Auric stood up straighter, though his voice was weary. “I’ll bring Faya back. She’s needed here now.”
I rested a hand on Auric’s shoulder. He’d already flown across the Earth Realm for hours with no break, and now he was preparing to set out again. The man had to be exhausted, and I respected him more than ever. “And my sister?”
He nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll get her and Brin too.”
I nearly hugged the man. “Thank you.”
“I should be going with you,” Jasin grumbled, the frustration clear in his brown eyes. “Stupid wing. Make sure you eat something before you go.”
“I will,” Auric said, as they clasped each other in a quick hug. The two of them were like brothers now, which was still hard to believe, considering they’d once hated each other.
As Daka took Auric away to find some food, Jasin sighed. “I wish I could do more.”
I knew exactly how he felt.
* * *
Sleep proved elusive that night. I tossed and turned, worrying about Kira, praying my sister was unharmed, and hating myself for my failures. When the sun began to rise, I gave up, threw off my blankets, and went to find some food.
I nearly crashed into my youngest sister in the entrance to the guest house, along with her girlfriend, Brin. Relief flooded me as I swept Leni into my arms. She was the most headstrong, stubborn, and frustrating woman in our family, but she was alive and that was all that mattered. She and Brin had joined the Resistance in the battle at Salt Creek Tower, even though she was too young and inexperienced as a fighter, in my opinion. I wished she was back at home and safe with our mother and sister in Clayridge, but she was an adult and didn’t listen to her overprotective brother anymore, much to my dismay.
“Slade!” she said as she embraced me back.
I pulled back to look her over, my grip tight on her arms. Her dark skin was smudged with dirt and some of her small braids were starting to come undone, but she appeared to be well otherwise. “Are you unharmed?”
“Yes, I'm fine. I twisted my ankle, but it's already better.” She glanced over my shoulder with a smile. “Brin had my back.”
I turned toward Brin and bowed my head. “Thank you.”
With golden skin and silky black hair, Brin was beautiful and had the grace of a woman born to money and power, although she was an excellent fighter too. She was a noblewoman from the Air Realm and had once been Auric’s fiancé, though they’d never been more than friends. I just hoped she wouldn’t break my sister’s heart.
She gave me a dazzling smile. “I would never allow any harm to come to Leni, and she protected me as well.”
“I did what I could.” Leni nudged me in the side with a grin. “So is it done? Did you and Kira get intimate? Are you a Dragon now?”
My shoulders tensed. It was bad enough talking to my sister about “getting intimate.” It was worse being reminded of my failure. “Yes, we bonded and I’m a Dragon now, although I'm still not used to it. But we were attacked by the other Dragons, and Kira was taken. I... I couldn't stop them.”
Leni squeezed my arm. “I'm sure you did the best you could.”
“Tell us everything,” Brin said.
I gave them the quick rundown of what happened, although I didn’t mention that Doran was helping us. In return, they told me about the battle at Salt Creek Tower with the Dragons. By the end of their tale they were both yawning, and I guessed they had been up all night as they flew here on Auric’s back.
I sent them both to get some rest, and then caught sight of a beautiful, dark-skinned woman with short hair on the street outside the guest house. Faya’s head was bent and her eyes were red, but her back was straight as she walked alone. I headed outside to speak with the woman I once thought I'd marry.
“I'm sorry about Parin,” I said. “He died a hero and fulfilled his duty to the Earth God. We would not have found the Earth Temple without him.”
Faya nodded. “His mother would be proud. Thank you for bringing his body back to us so that we may bury him.”
“It was the least we could do to honor his sacrifice.” I touched her arm. “I truly am sorry, Faya. What will you do now?”
She gazed down the empty streets of Slateden, her face a mixture of grief and grim determination. “The Resistance still needs a leader. I will step up and do what I can until they can elect someone else. It's what Parin would have wanted.”
“You’ll make a good leader.”
“I doubt I could ever be the leader Parin was, but I’ll do my best.” Her hand rested on her lower stomach. “Not only for his sake or the Resistance’s, but for his child.”
I stepped back, my eyes dropping to her waist. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes, I’m three months along. We tried for years without success and never thought it would happen. Now he won’t get to see our child born.” She sighed and her body sagged, all the energy leaving her small frame. “At least a part of him will live on.”
I wrapped my arms around her and clasped her in a warm embrace. She buried her face in my chest for a few moments, allowing me to lend her my strength, before pulling away. Over the years, Faya had been my lover, my enemy, and now my ally. We’d been through a lot together and our shared history would always be a part of us. Until recently I’d wanted nothing to do with her, but now I only wished the best for her and her child.
“I heard you’re leaving soon to rescue Kira,” she said. “Take whatever supplies you need for your journey.”
“Thank you. Please watch over Reven for us until we return.”
“We will. No harm will come to him, I swear it.”
We said our goodbyes and I returned to my room in the hopes of getting a few more hours of sleep before our journey. Gods knew I would need it to face what was ahead.
4
Kira
I waited in my cage for an eternity with only a bucket in the corner, a torn and dirty blanket, and whatever food and water the Dragons brought me. The bucket was a gift from Heldor, who came to see me after Sark. His face was solemn as he gave it to me, and thankfully he didn’t wait around to watch me use it to relieve myself. Isen brought me the blanket some time later, though he warned me not to get too comfortable because I wouldn’t be there very long. I could only imagine what Doran would gift me with when he came to visit me next.
When the door opened again some time later it wasn’t Doran who stepped inside, but Nysa. In an instant it became hard to breathe, my entire body tensing with anticipation and dread at the sight of her. My mother was incredibly beautiful, with an ageless quality I’d only seen before in the other Dragons. Her hair was the same red shade as mine and hung in luxurious waves to her shoulders, but her eyes were the color of emeralds. She had the kind of beauty that would turn every head in a crowd, even if she hadn’t been the most feared woman in the world.
“Good morning, Kira,” she said, as the door shut behind her and she approached the cage.
Was it morning? I couldn’t tell. How many days had I been here now?
“How are you feeling?” she asked, her voice pleasant. She wore a long white and black gown that trailed along the floor behind her with each graceful step, and it was impossible not to stare at her.
I ignored her question. “What do you want with me?”
She stopped a few inches from the cage and clasped her hands in front of her. “I need to take your life. Believe me, it’s not something I want to do, but it’s what must be done.”
“Then kill me already! Why wait?”
“It’s not that simple.” She tilted her head as she studied me from head to toe. “You must understand, I do not want you to die. If it were up to me, we would rule together as mother and daughter.”
My fists clenched at my side. “I have no interest in ruling, and certainly not with you.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Your view of me is distorted by what others have told you. The truth is that everything I do is meant to protect this
world. Including your sacrifice.”
A hard lump formed in my throat. “Sacrifice?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” She let out a long sigh. “I will drain your life force, and it will keep me and my mates young until my next daughter is born.”
Horror and revulsion filled me, even stronger than when I’d touched the bone cage. “Your next one?”
“I do have to apologize,” Nysa continued, as if she hadn’t heard me. “This would be a lot easier for all of us if you were still a baby, like the others before you. Now you’ve bonded with some of your mates and I must take extra precautions since you won’t be drained so easily. Of course, it also means your strength will become mine, making me even more powerful.” She dipped her head. “I will do my best to honor your sacrifice.”
All I could do was stare at her with my mouth hanging open as I absorbed everything she said, along with the implications. When the Gods created the five Dragons they were only supposed to be in power for a short time before being replaced by their daughter and her mates, beginning the cycle anew. All of that ended with Nysa, and I’d never known why. Until now. “That’s how you’ve lived so long. You drain the life from your own children.”
“I have no other choice.”
I’d always thought she was a monster, but I’d had no idea how dark her soul truly was. How many of my sisters had died before me to keep her immortal? How many babies had she drained to keep herself young?
“Oh, Kira.” She reached for me through the cage and I jerked back. She wrapped her hands around the bars instead, untouched by the revulsion that always struck me. “If I could save you, I would. But this is the only way to contain her.”
“Who?”
My mother gave me a sad, lovely smile before stepping back. “The Spirit Goddess.”
I could only stare at her as she left the room. Why would she want to contain the Spirit Goddess? We were descended from the Spirit Goddess and had been given her powers. The other Gods of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water were all her mates, and they’d tasked us with protecting the world. We’d been given our own mates to help us accomplish this task, and the Dragons were meant to serve the Gods and carry out their will—except Nysa and her Dragons seemed to be the enemies of the Gods instead. I’d assumed it was because Nysa had refused to give up her power, but maybe there was more to it?
It didn’t matter. Nysa was evil, power hungry, and completely insane. She had to be in order to murder her own children to extend her life. She’d said she had a good reason and was trying to protect the world, but I didn’t believe it. Nothing could make me do that to my own child. Nothing. Nysa was a monster, a mother who sucked the life from her own babies, and no matter how much she said she didn’t want to kill me, no one was forcing her to do it. And she’d made the same decision many times before.
The horror over what Nysa had done—and wanted to do to me—suffocated me, and I became consumed with the need to get away. I grabbed the bucket off the floor and slammed it against the cage as hard as I could. I did it over and over, the metal hitting the bone loudly with each blow, hoping for something to give way. Just one little piece. Please, I prayed to the Gods, give me a way to escape from here. Let me free, so I might find a way to stop her.
The door flew open and Sark stomped inside the room. “What’s going on in here?”
I dropped the bucket and glared at him, while my entire body shook with anger and disgust. “How could you let her do it? She’s killing your own children, and you stood there and allowed it for all these years!”
His lips curled up in a sneer. “Stupid girl. You don’t know anything.”
“I know a real father would protect his daughter,” I spat out.
“Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Now quit your banging or I’ll take that bucket away, along with everything else you’ve been allowed.”
I gave him a look full of hatred and loathing as I picked up the bucket and banged it against the cage, making the bones rattle. Maybe if he tried to take the bucket, I’d be able to overpower him and escape. It wasn’t a great plan, but it was better than nothing and I was desperate at this point.
But he didn’t open the cage or come after me. Instead, the metal bucket suddenly grew so hot that I yelped and was forced to drop it. Sark had used his fire magic through the cage somehow, even though I couldn’t use mine.
“Be quiet, or next time it won’t only be the bucket getting burned,” he growled.
After he left, I realized he hadn’t confirmed or denied being my father. The bucket hadn’t done a single thing to the bone cage, and I had nothing else to use to escape besides a ragged blanket. But I wouldn’t give up. I couldn’t. Somehow, I would get out of here—and then I would make sure that none of my sisters would ever be killed again.
5
Auric
Our cart pulled up to the black gates of Soulspire and I shifted in my seat, tugging my wide-brimmed hat low over my face. We'd bought the cart at a farm a few hours away, along with clothes that would help us blend in and look like merchants, plus some apples and oranges to complete our disguise. The farmer had been delighted with our money and I was thankful my father had provided us so much gold for our journey before we’d left the Air Realm. It was almost all gone now, but it had served us well while it lasted.
We hadn't seen Doran since his large blue form had flown over us toward the palace. We could only pray he was getting Kira out and fulfilling his side of the bargain, instead of leading us into a trap. I had a feeling he would be true to his word, even if the others disagreed with me. Or maybe I just wanted to believe Doran was on our side because if he wasn’t, we would have a much harder time rescuing Kira.
We'd spent the last few days flying toward Soulspire, which was located in the center of the continent where the four Realms met, and Doran had told us his plan when we’d stopped to rest last night.
“The Spirit Festival starts tomorrow, and it's the biggest celebration of the year in Soulspire,” he’d said. “The Black Dragon herself always makes a speech in the afternoon and the revelers will fill the streets, wearing masks and celebrating being alive. It can get a bit wild, if you know what I mean. It's the perfect time to rescue Kira.”
“And how exactly will we do that?” Slade asked. We all sat around a clearing as we finished our meal, and despite having traveled with Doran for days, everyone kept an eye on him. None of us trusted him yet.
“You won't,” Doran said. “I will.”
“That doesn't work for us,” Jasin growled. He disliked the man more than any of us, although I wasn't sure if it was a natural fire and water opposites thing or if it was related to his issues with his own parents. Jasin’s father had betrayed us, and I didn't blame him for suspecting Kira's father would do the same.
Doran gave a casual shrug. “Too bad. I'm the only one who can walk into the palace where Kira is being held without a problem. Any one of you would be stopped by the hundreds of guards and killed or captured before you came anywhere near her. Assuming you could even find her once inside.” He shook his head. “No, I will free Kira and lead her out of the palace through the sewers. You’ll meet me there and escape with her.”
“Why do you need us at all then?” Jasin asked.
“I can get Kira out of the palace while the other Dragons are busy with the Festival, but they’d notice if I flew off with her. I need it to look like she was rescued by her mates to maintain my cover.”
Jasin's eyes narrowed, and I held out a hand to stop him from replying. I cleared my throat. “How will we get into the city undetected? You can fly into Soulspire, but we cannot.”
Doran ran a hand over his beard. “Many people will be traveling to the city for the festival, especially merchants and performers. If you look convincing enough, they'll let you in without a problem. Trust me, no one will be looking for you. They'll be celebrating life in every way they can.” Doran smirked. “Let's just say a lot of babies are born in Soulspire n
ine months from now.”
We hammered out the rest of the details as we ate. None of us liked that Doran would be getting Kira out alone, but we couldn't think of a good way to get into the palace ourselves.
Sneaking into the capital proved to be easy though. It had been my idea to buy the cart and pretend to be farmers selling our wares, and as the gates opened and the guards gestured for us to enter, our disguise seemed to be working. Slade snapped the reins and our horses pulled us forward into the city.
I'd been to Soulspire twice before. Once as a young child, which I barely remembered, and a second time when I was older, perhaps about twelve. My father had taken me and my brother Garet with him while he attended to some business with Isen. All I remembered was the gleaming black palace looming over me and the claustrophobic feel of being surrounded by Onyx Army soldiers watching our every move.
Both of those things still existed today, except the city had been transformed from the somber, imposing one of my memories to a chaotic, festive, and colorful splendor. Banners and flags hung from every building, splashing the black architecture with a rainbow of colors. Every street was crowded with people in their finest clothes, wearing intricate masks that covered much of their faces, except their lips—which many used quite generously on each other. Most of the masks resembled animals, while others were decorated with flowers and leaves, all to honor the Spirit Goddess.
As we continued through the city, the crowd made it difficult to maneuver the cart toward the location of the sewer entrance. Alcohol and food flowed freely, music burst out of packed taverns and cafes, and people danced and threw confetti in the streets. Others were sharing kisses or locked in intimate embraces, their hands wandering under skirts and inside trousers, and I could see what Doran meant by it getting a little wild today.
Ride The Wave: Her Elemental Dragons Book Four Page 2