Page 59 of Clash of Kingdoms
I released his shoulder. “Let’s finish this.”
Once there were more humans than demons, every fight was unfair. Three to five humans attacked each demon, so their numbers diminished with increased speed. By midday, the last demon had been struck down—and the war was over.
I stood there and surveyed the mass slaughter, the piles of bodies, friend and foe, on the melted snow. It was a cloudless day and the sun was bright, the sky already filled with birds waiting to feast. I’d been the victor in battle before, looked at the sea of dead around me, but it had never hurt as much as this did.
So many of my people had died.
The bodies stretched as far as the eye could see. Heads were missing from bodies. Arms stuck out from piles of mud. The stench from the dead was already rising with the heat. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been this tired, when I was this close to the verge of collapse. I wanted to assume my age was the cause, but in my heart, I knew this battle was different from all the others.
There were tears behind my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall.
My men had died—but theirs would return.
Aurelias walked up to me, just as tired as I was. He didn’t say anything, as if the look on my face was enough to erase whatever message he had.
“So few are left…”
His eyes softened in sadness, and he looked away. “A king should celebrate his victory.”
“You call this a victory?” I said coldly. “My men are dead forever, but those motherfuckers come back with a couple of scars.” The one who’d scarred my wife would be back, and the only good thing about that was I’d have the pleasure of killing him a second time. “Less than half of our Kingdoms remain.” It was still chaos, people searching for those who were still alive to see if they could be healed before they perished. People needed food and water. I hadn’t seen the stewards of the Kingdoms…probably because they were all dead.
“We were victorious because your forces surrounded them on all sides. Many lost their lives, but the other outcome would be extinction. I don’t mean to sound insensitive?—”
“Then don’t speak.”
Aurelias held my gaze but said nothing more.
I should thank him for his service, but I was too heartbroken to be grateful for any damn thing.
Aurelias turned away and walked to where his brothers stood together.
I looked at the dead all around me again, the beautiful sunshine a direct contradiction to the darkness across the surface.
Storm flew across the sky then landed beside me, his heavy body making a distinct thud when he landed. Shall I return to HeartHolme to notify the queen?
I was so demoralized I hadn’t even thought about my wife, whose heart raced, waiting for news of my death or my survival. Yes.
Storm remained beside me. I’m sorry for your losses.
I inhaled a deep breath. I know you are, Storm. He was the only one who understood my pain. Understood my heart because he knew it so well.
He pushed from the ground then flew into the sky. The flap of his wings died a moment later.
Atticus carefully stepped around all the bodies as he came toward me, kicking aside the demons but avoiding our kin. He reached me, his arm resting on the hilt of his sword. His eyes were tired, and his skin was pale. There hadn’t been time for food and water, as most of the carts had been upended or destroyed. “General Henry is confirmed dead.”
He would have found me already if he were still alive. I gave a nod in understanding.
“General Macabre as well.”
I gave another nod. “They were good men.”
His eyes dropped to the ground.
“But good men always die.”
He looked around at the battlefield, his innocent eyes forever scarred by the sight. I wanted to protect him from this, to shield my children from the horrors of war, but I didn’t have that privilege. I had to watch my son absorb all the pain and the horror of what had just happened.
It broke my heart.