The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash 4)

Grasping my arm, Casteel righted himself as he turned to Kieran. “You okay?”

Kieran nodded as small pebbles rattled across the ground. I looked down as sound followed, a low rumble of thunder that came from below and grew louder and louder until the earth shook, and the Bone Temple trembled. The foundation of the altar Malec had been placed on shattered, sinking about a foot. Deep cracks raced out from the slab, forcing the wolven back. A gray mist seeped out of the fissures and carried the scent of stale lilacs.

Of death.

“This can be stopped!” Millicent shouted. “If it requires sacrifice—death—Malec hasn’t passed yet. He still breathes. We can’t—”

The cracks exploded, sending chunks of stone flying. I shouted as a large chunk hit Millicent in the side of the head, snapping her chin back. She staggered, her legs going out, but Malik twisted, catching her before she hit the floor. Blood coursed down the side of her face as Malik pressed his palm to the back of her head.

“She’ll be okay,” he said, his voice ragged. “She’ll be okay. She just needs to wake up.”

I hoped that was soon. The shaking made it difficult to stand, and the fractures spread, widening as they traveled the length of the floor, one heading straight for Casteel. He jumped, nimbly avoiding the gap, but several of the Royal Guards weren’t nearly as lucky. They disappeared into the fissures, their screams echoing until they passed beyond where no sound could travel. Pillars trembled as the cracks spread down the steps of both sides of the Bone Temple, where the Atlantian armies waited at our backs, and the Revenants stood to our front. Both sides scattered to avoid the widening cracks.

The shaking ceased, but the gray mist continued rising. The wolven crept forward, sniffing at the mist as a guard yelled, “Help! Help!”

Naill turned to where the guard held the edge of a crevice, the man’s fingers bleached white. “Godsdamn it,” he grunted, starting forward—

“Wait,” Casteel ordered, holding up a hand. Naill halted. “You hear that?”

“Please. Gods, help me!” the guard shouted.

“I don’t…” I trailed off as the sound reached me. The sound of something…scraping against stone.

All around, soldiers looked down as Delano and Rune crept forward, followed by several of the other wolven. They sniffed at the mist, at the deep cracks now wide enough to disappear into.

Naill bent, reaching for the guard when the man screamed. A burst of hot pain lanced my senses as the Atlantian jerked back and the guard disappeared. “What the…?” Naill rose, his hand still suspended in air.

Bitter fear stretched suddenly and coated the inside of my mouth. I spun to where the wolven on the ground below the Temple started slinking back from the cracks. They turned sharply and bolted, sliding sideways, their paws skating on the damp grass as they scrambled overtop of one another.

“I’ve never seen wolven run.” Emil unsheathed his sword. “Not from anything.”

“Nor have I.” Casteel pulled his sword free.

An Atlantian soldier’s terrified scream pierced the air as he was pulled into the crack.

“Something’s in the ground,” Emil announced.

“Not something.” Callum rolled onto his side, the wound…dear gods, the ragged hole in his chest still there, though no longer oozing blood. “The True King’s guards. The dakkai.”

“The what?” Kieran held his swords.

“It doesn’t matter what they are,” I said, closing my hands into fists as I tapped into the essence. “They won’t be anything for long.”

Callum smirked.

“And neither will you,” I warned, letting my will stretch out to summon the draken.

“Whatever they are, they’re coming,” Casteel yelled, the sound that reminded me of barrats scurrying over stone intensifying. His gaze swung to mine. “Take care of our men and women. We’ll handle this up here.”

The corners of my vision turned silvery-white as I nodded.

One dimple appeared before he braced himself. A heartbeat later, creatures erupted out of the fissure, nearly Setti’s size, their hard-shell skin slick and the color of midnight. They were shaped like the wolven but larger, and they…they were featureless except for two slits where the nose should be, and wide mouths full of jagged, sharp teeth.

Well, that was a whole bucket full of nightmares right there.

One of the dakkais leapt toward Emil, but his reflexes were fast. He plunged his sword into the creature’s chest. Silvery eather swirled down my arms as Casteel spun, cleaving the head off one as Delano leapt over a fissure, colliding with a dakkai that had gone for Malik as he helped Millicent sit up.

I turned to the soldiers below, relieved to see that Setti and many of the horses had been untethered and had made their escape as more of the creatures spilled out of the ground below. A burst of essence left me, hitting a line of dakkais. My stomach churned at the sound of breaking bones. They hit the ground but more quickly took their place. I walked toward the steps as the eather ramped up in my chest. Another pulse, this one stronger, swallowed the creatures.