The Heartstone Saga Archibald Bradford (english novels to improve english TXT) 📖

recovery, Queen Julia watching over them until they finished.

While her soldiers carefully loaded her precious daughter onto an improvised stretched, she stood to her full height before the Minotaur, her eyes inscrutable.

After a few moments she settled her hands upon her shoulders and slowly shook her head.

“Minotaur... Milly, that which you have done for my daughter this day, I-I will never be able to repay you for it. When I return to my colony my workers will carve your likeness in stone that you shall be remembered always by the house of Longinus.”

The bashful cow blushed, her cheeks reddening as she blinked at the prospect.

“Oh, well gosh. You don’t need to do that! It was my pleasure, I’m just happy that my milk could help at all!”

The queen leaned in and kissed her once on each cheek before pulling her into a fierce hug.

“All the same, thank you.”

After their embrace, they soon followed Nina as she led them out of the secret bunker, climbing a long narrow tunnel that she’d cleared to emerge into daylight through a hinged piece of stone, designed to blend in seamlessly with the cliff-face.

“And I thought I was sneaky.” Erica remarked when they looked back on the secret hatch.

Once all of the Antlions were clear, Nina swatted it once with her hammer, taking it off its hinges just as easily as she had the door in their apartment.

“You are. And now Jonathan and Evadne have one less place to hide.”

While they had been underground the afternoon had waned on and now the sun was high in the sky.

Standing in the light, Queen Julia looked towards Nameless and Volka.

“Just as promised, you saved my daughter. You have saved my heart and my hope.” Her words were heavy with emotion as she spoke; “If I was not already bonded I would beg you to wear my crown, young Aegis.”

Nameless smiled wanly, familiar by now with being so popular amongst monster girls.

“It’s alright, it’s why I exist.” He shrugged helplessly; “It’s why the Valkyrie created the Empaths. It is my duty. But there are so many more monster girls that need saving and we can’t do it alone.”

She nodded at the implied request in his words, her eyes shining with grateful tears as she knelt before them, her soldiers and workers doing the same.

“The legions of Longinus are yours to command, Aegis. And yours Dominar.”

“Better let her do the commanding.” Nina said with a sniff; “He’s a bit of a boob.”

Despite her sarcasm she felt pretty smug having so-called royalty bow down before her bond-mate.

Ignoring the Gigas, Volka reached out and settled her hand upon the Antlion Queen’s shoulder.

“Thank you. I fear we will soon have need of your aid. Though we learned much this day, Evadne and Jonathan are far from defeated.”

Julia nodded again as she stood to her full height.

“We will face them together. Once I have secured my daughter and the safety of her surviving workers, I shall muster the rest of my family and stand beside you as my forbears once did.”

She embraced Volka, and then scooped up a surprised Nameless to plant a firm kiss on his lips, his legs dangling awkwardly beneath him.

“And when my daughter has recovered from this ordeal, you should seek her out.” She murmured into his ear in a husky voice; “You are worthy of her heart at least.”

“Oh dear, here we go.” Ophelia sighed.

“Nope.” Nina said flatly; “He’s capped at six, assuming Escrya ever gets her ass back to us.”

Julia set him down with a slight pout.

“A king ought to keep as many concubines as his appetite allows, but I will not press the issue. Regardless, I must take my leave of you now. Until we meet again, dear friends.”

As the Antlions left all eyes turned to Nameless.

“I’m not calling you ‘majesty’.” Miranda said drily.

Milly giggled.

“The Nameless King and his Nameless God.”

“Heh, I forgot about that.” Erica said as she sidled up to him, though she winced when her splinted tail brushed up against his leg; “You okay there lover?”

He nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist and hugging her.

“Just tired. Evadne’s memories kind of knocked the wind out of me.”

Miranda nodded her head sympathetically.

“No rest yet kid. We should report back with what we’ve learned. I know it isn’t much but every ounce of intel we collect on her makes a difference. I know some Undines in Algrade, we shouldn’t be too far from there.”

“Good. Because I can’t sit down right now, and for all the wrong reasons.” Erica complained.

Chapter 25:The Baking Queen

While Garland was swarming with monster girls, both locals and refugees, Algrade was bristling with mechanists and lost-technology.

As such when they arrived they discovered that it was not the same city from just a few weeks ago.

It was the very center of lost-tech research in the world, and the university students and faculty had set to work like nobody’s business to ensure the safety of the city.

“What is that noise?” Milly asked as she looked around.

A strange crackling buzz permeated the air, making their whole bodies tingle with strange nervous energy.

Miranda frowned, but then her eyes lit up and she pointed upwards.

“Looks like those loonies at the university have been busy. Look.”

At first none of them could see what she was pointing at, seeing nothing but blue sky, but then a different hue of blue caught their attention as a current of lightening sparked from one wire to the next in the grid that powered the lights above the city.

“An air defense web.” Volka noted with a look of distaste; “The means by which the Divine Republic countered flyers such as myself during the war. Ophelia, it would be best if you kept