Leighton

57. Forging a sword.

Leighton

“We are under attack.” Peter said suddenly as he jumped up from Pipers bed.

I didn’t trust him to look out for her but the nurse had said she would recover faster with Peter by her side so I was hovering near the door.

He went to leave before I could link Estelle and check she was okay.

“Where are you going ?” I asked.

“We need to go to barrier, if they breach… we can’t stop Adalfudis.”

“You need to stay with your mate. I’ll tend to the barrier.”

“And leave the princess unprotected. Preposterous.” Peter had the unabashed audacity to chastise me.

“The Princess is my duty to look after, you can’t leave your mate unconscious to go running..”

“Are you even listening to yourself? Do you have any idea how to rule? You are lucky, your mate is the princess you get to protect her. Me ? I have to do my duty. At least I remember what that is.” He paused at Piper’s head, pecking her briefly before barging past me.

I stared after him in disbelief while linked Estelle, at least if she came her I could protect her too.

“Estelle ? Where are you ?”

“I’m back at the spell room, what’s going on ?”

“We are under attack. Come to the medical bay quickly. I’ll wait for you here.” I tried to ask nicely, dreading her reply.

“I have a Kingdom to save.” I could hear the displeasure in her voice, and I knew there would be no arguing with her.

“Sorry. Piper. I have to go, I need to. I’m sorry.” I spoke to her unconscious form, like she would wake up and tell me she was fine and I should go. Which I knew she wouldn’t, she would be upset that Peter wasn’t here and pissed I was leaving her too.

Without another word I ran towards the spell room and Estelle.

I made it just in time. I could see her tense face, how she was trying to be strong but didn’t quite know what was coming. I needed to feel her and so instead of saying much I just held her. Hoping she could take anything she needed from me. I would have given anything to her if it helped whatever was about to happen. So much so I didn’t want to let go.

It was more nerve racking than I could have thought, watching her take her place. I could see the same look on both Jackson and Oliver’s faces as an eerie silence fell over the room. The only noise the soft chant of the three witches.

Soon a mist started to appeared, that grew with each passing moment. As it blocked them from sight it also blocked Estelle’s emotions from me. As much as I didn’t want to tear my gaze from her direction I was aware of a change in the atmosphere. The King had appeared and he stopped, facing us he said simply.

“Be ready.” Then he disappeared as the mist parted to let him through. As it did Estelle’s emotions flooded my head. A sadness I didn’t expect was there.

Not knowing if she would hear me I made a promise to her.

“I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you”

I wished she could be hear me. In fact I wished I was on the other side. I didn’t get time to idle too much because I was conscious of something changing. Despite not wanting to be any further away from Estelle something was pulling me away.

I barely noticed that the chanting had diminished, as there was a growing distance outside. I felt the snap of something, my first thought leap to Ashton, but it felt different.

“The magic barrier has been breached. The dark witch is here.”

I moved to block the door, more by instinct than anything else as I found myself flanked by Oliver and Jackson.

“What do we do ?” Jackson asked, looking back longingly at the mist.

“We keep, whatever is coming ? Out there.”

“For how long ?”

“Until Iris tells us they are ready.” Oliver said, a true resolve in his voice and unwavering faith in his mate.

The sound of fighting grew louder, until a silence fell over us. A weight of darkness crept into the room. Like the shadows were creeping closer. It made my skin tingle and I had to fight the urge to run towards it.

“Leighton, we can’t hold him, the King is too strong… the witch, she is paralysing wolves.” Ashtons panicked mind link came through.

“It’s okay brother.” I tried to reassure him. “They won’t get through us.” Someone must have linked the others too as I felt one appear at either shoulder as we blocked the entrance.

I could see Adalfudis approaching, a blast of fire sending the three of us for cover.

“Hello, again.” He smiled as he entered the room as we picked ourselves up. I didn’t waste any time launching my attack at him. Surprise would be our only ally. I figured the best thing was to keep him on the back foot. The less time I gave him to think the less damage hopefully, he could do.

Oliver clearly had the same idea. As he reached the King before me but it was like a forcefield was around him, Oliver was slammed backwards and my momentum wouldn’t allow me to stop so I followed suit. Jackson had been slower to attack so he managed to pause and picked up a pole that was lying nearby he threw that in the direction of the King instead.

It wasn’t stopped by the same barrier but the King set it ablaze before it could touch him.

“How do we fight this?” I reached out l, not expecting an answer.

Oliver had already picked himself up and was launching himself at the King again. I couldn’t think of a better idea right now so I joined him, hoping our combined strength would weaken it.

I winced as I hit the wall again. I wanted to believe that our combined forces had dented it somehow but I think it was wishful thinking as I saw Oliver spring to his feet beside me.

Charging at it once we certainly didn’t fly through the air a third time and Adalfudis noticed. Before we could get to our feet a sea of flames soared over heads, forcing us to stay down.

There was a cackle, almost like the kind you see in movies and a witch appeared beside him. There was nothing noteworthy to look at about her but you could feel her power. It felt different to anything I had felt before, like it drained the light from the room. Everything seemed darker, colder, despite the small fire that raged behind us.

With a flick of her wrist she dosed the flames.

“Stop playing. Get what we came here for.”

Oliver and reacted as one, both hitting the barrier with all the strength we could muster as it yielded. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jackson being sent flying by the witch but it was the distraction we needed.

Even without his defensive barrier we were not match for the King. He could keep us at bay with his scorching flames and soon the sweat was pouring from us all.

We had someone managed to avoid serious injury and I was starting to question what their plan was.

“It’s ready.” Iris sounded tired as she told us they were ready. No one had explained the plan from here so I didn’t know how this weapon they were making would help us.

Moments later Iris walked through the mist with a gleaming sword in her hand. I couldn’t tell what it was made of but I could tell by the way Adalfudis looked at it he hadn’t been expecting it.

“The sword of destiny.” The witch uttered, almost in awe.

“Give that to me?” She threw out her hand and Iris held firm as the sword crackled, bolts of lighting shooting out in all directions.

The name sounded familiar but I couldn’t place where I had heard it before and now wasn’t the time to be trying to rack my brain. As the witch was trying to extract the sword, Adalfudis had moved towards the circle of wolves currently concealed by mist. Catching him by surprise I managed to knock him to the floor, a circle of fire immediately engulfing me, keeping me from him once more.

“You are fighting a real King now.” He paused to mock me. “I never understood the moon goddess. Estelle was wasted on you.”

“What and your fool of a son was worthy.”

My words slowed him a little but he didn’t defend his son, a slow smirk formed on his face.

“He was never meant for her.” He looked over the mist. “This fool of a King thought I would let him get away with stealing my Queen. I had my eyes on a grander prize.”

His words confirmed my suspicions that he was here for Estelle. The fact that he had barely looked the sword made me reconsider his need for devine power.

“I am already the most powerful wolf on this planet. I don’t need to steal her power. I want her in my bed.”

There was a commotion behind me, the flames were slowly subsiding and I could see that the witch had Oliver and Jackson frozen in the air above her head but for some reason reason they were now hurtling to the floor.

I flew through the air, praying I could shield their fall before they shattered into a million pieces.

It was likely being hit by two concrete pillars, every part of my body screamed in agony. Both rolled of me, still inert and I saw the witch flying towards Iris.

Iris wobbled, as the sword looked heavy so I forced my aching body to move towards her.

“Give me the sword.” The witch demanded as she stood at the edge of Iris’s grey barrier. Clearly it was holding so I had time to sneak around behind and move towards King Adalfudis.

Suddenly I felt a rope of fire around my neck. It didn’t burn my skin but sucked out the oxygen I was trying to breath.

“I think we need to be rid of you.” He said to me as my eyes followed the rope of fire back to his hand. Black spots started to dance in from of my eyes as struggled to breath.

“Leighton, I can’t yield the sword, I need your help.”

I didn’t respond but I looked over just in time to see Iris throw the sword my way. My aching limbs were now also protesting about the lack of oxygen but I somehow managed to grab it, using it to slice through the rope of fire.

I watched in amazement as the sword glowed, and instead of the rope disappearing it wrapped itself around the sword.

The sword started to thrum, like the power was too much and I struggled to hold it as Adalfudis lunged at me.

Not wasting a second I raised the sword over my head, planning to strike down upon him when I felt some invisible force slowing me down.

The witch was chanting a spell and I only managed to move out of the way and keep the sword in my hands.

My movement were only becoming more sluggish as Adalfudis turned back to me with a nasty smile on his face.

“Not so strong now? Lover boy ?”

I could feel the strength ebbing but I kept a hold of the sword.

“Iris, what do I do?”

“You need to kill him.”

That seemed pretty impossible right now. I heard another witch chanting now and some power turned to my arms. Suddenly the sword felt lighter and the glow seemed dimmer but I summoned all the energy I had left and ran at Adalfundis, aiming for his heart.

He managed to block me slightly but my momentum carried us back so the sword pierced his shoulder and he screamed in pain.

Before he could retaliate a blast of light sent him flying towards the door. The chanting stopped and darkness swirled around us.

“Help me.” I heard Adalfundis say and there was a crack before all the light left the room.