by Zoey Ellis
The shrill voice sounding out behind her, echoing around the mountain, made Elora gasp and almost lost her balance.
She secured her footing and then twisted around to look over her shoulder.
Behind her, hovering in midair, on top of an enormous slab of rock, was a large group of women, at least twenty, all dressed as warriors in red and black leather. Their expressions as fierce as were the weapons adorning their bodies. The only women who looked different stood at the front, dressed in an elaborate robe with a golden staff and a beautiful crown. The queen.
A trickle of dread snaked down Elora’s spine. How did she get onto Zendyor’s territory?
"What a foolish thing to be doing," the queen said, squinting up at how far Elora had traveled down.
"What do you want?" Elora breezed, although her voice did not carry as well as the other woman’s.
The queen looked up again. “You are either escaping or infiltrating this lair. Either way, you will be useful to me.”
Voices began to chant and the tang of magic filled Elora’s nose, and just as she registered how strange that was, it swirled around her whole body, yanking her from the mountainside and pulling her out into the air.
Elora screamed as she soared, breeze whipping around her and rushing past her ears until she slowed, landing on the platform in the middle of the women warriors.
"What do you want with me? Let me go!"
From the front of the hovering platform, the queen turned to look at her, taking in her face and her clothing. "I doubt you are someone important to the dragorai," she said. "But in case you are, I shall take you anyway."
A woman next to her grabbed her carrysack, while two others tied her wrists behind her back. “I will just be a burden to you," Elora said through gritted teeth. "I am not anyone of importance."
The queen shrugged. "If that turns out to be true I can just kill you. The dragorai took something from me, so I will take everything I possibly can from them."
The women began chanting again, but this time under their breaths, and the platform they stood on rose up and flew away from the mountain.
Elora looked around, the beautiful landscape stretching far and wide in all directions. It was stunning, but she couldn't take the time to appreciate it. She had just left one prison to end up in another, and this time, dread held her firm.
She’d heard many stories about the queen, from both lairs. She wasn't someone Elora wanted to be near, at all. She'd have to find a time and a way to escape but it was disheartening that she hadn't even made it off Zendyor's mountain before getting captured.
The rock they stood on drifted a few yards farther away, hovering in the sky.
"Whose lair is this?" the queen asked her casually, as if they were having a conversation.
"I'm not telling you anything," Elora said. Anger burned in her veins at the idea that she was at the mercy of this woman.
"The dragorai came to my provinces and launched an unprovoked attack against me,” the queen said, as if she’d not spoken, “as they have been doing to my family for years. I think it's about time that they learn what that feels like."
"There is none of their family in there," Elora insisted. "Only their staff."
"Good enough," the queen said. "I just wanted to make sure that it is the right lair."
Elora’s nerves jittered. "Whose lair are you looking for?"
"The one who is most effective in war. The Dragorai of War, we call him in the South."
She had to mean Zendyor. All of the history about him lauded his fighting abilities. But Elora said nothing. She was not going to confirm anything.
“Your silence tells me all I want to know.”
"You are talking about dragorai," Elora snapped. “What makes you think you can just attack them like that?”
"The dragorai are not the only ones who are capable of wielding magic to an expert degree," the queen said, almost as if she was offended. "Just because I haven't attacked them before, does not mean I am not a formidable opponent. They should not have come to my provinces."
"They have the favor of the Goddesses. They are more powerful than—"
"Spare me!" The queen's eyes blazed. "The Goddesses no longer want to dirty their hands with us. We are too base, too primitive for their high-flown ideas about what creation and life should be. They want us to feel, but they don't want us to exhibit those feelings in ways that are natural for us.” She flung her arms out yelling into the mountain range. “This is life," she yelled, her voice echoing across the range. "Blood. Agony. Heartache." She turned to look at Elora, her eyes wild. "In battle is when you find out what it means to be alive.” Her eyes raked down Elora again. “I don’t expect you to understand. No one wants pretty women to experience that thrill. It’s better than an alpha’s knot, at least in some instances.”
Elora glared at her, disgust and loathing burning through her body.
The queen threw her head back and laughed, but the rumbling sound of distant roars interrupted her. Immediately, the warrior women around her went on alert.
"Wardens," the queen said, addressing them, her eyes scanning the range. "You know what to do. Keep this one further down. We will use her when we need to, and we’ll find out if she is indeed important to the dragorai."
Women on either side of Elora yanked her down to her knees and surrounded her, one of them held her down with a hand to the back of her neck.
The roaring came closer, until it was so loud it sent goosebumps up the back of Elora’s neck. The queen’s slab of rock hovered in stillness as the dragorai approached. Elora could hear the whipping of wings, but she couldn't see anything from where she was.
"How have you breached this territory?" one of the dragorai’s roared.
Elora couldn't tell who was speaking, but it wasn't Zendyor.
“You tell me," the queen shot back. "You think your ranges are so secure when they're not. It is simply that no one with enough interest and talent has bothered to make an attempt. You have always been vulnerable. You tell me why you came to the South."
There was no answer from any of the brothers, but a series of rumbling roars came from every direction.
"Tell me why you were there!" the queen shouted. "You continue to come to my provinces and cause disruption and destruction, and you think there will be no retaliation? You underestimate me."
The roaring surged, almost deafening Elora.
The slab of rock lurched to the side and Elora screamed, attempting to grab onto the nearest woman's legs to maintain her balance. However, the hand on the back of her neck magically held her there. She couldn't move—she couldn't even speak. She was completely frozen.
The platform jerked one way and then the other. Commotion filled the air—dragons roaring, alphas bellowing, and the women around her were all chanting different words and facing different directions.
Elora remained stuck in that position, her mind racing that she was currently in active battle between the dragorai and the southern queen. The rock slab dipped and swerved and spun round, and even rolled over at one point, but Elora stayed in position where she was, knees to the hard rocky surface, head down, her heart pounding in her throat as she tried to figure out how the battle was going.
The slab of rock jerked hard to the left and then they were spinning fast across the range. The wind whipped so quickly past Elora, she could barely catch her breath. It took the wardens awhile to steady the rock, and in the meantime Elora closed her eyes trying not to get dizzy or nauseous. When they finally slowed, the queen bellowed out words that Elora didn't understand, and suddenly she was being dragged up to her feet and pushed toward the queen.
"Dragorai of war," the queen yelled out to the figure coming toward them. Elora tried to steady herself on her feet, but everything was so disorientating. When she looked around, the dragorai were approaching from every direction, surrounding them. Directly in front of them was Zendyor, standing on top of his dragon.
His eyes locked with hers and s
hock crossed his face. He roared in fury, his face contorting as every muscle in his body bulged. His dragon followed suit, sending a powerful clamor across the range toward the queen, deafening all within the vicinity.
Even when the commotion stopped, Zendyor remained a picture of absolute rage. "If you harm her, you will find your death immediately after," he roared.
The queen laughed but there was no humor in it. “Do you think I fear death?” she shouted back to Zendyor. To Elora she said, “I see you are valuable after all.”
Zendyor looked furious, but the queen did not know how possessive he could be about his treasures.
"If you do not release her, your death is guaranteed," Nyro called from his dragon. Behind him, on the same dragon, stood another dragorai that Elora recognized from I’mya’s ordination.
The head of the clan.
"What do you want?" another, dark-skinned brother said.
“Tyomar!" Zendyor bellowed at him.
Tyomar held up a hand as if telling Zendyor to wait. "What do you want?" he asked the queen again.
"I want what you took from me," the queen spat. "I want Oshali. I want my warden Uraya, who you had no right to take! I want you to feel what it's like when someone invades your dominion and takes something from you."
"So you’re prepared to use your resources on us instead of the king," another dragorai remarked. "That seems foolish."
"The king is incapable of defeating me," the queen said. "You have always been more of a threat, except you’ve been smart enough to stay out of it until now. I can see this little Omega is valuable to you," she said to Zendyor. Elora didn’t think it was possible for him to look even more threatening, but she was wrong. The queen continued, ignoring the obvious threat. "I will most definitely be taking her back to the South with me.”
Zendyor and his dragon charged.
"Wait," the other dragorai bellowed. "Zen, wait!"
The wardens surrounded Elora immediately and started chanting. The slab of rock dropped straight down and then shot backward. Elora jerked forward, almost toppling off the front edge, but the wardens had a good grip on her. They shot over the range with the dragorai in pursuit.
Zendyor and his dragon led the charge, flying so fast and darting to different angles they were almost a blur. It was a furious chase. The queen’s wardens were experts in incantations; it was clear they were trained well. The slab not only traveled at incredible speed, but it turned and dipped and rose quickly, maneuvering and darting in any direction they needed to, just like the dragorai.
They reached the edge of the Forbidden Mountains and continued into the realm, but Elora couldn’t tell which Dominion they were in, the North or the South. Either way, the dragorai were still coming. Around them trees burst into flames, roars echoed in her ears, and she began to feel the strain of the adrenaline pounding through her body.
Her knees buckled, and the warden beside her yanked her back up.
"You should have been one of my wardens," the queen commented. “It would have given you strength."
Elora grit her teeth, though she didn't respond. Everyone always thought she was weak just because she encouraged positivity, but the truth was, it took a lot to always be the happy one, to brush aside people's rudeness and inconsiderate attitudes to keep everyone in good spirits. "You are not the epitome of a strong woman," she muttered under her breath.
The queen turned to her, looking at her through narrowed eyes. "If you are trying to infuriate me, you can be sure that you will not outlive this day."
"I'm not sure I'm seeing how that would be a negative thing."
The queen stared at her, observing her closely. "That is good to know," she said.
A whip sounded by Elora's ear, and one of the wardens fell to the ground. Another two whips and another two fell.
The queen cried out in annoyance. She said something to the remaining wardens, and the slab jerked to the side, rounding the range and heading in a different direction.
They soared back around until they were over the Forbidden Mountains, then came to a stop by Zendyor's lair. Immediately, the dragorai surrounded them, and the queen grabbed Elora and dragged her to the edge of the slab.
"You have a choice," she said as the dragorai slowed.
"Give her to me," Zendyor bellowed.
He was holding a magical spear, aimed at the queen's head.
"Do you think you can save her before I move out of your range?” the queen asked.
"Yes," Zendyor shot back. "If she is harmed today—one fucking scratch—I will not rest until you are screaming in agony for your death."
The queen glanced at one of her wardens and they began to chant. As they cast, rumbling echoed throughout the mountains and Elora frowned as she looked down at the mountain before them. Were the wardens doing that to the mountain?
"I hear that all of your staff is in that mountain—the weakest mountain in the range,” the queen said. “Is this where your dragorai temple is too?”
Elora stilled. "What do you mean weak?"
"Its structure is unsound," the queen said. "It wouldn't take too much effort to collapse it. That's one of the reasons I came here first." She smiled. “It was just luck I found you stupidly climbing down it.”
“No!” Elora's breath left her. "There are people in there," she said in shock. "You can't do that."
"I can do whatever the fuck I want," the queen retorted. She began chanting with her wardens, their efforts directed at Zendyor’s lair.
The mountain cracked as it shook, rocks tumbling down it.
Elora gasped, her eyes wide on Zendyor, silently pleading with him to save his staff.
"Elora," he bellowed a warning in her voice. "You are more important—"
"No!” Elora shouted back. "Do not let them be hurt. Please!”
Zendyor's nostrils flared. "I cannot get everyone out in time," he said, his own anguish clear. He gestured to his brothers. "Even if we all go we could never get to everyone before it collapsed, and you cannot die."
"Please try," she yelled. “Please. Please!”
Zendyor muttered orders to his brothers, who all headed toward his mountain, but Zendyor remained. "I’m not leaving you.”
The mountain began to collapse, Elora cried out, desperate. They were all going to die. "No," she sobbed. “This can't happen again.” And then realization hit her. This was what the Goddess had been talking about. The stewards and servants were going to die, even if the dragorai did all they could—it had been preordained by a Goddess.
“You’re both so adorable,” the queen said, bitterness in her voice. “But I will save you the grief and heartache. Love like that doesn’t last.”
With that, she pushed Elora off the edge of the hovering slab.
Zendyor's thunderous howls echoed around her, and Elora could see the mountain, the dragons flying about around it as it continued to collapse.
Closing her eyes, she screamed out the Goddess’ name.
11
The golden city was just as beautiful as it was the last time she was there.
The buildings created an incredible skyline of a powerful city with the background of a blush-colored sky. This time the golden fields were filled with an oval-shaped fruit or vegetable that Elora didn’t recognize.
"It is almost time to harvest."
Elora spun around to see the Goddess standing behind her. As a reflex, she opened her mouth to ask where she was, but promptly closed it again because this time she knew—and it was not a dream. Her mind had simply been transported to another time and place. It was unsettling to be falling to your death in one moment and then in a peaceful, golden setting the next.
"You are ready for your gifts?" the Goddess said.
Elora pressed her lips together for a moment. "I don't exactly have a choice," she muttered.
"You do," the Goddess said. “You can say no.”
“And then die falling to my death,” Elora shot back.
“It is a
difficult choice.” The Goddess hesitated, peering at her curiously. “You do not believe he will catch you?”
Elora exhaled in frustration. "I am not afraid of making difficult choices, but I do not like making choices I don't understand."
"That is because you have no faith," the Goddess said.
Elora stepped back, shocked. "I had faith, we prayed to you twice a day! And until you killed my family, I had unwavering faith.”
"Not in yourself."
Elora’s growing annoyance faded. “What do you mean?”
The Goddess tilted her head. "You’ve never had faith—in yourself. That is why you need to surround yourself with others."
Elora stared at her evenly. That reasoning was why she left the lair in the first place, but she couldn't explain it right now. Not to this Goddess. And not when she hadn’t had time to adjust the way she thought about herself. “So you’re saying I should be alone my whole life?” she bit out.
“No.”
Elora frowned. “Then what?”
“Balance.”
Elora shook her head in frustration. It was infuriating talking to this Goddess!
“I am pleased for you to become your true self, Elora,” the Goddess said. “It will be exciting for you also.”
Elora’s frown deepened. "I will never forgive you for killing my faction or the lair’s staff,” she said fiercely. “They have lost their lives simply because they knew me. It is horrific that you are so at ease with extinguishing so many lives."
"Your faction was saved a heartache you will never know," the Goddess said gently. "As for the staff, you have the power to save them now."
"I don't see how," Elora said glumly. "Even if I fall to the ground without a scratch, I cannot stop the mountain from collapsing."
"Faith, Elora.”
Elora lowered her head. If she was going to ask anything, now would be the time. “Did they suffer?”
“No.”
Elora exhaled slowly, the lingering grief curling in her chest. “Why didn’t you just let me die with them?”
The Goddess didn’t reply.
“This life….” Elora shook her head. “It is hard for omegas.”