Page 30 of Warrior Princess (Blood Weaver Trilogy #3)

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A s the day wore on, anticipation grew within the camp. Finally, a cloud of dust on the horizon signaled the arrival of the Crimson Clan. My heart lifted as the figures became clearer and pounding hooves grew louder with each passing moment.

At the forefront of the procession rode Chief Aryan, his imposing figure a testament to his unwavering leadership. A carriage trundled along beside him, which made me frown. Everyone in the Crimson Clan rode on horseback. Who could possibly be in the carriage?

“Ronan?” I tugged at his hand to draw his attention to the approaching group.

As they came to a halt, Chief Aryan swung down from his horse with the ease of a much younger man. He opened the carriage door and carefully lifted Henry down, giving the boy a playful ruffle of his hair that made Henry beam with joy. Selene dismounted gracefully, her eyes scanning the camp until they found mine, lighting up with relief.

My eyes widened in panic. “What are they doing here?”

“Seems I couldn’t keep them away,” Chief Aryan said with a mock grumble.

Henry ran over to me and tightly hugged my mid-section. “I missed you, Miss Leila!” he chirped, looking up at me with wide, expectant eyes.

I lifted him into my arms. “And I missed you too, my brave little man.” His laughter was a welcome sound amidst the tension of our battle preparations. Although I didn’t want him here amidst danger, I also didn’t want him to think I was disappointed to see him.

Selene stepped forward, her gaze warm and understanding. “It’s been far too quiet without you two.” I felt the weight of her words, knowing she’d felt the strain of our separation.

Chief Aryan cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to the matter at hand. “We’ve brought supplies and reinforcements,” he announced. “The Crimson Clan is ready to stand with you. Not just out of duty, but because it’s the right thing to do.”

Ronan wrapped an arm around me, his presence a comforting shield. “Thank you, Father,” he said, gratitude resonating in his voice.

With the clan’s reinforcements, our camp was invigorated by new energy and resources. Plans were swiftly laid out, strategies discussed. The presence of family, both chosen and blood, fortified our resolve. United by common cause and strengthened by the bonds of affection, we were ready to face the challenges that awaited us, whatever they might be.

I grasped Selene's arm and guided her to a quieter corner of the encampment. Once assured of our privacy, I confronted her. “Why did you come here? It's far too dangerous!”

Selene unflinchingly met my gaze. “Chief Aryan briefed us about what happened in Eldwain. After hearing what Caelan did... how could I possibly stay behind?”

Frustration welled up inside me. “That's exactly why you should have stayed away!” I hissed, then glanced around nervously to ensure our conversation remained private. “You should think about going back, Selene. Please.”

She shook her head stubbornly. “I will not. You could use my help. I’m not as strong as you, but my siren’s voice is fairly powerful.”

I clenched my jaw, feeling a pang of guilt for what I was about to say. “You alone won’t make a difference, Selene,” I said bluntly. “Take Henry and go.”

Her cheeks reddened with indignant hurt. “I may not be a powerful blood mage, Leila, but I'm not useless,” she retorted softly. “Please…”

I wanted to strangle Chief Aryan for bringing them here. For even telling them the situation. This was no place for them to be. Caelan could easily use them against us… against me . He already had my father; I couldn’t afford to lose anyone else.

“Just… stay out of the way.” I pushed past her and stomped away before I said something I would truly regret. Leaving her behind, I went to find Ronan and saw him standing in the center of the encampment with Henry, Chief Aryan, Shiro, and Avery. They were in the middle of a heated conversation when I arrived. Henry held onto Ronan tightly.

“We need to make a move… now ,” Chief Aryan demanded. “If we wait much longer, it’ll give Caelan an opportunity to grow his forces.”

“I still haven’t heard back from my brother,” I said nervously. “I need more—”

“Then we go without Valoria,” Shiro interrupted, his bristly fox tail swishing behind him. “Aryan is right. We can’t afford to wait much longer.”

My eyes widened. “Can we go in with just Avery’s forces and the Crimson Clan?”

“It’s a risk, but one we must take. And don’t forget, you have me, too,” Shiro added with a wink. “I can do much damage.”

“Leila,” Ronan called to me. “I know you’re worried about Marcellus, but there may be a perfectly good reason why he’s not here right now. Don’t lose faith. He’ll come when he can.”

I nodded, even though I still felt uneasy. But they were right. We couldn’t wait and give Caelan more time to bolster his forces. Ten days had come and gone.

“Fine.” I straightened. “Prepare the troops. We ride at dawn.”

As the dawn painted the sky with streaks of orange and crimson, I stood atop a gentle rise, overlooking the expanse that marked the border between the Central Plains and Eldwain. My heart thrummed with a mix of dread and determination, the cool morning air crisp in my lungs. Ronan, his expression as steely as the sword he wielded, stood beside me, while Shiro, in his imposing human form, checked the readiness of our assembled forces. Chief Aryan and Avery flanked the group, their presence bolstering the morale of their respective troops.

“We cross at my mark,” I declared, my voice carrying over the heads of our makeshift army, a patchwork of fighters drawn from every corner of Asteria.

With a nod from Chief Aryan and Avery, and a final glance at each other, we moved forward. The border was ominously quiet, eerily absent of the usual chirping of birds. The silence was a foreboding herald of the violence to come.

Without warning, a hail of arrows broke the stillness, slicing through the morning air towards us. “Shields!” I shouted. Instantly, the front line responded, lifting their shields to catch the deadly rain. Beside me, Ronan deflected an arrow with a swift motion of his blade, his eyes scanning for the source.

“This way!” Shiro's thunderous voice cut through the chaos as he transformed into his massive white fox form, his fur shimmering ethereally in the dawn light. With supernatural agility, he led us through a thicket that concealed a lesser-known path into Eldwain.

We hadn't gone far when Eldwain soldiers, clad in their distinctive silver armor, emerged from the woodwork, their faces set in grim determination. Chief Aryan charged ahead with his troops, his battle cry resonating with a roar as he met the first soldier with a clash that echoed around us.

Ronan and I moved as one, back-to-back. My magic surged, and I conjured streams of blood from the fallen, weaving them into whips that lashed out and ensnared our foes, pulling them into the deadly arc of Ronan’s sword.

Avery, not far from us, wielded her sword and used the elemental magic gifted by her half-fae heritage.

The fight was brutal and relentless. Eldwain’s soldiers were well-trained, their movements coordinated and deadly. But they hadn't expected the ferocity and unity of a force led by a blood mage and a demon fox.

“We need to push through!” I yelled over the din of clashing metal. With a concentrated effort, I extended my hands, outstretched my palms, and released a torrential wave of blood magic that swept a deadly path through the Eldwain lines.

Shiro, terrifying in his fox form, barreled through the opening, his body a white blur that none could counter. Following closely, Chief Aryan swung his great sword in wide, lethal arcs, creating a barrier around Shiro that no soldier dared penetrate.

The break in Eldwain's defenses gave us the moment we needed. With a renewed shout, I rallied our troops and urged them forward.

We surged onward and broke through the final lines, greeted by the gates of Eldwain looming ahead. As we crossed into their land, I knew there was no turning back. The landscape shifted with each step we took into Eldwain territory. Open fields gave way to dense woodlands, providing both cover and new challenges. The trees seemed to close in around us, their ancient trunks marked by the scars of past conflicts, silent witnesses to our current struggle.

As we pushed further, the more organized the Eldwain resistance became. Soldiers in dark green and silver armor emerged, blending almost seamlessly with the forest backdrop, their movements silent and deadly. They seemed to appear from nowhere, leaping from the underbrush to intercept our advance.

Ronan moved like a shadow at my side, his blade a continuous flash of silver as he countered each attack with a precision that spoke of his warrior training. “Stay sharp,” he advised our group, his voice low but clear above the din of battle. “They know their land better than we do.”

Shiro darted ahead lithely, his fox senses attuned to the slightest rustle or movement. With a ferocious roar, he pounced on a group of soldiers who were lying in wait, his giant paws and powerful teeth making short work of their defenses.

Chief Aryan, ever the imposing warrior, fought with a fury he seemed to draw from the land itself. Each swing of his sword not only felled his opponents but also rallied our spirits, reminding us all of the indomitable strength of the Crimson Clan.

Avery and her women soldiers were a force to be reckoned with as they barreled through a gaggle of Eldwain soldiers like a hot knife through butter, making a clearing for us.

The clash of our advance against the skilled Eldwain soldiers created a cacophony that echoed through the forest, a symphony of war that resonated with the sounds of metal, magic, and the primal roars of a demon fox.

As we broke through another line, a clearing ahead revealed a fortified encampment. It was clear this was a strategic point, heavily guarded and fortified with both physical barriers and magical wards.

“This is it.” I tightened my grip on my weapon. “They'll defend this with everything they have.”

Ronan glanced at me, determination set in his features. “Then we give them everything we've got.”

With Shiro leading the charge, we sprinted toward the encampment. Arrows and spells flew towards us in a deadly hail, but the mages in Avery's army shielded us, their powers peaking in brilliant flashes that deflected the incoming assaults.

We smashed against the Eldwain lines like a raging storm, our combined forces a maelstrom of fury and power. Shiro's form weaved through the enemy ranks sowing chaos, while Chief Aryan and Ronan dismantled their defenses with brutal efficiency. I focused my blood magic to pull blood from the fallen, weaving a tapestry of destruction that left our foes reeling in utter horror.

The battle raged on, slickening the ground with the aftermath of bloody conflict, but our resolve never wavered. Step by bloody step, we claimed ground, driven by the knowledge that the fate of not just Eldwain, but all of Asteria might well depend on the outcome of this fight.

“Lyanna!”

When I heard someone shout my name, I whirled around to face them… coming face to face with, “Orion. You’re here.”

“Stop this.” He slowly prowled toward me amidst the chaos of fighting soldiers. “You’re outnumbered. We have soldiers from Eldwain, Ellyndor, and the Central Plains. You don’t have enough to beat us.”

My eyes widened. I’d forgotten Caelan had befriended the governor of the Central Plains. We truly were outnumbered. I should have used Mykal’s spy network to do more recon instead of rushing in headfirst.

“Where is my father?” I demanded, scanning the area for a glimpse of where he was being held.

“He’s safe.” Orion took another step toward me, narrowly missing the swing of a sword. He tsked. “You know Caelan would never hurt him.”

I snorted. “I don’t know what Caelan is capable of anymore. He is not the boy I once knew.”

“Lyanna—”

“Don’t call me that!” I shouted, gritting my teeth. “You’re a traitor! You promised Sir Edric you would protect me and you’ve broken that promise! What does that make you?”

He grimaced. “I’m not breaking my promise, because I truly believe I’m protecting you, Lyanna. Caelan is your best option. Ronan…” He shook his head, his upper lip curling in disgust. “He is no good for you. Look what they’ve already done to you!” He pointedly stared at the vivid scar across my neck. “Your blind devotion to him will only get you killed in the end.”

I frowned. “What happened to you? You never used to be like this.”

Orion gulped and his eyes darted away, ashamed. “My people come first. They always will.”

I nodded knowingly. “So you’re not doing this because you truly believe Caelan is my best option, you’re doing this because the elders told you so. Have you been monitoring me this whole time? Has everything always been leading us to this moment?”

“You don’t understand, Lyanna—”

I scoffed and raised a hand. “You know nothing .”

Orion’s eyes widened slightly before he gave a relieved sigh. Before I had a chance to wonder at his sudden shift, someone behind me grabbed my wrist, spun me around, and locked my wrist behind my back. My gaze widened when I realized who it was.

“Caelan!” I gasped and pushed against him with my free hand, but he grabbed it in a steely grip.

“I guess I didn’t have to go to you, after all,” he murmured seductively. “Thank you for coming to me.”

“Release me,” I growled.

He smiled icily. “No. I’m done playing nicely—”

“When have you ever?” I scoffed. “All of this… it’s just a game to you. But you won’t win in the end.”

Caelan smirked. “Valoria is already in my pocket, Lyanna. Together, you and I will rule Asteria.”

I grimaced and attempted to pull away. “What is your problem, Caelan? Don’t you know who your mother is?”

He froze, his hazel gaze watching me intently. “What is it you think you know, Lyanna?” he whispered.

I steeled myself. “Concubine Wilhemina is not your mother, is she?”

His expression hardened, and then he snorted. “You know.”

I nodded. “Yes, I know. You’re my half-brother, aren’t you?”

He tightened his grip on me. “It changes nothing!” he gritted between his teeth.

“It changes everything!”

The maniacal glint in his eyes was blinding. “Marrying within the family keeps the bloodlines pure. It’s been done in the past—”

I nearly gagged. “That’s an antiquated practice, Caelan. And quite frankly, it’s gross. The fact you’ve known all along just makes it a million times worse. Now release me! I’m never going to marry you!”

He pulled me flush against him. “You will. Whether you like it or not.”

“All you want is to rule Asteria, but I’m telling you now, Caelan, I won’t give you Valoria. I would rather kill myself than marry you.”

His expression darkened. “You would rather marry a barbarian such as Ronan?”

I furrowed my brows. “I never said I would marry him. I never said I would marry anyone . But if I had to, then yes, it would be Ronan. Because I love him. He’s the only man I’ll love in this lifetime. And no one can change that.”

Caelan's grip tightened momentarily, his eyes flaring with angry desperation. “Love!” He spat the word as if it left a foul taste in his mouth. “Such a frivolous emotion. It won't save you or Valoria.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ronan fighting his way toward us, his expression one of fierce determination. His fur bristling and teeth bared in a snarl, Shiro, in his fox form, darted through the soldiers, creating a path for Ronan

“Let her go, Caelan!” Ronan roared. He gripped his sword tightly, ready to strike.

Caelan glanced over his shoulder, his smirk returning as he saw Ronan. “Ah, the barbarian comes to claim his prize,” he taunted, pushing me slightly forward to meet Ronan's advance.

Ronan halted a few feet away, his sword lowering slightly as he calculated the risk of striking me in his quest to reach Caelan. His chiseled face looked upon the prince, murderer, and would-be king with disgust. “Leila is no one's prize. She's her own person, Caelan. You can't own her, and you certainly can't force her to love you.”

Caelan's laugh was cold and humorless. “Oh, but I can force her to obey… Just as I will force all of Asteria to bow to me!”

“Over my dead body.” Ronan stepped closer, his sword now a clear threat.

“That can be arranged!” Caelan drew a dagger and pressed it against my side subtly enough that only I could feel its presence.

The tension in the air thickened as every soldier and warrior paused to witness the standoff, the sounds of battle momentarily fading into a distant rumble.

“Think about what you're doing, Caelan,” I tried to reason with him, my voice steady despite the fear coiling in my stomach. “This isn't you. You weren't always like this.”

Caelan's eyes flickered, and a shadow of something human passed over his features before it was quickly replaced by the hard mask of the cruel conqueror he had become. “I am exactly who I need to be for Eldwain and for all Asteria. If that means shedding blood, even yours, so be it.”

“Is that so?” My gaze met Ronan’s. He frowned as his crimson eyes met mine. I tried to convey everything I felt with simply my gaze, knowing it fell woefully short of expressing all the love I had for him. In one swift movement, I spun, grabbed Caelan’s wrist, and plunged his dagger into my abdomen.

Caelan’s hazel eyes widened in shock and he released the knife handle as if it burned his skin. I stumbled backward with a smile on my face, coughing up blood. “Now you won’t have me or Valoria!”

Ronan shouted my name and rushed toward me, catching me before I fell to the ground. I felt the barest touch of his arms engulfing me.

“No…” Caelan looked at his bloodied hands in horror. “ No! ”

Thudding hooves in the distance dragged my attention away from Ronan’s face and I slowly shifted my gaze to see an army headed our way… with Marcellus at its head. I heard a distant shout as my brother called my name.

As Marcellus and his army closed in, Orion angled to block off his approach. Shiro, in his towering demon fox form, lunged at Orion and caught him off guard. The two clashed fiercely, a blur of movement and flashes of steel.

Orion was skilled in the art of combat and easily parried and dodged Shiro's ferocious attacks, but the raw power and unpredictability of Shiro's demon fox abilities proved to be overwhelming. With a swift, decisive move, Shiro's claws found their mark, slashing across Orion's neck with a sickening squelch.

His startled gaze fell on me as he clutched his neck and fought to keep the ribbons of flesh intact. “Lyanna,” he gurgled. The fae staggered to his knees, his face a gruesome mask of shock and pain, and then collapsed to the ground. His blood soaked into the soil.

Meanwhile Caelan, his face twisted with rage and disbelief, refocused his attention on Marcellus, who had dismounted and was charging towards his former best friend. Their clash was immediate and brutal, swords clanging with the desperate intensity of a final stand. Caelan, fueled by fury and desperation, fought with reckless abandon, but Marcellus was driven by a cold, resolute determination to end the tyranny, and matched him stroke for stroke as the Valorian army began to to fight against Caelan’s army.

Ronan gently held me and whispered reassurances, trying to stem the bleeding with his hand pressed against my wound. His eyes were filled with worry and love, but they never left mine, even as the battle raged around us. “You’ll be okay, Leila. Stay with me. Keep your eyes open,” he murmured. “I love you. You have to stay with me. Promise me!”

Far past speaking, all I could do was smile.

Each blow echoed through the air until the fight between Marcellus and Caelan reached a crescendo. Caelan maneuvered around Marcellus and knocked him down, then aimed his sword at his neck.

“Now that Lyanna is at death’s door, you’re no longer needed, either!” Caelan spat.

Ronan growled and clutched me to his chest, then he pulled back and looked down at me with fury sparking in his crimson eyes. Offering me an apology, he laid me down gently on the ground. Vaulting to his feet, he grabbed his fallen sword and stormed toward Caelan, who somehow felt his presence behind him and whirled around to face him at the last second. The clash of steel rang out. The ferocity of Ronan’s strikes forced Caelan to stumble backward.

“How dare you!” Ronan growled. “How dare you hurt my woman!”

Caelan gritted his teeth and tried to maintain his footing.

Finally, with a powerful swing, Ronan broke through Caelan's guard, his blade plunging into Caelan's side. Caelan staggered and his face contorted in pain as he realized the fatal nature of his wound.

With a last, desperate effort, Caelan tried to retaliate, but his strength was fading fast. Seizing the opportunity, Ronan delivered the final blow, removing his sword just long enough to pierce Caelan's heart. The usurper king of Eldwain fell to the ground, his reign of terror ending with a final gasp as hazel eyes gazed towards the sky, his eyes emptying of life.

“Finally,” Ronan muttered. “All your deeds have amounted to this one moment… your death. You were good for nothing else. I’ll see you in the underworld.” He dug his sword deeper until the blade struck the earth and Caelan stilled.

The battlefield fell eerily silent, broken only by the ragged breaths of the exhausted and the wounded. Shiro shifted back to his human form and rushed to my side, though I struggled to stay conscious.

I attempted to call to Ronan, but couldn’t speak.

Leaving his sword embedded in Caelan’s chest, Ronan hurried to my side, dropping to his knees and cradling me in his arms. “Leila,” he murmured. “Don’t die on me… I didn’t give you permission to die!” Tears streamed down my fierce warrior’s face.

Marcellus approached. His face was grim. “Is she—?”

“We need to get her to a healer,” Ronan said urgently, his voice laced with agony. “Now!”

Marcellus nodded, then turned to call for medical assistance. His voice carried over the now quiet battlefield, commanding yet gentle, a stark contrast to the violence that had just ended.

As healers rushed over, Ronan held me tightly and rocked back and forth, his presence a comforting weight by my side. I stared at the calm battlefield, littered by bodies and soaked in blood. They had all fought valiantly, not just for me, but for the future of Asteria—a future free from Caelan’s dark ambitions. Tension leached from my shoulders and I finally felt like I could close my eyes.

“Leila! Stay awake! Leila!” I heard Ronan cry out before everything went black.