The Rising (The Rising #4) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,6

beyond who witnessed this turned instantly and bolted.

Cassius remained in position, knees loose, shield and sword up, his back to his woman, breaths coming short and fast, the rain he had not felt since it started making its presence known.

Death and blood and carnage littered the landscape.

And then Mars was there on Hephaestus, pulling his reins to the left, Hephaestus’s rump going to the right as he stopped. After he arrived, not a second later, True’s Majesty had to lift both front hooves half a foot from the earth when he stopped.

Their swords were bloody as were their horses’ legs up to their chests.

“Take your knees!” Macrinus roared, orbiting his mount around the soldiers that had been felled, but were now pushing up. “Drop your blades and take your fucking knees!” Mac thundered, swinging his sword and severing the head from the body of one who did not comply quickly enough.

At that, Cassius felt his heart jolt, for that kind of viciousness was not in Mac.

The others instantly did as Mac had ordered.

Cass looked up to Mars, who was regarding Mac, before he felt Cassius’s eyes and turned his gaze Cass’s way.

He then looked to True, who was recovering from a wince aimed in Mac’s direction, before he turned to Cass.

“It seems Ophelia gave you a parting gift, no?” Mars asked, tipping his head to the unicorn Sky.

“Sky and Star have been Ellie’s and mine for some time,” Cassius told him, focusing on this inane conversation rather than what lay all around, how the hell his friends had made it to them in time, what losses they’d suffered and what was next.

“Unicorns have great magic, beyond anything on this earth, including the Mer, but they can’t do that,” Serena declared.

All looked to her.

“If they could fell all about, they would not be threatened by man’s greed for their magic and thus, they would be able to roam free,” she said, “That was their magic, as instilled by a Nadirii yell, as given by a powerful witch. Our mother.”

Cassius finally lowered his sword.

Elena did the same at his side.

Another Nadirii yell started about them, growing stronger and stronger.

This one not calling magic.

This one calling victory.

Gods.

They’d made it.

They’d survived.

She’d survived.

Cass sheathed his weapon and searched for Ellie’s hand.

He found it.

And he held tight.

122

The Losses

King Mars

Base of the Night Heights Mountain Range

AIREN

Mars walked with Silence held close to his side, Kyril and Basil at their backs, through the winding encampment that had struck up after the battle.

Silence was as her name and had been much the same since he’d come to her, drenched from the rain and bloodied from the battle.

Since, he had kept her from the slaughter of the battlefield that, for the last hours, his, True’s and Cassius’s men had been directing militia prisoners to clear.

It was time to report.

But Mars needed no report.

He had seen that battlefield. The moment he and his men had ridden up to it, his gut had dropped thinking that there was no possibility Cass and Elena could be surviving that bloodbath.

In other words, he already knew the losses were grave.

And until they had thorough assessments of the lay of the land about them, he had his sword at his back, his Trusted close, and his wife at his bloody side.

“Mars,” he barked at the flaps of True and Farah’s tent.

Then, without invitation, he pushed through them, drawing Silence in beside him.

“Mars,” Farah said softly, rushing to him.

“Silence,” True greeted, striding to her.

He let his queen go long enough for True to embrace her, Farah to embrace him, and then Farah to embrace Silence.

Then he pulled her close again.

He was not surprised when he saw True do the same to Farah.

“Did you call for Cassius and Elena?” Mars asked True.

“Yes,” True answered.

“Would you like wine?” Farah offered.

“Please,” Silence accepted and began to move, but Mars’s hold strengthened.

He felt her eyes, so he looked down at her.

“I’ll be right here, my love,” she said softly.

He drew in breath.

And let her go.

“I’m assuming you were visited by a unicorn,” True noted as the women bustled to a trunk.

Mars jerked his head up in assent. “You?”

“Yes.”

“Thank the gods,” Mars muttered.

“Yes,” True agreed. “Even the damned caravans at the back that weren’t keeping up came through whatever the hell it was we leaped through.”

“Same,” Mars grunted.

“Did you have purple?” True inquired.

“Yes,” Mars told him. “Magic is back in Airen, this is certain.”

“Of course,” True replied. “The Nadirii are here.”

Without a call, the tent flaps opened and both men turned to