Queen Ascending (Ace of Queens #2)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Outside the stone fort, Basil and the king's guards battled Azazel's army of the dead. All the souls she had claimed were now under her control. They fought for her like mindless animals.

Basil's wolf howled in pain as he bit the head of a thirteen year old boy. It was either he killed him, or the boy would have killed one of the guards.

It was chaos. Azazel's army did not know how to fight, hold a line, or attack together. They came from everywhere and fought with blind rage. It should have been easily for Basil and the highly trained guards to kill them off easily. But they were overwhelmed by just how many souls Azazel had claimed.

Portal after portal opened and they came in waves.

As soon as Xavier and Exton stepped out, they joined the fight. Their main target was to get all their guards back through the portal. But since Lafayette was no longer alive, they had to wait for Caspian to open a portal.

The vikings all stormed out of their fort and joined in as well. The once peaceful seaside cliff was now a battlefield.

Exton fought off a werewolf and then tore through a mermaid. His gray fur was covered in blood. His insides twisted when he saw the bodies coming through the portals.

They were all already dead. Their eyes cloudy and skin pale as paper. They moved like hungry animals, starving for flesh. There was no rules amongst them. If any of the livings fell, they all descended upon them like ants on honey.

Suddenly, Extpn heard the loud horn of a conch trumpet. His head turned in the direction of the sound and found Caspian standing at the top of the steps of the stone fort. He held the conch in his hands and blew into it again.

Portals opened and Caspian's army marched through. They used their large shields and spears to hold the dead back as the wolves hurried through the portals.

Xavier, Exton and Basil remained until each and every guard was sent through safely. The wounded and the dead ones were carried through by Caspian's army.

As the three men vacated the field, they watched as the mermen closed their portals and then opened individual ones for themselves.

Back at the palace, Rye ran around with the medical team patching up the injured guards. Out of seventy men, sixty came back alive. They were all wounded one way or another.

Some had silver wounds, some had bite marks, some were stabbed.

When Rye's eyes landed on Xavier and Exton's wolf in the hospital, she sank to her knees.

"Oh thank the goddess," she said with a shanking breath.

Xavier's wolf walked up to her and licked the tears on her face.

We're okay, baby. He mind-linked her.

"I-I couldn't breath," Rye said as more tears came out of her eyes. "I thought something happened. They said all the wolves came through but I didn't see you...I thought-" she couldn't finish her sentence. Her gloved hand flew to her mouth as she muffled a cry.

Exton's gray wolf placed his head on her lap and whimpered. Rye pulled his head closer as Xavier's wolf nuzzled her.

"Your grace," one of the doctors poked their heads out into the hall. "We need you in to assist with the surgery."

Xavier back up. He knew Rye had her duties now and she wouldn't back down.

Exton picked up his head as Rye got back on her feet and wiped her face.