Cole was closing in on the fighters when the first arrow flew at him. But it did not come from the approaching army. No, as he’d suspected, there were traitors amongst his men too, and they wanted him dead.
The bolt whistled past his ear and struck the ground twenty feet in front of him. It quivered as it stood straight up from the earth. Shouts sounded from behind him, and when he glanced back, some of his men were closing in on one of their own.
A blow from one of his guards knocked the traitorous fae from his saddle. He disappeared beneath the pounding hooves of the horses surrounding him, but Cole knew he would not be the last enemy to come from behind.
Since he didn’t have eyes in the back of his head, he would have to rely on those who were loyal to keep him safe. He turned back in the saddle and focused on the enemy galloping down the hill toward him.
Cole swung out with his sword and sliced the head from the first fae to reach him. Another arrow came from behind him. The whistling sound of it alerted his lycan senses that it was coming.
He turned in the saddle in time to avoid taking the bolt to his shoulder. Since none of the rebels had gotten past him yet, he knew it had come from another one of his men.
Then, he was surrounded by the enemy as they collided in the middle of a hill that became their battlefield. The clash of steel against steel resonated across the land; the shouts of men fighting and the screams of the injured and dying filled the night.
The scent of blood and horse sweat filled his nostrils, as did the rich aroma of the earth churning up beneath the horse’s hooves. Warm blood splattered his face and clothes as he cut down one dark fae after another.
The sights and sounds of this battle would haunt his nightmares, but for now, he remained focused on one thing… surviving. He did not allow fear or pity to take him over, and he didn’t hesitate as he delivered blow after blow to his enemy. He didn’t know how many he killed outright and how many he maimed, but when this was over, none of the rebels would be left alive.
His horse’s hooves pounded over bodies as they stomped them into the ground. Despite the noise, the blood, and the death, the animal never shied away or attempted to bolt.
Cole deflected the blade of one fae but missed the sword of another one. It split open his flesh as it sliced across his bicep, and blood spilled down his arm.
Spinning in his saddle, he was about to destroy his attacker when Niall’s blade swung out and severed the man’s head from his shoulders. Niall’s black eyes shone with fury when they met Cole’s, and blood dripped from his black hair.
Though he was pure dark fae, Niall was a little broader and heavier than most others. That came from years of honing his fighting skills.
Cole nodded his thanks to him, and Niall’s grin revealed all his white teeth. And then, he was pushed back and swallowed by the sea of enemy racing between them.
Despite the sheer number of them, Cole didn’t tire as he used his sword to cut them down. When a ball of fire shot at his head, he ducked and threw up a hand to catch the flame in his palm. He had no idea where it had come from, but it was now his to wield.
Flipping his hand over, he flicked his wrist and flung the ball into the face of a dark fae charging at him. The man screamed, and his hands flew to his face. As they did so, Cole drove his sword into the man’s heart.
With a savage shout, he sliced upward, cleaving the man in half from his chest through his head. Once his sword was free, he chopped off the fae’s head to ensure his death, before twisting in the saddle to face the pounding hooves coming at him from behind.
He jerked his horse’s reins to the side, and the horse instantly obeyed his command to twist away. The animal was fast and sure and managed to avoid being plowed into by the horse charging them. Cole recognized the attacker as one of his men.
The betrayal burned like acid in his throat, and as the horse raced toward him, Cole shifted his hold on his sword. This bastard would never expect what was coming at him.
When the man was close enough, Cole swung out with his free hand, and extending his claws, he embedded them under the fae’s chin. He ripped the man from his horse.
The man kicked and made gurgling noises as his fingers tore into Cole’s hand. With his sword still in hand, Cole gripped the man’s shoulder and tore his head off. Retracting his claws, he palmed the head and threw it at the next fae coming at him.
It bounced off the man’s forehead and sent him tumbling from the saddle. The horse continued toward them but veered away before it ran into Cole’s horse. He aimed his horse at the fallen rider; the animal didn’t hesitate before trampling him.
From somewhere further up the hill, a fire blazed to life. It whipped across the lush grass and down the hill toward him and a dozen other riders.
Cole almost laughed out loud as the fire encircled them. He was sure that whoever controlled the flames probably thought they’d intimidate him, but after what he endured during the trials, this fire was pathetic.
Kicking his feet free of the stirrups, Cole jumped from his horse’s back and strode toward the flames. On the other side of the fire, he spotted Durin standing with Nissa and Fiadh, Aelfdane’s brother and sister.
A smile curved his lips as he realized who had organized and was leading this rebellion. He would make them pay for their treachery.
As he stalked toward them, the three dark fae lifted their arms, and the flames leapt higher. The dark fae could control the elements, and they were using the air to whip the fire into an inferno, one that still did nothing to intimidate him.
If he stopped and took the time, he could take control of the fire. It would be tiring since there were three of them and they were powerful fae, but he could do it. He wouldn’t waste the time or energy it would take.
Besides, he thought with a grim smile, these assholes think they have me cornered, and they’re in for a big surprise.
Cole bellowed as he raced toward the three of them.
Chapter Four
Lexi held her breath as Cole charged toward the flames. Blood splattered him, and his torn clothes were little more than rags as their remnants clung to his broad frame. The growing fire pushed the men trapped with him closer together.
The dark fae could control the elements, but someone else already controlled this fire. Three someone else’s… or so that’s what it looked like from her viewpoint.
She didn’t know if Cole could wrest control away from them. She suspected he could, but it would take too much time or energy for him to do so.
As she watched him battle the enemy with unwavering strength and determination, she’d understood why the troubadours sang about his feats during the war. Why others whispered about his fighting skills and the legends of him were larger than life.
And he didn’t fear the flames; every part of her froze as he ran toward them. He was so incredibly powerful but still killable.
He was almost to the fire when he sheathed his sword. She couldn’t move; her hands ached from clutching them, and a scream lodged in her throat as, with his next steps, Cole transformed into a wolf. His powerful haunches bunched as he leapt into the air.
As the wolf flew above the conflagration, it twisted to avoid the inferno surging higher into the air. Soaring above the flames, fire licked at its fur but didn’t catch as the wolf spun in midair.
The beautiful creature was so powerful and mesmerizing that Lexi forgot to breathe as the sword slid from his back and toppled to the ground on the other side of the fire. While the wolf was falling on the other side of the flames, his massive jaws snapped down on a fae man. Cole twisted and, landing on four feet, smashed the fae into the ground.