Page 140 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
I place two fingers in my mouth and let out a loud whistle, drawing the attention of my personal task force. “Our final fight is upon us!” I roar. “Let’s kill us a tyrant! We show no mercy. We show no restraint. Tonight we put to the sword any who supported and enabled her.”
My people let out their battle cries in return.
I turn to Keira, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her away from her family. “What do you say, my queen? Are you ready to sit on your throne?”
She smiles widely at me. It would almost be sweet, if she weren’t covered in crimson and ash. “I am ready to bathe in the blood of my enemies, if that is what you’re asking?”
From the corner of my eye, I see Edmund pinch the bridge of his nose. “What have I always told you girls? It is important to defend yourself and your people, but never love the art of battle.”
Caitlin nudges her father with her shoulder so hard he staggers a step to the side. “Come on, Father, she has earned it for one night. Besides, you aren’t exactly known for keeping your head during a fight.”
“By the gods, I can’t wait until your daughter is fully grown and gives you attitude.” He says it as though it were a threat, but with a half-smile on his face.
I pull the crossbow from Keira’s back and place it within her hands as our warriors arrange themselves in two rows behind us. I signal toward one of the Starlight fae and they disappear through shadows to warn Leonardo that we are coming.
I lead our ascent through the palace with Keira at my side like a dark cloud of violence and death, killing any guards we happen upon. We take out two of Titania’s patrols before we near the throne room, only to find the foyer clogged with her forces,arranged in neat rows. There must be over a hundred of her best soldiers protecting the only way in and out of the room.
I hold up a hand, allowing my force to assemble in the corridor, and gesture for Edmund and Cedar to come to my side. “Use your regiment to cut a path through for my task force to reach the throne room. Then kill all the traitors here.” Both men nod. “Remember, we are taking no prisoners. None here are innocent.”
Our warriors are arranged with those following myself and Keira in the middle of our attack formation, with Cedar leading one side and Edmund the other. Then, we charge, screaming like we just spewed from the darkest, most vile abyss.
It is a fucking bloodbath.
Our armies crash into each other with ferocity. The enemy whips up air shields to hold us back, many getting down on one knee to bear the weight and sheer velocity of our push. We break through that line in many places, reaching three to four rows deep and slashing our way further in.
Adversaries crowd me on three sides. There is barely enough space to move. The crush is almost suffocating. I plunge my sword into the chest of a man who tries and fails to swing his spear up into my gut, then let out a stream of the magic stored within the blade. It slices clean through his armor and flesh alike, protruding out the other side. The channel of energy burns hot and golden-white, flowing out of his back and searing holes through every fae that stands in a line behind him.
Keira shoots out a stream of fire burning so hot I swear it singesmyhair from standing so close to her. It has soldiers on either side jumping from its path with a desperation that sends them into their allies, creating a ripple of panic and chaos and opening a path for us to step through, two abreast.
“Show-off,” I tease, catching an arrow right out of the air that had been hurtling straight for her face. I snap the shaft in mygrip and glare up at the fae who had the audacity to fire at my queen.
Animalistic rage tears through me.
I cast out my awareness, connecting with his essence, and seize control of his muscles and the air within his body, engaging my newfound ability. One moment the Wildrose Guard is whole, and the next an explosion of red mist and spraying chunks is all that is left of him.
Still, it isn’t enough to satisfy me.
Keira rushes forward into the space her attack opened and I am only a step behind her, our best warriors flanking us. More arrows shoot through the air and I am forced to form an air shield around us.
Titania’s soldiers throw out magical wields and fire arrows without a care for their own regiment getting killed by friendly fire. We, on the other hand, are restricted to close-range weapons as our lines become intermingled and chaos truly breaks out. There is hardly enough time to decipher which side of the war a fae is on before clashing in an attack.
I reach a hand above my head and completely unravel all the wields of the fire orbs in the room. The battle is plunged into darkness, only the moonlight peering in through the floor-to-ceiling windows giving a silvery light.
A pause ripples across both forces, then warriors of the Starlight Court materialize in the shadows above the fighting. They are joined by Assassins of Belladonna who descend into the fray or base jump over the top of it, raining down spears of burning starlight. The Nightmares tear their way through the enemy ranks.
I reach the grand doors of the throne room, throwing my head back and laughing at the layers of wards Titania has placed on them, like they could keep me out. The very wood is discreetly crafted from the gnarled and interwoven branches ofthe Wisteria of Mythanar, though few know the fact. I place my hand upon it, and all the smoothly polished branches unravel into dozens of thick tendrils, pulling apart with such force that they shatter the wards upon them.
I step through a cascade of falling leaves and twigs, shielding Keira behind my body, as everyone within the throne room stares at us like frozen statues. A heartbeat passes, then violence erupts.
My soldiers funnel in around me as Titania’s personal guard springs to action. Missiles fly through the air toward us as arrows are unleashed and the many potted trees within the space are weaponized to launch sharpened spikes.
It is pitiful compared to the feats I can achieve within this room.
I close the grand doors behind us with a simple command to the tree, so none can escape this room. I snap my fingers, and the thick branches of the Wisteria of Mythanar peel out of the very walls, crumbling marble tiles to dust and wrapping around enemies like a tentacled beast brought to life. I clench my hand into a fist and they crush the fae trapped in their grasp, dragging their bodies through the walls to consume later.
“Kill all fae who supported the High Chancellor in her tyranny!” I roar at my warriors. “We show no mercy to traitors.”
Blood sprays and battle screams fill the air as our two forces swarm each other, locked in deadly sword fights. I stride through the center of the room with bodies churning all around me, hacking at each other, falling to the ground and dying. So much death.
