Land of Light and Shadows

Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Bridget landed Chesnan a dozen feet in front of Lyv. Her mother's eyes were wide as she watched Guinevere disappear, but a fierce pride lit up her identical emerald eyes as Lyv sagged in relief of having rid them of at least one threat.

And yet, Lyv still wept as she dropped to her knees, burying her hands in the blood and ash that coated the ground.

Because the threat was still all around them, still cutting down everyone in their path under the orders of another, greater threat that loomed within the city walls and had yet to show herself.

Bridget knelt in front of her, lifting her up into her arms before reaching to cradle her tear-stained cheeks in her hands. Lyv's own hands covered hers, looking up at her beautiful mother she wished she could have grown up with instead of the retched woman she'd just killed.

"I'm so immensely proud of you, sweetheart. Of the female you've become and who I know you will be in the future. You're beautiful and smart and oh so strong. You are the best of myself and your father and grew up with another father who raised you to be who you are now."

The sounds of the fight, the screaming and screeches and metal against metal, faded away as Bridget held her, smiled at her with tears glistening in her eyes.

"No matter what, Alyvia Deverell Ayveri, I want you to know how much I love you. Even if none of us make it off this battlefield today, I will love you and we will see each other again in the land of light and shadows. But all of this...all of this will not be for nothing. Everything I've ever done...I did for you. Even though it separated us for most of your life, I would do it all over again just so we could get to this moment."

Lyv stared at her mother, now understanding herself the strength of a mother's love since she was to be a mother herself.

She sucked in a deep breath. "I...I have to tell you something...even in the middle of all this..."

And yet there was no time.

They were surrounded once more by dark creatures.

Lyv thrust out her hand for her sword, which flew into her grasp, just as Chesnan set the oskurreia ablaze.

Then it was her, Bridget, and Chesnan battling their way toward the Escarrali gates, a mix of magic and metal and flame from both dragon and females.

In the distance, Gideon, Thia, and Allel were cutting a path for the others to follow behind them. Allel had taken her dragon form beside Erly, setting every creature alight that got in her way as Gideon and Thia made sure they perished with a blade through the gut. Mik, Kalla, Camilla, and Soren brought up the rear with Alberich and Emmeric not far behind.

A sea of Dalcaine, Escarral, and Ethran banners among the tidal waves of black that crashed into them.

They were still losing.

And yet none of them were giving up.

Chesnan kept a close circle around Lyv and Bridget, even tighter with another wave of shadows slammed into the ones already present.

Hold on. Lyv knew those shadows as they appeared on the eastern front.

And when twin booming roars sounded above them...Chesnan answered with his own and Lyv swore it held a touch of recognition.

Because he knew those roars, hadn't heard them in well over a hundred years.

Bridget did, too, though she didn't know the female who sat in the saddle of one.