The War of Two Queens (Blood And Ash Series Book 4)

A blast of energy rippled out from Malec, unseen but felt. Dark. Oily. Suffocating as it slammed into us. There was no warning—no time to prepare. The statues of the kneeling gods exploded, all down the Temple. Casteel and I skidded back several feet into Kieran. He caught both of us while Malik lost his balance and went down on one knee. Millicent was knocked against the pillars. Twisting at the waist, I saw Delano and several of the wolven hunched low to the ground, their ears flattened, and their teeth bared. And that lingering energy, it made my skin crawl and smelled of stale lilacs.

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.

“Incoming!” Naill shouted, grabbing Rune’s scruff and dragging him back as a shadow broke through the clouds overhead, falling over us.

A stream of silvery fire cut across the Temple floor, turning the realm silver as Aurelia swooped down, striking the creatures. Twin funnels of luminous flame pummeled the ground as Nithe and Thad arrived.

“Protect your King!” Isbeth shouted from the altar, head lifted, and cheeks streaked with black liner.

A shout rose from where the army of Revenants waited. They charged, a sea of crimson flooding the sides of the Temple. Nithe landed near the soldiers and then Thad as I caught sight of Malik fighting Callum.

“Shit!” Casteel spun, kicking a dakkai back. He leapt over the crack, grabbing me by the waist as he pulled me behind the pillar.

Casteel’s body pressed mine into the pillar as a volley of arrows rained down on the Temple floor and the grounds. For the briefest second, there was only him and his scent, and then that second ended. I flinched as burning pain scalded my senses, followed by screams.

“From the Rise.” Casteel’s breath hit my cheek. “Can you take them out?”

I peered around the pillar, getting an idea of how many were there as another barrage of arrows came. I jerked—

“Shut it down.” He palmed my cheek. “Shut it down, my Queen.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, I nodded. I shut it down as best I could.

“You got this?”

I met his stare. “Yes.”

Casteel stepped back, turning to plunge his sword into a dakkai, and I stepped out from behind the pillar. I focused on the Rise, and the essence responded at once. The archers’ bows slipped from their hands as their necks cracked. They fell, and while I knew more would arrive, we had a reprieve.

Turning, I cursed as a horde of dakkais rushed the Temple. The eather arced out from me in a wave of fire, turning them to ash. Across from me, several dakkais spun, howling as they abandoned their attack on Naill and Emil. Their heads rose, and then they charged as Kieran joined Casteel. The essence whirled through me as I lifted my hands to those racing up the steps and the others leaping across the Temple. Fire not too different than what came from the draken manifested, erupting from my palms and slamming into the creatures. They went down, twitching and smoldering. We didn’t have time to mess with them. “Get to Malec,” I told Kieran and Casteel. “And get that dagger out.”

“On it.” Casteel caught my chin in his palm and kissed my cheek before rushing forward.

In my mind, I saw the essence traveling out around me, around the Temple, where it recoiled from the Revenants but flowed over the dakkais. My entire vision turned silver as that taste gathered in the back of my throat. The cold place in me throbbed. I breathed through it as dozens and dozens of streams of light arced out from me, racing across the Temple and the ground below.

When I pulled the eather back, I saw no living, faceless creature among those battling at the foot of the Temple. Smiling tightly, I reached out to Sage through the notam as I turned, and…

I felt nothing.

My breath caught as my eyes locked on Isbeth’s. Her hands were flat on Malec’s chest, moving up and down in shallow breaths.

“There’s more!” Emil shouted.

I whipped around, my heart lodging in my throat as I saw the dakkais. They came from the fissures, but this time, there were hundreds of them, climbing over one another, their blade-like claws scoring soil and stone. And they—

Good gods, they swarmed the armies and the wolven in a wave of screams and yelps. Blood sprayed the air. Aurelia took flight but not quickly enough. The creatures launched onto her back and wings, clawing and biting.

“No!” I shouted, summoning the eather as I willed the draken to take flight. Thad lifted, shaking the dakkais from him as several Atlantian soldiers fired arrows at the ones climbing Aurelia. The essence stretched out from me as dakkais flooded the steps, growling and snapping.

A dark shadow fell over me with a gust of wind that blew the braid across my face. Reaver landed, shaking the entire Temple as he swept his wings back and stretched out his neck, sending a stream of fire at the dakkais on the Temple and then to those on the steps. The flames were so bright, they blinded me momentarily, so I didn’t see Reaver until he shifted into his mortal form.

“Do not use the essence. It’s drawing the dakkais to you. You won’t be able to fight all of them off,” Reaver told me from where he crouched, nude, beside me. “You must stop whatever it is they did to unleash them. That is all you must do.”

My breath caught as my gaze flew to Callum. That damn smirk. He knew.

“Fine,” I bit out, withdrawing my swords. There wasn’t enough time to explain everything. “It’s Malec. He’s dying. That’s what’s causing this. He dies, and Kolis will be at full strength.”

“If that happens, we will all pray for death. Get to him. Now,” Reaver said, and then he rose. A shimmery, silvery light erupted all over his body as he lengthened and grew. Scales replaced flesh, and wings sprouted from his back.

Reaver lifted into the air, roaring a stream of fire that cut through the space above my head as I struck a dakkai rushing me. My heart lodged in my throat as I glanced over my shoulder to the Temple grounds as Reaver lit it up, and I…I knew I could do nothing to aid the soldiers down below. Malec couldn’t die. That was the priority. I turned, withdrawing the wolven dagger as I thrust my sword into a dakkai’s stomach and spun, coming face-to-face with a Royal Guard. I didn’t let myself think or feel as I drew the dagger across his throat.

I jerked back as bright silver flames erupted inches from my face and Nithe flew overhead. I jumped to where the cracks in the Temple weren’t so wide. Gods, it was mayhem—the snarls and grunts coming from the fire, the mist and smoke, the twisting, falling bodies. I caught sight of Hisa, her helmet gone and blood dotting her face as she shoved her sword through a dakkai. She spun, her eyes meeting mine. “We can—”

I jerked as her words cut off, ending in a gurgle. We both looked down at her chest, where a shadowstone blade protruded.

The soldier yanked the blade free, and Hisa folded, her body hitting the ground, limp, and her eyes open. I knew that if a shadowstone dagger to the heart could kill a god, it surely killed an Atlantian quicker. I locked eyes with the Revenant who’d killed her and launched forward, my swords slicing through leather and bone. I cut through the Revenant’s shoulders, severing the arms as the back of my throat burned, and eather pressed against my skin. I leaned back, kicking the Revenant into the path of Reaver’s fire, and then spun back to Hisa. I started toward her—

“The dagger!” Millicent thrust her sword into a Revenant’s chest. “We need to get the dagger out!”

My attention snapped to Isbeth, to where her hand was on the hilt, her eyes closed. Hisa. Oh, gods, there wasn’t time. Fury poured into me as I cursed, forcing myself away from Hisa.

I caught a dakkai as it leapt, bringing my sword down on the back of its neck as its claws grazed my arm. The pain was fiery hot, but I ignored it as I whirled, slamming the wolven dagger into a guard’s chest. Through the chaos of death, smoke, and mist, I saw Casteel spinning as he struck dakkais and guards alike. He had blood on his throat. His arm. I saw Kieran closer, his body not faring much better as he kicked a dakkai off a soldier. A high-pitched yelp spun me around. Dakkais swarmed the black-and-brown wolven, taking Rune down. I started forward, my path cut off as a Revenant came through the mist and smoke.

“Shit.” I blocked her swing with my forearm as I searched for Rune with the notam, my throat burning more and more when I felt nothing. The eather pulsed violently in my chest as I twisted, kicking and catching the Revenant in the chest. Ignoring the call to use the essence, I spun and dragged the sword across her throat, severing her head—

A blur of white leaped out of the smoke. I sucked in thick, blood-heavy air as Delano’s paws landed on my chest, knocking me back, out of the path of a stream of fire.

“Thank you,” I gasped, briefly clasping the back of his neck as I kissed his forehead. “We need to get to Malec.”

I’m with you, came his answer.

We rose, fighting our way across the Temple. Delano leapt, taking down a guard racing along the lower walls of the structure. I shot forward, thrusting my sword into another just as a dakkai took down a guard, its jagged teeth tearing into the man’s throat. It became really clear that while the dakkais avoided the Revenants, they did not make an exception for the mortal guards.

“Naill!” Emil shouted, shoving the body of a dakkai off him as he rose, the chest of his armor ripped open. Crimson streaked his stomach. “Fuck!” He grunted, jabbing his sword back as another dakkai leapt toward him.

And Naill…he was down, on his back, his hands open, his armor torn apart. My heart cracked.

“No.” Casteel spun, golden eyes flashing as a beast launched off the wall, knocking a wolven aside. Picking up speed, he slid under the creature, dragging his sword across its belly. He popped up to his feet and took off for Naill.

“Get to her!” Millicent shouted as she grabbed Malik’s arm, thrusting him to the side. His armor had been splayed open by dakkai claws, as well. My breath caught as Millicent went flying backwards, a dakkai on top of her. There was no time.

Shutting down my senses, I whirled back to the altar. Isbeth had retrieved a sword.

Shouts went up from behind us. I skidded to a stop, looking over my shoulder to see the guards along the Carsodonia Rise rushing the battlements, arrows lit with fire as they aimed. Instead of at us, they fired upon the dakkais climbing the Rise. My heart stuttered. If the dakkais got into the city…

Letting my will stretch out to the draken, I saw Nithe’s midnight wings turn sharply as he aimed at the Rise. I didn’t look for Aurelia. I couldn’t. I couldn’t let myself do that as I started running, leaping over a body. My grip tightened on my dagger. Every part of my being focused on Isbeth as she lifted the sword, her hands and arms trembling as the blade hovered above Malec’s throat. My heart lurched as I realized what she had planned. I cocked back my arm and let the dagger go.

I held my breath as the blade flew through the air, headed straight for Isbeth. Her head jerked up, and the dagger spun backward.

“Shit.” I skidded, slipping as Delano crashed into me, knocking me aside.

Air punched out of my lungs as I hit the floor—hard. Delano landed half on top of me, and I groaned, planting my hands on his shoulders as I lifted my head to meet his bright blue eyes. “That was unnecessary. I would—” Something hot and wet dripped against my hand. I looked down at the streaks of red in his fur. With dawning horror, I saw my dagger protruding from his chest. The sword slipped from my hand. “No.”

Delano shuddered.

I tapped into the eather, channeling all the healing energy I could. I didn’t care about the dakkais. I didn’t care about Malec or Kolis because I couldn’t lose Delano. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t lose—

The fur thinned under my hands, replaced by skin. Pale blond hair appeared, flopping into eyes that didn’t blink. Didn’t focus. Didn’t see.

“No!” I carefully rolled Delano onto his side, grasping his shoulders, shaking him. There was nothing. I reached for the dagger but halted. “Please. Please don’t do this. Get up, Delano. Please. Please.”

There was nothing.

Tears blinded me as silvery fire erupted over my head, rippling over the dakkais racing toward us. Sorrow rose sharply, crowding out everything else. Grabbing Delano, I pulled him away from the edge as someone screamed. Emil stumbled back, his swords slipping from his hands as he went down on one knee in front of the Revenant who had speared him through the chest. Kieran was suddenly there, his mouth open in a roar as he swung his sword through the Revenant’s neck.

Casteel spun then, his fangs bared as he skewered a Revenant. Blood drenched his face, his armor, and beneath my hands, Delano’s skin was already beginning to cool.

“I told you, my daughter.” Isbeth’s voice was soft but clear through the madness. “I said you would give me what I want.”

That fissure inside me that had broken open upon Vikter’s death tore wide now, coming from that hollow place inside me. My entire body jolted as grief-laced fury poured out of me, icy and endless. The sword fell from my hand as my other slid away from Delano. Rage joined the essence of the Primals, pressing at my skin as I rose and slowly turned.

I looked at Isbeth as she raised the sword above Malec once more, and I screamed.

Energy pulsed out from me, crackling and spitting as it spilled across the floor and slammed into Isbeth, knocking her back. She lost the sword as she caught herself. The Temple shuddered as eather pulsed from me, smacking into the dakkais drawn to me.

Isbeth rose, backing up. Bracing herself, she lifted her hand. “Don’t make me do this, Penellaphe.”

“I’m going to kill you,” I said as I stalked forward, and it was that voice, the one full of smoke and shadow. “I’m going to rip you apart.”

Her eyes flared wide as she skidded back several feet. A burst of eather left her.

And I laughed.

The energy hit me, and I took it in—the fiery pain, the burn of it—letting it seep into my skin and become a part of me. And then I sent it back.

Isbeth flew backward into the pillar. The impact cracked the marble as she fell forward onto her knees. “Ouch,” she snarled, lifting her head.

I smiled even as blood dripped from me—from the hits she’d landed—and hit the stone. Roots spilled out from new fissures in the stone as I walked, my eyes narrowing on her.

Her skin split open at the hairline as I stalked forward, another blood tree taking root, then another and another behind me. Blood beaded along the slice curving toward her temple, narrowly missing her left eye. Another deep cut formed across her forehead and ran through her brow.

Another pulse of eather hit me as she staggered to her feet. I drew that into myself as my throat burned. As an ache settled deep in the center of my back, and my jaw throbbed. I lifted my hands, and all the fallen weapons rose from the Temple floor and flew forward.

Isbeth waved her arm, sending them scattering. “Cute parlor trick.”

Closing the distance between us, I cocked my head to the side as a chunk of stone slammed into the side of her head. Blood gushed from her nose, her mouth. “How’s that for a cute parlor trick, Mother?”

Isbeth stumbled, catching herself. Her head whipped toward me. “You want to kill me? It won’t bring any of them back. It won’t stop what is coming—”

A wave of eather rolled from me, striking Isbeth. She fell back, laughing.

The air charged around me as lightning cracked overhead. I sucked in that energy as I saw Millicent fighting to get to Malec. Isbeth lashed out. A pulse of light struck my leg and splintered off, striking Millicent as she grasped the dagger protruding from Malec’s chest. She spun back, landing in a pool of blood near a toppled pillar, the blade limp in her hand.

“Betrayed by both of my daughters.” Isbeth wiped the blood from her face. “I’m so very proud.”

Snapping forward, I grabbed the crown. She howled as the jewels snagged, tearing clumps of her hair free as I yanked it from her head. Rage fueled me as I drew back my hand and backhanded her with the crown, knocking her to the floor.

“Gods,” she grunted, spitting out a mouthful of blood and teeth. “That was uncalled for.”

The energy ramped up, and I shattered the crown, bits of rubies and diamonds falling to the floor. I knelt, grasping the back of her hair. Shadow and light swirled under my skin as she met my stare. “Your reign has come to an end.”

“I chose Malec,” Isbeth said, gripping my arm, her touch burning. “It had to be him because I couldn’t kill you. I wouldn’t because I love you,” she whispered, slamming her hand into my chest.

The eather burned straight through me, overwhelming my control as it lifted me from my feet and sent me flying backward. Every single nerve ending screamed out in pain as the eather shot through me. It was like being struck by lightning, robbing my breath and stealing muscle control. I knew I was falling, but I could do nothing to soften the impact.

“Poppy!” Casteel shouted.

Every bone in my body shook as I hit the floor. Bright lights flashed behind my eyes as I rolled to my side. The breath I took scorched my lungs. My ribs protested the movement as I tried to sit up. The ache in my back spread into my shoulders, and all the while, those lights kept flashing, allowing me only glimpses of the chaos around me. Reaver was down, shimmery lights sparking from him as he attempted to shake off the dakkais. Malik lay with one arm over Millicent as if he sought to shield her with his last breath. Not a single inch of their bodies wasn’t scorched or torn up. No more draken flew, and Kieran, he yelled my name, too as the lights flashed—

Suddenly, there was no light. No color or sound.

Then, a speck of silver throbbed and expanded, growing brighter, and in that light was her. Hair, the color of moonlight, fell over shoulders in a cascading mass of tangled curls and waves. A luminous sheen nearly masked the freckles across the nose and cheek and gave the skin a silvery, pearlescent glow. But I recognized her from the dreams that weren’t dreams. Her eyes opened, and I saw they were the color of spring grass—green laced with bright, luminous eather.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” she whispered, but there were no blood tears now. Acidic, icy-hot anger fell upon me. An endless fury I had never felt before, could never experience because it had grown for decades. Centuries.

My entire body spasmed as I remembered what Reaver had said—what Vikter had told Tawny. The beginning verse of the prophecy. Born of mortal flesh, a great primal power rises as the heir to the lands and seas, to the skies and all the realms. A shadow in the ember, a light in the flame, to become a fire in the flesh…

To speak her name is to bring the stars from the skies and topple the mountains into the sea…

Her name was power, but only when spoken by the one born as she, and of a great primal power.

“He told me you already knew her name,” Tawny had said.

She stared back at me, and I saw us when I’d been floating in that nothingness, drifting until she had appeared to me. Until she’d said, “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.” When she told me that I’d always had the power in me.

But those weren’t the only words she’d spoken to me. I now remembered. She had told me her name. She had begged me to wake her.

How could the Consort be so powerful?

Because she was no Consort.

She held my stare and smiled, and I…I understood. She, too, had been waiting.

I opened my eyes, and through the smoke and mist, I saw Casteel and Kieran surrounded by dakkais. By Revenants. They closed in on them as I planted my palms against the stone, and my hands sank into the rock as I threw my head back and screamed the name. Not that of the King of Gods, but the Queen of Gods.

The true Primal of Life.