Eternal Conflict - Book 7 (The Ruby Ring Saga)

by Chrissy Peebles

  “Please move quickly,” another said. “The effects will not last.”

  “Yes, kill her now!” another said.

  The sun gleamed on the sword the knight held above me. My stomach lurched as his weapon hissed through the air.

  SWOOSH!

  Victor knocked the sword out of the knight’s hand before it came near me.

  “More are coming!” a knight announced.

  “Put up the barrier!”

  Victor’s men pounded on the force-field but were not able to break through. I tried to move but was still numb from the effects of the smoking device. I wanted to help, but there was nothing I could do but watch helplessly.

  Assuming a fighting stance, Victor attacked. He raised his sword and swung it down on his enemy. The blade slashed the side of the man’s face and ran down the man’s steel armor. Another knight came at him, but he managed to block the savage thrust. He swung his blade at the man’s throat, but the knight stepped to the side, and the blade hit his shoulder instead. Swords clanged as they fought viciously. Victor moved with immortal speed, his sword moving like lightning, his body powerful and full of fury. An arrow flew past him, but he dodged the impending doom with his immortal speed. While he didn’t have his special powers, his speed, strength, and senses remained intact.

  One of our knights, the one closest to me, started a fight with an overhead swing, crashing it into his opponent. He then swung again and hit the enemy in the same spot. When the man dropped, our knight slashed his throat.

  “Kill Sarah!” someone suddenly yelled. “It’ll stop Victor.”

  I tried to force my powers to work, but they refused to cooperate. My body was still limp and weak, but I fought to crawl away through the grass. I was weaker than Victor, likely because I was closest to the medieval smoke bomb.

  “A little of my power has returned,” Victor said in my mind. “Take it!”

  Melding with his mind, I tapped into his power supply. There wasn’t much, but it would be enough to shield me and keep me safe. Then, as a few knights came over with swords drawn, I managed to throw up the force-field around me just as their blades came crashing down. The knights tried their best to destroy my defense, and without that protective bubble, I surely would have been beheaded.

  Victor continued fighting valiantly, knowing that his death would also mean mine. He was competitive and loved to win, but this time, he was also fighting for love; I could feel it deep inside. He wanted to keep our family together and to keep me safe. He swung, and another knight fell forward. He was the greatest of all heroes and battled like a true warrior. Strong and brave, he fought them with unwavering courage and enormous strength. In what seemed like an instant, he took down so many of them that I lost count. Truly, he was my knight in shining armor, my king defending my honor. Chivalry was most definitely not dead; my Victor was born to be a timeless legend, a leader, and he would truly make a mark on the world while protecting his kingdom and his queen. By the time he finished off the last knight, the back yard was littered with bodies of his fallen enemies.

  I scrambled to my feet and ran to him. He held me in his strong arms. Gazing deeply into his eyes, I was smitten all over again. It took my breath away to see him fight like that for me. Again, he had saved my life; had he shown up thirty seconds later, we both would have been killed. Our Alexander would have no parents to raise him, and Ethano would have eventually found him. My body shook with the horror of such a close call, but when Victor held me close, I felt safe.

  The barrier the enemy knights had employed fizzled, and our men rushed in. They cheered in victory, celebrating their triumph, proud that so few of ours had taken down so many of theirs, with the brave Victor at the helm of it all. I couldn’t have been more proud of my husband than I was at that moment.

  “To King Victor goes the glory!” one man said. “He took down more than half of them alone.”

  I grinned. “He truly is a hero.”

  “Highness,” another man said, “the attempt on Sarah’s life was to dispose of you. You are not safe here.”

  “I’m not safe anywhere,” Victor retorted, “and I will not be until Ethano is knocked off his pedestal once and for all.”

  “Then we shall see to it, Majesty,” the knight confidently assured him.

  * * *

  Three months passed, and we were still grieving for our murdered friends. I missed William and Della, and Victor took Della’s death especially hard. Yes, he was over her in a romantic sense, but she was still a dear friend, someone he cared deeply about. He’d spent hundreds of years with her, so I understood his pain.

  Losing Mia was very hard on me. Not a day went by when I didn’t think about her and Jules. He had served as my gardener, but he was also my friend, and we spent lots of time together. The landscaping he did for me was breathtaking, and every time I stepped out to admire its beauty, it blew me away. He also made me laugh, which was odd, since he’d been so cold to me when we’d first met. In the end, we were all the best of friends, and I would forever cherish the time I’d spent with him and Mia.

  Over the months, our knights fought hard. We won many battles, but we also lost a few. As always, my Victor was brave and fought valiantly. He took on towering men covered head to toe in chainmail and steel, monsters who sliced their swords, maces, or axes through the air like they were ready to bludgeon anything that came near them. Without a single trace of fear, he ran straight into battle and fought with the fury of 100 men. It was no wonder that his own men respected him and that his enemies feared him. After a while, we had a bit of a respite, as we were between battles and had no further attacks planned until a week later.

  Victor hadn’t come to bed yet. The candles were burning down as he studied battle plans late into the night. When I walked in and rubbed his shoulders, he dismissed his men.

  “It’s late,” I said. “Come to bed.”

  “We have a war to win. Also, I don’t know how much longer Jackson will be here to help. He has what he came for.”

  “You’re right. It’s too bad we couldn’t have delayed him finding the book,” I said, winking.

  “We cannot fault him for desiring to leave. He has already been here for months.”

  I began massaging the tense knots in his shoulders. “You’re doing a great job.”

  “Perhaps not great enough,” he said, sighing. “Ethano has grown even more powerful, gathered even more loyal supporters. His numbers continue to grow, while ours dwindle with each defeat.” He threw the map off the table, and I jumped back, startled. “When Jackson leaves, my knights will be left with only regular immortals to lead them. They’ll be easily paralyzed by Ethano’s powers. No military plan I come up with is going to help us.”

  “Victor—”

  “What kind of king am I if I can’t keep my queen and my son alive, let alone my troops and my people?”

  “Nothing is gonna happen to us. We are fighters, survivors, and—”

  “It does not matter, Sarah,” he snapped, in a tone he seldom used with me. “Jackson had a vision. He says we are doomed.”

  “If he’s so sure our future is so grim, then why doesn’t he stay to help?” I asked.

  “This is not his war to fight,” he said.

  “I will talk to him.”

  “No. We mustn’t guilt him into staying. He has fulfilled his end of the contract and then some.”

  “If anyone can convince him to stay, I can,” I said. “It has nothing to do with guilt. I truly believe he wants to help us.”

  He looked at me, his eyes pleading and desperate. “I love you, Sarah. I love our son and your parents. I love my family and my kingdom. But I’m afraid it’s all slipping away.”

  “We will keep fighting. That love is exactly why we cannot give up.”

  He nodded. “Of course I agree wholeheartedly. It is why I am burning the moonlight gasoline,” he said, a poor excuse for an idiom of my world.

  I couldn’t help but giggle as I
corrected, “You mean…burning the midnight oil.”

  “Yes, that. In any case, I will never give up our family or our kingdom.”

  “If I didn’t believe in you, I never would have suggested coming back here. Your name is Victor, and that is what you will always be in my eyes.”

  He looked at me seriously, his blue eyes penetrating my very soul. “Do you regret coming back to my world?”

  I gripped his hand. “No. You didn’t fit in back there, and you weren’t happy. You are a king, born to rule. It was beneath you to pretend to be some sort of medieval character for the entertainment of others or to work menial jobs or construction. I know you think your happiness might mean our ultimate demise, but the truth is, if you aren’t happy, neither am I, and if we’re not happy, we’re already defeated.”

  “Well, king or not, I haven’t the numbers to win a war.”

  “Then we will increase those numbers, better our odds.”

  “I’ve tried. My men have tried as well. Ethano is cunning, like a fox, and he has either poisoned everyone against me or instilled so much fear in them that they will not join our cause. The brutality my snake of a brother has resorted to is making even the most hardened observers squirm. He’s a tyrant, far worse than my father. I did not think anyone could be more sinister than that, but Ethano is a devil.”

  “What’s he doing now?”

  He let out a trembling breath. “He is up to no good, but the most horrible of his dealings are with innocent children.”

  “Children!” I said, gasping. “How so?”

  “He’s killing children of the parents who refuse to join him. He maims and tortures the parents as he murders their little ones right in front of them.”

  “That’s the most horrible thing I’ve ever heard,” I said, tears welling in my eyes. “We can’t let that go on, not on our watch. There has to be another way to stop that slimy bastard.”

  “I agree. I refuse to stand idly by while he slaughters babes,” Victor roared. “Surely, there can be no greater sin than that.”

  I pondered it all for a moment and realized we were going about it all wrong.

  Victor sensed my thoughts and said, “You want to consort with the Tolgarians?”

  “Think about it. Ethano has reached everyone but them. He wants their king dead. We have a common enemy with them. Surely they will be glad to align with us.”

  “We would be safer in their country. A week from now, they celebrate 1,000 years of freedom. They will make a festivity of it.”

  “Great. Then we put our swords down for a moment, throw on some party clothes, and prepare to drink more than our share of fine wine. If we party with them then, they may be willing to party with us on the battlefield to take Ethano down.”

  “You’re forgetting that they hate me too, my love.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Give them a good deal and form an allegiance with them, while their bellies are full and their heads are spinning. Besides, why would they choose Ethano if he’s already tried to assassinate King Halldor?”

  “Ethano has been invited to the celebration. In fact, leaders from all over will attend.”

  “So we go a few days early and get to him before Ethano does. Early bird gets the worm, you know.”

  He looked at me strangely, wrinkling his brow. “And Ethano is a worm?”

  “He’s more of a snake, like you said, but surely you get my point.”

  “Yes, I suppose I do, my dear.”

  Suddenly, a vision struck, a crude scene of Ethano removing King Halldor’s head. A man with black, curly hair, and a crooked nose, in his early twenties, chuckled like it was a funny joke. When I was jolted back to the present, I gasped and held my hand over my mouth. My eyes were as wide as donuts in the flickering candlelight.

  Victor touched my shoulder. “What is it, Sarah?”

  “Ethano is gonna… He’s not going there to make a deal with Halldor. He’s going there to kill him!”

  “Quite timely. Your vision came as we talked about it.”

  “Yes. I’m learning to call them up. It happened earlier too.”

  “You’re gaining control,” he said. “In time, you will have full control.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. It’s a very powerful gift.”

  “I wanted a more active power for my ‘extra’ gift, I guess. For the longest time, I envied Della’s invisibility, till I figured that out on my own with Jackson’s new powers bestowed on us.” The mention of her name sparked pain in both of us. “I so miss her,” I said.

  He swallowed hard. “Me, too.”

  “We gotta win for her, for William, Jules, and Mia.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I started to sob. “I’m sorry I’m so weepy,” I said. “I just loved them so much. Mia was my rock, especially when I thought I’d lost you forever. She talked to me, gave me encouragement and hope.”

  “It is heartbreaking for us all, my Queen,” he said, hugging me.

  “Just hold me,” I said.

  Once again, Victor held me in his strong arms as I wept, grieving for the wonderful people I lost and still thought about every day.

  He stroked my back. “We must make Halldor see that Ethano is arranging a murder plot against him. If he turns on Ethano, he will gladly join our ranks. He has three times the number of knights at his beck and call. With him on our side, we will not be defeated.”

  “It could turn everything around for us. He’s definitely the swing vote.”

  His fingers ran through mine. “We are not invited to the celebration though.”

  “So? I’ve always wanted to crash a party.”

  He laughed. “And so we shall. Let’s get a plan together and leave at first light.”

  “Only a few of our knights can come,” I said. “We don’t want to look suspicious or overbearing.”

  “We will take our best.”

  I smiled. “Ethano won’t be expecting us, and that will put us both on a level playing ground. I cannot wait to see him without his big army to back him up.”

  We hashed out some plans and quickly packed for the trip, and I then went to talk to Jackson in his room.

  “Sarah, it’s so late,” he said, yawning.

  “I need to talk to you, and it can’t wait. We’re leaving in the morning,” I said, then went on to explain our plan.

  “Huh?” he said, dumbfounded. “Can that really work?” he asked.

  “I believe it just might.”

  “I’m so sorry, but we can’t stay.”

  “Please, Jackson. I’m begging you. Just a few more weeks? We desperately need you to hold off the army while—”

  “While you crash a renaissance rave?” he cut in.

  “Not funny,” I said. “We need this political alliance. If we get this king on our side, we will have the numbers we need to finally conquer Ethano. This is not just a party. It’s a chess move…one I hope will end in a checkmate in our favor.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “My men want to go home. Surely you can understand homesickness.”

  “What are a few more weeks to help a nation get on its feet? You know how good peace feels. Please help us, Jackson. If you do, I’ll be indebted to you for the rest of eternity.”

  “Sarah, you are like no other woman I’ve ever met. You have such passion, such drive, and you keep fighting, no matter what. I suppose since my world is pretty much back under control, I can stick around a while to help you with yours, but only for a few more weeks.”

  “I can’t thank you enough!” I said, hugging his neck tightly. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

  “Well, how could I resist? You did mention something about fine wine, didn’t you?”

  “Sure,” I said, laughing. “I’ll smuggle some back for you.”

  Chapter 20

  A few days later, we crossed over into the only country that had not yet been conquered by Ethano and his hateful hordes. When we found a stream, we dismounted to give our horses a d
rink. I glanced around at the sun-dappled landscape, the sparkling water, and the stunning views of the valley below.

  Victor reached for my hand and smiled.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “We’ve been given a sign,” he said. He then pulled me into the trees and showed me a sea of white blooms on the other side, flowers with glossy, green leaves. He reached down, picked one, and handed it to me, smiling broadly.

  “A peace lily!” I exclaimed.

  “More than that. It is a sign of good things to come.”

  I gazed deeply into Victor’s eyes. “I believe that.”

  “You should, for it is our destiny.”

  I touched the soft, white petals. “The fragility of peace is just like this flower.”

  “Yes. It must be tended carefully, but once we obtain it, we’ll never lose it. As long as there is breath in my lungs, no tyrant will ever rule this world again. I have no intention of—”

  Suddenly, a noise off to the left caught Victor’s attention, and he turned his head abruptly.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I hear something.”

  I bit my lip hard. “Do we have company?”

  “I fear we do.” Victor then called for his men. “Be on alert, but we do not attack,” he ordered.

  “Yes, Majesty,” a knight answered.

  A clan of fearsome warriors surrounded us, howling like wolves, wearing the skin of animals. Their faces were painted with different patterns and designs. Chills shot up my spine, and I felt as if I’d stepped even further back into the Dark Ages.

  “Why are you here? This is our territory,” one of the men said.

  Victor stepped forward. “I am King Victor,” he said. “Please take me to King Halldor.”

  “Leave Tolgaria now!” ordered a man in a bear pelt. “Or feed our soil with your blood!”

  Victor took another step forward. “It is of the utmost importance that I talk directly to the king.”

  “I’ve heard of King Victor,” another interjected. “If you truly are who you claim to be, you are not to be trifled with.”

  “I assure you that I am Victor, but I am here on peaceful terms.”