Chapter 9 They Came for the Crown
919 Words
Elara POV
I did not scream.
I considered it.
But after monsters, ghosts, living shadows, burning hands, and being teleported out of my apartment, I felt screaming had become repetitive.
So I stared instead.
The sky above us was dark red, streaked with black clouds that moved too fast. Mountains made of jagged bone rose in the distance. Rivers of glowing fire cut through the land like veins.
And the castle
It towered above the courtyard like something built by nightmares with excellent architecture.
Black stone walls climbed higher than any building I had ever seen. Spires twisted into sharp points. Gargoyles lined the ledges, their eyes glowing faintly.
I turned to Kael.
“You live here?”
He glanced at the castle. “Sometimes.”
“That is not a normal answer.”
Seraphina brushed dust from her sleeve. “For him, it is.”
Rows of armored soldiers remained kneeling before us. Their armor was black steel etched with silver symbols. None of them looked human enough for comfort.
One had glowing blue eyes.
Another had horns.
Great.
Kael removed his hand from my waist, and I hated how cold the air felt afterward.
The tallest soldier stepped forward and bowed deeper.
“My prince.”
Kael’s expression sharpened. “Rise, Commander Varek.”
The soldier stood. He was huge, scarred, and terrifying in the efficient way of men who enjoy battle too much.
Then his gaze shifted to me.
And widened.
“The crown,” he said quietly.
Murmurs spread through the kneeling ranks.
Every eye fixed on the object in my hands.
I suddenly wanted pockets.
Varek dropped to one knee again, this time to me.
“Your Majesty.”
I choked on air.
“No.”
Kael’s jaw tightened.
“She is not to be addressed that way.”
Varek looked between us carefully. “As you command.”
I pointed at him. “Yes. Good. No Majesty.”
He bowed again. “Of course, Majesty.”
I closed my eyes.
Seraphina laughed under her breath.
Kael almost smiled.
Almost.
Before I could complain further, a horn sounded across the courtyard.
Not the same terrifying one from Earth.
This one was sharper. Urgent.
Varek’s head snapped toward the gate towers.
“Attackers.”
Kael went still.
“Who?”
A younger soldier ran forward, breathless.
“Hunters crossed the lower bridge, my prince. With human weapons and mage fire.”
Seraphina cursed softly. “They moved faster than expected.”
I looked from one face to another.
“Who exactly is attacking us?”
Kael drew his black blade.
“Everyone.”
That felt rude.
The massive gates at the far end of the courtyard exploded inward.
Stone shattered.
Smoke rolled across the ground.
Through it marched silver-armored hunters from Earth, rifles raised beside glowing spears. Behind them came robed figures wreathed in blue magic.
And behind them
Creatures.
Wolf beasts, scaled giants, winged horrors.
Enemies who apparently hated each other enough to unite over me.
Wonderful.
One masked hunter pointed directly at my chest.
“Take the heir alive. Take the crown intact.”
Kael stepped in front of me.
His voice rang across the courtyard like thunder.
“Then come and fail.”
Chaos erupted.
Shadow soldiers charged with brutal roars.
Hunters fired glowing bolts.
Monsters leaped into the ranks.
The courtyard became war in seconds.
I backed away, clutching the crown.
“I hate being popular!”
Seraphina seized my arm and dragged me behind a stone pillar as arrows of light slammed where I’d stood.
“Stay low.”
“You stay low!”
“I am too elegant.”
She rose and hurled a storm of ice shards into the battlefield, dropping three hunters instantly.
I peeked around the pillar.
Kael was everywhere.
One moment he was near the gates, blade flashing through silver armor. The next he vanished into shadow and reappeared atop a monster’s back, driving steel through its skull.
He moved like death with anger issues.
Varek roared commands while cleaving through enemies twice his size.
The castle shook as magic blasted walls.
A hunter spotted me.
He broke through the melee, sprinting straight toward our pillar.
Seraphina was occupied.
Kael was too far.
The hunter lunged, spear raised.
I stumbled backward and held out the crown instinctively.
Nothing happened.
“Oh come on!”
The spear came down.
At the last second, black chains erupted from the ground and wrapped the hunter midair, slamming him into the stone.
I blinked.
Then looked at my hands.
I had done that.
Again.
The chains tightened until he dropped the spear.
I swallowed.
Maybe I was becoming the scary thing now.
Kael appeared beside me in a burst of shadow, blood on his jaw and fury in his eyes.
“Did he touch you?”
“What?”
“Did he touch you?”
“No!”
He visibly relaxed.
Then seemed annoyed that he had.
The gates groaned.
Something massive pushed through the smoke.
Even the hunters backed away.
A towering beast with six horns and molten eyes stepped into the courtyard, dragging chains behind it.
The soldiers around us began to retreat.
Varek looked shaken for the first time.
“Impossible,” he said.
Kael’s face turned hard as stone.
“They brought a Titan.”
I stared upward.
“That is a Titan?”
“It will kill everyone here.”
“Good to know!”
The Titan’s gaze locked onto me.
Then it smiled.
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