Page 97 of The Nightmare Queen

He Wields the earth underneath my horses feet while one of his eyes is on Eveera and her assailant and the other on me and the steed I commandeered. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I yell, while thrusting my Wield at him. His roots wrap around the ankles of my horse and yank the beast down. I roll away in barely enough time to not have the animal land on my leg.

Quickly I scramble up to my feet, and rush at him. I don’t bother with my sword, as I clench my fists tighter. My mist grows up in a column around the Wielder, the sound of him choking fills my ears. I step into the column of my magic that he’s shrouded in and press my palms against his gaping mouth and nostrils. His eyes bulge underneath my grip as he suffocates. “If she’s dead because I was dealing with you. I’ll find you in Helys and kill you a second time.” With a push I send his body backwards, crumpling in a pile, his veins are blown underneath his skin.

When the column of magic disappears, my hearts in my throat as I expect to see her with a sword through her stomach. Instead I watch as Axel’s body knocks her out of the way and the sword cleave directly through him instead.

The next few moments happen in slow motion. Eveera’s magic wraps around her would-be assailant, cutting through his body like butter, the pieces of it falling to the ground.

She crumples next to Axel, their foreheads are pressed together and their mouths are moving from what I can tell. Whatever their next few words were, were just for them to hear.

I take slow steps towards her at first, watching while she puts his head in her lap both arms curling around him. A guttural scream tears from her chest just before her magic blasts across the field blanketing everything in a wild loss of control. My legs eventually listen to me and I start to run towards her. The closer I get the more I can see black webbingcrisscrossing her skin like dark veins. The strength of her Wield growing with each sob and scream. The force of her magic overwhelms me as I fall to my knees behind them sweeping hers and Axel’s limp body into me. I have to fight against the nightmares her magic forces onto me, so I can stay with her.

I’m shushing into her hair, rocking their conjoined bodies in an attempt to soothe her. The air grows frigid in an instant while a level of deep unnerving energy settles onto the battlefield. Motion stirs around us as her cries grow louder while her Wield wreaks havoc on her body. Cradling her head to me I see living soldiers, Guards, and Wielders on their knees trying to push against it too, their screams drowned out by the pitch of her sobs.

Unfortunately, they're not the only ones pushing and rising with her magic. Every intact body on the field that wasn’t left without a head or a torso halved begins to morph and rise. Slowly they look towards us, her Wield still consuming her too much to notice, the hundreds of red eyes staring at us. Including Axel’s looking up at us from where his head is still cradled in her hands and lap.

I shake her violently, pulling her from Axel’s warped form as it tries to gain footing, yanking the sword from it’s -his- torso.

“Come on, Nightmare.” I shake her again. “Give me those eyes, beloved. Please. We need you.I need you, Nightmare.” Too slowly do her eyes gain their gold back, her blinks long. She takes in her bloodied hands, her surroundings, and finally,him.I thought the wails before were haunting. But the sound that leaves her body when she realizes is so much worse.

The former Axel cocks his head at us, the new eyes burning into my own. I wrap my arm tightly around her waist and pull her behind me while my other grips the hilt of my sword. My stomach twists as I stareat my new friend’s demonized form. I’m reluctant but prepared to do what I have to. He lurches for us, his reanimated body acting with a quickness I wasn’t ready for. But thankfully, Eveera was. She rips the hilt out of my hand and slices clean through his neck, severing creature Axel’s head from his body. As it thumps to the ground her eyes widen and her shoulders slump. She drops the sword and reaches for me. I clasp her hand and we sink to our knees, my arms finding their place around her again. My lips press kisses onto her sweaty brow, still reeling from the revelation that came with all of the outer land creatures rising on the field.

Across the way I see an iridescent orb, I squint my eyes and see that Max and Millie are shielded inside of it. At first I am confused as I see her holding him back, but then the body a few inches from Max’s hands separated only by her shield comes into view.

No.I think.No…Orem.And I know immediately that Maxwell just did what Eveera had to. Black starts to bleed onto the ground again, matching the inky tears leaking from Eveera’s eyes her cries picking up again. Armond Voids in next to us as I stare hollowly at Axel’s head. It’s red eyes still open. “You have to knock her out.” His voice startles me as I look up at his grief ridden face.

“Wh-what?” The word comes out garbled and choked. He repeats himself and the words sink in. He means I have to stop her.

“Don’t make them…” he chokes on the words next, “don’t make them suffer this fate again.” Nodding, I clasp my hand around her mouth and nose, sending a small amount of my mist to her as she inhales until her body slumps against me, cutting off her Wield.

The field goes quiet. Briefly the problem of the remaining outer land creatures goes unnoticed until we feel waves of heat against our skin as Vada begins to burn them to ash. Armond grips my shoulder while I cling tightly to Eveera, cradling her to me while he Voids us off the battlefield.

Rorin

We Voided back into my rooms where we were shocked to find Ezra standing in the center of floor his eyes darting immediately to Eveera’s limp body in my arms.

My lip curls at him, “do not even think of fucking touching her.” I growl.

His frown deepens. “Where are the rest us?” Is all he manages. Our haggard group of seven stare back at him. Max’s tortured voice breaking through the quiet first.

“Us?” He whispers stepping up next to me, “where in the bleeding. Fucking. Gods. WERE. YOU?!” He shoves at Ezra’s chest. “Where were you HUH?! LEAVING US ALL TO FUCKING BURN OUT THERE?!” Another shove sends Ezra falling on his ass. “AND ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IS ‘WHERE ARE THE REST OF US?’ There is no us, Wake. You’re no Commander of mine.” His Wield flares to life, his whole body turning into one large electrical current. He grabs for Ezra’s throat pulling him up with preternatural strength, the voltage coursing through Ezra, frying him slowly from the inside out.

“Woah, woah, woah. Max.” Millie’s voice is calm,broken,but calm as she reaches out for Max. Her Wield is bubbled around her hand as she touches his cheek, forcing him to look at her. “Let him go.” His knuckles are growing white under his force. “Max…let him go.”

Ezra’s body thuds to the ground, the smell of burnt flesh wafting up and into our nostrils. Max shuts down stumbling into Millie as she leads him out of the room.

I walk away from all of them and into my bedroom not giving the charred Ezra a second glance. I place Eveera onto the bed, brushing a few of the bloodied and matted strands of hair off of her forehead. My lips drop to press a kiss against it, letting my forehead rest against hers afterward. “I’m sorry, Nightmare.” I whisper. She doesn’t respond, only twitches and whimpers. “I’m sorry.” I say again.

The door latches behind me, as I face those of us remaining. Ezra is still stunned on the floor, lightning shaped burns are across his skin, red and angry. Armond stands over him, kicking his leg, until Ezra groans.

“I need to see my father.” I announce before storming out of the room. Will, Bennett, and Armond on my heels.

The doors to my father’s study come into view and all I can see is red. Disregarding the sentries posted outside, I bust through the doors swinging them open with force. My father looks up, startled at the intrusion. “Ah, my son. You look unwell.”

“And you look like a gods cursed idiot, father.”

His face twists in feigned shock at my brashness. Undeterred, I stalk up to his desk and draw my sword; the three men at my back matching my movements.

My father raises his hands in mock surrender. “Tsk. Tsk. Tsk, now, Rorin. I actually think I’ve been quite clever.”

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