Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky
Heartless Sky: Chapter 64

Fire magic slammed into my air shield with such force that I was knocked from my feet, my armour ringing with a metallic dong as I crashed down on my back and I snarled as I rolled in the mud and blood which coated the ground, shoving to my feet once more before summoning my wings from my spine and taking off into the air.

The fight was still raging all around me and I cursed as Dragon fire was blasted my way by one of Lionel’s fucking fan club members, ducking the attack with my speed rather than wasting the energy on shielding and throwing shards of ice and wood back at the red beast, aiming at its wings and eyes.

The Dragon roared in agony as the magic skewered the thin membrane of its wings and I followed my attack with a blast of air that sent the beast soaring out over the ranks of Nymphs so that it crashed down into them as it fell instead of hitting the rebels. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I’d lost sight of Alejandro in the melee again as he kept shifting in and out of his Nymph form to attack in different ways, the Nymphs at his command allowing him through their line while I was forced to face it time and again. 

A loyal band of rebels had formed at my back, adapting to my fighting style and battling alongside me to help me gain ground with every minute that passed, and I offered Justin a grim smile as he set a Nymph alight with his fire magic and sent it screaming back into the fold of its brethren.

An earth shattering roar filled the air and I looked across the battlefield to the hill where Lionel and Darius had taken their fight, the flash of gold and green scales in the moonlight slick with what had to be blood. 

My heart squeezed with fear for my mate, but I forced myself to have faith in him just as he would have to have faith in me to see this fight through. Though as I looked down at my people and took in the seemingly endless swarm of Lionel’s army advancing on them, I had to admit that I was starting to fear the outcome of this battle.

I sheathed my sword and called on my water magic as I held myself suspended above the fight, drawing my power to the tips of my fingers and holding it there until I swear I could hear the rush of water pulsing against my eardrums, the strength of it threatening to overwhelm me.

I released a tidal wave on the Nymphs before us, my hair whipping back with the force of energy I exerted and a feral snarl burning from my lips as it crashed into them, washing them away and driving them into the mud of the battlefield. I took hold of that mud next, dragging as many flailing bodies as I could down into it, my fists clenching and limbs trembling with the force of my magic as I drowned them in the mud and bought my unit some small reprieve from the fight.

I dropped from the sky to land before my people, finding Catalina among them as she threw wooden spears one after another at the retreating backs of the Nymphs who had managed to run from my attack, taking them down while Hamish kept his hand on her shoulder, lending her his power.

“That’s it, Kitty! Poke them full of more holes than a fig bush!”

My eyes darted back and forth over the battlefield as my little unit of Fae all looked to me for my next orders and Justin moved closer, raising a metal shield and holding it protectively like he was hoping to shield me from an attack if one came, the glint of a Phoenix fire blade in his other hand, held ready.

I spotted Alejandro to my left as the sound of screams grew unbearable from his direction, Eugene’s battalion all shifting into their Tiberian Rat forms and scampering away in horror as the Nymphs ran at them with their rattles choking the magic from the air.

I opened my mouth to direct my group that way, but before the command could escape me, Gabriel dropped from the sky like a bullet, landing before me in his fully shifted Harpy form with his black wings flaring at his spine and his body coated with the silver armoured scales of his kind. His chest was heaving, blood splattered his cheek and the look he gave me was laced with all the terror of whatever he’d seen.

“Call a retreat,” he demanded. “The day is lost, and the army will be wiped out if we linger. I can’t see what the Nymphs are going to do but if we don’t concede defeat now, there is no future left open to us where the army will be left standing.”

“We’re surrounded, Gabriel,” I breathed in fear, keeping my spine straight in case anyone was watching me, but it was the truth. Lionel’s army had encircled us before they attacked, and the only way out was for us to punch through.

“My family have taken a large group of earth Elementals back down into the tunnels,” he replied with a shake of his head. “They’re digging an escape route for us as we speak. I’ve seen the children and vulnerable escaping that way and there’s a good chance the remainder of our army can make it out through them too. I just haven’t seen what needs to happen to ensure that fate yet. But it’s now or never, Tory, call the retreat or the war will be lost this night.”

My eyes widened in horror at that suggestion but I didn’t question him further, trusting in his gifts, pressing my fingers to my throat and amplifying the sound of my voice as I yelled out loud enough for our entire army to hear.

“Retreat! Return to the tunnels! Retreat!”

All around us, the rebels heard my call and suddenly they were racing back towards The Burrows instead of fighting to escape them, not one of them defying my command as they hurried to do as I’d ordered with the Nymphs hounding after them, hungry for their demise.

“Get a shield in place between our army and theirs to allow the retreat time to take place,” I commanded no one in particular, but Hamish raised his chin in understanding.

“It will be done, my queen. Kitty and I will hold the line while our people make their escape.”

“What are you going to do?” Catalina gasped, catching my hand as I looked away and she seemed to realise I wasn’t going with them.

“I’ll follow once this fight is done,” I snarled, hunting the sky for Lionel or Lavinia but finding neither of them close to me. “If Lionel dies tonight then we can salvage this.”

“But, my queen,” Hamish gasped and I shook my head at him. 

“That’s an order. I need all of you to get our people out of here. Can I trust you to do that?” I fixed him in my glare, and he bowed his head as he gave in to my command.

“It has been an honour fighting for the true queens this day,” he said and my heart swelled with emotion as I thought of Darcy, wondering if Orion had managed to return her to herself and hoping with all my soul that she was going to be okay.

“It’s been an honour fighting with you too,” I said firmly, gripping his hand in farewell and gasping as Catalina threw her arms around me.

“Make that motherfucker scream when he dies,” she snarled and I breathed a laugh as I swore to try, releasing her quickly and turning back to face the fight.

“I beg permission to stay and fight at your side, my queen,” Justin said, drawing my attention to him as he moved to stand protectively by me once more and I gave a nod, seeing the determination in his gaze.

“Let’s see if we can end this thing.”

I took off running with Justin a step behind me, my gaze falling on Alejandro once more as he appeared in the crowd of Nymphs who were chasing after the retreating rebels, the rattle of his kind echoing through my bones and making my magic shrivel away from me as I raised my sword with a bellow of challenge and ran forward to meet him.

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