Chapter 2

Cassia shook the head of the horse. “Milo! Focus. What. Happened.”

The soldier swallowed hard and looked down at the General, then me. “The King is dead.”

Time seemed to drag, the rustling grasses too loud all of a sudden. The scent of blood on his tunic smelled of rotting meat. My stomach churned.

Cassia licked her lips. “The King is dead?”

Milo nodded.

The General spoke the word that rattled in my brain. “How?”

Milo groaned. “There is a creature, different from the others, bigger. He leads the demics. King Titus called him a Demilord. When Titus saw him...”

“He attacked,” Cassia finished.

“Yes,” Milo said. “Kill the Demilord and the rest would scatter, the King said.”

Cassia relaxed her hold on the bridle. “How did he fall?”

“There were too many between us and the Demilord.” Milo hunched in the saddle. “We never made it to town and had to fight them in the plains. Titus spearheaded a final charge, but there were too many. Too many.”

General Cassia lifted her head. “The rest of the 1^st Army?”

When she looked up at him, he only shook his head.

“All of them? Gone?” Cassia asked.

Milo whined. “Yes.”

“Shog a bosaur,” I cursed.

Five thousand troops went with my father. The best soldiers we had. All gone.

Only five hundred stood behind me.

Milo sat up. “The demics, they move fast. They’ll finish feeding, head this way. They’re coming.”

“How soon?” I managed to say.

Milo’s voice went soft. “They’ll be here within the hour.”

“Within the hour.” Cassia repeated as if giving herself time to think. She lifted her head. “Captain Eamus!”

The captain jogged from the line of soldiers. Had they heard our conversation? Did it matter?

Captain Eamus came to a stop. “Yes, General.”

Cassia faced him. “Leave a century here with me. Take the rest and start moving the citizens. I don’t care if they’re ready or not. Leave every animal except for horses to ride or for wagons. Get them moving. Go.”

Captain Eamus saluted, spun on a heel, and left.

I lowered my voice, making sure no one else could hear. “He said within the hour. If they move that fast ... we won’t make it.”

“We have to try,” she hissed. “If we leave enough of the herds behind, that might buy us some time.”

“For them to feed?” I gulped. “They just destroyed a whole town and the army. You don’t think they’ve had enough?”

Cassia regarded me with hooded eyes. “This is evil, remember? Evil doesn’t get satisfied.”

I cursed.

The general squared her shoulders. “I’ll also stay behind with a few soldiers, maybe we can buy some time.”

“That’s suicide,” I said.

“Probably,” Cassia said. “But one of the last warriors of El just died, and the unforged sword is lost with him. There’s no other...”

Milo jumped in his saddle. “The sword!” He reached behind him to something long and thin, wrapped in leather. He handed it across Cassia to me.

To me.

Cassia glared at the man. “He gave you his sword?”

“As he fell, yes.” Milo flinched when he met Cassia’s glower. “To the real. He fell, still far from the Demilord, and threw it to me. I was at the rear, and the blade landed at my feet. His last words were to escape.” Milo grimaced. “He said, ‘Get away and give my sword to Judai.’ That’s what he said.”

“He gave it to me?” I didn’t really expect anyone to respond, and they didn’t.

“Very well,” Cassia said. “Now get off that horse before it keels over from exhaustion. Help the soldiers get the people on the way to Ketan.”

“Yes, General.” Milo swung his leg over the horse and dropped to the road. He swayed before giving me another bow. “My King.” He rose and led his horse away. Leaving Cassia and me alone.

I held the rough leather in both hands, and I peered down at it like it was a snake about to dig its fangs into my heart.

My father’s sword. My King.

“Take it with you when you lead the people away.” Cassia’s words broke my stare.

I shook my head to clear it. “Lead them away? And leave you here?”

“Listen to me.” She took a few steps to stand between me and the remaining soldiers. “The future of the kingdom rests with you. You have to get back to Ketan, tell Queen Mila what happened, and lead the defense. With your father’s last act, he gave us hope. You have the sword. You’ll be behind the walls.”

“But...”

“King Titus sent pigeons to Biram and Taggart, asking for reinforcements. If you can survive tonight, make it to Ketan, and then you’ve got a chance. Manahem has a chance.”

I wanted to argue. But she was right. We needed to get as many people we could to Ketan, as quickly as possible. Cassia would need every chance.

Lifting the wrapped weapon in my hand, I said, “Here. Take the sword.”

General Cassia shook her head. “Your father left it for you. Expressly.”

For the one who didn’t believe? For the one that always argued with him and treated him like a fool? “Doesn’t matter. My father is...” I couldn’t finish the thought. “This isn’t going to do me any good behind a wall. If this sword gives you a chance, you have to take it.”

“He gave it to you, and that matters to me,” she said. “But it isn’t just about the sword. Only a warrior of El can use that blade. I’m not one.”

I smirked. “Neither am I. And you’re probably closer to anything else we’ve got.”