All characters in sexual situations are 18 or older. Thanks for reading!
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"It's me, Fort." Naevia dived to the floor and rolled away from a sword that nearly matched her in length. Lying on her back, she quickly loosed another arrow. Her dead brother stumbled when it sank into his hip but turned after her. Naevia scrambled backward and rose to her feet. She had to dodge around the princess. The heir to the throne stared past her, her body wreathed in pink flame. Minicia's mouth still hung open in that dreadful silent scream. "You're hurting us, Fortinbras," Naevia screamed.
"Draw him this way." Circe limped toward her fleeing aunt. "He cannot answer you. It is no longer your brother." Circe's shield arm hung useless at her side. But with the other, she lifted up her sword. She surveyed the room. Dellia flashed like lightning as she engaged the last three red capes left standing. Tiberius lay at her feet in a pool of blood.
Lady Norbana cowered by the door, seemingly forgotten by everyone. The dead giant hobbled after his living sister. Circe willed the gods to strike him. Azure light coalesced around her sword and shot past Naevia. It hit a barrier of red before it could take the thing that had been Fortinbras. Even with the queen gone, her magic gave its protection.
"Do something, Circe!" Naevia ducked and sprinted past her niece. She had come to rely on the tall, copper-haired woman in the short time of Circe's existence. What would they have done had Vel not bedded a goddess? Naevia ran up to the curving stone wall and turned around. She nocked another arrow and watched Circe bend backward to avoid Fortinbras's swiping blade. Circe went with the movement and somersaulted backward. Her left arm spun limply in a circle, following gravity. Her right arm struck out with the sword like a viper at the monster's legs.
Dellia cried out at the same moment. One of her opponent's swords had found a weak spot in her armor. Naevia turned her bow toward Dellia and let fly. Her arrow struck true. After that shot, there were only two standing red capes remaining. Dellia screamed and pressed her attack on both of them.
Naevia pulled her last arrow from her quiver and readied it. Her dead brother bellowed when Circe's sword bit into the back of Fortinbras's leg. The giant toppled to the ground. Circe was on him in an instant, but even his back he parried her attack and knocked her up against a wall. Naevia prayed the evil magic would not repel arrows. She let fly and followed the arrow's path across the room. Just as the creature tried to rise from the floor, he was skewered through the back of the head by Naevia's shaft. He toppled over and did not rise again. Naevia drew her dagger and raced to help her cousin, but Dellia had dispatched the last two guards before she got there.
"I think... we won." Dellia looked over at Fortinbras's rotting corpse. "I'm sorry about... him." She turned away and stared at the other body in the room that seemed neither living nor dead. Princess Minicia continued her long, silent scream.
"Me too." Naevia hadn't had time to grieve. And it seemed that time had not yet arrived. She went and helped Circe to her feet. Blood dripped from under the woman's armor and slowly trickled down to her sandals. Naevia was too short to support her with her shoulders, so she simply held Circe's good hand. "How badly hurt are you?"
"I am... badly hurt. But I shall not... meet Pluto... yet." Circe followed her aunt over to Dellia and all three stared at Princess Minicia. They ignored the cowering Norbana by the broken doorway.
"So, what now?" Dellia put her hand on Naevia's shoulder and let her sword point fall to the floor.
"Can we save her?" Naevia's forehead wrinkled in doubt.
"She's like Fortinbras. She's already crossed the River Styx." Circe shook her head wearily. "Lady Norbana, come here." She looked back and eyed the pregnant woman.
"Yes." With trembling legs, Norbana raced over.
"We will focus all our destructive power on the heart of the tower." Circe's hands glowed faintly.
"Oh, I don't know how to do magic." Norbana looked up at the half-deity in awe.
"You came to Vel when he needed you. That was magic, was it not?" Circe's face tightened when she glanced down at the woman.
Seeing it was no time for argument, Norbana kept her mouth closed and concentrated on destroying the heart. She was a little surprised when she found her own hands glowing along with the others.
The azure light around them grew until it was almost blinding, and then blazed across the room toward Minicia's tomb. The pink flame that surrounded the princess rose to meet the incoming force with a violent crash that knocked all four women off their feet. When they looked up, nothing had changed.
"A sword worked on Fortinbras, did it not?" Dellia, holding her swollen belly, slowly stood and charged the princess. She was tossed back by the pink flame and slid across the floor back to the other women. From her back she looked over at Naevia. "What now?"
Naevia shrugged and looked at Circe.
"The heart supports the queen. And the queen supports the heart." Circe unlaced her armor. "We must hope that Vel can overcome Valeria. Then we may destroy the heart. In the meantime, we should bandage our wounds. I do not wish to bleed out while we wait."
The other women agreed and rose slowly to their feet.
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