Warrior King New Worlds (Crystal Kingdom #6) - Milly Taiden Page 0,57
and looked over his wounds. Scratch marks sliced his man’s skin in several places. From each gouge, a black line had slithered under the flesh, worming its way up the arm or leg. It was if a parasite had invaded the body and was digging in, leaving a trail.
He’d never seen this before. As far as he knew, they had no medicine for this type of injury.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
“I feel it in me,” the soldier replied. “It’s cold and seeking my soul. It wants to kill my magic.” His eyes closed, breathing becoming shallower.
“Fight it, Fusecut,” Ferrus instructed. “Your mate is expecting you tonight.”
A growl came from the fae’s chest, his eyes opening. Through clenched teeth, he said, “I will see her again. The enemy inside will not destroy me.”
Ferrus squeezed the soldier’s shoulder. “Be strong, warrior.”
When he pulled away, his man grabbed his arm. “Ferrus, know that we didn’t want to follow the orders of the king to imprison you. You have trained us not only to fight but to think. We would not have let Silvo or the king harm you or your mate in any way. We would fight to the death for you. You are in our hearts.”
Emotions he didn’t understand coursed through him. These men believed in him, trusted him, would die for him. He realized he would do the same for them. Which was appropriate since time had run out. Ferrus shifted into his dragon once again. To defend his home and fae, knocking many of the Kappies down the rocky slopes.
They came at him and his remaining men in a wave of green and brown. Their claws had no effect on him as they could not penetrate his metal armor. He might be the only survivor at the end of this.
As he waited for the first Kappie to strike, that creature suddenly flew backward, taking several of his fellow fighters with him. Then another jerked back off its feet. And another and another. What was happening?
When a sharp sting hit his back, he glanced up the slope to see the females in a line, twirling their slings at their sides and launching rocks. A wall of small but deadly projectiles whizzed by him. Not wanting to be a rock block, he lay flat, using his tail to smack back any enemy who happened to make it that far.
Many men looked on in awe as the “useless” females, who couldn’t fight for their home, held in check the marauders who would take all his fae had. He saw his pale-skinned beauty standing behind the females, helping to create ammunition for the slings.
His heart swelled with pride. His mate was now a warrior queen, able to not only provide for her people but protect her home. He knew sometime soon, they had to decide whether to stay or flee from his father’s persecution.
Kappies tumbled over themselves, dragging the militia farther down the mountain. The females advanced forward, quickly reaching some of the downed males. He shifted to catch his mate as she slid down the loose ground to get to him.
“Lili, my goddess, I love you. But I will have to spank you for breaking your promise to me.”
Her arms tightened around his neck. “Do you see me lifting a finger against these little shits?” He chuckled. She was right. She technically wasn’t fighting anyone. She kissed his cheek and whispered, “But you can still spank me if you want.”
His body went up in flame. Damnation! What this woman could do to him. She pulled back, glancing down the mountainside. “Ferrus, keep fighting. I’ll see if we can help the injured men.” She yanked him down for a burning kiss. “Don’t die on me. I love you.”
Chapter Thirty
And love him, she did, with all her soul. Not only did he prove he would stay by her, but that she was worthy of having love despite the hurtful words others had said to her. All she had to do was find the group she belonged with, and now that she had, she’d find true happiness and acceptance.
She searched the battleground for Valori and found her kneeling beside an older soldier with blood covering his body. The tenderness on the elder female’s face surprised her. Holding the matriarchal position, Val never let herself become soft. If she did, she wouldn’t have been able to protect her women as well as she had.
Lilah ran over to join her.
“Alpha female,” Val said, “this is my mate, Fusecut.”