Page 58 of Clash of Kingdoms

They seemed to fail him too.

We stared at each other.

I gave a nod.

He gave a nod too.

“Let’s stay together,” I said.

He nodded vigorously. “Yes…let’s stay together.”

THIRTEEN

HUNTLEY

The battle raged on, but I kept my son close to me, never fully paying attention to my opponent because Atticus was more important. But I never needed to help him. He was more than twenty years younger than me, so his youth gave him a surge of strength that my decades of experience couldn’t match.

I’d personally trained my son to fight, had him train with General Henry, put him through a ruthless conditioning program every day since he was twelve years old. It had obviously paid off—because he was a monster. Battle was no place for emotion, but I couldn’t deny the surge of pride I felt.

Kingsnake emerged through the fray, just as dirty and bloody as the rest of us. “We’re winning.”

I sliced through the neck of my opponent and watched him go down. My body was spent, pushing even when I had nothing else to give. A battle against men was already hard enough, but the battle against these powerful beings was excruciating. I turned to Kingsnake, my son in the background taking down his opponent.

“They have the strength, but we have the numbers,” Kingsnake continued. “But victory isn’t guaranteed, so we need to fight like we’re on the verge of loss.”

I nodded in understanding.

Atticus decapitated his opponent then stepped back, breathing hard because he was exhausted by the fight. Everyone was exhausted.

“Use your dragons,” Kingsnake said. “If they land and fight head on?—”

“I won’t risk them.”

“You could save more lives?—”

“This is not their war.” I wouldn’t let the dragons sacrifice their lives for us, not when they’d won us our previous war, not when they had already done so much.

Kingsnake didn’t press his argument.

“Spread the word that the battle is ours. The morale will push them on.”

Kingsnake turned to do as I commanded—even though he was a king himself.

I moved to Atticus. “Kingsnake reports that we’re winning.”

Undeniable relief moved across his face. “Thank the gods…”

“We have to push a little longer. Victory will be ours.”

He nodded, too tired to say much else.

I grabbed him by the shoulder. “You’re a stronger fighter than I was at your age.”

His eyes locked on mine, a subtle hint of emotion there.

“I’m so proud of you.” I said it now because I feared I wouldn’t be able to say it later, that the demons would claim one of us—or both.

His eyes held mine until he couldn’t meet their look anymore. “Let’s finish this, Father.”