“That's the King knocking on our door.” I followed his stare. “My needs will have to wait. Again.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Remember, do not let your emotions control you.” I walked down the line of our soldiers, coating their swords in Light. “The Bramble Legion feeds on your anger, pride, and fear. They will conquer you without lifting a sword if you let them. Every dark emotion you have makes them stronger.”
I didn't combine Darkness with the Light. I still wasn't sure if it had worked against the Garden. The King had brought his army to await us in the clearing beyond the village, so he had made it past my barrier, but he hadn't breached my Light ward. I didn't know if this was because my Light ward encapsulated the village and the barrier had only covered the cave mouth, or if it was the merged magic that had failed. So, I went with Light. Again.
Outside my shining ward, the Bramble Legion looked like black smudges. But the smudges crossed the width of the clearing. Maybe we should have summoned more soldiers. Of course, then we would have had to wait for them, and who knows what the Garden would have done in the meantime. No, this was better.
With the soldiers armed, I coated Tiernan's sword and then my Demon sword. I thought it was time I used a physicalweapon against the blight. We were lined up in the thin track of ground between my ward and the village, facing the Bramble Legion. I went to stand at the head of the army with Tiernan and, without pause, lowered the ward.
Tiernan's hand clenched on his sword hilt. The Bramble Legion had grown in size and number. A strange mix of black brambles and flesh, the midnight warriors moved without moving, their woven muscles writhing even while their faces remained smooth. Narrowing my eyes, I realized it was my emotions that had given them this boost—the pain the King had stolen from me.
The King of Crybabies stepped forward. He wore a crown of black, glossy thorns and armor with thorns poking from the panels like studs. “You have one last chance, Seelie Royals. Come to me. Give me my due. I will take your pain and return to my garden peacefully.”
“Here is our offer to you,” Tiernan pointed his glowing sword at the King of Regret. “Take your minions and go back where you came from, or we will destroy you.”
“And what say you, Queen Seren?” King Crybaby pulled a black sword that would have matched mine, had mine not been coated in Light.
I stared at that black sword, his black face, and the crown of thorns that reminded me so much of the one I had worn briefly on Earth—a crown that controlled the world. This wasn't Christ's crown, but fey magic loved symbolism. The King had probably seen the Arma Christi in my memories and created his own crown to taunt me—an unspoken threat that if I didn't give in, he would take the entire world. I didn't do well with threats.
My answer was our battle cry. “Seelie!” I lifted my sword and ran right for the King.
The rest of our soldiers echoed my cry and rushed after Tiernan and me.
Within a foot of the King, a briar warrior slid into my way. I sliced it down while sending a burst of Light over the warrior and down the line of them. Fearing the King's retreat, I hadn't begun with a blast. But now that I was in the thick of battle, I could direct the Light precisely. Warriors disintegrated under my attack, and I turned back to the King.
He was forty feet away, beyond the battle.
I cut through his warriors, none of them taking emotions from me. None even tried. Frowning, I paused. The battle raged around Tiernan and me, our soldiers engaged with several opponents at once, but no warriors approached us. Cocking an eyebrow at Tiernan, I turned in the opposite direction from the King.
Sure enough, a briar warrior turned away from the Seelie soldier he fought to block my path. I cut him down and spun again. Continuing through the spin, I ran for the King. Tiernan cursed and chased after me. When we got too close, a warrior would step into our way, giving the King time to relocate.
“He's not retreating.” I lowered my sword.
“No. We're being herded. He's luring us to the Garden.” Tiernan looked at me. “That is where the real battle will be fought.”
“But I want him as weak as possible before we engage.” I turned and cut the legs out from under a briar warrior on my left.
It went down, and the Seelie knight fighting it grabbed his sword in two hands and stabbed it into the thing's chest. The warrior clutched at the blade before bursting apart into silver particles. As I frowned at the shimmering cloud, the knight breathed it in. Instantly, he convulsed, but didn't fall. His hands clenched around his sword until he steadied himself and lifted his stare to meet my gaze.
His eyes were black. Completely black.
“Oh, fuck! He's taking our soldiers!” Tiernan hissed.
Everywhere I looked, briar warriors exploded into silver clouds. Our soldiers were coughing and convulsing, changing sides in seconds. The blight had found a new way to infect people.
A roar came as the black-eyed knight rushed Tiernan and me. Instead of pulling back, I went forward to meet him, my hand glowing with purple light. Ducking under his swing, I came up behind the knight and grabbed the back of his neck—one of the few places his skin was bared. I sent my Uncrossing magic into him, praying it would work.
It didn't.
The knight spun to face me, snarling.
Okay, so Uncrossing didn't work, but maybe if I went around the magic with Star-Crossing, I could take control of the soldier. I lifted my hand to sprinkle lavender dust into his black eyes. But even as the dust collected on my fingertips, the man's eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed. Tiernan stood behind him, holding his sword with the hilt facing down.
“Retreat!” Tiernan shouted. “Fall back to the village!” He turned to me. “Seren, can you cast another ward around them?” He picked up the unconscious knight, hefting the man's arm across his shoulder.
“Yes, go!” I waved him toward Kabus.
