by C. D. Gorri
“It’s fine,” he responded, his deep baritone sending shivers across her skin. “We need to focus on training since the final battle is near. I think you’re right about ending our one-on-one sessions. You fixed the tell, and your combat skills have improved.”
Kicking the grass with her boot, she nodded, understanding this meant they would end their sexual trysts too. “Okay. Thanks for…everything.” Goddess, she sounded so lame.
“You’re welcome.” His eyes looked like melted amber in the glinting sunlight, and she almost wanted to weep for what she was throwing away. Reminding herself he was never hers to begin with, she braced herself and threw all her energy into training.
Throughout the training sessions, she and Garridan worked together to ensure their three battalions would be ready. During the battle, they would flank the north side of the forest along the field as Commander Kenden’s troops flanked the south side. Bakari would certainly have Deamon troops hidden in the thick forests, and they would do their best to prevent casualties. Although Vampyres had self-healing abilities, they were still vulnerable to poison-tipped weapons that prevented self-healing. Siora was determined to ensure they didn’t lose one Vampyre or Slayer soldier and took that vow very seriously.
The afternoon before the battle, Siora approached Garridan as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a minute before you head back to Valeria?”
“Sure.”
They walked toward the edge of the field, and Siora noted most of the soldiers had already headed home. It was imperative they rest before they gathered early the next morning.
“Our battalions look good, and they’re following our orders implicitly. I was a bit worried some of the male soldiers wouldn’t accept a female as first officer, but it hasn’t been an issue.”
“Because you’re a natural leader, Siora,” he said, cupping her shoulder. “And you’ve excelled at every challenge. We’re extremely prepared, and I fully expect our troops to shine.”
She’d missed his touch, and his broad hand upon her shoulder caused her heart to pound. “And if we win, we’ll be free of war. Hopefully.” She lifted her hand, crossing her fingers.
Smiling, he nodded. “I hope so.”
“I…” Glancing around, she told herself not to blurt out something embarrassing, such as how much she missed him. “Training with you was a fantastic experience. I really appreciate you taking the time to teach me.”
“Sure.” His eyes traveled over her face before he tilted his head. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll meet here two hours before sunrise and load the troops into the utility vehicles before heading to the battlefield.” Pivoting, he began to trail away.
“Wait,” she called, grabbing his arm.
He turned, gazing at her, although his expression was unreadable.
“We said so many things the last night together, but we…we also didn’t say a lot. I just… Fuck, I’m terrible at this.” She released her grip and crossed her arms over her chest. “I expected you to be pissed I left that morning.”
Shaking his head, he lifted a shoulder. “We’re past that, Siora.”
Feeling her eyebrows draw together, she studied him. “Past what?”
“Past our petty arguments and base emotions. There’s so much more beneath the surface. The question is, are we too afraid to dig deep and find it?”
Inhaling a deep breath, she pondered. “I don’t know how to answer that.”
Grinning, he gave a slight nod. “Let me know when you figure it out.” With a small salute, he turned and meandered across the field. She still had the urge to call him back, but what could she say? Leave your aristocratic life behind to bond with me? The words sounded ridiculous as they clanked in her mind.
Lowering to the grass, she ran her hand over the soft blades as she contemplated. She’d always been so confident in her abilities as a soldier, and her determination and drive were unparalleled. But in her personal life? She’d never seen herself as anything outstanding. She’d always assumed she was a normal person destined to have one goal: to excel as a female in the army. But what if she allowed her confidence in her physical skills to extend to her personal life? To believe she deserved to marry an aristocratic man, love him with all her heart, and have him love her in return?
The sentiment seemed foreign to her, and she wrinkled her nose. When did she decide she wasn’t good enough? It was so counterintuitive to her strength and inner fortitude. Lifting her face to the setting sun, she closed her eyes, allowing realization to wash over her.
“You’ve sold yourself short your whole life, Siora,” she whispered. “You deserve success in your career and in every aspect of your life.”
Smiling, she expelled a heavy breath, releasing her fears and doubts across the expansive field. Of course, they would continue to rear their head, but she had to embrace the belief she was worthy in all segments of her existence. Believing in herself as a warrior had always come naturally. Believing in herself as a person fully deserving of love and happiness was harder, but she was determined to release her fears.
Garridan’s face flashed through her mind, increasing the longing she felt for him. Finally, she was ready to admit the truth: she cared for him and wanted to try to build something together. Hell, she was likely falling in love with him, which would be a first. It was daunting and a bit terrifying, but it also felt…liberating, as if she was emancipating those old, toxic beliefs and clutching onto something with so many exciting possibilities.
Would he accept her acknowledgment and want to court her? She had no idea, but judging by his words their last night together, he experienced some intense feelings for her too. Armed with that knowledge, Siora set her plan into motion. She would focus on the battle and ensure they prevailed. Once they defeated Bakari, she would approach Garridan and be completely honest about her feelings.
Excited for the future, she rose and wiped off the dirt before grabbing her bag and heading home. Siora had a battle to win, and she was ready to kick some ass.
Chapter Thirteen
The morning of the battle arrived, and Siora awoke with a fresh, vibrant energy. Embracing her feelings for Garridan had set something free deep inside, and she was ready to fight like hell so she could focus on the future.
Two hours before dawn, the Vampyre immortal battalions gathered. Latimus gave a rousing speech before they loaded into the armored vehicles and drove to the battlefield.
The combat would take place in an open field south of the Slayer compound, Restia. It was where the wall of ether stood that separated the human world from the immoral realm and therefore kept their people secret from humans. Etherya’s world had existed this way for countless centuries, and the humans remained oblivious to their existence.
When they arrived at the battlefield, they prepared their battalions, and Siora and Garridan faced Latimus.
“May the goddess be with you,” Latimus said, lifting his hand in a salute.
“May the goddess be with you, brother,” Garridan said, saluting in return as Siora did the same.
Latimus and Garridan clenched each other’s forearms, indicating their strong bond.
“We’ve fought so many battles together over the centuries,” Garridan said. “Hopefully, this is the last one for a while.”
“With Siora as your first-in-command, I have no doubt.”
“Thank you, Commander Latimus,” she said as nervous energy coursed through her body. “We’ll stomp out every Deamon in the northern flank.”
With one last nod, he returned to his own battalion while Siora and Garridan began to lead the troops. As they marched, Siora grinned at the strong, handsome general, acknowledging how happy she was to have him by her side.
“What’s that smile for?” he murmured as the soldiers marched behind.
“I’ll tell you afterward. Don’t die, okay? I’ve got some really important shit I need to tell you.”
His lips curved into that sexy smile she’d c
ome to covet. “Can’t wait.”
They directed the troops across the north flank of the forest, preparing them for the imminent conflict. Bakari appeared, his throng of Deamon warriors close behind, and Siora double-checked the TECs lined on her weaponry belt. They were special weapons that would obliterate the immortal Deamons instantly, and she was ready to use every last one if needed.
Several loud cries sounded from the battlefield, and Siora drew her rifle around her shoulder, ready to defend her kingdom.
Multitudes of Deamon soldiers began to rush in from both sides—half from the main battlefield, and half from the nearby forest. She and Garridan commanded their soldiers to commence combat, and they were thrust into physical battle. Gritting her teeth, she got to work.
For long minutes, she attacked the barrage of soldiers, using her semi-automatic rifle as well as the TECs to eliminate them one by one. Garridan fought off to her side, and she caught glimpses of him from the corner of her eye, besting the Deamons as he’d done for centuries. An enemy soldier approached, knocking her rifle from her hand and sending it flying behind her back. Grasping one of the TECs, she deployed it, disintegrating the creature, but another one closed in behind. Realizing the TEC was out of deployments, she tossed it to the ground and reached for another.
The Deamon knocked her hand away, and she lunged forward, landing a punch in his throat, causing him to clutch it and gasp for breath. Reaching for her rifle, she tried to swing it around but felt a tug from behind. Another Deamon had grabbed the strap, and he pulled it from her body before turning it on her.
“Time to meet the goddess, Vampyre!” he spat, placing his finger over the trigger.
Instinctively reacting, she launched a laser-focused kick into his abdomen before he doubled over and dropped the rifle to the ground. Approaching, she began to fight the creature in one-on-one combat as he tried to fight back. Pride welled inside as she realized she was kicking his ass rather expertly, and a portion of her enhanced combat skill could be attributed to Garridan’s training. Planting her weight on one leg—without dropping her hip—she launched into a jump kick and knocked the bastard to the ground. Grabbing a TEC from her belt, she plunged it into the Deamon’s forehead and blew him to bits.
“Nice job not dropping your hip!” Garridan yelled from several feet away before he turned to fight an oncoming Deamon.
“Damn straight!”
They fought for what seemed like hours, although it was most likely minutes in the grand scheme of things. The immortal army was making slow, steady work of defeating the Deamons, and she remained focused as she fought.
A bright light exploded on the field, almost blinding her. Siora heard a gruff shout and saw Garridan clutching his lower neck before plunging a TEC into a Deamon’s forehead and instantly killing him.
“Garridan!” she shouted, running toward him as she blinked away the brightness. Approaching his side, she saw him fall to the ground and crouched beside him.
“The bastard stabbed me with a poison-tipped sword, but I think I pulled it out quickly enough that my body will heal.”
Examining the wound, she touched her fingers to it, softly pressing. “Yes, you just need some blood flow to the area. It’s a surface wound. Thank the goddess.”
Suddenly, her hand froze against his chest, and she struggled to move. Garridan froze too, and Siora gazed around the battlefield, realizing everything had come to a sudden halt.
“Callie has frozen everyone with her powers,” came a voice over the walkie-talkie, and Siora recognized it as Nolan’s, the kind Slayer physician who was stationed in the infirmary tent. “We’re far away enough from the battlefield that it’s not affecting our movements. Stay tuned for updates.”
“I can’t move anything below my neck,” Siora said, willing her body to move. “I need to massage the area around your wound to increase blood flow. That will help counteract the poison. Shit!”
“It’s okay,” Garridan said, slightly rasping. “This most likely has something to do with the prophecy. I’m not dead yet.”
“Don’t joke about that,” she said, emotion welling in her throat. “I mean it, Garridan. I have a lot of stuff to say to you, and I can’t do it if you’re dead.”
Labored breaths exited his lungs as his fangs flashed in a smile. “I have a lot to say to you too. I was waiting for you to realize you can’t live without me.”
Breathing a laugh, she ached to hold him. “So, you were intentionally avoiding me.”
“You needed space to figure things out. I understand you, Siora. You’ll get that one day.”
Their conversation was interrupted by several more bright flashes from the battlefield. All at once, every Deamon soldier who stood frozen on the battlefield disintegrated, each of them turning to dust and scattering over the field as if they’d never existed. A loud boom echoed across the field before Siora regained her ability to move.
Leaning over Garridan, she examined the wound that sat at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. “Here,” she said, massaging it with her fingers. “We need to urge your blood to circulate around it so it expels the poison and you can heal.” She maneuvered her fingers for a minute before he sat up and pushed the skin with his fingers.
“I think I’m good. That was a close one, but thankfully, Deamons have terrible aim.”
Overcome with joy, she nodded. “They pretty much sucked. Did we win? What the hell happened?”
Lifting the small walkie-talkie from his belt, Garridan radioed Latimus. “Commander, the Deamons we were fighting seem to have disappeared. Am I imagining things?”
Latimus’s voice crackled over the device. “Callie fulfilled the prophecy and defeated Bakari. In the meantime, she also somehow managed to destroy every soldier in his Deamon army and obliterate the ether.”
Garridan’s eyes grew wide as he looked at Siora. “So…we no longer have a barrier that shields us from the humans?”
“Looks that way. I’ll know more when we debrief. In the meantime, I want to gather all our troops on the field and assess the damage and casualties, especially from our Slayer soldiers. After that, we’ll address them and send them home for a nice long break.”
“Ten-four, commander. Siora and I will round everyone up and meet you at the center of the battlefield.”
Placing the device back on his belt, he dug his hand into the ground to anchor himself to stand. Siora rose, extending her hand and helping him up.
“Thanks,” he said, affection glowing in his deep brown eyes.
Giving a nod, she squeezed his hand before turning to face the soldiers. There would be time for them to say what needed to be said, but first, they had a job to do. Placing her fingers between her lips, she gave a loud whistle and circled her hand in the air.
“All battalions, assemble for roll call.”
The troops began to gather in front of her so they could assess the formation before marching back to the main field.
Looking up at Garridan, she asked, “Do you want to do roll call?”
“No, ma’am. It’s all you, Battalion Leader Siora. Go for it.”
Grinning from ear to ear, she turned to face her battalions and commence her duties as a full-fledged officer in the immortal army.
Chapter Fourteen
After addressing the troops, Latimus informed them they would have a few weeks off to spend with their families and rest. Now that Bakari had been vanquished, his threat was diminished, but the destruction of the ether created a new set of challenges. Humans were wily creatures, armed with nuclear weapons and almost limitless technology, so the army would need to be refashioned into a force that could defend the immortals from an attack. Although Queen Miranda and King Sathan were working on a plan to approach the humans, only time would tell if they were friend or foe.
Siora headed back to the compound of Takelia in the armored vehicles and divested her weapons and combat gear before preparing to head home. Garridan approached her, a glint in his eye as he
gave her that sexy grin.
“Heading home to the farm?”
“Yep,” she said, placing her hands in her pockets. She desperately wanted to have some alone time with him but knew they were both exhausted.
“You know,” he said, rubbing his chin, “after I go home and take a massive nap, I’d really like to head over to Lynia and see you. And maybe meet your dad.”
Biting her lip to contain her grin, she shrugged. “I only introduce him to people who are really important to me.”
Lifting his brows, his grin deepened. “Is that so?”
Nodding, she felt herself beaming like a lovesick dolt. As her heart pounded in her chest, she said softly, “You could come over for dinner. We’re having Slayer blood and corn chowder. Dad loves food, even though we don’t need it, and it’s pretty much a staple at this point. Oh, and there will be wine too.”
Affection swam in his eyes. “I’d love to come over for dinner.”
“Sweet.” Kicking the ground with the toe of her boot, she glanced around. “Don’t tell anyone yet, okay? I want to talk to you first and figure out how we’re going to do this. I don’t want the soldiers thinking I got ahead from sleeping with my commanding officer.”
“No one in their right mind would think that, but I understand.” Glancing at his watch, he said, “I’ll come over at six if that works.”
“Perfect. See you then.”
He gave her an almost imperceptible wink, visible only to her, that set her heart aflutter. Flashing one last grin, she hopped into a four-wheeler and drove home, anticipating her father’s reaction when she informed him they were having company from a very handsome, eligible Vampyre. Knowing he’d be thrilled, she gave a tiny squeal—which was completely out of character for her, but so was falling in love, so she figured she’d just go with it.
As the wind whipped her hair, Siora took a moment to thank the goddess for their victory and for Garridan, the man who, somehow, had tunneled his way into her heart.
*.*.*.*