Midnight's End (The Raven Queen's Harem 6)

I wriggle my feet and wrist against the tight rope.

Morgan, never taking her eyes off the queen, lifts her hand toward me. Warm air blasts in my direction and I squint against the draft. The ropes twist and slither apart, alive with whatever power she blasted my way. The instant they are free I jump from the altar and pick up the priest’s discarded weapon. It’s ceremonial, I see, flipping it in my hand, but it will do.

I don’t know what Morgan’s plan is or how she wants to end this, but I know the Queen is hers to take. I hop off the platform and search the field for my brothers. It’s not hard to find them. A sea of scuffles move along the edge.

I move to join my brothers when a massive hand grips me on the shoulder. I look back and see Casteel. I tighten my hold on the blade.

“Weapon down,” he says, jaw tight. “Your true Queen has a handle on this. Your fellow Guardians will fall in line. You’re needed for something else.”

I frown, confused by his words. “What is that?”

“You painted the mural. You’ve seen the prophecy. Only you can close the gate for good.”

“You want the Morrigan locked in?”

He nods. “I’ll clear you a path.”

I don’t understand what’s happening here but if he’s willing to betray the Morrigan, I’m willing to follow his lead. I step into his shadow and we push through the sea of kingdom soldiers fighting for their lives. I spot Damien breaking a man in two. I see Sam clashing with a man twice his size. There are others, faces I don’t recognize, but they’re wearing our uniform and as Casteel leads me away from battle I pray to the gods I will see them all once more.

34

Clinton

Morgan is too far away for me to see but I feel her—sense her. She’s claimed her power. It’s possible she didn’t need us after all.

The kingdom’s soldiers swarm, hundreds of men charging toward us with a taste of blood on their tongues. We’ve been asked by the people underground not to kill the queen—that Morgan has a bigger plan. I have to trust this is true but we were not asked to take it lightly on her army, and I plan to slash and slay my way to the platform.

It’s eleven against hundreds, but we still have the edge. I slam my foot into the chest of the nearest soldier. I plunge my blade into his throat. I do it again. Jabbing elbows, kicking in kneecaps. I break necks. Shatter spines. Blood coats my hands. My face. The air fills with blood and screams. Glancing to my right I spot Agis rip the arm off a foe. I’m pleased to see he doesn’t smile. That the act takes him to a deeper place. I’ve been there. I am there.

War is fucking hell.

Miya cleans up my mess, taking down swaths of charging men with his double-edged sword, and slowly we creep toward the middle, stepping over the slain on our way to the beckoning light.

We need our mate and then we need to get the fuck out of this gods-forsaken hellhole for good.

35

Hildi

Inch by inch we creep toward the center of the batshit crazy atrium. Nothing about this place makes sense, especially the crazy-as-hell woman up on the platform. We’ve cleared enough distance that I can finally see her—my friend—Morgan and my enemy—the Goddess of gods-damned War.

A body slams into me and I stumble. I’d let myself get distracted and now I’m on my back with a blade plunging toward my face. A pair of hands grips my shoulders and pulls me to my feet. Another figure moves like a wall of thunder, pummeling the soldier into dust.

“Thanks,” I say to Armin. His blue eyes make me unnerved. I nod at Dylan, who pulled me away. He stares at me with judgment.

“Stay focused,” he says.

“I am.” I prove this by knifing a soldier running at us.

“This is not about revenge. We promised Nevis.”

“You promised her,” I reply, already stepping into the fray. “I joined this army on my own terms, Dylan.”

“This is bigger than you,” he argues, but there are too many soldiers to fight and too little time to get to his precious queen on the platform. I don’t care about some lame request by a bastard commander. I care about what that bitch took from me. I promised to make her pay.

I unsheathe another sword, this one ancient and filled with the wrath of Freya. I always keep my promises.

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