Horsemen's War (The Rebellion Chronicles #3) - Steve McHugh Page 0,70
it,” Piper said.
Kase stopped walking and looked down at the tiled floor. “I want to get this started,” she said. “The wait is agonizing.”
“We can’t do anything until Nate’s team opens the gate,” Chloe said.
Layla looked out of the nearby window down at Mordred, Hel, Olivia Carpenter, and two dozen others who had taken up positions close to the realm gate temple on the island. They were to be the first wave. Layla hadn’t exactly been surprised that Mordred had told everyone he’d be going first. He wasn’t the kind of person to let others fight for him.
“How can you be so calm?” Kase asked Judgement, who opened one eye.
“My father and sister are hotheads,” she said with a shrug. “Zeus and Athena, I mean. As strange as it may sound, I was probably the calmest member of my family. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that the best thing to do when you have a chance to relax is relax. Especially before a big battle.”
“You think there will be a battle?” Layla asked.
“You don’t?” Judgement replied.
“No, I do,” Layla said. “I was just hoping someone was more optimistic than I am.”
Judgement chuckled. “It might be a quick battle.”
“That’s not really the kind of optimism I was looking for,” Layla said with a smile.
Judgement yawned. “Someone comes.”
Layla turned and looked out of the doorway down the corridor as Brynhildr walked toward them. She wore full leather armor like everyone else. She entered the room and nodded to Judgement. “It’s good to see you again.”
Judgement got to her feet and embraced Brynhildr. “I am glad you’re well. I guess we’ll be fighting side by side again.”
“Any word as to what’s happening?” Layla asked.
“We’re still waiting on the realm gate to open,” Brynhildr said. “Honestly, I’m practically tearing my hair out. Orfeda and her dwarves want to get on with it too. They can sense the impending battle.”
“So can Judgement, apparently,” Chloe said.
“My blood does seem to be very good at that,” Judgement said.
“How many are here?” Piper asked.
“Over four thousand,” Brynhildr said, looking out of the broken window. “We’re running out of space.”
Piper stood and joined them at the window. “I can feel the excitement and anticipation of the people down there. Something is happening.”
Layla got to her feet beside her. Those below were gesticulating toward the realm gate temple. “I think you’re right,” she said.
“My son and his team would not have failed,” Brynhildr said, pride in her voice as she spoke about Nate. “He’s too stubborn.”
“Everyone down here in sixty seconds,” a man outside the building shouted, his air magic carrying the words to all those around him.
Layla and her team were outside in less than thirty seconds, Brynhildr remaining beside Layla as her team was ushered toward the realm gate temple. Orfeda and her dwarves had changed the realm gate inside the temple so that the entire temple was a gate. It meant large numbers could be taken through at once, but it had to be activated and deactivated to allow everyone into the temple.
It took half an hour for Layla’s team to make it into the temple, and a second later there was a flash of light, and they were in Avalon.
“Nice to see you all,” Zamek said. “Things are about to get weird.”
“Why?” Layla asked.
“Best you go outside and see for yourself,” Zamek said.
Layla practically sprinted outside, only to feel quite bemused as she noticed nearly every one of the hundreds of rebellion members who had gone through the gate earlier was sitting down on a nearby grass hill.
“We’ve walked into a civil war, sort of,” a rebellion soldier said, looking up at her. “Best go see those in charge.”
Layla followed his directions, and she and her team found Hades, Isis, Persephone, and several others all standing in the middle of a street that had been partially destroyed. The buildings on one side were little more than rubble, while on the other they looked to have been barely touched.
“What is going on?” Layla asked anyone who wanted to tell her.
“We arrived and saw black smoke pouring out of the city,” Isis said. “So we ran here and found that a large number of residents who were forced to live and work here had risen up against their oppressors.”
“The palace is on fire,” Layla said.
“Nate may have lost his temper,” Isis said with a shrug.