The Battle of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book Two

Chapter Twenty-Six

As I exited the Limo, I carefully surveyed the battle going on. We were still far enough that none of the combatants had noticed us yet. Bodies of both citizens and dark fae riddled the ground with people trampling them in their bloody quest to rip the heads off of their enemies.

Elsie clamped onto my arm and pulled me with her, whispering as she went. "My Lady, I know this is the wrong time for this, but I had to tell you how I felt. I'm not sure if I'll have a chance if I don't. "

"Go ahead," My voice was cautious as I was expecting a small lecture about propriety and all that jazz.

"Maybe it is the bonds that tie us all together, or maybe it was my first glance at you all fired up and furious, but I know that I love you, and I request to be considered as a choice should we break your tie with Luis."

She was right, this was a crappy time to spring this on me. If it weren't for the fact that there were people in the city that I vowed to protect, I might have happily allowed the dark fae to have at it so I could talk to Elsie more about this surprising confession.

"Seriously?" My response came out in a squeak.

"Yes, my Lady."

I spotted Eowyn who was fighting at the gate, surrounded by many dark fae, though he was fighting bravely, it was obvious that he couldn't hold out much longer.

"That's Eowyn, is it not? I remember the letter he gave you. It was old-fashioned, and sweet belying the fierce appearance the man has. Although he has that wicked scar and fights like a demon, he could also be a good choice, if..."  Elsie trailed off, looking crushed.

If I couldn't choose her...

"Elsie..."

"He had mentioned his love of botany in his letter, and how he was trying to grow an orchid that would match the color of your eyes. His favorite activity besides growing flowers was to drink cocoa next to a fire. He'd be a fine choice, My Lady..."

My heart clenched because she knew where my interests lay, whether I was in a male or female form.

"Elsie, let's talk more about this when we get home. I promise you'll have all my attention."

She smiled at me and I couldn't get over how a smile transformed her face from someone so stern into a girlish beauty. "Right, My Lady. Let's do what we can to survive until then."

As I stepped forward, Dominic thrust out his hand and his shield expanded in front of us. In his right hand was the glowing sword. Some of the enemies spotted us and rushed forward. My banmuinen had been smart and worn their armor today, but I was the big dummy since I was only wearing my robe. I was vulnerable and squishy like this. A creature wearing a bright red cap that was wet and dripping with what looked like blood tried to leap over Dom's shield as it gave an ear-splitting screech.

"Redcap!" Luke shouted as Dom sidestepped the creature and sliced down with his sword. The blue flame of the sword turned the creature into a pile of ash.

More redcaps descended upon us, but Luke, Erick, and Dom hacked at them, pushing the smaller fae back. The redcaps looked more what I thought a goblin would look like - bulbous heads with long noses, shrunken-looking bodies, and gangly-looking arms and legs. Fortunately, the blood of their fallen comrades kept distracting them enough that their numbers dwindled down to a handful, who had the sense to screech for their troll friends to help out.

The trolls were gargantuan, at least ten feet tall, with heavy tusks and angry, beady eyes. Most of them were hairless and wore patchwork skins on their body. Some of the skins looked human, which made me ill. They had heavy iron clubs in their hands that created a bomb-like impact when they thumped it on the ground. Erick was thrown to the side and had to roll to miss a second strike from the behemoth. He got up with difficulty, and I felt a twinge of worry as he stumbled.

Adrian kept me under his arm as my banmuinen took up the second row. Off to the side, Ciaran was grabbing dark fae and disappearing with them one by one, but when he got back, there was a pale woman with white hair waiting for him. With a mind-shattering scream, she knocked my husband onto the ground. Dominic's shield barely had time to cover the rest of us, since we had stayed together. It wasn't quick enough to keep our ears from ringing. Many of us had blood from the deafening blast.

"A banshee..." Luke growled next to me as I struggled to get through the shield. "Stop it, Madeline. She'd kill us all."

"Key!" I screamed as the banshee pulled him up under the arms and disappeared with him. "Nooo! Give him back!"

"I don't think I can hold the shield up much longer," Dom gasped.

"Let's keep moving forward, we have to get into the city." Erick hollered.

Luke kept a firm hand on me as I screamed and struggled. My mind was roiling with the loss of Ciaran and it was only Luke's forward motion that was keeping me moving.

Just then, a stream of fire shot from the sky and immolated a group of trolls. The other trolls looked up and with a roaring scream began to run away from the city gates. I looked up and saw that it was Venetto in his dragon form.

An old man that looked like he was Merlin with his long white beard shot a blast of green fire from his staff. It got Venetto on his tail, which made him roar in pain.

I'd had enough then.

I lifted my hands, and all the dead on the ground rose up, both dark fae and towns people. I didn't care if this would brand me an evil necromancer. Ciaran had been taken, Venetto and Erick had been injured. They were hurting my people, and that meant I had to do the things I knew how to do. As I blasted my summons upon all the dead, skeletons also rose up from the ground. The sight of the dead and the skeletons created more chaos even before one could strike an enemy. Both citizens and marauders scattered, screaming with terror. However, the skeletons and zombies were still able to beat back those that were brave enough to remain so that we could get to the gate. It was just in time too, because Dominic collapsed under the strain of using his shield that long in such a wide area.

I turned to make sure that everyone got in okay, frantic that anyone else might have been taken. Erick and Luke were fighting some monsters that were still within the gate, and Dominic and Adrian were on either side of me. Brin was protecting Jeanne as she rode on his back. Her sword swung and struck a creature that looked like living snot. Her sword got stuck in it and she lost it. Luke sent a fireball at it, which seemed to get rid of it.

Xavian was singing loudly but it seemed like it was directed only at his enemies. They fell like flies around him, and I marveled at how powerful of a Satyr he really was.

Tylas was still on my shoulder along with Domini and my birds, but Noc and Rielte were still scrambling towards the gates with Elsie behind them.

Noc and Rielte made into the gates as Elsie bravely swung her sword, striking down assailants left and right. She looked like an avenging angel with her raven hair blowing free. Her bun must have come undone during the fight, and I loved seeing her that way.

She was almost to the gates, and she spotted me. Her eyes brightened with joy at the sight of me safely there. I had an ugly premonition and my smile fell. Up behind her a shadowy figure with a skeletal face rose up. I put my hand out to command it away, thinking it was one of the dead, but it ignored me. It had a sword made from bone which it thrust through into Elsie.

Her smile turned into shock as she clutched at the blade through her chest. With a cry she fell forward onto the ground and the creature vanished in a puff. It was then that I realized that what I saw was a spell and not a ghost or any other of the dead.

I couldn't find my breath as Noc and Rielte dragged her limp form into the gates. With Venetto still terrorizing the assailants outside, they were able to close the gates and bar them.

I rushed forward, my heart in my throat.

No.

This couldn't be happening. We were going to talk at home.

Jeanne had lept off of Brin's back and fell next to Elsie, screaming and crying. I looked at myself and the link that had connected her to me was gone, and I felt a cold emptiness inside of me that made me shiver. Ciaran was captured, and Elsie was dead. Snow began to fall upon the town as I shivered and shivered...