Page 180 of House of Lilith

The alternative is a lot trickier, I think with a frown. You go for the Tower when you’re not ready and it’s game over.

But this time, considering how weak my territory is… I think I’m forced to do exactly that.

The rest of the players, for their turns they all choose to attack neighboring territories — some winning, some losing, all sustaining blood-curdling injuries.

But once it’s my turn, once my own throne starts glowing, I feel tendrils wrap around my mind,Mind Magictendrils. Of course. And I feel the connection with my territory and my army, and I only need to decide to pass this round for the next throne to start glowing.

And of course, my shit land gives me zero resources as a reward.

Next is Howe. And though it’s currentlynota smart move for him, he chooses to attack Max again.

I let out an annoyed sigh, but the next thing I see makes me quickly turn serious. Howe’s army attacks, but this time, instead of using swords and shields against enemy troops, they use what looks suspiciously a lot like that cafeteria stunt of Howe’s to turn Max’s mountain into dust.

Fuck. We can channel our own magic through our armies? I sense the other players shift in their thrones as well.

I watch Howe wipe the floor with Max, grinning like an asshole, especially when Max’s face starts turning blue with the impact.

And for a second, our eyes meet, and I can’t help but roll mine. He catches that, his expression sobering.

I myself keep letting rounds pass, gatheringsomeresources, though not many, but now that I know what I know… I think the next move will be my move for the Tower.

I only need to wait for Ricky to finish his turn.

Fuck, I think to myself when he turns his focus onto me. And he sends his army to crush me, but there’s not much resistance from them when I push back.

It makes me frown, but the next thing I know, my soldiers are wiping the floor with his. They obliterate every single one of them, making Ricky grab onto the armrests of his throne as blood starts spurting out of his mouth.

And just as I sense everyone around me draw in a breath, he gets zapped out onto the bleachers, leaving his throne empty.

He’ll be fine. They’ll patch him right up. I feel my muscles relax a bit, but I don’t get any time to celebrate.

Aine is next and she seems to be bent on destroying me as well.

Her army takes half of mine, making me almost cry out with pain as the phantom blades cut into my body, warm blood dripping down my skin.

As her soldiers make themselves comfortable on my land, I hear Max let out a chuckle. I turn to shoot him a squint.

But I still have half of my soldiers, and I still have my magic. So once my throne starts glowing, I only hesitate for a second, frowning at the fact that the part of my territory Aine has taken still feels… in my control somehow.

I shrug it off and I choose to go for the Tower after all, making my move as soon as my throne starts glowing.

And my army rises up into the air, enlarged, but instead of attacking with brute force, I use my stealth to sneak up on the Tower, catching its army by surprise.

My heart skips a beat when I see it’s worked. I sense other players hold their breaths, this being the first move for the Tower of the match.

But the next thing I know, the enemy army is throwing such strong shadow magic at mine, that I get nearly obliterated.

Fuck, I curse as tendrils of magic wrap themselves around me, making my blood boil and nasty red bruises start appearing all over my body.

Max lets out another chuckle, and the pain is making me gasp for air, but as soon as it’s clear I won’t be zapped out, I look up to shoot him a stare.

As soon as the pain subsides a little and we’re onto the next player, my mind rushes back to the moment before I attacked. That feeling that the territory that was taken from me was still in my control.

It’s then that a possibility enters my mind, a possibility that would go well with the fact that we can use our own magic here. And I come up with an entirely different plan.

*

I’m letting the remaining fouralmostwipe the floor with me whenever they attack. I sneakily use my Blood Magic on parts of their armies that settle into my territories. Of course, from the outside, it looks just like me passing another round, earning myself a snicker from Max every single time.

---