You look majestic on the back of that dragon, Darius thought as they flew by. I don’t think I ever mentioned it.
He had, a few times over, often when naked and kissing up or down my body. I tried for a grin, which probably looked more like a grimace, and then we were falling in behind him.
Have you decided what you’ll do about the elves? Emery thought as we made our way, the orange filaments in the sky flying past us. Trees and flowers dotted the way below until we cut across a stretch of flat land with very little landscaping. Clearly people didn’t often walk this way, and if flying creatures did, the elves didn’t care about them. Good news.
I debated giving a half-truth, or making light of it like I usually did. It was a trauma that was in my past—I didn’t want to worry the people I cared about by bringing it out in the open. Other people, the ones who hadn’t been there and weren’t traumatized by it too, didn’t seem to get that trauma didn’t just evaporate at the light of day; it had a habit of lingering. But if anyone could understand what I was going through, it was probably Emery. The elves had mentally tortured him for years, keeping him on the run, not letting him sleep or rest, helping the shitty mages who used to control the guild by keeping him moving.
I heaved a sigh.
“I want vengeance so badly I can barely think,” I said, turning my head so he would hear. “I still wake up in that dungeon, hearing screams that I know are mine. Fighting hopelessness. Waiting for death. After they were done with each session, I looked up at the dank ceiling and begged for Darius to come. I cried because I didn’t feel our bond. Because I was utterly and totally alone. And then, for the next session, I had to pull it all back within myself, stuff it down, and pretend like I didn’t care. I broke a little, I think. Or maybe I just need more time to get over it.” I let the wind dry my glassy eyes. “Or maybe what I need is vengeance.”
Emery was quiet for a long time. The land passed far below us in a blur. I had an insane urge to rip the sky away and kill all their stupid illusions.
Penny sides with Roger about what to do with the elves, and I get it, he thought. I know the Realm needs a ruling force, and someone from the Realm needs to be that ruling force. Why elves, though? Why not the Arcana? Why not Charity? The fae aren’t amazing in some respects, but they aren’t so corrupt it has diseased the whole of their ruling party and most of their people.
He had a point.
Someone needed to head up the Mages’ Guild after we tore it down, he went on, but we didn’t worry about that when we were doing the tearing. We fought our enemies and dealt with the fallout in the aftermath. So why are we doing this any differently?
Another good point. I said as much.
I don’t know, he finished. I’ve had firsthand dealings with them. So has Vlad. So have you. I’m sure Darius has more opinions than he is sharing. He sees the folly in allowing the vampires or Lucifer to sit on the throne, but he hasn’t weighed in on what he thinks you should do, right?
“No,” I answered, and it was amazing that he hadn’t. Usually, Darius would talk me through a situation much more thoroughly than I’d like, going through the possible ramifications of every decision, but I got the feeling that he was letting me fully captain this ship. While he’d made it clear he would fight by my side, he didn’t plan to point me in any particular direction.
I wondered about that. Maybe this situation had gotten too big for even him, and he wanted to see which way the wind would blow before making a call. Or maybe the days of manipulating me were long since done.
I was not sure I believed either of those.
Regardless, it was becoming increasingly apparent that no one knew what was best. Roger and the fae didn’t understand what they were up against. The king and queen’s enablers weren’t about to out themselves as bad guys, so a lot of them would end up back in positions of power. And where was the representation of the other creatures in the Realm if only the elves ruled? Shifters didn’t even have proper representation now, and they’d all worked dutifully for the crown. Had for many, many years.
I rubbed my temples. The whole thing was giving me a headache, but this time I couldn’t just shove the mess aside and go hunt something. This time I was all in.
So what did I really want in this game?
I wanted to be able to come and go to the Underworld, a right that Lucifer had granted me, and to learn enough that I could help him rule. For that to happen, the Realm had to be stable. The dragons and other creatures needed to be able to roam freely. Royalty should once again visit one another across world lines, and they should share ideas.
“Why does this all rest on my shoulders?” I was ashamed that my tone came pretty close to a whine.
Because you’re a power player now.
“I don’t know that I will fight my father.”
It doesn’t seem like he has any interest in fighting you. He has a grudge match with the elves, same as you. Same as the elves do with him. No one is innocent in this, not even me.
I laughed without humor. “You made an illusion, Emery. Give me a break. Lucifer’s castle is full of them. For funsies.”
Different strokes, he thought.
Different strokes was right.
We’ve said it before, but I believe you’re overthinking all this. I think you need to handle things the way you usually do.
Show up and kick ass.
“I have to grow up sometime.”
Maybe. But when there is no right answer…
“Stop making good points. It’s getting annoying.”
He chuckled as I clued in to our surroundings. I recognized the rock area near the vampire lair, full of big boulders and wandering rock beings. We flew over the path that wound from it, our trip drastically shorter thanks to the dragons.
My stomach curdled as I saw the figures zooming through the lands, headed in the direction of the nearest Underworld entrance. Vlad’s people, it must be, and they were on the move. The sheer number of them was enough to push my heart up into my throat.
“We’ve run out of time,” I yelled, leaning forward to push Archion a little faster. Ahead, Saphira had put on the jets too, meaning Darius had also noticed the exodus.
We soared along the path that led to the unicorns, passing the waters that held flesh-eating serpents. Last time I’d been this way, Darius thought it odd there weren’t any sentries. I didn’t know if it was odd or not now, but they were equally absent.
Warm light rained down on the unicorn lands up ahead, not actual sunlight but close enough. The small island, surrounded by swampy water, was covered in lush greenery, from leafy trees to wide meadows. They weren’t natural, those too-green trees, but created from magic. It was something I hadn’t noticed the first time I was here, since the illusion was done so well.
Saphira circled, and we followed, Cahal behind us. Great, regal beasts herded together below, silky-smooth fur catching the soft light from the faux-sun. One neighed, shaking its head and white mane before rising on its rear hooves. The gilded horn sparkled.
“Wow,” Emery said with a release of breath.
I’d have to agree. They were lovely in the way the dragons were magnificent. Imagine riding into battle on one of those beauties: your enemy would stop with a dopey smile that wouldn’t leave their face until your unicorn friend plunged that beautiful horn into their middle.
Figures stood within the greenery at the southern tip of the island, most wearing black and standing as still as statues. One figure was huddled close to the largest unicorn in view, standing amid the poppies and daisies on a bed of plush green grass. I couldn’t see the face, but I recognized the stature of our great buddy Vlad.
“Land.” I tapped Archion. “He’s trying to make off with the unicorns! We have to stop him.”
Saphira landed first, but Archion ignored me and did another lazy circle around the island.
Why aren’t you landing? I asked as I peered down through the trees. More unicorns stood within, but the
y weren’t grazing or moving toward the vamp visitors. They were staring northward.
Frowning, I looked in the direction they did, not seeing anything to raise suspicion…at first.
Wait, I thought, turning to look over Archion’s shoulder. Something is…
Archion adjusted his course, flying east to west, giving me a sideways view. Boats dotted the murky sea. Five rowers to a boat and at least two dozen boats. They weren’t manned by vampires, though—those willowy forms with their permanently windblown hair could only be elves.
“Look.” Emery pointed ahead of us. Dots moved along the eastern pathways, too far away for any detail, but they had humanoid forms. They could’ve been vampires, but they were coming from the opposite direction as the Lair, and with the elves coming from the north…
“Hurry,” I yelled, tapping Archion’s shoulder in the direction I needed him to turn. “Get back to the others. The elves are going to try to wipe out the unicorns and probably anyone else around.”
“Vlad was almost too late,” Emery said, gripping my shoulders as Archion put on a burst of speed.
We sailed to the southern tip and dipped down.
Get off now; it’ll be faster, Archion urged. I need to look for a larger landing place. Take the mage.
I whipped my right leg around, grabbed Emery’s arm, and jumped. Rather than follow, he tried to yank me back, almost ripping my arm out of my socket.
“Come on,” I yelled, using my magic this time and forcing him off Archion.
“Warn me next time,” he hollered, his voice tight. “I don’t usually just leap off dragons mid-flight.”
“How would you know?” I sped us toward the ground quickly. “You’ve only ridden one twice.”
“This…is…terrible,” Emery said as the ground rushed up to meet us.
I slammed on the hover-brakes as Darius and Vlad turned to look at me. Penny stood off to the side, head back, eyes wide, her attention firmly fixed on the unicorn matriarch rather than her fiancé’s dive through the air.
“Reagan, so good of you to—”
I cut Vlad’s posturing short. “Elves! Quick, elves are coming!” Something occurred to me. “Shit, we should’ve warned the unicorns on the north side of the island. Will they know to run? Will they be fast enough?”
Vlad’s eyes narrowed marginally, as if he suspected a trick, and honestly, maybe it would’ve been a good one if I’d thought I could pull something like that off on a vampire. Darius, however, knew better.
“Where are they coming from?” he asked, surveying the vampires around us. “How many?”
I closed my eyes and repeated what my perfect recall had printed onto my brain.
“Is this everyone?” I motioned around the clearing at the vampires standing idle.
Vlad’s head snapped right, where his second-in-command stood in her leather bustier and spiked high heels. “Send someone for backup. We don’t have enough to keep the elves at bay for long.”
“No.” I put out my hand, sparing a glance for Darius and hardening my resolve. “No.” I met Vlad’s eyes. “Take a team and get the unicorns out of here. Get them down to the Underworld. Find my father and tell him they need protection. Tell him to make them comfortable.”
Darius studied me for a moment, but he didn’t question my command. He turned and nodded to Vlad.
“How magnanimous of you,” Vlad said, nodding at his assistant. She zoomed off and started barking orders.
“It isn’t about me.” I turned to the great beast beside us, the matriarch, her radiance stopping my breath for a moment. Her soft mane fell down her velvety neck, glowing in the sun. Her deep eyes took me in. “You saved my life once. It’s my turn to save your…herd.” Man, I hoped she’d be cool with me calling them that. “Go. Hopefully one day we’ll meet again.”
She neighed and shook her head, drawing my attention to that foot-long horn.
Clouds rolled and boiled above us, and I looked up in confusion as I turned back to the others.
“An enemy has set foot on the island,” Darius said, stripping off his clothes, Vlad doing the same thing beside him.
“It seems the elves aren’t here for tea and a friendly chat,” Vlad said.
“Reagan, take them by air,” Darius said.
“You plan to fight them by foot?” Emery asked as the unicorns started to move, running toward a team of assembling vampires directing them south toward a land bridge.
“We are their protectors, Mr. Westbrook,” Vlad said, dropping his folded clothes to the ground, “a troth we take very seriously. They have young ones that can’t run as fast. We need to give them a fighting chance.”
Nine
Unicorns raced from the trees north of us, neighing, their hooves stamping the ground. Those young ones Vlad spoke of galloped with four left feet beside their mommies, some of their legs wobbling and most not coordinated enough to run at high speeds.
More unicorns of all sizes burst from the sides of the island in a mad panic to get out. One took a great sniff as it thundered by, tilting its nose into the air, its nostrils flaring.
“Penny can stick to the ground with me,” Emery started, “since Reagan can use her magic from—”
He cut off as the unicorn skidded to a stop, its hooves cutting into the grass and churning up dirt. Another unicorn bumped into its rump. It slowed as it circled past, then looked back at its pal before continuing on its way. They clearly didn’t like the idea of leaving anyone behind, which was probably why the matriarch still stood beside the vampires, her head swinging, watching her herd head south.
The unicorn that had left the stampede regarded me with shining black eyes as it stomped at the ground. It huffed, blasting me with its hot breath, before bending and sniffing me. I watched that horn come within a foot of my head, not impressed by this turn of events.
That must be Lucy, Darius thought, and I remembered the foal whose mother we had saved. The foal had rubbed against me, which was apparently a no-no—vampires were forbidden to touch without permission, and mothers rarely gave it—and then went to Darius.
I grimaced as it—she—nudged me with her nose. The matriarch stamped her foot and nodded her head, clearly annoyed. Or warning me? Lucy did it again, though, now snuffling my temple with her nose. Her horn stuck out above me, and if she crashed her head down, I would be sorry.
“Apparently she wants you to pet her,” Vlad said with a flat expression, his suspicious gaze sliding to Darius.
“Right, okay, but there’s danger coming, Lucy,” I said out of the side of my mouth, and rubbed her nose. “You need to get going.”
“She has a human name, too. Interesting,” Vlad quipped.
The flow of unicorns defecting from the trees had slowed. The sky boiled, angry black clouds announcing that bad news was coming. At the rate the elves had been moving down the path, they should’ve been here by now. Then again, if they’d noticed the dragons, they probably realized they should wait for backup from the boats. Vlad and Darius had clearly known the elves wouldn’t immediately rush in.
Lucy neighed, stomped the ground, bumped my head with her nose one last time, and ran after the others. The matriarch’s head was still now, and she stared at me. She was not impressed.
“Look, I’ll explain later. Just get out of here, would you?” I motioned her on, not wanting to run for Archion and show her my back. I didn’t want that horn through it. Then again, at the rate these beasts were fleeing, I wasn’t sure about their prowess in battle.
Cahal jogged up, offered a bow to the lead unicorn, and pulled his sword from its place on his back. It glittered like the unicorn’s horn. “I will fight on the ground. Coppelia will follow Archion’s lead in the air.”
“Ah. The druid is back.” Vlad smiled, and it was like we weren’t under attack and running out of time. This freaking vampire was too cool for his own good. “It seems you’ve chosen your side again.”
Cahal’s eyes were so hard that I was surprised th
ey didn’t stake the vampire where he stood. “Yes. I like to win. I intend to have a perfect track record.”
Vlad’s smile sent a chill through my body. He glanced at the matriarch unicorn. She bobbed her head and then pushed through us, taking up the rear of her herd.
“Excuse me,” I mumbled, knocked to the side. Clearly I was on her shit list.
“What’s the plan?” Penny asked, pointing at Darius. She probably knew I didn’t have one.
“I’ll lead the team on foot,” Vlad said, looking between Penny and Emery, at the vampires that hadn’t gone with the unicorns. He looked at me. “Heir.” It was the first time he’d officially recognized me by title. Huh. “This is an illusion. I assume you can take away their hiding places?”
“But then we’ll also take away yours,” I said.
“We don’t need them.” His form shifted into a pasty monster, Darius following his lead. The vampires to the back did the same, readying for battle.
I patted Cahal. “Give ’em hell.”
“With pleasure,” he murmured.
“Penny, you good—”
I cut off when she hurried north with Emery, not needing me to shove her into battle anymore. “Cat’s in the Cradle” was playing somewhere, I just knew it.
I delved into the magic on the island, feeling its connection to the sky and careful not to sever it lest I expose everyone to what had to be dawn by now. Once that aspect of the illusion was protected, I hovered into the air toward Archion, already picking at the rest of the illusion. The overall design was some great work, large in scope, but they hadn’t equipped it with any fail-safes—once you started pulling on a thread, the whole sweater would unravel.
Why are the other riders on foot? Archion asked as I took out a bushy tree and let him lift into the sky. This was a place designed for unicorns—there wasn’t enough open space for the dragons’ great wings.
We need more numbers. They’ll take the ground, and the dragons can provide cover from the sky.
You might leave my back?
Battle With Fire Page 10