Page 13 of Wolfsbane

“You may not have been born in my kingdom, but you all have a piece of Hellbore in your hearts! You are not only the army of the night, but you are my army! The army of Hellbore!” The sea of darkness cheered, the ground rumbling as they stomped their feet. “Until the heavens fall onto the Earth!”

“A symphony of stars!” the soldiers hollered back at me.

I could feel my skin glowing with such excitement and pride. My smile nearly reached my ears as I looked to see him standing among his people, clapping alongside them, grinning, those golden, amber eyes burning through my soul.

Morel.

“You have done well, my queen!” The soldiers around him quieted as the rest followed, dropping to their knees in unison at his presence. The respect they had for him was unmatched.

“King Morel,” I whispered as I began to bow myself.

“I told you,” he stepped through the crowd and approached me, lifting my chin with such ease, “you do not bow to me.”My cheeks burned despite the cold, snowy field. I could feel everyone’s eyes on us.

“Have you come to watch your army train?” I asked, standing as his hand slowly fell to his side. “Or perhaps you’ve come to offer guidance on their training?”

“Something tells me they are in capable hands.” His smile remained. “I will admit, you have done the impossible, creating the largest and most skilled army I have ever seen. But?—”

“But?” I made a face and raised a brow as he glanced out at his troops.

“If you have trained them in the ways of Hellbore, and we attack Hellbore, how will they have the upper hand? Would they not be equal to those of Boletus’ forces?”

I scoffed at his words. “I assure you, King Morel, I know more than just the fighting style of Hellbore. You forget, I am a daughter of the night, and my gift is combat. I have taught your army everything I know. There is no force between the heavens or hell that can match them.”

“Care to test that theory?” Theory? I snapped my head in his direction, insulted at his question.

“You doubt me?” Morel shrugged, retrieving a sword from his side, twirling it as he stepped near me.

“You may be skilled in Hellbore combat and blessed by the goddess,” he cracked his neck, “but I am skilled in my own way.” Morel took a fighting stance, smiling as he awaited my rebuttal.

“I see.” I released a high-pitched whistle as his forces stood in perfect unison. Morel looked around, impressed with their uniform. “Army of the night, it seems your king has challenged me. Should I accept?” The men and women began to pound their shields into the ground, creating a deep, rhythmic beat, telling me their answer. “Your men have spoken.” My fingers curled tightly around the hold of his sword in my hand. “Shall we?”

Morel stepped to the center of the field, swinging the sword as I shadowed him. We slowly paced in a circle, the sound of his army beating with my own heart.

“Ladies first,” he teased.

“And yet, you remain still.” Morel made a face, trying not to laugh as I smiled, baring my teeth.

Within the blink of an eye, he began to charge me, moving swiftly as he lunged the tip of his sword in my direction. I curved my body, spinning away as he stumbled, quickly regaining his footing and chasing after me. He might have been substantially larger than me, but I had the upper hand with my speed, using it to my advantage.

My feet quickened as I jumped from a nearby boulder, flipping backwards as he watched me in awe, the ends of my hair brushing along his face as I landed behind him, twirling and meeting his sword.

“You never cease to amaze me, Hellbore.” Gritting my teeth, I tried to rotate my blade away from him, the metal of the swords sliding along the other as his back slammed into the boulder, our weapons crossed between us. We both groaned as we pushed against the other, oddly matched in the moment.

“You’ve seen nothing yet, my king.”

Morel raised a brow at my words as they also took me back. My guard fell as he took advantage and knocked my blade down and pointed the tip of his towards my neck. The surrounding army halted, the world falling into a wintery silence as my heart raced in my ears with my heavy breathing.

“I rather like hearing you call me your king.” He stepped closer, smug. “Admit your defeat.” My face darkened as I began to grin, Morel’s own expression falling as he looked at me with confusion.

“I wouldn’t get used to it.” My feet stepped closer, his blade piercing my neck as he tried to pull back. My hand gripped his,holding him in place as I stared up at him, the army resuming their rhythmic beat, a single drop of blood trailing down my chest. “And I have not lost.”

As the words left my lips, my arm swung, knocking his sword away from my neck, my other hand swinging as it landed roughly against his cheek. Morel slammed back into the bolder again, watching me with wide eyes as I flipped backward once more, gripping my sword and landing in a perfect fighting stance. He stood there as he felt his reddened face, completely shocked by what I had done.

“Do you yield?” I asked.

Morel dropped his hand and spat onto the snow, blood staining it as he tied his hair up high and removed his tunic. My lips pressed together at the sight of him, knowing I had hit a nerve while enjoying the sight of him shirtless. Again.

“I would suggest you put your clothing back on. Wouldn’t want to add to your collection of scars.” Morel scoffed at my teasing threat, tossing his sword back and forth between his hands as he began to walk in my direction.

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