by Brenda Trim
Blood, brain, and bone rained down on Aislinn. “Ais! I was so worried.” My fist was in motion as I spoke and slammed into the side of a guard’s head. At least it was easy to tell the bad Fae apart. They wore the King’s red uniform.
The other men and women who had participated in my humiliation wore fancy clothes and were easy to spot. I struggled with attacking them or not. At the moment, they weren’t doing anything to indicate which side they were on. It seemed they were closer to sheep than anything with an autonomous brain.
“We have been going crazy wondering what Vodor was doing to you. Violet and I knew you were alive, but Bas didn’t. Have you seen him? He came to find you?” I stopped next to Aislinn and kicked her opponent while she punched him. He threw jets of water at us.
“Ow. That freakin hurt,” I cried out when what felt more like a razor sliced through my side. My top had lifted, allowing the spell to cut through my skin. “Sebastian was captured, but we both managed to escape. Where’s Violet?”
“Somewhere in this mess.” Aislinn dove forward to avoid being hit in the back of her skull. The dive morphed into a smooth summersault.
I tried to scan the room but couldn’t see through the dozens of soldiers. One of them spun his knives in his hands as he stalked toward me. I had to shift my gaze all around, so I missed when he cast a spell. I felt the energy zing through the room a split second before hurricane-force winds sent me flying through the air.
The moment the wind connected with my sternum, it knocked the breath from me. My mouth was moving and forming a cushion, so I didn’t break my face again. It was just starting to feel like it might heal.
I fell into a soft cloud and rolled to my feet, snatching a sword that was on the floor. It was heavy and awkward. I managed to lift it, but I couldn’t put much force behind the blow when I swung it at the soldier. Thankfully, my awkward lurch lodged it right into the base of his neck, where it met his shoulder.
I left the weapon stuck in his body and turned away from the spurting blood, then scanned the room. I was off to the side and out of the middle now. I dropped below an overturned table and used it as a shield. At the same time, I watched a group of women stalking toward Violet. She was fighting for her life.
I had no idea what the women had planned, but the knives they were carrying didn’t bode well. Wanting to make them pay but not start a fire that would only make matters worse, I called up lightning. When my hands crackled with bolts of blue light, I threw it toward the women.
Enough bolts left my hands that each of the three women was hit with at least one, if not more. There was a sizzle in the air followed by the smell of burned flesh, and they dropped to the floor, twitching.
“You aren’t going to win, Teague,” one of the party-goers called out from somewhere to the side. “You should have given her up sooner. Maybe you and your family would be spared.”
I froze mid-crouch as I was standing up. Had Teague given me up? The betrayal tasted bitter on my tongue. It shouldn’t surprise me, but it did. I couldn’t see where Teague was until he spoke. “I told you a hundred times I will never side with you. You got lucky when you stumbled across her. And now we’re here to make sure you don’t get away with hurting anyone anymore.”
My heart slowed, and I let out the breath I had been holding. I shouldn’t have doubted him, but it was highly suspicious, and he didn’t like me at all. I stood up without bothering to find him and raced toward Violet.
A soldier caught my attention halfway to my friend. She was moving stiffly, but she was wielding her magic with precision. I stood still with my focus on Violet instead of turning toward the guard coming for me. I needed him to get closer. While I stood there, I noticed something off about Violet’s demeanor. It might be nothing more than the battle we were engaged in, but it might be more.
I didn’t have time to consider that anymore. The soldier was a couple feet away, so I spun toward him and threw a broken glass at his face. It distracted him enough for me to kick him in the chest. Hands wrapped around my ankle before I lowered it back to the floor.
Darnell sneered at me and twisted the leg harshly. There was a pop followed immediately by pain in my right hip. I screamed and pulled him toward me. Dark energy pulsed throughout the castle, making me sick to my stomach. It stopped everyone, including the soldiers.
Kelvhan punched Darnell, and Darnell let go of my leg. Sebastian ran to my side a second later while the rest of the room came out of a stupor.
Bas grabbed my arm and turned to the door. “The King is up to something.”
“And it’s not good. We need to find him now and end this once and for all.” I limped and fought nausea with every step. We were close to the exit and left the others to fight the soldiers as we left the great hall.
Out in the hallway, I grabbed his arm. “I need a second. My hip is dislocated. I’m not sure how long I will last like this. I need to pop it back in.” The blood was being cut off to the limb, and the longer I waited, the more danger I was in. It would be challenging to maneuver into place without consistent pressure on my leg.
Sebastian regarded me with a furrowed brow. “How can I help?”
I grimaced then laid on the floor with Bas watching me with one brow raised. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I need you to shove it back into place. It’ll be faster than me trying on my own. All you need to do is hold my leg at the knee and push it forward.”
“Alright.” His big, warm hands landed on my leg, he shifted it, and I nodded my head. Apparently, I didn’t need to guide him anymore because when it was lined up from what I could tell, he shoved hard.
“Ahhh!” I swear my scream echoed throughout the hallway and into the great hall. The soul-searing pain diminished a second later.
I lifted my hand toward him. He clasped my hand and helped me to my feet. “Where do you think Vodor is?”
Sebastian shook his head. “First, are you alright?”
“I’ll be fine. And I won’t lose my leg now. But we have to stop him. Can you feel the power building?”
“I felt the initial wave, but I can’t feel anything now. I think he’s draining his soldiers. They aren’t fighting as hard anymore.” Bas’s gaze was focused on the door to the hall.
“How can you…never mind that. Doesn’t matter. We need to go this way.” I headed toward the stairs on our left and climbed. We had to dodge into doorways when patrols passed at one end of the hall or the other.
It was easy to locate where Vodor was doing his spell in the heart of the palace. I had no idea what floor we were on, but the room Vodor was in was the only thing on that floor.
Before I could stop him, Sebastian had opened the door. He never made it into the room. His body went flying through the air. He hit the wall and fell to the floor in a heap, leaving a body-sized dent in the plaster.
I had to bite my tongue until it bled to keep from screaming. I didn’t want to let Vodor know I was there. I scanned Sebastian for any sign he was alive. “Bas,” I whispered, then knelt down and felt for a pulse. It was slow, but there.
Reassured by that, I crawled to the side of the door then poked my head around to see what was going on. Vodor was surrounded by dark energy and was looking out the window at the moment.
I ducked back behind the wall and called all of my elements to me. My river was now a tsunami inside my chest. It made my body sing, and my vision sharpen.
There were potions and a massive collection of energy in a large dark blue crystal in the far corner. It was obviously vital to whatever he was doing. I shot to my feet and raced inside the room. I had my elements poised and ready to eliminate the crystal.
A dark chuckle left Vodor’s throat as he laid eyes on me. I released my elements and directed it to the corner. He lifted a hand and intercepted it. Lightning flashed outside the window, lighting up the dark clouds in the sky.
A curse left me when my elements tore through the glass and shattered it. Energy cut through my arm, nearly sever
ing it. I called forth my fire and hoped it would cauterize the bleeding.
I should have been terrified, but I wasn’t. I used that tsunami and directed it toward my wound while jumping to the side at the same time. I had more momentum than I realized and ended up sliding into the crystal. I kicked it to the broken window and wanted to shout when it cracked down the center.
I was on my butt, scooting backward with one arm hanging limply at my side. Vodor stalked toward me, and I noticed one of his hands was turning black. The dark energy was swirling faster and faster. I threw lightning at Vodor and kept the hits coming.
He tossed a fireball at me that hit my arm. It was bleeding, but not profusely, and his fire, while it hurt like a mother, helped seal the vessels and keep me from bleeding out. I twisted my hand and tossed a bolt of lightning at the massive blue crystal that was now black.
The crystal exploded like a firework. The force was so great it laid me out. My good arm went to my head to protect my face and eyes. Vodor screamed, and I tried to get up and go to him, but I couldn’t move.
Turns out I didn’t need to. A loud roar shook the walls. Sebastian. I lowered my arm and watched as Bas charged Vodor and grabbed hold of the sides of his head. I narrowed my lightning and aimed for Vodor’s throat at the same time Bas twisted.
Bile rose in the back of my throat when Vodor’s head left his shoulders. The King’s body fell to the floor, and Bas was left holding his head. A blast of energy exploded out of the King’s body.
The walls were blown out with the force, and so were the windows. The entire structure shook at the same time the stream traveled into my chest, stealing my breath. It filled me to the point I thought I was going to burst.
My heart raced so fast, it hurt. My good arm fell to the floor, and my vision darkened around the edges. Dust floated through the air, but the dark energy was gone entirely. I turned my head, trying to get a look at my injured arm. I didn’t want to lose the limb.
My eyes landed on Sebastian, who tossed Vodor’s withering head aside and dropped to his knees next to me. “I’ve got you, Fiona.”
“Nnnn.” I gave up trying to tell him to save my arm when the darkness won, and I lost consciousness.
Chapter 20
I rolled to my side and groaned when pain ricocheted throughout my body. Everything hurt. Even my hair, but my arm hurt the worst, followed by my hip. I would have thought I slept funny, but they were on opposite sides of the body. Sometimes getting old sucked.
The second the thought raced through my mind, it was followed by the events that had just happened. I must have passed out after Sebastian, and I killed Vodor. I tried to sit up, but a large hand stopped me.
“It’s okay, Butterfly. You’re safe, and your arm is being stitched up.” Bas’s warm voice was laced with concern but soothing all the same.
I unsuccessfully tried to open my eyes. I didn’t bother trying to wipe them clear. As if reading my mind, Sebastian placed a wet cloth over them and rubbed gently. Moving wasn’t possible right then, so I let him care for me while trying to listen for danger. I didn’t think he would be so calm if we still faced an entire army of enemies, but I had to be sure.
By the time the cloth was moved, I could blink and was surprised to see Violet hovering over me with the rag in her hand. She’d been the one cleaning my eyes, not Sebastian. “Violet.” It was so good to see her. I had been worried about her and Aislinn while fighting Vodor.
The sun was bright behind her head and burned my eyes. “I’m here. We’re okay. Most of the soldiers stopped fighting as soon as you killed Vodor. Those that didn’t were easy to handle.” Violet’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. The fine lines around her eyes and mouth were more profound, and I could see the flaming bird still on her chest through a tear in her top.
“How long was I out?” My heartbeat rapidly a dozen times before slowing to its normal rhythm.
I tried to sit up, and Sebastian’s gorgeous face filled my line of sight. “Relax. He’s almost done. And you’ve only been out for a couple hours.”
My head turned to the side. At first, I saw grass and flowers all around us and people sitting and lying on said grass. Then my gaze landed on a Fae pointing to my shoulder with his finger. There was a sting, and I saw blue energy slide through the sides of my wound and pull it together, exactly like he was using monocryl to stitch the deep laceration up.
“We’re twins now,” Violet teased. “We have matching injuries. Although you managed to heal mine without leaving much of a scar.”
The healer paused and sniffed haughtily. “A scar is unavoidable with an injury like this.”
Violet pulled the torn top of her battle gear aside and pointed to her shoulder. “Fiona didn’t leave one on me.” She was right. There wasn’t even a thin red line. That boggled my mind more than anything else in my new magical life had. I’d seen too many wounds throughout my career and knew she should have had a thick raised scar along with function deficits.
“Did everyone make it?” Changing the subject seemed prudent. I didn’t need this to devolve into an argument. Besides, I had to know that Aislinn and my other friends were alright.
“Argies is in bad shape, and many of the rebellion were killed, but the Backside of Forty are back together again.” I gasped when I heard Aislinn’s voice behind Violet.
It wasn’t until Violet shifted that I caught sight of Aislinn kneeling next to Argies. I couldn’t see much of him, but it was clear he was in bad shape given the three healers working on him.
“What happens for Eidothea now?” I cared about how they would move forward, but I had no desire to stay and help them work it out. I needed to return home and see Grams. I had to know she was still with me.
Violet’s gaze shifted around whatever lawn we were camped out on. I imagined it was probably the courtyard of the palace. I could smell the remnants of a fire nearby. Had to be the damage that was done to the building.
Sebastian brushed the hair from my face. “They’ve already started talking about selecting a new King. Usually, there is a transfer of power from one ruler to the next, but that never happened with Vodor, so no one is entirely sure what to do now.”
There was something he wasn’t telling me. “Is there something I have to do to give back…” Bas pressed a finger to my mouth, cutting off the rest of my reply.
“You’ve done enough for the realm. It’s time for you to rest and recover.” He didn’t want me to say anything else about what happened when Vodor died. I listened to him because I felt that knowing I absorbed the power from both would place a target on my back.
Violet bobbed her head. “Bas is right. Finarr assured me there are ceremonies to retrieve the previous King and Queen's power and imbue the next. Many believe Vodor never possessed the core of the throne. It connects the rulers to every creature in the realm. They never would have been able to their power if they possessed it.”
“All done. It will take several days for the flesh to completely knit back together, so take it easy.” The healer brushed his hands off and climbed to his feet.
Sebastian helped me sit up then, and I smiled at the petite Fae. I hadn’t realized how short he was when he had been kneeling next to me. “Thank you for helping me.”
He inclined his head then moved on. I scanned the area, noting we were behind the palace, and the lawn was covered in dozens of injured Fae. Soldiers and rebellion members were working together. The thing that caught my attention was the fact that the oppressive atmosphere was gone.
“I’m ready to go home,” I announced.
Violet brushed her arm over her forehead. “More than ready. I need to get back before the twins burn my house down.”
Aislinn’s smile disappeared as she chewed on her bottom lip. “I, uh, yeah. Going home would be good.” Her gaze shifted from us down to Argies.
“You can stay here until he heals.” I didn’t want to return without her, but I wouldn’t deny her the possibility of happiness.
She shook her head from side to side. “No. I need to get home and make sure I still have a job. Bills don’t pay themselves, you know?”
“No, they certainly don’t.” I turned to face Sebastian. “Are you coming back with us? I know I haven’t told you what I’ve been thinking or feeling. What I can say is that I can’t imagine my life without you in it, and I don’t want to.”
He leaned forward and pressed an all too brief kiss to my lips. “I’m glad you finally said that. I had planned on returning and doing whatever it took to convince you that we belong together. I want you to be my mate.”
I thought married life was behind me forever, and yet this somehow didn’t surprise me. “What exactly does that mean? Is mating like marriage?”
Bas shook his head. “It’s very different—Fae mate for life. Once we choose who we want, there is never anyone else for us. We live a long time, so we’re talking centuries.”
“I’m human. I won’t live for centuries.” I liked the idea of him only having eyes for me.
“You aren’t actually human. From what Isidora shared with me, you can choose to age like normal, or you can embrace your magic and let it extend your life. But that’s something we can deal with later. Just agree to be mine.” His smile melted my mind into a puddle, and all I could think about was how much I wanted him.
No, wasn’t even an option. “Since you asked so nicely, yes. First, let’s get home.”
I never imagined myself embroiled in a magical war, yet here I was, killing it. I was no longer the ignorant neophyte. I knew just enough to be dangerous. I wasn’t dumb enough to think life would be a walk in the park from now on. There was still a murderer traipsing around Cottlehill Wilds, so we still had crap to deal with, but I wasn’t alone in this. I had my best friends and Sebastian. The Backside of Forty was ready to handle any chaos life tossed our way.
We said goodbye to Finarr and the others. I was worried about Aislinn, who looked reluctant to leave Argies behind. I heard her sneak off several nights to be with the guy but kept that to myself. We needed all the happiness we could get.