Love & War
Chapter 23

Elliot

Theos help this poor bastard. I swear I’ll kill him as soon as I get the chance. I would do almost anything to pierce his throat with my blade. I should have ended his miserable existence when I cut off his arm.

“Boy,” I say through clenched teeth. Garret steps beside me with the hood of the cloak he’s wearing pulled over his face. Trey doesn’t seem to suspect anything. King Bartholomew rolls his eyes and turns away from us.

“Handle your dealings. I grow tired of this. It seems my daughter has made her decision. I am going back to camp,” he waves his hand and begins to walk back. Coward.

“Give the healer to me and the elf is yours.” Trey is smirking. Does he think this is funny? I’ll show that lizard toadstool funny when I flay him and put his head on a fucking pike.

“Give me the elf first,” I say. Illiana puts her hand on my arm. Trey looks at her and glares, then looks down at Zander and rolls his eyes. He dares to lay his eyes on my woman again? Did he not learn his lesson last time?

“Come get your elf then.”

What a dumbass. I hold my hand up and point at Zander. My chest starts to tighten. It’s either anxiety or adrenaline. Either way, I can’t falter now. Just a little longer.

Two of my soldiers bend down by Zander and help him stand. His leg is a mangled mess. It looks like shards of several crystal quartz arrows are protruding through his ripped pants just above his knee.

This lizard scum did this.

He will pay for this. I will personally see to it that he does.

When Zander is safely behind me, I look up at that bastard and glare. He smirks at me again and snaps his fingers. He’s nothing if not brave. Or is that stupidity?

“My healer. Now,” he points to my nephew. Garret steps beside me and pauses. Trey smirks down at him too. This fool really can’t tell the difference between and elven and healer child?

Trey brings his hand up to his nub and touches it, smiling to himself. Does he plan to reattach his arm? That’s ridiculous. The severed arm should be dead by now. Unless his magi has it stashed away somewhere in suspended animation. Pfft.

There have been no magis powerful enough to do that kind of sorcery since the one who cursed our land. And that particular magi disappeared long ago.

I look down at Garret and nod. Garret clenches his fist and takes a step toward Trey.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Now is not the time for my chest to feel this tight again. Theos. Garret walks toward Trey. Once he’s within arm’s reach, the lizard scum grabs Garret’s shoulder and roughly pulls him to just in front of where he stands. Garret’s hood falls to his shoulders, exposing his brilliant silver hair. Trey stares at him, gobsmacked.

“What is this?!” The lizard scum shrieks. He lets go of Garret and wipes his hand on his robe. As if he’d catch some kind of plague.

I could only be so lucky.

“Surprise, you big stupid lizard!” Garret kicks Trey as hard as he can, making direct impact with his groin. Trey falls to his knees and groans. I’ve never been more proud.

“Fall back!” I yell.

Garret turns around and runs back behind me and to the tree line with the others. I turn and look at Illiana. She’s standing there with a hand in her back, staring at the lizard.

“Come, Kona,” I say. I scoop her up into my arms and run toward the tree line.

“Gods. Elliot,” she groans.

“What’s the matter?” Something in my gut is telling me something’s off.

We make it to the tree line and I look over at Saphira who is standing by one of the outpost towers.

“Take charge.” She nods, and I turn my attention back to Illiana.

“Something does not feel right. I feel-” she squirms against my chest and sticks her hand just between her legs and then pulls it out.

Blood.

Her hand is covered in fresh blood.

My mind goes blank, and I stare at her hand. Lia crying out in pain breaks my trance.

“Saphira! I need a medic!” I scream.

Saphira’s mess of red hair pokes out from behind the outpost tower, and she comes running.

“Whats wrong?”

“She’s bleeding. There’s blood. The babies! She’s not due yet. It’s too soon. Please, help her!” I can’t focus on anything. The only things running through my mind are what if’s and worst-case scenarios.

Saphira looks around for a moment and then points to a sleeping bag some left behind from this morning. It is just a simple leather and fur one, but has enough padding, Illiana shouldn’t feel the ground.

“Put her down there. I will have to examine her.”

I do as I’m told and lay Lia down on the sleeping bag. Tears are streaking her face. My heart squeezes in my chest.

For the first time in my life, I’m absolutely terrified.

Saphira kneels and peels Lia’s pants off. Blood is dripping from them. Theos, that’s more blood than a stab wound. Lia presses her legs together and groans.

“Okay, Illiana. I need to look down in here to examine you, ok?”

Lia spreads her legs and grabs my hand. She looks up into my eyes. She’s just as terrified as I am, if not more so. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Elliot, I am scared. I do not know that I can do this,” she cries into the back of my hand.

I caress her face with my free hand and muster up a smile.

“You can do this, Kona. You’re brave and strong.” She has to be able to do this.

“Okay, Illiana, I can see a head.” A head? Theos they’re coming now? It’s too soon. She shouldn’t be due for another month!

“Gods Elliot this freaking hurts!”

I just hold her hand and look down at Saphira. I’ve never felt so helpless.

The love of my life is lying here, writing in pain, and I can’t help her. Fuck! I can’t lose her. She’s made me feel alive again after all these years. I just- I can’t.

“On your next contraction, I need you to push. Can you do that, Illiana?” Saphira looks up at her. I’m going to pass out. Gods this isn’t good.

I should’ve made her stay at home. It’s s my fault she’s even here to begin with! Then again, it wouldn’t have made a difference. She would’ve gone into labor there too, and I would’ve left her alone again. Theos, I can’t win for losing.

Lia squeezes my hand and cries out.

“Almost! One more and the baby will be out! Push!” Saphira says without looking up. She has blood running down to her elbows. She’s losing too much blood.

Theos, please. Please.

A strangled cry breaks my prayer. A baby’s cry.

“Congratulations, you have a baby girl,” Saphira holds up Annalise for us to see. She is perfect. She has green wings, elven ears, and a head full of white hair matted to her head. Saphira ties off and cuts the umbilical cord.

“Prince Elliot, I need you to hold her. Baby two is crowning,” Saphira quickly places Annalise in the crook of my arm. She’s tiny and looks almost exactly like Lia. My heart feels so full. It’s a foreign feeling to me.

I look over at Illiana and bring Annalise down to where she can see her. Our daughter.

Illiana looks over at her and smiles weakly. Her face looks pale. My heart beats wildly in my chest.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

“Push Illiana!”

I sit up and take my cloak off with my free hand. Annalise is fast asleep in my arm. I swaddle her in my cloak and hold Illiana’s hand again.

“Hold on, stop pushing. The cord is around baby two’s neck. Okay. Now big push!” Saphira says. Wrapped around his neck?

Illiana groans and another cry pierces the silence. A much louder, stronger cry than before.

“And congratulations! You have a boy!” Saphira holds him up for us to see. He is the spitting image of me with her wings. He has a slight red indentation on his throat. I’m assuming that’s from the cord.

Holy shit I’m a father.

“Thoren,” Illiana says weakly. Saphira ties off and cuts his umbilical cord and then swaddles him in her cloak before placing him in my other arm.

“Prince Elliot, I have a lot of work to do to save her life. She’s hemorrhaging and still needs to birth the placentas. You don’t want to see this.” Saphira says without looking up from Illiana. I can smell the coppery scent of blood. I look at Saphira. Blood is pooling under her.

“Go. Take them and go. They do not need their first memory of me to be this,” Illiana places her hand on my leg. Her breathing is ragged.

“I won’t leave you.” Never again.

“I am fine. Saphira is helping me. Go

check on Zander. I promise I am not going anywhere,” she says. A tear slides down her face. Not even she believes that.

She’s sending me away, so I won’t have to watch her die.

Theos, if you really haven’t abandoned us, please heal her. I can’t do this without her. I haven’t loved her long enough. I haven’t been good enough to her. Please, Theos, give me more time with her.

“Okay. We will be back, though. Saphira, don’t you dare let her die. Do you understand? I don’t care what it takes, I can’t lose her.”

Saphira looks up at me and nods.

“Understood.”

I stand, careful of the twins. Annalise is sleeping peacefully, but Thoren is staring straight up at me with a little scowl on his face. He’s bigger than Annalise. Heavier too.

I look up and begin to walk in the direction of the other outpost tower, my heart sinking lower with each step I take.

You promised me you’d be okay, Lia.

“Holy fiddlesticks! What did they do to you?!” I hear Jess wail.

I damn near run in their direction. Zander is propped up on a makeshift table. Three logs pushed together with a sleeping bag on top of it. Two medics are pulling shards out of his leg as quickly as they can. Blood is trickling down the side if his leg and onto the sleeping bag.

There is so much blood everywhere I look.

“I’m not the only one that looks rough,” he smiles over at me. He has a black eye, a swollen lip, and several other cuts on his face.

“I am so sorry, Z. It’s all my fault you got taken in the first place,” I say.

Jessilyn snaps her head over to me.

“Quit that nonsense. What are you- Oh my gods! Are those the twins?” Jess’s eyes widen. Zander props himself up on his elbow.

“These are Annalise and Thoren. I’m sure you can tell which is which when you see their faces. Jess, stay here with Zander. You’re off the front lines. There are plenty of archers, and he needs you here.”

“Your majesty!” A soldier yells from behind me. I turn to see Loryn with blood spattering her breastplate and face.

“Yes?”

“They’ve begun to attack. I was sent to get you,” she says.

Fuck. Why now?

I look over at Jess and then down to my children. I have to go to protect my family.

“I need you to watch over them, Jess. Will you do that for me?” I look up at her.

“Yes, of course,” she says, looking at the twins. I place them in her arms and take the sight of them in one last time.

“Protect them. I will return.”

“Fight with courage, brother,” Jess says.

“Vanquish our enemies.”

I turn and walk toward the meadow. The stench of death is thick in the air. That putrid Lizard. This is his fault. All of it.

I unfasten my axe from my belt and swing in around in my hand for a moment before walking out into the open.

This is for those I love, and war.

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