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He rushed forward, kneeling beside the first fallen soldier. With a sharp yank, he rolled the body onto its back. From where Valda stood, she could see the unmistakable shaft of a Vulcanian arrow protruding from the man’s chest.

“Close the gates! Now!”

Cursing under her breath, Valda crouched down, but not before slamming her foot into Maris’s heel, sending her crashing to the ground just as a barrage of arrows flew through the open gates, striking more Skylian soldiers guarding them.

Maris hissed angrily, looking at Valda, her face pressed into the now wet cold grass. Arrows pierced around them as agonized screams filled the air.

As the other soldiers scrambled to draw their weapons, Valda’s soldiers moved towards them. With a single clean slice, the ropes binding their wrist fell away.

Valda wasted no time. The moment her hands were free, she extended her arm forward, palm open, towards the carriages they had brought in.

The Heaven Sword burst through the wooden carriage it was in, splinters flying before shooting through the air and to her hand.

Valda caught the hilt in midair, her grip tightening before turning to the multitude of soldiers running towards them .

Traitors.

Every single one of them were traitors, and if there was one good thing that Valda learned from Arwin, it was that the only thing a traitor to the crown deserved was death.

Next to her, Maris lifted her hand, her fingers curling as if she was grasping an invisible thread, the rain around them shifted, merging into thin streams that slithered forward winding through the debris of the carriage destroyed by the Heaven Sword.

Maris found Poseidon’s Trident curling around it. Exhaling, Maris’s gaze locked on the weapon. With a flick of her wrist, the water wove tighter, lifting the trident from the wreckage. With a sharp pull, the water yanked the trident forward. It shot through the rain, mimicking a harpoon, straight into Maris’s outstretched hands.

Without hesitation, she spun and pressed her back against Valda’s, facing the open gates to which Arwin’s soldiers were desperately trying to shut out the oncoming Vulcanians.

“Kenna is here! They are trying to get in!” Maris yelled through the cracking thunder.

“We need to get those fucking bombs inside now! The rain will damage them!” Valda said as she pushed against Maris, her gaze on the Skylian soldiers charging towards them.

“Maris, you need to keep the gates open. I will make my way to the castle.”

Valda gave Maris one last concerned glance before the first soldier charged. Sidestepping him, she pushed him away from her and Maris, giving her mate enough time to move towards the gates.

The soldier threw another attack, his blade slicing through the air. Moving away from the clumsy attack, she drove her sword into his gut, and twisted. The wet squelch of flesh and the stifled gurgle barely registered before she yanked her blade free, letting his body collapse.

As a second soldier lunged at her, one of her soldiers grabbed him by the throat before pressing a blade to his flank.

Another soldier took his place just as the hilt of Valda’s sword slammed into his temple. A sickening crack reverberating her. His eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground.

And then there were more. Valda didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. She needed to make way, she needed the plan to fucking work.

Her blade carved through bodies, the stench of blood thick in the air. The metallic tang she knew all too well clung to her tongue as rain and gore slicked the grass beneath her boots. Fallen soldiers slumped lifelessly at her feet, their blood staining her clothes .

She barely had time to register the dark blur leaping before a soldier’s pained yelp was abruptly silenced.

Cerberus .

She took back all those times she called Cerberus a lazy cat. Her pet was making sure that every fallen soldier was actually dead.

Valda made a mental note to feed her fresh fish until her last day.

Then, the gasp of another soldier pulled Valda away from Cerberus.

One of Arwin’s soldiers stood before Valda. Her stance was unsure, her grip on the sword slipping with the pouring rain. Valda noticed the hesitation and fear in her eyes. She took her in for only a moment before she swung the Heaven Sword, the blade cleaving through her chest. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream, blood bubbling past her lips as she crumpled at her feet.

As she looked at the soldier, the rain gathering at her feet moved, as if being pulled by an invisible force. Valda turned to watch in awe as Maris gathered the rain.

More men at the gates scrambled to shut out the approaching Vulcanians, yanking at the heavy wooden doors in a desperate attempt to seal them inside.

Maris lifted her trident, the symbol of Poseidon shining from her forehead.

Water surged like a wave, tendrils shooting forward, latching onto the guards at the gate. They screamed, clawing at their throats as water flooded their lungs, suffocating them where they stood. Within seconds, their bodies crumpled to the ground, lifeless, as Kenna and the other Vulcanians stormed inside. Their carriages rumbled through the courtyard, each one filled with bombs.

Maris exhaled, lowering her trident as her storm receded. The faintest smirk curled on her lips as she turned slightly toward Valda. “Your turn, darling.”

Valda grinned, shifting her focus back to the courtyard where more Skylians came in from inside the castle.

“Let’s make way.”

A low hum built in the surrounding air, rattling through the courtyard and the thunder cracking over them. A distinctive warmth spread from Valda’s chest, raising up to her neck and face and settling on her forehead. The symbol of Ouranos burned steadily, spreading through her limbs as the wind twisted about.

The soldiers hesitated, gasping at the sudden wind. And then Valda’s eyes snapped open, and in a single breath, the air fractured .

A razor-edged gust tore through, ripping through armor, clothing, flesh. Limbs severed mid-motion, bodies split apart.

As more soldiers charged, Valda raised the Heaven Sword, channeling the last of her power into the blade. With a final, guttural roar, she swung. The shockwave detonated through the room.

Bodies disintegrated —ripped apart and reduced to nothing but a spray of blood and flesh on the courtyard’s grassy ground.

The warmth of the symbol dissolved, taking her strength with it. Valda fell to her hands and knees, her sword falling somewhere next to her. Breathing deeply, she stared at the red stain of the ground.

Valda swallowed hard, closed her eyes. Traitors’ blood. She shouldn’t feel any remorse…

Cerberus’ purr pulled her back as she willed her entire body to stop shaking. Her cat was standing right before her, her yellow eyes peering right into her soul, almost pleading with her to stand up.

Shuddering in a breath, Valda pushed herself up, forcing herself to stand.

Maris's hands were on her, pulling her gaze away from the mess she had created to stare at her worried blue eyes.

Maris cupped Valda’s face, her fingers trembling. “You are fine,” Maris said, more to herself than to Valda.

Valda nodded in her hands; her eyes glued to the worried gaze. She fed off of it, knowing well that this, all of this was not only for her, but for Maris as well.

“I’m fine,” Valda rasped, grabbing the sword and ignoring the ache coursing through her entire body.

The rumbling of galloping horses inundated the courtyard. As Valda turned, her men, as well as Kenna’s, ran inside, pulling the carriages filled with bombs.

A galloping horse stood next to her and as Valda looked up, she found Kenna holding on to her ax and commanding the rest of the Vulcanians to march inside the castle.

“Lead the way inside!” Kenna yelled, over the chaos erupting within the courtyard.

Valda gave Maris one quick glance before they ran through the grand doors leading into the Great Hall.

There were a small number of soldiers at the entrance, holding their ground as Valda pushed through. It didn’t take much to disarm them. Before Kenna and the rest could move in, Valda already had two soldiers dead at her feet, while Maris had impaled one with her trident, pushing him off and away from Valda .

Once inside, the eerie silence and desolation took Valda by surprise. She was expecting a lot of things, but finding the Great Hall empty wasn’t one of them.

Something wasn’t right.

“Go through, find the bastard and kill him. We will take care of the rest,” Kenna said, jumping off her horse and slapping it soundly on its croup. The horse snorted and ran off to the courtyard. “Take your cat with you,” she added, pointing as Cerberus just as she ran inside the castle.

“You are setting them off right now?” Valda asked, her eyes widening just as Kenna snapped her fingers together, a small flame lit and formed on the tip of her thumb.

“Yes.”

Maris grabbed Valda’s hand, pulling her away from the carriage and Kenna before they looked down at the Great Hall.

It felt like ages since Valda had been inside the castle. It felt foreign to the point that she couldn’t recognize it or call it her own. The walls were bare of the kings and queens that ruled before them. By the dark, charcoal spots on the walls, she was more than sure that Arwin had burned each portrait down to a crisp. He probably made a ritual out of burning of each painting.

A rather contained explosion outside rocked the foundation of the entire castle, shaking enough to make both Valda and Maris lean on each other for support. Valda knew this was going to happen, that Kenna would allow her rage to take over, but as war spread within the castle, Valda wanted nothing more than to come face to face with both Eris and Arwin. If Kenna was correct, Eris was mortally wounded, leaving no room for anyone other than Arwin to be the recipient of her blessing.

Was a mortal even capable of having two gifts from different gods?

Behind them, the Vulcanians pushed the carriage filled with bombs inside the main entrance of the castle. Valda’s heart hammered loudly within her chest and head.

“You have to leave, now!” Kenna barked.

Grabbing Maris’s hand, Valda ran down the Great Hall as fast as she could. She needed to get Maris away before the bombs went off. Vulcanians could survive explosions, but Skylians and Sealians not so much.

As the screams of the Skylian forces drew in, Valda grabbed Maris by her arm, pushed her to the ground and clutched Cerberus to her chest before covering her mate’s body with her own .

Suddenly, shockwaves blasted from within as the walls convulsed and plummeted. Valda hissed, squeezing Maris closer to her as the castle’s formation shook within itself.

As everything settled, the sound of pained screams filled the halls.

Valda stood straight and turned to look back at the burning debris.

Within it, Kenna stood with her ax, covered in black soot. The bodies of Arwin’s men lay before her, burnt to a crisp.

Valda felt no remorse, even if those were once her men and soldiers.

For a second, Kenna’s rabid purple eyes locked with her just as another flame engulfed the barbarian’s hands. Next to her, a second wagon was pulled at her arm’s length.

Valda scampered back to Maris, pulled her up and pushed her to keep on running.

A deafening series of explosions tore through the castle, sending tremors through the stone walls. The ground beneath Valda’s feet lurched violently, forcing her to steady herself.

For a fleeting moment, Valda stood, her breath ragged, heart pounding. This place used to be her home, and now it was crumbling around her. The weight of what had to come next pressed on her chest.

Kenna’s voice sliced through the chaos, her hands grasping another bomb with a frightening grin. That was Valda’s cue.

“Move!” she barked, grabbing Maris’s wrist and pulling her forward. They sprinted through the wreckage, dodging falling debris and leaping over shattered marble. The air was thick with smoke.

Then—another blast.

The force slammed into Valda’s back, hurling her forward. Her body collided with a jagged wall, pain ricocheting through her bones. The world spun, then everything was muffled, as if she were underwater.

A thunderous sound rippled through Maris’s entire body. A rough tongue scraped against her cheek, almost painful in its urgency. Groaning, she stirred, her senses sluggish and disoriented. When she opened her eyes, she locked onto a pair of glowing yellow ones .

Another explosion shook the air. Thunder roared in tandem, the deafening downpour of rain drowning out all other noise. Maris inhaled sharply, tasting ash, wet earth, and the sharp tang of smoke.

Cerberus meowed, her insistent headbutts urging Maris upright. With a wince, she pushed the cat away and sat up, pain radiating through every inch of her body.

The castle trembled again.

Chunks of the wall beside her crumbled, pelting the ground as Maris pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to clear the haze from her mind. A sudden, sharp pain jolted her out of her stupor as Cerberus had sunk her teeth into her thigh.

“Ow! Cerberus!” Maris snapped, rubbing the sore spot. She turned to the cat, ready to scold her, but Cerberus only hissed, her ears flattened, tail lashing. The first time that the cat had ever shown aggression toward her.

“What is it?” Maris asked, her exasperation evident. It wasn’t until Cerberus ran away from her and jumped on Valda’s chest that Maris understood the animal’s distress.

“Valda!” Maris scrambled to her feet, running to her mate and falling on her knees next to her. Swallowing down her nervousness, Maris touched Valda’s chest and released a breath once she realized Valda was breathing. Her blouse was already covered with blood, but now her face had specs of debris and a slightly bruised cheek.

Cradling Valda’s face, Maris inspected her closely before another tremor shook the ground. They needed to get going. They needed to find Arwin and Eris and make sure to end them both if they wanted to win.

But Valda was unresponsive and, as much as she had trained, Maris was sure she couldn’t carry Valda out of there.

“Valda! Wake up! We have to move!” Maris said, her voice high enough to be heard through the destruction happening around them. Shaking Valda harshly, she almost sobbed when the other woman groaned in pain and moved her arm to shield herself.

“Come on,” Maris snatched her hands and pulled her to a sitting position before handing her the sword. Her own weapon lay a couple of feet away, guarded evidently by Cerberus, who sat next to it.

“He has to be in the throne room,” Valda finally spoke, pressing the meaty part of her palm to her temple.

“There weren’t any guards at the entrance. What makes you think they aren't all locked up in the throne room with him?” Maris asked before moving enough to grab her trident. Yet, she regretted moving about as soon as Valda winced in pain. “I am sorry! But we can’t stay here. We are just waiting to be attacked.”

Valda nodded, moving away from Maris, enough to press her hand to her flank. “He could also be in the royal chamber…” Valda said, looking down at Maris with a face that simply said that whatever was going to come out of her mouth, Maris was going to go against it.

“We will not split up,” Maris finally said. She ignored Valda’s sigh as she took in their surroundings. Going back the way they came in was out of the question. If they wanted to reach the royal chamber’s wing, they could go through the servant’s passage. Yet, Maris had no way of knowing if the entrances were clear enough to go through.

The other way was going out the courtyard… Which was already filled with Skylians and Vulcanians.

Maris squeezed her eyes shut. “We have to go back out to the courtyard.”

“I am afraid so,” Valda said before lingering her hand away from Maris’s shoulder. The other woman turned to the end of the hall, where a door was still standing. They could easily make it out through it. Yet, the feeling that something was wrong crawled up Maris’s stomach and into her chest.

Without saying another word, they ran towards the exit of the courtyard. Maris felt Valda’s uneasiness through the bond. She, too, was worried about the lack of soldiers guarding the entrance. She wanted to believe that Arwin sent all his men to the front to keep the Vulcanians and Valda’s men out, but something simply felt off.

As Valda pushed the door open, Maris stared at the chaos unfolding on the other side of the door. Rain poured down on the men and women of both Arwin and Valda’s side. Vulcanians were also amid it, as well as a few Sealians that fought alongside them.

Still, Maris held her breath as she looked up at the dark sky. The pouring rain felt almost sent by the gods, as if Poseidon himself had given her a helping hand. Closing her eyes, Maris whispered a prayer of gratitude before inhaling deeply. She eased her hammering heart within her chest before she opened her eyes once more and focused on what was happening outside.

Valda took a step outside, boot sinking into the flooded courtyard. Maris took in her surroundings, but especially, she looked at Valda’s face.

She was pale… She had used her power too much. If they were to fight Arwin and Eris, she needed to rest .

Maris walked to her, grabbed her elbow, and pulled her away enough to get her attention. Valda didn’t even look at Maris. She shook her head and tried to free her arm from Maris, but she squeezed it tightly.

“Don’t,” Maris said, but the screams and wind blowing round them muted her. She pushed Valda near a sitting carriage. Valda didn’t put up a fight this time. She grabbed the side of the carriage and looked at her.

Valda’s fear bled through her and as Maris stood in the middle of the courtyard, tightening her grip around the trident, she knew this was it. The Oracle’s words still echoed in her mind, freezing her in place. She could do this. She could take back what belonged to her, avenge her father, live with Valda here or in the Sea Kingdom, and yet… What if what the Oracle said was true?

She had done her best to hide the fear lodged in her chest from her mate. Valda didn’t know about the Oracle, nor did she sense the dread the visit had caused, but she could feel the hesitation in every movement Maris made. Coming to the castle had stirred panic within her, yet Maris was certain Valda simply dismissed it as the same unease she always felt before a battle.

The clang of approaching footsteps reverberated through the air, pulling her from her thoughts. Behind her, a group of soldiers made their way around the courtyard. The anger reflected in their eyes gave them away as Arwin’s men. Although her revenge wasn’t directed towards them, she wouldn’t allow them to stand in her way.

Looking down at her feet, Maris ponders the use of her powers now. She had used them earlier, but unlike Valda, she had been measured, knowing that she would need it for later. She could drown them all now, but then…

Maris took one last look at Valda before the grip of her trident grew taut. As the first soldier lunged at her, she met him with a brutal thrust. The trident found its mark with a sickening crunch. Her stomach turned at the sound, and she pulled back her weapon just as the soldier fell dead at her feet.

As another small group moved in after her, her movements became fluid. Every swing of her trident was met with the sound of metal against metal as Skylians blocked and attacked with their swords, but it wasn’t long until they faltered and scattered around her like fallen leaves. As they fell, more enemies came into the courtyard.

Fatigue clawed at her, her muscles straining under the weight of her trident and the relentless assault. She had trained months on end for this, and yet she knew it would be a matter of time until what the Oracle said would come true …

“Maris!”

Her neck snapped as she watched Valda on her hands and knees. The wind picked up around Valda, and with it, the direction of the rain.

Staring now at the flooded ground, Maris sighed as her grip on the trident tightened just as Valda redirected the rain towards the soldiers. They winced, stopping their movements to cover their eyes, to shield them from the wind and pouring rain.

This was it. Taking a deep breath, Maris gathered the flooding water, holding on to it, creating a large wall between herself and the soldiers. The more it rained, the more she gathered, drying up the soil at her feet.

With a feral cry, Maris sent the water swelling forth like a tidal wave. Water crashed into the soldiers brutally as they floundered, their screams and cries swallowed by the wave. Next to her, Valda yelled, using the wind to push the wave in harder against the soldiers.

One by one, the soldiers fell before Maris, their bodies battered and broken by the unyielding tide. As the last enemy crumpled to the ground, Maris stood amidst the courtyard, her chest heaving with exhaustion.

Her grip on the trident wavered, her knees buckling underneath her, but just as she was about to collapse, she felt the warmth and familiarity of Valda’s arms around her.

How was Kenna able to wield such power without feeling drained was beyond Maris.

“I got you, Seashell,” Valda whispered, falling on her knees as well.

To her surprise and slight amusement, Cerberus pressed against her. Maris released a breathy laugh before looking up at Valda’s disheveled state. The fight behind her continued on, but now they would go through the courtyard and into the chamber’s wings.

Maris needed a breather, though. Her arms and legs felt heavy and pressure built up on her head. Darkness seemed to creep at Maris, and she willed it away by shaking her head.

Suddenly, Cerberus hissed as she stood in front of Valda and Maris, her yellow eyes glued to something at the far end of the courtyard. Another explosion shook the castle and with it a side of it collapsed.

Valda’s breath hitched, and Maris closed her eyes in a silent prayer for both Poseidon and Asclepius. Her mate’s grip on her grew taut, and the sullen fear of the fall of Oberon Castle filtered from Valda’s chest to Maris’s.

“Valda—”

“It’s alright,” she said quickly , holding her close enough to press trembling lips to Maris’s temple. “It’s alright. It’s just a structure.” She swallowed hard, before grabbing Maris’s trident. “We have to find him. ”

The sudden clanging of metal made both Maris and Valda freeze in place. As Maris turned to the entrance of the wing leading to the chambers, a group of soldiers marched in.

Maris grabbed hold of Valda’s blouse, pulling her up for support as her mind broke.

This was it? Turning behind her, she watched the battle unfolding. Her men and Valda’s and Vulcanians were falling under Arwin’s men. One by one, she saw them fall.

And yet…

Maris turned to Valda, whose gaze was glued to the men marching out, wearing the Skylian uniform, looking at her as if she was the one to blame for all their misfortune.

Everything in her body and mind screamed at her to retreat, but Valda’s grip on her was solid. They weren’t going anywhere.

Cursing under her breath, Valda settled Maris gently on the ground. She handed her the trident and pulled out the Heaven Sword. As the enemy soldiers pulled their weapons as well, another bomb went off. Screams filled the inside of the castle as another battle raged on.

“Come on, you fucking traitors!“ Valda screamed, slamming her fist on her chest. “Welcome death by your queen’s hand. Your real queen!”

And still they didn’t attack. Ever so slowly, they surrounded them. Their sneers made Maris’s stomach turn. She clutched the trident, using it for support as she stood up.

“Come on!” Valda barked, her stance widening, but Maris could see it in her face. She wasn't going to use her powers.

Gods, this was a mistake…

Suddenly, the soldier’s smirks turned into down-turned frowns. Their arrogant expressions were erased by one of dread, even sadness.

Maris clutched at Valda, but her mate was focused on the surrounding enemy while Cerberus hid behind their legs.

Looking down at their blades, many of them began to sob uncontrollably, until one of the many men took his own blade and turned it to himself. The soldiers gasped as the man fell. Another slashed his own throat, then another, and another.

Maris stared in apprehension and confusion as one by one, they fell victims to self-inflicted wounds. Her chest tightened at the scene as blood was diluted with water around them. Taking a step back, the tightness in Maris’s chest grew until only one person stood among the sea of corpses .

Her eyes went to the red hair on top of the man’s head, and a breath of relief escaped not only her but Valda as well. She recognized him just as his body gave out from the strenuous use of his godly powers.