War of Winter: (Reverse Harem Serial) (Winter Princess Book 4) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Map

  Previously

  A note on spellings

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  About the author

  Excerpt: My Winter Wolf

  SKYE MACKINNON

  War of Winter

  Winter Princess #4

  First published by Peryton Press in 2017

  Copyright © Skye MacKinnon, 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  First Edition

  Cover by Arizona Tape

  Kelpies are real.

  Contents

  Map

  Previously

  A note on spellings

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  About the author

  Excerpt: My Winter Wolf

  For my gran, who loves men in kilts

  Map

  Previously

  I know how it is when you read a lot, so here's a quick summary of what happened in Episode 3 of the Winter Princess (if you haven't read it yet, get it here).

  There's a demon army standing between Wyn and the gate to her mother's realm. Problem is, she has no idea how to fight them.

  One day is all she has to learn. One lesson with each of her Guardians. That's all she gets.

  A note on spellings

  This book has been written by a Scottish author using British English. Please don’t hold this against me :)

  If you’re from the other side of the pond, here are some translations. Get in touch if I’ve missed any and I might send you a postcard from Scotland in return!

  Aboot - about

  Cairn – a Celtic burial site/chamber

  Calanais – also known as Callanish Standing Stones

  Dinnae ken (Scots) – don’t know

  Dreich (Scots) – bad, miserable weather

  Flat - apartment

  Loch – lake

  Chapter 1

  It feels surreal, stepping out of the cottage, ready for battle. Five Guardians, one demon and one demi-goddess. The guys have donned armour that Aodh had stashed somewhere, and all of them have some kind of sword (I don't know anything about weapons, so all I can say is that Storm has a long big one, Frost two short ones, Crispin's looks more like a large dagger, and Arc has the biggest of them all). They've given me a dagger which I've got in a sheath strapped around my waist. Not that I'd know what to do with it. All I've cut in the past have been vegetables.

  Chesca is wearing a crop top and cargo trousers. And me, I'm in my normal clothes, with the addition of a stab vest. Now I just have to tell the demons that they can only attack me on my torso.

  Standing in a line outside, I feel like we're superheroes. The Seven Avengers. Something like that. We split up into two cars; our own and Chesca's Ferrari. It's pink, by the way.

  I'm feeling queasy and hope I won't have to ask the guys to stop en route so I can throw up. I still have no idea about what I'm going to do. The Guardians have come up with a plan, and I know my role, but that's not the same as actually being prepared to use my magic to kill.

  "It'll be alright, lass," Arc whispers and puts an arm around my shoulders. I lean against him, savouring his touch. I will never forgive myself if something happens to my men.

  Down to earth, funny Arc. Cheeky, helpful Frost. Brooding, strong Storm. And gentle, damaged Crispin.

  My Guardians.

  When I focus on my magic, I can feel my bond to them. It will help me later on if I need to know where they are. That will be one of my roles: telling them if one of the others is in trouble. They will always know where I am. Finally, this bond will come in handy.

  I snuggle against Arc. From my other side, Crispin grabs my hand and presses it reassuringly. I smile at him and he gives me tense smile back. He's not returned to his normal self yet, but at least he's talking again. When all this is over, I need to have a long chat with him.

  Plan of the Calanais Stones

  The drive is over far too soon. We're back at the crest of the small hill from which we can see the Standing Stones. The demon army has grown since yesterday. It's hard to tell, but I'd say there are at least 150 demons in all shapes and sizes lazing around the Stones.

  Our chance of success has just shrunk even further.

  We get out of the car and wait for Aodh and Chesca to join us. They're walking arm in arm, and my heart warms at seeing their love for each other. It's strange to see a demon behave this way, while a horde of her brothers and sisters are waiting to kill us.

  "You all know what to do?" Storm asks, his voice all business.

  Everybody nods. There's no point in talking anymore about this. We've discussed our plan often enough. Now we just need to put it into practice.

  "Wyn, test your bond one last time."

  I sigh, but focus on the invisible tether that binds me to my Guardians. This morning, Aodh showed me how I can tug on it to get their attention. I could talk to them, but that would mean opening my mental barriers, which would be too dangerous. Instead, we're sticking to these simple tugs. If one of my Guardians feel it, they need to return to me because either myself or one of the others are in trouble. Easy.

  I give them each a gentle pull, and one after the other they shudder. Apparently, it's a rather strange feeling.

  "Good. Aodh, Chesca, are you sure you want to do this? You can still return. No hard feelings."

  "Don't offend us, brother," Aodh says quietly.

  "Yes, let's kill those monsters," Chesca adds cheerily.

  I don't tell her that theoretically, she's the same species as them.

  "Would you give us a moment?" Storm asks the couple, and they retreat back to their car. Chesca wraps her golden wings around her fiancée and shields them from view. Handy trick for making out in public.

  I'm left with my Guardians. I look at them all, unsure of what to say. Who knows if we'll all be alive by the end of this. In silence, we stand in a circle, listening to the seagulls riding on the wind above us.

  Finally, Frost steps forward, taking me in his arms.

  "Group hug!"

  With a grumbling laugh, Arc joins him, hugging me from behind. Without hesitation, Storm and Crispin follow, until I'm squeezed in the middle of my four Guardians. For a moment, I feel safe.

  Then they step back and take their warmth with them.

  It's time to fight.

  The plan is to split up: Frost will circle the demons to reach the sea, Storm will accompany him about half way there and then find a good spot to stay, Arc and Chesca will circle them from the other side, and Aodh approaches them from the front. Crispin and I stay close to the burning visitor centre, where we can see the battlefield but are not directly part of it.

  Crispin needs to be protected so he can heal the others when necessary, while I will join the fighting later. With my magic being so unpredictable, I'd probably just destroy the well thought out tactic Storm and Crispin have devised.

  Still, I feel left out. I don't want to kill, but I also don't want to stay behind when everybody else is fighting. I'm supposed to be the most powerful one, for fuck's sake.

  But my Guardians have made a compelling argument. I'm the only one who can connect to th
em all. If one of them gets injured, I'll try and get Crispin to them without him getting injured. Crispin may have killed in the past, but he's not like the other three. He's more of an assassin than a warrior.

  So, while the other three are fighting with swords, our weapons of choice are binoculars.

  There are no goodbyes. The others just leave, some of them nodding, some of them smiling. Storm only gives me one final look, then turns away and doesn't look back.

  "It'll be alright, Princess," Crispin murmurs. "This isn't our first battle."

  "Have you ever been this outnumbered, though?"

  "No," he admits. "But with Chesca and Aodh on our side, and you, of course, we have a much better chance. We'll get you to that Gate, Wyn. Soon, you'll finally step foot into the Realms. Tonight, we might already be feasting in your mother's halls."

  "She actually has 'halls'? Plural?"

  He smirks. "Yeah, the palace is rather large. There's the Great Hall, and then there are smaller ones for different functions. Her throne room is pretty impressive. There are some simpler rooms as well, of course, but your mother has had a long time to build and decorate the palace. It's a piece of art."

  "I can't wait to see it."

  I guess I can't wait to see my mother, either. It's been years. She won't have changed, she's looked the same for thousands of years, apparently. But I have, both physically and mentally. I'm going to have to ask her some uncomfortable questions. I need to know, finally, why she's been absent my entire life. Why she never prepared me for moments like these - battles, abductions, meeting a psychotic demon.

  First things first, though. We've got a battle to win.

  Something tugs on my magic. Arc. That means he's in position. Two more to go. Frost has the longest way, but the closer he is to the sea, the stronger his magic.

  Another tug. Storm.

  Aodh won't be able to tell me when he's in his agreed place, but he's the closest one and we should be able to see him. Although he's warned us that he's an expert in camouflage. As a fire mage, he's got access to smoke that can hide him - add a smoking visitor centre and it's the perfect camouflage.

  Finally, the third tug. Frost has reached the beach.

  One Guardian at each point of the cross the Standing Stones form. We're ready.

  "They're in position," I tell Crispin. "Are you ready?"

  "Not much I can do to prepare. All I do is wait for someone to get injured. I can imagine nicer pastimes."

  Yeah, I didn't think about that.

  I look into myself, finding my heart cave. My magic is alert, looking ready for battle. Good girl. I tug at the bonds connecting me to my Guardians. Crispin wheezes next to me.

  "Sorry, it's easier when I pull at them all at once," I apologise.

  "It's okay. Guess I'll get used to it eventually."

  In silence, we watch the demons lazing around the stones. They've posted a few guards on their perimeters, but most of them aren't paying attention to their surroundings. They're relying on their numbers to be enough of a deterrent.

  Well, we've got no choice but to fight.

  And we will beat them.

  Suddenly, a fire erupts at the bottom of the cross, close to the visitor centre. Almost at the same time, a wall of water rolls over the beach, at least ten feet high; while a small tornado springs into action to the right of the Stones.

  The battle has begun.

  Chapter 2

  My Guardians kill dozens of surprised demons before the rest of the horde notice that they're under attack. Smoke is rising from the battle line closest to us where Aodh is conjuring a wall of fire that slowly pushes forwards. It's drifting towards us and the smell of burned demon fills my nose. It's probably the most disgusting thing I've ever smelled.

  In the distance, balls of ice are raining down from the sky, carried through the air by gusts Storm is creating. On the other side of the battlefield, several demons have begun to attack their own ranks. That must be Arc's doing.

  It's chaos, but that's exactly what we want. This isn't about killing as many demons as possible just now. It's about identifying which demons are the strong ones, the ones we need to look out for.

  During breakfast, the guys gave me a crash course in demonology. Apparently, some of them have almost no magic, they purely rely on their physical powers. That doesn't mean that their claws, beaks and teeth aren't any less deadly than magic. Then there are the ones who specialise in different elements, just like mages and Guardians. Most of them only have one power, and are physically weak. The problematic ones are the higher demons, who have several magical skills and physical prowess. Usually, they are the leaders, more intelligent and devious than their fellow demons. In the worst cases, they're like corrupted Guardians, equal in strength and intelligence. Our hope is that none of those, or only a few, are at Calanais today.

  Storm's theory is that the higher demons won't join the fray immediately. Which is why Crispin and I are now searching the battlefield for potential demon leaders. I press the binocular against my eyes, trying to see as much as possible.

  There's one standing perched on top of a fallen stone close to the centre of the circle. His bright-red wings are outstretched and he is shouting at the demons on the ground below. Black horns erupt from his forehead, almost looking like a stag's X. A bushy mane runs down his spine to where a long tail grows from just above his arse. I point at him and Crispin nods.

  "A fiend. I had hoped there wouldn't be any. They're the princes of the Demon Realms; strong and unpredictable. See the barb on his tail? It's poisonous, deadly to humans and debilitating to Guardians. Let's not find out what it does to demi-gods."

  He points to the entrance to the cairn, which is now guarded by a giant, fleshy demon. It looks a bit like an orc that's been boiled in hot water. Not pretty.

  "I think I know her-"

  "Wait, that thing is a woman?"

  "I've not had a chance to check her anatomy," Crispin says drily. "But her name is definitely female. They call her Brenda. She's got quite the reputation. She likes to kill her victims slowly and brutally. She's also partial to nibbling on them while they're still alive."

  I shudder. "Can we kill her?"

  "With pleasure."

  We spot two more higher demons: one that looks almost human, except that his skin is bright blue, and another who seems to be a cross between a yeti and... well, something with four arms.

  I regret that it's not my task to kill those demons. At least, not yet.

  The Guardians have managed to turn the area around the Stones into chaos. Demons are running around screaming, some are lying on the ground, dead or injured, and the higher demons are barking commands.

  But now that the initial attack has passed, the demons are starting to fight back. A group of them has separated from the horde and is running down to the beach, apparently trying to circle Frost, who has moved away from the sea to be closer to the battle line. If they succeed, he'll be surrounded. If only I could use my bond to send him a warning - but both his and my own mind need to stay shielded. We don't know yet how strong some of these demons are. Possession doesn't sound like much fun (not that they can actually possess you like in the films. Instead, they break your mind and control you, turning you into a mindless slave. But because that shell of a human talks what the demon wants it to, it looks like possession).

  "Crispin, they're trying to-"

  I was worrying about nothing. Frost has turned around and an icy blizzard is now surrounding the demons who tried to sneak up on him. I almost want to cheer him on, but that might make the demons aware of our position. It's not like we're hiding, but we're far enough away from the battlefield to not draw attention. Hopefully.

  Crispin laughs grimly. "Look, Storm's using your techniques now!"

  A tornado is surrounding Storm. It looks a lot more planned than the one I conjured by accident in this morning's lesson though. Gods, was that really just a few hours ago? It feels like years have passed.
>
  Demons are trying to get to Storm, but instead, they're lifted off their feet and thrown through the air. Impressive.

  I look over to the other side of the Stones, where Arc and Chesca started their attack. I can't see them. "Crispin, where is Arc?"

  He scours the battlefield with me. They've disappeared. "Where could they have gone?" I ask, worry hugging my heart.

  "They must be around somewhere... They're going after one of the higher demons, so they must be cloaked - ah, see there, behind that blue wobble demon?"

  I swallow a question about the 'wobble demon'. It looks exactly like it sounds. Imagine a blob of jelly that has a head, arms and something that looks like stocky legs. And it's bright blue.

  Behind it, a golden demon has appeared, ignored by the other demons around it. Despite her colouring, Chesca blends in. She drags Arc behind her, shouting something to the wobble demon. He turns around and inspects my Guardian, who is looking dazed and not quite right.

  Anger bubbles up in me. "Chesca! I knew she was up to something!"

  Crispin chuckles. "Wait, I don't think it's as it seems."

  The blue demon stretches out an arm to touch Arc - and the arm flies through the air, cut off by Arc's sword. A second later, that same sword has buried itself in the demon's chest. I shudder as the demon... dissolves. Yucky.

  Chesca holds up a hand to high-five. That's her, high-fiving on a battlefield. Crazy.

  "One higher demon less to go," Crispin murmurs next to me.

  "How many are there?" "I've counted six so far, but that's only those who are physically strong. There may be some that look unremarkable but are higher demons nonetheless."

  "So they're outnumbering us."