Page 97 of Red Queen

The first light of dawn barely touches the horizon, and the amassed vampire legion stirs with a restless energy. I tighten my grip on the reins, the leather creaking under the pressure of anticipation. Ivan, resolute as ever, nods at me from his steed, acknowledging he’ll see this through to the end. Beside him, Eleanna sits astride her horse, a beauty of power and grace, her eyes reflecting the burgeoning light.

I glance back. Behind us, Nicolai and Marianne, followed by Dante, move through the ranks with practiced ease, their faces set in grim resolve. The growing clamor of armor and weapons clinks like a sinister melody heralding the march of violence.

Overhead, Moros, Erebos, and Nyx cut through the sky, their black wings gliding on the winter winds. The ravens are like a harbinger of what is to come as more of their kind join them, called forth by Eleanna’s will—their numbers swelling until the firmament darkens with a feathery eclipse.

“Have you summoned more raven legions?” I ask Eleanna, glancing upward at the swirling mass.

Her smile is a flash of rare magnificence despite the encroaching shadow of wings. “The more the merrier in this fight. They will be trusted allies and protectors over your army, General.” Her voice carries the melody of war—a symphony I’m all too familiar with.

I nod, recognizing the strategic advantage her feathered hosts will provide. Inside, I feel the steady burn of my nature, the alpha male within, fueled by the call to protect, to conquer. My instincts are honed and ready; every muscle coiled for the imminent clash.

Once the landscape shifts beneath the thunderous cadence of our advance, Eleanna’s former castle looms into view—a daunting silhouette against the awakening skyline. I rein in my horse, surveying the battlements, each stone resembling a betrayal we’ve come to rectify.

Eleanna raises her arm, her voice piercing the tense silence. “Catarina, I spared you once to do the right thing. You have not. This is your last warning. I shall spare your life and the lives of your troops if you surrender and bow on the knee before me. Proclaim me your rightful queen, and I will grant you mercy.”

From atop the castle wall, Catarina appears, her presence a stain upon the stone. “Never! You vampire whore. I shall never bend the knee to you or anyone!” Her words are spoken with harshness, dripping with disdain.

A low growl rumbles in my chest, my fangs grazing my lips. This insolence only stimulates the fire within, stoking theinferno of rage and resolve. Beside me, Eleanna remains poised, her expression intrepid in the face of Catarina’s defiance.

“Then you have chosen your fate,” Eleanna pronounces with regal finality.

I look out over our forces, the weight of responsibility resting heavily on my shoulders. Yet, it’s a burden I bear willingly because, in this moment, I’m not merely Alexandru Amanar, vampire general—I am the harbinger of a new order.

“Ready yourselves!” My command echoes across the battlefield, igniting the spark that will soon blaze into an inferno of liberation.

I draw my sword, the blade glinting as I raise it high. Around me, the echoes of swords being unsheathed and arrows being notched to bowstrings fill the air—the sounds of war.

“Charge!”

The order leaves my lips like the crack of a whip, spurring our forces into action as they surge toward the castle gates. Beside me, Eleanna kicks her mare into a gallop, her ravens swooping down around us, their cries a dark omen of what is to come.

Catarina’s archers let loose a volley of arrows, the sky filled with their swift descent. I deflect and dodge each projectile with practiced ease, my focus unwavering. The cries of those less fortunate echo across the field, their lives cut short before the true battle has even begun.

At last, we crash against their defenses, swords clashing in a violent cadence. I parry a blow from one of Catarina’s captains, pivoting to slice open his chest and abdomen in a single, fluid motion. His entrails spill onto the ground as he collapses.

All around me, my forces are battling their way into the castle. The metallic scent of blood infuses the air, cerise liquid staining stone and soil alike. Bodies litter the ground, both enemy and ally, as we push forward to our goal.

I cut down another vampire, his head rolling to the side as his body falls to the ground. A spray of blood splatters across my face and armor, but I pay it no mind as I fight on.

A vampire soldier lunges at me from behind, but I spin around just in time to parry his strike. With a snarl, I sink my fangs into his neck, draining him of his life force before tossing his lifeless body aside.

The battle rages on in a gruesome choreography of viciousness and destruction. Eleanna’s ravens dive down upon Catarina’s troops, pecking and clawing at their eyes and faces. The vampires scream in agony as they try to fend off the relentless birds.

I catch sight of Eleanna across the battlefield, her fiery red hair whipping around her face as she dispatches her foes with practiced ease. Our eyes meet for a brief moment before we turn back to our respective battles.

A scream cuts through the din of battle, drawing my attention. I turn to see Nicolai struggling against two opponents, his back against the wall. Without hesitation, I throw a dagger, piercing one of his attackers’ throats. With a swift rush, I confront the remaining enemy.

“You chose the wrong side,” I growl, my voice low and full of menace.

With a surge of strength, I ram my sword through his chest, silencing him forever. Once his lifeless body crumples to the ground, I clasp Nicolai’s shoulder.

“Nadia will see to your injury,” I assure him. “Carry on the fight!”

He nods before turning to rejoin the fray. I move with preternatural speed; there shall be no mercy. Not until Catarina’s reign of terror is brought to an end.

In the middle of the devastation and carnage, Catarina herself emerges from the heart of the battlefield. Her long hairflows behind her like a dark banner as she wields her double-bladed sword. She fights with a ferocity that matches my own, an opponent worthy of my skill.

A vampire lunges at me with desperate savagery. Our swords clash in a flurry of strikes and parries. But I’m not so easily defeated. With a swift kick to his stomach, I knock him off balance before plunging my sword deep into his chest, blood coating the blade.

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