“Aunt Silver, I’ll do whatever I have to.”
Silver had remained completely calm throughout the entire conversation. “You might not even have to do anything. There’s a chance that your fey suitor might kill any future husbands you attain for you, anyway.”
Asha didn’t know how to react to that, so she stayed silent.
“Now, get back to that war meeting child. And next time you decide to rebuild an ancient fortress, or mention anything you may have learned from this one, I won’t hesitate to punish you in a way you will not forget.”
Asha nodded slightly and scurried away, back to the war meeting and away from the terrifying future her aunt painted, should they survive a far more chilling war.
Chapter Forty-Four
NEXT
“I will be accompanying the strike team to find Ellamae.”
Silver looked up from the war table in Toyke, a smirk playing across her face, and Riven wondered for the second time that day if she planned to kill him. The room had been empty of everyone but her and her hellhounds for hours. He knew, because he had stood outside for hours debating with himself and Azusa about doing this. Now as the wytch queen of the demonic realm took his measure with her gaze, he questioned his own sanity.
“The only people on the strike team are those with magical abilities.” Silver dismissed.
“I have fae magic.” Although it was nothing compared to what he had seen her ice-fey companion do in the short time he had stayed with them.
“If we need someone burned then we can use my pathetic half-sister.” She seemed bored. “Next.”
“Next?”
“Next excuse. I assume you used the time spent loitering outside for formulating a decent argument, let’s hear it.”
Riven almost blushed, but thankfully his legendary stoicism remained. “I spent that time debating coming in here. As I suspect you already knew.”
“I knew you would come. You don’t allow the mutilation of your sister for a girl you don’t give a damn about.”
Riven’s mouth opened and closed. “So you know why…”
“I know you have some awful chauvinist idea of accompanying by niece into battle and protecting her.” Silver gave a contemptuous flick of her hand as if the very notion was quaint to her. “All because you believe you’re in love with her.”
“I never said…”
Silver glanced up with a piercing glare. “Don’t lie to me if you expect to keep your tongue, boy.”
Riven hadn’t been considered a boy in a century, but the weight of thousands of years rested constantly in Silver’s gaze. To her, he must seem to be a babe just out of the cradle. He was silent as he considered his next move.
“Regardless of my reasons, I am a trained warrior; I could be useful to you.”
Silver snorted, as if the idea was ludicrous.
“You are a sheltered, glorified guardsman with no real battle experience.” She muttered. “When was the last time you fought in a war?”
Riven scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I have fought in raids on the fey islands before. I’ve honed my skills with blades for nearly a century.”
“You’ll get in the way.”
“I have no doubt that you’ll kill me should that be the case.”
Silver laughed, and it was a hollow sound that echoed off of the walls of the empty room. “Fine, have it your way. But if you can’t keep up, you get left behind.”
Riven left the room having accomplished his goal, but at the same time suddenly feeling completely out of his depth.
*
Asha took a look around the rooftop garden, the peace of it not affecting her as it once had. This part of the palace was flowing with verdant plants from every corner of the world, some of which trailed gently over the wrought iron railings, proudly displaying their exotic blooms to their ignorant audience. The wytches all stood in their robes, powers swirling around them like an invisible, yet tangible, mist. Her mother and Silver were discussing something with her father in his office before they all left for the fight, which left her to stand awkwardly in the middle of the two groups of wytches. Despite the occasional moments when she was greeted by arriving wytches from either group, she was hopelessly set apart from both. Her mother had noticed before she left and counselled her mentally to appear confident and un-phased by the treatment. Aunt Silver hadn’t said anything, and Asha knew this wasn’t out of lack of concern, but rather because she simply expected Asha to behave like that anyway.
Outside the city, on the banks of the River Moren, a fleet of dwarven and human ships, waited for their command; each filled to the brim with soldiers of all races. Most of the cities of Ellamae’s world were built along a coast, hence the invasion would begin at sea. Asha stared out at the field of masts, swaying lightly in the breeze.
But the wytches would not be with them, both covens along with Issart’e, Dukran, Keenan and Riven would work together to trap Ellamae. Although Asha wasn’t sure why Keenan and Riven weren’t fighting with the rest of the army, nobody else questioned it, and she couldn’t really be asked to care, especially since in a few hours she was going to have to kill another Ancient.
And she had no idea what she was going to do with all the power she would absorb. The covens and the Ancients all seemed powerful enough as it was. Giving the power to her mother and aunt would only serve to increase the gap between them and their covens overall; making the balance of power more of a dictatorship than anything else.
Her attention was caught as Riven suddenly entered the garden
Regardless of that wistful thought, Kier’s presence she could understand, but her aunt had forbidden those without magic from joining them in the battle.
So why was Riven here?
The rest of the wytches went silent, clearly wondering the same thing. Riven ignored them, his usual stoicism remaining in place as he icily stalked towards her. Azusa landed on the balcony behind him, followed by Keir, who Riven had finally judged just large enough for her to ride. Now it seemed that their first flight would be during battle, if not afterwards, given how risky experimenting with such a thing during the heat of conflict would be.
When he took a silent place at her side, she sent a questioning glance across to her familiar. When he gave an almost unnoticeable nod she opened a line of mental communication between the two of them. A twinge of envy plunged through her for the other wytches who could communicate instantly with their familiars through a permanent mental bond. It was over for a moment, and Keir’s knowing glance told her he had felt it. No matter what the problems were with their bond, the gryphon still had a link to her heart, and that softened the blow slightly.
“Riven petitioned your aunt to be allowed into the battle.” Keir told her, ignoring the pink elephant between them as they always did, “Although I am surprised that Aunt Silver let him.”
Asha watched as, right on cue, her mother and aunt stepped onto the lush balcony. Their armour didn’t glitter like those of the squadrons lined up below, instead it seemed to absorb the light. The perfect armour for the stealth mission they were to undertake.
Neither wasted words, everyone knew what they were to do. Aunt Silver merely gave them all a nod, and opened a large portal over the harbour, swallowing the boats and those on board. Next went the infantry, lined up in the palace courtyards and along the streets. Lines of elves and fey disappeared, armed with the best weapons money could buy. Followed by the dragons and gryphons, all ready to ride to war, with satchels of magical bombs to disperse from the air. Asha had watched the wytches create those bombs and knew the effects were lethal. Some would freeze and shatter their targets, while others would send out bursts of targeted magical power. Some were even designed to be used on their own men, acting as magical shields. All were to give the impression that the wytches were fighting in the battle, when in reality, they had a more serious task.
Chapter Forty-Five
THE SPLINTERED TOWER
T
hey stepped through the portal in groups of two, Asha waiting until herself and Masozi were the last ones left. Even as their feet touched the ground in Ellamae’s strange and uniform world, a strangely uniform glass building shattered above them, collapsing in a thundering shower of razor sharp shards. If it wasn’t for Zada’s quick telekinetic shield, many of them would have been crushed, trapped by the brief disorientation experienced upon stepping out of the portal. With a grateful look at the child wytch queen, Asha followed her mother and Silver as they raced for cover through the burning night.
There was barely any time to take in their surrounds as they weaved down wide, identical streets. Pausing in bland steel doorways to shelter from incoming fire. In front of them, humans and elves battled creatures so beautiful and cruel they almost looked like gods. They possessed strange weapons which shot fragments of light across great distances, and the shields which Kate, Marta and Isaac were maintaining looked stretched to capacity. In some places they were all but gone, allowing the occasional blast to hit the sides of the glass and steel buildings and send them toppling onto soldiers from both sides below.
In front of them, a giant tower rose high above the city, a perfect cylinder which seemed to exist as several floating fragments towards the top. The architecture wowed Asha and she almost lost the party of wytches as she stared in awe. They continued down the streets, Silver looking in every direction, presumably trying to find somewhere where the covens could get into the air from.
Eventually they dived through an open doorway and into a shell of a building, they ran through the empty building, taking the stairs two at a time. Asha was so focused on following the others she almost didn’t notice the little girl slumped in the corner.
But she did, and the sight of a sword poking through the unmoving girl’s chest was almost more horrifying than anything she’d seen yet. Yes, she was a child of the enemy, but if Asha ever found the one responsible, she vowed to avenge the young life lost.
They continued up the stairs until they reached the roof of the building. Silver wasted no time in opening two portals and summoning through two demons; a giant bird and a small wrinkly creature encased in a cloud of darkness.
Barking out orders in the demon language, Silver dismissed them both, leaving the portals open. Smoke clogged their lungs as the watched more demons pour through the portals. They paired up, one of each species.
“To save power we’ll fly with the demons,” he aunt instructed. “We should remain undetected at least until we reach the tower.”
Asha watched as each bird lowered itself to the ground, taking one of the smaller demons on its back before hovering, snatching a wytch up by the shoulders and flying upwards towards the tower, completely invisible in their own little pockets of night.
When all the wytches and demons had left, Romana gave a look at the birds, shook her head and climbed onto Icarus’ back. Asha looked around, searching for her own bird.
“Use your familiar.” Silver told her, “I won’t rely on a demon to keep you safe, they are bird brained at best. You have a better chance of avoiding fire if you are in control. Now stop questioning me and do it.”
Kier admonished her doubt in his abilities with a gentle screech as he landed with Azusa. He lowered himself to his front knees so that she could climb onto the saddle that Riven had fitted for her that morning ‘just in case’.
Riven was already astride Azusa on her left, while Silver’s wings unfurled gracefully to her right. Once she was in position, Asha felt a demon clutch around her waist, enshrouding her in the same darkness as the others. Aunt Silver extended her ability to see through the darkness to her efficiently, and they took off, the sounds of battle following them, barely muted by the distance.
They were like ghosts as they flew above the battle, causing chaos as they went. Zada collapsed buildings on top of the enemy, while Lillian froze the soldiers in place using little pockets of suspended time, making them easy pickings for the elven archers.
Silver opened a portal every now and again, sending legions of demons into command tents and hospitals in an underhanded strategy to cripple them.
And her mother? Romana set fire to everyone she saw, muttering under her breath “one less for Marten to worry about,” over and over until it was almost a prayer for forgiveness.
Romana despised killing, but Asha knew she’d do it in a heartbeat to save those she loved.
It took a few curious glances for her to remember she couldn’t just spectate, and with a mental shake she began to drain their enemies as fast as she could. She carefully redirected the flow of life energy to the wounded and her family.
Though Silver’s suspicions about the birds were correct and they often tried to wander off until she corrected them, they made good time. Quickly cutting a swathe through the enemy forces until they arrived in the imposing shadow of the fractured looking tower. As they drew closer, the details of the tower were revealed. Carved into the structure, horrifically portrayed effigies of alien beings screamed as they were impaled upon spears and swords. Among the likenesses Asha saw humans and elves – even a dragon.
Ellamae’s coldly beautiful people were depicted too, bowing on their knees or torturing the impaled aliens.
Approaching the top they began to make out the silhouettes of the fractured roof, and surrounding it, twenty one fractured statues floated in a halo-like ring. Broken statues of the Council of Ancients, she could hear her mother muttering about disrespect for the Ancients reproachfully.
“I think Ellamae is beyond caring about that at this point,” Silver retorted, angered, as usual, by any reference to the Ancients as superior beings.
They were still in a cloud of darkness as they landed atop of the roof, and Silver sent the demons away. They surrounded Ellamae who was waiting calmly, expecting them.
“Asha you will likely be her main target. Shield and let us weaken her.” Silver ordered.
Doing as she was told took more effort than she would have expected. Keir took her higher into the darkness as Romana, Silver and the rest of the covens materialised from it in a loose circle around Ellamae.
*
Silver barked out orders to the armies with part of her mind, but the majority of her focus was on the threat before her.
Ellamae was emotionless, her apathy a testimony to centuries of the Law of Logic. As the loudest proponent of the Council, Ellamae’s death would ensure that opposition to Kate and Gaillean’s new era would crumble, or so Marta said.
Silver wasn’t so certain, nor did she blindly trust the predictions of foretellers. A long time ago she’d walked in that darkness after stealing a powerful wytch’s abilities. The future was confusing at best and impossible to see at worst. Not to mention that most foretellers withheld knowledge to further their own goals.
With a silent command, each demon vanished through their own portal. Anyone without magic was a hindrance to a battle such as this, although she left the demon clinging to Asha in place, her niece was shielding, but Silver saw no reason to reveal her presence just yet.
“I knew it was a mistake to bring you back.” Ellamae began, correctly focusing on Silver as the biggest threat. Her clothes, loose except for where they gathered at her wrists, waist and ankles, fluttered in the strong and stormy wind. Her long hair was braided into a coil at the top of her skull and then fell in several long, thin braids to mid-back.
Her prim voice sliced through the sounds of battle from below like a hot knife through butter. Silver ringed her palms with demonic fire at the same time that Keenan growled low.
“You’re going to regret it,” Silver confirmed, her voice just as calm.
“Perhaps instead you will regret invading my home.” Ellamae suggested, gesturing to the battle below in an effort to distract her that failed miserably.
It seemed the wytch queens believed her when she threatened to disembowel the first one who took their attention from the lethal Ancient.
“How nice to see y
ou again, Keenan Iceblood.” Ellamae changed tactics quickly. “You’re looking much better than the last time I saw you.”
Masozi gasped in outrage.
“You’ll pay for scarring my brother.” She growled.
Silver shot the wytch queen of war a glare. Masozi was glowing with power from the battle below. Silver met her glance for permission with a nod of approval.
Masozi unleashed a wave of power at Ellamae, and soon enough wounds covered her from head to toe. The wytch was channelling the injuries of hundreds of dead soldiers into the Ancient. Burns and stab wounds caused the Ancient to blink once and then watch calmly as each disappeared one by one. The gold blood drying and disappearing before it managed to drip onto the ground.
Her healing powers were exceptional, and Silver though she heard Isolde gasp from the opposite side of the loose ring they had formed around Ellamae. It was a strange kind of irony that the least compassionate Ancient would have strong talents in the healing arts.
Silver’s warning to dodge came just seconds after she felt the build-up of a massive amount of power. Whirls of raw magic – sharp enough to cut – exploded from the Ancient in the next instant, going in every direction.
A single portal in front of Silver, Riven and Keenan absorbed the strikes aimed towards them.
“Stay hidden.” She re-iterated to Asha in case the girl decided to choose this moment to disregard her order. “Wait for the covens to weaken her before you strike.”
“Yes Aunt Silver.” Asha’s reply came swiftly down their mental bond.
It was all the confirmation Silver needed. She broke the connection and gave a subtle signal to Romana.
Without warning both of them sent streams of fire at Ellamae. A mix of demonic fire and dragon fire. She should have died then and there. Silver was sure she had never seen anyone touch the pyro-demon fire and live.
But Ellamae healed the burns as quickly as she received them, trading them for a whirl of more bladelike power.
Asha's Power (Soul Merge Saga Book 4) Page 30