A Surrender Of Hope, page 30
“Get to the castle!” he rasps, his words sending a shiver of dread down my spine as he lurches for his Nuckelavee, his face pale, his eyes turning red.
“What’s happened?” I rasp, looking back at the castle but only seeing the Ulama, their number quickly dwindling in the skies above.
“The Amana Caverns have been breached. My spells just broke. The castle is no longer secure. Get to your mother and Meyer! Now!”
“Razar!” Nox bellows, his eyes wild with fear as he turns to command our brother to run, knowing he will be able to get there the fastest. But Nox doesn't have the opportunity. Razar’s black Beastia is already sprinting for the outer walls, moving faster than any beast I have ever seen.
I rush forward, grabbing the Nuckelavee I rode out onto the field and jumping into the saddle. Nox follows suit as Father digs his heels into the side of his horse and sends it galloping at full speed toward the castle walls. My heart feels like it's lodged in my throat, the sense of doom washing over me as I watch in horrified awe as Razar leaps at the wall, not bothering to find a gate. His large claws dig into the stone as he propels himself up the fifty-foot stone barrier that resides between him and the city, clearing it in a matter of seconds as we rush our Nuckelavee to the gates, my father bellowing for the soldiers to open the gates and move out of his way as we ride as fast as we can to the castle.
It feels like hours until we finally reach the castle walls, but it must have only been minutes. My eyes immediately fall on the soldiers fighting the Ulama. The red birds attack anything that moves, but it’s the giant shadow of Razar’s Beastia scaling the castle walls to the top peak of the castle that catches my attention as we finally make it through the gates, yanking our Nuckelavee to a stop by the guard who ran out to meet us, keeping the Ulama off us as the three of us sprint up the stone steps.
Father whips his magic out, surrounding the castle in shadows, darkening the day and turning it to night as he stalks into the halls of our home with a deadly air surrounding him. I can feel his magic brush against mine as we run up the stairs, flight after flight, the sounds of the battle above growing louder with each passing second.
“Get the girls off the roof,” Father commands. Nox and I dip our heads in a nod as we circle up the last flight of stairs. “Valen, take them to the royal chambers and lock that damn door. Nox, you are to meet me at the entrance of the caverns the moment our girls are safe.”
“Yes, father,” Nox growls, his horns and tail making an appearance, his control completely gone now that Meyer is in harm's way. “Kill every damn Wraith in your path,” he adds just as we burst out of the small stairway and into absolute chaos.
Dozens of Wraiths are on the rooftops, their steel flails glowing red with magic, the nine-foot-tall undead mages attacking everything in sight. Bursts of fire spark in the air as Mother’s Odyssey of Phoenixes flies overhead, setting the Ulama aflame with brilliant gold flames, sending them to their death like morbid shooting stars. But it's Meyer’s scream and the movement from the peak above that catch my attention as Meyer grabs my mother, yanking her out of the way just as an onyx-tipped arrow flies toward them.
“Vivian, move!” Father roars, the sound so loud that even I cringe, and cover my ears as I sprint toward them. My eyes set on the Wraith stalking behind them, ready to strike a deadly blow.
“Meyer!” Nox yells, seeing the Wraith, his hand outstretched as thick black magic explodes from his palms. But not even that's enough—we’re too far away!
“No, no, no, no!” I snarl, watching as the nightmare plays out in front of me. Meyer twists as they trip and fall to the ground. Mom tumbles after her and stares up at Archer in horror, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shakes her head in denial. “Meyer move!” I scream, my vision dimming as she turns, spotting the Wraith, and shoves my mom out of the way just as it starts to bring its flail down toward them. “No!”
Just as the flail is about to hit its mark, the Wraith is torn off its mangled feet, his arm now held firmly in the acidic jaws of a large black Beastia. My relief almost takes me to my knees, and Razar tears the Wraith away from Meyer, throwing it from the roof and snarling at two more as they advance on her. I immediately go on the attack, Nox’s black magic eating away at the Wraiths near Mom as Razar and I keep the two away from Meyer.
I can hear Father’s bellow of rage and try not to look as he rushes after Archer, chasing him down now that he knows we have the girls and will keep them safe. I know Arch has to die for his actions, but I don't think I can handle watching our father kill him.
“Get them out of here!” Nox snarls as he slaughters the Wraiths. He’s completely shifted, his full Demon form towering over everyone as he uses his claws to kill everything he touches. The soldiers scatter, eyes wide with awe and fear as they watch their Prince annihilate the Wraiths who dare step in front of him. Black magic swirls around him, making me wish I had the time to stop and watch his impressive display. I have never seen this kind of power from my brother before, and from his excited but startled look, it is a very new development.
“Meyer!” I shout, holding my hand out for her and cursing when she lunges at Mom, who is watching Father chase after Archer in his Demon form.
“Come on!” she whispers, trying to coax Mom out of whatever shock she is currently experiencing. The Wraiths move in, focusing solely on Mom and Meyer as they try to duck around Razar and Nox, only fighting enough to try to get away from them. I snarl in frustration, needing to get Mom and Mi Sol off this damned roof, but each time I kill one of these bastards another takes it spot. I can feel my magic waning, the amount I have to use to kill the Wraith almost ten times more than a Beastia.
“Where are they coming from?” Nox roars as Razar stays fighting in front of Meyer. I hear Raz’s Beastia growl and then yelp as a Wraith strikes his left side with a flail, making Meyer scream his name. She has a sword in her hand and is standing in front of Mom, who is trying to shove herself back onto her feet. Ulama are diving at them from above, all the enemy's efforts now on them and no one else.
“Get the Queen and Princess out of here!” I hear Mother’s Lieutenant order. The soldiers rush to assist, but they get blocked by even more Wraiths, making me curse and look to the roof, trying to find a way to jump in from above. But just as I move to climb to the spiraling peak of the roof, the gleam of silver blades cuts through the group of Wraiths, taking them down so fast that they don't have time to block the blows. Creed, covered in dirt and blood, attacks, his swords linked together and spinning so fast that it looks like a shield as he dips and turns, his fighting resembling a lethal dance.
I glare at the Wraith who is trying to fight my magic, and growl at it, eyes shifting, the world moving to shades of grey as I release my magic, letting it do as it pleases. Before I can take another breath, the Wraith is nothing more than dust on the roof, and I turn back to my girl just in time for her to shove Mom into my arms.
“Take her! I’ll get Razar and Creed and be right behind you!” she wheezes, her face red and sweaty and speckled with blood. Her blonde hair is twisted back into tiny braids, all woven together to create an elaborate twist. But the small silver and blue crown on her brow has me blinking at her in surprise, loving how it looks on her head. “Valen!” she snaps, her eyes widening when I don't respond to her.
“I’m not leaving without you,” I grind out, holding my mom up as she shakes her head and looks at me.
“Archer,” she rasps, tears streaming down her dirty cheeks, and I grind my teeth together, hating the pain in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” I whisper, hand darting out and catching Meyer’s when I see her try to sneak away in my peripheral. Something inside me snaps at the thought of her running, and I release a deep growl. I slowly look back up at her and raise a brow. “And where do you think you're going?”
“Fuck! Dammit, Valen, let go!” she gasps, sounding panicked as she tries to tug out of my hold and fails. Before I can figure out why she’s trying to run, she lunges for the blade at my side, unsheathing it, and aims just as the blade lights with red, deadly magic. I can feel Meyer’s power drift through the air, the feeling new and unsettling as it collects around her like a protective shield just before throwing the blade with impressive strength.
My mouth drops open in shock when I see the knife sink into the side of a Wraith who had circled behind Razar. It releases a sound I have never heard before, the red magic engulfing it completely, making it curl in on itself, getting smaller and smaller until it pops, blood and bone erupting around us and making Meyer gag at the horrendous smell.
Razar spins, his needle-like fur standing on end and drenched in blood, black eyes freezing on the Wraith moments before its death, then moving to Meyer. He growls, giant paws scraping over the rooftops as he moves closer to our girl, and I snarl a warning at him. Razar’s Beastia is wild and feral and loves death. He would kill anyone and anything, and I do not trust it around Meyer.
“Don’t,” Meyer whispers, shaking her head as she looks at Razar. “He won't hurt me.” her words are full of a confidence I don't feel, and I growl again when Razar steps directly up to Meyer, his bloody snout only an inch from her face.
“Meyer. You don’t understand. He’s dangerous,” I whisper as she slowly lifts her free hand and moves it toward Razar.
“I know,” she murmurs just as her finger gently strokes over Razar’s large nose, her fingertips lightly brushing the small portion of his face not covered in needles. “But he still won’t hurt me.” Mom’s eyes are as wide as mine as we watch Razar close his eyes and release a noise that almost sounds like a terrifying purr. Meyer grins and laughs when Raz’s Beast leans into her touch. “See, he’s like a puppy.”
“Sure,” I immediately say, wishing I was strong enough to let her continue exploring, but knowing I need to get her out of danger before I lose my shit. “A really scary, deadly puppy.” I agree, tugging her back a little and glaring at Razar when his black eyes lock with mine, and he growls at me.
“Are you mad?” Creed snarls, rushing for Meyer, anger in his eyes that I don't typically see there as he scoops her up and off her feet. “He’ll kill you!”
“No, he won’t!”
I pull Mom close and rush after Creed, following him toward the broken door that leads back into the castle as Nox, Raz, and the soldiers finish killing the remainder of the Wraiths and Ulama.
THIRTY
Creed
“Where the hell were you?” Valen snaps, hot on my heels as I cradle Meyer close, rushing down the stairs and back into the safety of the castle.
“There were eighteen Wraiths on the lower levels of the rooftops. It took me a minute to get through them all,” I grind out, my heart beating so damn fast it hurts. I try to take a deep breath, then another, and calm down, but nothing helps.
When the bells started to ring, I waited, guiding the Legions on how to attack as the Ulama grew closer, but the moment they crossed over the outer wall and headed toward the castle, I turned over the control to the leading Legion and jumped the front wall, racing to the castle to get to Meyer’s side. What I hadn't expected was to find Wraiths swarming the castle, their magic corrupting the safety spells as they moved through the halls and glided up the passageways to the rooftops. Hundreds were already inside, and I knew I would have to scale the castle to get to Meyer.
“How’s mom?” I ask, trying to distract myself.
“I’m fine,” she answers.
“She’s lying,” Valen adds, then grunts when Mom smacks him.
“No, I am not. Set me down immediately,” she demands.
“No. Dad said to get you to the Royal corridors and lock the doors,” Valen says simply. I smile when Mom snarls in response, but it's not a happy one. She will not make this easy on us, but if Dad gave the orders, not even she could stop us.
“You will do no such thing. I need to find your father and stop him before he does something stupid!”
“Mom, you have to let Dad handle this,” I mutter, trying not to think about how Dad is currently handling Arch. If I think about it for too long, I might get sick.
“That was not your brother!” she snarls, and I sigh, closing my eyes as the pain in my chest increases. A soft, warm hand cups my jaw, and I look down, finding Meyer staring at me with concern.
“I’m fine,” I whisper, finally descending the stairs and turning toward our rooms.
“No, you're not,” she whispers, and I bite the inside of my cheek, not wanting to talk about it just yet. My mind is still reeling from watching Meyer fight Wraiths, and my adrenaline is pumping through my veins from the battle high.
“It was Arch, Mom. We all saw him,” Valen tries to say, then grunts again when Mom elbows him hard and twists from his grip. “Dammit!” he growls, eyes flashing gray as I turn in time to see mom rush back up the stairs we just came down.
“Get her! I’ll take Meyer to my room and lock it down until the bells and drums stop,” I grind out, frustration filling me as my mother's stupidity puts her back in danger. Valen hisses a curse and nods, running after Mom as I turn back to the grand staircase and rush up to our corridors. “I’m going to set you down so I can hold my weapons. The castle was breached, and if there are still Wraiths in here, I don’t want to risk dropping you,” I say between clenched teeth as I set her gently on her feet. “But if you try to pull the shit Mom just did, it’s not going to end well for you or your ass the moment I tell Nox.”
“Yeah, I’m not going to do that. Those bastards are freaky as fuck,” she adds and shivers as she reaches to my side and grabs my Kalis blade and winks at me. “But does Nox or Razar need help? What about your Dad? Wait! Where is Theo?!” she asks in concern and I shake my head.
“He’s fine. I hauled him off the wall with me and locked him in the guardhouse which is spelled against threats. And there were still Wraiths on the lower levels, but the ones on the rooftops were almost handled when we left so the rest of them are fine. The Phoenix have the Ulama under control, and Jes has the horde of Beastia cornered. It will take him longer to kill and scatter them, but everyone should be okay,” I whisper, dragging her so that she stands behind me. “You keep eyes on our backs while I lead us to my room,” I instruct, trying to keep my tone light but failing miserably.
“Yes, Sir,” Meyer mutters with a snort of amusement, and I frown at her, not sure if I’m frustrated at myself for not being able to chill the fuck out or turned on by those words coming out of her mouth. I shake my head, grab her free hand, and place it on my shoulder to feel her touch in hopes it might help calm me. Then, I move forward, thankfully weaving through the halls with no other encounter with a Wraith or other person. Once I push Meyer into my room, I slam it shut, bring the bar down over it, and secure the five charmed locks that are magically infused with protection spells to keep all magic users out of the room.
I gently push her toward my bed as I move to the windows on the other side of my room, flicking every enchanted lock there before walking back and double-checking the doors. Grabbing my swords, I toss them to a chair nearby. My eyes scan the room as I pace out my nervous energy, the drums and bells still sounding their warning in the distance.
“Creed?” I twist, looking back to Meyer where she sits, covered in blood and looking at me with big green eyes. “Are you alright?” she asks, and I move toward her, wanting to pull her back into my arms, but I stop. My arms feel heavy, and the air around me is hotter than normal. Lacing my fingers, I crouch in front of her, resting my elbows on my knees as I look at her beautiful face.
“Of course,” I lie, not sure why the hell I’m freaking out right now. I’ve been in battle hundreds of times. I’ve almost lost my life more times than I can count, so why am I reacting like this? Meyer glares at me, like she knows I’m lying and I briefly wonder if she can. I know that when Demons mate, sometimes some of their gifts can be shared with one another, but I’m not sure if Meyer has enough Demonic blood for that to actually work.
She opens her mouth to say something, then sighs and shakes her head, shoving off the bed and surprising me when she pushes me back, my ass hitting the floor as she crawls into my lap and curls up in my arms, head resting comfortably on my chest.
“Let's try this again,” she whispers after a moment. “Creed?” she asks sweetly. I close my eyes and try to take deep breaths, her weight on me helping more than anything else.
“Yes, Meyer?”
“Lemon Drop,” she corrects, and I smirk, opening my eyes to peer down at her.
“What?”
“You call me Lemon Drop, not Meyer,” she grumbles, arms tightening around me as she snuggles further into my chest. I chuckle, unable to help myself, as I finally draw the first full breath into my lungs, taking in Meyer's sweet citrus scent, then frown when the harsh smell of acid and Wraith's blood almost overpowers it.
“You’re right,” I agree, wrapping her up tight in my arms as I climb to my feet and move to the bathroom. “And yes, Lemon Drop. I’m okay,” I whisper, kissing her dirty hair as I move to the shower stall and turn both shower heads on. “I saw you and Mom fighting those Wraiths, and it took me longer than I thought it would to get to you and I…” I pause as I move her to the bathroom counter and set her on it, spreading her thighs so I can stand between them and keep her pressed to my chest. “I kinda freaked out, I guess,” I finally admit.
Meyer laughs softly and nods, looking at me with her adorable dirty face.
“Understatement. I thought you would pull your hair out there for a minute.” She reaches up and smooths my dirty hair off my forehead, and I can't help myself. I lean down, pressing my lips to hers.
“Sorry,” I whisper against her mouth. “I thought I was going to be too late like last time.” The vision of Meyer lying cold and motionless on the snow outside the North American Castle haunts my every thought, and having to handle her being in danger again so soon was like an arrow to the heart.
