AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Liana? What in the gods—”
I shook my head. “Stop them,” I said, gesturing wildly to the hundreds of male and female warriors still steadily moving as one unit.
“What for?”
“Just do it, Silas.”
He pursed his lips and a glint of condescending annoyance crossed his bright eyes, but after a moment he gave in. Shrugged and heaved a rasping sigh.
Placing his fingers between his lips, he blew the loudest, longest whistle I’d ever had the misfortune to hear. “Halt!” he bellowed and as one the unit braked, turning to face their captain before pressing their feet firmly to the earth, squared towards us.
They looked at us but did not see us. Their eyes glazed. My heart broke for them. Once they noticed who I was, they knelt. Falling in groups to one knee, like a wave of dominos blown over by a rogue wind.
But this wasnothow my court would fall. I wouldn’t let it.
“Well,” Silas said after a moment, his one brow raised in challenge, “They’ve stopped.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Stand,” I shouted, my voice cracking.
My nails dug into my palms and an anxious sweat slicked the back of my neck, staining my ears red.
Breathe, Liana…
I steeled myself, allowing the anger and the frustration that had been begging to be set loose within me rile into something like courage. “I know you’re afraid,” I called out into the growing light of day and saw some of them come back to life at my words.
“I know you think we can’t win.”
The whispers began, and Silas opened his mouth to bark a command for them to come back to order, but I silenced him with a steady hand.
“You think you’re walking to your deaths! That the Mad King will cut you down and take your lands—takemycrown.”
I had their attention now. Their faces a mirror of the disgust I carried like a layer of ichor on my flesh. My hands shook at my sides. The unadulterated fury rushing through my veins like a pack of wolves charging in for the kill.
I leaned in, attempting to meet as many of their stares as I could. “You. Are. Wrong.”
Now or never…
In my peripherals, I noticed Alaric stop in his tracks at the sight of me addressing the Horde. See Kade and Finn emerge from the tent, bleary-eyed, trying to find where the sound of my voice emanated from. And Tiernan, stepping out of the town tavern with a group of other males, looking as though he’d drowned his own sorrow in the depths of a bottle or two.
My warriors. They needed to hear this as much as these soldiers did. And as much as I needed to say it and feel it and believe it.
We would all need to if we had any chance in this war.
“Wecanwin.” I stated as though it were obvious, though by the pinched noses and furrowed brows before me, it was obviously far from it.
“We are stronger,” I yelled, my lungs heaving and pulse soaring, “We are smarter.” Heat grew to a blazing fire in my core, coiling for the strike. Waiting for my command. “We are faster.”
The shaking in my hands stopped, “Andwe are more powerful!”
I drew in a steadying breath, lifting my hands, palms to the sky. Open. Accepting. Hoping for acceptance and understanding in return.
“They told you I was Graced with the power to heal the sick and mend the wounded. A Grace stronger than any had ever seen.”
I turned to my males, finding them stone-faced, their hands curling around their weapons in anticipation of having to use them.
Please don’t see me as a monster…I sent out the silent plea.See me as what I am…
A weapon to wield against our enemy.
