The Grand Duke's Soulmate-Chapter 557: The Last Arrow

Gasps and shouts rippled through the remaining knights as Damon hit the ground. Noah slumped to the ground in disbelief, while Drystan’s eyes went wide in shock; both had their breath caught in their throats.

Anna thrashed against Brone’s iron grip, shouting, "You agreed you wouldn’t hurt anyone!"

Brone only tightened his hold, unbothered.

"I never said I wouldn’t," he replied in a cold tone. "I accepted your surrender, nothing more. Besides..." His gaze slid toward the mage. "That was Derek’s doing, not mine."

"You b*stard!" Anna screamed, tears spilling as she fought uselessly against his arms.

Her cries echoed long after the Bargesians withdrew from the scene, dragging her with them.

Barely conscious but stubbornly moving, Callis reached Damon first. She pressed her trembling hands over his wounds, forcing the remnants of her healing magic to save the knight. The white light flickered weakly between her fingers... too weak.

"No, no, no..." she whispered, forcing more magic, but Damon only gasped once. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Noah dropped to his knees beside them, shoulders shaking. Drystan swallowed hard, tears streaking down his dirt-stained face as he clasped the fallen knight’s hand. Both had to crawl to get to their dying companion.

On the other end, Clara limped forward despite the gnawing pain in her leg, her grip tight on the white bow she had retrieved along the way. The instant her eyes fell on Damon in Helen’s arms, guilt hit her like a blow to the chest.

"I should’ve fought beside you..." she whispered.

"It wouldn’t have made a difference," Drystan said, devastation hollowing his tone. "The Bargesians were far too strong."

Helen continued to sob over Damon, her tears falling onto his armour as if they could somehow coax life back into him. The faint glow of Callis’s spell flickered against her hands, fragile and fading.

At that moment, the Mederian Princess looked up at Clara, her eyes darted to the bow in her hand. Urgency blazed through the exhaustion in her eyes.

"Sir McQuinn is barely breathing," she said, voice trembling but resolute. "I will pour out every last drop of my mana to keep him alive a little longer, but I can’t promise it will be enough. When I’m finished, you must carry me to that ridge." She lifted a shaking hand, pointing to the said place. "You’re the only one who can still move around. I need to fire the enchanted arrow and summon my brother."

"Let me do it!" Clara insisted. "I’m limping, but I can still shoot straight."

"No," Callis said firmly. "Only I can send the signal. No one else. You need to get me there as fast as possible before I lose consciousness."

"You’ll suffer mana depletion, Mrs Amares!" Drystan warned, voice tense with fear. "You might not recover from that."

"He’s right! Don’t do it! I already dispatched Mr Foster to alert His Highness the Grand Duke of our situation. He will come for us and save us all. You don’t need to sacrifice yourself!" said Noah.

Callis shook her head.

"His Highness can’t help us," she said quietly. "He may possess great mana, but he hasn’t learned how to wield combat magic. Even if he arrives, he won’t stand a chance against the Bargesians."

"But—"

The Mederian Princess’s exhaustion deepened into something solemn yet unyielding.

"This is the only way, Sir Brooks. If we fail to do this... we may lose everything."

"But what if something terrible happens to you?" Clara asked, her worry bleeding through every word.

Callis managed a faint, crooked smile despite her swollen lips.

"I won’t die easily... not today, at least. Rafe promised we’d spend some proper, intimate time together." Her eyes grew firm, yet held hope for her yearning love. "So help me stick to that promise."

Drystan swallowed, uncertainty twisting in his chest. Even with the Mederian Princess’s iron resolve, none of them could deny the danger.

"Will His Highness Prince Kiev actually arrive on time? We assume he’s returning, but we don’t know his exact whereabouts."

Determination sparked like fire in Callis’s eyes.

"He will come when he sees the signal. The colour will tell us how close he is... red if he’s too far to reach us within a day, orange if he’s somewhere in between, and blue if he’s near enough to come immediately."

"Please, Mrs Amares! Please do it!" Helen pleaded, her voice shaking as she glanced at Damon’s motionless form. "I know you’re barely standing yourself, but... Sir McQuinn..."

Her breath hitched as guilt tore her heart apart. Damon had thrown himself into danger to save her; the thought of him dying because of it was unbearable.

"I will do everything in my power to save him, Miss Reed," Callis vowed.

Clara straightened up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, aware that this was their only opportunity—regardless of the cost.

"Then I’ll carry you," she said firmly to the Mederian Princess. "No matter what."

Callis gave a slight, grateful nod.

Then, gathering the last of her strength, she pushed out all her remaining mana through the healing spell. The previously flickering light brightened, blinding the eyes of the others, but only for a few seconds.

The Mederian Princess’s body slumped forward from the impact, blood spewing from her lips.

"Mrs Amares!" Noah exclaimed.

But Callis ignored his calling and signalled to Clara.

"Now!"

Clara instantly hauled Callis onto her back. As fast as she could, she traversed through the snow, carrying the Mederian Princess. Her steps stumbled towards the ridge as they struggled amidst the snow to reach there.

Drystan and Alex could only watch helplessly from behind; their injuries were too severe, and they couldn’t take a single step to aid the Mederian Princess.

Eli, Luke, and Alex had long fainted from the powerful strike they endured. Now, all hope was on the limping knightess rushing to the highest peak in the clearing.

"Hold on, Mrs Amares! We’re almost there!" Clara urged, feeling Callis grow heavier on her back as the Mederian Princess drifted towards unconsciousness.

"I... I’m all right... Carry on, Dame Verns," Callis murmured, her eyes fluttering as a creeping coldness seeped through her veins.

The backlash of mana depletion had begun, dimming her sight at the edges. Her strength was nearly gone; only her will kept her upright.

At that moment, the thought of Rafe’s smile emerged before her. How wonderful it would be if they were together now... holding each other in the warmth of the embrace he had promised her.

"We’re here!" Clara’s urgent words jolted the Mederian Princess’s drifting mind back to reality after fleeting moments.

The fight was far from over, but for now, their priority was clear: get the help they desperately needed.

Kiev held the key to defeating the Bargesians, as he possessed the Ro’an mana gifted by Kyren and was the only one who knew how to wield combat magic.

"Help me stand," Callis ordered, her voice weak but resolute, as the knightess carefully lowered her to the snow.

Clara steadied the Mederian Princess from behind, supporting her weight as Callis gripped her bow. Drawing on every ounce of her remaining strength, she forced herself upright with Clara’s help.

The Mederian Princess nocked the last arrow and aimed high into the sky. She drew the string back, her fingers quivering.

"Kaam et mu, bar," she whispered, the Ro’an words carrying all their hopes.

(Come to us, brother!)

’Zaap!’

The enchanted arrow shot into the sky, blazing brightly before shattering into a cascade of glittering lights. The signal was sent. And then...

’Thump!’

Sparks burst out, resembling fireworks. They shone brightly, changing from white to a soft, flickering blue.

A small, exhausted smile curved Callis’s lips.

"He’s...coming..."

With her mission complete, she collapsed, unconscious, as the glow above them slowly faded into the atmosphere.

"Mrs Amares! Mrs Amares!" Clara cried, catching Callis’s body before it slid to the ground.

The Mederian Princess lay motionless, her body cold and unresponsive to the world surrounding her.

Clara cried out as they both slumped to the snow, tears streaming as she shook the Mederian Princess’s limp form, but her efforts were in vain.

She froze suddenly, sensing a presence behind them.

It couldn’t be the knights, as they were all incapacitated. Had the Bargesians returned to finish them off?

Alarm prickled along her spine. But as she spun around, a familiar voice cut through the snowy clearing.

"Callis! Callis!"

Rafe came barrelling up the ridge, moving like a man possessed. Relief washed over Clara at the sight of him, not the enemy, but her anxiety lingered. The Mederian Princess was still in grave danger.

The healer’s boots slipped on the frozen ground, but he didn’t slow down. By the time he reached them, his legs gave out beneath him, and he dropped to his knees so hard the impact rattled through him.

He pulled Callis into his arms without thinking, almost ripping her away from the knightess.

His motions were frantic and trembling. He dragged her closer, cradling her upper body to his chest as though he could shield her from whatever had taken her strength.

"Callis... Callis, look at me!" His voice broke.

Her head lolled against his arm, unmoving. Her skin felt too cold.

"She’s drained of mana, Mr Amares! Please help her!" Clara, still kneeling beside them, exclaimed shakily.

"No! No! This can’t be!"

Rafe shook his head in denial, unable to believe that the fear he had felt had come true. He forced himself upright slightly, hands shaking as he cupped her face.

"Callis, please... open your eyes. Please..."

Nothing.

His breath came in uneven gasps. Panic swallowed him whole. Then... instinct kicked in.

He laid her gently on the snow, lowering her head onto the snow as he checked her pulse with trembling fingers.

Too faint. Too slow.

"No... no... no..."

His voice collapsed into a whisper.

Then louder, hoarse... "Don’t do this to me!"

He bent over her and began chest compressions, desperation powering every movement, even as tears streamed freely down his cheeks.

"Come back to me! Please!"

He continued the chest compressions. His tears fell in a steady stream, dripping onto Callis’s pale cheeks, yet despite the tremor in his hands and the agony twisting his face, he did not falter.

"Come on... come on... breathe for me..."

On the subsequent compression, the Mederian Princess’s body jolted faintly. A soft, fragile gasp escaped her lips, her chest rising painfully shallow.

Rafe froze.

"Callis!" His voice cracked, half-sob, half-relief.

He leaned over her, brushing her damp hair away from her face, rechecking her pulse with frantic fingers.

It was there, weak and thready, but not as bad as before. The faint rise and fall of her chest was also proof that she was still with him.

"You’re breathing... thank God you’re breathing!" Rafe exclaimed, bending over her as if to shelter the flicker of life returning to her.

"Open your eyes!" he urged as he briskly patted her face.

But the Mederian Princess’s eyes remained closed.

He shook her a little harder.

"Callis, look at me. Please... I’m right here..."

No response.

Rafe’s voice shattered completely as he folded over her, pulling her limp body against his chest again.

"Why won’t you wake up? Why did you do this? What have you got yourself into?!"

His shoulders shook violently as sobs tore out of him helplessly.

Clara covered her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks as Rafe continued calling out to his wife, shaking with grief as he clung to her limp form.

Relief and worries trembled in her chest. The Mederian Princess had been pulled back from the edge of death, but the uncertainty was crushing. No one knew what the consequence of her mana depletion would be. They didn’t even know if she would ever wake up.

’Hooonnnn!!’

A deep, hollow horn blast rolled across the snowy field, mournful and urgent. Adam, having reached the knights, had blown it with all his strength, a desperate summons for the royal knights who had yet to find them—a call for help.

Clara turned towards the sound. The knights remained still in the same spot where she and Callis had left them earlier. But then something else caught her eye.

At the far edge of the plains, several meters past the trail Anna and the Bargesians had taken, a lone rider on a black horse traversed across the snow, racing toward them with reckless desperation.

Even from a distance, the knightess recognised the figure; it was Kyren, the Grand Duke of Gerhard.

Rafe didn’t lift his head. He only held Callis closer, burying his face in her hair as his voice broke in a trembling whisper.

"Stay with me... don’t slip away... please..."