by LJ Andrews
Tynan rushed toward Dax and shoved him hard pushing him away from Nerezza.
“What are you doing?” Dax bellowed, drawing his sword.
“Don’t touch her,” Tynan said. “We have to keep moving. Leave her.”
“What are you saying?” Killian said angrily. “We’re not leaving her. What kind of man are you, Tynan?”
“Killian, stop,” Mercedes said. “She looks…terrifying. Listen to Tynan and don’t touch her.”
Killian looked at Mercedes incredulously. “How can you say that in front of her? In fact, how can you say that at all? She’s one of the most beautiful girls I’ve laid eyes on.”
“Please,” Nerezza said, reaching her pale hand up. “I need help. I’ve been stuck here all day waiting for someone kind and brave to rescue me.”
Lucan’s head rolled to one side as if he was entranced by her and moved in her direction. Killian was instantly filled with a strange jealousy; he couldn’t allow Lucan to touch her first. Something heated against his neck, warning him to leave, but how could he just leave her? She was helpless and he could save her.
“Killian, Lucan, stand back. I will help her,” Dax shouted, pushing them out of his way.
Warning heat burned the back of his neck, but Killian ignored it and tried to push Dax out of his way.
Nerezza smiled, a perfect smile, and lifted her hand up toward Killian. Her fingers were slender, pale, and beautiful, everything about her was beautiful. Suddenly, Nerezza released a shrill, agonizing scream. Embedded deep in her chest was a sleek silver dagger. Killian whipped his head around and saw Mercedes standing directly behind him, one dagger missing from her weapon bands on her wrist.
His heart shrieked in pain and he listened to Lucan and Dax shout in agony and fury as well.
“How could you?” he sputtered. “You…you killed her, Mercedes…she…you…were jealous of her, weren’t you?” Killian cried above the slew of explicit words Dax and Lucan shouted.
Mercedes glared at them all and crossed her arms over her chest. “Turn around, take one last look, and let’s go,” she commanded. Killian gaped at her callousness, but he turned to have one final look at the perfect face he knew would be dead. When he saw Nerezza, he cried out in terror and lost his footing.
Tied with a thick iron chain to the trunk of an Emerald Tree, the most hideous woman shrieked and snarled at them. Her eyes were yellow and bloodshot, with tight lips against her brown teeth as if someone was pulling her skin too tightly against her skull. Her hair was gray and only grew in sparse tufts over her bloody scalp. Her body was skeletal, draping in loose, gray skin with only scraps of material for clothing. Her long, yellow fingernails dug at the soft earth and her screams were more animal-like than human.
“What is she?” Lucan gasped.
Tynan breathed a sigh of frustration. “She’s a nymph, entrapped here because of the havoc she once spread throughout Cimmerian. Her chain is broken if an unsuspecting male soul touches her. Then she’ll devour the poor fool and break her bond. Mercedes killed the mask she wore to fool you. Now you see her as she really is.”
Killian looked horrified as he peered between Mercedes and Nerezza. “You saw her true form immediately?”
Mercedes nodded with a perturbed look on her face.
“Females can see her for who she is,” Tynan explained. “Now come we have to hurry.”
“Hey, Tynan, maybe warn us a little sooner if there are any more gorgeous soul-suckers out there,” Dax huffed.
“Or just let them take me,” Lucan added wistfully.
“Just stay close. I’ll try and speak up sooner if we meet another dark creature,” Tynan promised.
Once safely through the emerald tree orchard, they peered down at the small village nestled just outside the large black granite wall surrounding the city center and palace.
“So that’s Maurelle’s palace,” Killian whispered. The palace was made from gray and black granite, much like the outer wall, and looked like medieval palaces from history books. The windows were arches of beautiful purple and gold stained glass. The granite building reflected in sparkling ebony water surrounding the building, and each ripple shimmered like crystal underneath the two moons’ light.
Tynan nodded. “The palace guards surround all the entrances in case the Trinity or queen try and enter.” He lowered his head. “It was devastating for Cimmerian to lose Maurelle. Despite what she’s done, she truly was a wonderful ruler.”
Killian placed a hand on Tynan’s shoulder and despite his protests, Infinium allowed the boy’s despair and sadness to seep into his heart like heavy lead.
“Tynan, remember even though Maurelle is doing terrible things, her love for Cimmerian is true,” Mercedes added from behind them.
“Listen, as much as I want to sit here and make excuses for the woman, I just caught a glimpse of a white-haired, very out of place Glacien sneaking into the back door of that home,” Lucan said pointing at a small square house with small purple lanterns in the window.
Killian pulled his double ended spear he kept on his back strap and released the two sharp points.
“Let’s−ˮ
A terrified scream filled the quiet, dim air and immediately spurred the small group into action.
“Tynan!” Dax shouted as they ran down the hill. “Go to the palace as quickly as you can and get the guards. They need to know they’re under attack. We won’t be able to handle Speron’s group on our own. Stay out of sight until you get there.”
Tynan nodded and slipped behind several homes, disappearing into the shadows.
“Killian, now is the time to use any mind tricks you have up your sleeve,” Dax said under his breath.
“I’ll try,” Killian promised, though feeling less confident the closer they came.
Dipping his shoulder, Dax slammed his large body into the same back door they’d seen the Glacien run into.
Mercedes gasped when they saw what was happening. A Cimmerian man was sprawled along the wooden floor and a beautiful woman held tight to two small children against the wall. Killian could see the man was breathing, but a fresh trail of blood stained the floor from the long gash on his head.
“STOP THIS,” Dax bellowed holding his sword against the Glacien’s back. Mercedes rushed toward the woman and held her hands out for the children. With frightened eyes, the woman hesitated, but soon surrendered the two small boys to Mercedes’ outstretched arms.
The Glacien turned around, and Killian recognized him as Hans, a fellow recruit.
“Dax, how can you say this?” Hans snarled. “After what happened to Sophia.”
Dax crossed the room and pushed Hans against the wall with his sword raised high. “Sophia was Cimmerian! If she were alive, you’d be attacking her too. Use your brain, Hans. These people are not responsible for the attack.”
“The attack that killed my brother!” Hans shouted in a voice as loud as a soft-spoken Glacien could shout.
“We all lost people,” Dax snarled, pushing his face into Hans’.
“And we’re here to set it right.” A calm voice silenced the commotion.
Killian whipped his head around and saw Speron in the doorway. Screams and shouts began to surround them from other homes. Speron was blocking Mercedes’ escape with the children and something inside Killian burned when Speron glanced at the two innocent ones with a dark malice that chilled his core.
“Step back, Speron. That’s an order,” Mercedes said regally.
“An order? I’ve been trying to treat you as my princess for months now, and you deny me until you disagree with me−then you command me to obey?”
“This is wrong, Speron,” she said.
“No, what’s wrong is your belief that an entire realm was blind to who their queen really was! You honestly believe they were ignorant of Maurelle’s motives?”
“We didn’t know,” the woman pleaded, scooting toward her unconscious husband. Killian felt an urgency to act in some way and defend t
hese people.
“Shut up!” Speron cried at the woman. “I don’t believe it for one moment. How is it possible for that large of a secret to be hidden? The Cimmerians want to rule the Hemisphere again, and they need to pay for what they’ve done.”
Speron quickly reached for his dagger and sliced it at one of the small boys cradled in Mercedes’ arms. The dagger came within inches of his pale neck before it exploded in a burst of white light and the ashes burned in blue fire on the dark wooden floor.
“What?” he muttered, then glared at Killian.
Killian rushed at Speron and pinned him between the long cold rod of his spear and the stone wall of the home. Spreading his focus, he encircled the Cimmerians in an invisible shield that burned with power along his neck.
“What are you doing? Have you lost your mind, Speron?” Killian spat in his face. “Killing a child? What makes you any better than Maurelle?”
“Drop the defense around them, Killian!” Speron shouted with a crazed look in his pale eyes.
Behind them Hans had dodged a blow from Dax and lunged at the woman, but his pair of daggers exploded in the same strange light into the blue embers.
“Mercedes, go,” Killian commanded. “Get them to safety, we have to move on to the other homes.”
A scream filled the dark town.
“And quickly,” Lucan said breathlessly from the doorway. Lucan had a deep gash in his lip and his daggers were coated in dark blood. “They’re breeching the gate to the city center.”
Dax and Killian looked at one another before pushing past Speron and rushing from the home.
Mercedes was tromping back down the hill, no longer holding the two boys. She met Killian’s eyes and nodded. He knew the children were safe
“Killian, you can’t stop us,” Speron cried after them.
Killian heard him unsheathe his sword, but quickly Dax reeled around and met his attack with his own gilded blade.
Mercedes gaped as Dax and Speron engaged in a furious battle. Dax’s eyes blazed, and his billowing flames frothed and lit his brown eyes in fierce orange as he locked blades with Speron. At the gate there was a large group surrounding several fleeing Cimmerians. The group of recruits kicked at the hunched people furiously, shouting and jeering as they hurt them.
Beyond the gate Killian saw a rush of darkly clad guards rushing toward them. They carried black granite clubs like Dalia and long swords with glittering emeralds on the hilt. Tynan ran with them and removed a small bow from under his shirt Killian hadn’t noticed before.
One recruit from the group by the gate looked up at the oncoming guards and shouted for the group to raise their weapons. Inching closer to the gate, Killian was suddenly tugged in a different direction. Lucan held his elbow and pulled him toward a large stone home nestled against the large granite wall. A small girl was huddled under the stairs crying and screaming for help.
“Save him,” she cried, her silver eyes practically glowing with the tears coating them.
Without hesitation, Killian and Lucan rushed into the home just as Mercedes pulled her daggers on two Beastians. She skillfully ducked from their lunges and sliced low, aiming at their legs and arms. He started toward her, but Lucan’s call held him back.
“Killian, come on, she’s fine! She can beat any of us. I need help!”
Quickly, he pulled himself from Mercedes’ direction and pounded up the stairs into the home. His stomach dropped when he saw the destruction; tables and chairs were flipped and broken, a small porcelain doll with long raven black hair had its face smashed with bits littering the ground. Picture frames hung broken on the walls and, huddled in the corner, three burly Ignisian recruits had pinned an old man against the floor. The man’s pale face was covered in gashes and purple bruises, and he lay still as one of the recruits held a spear over his chest.
As soon as Lucan stepped into the room, he threw his knife and the silver blade lodged deep into the thigh of one of the recruits. He fell to the ground howling in pain and the other two recruits whirled around, weapons in hand. Lucan rushed at them and furiously whipped his remaining knives through the air.
Killian’s blood heated with fury and he felt the red scars along the back of his neck light up with intense power. He wanted to hurt the recruits as they had the old man, and the thought scared him.
The recruit who Lucan had stabbed pulled the knife from his upper leg, then, clutching his sword, clamored toward Killian. Taking a deep breath, Killian held out one palm angrily and clenched his jaw. The recruit stopped mid-step and his eyes widened. Killian could see him gasping for air and reaching for his throat. Killian balled his open hand into a tight fist and the recruit gasped and choked more as he slowly lowered to his knees.
“Killian, don’t overdo it,” Lucan shouted as he ducked a heavy punch from one of the recruits and watched as the tan skin on the wounded recruit turned a purplish-blue as Killian’s fist tightened even more.
Snapping out of the intense concentration Infinium had locked him in, he released his fist and the recruit fell to the floor, gasping and clutching his neck. Looking out the window, he saw the Cimmerian guards battling against the large group of Ponderi recruits. Speron was in the center swinging his daggers, but the Guards skillfully fought back. Lucan’s painful scream pulled him back to the battle he was in. The two recruits pinned Lucan to the floor and one pierced his shoulder through with the point of his arrow.
Lucan screamed in agony and the heat boiled inside Killian again.
End this, the power seethed in his mind.
Crossing his hands over his chest, he felt the power broiling within him with each heavy beat of his heart. Taking several deep breaths and trying to block out Lucan’s terrified cries, he threw his arms outward and shouted “STOP!” with a frightening strength.
A white blast filled the room like a tidal wave of power then flushed through the house and into the battle outside. The wave burst any glass remaining in the windows and broken picture frames. With each pulse, a new wave pummeled over the home, knocking over the recruits and bringing the battles around him to a halt.
Finally, he felt his body calm and the power subside. Taking in the damage of his outburst, Killian saw Lucan huddled on the floor covering his head, his shoulder still pinned by the steel arrow. The three recruits that had been attacking the old man were sprawled on the floor, unconscious or dead he didn’t know nor did he care. The old man was covered in broken wood and glass, but Killian saw his chest rise and fall with soft breaths.
“Took you long enough,” Lucan said weakly. Rushing toward him, Killian clasped the arrow and with a silent command, the steel disintegrated under his touch and Lucan breathed a sigh of relief. Killian handed him a towel that was nearby and helped him position it over his wound.
A small squeak came from the door and Killian saw the small girl from the front steps peeking into the home. Her silver eyes were glistening with fresh tears and her pale cheeks were flushed from her sobs.
“It’s okay now,” Killian said in a hoarse voice as the adrenaline filtered out through every pore. His body was quickly weakening.
She sniffed and quickly ran to the old man. “Grandfather,” she whispered and lay on his chest.
“He’ll be all right,” Killian promised. “You both stay in this house, okay?”
She nodded, but stared at him with a frightened expression. Killian nodded for Lucan to follow him outside. They saw the Cimmerian guards surrounding the throng of attacking recruits. Each guard held their palms outward and strange black cords slithered up from the ground, wrapping around the wrists and legs of the recruits. The scene reminded him of when Maurelle had attacked with the thorny vines too, but now he was grateful for the Cimmerian magic.
“Where is the Cimmerian who sent the blast?” A tall guard bellowed as Killian approached. Dax came around the corner of a home dragging Brandon and another Terrenian on the ground. His cheek was bleeding, but for the first time in a long time Killian saw a g
limpse of satisfaction written on his face.
“My guess is that blast was no Cimmerian; it was him,” Dax said pointing at Killian.
The guard stared at him curiously. “So you’re the Ponderi recruit with the strange power?”
Killian nodded and stumbled, but Lucan caught him.
“You all right?” Lucan whispered. Killian nodded and leaned against him for support.
“Well, I’m glad you were fighting for us,” the guard said. “What is the purpose for this heinous attack?” he said, turning back to the ensnared group of recruits.
No one spoke and another guard stepped forward, hitting a white-haired recruit across the face. “Answer us NOW!”
Some of the attackers cowered, but still no one said anything. The guard snarled and held out his hands and began creating a strange red mist with darts of what appeared to be electricity pulsing through the ball between his palms.
“Stop.” Killian turned around and saw Mercedes coming along the path with Tynan.
The guard creating the strange magic stopped and the electric mist ceased. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“I am the Princess of Glaciem and Ignisia. I fought against this attack on you today. We want you to know this was an attack of rogue Ponderi recruits and does not reflect the feelings of the people of the Hemisphere.”
“I do not see anyone here except Ignisians, Glaciens, and Terrenians,” the head guard said darkly. “How can you say with confidence this is not an attack from other realms?”
“Because this was a foolish retaliation from the Trinity’s attack of the Praetorium.”
The guard clenched his jaw and reeled around to Speron’s group. “You are telling me you are foolish enough to believe Cimmerian is to blame for that crime?”
“Your queen leads the way,” Brandon shouted. “You cannot convince us your realm was fooled by her. We know Cimmerian wishes to be in power again.”
“How dare you come against my people when Cimmerian lost just as many people in the attack on the Ponderi as any other realm!”
“Please,” Mercedes began again. “These are Ponderi members. Allow us to bring them back to the Praetorium where they can face the consequences owed to them. I assure you Miller will see to it their punishment is just for what they’ve done to your people today, as will Egan and Gwyniera. I speak for Glaciem and Ignisia; their people will defend yours.”