Clash of Kingdoms (Dirty Blood Book 6), page 13
I faked for the first time, knowing he would trust it because I’d never done it before, and then I took the opening to strike my sword into his neck. The blade struck his bone but didn’t slice through. It was lodged the way the axe was in his chest.
He stumbled slightly but didn’t fall, blood oozing down his front. Then he gave me a sick grin as he barreled down on me, holding a sword while I was weaponless.
“Huntley!”
I turned to see Aurelias.
He tossed his sword to me.
I caught it by the hilt and met my enemy’s blade just in the nick of time. “This. Ends. Now.” With a burst of energy, I gave him a flurry of blows he couldn’t match, knocked the sword from his hand—and finished the job.
This time, I got the blade through his neck—and my sword came free.
His body dropped into the mud, my axe sticking out of his chest.
I turned to Aurelias and tossed the sword back. “Thanks.”
He was already gone, rushing into battle to take on two demons at once.
I pulled out my axe, picked up my sword, and jumped back into the battle.
Without the vantage point of the castle walls, it felt like chaos. There was no way to know how many men we’d lost, how many of their side had fallen, if there was an end in sight to this massacre.
My armor was stained with dried mud, and everyone else was covered in the dirt. Dragons flew overhead and dropped their boulders on the enemies below. Every time that happened, the earth shook beneath our feet. The boulders would roll with the momentum, and in one instance, I almost got demolished, but I was able to maneuver at the last second.
I kept my eyes on Ian, who was a short distance away, covered in mud, blood, and sweat. In armor identical to mine that our sister had built for us, he fought on, the same crazed look in his eyes. The only ones who seemed unfazed by the arduous battle were Aurelias and his brothers. They were dirty like us, but they did not possess the same kind of exhaustion. They were always flanked around me a short distance away, close enough to intervene if I was ambushed by a group of demons.
Every time I moved forward in the battle, I hoped to see my son’s face, holding his mighty sword, striking down his enemies before him. But every soldier was another face I didn’t recognize—both dead and alive.
A blue dragon flew just overhead. I don’t see him.
My heart grew progressively weaker, because even if we were victors in this battle, I feared Atticus would be dead…his body covered in a puddle of mud. No father should ever live long enough to see their child die, and I wasn’t sure if I could carry on if that happened. I could look death in the eye and face it, but not if he was there to take one of my children.
A mighty roar issued through the clearing, and then three demons emerged, their eyes moving to mine and locking in place. Once they found their target, they began to run, splashing through the mud and knocking down people in their way.
Keep looking.
I should help retrieve boulders—
Find my son, Storm. It was the first selfish act I’d committed. Storm could save the lives of my people, but I wanted him to find my son instead. I brandished my sword and prepared for the onslaught of demons coming my way, demons determined to rip my head from my shoulders to demoralize my people. That meant our soldiers were a threat to their victory—and that was a good sign.
But one demon was enough of a challenge, so three would be an impossible feat.
Ian joined me, raising his sword to block the incoming steel just in time. I blocked both swords from my assailants with my axe and sword, but I wouldn’t be able to do that for long. I dodged a hit by one then blocked the other, moving with a speed I wasn’t aware I was capable of. Instead of thinking about every detail of the battle, I cleared my mind and acted on instinct, moving, blocking, striking, taking on two demons at once with ease. But as the minutes passed, my muscles fatigued, and I lost the speed I needed to keep up the fight.
The demon on the right grinned, like he knew I would fail. “The king isn’t as mighty as they say.” He pushed forward, forcing me back into a puddle that went to my shins and made it hard to move. He had the upper hand because my feet were rigid, and all I could do was twist and turn my body to meet his blows. If I tried to move, I would probably slip. I knew I couldn’t hold this. I knew I would be defeated if I didn’t leave that pool of mud or defeat one of them.
But then Aurelias emerged, blocking the sword with his black blade and shoving the demon back. He pushed through the mud and forced the demon back onto dry land, using strength and speed I couldn’t match as a human.
The other demon dropped his focus for just a second to watch the vampire pass, and that was enough for me to slice my blade into the flesh of his arm and make his insides ooze out. I struck him again, hitting him hard enough to force him back. That was enough time for me to get out of the pool of mud and find firm ground to dig my boots into the earth.
The demon released a war cry then swooped down toward me, slicing his blade through the air as he barreled down on me, trying to push me back into the mud. I faked to my left and dodged his hit, turning the other way so the mud was no longer at my back. He released another scream as he came for me, furious his plan had been foiled. “You pathetic human.” His blade moved quicker than before, so fast I struggled to keep up, barely making my blocks in time. Sweat dripped down my temples and burned my eyes, but I didn’t have a single moment to wipe away the beads of salt. “I’ll burn you the way I burned your pretty wife.”
Our swords came together, and then time stopped. I looked at him across our joined steel, and I felt the air leave my lungs. The battle raged around us, but time had stopped for the two of us. Images of my wife’s wet eyes came back to me, the destroyed flesh that would leave her beautiful neck scarred for the rest of her life. It was hard to look at her—and it would always be hard to look at her.
Strength that came out of nowhere burst from my arms, and I shoved him back, a demon a foot taller than me that had the density of the earth. Vitriol wanted to spill from my lips, but I needed to save my energy for the fight, because words wouldn’t break through attacks and blocks. Only brute force.
He grinned like he’d gotten the reaction he wanted. “Looks like the little pathetic human is upset—”
I grabbed my axe from my back and used both weapons to bear down on him, to swipe and block simultaneously, to make him sweat from the speed of my ferocity. His grin dropped as I continued my assault, having to focus all his energy on my attack.
He had to move his sword faster to block both of my weapons, on the defensive rather than offensive, and he was the one who was driven back into the throes of battle. Humans and demons around us screamed as they perished from bloody assaults. It seemed to just be the two of us, locked in the only battle that really mattered. I swung my axe for his head to cave in his skull, but he cut it down with his sword—and severed it in two.
Now his grin was back worse than before. He pushed me back with his blade, striking at my armor because the power had shifted, and now he was on the offensive. Invigorated by my broken axe, he pushed me back toward the puddle of mud, moving so fast I could barely keep track of where his blade was. “Should I burn your face so you’ll match?”
I released a scream as I fought back, wanting the upper hand but unable to attain it. The battle had raged for hours but it felt like days, and my muscles had fatigued fighting opponents bigger and stronger than me. I tried to push back, but my boots slipped into the mud, and then the watery grave covered my chin.
“Or should I drown you in filth?”
I gritted my teeth and continued my fight, my boots losing their grip on the slippery ground. I pictured my death, the demon shoving my face into the water as he laughed, my body convulsing as my lungs inhaled the dirty water. I wasn’t afraid to die, but I didn’t want Ivory to live with that image of me.
He blocked my hit then kicked me in the chest.
I fell back, splashing in the shallow pool of dirt.
Fuck.
He moved over me, his hand reaching for my neck.
I tried to roll without turning over, tried to kick. My blade got lost in the mud, and I couldn’t find it.
“Come here, Your Majesty.”
Just when his hand reached for me, he stilled and then stumbled, his grin gone and his eyes empty. He suddenly dropped to his knees, his hand reaching behind as if to grab something. And then he fell face first on top of me.
I moved out of the way through the mud, my face covered in it, and I saw the demon hit the mud and then sink, only the sword protruding from his back visible. I stared at it for several seconds as I breathed before I looked up to see Aurelias.
But it wasn’t Aurelias.
It was Atticus.
Horror was written across his face as he looked at me, like a scared little boy who had just had a nightmare. “Father.” He rushed to me, splashing through the mud before got to me and grabbed me by the arm.
Wide-eyed and shocked, all I could do was stare. I was aware of my body leaving the puddle but wasn’t sure how it happened. I stood on my feet in the mud and looked at him, possessing Ivory’s eyes but my face. I gripped his shoulders before I crushed his body into mine to hug him, to squeeze him tight despite the heavy armor that separated us both.
He breathed hard against me, scarred by what he’d just seen.
I cupped the back of his head and felt my lungs gasp for the same air. The battle continued around us, screams piercing the morning light. Sunrise had arrived, and the gruesomeness of the battle became even more visible.
I pulled away to look at him, but words failed me.
They seemed to fail him too.
We stared at each other.
I gave a nod.
He gave a nod too.
“Let’s stay together,” I said.
He nodded vigorously. “Yes…let’s stay together.”
THIRTEEN
HUNTLEY
The battle raged on, but I kept my son close to me, never fully paying attention to my opponent because Atticus was more important. But I never needed to help him. He was more than twenty years younger than me, so his youth gave him a surge of strength that my decades of experience couldn’t match.
I’d personally trained my son to fight, had him train with General Henry, put him through a ruthless conditioning program every day since he was twelve years old. It had obviously paid off—because he was a monster. Battle was no place for emotion, but I couldn’t deny the surge of pride I felt.
Kingsnake emerged through the fray, just as dirty and bloody as the rest of us. “We’re winning.”
I sliced through the neck of my opponent and watched him go down. My body was spent, pushing even when I had nothing else to give. A battle against men was already hard enough, but the battle against these powerful beings was excruciating. I turned to Kingsnake, my son in the background taking down his opponent.
“They have the strength, but we have the numbers,” Kingsnake continued. “But victory isn’t guaranteed, so we need to fight like we’re on the verge of loss.”
I nodded in understanding.
Atticus decapitated his opponent then stepped back, breathing hard because he was exhausted by the fight. Everyone was exhausted.
“Use your dragons,” Kingsnake said. “If they land and fight head on—”
“I won’t risk them.”
“You could save more lives—”
“This is not their war.” I wouldn’t let the dragons sacrifice their lives for us, not when they’d won us our previous war, not when they had already done so much.
Kingsnake didn’t press his argument.
“Spread the word that the battle is ours. The morale will push them on.”
Kingsnake turned to do as I commanded—even though he was a king himself.
I moved to Atticus. “Kingsnake reports that we’re winning.”
Undeniable relief moved across his face. “Thank the gods…”
“We have to push a little longer. Victory will be ours.”
He nodded, too tired to say much else.
I grabbed him by the shoulder. “You’re a stronger fighter than I was at your age.”
His eyes locked on mine, a subtle hint of emotion there.
“I’m so proud of you.” I said it now because I feared I wouldn’t be able to say it later, that the demons would claim one of us—or both.
His eyes held mine until he couldn’t meet their look anymore. “Let’s finish this, Father.”
I released his shoulder. “Let’s finish this.”
Once there were more humans than demons, every fight was unfair. Three to five humans attacked each demon, so their numbers diminished with increased speed. By midday, the last demon had been struck down—and the war was over.
I stood there and surveyed the mass slaughter, the piles of bodies, friend and foe, on the melted snow. It was a cloudless day and the sun was bright, the sky already filled with birds waiting to feast. I’d been the victor in battle before, looked at the sea of dead around me, but it had never hurt as much as this did.
So many of my people had died.
The bodies stretched as far as the eye could see. Heads were missing from bodies. Arms stuck out from piles of mud. The stench from the dead was already rising with the heat. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been this tired, when I was this close to the verge of collapse. I wanted to assume my age was the cause, but in my heart, I knew this battle was different from all the others.
There were tears behind my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall.
My men had died—but theirs would return.
Aurelias walked up to me, just as tired as I was. He didn’t say anything, as if the look on my face was enough to erase whatever message he had.
“So few are left…”
His eyes softened in sadness, and he looked away. “A king should celebrate his victory.”
“You call this a victory?” I said coldly. “My men are dead forever, but those motherfuckers come back with a couple of scars.” The one who’d scarred my wife would be back, and the only good thing about that was I’d have the pleasure of killing him a second time. “Less than half of our Kingdoms remain.” It was still chaos, people searching for those who were still alive to see if they could be healed before they perished. People needed food and water. I hadn’t seen the stewards of the Kingdoms…probably because they were all dead.
“We were victorious because your forces surrounded them on all sides. Many lost their lives, but the other outcome would be extinction. I don’t mean to sound insensitive—”
“Then don’t speak.”
Aurelias held my gaze but said nothing more.
I should thank him for his service, but I was too heartbroken to be grateful for any damn thing.
Aurelias turned away and walked to where his brothers stood together.
I looked at the dead all around me again, the beautiful sunshine a direct contradiction to the darkness across the surface.
Storm flew across the sky then landed beside me, his heavy body making a distinct thud when he landed. Shall I return to HeartHolme to notify the queen?
I was so demoralized I hadn’t even thought about my wife, whose heart raced, waiting for news of my death or my survival. Yes.
Storm remained beside me. I’m sorry for your losses.
I inhaled a deep breath. I know you are, Storm. He was the only one who understood my pain. Understood my heart because he knew it so well.
He pushed from the ground then flew into the sky. The flap of his wings died a moment later.
Atticus carefully stepped around all the bodies as he came toward me, kicking aside the demons but avoiding our kin. He reached me, his arm resting on the hilt of his sword. His eyes were tired, and his skin was pale. There hadn’t been time for food and water, as most of the carts had been upended or destroyed. “General Henry is confirmed dead.”
He would have found me already if he were still alive. I gave a nod in understanding.
“General Macabre as well.”
I gave another nod. “They were good men.”
His eyes dropped to the ground.
“But good men always die.”
He looked around at the battlefield, his innocent eyes forever scarred by the sight. I wanted to protect him from this, to shield my children from the horrors of war, but I didn’t have that privilege. I had to watch my son absorb all the pain and the horror of what had just happened.
It broke my heart.
My brother walked up to us, and he went to Atticus first, embracing him in a bear hug like he was his own son. He squeezed him hard then pressed a kiss to his temple. My brother loved my children like his own, and I loved Lila like my own as well. He gripped Atticus by the shoulder. “You fought valiantly today.”
Atticus nodded, but his eyes were empty.
My brother looked at me next. His eyes were heartbroken just like mine. We’d survived the night and made it to day, but we’d lost so much. We’d lost the people we’d vowed to protect. We’d lost soldiers and civilians. We’d lost women and children. We’d lost…everything. And the demons had lost nothing.
Ian moved into me, and we embraced, a one-armed hug that was solemn and depressing. He pulled away and looked across the sea of dead. “Storm will notify Ivory of our survival?”
I nodded.
“Good.”
We stood there together, absorbing the magnitude of our loss in silence. The only thing I was truly grateful for was the fact that my brother and son stood with me in that moment, that the people I loved most were still with me. But that graveyard was full of brothers and sons…of entire families.
“We should ride back,” Ian said. “The demons will return. We need a plan.”
“There are more of them?” Atticus asked, snapping out of his reverie.
