Here Lies the Queen

Chapter 18

Bella watched her brother run through the chaos that was their army. The soldiers were in varying states of confusion. Mel stood behind her with her mother, their heads bowed.
Her knees hit the ground and tears leaked from her eyes. "Tell them to pull back," she whispered. Someone left to give the order. "We can't lose more."
She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Should we surrender?" her mother asked.
Her mouth felt like it was coated in ash. Maybe it was. "Not yet. I need to do something."
She stood and her mother backed away. Her usually cold face was now one of sorrow. Bella remembered her husband, Bella's father, was on the field when the light exploded.
"I want you to send feelers out and find out what that was," Bella ordered. "Replenish our troops. Let them rest."
Her mother nodded and ran back to the camp, her iron skirt swaying. Bella looked out over the field. Slowly, her army began to pull back. Ash was still running around, trying to find their father. She knew what he would find.
Mel reappeared at her shoulder. "I know that look," she said, scanning Bella's face. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking we need to pay a visit to Dominic." She didn't wait for Mel to say something before stalking after her mother.
The Pearl was warm in her palm. She had hidden it under her furs in her bed. Mel watched her warily.
"Do you want to come?" Bella asked. Mel shook her head. Bella wanted to say something to the girl but didn't know what. She touched her hand to her brow. "See you in a bit."
A beam of light appeared from her palm outward and she walked through it.
Into the grassy clearing that housed Dominic's home.
She stumbled onto the dirt. Water fell from the sky even though the sun was still shining. She made her way to the cottage and knocked.
"What?" someone snapped within before it opened. "I'm busy."
"Busy enough to not talk?" she asked. A gust of wind blew open the door. "I thought not."
Dominic stood in the doorway, a floppy straw hat on his head. She glanced toward his hands and found two stumps. They ended at the wrists, giving him the appearance of having doorknobs for hands.
"Why'd you come back?" he said. "So you can gloat?"
"No. I need your help." She pushed past him and into his house. The plants were still there and she made her way to the back. It still looked the same.
"And you expect me to give it to you without disagreement?" A breeze closed the door softly and she saw his hat bobbing among the plants. "Why?"
"Because it was not me who tortured you. But if you do not help, well." She laughed. "I'll come back and kill you."
"Death is better than this."
She tilted her head. This man was so different than the one she had first met. "Why don't you die?"
"I can't kill myself. Someone has to do it for me."
A twinge of pity twisted in her. "You want me to kill you?"
"I'll help you if you agree to kill me after." He appeared in front of her. "I can't be blind and not have two hands."
Bella looked at the man. His blue eyes were filled with sorrow. They were the eyes of a broken man.
"Okay," she said. "Help me."
"What do you want to know?"
"How can I ensure that my men don't have significant losses every time we fight?"
He rubbed his stump against his chin. "Put the monsters in the weaker areas. The Guard will be in the front. Your armies will be on the left and right flank." Where they will either hold the line or lose the line.
"How will Hunter know when to come?"
"Follow my lead." He whispered something and closed his eyes. A ripple of power washed through the ground.
"I don't know how to do that," she said sheepishly. "Show me?"
He did. He walked her through the steps of how to grasp her power, how to change it into a message, and how to send it down to where Hunter will get it.
"Another thing," he said when she was done. "Don't fight her first. Let her come to you. Give the illusion of an already defeated army and you will win. But when you fight on the battlefield for the last time, use the Elder Sword."
She thought back to the blade sitting in her tent. Nobody had asked her about it but she saw the way they looked at her.
"When will the last fight be?"
He grins. "When Hell breaks loose."
Something cold slithered down her back. When Hunter comes.
"Thank you for your help. How would you like to die?"
He tilted his head. Those blue eyes were determined as he said, "Burn me."
She did. The fire enveloped his body. He smiled as if he was at peace, then his body turned to ash. She did it quickly. He didn't get a chance to scream.
The plants seemed to wave goodbye to her as she left. Smoke clouded the air and she fanned her face. Sometimes it is best to die without fear, she decided. The door clicked shut behind her.
The Pearl glowed and she whispered her destination into it. Light flooded outward and she stepped through.
Into the heart of Shayde's camp.
Thankfully, the sky was still dark as she slipped between the shadows. Several people marched toward her and she ducked into a tent. They passed by. She studied the space she was in.
Markings surrounded the walls. Some were painted on while others seemed to be frozen in the air. A small chest sat in the middle on an ornate rug. She flicked it open.
A necklace gleamed there. It was golden with an emerald tucked into the center. She picked it up. The metal was cool against her skin. A piece of paper fell out of it. It read:
To my dearest Shayde,
For all your travels
Be safe, Mother
Bella tucked the paper back in and scurried out of the tent. That necklace was obviously special to Shayde. She wouldn't mess with it, even though something had felt off about it. When she had touched it, a strange feeling, like someone was watching her, had swept over her. Bella didn't see anyone, but she didn't stick around. She needed to find what had caused the light.
She ducked behind some barrels of ale as someone strode by. They passed without seeing her and she made to get up. Before she could move, she felt the prick of a sword on her back.
"Tell me why I shouldn't gut you right now," a man growled. The scent of snow and metal wrapped around her like a cocoon.
"Because I'm too pretty," she said. The blade drew back a bit and she was able to turn. A tall man stood in the shadows. "Hello, Quentin."
"Why are you here, Belladonna?" he asked. His face was hidden in the shadows but she could see the sharp angle of a dark cheekbone, the ridge of a nose. Lines ran across his face.
"Just passing through," she said. "Is that too much for you?"
"I will gut you."
"No. If you were, you would've done it already." She tapped a nail against his sword. "Shayde told you to spare me, didn't she? Taking orders from a fallen queen." He snarled as she shook her head. "What has the Ice Kingdom come to?"
The sword pushed against her belly. "You deserve to die."
"I have no doubt." Bella leaned in and whispered, "But so do you."
He let her stand. He towered over her and she had to look up. The two rulers stared at each other. She let her eyes ignite a little but he didn't back down. Chains clinked around his cloak as he turned away without a word. She waited for him to vanish before diving into the night.
She entered two more tents before coming to one that was midnight blue. So different from the others. No voices came from inside. She stepped inside and halted.
In the middle was something she had never seen before. If she had to describe it, she would say it looked like a barrel attached to a wagon. Barrels of silvery powder lined the walls. She grabbed a handful and let it fall back in.
"What is this," she muttered as she studied it. The powder sparkled as the torchlight hit it. Black markings, the same as the tent with Shayde's necklace, were carved into the barrel. A rope led out of the tent and she followed it.
The rope twisted and turned before coming to an end at the back of the camp. A fire glowed beside it. Several figures whispered together. She strained her ears and she picked up Shayde's voice, followed by Quentin's, and a light female one.
She crouched in the shadows, listening. They talked about food and what they would do when Bella was dead. No mention of her in the camp.
She was about to leave when someone said, "Her army is so tired now, I think we should attack. We have the element of surprise."
"No." She recognized Shayde. "We should wait until dawn. Then we will defeat her once and for all."
"But why wait?" Quentin asked.
"I want it to go down in history," Shayde said. Bella's hands curled into fists. "We will wait until dawn."
Grumbles came from around the fire, then they resumed talking about the future. She ran back to the tent with Shayde's necklace and whispered to the Pearl to take her back to her camp.
She landed in the middle of the war tent. They reached for their swords before realizing it was her. She spotted her mother and brother in the corner. No sign of her father. Mel nodded to her as she sat in a chair.
"I would like to make changes," Bella said, and rattled off commands. She told them about what Dominic had told her and what Shayde was planning to do. They murmured in confusion when she told them about the new weapon.
"How do we wipe it out?" her mother said. "We can't fight if she still has it."
"Leave it to me and Mel," she said.
All of her allies nodded. All except one. Her brother strode forward, his eyes blazing. "You want us to fight again? We barely have 10,000 men. You're sending us to our slaughter!"
Some Commanders muttered their agreement. She looked around and said, "Hunter will come. When he does, he will bring 30,000 soldiers. And we will crush Shayde. I understand if you do not want to fight with me. All I ask is that you do not fight with her."
Bella waited for someone to oppose her. Nobody did. Even her brother backed away, although smoke was still drifting around him.
She dipped her head towards him. "I am sorry about Father. But if we do not fight, more people will lose theirs. And I cannot have that."
Mel followed her out of the tent. "What happened with Dominic?"
Bella told her. Mel's eyes filled with sorrow as she heard what he had asked for. "He deserved it," the girl said. Bella pretended not to see the tears that slid down her face.
A ripple went through the ground. Something sparked in her blood. Dust rose up and settled again as if nothing happened.
"What was that?" Mel asked. "It was like an earthquake."
"Maybe it was." Bella strode off toward her tent. Some soldiers were grumbling about the earthquake but stopped when she passed by.
Mel shoved into the tent behind her. "You need to rest."
"No. We need to do something first." She took the Pearl out and grabbed Mel's hand. "Let's go save our people." The light engulfed them and they vanished.
They reappeared in the tent with the weapon. Mel tipped the barrels over and Bella sent a quick flame running through it. They gathered the remains and dumped them back into the barrels. Let them try to kill them again.
"Ready?" Bella asked Mel.
The girl stared out of the tent. "She's so close," she said. Bella knew she didn't mean Shayde.
"Do you want to go?" she asked.
Mel shook her head. "If I kill her, I will do it on the battlefield, where everyone can see it. And she will know who killed her."
Bella took her hand. "I will stand by whatever choice you make." Mel gave her a grateful smile and they were transported back into Bella's tent.
"Now, you need to rest. I'll wake you at dawn." Mel didn't wait for her to answer before plopping down on the floor.
"I am." Bella peeled off her suit and climbed into bed. "Wake me before we fight. Not after."
Mel grinned at her. "As you wish." She drew her sword and began sharpening it. The metal sparked and Mel swore. Bella grinned and let the waves of sleep wash over her.
A tug in her gut woke her. Mel was standing over her, a hand outstretched. "Oh, you're awake. We move out in half an hour."
Bella tumbled out of bed and Mel helped her dress. She grabbed the Elder Sword and strapped it to her waist. Today felt... different. Like something was going to happen.
Rain began falling as she followed Mel to the war tent. The clouds were so thick that even the desert sun couldn't peek through. Everyone was already in the tent, scattered in a circle around the table.
Bella went over the plan one more time. Her brother seemed to want to argue but remained silent. They all did. The only sound was her voice and the rain that began pouring. Bella finished and said, "Let's go."
She mounted her horse and rode alongside her brother at the front. A boy flew the Vearus banner beside them.
Lightning sparked as they rode. They reached the field and she held up a hand. The army behind her stopped moving. In front of them was a girl in silver armor with white hair. Rain pelted down on them but Bella could see her clearly. Two figures, one in gold armor and the other in dark, framed her.
Bella stared at them, daring them to make the first move. They did.
Shayde mounted a horse and took off toward them. Bella yelled, "CHARGE!" and galloped to meet them.
Electricity charged a moment before the two armies met. Screams erupted from down the lines and several men began to fall. Bella swept her sword in a circle around her, knocking men down. She leaped off her horse and began fighting.
Ash was beside her as she plowed through a line of men. They hacked and stabbed at them, blood spraying into the air. Her sword swiped across one's stomach and a heartbeat later, into his chest.
The rain turned the world a murky gray. Lightning flashed, illuminating the world for a second before turning back into darkness. Sports of magic erupted here and there but none from any royal.
Bella saved her fire, opting instead for her hands and her sword. She turned to look at her brother as he cut down three men in a series of moves. He grinned at her and she remembered why he was called The Lion. She flashed a grin right back. This is where they belonged. On a battlefield made of blood and death.
Sometime after they began fighting, Bella's troops began floundering. Her monsters were able to patch up any holes but soon began to falter. The left flank began to buckle and she heard a general roar, Fix it! They struggled for a bit, but were able to hold their line. A couple of minutes later, it was falling again.
Bella fought her way over and stood in the front. Let them see their Queen. They rallied behind her as she cut down anyone in her path. They fell, screaming. Then went silent.
She fought with her men until they were able to hold the line on their own. A spot of white hair caught her attention. Bodies fell around her as she made her way over to the hair. Two bodies fell to her before she saw the source.
A young man with closely cropped white hair was fighting five of her men. As she watched, he cut them down within seconds. A slow smile spread over her face as she moved towards him.
He spotted her coming and yanked his sword out of the armor of a fallen soldier. She gave him all of one second before lunging.
Their swords met and she was forced back a step. His green eyes shone with hate. She forced her vision to focus on him, blocking out all other sounds.
Another soldier tried to attack her and the white-haired man held a hand out. "She's mine," he snarled. The soldier moved away. He met her eyes as his armor fell into the mud. She followed suit. Her helmet stayed on and he grabbed a dead man's before nodding.
Bella struck in a series of thrusts and jabs. He blocked all of them. Nobody had ever done that before. Grudging respect rose in her. It was a shame he would have to die.
The soldiers parted around them as they fought. Rain still pelted their faces and her feet slipped in the mud as she shielded against his attacks. His blade clanged off of hers and before she could react, her sword was on the ground beside her. The man brought the sword down on her helmet and she felt it crack. He stood over her with his blade angled to stab through her neck. He raised the sword and was about to bring it down when the ground quaked.
He staggered and she took the second to kick his legs out from under him. The ground continued to shake as she grabbed her sword and drove it into his chest. Blood spurted around her, coating her face, her hands, her body. She stabbed him again and again until he was unrecognizable.
A splitting sound cut through the air. She raised her head and tugged off the broken helmet. Her hair blew in the wind that swept across the field. The enemies began to run toward her and she turned to them. She let them see the monster within. In the seconds they hesitated, she sent a ring of fire around them. It tightened and burned through their armor, melting the bone underneath. She raised her head to the sky and let loose a battle cry.
And the ground broke open.
Winged figures began shooting into the sky, shields locking into place. Demons and humans alike crawled out of the ground and took their place among her soldiers. A flash of red flew from the abyss, followed by a big boom. Tears began streaming from Bella's eyes as Sanriel landed next to her. Soldiers began running.
"I thought you might need some help," the woman said. Her giant brown wings unfolded, spraying water droplets everywhere. Armor shaped like scales covered her skin. "Looks like we arrived just in time."
"You did," Bella said. Her voice broke. "Is Hunter—"
Sanriel motioned to the crack behind her. "He's here."
A giant shadow leaped from the darkness and Bella sobbed harder. Metal shone on every surface of the dog's body. She stared at the figure sitting on top, his eyes burning through the holes in his helmet. Death Incarnate, she thought. Hunter.
Several stupid men ran toward him. A wave of death swept outward, killing them instantly. Bella held her breath as he approached.
"Hunter, what are you doing here?" Her voice felt strange, like it didn't belong to her. The sword in her hand hummed its foreign song. "You'll die!"
"Says who?" She couldn't see his face, but knew that arrogant voice.
"The rules."
"What's the fun in following rules? If we go down, we go down fighting. Together."
Tears slid down her face as she looked up at him and said, "Together."
Their eyes met and something inside her broke. Glass shattered and molded itself into something new. Something stronger. Something... alive and aching to get out.
She surrendered control.
Flames burst out of her, incinerating their enemies. The ones who were there because they had to, she killed quickly. The others, who delighted in defiling women and killing innocents, took more time. Rain sizzled along her skin as she burned. Her eyes never left Hunter's as she left her body.
Her magic took over, leaving her behind. It swept outward in waves, not caring who or what it burned. She struggled before leashing it. Only enemies, she whispered to it. Not mine. It strained against her, wanting to kill everything.
She tore her eyes from Hunter and felt him take off. Screams and shouts broke into her head and she shut them back out. The legions in the sky soared down and landed on the other side, cutting off the enemies retreat. Blood. So much blood coated everything. She let herself go and fire herded the enemy back, into the blades and hands of Hell.
Sanriel fought near her, driving back any who dared move toward Bella. She cut one down with her sword while knocking another off his feet with her wings. Bella's power roared outward.
"Retreat!" someone shouted. "We're spread too far!" Her army began to pull back, letting the enemy run to smoldering ruins. The legions overhead flew back to her lines, reinforcing the weak parts. She saw Mel fighting a woman in gold armor, her hair in a knot at her nape. Mel drove her sword into the woman's neck, twisting and twisting until it poked out the other side. The woman sagged, her blood spilling out. Mel stood above her before spitting on the body. She wiped the blood from the blade before attacking more soldiers.
Hunter appeared in front of her, his eyes blazing. "Bella, the enemy is retreating. We won." She felt his hand slip into hers. His magic wrapped around hers, cooling it. She slipped back into her body and kissed him. His lips tasted of blood and death, of honey and life. He kissed her back, dropping his sword to hug her. Their lips and their worlds collided and all that mattered was that he was here. He was alive.
She pulled back and said, "I love you. From now until the end of time."
He grinned, that insufferable smile she had grown to love. "Not death?"
"Death cannot take you from me." She brushed her lips over his. "I will hunt him down if he does."
He laughed quietly. "I'm sure you will."
Their lips had just met when she felt it. A shift in the wind. There was no time to react before the spear hit his back.