"Fuck, that could work." Morgana stared at her, mouth snapping closed.
"You cussed. Like, really cussed."
"It's a battle, Mor, I'm going to fucking cuss." Morgana grinned at her. "I need to see the spell so I can tell you how to hit it. But I can't see it from here. I'm going to shift."
"No! If you shift, Boris could have greater control over you. At the very least, Selina will come out to fight you."
"No choice, I need to see the spell and there's no way to get Asmodeus' attention. I watch for my signal. I'll show you were to hit." She ran off before Mor could say anything else.
"Fuck! ARTHUR!" She spun around, looking for him.
He had been talking with Tristan and Lancelot and was running toward her. "What's happened?"
"Your sister." She pointed to where Morgana was taking off. "She needed to see the spell and insisted the only way to do it would be to shift and fly since Asmodeus was out of reach. She could have just taken Fury!"
"Oh, fuck." Arthur wasn't looking at his sister, he was looking toward the castle.
Mor turned to look and gasped. Selina was rising from the camp. Her red scales were so dark they looked like dried blood and the black streaks covered her body. "Oh, fuck." Morgana sent out a spark of magic and Mor watched it sail through the air and hold in place over the enemy camp.
"Arthur, that was my signal, I need to break Boris' hold over his army. Go help your sister!"
But Arthur was shaking his head, "No, Mor. She knew what she was doing. She's been in just as many wars as I have been, and she knows we all have our parts to play." His voice was pained, "We have to trust she knew what she was doing. Break the spell, I need to get ready for the charge."
Mor gaped at him as he turned and hurried back to Tristan. Her gaze was torn from him when she heard a roar. She looked back to Morgana to see she'd started fighting Selina. "Dammit!" Mor closed her eyes and concentrated on moving her magic through the Seeing Stone. It was easier this time, and she narrowed the funnel to make sure she didn't drain herself. Fury pawed the ground next to her, and Mor reached out a hand to steady herself on her.
She felt her vision expand until it felt like she was hovering over the field. Her army had reached the walls and had gone over it. The battering ram broke through the gates, and Mor saw Arthur and Ben charge forward with a wave of Fae following him. Her people had fallen at the gate and now Boris' army was coming through. There was a rumbling in the ground as the giants came around the sides to attack. Ben and Arthur's force split and ran toward the armies coming at each side while Tristan's pressed forward.
Forcing herself to focus, Mor looked for the weak spot Morgana had found. She could see it now. It looked like a net wrapping around Boris' army. And this spot was fraying. Mor pushed her magic at it. Nothing happened and she hit harder, over and over. "Fucking break!" Mor screamed and finally, it snapped.
Mor grinned and looked around. The thread of magic had snapped, but instead of making the net disappear, the other threads wove together, covering the spot. "Dammit." Mor released her magic and hung her head for a moment.
The sounds of battle raged, punctuated by the roars of the dragons fighting above them. She couldn't see Asmodeus or the other Daemons. Mor hoped they had been able to sneak in, but she couldn't count on that. Her people were dying and she couldn't free them. Not like this. The only way to make sure this ended would be if Boris died.
"Fuck this. Fury, are you ready to go kick some ass?" Fury snorted and pushed Mor with her head. "I'll take that as a yes."
Before she could think about it too much, Mor swung up on to Fury and pulled out her sword. "Let's find that piece of shit and end this." Fury exploded into the air and took off toward the encampment. A giant swiped at them, and Fury rolled in the air, kicking him in the face and spinning so Mor left a deep slice on his cheek.
The other giants saw what happened and went for them. Fury dove, flying between their legs. She was very good at leaving Mor openings to slice their legs. "MOR!" She heard Ben yell for her, but she ignored him, intent on making it inside the palisade and to Boris.
Faster than she thought possible, Fury flew over the walls, dodging arrows as she went. Mor looked around and saw a large building. "There, I bet he's there."
Fury flew towards it, and just before they got there, the front of the building exploded. Asmodeus and his Daemons were flung back and Fury dodged, barely avoiding getting hit. She flew over to Asmodeus and Mor dismounted. "Asmodeus! What happened?"
He groaned and tried to say something. "He won't be able to talk to you." A booming laugh came from behind her.
Mor turned to see Boris standing there. "What did you do?"
"Oh, just knocked him out. It's easier to take their power if they can't fight back."
"I'm not going to let you do that."
Boris laughed, the sound not quite sane. "And how do you think to stop me? You don't have the skill to beat me."
"I did it before, I'll do it again. And this time I won't hesitate."
"That was just a surprise. You won't catch me like that again, you little slut." His face turned splotchy as he spoke, anger and madness radiating from him. "Your pet dragon will be killed soon, your armies destroyed, and soon you'll be my little broodmare."
Mor forced herself not to turn and look for Morgana or toward her armies. "I'll never be that." Her focus grew sharper as she lifted her sword and took a step toward him. "Do you know why that is?"
He sneered, pulling out a sword and starting to circle towards her, "Why don't you tell me, maybe it will help you feel better about your inevitable defeat."
Mor's magic split, surrounding her in a shield and flowing through the stone. Wind swirled around her and the earth shook. Lightning crackled across Mor's skin and the sky while rain started to fall from the sky. Boris's eyes darted around and he stumbled as the shaking intensified. Mor lunged toward him, swinging her sword at him.
Boris blocked, but barely. He flung magic at Mor, but her shield absorbed it. She kept up a steady rhythm like Ben had taught her, luring him into a pattern. Boris kept trying to hit her with spell after spell, but nothing got past her shield. Finally, she took her opening and cut him along his ribs. Boris fell back with a gasp.
Before Mor could do anything, Boris flung the darkness at her, and Mor was caught. Unable to move, unable to hear, unable to see. A moment passed, and she felt something change in the spell and she felt hands drifting across her body. A body pressed into her back, arms snaking around to cup her breasts before one dropped down to grab between her legs.
"You see, Mor? You thought you could defeat me. But really, you're just a worthless little slut. Only good for the magic I can steal from you and the little Daemons you'll bear for me." His grip tightened on her. "I think I'll make your mates watch while I take you for the first time. Then I'll make you watch me kill them. Think about that while I go clean up this mess you made."
Rage like she had never felt flowed through Mor and something broke inside of her. The depth of her magic had been deep before, but now it felt endless. Mor let the magic flow with her rage and she felt the darkness flicker and then disappear. Boris still hadn't moved from holding her, apparently not noticing she was free. Magic pulsed from her and he flew back, hitting a wall and then sliding down it.
Mor turned, hair floating and lightening on her skin. She walked up to Boris and looked down at him. When he finally blinked open his eyes, she thrust her sword through his heart. As the light faded from his eyes, she said, "Because I'm stronger than you."
She watched him, making sure he was really dead before letting the magic drain from her. As it left her body, her knees gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. The rain stopped falling as she laid there, staring at the clear sky until she heard her name being yelled. A moment later, Ben fell to his knees at her side and pulled her into him. Mor closed her eyes and started crying. It was over.
Chapter 24
Ben
; Ben thought he would have a heart attack when he saw Mor flying over the battlefield on Fury. And when that giant grabbed at her and they dove under their legs...Ben threw command to Sam and took off after Mor. Then there had been an explosion in the camp and Ben pushed his horse to go faster. But then the ground started shaking, the wind was blowing almost as bad as a hurricane, rain was pounding down and lightning started lighting up the sky.
He knew Mor was fighting Boris, but he couldn't get to her safely on his horse now. Ben had dismounted and started forward on foot, going as fast as he could. And then it all stopped. Suddenly. Fearing the worst, Ben sprinted, screaming Mor's name. He'd gotten there in time to see Boris wrapped around Mor and then be flung back. Mor's violet eyes were glowing, her hair floating and lightning shot across her skin thicker than he'd ever seen before.
Mor stalked toward Boris and then plunged her sword into his chest. When she spoke, her voice was layered with power and resonated around them. "Because I'm stronger than you."
And then she collapsed. Ben ran over to her and pulled her into his arms, "Mor, please, love, please be okay!"
She started crying and curled into him. Ben was shocked. He pulled her in closer. "It's okay, love. I've got you. It's okay." He kept whispering to her as she cried and called for his brothers. He didn't know how long it took for them to get there. Atreyu was first, he sat next to Ben, wrapping his arm under Ben's to hold Mor. Sebastian was next, and he pulled Mor's legs into his lap. Arthur found them and sat across from Ben, pressing against Mor's shaking body. Max was last - he'd been the farthest away since he was with the medical unit - and he squeezed between Ben and Sebastian.
As soon as all five of them were holding her, Mor's shaking stopped. Her crying slowed down, and she was able to breathe slowly. A few more minutes passed before she was able to sit up. They all moved back so she could sit, but none of them stopped touching her.
Max was the first to speak. "What happened, Mor? I thought we were going to let Asmodeus handle Boris?"
"Morgana shifted to find the weak link in Boris's spell over his army. I broke that link, but it didn't work. The spell repaired itself. I couldn't see Asmodeus or any of the Daemons and I knew his army wouldn't stop even when they got tired. I wasn't sure if Asmodeus had gotten through and I had to do something."
There was a groan behind them, and Ben turned to see Asmodeus and the Daemons lying on the ground. "I'd say it was good that you did that. What happened when you got here?"
"I fought Boris. Thought I'd won. And then he caught me in the darkness." She shuddered in their arms. "He tweaked the spell so I could hear him while he groped me. He said he was going to make you watch while he took me, then make me watch while he killed you. And something in me...broke? I don't know if that's the right word because it wasn't a bad thing. It unleashed my magic, and I was able to break his spell and then..." She gestured over to where Boris lay with her sword sticking out of him, eyes vacant and staring.
Mor gagged and fell forward, her body heaving. Ben held her hair back while Mor threw up. His brothers kept rubbing her back and wiping her face. They'd all been there. Taking a life - even one that's evil - was not something that came easily. And if it ever did, then that was a problem. When she finished, Ben helped her to sit up and take a few sips of water. Thank the gods Max had some with him.
When she had settled, Ben helped her to stand. "The Daemons? Morgana? What happened with the battle?"
"Slow, Mor. Go slow. Max will go check on the Daemons. Arthur, will you go see how Morgana is? Sebastian, will you go check on the armies?"
They all left, anxious to take care of things and get back to Mor. Atreyu found a chair for her to sit on, and they started checking her for injuries. When they'd made sure she was okay, Ben knelt in front of her and laid his head on her lap. "I thought I'd lost you."
"I'm here, Ben. You didn't lose me." Her hand rested on his head and she leaned her head back. After a moment, her breathing steadied, and she drifted into a light sleep. Ben didn't move, afraid to wake her and not able to move away from her yet. She'd done it. In the end, it had been Mor.
* * *
Atreyu
Atreyu sat on the other side of Mor, his hand around her ankle. He couldn’t bring himself to let go. She was sleeping in the chair, Ben's head in her lap. He was having trouble processing what had happened. Mor had done. All on her own. He was so fucking proud he wanted to shout it to everyone, but he didn't want to wake her up so he settled for keeping the giant grin on his face.
Max finished checking the Daemons and came over, sliding down to sit on the ground with Atreyu. "They're fine. Just knocked out. I don't have the energy to move them so they'll just have to stay there for now."
"Did you have to heal them at all?"
"Yeah." Max's voice was tired, "They had some broken wings and bones, but I went ahead and took care of that. Which is why I don't have the energy to move them any farther."
"Good." They were quiet as they waited for Sebastian and Arthur.
Sebastian came back with horses, food, and drink for all of them. "Tristan is cleaning everything up. As soon as Mor killed Boris, the spells holding his army broke. Tristan's going to get camp set up and make sure medical is going."
"Arthur?" Atreyu stood to help Sebastian.
"Haven't seen him yet. Tristan told me Morgana and Selina's battle pulled away from the field, so I'm sure he's having to look for her. I just hope she's okay."
By the time they had food set out and woke up Mor, Arthur finally came back. "I'm sorry that took so long. Morgana's battle with Selina took them farther away than I thought it would. Then I had to get her to change back so I could carry her back to the army."
"Why did you have to carry her?" Mor looked worried and started to stand.
Arthur grabbed her hand to keep her from standing. "She's okay. She was just wounded and tired from the battle."
"What happened to Selina?" Atreyu was surprised at the anger that laced his voice.
"Morgana killed her."
"Fuck yes!" Atreyu grinned. "The ladies of this fucking family are badass!"
"Yes, well, I do wish my badass sister had roared at me a little less. My head is still ringing. She roared right in my face when I told her to shift." Arthur shook his head, looking affronted. "As if I enjoy carrying my sister on my back like I am some sort of pack animal! The only woman I want riding me is my mate." Arthur winked at Mor.
They all burst out laughing. Mor said, "I do love riding you, Arthur." Her grin faded then, and she said, "I wish we could have saved her."
"Selina?" Atreyu looked at her, startled. “She tried to kill you - more than once. She even tried to use me and Amara to kill you.”
"I'm sure there were some good parts of her. We could have helped her."
Arthur shook his head. "No, Mor. She was a gold digging piece of crap before she hooked up with Boris, I assure you."
"Well, I'm glad she can't hurt anyone else."
A thought popped into Atreyu's head. "You know what this means, Mor?"
"What?"
"You can open the castle."
"Oh, fuck." Her eyes went wide as they all stared at each other. “We should probably go check that out.” She grinned, and they all scrambled to their feet.
They laughed as they ran toward the entrance of the castle. There was a shimmer in front of the doors. They stood silently staring at them. No one moved until Atreyu finally nudged Mor. "What are you waiting for, beautiful? It's time for you to come home."
She gave him a brilliant smile. "That's not home. Y'all are home." Mor winked. "But it won't hurt to have a castle for a house. I wonder if there's a pool."
Atreyu and his brothers laughed. "Beautiful, if you want a pool we'll make sure there's a fucking pool." He gave her a little push and then said in a dramatic voice, "Go, now, Queen Mor of the House Byrne! Fulfill your destiny!" He smirked as they all laughed.
Mor took a deep, steadying breath and walked forwar
d. She hesitated when she got to the shimmer and looked back at them. When they nodded, she straightened her shoulders and reached out a hand to touch the shimmer. As soon as her hand made contact, a bell started ringing, and the shimmering disappeared. Mor gaped back at them before pushing the doors open. Atreyu grinned and followed her. He'd never stop following her.
Chapter 25
Mor
Mor woke up late, for once. The last two weeks had been crazy. They'd found the castle perfectly preserved and were able to move into it immediately. Atreyu, Sebastian, and Max had spent days searching it from top to bottom to find whatever it was that Boris had wanted. And they had found it. Mor shuddered, thinking about what could have happened if he had gotten his hands on it. Thanks to the gods, that hadn't happened. Mor was so grateful her mates had done that. She'd had her hands full trying to make sure the Fae and shifters in Boris's army were accepted back without resentment. And then they had to hunt down the ones that had really joined him, not to mention the giants. And Max's family. That had been particularly nasty. But they had done it. There was still a lot to do, but Mor felt like it was all doable at this point.
She stretched before sitting up with a smile. Today was a big day. The only thing she'd asked for was to be allowed to sleep in. And for cake. She fucking loved cake. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, pushing her long braid over her shoulder. Her mates weren't there, which was weird. She wasn't too surprised, though. Morgana had promised to make sure they weren't so there was minimal chance of them all being late. But there was food and coffee on the table. She went over and sat down in her chair, finding a note on her plate.
Mor,
We're so proud of you. Take your time getting ready and we'll come get you when it's time.
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