Marked By The Mad King Alpha (Phoebe and Perry) novel Chapter 183

**His Mercy Tastes Like Hunger**
**Chapter 183: A Tomb Of Earth**

**Phoebe’s POV**

The knowledge of explosive materials lingered in my mind, a remnant of the war lessons Perry had imparted to me. The details had been etched into my memory, each word a lifeline in the chaos that surrounded us.

The strategy I was about to employ wasn’t solely my own creation; it was a foundation laid by Perry himself. I had merely adapted his teachings to suit our dire circumstances. He had meticulously walked me through the various terrains of the central city, illustrating how we could wield the geography as a weapon against our foes.

If we played our cards right, the land could become our ally, a powerful force in our favor.

I remembered the day he had revealed these insights to me. It had been a moment of vulnerability, a time when my anxiety about his impending departure had reached a fever pitch. In an effort to soothe my worries, Perry had taken the time to explain the intricacies of our plan, detailing how we would execute it step by step. His voice had been steady as he laid out the specifics of the explosives, teaching me how to harness their potential against a terrain like ours.

What the king had never anticipated was that I would actually implement this knowledge in the throes of battle—or that I had been hanging on every word he said.

“Nothing’s happening,” Austen muttered, his voice barely cutting through the cacophony of chaos. He stood rigid, eyes fixed on the mountain, which trembled ominously before settling into an unsettling stillness. My heart raced as I silently pleaded for it to fracture, to yield under the pressure of our plan. Please, break. Just break.

I held my breath, the tension coiling tighter within me as the shock of the moment dissipated and the enemies regained their footing, charging forward with renewed ferocity.

“SHIFT!” Austen’s commanding roar sliced through the chaos, demanding attention. “Get the queen to safety!” His voice was a beacon, directing Samuel and Justin to form a protective barrier around me. We were now tasked with defending the second gate.

Three gates stood between the relentless enemies and the heart of our capital. The first gate was manned by seasoned warriors, the second by our frightened citizens, and the third surrounded the fertile farmland where we cultivated our grain.

The enemy had already breached the first gate—the strongest of them all. If they pressed through the second and third gates, they would crumble like fragile parchment.

Unless, of course, a miracle occurred, and the explosion triggered a landslide that would bury their entire shifter army beneath the earth.

But as I surveyed the scene, hope felt like a distant star. We had to hold this second gate, which was far less fortified than the first.

Everyone was acutely aware that if this plan faltered, the second gate would only buy us a few precious minutes before we were left with nothing but open ground. Their numbers overwhelmed us, a tide of warriors that threatened to sweep us away.

I pressed my hand to my chest, feeling the frantic beat of my heart as I stared at the mountain. I had utilized exactly the amount of explosives Perry had instructed me to. The incessant rain of the past few days should have increased the likelihood of success, right?

“My queen, we need to go. Come with me,” Justin urged, his eyes scanning my face, reading the disappointment etched there—a disappointment I directed solely at myself. “My queen, we…”

Just then, the ground quaked again. The enemies at the gates stumbled, their balance disrupted as the earth roared beneath us.

With a swift motion, Justin yanked me down, ensuring I wouldn’t fall. Samuel remained close, a steadfast guardian protecting the two young healers who were trembling at the chaos unfolding around them.

“The mountain! The mountain!” A warrior’s desperate shout drew our collective gaze upward, and what we saw made my breath catch in my throat—the mountain was shifting!

A massive landslide, larger than anything I had ever witnessed, cascaded down like a furious wave.

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