Meta Gods War 3, B. Miles [best english books to read for beginners .txt] 📗

wolf threw back its head. The howl it released seemed to shake the whole region. The trees vibrated and the earth shifted. Cam’s jaw clenched as the howl pierced his skull.

Brice staggered back and clutched at her ears. “Cam!” she yelled.

Cam reached for her with one hand and grabbed her arm to steady her. Some of the guards behind them dropped to their knees in horror. Arter’s jaw remained set but Cam could see the pain in his eyes.

The line below him staggered back and nearly broke to pieces.

The howl lingered in the air. It tore along the ground and grasped at every inch of Cam’s body until the silver wolf dropped its face and the noise slowly dissipated.

“What was that?” Brice asked, a hint of panic in her voice. “What the hell was that?”

“Lycanica,” Cam said, his face grim. “Come on. We have work to do.”

Brice didn’t move. She stared down at the giant silver wolf as it turned its back on the camp and sauntered back into the trees.

“That’s a real goddess,” she said, her voice heavy with awe. “We can’t fight that, Cam. We can’t possibly fight that.”

“We can.” He squeezed her arm hard.

She grimaced in pain and looked at him. Surprise mixed with anger in her eyes until her face softened. Cam relaxed his grip.

“You’re right,” she said. “We can. We have to.”

“Come on,” he said again, and began to lead Brice and the guards back down the slope.

Watching from above had given him an idea. The wolves were going to come, sooner rather than later, and he had to use that to his advantage. Lycanica was impatient and she was angry, and Cam would use that against her.

Goddess or not, Cam would fight.

34

The morning came slowly, begrudgingly. Sunlight spilled over the camp as the commanders woke their troops early. Cam stretched his back as he stood on the far ridge overlooking his army.

Arter and the guards stood behind him, holding a series of colored flags and drums. Miuri and Felin lingered in the shade of a pine, speaking quietly to each other. Cam paced along the ridge as the army pulled into formation below him, his entire body tingling with anticipation.

There were three main sections. The left flank moved along the far side of the valley, the men in a long shield wall and set in three separate ranks. The front ranks were the most inexperienced men, mostly those that had fought with Key over the past weeks in the rearguard. Behind them were the main veterans of the army, the most experienced and hardened fighters. And at the very back were the oldest warriors within the camps, those that had long experience but weren’t in the best physical condition anymore.

“I want to be down there,” Cam said as he strode past Arter.

“I know you do,” Arter said. “But you’re better here.”

“Signal Key,” Cam said. “Tell her to move the right flank further out.”

Arter nodded and gestured at the guards. A series of flags and drum beats rang out over the valley. Below them the right flank of the army began to wheel out further right, filling more of the valley and moving closer to the tree line.

The land in front of the army was flat but pocked with stones, rocks, and boulders. On either side, the wings were covered by steep, clear hills, and if the wolves attempted a flanking maneuver, Cam would be able to spot them.

Across the field, the tree line stood quiet and empty.

“When they’re in position, call a halt,” Cam said.

Arter grunted in response.

“He knows, darling,” Miuri said. She walked to him, her hair streaming in the breeze. “Don’t worry. It’s a good plan.”

“Too much can go wrong,” Cam said, stopping his pacing. He stood with a straight back, his hands clasped behind him. “Too much depends on this going right.”

“I know.” She put a hand on his arm and tried to smile. “But you have the right people down there. Key and Theus and Stavar can handle it.”

Cam grunted in response. His eyes swept over Felin, who remained standing in the shade of the trees, her eyes squinting past the blinding sunlight and down toward the valley. He could see her tension, the way she held herself erect, her hands working in front of her.

“How’s she holding up?” Cam asked in a soft voice.

Miuri glanced at Felin. “Okay, I think,” she said.

“This has to be hard for her.”

“I was with her yesterday, when Lycanica howled.” Miuri hesitated and a mask of worry flitted across her expression before floating away again. “She didn’t take it well.”

“What did it mean? I wanted to ask her, but I thought it was better to let it go.”

“She only said that it was difficult to hear,” Miuri said. “But when it was happening, it was like she couldn’t control herself. She fell to the ground and pressed her face against the grass, and I swear every muscle in her body was straining. I don’t know what it meant, but it made her want to do… something.”

Cam let out a breath. “Keep an eye on her,” he said.

Miuri nodded.

He hated having to order that. He trusted Felin and loved her. She’d done nothing but work to help him and had gone out of her way to do what was necessary. But Lycanica was a different beast entirely, and Cam wasn’t sure Felin would be able to resist the call of her goddess.

He felt relieved Miuri was around at least.

“Have you heard anything from your father?” he asked.

Miuri shook her head. “No, but I didn’t think we would. They’re out there.”

“They have to be,” Cam said. “If they’re not…”

“They’ll come. He knows the plan.”

Cam nodded and began to pace again. Miuri watched him before walking back over to join Felin in the shade.

Below them, the army pulled into position. It was like watching three huge blobs move in unison. It wasn’t as organized as he would have liked, but by mid-morning the army was more