by Skye Horn
“This way,” Adrian murmured, pulling back a fallen branch to reveal the path to the beach. It must have fallen during the last storm. Thea led the way, making her way down the winding path. She relaxed with each step she took, knowing they were closer and closer to safety.
At least for now.
“Where in hell did you get a dragon?” Kieran whispered, coming up beside her. Thea tried not to jump at his sudden proximity. She could practically feel his breath against her cheek.
“I quit questioning things the minute you brought me through that portal,” Thea responded just as quietly. She kept her eyes on the path ahead, scared she might trip over more fallen trees in the darkness. The moon was full tonight, lighting most of their path, but the frost-covered slope remained treacherous.
“That feels like a lifetime ago,” Kieran said, and Thea didn’t bother responding. It was a different life. One in which she’d been fascinated by the man with the wings. He’d brought her to a land full of magic, wooed her with the beauty of what it could be, but she’d never expected the journey they’d take would end like this.
“Hey, chatty. Why don’t you give her some space?” Adrian warned, coming up on Thea’s other side. The path felt extremely crowded between the two of them, so she sped up her footsteps, trying to get ahead before a fight broke out. They were almost there, and then they’d be on their way. They needed to focus on that.
When she rounded the final corner of the path she saw Sorlas was out on the beach, basking in the moonlight beside Caden. Outside, in the open, the dragon looked even more magnificent. There was a stumble of steps behind her and she knew Kieran had just caught sight of their ride. As if sensing them, Sorlas’ long neck maneuvered to point her head in their direction. Her golden eyes glowed and Thea immediately felt better. She ran to meet the dragon, throwing her arms around her neck with a smile, but she could feel the tension beneath her scales even if she could not hear her thoughts.
“It’s okay,” Thea murmured as Adrian caught up.
“She’s wary of Kieran,” he said, sounding amused.
Thea pressed her face into Sorlas’ neck, letting the heat of the dragon’s body warm her to the bone. “We all are.”
“Hey, you guys kind of match,” Caden chuckled, coming around from the other side of the dragon. Thea looked down at her green armor and grinned.
He was right.
Sorlas let out a snort, and Thea turned to see Haven had finally gotten Kieran to move forward. He looked to be trembling slightly. It made Thea smile, happy to see him nervous for once.
“Kieran, this is Adrian’s familiar, Sorlas. You should be nicer to him now.” Haven smirked, nudging Kieran forward. He nearly fell on his face, but Thea caught him by the arm, steadying him before removing her hand with a frown. She hated the way he made her heart race.
“Your familiar is a dragon?” Kieran said, not hiding his shock.
Sorlas bared her teeth at him, letting out a low warning growl. Her head rested on Thea’s shoulder as if she were ready to pounce on Kieran at the mere utterance of the right words from any of them.
Thea reached her hand up to rest against the dragon’s snout, smiling.
“And she really likes Thea,” Adrian added, as if that was important. Kieran’s eyes shifted between the three of them while his brows furrowed.
“I see,” he said quietly.
“Enough teasing.” Thea sighed. “Adrian, does Sorlas know what we are asking of her?”
“She is with us to the end,” Adrian said, running his hand delicately along the spikes on Sorlas’ back. “She was born for this.”
“I won’t lie. This could be a suicide mission. We don’t know what we are walking into, but it’s possible we will be stepping directly into the middle of a war.” Thea looked at each of her friends, even Kieran, and frowned. “I’m asking a lot.”
“We aren’t just doing this for you, Thea. We’re doing it for our families too, our home.” Haven gripped her arm, smiling slightly.
“For Faerie,” Thea said, wrapping her hand around Haven’s forearm in response.
“For Faerie,” Haven repeated.
“How many can Sorlas carry?” Thea asked Adrian. “We need to reach the Southern Forests as soon as possible.”
The dragon gave another snort and raised her head into the air, stretching her wings wide. Outside the cave, she was massive. Her wings stretched across the beach beautifully, raising up the sand around their feet.
“She says she can carry us all, but it will be a rough ride. Are you ready for that?”
Thea nodded. “I need to conserve my energy, which means no flying.”
Adrian nodded in understanding. “Then we’d better get going. We will have more cover in the night. Be careful how you hold onto her. Use the spikes on her back to keep yourself balanced. If you grab her scales, you could hurt her.”
They all nodded in understanding, even Kieran, who looked petrified to come anywhere near the dragon.
“You first, Thea.” Adrian held out a hand for her to step into. She looked toward Haven, who gave a nod of approval before he hoisted her up onto Sorlas’ back. It was difficult to find a comfortable position to sit, but once she adjusted herself and had a solid hold, Adrian followed her up, placing himself behind her. Heat radiated off his body behind her, keeping her warm, but she longed to get into the skies where she could feel the freedom of the air against her skin again, even if she wasn’t the one doing the flying tonight.
“You’re next, big guy.” Caden said, eyeing Kieran. Thea looked down to watch Kieran glare at her cousin’s attempt to help him up. It took him a bit longer than Thea to get himself adjusted, but eventually he was seated behind Adrian on Sorlas’ back. The dragon’s head whipped around until her eyes were level with Kieran’s, and Thea could see the unspoken threat as their gazes met. Kieran visibly shrank back, but soon Caden had climbed up on the dragon’s back, followed by Haven. They would arrive faster if they were all riding Sorlas instead of half of them trying to keep up with the dragon, so Thea was happy that Haven didn’t have any problem riding along beside Kieran.
“Ready, everyone?” Adrian asked. Thea clung a little tighter to Sorlas, happy that if she fell off, she at least had wings to save herself. Once everyone had nodded, the dragon took a deep breath and her wings began to push against the air. A second later, they were launching into the sky. Thea had to lean forward and press her wings against her back to keep from being thrown backwards into Adrian. The force at which Sorlas left the ground was magnificent. It was faster than any takeoff Thea could have ever dreamt of having.
She let out the breath she’d been holding, inhaling the cool night air and smiling as the rush of adrenaline filled her. For a moment, she was able to forget the fight that was coming and instead enjoy the beauty of the lands below. They drifted higher and higher into the night until the dragon smoothed out into a gentle glide. The moonlight glistened over the sea, and Thea watched as the waves lapped against the shore, although too far away to hear now. Her eyes watered slightly at the wind, but aside from that, she felt complete bliss.
“I told you flying on a dragon was fun,” Adrian whispered to her. She could hear him smiling. Thea didn’t bother to turn around. She didn’t want to see Kieran there. Instead, she wanted to enjoy the moment of freedom she felt before her world would come crashing down again. Having Adrian seated behind her, chuckling against the wind as he watched her expression, made it all a little better.
Like Caden had predicted, it took two days for them to reach the outskirts of the Southern Forests. While riding on the back of a dragon had been exhilarating at first, sleeping on the back of a dragon had been the most terrifying experience Thea had ever had. They’d slept in shifts, making sure no one fell off, but even that hadn’t made Thea feel any better.
Now, as they landed along the outskirts of the trees, Thea had to fight her exhaustion. They had arrived more quickly, but at what cost?
They sl
id off Sorlas’ back to stretch their bodies. If Declan was in the dense forest, they would need to go the rest of the way on foot. Sorlas would not be able to infiltrate the thickness of the trees. Adrian would instruct her to stay hidden until they called, but they had essentially decided to enter this fight blind.
Thea eyed the darkening skies above them. They would need to make camp for the night and start their search in the morning. Thea could only hope that Declan would have sent the guards out to scout for them, but she hadn’t exactly had time to instruct him to do that. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head, and began unpacking the thin bedrolls they’d brought. It would hardly protect them from the cold night, but if they stuck near enough to a fire, they’d survive.
“Caden, you and Adrian should go gather wood for a fire. Haven and I will set everything up. We only have one loaf of bread left, and broth from the stew, so we will have to make do with that until we find the others.”
Caden nodded and tugged an even more exhausted-looking Adrian into the forest. Each time Thea had fallen asleep on Sorlas, Adrian had been the one to make sure she didn’t roll right off the dragon’s back. Now Thea wondered how much he’d slept himself since they’d left, but he was gone before she could ask.
“What about me?” Kieran asked. As soon as they’d landed he’d moved as far away from Sorlas as possible, but his eyes flickered to Thea now. She’d done her best to ignore him for the journey, not wanting to think about the ways he might betray them or what he might be thinking, but she needed to grow up and face her problems. Her eyes lingered over his body, examining the physical shape he was now in. He’d lost weight during his time in the dungeons. His cheeks were shallower and his eyes slightly sunken. His hair looked as if someone had purposefully tied it into knots, and if it weren’t for his green eyes, she’d hardly recognize the man in front of her as the same one who’d brought her to Faerie eight months ago.
“If I let you out of those cuffs, will you run?” Thea asked, eyeing him.
Haven’s sharp intake of breath told Thea she disapproved, but she said nothing.
“No, I will not run,” Kieran said. Thea stepped closer, examining his features. The hair on his face had grown into an uneven beard that didn’t suit him. She missed seeing the smooth cut of his jaw beneath. His body odor was rancid this close, but Thea tried not to scrunch her nose as she pulled the keys she’d insisted on bringing with her out of her cloak.
“If you do, I will make sure you never see our child.” Thea watched the effect of her threat on Kieran’s features and unlocked the cuffs, letting him stretch his arms.
“Adrian is going to be angry about that,” Haven mumbled as Thea returned to unpacking.
“Then Adrian can pick his fight with me,” she answered. “Kieran, make yourself useful and check our water canteens. Haven can fill them up if they’re low.”
Kieran didn’t respond, but she heard him moving through the packs to grab whatever water they had left.
“You’re too trusting,” Haven whispered, as if it would change the fact that Kieran could hear every word they said. Thea didn’t respond, because it was the truth. She was too trusting, always had been, and it had bitten her in the ass more than once. That was why she’d keep an eye on Kieran. They’d need him if it came to a fight with Morrigan or Ainé, although Thea doubted he’d be much use in the latter of the two.
Once again, they were outranked and outnumbered, walking head first into a fight they couldn’t win. The only hope they had now was that they beat Morrigan and Ainé to the weapon.
Chapter 29
Although Sorlas kept the fire going through the night, hardly anyone slept. The others had decided to take shifts watching the camp—and Kieran—but he had no intention of fleeing. Instead, he settled into the comfort of his bedroll after so many weeks of sleeping on the cold stone of his cell and drifted to sleep. He would not run tonight, and even if he had wanted to, he wouldn’t get far in his current shape.
As soon as his eyelids closed the nightmares began. He’d been having them for weeks, listening to Ethel’s scream as his sword slashed through her, holding his dead child in his arms on a bloodied battlefield, kneeling in front of Thea awaiting execution for his crimes. Each vision brought a new sense of dread, but tonight, Ainé was here and he wanted to cower under her furious gaze.
“You told her,” she accused, but instead of looking betrayed by his slip, she looked disgusted by the sight of him.
“I begged you to come!” Kieran said without thinking, but her hand across his cheek made his eyes water. Perhaps this wasn’t just a dream. He wished he could tell the difference. “You lied to me about the child.”
“Is that what they’ve told you?” Ainé asked, but her innocent tone no longer fooled Kieran.
“That’s what I know,” he growled, stepping toward her. He could taste blood in his mouth from her assault, but he didn’t care. She could abuse him and torture him just like Morrigan had, but he would never trust her again.
“It doesn’t matter,” she finally responded. “You will return to me. You’ve sworn an oath.”
No truer words had been spoken, but Kieran saw an opportunity in that moment.
“I will keep my oath, but where are you?” he asked, examining their surroundings as if that might give her away.
She smirked at this. “You’ll see soon enough.”
And then the dream faded away.
Kieran was talking in his sleep all night, but one word had Thea feeling restless: Ainé. She’d heard him say it multiple times and wondered what haunted him as he tossed and turned. Adrian, who was in the spot closest to her, groaned and pulled his cloak over his head as if it might block out the noise, but thankfully said nothing, perhaps thinking Thea was asleep.
She hardly slept, though. Her mind was too awake to even breathe properly. She wanted to roll over and talk to Adrian about what the morning would bring, but he needed his rest. They all did. If only she could find peace.
There were no easy journeys ahead. Either they would find Declan first and discover whatever weapon it was that had been kept a secret for so long, or they would find themselves yet again in a war between feuding Goddesses who seemed hell-bent on dragging the entire world down with them. Eventually, Thea was able to rest, but even with her eyes closed she dreaded what came next.
It was nearly sunrise when Kieran bolted upright with two words that awoke the entire camp: “She’s coming.”
Thea’s hand immediately went to her sword, which she’d tucked beneath her bedroll the night before. Her eyes darted toward the still, dark surroundings for any sign of intrusion, but she saw nothing.
“When?” Haven asked, kneeling by Kieran. “How do you know?”
Adrian reached a hand out to Thea, helping her to her feet. His eyes were just as alert as she imagined her own might be, but not absent of the exhaustion they all suffered from.
“She came to me,” Kieran said, shaking his head as if it might discharge her from his mind. Thea knew that feeling all too well. The wind shifted around them and she could feel the magic vibrating through the air—Kieran losing control of his emotions. “I’ve never seen her so angry.”
“When will she be here?” Adrian demanded, much less kindly than Haven.
“I don’t know.”
Before Thea could think to react, Adrian had his sword level with Kieran’s face. Although Kieran didn’t move, she saw the anger flash in his eyes at the challenge and immediately placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder to calm him down. He didn’t lower his weapon, though.
“You don’t actually believe these lies, do you?” Adrian asked, looking at Thea just out of the corner of his eye. “He probably told her exactly where to find us!”
“I didn’t!” Kieran jumped to his feet and Thea prayed Adrian wouldn’t move his sword; its tip was pressed neatly against Kieran’s chest now.
“If he’d told her, why would he tell us she was coming?” Caden had come up beside
them. His voice was low, cautious, as he looked at his friend. Thea hoped he could get through to Adrian before he made a mistake, but his face was turning crimson with anger.
“Please,” Thea pleaded and his fury turned on her.
“Don’t,” he growled, but thankfully lowered his sword to his side. “Don’t use that voice on me like you do on him.”
Thea didn’t need to ask whom he was talking about. Her mouth fell open slightly, but the words she wanted to say didn’t come out. Instead, she just stared at him in confusion. Whatever anger he was feeling, it wasn’t just about his thoughts over Kieran’s possible betrayal. They’d all expected that, even if they hoped it wouldn’t happen. This was something different. She wanted to reach out and brush the anger away from him, but before she could even think of a word to say, a war horn sounded nearby.
“Put the fire out!” Haven commanded as Caden rushed to pour water over the fire, but she knew it was too late. The smoke from their flames would have been a beacon to whoever was coming their way. She focused her magic on the air around them, spreading the smoke thin as it rose into the air from the extinguished flames. It wouldn’t stop them, but perhaps it would slow them down in finding them.
“Sorlas and I will take to the skies,” Adrian said, avoiding Thea’s eyes. “The rest of you, go find your friends. We can hold them off as long as possible.”
“No,” Kieran said, speaking slowly as he looked around at everyone. “If some of us go to find Declan, she’ll send her scouts after us. We have to stand and fight to buy them time to get away with the weapon.”
“We’ll never survive.” Adrian glared, looking as if he was ready to start arguing again, but Thea held up her hand with a frown. She couldn’t find a logical way to argue with either of them. They were outmatched if they stayed to fight, and they couldn’t risk leading Ainé directly to the weapon.