No matter what my demise entailed, I wasn’t going down without taking him with me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ethan
Ihad no inkling if our plan would work. My only goal was my mate’s survival, however, I couldn’t save my mate without saving everyone else.
Today was the Spring Equinox, and we’d all perish this day if we did not attain victory. If we could just keep Emma alive long enough to unite the stones at the Sacred Gathering, we’d beat the prophecy. She’d prove it wrong, and the hag’s words would cease to come true.
There was never a higher cost. I was willing to put everything I had on the line to send Droga back to where he came from.
At sunrise, we’d painted our eyes and faces with the blood of the deer. It had gone black, mixed with a dark powder that Kiara said was for protection. Our horrowed expressions showed nothing but heathenry and a thirst for blood. I prayed that none of us would witness the spirit of the deer we’d killed and eaten the night before, for if we did, the doe would be the last thing we’d see before perishing.
Like the war song of my ancestors, I’d been born to do battle on this day, fated to join them in the Great Hunting Grounds, where they’d sing about my valiant deeds forever. Yet I was determined not to hear their song until I’d lived a long and good life with Emma beside me. This battle would be one they’d speak of for ages, but it would not be our end. That I was most certain of.
“Droga has monsters guarding the city,” Finlay told us as we met in the war tent just before dawn. “You’ll need to slip past them as we make our distraction.”
“How much time can you buy us?” Emma asked. Her tone was determined, and through our bond, I felt her focus. She wasn’t afraid at all, which astonished me. She just wanted to get the job done.
“Our forces will be able to stand up to Droga’s army for a few hours, at most. You’ll need to move quickly,” Finlay said. “Their numbers are much stronger than ours.”
“Then let’s get to it,” Stefan said. “No point in waiting around.”
Metal clanked as we all moved out of the tent. We’d been hastily given new armor, as ours had been lost when the palace collapsed. We looked ready to fight, and felt ready, too. I hoped that courage would remain with us when we surged into battle.
Tygrys zoomed eagerly at Emma’s side, ready to fight. Emma carried the silver crown in a velvet bag on her hip. When the time came to seal Droga in his tomb, she’d reveal it, but only then.
Stefan, Delmare, Theo, Odette, Alexei, and Kiara were coming with us. Everyone else, including Arthur, Finlay, Amantha, and Lord Lucien, were headed to the other side of the city to harness the distraction.
Myself, Theo, Stefan and Alexei remained in our shifter forms, prowling beside our sorceresses as we roamed through the camp. People bowed out of our way as our heavy footsteps landed upon the mud, uttering their hopes for a good fight… or a good death, if the gods so desired. Smoke from dying campfires wafted in our path, and the echoes of crows crying out from above gave a grave music to it all.
Soldiers began lining up in rows to make the march to Dolinska. They were just upon the edge of the treeline when an eerie silence broke way across the wind.
I lifted my head and sniffed the air. Panic spread through me as I realized I could hear the sound of fast-approaching hoofbeats.
“They’re here!” One of our spies came racing out of the woodland, waving his arms. “They’re—”
He was cut off by an arrow in his back. The spy staggered forward, falling onto his face before he let out a bloody gurgle and died.
Branches cracked as alicorns thrashed through the brush, sorceresses on their backs. The sorceresses were carrying bows, which they fired at the soldiers. The first line went down all at once, and soldiers rushed to get into position as Droga’s alicorn cavalry circled around them.
Shadows fell upon us from overhead, and I looked up. Tents were set ablaze by flames from dragons as their massive wingspans blocked out the skies. Sorceresses screamed as griffins dove from above, talons extended and on the attack.
Our army immediately moved to race in the other direction, to avoid the attackers and regroup elsewhere. But as we turned to run, hundreds of wolvens flooded out from the plains behind us, snarling and blocking the path of escape.
They’d boxed us in.
“They’ve discovered our plan! Resist!” Finlay shouted.
All at once, the campground broke into complete madness. Thousands of fae fought and died in moments as the two armies battled for dominance. There was the clatter of weapons, the smell of blood, and the gasps of dying fae. I turned in place, already feeling overwhelmed.
We hadn’t been prepared for this. We’d lost the element of surprise, and already, Droga’s army had a heavy advantage.
“Emma, get on my back!” I took a wide stance and prepared to kill anyone who got near us. I felt Emma grab my scruff and haul herself onto me as the other sorceresses mounted their shifters. We hurried to the largest group of soldiers that was nearby, looking to stay alive in the safety of numbers.
“Gather together and charge forward!” Finlay brayed. Gore was flecked across his face, and his sword was already bloody. He was doing his best to salvage the fight, but though it had barely begun, it was already half over. We didn’t stand a chance.
“Shield wall!” Lucien shouted. Shifters conjured wooden shields, which they held out in front of them to block the arrows. Amantha began firing off offensive spells from gaps in the shield wall, and other Marked followed her lead, killing who they could.
