by Meara Platt
Cadeyrn held his breath as the sun suddenly peeked through the seemingly impenetrable layers of gray mist once more.
“Good morning, Melody,” he said as she stepped out of the kitchen and walked by him, axe in hand, preparing to chop some of the wood piled in a heap beside the wall upon which he now stood guard.
She gave no sign that she heard him and continued to sing a light, lilting song as she raised the worn canvas that sheltered the firewood from rain. After quick inspection of the pile, she withdrew a few small logs.
Nor did she appear to hear any of the Fae soldiers posted in strategic spots around her, a few who chuckled as they watched her kick one of the larger logs that was simply too big for her to budge. “I’ll get you later,” she said, frowning at the wayward log, and Cadeyrn knew that she would. Her fighting spirit could overcome all obstacles.
All obstacles but Brihann, he thought with a swell of anger. It wasn’t aimed at her. No, she was the innocent caught in his war.
Damn.
Beogrin bowed respectfully as she strode past him, not acknowledging his presence. “That axe is bigger than she is, Your Majesty. I’m surprised she can lift it.”
“Nothing she does surprises me,” Cadeyrn replied, his manner easy despite his quiet turmoil.
Suddenly, Beogrin stilled a moment, and then pointed northward. “Do you hear that? A thunderous rumble sweeping down the valley.”
“Demons!” Cadeyrn cried, mustering his men to prepare for battle, though it was broad daylight and demons rarely attacked at this hour. The sun burned their scales and blinded them, making them useless as fighters. It didn’t stop Brihann from sending them, for his hatred always overcame his reason.
But these weren’t Brihann’s demons, Cadeyrn realized. They belonged to the Dragon Lord known as Bloodaxe, who had been born a human. He often recruited his minions from among his own kind, so his demons were better able to resist the dangers of daylight. For this reason, the Fae dreaded the day Lord Bloodaxe would join the battle and ally himself with Lord Brihann and the other mindless Dragon Lords. “Beogrin, protect Melody!”
Nodding, Beogrin quickly positioned those under his command in a circle around her as she continued chopping wood into kindling, seemingly unaware of the approaching danger or those guarding her from it. “Watch out for her axe,” Beogrin warned. “She may be little, but she has a mighty swing.”
It wasn’t long before Cadeyrn spotted Bloodaxe riding his black steed toward the winding path that led from the lush meadows of Borrowdale, along the cool waters of the meandering river, and into the forested hill leading to the vicarage. Only a handful of demons accompanied Bloodaxe. Where was the rest of his army?
Cadeyrn worried that they might be hiding among the trees, sheltered from his view by the dark green foliage that blended with the green ooze seeping from the pores of their scaly skin. No. His own soldiers were positioned in the forest, yet none had sounded the alarm.
“I come in peace,” Bloodaxe called out from the edge of the river, which marked the uphill start of the forest path. “Let me approach.”
“Stay where you are,” Cadeyrn called back.
“I’ll leave my demons by the water’s edge as a sign of my good faith and ride up alone. Surely your Fae army can’t be afraid of one man.”
“You’re no longer of mankind,” he reminded the Dragon Lord.
Bloodaxe shrugged. “I stand corrected. Will you permit me to approach?”
“Leave your horse and your axe behind,” Cadeyrn commanded after some consideration. He wasn’t keen on allowing him close to Melody, but Bloodaxe wasn’t quite like the other Dragon Lords. Though he was Brihann’s favorite and his likely successor, he was known to think for himself and was not guided merely by hatred.
No one was certain what Bloodaxe wanted, and that is what made him dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than Brihann himself.
Cadeyrn knew he had to deal with him, for dismissing this powerful demon was a mistake he did not intend to make. Bloodaxe had not yet pledged his army to Brihann, preferring to remain a neutral observer in this war. He may have participated in a few raids, but that was a far cry from casting his lot with Brihann. Most likely, those raids had been a sop to Brihann, who surely had flown into a rage and demanded a token of obedience from his subordinate Dragon Lord.
However, not even Brihann, highest in rank among the Dragon Lords, dared push Bloodaxe too far, for Bloodaxe had once held the knowledge of love, and all demons feared the one power that could defeat them.
“Why have you come here?” Cadeyrn asked, staring into the cold, lifeless blue gleam of Bloodaxe’s eyes as he walked up to him. His hair was the same raven black as Cadeyrn’s, but longer, falling below his shoulders. Though as tall as Cadeyrn, his body was broader and his muscles coarser. His clothes were primitive—black boots, black leather pants, and a black leather vest worn over his bare chest. Belted to his side was an empty sheath where the axe he wielded with deadly precision usually rested.
Bloodaxe was what Cadeyrn would become if he lost his battle with Brihann, a creature of evil who fed upon the misery and death of others.
“Your uncle is afraid of The Melody,” Bloodaxe said with a hint of amusement. “I came to see this fearsome girl for myself. She has the High Dragon Lord cringing. Is that her voice? I know this song she is singing. My nursemaid often sang it to me, but that was a long time ago, when I was a boy and still human.”
Cadeyrn followed his gaze to the circle of Beogrin’s men. From within that circle, he could hear the strains of Melody’s song and could see the awkward rise and fall of her oversized axe. “Beogrin, step aside. But not too far. Allow Lord Bloodaxe to catch a glimpse of her.”
“She’s little,” Bloodaxe said after studying her a moment. He arched a demonic eyebrow in surprise.
Cadeyrn’s attention remained fixed on Bloodaxe and not on Melody. It was folly to do otherwise, for the Dragon Lord might have another weapon hidden on his body. Though Cadeyrn’s own soldiers had searched him before allowing him near the vicarage, Cadeyrn was not about to let down his guard.
“She doesn’t know how to wield an axe.” Bloodaxe instinctively reached for his own weapon and then let out a low growl as he rested his hand on his empty sheath.
“Seen enough?” Cadeyrn ordered Beogrin to close the circle, once more hiding Melody from view.
Bloodaxe threw his head back and laughed. “Not nearly enough. She’s an interesting creature. I don’t suppose you will allow me closer.”
“It wouldn’t be wise.”
“Nor would I, were I in your position,” he said, turning his lifeless gaze back to Cadeyrn. “We are bound, you and I. Bound by royal Draloch blood.”
“So is Brihann.”
“It isn’t the same. You were born to be king. Your uncle wasn’t. He simply refuses to accept it.”
Cadeyrn was surprised by the tenor of the conversation. “You’ve taken no side in this battle. Why are you here now?”
“The Draloch Prophecy is unfolding, signaling the end of the Fae Dark Time. I wish to see it as it happens, that’s all.”
“Or prevent it,” Cadeyrn said, now frowning.
Bloodaxe folded his arms over his chest. “Perhaps. I haven’t made up my mind yet. As you know, that is what marks me apart from the other Dragon Lords, that ability to reason. I’ve struggled mightily to retain it. You, as Fae king, understand the importance. One cannot rule if one cannot think for oneself.” He glanced up at the sun, which was now tearing away the last layers of gray clouds and threatening to break through in all its splendor. “I fear our meeting must now come to an end. The sun’s light will kill me if I remain out here much longer.”
Cadeyrn briefly considered ordering his soldiers to hold down Bloodaxe. The sun’s light, poison to an underworld demon, would burn the skin off him and he’d be dead within the hour. He dismissed the notion at once. Without Bloodaxe, there would be no one to contain Brihann or the mindless Dragon Lords
who followed him like sheep, though these demons were anything but docile. “I’ll provide a Fae escort to the bend of the river.”
As Cadeyrn turned to give the order, there came another rumbling burst from the sky, a crack and boom as loud as the shot of a cannon. In the next moment, the Dragon Lord known as Necros came into view, his amber dragon wings spread wide and tail whipping as he angrily circled the sky above them. “Lord Brihann shall hear of your betrayal, Bloodaxe!” he roared, circling lower and swooping between Cadeyrn and Bloodaxe so that they both had to dive to the ground to avoid being struck by the spiked points of his tail.
Cadeyrn saw the blur of shimmering amber sail past him just as he hit the ground with a thud. Was this a ruse planned by Brihann and carried out by Bloodaxe and Necros? In the next moment, he realized it wasn’t. Bloodaxe was slow to get to his feet and Cadeyrn saw that the effect of the sun was indeed taking its toll on him.
Necros swooped again, this time over Melody. Beogrin and his soldiers quickly formed a protective shell around her with their shields so that Necros could not get near her. He merely managed to scratch the surface of their shields with his outstretched talons, but couldn’t penetrate the defense.
“Fools! You can’t protect her.” He flew upward again with a roar.
Cadeyrn was again on his feet. “Archers! Release your arrows!”
The sky grew black under the blanket of arrows that immediately soared toward Necros, but the Dragon Lord responded with a burst of flame that set the arrows on fire, destroying every last one before they reached him. “And now I shall set you afire, King of the Fae!”
“Not this day!” Cadeyrn shouted back, securing his grip on his own shield while Necros soared higher in preparation for his next attack.
“Beogrin, hold your position!” Cadeyrn ordered, though he knew Melody was not at risk from Necros’ flames. Surely, Brihann had forbidden any of his Dragon Lords from harming her with their dragon fire. In fiery death shall she conquer the dragon’s darkness. But it said nothing about his fiery death. Fae king was fair game.
Necros made his turn and then lowered his dragon snout and spanned his wings across the broad, gray sky. He glided across it for one long moment, his enormous body seemingly suspended by strings anchored to the air, and then dove straight for Cadeyrn.
“Not this day,” Cadeyrn repeated in a murmur, raising his shield to defend himself from the wall of fire he knew was about to engulf him.
Had it not been for Melody, he and his Fae army would have escaped through a Fae portal, leaving the Dragon Lord circling over an empty churchyard. But Cadeyrn had no thought of escape. To do so would leave Melody unprotected. It was an unfortunate Fae law of nature. If a human could not see the Fae, that human could not survive travel into their Fae realm. Since Melody could no longer see him, she could not survive travel through a Fae portal.
Nor could she survive travel into the demon underworld through one of their demon portals so long as Necros was invisible to her. He doubted that Necros or his dragon master, Brihann, cared if she survived.
If Melody died while in the demon portal, they’d win. The Draloch Prophecy foretold of Fae victory in her fiery death. Dying in a portal would not be a fiery death. A lump formed in Cadeyrn’s throat. If Melody survived to reach their underworld, they’d torture her in ways far more brutal than burning her alive. They’d torture her and enjoy watching her die slowly.
“Your Majesty,” Beogrin cried. “Save yourself!”
He refused. Necros had to concentrate on him instead of Melody.
A contingent of Cadeyrn’s soldiers quickly surrounded him, but he ordered them away. “Protect Lord Bloodaxe,” he ordered, for Bloodaxe was unarmed and Cadeyrn knew there was no love lost between these two Dragon Lords. “I have my shield. It is enough.”
“Sire! Please! Our portal will not hold much longer!”
“It must hold! We stand and fight!” Cadeyrn would not abandon Melody, would not leave her alone and defenseless, easy prey to Necros.
Time was on Cadeyrn’s side.
Necros would have only the one chance to attack him before his dragon scales began to burn, for the sun had broken through the clouds and he could see bright patches of blue across the sky. Cadeyrn began to run toward the vicarage, purposely leading Necros away from Melody and glad that she was still at the woodpile by the stone wall, showing no sign she was aware of the danger to him or to herself.
He no longer heard the thunk of her axe, but thought nothing of it since Necros was bellowing loud enough to drown out all other noise as he released a ball of flame that shot harmlessly over Cadeyrn in a great, hot roar. Necros swooped again, breathing more angry flames through his nostrils and letting out a triumphant growl when his next fiery blast hit its mark.
Cadeyrn’s shield held, as Cadeyrn knew it would, for it was forged from ancient metals designed to deflect a dragon’s fire. The flames fell harmlessly around it. However, not even the barrier of Cadeyrn’s shield could hold back the intense heat surrounding his grip—far more damaging than the meager heat of an ordinary human fire—and Cadeyrn was soon forced to release his shield as searing pain shot through his hand and up his arm.
He rolled away, intending to run toward the vicarage again, but a wall of flame blocked his path and forced him back in the direction of Melody.
“Archers!” Cadeyrn cried and another blanket of arrows covered the sky, arcing a path toward Necros. The arrows uselessly bounced off his protective scales, as Cadeyrn knew they would. Their purpose was only to distract Necros, for every moment was precious and every small delay necessary to thwart his attack.
“Your weapons are no match for me, Fae King!”
“Nor is your puny fire a match for me, Necros!” Cadeyrn peered skyward, his gaze trained on the bloated shadow of the beast circling overhead. The sun was now burning through those amber wings, but Necros was too enraged to notice it or the smoke rising off his scales. He lowered his dragon snout and spread his wings to strike again.
“Come on. Can’t be long now. Burn, you bastard,” Cadeyrn muttered, knowing he would have to seek the safety of a Fae portal if Necros managed another assault. Though reluctant to abandon Melody or his own soldiers, Cadeyrn knew it was his only recourse if he wished to live to fight another day. “The sun’s shining down on you.” Burn!
Necros let out a bloodcurdling shriek and swooped toward Cadeyrn.
Was it a battle cry? Or a cry of pain? Cadeyrn couldn’t tell, nor did he have time to think about it, for Necros came to ground in front of Cadeyrn and began to flail his long, dangerously spiked tail with damaging precision. He knocked down a row of Cadeyrn’s soldiers who had moved into position around him. Cadeyrn barely had time to scramble away before Necros came at him again, this time with his talons flared.
“That’s it. Keep coming at me, you devil. Forget Melody.”
Necros was now wild and uncontrolled, whirling and whipping his tail, dragging his talons along anything that moved or breathed. He made quick work of another row of Cadeyrn’s soldiers when they attempted to move protectively into position around Cadeyrn.
Cadeyrn withdrew his sword, ignoring the pain as he held it in his fire-singed palm, but Necros did not come at him as he’d hoped. Instead, he leaped over Cadeyrn and lunged for Beogrin and the circle of guards surrounding Melody. With talons outstretched, he scratched and pounded against their shields, which quickly began to collapse under the force of those clawing talons and his lethal tail.
Cadeyrn grabbed one of Necros’ amber wings and hauled himself onto his scaly, horned back to bury his sword in the Dragon Lord’s neck, but as he was about to plunge it in, Necros bucked and threw him off.
Cadeyrn hit the ground heavily. The sword flew out of his hand and out of reach. He tried to roll toward it, but the fall had stunned him, momentarily knocking the breath out of him. He couldn’t move.
Necros turned, his dragon eyes blazing and nostrils flaring, for he smelled Fae blood and mad
e a great show of inhaling that scent of victory. Cadeyrn once again attempted to reach for his sword, but Necros trapped his wrist in one of those sharp talons before he could raise it in defense. “I have you now, Fae King!” he cried, rearing his long neck.
Cadeyrn was prepared to face his fiery death proudly, but he never got the chance. Necros suddenly let out another bloodcurdling shriek, released him, and in the next moment, flapped his wings and disappeared into the clouds. “What the …?”
Then Cadeyrn saw it, the tip of Necros’ spiked tail lying on the ground before him. Standing over the tail was Melody, holding a bloodied axe in her shaking hands. “By the Stone of Draloch,” he muttered and collapsed onto his back, laughing.
Bloodaxe plowed through his Fae guards for a better look at Melody. “Girl, what manner of human are you? ’Tis no small feat to cut off a Dragon Lord’s tail.”
“Stay back, demon! Or you shall feel the sting of my axe as well.” She raised her axe as though prepared to do battle, barely able to hold it upright.
Bloodaxe raised his hands in mock surrender. “Wouldn’t think of it, little dragon slayer.” He turned to Cadeyrn. “I’ll take that escort down the hill now.”
*
“Have you been able to see me all this time?” Cadeyrn asked Melody as she examined the burns to his hand caused by the grip of his shield as it heated under Necros’ fire. They were alone in her bedchamber at the vicarage, and he was seated on her bed. She had drawn a chair to the bedside and sat close, so close that their legs were now touching, the mere contact causing an intensely pleasant heat to spread through the lower regions of Cadeyrn’s body.
However, the heat now searing his hand was far less pleasant. His palm and fingers were red and blistered, and as Melody rolled up his sleeve, he found that every slight movement caused his arm excruciating pain.
“Hold still,” she said in gentle reprimand. “Your hand looks awful. In truth, every bit of you looks awful.”
“Well? Have you been able to see me?”
“Yes.” The curls of Melody’s hair bounced along her shoulders as she nodded.