Chapter 130

Chapter 130


Lyle

I looked down at the shadow that followed below us. A thunder of dragons flew around us as we headed to war. I held onto Dayanara tight … maybe tighter than was needed. I wasn’t going to back down from her without a fight. I wanted to prove to her that I wasn’t like her last mate. I would be good to her, and I would love her deeper than she has ever known or could even fathom. I wouldn’t push her to be ready, but I would be a constant in her life. Gently breaking her barriers down.

“Lyle … the demons use mimics and changelings, so be careful. Don’t be deceived.” Her voice was soft as her hair brushed over my face from the wind.

“You wouldn’t be worried about me, right?” I teased as I inhaled the scent from her hair.

“Of course I am.” Her answer shocked me. I didn’t anticipate she would answer honestly.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to die. Who’s going to take care of you if something happens to me? My job is to be with you and to make you smile. My life is no longer my own, but yours.” I felt her body shudder slightly. I know she wanted to give in to me … to this bond that was wrapping around us.

“Let’s make it through this war first. Then we can talk about what happens after that.” I watched as her head turned slightly. “There they are. Looks like they’re marching to the next battle. We met up with them just in time. Gunnar! I’m going down to see if I can find my companions.”

“We’ll circle in the sky. Let them know we’ve joined.” Gunnar’s voice was rougher in his dragon form. It was commanding and radiated with authority. I was going to tell him to be careful, but Dayanara pushed on the griffin's neck and it flew down to the ground.

The griffin landed with a screech, almost bucking us off. I hit the ground rolling, straightened, and tried to act like I’d done it on purpose. Dayanara slid off, barely making a sound, and strode ahead, as if the chaos of a war camp was just another Tuesday.

Ivan spotted us first. He broke into a run, then checked himself and settled for a brisk walk, but his smile was wide and real. “Look what the wolves dragged in,” he rumbled, voice low and warm.

Finn followed at a more leisurely pace, picking imaginary dirt from his sleeve. “The prince is joining us this time, I see.”

Ivan’s face darkened. “We lost a lot last night. Magnus’ unit is gone. The pack is scattered. Your brother—” He hesitated.

“Darren’s alive,” I said, too fast, too loud. “And so is Allissa. Darren’s staying with her, so I’m here to fight in his place. A lot has happened, and we can talk about it later.” I didn’t know how much to say, and I wasn’t sure I could even explain if I tried. I moved closer to Dayanara … I guess it was instinct, but the clever vampire king noticed it right away.

Finn looked at me, then at Dayanara, then back at me, a slow smile creeping onto his face. “Well, well, what do we have here?” he drawled. “The princess and the pup, looking awfully cozy.” He smirked, then let his eyes linger on Dayanara’s hand, which was dangerously close to mine.

I snorted. “I think you have other things to worry about. Like reclaiming your kingdom.”

Finn clucked his tongue. “You’re no fun anymore. I blame her.” He gestured at Dayanara, who arched one perfect eyebrow and said nothing.

Ivan just shook his head, but he was grinning. “I’m glad you’re here, kid. The lycans and werewolves need a stronger leader.”

Before I could ask what that meant, a shadow rolled over the camp, and the air went sharp with panic. Every lycan, bear, vampire, fairy … all of us looked up at the sky.

High above, the dragons were fighting, locked in aerial combat with frost wyrms. The sound was like an earthquake made of screaming and metal. Shards of ice and gouts of flame fell in sheets, some of them smashing into the ground with enough force to crater the earth.

Dayanara watched the sky. “The demons have upped their game.”

Ivan nodded. “They were prepared. Even for the dragons.”

“The drangel and drow are with us. Toril and Sven are mobilizing their forces. They’re new to the war, and the demons won’t be expecting them.”

Ivan watched the battle above. “There’s nothing we can do to help.”

Finn was watching us with something like approval, which made me nervous. “You forgot to mention the wild card,” he said, nodding at Dayanara. “She’s the only one here who can go toe-to-toe with the flying beasts. And she’s got a secret weapon, don’t you, darling?”

“I’m always here to clean up your messes.” She snorted and I listened as Finn chuckled.

“And your boyfriend—”

Dayanara didn’t flinch. “If you’re talking about my new mate bond, yes, it’s there. No … nothing more official than that.” She glanced at me, and for a split second, I thought she might actually smile.

Ivan’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, you two—?”

“We’re taking our time.” I spoke up, noticing Dayanara seemed uneasy. She was watching the sky, and I could tell she was getting ready to help.

Another dragon scream split the air. The sky was boiling with wings and magic, the clouds shredded by violence. A frost wyrm broke from the formation, spiraled down, and crashed into the ground a hundred yards away. The shockwave knocked everyone flat. I scrambled up, ready to fight, but Dayanara was already moving, her magic flaring around me like a shield. She was protecting me.

When the wyrm hit the earth, it exploded in a blizzard of ice and hate. Its head, bigger than a wagon, snapped at the nearest cluster of soldiers, vaporizing a dozen in one frozen breath. The lycan and bear shifters surged forward, but they may as well have been gnats. The fairies immediately launched an attack on the beast.

The wyrm’s tail whipped across the ground, shearing through bodies, banners, everything. I ducked under it as Dayanara hurled a bolt of blue magic toward the beast, hitting it in the eye. It opened its jaws, cold mist billowing out, and for a second, I thought that was it, that I was going to die in the dumbest, most predictable way possible. But then Dayanara was there, her arms around my waist, yanking me sideways as the blast of frost hit the ground where I’d just been. The cold was so intense it burned, but her magic shielded us, the air shimmering with heat and color.

I stared at her, breathless. “You saved me.” I felt really … foolish. But then a beautiful, sweet smile reached her lips. I think my heart stopped for a second.

“I told you I would.” She looked me over as if she was making sure I was uninjured.

“I guess we shouldn’t be chitchatting right now.” Finn laughed as he plunged his elemental sword through the wyrm’s head. Its tail came to a stop as blood pooled around it. “Well, we helped the dragons with one of them.” He laughed.

“I’m going to help them. They’re losing against the wyrms’ frost.” Dayanara looked up as I reached for her hand. If she was going up, I was going with her.

It started with a shadow. Not a slow creep, but a sudden, suffocating eclipse that snuffed out the light and hope in one sweep. Toril’s army was a storm front, a wall of white wings and silver armor, descending from the sky in perfect formation. The sound was a soft hum, the air shredding under the force of their dive.

The drangel didn’t bother with subtlety. They came in screaming, each one armed with blades as long as my body. The first row slammed into the frost wyrms, wings folding at the last second, the impact shaking the air so hard it made my teeth ache. The wyrms reeled and their formation shattered. Some tried to climb, but the drangel were faster, slicing through their wings, peeling them out of the sky like rotten fruit.

“I think they have this covered.” Ivan watched in awe as the drangel dove into the wyrms, slicing through them.

“Toril is at the front.” I pointed as I watched her move through the chaos. It was like she’d been born in it. No wasted motion, no hesitation, just a calculated, surgical brutality. I watched her catch a wyrm by the throat, drive her blade through its mouth, and then ride the corpse down into the melee below. When she landed, the ground quaked. Then back up into the fray she flew.

The effect was immediate. The dragons, who’d been barely holding the line, rallied at the sight of the drangel in action. I saw Gunnar among them, his black wings flaring as he barked orders, his eyes alight with something dangerously close to joy. The frost wyrms, who had been terror incarnate, now looked nervous, their long heads snapping side to side as they tried to adjust to the new threat.

“I see she’s having all the fun.” I turned my head to see Sven and the drow. They’d arrived in silence, their mounts barely more than shadows on the wind. Sven led, his wisp snaking between the army as he reached us. The drow didn’t scream, didn’t shout, didn’t do anything to draw attention. They just appeared, formed up in perfect lines, and aimed their bows to the sky. Their weapons were black, their faces painted with ash, and they moved as one, a living blade slicing through the chaos. “Take out the stragglers in the back. No escape. None spared!” A shadow of arrows tore through the sky with deadly precision, hitting the wyrms that were farthest from the battle.

Sven found Finn in the middle of the field. The two leaders stared at each other for a heartbeat, then both smiled—sharp, predatory. “Never thought I’d see you on this side of the war,” Finn called.

Sven’s answer was a tilt of the head, his eyes never leaving the battlefield. “I figured it was time for the vampire king to have his kingdom back. Besides, we were bored and missed the challenge.”

“Good.” Finn chuckled. “We’re about to have company.” He pointed to the black clouds that began to billow in the distance. “The demons march for us.”

It was instantaneous. We didn’t even get to group our formations. The shadows transformed, and the demons were among us. They came in between us, disorienting and creating chaos. A well-planned tactic. The war had begun, and we were in the thick of it.

I drew my sword, not wanting to shift yet. I slashed at the demons while I frantically tried to find Dayanara. We were separated. The drow were everywhere, attacking the demons with murderous intent as they bounded through the army with ease. They were locked onto their targets. The chaos didn’t seem to disturb their concentration.

A whip slashed in my direction and I dove. A knife reached up through the shadows, slicing my side as I hit the ground. My ribs exploded with pain. Then Dayanara was there, dragging me up, her hands slick with blood.

“Don’t you dare die on me,” she hissed as she moved a barrier around us.

I tried to laugh but coughed instead. “Not planning to. I just wanted you to rescue me again.” I watched as pink reached her cheeks, and she rewarded me with a smile.

Dayanara slipped her fingers between mine, squeezing hard enough to hurt. “Stay with me,” she whispered, and it wasn’t a question.

“Try to get rid of me now, princess.” We were in the midst of hell, but right now I felt alive, and damn was I happy. “Time to take this up a notch.” I lifted her fingers to my lips, kissing them, before I shifted into my beast.

It was time to put an end to this war. I howled into the sky, uniting the lycans and werewolves, letting them know their prince was here and was fighting with them. They answered with their own howls as Dayanara removed the barrier. I dove into the fight, watching Dayanara’s magic light up around me.

Together, we were fighting. Side by side, we were protecting each other. She stayed close, and I went all out. She wouldn’t need to protect me again. My feral beast had awoken, and we were now defending our mate.

When this was over … when this was all over … I was going to share all my love with her.

I glanced over at her as she fought against a demon. From behind, black lightning ignited around us. Charges were coming straight for her. I dove, pushing her to the ground as cold electricity surged into me. I yelped, blood pouring from my mouth. I looked at her panicked eyes. She was safe and unharmed.

She was shouting something. I couldn’t hear anything but a loud hum. That was okay, though. I was happy. I saved the woman who meant everything to me.

Yes, I was at peace. Maybe … it would have been nice to tell Allissa and Darren goodbye. I would have liked to have met my niece or nephew … but I had no regrets.

“I’m begging you, please.”

I heard her voice. So soft … so gentle. I guess I do regret … not showing you what real love is like. I’m sorry.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” It went quiet after that. And I was floating. Goodbye, everyone.