Chapter 30: Vaughan

I knocked the last female unconscious satisfied with managing to incapacitate all but one that I unfortunately had to take the life of and turned swiftly to make sure Sandre was okay. Who was knelt on the ground weeping over an unmoving male. I limped closer until I recognised the brown long hair and the one tattooed thumb. Quinow. I never ever thought I'd see him fall in battle. I sank next to Sandre and pulled her to me and held her as she cried. I stared in shook at his body. We had grown up similarly and our paths had crossed often, he was a full half century older than me, but I had never seen him as my senior. But seeing him lying there so cold and empty of life I realised how much I suddenly had to lose if the Valg did indeed take over this world. People I had never classed as friends suddenly felt important. Quinow had been important to so many and now he had been taken. I stretched out an arm and closed his eyelids he deserved peace after all of this.

"He saved me. He came from nowhere, fighting the defectors away from me. Told me to run, but I refused. I thought he had knocked them all out, he thought he'd knocked them all out. One of them stabbed him through his back as he was coming over to me. I- I killed the male."

Blood from both Quinow and his murderer coated her hands.

"It's not your fault Sandre. Not your fault."

No, the coward who stabbed Quinow in the back was to blame. I was glad Sandre killed him.

I held her tight like that for some time before Dresenda, Essar and even Ellys found us and joined us kneeling over Quinow. Grief suffocated all of us as tears ran down everyone's face but none more so than Ellys, his tears fell quickly and silently, anger and despair unmistakable in his manner.

I thought back to when I had last seen Quinow, but the memories were hazy, it all getting lost in the heat of battle

EARLIER:

I ran through the city gates that had obviously been compromised, Sandre alert and ready to help despite her burn out looming. For once I felt responsibility for someone else's life in battle rather than just my own survival, even with the Cadre I thought little for their safety. I only knew they were alive at the end of the fight when we would all regroup and count out losses. It had been that way for as long as I could remember. This battle would be different, I couldn't go gallivanting off trying to play hero, no this time I had to stay with my mate. Sandre was mine to protect, mine to ensure she stayed alive.

I kept running past those struggling to subdue the defectors without killing them. I had a quick sweep around the area with my eyes and knew immediately that we were outnumbered, to make matters worse it was clear the defectors were using our non-kill order to their advantage. Although some dead bodies did litter the ground, Ellys words kept ringing in my ears 'if it is you or them, you do not try and subdue, you kill'.

"Vaughan you can put me down now,' Sandre whispered once we had found a deserted street.

I did as she commanded. Swaying ever so slightly Sandre unsheathed her sword.

"Don't you dare try and stop me."

I started; I hadn't even mentioned her not fighting.

Sandre continued knowing the retort I had ready "I know you; I know you think I am close to my burn out and you want me to stay behind for my own safety."

It didn't escape my notice that her last word was laced with derision and to be fair at the moment safety didn't exist. Her tone made me bite back my pleas to stay away from the battle. Sandre was a grown woman who could make her own choices and it seems she had made hers; I could only protect her by any methods- she was my priority.

"Let's go then."

Surprise shone briefly in her eyes before being replaced with satisfaction. It was cute that she thought she had won. Sandre would be very put out when I made sure to handle any defectors that came our way, but it was for the best. Especially as Sandre's sword was loose at her side walking stiffly out of the street, energy clearly lacking.

We made it out the street and into another one and before we had made it two paces a group of three attempted to engage us in a battle. No way was that going to happen. The first one was on his ass in mere moments, Sandre's sword pummel cracking against his skull while I dealt with the other two. We worked in tandem, I forced them to floor, Sandre knocked them unconscious. More than I wanted her to do, but it kept her out of harm's way and she still felt useful.

We moved on quickly after binding the three fae. These small groups continued to come for us, and we continued to subdue them in the same way. By the fourth round Sandre wasn't even holding her sword anymore and my leg injury was become a hinderance. Blood leaked from the binding I had placed around my thigh and I knew I needed stiches.

"Sandre, we need to find a place to- "

I was cut short by the arrival of no less than eight fae both male and female. Effectively surrounding each of us, forcing themselves between us. Separating me from her. Mine to protect. Everything faded away as I fought to get to my mate. Blind panic as I tried to reach Sandre. I couldn't lose her like I had my sister.

More defectors seemed to replace those I had just subdued. I felt time trickling away from me, I needed to see that Sandre was alive.

Finally, I faced the last female, and she went down like those before her. Nothing would separate me from my love

LATER:

There was a large gathering as Quinow's body went up in flames, his essence free to the wind like he wanted. He had no family to return his body to, so it was only friends and associates that watched as the red and orange of the flames devoured his flesh turning to ash. A brutal reminder that death is inevitable and unavoidable even for those of us that have been around for centuries like Quinow.

"They were lovers." Sandre shakily murmured to me.

"Who?"

"Ellys and Quinow. I know you're taken aback by his reaction and that's why you keep staring at him.

"I never knew," I really was a bad at noticing things, everything normally managed to get past me. Probably why I never knew Lisora loved and visited the sea often. It was a miserable thought, my biggest downfall.

"I don't believe it was advertised." Sandre stated slowly "Look around you're not the only one looking at Ellys strangely.

Indeed, as I scanned the crowd others were staring at the pure pain pouring out of Ellys' very being. I wondered if I had been that way when Lisora had taken her own life. Probably.

Long after we had all left the burning site Ellys remained, seemingly unable to move away from the other half of his heart.

It took a few days to organise and ensure those who had been apprehended had all woken up as well as healing the major injures both sides had sustained, but eventually the day of the oath swearing came around.

Ellys awoke like every day since the burning, a shell. He took no crap with the defectors, laying out the truths of Maeve, the Vlag and the darkness that would spread if they won the war. The majority of the defectors seemed shocked at his brutal speech and took the oath with little encouragement. However, Alsek along with a handful more remained locked away under the city refusing to take an oath that prevented them from being with Maeve again. No remorse from anyone, the better world wasn't just a fantasy anymore but a promise to everyone. Those who opposed it would just have to wait for their Queen Sellene to come back and pass her judgement.

All too soon it was time to leave, my brief detour had lasted for weeks, but we had stopped an extra army joining the war so maybe it was worth it. Saying farewell was actually a lot harder than I imagined. Sandre shed a tear or two, embracing Essar and Dresenda tightly with the promise we'd come back to visit and their promise to also visit us in Terrasen. I made no such promise, Maeve still held my leash and until that was broken, I was not free with my promises.

Even with an unrelentless pace being set by Sandre, it still took us just under two weeks to reach the port we'd arrived at a few months before looking for Lisora. Her death stung more than anything, even so than my parent's untimely deaths. I missed her and wished everyday I'd made more effort to see her, so I intended to keep the promise I had made as I had knelt on the sand that id treasure every second, I spent with Sandre, for who knew when it would be my last, Maeve could call me to her at any moment.

So, when I boarded the ship hand in hand with Sandre I hoped more than ever that I would never have to go back to Wendlyn without my freedom and my mate by my side. I also hoped we were not too late to join the final stand against Erawan and Maeve, I had a need to spill Vlag blood.