by A C Wilds
“Hey, this wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you can know everything. For all we know, this beast was sent by Lucifer or Michael.”
“You’re right, but I can’t help but feel that my role in this contributed to her not waking up.”
“Don’t think that way. She will wake up. There is no way that she can’t. I won’t be able to live,” I say, a tear slipping down my face. He looks into my eyes, then brings his hand up to my face. He slowly wipes away my tear. A tingle forms in my belly, and I shiver with excitement at his touch. This is the worst time to be having feelings for someone, but the kindness in Patli’s actions has gotten me in a frenzy since day one.
“You should probably go up and shower before I follow you,” he says, the heat in his eyes flaring. I inhale, and a rush goes through my body. Any other day and I’d take him up on his offer. I give him a smile instead and a look that says ‘later’. Turning around, I walk up the stairs and find my shower.
Chapter 11
Waiting
Shax
It seems like forever before she wakes up. My heart has been broken for the last two days. Watching her prone figure has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my very long life.
“Anything?” Cass asks, walking back in the room. We have been taking turns napping and showering while watching over her.
“She stirred earlier, but hasn’t woken up. I imagine the poison is still working its way out of her system.
“This is pure torture. I can’t believe that we let her go alone. Never again is she going to be out of my sight.”
“I agree with you, mate. If it wasn’t Red going with her, I would have never let her go. Has any info come in on surveillance for the area?”
“Patli is still working on it. He believes the dragon was planted there. Someone in the town had done a ritual there a month or so ago, and there were no problems.”
“This has my mother’s name all over it. She never was one to take betrayal well.”
“I don’t put this past my father either. He’s so obsessed with keeping Earth and the portals that he’s hyper-focused on taking Azra down. To think that we can lose her.”
“I know…I know. We are in the worst situation. I wish we would have met a hundred years ago. Even that doesn’t seem like enough time,” I say, running my fingers through my hair. Our mate has only been in our lives for such a short time, but gods, she has me wrapped around her finger. I would follow her anywhere.
“How is she?” Gunner asks, coming to join us. It’s still tough to be around him, but for Azra, I would do anything.
“Same, she stirred a bit before but hasn’t woken up yet,” I reply, grabbing her hand and bringing it up to my lips. Her body has warmed since they brought her in. She no longer has ice cold skin that felt more dead than alive. Her inky hair is splayed around her, and her wings are out. Her body's response to the toxin is to be in fight mode.
“Has anyone seen Greyson? He wasn’t in our rooms,” Gunner asks, looking down at her with reverence. He loves her just as much as we do. It’s hard to imagine the assassin loving anything more than killing, but his feelings mirror ours.
“He went to check on Logan. When Logan heard about Azra, the kid lost it. Greyson went to reassure him she’s okay,” I reply.
The grip on her hand becomes harder as I place my head against it. Please come back to us, please, Azra. I can’t live this life without you. You’re my everything. My only reason for living. I have no Court, no family; there is only you and our mates. I’m lost without your touch, without your smile. The brightness in your eyes when you get excited or happy. The way you look at me when we make love. Please, love, come back to us. I say through our bond. A tear slips from my eyes, and I let go of all the feelings I’ve been holding in for the last two days. The floodgates have opened, and I can’t stop.
I feel two hands on each shoulder, and look up to see my other mates just as upset as I am. Three warriors, two heirs, and one assassin reduced to a puddle of emotion for the only girl that can save us all.
“What are you three crying for? I’m not dead yet,” she croaks out.
“Oh my gods, Azra!” I yell, getting up from my seat, but never letting go of her hand. The others join me in touching her. I reach through the bond and call out for Greyson.
“What happened?” she asks, sounding hoarse. Cassiel moves to the side table and grabs a glass of water with a straw. He lowers it toward her mouth, and she greedily gulps it down. Her head falls back into the pillow as she waits for her explanation.
“You were poisoned by a sea dragon. We don’t know how it got into the scrying pool or who put it in there, but we almost lost you. Thank the gods for Cassiel’s foresight into getting that powder from the genonite stone,” Gunner explains, leaning down to kiss her lightly on the lips. She smiles at his sweetness, and looks directly at me, at her alpha.
“If this was Lucifer or Michael, we have to end this sooner rather than later. What if there was an innocent Fae that walked into that water? They would have died. I fucking hate this shit,” she says, closing her eyes in frustration.
“Always thinking of others,” Cassiel chuckles. Azra is so selfless that it’s easy to forget she is Fae sometimes.
“Let’s get you better before we discuss war strategies. We’ll get them, Azra, but we need to be smart. Our army is small. There is too much room to fail,” I utter. Her power has returned, as the lightning is crackling in the depths of her eyes.
A while later, we transfer her back into our rooms. She’s still exhausted, but at least she’s back with us, and we can all sleep in the same place again.
The rest of the team is trying to figure out our next move. It’s hard to think that she will have to fight again.
“Is she sleeping?” Greyson asks, coming into the bedroom. Cassiel and I are both lying in bed with her to make sure she doesn’t need anything.
“Yeah, she’s been out of it most of the day. I’m worried she won’t regain her strength in time,” I respond while looking down at her. The balcony doors are open, and a breeze is floating through the room. I can feel the coolness on my skin. A piece of hair drifts into her face. I move it out of the way, and she stirs, opening her eyes.
“What time is it?” She asks, looking around at us. There are dark circles under her eyes, and her skin still has that pale glow. “It’s around midnight,” Cassiel responds, sitting up in bed, and helping her mirror his movements. I put extra pillows behind her so she won’t strain to keep her body upright.
“We need to discuss what happened in the lake. I was able to get the information I needed before the attack. Can you guys call Red, Ash, Noli, and Izzy up here?” She asks, closing her eyes like that took so much energy to say.
Greyson runs out of the room to collect the others. He’s back in fifteen minutes with the requested people.
“How are you feeling?” Red asks, examining her with his concerned face.
“Like I was attacked by a sea dragon,” she says, giving him a fleeting smile. He returns it and moves over to the bed. I get up from my position next to her, as he leans in and gives her a kiss on the head. She leans into it, taking comfort in her soul-bonded.
“You said you saw something before you were attacked?” Izzy asks. She’s a born leader, getting down to the business at hand.
“Yes, I saw what we need to do to kill Michael and Lucifer, but you aren’t going to like it,” she says, taking a deep breath and continuing on. “There is another piece to the diamond Noli gave me. We need to join them together and attach them to my sword. I also saw some intricate patterns on the hilt and the blade that aren’t there, so I’m not sure if those will show up after we attach the diamond or if there is a spell we have to do, but they aren’t there now.”
“This is a problem,” I say, watching her every movement. She frowns and asks with her eyes why. “The other half has been lost since the Light defeated the Dark all those years ago.”
“Of cour
se it is,” Azra says, leaning back into the pillows.
“I’ll get the guys on the research right away. There has to be something that will lead us to it. I don’t care if we have to scour Faerie looking for it. We need to kill that fucker,” Izel exclaims. The lightning in her eyes crackles, and it reminds me of Cassiel when he’s upset. They truly are brother and sister.
“I agree, I think we can contact my mother via communication spell if you’re up to it? She might know something,” Noli suggests.
“Sounds good to me. Let’s go into the spell room and get started,” Izel offers, nodding to all of us. Her and Noli make their way to the door.
“Ash and I will reach out to our contacts and see if we can find anything. There are some Fae here that we fought with that might know something,” Red says as he grabs Ash’s hand and leaves. The three of us are left alone.
“Where is Gunn? Why is he not here?” Azra asks, noticing for the first time the absence of the assassin.
“He went on a ride with Jezebel. She was getting restless being in the barn. She’s used to being out in nature,” Cass explains, getting off the bed, and moving over to the balcony. He pulls the curtain over further, giving Azra a clear view of the night sky. The moons are shining bright at half full, and stars dot the sky, twinkling as if they are diamonds.
“You don’t see this many stars in New York City. You can hardly see any,” she says, still staring out the window.
“After this is all over and Faerie has been restored, I’d like to take you on a tour of the southern part. I have a cabin there, and the stars shine like this every night. There’s room for all of us. It’s quiet and peaceful. No Courts, no politics, just nature at its best,” I say, coming to sit back on the bed with her.
“That sounds like heaven,” she says, snuggling up to me. She’s right, it truly does.
Chapter 12
Planning
Izel
The Changer is awake, which makes getting back to the plan a lot easier. I didn’t think she was going to make it with all the sea dragon poison in her system. It was a wonder she pulled through. Her mate was very resourceful.
“Izzy, did you see the Changer?” Zolin asks, running to catch up to me.
“Yes, I just left her rooms. She remembered something that happened at the scrying pool. She discovered how to kill them both,” I say with a little glee in my voice. I have waited so long to see my father dead. And if I’m being honest, Lucifer as well. The rebellion got a lot of people killed, including Sola, my best friend. It was good to finally meet her brother, although I hadn’t expected Mazatl to be her father. But that croc is always such a liar.
“How do we do it?” he asks, matching my steps.
“Let’s get to our rooms, and I’ll explain all at once. We need to devise another plan for it, and I’m afraid this one is going to be fucking impossible.”
Walking through the rest of the manor, we locate Acalon and Tenoch. Both were in the gardens helping some of the Fae with the plants that we grow here. They’re some type of magical vegetable from the Underworld. I don’t ask questions.
Our rooms are located in the back of the manor on the ground floor. We always have the quickest exit, and the easiest way to defend the manor. The large veranda is decorated with themes from our home, the one we were kicked out of all those years ago. As Warriors of the Underworld, we were sent to defend the innocent, to right wrongs, but we always came back to Moonbeam to rest and recharge. Our cottage on the outskirts of town was perfect. Nestled in the jungle among the big Ceiba trees, it was something out of a dream. Before I met my mates, I didn’t think it was possible to have such happiness. Being a protector for my coven is an honor, and I am grateful for everything I have, but being with the guys has made me feel overwhelmed with joy.
“So, what did she say?” Acalon asks, getting down to the matter at hand. He’s always such an alpha.
“We need the other half of the dream diamond,” I say, feeling defeated. The other half has been missing for so long and no one knows where it is. It’s almost something out of a legend.
“No fucking way!” Tenoch exclaims, taking a seat on the bed. He’s running his hands through his dark hair looking just as upset as I feel.
“Yes, she needs to join the two halves and then forge them into the hilt of the Changer sword. I know now why Noli wants to give her life.” I explain, noticing how each of them has peaked in interest. “Her essence binds the stones. Without the essence of a witch, the stones will stay separated. My coven had the grimoire that did the original spell to separate them.”
“Does Azra know?” Acalon queries. I shake my head no and close my eyes. I should have said something, but I wanted to speak with the croc first. As much as he is a pain in the ass, he knows so much, you just have to ask the right questions.
“She’s going to be devastated when she finds out how the stones are to be joined.” Zolin chimes in. Out of the four of us, he’s the one with the biggest heart. I’ve never met another being with so much blind love for others.
“Yes, and that is why we can’t tell her anything until we figure out a way around it, or we find the stone. There has to be something somewhere about the stone and how it can be merged together. I’m going to go to the archives and see if I can find the family grimoire. Acalon, maybe you can contact Counsel Braddock and see if he knows anything. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear from you.”
He groans in frustration but does as I ask by pulling out his cell phone and calling down to the Underworld. Most of Faerie has no idea that cell phones work here, and we don’t advertise. They come from the Underworld and are issued only to the Warriors. It’s how we get our missions.
“How do you want us to help? Maybe we should go to the croc?” Tenoch asks.
“No, I should go see him. Why don’t you both go to the archives instead? I think coming from me, he’ll want to cooperate more. You know how he likes to string me along and then come in with his plot twists later on.”
Acalon walks back into the room with a frown on his face. This can’t be good news then.
“What did Counsel Braddock say?” I question, feeling a bit worried. I rub my sweaty palms on the tops of my thighs. We really didn’t need another mission in the middle of starting a war.
“He thinks it’s with the dragons,” he says, dropping a bomb on us.
“But there are no dragons left in Faerie,” Tenoch says, seeming as shocked as I am.
“There are. Greyson saw one, and the Dark Court has captured one. It was just a matter of time before they all resurface. I don’t think they were ever extinct, I think they were just hiding from the Queen, but now that things are changing, they might seek out the Changer,” Acalon assumes.
“I don’t believe it. If there were a colony of dragons in Faerie, we, above all, would have known about it. It’s not like they are careful with their prey. Towns would have been destroyed, and we would have been called in to deal with it,” I say, bringing some reasoning to the topic.
“If they were in hiding, they would’ve been careful. Think about it, Izzy, what have we done for all these years?” Acalon asks. He makes an excellent point; hiding has kept us all safe. It has allowed us to flourish and be ready for the Changer.
“How do we track the dragons?” Zolin asks.
“We capture one and see what he knows. Or we follow it, but we’ll need wings for that, and there are only two Fae here with wings.” Acalon says.
Fuck! This puts us in a position. We need to show our hand to the Changer. It may be the only way.
“Let me speak to the Croc and see what he says. Maybe he knows something. You guys take the archives, and we’ll meet here afterward. This way we have some more information before we tell Azra anything,” I say, walking towards the door.
Mazatl is in his usual spot. A little hut down by the nearest river. He’s a bit of a loner, choosing to stay away from the others. Most remember him from the rebellion, and many fear the
last Shaman in Faerie. He’s one scary guy.
“You home?” I call out, walking over the creaky floorboards, toward the door. It’s always a good idea to let him know you’re here before you see him.
“Yes, come in,” he says through the door. I open it up gently and give my eyes a minute to adjust to the darkness he is sitting in. The moons can’t even illuminate in here.
“I have a question for you about the Death Stone. I need to know if you are aware of where the other half is or where I can start looking for it.”
“I was wondering when you were going to figure it out,” he says, with a laugh.
“I appreciate you withholding information from us yet again. You’re lucky that you helped save all these Fae because I would have kicked you out long ago.”
“You could have tried, but we both know how that would have ended.”
“Are you sure, old man? Because I remember very clearly how my magic shattered yours.”
“Do you want to know about the diamond or do you want to see whose magic is the strongest. I wouldn’t mind a little battle right now.”
“As much as I would love to put you on your ass, I need to know about the diamond.”
“Very well, it’s with the dragons.”
My mouth hangs open, and I want nothing more than to punch him in the throat. This whole fucking time he knew and never said anything.
“Are you ever going to be truthful with me? We’ve known each other for an extremely long time, and you’re never forthcoming with information, even at times like these when we need it the most. The Changer almost died obtaining information you could have provided us with.”
“It wasn’t my place to say. She needed to find out about the sword. There is more to it than just the Death Stone.”
“I know, the witch, she has to give her life.”