from my quiver, aimed my bow, and took a steadying breath as I aimed for one soldier, then another. Blessedly, this castle was stocked with arrows. So long as they were shot through my bow, ice would encapsulate the tips, making the shot more damaging.

I struck through one, then another, then another. But still, it was hardly a dent in the amount that had come rushing forward.

I gasped as I witnessed Warlocks begin to shift, turning into large mountain lions. Hundreds. They rushed for the surplus of soldiers, their large jaws closing around their torsos, their heads. Some had already been impaled with swords, shifting back into their regular forms before falling limp on the ground.

Regardless of who won this battle, it would be a blood bath.

Taira ran up beside me just as I fired my arrow. "What elemental magic have you acquired?" she asked quickly.

"Only ice."

She nodded. "Same." Her blue eyes slid down to the slaughter below. "I'm going down there. You should come with me. There are still plenty of soldiers that have not made it through their forced entry. If we freeze the hole, we may be able to buy ourselves time to regroup."

"Just the two of us?" I asked nervously. Lena had ice, too, but as I glanced down, my friend was wrapped in fire, shooting her flames at the soldiers who advanced.

Taira's chest rose and fell. "It's our only chance."

I slung my bow back over my shoulder and agreed. I nudged Hendry just as he lowered his bow, his mismatched eyes narrowing at me.

"If Era comes out, let her know I'm down there. In case she's looking for me."

Hendry nodded, and I rushed down the steps with Taira. Already injured Forsmontian soldiers were stumbling in, wishing to be treated by my sister. Sweat dripped down Elowen's forehead as she hurried to heal them. As gifted as my sister was, her magic could still be drained as any Mages’ could.

I can’t worry about that right now.

I bolted to where Edmund and Roland were fighting two Otacian men, and I shot my arm forward, freezing the one in front of Edmund completely, just as Taira shot an ice bolt right into the other's eyeball. He fell back, shrieking in agony as his face dripped red.

"Holy fuck," Roland respired.

Edmund's head shot toward mine. "Thanks, man!"

I offered him a curt nod and resumed my assault, willing the frigid magic to course into my veins. Anytime I used my ice, I thought of my mother. I thought of her final years of life…of how miserable she was. I thought of how skinny she became, having no will to eat.

I thought of the moment I found her body hanging still with a noose tied around her neck.

I allowed that sorrow to run through me, using it as fuel. I bellowed as I struck.

One. Three. Ten. Twenty-four. Thirty-seven.

I killed and killed and killed, and just as Silas had said before, I did it without remorse. I did it to protect. I did it to preserve. Shutting my gift off from feeling the onslaught of horrific emotions around me became easy as I used all my power for my ice.

Taira and I were breathing heavily, weakened from such high magic usage. But we were reaching the opening the Otacians had created, where their soldiers continued to flood in.

"We need to take out the catapult," Taira panted.

My eyes darted to Lena, who was fighting off soldiers with grace…and with rage. She engulfed one after another in flame, their screeches from their burning skin causing half their men to flee and half to charge for her.

Fuck me and my gift that I couldn't seem to get control of. My eyes darted to Silas, whose emotions began to bleed into mine. He was panting heavily…eyes widening at the burning soldiers.

I felt like I was going to vomit. I felt panic and terror flood through me like never before as I clutched my chest.

The Prince was having a panic attack, and his emotions were giving me one as well.

Lena's eyes flashed to his, sensing his unease. She rushed toward him, electrocuting those that separated them.

"Merrick!" Taira wailed just as an Otacian was about to behead me. She was too preoccupied with the one in front of her and couldn't stop the impending blow coming my way.

There was no time. Not even to use a forcefield .

This was it. I was dead.

My eyes squeezed shut, but the sound of an arrow whizzing by, followed by a grunt, had my eyes shooting open. The man before me fell with a thud, and when I whirled at the castle balcony, I saw her.

Erabella. She lowered her bow, panting heavily.

The Otacian Princess came out to fight after all.

And she saved my life.

There was no time for me to shoot her a smile. I whirled my head back and continued killing my way through.