Page 152 of Sanctuary with Kings

"Good," all three of my men said at once.

"The waiting is difficult," Laszlo said, catching Conall's eye. I tried to catch the silent conversation that passed between them, but I wasn't quick enough, and Hywel distracted me by sliding into the bed from my left, drawing my face to his for a kiss.

"In the morning, it begins," Hywel murmured, passing his lips over mine once more. "By evening, the houses will start to fall. Birsha's last hope will be making use of Asterion and the others. He won't run, but if he does, you and I will fly after him with Excalibur blazing in your beautiful hand. We will watch him fall,blodyn bach."

"Vengeance," I whispered.

Hywel nodded, nose brushing against mine. "Yes. And then peace."

CHAPTER44

MORGANA LE FAY

“There!"

The word was ripped from my lips as Hywel dove down to the ground, a streak of violent red in the sky, the cries from the ground warning one another of our approach. I tightened my legs in the strange saddle Laszlo had placed on Hywel, huge and broad, my feet tucked into stirrups and my knees bent around Hywel's neck. My left hand gripped hard at the reins and I pressed myself down against his ridged back, just barely able to view the battlefield below from around the hard scales and bright spikes of Hywel's body.

I winced and closed my eyes as Hywel scooped a boggard disguised as a giant black cat from the ground, the scream of the creature sharp in my ears.

I can smell your fear,blodyn bach,Hywel mused.

I huffed and braced my feet hard in the stirrups, gritting my teeth and raising Excalibur high as Hywel tossed back the boggard. I swung the sword, turning my face away from the spray of blood, and the defeated foe went crashing down to the ground, a cheer rising up from the orcs below us. They were friends of Hunter's and seemed to be relishing the day more than anyone else.

Your arousal too, Hywel chuckled.

"Rude of you to point it out," I said, scanning the ground below once more, searching for any ally who might be outnumbered. Any sign of a small, plain, unremarkable man running from the field. Any glint of gold horns.

Hedonism takes many forms. And you need your strength today, Hywel said.

I rubbed a hand over the largest scale at the back of Hywel's neck. He had a little feeling in them, and he purred in my head at the touch.

"They're not making progress on the mountain," I called, staring at the dark seething shape of battle that still blocked the entrance we'd used when hunting Excalibur.

Birsha conjured many ghouls and revenants for today. It's messy work, but they're not strong. Just plentiful. Come, we'll scorch them.

I bit my lip, swallowing the refusal. Hywel had burnt the field twice so far, and the power and blaze was difficult to withstand. Especially in the chainmail Laszlo had dressed me in during the wee hours of the morning.

My eyes paused on a smaller pocket of fighting, and I tugged on the reins to alert Hywel. "No, look! Southwest. Madame Mortimer's army is cornered."

Stone Eater, Hywel snarled, turning to where I directed.

The Stone Eater must've been the massive lizard-like beast that had pinned a collection of the marble butlers. They'd appeared at our camp the night before, led by the beautiful dark-haired woman, who absolutely everyone but me seemed to know. She claimed to be a witch, which I thought was odd, considering the incredible pulse of power that surrounded her, far exceeding any witch's aura. I found her difficult to look at directly, but she'd seemed friendly. Her butlers were dressed in tight black suits and carried an array of weapons, and at the moment, they were barely keeping the snapping jaws of the scaled beast away from themselves.

I sat back down in the saddle just as Hywel dove down to the ground. My hands grabbed onto horns that sprouted from either side of his long neck to brace myself against the blistering pace.

Leap from my back, run for the tent. I'll return.

"But—"

This will be difficult, and I don't want you caught by our claws,blodyn bach, Hywel growled in my head, a shudder running down my back.

I stood, forcing my eyes to remain open, in spite of the terrifying sight of the ground rising up to meet us too fast.

Now!

I jumped as Hywel stretched his jaw wide, snapping down on the Stone Eater's tail. Hywel twisted in the air, dragging the beast away from the stone men, and his tail caught me around the waist, easing my flight to the ground. The butlers charged toward me, circling defensively around my body as Hywel's tail unwound and I dropped the last few feet, thunking to the hard ground on my knees with my chainmail rattling.

"Our mistress and Miss Reed are looking for you." The stone man had a low and simple voice. He held out his hand to me, and I accepted his help in drawing me up from the grass. Whatever Magdalena Mortimer was, she had a fine eye for detail, and I appreciated the many variations of handsome faces currently surrounding me.

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