Crowning Glory (In Bloom Book 2)

17: Promises Made

Green pyro burst before the castle's main entry, taking the army by surprise. Meleanor and I emerged from the flames and scanned our opponents. All of them tightly clutched their swords and spears. Their mechanical excavators roared to life. The sunshine was blocked by the storm clouds the Princess summoned. A drizzle began to pour on us. Thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed. The perfect stage for a duel.

Meleanor looked in amusement towards the soldiers, "My, my, my....We have Henrick of the Silver Owls, the Knight of Dawn, and the rabble from the surrounding nations...What a quaint little gathering. Wouldn't you agree, Lady Cassandra?"

"The duel against the Knight of Dawn is meant for you, Princess," Henrick scowled at her, then at me.

"Why should I follow your ridiculous rules? You invaded our lands without permission, laid waste to our homes, forests, mountains and rivers to exploit our resources and fulfill your greedy desires. On top of that, you expect me to hand over my castle and the Princess Glow? Keep or arrogance in check or my lightning will be your final judgement, human."

"And here I was being so kind..." Henrick's malicious gaze traveled to me. "Perhaps you could talk some sense into wild beast that you serve, witch."

The leader of the Silver Owls flinching when my eyes turned green. "The only beast I see....is you."

Not wanting to negotiate further, Henrick gave the command, "Go, Knight of Dawn! Defeat this evil tyrant and bring peace to these lands!"

The Knight stood for a moment.  His helmet could not conceal his reluctance. He knew this was wrong. Yet, he unsheathed his sword and strode towards us.

"Remember what we discussed," Meleanor whispered to me. "What your priority is."

"And use any means necessary to achieve it."

To give Lilia and Baul as much time as possible to safely escape. Even if meant leaving Meleanor's side.

"It was an honor knowing you for this short amount of time," she smiled, "May the night bless you, Cassandra."

My heart ached as I returned the gesture to her. At the person I would only know in a dream, "May the night bless you, Princess."

Green and black smoke engulfed the Princess. Ebony and violet scales covered her enlarged body. Massive wings sprouted from her sides and claws grew at her feet. Teeth sharp enough to rival the finest blades glistened in her mouth. In place of the Princess, stood a ferocious, noble beast. A dragon. Regardless of her altered appearance, the power emitting from her aura never changed. In truth, it seemed greater.

My turn to show off.

Everything here was fictitious. A fragment of Lilia's collection of memories for us to interact with, like we're characters in a story. No matter what anyone did, the real world would still be waiting for us. Though, these circumstances wouldn't stop me from completely kicking the asses of every Silver Owl I saw.

It had been too long since I allowed my magic to run at its full extent. The last time I did so....I was a human. I wanted to see how it compared to me being a fae.

What better occasion than the dream of a catastrophic while being surrounded by thousands of enemies?

A familiar warmth ran down my back as I bonded with all the natural life on the field and beyond. I began my incantation, "Something unexpected. Something beautiful. Whatever it may be, let it be mine and true. In Bloom."

As if it were a massive ocean wave, the ground rose and fell underneath the humans' feet, sending them flying as it rippled through. The trees from the forest broke free from the earth and threw themselves at the catapults and excavators. The soldiers and mercenaries screamed as elongated blades of grass restrained them in place or robbed them of their weapons. The plants beyond the forest surrounding us began to rebel against the humans stationed outside of the battlefield. A cloud of paralyzing pollen began to spread from the outer boundaries of the field. Regardless of the protective armor they wore, the humans began to collapse. I felt the brief pulse of dark magic aimed in my direction, but it faded as quickly as it came. How could the casters concentrate with nature taking its revenge on them?