Page 119 of A Warrior's Heart
My heart thudded harder at the mention of Lorcan. Visions of him torturing me flitted through my head. He was wicked to his core.
“You’re going to fight?” I asked.
“I am.”
I whipped around to face him. “Let me go with you. Please.”
“How precious.” Ezra smiled. “Are you worried for my safety? Fret not. You will accompany me, if you wish it.”
“I do.” I stared ahead at the large mirror on the wall, watching as Ezra continued bathing me. “Lorcan must be stopped.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Malik
I was in the dining hall with my men when one of the king’s scouts burst through the door.
“King James is moving with his army!” he exclaimed, breathless. “They have gathered on the shore and stand in formation, ready to march.”
“Humans are no threat down here,” a soldier said. “They’d drown before they reached us.”
“It is not only humans who march with King James,” I reminded him, standing from the table. “Ezra has gathered a force of mermen as well.”
The scout nodded. “Mages are amongst them too, sir. We’ve heard talk of them using a spell on the human soldiers to grant them a temporary ability to breathe under water.”
“We haven’t the time to waste,” I said. “We must prepare for battle.”
Captain Orta, the head of the king’s army, assembled the warriors while Ervin and the captain of the Men of Shadow did the same with the assassin unit. I commanded my own force of men, Nereus amongst them.
“Re.” Shar pulled Nereus into his arms and pressed their foreheads together. “Don’t get yourself killed.”
Nereus tugged down Shar’s face mask and kissed him hard on the mouth before tugging the cloth back up. “You only wish you could get rid of me that easily. It’s you I’m worried about.” He placed his hand over Shar’s heart. “Stay safe.”
As they shared another kiss, I looked away.
Eva stood in front of Cain, tightening his armor. His mouth was covered, but his eyes showed his smile as he watched her.
“If you die today, I’ll kill you myself,” she muttered, patting the dagger on his chest piece and then touching the sword holstered at his side. “Damned assassin.”
Cain caught her hand in his grip and lifted it to his cheek. “I will return to you. I swear it.”
“You better,” she said.
“You stay safe, woman.” Cain embraced her.
While we fought, Eva—along with other healers—would tend to the wounded. Though it wasn’t a combat role, it could be just as dangerous. She would be dodging enemy fire.
“Malik,” Yuval said, approaching me. “King Triton has requested you in the throne room.”
I nodded to Reif, and he took over for me, commanding the men into position.
I headed toward the palace, passing soldiers rushing into formation and others sharpening their swords. Once in the palace, I turned down a long corridor and strode toward the throne room. Servants ran past me, their panicked voices filling the passageway and echoing off the walls.
The tension in the air was thick. It was the first time an army had ever dared attack Avalontis.
King Triton stood at the window behind his throne, staring up at the glistening water behind the dome surrounding the kingdom.
“The day is upon us at last,” he said, turning to me. Jewels sparkled in the netted shirt he wore. The conch around his neck faintly glowed. “Is the army ready?”
