“Would you like to dance?” I asked, bowing.
She accepted my hand. “Of course.”
I led her through the dance floor crowd, settling right in the middle of the massive hall. The music settled to a soft tempo. I slid my arms around her waist, and she wrapped hers around my neck. We swayed together to the beat of the song. I heard her let out a sweet sigh. When she pressed her body into mine, I tightened my hold on her. Our bodies fit perfectly together. Like we were each shaped for the other. Everyone disappeared and all I could hear was the sound of her breathing. As I closed my eyes, I wished this moment would never end.
In my relaxed state, I sensed something was happening.
I opened my eyes. As I scanned the room, I concentrated on a sensation I couldn’t describe. It was like a humming inside of me, and it was getting stronger by the second. My body tensed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, gazing up at me.
It reminded me of the telepathic link I had with Britta when she spoke to me. It wasn’t her, though. I was sure of it. “Something’s in my head. I can feel it.”
“What do you mean?” Her eyebrows knit together. “You’re starting to scare me.”
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t mean to be vague. But I had no idea what had happened. I released her from my hold, and massaged my temples. “Something is pulsing in my head. It’s hard to explain. Like someone is trying to reach me telepathically. Trying to force their way in.”
She put her hands over mine, and closed her eyes. “Let me see if I can use my power to help you.”
My body jolted when she entered my mind.
“I hear it too,” she said. “Let’s try to move towards the sound.”
I didn’t have time to respond. Within seconds, we both saw what had been making all that noise. It was the Ring of Dispel. Valac had removed it from the pathway, and I could sense it once more. The ring was trying to communicate with me. I’d known the ring had a connection to the king of the fire court, but I had no idea it could contact me. I used all my energy to sense its location.
The air court mountain came into view.
Kalin stepped back, breaking our connection. “Did you see it, Rowan?”
“Alert your knights.” I removed the glamour over my weapons. Some of the elementals on the dance floor screamed when the sword and shield on my back appeared seemingly out of nowhere. I released my sword from its sheath. “Valac is here.”
Chapter Fifteen
Marcus
This was the greatest moment of my life.
The musicians had already begun to play an upbeat instrumental song. We watched as our guests strolled inside for the wedding reception. Members of the royal families and high ranking elementals from every court were in attendance. It was hard for me to believe they’d all come to witness the wedding of a hound who had, until just recently, been considered a step above a servant. A guardian to the prince, they once called the deserter. The one I called best friend.
Before we joined them inside, I wanted to first have a quiet moment with my wife. My wife. Two words never sounded so sweet. I’d spent all these years wondering if I’d one day surrender to the fierce creature I struggled to control. But Ariel was the one who made me see I was more than an animal. That I didn’t have to accept the life assigned to me. No matter the circumstances, her faith in me was indestructible. I held her tightly against my chest.
For maybe the first time, I’d truly felt the warmth of optimism.
The night sky was filled with thousands of bright stars. From this height, I saw little more than clouds and the edge of the forest surrounding us in every direction. Cold wind blew in from the south, and goosebumps filled the top of her arms. “It’s time to get you inside, my wife.”
She let out a pleasant sigh. “Lead the way, my husband.”
A scent I wasn’t expecting wafted through my nostrils. I inhaled deeply. It was the familiar smell of burnt ash. Of course, there were many fire elementals here. But this odor was strong. Like hundreds of elementals were suddenly all around us. My muscles tensed. With one arm, I thrust Ariel behind me.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, with worry laced in her words.
I wasn’t ignoring her. I had to make sure I was right before I answered her. Closing my eyes, I drew in a slower breath. What I’d feared was confirmed. “A crowd of uninvited guests will be here in a matter of minutes. You have to go inside and alert everyone.”
I surveyed the area around the castle. All of the royal families brought knights with them. There had to be at least two hundred. I’d been around long enough to know they’d only accept a command from their king or queen. If they weren’t ready, we’d never survive the ambush.
Her eyes widened. “What are you going to do?”
Anger built inside of me. I had to hold off whatever attack was coming. The beast inside of me stirred. “Slow them down.”
As she turned to leave, I held onto her wrist. “Why are you stopping me?”
I bent down, leveling our eyes. “If this is about to get as bad as I think, I need you and your family to get to safety.”
She pulled her hand back. “I’m not going to abandon my friends.”
“Please listen to me, Ariel,” I begged, my stomach already in knots. I wanted to be angry, but her fierce loyalty was something I’d always admired. That’s what made her who she was. “I can’t fight them off if I think you’re in danger. I’ll end up getting myself killed.”
Her eyelids lined with tears. “Marcus—”
My heart pounded in my ears as sweat poured down my back. Fire burned in my core. This was a familiar sensation. The change had started. I reached out for her. My large hands completely covered her biceps, rattling her tiny frame. “Please promise me.”
She looked away into the distance. “I—”
“Please,” I repeated, trying my best to hide the pain. Bones in my back popped as they broke. I dropped to my knees. “Promise me.”
“Okay.” Her voice trembled. “I promise.”
Muscles tore as the bones shifted into their new position. Skin stretched to accommodate my growing size. Hair fell out in clumps, replaced by dark fur. I glanced up. Her hands covered her mouth. It had been a while since she saw me shift. It was something I preferred to do alone. As hard as it was on me, I imagined it was always more difficult to watch without being able to help. The cartilage in my nose cracked, blood dripped down my face. My snout formed. “Go,” I growled.
She ran full speed toward the castle.
Not long after she was gone, the transition was complete. Now that I was in my hound form, my hearing was heightened and I was able to see into the dark forest that surrounded the castle. The thick forest was about a mile away. I hurried over, and prowled the wooded entryway. The scent of ash grew more potent as each minute passed. As they drew closer, I got a whiff of elementals from the other three courts. They must’ve joined with Valac. It was the only way to explain the combination of smells.
A thunderous roar shook the ground.
I circled around. The other hounds were coming to assist me. Knights had positioned themselves all around the castle. Each one stood with a sword and shield. They were ready for battle. Which meant Ariel had done as I asked. I hoped she’d followed all my instructions and kept herself out of danger. I quickly brushed those feelings aside, and refocused on what was happening. The ten hounds I’d traveled with appeared on either side of me, forming a large barrier around the forest.
The bulk of my pack remained at the fire court.
“Valac has come for the shield,” I told my pack. In this form I was able to speak to them using telepathy. Last time I saw the sacred object, it was strapped to Rowan’s back. “We must protect our king.”
“Our king has readied himself for war,” Ethan replied.
That wasn’t a surprise. Rowan never shied away from a battle. He certainly wouldn’t start now that Kalin’s life was at risk. If I had to bet, he was with her. Whe
re I preferred to be, with Ariel. But I had to stand with the pack. We were the first line of defense. As a group, we could kill most of them before they had a chance to reach the castle. I wished I’d brought more hounds with me. I should’ve anticipated the attack. But I assumed Valac wouldn’t risk an all-out assault while all the courts were together.
He was more brazen than I’d given him credit for.
I sent out a distress call, howling loud enough to shake the trees. Any members of my pack in their hound forms heard the vibration, no matter the distance. It was likely the other royal families had sent for backup as well. We had no idea what was coming. My nerves remained on edge as we waited. The low growls from the other hounds echoed in my ears. When I heard the pounding of feet, I dug my claws into the grass-covered dirt, and bared my teeth.
“Get ready,” a voice said, shifting my attention away from the woods.
Rowan stood behind me clutching his sword. The shield wasn’t on him. He must’ve given it back to Kalin to protect. This was the last place he needed to be. I wanted him inside with her. Together, they could’ve defended the shield if some of the rogue elementals managed to get past us. Now, he was putting himself in danger. I wasn’t able to speak to him in this form. Instead, I released a venom-filled growl that let him know exactly how I felt about his presence.
“I know you’re pissed.” He tried to pat my head, but I turned away. “I need to try one last time to reason with him. See if I can end this before more of us die.”
His motives weren’t unreasonable. Any worthy king wanted peace before war. But Valac was long past logic. He was willing to die to see this through. I was convinced the only resolution we’d find today would happen on the edge of a sword.
A heavy gust of wind blew through while twigs snapped and leaves rustled.
They were here.
I faced the edge of the forest. Lowering my head, I was ready to pounce the moment they charged. The rattling ground gave me the impression they planned to come in fast. One by one, Valac’s rogue elementals appeared out of the brush. Each halted as soon as they saw what waited for them. Most were once members of our court. They’d likely been seduced by the power of the sacred artifacts, and whatever else Valac had promised.
There was a commotion among their ranks, and then I recognized Valac’s voice. He fought his way to the front of the line to see why they’d stopped. He wore the Green Armor. Excalibur was in his hand as well as the Ring of Dispel. When he spotted Rowan, a smug glare formed on his face. “Have you come to surrender?”
“This is your last chance.” Rowan pointed the blade of his sword at his throat. “We can resolve this without any more bloodshed.”
At the sight of his sword, the rogue elementals raised their weapons. Some had iron swords, knives, and axes. Others ignited fire in their palms. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge. The second any one of them made a move against Rowan, I’d lunge at his throat.
“This ends when I rule over all four courts,” Valac replied, intently. “I’ll return order to Avalon and restore honor to the House of Djin.”
My muscles begged to pounce on him. Valac was Prisma’s adopted son. He was never a member of her house. That right belonged to Rowan alone.
“Honor can never be restored,” Rowan shouted, loud enough for all the rogues to hear. “You have to earn it by making selfless choices.”
“I’ve made my choice, false king,” he replied, with disdain in his tone. “Attack.”
Rogue elementals swarmed us with weapons raised. Valac disappeared within the crowd. We fought against elementals we’d once considered our allies, tearing into their flesh with our teeth. Rowan was right in the middle of the violence. He slashed through any stragglers that managed to fight their way through our line. Knights from the other courts had also entered the fray. Swords clashed against one another. Pained screams were heard all around.
In no time at all, the ground was littered with bodies from both sides.
Although we’d made a dent, they had much greater numbers. A few had managed to slip past us. Rowan repositioned himself closer to the castle. Any elemental that got through now had to take him on. As far as I could tell, none had reached the entrance. Blood stained his sword and clothing. I was no better. Streaks of red coated my face, teeth, and paws. Everywhere I looked, elementals fought to the death.
No matter how many we killed, more kept coming. Bodies had already begun to decompose, converting into ash. The hounds were ferocious with their attack, taking on twenty or more at one time. I’d been stabbed a few times, though none were deep. My skin was difficult to pierce in my animal form, even with iron weapons. Immense sadness rippled through me. Out of the corner of my eye, fifty or so rogues had killed one of my young hounds. He’d taken most of them with him, but that didn’t lesson the pain of his loss.
It also created a hole for them to breach.
Rowan used his power to build a wall of fire around the entire perimeter. This wouldn’t stop them, but it slowed the flow of elementals. The remaining hounds killed the rogues as they passed through the flames. Valac remained out of sight. Even with all the sacred objects, he let his rogues do the killing. It was a smart, yet sickening strategy. He’d sacrifice every one of their lives just to wear us down. Once we were weakened from the attack, he’d likely go after the shield.
And so far, his plan seemed to be working.
Rowan wasn’t going to be able to hold them off much longer. He’d dropped to his knees. I had to get him out of here. As I loaded him on my back, spinning funnels of sand flew over our heads. Each cone picked up bundles of rogues at a time, and dropped them off the side of the mountain. Mini-tornadoes plucked them off the ground like pieces of corn. They were coming in from all over. That’s when I saw Orion with his hands reaching up to the skies. Other woodland elementals merged their power with his to strengthen the counterattack.
“You have to take me back,” Rowan urged. “They’ll need our help.”
I ignored his request. He needed time to recharge. Which would prove difficult this far away from the eternal flame. I pushed my way through the crowd until I found Kalin. She ran over once she realized what I was carrying.
“Are you hurt?” she asked, as panic filled her eyes.
“I used too much power,” Rowan replied, weakly. He sat down on the floor. “I can still fight.”
“Not like this.” She cupped her hands on his cheeks. “I won’t risk your life.”
Orion and the other woodland elementals wouldn’t be able to hold them off for long. An ache formed in my chest. Was this the end for all of us? How long would we be able to hold on?
“Help has arrived,” Kalin announced to the crowd, pointing toward the window. “Look.”
Streams of reinforcements from every court had joined the battle. They pushed the rogues back. I let out a sigh of relief as I glanced over at my friends. With Rowan safe, I’d look for Ariel and her family. I searched the entire ballroom. She must’ve hidden away like I asked. Comforted that she was protected, I rejoined the other hounds. I was overjoyed to see my entire pack holding the barrier. Some of the winged fire elementals flew over the battlefield, attempting to enter the castle. Britta, along with a horde of her elementals, shot them out of the skies using her water magic.
With the blockade in place and the additional knights, we’d successfully turned the tide.
“We can’t let them escape,” I told the other hounds. As rogues attempted to retreat into the forest, we went after them. One by one, we chased them through the thick forest. The ground shook as we went full speed for miles. They tried to outmaneuver us by zig-zagging through the trees. That didn’t work. We’re stealthy for our enormous size. Each time, we took them down. Ripping out their throats as they begged for mercy. We had no interest in prisoners.
They betrayed our court.
They died without honor.
As I snapped the neck of the last rogue, I heard cheers coming from the c
astle. The knights had claimed victory. The other hounds turned to me, and I shook my head. I had an unsettling feeling deep in my bones. This wasn’t over. I was sure of it. “Stay on guard,” I told my pack.
Throughout the battle, Valac was nowhere to be found. There had to be more to his plan. He’d risked too much already. I was sure he wasn’t through yet. When no rogues were left standing, we made our way back through the forest. The scent of death lingered in the air. When I saw what was left of the battlefield, my stomach soured. The area surrounding the castle was peppered with bodies in various stages of decay. This wasn’t a victory. It was a massacre. Everywhere I looked, all I saw was death.
Elementals from every court searched through the carnage for their loved ones. I passed by a family that cried over the carcass of a young male air knight. The mother brushed the hair away from her son's face as tears ran down her cheeks. As I continued through the slaughter, I tried to find my friends. Marlene rushed by me in a panic. Moments later, she found Orion. He’d survived the attack, but his left arm hung limp and was covered in blood. Britta seemed to be unscathed. She blessed each of her fallen elementals as their bodies liquefied into water.
But still no sign of Valac.
Then I heard a scream that froze my blood.
Chapter Sixteen
Rowan
I had to get out of here.
The ballroom was filled to capacity with injured elementals from every court. Bodies had been laid on top of the tables. Blood dripped from silk lavender linens onto the floor. Pained wails were heard throughout. Woodland faeries raced around, mending as many as they could with the salve they’d brought. A few had been sent back to their court to retrieve more. Although they tried many times, they weren’t able to help me. My power had been wiped out when I created the massive fire barrier. This far away from the eternal flame, I had to heal on my own. I wasn’t helpless though. I still had a sword and I could swing it.
Eternal Sacrifice (Mortal Enchantment Book 4) Page 11