by A C Wilds
“Well, if there is something you’d like to share with the group, by all means, Mazatl, please let us in on what is so funny,” I respond.
“Funny? There’s nothing funny about this. You’re a child of Earth who has come to Faerie and has gotten this far on her own by pure dumb luck. You have no control over your powers, your swordsmanship is horrendous, you can’t fight in hand-to-hand combat, and your mates have to constantly ground you because you throw your powers around like discarded banana peels. You’re a danger to every single Fae in this realm, and the chances of us winning this are very slim,” he says, reaching into my soul and ripping it from my chest. All the courage I had leaks right out of me and onto the floor. He’s right, there was no denying what he said, but the truth hurts deep this time.
I get up from the table. My emotions are going to get the better of me, and I need to be far away from people when I do it. Pushing back the chair, I storm off toward the door, but before I leave, I turn and stare directly at him, “I’ve been in this world for less than a month, and you expect me to act like I’ve been training for this my whole life. I don’t know who my parents are, but you can fucking blame them for that part. If you think you can do better training me, then by all means, join the team, but don’t sit there on your high horse looking down your nose at me because you’re fucking pissed the woman you love is the one I’m going to have to kill.”
Chapter 9
Scrying Pool
Azra
Noli finds me later and explains the importance of going to the scrying pool. In order to properly understand how to use my powers, I must submerge myself in the pool like I did the last time, but there is a ritual she and Izzy will help with. It congers the message left for me in the pool’s system. The whole thing sounds super weird, but any help I can get is worth it.
Red decides it should just be the four of us, so the guys stay back in the town. It feels weird not having them with me. I’ve gotten used to how much of a unit we have become. They are an extension of myself, and it’s hard to concentrate.
“Stop fidgeting. You’re going to fall off,” Red says, from beneath me. He’s in Arion form and is leading our little party deeper into the forest.
“I’m sorry, it’s just I feel weird without the guys being here. It’s all itchy,” I reply, scratching my arms.
“It’s because you’re so used to siphoning their magic to keep you at full power. It could also be the reason why you are going a bit crazy these days. No one ever taught you how to shut the magic bonds off. Or at least shield from them. I take responsibility for that. I sometimes forget how new you are to our world,” he says. A pang of guilt goes through the bond, and I lean over and wrap my arms around him. His mane is coarse under my cheek, but his beastly scent calms me down.
“We’re almost there. Are you ready for what you have to do?” he asks.
“Yeah, I guess. It’s not like there is a choice. We have to defeat Michael and Lucifer. If this is the way to do it, then I have to take whatever chance we have. I’m not too keen on another ritual though. Do you know anything about it?”
“Not much, but I do know that it can be painful for some. The pool’s magic is basically going to be flooding your mind with images and information that was stored in its system.”
“So, I’m getting a scrying pool download into my brain. Great.”
“That’s one way to put it,” he says with a chuckle.
“Does it hurt when you upload the information too? Let’s say if I ever wanted to come back and leave a message for someone?”
“I would imagine so. The pool is pulling memories from your mind, and placing it into its network. It would be like taking your memories.”
“You mean that the pool can wipe your memory too? If you wanted it to?”
“Yes, people have done the ritual to protect themselves. A spy who no longer has the information is no longer useful to the enemy.”
“Well, that’s just great. What if something goes wrong, and the pool steals some of mine. What then?”
“It doesn’t work like that. The pool is simply the magic of Faerie. It doesn’t have a mind of its own. You can’t accidentally erase your memory. Spells activate the different magics within the pool.”
“That’s a relief. I’d hate to come out like a vegetable or worse someone who doesn’t remember who they are.”
“Agreed.”
We ride in silence for another hour or so, before a break in the trees tells us that there is something up ahead. The last scrying pool had a little waterfall attached, but this one is just a giant lake in the middle of the forest. The lakeshore is gritty and has small stones that line the rim. The water looks dark and foreboding. Not somewhere I’d like to swim. In fact, I’m starting to feel like this is a horrible idea.
“Guys, you sure we are at the right place? This looks like a lake the Loch Ness monster would hang out in.” I ask. Red has shifted into his human form and is surveying the land like it’s not what he expected either.
“This is the only scrying pool for miles,” Izzy says, jumping down off of her mount, and untying a bag of supplies from her saddle. Noli does the same, and the two witches meet by the bank of the lake. They unwrap their ingredients and start to set up the ritual space. I watch them with curiosity, but my mind keeps going back to this dangerous place. Something isn’t right.
“Red, I don’t have a good feeling about this. I feel something inside me tell me no,” I say, watching his face for any indication that he could be feeling the same.
“I as well, but you heard Izel there is no other scrying pool for miles. We must try to get the messages that have been left for you. I will be by your side the whole time, and if there is trouble, the witches will help you out of it,” he replies, sounding more confident than I feel.
“We’re ready for you, Az,” Noli calls out. I walk over to the two women and begin to strip my clothes off. I borrowed what appears to be a swimsuit in Faerie from Izzy, so I wouldn’t have to jump in totally naked.
“I’m going to chant the spell, as Noli anoints you with the oils. Once we are both done, walk into the lake, and submerge yourself underneath. The spell on your skin should activate the powers of the lake, and you should hear the message,” Izzy says. She has a bit of a concerned look, but you can see there is more determination hanging there.
“How do I end the spell?” I ask, gulping down some air. I’m starting to feel a bit more nervous than I thought.
“Once the message has been received, the spell will break, and you’ll float back up to the surface. Red is here to feel if you are in any distress, and if there is a problem, then Noli and I can counter the spell to free you.”
“Okay,” I say, shaking out my hands and feet like I’m getting ready to run a race. I got this.
“Step into the circle, and stand in the center with your arms and legs apart. I’m going to anoint all your pulse points, plus the middle of your chest,” Noli says, before picking up a bowl of what looks like oil, but smells like wild things and magic.
Izzy starts her chant low in her throat using words in a language I don’t understand. Noli keeps pace with her, brushing my skin with the oils at the appropriate times. My mind starts to drift a bit, as I think about the task before me. Gathering up all my strength, when the last word is spoken, and the rest of the oil dumped onto my bare feet, I step into the lake.
The water is cool and gritty against my skin. The blackness of it makes it impossible to see my feet. Once I get to waist height depth, a pull forms in the center of my chest, and I am forced to lower myself in the water. Once fully submerged all sounds of the outside world drift away. The coldness in my chest is seeping into my arms and legs. A shiver comes over me, and then immense pain crashes into my mind. A silent scream erupts from me as I thrash about.
Images start to flash into my mind. Someone else’s memories. There is blood and war. Fae being slaughtered by the hundreds. Glimpses of Michael and Lucifer flash throu
gh my mind and I see it then — the Changer sword. It is glowing the beautiful purple, but it’s changed somehow.
As I examine it a bit more closely, I realize the pain has subsided, and it seems like I’m suspended in this place. My lungs don’t feel starved for air, and there is nothing else here, just me and the sword.
I swim over to where it is floating, and get up close. My hair is floating all around me, and bubbles form at my mouth. The light is so bright, but I don’t shield my eyes since I need to see everything. The hilt has changed to where it has a more intricate pattern. A diamond the size of my fist gleams at me from the top. I recognize it. I have half of it back at the manor. The diamond from Nora; there must be a piece missing.
The pattern that now appears on the hilt continues down into the point of the sword. It’s a beautiful flow of scrolls and flowers. It glows brighter than the rest of the sword, making them really stand out. I reach out to trace my finger along the seam. As my fingers brush upon the impossibly cold metal, the light goes out, submerging me into the darkness of the pool once more. My lungs scream for air, and as I push up from the bottom of the lake to reach the surface, something takes ahold of my leg, dragging me deeper into the lake. I try to grasp onto something, but there is nothing around me. My wings pop out of my back, and I spread them to try to slow me down, but I can’t see anything. The darkness is so absolute, I feel like I’m blindfolded.
My magic instinctively kicks in, and my body begins to glow with light. The same light Cass can conjure at will. I see it then, illuminated in my magic. A beastly thing with razor sharp claws wrapped about my left leg. It has the look of a dragon, but the skin is glistening in the glow. It swings its opaque white eyes toward me, looking deep into my soul. It turns back around and begins to swing again. I need air, or I will die. The pain in my chest is so great that I feel like I’m going to combust into flames, but then I think about how useless my magic is down here. I’ve never used Grey’s water magic, I don’t even know what it feels like.
I call out to Red through the bond. My energy is wavering, and I don’t know if I will be able to hold on. I need to breathe! My body is screaming for relief. My cells are dying and black dots are forming in my vision.
Use Cass’s lightning! Use the lightning, Azra! Red yells through the bond. Holding onto his voice, I bring forth the lightning through Cass’s ribbon. It shoots out of my hand and directly into the beast. It screams so loud that it travels through the water. It loosens its grip on my leg, and I don’t waste any time pushing off from the sandy bottom. I break the surface heaving, sucking in as much air as possible.
My wings work on their own, pumping and flinging me in the air as far away from the danger as possible. Coughing and sputtering, I make my way over to the shore. I can’t see Red or the girls. I don’t know where I am, but I know I need to land. My body is tiring, and I won’t be able to fly much longer. Looking down at the water, I notice dead things floating on the surface. Apparently, I didn’t just kill the water dragon.
Landing on the shore with a thud, my face smashes into the dirt, as I try to catch my breath. My chest feels like it’s burnt on the inside, and my leg is stinging. I can feel the warmth of blood seeping into my pants. My skin is clammy cold, and I begin to shiver.
“AZRA!” Noli screams. I can hear her voice, but it seems so far away. The only thing I know for sure is the pain that is starting to seep through my body. My conscience is wavering, and I feel hands on my back as I drift into the darkness.
Chapter 10
Surviving
Noli
My heart stops as I slam my knees into the earth. Azra isn’t moving, she’s barely breathing. Her skin is so pale, it looks like she’s lost all her blood. Gently, rolling her over, I see the wound on her leg. Claw marks are dug into her calf, blood oozing out of it. It’s hard to tell where else she could be hurt.
“Azra, can you hear me? Azra!” I yell, placing my hands on either side of her face. Tears drip from my cheeks and land in her hair. She’s so cold. Her lips are turning a shade of blue, and all my training, everything my adoptive coven has taught me, leaves my brain.
“Move!” Red booms from above me. I crawl to the side of her but don’t leave. I could never leave.
His hands move up and down her body. When he gets to the claw marks, he hisses in a breath. The look of pure terror comes over his face, and my heart stops beating for a moment.
“What is it? What’s wrong with her?” I ask, tugging on his arm as he sits back onto his heels. Izzy is standing above us, and it looks like we have already lost her. “Answer me!”
“She’s been clawed by a sea dragon. She’s dying,” he says, with a tone so regretful that I can feel it in my chest. His sorrow is palatable.
“No, she’s not! Why are you giving up? There must be something we can do, something that can save her!” I scream, hitting him in the arm to get him to look at me. My eyes are filled with tears, and it’s hard to see him clearly. “Isn’t there a cure?”
“There is…,” he says before rising to his feet. A shimmer lights up the sky as he shifts into his Arion form. “Noli, get on my back and hold on as tight as you can. Izel, hand Arza to Noli. Slump her over the front of the saddle, so that she is hugging me. Place your feet in the stirrups and lean forward to stabilizer her. Don’t worry about leading, your only job is to hold on.
Following his instructions, Izzy and I get Azra on his back. He wastes no time waiting for her to find the other horses and meet up with us. He takes off like a shot, flawlessly galloping across the forest, back toward the manor. My face is smashed into Azra’s back, my arms holding onto her for dear life. I pray to the goddess that she will be okay.
It feels like hours before we reach the manor. Pain is radiating from every muscle in my body from being huddled over protecting Azra. My mind is numb from pleading with the goddess, and I don’t hear anything except for the thudding of my heart until someone is screaming next to me.
“Noli, you need to let her go!” Greyson yells in my ear. I look up at him and see the panic in his face. I lean back to give him the access he needs to pull her off. He slips her out from under me, and I collapse back onto Red. Everything hurts. Arms wrap around me, and I look over to see Acalon pulling me off of Red. As soon as I’m off, he shifts back into human form and chases after Greyson.
Acalon places me on my feet, and I stretch my back into its original shape. My body still hurts, but being with Azra is more important. I jog in the direction that Greyson took her. I can hear the shouts of her men coming from the operations room. Bursting in, I see Azra on the table, and Red shouting at the guys.
“Cass, you need to get the genonite from the Dark Court tunnels. Remember the shavings you collected, we need them,” he says, shaking the Fae into reality. Cass is so shocked he looks like he isn’t breathing.
“Yes, I’ll… I’m going,” he stutters, racing from the room.
“What is genonite?” I ask, making everyone in the room turn and look at me. Walking over to Azra, I place my hand on her and wait for an answer.
“It’s a rock that is only found underneath the Dark Court. It has healing properties that are unlike any other. It could be our only hope,” Shax explains, with a saddened expression. He looks like he’s about to fall apart. Gunner and Greyson are each pacing on opposite sides of the room, like two lions waiting for the kill. Ash is standing next to Red, looking poised and ready to jump in at any moment.
“Got it!” Cass rings out, running into the room. Red grabs the bag from him and rips Azra’s pants to her thigh. He exposes the wound. It’s still bleeding, but slower than before. Her skin is even paler than it was, and I can’t see the rise and fall of her chest. My palms begin to sweat, and a feeling of foreboding comes over me. I’m so scared.
Red takes a sprinkle of the power and starts to saturate the wound with it. He leaves no spot uncovered, and I say a little thank you prayer to the goddess that there was enough. When he finishes, Ash pl
aces her hands over Azra’s leg, and magic is pulled from the air. Black smoke fills her hands, and she pushes it into the wound. A sizzling can be heard, and I flinch when Azra starts to scream out. The genonite is working, but she looks like she’s in so much pain. Red is brought to his knees, and Greyson has to be restrained. Ash doesn’t relent. Izzy’s men help hold Azra down as Ash continues to work her magic. The color is slowly returning to her skin, and a bit of a reprieve lifts from my chest. It’s working.
It takes forever for the genonite to work through her system, and by the time Ash is finished, she collapses into Shax’s arms. We all stand in silence and wait for her to wake up. Looking around the room, I can see the effect Azra has had on everyone. Sadness seeps through, and there are forlorn looks all around. The guys are affected the most. Their mate could die. Who knows what would happen to Greyson? Azra created him. When her magic dies, what happens to his? This is a mess.
“Why don’t you go get cleaned up?” Izzy says, coming over and placing a hand on my shoulder. “It’s been a long day. There is nothing left to do but wait. And we are all here watching over her.”
Her smile doesn’t put me at ease, but I do look down at myself and notice that I’m covered in mud and grime. I nod in agreement and make my way toward my rooms. I’m halfway up the stairs when Patli stops me.
“Hey, you ok?” he asks, giving me the once over. I must look like a freaking mess.
“Not really, but I need to be strong for her when she wakes up. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to her. She’s my best friend. The only one that has ever truly understood my weird. I can’t imagine my life without her.”
“I’m so sorry this is happening, we didn’t have any intel that there was a sea dragon in that area. I’ve been looking through all the records and surveillance, but haven’t found anything. It’s challenging because I don’t have much equipment here, but I should have caught it,” he says, lowering his eyes. He clearly feels guilty.