My legs ache as I push myself harder, skidding around sharp corners. I ignore the pain, focused only on the set of frosted double doors at the end of the hall; the doors that look out towards the mountains.
I shove through them with my shoulder, ignoring the pain. A thrill of fear sweeps through me, stealing my breath as I survey the scene before me. Inside the castle walls, the Fae army is scrambling to prepare for the coming battle. They trip over themselves in their haste to prepare their armor and weaponry. The catapults are being moved into position, facing the east. It’s a flurry of activity, black and gold armor shimmering in the hazy morning sun.
But beyond that, past the castle walls, awaits the stuff of nightmares. The beastly army is quiet, so silent I can hear the crows in the distance cawing as they wait to feast on the carnage. Thousands and thousands of yellow eyes are turned on the castle, staring directly at me. They must have approached in the night and snuck up on us to take us by surprise. Sadal ordered them to wait until dawn to reveal themselves to frighten us, I’m sure. I school my face, keeping it a careful mask of calm as I survey the black army that stretches out over the rolling hills and valleys until it disappears into the forests.
This may be our last fight; our last chance to save ourselves from the darkness. I curl my hands into fists at my side, letting the paper drift away. If this is where my armies will fall – if this is where I will fall – I’ll make sure we raze the demons to the ground before we do. I narrow my eyes, searching the demonic faces leering at me until I spot Sadal in the mix.
In the midst of his armies, he stands on a distant boulder, grinning at me. He wiggles his fingers, as if he can sense my Fae gaze on him. I grimace, pure fury and hate welling in my chest. My blood roars in my ears, tuning out the sounds of my soldiers preparing for the inevitable. As I stare into Sadal’s black eyes, it’s as if space and time come to a furious halt.
Finally, I tear my gaze away from him and turn my back. I close the frosted doors behind me gently and take a deep breath. Fighting the demons head on as we did last time isn’t enough. I fend off the desperation rising in my chest and push away from the doors. There’s work to be done below.
I rush through the halls and down the dusty steps towards my generals that are waiting on the front stairs leading to the palace. They turn weary eyes on me and dip into shallow bows. I wave them back up and tilt my chin towards the walls.
“Sadal is out there,” I say. “If he takes this palace and we’re forced to retreat, or worse, I don’t want him going anywhere else in this damned continent.”
They eye me and finally Kane steps forward. “What do you suggest?” He asks.
“Bring me the alchemists,” I say softly.
My generals exchange a glance. Kane’s jaw tightens and his eyes narrow. “Did they not flee with the rest of the civilians?”
“You know the alchemists,” I say, turning away. “Death is only the beginning to them.”
“As you will,” Kane says sharply, but there’s an unhappy tremor in his voice.
“What else do you command?” Another general asks, looking dissatisfied.
I pause on the steps. “Strike first. Strike hard. Guard the walls and defend the gate.”
Without waiting for their reply, I head towards the main gate. It was built by my father thousands of years ago and is more than six feet thick. The walls are almost thirty feet high and will be difficult to breach. But I’ve seen the demons’ long claws and I watched them scale the mountain. I know it won’t take them long to slither up the walls or through the gate.
I find Moritz at the gate, bundled in his heavy cloak and shouting orders. I join him as his men sprint away to fulfill his orders. “The demons will try to scale the cliffs to the west,” I murmur. “We can’t leave the western walls undefended.”
“My best are already stationed there,” Moritz says.
“Good.” I nod.
I hear footsteps approach and recognize the determined gait of General Kane. I turn and see him deposit three royal alchemists in front of me before stalking away. Moritz eyes me, cocking a blonde brow.
“Your Grace,” Joana, the head alchemist, says as she sweeps into a bow.
“I imagine you have an idea of why I’ve called you here,” I say.
She brushes her black robes off, looking disinterested. “I imagine you have need of our skills.”
“Skill that are nothing more than slight of hand,” Moritz mutters, not bothering to lower his voice.
Joana looks him over with disdain before turning back to me. “How can we be of service?”
“The demons will take the palace,” I say softly, meeting her gaze. “When they do, our men will have retreated to safety through the tunnels. I want to send one last message to Sadal when we’re gone. Do you understand?”
Joana smirks, her thin lips pulled too wide. “I understand completely.”
I nod at her solemnly as she sweeps away with a flourish. Moritz shakes his head. “You’re putting your faith in their pseudo-science, Altair?”
“I’m putting my faith in what I know she can do,” I say, striding away from him.
I take the stairs leading to the rampart above the gate two at a time. Behind me, I can feel the demons’ eyes watching my every move and I have no doubt they can hear the rapid beating of my heart. Adrenaline is starting to thrum through my veins and I feel heady with anticipation. My army is quiet now, clustering in close around me. I
