Page 190 of Shadow Queen
The Horseman warrior nodded and left.
Alexander shook his head again. “Why? Why do you provoke him? You know who he is. He’s not going to talk. He’s theDestroyer, and he’s come todestroy.”
The king glared at him. “I’m in here. He’s out there. We’ll see what he has to say.” The Horsemen thought they had repaired the castle walls, but they knew nothing of stone foundations. They knew nothing of how to construct walls fit for battle.
“This is the man who originally destroyed this kingdom,” Alexander pressed. “He’s come to do it again.”
The king said nothing.
“Are you mad?”
The king jerked his head back to Alexander. “I’m mad enough to throw you over this wall if you say another word.”
Alexander’s heart sank. He looked out over the wall as the Horseman messenger rode out to meet the army.
As the warrior neared the approaching army, the Destroyer dismounted and started walking toward him. The king smirked at Alexander. “Looks like he’s willing to say a few words after all.”
They waited. As the rider drew up his horse beside the commander, he appeared to relay the message. The commander stood for a moment, then faster than the warrior could react, he reached up and pulled the man from his horse. In a singular motion, the commander swung his battle-axe high and cleaved the man’s head from his body. Then he shouted back to the army behind him.
Behind the ranks, a catapult was brought forward.
The Horseman king looked on in horror.
The army quickly readied the catapult, and the commander pushed the head of the man into the sling. With the catapult loaded, he released it, sending his message over the castle wall, amidst the screams of horrified people inside.
The commander turned and loosed his axe again, methodically loading pieces of the man’s body into the catapult and sending them over the castle wall one at a time. After he sent over the body, the army loaded a boulder and took aim for the wall the Horsemen had repaired. It struck the stone with force that crumpled a large section to the ground.
Then the Destroyer mounted his destrier, and the army advanced.
“Do you understand now?” Alexander pressed the king. “Release us!”
Horrified and shocked, the king nodded his head, waving his men to release the Northmen. Soldiers removed the chains around Alexander’s wrists and pushed him down the stairs and to the gates of the castle.
“If we release you, he will leave?” the king asked.
Alexander couldn’t answer that, but… “If you don’t release me, he’ll kill you all.”
The king swayed, seemingly unsure of what to do to stop the looming army. “Go!” he snapped finally.
Alexander and his men stumbled out of the gates and hurried toward the advancing army. He prayed he could stop the commander. The Horsemen had taken over the ruins, restoring much of Aviron and settling their families. Despite his anger at the king, Alexander didn’t want harm to come to those families, a moral consideration he knew wouldn’t concern the Destroyer.
When Alexander reached the army, he stopped to catch his breath, eyeing the commander before looking back at the castle. “Was that necessary?” he asked.
“Are you not released?” the Destroyer taunted, sitting on top of his horse and looking down at him. “You don’t look as bad as I thought you would.”
“Not as bad as you’d hoped?” Alexander cut back.
“There’s still time.”
Alexander ignored the jab and eyed the army. “What is your intent?”
A wrap covered the commander’s face, but his eyes revealed his smile. “What Salara sent me here for—to see Aviron no more.”
“Why didn’t she send the horse, or at least a ransom?”
“Because then everyone would be trying to steal you away, with how easy it is.”
Alexander shook his head. “What did you say to her? She wouldn’t have been willing to destroy an entire tribe to release me.”
