He stared up at the sun, which was at its highest peak in the sky, then returned his gaze to me, nodding once.
The man didn’t specify whether there were any restrictions on the wish. Could I wish for a way out?
Lords and soldiers surrounded me, trapping me in a circle of dangerous men.
No. I couldn’t risk it when I didn’t know for sure. At least, not right now.
I swallowed past the tightness in my throat. “I wish … I wish for an army that never tires, that is … unbeatable.” My words were shaky, and hunger soured in my stomach as nausea gripped me tightly.
Wishing for an army was wishing for death. A wish for everything I despised. War. Violence. Death.Pain.
So. Much. Pain.
I chose my sister over hundreds. Maybe thousands. Although my mother would be proud, I’m not sure I would be able to forgive myself for the loss of their lives.
The beautiful man stilled, then his form softened, edges blurring as smoke billowed until all I could see was an opaque silhouette and his startlingly silver eyes boring into my own. It was like he could see through me, see how much this cost me and the stain it left on my already charred soul.
The humming vibration accelerated and increased in volume until it was all I could feel. In my ears. In my skin. In my bones. Everywhere. Static energy filled me, and loose strands of hair rose to float around my face.
That floral woodsy scent intensified as well, thickening enough to cause a few of the lords to cough. I relished it, filling my lungs with each expanding breath. It was deliciously potent.
The humming built to a high-pitched ring, like the buzz from the tomb. So loud several of the lords covered their ears, wincing, with eyes squeezed shut.
I felt it then. The magic. Falling over me like an invisible blanket, a suffocating weight constricting my chest. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t do anything but stare into those silvery orbs amidst dark swirling smoke. His eyes kept me present. Grounded.
Just as it all became too much, the magic gentled. The blanket fading slowly until everything stopped and the man from the lamp solidified once more.
Only my own heartbeat could be heard in the absolute stillness that followed, just me and the beautiful man staring intently at each other. Then frenzied shouts rang out, accompanied by hurried footsteps which grew in frequency and pitch.
A soldier burst through our group, gaining everyone’s attention. “King Terym, my apologies for the intrusion.”
“We’re busy.” The soldier flinched at the king’s clipped response. I didn’t blame him.
“It’s the field. I don’t—You need to see—I think we’re under attack.” The soldier fled before anyone could fully register his words, let alone respond.
“Come.” Terym gripped my arm and pulled me after the flustered soldier. I had no choice but to follow along while the lords trailed behind us.
It was chaos, everyone running to the edge of the encampment, to the ancient burial grounds where thousands of fallen soldiers lay to rest. The beautiful field of everlasting flowers.
We pushed through frantic soldiers and servants alike. Past the last line of tents, a sea of deep blue gathered, shining armor reflecting the last of the day’s light. The king’s men parted on our approach, allowing us to see into the field beyond.
There, among flowers of blue and white, stood a sprawling army.
Chapter 12
Over a thousand men and women stood before us. Still. Silent.
Donned in leather armor, their breast plates were etched with a horse mid-gallop, and flowing capes of pale purple fell from their shoulders. Unlike Terym’s men, the fabric didn’t flutter in the light breeze. They were still. Frozen in time. Each held a sword and circular shield, some a spear-tipped flag a deeper purple than their capes, though the sigil matched their armor.
Terym stopped at the edge of the field, protected among his own men. When he released me, my feet carried me forward into the empty land separating blue from purple. I wasn’t alone, acutely aware of the man from the lamp walking beside me.
Guided by a feeling I didn’t quite understand, I edged closer to the silent soldiers. Front and center, two men stood out, different from the others. Their armor was more intricatelydetailed, capes a deeper purple than even the flags. Ranking officers.
Their features didn’t clear as I drew nearer, faces remaining shrouded in shadow. Indecipherable. They were solid, but also not quite, a little like the man at my side.
When only ten feet separated me from the army, every soldier stood to attention in a synchronized movement. Silhouettes shimmered with the motion, their shadows delayed in following them. Then as one, they each fell to a knee, heads bowed, exactly as the man from the lamp had.
The act of reverence halted me in my tracks. I looked to the man at my side, hoping he could offer some guidance. He inclined his head to the kneeling army in a sign of respect before he, too, fell to his knee.
