The swirling terror in my head drowns out Alaric's shouting. A loud buzzing halts any chance I hear anything normally, not the rebels gathering behind Renit and me, or Bren ordering Tesha and a group of archers to station themselves on top of the buildings towards the edge of the village. No one gets in, and the rebels don't leave.
The weak or the mortals are stashed within the village. They cannot do much here, but we still require their services down the road. For now, the ones fighting this battle are the immortal strengths stationed towards the front—including me.
Renit's storm brews overhead. The dark clouds swallow each other, and for the time being, lightning and thunder fester within instead of striking to the ground below. The king's men don't move, they're not commanded to. They stare and wait, holding their breath for us to strike. Only then will they unleash the hell they brought with them.
Alaric pushes his way to the front of the gathering rebels. I don't have to look behind me to know the stations are set, the rebels are where they need to be, and everyone is holding their breath. That's evident by the silence, the only sound being the drawing back of bowstrings and the faint whispers spreading filtering through the cluster of armor and magic.
It was only so long before the king's men found us. No one, not even Silas or Hallie, could stop this from happening. I wonder where they are now; locked in a dungeon or fighting for their lives to remain adequate enough for the king of Esaria. With an army...he's unstoppable. He doesn't need an heir to the throne anymore. His future is set in stone.
Renit's storm brews thicker overhead and the wind sharpens its daggers to slither towards the waiting soldiers. It's not until a shrill scream erupts from behind us, a warning, that we realize exactly what they're doing. The group of soldiers in front of us is merely a distraction to bide them enough time to attack Arego from the back.
"Adjust your flanks!" Alaric shouts before disappearing into the fray.
Appearing at my side, Citlali narrows her eyes at the group of still, non-moving soldiers. They're merely a ploy, yet they must die. If we're to face attacks from all sides, they're another blockade we'll have to face eventually.
"We got this," Citlali assures Renit. I can't find the right words to say to either of them, I knew the day would come where I'd spill more blood, but it shouldn't be so soon.
With a firm squeeze of my arm, Renit departs into the rushing crowd of rebels already fighting to protect the western side of Arego. I watch his dark hair, broad shoulders, and rumpled tunic disappear into the crowd before he's lost to me. The remaining archers patrolling this area watch carefully, their arrows drawn, and wait for their orders.
I look over my shoulder at Tesha and give her a firm nod. Without hesitation, she raises her bow, flame-tipped arrow bleeding into the night sky, and fires. The other three archers follow suit. The arrows volley before dropping, dropping, and landing into the group of blind soldiers. Grunts and a scream loosen, shoving the soldiers forward, and the witch at the front, one I recognize to the be the first victim we converted, erupts.
A blast as white as snow shoots from his fingers and aims directly for where Citlali and I stand. Our powers are too quick, both of us create shields the size of buildings to block the freezing ice heading straight to impale us. The sound of thundering boots proves we don't have enough time to wait. The soldiers are charging.
"Fire now!" Tesha screams into the night.
Citlali, already panting with adrenaline, smiles at me wickedly. "Like we did in training?" She asks.
YOU ARE READING
Conquering The Unbroken
Fantasy[Book 4 of the Grounding the Storm series] Roux is back in the safe hands of those that care for her most. With a ticking clock over their heads, the rebellion forms into the operation Bren dreamed it would be since the day he joined. But the threat...
