A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 122 | November 9th | The First time

Timeline - November 9th | ( 3 Days Later )

"Take the one on the left!" Matthew's command cut through the chaos, his voice a beacon of authority amidst the falling snow. The outskirts of Avalon's capital had turned into a war zone, with desperate civilians seeking refuge within the city's shattered walls. This small town, the closest thing to civilization along the eastern border, lay near the barrier that had long kept them from the eastern continent.

The same barrier that had held back their enemies and their armies for years. Now with the recent attacks it had left Avalon marred by destruction and fire.

The air was too thick with smoke and the acrid stench of burning buildings of heated their senses. Screams of the wounded filled the air, mingling with the roars of monstrous attackers to create a symphony of devastation. Allegiant ships flew overhead, landing in the distance as they began evacuation procedures to rescue those caught in the attack.

Matthew's eyes were sharp, his focus unwavering as he directed their counterattack. His blade was a blur, slicing through enemies with lethal precision. Eko moved like a shadow beside him, her determination burning as fiercely as the fires around them. The falling snow swirled in the air, contrasting starkly with the fiery chaos.

Her movements were fluid, her strikes deadly, her gaze never leaving Matthew. Since his release from the infirmary, she had remained by his side, still grappling with the horrors that had unfolded. Her presence was a blend of protective instinct and fierce rage, and now he had somehow decided that this is where they needed to be, all things considered.

Allegiant and her soldiers could have easily taken care of this, but her idiotic boyfriend wanted to stretch his legs, didn't he? So that's how she found herself that Wednesday afternoon covered in soot and blood, because she also refused to let him out of her sight.

Even if they found their bond unbreakable at this point, even if they argued for days over the fact that she was Snow and he was Ace respectively, they both agreed that their bond was forged in the crucible of countless battles since they were kids.

Sure, there were moments she wanted to stab him when they argued, but she couldn't deny that discovering he was Ace had lifted a weight off her shoulders. Her boyfriend was as strong as she was—arguably stronger, though she would never admit it. She knew he could take care of himself, even if it terrified her that he was in just as much danger as she had been as a crystal warrior.

It was their last argument that was igniting her fury at that moment, causing her mind to lose focus. Slashing her blade into a scaly reptilian beast with deadly precision, she moved with almost supernatural grace, every motion a blend of power and agility. The monsters roared and lunged, but she was relentless, her resolve unwavering.

As the snow fell heavily with the ash around them, she severed the monster's head, letting it drop at her feet. Glancing up, she found Matthew again, moving across the battlefield as if on a wavelength completely his own. Her gaze fixated on him, anxiety gnawing at her despite the seed of fear planted by his heart condition and the implanted ICD. She couldn't shake his words, echoing in her mind: he had lived with this condition for years, and she just needed to trust him. She had to trust the support structure in place for him.

Trust him? Her sharp tongue almost lashed out at the memory. Trust him? She didn't care that he possessed formidable powers like she did; yes, she loved that about him and that he matched her own ruthlessness. It made days like this one, filled with monsters, seem almost effortless. But trust him with his health? That was a different story.

She was happy to trust him in every other aspect except for his health, and he had another thing coming if he thought she was just going to let it go. No, if he kept this nonsense up, it would be her fist in his face again for lying to her and keeping it a secret.