CHAPTER 6: Blood on the Snow
1047 Words
"Robin, behind you!"
My scream tore through the icy mountain air.
Before the hooded assassin could fire the crackling sphere of shadowy magic from its staff, a violent jolt of golden light erupted from my core.
I didn't think. I just reacted.
I slammed my palms together, unleashing a beam of pure solar energy that streaked across the battlefield.
BOOM!
The blinding light struck the ledge right beneath the assassin’s feet, shattering the ancient rock into a million pieces.
The hooded figure shrieked as it plunged toward the snowy ravine below, its dark staff snapping in half.
On the ground, Robin whirled around, his terrifying scarlet gaze sweeping over the falling debris before snapping directly to me.
For a fraction of a second, the lethal, bloodthirsty warlord looked completely stunned.
A slow, feral grin spread across his sculpted lips.
"Impatient, aren't we, my sweet Queen?" his deep voice echoed, rich with intoxicating pride.
He didn't waste another moment.
Like a shadow gliding through a nightmare, Robin lunged into the remaining horde of attackers. His black-runed blade blurred, carving through flesh, steel, and dark bone.
Every strike was absolute poetry—savage, precise, and completely merciless.
Within three minutes, the snow-covered mountain pass was painted in black blood.
The silence that followed was heavy and suffocating.
Lord Kaelen lowered his shield, breathing heavily as he wiped his crimson-stained sword on a fallen cloak. The surviving knights instantly dropped to one knee, facing the center of the road.
Robin casually flicked the dark gore off his blade before sheathing it with a sharp, echoing metallic click.
He strode toward my warhorse, his long strides effortless, carrying an imperial presence that demanded complete submission.
Yet, as he reached my side, the deadly pressure radiating from him dissolved into pure, reverent warmth.
He reached up, wrapping his massive, leather-clad hands around my waist and lifting me effortlessly off the saddle.
He didn't set me on the ground. Instead, he pulled my body flush against his broad chest, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, inhaling my scent like a starving man offered a feast.
"You protected me," Robin whispered against my skin, his gravelly voice trembling with a terrifying mix of adoration and possession.
"A tiny, fragile star trying to shield the monster."
"You were unguarded," I murmured, resting my hands against his iron-hard shoulders.
I expected to feel trembling or fear after using my power, but my veins thrummed with a strange, addicting vitality.
"I won't let anyone touch you from behind."
Robin pulled back slightly, his piercing eyes burning with intense, molten intensity.
He cupped my cheek, his thumb gently caressing my cheekbone. "The High Council in the Capital thinks they can extinguish your flame before it consumes their corrupt throne. They have no idea what is coming for them."
He turned his head toward Lord Kaelen, his tone turning ice-cold in an instant.
"Kaelen. Burn the remains. Leave their severed heads on the border posts as a message to the Imperial Senate."
"At once, Your Majesty!" Kaelen barked, signaling the troops to execute the order.
Robin carried me toward a luxurious, black-and-gold reinforced carriage that had been guarded in the rear of our procession.
He pushed open the heavy wooden door, stepping inside and setting me down gently onto a pile of plush velvet cushions and warm furs.
The interior was warm, heated by small enchanted braziers, smelling faintly of cedarwood and sweet wine.
Robin climbed in behind me, sealing the thick door and blocking out the howling mountain wind.
He sat directly across from me, his long legs stretching out, his dark gaze locked onto my every movement.
The sudden intimacy inside the enclosed space made my pulse race.
"Drink this," Robin said softly, handing me a silver goblet filled with a warm, fragrant liquid. "It will settle the residual surge in your divine core."
I took the cup, my fingers brushing against his. A small, pleasant spark danced across our skin.
I took a small sip. The liquid tasted like wild honey and winter berries, soothing the sharp heat lingering in my chest.
"How much further to the Citadel?" I asked, setting the goblet aside on a small marble table.
"We will cross the Dark Valley by sunrise," Robin replied, his gaze dropping to my lips before rising back to my eyes.
"Once we enter the Citadel, the nobility will try to test you. They will look at your past, your lack of formal training, and your former slave mark."
I clutched my fingers tightly against the velvet fur. My mind flashed back to the cold mud, the silver collar, and Max’s cruel laughter.
"Let them try," I said, a dark, venomous edge slipping into my voice. "I am done bowing. Anyone who tries to drag me back down will burn."
Robin’s eyes flared with pure, dark delight. He leaned forward, sliding off his seat to kneel on the floorboards right between my knees.
The grand Overlord, the nightmare of the empire, resting his hands gently on my thighs as if I were a holy deity.
"That is my girl," he whispered, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the back of my hand.
"You don't have to bow to anyone ever again, Lilya. I built an empire of blood and steel... just so I could place it at your feet."
His devotion was overwhelming, frightening, and insanely intoxicating.
For years, I was told I was worthless. Now, the most dangerous male in existence was kneeling before me, offering me the world.
"I will hold you to that promise, Robin," I whispered back, leaning forward slightly. "If they challenge me, I won't hold back."
"Good," he murmured, his thumb stroking my knee. "I want to see them bleed for even thinking they were superior to you."
Suddenly, a violent jolt rocked the heavy carriage.
The horses outside let out terrified, frantic shrieks.
CRACK!
The wooden roof of the heavy carriage was violently ripped open by massive, metallic talons, exposing us to the dark, freezing sky.
A giant, shadowy creature with glowing violet eyes peered down at us from above, its razor-sharp beak snapping inches from my head.
"FOUND YOU, LITTLE SUN WOLF!" a screeching voice roared from the sky.
- Writer
