Page 71 of Devastation
"We are trusting you to be honest with us right now. If you can fight, let's go end this," Hale says from my side as he cracks his knuckles.
"Let's go," I echo back to him and walk over the pile of stone and out to where the true war is raging. What greets us is what I picture Armageddon looking like.
Angels fly in the sky, battling against the dragon that the witches had described as terrorizing their realm. It drips lava, burning everyone beneath it. I see Mar and her lavender hair in the sky making the most attacks on the beast, using her wings to protect her from the boiling magma when she gets close.
I see a portal open in the distance, shining like a beacon of light, and the shifters begin to pour through. Dragons launch into the sky to take on the opposing forces as the angels retreat to the ground to help the witches and fae battling the shadowmen Hale told me about and the demons amidst them.
Keres' voice booms from the sky as she holds a scythe burning with red flames along the blade, "Demons! Heed my call as your queen. I have been fooled into believing that these people are our enemies, but they are not. The enemy is the dark army Erebus leads. Attack!"
For a moment the battle falters as everyone looks around in confusion, and I know I need to step in. Using the wind to propel my voice to the battlefield, I proclaim "What the demon queen says is true. The demons are no longer our enemies. Let us join forces against the true darkness here."
My voice seems to be all my forces need as they run past the demons and towards the dark army that lines the hillside as far as I can see. Thousands of soldiers shrouded with dark shadows and glowing red eyes tells me all I need to know.
Erebus was just using Keres to have our forces take each other out, or at least dwindle the numbers so his army could easily massacre us.
"That motherfucker," I grind out between clenched teeth as my eyes search for him or Nyx.
I don't see them or sense their powers. Did they flee this realm?
Focusing on what I can right now, I jog towards the battlefield and use my tethers to locate all of the queens and tug on them, pulling them towards me to convene quickly.
Without hesitation, they all appear before me. Serenity flashes in through a portal as Mar and Kinder fly through the sky and touch down. Noreen sprints towards us from the thick of the battlefield, breathing heavily as she approaches.
"Now that we know what we're up against, wemustfight as one unit," I begin. Glancing at Kinder I say, "Focus your efforts on taking that damn beast out of the sky. Once you accomplish that, I need you all to use your fire to blanket his army and burn them to a crisp. If that doesn't work, we'll kill them with magic."
Her large head nods, orange eyes glowing with determination as she shoots back into the air, screeching her battle cry for her people. They flock to her in a coordinated move, and I proceed to my next unit.
Taking in my warrior angel queen, I start, "Mar, I need your long range to test your magical weapons on their army. We need to see what they are impervious to and the most effective way to kill them. Report back to the other queens when you know" She crosses her fist over her heart and nods before she takes off, yelling for her people to circle around her.
"That leaves the witches and fae to use the elements to attack. Section off all of our users into their specific elements, fae and witches combined—" I'm cut off as a familiar voice cuts in.
"And where do you want us, dear cousin?" Hypnos' soothing voice asks as he blinks into existence with Thanny popping in half a second behind him.
"You came!" I scream, thrilled to have their powerful support.
"Of course. We can't let dear old dad take over the realms now can we? That would cause us to have to bow to him, and that's not going to fucking happen," Thanny declares.
"Let's go," Serenity nods at Noreen, and they take off to wrangle their people into the appropriate units.
Focusing back on the gods, I ask, "Do either of you know where Nyx or Erebus are? They disappeared, and I need to find Erebus and end this. The faster we kill him, the more lives we save down here."
As if the fucker hears me speaking about him, the sky flashes with bolts of red energy, like lightning streaking through it. I know damn well that isn't lighting with my control over the elements but it does give me an idea.
"They are up there if that doesn't give it away," Hypnos responds, looking into the dark sky.
"Oh, ya don't say?" I can't help but ask with sarcasm at his helpful remark.
He laughs but sombers instantly, "We need to team up to take him down. He cannot take four gods and goddesses down."
This means splitting up from my men, the one thing I've dreaded more than anything.
I turn towards them and, before I can admit my fears, Hale cuts in, "This is what we've been training for Lana. Physically and mentally. We have to trust each other to see this through to the end."
Another jolt of red streaks through the sky, this time crackling through the air and striking multiple groups of our people. Their cries push me into action.
I nod at Hale and take a deep breath. "You're right. I’ll see you all soon. Be careful, and I love you, my mates," I say while looking at each of my incredible men.
They echo their love for me and take off for the battlefield, leaving me with the two gods.
