The man may be disposable,but the information he possessed as the king of Day certainly wasn’t. In fact… it would provide exactly what was needed to bring my war to the gods themselves.
Chapter Fifty-five
Asteria
One of myfavorite books as a child was about Queen Malika. A touching romance about a Fae queen who overcame the odds, facing down armies to protect her kingdom right alongside her soulmate. I never imagined I would one day do anything remotely similar, and I now found myself taking issue with the author.
They wrote of these grand, epic battles, but never about the soul-deep terror one felt facing such a daunting task.
After waking up curled around Calix like a cat, we’d woken each other up fully with frantic kisses and fumbling hands, desperate to touch and taste before the sun rose and the day truly began. That hour felt unmoored from time, as if nothing but it existed. Just Calix and I, and the unending passion between us.
Inevitably, though, the time came for us to get on with the day. We quietly helped one another into our respective armor and then made our way out into the camp.
Everyone seemed equally subdued. Even as we began gathering everyone into their units and preparing to march onto Evenfall. We’d snaked our way past the border patrols Cyrus had set up, not an easy task for a force this vast, but we’d managed it thanks to the brilliance of Titan, Arien, Eryx, Nithe, and, of course, Calix. Their combined knowledge giving us an edge. It wouldn’t do to give away the surprise, after all.
Mounting up onto Arianrhod, she nickered softly, like she could sense my anxiety. Her lilac-colored tail twitched, and I brushed my hand over the silver hair down her back to calm her. Elatha was watching intently, his green tail swishing unhappily at his mate’s distress. Calix snuck him a sugar cube, making me snicker quietly at him.
It was truly adorable the way he indulged our horses.
Calix mounted up on Elatha after a moment, and we rode our Faethren’s over to where the rest of the army was amassing on the other side of camp. Sweat slicked my palms as I looked out over everyone present.
Harpina stood beside my brother, and I narrowed my eyes briefly at the way she was smiling at him. Thankfully, Titan distracted them as he pulled Arien aside to talk. Eryx and Baach walked up and down the forming lines, helping and directing the warriors where needed. Callisto was standing in front of the human half of the army, looking more than ready to lead them against those who’d kept them enslaved for so long.
The lords of every city in Night were scattered around, as well as half of Day’s. Ndrita was with Sterling, rallying the people from Keris. Prince Altan was glaring at Prince Zakat as the two argued. I rolled my eyes. It was impossible for the two to be together longer than a moment without such a sight.
Calix helped me gallantly off Arianrhod, and we both unfurled our wings, flying up into the air and hovering where everyone could see us.
“People of Celesterra!” Calix shouted, and the din went quiet, everyone turning to look at him. “Today, we are not Night Kingdom, Day Kingdom, Sunrise or Sunset, Dusk nor Dawn. We are one people,united. The balance of our world is at stake, and it will take all of us, working together, to fix it.”
“Some of you hoped to fight to end slavery, while others cared only for the balance,” I yelled, looking around at the many different people who’d joined us for this fight. Meanwhile, I fought my own battle, pushing down and burying my fear, as well as my rage at what was to come. I couldn’t let my chaotic emotions lead us astray now. Chaos was what would see the end of us all.
If I let myself feel that chaos inside, I would be lost—and so would we all.
“Let this battle bind us all together. Let us not be human or Fae, but equal citizens of this realm. Today, we fight for balance, but we also fight so every man, woman, and child can live in that balanced world freely!” I spoke passionately, my desire to see the humans free nearly overwhelming in that moment.
A loud cheer rose up, and the soldiers before me raised their swords in the air. I took a deep breath. This was really happening. These warriors were about to risk their lives onmysay so. I was about to walk into a battle, wielding sword and magic just like the queens I’d read about as a child.
The battle in Day was small scale in comparison to what was happening now, and I found myself completely unprepared for the reality of it.
I breathed in—terror consuming me and gnawing away at every bit of confidence I’d built up since escaping Dusk.
I breathed out—and reminded myself that I was strong. That I could take whatever this fight threw at me. I rebuilt my confidence brick by brick as resolve hardened my features, looking out on the faces of those I was fighting for.
My friends. My family. The humans. The other Fae.
I turned my head to the right, catching Calix’s eye.
My mate. My love.
We did thistogether, connected through a bond I understood even less than the day I discovered it, yet somehow understanding it on an instinctual level that went beyond word and thought.
Blood and soul.
“We are stronger together than we could ever be apart!” I announced, Calix’s eyes heating as he watched me rally the troops. Those lilac eyes raked down my armor-clad body, and I shivered. Italmostfelt like his fingertips followed the path of his eyes.
“And we will use that strength to crush Cyrus’s forces!” Calix took over, his face hard and resolute as he appraised the cheering soldiers before us.
“For King Calix! For Queen Asteria!” Titan shouted, his sword high and face proud. “For The Star Queen and the Night King!”
