by Naomi Sparks
Lysandra leads us to a tent with singed edges. Inside, Surem sits on a pillow, his knees drawn up against his chest. For a moment, he looks like a small, scared child. When we walk in, he looks up, and his eyes go wide. He babbles something, and I clench my fists, resisting the urge to slap some sense into him. Maybe I should have done that ages ago, too.
This is the man who created our enclave, which shielded us from Amasis all those years ago. So why did he turn the Fire Riders away? Did he think Amasis had no interest in us beyond them? He should have known full well what Amasis is capable of. I shoulder the blame for my role in our people's fate, but he should shoulder just as much of that blame, if not more.
"How... how did you find us?" Surem asks, pushing himself up off the ground. He doesn't even bother to knock the dust off his clothing as he stumbles over to us. We've only been gone a day, and yet Surem looks like he's aged a century. I guess that's what guilt does to a man.
"Lysandra called for me." I stand before him, my shoulders squared, and stare him down. "You never should have pushed us away. If we'd been here, maybe we could have stopped this. We could match their strength once. We could have done it again."
Surem flinches. Lysandra walks over to stand by his side, slipping her hand in his. "I thought they would ignore us if the Fire Riders weren't here. I... I thought we would become irrelevant if their true target was elsewhere. I.... I was wrong."
"You were. And your mistake cost our people their lives. I've seen the destruction beyond this tent. Even though who survive will do so with practically nothing." I know my words sting him, but I don't soften them. He doesn't deserve that mercy. "You know full-well the history Amasis has with our people. You know that we are nothing more than cattle to him. It's why you created this haven, why you worked so hard to shield us from his eyes."
Surem looks down at his feet, no longer able to meet my accusatory gaze. His entire body is shaking now, and I imagine he's fighting back tears. "Please..." he pleads. "Please, can you get our people back? Will you help us, even though we turned you away."
Someone walks up beside me and places their hand on my shoulder. Immediately, I know it's Galen. "You are lucky we are better warriors," he says dryly. "I will help you retrieve your people."
To anyone else, Galen's voice probably sounds even, calm. But I can hear the anger just below the surface. I can feel it in the way he grips my shoulder. He is tired of sitting around while Amasis has free rein as am I.
When I turn and look at the other men, they all have the same fiery look in their eyes. Lex is the one who speaks next. "So long as it does not endanger my mate or those of my brethren, we will do everything in our power to return your people to you. Though you tried to deny us aid in our time of need, we will not do the same to you."
Surem still does not look up from the ground, but he nods. "Thank you," he says, his voice soft and low, barely audible.
I look at Surem one more time, then turn and walk out of the tent without another word. It's stifling in there, and not just from the heat. The others all follow me outside, and once we're in the open desert air once more, I turn to them. "Where do we start?" I direct my question to Lex. I'm used to leading the Fae, being Surem's second-in-command, but these men aren't the Fae.
Lex frowns, and I can see him thinking, no doubt going over all the different options. He doesn't look keen on an assault against Amasis, but I can tell he knows this is necessary. The time for running is out. He looks over at Hannah. "Can you get anything? Give us a starting location? I doubt he went back to Seattle."
We all watch as Hannah closes her eyes and takes deep breaths. Time slows to a standstill as we wait, hoping she'll get something that can point us in the right direction. Finally, she opens her eyes and lets out a sigh. "No, nothing. Sorry."
I fight back the urge to curse. We can't get the Fae back from Amasis if we don't know where he's taken them. Perhaps there are Fae left who can track them. If that were possible, Surem would have said something. At least, I hope he would have, but then, Surem didn't look like he's thinking clearly right now.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Faith says. She pushes away from Jerrick and marches over to the female dragon. The woman still has said nothing. She's got her long dark arms crossed over her chest, but she can't contain a smirk as she looks around at the devastated camp. When Faith stops right in front of her, the dragon glares at her.
Bren reaches out and puts a hand on her shoulder, and I can see his fingers digging into her. The woman still doesn't speak, but she keeps glaring at Faith. That is until Faith reaches out and puts a hand on the dragon's head and closes her eyes. The dragon hisses and bares her teeth. Bren tightens his hold on her, and I notice Jerrick moving quickly to stand beside his mate.
When Faith opens her eyes, she grins as she backs away. "Saphira here seems to think the Clutch has taken them to another base in California or Nevada."
"I'll never tell you where they are," Saphira says, glaring daggers at Faith. If it weren't for the ropes that bound her hands together and Bren and Jerrick standing right there, Saphira would've attacked Faith. But all Saphira can do is sit there and glare.
Faith doesn't seem to be the least bit deterred, though. She just keeps grinning. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. You won't have a choice." She taps the side of her head and her grin broadens. "Anything you're thinking about, I can hear. All of your secrets are open for me."
Saphira lets out a loud growl, her voice echoing across the desert. But strangely, she's not looking at Faith when she does it. She's looking over at Bren. He has his eyes closed, his head hanging down. It seems like something is paining him, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.
Faith either doesn't notice or doesn't care. She just walks up to Saphira again and puts her hands on the female dragon's head. Hannah closes her eyes, and I watch as she sucks in a deep breath.
I hold my breath as I watch her, wondering just what secrets she can pry out of this woman's head. I also can't help seeing how someone with her powers would be indispensable. No wonder Amasis wants her back, and no wonder the Fire Riders are fighting so hard to protect her. She's a valuable asset in this war.
And there's not a doubt in my mind that that's what this is. War.
By attacking my home and kidnapping my people, Amasis has declared war. And while I may not be looking forward to it, I'm damn sure going to put an end to it. The fate of all magical people will be decided. It's going to end with his head on a pike or mine.
14
Amasis
A grin stretches across my face for the first time in far too long. It had been a costly venture, but we came out on top. I didn't recover the human woman or bring Aleksander back to the fold, but I did replenish our supply of Fae. Fifty Fae in total are being sorted into different cells. Twenty of those are women. Young, fit women who will be perfect breeding stock. Now we can begin our breeding projects anew, with fresh blood and magic, to aid in my efforts to save our race.
Still, I'm not completely satisfied. That human woman is still out there, and I need to bring her back soon. It's much more challenging to manage my people, to know which ones are thinking of becoming disloyal, without Faith here by my side. Even now, as I stride down the hall, glancing at the Fae locked inside their cells, I wish Faith was here by my side. I can just imagine all the useful things she could pull from their heads for me.
How many Fae were able to escape my attack? Where did they go? How many other camps are there like theirs? What are the powers of the different Fae I've captured? How many of them might have uses for something other than breeding stock? What's the spell they used to hide from me? What spell do they use to transport themselves from place to place?
I have so many questions, and Faith would make getting those answers a breeze. Without her, it will be nearly impossible to get the information I want. The Fae will not tell me willingly, and it'll be tough to determine the truth from their lies. Maybe I shouldn't have become
so dependent on Faith’s abilities, but it's hard not to rely on someone who can steal even the most guarded thoughts from someone's head in the blink of an eye.
Then, anger wells up inside me. If it weren't for Aleksander and the annoyances he calls friends, I would have her back by my side. The nerve of him, fighting against my people and me. He should know by now I'm trying to help our race, trying to save it. And yet he fights against me, every step of the way, doing everything he can to sabotage my perfectly laid plans.
And for what? Weak Fae and human women? They're barely worth the food and water to keep them alive, certainly not worth dying over. And if Aleksander wants to keep that human woman as a pet, then so be it. She might even serve a purpose. Maybe she also has a useful gift, like Faith's. But even if she's not helpful in that regard, I won't begrudge him a pet to keep for entertainment.
And yet, I doubt whether he will see the big picture, whether he will come back to the fold. More than anything, I want him back here, standing by my side as we usher in a new era for our race. I'd even give up that human mind reader if it meant having him back beside me once again. All the Fae in the enclave doesn't amount to his value.
I let out a sigh and shake my head. He will come around, I tell myself. Sooner or later, he will realize I'm right and will come back to me. I just need to be patient. I didn't get where I am today by rushing into things. And now that I have more Fae to work with, I no longer have to worry about anything. These will last us many years, perhaps even giving us the fresh blood needed to revive the stock I already have, giving me an even stronger, more diverse pool to pull from.
The Fae all glare up at me from their cells, and I just smirk as I walk by them. They have spirit, fire, within them. That will serve me well. The stronger the spirit, the more useful they'll be in our various projects. They'll soon learn that their fiery attitudes won't get them out of here, but until then, that energy will come in handy.
Many of them still have hope in their eyes as they glare. Are they hoping I'll let them go? That they'll manage to break out? Or that their friends will come for them, rip them from my grasp by force? The very thought of the Fae coming right to my doorstep is enough to make me laugh. I hope they come. Then, I'll be able to take them all prisoner. I'll have all the ones that escaped in my gasp.
And this time, I won't let a single one get away. They will all be mine, and I'll find out if any others are hiding out there. I'll bring all the Fae under my wing and rule them as I rule the Dragons. On their own, they're minor annoyances. But under me, they will all have their uses. Some will be breeding stock. Some will use their magic to strengthen my strongholds, to move my armies.
And when Aleksander comes back to me, I'll even let him keep his beloved Fire Riders. They can work as an advanced unit, answering only to Aleksander and myself. They'd be outside the normal chain of command, like a Special Ops team, going where it would be impractical to send my full forces. I'd even keep their precious mates safe in my strongholds, pampered and well maintained, away from all the other men. They'd never have to worry about their women, knowing I'm there to watch over them.
Now, I just need to get that point across to Alexander, to make him see reason.
My mind weighs heavy with those thoughts as I make my way back to the throne room. I doubt a simple message or phone call will help him see reason. No, he will need something more than that. Something to push him to realize he's wrong, that my way is the right way.
The throne room is empty when I enter, and I'm thankful for a moment of peace. As much as I want to get the opinion of my advisors, this is a personal matter. Besides, my advisors have become less and less useful lately. It's been one failure after another with them. I'm considering just axing the lot of them, starting fresh with new, untainted minds.
Maybe I should see if any of the Fae we captured were leaders. Whoever ran their enclave did a good job of it, keeping off my radar for so long. I wouldn't mind having someone like that at my side, giving me an alternate point of view. I could do with some advisors who don't just nod and bow every time I require input. It's getting old, having people constantly bending over backward, telling me what they think I want to hear. I need actual, useful advice as I lead us into the new era.
I don't want to do this all alone. Everything I do is for the betterment of our race, to put us back at the top of the world, where we rightfully belong.
If all goes to plan, we won't have to hide any longer. We won't have to worry about lowly humans discovering who we are. Soon, they'll know exactly who and what we are. And they'll regret ever having thought they could subjugate us.
When the door to the throne room opens, I hold back a sigh. It would be too much to ask to be left alone with my thoughts for a while. But no one ever said the life of a ruler is easy. And if my subjects need me, then I can't just turn a blind eye to them, especially over a personal matter. Aleksander has been away from me for a while now. What's another couple of days in the grand scheme of things?
Meroe and Yin stride forward, the door slamming shut behind them. They both keep their gazes downcast, not looking up at me for even a fraction of a second. I frown, knowing whatever they're about to tell me will ruin my good mood. I consider sending them away but decide against it. No sense in delaying the inevitable. Besides, if it's bad news, I might as well just get it over with. The sooner they tell me who fucked up, the sooner someone loses their head, and I can go back to my delicately laid plans.
Time slows to a crawl as they approach. I wonder if they're purposely slowing themselves down, then dismiss the idea. They're my most trusted general and advisor. They know better than to do something foolish like that. At least, I hope they do. Otherwise, I may replace all of my advisors, starting with the two of them.
"What is it?" I ask when they finally reach me.
Both drop to their knees, their heads still bowed. My frown deepens when neither one speaks up right away, and I wonder just what kind of news they might have for me. Many thoughts go through my head, ranging from minor annoyances to death. Lots and lots of death.
"Speak," I command, my voice echoing off the walls. Both men flinch, and I smirk. They're both reasonably powerful dragons, but even they cower before me. Even just the sound of my voice is enough to make them fear for their lives.
Meroe is the one who finally speaks up. "We've finished going over the dead and injured from the two attacks on the Fae coven. Saphira is still unaccounted for, my lord."
A growl rises in my throat, my hands tightening around the arms of my chair. Saphira being among the dead would have been a great loss to me. But knowing she's not there, that she's out there somewhere, is even worse. It was foolish to allow her to take her place in the battle, but she had insisted. She's a loyal soldier, and she would not sit on her ass and let others fight for me while she did nothing.
Now, here we are. I should have put my foot down, should have told her not to be so foolish, but I've always had a soft spot for her. I could never say no to her.
I wish I had more than anything. This battle brought about great success, but it also had a price. Many good, loyal soldiers lost their lives out there. But Saphira is leagues more valuable than all of them put together. A daughter of our race is so very rare as it is but losing my own daughter...
Both men still refuse to look up and meet my gaze. I wonder if it's merely fear of my reaction or if they're both touched by her loss. Both would be compatible suitors for her. She has shown no desire for either of them, knowing full well their interest in her is purely political, knowing a mating with my daughter will solidify their position amongst our kind.
The wooden arms of the chair crack as my grip tightens even more. It takes all of my self-control not to rip the throne apart, piece by piece. It takes even more not to kill Meroe and Yin where they stand, but I remind myself it's not their fault. They're just the messengers. It's bad enough losing Saphira, but I can't afford to lose them right now.
Not until
I at least know what happened to her. "Find her," I command them. "Assemble every available scout and scour that desert until you've found her. If she was injured, she couldn't have gone too far."
I refuse even to entertain the thought of her defecting. She's always been loyal to me, my own flesh and blood. If she didn't return with the others, it's because something or someone is keeping her from doing so.
Perhaps the Fae hold her hostage, I reason. They're the most likely ones to keep an injured dragon against her will. Even injured, Saphira is powerful. The Fae might contain her, at least until she fully recovers. They might make a play with her, try to get their people back by offering a trade. Which can work for my benefit? If I can prolong the exchange long enough for Saphira to recover some of her strength, it might be an easy way to bring the rest of the Fae under my rule.
But that's assuming it's the Fae who have her, which I won't know for sure until either they send me their demands or my scouts find her, which is all the more reason to have every able body comb the desert for her.
If the Fae don't have her, then she could very well be laying out there somewhere, barely clinging to life. Which means I need to get to her sooner rather than later. So long as she's alive, even if it's by the barest thread, we can save her, but we have to get to her while she still lives.
If she's dead, then we need to recover her body at the very least. She's one of our kind, one of my own blood. She deserves a proper funeral, one befitting a warrior of her status. She deserves more than to lie on the desert, rotting until someone happens upon her.
"How many scouts can we spare?" I ask.
Meroe turns to Yin, deferring to him in this matter. Yin frowns and thinks for a moment, then tells me how many are not on assignment.