Page 98 of Red Queen

“Alexandru, look!” Ivan’s voice cuts through the uproar of battle, and my gaze follows his outstretched arm to where Eleanna confronts Catarina.

A knot forms in my chest as they circle each other, vicious vampires seeking dominance, fierce determination blazing in their eyes.

“Stay focused on our enemies, Ivan,” I command, tearing my own attention back to the battle surrounding us.

But my concern for Eleanna lingers, mingling with my faith in her strength and skill. My queen is a force to be reckoned with, her vampiric power and combat training evident in every movement.

Ravens descend from above, diving and attacking Catarina’s forces. Moros, Erebos, and Nyx lead the charge, their loyalty to Eleanna a great help in this battle. The mass of ravens swarms like a dark cloud, tearing into flesh and pecking out eyes, blinding our foes.

Entrails spill onto the frozen ground as my opponent collapses, defeated. The bitter chill of winter bites at my exposed skin, but I pay it no mind as I survey the battlefield. All around me, my forces are locked in fierce combat, fighting to breach the castle walls.

With a swift slash of my sword, I cleave through another foe, his head rolling to the side as his lifeless body crumples. Thespray of blood only galvanizes my determination as I continue to cut down anyone in my path.

A vampire soldier lunges at me from behind, his fangs bared with hunger. Swiftly, I spin around just in time to parry his strike, our swords clashing in an explosion of steel. With a snarl, I sink my fangs into his neck, draining him before tossing his lifeless body aside.

More ravens dive down on Catarina’s troops, their beaks tearing into flesh and their claws digging into eyes and faces. The enemy screams in agony as they try to fend off the relentless onslaught from above.

In the center of the fray and bloodshed, I catch a glimpse of Eleanna, her hair whipping around her face like a shimmering halo as she pitilessly dispatches her foes. Our eyes meet for a fleeting moment before Catarina reappears. Her dark hair matted and bloody, her looks no match to Eleanna’s ethereal beauty.

With a fierce determination, Eleanna whirls with her sword raised, facing off against her opponent.

Each strike and parry adds to the incessant ring of blades, a melody of survival and defeat through the field as Eleanna expertly maneuvers around Catarina’s attacks. With each precise strike of her sword, she inches closer to victory. Sensing an opportune moment, Moros, Erebos, and Nyx swoop in, their sharp talons and beaks tearing at Catarina’s exposed flesh. But somehow, she wards them off and comes at Eleanna, who’s back is at a wall.

Yet just when it seems like Catarina may gain the upper hand, Eleanna raises her arms and seems to draw upon her deep reserves of power. The ravens above turn as one and swoop Catarina. In a display of unparalleled vampiric power and heartless precision, she outmaneuvers Catarina once again, thistime the bitch is the one against the wall and Eleanna with the upper hand, leaving me awestruck at my queen’s skill.

From a distance, I observe the battle with my heart pounding in my chest. This is Eleanna’s fight to win on her own terms, but I remain vigilant and ready to protect her if necessary. As their intense duel goes on, neither gives an inch.

I stand shoulder to shoulder with Dante, Ivan, and Nicolai, our swords drawn as we carve a path through Catarina’s evil forces. The sounds of battle are deafening—the clash of metal, the hiss of vampiric fury, and the guttural cries of the dying. The stench of blood permeates the air, a visceral reminder of the violence intensifying before us.

I parry a blow that would have taken off Ivan’s head. “Keep your guard up!” I shout.

“Never seen them so desperate,” Ivan grunts back, dispatching another enemy with a swift thrust of his sword.

Dante moves like a shadow beside me, his blade a blur of motion as he cuts down those who dare to defy us. “Catarina’s soldiers falter,” he calls out, a fierce gleam in his brown eyes. “Her power wanes!”

But amid the frenzy, a heart-wrenching scream pierces the din. Marianne falls, a cruel blade impaling her chest. Time slows as she crumples to the ground, her once vibrant eyes dimming.

“No!” Nicolai’s roar is primal, a sound of pure anguish.

I feel the loss like a physical blow, but there is no time for grief—only vengeance.

Nicolai becomes a monster of rage, his sword a harbinger of vehemence as he cleaves through the enemy ranks. Each swing is a tribute—a decree to avenge our fallen comrade.

“Fight on!” My voice is a command, ringing clear above the chaos. “For Marianne!”

With everything I have, I fight not just for survival but for justice and the future Eleanna and I dream of—a world free from Catarina’s tyranny.

Blood canvasses the snow in macabre shades of vermilion.

With a swift motion, Eleanna swings her sword, its metallic ring singing through the air like a melody to my ears. Catarina mirrors her movements, swinging her own weapon with inhuman speed. Their eyes lock, filled with determination, hatred, and centuries of pent-up animosity.

With my inhuman hearing, I hear Catarina hiss, “So, now you wish you had killed me when you had the chance.”

“No, I showed mercy becoming of a future queen, unlike you, Catarina,” Eleanna says.

The two vampires charge at each other, swords clashing in a vortex of otherworldly rapidity. Sparks fly as their blades collide, grinding against each other, and then slide apart. Catarina’s lip curls into a malicious smile as she feints left and then spins low, aiming for Eleanna’s legs. Eleanna leaps nimbly over the strike, landing behind her rival with uncanny agility. She brings her sword down toward Catarina’s unprotected back, but the vampiress is too quick, sensing the strike and rolling out of harm’s way.

“Is that all you got?” Catarina cackles, lunging forward with a flurry of powerful strokes and feints that force Eleanna back several steps.

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