I ran my hands through my hair, letting the weight of our situation settle upon my shoulders. Winning this fight would take everything we had. It was impossible for all of us to survive. And even if we did, we would not walk away as the same people we were now.
If we walked away at all.
Chapter38
Damien
The sensation of fresh, cool air hit my face, and I couldn’t help but lift my lips into a smile, despite the circumstances. I couldn’t remember the last time I walked the city streets, let alone as a free man.
Granted, it very well could be my last day, but I would welcome death as an old friend when it came to me.
Some twisted part of me hoped it would be today.
The one thousand men and women behind me had checked every home and establishment to ensure this part of the city had been appropriately evacuated. Thank the gods it had been.
It was eerily quiet, though the faint echoing of clanging armor of marching soldiers could be heard through the cracks in the wards. Even during the last war, I hadn’t witnessed something representing the calm before the storm, but this was it in all its horrifying glory.
The Horde had come in waves, each one cresting over the faraway hill until I could only stare upon a sea of black. So far, there had been no other armies. Not even Angoria had shown, which I found odd, as they were one of our closest allies. But whether they came riding in at the last minute or not, we had no option but to stand against our enemies.
I only hoped I lived long enough to watch Lachlan die.
We’d spent the last hour watching the wards with bated breath, ready for them to fall at any moment. I’d never seen protection spells this intense before, save for the one surrounding the palace, but that was put into place when the building was erected—if the legends are to be believed. Those before us were forged from some of the most potent protective magic I’d ever witnessed, and yet they were still beginning to fail.
I was growing restless with waiting, but my instincts told me it would end soon. The wards would fall, and The Horde would descend upon us with the full might of their armies.
Commotion from their men drew my attention. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but my heart began beating faster at the excitement on their faces. Someone, or something, was coming.
Their heads jerked to the back, the sea of soldiers separating down the middle. They were making room for something. Perhaps it was a type of battering ram. Lachlan had plenty of dark practitioners in his employ; it wouldn’t take much to enchant such an item.
But then, a great winged beast descended from the sky. Its skin was covered in inky, iridescent scales. As the sun glinted off them, they seemed to swirl with blots of black and gray. Its body reminded me of an enormous horse, but instead of hooves, its feet ended in long talons that could quickly gut its prey. There would be no escaping the beast’s clutches if one was captured.
Bat-like wings soared through the air, slicing through the wind with little effort. Spiraling curled horns protruded from its head, their sharp tips reminding me of a freshly made dagger ready for killing. They seemed to bend around the beast’s attentive ears.
As it landed on the ground, it let out a vicious snarl. Its maw curled, displaying a set of deathly teeth within. It stared at those around them with black eyes, void of emotion. They were dead and haunted, a mindless specimen ready to kill as directed.
A figure clad in black armor dropped from the beast’s back, and my body tensed. I knew who it was without having to look upon their face.
Lachlan approached the wards, a smug smile draped across his lips. He still wore my father’s skin, but there was something unrecognizable about him at the same time. It made my skin crawl, thinking that every memory of my father was ruined. Tainted.
Lachlan looked up, seeming slightly perturbed that his armies hadn’t been able to infiltrate our city yet. I assume he wanted to swoop in at the end in a dramatic fashion, hoping to end what remained of our people after his men had done their damage.
His eyes swept to me, and I walked over with my chin held high. I refused to show that fucking asshole any weaknesses, even though I had to clasp my hands behind my back to keep them from shaking.
“Ah, my boy. I’d hoped I’d see you today.” He paused, giving me a scrutinizing once-over.
“I have to say, you’ve seen better days.”
“No thanks to you,” I replied, fingers curling into fists.
He laughed. “I gave you what you wanted most in this life. I gave youher.” The way he enunciated the last word has my stomach in knots. “It isn’t my fault she didn’t want you.”
“You’ve destroyed everything,” I snarled. “Fucking everything. And I hope I am at the side of whoever gets the pleasure of killing you today. I want to watch the life drain from your soulless eyes and know that the world is rid of you forever.”
Lachlan bristled, but made no comment on my words. Instead, he acted as if I hadn’t said anything at all. “Should I give you a chance to surrender? Or should I knock down this measly ward and watch your people die?” He tapped a long finger against his thin lips. “Decisions, decisions.”
He played this out, toying with us to increase our panic. I knew it was working, feeling the shifting gaze of my sentries on my back and the tension permeating the area. And as much as I tried to push it away, it was already creeping into my chest to grasp my recklessly beating heart.
“I’ll admit that I’d hoped I would have been greeted by your new queen, but perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised she chose not to grace us with her royal presence.”
