Xaydin stood at her side in his full black metal armor. He was a troll of great power and beauty.
He took her hand and kissed it. “Don’t die today, my love.”
“Nor you. I’d much rather have you than a crown, because I can definitely live without it. And the last thing I want is to find out if I can live again without you.”
“Same. I would tell you to stay behind me, but I know you better. Just watch for arrows.”
“And swords and spears.”
“Indeed.” As soon as he said that word, the drumming stopped and a shriek ran through the enemy ranks.
En masse, they attacked.
“Hold position!” Dash’s criers warned.
The plan was to let Meara’s forces exhaust themselves by running uphill.
At least it was the plan until Meara’s squadron of wizards portaled into the midst and started hurling fireballs. Damn it! They’d forgotten about Meara’s Wizard Brigade.
Dash’s wizards returned that assault as the dragons launched and laid down their own fire over Meara’s army.
Utter chaos exploded.
She followed Xaydin down the hill, toward the enemy, taking care to make sure nothing and no one harmed him. She was used to fighting from the shadows and striking unseen.
This was a whole new way to fight, and honestly, it scared her. There was so much noise, and the ground quickly became slick with blood and other things she didn’t want to think about.
Her heart pounded so loudly that she could no longer hear the drums. And she was grateful she stood on four legs instead of two. She needed the extra stability. It was also awkward to have arms with hooves. Her entire center of gravity was different and she didn’t like it.
Even so, Gisela ducked a blow before she came up and stabbed the attacking centaur through the throat. His dying scream rang out, losing itself among all the others who were screaming in pain while they died.
She felt completely nauseated. Was this really the only way to remove her mother from power?
A queen who stayed back from her army to watch them die in her name, from a safe distance.
It made her sick that her mother would ask so many to die horribly on her behalf while refusing to fight with the rest of them. At least Dash was in the thick of it.
And Xaydin didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he cut through the centaurs with an ease that was frightening. It was obvious that he was a creature of battle. At home here, like many of them.
But that didn’t mean that they should be so comfortable slaughtering others.
And for what? To keep a vain woman in power. One who so obviously cared nothing for those around her.
Meara was in this for her own glory. For her own needs and wants.
Gisela was ashamed that they were related. She didn’t want to watch soldiers die for her.
No. She wanted the blood of only one creature.
Meara.
“Candara!” she shouted, trying to find the mystic among the fighters.
Scanning those throwing fireballs, she finally spotted her between Masakage and Ryper, who’d chosen to fight as a human and not a unicorn.
Gisela made straight for her. But it wasn’t easy to reach her. It seemed like half the army used it to try to attack her.
She was almost there when four attackers surrounded her. She was fighting two at once when the third went to slice her legs. She felt a slight sting before the centaur was sent reeling.
