Page 89 of Tortured Royals

The generals from the war council have organized their troops around the castle walls, with General Kaldoth remaining inside the walls with his soldiers. A few hundred yards in front of us, a massive green portal burns in the middle of the street, the flames sizzling and licking the air as witches continue to stream from it.

My mates and I join the battle, cutting through the witches without mercy. Nate rips the head off another witch before tossing her body to the side, and Alaric dodges a spell aimed at him, ducking low, and cutting the witch’s legs out from under her.

Prince Callan sends out a burst of wind power, blowing a dozen witches back. They crash into the surrounding buildings, but a few of the witches on the ground form up, chanting as they form a magical barrier before them, keeping his power at bay.

A witch hurtles a glowing orb at General Josek, and I grab the shield of a fallen soldier and throw it, deflecting the weapon before it comes into contact with the general’s face. The ancient general nods his head at me and spins, cutting down three more witches in front of him.

Six witches form a line, aiming their chemical weapons, and an incubus demon sends out a burst of power. The witches lower their arms, shaking their heads as they fight against the demon’s influence, and they start chanting something which allows them to regain control of themselves. Tossing their chemical weapons, the orbs smash against the castle wall, the acid burning small holes in the stone.

An arrow soars past my head, and Mason rears on his hind legs, charging a witch heading straight for me. The tattoos on my arms flare to life, and my mates and I regroup, working as a team and taking down witches.

When the last witch around us has fallen, the ground is littered with bodies, and the demons cheer, lifting their weapons into the air.

I don’t let myself celebrate. There are multiple portals around the city, and I leave General Josek and the demons, and my mates and I move to the next closest portal on the eastern side of the castle.

Dad is there, and sweat streams from him as he spins, spearing a witch and lifting her into the air before tossing her away.

I land beside him and throw him the sword of a fallen demon.

“Good of you to join us, daughter,” the king says, catching the sword and driving it into a witch who lets out a high-pitched scream before crumpling to the ground.

“You shouldn’t be here!” I shout above the noise of the battle. “Retreat inside the castle walls, my king.”

Dad ignores me, charging another group of witches who advance. I beat him to them, and my mates and I dispatch them before Dad has a chance to act. I frown. Aside from the chemical weapons and a few smaller spells, the witches don’t perform much magic. “I thought they’d be stronger,” I yell.

“They’ve been cut off from the power of their ancients,” Dad answers. “It’s why they’ve wanted demon power for so long.” I think of all I learned about King Celzar taking from the witches, and the incident with his love, Yenna, which started this all. A thread of sadness winds through me, but I don’t have time for weakness. Not now while the witches are at our door.

Nate jumps into a pile of witches, swiping out with his paws, and blood drips from his maw as he makes quick work of them.

A witch hurtles an orb at my head, and Alaric catches it, smashing it back into the witch’s chest. She cries as the acid burns through her cloak, eating into her flesh, and she falls to her knees before slamming face first to the ground.

More witches advance, and Alaric growls, his body growing in size. His plates of armor adapt to match his changing form, and the male grows so large his head reaches higher than the castle walls. He lumbers forward, striding to the portal and grabbing the witches as they exit the circle of flames.

The scent of burning flesh and smoke stings my nose, and the witches continue to fall. Blood sprays into my eyes as I take a witch’s head, and I turn to see a witch advancing on Prince Callan.

“Look out!” My cry comes too late as a blade drives between Prince Callan’s wings. Snarling, I grab out two knives and send them flying through the air. The witch falls with them buried in her throat.

“I am fine, mate,” Prince Callan says, pulling out the sword.

“You’re not fine,” I hiss, rushing over to him, but I stare in surprise as his wound knits together, his body already starting to heal as fast as a demon’s would.

“Looks like our bond also came with a few other upgrades,” Prince Callan says with a twist of his lips. “That would normally take me hours to heal from.”

I hold out my hand, hauling him to his feet, and I turn to the witch who’s on the ground, blood trickling from her mouth.

“You think this is it, don’t you half-breed?” the witch mocks, spitting out blood. I recognize her instantly as the witch who’d spoken to me through Ivar.

“You,” I growl. “What are you talking about?”

She smiles, and coughs, struggling for air. “This is only the beginning,” she says, and the light drains from her eyes, her head falling to the side.

Cheers erupt around me, and I lift my gaze to find the demons are yelling and shouting triumphantly.

The witches around us are all down, and no more are coming through the portal. My mates come closer to me, grinning, butI can’t shake the feeling of unease pressing on my chest.This is only the beginning.The witch’s words echo in my mind, and when a dead demon twitches at my feet, my heart stutters.

“Oh crap, Blake. The fallen demons!”Shade shrieks in my head.“They’re rising! Oh, the bodies!”Her fear explodes through my senses, and suddenly a barrage of images from my crows around the city come to me, of dead demons climbing to their feet, black marks covering their skin.

Two dead demons grab my wings from behind, sending pain shooting up my spine.

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