Page 17 of Kiss of Death
You don’t need to fight anymore, Lily. Meet me at the courtyard.
I wanted nothing more than to return to the castle and check on Mom and Dad, to take a breath, have a drink of water, even something to eat. But I wouldn’t leave my post until the victory had been secured.I’ll meet you when the battle is over. Return to the sea and watch the conflict unfold. Let me know when we’re victorious.
There was a pause full of hesitation before he answered.Alright.
I had a much easier time cutting down my enemies from behind, only receiving a fraction of their ire because they were distracted by the Kingsnake Vampires from up ahead. Zehemoth stayed by my side and helped me fight them from the rear, splitting their attention and direction and making it easier for my allies to dominate.
The battle lasted hours, and the two armies became uniform throughout the space. The Kingsnake Vampires were distinctive in their black-and-red armor, and the Barbarians were bright with their golden accents. From where I stood, it was hard tosee the tides of the war, but if the Kingsnakes made it to the rear, that meant there were more of them than there were of the Barbarians.
After another hour, it was clear that the battle was won. The remaining Barbarians were being rounded up and executed. Some tried to surrender, but I didn’t take prisoners, and it didn’t seem like the Kingsnakes did either.
Viper eventually emerged in my vision, his armor slightly scuffed from the clashing of blades. Blood was on his armor and clothing, and I hoped it wasn’t his. His eyes immediately found me through the crowd of people, and he paused to stare at me before he walked over, his black cape behind him, eyes subtle and furious like the adrenaline was still pumping hard in his heart.
He stopped before me. “Are you hurt?”
“No. You?”
“No.”
“I hope you didn’t lose too many men.”
“About as many as I expected. As for the sea, I don’t know.”
“My brother told me the battle has been won. Their ships have been wrecked to the bottom of the sea. There are still some vampiric dragons left, but they’re being hunted by dragon and ship as we speak.” I couldn’t believe the words that came from my mouth, that we had survived this battle, that we’d won it. “I would have lost my people and my kingdom if it weren’t for you.”
The stoicism started to fade as he held my gaze, a hint of emotion moving into his hard expression. “I’m glad that didn’t come to pass.”
“Is Kingsnake here with you? I would love the opportunity to thank him for his generosity.” He’d launched his entire army to come to my aid when he’d just had his own battle. And he’d done it immediately, without taking more than a day to consider the plea.
“He’s not here.”
“Well, I’ll make sure to fly to your kingdom imminently and get on my knees and thank him.”
His eyes flicked back and forth between mine before they went still again. “That will be unnecessary.”
“He saved my kingdom. I will gift him jewels and coin as well as my gratitude?—”
“My brother denied my request to come to your aid.”
It took me a moment to understand what he’d just said. My own eyes flicked back and forth between his before my breath returned to my lungs.
“But I came anyway.”
A complicated mixture of every emotion in the world swept through me. One moment, I felt guilt and shame, and then the next, I felt a surge of gratitude so strong it nearly knocked me off my feet.
“I came for you.” As if he expected nothing from me, he turned his back on me, his cape flowing beautifully behind him. His enormous blade was sheathed across his back, and as if he was equal to the soldiers he commanded, he helped one of his men lift an injured soldier from the dirt and carry him toward the gate where the medics waited.
Sunieth.
I continued to stare at Viper’s back, the guilt crushing my chest every time I took a breath. “Yes?”
My father wants us to return to the castle.
“Yeah…alright.” I turned back to Zehemoth and climbed up into his saddle before we were launched into the air. With his strong wings, he lifted us high off the ground in seconds, and we flew to the tops of the cliffs where the castle still stood. The midnight sky had turned to a deep blue, dawn on the horizon.
Minutes later, we landed in the courtyard. Hawk stood there next to Movack, and he rushed to me when my boots were on the stone. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m unharmed. You?”
