by Naomi Sparks
"Set her over here," Tyko says as he pushes as flap aside and steps into a secondary room. Lex follows him through, Hannah still cradled in his arms. Katia is next, and I follow in behind her. If she's going through this, then I will stay by her side throughout it. It's all I can do, but it's something at least.
As Lex lays Hannah on one bed and Katia climbs onto the other, Surem reaches out toward her. I turn to him and bare my teeth, barely able to contain my growl. He glares at me but takes a step back. He slinks toward the back, away from Katia, and I'm satisfied for the time being. It's his fault she's in this position. If he hadn't been so damn insistent on waiting and waiting, on not asking someone from the enclave to volunteer, Katia wouldn't have to be the one to do this.
Tyko moves around some equipment and brings out a small transfusion kit. Bren lets out a sound of surprise as he watches Tyko set it up.
"Our healer is prepared for almost anything," Surem says with a smug look on his face. Everyone ignores him though, not really caring.
I step forward and take Katia's hand in mine squeezing it as I lock eyes with her. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, which is a good sign. She's no longer shaking now like she's finally hardened herself to everything going on. She determined now, and that just makes me love her even more.
As Tyko infuses her blood into Hannah, he mutters a spell. Everyone watches with silence to see if it will work. Lex continues to hold Hannah's hand, his eyes never leaving her. I'm worried about Katia but that isn't even a fraction of how Lex is feeling right now. The risk to Katia is negligible. The risk to Hannah, and thus himself, is much greater.
Time seems to slow to a crawl as we all wait. I don't know how long a blood transfusion usually takes, but even though it seems to take forever, Tyko doesn't look worried or anything, so I assume it's all going to according to his plan.
Finally, he lets out a sigh and unhooks the transfusion kit before stepping aside. Hannah's breathing seems stronger, her color slowly returning. After a few more moments, her eyes flicker open and she smiles up at Lex.
"How are you feeling?" he asks, and once again, it feels like we're all holding our breath as we wait for her to reply.
"Like I've been run over by a truck," she says with a small laugh. Then, she sits up, and we can call see just how much stronger she looks now. Even though the transfusion just finished, already she looks so much healthier. Not back to normal, but no longer at death's door.
A sigh of relief slips from my lips. I squeeze Katia's hand and look into her eyes. She looks no worse for the wear, despite having just given blood.
I have no idea how long Hannah's health will last though I hope it will be permanent, at least we've bought ourselves some time now.
10
Katia
Once Tyko slides the needle out of my arm and puts on a small bandage, I sit up and stretch. I'm not sure what I expected when I volunteered to give Hannah my blood, but I'd expected to feel something. But I feel exactly the same, without any actual change. I'm not sure how much blood Tyko took, but it doesn't feel like he took much of anything at all.
But when I look over at Hannah, I can tell it's made a world of difference to her. Even though it's only been a minute or two, she already looks better. I can see color returning to her cheeks. It doesn't look like she's bleeding anymore, and her breathing sounds normal. I'm glad, and I let out a sigh. That's one less weight on my shoulders, at least for now.
I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and stand, stretching. My limbs are all tight, but I have a feeling that's more from not having much sleep since Galen and his crew arrived here rather than from the transfusion. And I have no doubt the tightness will disappear once I'm in battle.
Turning to face Galen, I lock eyes with him. Now that we know Hannah is safe for now, it's time to get down to business. "In exchange for giving my blood to save Hannah's life, you need to help me recover Lysandra from Amasis." You usually talk about the price beforehand, but in this case, there hadn't been time.
Galen stiffens, but he nods. "Of course. I will do everything in my power to bring your sister back."
"So will I," Lex says, moving away from Hannah's bedside to stand next to me. He nods at Katia. "You've given my mate a chance to live. It is only fair that I return the favor for you and your sister."
"We all will," Jerrick says. I look over and see him holding hands with his mate, the one Amasis is after. No doubt, he's fighting more to protect her than to save my sister, but I appreciate him lending his strength. The others all nod their accent and hope wells up inside me. With everyone together, we might have enough strength to defeat Amasis, especially with the power of the enclave behind us.
But when I look over at Surem, he shakes his head. "I will not risk the lives of our warriors on this foolish mission. We should focus on negotiation and evacuating, not fighting against Amasis."
I frown, then turn my back on him. I believe what Galen and the others say, that Amasis has no plans to negotiate with us. If we give him the woman he wants, that'll just be one more slave added to his collection. We're better off fighting. At least then, if we lose, we have tried. It's better than just rolling over for the dragons.
"We should find out where they are first. Then we can figure out a way to attack. We'll want to take them by surprise if we can," I say, taking charge. If Surem doesn't lend me the enclave's resources, then I must make do with the Fire Riders.
"Amasis and his leaders can camouflage themselves," Lex says. "Depend on who other than Amasis and Meroe are out there, it may not be easy to find them. They could be five feet away, and we'd never know it."
I nod, frowning. "Lysandra doesn't have that power. Are they able to hide others with their powers? If not, all we have to do is search for her."
The guys all exchange looks, finally Lex shrugs. "I'm not sure if they do. Most dragons are fairly secretive about their abilities. The more people know about us, the easier it is for them to harm us. One of Amasis's men may hide others, but the only way to find out is for us to go out and scout." Lex looks over at another of the Riders, Bren, I remember, and the other man nods. "Bren and I will go out and scout. We can both camouflage, so they shouldn't be able to spot us."
I know Surem has the same power, but since he's not planning to help us, I'll just have to rely on Lex and Bren to act as our scouts.
"I doubt it will be all that easy to find them," Surem says with a snort. It takes all of my self-control not to hit the smug bastard. He may be our leader, but right then, I have an urge to feed him to Amasis as a snack. "What are you planning to do, just wander the desert until you bump into each other?"
Lex and Surem start arguing, and I just want to smack someone. This isn't the time to be acting like children. We need to come up with a real plan of action, need to become a single unified front. And yet the men are squabbling like we have all the time in the world.
Before I can interrupt them though, there's a low rumbling, like the entire desert is shaking. The next thing I know is a sound like something's being ripped apart, followed by a shock wave of energy. My heart stops as I lock eyes with Surem. Neither of us need to step outside to know what just happened, yet we follow everyone out of the tent.
The barrier is gone, screams, and shouts fill the early morning air. The sun barely peeks over the horizon, and yet there's light springing up all around the camp. Fires.
Surem runs off in the direction of the screaming, and the Fire Riders are right on his tail, even the women.
Heart hammering, I head back to my tent and grab my gear. It seems like we don't have time to do things with stealth, which is fine by me. If Amasis thinks he can just march in here and steal my sister, destroy my life, then he's got another thing coming.
In record time, I have my armor on, though I doubt the leather will offer much protection against the claws or fire of a dragon. But if I'm going into battle, I might as well do it right. Then, I grab my bow and quiver from the entrance and take off a
t a run toward the sound of the commotion. People are running away, parents carrying their children.
Fear creeps up my spine, but I refuse to acknowledge it. It doesn't matter how terrified I am about going up against dragons. I will not back down, not going to let them get away with kidnapping my sister and attacking my home. Even if it kills me, I'm determined to make them pay.
I find the guys all crowded in the middle of the main road through the camp. It's not so much a road as just a wide gap between tents that allows us to maneuver easily. I can barely see a few rows of men ahead, others darting between tents, grabbing people. My anger wells up, completely eclipsing my fear now, as I notch an arrow on my bow.
"Hold!" a loud, booming voice shouts. It echoes throughout the encampment, and I know everyone could hear the voice. The men all stop in their tracks, turning to look at a tall figure standing at the back of this small Army. Another man stands beside him, and when I squint, I can make out Lysandra, held between the two.
I have to bite my tongue to keep from just raising an arrow and shooting the man who must be Amasis. But I know at this distance, there's a chance the arrow may go astray and hit Lysandra by accident. I creep in as close as possible to the others without losing sight of Amasis and his men.
"Aleksander. It is time for you to see reason. I have given you enough chances to think things over. If you want the Fae of this enclave to survive, you will bring the woman forward and give her to me." I don't need a clear view of the man's face to know he's smirking. He thinks he's won, thinks he's forced our hand. The bastard. "Plus, you don't want your precious human woman to come to harm, do you? She's pregnant, isn't she? This must be a trying time for both of you..."
Everyone is silent for a moment as they process Amasis's words. Surem is absent, I notice, but I don't have time to focus on that. Faith starts to move forward, but Jerrick steps in front of her, blocking her from Amasis's view. Seconds later, Galen moves to stand next to Jerrick, helping shield his friend's mate.
"You know that's not going to happen. I don't trade lives," Lex shouts back at Amasis.
While the weight of Lex's words sinks in, I move up to stand next to Galen. He looks over at me in surprise, his eyes going up and down my body.
"You shouldn't be here," he whispers. "It's not going to be pretty. You should go somewhere safe. We'll get Lysandra back."
I shrug. This isn't the first fight I've seen in my two hundred years. And even if these dragons are more powerful than anything I've ever seen, I'm still not going to back away. "These are my people. I'm not going to abandon them."
I can tell he's still worried about me, but he smiles and nods. He understands my desire to stay and fight, to not run from someone who threatens me and mine. I imagine he feels much the same way, especially having just seen him step in front of Faith to shield her from the Army coming for her. He's not going to run, and neither am I.
My entire body trembles as I feel magic being worked. At first, I think it's Amasis, planning some attack, but then I realize it's Fae magic. It's Surem or one of the other elders, most likely. Someone is working some kind of defensive magic.
"Fine. Have it your way." With a wave of his hand, Amasis's men resume their rampage through our enclave. As the Fire Riders begin to walk forward, Galen and I look at each other one more time, and both nod.
For a moment, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I let the calm wash over me, let myself slip back into that battle mode I've trained for. When I open my eyes, I lock my gaze on one of the dragon's heading toward us. He's shorter than Galen by about half a foot, with greasy black hair and a smirk on his face. Without a word, I raise my bow and take aim. Seconds later, I release, and the arrow zips between the Fire Riders, impaling the man's eye socket.
He lets out a scream and drops to his knees, clutching at the arrow protruding from his head. It's not quite enough to kill a dragon, but it's more than enough to take him out of commission for a while. It's also enough to tell me that yes, we can kill these invaders. It's going to be tough, and we'll probably take substantial losses of our own, but damn if we're not going to go down fighting.
Lex looks over his shoulder in surprise. He locks eyes with me, then grins and nods. Then he looks over at Faris and says something. Farris nods, then grabs his mate, Kyra's, hand and pulls her away from the group. Farris grabs Faith on his way by, then heads back in the direction of Tyko's tent. That's when I realize what Lex told him to do. Protect the women.
It's a good plan since otherwise, they might end up getting injured in the fight. And with Hannah still back in Tyko's tent, we risk one of Amasis's men finding her. I grin at Lex. This is why his men follow him. He has the eye of a leader, one who leads from the front lines, not from behind like the bastard attacking us.
Lex and the others in the first launch themselves at the waiting Army. I watch, eyes wide, as they send men flying with such ease. The men crash into tents or bounce along the desert floor. I doubt many of them died from it, but they'd sure be hurting for a while. Then, I cursed myself for getting distracted. I didn't have the luxury to sit and watch the dragons fight, of watching them tear through the ranks of Amasis's Army.
I turn and scan the area, looking for the men who'd begun dispersing throughout the camp. I spot one, trying to drag a woman out of her tent. I notch the arrow and let it fly. It hit him in the side of the head, impaling right through his skull. Before he could so much as reach for it, I had loosed another arrow, this one pierces through his throat and drops him to the ground.
The woman looks over at me with an appreciative look, then took off running, deeper into camp.
I hang back, letting the dragons fight on the front lines. Instead, I focus my attacks on those who split off from the leading group. They are trying to wind their way through our tents, searching for Fae to drag off back to their masters.
Three more fall by my arrows before I hear the stampeding feet behind me.
I turn, arrow notched, then froze with a smile on my lips. A small group of Fae warriors came running forward, wearing armor and brandishing swords. Then head into the fight, working side by side with the Fire Riders to push back Amasis's troops. Two more archers stand next to me, helping me pick off those either trying to slip further into the camp or those the main force didn't kill.
There would be no mercy for any of them. They'd assaulted our home. Either they will die in this fight, or we will.
A loud roar echoes throughout the camp. I look over just in time to see one of Amasis's men having taken dragon form. I had just enough time to tackle the woman next to me the ground before fire burned above us, close enough to singe my hair and clothes. My heart hammers loud enough to drown out the sounds of the battle as it sinks in just how close to being roasted alive I'd just come.
I glance over to where the second woman had been standing. She was on the ground a few feet away, covered in dirt and blood from diving out of the way. I let out a breath of relief. I know many of us will probably die during the assault, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. At least for now, these two are okay.
Another roar shakes the entire area. I hear shouts and screams immediately after and look back over toward the battle. Galen is in dragon form, barrels through the men, charging straight for the enemy dragon. The smart ones move out of his way. The rest get tossed aside like they're dolls. He doesn't waste any time on them before he pounces on the other dragon, pinning him to the ground.
I can't take my eyes off him as his head snaps forward, his powerful jaw clamps down around the other dragon's neck. The other dragon lets out an anguished cry before Galen twists and breaks his neck, silencing him. The dragon goes slack and I sit there stunned. It's hard to believe such a robust creature could be killed in a flash, right before my eyes.
When I look over at Amasis, it doesn't look like he's even paying attention. One of his warriors was just killed right in front of him, and he doesn't even blink? What kind of cruel bastard is he?
As two more of Amasis's men transform and leap toward Galen, I push myself up off the ground, determined not just to sit there and be useless. I may not have the raw strength of a dragon, but I'm able to fight. I double check my bow, making sure it hadn't gotten damaged in the dive for cover. Once I'm sure it's still in good working order, I notch another arrow and take aim.
A man runs toward Lex, and I loose my arrow, watching it sail straight into the man's shoulder. He stumbles, grasping at the shaft, but before he can pull it out, Lex is on him, snapping the man's neck and tossing his body aside.
All this senseless violence should be revolting and turn my stomach. But I refuse to let myself feel anything. If I stop to feel, then I'll only get distracted, leaving myself open for the enemy to strike. There will be plenty of time for mourning when all is said and done.
A woman shrieks as she stumbles through the tents. I turn and aim at the man chasing after her. But before I can fire, she vanishes. The man stumbles to a stop, giving me the time I need to line up my shot and fire, the arrow hits him in his throat.
I look around, seeing the other Fae disappearing, some tents vanish as well. When I close my eyes, I reach out with my powers; I can feel it. Feel the spell we use to move the enclave to new locations. That's what Surem is doing. While we buy him time, he's evacuating our people, keeping them from Amasis.
Smirking, I open my eyes and resume picking off targets. If Amasis notices the enclave slowly disappearing in front of him, he doesn't show it. I think nothing gets to this man, that he has no emotions.
But, I can't focus on that now. There will be plenty of time for speculation later, if I can survive this battle. As the Fire Riders and the Fae warriors push into Amasis's ranks, I move forward, along with the other two archers, offering them what little support we can. It's not a wave of dragon's fire, but it helps keep Amasis's men on their toes, never knowing when an arrow might come soaring directly at them.