Every single body turned and fell to their knees in adoration of him. The power he exuded was beyond anything Adalia had ever witnessed before. He graciously smiled and looked kindly upon all of his subjects as he walked across the green grass of the Shadowkin realm.
Once stopped in the middle of the crowd, he spoke with authority and grace.
“Lightners of the light realm, today we stand on the face of destiny. The hour has come when our bravery and resolve shall be put to the test. We march not for glory alone, but for the preservation of all that we hold dear—our land, our families, and our sacred way of life. The challenges that loom before us are daunting, but remember this: we are the embodiment of all that is good in this world. Our training, our discipline, and our unwavering spirit have moulded us into a force to be reckoned with. Let not doubt nor fear cloud your minds, for we will win. With every swing, we strike a blow for justice, for freedom, and for the future of generations yet unborn. We fight not for personal glory, but for the vaster good. And when the sun sets at the end of this day, let it wash its rays over a field cleansed of darkness, a field where honour, integrity, and righteousness triumph overall.”
The crowd remained silent for a moment before erupting into a roar of unity. Every weapon was thrust into the air in a cheer of victory, and Adalia grinned from ear to ear. She glanced at Matthias, who was eyeing the king. He remained stone-faced, but watched as every Lightner cheered for their ruler. She squeezed his hand once again. “Light guide you.”
The prince nodded and smiled at her softly. “And keep you.”
The king moved again, parting the crowd as his leather boots took them closer to battle with every step.
When he stood in front of the Oscuro Veil, the crowd fell silent once again.
“King Sinfonia, we don’t need to do this. We can all turn around and return to our homes. No blood needs shedding today, and no lives need to be lost. Please reconsider your next move, for it will determine the rest of our existence.” The king called across the Veil.
Not a soul dared to move or breathe as they waited to see what the King of Darkness would do. Minutes ticked by, feeling like years. It was the second time Adalia had heard the dark king’s name spoken by the King of Light, and she looked at Matthias, wondering how he felt about it.
She wasn’t left wondering long.
His grip tightened at the mention of his father’s name, and she shuffled her feet quietly to get closer to his side, hoping her body warmth would be a comfort to him.
His eyes remained locked on the king, and Adalia studied his face. The sun birthmark behind his ear glowed in the light.
What was going through his head? Was he relieved to be on this side of the Veil? Was he torn between his father and what was right? Or was he glad to be rid of them all?
The longer she studied, Adalia realised she wouldn’t have those questions answered just yet.
A cluster of Lightners closest to the Oscuro Veil murmured a cry and both Adalia and Matthias looked to the skies as a singular arrow sailed through the Veil before descending and lodging itself into the ground at the feet of the Light King, he turned to the sea of faces and nodded.
Battle would begin.
Chapter Thirty-One
The great battle
From silence to bedlam, a whirlwind of chaos unfurled in an instant.
Adalia didn’t know where to look first. Bodies and wings scattered like leaves in a fierce wind, strewn across the battlefield. It was a flurry of feathered shadows and wings of bursting colour. Adalia and Matthias leapt into action and ran for the sea of Thorns that were pouring through the Veil—land and sky.
Dark red and white wings darted across her line of sight as Nikolas and Shiloh fought valiantly, their weapons a blur as they defended against the relentless onslaught of thorns bleeding into The Grey.
Amongst the turmoil, Adalia found herself separated from Matthias and her heart felt like it was being ripped from her body. The prince was engaged in fierce combat with a male and female Thorn, one on ground and one in the air. The clash of Adalia’s blade echoed through the turbulence. Blocking a strike from her opponent, Adalia dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way. While the Thorn was bewildered, Adalia struck.
Her dagger made entry in the side of their body and Adalia heard bones crunch as the blade contacted ribs. Crimson liquid gushed from the wound, and the Thorn crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Adalia’s chest heaved from lack of air. She hadn’t realised she wasn’t breathing.
In all her years of training and protecting The Grey, she’d never killed. Sure, she’d injured Thorns, and they’d injured her . . . but she had never taken a life.
Looking around, all she wanted to do was drop to her knees and cry, but her body wouldn’t let her. The adrenaline in her veins pulsed ferociously, and she pushed on through Thorn after Thorn, dropping body after body like it was second nature, trying to put eyes on the ones she loved in between kills.
Two kings, dark and light, faced off in a clash of authority and strength and the ground shook beneath the weight of their conflict. It was good versus evil and even though Adalia felt deep down who the victor would be, her heart stayed in her throat as she watched them battle.
The scene before her was bedlam.
A disorienting torrent of motion and sound assaulted her senses. Glancing above, she saw Shiloh with a group of Thorns heading her way, so she took to the skies with grit, seeking to thin the thorn ranks from above. Wings, both coloured and dark, fell from the atmosphere.
Adalia held back tears as she saw Lightner’s lifeless forms scattered on the ground below. It was a sea of bodies—and not the gentle, lulling kind that she loved to sit by and daydream. Cries from above brought her thoughts back to the task at hand, and Adalia attempted to carve order from the chaos.
Shiloh banked to the left, heading towards a few stragglers, and Adalia hovered, looking at the battle below her. Nikolas seemed to struggle as he faced down five Thorns at a time, so she descended, intending to help, but as soon as the soles of her boots touched the surface of The Grey, her wings were ensnared by a thrown object, rendering her flightless.
