Page 88 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

33CAIDEN

Fires enveloped the entire forest.While the courts and kingdoms had been distracted by drinking and fornicating the night away, Gideon had been busy. How long had he been allied with the goblins? What had he promised them in return for their help?

Lucius waited with two horses. “Quickly,” he said as the fires consumed everything in sight. The smell of ash and burnt bodies hung heavy in the air. “I saved some of our items. The goblins came out of nowhere.”

Caiden choked on the heavy smoke as their horses’ hooves thundered on the charred earth, the fires ravaging the once-lush forest, burning through the freshly fallen snow.

“Where’s Aelia and Amolie?”Lucius asked.

“They’re in the palace. Tharan is protecting them. It’s safer there until we have this under control.” The heat seared the men’s skin as they rode. “And what of the scepter?” Caiden yelled over the sound of battle, coughing with each breath.

“I hid it,” Lucius said firmly as they approached the camp. The Stormlands army fought back the goblins, using their gifts of rain to help put out the fires where they could.

As they neared the battle, Caiden leapt from his horse, pulling his sword from its sheath, bringing it down on a goblin’s head. Green blood oozed from the gash.

Known for their brutality, mountain goblins were no ordinary foes. Tall with thick, leathery skin and heat-seeking red eyes, their ears could sense their opponent a mile away.Luckily, the sound of the forest burning drowned out their ability to sense any incoming attacks.

Roderick used a battle ax and his whip to cut through throngs of goblins while sylphs from the Court of Wings flew on Pegasus, impaling Gideon’s men on golden spears.

A declaration of war. Gideon wanted to make a statement. He wanted them all to suffer.

The ground trembled as a wave of energy erupted from the Alder Palace.

“Hold on,” Roderick called as they braced for impact.

Caiden created a dome of electricity around them, letting the wave crash over it.

A groan came from the earth itself.

“What’s happening?” Lucius yelled from across the camp.

Caiden pulled his sword from the gut of a goblin, wiping the sweat from his brow. “I don’t know. The forest is… angry.”

Roots sprung from the ground, wrapping themselves around the fallen goblins. The creatures screamed, digging their nails into the earth. Their eyes pleaded for help, but there was none to be had, for they had angered the ancient forest, and now it would take its revenge. Dragging the creatures beneath their gnarled trunks, the trees silenced the screeching creatures.

Caiden fought to catch his breath. They needed more men.

Gideon’s army moved in on the camps, using the goblins as lambs to slaughter before they came to finish who remained.

Not one kingdom had been foolish enough to bring their entire army, but they had all brought their best soldiers as a sign ofstrength. Gideon wanted this—he wanted to wipe out the strongest.

A pack of centaurs appeared at the edge of our camp. Their mighty spears glowed with the Light of Illya, a sacred stone for concentrating magic.

“Join us,” the head centaur said, his face carved by the winds of time. “If we band together, we can beat them.”

“Form a line,” Roderick shouted, raising his battle ax high in the air. The remaining soldiers joined with the centaurs and other courts.

Gideon’s men wore their traditional red armor with the black hawk crest. Winged helmets adorned their heads. The size of Gideon’s army seemed to have tripled, no doubt hidden with a cloaking spell until they were needed.

The men stood stoically in perfect formation, banging their fists against their iron armor. A human army had not taken on a sylph hoard in the history of Moriana. The crows would feast on their corpses in the morning.

“They’re glamoured,” a centaur said.

Oblivious to their impending deaths, the men stared fearlessly into the oncoming armies.

“Ready!” the centaur called. The flapping of wings overhead filled the air as the forest burned around them, gilding the battlefield in a golden hue. Caiden took a deep breath, steadying his racing heart.Illya guides my sword.

Gideon’s men did not move, did not flinch at the threat of imminent death.

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