“Incoming,” I warn.
“Yeah, I see them,” she says, flying lower.
“We don’t want to alert the patrolmen of the bearmen’s line. They might not have liked us, but we have a common enemy, making us allies in a backward kind of way.
“What if we distract them? Slow them down? That way they’re sure not to see the bearmen coming. We can use ourselves as bait and then at the last moment, the guards will have a surprise attack from the bearmen. Maybe if we actually ally ourselves with the bearmen, they can help us overthrow Leith.”
“Not a bad idea, if you’re willing to use yourself as bait.”
“I am. Are you?”
My father was brave and would face the guards if in my position and part of me hopes that it’ll initiate the shift. “Let’s do it,” I say.
Kiki surges forward, getting ahead of the marching soldiers and then when she’s a measure away, drops to the ground. The landing is a bit hard, but I understand she’ll have to work on these new abilities of hers.
She draws her sword in one hand and in the other, energy crackles from her fingertips.
Although I don’t have the ability to shift, my father taught me to summon the bearmen battle rage. It’s a fury drawn from deep inside that many shifters have but bears in particular. Sometimes too much—they can go into a frenzy for weeks and that’s why they make such good fighters and also why it’s better for them to live a distance from others.
The soldiers slow at the sight of us and then the one in the front suddenly halts.
They shout, commanding we drop our weapons.
“Were you looking for us by chance?” Kiki asks as though she’s eager to get into a tussle as well.
The patrolmen seem to consult one another. Instead of demanding that we lower our weapons, an arrow flies from their midst.
Kiki goes into full-on magic mode. She blasts the front of the formation with frost fae ice, glazing them over.
The others scramble with their weapons, clearly not expecting magical retaliation. They rush toward us and the animal inside of me comes awake, gnashing and snarling as though desperate to be uncaged.
I wield my sword, slicing, spinning, and landing more than a few blows. The element of surprise seems in our favor. Kiki is a flash of metal and light as she shows off her newfound abilities. We fight, but it’s clear that we’re outnumbered. I can only hope that we were correct in our assumption that the bearmen were also in pursuit.
As I empty my quiver of arrows, a guard pins Kiki on the ground in a hold. Then another two guards rush in. It takes three men to subdue her. I sneak up from behind and then am drawn back, knocked to the ground where I land with a solid thud. My surroundings go blurry. As I scramble to get up, a guard bodyslams me. Our eyes meet for a moment.
“I recognize you,” he says.
Yeah. We’ve gotten into it before alright. “I’d argue most of the king’s guards have scrapped with me, but you’re the one who broke my nose.” I shove hard, knocking him off. “And you’re not going to do it again.”
I scan for Kiki, but she already warded off the guards that held her down and does battle with her sword.
“They’re not nearly as quick as demons.” She laughs and her weapon sings in the snow.
Then like thunder rolling across the plain, the bearman descend. I’ve never seen them in battle, but it’s just as my father described. They decimate the patrolmen in a matter of moments. Their strength is unmatched even though they’re half the number of the king’s retinue.
The ground is a pool of red garments and blood. Only the bearmen and two guards remain standing. They restrain Kiki and one has a knife to her throat. Her hands crackle with magic, but the other guard has his sword angled against her wrists.
“We could do it,” the guard says, pressing the blade closer.
Her lips turn down and where I usually see her fire, sadness blankets her features.
“I imagine the king would want her alive,” I holler, attempting a negotiation even though it’s no contest with the bearmen.
Two of the bear shifters amble closer and then two more. They circle the guards whose swords tremble slightly.
“I suggest you let her go,” I repeat.
A tear streams down Kiki’s cheek. I’m guessing she’s never been in a battle that wasn’t against demons.
She sniffs. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t really want to hurt anyone.” She takes a deep breath. “But they’re not going to hurt me.” Then all at once, her magic explodes from her and the two guards are blasted back. Sparks of cold light flicker as the patrolmen twitch on the ground.
She flexes her fingers and her chest heaves. Our eyes meet. She rushes to my arms. “I’m sorry,” she says again. “A deep and sudden sadness came over me. I don’t know where from.”
“You have a heart, Kiki.” I lift her chin so she meets my eyes. “You’re a Peace Officer remember?”
She nods. “And we’re doing this to prevent war.”
“I know.”
“It’s not going to be easy. But the right thing isn’t always and you’re the most courageous woman I’ve ever met. I’m proud to fight beside you, but I’ll be even happier when this is over.”
She sinks into my arms and I hold her tight for a long moment. Then she takes a deep breath and draws her shoulders back.
The older bearman from when we first set out to the mountains emerges from the fray. He reaches out and grips my shoulder amiably. “We’ve now fought together.
