Page 102 of The Stolen Kingdom

With a battle cry, Maris launched herself towards Kenna, her trident swirling in an arc. The Vulcanian queen met her head-on; ax clashing against trident.

Fire surged around her, singeing her clothes and scorching her skin. Her waterskin had dwindled, leaving her with a limited supply of water to draw upon. She couldn’t allow Kenna to win, not now, not when she hadn’t been able to get through her.

Pushing Kenna away, Maris slammed the blunt end of the trident to the ground, turned to the barrels behind her and moved her hands as if she was holding onto them from afar. The water within the barrels snaked their way out, gathering into a wave. Without wasting a second more, Maris commanded the wave, crashing it towards Kenna. Kenna’s flames roared as they grew bigger, meeting the water with an explosive clash, sending shockwaves through the square.

As the explosion subsided, a burning ache spread through Maris’s muscles. She turned back to the barrels, and as she raised her hand to gather more water, her body gave out.

Valda was right, wielding the power of the gods wasn’t made for a mortal body…

Maris bellowed her frustration, grabbing the trident and connecting it to Kenna’s jaw just as the other woman ran towards her. The strike was strong enough for the fire to extinguish around them, as the water evaporated into nothing. Maris fell to the ground while Kenna lowered to one knee. The woman was tired, finally. The ax fell to her side before she leaned on her hands and knees, her breathing hard and labored.

Through wet hair, Kenna looked at Maris. The anger that had surged through the barbarian’s eyes wasn’t there, replaced by something else.

Maris stood up, quickly grabbed the trident, and pointed the three sharp ends to Kenna.

The Vulcanian smiled, grabbing the trident and pulling it enough to use it as leverage to stand.

Maris stood her ground, waiting for the other woman to attack again. Instead, Kenna threw her head and laughed.

What was she laughing about?

“Retreat!” Kenna bellowed.

A whistle cut through the air, drowning out Kenna’s command. The ground near Maris’s right leg erupted as an arrow buried itself into the dirt, followed almost immediately by a second arrow lodging into her shoulder. A searing pain radiated from the wound, forcing her down to one knee.

Her breath hitched as her widened eyes darted to the arrow’s shaft. Gritting her teeth, Maris reached up and yanked the arrow free, swallowing a scream that threatened to claw its way out. Her entire body tensed, as if sheer willpower alone could dull the agony.

Before she could fully process the pain, the sound of thunderous hooves erupted around her. A squad of Vulcanian soldiers closed in, forming a protective wall around Kenna. Within seconds, one soldier reached out and hauled Kenna onto the saddle of a waiting horse.

As she mounted, Kenna raised her arms, conjuring a swirling inferno that rose into a whirlwind. The flames roared and spun, obstructing Maris’s vision.

Maris braced herself as the heat of the flames licked at her skin, then slowly subsided. By the time the whirlwind dissipated, all she could see were the backs of the Vulcanian soldiers, galloping away with Kenna in tow.

Panting, Maris straightened her back, only to hiss as white-hot pain lanced through her wounded shoulder. She cursed under her breath, her free hand pressing against the tender area as she surveyed the surrounding wreckage. The chaos left in the wake of her battle with Kenna—and the Vulcanians’ rampage—stretched before her.

Shit…

Looking down at her torn clothes and the blood staining her injuries, Maris closed her eyes tightly, trying to will away the dizziness. Before she could steady herself, a pair of lanky arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her upright.

Cai’s worried voice broke through her haze. “Your Highness, are you all right?” he asked, struggling under her weight.

“Take me back to the inn.”

Without hesitation, Cai gathered his strength and began guiding her through the destruction. Maris kept her gaze straight ahead, refusing to look too long at the carnage surrounding them. Shattered carriages littered the streets, the bodies of horses lay motionless, and buildings were either smoldering ruins or completely reduced to rubble.

Her chest tightened. This wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair to the people of Titania or to the Sealians, who had already endured far too much. How many more lives would be caught in the crossfire? How much more suffering would they have to endure before it was over? They had to end this. And soon.

By the time they reached the inn, Maris’s steps were uneven, her body protesting every movement. Cai helped her limp into the room where Melvian had given birth just hours ago. As she sank into a chair, she barely registered the worried gazes of Isen and Melvian. Her burned skin throbbed, and her clothing hung on by threads.

“Holy Poseidon! What happened to you?” Isen exclaimed, his body visibly reacting to Maris’s appearance.

Melvian, pale but alert, sat up straighter. “Maris! What happened out there?”

Before Maris could answer, Cai darted from the room and moments later, he returned, clutching a waterskin in his hands. He pressed one into Maris’s hands, his excitement spilling out as he rambled.

“Here! Drink this—Sealian water. Your Highness really needs it because of the burns, and, well—“

Maris tuned out his frantic words as she took a long sip. She felt the water working on her burns almost immediately, sparing her the agony of peeling skin. As Cai continued his chatter, his words finally caught up to the others in the room.

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