He was going to kill her.

No, not kill her. She never stayed dead.

He was going to severely injure her.

As his army—if you could even call the people who volunteered to help—struck the Terpolites, Leo, along with Colt and Hathor, rushed to Amneris. She’d been killed, the knife still sticking out of her chest. And it wasn’t just anyone who’d killed her.

Colt shoved Kek away from Amneris, causing him to fall.

Amneris herself sat up, looked at the knife then to the four. She pulled it from her chest and tossed it to Kek. He caught the hilt in one hand, frowning at the golden blood.

“Before you say anything,” Amneris stared, “I asked Kek to do that. I needed by body to heal faster.”

“Why?” Leo demanded.

She grimaced. “Might’ve had my arse handed to me.” Amneris waved a hand at Colt who was hauling Kek to his feet. “Let him go. He’s on our side.”

“Kek is on our side,” Colt said dumbly. “Kek is on our side? Are you insane?”

“Well, duh.”

Kek huffed. “If you must know, I was helping her.”

“Failing to help me,” Amneris corrected.

He shook free of Colt’s grasp and held the knife at her throat. “Do you want me to kill you again?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I let you kill me this time.”

Leo hauled Amneris to her feet. “It would be best if the two of you settled this when Hathy wasn’t around.”

Kek spun on his heel. Hathor blanched at the sight of him. He was, after all, the man who’d sold out her mother. Kek grinned. Hathor angled her own dagger defensively in front of her. Colt slowly moved her behind him.

“You brought the Princess to a battlefield?” Kek asked Leo.

“She is more skilled than you think.”

“Ladies, please.” Amneris tossed her braid over a shoulder. “Play nice.”

She surveyed Leo’s—her—soldiers, as well as those who’d joined them from the worlds in the Council. Leo came up beside her. It was clear how much they outnumbered the Terpolites. Even so, Leo could see some of the Lyriumian colours on the ground. The Terpolite people were far from outmatched.

A small group of Terpolite soldiers spotted the group lingering on the outskirts on the battlefield. Leo readied his gladii, readying to defend his people—

The five soldiers fell to the ground, arrows through their hearts.

Leo glanced over his shoulder. Hathor had traded her dagger for a bow ad arrows, the girl’s preferred weapon.

“Nice shot,” he said.

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She shrugged. “I learned from the best.”

Amneris pointed at the bow. “Mind if I borrow that for a mo’?”

Hathor, confused, handed it over. She made to hand over the quiver but Amneris waved it off. She morphed her power into a single bright blue arrow.

“What are you doing?” Leo asked as she aimed for the sky.

“Being creative.”

The arrow was released. It vanished into the bright blue sky with no sign of coming back down.

Amneris handed the bow back to her daughter as a smile tugged at her lips. “You’re gonna love this one.”

A clap of thunder in the clear sky above. Some stopped mid-fight, looking up. The Lyriumian-Council army quickly raised shields. The Terpolites, however, were not as fast. Thousands of silver arrows rained down on them, striking down everyone in range.

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Tara barely had time to throw an energy shield around herself, Liam and the Dark King before they were bombarded by arrows. They disbursed on the shield turning to ash. Few of her soldiers reacted in time, going through the same process. The rest however . . .

They weren’t fast enough to create their own shields. Tara didn’t give a shit. She had to protect her master. He was the priority, not the others. There were bigger things at stake and a few lost lives were well worth the cost.

But still the Lyriumians fought, unfazed by their Queen’s show of power. Tara gritted her teeth. This was not a good sign. Soldiers fell left, right and centre, and there was nothing she could do to stop the arrow storm.

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Leo’s hands fisted at his side. Tara had no respect for her warriors. None. That was no way to lead people. No wonder her army was so small. More a squadron really.

Amneris grabbed his hand as he stepped forward. “Don’t.”

He stood down.

Amneris, however, stayed forward. She raised her hands, creating a ball of light between them. She smiled, eyed Tara, pulled back, and threw it with all her strength.

The energy ball went flying into the sky, zooming toward Tara, Liam and Enliatu.

The Dark King was not impressed. He caught it with one hand—

The energy ball exploded, throwing the three from their feet.

Amneris pumped a fist. “Strike!”

Tara’s voice cried out over the field, “Fall back! Fall back!”

She sounded shrill, almost panicking. Had they lost more soldiers than could be seen?

Leo stopped caring as the Terpolites retreated. He rushed to his own army, ordering them to stand down as the Terpolites, quite literally, went running from the Dassa Grasslands. They vanished over the horizon.

Nikki came up beside him, lime eyes bright against a cut on her forehead. “That was fun.” She slapped his shoulder and disappeared into the ranks. Leo only shook his head. The woman was an animal.

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Minutes later, certain the Terpolite’s weren’t coming back any time soon, everyone had stood down. If Leo was honest, he believed anyone remaining on the planet would’ve heard their groans. With the thought in mind, Scouts were sent out to make sure they’d left for sure. At the same time, Kayla and her team of Healers begun their work.

Majority of the Court were gathered around Amneris, only Carmin, Dan and Kayla not there. They were busy taking care of the injured. As Leo approached, Jay and Zoe suddenly found they had to be somewhere else.

Leo came face-to-face with his Queen. “What were you thinking? I’ve seen you do some fucking irresponsible shit before, but this was something else. Never did I think you would do something so idiotic!”

“Idiotic?” Amneris growled, taking a step forward. “I didn’t realise it was idiotic to solve my own problems, to not involve and protect my own people.” She gestured at the field, at the fallen soldiers. “This is what happens when others get involved!”

“It’s out job to get involved.”

She tilted her head back, laughing at the sky. “How many times do I have to say it, Le? This is my battle. I’m the one who sent Enliatu to the Void. I’m Naiu’s chosen one. I’m Guardian of the Photon Core.” She narrowed her eyes. “You—all of you—were never supposed to be here. It’s all a massive accident—”

Whack!

Amneris raised a hand to her stinging cheek, the red hand-shaped already fading as she healed.

Everyone stared at Hathor.

“Just a mistake?” the girl repeated, voice shaking, eyes blazing. “Is that all we are to you, a mistake? Good luck defeating him on your own! All you’ll do is get yourself killed. Again!”

Nikki and Colt dashed after Hathor as she stormed away. Leo watched until they’d vanished into the throng of soldiers. He turned back to Amneris.

She stared after her daughter. “I – I didn’t mean that she was . . . I would never . . .”

Leo fixed her with a firm gaze. “Think before you speak, Amneris.”

He walked away, leaving the Queen standing alone in the tall grass.