Page 32 of Moonlit Guardians

“She’s not your queen! She used you.”

He swings at me. My succubus wings shoot out my back and shield me, but not before his sword cuts my hand. I manage to catch the dagger before it falls and in one fluid motion, I bring it up and thrust it forward. The dagger buries itself to the hilt in Variant’s stomach.

His beautiful gaze widens as shock overcomes his features. He looks down and takes stock of the blade inside him and then looks back down at me.

“I’m… sorry,” I say, feeling my throat tightening. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t supposed to end this way!

In the depths of the soulful orbs of his eyes, I see sudden awareness and recognition. “Eilish…” Variant says as he drops to his knees and one hand wraps around the pommel of the blade.

“I’m sorry,” I say again as I stand up and taking a deep breath, I brace my boot against his thigh and shove him off my dagger. He’s killed King Galmer and for that, the king’s people will demand blood. Now I’ve given it to them. Much though I didn’t want to.

You had no choice,I tell myself.Variant was coming at you. He would have killed you if you hadn’t killed him first.

Variant tumbles over the side of the roof and falls on top of the former Mercenary King’s body. The dark clouds break and rays of light extinguish the shadows. Pyre and Baron fight in the streets to gather survivors. And then it becomes all too much for me to take. I didn’t want to kill Variant.

I didn’t want to kill Variant!

Screams rip a hole in my chest and expose the raw flesh of my heart as it shatters.

Fires burn on as the rain stops and the static in my ears from the com are too much to bear. “Retreat!” I call out to my friends and soldiers. They protect as many innocent lives as they can as they run for the open gate. I can’t stand here and watch them flee. I’m unsure whether it was courage or foolishness that told me to fight my way to the others, but I jump from the roof and use my wings to glide to the ground.

A troll grabs me by the throat. I kick and punch his heavy body, but his grip is firm. My fist finally connects with the side of his enormous head, at his temple, and the troll drops to one knee. It’s enough for me to free myself and bring my blade down to sever his head from his shoulders.

I see Baron out of the corner of my eye. He tosses a goblin through the air and drives his own dagger into another. I catch his eye and we fight our way to one another.

“King Galmer was killed,” I tell him, panting.

Baron’s smile drops. “How?”

I don’t speak, but my silence speaks volumes. Baron’s anger manifests itself. The goblins and orcs attacking us fall back. “When this is over, don’t expect me to forgive him, Eilish,” he says brokenly. “Variant has crossed one too many lines. Even my own sins aren’t as heinous.” His eyes narrow. “I understand he’s under Morrigan’s influence but that excuse…”

“Variant is dead.”

His expression drops. Shock takes over. “Dead? How? King Galmer?”

I hold up my dagger because I can’t find the words.

“You… you killed him?”

I nod.

“Eilish, talk to me,” Baron says as he grips my hand. “I need you to explain to me.”

I take a deep breath. “I stabbed him.”

“And you’re sure he’s dead?”

I nod again. “It’ll take nothing short of a miracle to bring him back.”

“Did he hurt you?”

My injured hand reaches out for Baron of its own accord. Baron touches the wound gently. He digs into his pouch and pours the contents of an unlabeled bottle over the torn flesh before tearing off the sleeve of his shirt to wrap it. “It isn’t that bad, but thank you,” I say.

“We need to get these people out of here before the whole place comes crashing down worse than it already has.” Baron grabs my uninjured hand and leads me to where Pyre is fighting Unseelie soldiers. Pyre smiles when I touch his arm. He catches my hand and presses a kiss to my palm. Flumph lands on my shoulder again and a rippling boom forces Variant’s army back.

***

CAMBION

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