Page 62 of A Surrender Of Hope

“Meyer! With me,” Viv calls out, and I rush to her just as she freezes and frowns, looking around us. Black blood drips from her sword, matching the dark drops on her face as she looks at me with wide eyes.

“What?” I ask, concerned that she might be injured.

“Something's wrong,” she rasps, then twists to her Lieutenant, her voice shaking with fear for the first time.

“Where is the Varack Legion?” The big warrior frowns, snatching an Ulama from the air and throwing it to the ground, where he stomps on it like it is little more than a pest to him.

“Guarding the servants' corridors,” he responds, then frowns, looking at his Queen with concern. “Why?”

“The cave’s been breached. Something is in the castle that doesn't belong,” she rasps, face paling as golden magic sparks at her fingertips. A horn blows on the southern fields, and the Lieutenant snarls, eyes widening as he bellows his orders.

“To the Queen and Princess. Now!”

“No! We have to get to the caves and ensure they aren't damaged! If they destroy them, we fall!” Vivian snarls, grabbing me by the hand and turning us back toward the doors we came through just as they explode outward with a blast of red magic.

“No!” I reach Vivian as we are knocked off our feet and tumble to the ground.

“Wraiths!” Someone yells as my vision swims, and I shove myself back to my feet. The heat in my wrist triples as several black-cloaked figures emerge on the rooftops, red magic circling the demon warriors and shredding them to bloody bits in the blink of an eye!

“Meyer!” Vivian's scream comes just in time for me to turn and see a tall, cloaked creature behind me, its flail clasped in its skeletal hand raised to strike a fatal blow. I stumble back, my hand reaching for one of the black blades, and trip over the body of a guard lying lifeless behind me.

“Shit!” I dive to the side, my body colliding with the gray stone of the castle wall as I try to get out of the way of the Wraith, who descends on me like a reaper sent from the devil himself. Chunks of stone and dust erupt in the air as the pronged steel ball attached to the chain strikes the ground where I landed seconds before. A high-pitched shriek fills the air as the Wraith crouches before me, allowing me a glimpse of the rotted-out face and black sharpened teeth of the monster hidden under the cloak. “Oh, fuck!”

“Meyer!” I hear Vivian scream again, but I don't have time to look at her as I clasp one of the silver blades the Demon Queen had given me and throw it at the Wraith. I hit my mark and send black blood arcing into the air, the putrid blood hitting my face and hands as the creature snarls and raises its weapon to strike again, my silver blade lodged in its ungodly face.

I roll to my right, desperately climbing to my feet as my eyes focus on the fighting around me. My wrist still burns, my vision fuzzy as I spin and meet the Wraith head-on, bracing myself as warmth courses through me. This time, instead of pushing the weird, hot pain away, I embrace it and yank it forward, a scream tearing from my throat as fiery pain sears through my veins and my fingertips glow red.

I gasp for breath as the Wraith lunges for me, and instead of diving out of the way, I launch myself at it, my finger touching its leathery skin that hangs loosely from its skeletal frame. A bright red light explodes around me, the pain only increasing as my mouth opens; a whimper is all that breaks from between my lips as the Wraith releases an inhuman sound of rage and agony.

One moment, the tall figure is lording above me, flail in hand; the next, the light vanishes, and the cloak drops to the ground, the twitching Wraith curling in on itself, hands grasping at its chest as fire consumes its rotting body. The smell of burning flesh makes me gag as I stumble back, the arms of a guard catching me just as Vivian reaches my side. I gape at my hands then shake them a bit, trying not to freak out. First claws, now weird red magic that just melted a Wraith. Fuck, my head hurts.

Vivian’s green eyes alight with shock as she looks at the burning Wraith, which slowly stills and then crumbles to ash at our feet. “How did you do that?” she whispers, looking at me then freezing, a look of pure confusion crossing her face. Her mouth moves as I try to get my ears to stop ringing, and my heart stutters then drops as I read her lips. “Archer?” she rasps, stepping to move around me as I force my body to move despite the pain wracking my every limb.

“No!” I shout, turning and seeing the lighter version of Razar I had seen in my dream and on the wall before he released that arrow at his brother. His hood is down, light brown hair spilling over his shoulders as he watches his mother with vacant black eyes, arrow drawn and pointed at her chest. The gleam of onyx makes bile rise in my throat, the echo of pain radiating down my spine as I recall the impact of an arrow just like this lodging itself deep into my back. “Vivian, don’t!” I shout, grabbing her wrist and yanking her to me the moment Archer releases the arrow.

TWENTY-NINE

Valen

Ihold my hand in front of me, watching the formation of Beastia while letting my magic flow freely. The darkness envelops my prey as it destroys everything in its path, eradicating them to dust before they can run from the black tendrils. There is a darker power at play here, something I can sense yet not touch with my magic. It hides in the recesses of the Beast's minds, turning them into mindless puppets for their master's personal use.

My magic hums beneath my dark skin, my Shade form pressing forward in relief to be set free once more. I’ve kept it on a tight leash, my emotions a jumbled mess since Meyer’s death. But out here, I don't have to worry about my control. I can let go and feel the souls rush through me as I ensnare them in my grasp.

My eyes shift to my brother as he cuts down a large Beastia, his ax slicing through its neck with ease as he spins and sets his sight on another. The manic gleam in Lennox’s eyes tells me he has been feeling just as out of control as I have, and I can’t help but be glad for this fight to expel our pent-up rage and frustration. Raz’s Beastia stalks behind our brother, his blackeyes watching his every move, his bloody muzzle dripping with acid as he snarls and lunges for a beast stupid enough to get too close.

The events of our lives are entirely out of our control. Mi Sol is in constant danger, and it seems no matter what we do, she keeps getting injured. But this… I look back at the monstrous army before us as Father calls back his soldiers, letting Nox, Raz, and me handle them ourselves; this we can control. Not only do we excel in battle, we long for the rush of death. I may not have as many primal instincts as my brother, but I am still a Demon who lives on the thrill of the hunt and spilling the blood of my enemies.

Hordes of Beastia stream onto the battlefield, Father’s armies funneling them to us, and Jesthren ensuring they are split into smaller groups so we aren’t overrun with more than we can handle at one time.

“There are more here than we can handle alone,” I finally admit after fighting for a time; sweat dots my brow as my magic sings inside me at the death and destruction we have caused.

“Yes,” Father agrees, spinning to the left and bringing his hammer down on a random Therion that has joined the mix of Beastia. Its skull pops and makes a mess on the ground at Father's feet, making him chuckle as he nods at the path of destruction my magic has left behind us. “That was impressive.”

I smirk and nod my thanks as I wave my hand in front of us, tearing the souls from the handful of Beastia rushing toward us and pulverizing their flesh until they are nothing more than a sticky puddle at my feet. Lennox and Razar have moved to the right, taking out almost as many Beastia as I have, the two dripping in black blood as they move through the southern fields with a lethal grace I cannot replicate with a weapon. My magic, yes, but it stops there. Sure, I can fight. I was trained to becomea killer, strong enough to rule if I ever wanted to, but my magic is and will always be my strongest weapon.

“I’ll call in Jesthren’s army. Let's push them toward the wall and corner them between us and Creed. Watch the southern gate for me. It was damaged on the last attack, but I want to get rid of these bastards and back to our girls,” Father grumbles. He nods at General Vega, who rides his Nuckelavee behind him, always there to guard his King’s back. The General brings a rawhide horn to his lips just as a sound echoes over the sprawling valley, chilling my blood with their call. I spin on my heel just as my father snarls, eyes flashing with magic as he turns in the same direction, watching the castle with intent eyes.

“I don’t see anything,” I rasp out just as Razar tips his head back and releases a haunting howl that carries through the air, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

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