Chapter Forty-Five
They all stared at her. For a brief instant the battle ceased as soldiers from all sides raised their faces towards her, the queen of the Amazons. Then a booming roar echoed her war cry. Erupting from hundreds of chests at the same time, the forceful bellow brought forth by the strong men of the resistance and her Amazons gave her goose bumps.
“For Palance and Moonstill!”
Powered by re-energised fighters, the sudden clamouring affected the enemy. As the conflict began anew, Cara noticed the subtle difference that could turn the odds. Her people were attacking now whereas Agravar’s armies seemed more on the defensive. She had to get down there.
Doubling back she directed her mount down the slope. At the bottom she glimpsed Caius bent over injured soldiers. The healing had begun. Not far from him, Melchior continued giving orders to the rest of his men. He must be good at conducting attacks because the royal guard held on while the enemy appeared not to have gained ground. Still, the way was barred for her.
She rode past the breached wall towards the shut city gates secured by Palance’s men. On the other side of the portcullis, a detachment of Devlyn’s armies had invaded the whole length of the drawbridge. Although they had no one to fight, they stood as one to ensure nobody came out. Not being familiar with the city’s intricate layout, Cara halted her horse. A guard approached her at once.
“You can’t get out this way, my Lady Queen, they’d slaughter you.” He pointed to a path along the inside of the city wall. “If you follow this street to the end it will take you across town. There’s another way out.”
“Thank you.”
He bowed when she pulled on the reins to direct her horse. Although the ride proved quite short, her growing impatience made it seem much longer. As she shot out of the street onto a small square, a row of guards formed a defensive line.
Ready to fight, they brought their swords down when they recognised her dark red mask. Right behind them, Cara spotted a much smaller closed gate that actually looked like a big iron door.
“I need to reach my troops.”
A severe expression on their faces, they clasped fists to their chests. With a respectful nod, the captain took a step towards her.
“We don’t know how many stand out there. Breaking out might be dangerous, my Lady Queen.”
“I know. Just close the gate again behind me.”
“As you wish.”
The captain gestured and his men took up positions on both sides of the gate. Blades drawn out, they focused on the guard who was removing a heavy bar fastened across the iron panel.
At least no invader would get into the city this way. Without permitting herself to think, Cara tightened her grip on the sword and kicked the stallion as soon as a gap in the door allowed her through.
She’d have been hacked to pieces if not for the wizard’s shield. Thirty to forty men besieged the gate. Spurring the horse on, she mentally thanked Caius as their lethal strikes didn’t touch her and the protective magic held on long enough for her to ride through them.
Like the rest of Devlyn’s armies they were on foot. Riding the prince’s horse gave her a clear advantage and she made good use of it. Sword slashing, piercing, maiming, she killed three of them in passing.
Out on flat, open ground, stallion at full speed, she galloped around the city to reach the plain. Disregarding the noisy cluster by the breached wall, Cara went straight for the front line. From what she had seen, Melchior possessed the capacity to deal with the attack and Caius was by his side to assist him. So far the weakest spot remained the raging combat at the edge of the forest.
Seeing her barrelling down on them, a group of soldiers broke away from the rest of the army. Although Cara couldn’t feel the magic shield anymore, she pushed her horse even faster. Wary of the stallion’s speed they parted. Wielding her sword left and right, she cut through them like a bullet. Some fell, others managed to stay on their feet, but just like that she found herself in the heart of the melee.
Just like that. And a strange sensation filled her body while she parried attacks from all sides. Each of her strikes hit home while their swords repeatedly seemed to miss her by an inch.
Sure, she had always been one of the best fighters in the Four Kingdoms, yet something odd was at work here. Perhaps the shield still functioned even though she couldn’t feel it anymore. Perhaps Caius had found a way to use a different kind of magic on her.
Whatever. As she had no idea how long the protective spell would last she wasn’t about to dwell on this weird occurrence now. Employing the new magic to her advantage, she hacked at everything that wore a uniform of Agravar and still moved. In a matter of minutes she had eliminated rank after rank of soldiers. But although she switched hands, her arms began to tire.
Despite the fact that she went for severe injuries instead of the kill, fallen men began to pile up. Littered with bodies, the ground around her formed a forbidden circle that fewer and fewer enemies appeared willing to enter. As Cara evaluated the distance left between her and the Amazons, she realised the extent of the damage she had caused.
Her troops must have seen it too because they redoubled their efforts while forcing their way towards her. Sided with her girls, the men from the resistance also fought like a wild entity. Finally they had a chance to win this battle.
Thrown off her horse by a violent shove, she fell on her back. A piercing pain struck her shoulder and a whoosh of air left her lungs. Breathless, she saw three soldiers bearing down on her while the black stallion scampered away across the battlefield.
So, she wasn’t invincible after all. Stunned, yet aware of her immediate surroundings Cara understood in a flash that the wizard’s protective spell worked solely if and when she perceived danger—which meant that a surprise attack left her totally vulnerable. But what kind of magic was that?
Shaking off a momentary daze, she rapidly scanned for the sword she had dropped. Lying a few feet out of reach, the instrument of her salvation glittered as the stoutest soldier closed in on her. A victorious smirk distorted his meaty features as he raised his blade.
Cara tensed. Fear writhing in her gut, heart pounding so hard that it hurt, she stared at the face of death. But as she clenched her fingers, a sudden dribble of blood ran down the corner of the soldier’s mouth. His face took on an expression of utter incomprehension and he collapsed beside her.
Where the trooper from Agravar had stood a second earlier, a tall warrior holding a red-dripping sword now regarded her with so much love in his eyes that her heart stuttered.
Bathed in the green power of his passion, she scrambled to her feet while her strength rushed back. He didn’t need to be told whose face lay behind her mask because he had known from the start. And against all odds he had been right.
With a wink, he wheeled round to face the other two assailants. By the time she had picked up her sword he had cut them down and was already poised to repel the next assault. This time six soldiers zeroed in on them. They never stood a chance. Back to back, Cara and Morgan dispatched them.
From somewhere close, an order was shouted and a dozen more pulled away from their tight ranks to lunge at them. Although focused on the task, Cara could feel Morgan’s energy behind her. Both fighting like devils, they threw themselves at their opponents yet there seemed to be too many.
Relying on her protective spell, Cara leapt at her closest enemies and managed to drive them back. At the same time a line of Amazons finally broke into their circle and attacked with renewed intensity.
The pain in her shoulder had turned to a dull ache. Slashing skin and stabbing bodies, Cara moved forward as some soldiers began to retreat. She knew her girls and Morgan would cover her back no matter what. But as she parried sideways to block new opponents she became separated from her warrior.
Men from the resistance also cut into Agravar’s line of defence and widened the distance between her and Morgan. Yards by yards, the circle she had created fil
led with allies while she was pushed back towards the edge. And it was fitting. As queen of the Amazons, her right place would always be up front.
Soon she stood in the middle of enemy territory. Surrounded on all sides by mean-looking men, Cara figured she wouldn’t last forever. Arms heavy from non-stop fighting, lungs in need of air she didn’t have time to draw in, her strength waned. Yet her spirits wouldn’t give up and she kept bringing her sword down even as ever more men came at her.
She cast a quick glance in Morgan’s direction, but all she saw looked like a barrier of Agravar’s men cutting her off from her allies. As she thought the situation couldn’t get worse, a breach appeared in the human wall. While the battle reached its height, soldiers parted to let someone pass. He came to stand in front of her. Cold but intrigued, his eyes lingered on the dark red mask as a smile of satisfaction lit his face.
“At last we meet.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Devlyn’s complacent grin sent chills up her arms. Although he wasn’t supposed to be there, he looked very much present and intent on taking revenge. As he had told her during their first encounter, she had been a thorn in his side for too long.
While he came up to her, Cara remembered he didn’t know her real identity. In all likelihood, he believed himself to be dealing with the queen of the Amazons and he wouldn’t think of Lana, the simple girl who had given him the slip twice and torched one of his fortresses.
Nevertheless she felt totally vulnerable. Standing inside a ring of soldiers ready to pounce on her, she knew the weird magic wouldn’t work if any of them stabbed her in the back. All it would take was a sign from their king. For now he shifted his weight from one leg to the other and his smile froze.
“Drop your sword.”
Her blade hit the ground. What else could she do but obey him? At least until she devised a way out—or until help arrived. Given the layout of the battle, she didn’t think that would happen any time soon.
“Good girl. Now, let’s see this face of yours. Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve always enjoyed watching my enemies when I kill them.”
“Old-fashioned? No, the term doesn’t fit you. How about arrogant bastard? But I guess that goes with traitor and coward.”
The cold rage she had witnessed many times when he had been torturing her crept up his features. Comparable to a wax statue, his flesh seemed to turn to stone while his freezing tone cut through her courage.
“Funny, but you remind me of someone, yet I can’t quite recall who. Even your voice sounds familiar. You wouldn’t be one of my discarded whores, would you?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’d rather die than let you touch me.”
“That’s easy to fix.”
The touching or the dying? Probably both. And if things hadn’t changed, he’d have his scatterbrain of a wife watch too. Ignoring the crude threat, Cara squared her shoulders and tilted her chin up.
“You do realise I won’t let you win.”
His waxy air shattered as he burst out laughing. “How so, I wonder? Do you honestly believe your little show up on the wall impressed anyone? By the Mighty Gods, my men don’t scare so easily. I say, you’re nothing but an infatuated little bitch and I shall take immoderate pleasure in killing you.”
She had heard the same insult before—apparently all women were bitches to him. As for her dying, that remained to be seen. Extending her arms, she encompassed the soldiers gathered around them.
“It looks like you’ve got me. Why am I not dead already?”
His joyous expression dwindled to a sly stretch of his mouth. Then he leant forward to brush his lips against her ear.
“Rest assured you’ll be my most precious trophy. Come to think of it, I shall invite all of Palance to admire your head on a spike. But first I’ll have the extreme satisfaction of screwing the Amazon queen. As a matter of fact, I’m going to enjoy raping you so much that you might have to beg me to put an end to your pathetic life.”
He was so close to her that his breath tickled her neck. This was her chance. She grabbed his hair while reaching for a dagger with her free hand. Before he had time to realise her true intent she rammed the blade into his stomach. He howled. Hand firm around the dagger hilt, she took a small step back and shouted over Devlyn’s bellows of pain.
“Nobody moves a muscle or I kill your king!”
Around her, soldiers appeared hesitant. Cara didn’t think they’d try anything stupid, but she had to make sure. With a precise movement, she twisted the blade a fraction. Her gesture ripped another scream out of him, but he got her meaning.
“Do as she says, you morons.”
None of them attempted to jump on her. Following their king’s command they just carried on watching while she shifted her grip to stand beside Devlyn. He twisted his face as she talked in a low voice.
“Call the retreat.”
Obviously he wanted a lot of things besides being sent back home with his tail between his legs, but the dagger didn’t leave him any option. Although his wizard might’ve been close by, Devlyn had run out of time. He made a brief sign with his hand and a man who might have been a captain relayed his order.
Pretty soon horns blared from another side of the plain and immediate cheering from the resistance covered the bleak sound. In spite of the fact that her troops were close by, Cara knew she wouldn’t get out of this trap alive if she released the king—nor if she slew him. Besides, the matter had got personal and she had to finish this.
“Good boy. Now you and I are going to the forest and two of your men will clear a passage for us. Don’t try anything or I swear to the Mighty Gods your wizard won’t be able to patch up the pieces I’ll cut from you.”
The furious bashing of sword against sword gradually died down as the withdrawal of the whole of Agravar’s armies began. Meanwhile the king hobbled towards the woods.
Although she glanced around her every so often, Cara’s grip on the dagger planted in his guts never wavered. Devlyn represented her only escape card and she didn’t have the luxury to mess up so close to victory.
For the present time, the mordant pain he must’ve been experiencing rendered him very compliant. As she had ordered, two soldiers opened a way for them through the king’s troops.
Shocked gazes followed them yet nobody dared attack her. Either they had been well trained or they didn’t care that much whether their monarch lived. When they reached a secluded spot by the edge of the forest, Cara turned to them.
“Go home and your king will be returned to you. Come after me and the Four Kingdoms won’t be big enough for you to hide. Am I making myself clear?”
They both nodded. When they had turned away, Devlyn collapsed on a mossy patch. As soon as she felt his body sliding down she retrieved her dagger. Sprawled on his back, he drew in painful-sounding breaths while watching her.
The fact that he couldn’t see her smile behind the mask made the current situation even more enjoyable. Clad in dark red leather, towering above him, she figured he finally feared the Amazon queen. She waved her dagger at him and fat drops of his blood reddened the grass at his feet.
“Tell me, Devlyn, how many times will I have to hurt you before you understand I’m stronger and much smarter? You couldn’t get me in your own castle. Did you really think you’d have me today?”
“What are you talking about?”
He still didn’t have a clue. While she raised her arms to unfasten the strings behind her head, the king of Agravar regarded her with more curiosity than lack of understanding. She slowly removed the mask.
“My name is Lana.”
His eyes widened. His jaw dropped.
“You!”
“Yes, me. Can you imagine? Twice you had the Amazon queen in your grasp and twice you let her slip through your fingers. Isn’t that going to haunt you for the rest of your days? Personally, I think it will.”
He seethed with fury. Unable to stand up, his whole body quivered with unchecked rage and
frustration while he pressed his hands on the gaping wound. Breathing hard, he glared at her triumphant smile.
“That’s impossible, you can’t be her. Nobody resists my serum of truth.” Spewing saliva, he spat out the words. “How did you do it?”
A wonderful sensation of accomplishment filling her being, Cara winked at the fallen king. “It’s magic.”
She might have prolonged this intensely satisfying moment if a tactical manoeuvre hadn’t caught her attention. Out on the plain, but visible through a scattered row of trees, a troop of soldiers led by Morgoth the wizard strode in their direction. The rescue party was on its way and time had run out for her. Bending over him, she used her dagger to graze the king’s neck from one ear to the other. A red line appeared where the blade touched skin.
“Mark my words, Devlyn. The war is over. You will shut yourself in your castle and never come out. Because if I ever see your face again I won’t be so merciful. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I do.”
Of course he did, given that she was the one holding the blade to his throat and he was trapped. But like Morgan, she didn’t have it in her to murder him. Maybe he deserved to die yet she wouldn’t be his assassin. Not today and not like this. With luck, he would bear in mind her warning and the Four Kingdoms might find peace. Without luck she’d just have to get him another time.
The king’s rescue party was fast approaching the first row of trees. Cara straightened up and looked down at her enemy for the last time. Then she put her mask back into place and showed him her glistening dagger.
“Don’t forget this blade will always be for you.”
Angry streaks flashed in his eyes, but he kept his mouth shut. Turning round, Cara fled the other way. Her sword had been lost and she stood a good chance of being annihilated by Morgoth’s powers. No matter, her job was done.
Boots crunching dead leaves, she dashed along the edge of the forest to circle the battlefield. All fighting had ceased. From what she glimpsed through the trees, soldiers from both sides were already carrying away injured men and dead bodies. There was nothing she could do for them so she ran on towards the city.