Chapter 61 Continuation
Mara and Zevran exchanged glances. "Let him in. But keep guards nearby. If he attacks, I want him surrounded."
Kael was escorted to the throne room. He looked different in daylight. Less threatening. Almost normal. Except for those red eyes.
"Moon Wolf. Thank you for seeing me."
"What do you want?"
"To offer my services. I want to fight with you. Against my mother."
"Why would you betray your own mother?"
"Because she is evil. Cruel. Insane. She has done terrible things. And I am done pretending I do not see them." Kael's voice was firm. "I want to stop her. And I think you can do it. But you need help. Inside information. Someone who knows how she thinks. How she fights. How to hurt her."
"How do I know you are not a spy? That this is not a trick?"
"You do not. You have to trust me. Or kill me. Your choice."
Mara studied him. Looking for deception. For lies. But all she saw was sincerity. Desperation. Hope.
"Fine. You can help. But you are watched constantly. One wrong move and you die. Understand?"
"Understood. Thank you."
"Do not thank me yet. If you are lying, death will be a mercy compared to what I do to you."
Kael smiled. "I would expect nothing less. Now, shall we discuss strategy? I know where Mother plans to attack first. And I know her weaknesses. Not many. But they exist."
They spent hours planning. Kael revealed everything. Elara's battle tactics. Her children's abilities. The void creatures' weaknesses. The army's composition.
"She has five thousand void creatures," Kael explained. "Plus my eleven siblings. Plus her own power. Your best chance is to separate us. Fight us individually instead of as a group."
"How do we do that?"
"Traps. Barriers. Distractions. My siblings are powerful but arrogant. They will pursue targets if baited properly. Draw them away from the main force. Then overwhelm them with numbers."
"Will that work on all of them?"
"No. Sera is too smart. Marcus is too strong. And Dante is too fast. Those three you will have to fight directly. No tricks."
"What about you? What are your abilities?"
"I manipulate shadows. Create illusions. Make people see things that are not there. Useful for confusing enemies. Not useful for direct combat."
"Good. We can use that. Create fake armies. Make Elara think we have more forces than we do."
"I can do that. But it will drain me quickly. I can maintain illusions for maybe an hour before I collapse."
"An hour is enough. We just need to survive the initial assault. After that, we adapt."
They continued planning until late into the night. By the time they finished, they had a strategy. Risky. Dangerous. But possible.
"This might actually work," Zevran said.
"It has to work. We have no other options." Mara stood. "Get some rest. All of us. Tomorrow we start building defenses. And the day after, we wait for war."
That night, Mara could not sleep. Again. She stood on the balcony watching the city prepare. Watching wolves dig trenches. Build walls. Arm themselves.
"You should be sleeping," a voice said.
She turned. Isla's projection stood there. Stronger than usual. Almost solid.
"I cannot sleep. Too much to think about."
"I know. I have been watching. Listening. Planning." Isla walked to the edge of the balcony. "I want to help. In the battle. I am stuck in this fortress but my power is not. Let me channel it to you. Fight through you."
"That could kill you."
"It could. But doing nothing while you die definitely will kill me. At least this way I am useful."
"You are always useful. You do not have to risk yourself."
"Yes I do. You are my mother. Fighting for my future. For everyone's future. I will not sit idle while you face impossible odds." Isla's golden eyes blazed. "Let me help. Please."
Mara wanted to refuse. Wanted to protect her daughter from danger. But she knew Isla was right. They needed every advantage.
"Fine. But if it gets too dangerous, if I feel you weakening, I cut the connection. No arguments."
"Deal."
They embraced. Mother and daughter united across distance. Ready to face whatever came.
The next two days were a blur. Building. Training. Preparing.
Allies arrived. Queen Adira with a thousand cat warriors. Northern packs with five hundred wolves. Western packs with three hundred. Southern packs with four hundred. Mercenaries hired with the vault gold. Another six hundred.
By the third morning, they had eight thousand defenders. Against five thousand void creatures. Plus twelve enhanced warriors. Plus Elara herself.
The odds were still terrible. But better than before.
"They are coming," a scout reported at dawn. "I can see them on the horizon. The army is marching. They will be here within an hour."
"Everyone to your positions!" Mara commanded. "This is it! This is what we prepared for! Remember your training! Remember what we are fighting for! Our homes! Our families! Our future! Do not let them take it!"
Eight thousand voices howled in response. The sound shook the earth. Announced their defiance. Their refusal to surrender.
Mara stood at the front lines. Zevran on her right. Kael on her left. Behind them, an army ready to die if necessary.
The enemy appeared. A dark mass on the horizon. Growing closer. Closer.
Then they stopped. Just out of arrow range.
A figure walked forward from their lines. Tall. Beautiful. Terrible.
Elara. In her full glory. Power radiating from every pore.
"Hello, Mara!" she called. Her voice carried across the battlefield. "I see you prepared. How cute. You actually think you can win."
"We will win!" Mara shouted back. "Because we fight for something you never understood! Love! Hope! The future!"
"Love is weakness! Hope is delusion! And the future belongs to me!" Elara raised her hand. "Attack! Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"
The void army surged forward. Five thousand creatures of darkness charging across the field.
"Archers!" Mara commanded. "Fire!"
Two thousand arrows flew. Struck the void creatures. Many dissolved. But most kept coming.
"Mages! Now!"
Magic erupted from the back lines. Fire. Ice. Lightning. Everything they had.
More void creatures fell. But still they came. Endless. Relentless.
"Brace for impact!" Zevran called.
The void army hit their lines. The battle exploded into chaos.