“Can you ride?” I asked.
She nodded and swung up onto the horse. “My king is inside. He battles many of these creatures.”
“Go wherever you can get help. I assume Harrison is waist deep in blood elves.”
“He fights closer to the mountain. We managed to contain most of the blood elves, but some slipped through, and others still are coming from the forest.”
“There won’t be any more blood elves coming up through the tunnels under the city, but we’re in for a fight. Heal as best you can.”
She nodded and rode off as I ran into the palace, killing two blood elves with the sword I’d taken from the elf I’d killed earlier. It stuck fast in the chest of the second elf, so I left it be and kicked the elf aside.
A guard lay against a nearby pillar; blood soaked his belly and legs. He moved slightly and groaned in pain. I ran over and knelt beside him.
“They flooded the palace so quickly,” he said, spitting blood onto the floor beside him. “Never seen anything like it.”
“Galahad, Leonardo, Antonio, Selene, Zamek—have you seen any of them?”
“A large number of people got caught as they were moved away from this part of the city. Selene and Zamek were helping move them. I was ordered to stay here. I’m going to die, aren’t I?”
I wasn’t sure what to tell him. “Your body will heal. Alchemists are made of sturdy stuff.”
“I’m human.”
The shock on my face must have been easy to see.
“Was in the army. Human army. I married an alchemist, and we came here.”
“Rest, you can see her again.”
“She died a year ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“This was her dream, so I couldn’t leave it. You know?” His breathing became more labored, and his skin was pale and clammy. I knew he didn’t have long. “You ever love anyone so much you couldn’t let go?”
I nodded. “I need to help Galahad.”
He reached out and took my hand. “Please don’t let me die alone like this. I want to see her again, but I’m so afraid. Do you think there’s a heaven?”
I shook my head. “Sorry.”
“Thanks for being honest. At least if there’s nothing after this, I can know for certain that she’s not in pain. That I won’t be in pain.” He coughed again and closed his eyes. “Being here was the best time of my life.”
I held his hand as he died, before crossing his arms across his chest and tucking his sword into them. It was all I could think to do. I got back to my feet and walked with determination across the room to the nearby hallway, picking up a sword from a fallen guard on the way.
I killed the three blood elves in the hall as quickly as possible, the whole time feeling my rage fuel me, pushing me on. Lee’s power flooded my body, and for a moment I thought to use it, to use my magic and end everything in my path, but I stopped myself. That would be a disaster.
I kicked open the double doors at the end of the hallway and walked into the dining room, which was empty of anyone living. I ran through, ignoring the bodies on the slick floor, moving from room to room until I reached the ballroom doors. It was the quickest way to the rear of the palace, where I could hopefully aid any guards fighting the battle closest to the forest.
Inside, Galahad was surrounded by the bodies of the blood elves who had fallen before his two blades. He moved with grace and purpose, each cut aimed to kill or maim an opponent. It was as if he were a dancer, creating a beautiful fusion of movement, grace, and death. He stabbed one blood elf in the throat and turned toward another, driving the blade into the elf’s heart.
“You’re busy,” I said, stepping over one of the many bodies.
“I like to do my part. You okay?”
“Lee is dead. Very dead, not vampire-rise-from-the-grave dead.”
“Good. Leonardo and Antonio are to the west of here. They had an idea to use the elven-rune gate in the mountain to start evacuating people to Tartarus. The place was Sky’s idea, by the way. She said there’s plenty of space there. Zamek and Lucifer are trying to figure out the translations for the elven runes so we can move as many people as possible.”
“Will it work?” I asked.
“We don’t have a lot of other ideas to get a million people out of this realm. It’ll take time and effort to do it, but even if we shift ten thousand people a day, we can prepare for Avalon’s arrival, and hopefully this place will be empty then. In the meantime, Abaddon ran into the woods. Care to help?”
We left the ballroom and reached the rear entrance to the palace. There had been a lot of fighting here.
“The guards are outside,” Galahad said as he walked over to a nearby body and picked up a sword, motioning for me to take it. “This belonged to one of my elite guard. It’s probably of better quality than the one you’re currently using.”
I took the sword from him just as several crystals strapped together bounced beside me, landing close to my feet. I turned in time to see Helios, in full dragon-kin form, standing in the doorway to the rear of the palace. He roared flame at us, and I was about to create a shield of air when Galahad shoved me aside, creating a shield of stone to protect us as the crystals ignited, throwing both of us across the room. I hit my head with enough force to dent the stone wall and fell to the ground, my vision swimming. I tried to get back to my feet as Helios walked over to Galahad, picked up his sword, and plunged it into his heart. Helios looked over at me and laughed before running out of the palace.
With my head still pounding, and blood running down my neck, I crawled over to Galahad, cradling him against me. The whole attack took seconds, and despite the power at my disposal, I was helpless to intervene.
“Please don’t die,” I whispered. “Please.”
“Nate,” Galahad said, placing his hand against my face. “My brother.”
I shook my head as tears filled my eyes.
“You were always the best of us. You were always the one who never stopped. Never backed down. I’m proud to have been your brother. Proud to have known you. To have loved you.”
“I love you, too,” I said, and then as tears flowed freely, my friend, my brother, Galahad died in my arms.
I roared in pain and rage, feeling the power inside of me grow, the need for vengeance burn. I lowered Galahad to the floor and took one of his swords before standing up and raising a hand toward the palace wall. All restraint vanished in an instant as air magic exploded from my palm, tearing into the wall like it was made of straw, ripping tons of stone apart and flinging them outside the palace with ease. A hurricane of air subsided only when most of the nearby wall had been destroyed, and I walked through it, every step leaving a burning footprint as all the magic inside me lit up as glyphs along my arms.