Page 192 of War Queen
Possibly—if they could make it back to Mikael in time for all their armies to stand together.
“And if the Raelean armyisreal?” Phillip asked.
They all knew what would happen if it was real and they attacked—even at a hundred thousand strong, Aleon would be decimated, especially since Caspian and the Northern army still hadn’t arrived to join them.
But Soren couldn’t wait for the Northern army to arrive to find out. That would be too late for Mikael—if it wasn’t too late already. He turned to Adrian. “Do you think it’s real?”
Adrian swept his eyes across the line that stretched horizon to horizon. He pursed his lips together, then shook his head. “No. I don’t.”
Soren looked at Cohen. “You?”
Cohen shook his head.I don’t think it’s real, he answered.
Soren didn’t either, but was he sure enough to risk it all? If he didn’t, he risked Mikael. “Today’s a day for blood then.”
It was just a matter of whose.
Chapter forty-seven
TheearthshookasSoren thundered forward with the Aleon army behind him. He’d always loved the charge to battle, but this battle was different. He’d always fought to take. Now he fought to keep, and he had more to lose than he ever had before.
If he’d decided wrong, if the Raelean forceswerereal, he’d be damning both Phillip and Mikael. The Aleon army would be overwhelmed and defeated. Then Rael and Japheth would rest a day or two and easily take the Northern army when they arrived late. And then Mikael would stand alone.
Mikael would fall alone.
But it was too late to turn back. Soren’s eyes locked on the enemy as he led the charge; he had to push out the doubt. He had to focus on what he did best—killing. He’d kill as many as he could. And then he’d kill more.
Japheth’s army reacted in surprise, with a delayed start of their return charge.Unprepared.Or cowards. Or both. Of course, it helped that they assumed only fools would attack their joint armies. But they finally did return the charge and drove their forces to meet the attack.
Rael waited, although its army seemed ready. The army waited with intention, but just what was the intention? Finally, the army of the Blood King swept forward like an ocean wave—massive, with the speed of the tide. It would be Rael that met him first, and Soren welcomed it—fortune or foolishness, he would know now.
Cohen rode at his side, his sword drawn. Soren wasn’t ashamed to wager the boy might claim more kills than he did. He was fast—faster than Soren—and precise. And Soren realized that other than Adrian, there wasn’t a better man beside him in battle. He should have given him a proper place in the army. If they survived this, he would.
Three legions of the Aleon army followed closely behind him. He’d only led the army of Kharav into battle, never another, and he was sure the soldiers of Aleon had never followed a commander like him. For a brief moment, he smiled. They were about to find out exactly what it was like.
Adrian and Phillip took the left flank with the majority of the Aleon army, driving straight for Japheth and Gregor. If the decision to attack was wrong, Soren hoped Phillip would at least get his brother’s head. With Adrian by his side, it was likely.
The armies came together like mountains colliding. Soren let go of Kal’s reins—the destrier knew what to do—and he swung his battle-axe high above his head. The Raelean army rushed forward to meet him. He let out a raging roar and gave all of himself to the clash. His horse leapt high, kicking out its cleated ironclad hooves at the enemy as Soren brought his axe down to collect the first strike of heads.
And his blade cut through like it was an army of air.
No flesh.
No bone.
No blood.
The Raelean army was a false image—a ruse. Soren’s destrier landed with a jerk, and he reached his hand down to steady the beast. Soren was a bit unnerved himself as the image of the army charged through him. The chaos threatened his senses. He gave his mind a moment to process the state around him and regain his balance. Then he twisted around to find Cohen. The boy was just behind him, with the Aleon legions. Even with the image still moving through them, they gave a ready signal.
Relief hit him, but only for a moment. Still the clash of battle rang in the air. Japheth’s army was very much real, and the battle hadn’t been won yet. Gregor still had a significant army, and not only that but if there was a witch on the battlefield, she could bring more trouble than just a ruse.
“Find the witch!” Soren bellowed, and he pushed his Aleon legions deeper into the sea of spirits. Even though the images didn’t harm them, it was hard to find their way through the madness. They still used their weapons, not willing to take the risk of a threat being real. Soren drove his men deeper.
More spirits flooded through them, their numbers growing. He was getting closer, and the witch was throwing chaos at him. He pressed on. He could feel her desperation in the growing masses, and it gave him strength. Desperation meant fear. Fear meant victory.
Suddenly, the sky darkened and the spirits of men turned to spirits of monsters. Scaled-serpent bodies broke from the ground and shot into the sky, sprouting webbed wings and claws that threatened to snatch a man to the hells. They gained height and swooped back down toward the army, their mouths open for blood.
“They’re not real!” Soren bellowed back to his men. “Press on!”
