Chapter 44

Phoebe

She paced the battlements of the fortress, nerves raw from waiting. All night, Phoebe had received regular progress reports as the massive wave of Kandoran edged closer and closer to the Taugud jakhal. The fighters to the south fought valiantly to cut their numbers down, but the enemy kept adding reinforcements to supplement their losses.

They were holding out a little better to the north, and so far, the pure dragons had prevented the Kandoran from entering Oklahoma City. The estimates for the Kandoran attacking from that direction were around ten thousand dragons—after many fell to their allies—and at least fifteen thousand infected humans. An update from the coalition commander said the remaining enemy forces were converging at the remaining section of the shield wall west of the fortress, hitting their defenses hard there as well.

It was only a matter of time before they were surrounded, and Phoebe had to sit there doing nothing. Her most significant act of the day had been sending families to the tunnels beneath the castle, where they’d remain during the night until the war finished.

Titan and Eliam flew toward her, stopping in front of the wall. They couldn’t proceed any farther without injuring themselves with the numerous spikes protruding from the stone. The Taugud fortress was designed so no dragon could fly into it without impaling some part of their body or wings. Instead of shifting and walking a considerable distance to reach her, they hovered in the air fifteen feet away.

The Kandoran have reached the mountains and will crest over them soon, Titan said.

“What about our forces?” she asked.

Eliam swished his tail. They are fighting bravely, but they are overwhelmed and have lost many. It is the same for those at the shield to the west. The coalition has used up their remaining artillery rounds to reduce enemy numbers tonight, and they’ve only held back a small number of bullets for their machine guns to use tomorrow evening.

“Do not engage in battle until the Kandoran have reached past the mountains. I will send Galadon and Rayna to assist youand a few of my sorcerers. With only three hours until dawn, we should be able to repel them until they retire for the day.”

The good thing about the Kandoran failing to get close until near the night's end was that their reserve magic user assets were fresh and able to put up the most resistance without needing to pace themselves. With the enemy penetrating so far east, they’d have to retreat earlier to reach their protected resting places.

The two shifters banked and flew away.

Phoebe hurried down the battlements and entered the castle. She found everyone she needed waiting within as ordered because she didn’t want to hunt for them when the time came.

“Paul, I need you to alert Hank that the Kandoran have reached the mountains and tell him to have the city sound the sirens again,” she ordered Bailey’s human brother.

Hopefully, the Kandoran dragons wouldn’t make it into town tonight, but there was a chance some of the infected humans could slip past their guard. There were simply too many to repel them all. Hank was set up at the Norman Courthouse, one of the few places that still had electricity so he could broadcast.

People around town either used radios with batteries—Javier had been generous in supplying them—types of radios that could be wound up, or the sun somehow powered them. She didn’t bother trying to understand their mechanics but simply nodded sagely when informed.

Phoebe glanced between Rayna at one table and Galadon at another. “You two need to head out and position yourselves atop the mountains. The high vantage will give you an edge. Kill as many Kandoran as fast as possible, but pull back to the valley below if they get close.”

“No problem,” Rayna said, standing.

Galadon gave her a grim smile. “Good. I am tired of waiting for battle.”

He walked so quickly that the slayer had trouble keeping up as they exited the great hall. Phoebe overheard him muttering something to Rayna about behaving herself and not breaking her promise. Since they’d arrived the day before, Galadon had kept his distance from her even more than usual. The tension between them was palpable, but none of her business as long as they did as ordered.

Phoebe looked at Xanath. The old sorcerer was sitting at her table, appearing older than ever. She wouldn’t put him into the fight until it was necessary. He’d used so much magic during war preparations that he had aged years in a matter of months. Considering he’d already looked quite decrepit, that was saying something.

“Why does the lone shifter hate Rayna so much?” she asked, knowing Xanath often had good insight.

The older man rubbed his long beard. “One would have to look into his past to find the answer to that question. Galadon has faced much tragedy and betrayal in his life that would break a lesser male. He’s attracted to her, and he hates himself for it, but there is a reason beyond the most obvious.”

“That’s ever so helpful,” she said, sighing.

He merely gave her a slight shrug.

“You’re staying here for now, but tell Ingo and Gia to come here.” It was time for the twin sorcerers to switch to offense. “I’ll have Donar and his mother carry them to the mountains. They must help repel the Kandoran for as long as possible.”

She’d kept her cousin, Donar, at the fortress to use his second flame to assist with making more warrior garb. It wasn’t his specialty, but he knew the basics enough to do a fair job. It was time for him to fight with the war's end nearing. Esphyr, his mother, had been on the front line for the first two weeks, but Phoebe had pulled her back to the fortress to join the rear guard and sent another to replace her. She’d done that for as many as possible so they could take breaks and stay fresh. As a skilled warrior, though, it was time to put her back into use as well.

Xanath rose from his seat at a glacially slow pace. “I will pass the word along.”

While Morgan, Skylar, and her parents were already fighting on the western front near the shield, three others had remained here because they were better at spelling items that needed continuous replacement and creating elixirs. They did have some offensive magic, though, so she’d planned to use them when the situation became critical. Thatcher would be the only other one aside from Xanath staying behind, so those two would be fresh to defend the fortress.

Phoebe turned to Boden, who was the newly promoted captain of the guard. He’d watched over Bailey for a while, but they decided he’d proven the most capable for the position once the war was imminent. Boden had an even temper, aquick mind, and excellent fighting skills.

“Get your warriors ready to fight,” she said, tone grave. “I want them prepared to be in the air the moment the Kandoran crest the mountains.”

He gave her a respectful nod. “Of course.”

She gave further instructions to the others waiting before hurrying back to the battlements. This time, though, she took position at the guard tower with the best view of the mountains. It required going up a spiral staircase from the top of the wall to the highest level, which was another ten feet above the ramparts.

Ten minutes passed before she spotted an ominous storm cloud forming over the jagged peaks. A minute later, lightning forked down from it in half a dozen directions. Despite the distance, Phoebe caught the faint dragon screams before thunder rumbled to cover them. The process continued as she watched. From what she’d been told, Rayna could deliver strikes using far less power when she had a storm cloud to generate them. That must have held true because the slayer-sorceress sent down several dozen before Phoebe lost count.

Galadon had to be using considerable power to maintain the elements, but pairing their gifts together was supremely effective. Phoebe wished she could have watched their work up close.Then again, she’d likely see them in action before the war ended.

The lightning flashes stopped, and she held her breath.

A moment later, red dragons filled the sky as they retreated from the mountains by the hundreds. Sixty percent of the shifter forces were in that direction, with only forty percent remaining to defend the shield. So many were headed her way that it was impossible to see anythingbeyond them.

Boden and his warriors lifted into the air. They wouldn’t go farther than a mile from the fortress, but it was best to keep the Kandoran from getting any closer than that before dawn. From near the village, she spotted a massive group of humans racing toward the mountain range. They were a mixture of coalition forces held in reserve, soldiers that Miles and Justin had trained, and volunteers who said they’d only fight if the enemy infiltrated this side of the shield. The large group, numbering almost seven hundred, had used the currently empty village as a staging point while they waited.

As the storm clouds dissipated, Phoebe used the sky to discern the time. It was less than two hours before dawn. The Kandoran would retreat no longer than an hour before now. She glanced to the west, breathing a sigh of relief that she couldn’t spot any activity in that direction. It likely meant the shield remained up, and their forces continued to repel the other side.

Another half hour passed before the red dragons were forced back so far that Phoebe could make out the Kandoran. She gasped. There were so many of them even after Rayna had to have cut down hundreds with lightning, and the shifters would have taken down many more.

They filled the sky with moonlight glistening off their green wings. Flames shot through the air as both sides sought to blind and distract the other. They were close enough now that Phoebe could see each time a dragon fell to the earth. She pressed her hand to her stomach as several red ones plummeted, worrying about the future of her growing baby. They had to survive this no matter what it took.

Ruari and Freya joined her in the tower.

Her brother put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “We have just come from the shield, and it still holds. The battle is fierce but not like here—at least not yet. They are mostly sending humans to that side to keep weakening the magic. Aidan has the dragons tearing them up from above, and Bailey is leading the charge against the ones on the ground. I almost feel sorry for the infected.”

She appreciated the ill humor he used inan attempt to cheer her.

“I need you to join the fortress defense,” she said, tearing her gaze from the battle in the sky. “But be careful. You might be my most annoying brother, but I still love you.”

Ruari grinned. “Have you learned nothing? I am most adept at keeping myself alive, little sister.”

“Truer words have never been spoken.”

Freya brushed him aside and hugged Phoebe. “Ignore him. We will defend the fortress with our lives and show the Kandoran the mistake they made by attacking us.”

“Thank you,” Phoebe said, her voice catching.

Keeping a calm demeanor while one’s pregnancy hormones raged wasn't easy.

The pair left, hurrying down the spiral stone steps. Phoebe turned back to the battle in the sky, icy cold hitting her veins as the fighting drew ever closer. Dragons tore into each other with vicious intent. On the ground, the clash of humans fighting rang in her ears. Swords clanked, the injured screamed, and fallen bodies thumped. She almost wished she didn’t have such sensitive hearing that she could catch the sounds from so far away.

Her eyes rounded when a large horde of Kandoran dragons broke through their ranks and headed straight for the fortress. The guard of fifty she’d held back met them, more than ready to enter the fray. They were fresh and fought full of energy and ruthlessness.

They managed to finish that first group, but more skirted around their forward forces. The warriors closer to the mountains were outnumbered and couldn’t contain them all. She spotted her brother, Zoran, with his docked tail as he flew close to the tower. He flared his wings so that he could hover near her.

The Kandoran have entered the north end of the city. Our allies are slowing them down, but they are causing much damage and devastation. When I left, they’d just brought down a section of the shield near the town of Mustang so they can reenter tomorrow evening closer to us.

Phoebe closed her eyes. Damn. The news kept getting worse and worse by the hour. Mustang was a suburb to the southwest of Oklahoma City on the edge of their safe zone. If the Kandoran used the opening tomorrow, they could technically reach the fortress in a little over twenty minutes. Of course, they’d put their own forces in the way, but it was still too close for comfort.

“Did you tell Aidan?” she asked. That should have been Zoran’s priority.

I did. He told me to tell you there is still no sign of the sorcerers.

Even their oldest brother didn’t know the full details of their battle plan with the orb, which is why he didn’t say it was a trio of sorcerers. The fewer who were aware, the better until the time came. Phoebe only wished the cowards would show their faces instead of hiding behind their massive, malignant army.

She spotted another throng of Kandoran heading for the fortress guard, who already had their hands full with the latest wave that came at them. One of the shifters fell in a tangle of mangled wings, screaming on his way down. She hoped he survived, but she couldn’t see well enough to tell if he had other significant injuries.

“Please, go help them,” she urged Zoran.

I suggest you tell your reserve warriors to prepare themselves for an imminent attack on the walls, he said, then flew away before she could reply.

In fact, Phoebe had shifters and human volunteers spread out across the ramparts. She cupped her hands and yelled, “Get ready!”

They repeated her words down the line since the fortress spanned nearly a mile in width and length. Her kind might hear her from the other side, but the humans wouldn’t, and there were more of them manning the walls than shifters. It was also to alert the group waiting at the castle gates. Their job was to finish any fallen dragons that didn’t die and retrieve weapons for reuse.

Zoran was already in the fight when she turned back to look. He’d always been an impressive warrior, but his time away had made him even better. She supposed being alone in a territory where it was survival of the fittest would test anyone’s skills. He sent two Kandoran to the ground within a minute.

Time seemed to tick by slowly, but after a while, she realized it had to be about an hour before dawn. The enemy wasn’t retreating like it usually did at this time. What did that mean?

More Kandoran broke through the front ranks, skirted around the busy fortress guard, and headed straight for their southern wall. Phoebe shoved down her fears and prepared to defend her home with everything she had.

“Ready your arrows and spears!” she called.

The sound of them sliding out of barrels filled the air, and others notched their bows.

“Ground fighters, prepare to clean up!”

A minute later, Phoebe spotted them moving quickly below, staying close to the wall. Then she grabbed one of her spears. The five-foot-long weapon was constructed of zaphiriam metal and had an ultra-sharp tip. She waited in her tower until the dragons reached within twenty feet, hurling it with all her strength. It struck her target in the chest, sending the female enemy plummeting to the ground.

Running footsteps on the grass below ensured the ground crew would finish her if necessary. Phoebe took another spear. A giant green dragon spewed red flames at her tower, briefly blinding her, but it didn’t do any damage. He must have been testing their battlement's construction for weaknesses.

She tossed her spear, pinning the Kandoran’s wing to his side. It wasn’t a kill shot, but it stopped the male’s flight, and he went tumbling to the ground. She kept repeating the process whenever a dragon came close enough. Occasionally, some managed to get near the walls and use their teeth or feet to tear off the spikes. They were trying to create an opening to get inside.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time the Taugud fortress had been hit, so they’d anticipated it. That was why they had a significant force on the walls with plenty of projectiles. The arrows and spears were tipped with a poison that would dull a dragon’s senses for about ten minutes, buying the ground forces time to finish them if their injuries didn’t do the job. They had spare jars of it spread across the battlements so when weapons were returned to them, they could dip them again.

The largest Kandoran she’d ever seen headed toward her tower. Phoebe readied her spear and prepared to throw it when she caught a flash of green in the back of the dragon’s throat. Oh, shiffit! She threw herself to the ground and crawled down the steps just as large balls of flames blasted over her head in rapid succession.

The heat was unlike anything she’d felt before, coming within inches of her legs.

When they finally stopped coming, she lifted her head and found the top of the tower had been obliterated. Even the floor where she’d stood before was jagged and uneven from the scorching spheres. Nothing would have been left of her or her growing child if she hadn’t made it to the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, she rose to her feet and walked down to the battlements. The dragon was looping around for another pass. They’d have to throw everything they had when it got close if they hoped to stop it. The only problem was that the male had a greater range with those flame balls than they did with their spears.

Just then, she spotted Titan and Eliam slam into the Kandoran from each side. They ripped and tore into the giant beast, so much smaller than their enemy that they almost looked like hatchlings. Phoebe held her breath as she watched them struggle to inflict damage.

The large dragon got his claws into Titan and threw him away, so he went tumbling through the air. Then he turned his head toward Eliam, who was on his back, shredding at the scales there. The Kandoran opened its mouth, and Phoebe screamed for him to run, but they were too far away. With the sounds of battle nearby, he probably couldn’t hear her or know she shouted at him.

A green ball zoomed from the dragon’s mouth and right at the fierce shifter’s head, disintegrating it. Tears filled Phoebe’s eyes as she watched the rest of his body stiffen for a moment and then tumble toward the ground. Dear Zorya, he’d been one of their best.

“Nooo!” she whispered with a hand over her mouth.

Zoran appeared then. He clamped his jaws onto the Kandoran’s neck, close to the head. He was ensuring the enemy couldn’t get him with those flame balls. Then he reached up with his claws and struck one into the back of his opponent’s head, piercing the brain. He didn’t let go until the beast’s body sagged.

For a moment, they started to fall together since he couldn’t hold that much weight aloft, but then he got free a hundred feet before reaching the ground. The Kandoran smashed into a tree, breaking most of the branches on the way down with audible cracks.

As the eastern sky turned hazy pink and orange, the Kandoran finally withdrew, stopping mid-battle and flying away at top speed. Exhausted shifters didn’t try to block their retreat. Phoebe could only guess the enemy wanted an up-close assessment of the fortress and their defenses, which was why they’d fought longer than usual.

She raced across the battlements to the stairs. Once on the ground, she made record time getting out of the fortress and across the open field. A short way beyond it, through scrub brush, broken trees, and numerous bodies, she found Titan. He was still in dragon form and hovering over Eliam’s remains. Sounds of mourning came from his throat as he rested his head on his friend’s torso. It was like his soul had been wrenched apart.

Tears pricked her eyes as her heart broke for the brave friends, together no more.

They’d been born a month apart, and their parents were also close in those early days. All through their youth, they’d hardly been parted and did everything with each other. They’d even taken turns sleeping at each other’s homes. That had continued beyond childhood. They'd stood side by side for nearly two hundred years and remained the best of friends. As each lost a mother or father over time, they still had each other—until now.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, lightly placing her hand on his back. “He fought bravely.”

In fact, he’d helped stop the Kandoran dragon from coming for her again. It tore Phoebe up that she couldn’t have been out there fighting in the open, but she’d had her own task. She had to remind herself that fortress defense was important as well. Not to mention keeping the tiny life inside of her safe. Still, the loss of Eliam broke her heart.

I don’t know how I’ll live without him, Titan said in a mournful tone.

She rubbed at the scales on his back soothingly. “You’ll take it one day at a time. Honor him and live for him. He was a hero who helped keep our home safe. There are still battles to be fought, and he’d want you to keep fighting them, so his death is not in vain.”

Titan lifted his gaze to hers, yellow eyes burning with sorrow and rage. I’m going to kill as many of them as I can.

“Good,” she said.

Freya and Ruari landed next to them. Pain filled their features as well when they looked at Eliam’s headless form. The Taugud had lost over forty so far in this war, but this was the worst because they knew this shifter so well.

We will help him, Freya said, taking a step forward. You have enough to do at the fortress.

She was right. Graves would need to be dug, weapons gathered and cleaned, and she would have to get a count of the wounded and dead. Phoebe was tired, so tired.She prayed this would all be over soon and no more people she cared for would die.