Chapter 105: The Gates of War
Melissa’s POV
As I stood on the altar of the temple, the Queen of Shadows, the tension in the air crackled.
Hundreds of magical creatures, including witches, vampires, wolves, and other creatures whose names I didn’t even know, were kneeling under me. Their commitment was undeniable, and their eyes shone with adoration.
They did not all bow, however.
I saw opposition outside of the kneeling mob, including packs, covens, and warriors who were not surrendering but rather standing up. With their weapons firmly grasped, their eyes blazed with defiance.
“Not everyone will follow you,” Darius said next to me. His voice was bold and polished. Some people continue to adhere to outdated beliefs In the light.
With a heavy heart and a racing mind, I gazed down at them.
A wolf shifter moved forward, his silver fur glistening. “Melissa Cade,” he yelled in a firm voice. “You were one of us once. A fighter. A guardian. His eyes become stony. “And you’re standing in the dark now?”
The throng whispered.
I raised my chin. “Where I belong, I stand.”
The wolf’s mouth twisted. “Then we can’t find you.”
He suddenly changed, his body bending into a huge beast. Others came after them.
Beside him, a vampire lord snarled, his teeth shining. “Then we fight.”
Something inside of me tightened, even though I should have remained undisturbed.
Once, they were my people.
Instead of following me, they were willing to perish.
Darius laughed. “Allow them to burn.” He gestured with his hand. With their weapons out and poised to attack, dark warriors advanced.
I was to blame for the impending start of a war.
Kane was getting ready deep in the wilderness, far away from the temple.
His wounds were hardly healed, and his body was damaged, yet he never wavered in his resolve. Wolves, witches, and otherworldly soldiers who had refused to prostrate were among the warriors he faced.
Zephyr and Lydia stood next to him, their expressions serious.
Kane said bluntly, “She’s still in there.” “Melissa is still here.”
Lydia scowled. “Kane, you saw her. She gave you the finger.
Kane tightened his jaw. “I’m not going to believe that.”
Zephyr let out a breath. “So, what is the strategy? If she decides to alter her mind, would you storm the temple?
Kane looked around at the assembled fighters. “We don’t have to battle her. We must stand up for her.
There were murmurs among the gathering.
Lydia let out a sigh. “You’re crazy.”
Kane grinned. “It will, therefore, work.”
A powerful going rocked the earth before anybody could protest.
The fighters stiffened.
Zephyr’s gaze expanded. “What was that?”
The gates of the otherworldly realm then creaked open in the distance.
There was going to be war.
And the focal point of everything was Melissa.
I gazed at the battleground that was developing below from the edge of the temple stairs. Two armies were facing each other, one that was still holding on to the light and the other that was following me.
Kane’s eyes were fixed on me as he stood at the front of the other side. I could see the sadness in them even from this distance.
He wasn’t only getting ready for battle.
He was getting ready to defend me.
With a sneer as keen as a sword, Darius moved forward to stand next to me. Melissa, the moment has come. Give the order.
I looked over at him. “What if I don’t?”
He grinned more broadly. You are a traitor, then. Traitors also don’t live long.
I balled my fists up. I was being tested by him.
I had embraced this darkness and claimed this power. But had I ever made this decision?
The tension-filled moment dragged on. I could ignite a war with only one phrase.
With his words echoing over the battlefield, Kane stepped forward. “Elissa!”
I winced.
“Is this your preference?” He made a demand. “To govern by blood? Through terror?
His words had a profound and buried effect on me.
But before I could say anything, Darius’s piercing, lethal voice sliced through the atmosphere.
“She made her decision already.” Behind me, he turned to face the soldiers. “Attack.”
The battlefield blew up.
Wolves sprang forward. Swords clashed. In furious anger, magic tore across the sky.
My heart was racing as I stood still at the top of the stairs.
I ought to have joined the battle.
My throne should have been mine.
However, all I could do was see the destruction of the individuals I had once loved.
Kane gave it his all in the battle. I saw him slicing through Darius’s fighters, his body moving with lethal accuracy. He was battling me.
For me.
Suddenly, Darius was by my side. “You pause.” He spoke in a cold tone. “That is risky.”
With a tense chest, I turned to face him. “What are you doing?”
He chuckled. “Because you are destined for this.”
A sharp howl ripped across the battlefield before I could react.
I glanced up in time to witness a fresh force coming through the doors of the paranormal realm.
Not only fighters.
Something more ancient. Something more powerful.
A wave of ancient creatures, monsters of legend and beasts of shadow, entered the world as the ground shook.
Darius’s smile changed to one of hunger.
And for the first time, I understood that I wasn’t the only one fighting this war.
It was about letting loose something much more terrible.
“It’s time to end the old world,” Darius said as the ancient creatures charged forward.
And I realised that There wouldn’t be anything left to save if I didn’t stop this right away.