Find Your Fire - The Angulus Chronicles #1

Chapter Thirty-Five

Catalina pov

"How many?" Zamsar asked, a sword already in his hands, assessing the threat.

"Five hundred. At least." Mikhail staggered over the words.

Banji gasped. "We don't have-..."

"We don't need to." Miuh said, his eyes shifting to me and my friends.

Lorem caught his glance and narrowed his eyes, reading the unasked question.

Miuh heaved a sigh. "You want to know why I'm not on Zamsar's case about training my soldiers, Lorem? It's because we don't have any to train. For months my soldiers have been disappearing. I sent them on patrols and they never come back. We don't have a clue where they are. Banji has been working on a locating spell for me in the hope I can get them back." Something more than just loyalty to his men flickered in those turquoise eyes.

It explained everything. The secret Banji was working on, the curfew, no doubt to prevent innocent citizens from disappearing too, and the fact unfit men like Mikhail were now part of the royal Guard.

"How many are there left?" Lorem said strained, no doubt fighting the power gathering in his veins.

"Around two hundred." Zamsar answered, impatiently hopping on his feet, no doubt wanting to go.

I felt the precious seconds ticking away. The ballroom was still filled with guests, surprisingly. I had expected them to run to safety, but maybe they knew they were safer with three Angulus than in their own houses. Some people had taken matters into their own hands and grabbed whatever weapons they could find, ready to die for their kingdom.

Oahn made the decision for us and grabbed Banji's wrist. "You're with me. On the balcony. Where I have better aim and I can protect you."

Miuh nodded thankfully and Mikhail offered Oahn his bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Zamsar, I want you to stay here and protect as many guests as you can. Orin, you're with me. We'll join the guards in the village. Lorem and Catalina, stay here and be-..." He flicked that intense gaze to Lorem. "be as wicked as you can."

Lorem balled his fists and Oahn grabbed his shoulders. "It's okay. This is the perfect way for you to release all that power inside of you."

I took a step forwards. "No!" I tried to grab Lorem, but Oahn stepped in the way. "No! He can't! He'll hate himself for it."

Miuh dropped to his knees in front of Lorem. "If you do this, fight for my people, you'll always have a place here in kingdom. You'll never find yourself without an ally."

Lorem stared down at the king begging at his feet, a muscle flickering in his jaw.

Oahn let go of me and walked to Lorem. Their foreheads touched as Oahn said. "Let it free. All of it." He stepped back and I took my chance to reach him.

Our stares met and I opened my mouth to keep him from letting it all go, but as I looked into those ice blue eyes, I knew the choice was already made.

The doors slammed open again and groups of soldiers came marching inside. They looked so different than the guards of Water, their skin as pale as snow and their hair almost white. Bulking black armor caught the beams of sunlight and massive, deadly weapons were slung on their backs.

Lorem took my face in his hands, his skin warm on my cheeks. He peered inside my eyes, and despite the determination, I saw fear. Fear of what he was about to do. "Get me back, Catalina."

He turned around and stepped from the dais. I leaped for him but Zamsar grabbed my waist. I planted my elbow in his stomach and he grunted in pain but his hold didn't budge. I found myself screaming his name, but it was drowned in the noise of clashing weapons.