“Luka.”
“Don’t Nico, I don’t want to hear it, not from you. I know I fucked up. You don’t need to make me feel worse than I already do. I’m well aware I might have altered this entire war for us.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, you didn’t know.” Nol’s voice was quiet.
“What do you know?” I met Nol’s gaze. “What do you know about Keziq?”
“Nothing really, I never saw her until those last couple weeks when she tried to force me to use my witch magic. I have no idea how long they’ve been working together.”
“Do you think she was working with Adreona when she tied your life to hers?” Declan asked.
“It wouldn’t make sense if she was. She knew I was a vampire. Why would she tie her life to mine if she was helping Adreona eliminate vampires?”
“Them working together must have happened after you met her.”
“Your Majesties!” One of the commanders Declan had appointed burst into the tent, panting as he spoke, his eyes wide.
“Your Majesties, Captain Hale, the Twilight Courts forces are here.”
“It’s about time, we’ve been expecting them.” I had forgotten about their scheduled arrival this morning with the events of the day. Lennox would give them a good scolding for being so late.
“No, you don’t understand.” His chest continued to heave. “They’re not here to join us, they’ve come to fight against us.”
The four of us flew from the tent, the sound of battle filtering into my ears.
I still couldn’t comprehend what the commander meant by fighting against us, how had they changed sides so quickly? Why?
I made it to the top of the hill, stopping to assess the landscape below.
Hundreds of Twilight Court soldiers marched into our camp, their golden uniforms sticking out against the winter landscape.
The clang of metal and the sounds of screams filtered up the hill.
I didn’t waste another moment before taking off down the hill into the fray.
I tore my sword from my back as I barreled down the hill, I ran past our soldiers as they came head-to-head with the troops from the Twilight Court. I could hear Declan barking orders from behind me as I continued my pursuit, cutting down any Twilight Court men who tried to stop me.
“We need to work our way onto the city; we need to force them to concede!”
I looked up, finding Declan above me, the sound of his wings flapping cutting through the sounds of fighting.
“There’s too many of them and we’re not highly trained enough.”
I cut down another soldier who came toward me, their blood splattering across my face as my sword hit its mark.
“Nico, I need you to cover me so I can get to a horse!”
“I’ll do you one better.” In a flash of magic, Nico shifted into his silver wolf form. I took down another soldier before leaping onto his back. I fisted my hands into his fur and he took off.
The soldiers continued to come at us. I swung at them with my blade from Nico’s back as he cut into them with his teeth and paws.
His coat was stained red by the time we made it to the horses. I leapt off his back and onto my horse, Zola, before taking off, Nico following behind.
I stayed on the outer perimeter of the battlefield. No one paid me any attention as Zola and I ran along the trees, too consumed by the battle before them.
As we made our exit, I continued to scan the battlefield. I had no doubt Lennox was in there somewhere. I knew she could hold her own, but if I could find her and take her with me—we’d be unstoppable at the palace gates. And I knew she’d want to have words with Bergan and Leone.
A burst of magic emulated from the battlefield. I could feel it snake along my bones.
