Love & War
Chapter 24

Illiana

Am I dead? I feel dead, or I assume this is what death feels like. My body is numb, and I only hear a high-pitched tone ringing loudly in my ear. I blink a couple of times and someone’s blurry face comes into focus. Theos and he’s with a woman I haven’t seen before.

“Theos?” I groan. He looks down at me and smiles. I slowly start to regain feeling in my hands and feet. I make a fair with my hands and curl my toes. The sensation foes up to my knees and elbows.

“Yes. Zelma is here as well,” he gestures over to her. I blink a few more times and look over at her. My eyes take a minute to focus. She is tall, tan, and has long ebony hair that is braided back into a mohawk. She is dressed in a maroon gown, and she is barefoot. That cannot be comfortable walking on this dead grass. How do her feet not hurt?

Hurt. Gods, my belly, hips, and vagina certainly hurt. At least I can feel my body again.

“Hello, little one. I am the goddess of fertility, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, and crops. Your husband has prayed for you. It’s actually rather touching,” Zelma smiles at me.

Elliot prayed for me? Did he think I was going to die?

“Am I dead?”

“No, child. You’re very much alive. Zelma here helped save your life by guiding Saphira. You really ought to thank her,” Theos says. He strokes his beard and Zelma smiles at me. So, I am not dead. That explains why my body is aching. Where is Elliot? I want to see him.

“There’s no need for that. It was my pleasure to help the woman that ended this blasted curse. I am only sorry I am unable to lift the curse from Annalise.” She looks sad. Hold on, a curse? In Annalise? Zelma looks over at Theos and frowns.

“Pardon? What curse is on Annalise?” What the hell is going on? My daughter? She is only a few hours old at most! She is innocent!

“The curse on the elven land is a blood curse. When you mixed the bloodlines to break the curse, your eldest child took the curse into their little body. Annalise has been like this even throughout your pregnancy.”

What the fuck. How did something so evil get into my sweet little girl?

“Illiana? Can you hear me?” Saphira asks from somewhere behind Theos. She sounds almost frenzied.

“I can hear you.”

“Thank the gods you’re alive! I thought I’d lost you!”

Theos steps aside. Saphira is standing there, covered in blood. My blood. She has tears in her eyes, and tear stains streaking her face. Her hair is wildly sticking up all over her head.

“Where are they?” I put a hand on my slightly deflated belly. I still look pregnant, but I feel empty. Alone. My babies are no longer a part of me. It is a bittersweet moment.

“The twins are with Jessilyn and Zander,” Saphira says. She looks away from me. Something feels off. People do not look away like that unless something has happened. If the twins are with Jess, where the hell is Elliot?

“Where is Elliot?”

“His Majesty is, uh, leading us in war. He’s defending our land and people from the attack from the fae. While you were unconscious, Trey launched an attack. I will go get the twins. You must be anxious to see them,” Saphira offers me a weak smile. She turns on her heel and quickly walks toward the other outpost tower.

No! Elliot cannot be in battle right now! He cannot die! I look over at Theos.

“Please go help him! You cannot let him die! I love him!” I have tears in my eyes. Theos nods, and both he and Zelma disappear. I lay my head back against the log behind me and close my eyes. Please. Please. Please! Be alive and okay.

If I listen hard enough, I can hear the sounds of the battle. I can hear screaming and battle cries. I hear metal clashing against metal, wooden shields breaking, and pained yelps of the injured. Please, Elliot, please come back to me alive. I am in love with you.

“Princess?”

I open my eyes and Saphira is standing in front of me with two bundles in the crooks of her arms. I immediatly recognize Elliot’s cloak. He must have wrapped up one of them.

“My children,” I reach out for them.

“Yes, here are Princess Annalise and Prince Thoren,” Saphira says, smiling down at them. She gently places them into my arms takes a step back. I wish Nanny were here to see them. She would have a fit. A pang of Sadness rings through my chest.

They both have silver hair and elven ears. They look so much like Elliot. Thoren has his father’s hazel eyes. He looks up at my and coos happily.

“Hello, little ones. Your father and I love you both so much.”

Annalise is so small compared to Thoren. She is breathing heavily. How can something so small, so innocent live with a blood curse? What does that even mean?

She opens her little eyes and stares up at me. They are a brilliant shade of green. Greener than my own.

“Illiana, we need to move. Now. They’re closing in on us. Can you stand?” Saphira crouches beside me. They’re closing in on us? Does that mean we are losing this battle?

Can I stand? I do not know.

“Here, hold the twins,” I look over at Saphira. She gets them from me and stands. I take a deep breath and put my hands on the ground beside me. My body throbs in pain. I push myself up onto my feet. My wings flutter to help me stand.

I did not even notice my pants are missing. The shirt I have on falls to my knees. I look down at my legs. Blood is running down the inside of my legs in streaks. This is normal, right?

How can I end this blasted war? I have to make sure Elliot returns alive. That’s it! We can claim both thrones. They belong to us anyway.

“I’m sorry, we do not have the proper equipment to handle your bleeding. That is normal after childbirth. You still look quite pale, though. Are you sure you’re ok?”

I look up at Saphira and nod.

“Yes, I am okay. Please, take us to Jessilyn and Zander.” I take a few wobbly steps behind her before I feel a hand on my arm, supporting me. I look over and see Theos.

“What are you doing here?” I whisper.

“They’re outnumbered, but holding their ground,” Theos frowns.

“Can you not do something?”

“The magic has not yet returned to the land.”

“Then use mine.”

Theos frowns. I look over at him.

“You will have to go to the battlefield. You’re in no condition to do that.”

“My condition be damned. Protect my family. I do not care about myself.” Theos frowns.

“Very well. Shall we?” He gestured to the meadow. I nod.

I use Theos to help gain my footing and begin to walk to the meadow.

“Where are you going?” Saphira yells after me.

“To end this. Stay back and protect them,” I say without turning around.

“Understood. Fight with courage, Illiana.”

“Vanquish our enemies,” I say. I look straight ahead. The battle finally comes into view as I make my way to the edge of the meadow. So much violence.

The smell of blood hangs heavily in the air. Please be alive, Elliot.

With Theos supporting me, I begin to walk into the battlefield. No one seems to even notice I am there.

“You will be protected with me here,” Theos says. But what about Elliot?

“How much further do you need to go?”

“To the center of the battlefield.” I nod and we slowly walk to our destination.

A flash of silver catches my eye ahead of us. Elliot! He is alive!

“Are you ready?” Theos steadies me. I nod and stare at Elliot.

“Creatures of the Fyorian forest, go forth and aid in our battle,” Theos says in a thunderous voice. He holds his hand out and points toward the fae camp.

Is that it? Nothing is happening.

A few moments later, the sound of falling rocks, snarling, and screeching come from behind me. I peek over my shoulder and see what looks like ten large animals made of rock and moss. All of them bound onto the field and swat fae from the air. Behind them are what looks like wild boar, but they are bigger than a unicorn, and they are made of sticks and vine. They have large thorns jutting from their bodies.

They run at the fae, slamming their bodies into them, and impaling them on their spikes.

My blood runs cold. What are those things?

“Fuck! Azizi and brier beasts! Retreat!” I hear Elliot scream. Trey runs up behind him with a sword, poised to swing a fatal blow.

“ELLIOT!” I cry out. No!

Elliot turns at the last minute and swings his axe. I squeeze my eyes shut. I am going to vomit.

“Open your eyes. The battle has been won,” Theos says.

I open my eyes and look over to where Trey and Elliot were standing. Both of them are slumped down on the ground.

“No! Elliot!” I try to pull my arm away from Theos.

“Illiana stop. If I let go now, I lose control of the creatures. All the elves will be lost.”

I freeze. A hot tear runs down my cheek. I look over to where Elliot is again and see his mess of silver hair moving. He is alive.

He stands and picks up the sword trey had. He stabs it down into the ground, then bends down to pick something up.

Oh, gods. It is Trey’s head. I watch as Elliot slams treys severed head down onto the hilt of the sword. He steps back and turns around. He is not smiling as I thought he would be.

“Creatures of the Fyorian forest, return to your homes,” Theos’s voice booms from beside me. He lifts his hand again and gestures to the dead forest behind us.

The Azizi collapse into rock piles almost instantly and begin to roll toward the forest. The brier beasts seem to lose interest in the battle and follow the Azizi. The corpses of the people they impaled fall off one by one as they shake their bodies clean.

After a minute, Theos lets go of my arm and I stumble forward. I make eye contact with Elliot and hobble over to him as fast as I can. He throws his axe to the ground and breaks out into a run to meet me half way.

“Gods, Illiana! What are you doing here? Where are the twins?” His breathing is sporadic at best. He has blood matting down parts of his hair, and all over the front of him, but he is alive.

“They are with Jess and Zander. I came to help you,” I say as I look up into his beautiful hazel eyes. More green than brown.

“You shouldn’t be out here. You’ve lost a lot of blood. I don’t know how you’re even standing.” He puts his hands on the sides of my arms.

“Zelma and Theos. If I had not helped, we would all be dead. I love you too much to let you die.”

Elliot pauses and lifts my chin with his finger.

“What did you say?” He has a huge smile on his face. I push his hand out of the way and wrap my arms around his waist. I hear his heart beating wildly in his chest.

Tha-Thump

Tha-Thump

Tha-Thump

“I said I love you, too, Elliot.”

THE END