Page 45

ALARIC

W e approach the Obsidian Plain and I can hardly breathe around the knot in my chest, around the spikes of fear and pain I felt from Dahlia as we made our way here. That bastard hurt her in some way, and I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it. Never again.

I don’t know how, but I will never let him hurt her again. I will beg, I will plead, I will give him anything he desires—and really, I know that is all he wants. He wants to conquer Braxhelm, of course, but mostly, he wants to conquer me . He wants to see me brought low, to see me on my knees before him.

Elias is as taut as a bowstring beside me, fingers flexing and clenching on the hilts of his twin swords. Everyone is tense and thrumming for a battle that will never come. I know the choice was theirs, but I cannot help but feel the weight of their impending deaths on my shoulders. All of this is my fault. Dahlia in danger, my army soon to be in ruin, the safety of the continent hanging in the balance—all of it lies with me.

“However this ends, know that it has been my greatest honor to fight beside you, and my greatest privilege to call you my friend, Alaric. I do not regret a single moment,” Elias says.

My chest twists painfully. I hold his gaze, letting his words strike at the very core of me. I nod but then try to break the awful tension hanging over us one last time.

“Not even the time that wench broke your cock and it took a week to heal?” I meet his gaze and he knows what I’m really saying: I love you. You’re my brother. It has been my great honor. Thank you. His lips curl and soon his customary carefree smile settles over his face.

“Alright, perhaps that bit might be changed,” he admits.

“Or the time you were caught fucking General Hightower’s daughter and he chased you naked through the town square down in Rivendale?” Malcom supplies.

“Or the time?—”

“Enough!” Elias shouts, and a ripple of laughter travels through the lines of soldiers. “As if none of you lot have ever put your cock where it didn’t belong.”

I laugh lightly but then Elias curses and I freeze. He whirls just as Enid rides up on what I assume is a stolen horse.

“What in the seven hells…?”

“What are you doing here?!” Elias shouts, fury and fear rolling off of him in waves. He sheaths his swords at his back and strides to the horse. He reaches out to gently grasp her waist and ease her down to the ground. She holds onto his arms and the look they share is enough to make even my cheeks flush. She swallows hard and shakes herself, pushing her shoulders back and looking so like Dahlia that I almost smile.

“You’re meant to be half way to Astoria’s Keep by now, damn it!” Elias fumes.

Enid juts her chin. “She’s my sister, Elias. And you’re my…” She cuts herself off, licking her lips and glancing around quickly before continuing. “I couldn’t just run away and leave you to ride into death alone. I couldn’t let that be the end…” She angrily wipes tears away and Elias seems torn between terror and elation. I daresay that we don’t have to wonder if Elias will win Enid’s heart any longer.

My chest clenches painfully, feeling as if a blade is driving right into my heart. They’ve found each other, only to have it all end in mere moments. Elias cradles her face between his hands, staring at her like she’s the only thing in existence. They have some silent conversation and then he leans in to kiss her fiercely, pulling away after a few moments and resting his forehead against hers.

“Where you go, I go,” she whispers. He squeezes his eyes shut in pain, and I know that his instincts are roaring at him to get her as far away from this danger as possible, to protect her at all costs. But he finally nods, kisses her forehead, and mutters something about Clayburn women and stubborn asses.

He clasps Enid’s hand and we continue onward. After a few moments, Enid asks casually, “so, just how many wrong places has your cock been, Elias?”

Against all odds, I laugh. Lightly at first, but then harder, and soon we’re all clutching our sides. Enid grins and leans into Elias’ side and he kisses her temple, smiling. It’s a strange thing to be taking the final steps of this gallows march while laughing our asses off.

We break through the final line of trees, the laughter slowly fading, and then we’re on the Plain. Even the fresh snow can’t hide the eternal stains of this place, the blood-sodden ground seeping up into the gathered flakes and turning them a dark rusty-black color. Thousands of Revenants wait for us, armed and ready for battle—no, not battle. They’re ready for slaughter.

And just in front of them, in the middle of the clearing, Kilgren stands with Dahlia.

My heart explodes at the sight of her, my fangs and claws flaring in the need to destroy the one who dares to touch my mate. I study her and a growl rips free from my chest when I see her bruised cheek, the dried blood on her lip.

My vision goes red and I lose all sense of reason, not even thinking logical thoughts. All I know is that I need to get to my mate. I feel the squeezing sensation as I try to teleport to her—only to slam into something hard as stone and tumble to the ground still fifty yards away from her.

Dahlia screams my name, eyes wide with terror. I spring to my feet and try once more, only to be thrown backwards again. The others approach behind me, sprinting forward from the edge of the Plain at what they assumed was a call to battle.

Kilgren smiles widely. “Tsk, tsk, Alaric. Already disobeying the rules of this little parlay.”

I bare my fangs at him and reach out a hand, blinking in shock when it meets something solid, but entirely invisible. My brow furrows.

“What the fuck?” Elias breathes as he reaches my side. He puts out a hand, meeting that same invisible wall. I spare a moment to note that Enid is safely back at the very edge of the clearing, Takara beside her.

“What is this?” I demand, seething, though I know how foolish I’ve been. Of course he wouldn’t have relied solely on my word that I wouldn’t attack, but…how??

Kilgren holds my gaze, gloating delight sparking in those blood-red eyes.

“Come forward, leech. Show them all who you truly are.”

Leech? What is he talking about? Elias curses low beside me, tensing and then I see it: fucking Highspear steps from behind the first line of Revenants. Rage and fury burn through my chest. His palms are outstretched, faint blue light swirling around them.

“You fucking traitor!” Malcom roars, surging forward only to run into the invisible wall. He beats his fists against it, to no avail. A rumble of disgust ripples through the soldiers, disgust and pain . The fact that one of our own would betray us to our greatest enemy is beyond imagining and strikes to the very heart of all of us, the bond shared between us.

“How are you doing this?” I demand, clenching my fists so tightly the bones creak. I try to force my thoughts to calm, but all I want to do is rip his fucking head off.

“He’s a wielder,” Dahlia says from her spot beside Kilgren, trying to step forward, but he yanks her back, keeping a firm grip on her arm. She has no coat, so I know she must be freezing, but my mate doesn’t look cold. No, she looks like her very blood has been turned to fire, burning with indignation and fury and I don’t think she’s ever looked so fearsome or beautiful. Our firebrand . She glares at Kilgren but turns back to me and continues, not giving a shit about him. Gods, do I love this woman .

“He hid his family history so he could be turned, but apparently the prick had gifts all this time. He was the one who hid the Revenants that attacked the road.”

“I told you that I was worthy time and time again,” Highspear calls, a wild gleam in his eye. “But you wouldn’t listen! Now, I’ll make you regret it! Now, I’ll bring down everything you built!”

“Well, I think I’ll actually be doing that,” Kilgren croons, looking both amused and annoyed. “I’m the one with the army, if you recall, leech.”

Highspear presses his lips into a hard line but nods. Fury and disgust roil inside me to see him obeying this monster, turning on his own people.

“Now, why don’t we get down to business, shall we?” Kilgren says loud enough for his voice to be heard across the whole of the field, echoing off of the sides of the cliffs that border either side. He tightens his grasp on Dahlia’s arm, so tightly that his claws dig into her skin and draw blood. She gasps but bites down on her lip to keep from crying out.

“Stop!” I roar.

“I will, if you give me what I want. If you agree to my terms, no harm will come to your little mate .” A shocked murmur ripples through the gathered crowd. If I didn’t know better, I would say that there isn’t just surprise on some of the Revenant’s faces but… disgust —not at me or my mate, but at their own leader. I shake the thought off, knowing how ridiculous it is.

“What do you want?” I growl through clenched teeth, though I know the answer already. His eyes sparkle with wicked glee, his lips curling back from his fangs.

“ Kneel, ” he rasps.

Everything in me recoils at the word, sneers at the very thought. But I must. I know that he’s lying about no harm coming to Dahlia, but I have to try. I have to do everything in my power to keep her safe.

“Kneel before me,” he continues, “and surrender.”

“Doona fucking dare, Alaric!!” Dahlia yells, furious and pulling against Kilgren’s vice-like grip. Blood pours down her arm, but she doesn’t seem to notice or care. She meets my gaze and I know she can see it in my eyes because I can feel her utter heartbreak and panic through our bond. She knows what I’m going to do. She knows that I’ll give up everything for her. She shakes her head once and begs in a soft whisper, “no.”

“It will be alright, Keeva. All will be well,” I lie. A single tear streams down her cheek…but then she transforms, her features hardening and that steadfast determination (and stubbornness) that I love so much settling over her. She turns back to face Kilgren. I don’t understand what’s happening and understand even less when her next words echo through the clearing:

“I challenge you!”