The Harbinger (A Fight for Light Novel Book 2)

by Nikki Landis

  But it was more than that, way more, it was the week I had seen Baylor across the portal and the time I spent with him. The days at his side and in his arms, and Kellen was right to feel anxious and worried because he was in my life now and I had no idea how that would play out.

  We never discussed where Kellen really was that night I was attacked at the inn or why Baylor was yet again at the right place at the right time. There was something between us now, secrets, and they held us a little farther from each other than we wanted to be. I did not know how to approach the subject with him, how to open up and share my fears, or how to make him confide in me when I knew he was holding back.

  Even the confrontation with Renee had not opened every door, not the ones that were really important, the ones that held the deepest fears and anxieties, and the secrets that could ruin everything between us. I think he truly believed there was nothing else to confide but I knew better. I remembered everything, even when he could lie to himself and forget.

  I also knew something was not right about the battle, sensing an even greater cause for concern. My nightmares made me cautious but I didn’t know what to watch out for other than the black rider. In frustration I pulled him even closer, terrified of the tightness in my chest and the feeling of trepidation that took root in my heart.

  And even more so, was the thought that Baylor was at the center of it all.

  I clutched Kellen tighter and felt his heart thudding against his rib cage.

  What good was my dark gift if I could not prevent disaster from happening? Why have premonitions at all unless they could help me unravel the mystery before it occurs? Did the enemy await like before? Would I be overcome from the demons that sought to enslave me?

  We waited for sunrise, neither of us letting go, until the dawn forced us from the bed. Kellen rose reluctantly and helped me to stand, pulling me to my feet, stopping to hold me a few extra precious moments, and then kissed my forehead before leaving. I brushed my hair and put it in a ponytail and finished getting ready as Kellen left to meet with Tristan one last time.

  I walked around the corner, ready to seek him out, and bumped right into Seasnan. He glanced at me quickly, taking my arm, and leading me back to where I spent the night with Kellen. Seasnan’s face was a mixture of emotions; concern, attraction, and frustration warred for prominence on his face. His eyes darted to the bed and then back to me again.

  “Milady…Rhiannon, I…am worried about today. Stay close to Kellen and me, don’t leave us, all right? You need to be careful. I don’t know what Kellen has told you but…it is going to be dangerous. I…just be careful.” He stumbled over his words slightly.

  I watched him curiously. Why was he pulling me aside like this? I wasn’t stupid or arrogant. I knew it would be dangerous today, deadly even. I met his eyes, the blue filled with apprehension, and saw the genuine concern he held for me. I raised my hand and placed it on his arm.

  “I’ll be careful Seasnan. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.”

  “I don’t think so. You shouldn’t be out here today. Why don’t you let me take you back home?” His voice was rushed.

  “Seasnan, stop. Kellen and I have already discussed this. He doesn’t like it either but I am safer with him here than alone without my Guardian. Don’t you think the enemy would know that? Don’t you think I could be vulnerable?” I asked him, searching his eyes.

  “I’ll stay with you if you want. I’ll protect you. Please…let’s leave.” The urgency and pleading in his voice almost made me falter.

  “Seasnan, you can’t. We both know Kellen would never allow it. Please, you need to think clearly. You’re needed on the battle field and during this fight. We need all of the skilled warriors we can get. It will work out today, you’ll see.” I tried to sound confident.

  He hesitated, his brow furrowed in worry. I could see the struggle on his face.

  “I guess you are right. If I were your Guardian I wouldn’t let you leave my side today. Not for anything. Just be careful. I will watch your back and stay as close as he will allow. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one.” He smiled, although his jaw was still clenched.

  “Fine Seasnan…and thank you. Now go before Kellen returns. I don’t want him worrying any more than necessary today. He needs nothing to deter his focus.”

  Seasnan’s face betrayed his apprehension and feelings briefly. Raw attraction combined with concern. He lowered his head and kissed me on the cheek, pulling me close before I could object, hugging me tight, and turning away. I stood there for a minute, feeling even more uncertainty that I had earlier.

  Something definitely was going to happen today. Both Kellen and Seasnan felt it instinctively. Neither of them could hide their fear, not of defeat or engaging the enemy, but of my vulnerability and possible injury. I knew better than either of them. My dreams had already proved it.

  I said nothing to both of them on purpose. If they knew the extra danger, would they be able to focus and fight, protecting me as they needed? Or would they leave themselves vulnerable, just to shelter me?

  I denied any confirmation that I would not walk away from this battle unharmed today. Inside, buried under the surface, my whole body was shaking, trembling, and frightened beyond belief. I just had to hold it together. Another few hours.

  I would make it.

  Kellen returned minutes later, hugging me tight, smiling as if everything was fine when we both knew it wasn’t. The rest of the morning flew by quickly as soldiers prepared for battle. The camp was soon packed away, all of the tents from last night a distant memory, until nothing remained but the force of our stand. The army formed a long line as we awaited the enemy’s arrival.

  The tension in the air was so think that you could almost see it. I looked around at the soldiers in front of me, impressed by their long swords and helmets that glistened in sleek silver, accents of green and gold, bathed in the late morning sunlight. The guard formed a double line stretching in both directions for what seemed like miles. Tristan was at the flank, taking lead of the archers. Seasnan was on the farther right, glancing at me now and then. I stood next to Kellen.

  Imposing and lethal, the guard formed their line next to a long row of mages. They stood in flowing robes, dispatched by the council, practicing their spells; flames, electric volts, swirling wind, and bright lights dancing in their palms, the red and blue colors dominant in the clear air.

  Like all of the other warriors, Kellen held a shield. It was long and wide, curved inward at the sides, in the same green and gold, a lion and fleur de Lis crest engraved on the front of it. His fingers curved around the hilt of his sword, clutching it with confidence, cutting the air here and there, working the muscles in his arm against fatigue.

  Our friends and allies had joined us. The dwarves were here and the centaurs. The elven army was perhaps the largest in number sent to join us. Their golden armor glowed with an almost magical quality. I noticed with humor that the gnomes were conspicuously absent. The dwarves wore heavy armor that looked like steel, their large axes and heavy two handed weapons made of sturdy and thick polished metal.

  One of the mages conjured a large gryphon. Another had raised several large falcons, like human size large. They were huge. Another raised a spirit warrior. I could not figure out what he was, a ghost? A revived soul? I was not sure but several more joined him. Surely this was not blood magic…

  I watched as the group in front of me all prepared for battle in their own way. Many wore plate armor and all had weapons of some kind. Shields, bows, swords, axes, the weapons were unending. We were formidable. We would hold our own this day.

  As I stood there, I thought of the events that had led me to this day, to this very moment. The attacks from the demon, the attacks across the portal, my dreams and the ever present premonitions. My abilities had proven an invaluable asset.

  Although I was only beginning to understand the full extent of it all, I knew without my gift, without my harbinge
r, I would be left in the dark. I was able to stand against an enemy bent on my annihilation mostly due to the secret knowledge I had beforehand. Even when I was left with more questions than answers, my survival was dependent upon what was revealed to me.

  Every time I needed protection I was warned. My harbinger had warned before every attack by the demon. It warned me repeatedly about the battle today. Whether an uneasy feeling or a sudden tingle, or a full dream or premonition, my gift, my ability, never failed me.

  It went far beyond simple intuition. It was partially the reason I knew I could trust Baylor. Why I knew Kellen would protect me from the beginning. And why I knew, without a doubt, beyond any argument, that today was crucial.

  No matter what the result of the battle today or the future consequences of today’s actions, I would continue the fight. I would stand my ground. I would fulfill my destiny. I would do whatever I needed to, because despite the enemy’s plans, I belonged to the light.

  I fought for the light.

  The darkness would not win.

  Not this day. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

  I stood behind Kellen, letting the golden glow of my power emerge, knowing it was the only thing that could protect me if he fell. I had the antique ruby vial around my neck, my gift from Gran, holding the magic fairy-like dust in case I needed it.

  And in a lightweight metal scabbard buckled around my waist was the sword Baylor had given me. I had been practicing with it daily. I was ready to use it. Kellen had not been happy but I was adamant. My training was good, it was essential. This was a means of defense and protection. It stayed.

  I felt fairly confident that we would be successful. This army was remarkable. Surely we could win and beat them back. That was what I thought until I saw them.

  Chapter Thirty

  The enemy arrived, taking us completely by surprise. By sheer number, they had us five to one. They marched in, banging their shields and weapons against their chests, snarling and growling. Many of them were covered in black war paint, some of them covered in streaks of blood. They wore armor made of heavy iron and steel, strong against attack and in hand to hand combat.

  They crouched and leered at us as they approached. It was a long time before they stopped coming, wave after wave, raising cudgels, maces, and spears into the air. The last one to emerge from the rear, heading from the flank, was a sinister and dark figure.

  For just a moment, a split second, he reminded me of Baylor.

  But that was impossible.

  Right?

  The rider was magnificent, imposing and strong, riding a large black warhorse. He had to be seven feet tall. Too tall and broad to be Baylor but wow, he seemed eerily similar. This man wore shiny black armor with swirls cut into it, the same metal as Kellen’s, the individual leaf design allowing for flexibility and strength. His helmet pointed at the top, a long, dark red plume sticking up and out of it.

  Terrified, I started trembling as I recognized him as the same man from my dream. I remembered the premonition of being kidnapped. Fear made my stomach tighten. Suddenly I was terrified. Was that the danger today? Was that my fate?

  I heard the murmuring around me and glanced forward at Kellen.

  “Domhnall,” he said, spitting, “I should have known.”

  “Domhnall?” I asked.

  “Yes, once a Guardian, now he thinks himself a warlord. He took the name Domhnall, meaning ‘world ruler’. We thought he was dead, guess not. I think we know who the mysterious general for the enemy is now,” he said angrily.

  “Kellen…he’s the rider from my dream,” I told him shakily.

  He looked at me sharply. “Don’t leave my side, Rhiannon. No matter what.”

  I nodded to him and he stared at me for a moment, determined, before he turned his focus back to the advancing enemy line.

  We knew the identity of the mysterious general now. We knew who the dark rider was that plagued me. We had a face for the enemy and an understanding of their plan. The enemy had sent the assassins and the demons. Now I knew Domhnall was behind it all. The only question that remained was, why?

  The army of the enemy fully arrived. They formed a long line in front of us, shaking their weapons and shields. They were so grotesque it almost turned my stomach. Goblins of all kinds stood in front of us in addition to the men in plate armor. The harpy was back with two more like her. A large gargoyle was conjured by a sorcerer.

  There was also the same kind of werewolves I had seen with the witch during my second attack, in addition to several large nasty trolls. Death hounds, weaving in and out, growled in the background. My first glimpse of these creatures, I shook with fear, my eyes widening in horror.

  In addition, there were other men, dirty with grime, blood streaks across their faces and dripping from their weapons, necklaces of human bone around their necks and attached to weapons. They looked primitive and evil, carrying crude and oddly constructed weapons, as if they made them themselves. I gulped when I realized they were probably cannibals.

  Dark mages continued to conjure, offering sacrifices upon the ground, and my stomach turned at the blood so carelessly spilled. Dark shadows hovered, darting in and out of the enemy line, growing in number, until dozens of demon shadows pulsed and lingered, ready to form into flesh, ready to kill.

  A goblin approached Domhnall as the enemy snarled and crouched toward us, awaiting further orders.

  “Lord Domhnall, we await your command.”

  He crossed his jagged sword across his chest and bowed in salute.

  Domhnall nodded and then scanned the open field. He seemed to be searching for something until his eye stopped and rested on me. The horse he was on kicked its front quarters up, pawing at the air, and came down with a loud thud, prancing and tossing his ebony mane.

  Domhnall kept his gaze fixed on me, reining the horse in. I gasped and almost screamed. Kellen took one step back, raising his sword and pointing it at him. Domhnall laughed a loud, deep sound that shook the trees, rumbling the earth beneath my feet.

  It all happened quickly after that. I don’t know who sent the arrow into whose side first but suddenly both sides were running toward each other. The sound of clashing bodies and weapons filled the air. I heard screams of rage and cries of pain. All around me the clang of metal, the ring of steel, and the sound of heavy thuds filled my ears. Every person there was engaged, swinging weapons, dodging deadly blows, shoving back against the enemy.

  I stood behind Kellen, watching him fight. He took everything that came my way, any enemy who dared to push in our direction, and won easily. He was a skilled fighter. I knew that, remembering his win at the tournament.

  Things were looking good until I noticed the sorcerer who stood across from us, pointing straight at me. He lifted his hands, a blue light circling above his palm, growing in size, until it glowed in a swirling ball, pulsating.

  The dark shadow of a demon appeared in front of him, darting to and fro, until it started to take on flesh. With shock I gasped, disbelief apparent on my face. The demon had taken the form of a Minotaur, the same one from my first attack. He looked murderously angry about my escape. A clawed hand raised a spiked mace in the air and shook it, running toward us.

  I suddenly had a sense of déjà vu. This was my nightmare at Kellen’s house across the portal. Exactly, down to every detail. The Minotaur bent on revenge, the dark rider, and the enemy army. He made his way toward us, fighting and killing along the way, hacking at any body that approached, friend or foe, ally or enemy.

  Distracted, I didn’t see the harpy approach me. She flew above my head and circled around, trying to come lower. I opened the vial and put a pinch of the dust in my hand. I rose up a little higher off the ground, and waited for her to get close. She came at me fast. At the last second I threw the dust onto her. She screamed and writhed in the air as it burned her like acid, dropping to the ground dead, before she exploded into a cloud of black ash. Another demon.

  I knew how they succumbed
, how they went from shadow to flesh, how they disappeared when they were destroyed. My memory served me well. At least my interaction with that evil demon before had proved quite an education. I closed off my mind, sealing it from invasion, and turned my attention to the two remaining harpies, who immediately backed off from their pursuit.

  I lowered back down behind Kellen. He saw me out of the corner of his eye and nodded.

  “Rhiannon…” A deep voice called to me, a voice I had never heard before.

  “Rhiannon…come to me.”

  Domhnall.

  Kellen roared and stepped back, raising his sword in protection as the evil laugh filled the air again. I shivered.

  “Rhiannon,” he called, “come.”

  I felt a pull in my chest, trying to fight against the invasion of my will, the clutch of determination, as I was beckoned to join him.

  Commanded.

  Several mages stood behind him, all facing me, a swirling wind billowing and growing until it became a small tornado. I took a step forward, and another, and another, against my will.

  “No!” Kellen yelled, picking up a spear and hurtling it into one of the mages. They fell, the spell weakening, and I collapsed to my knees breathing heavy.

  “Focus! Resist it Rhiannon!”

  The fighting continued all around us. The Minotaur was being heavily attacked and having difficulty making his way to us. More enemies tried to reach me and were defeated by Kellen. I saw Seasnan fighting and glancing my way every now and then. He nodded at me too and continued to fight.

  Time seemed to pass slowly around me as I saw my friends and enemies swinging their weapons, hacking and shoving their way through the forest. Bodies accumulated on the ground and I tried not to look too closely at the faces of those who had fallen. I knew we were losing friends and allies, even as the enemy was losing soldiers.