by A C Wilds
“My mother? How did you know her? Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
“Would you have believed that you were Fae and placed on Earth for safety and that the woman who raised you wasn’t in fact your real mother?”
When he puts it like that, it makes sense. Noli however isn’t buying it. I can see from the frown on her face that something else is going on. Something I’m probably not going to like.
“It’s all true, Azrael. Jackael is my nephew and was stuck on Earth all these years. We were so happy when he finally came home,” Mara says, gazing at Jack like he’s the prodigal son.
“My name is Azra. Please don’t call me Azrael,” I bristle, correcting them. A flash of hurt comes over the old woman’s eyes, but Azrael was given to me by parents I don’t know. Azra is my chosen name.
“Of course, my mistake. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, that it’s hard to remember you wouldn’t have had a Fae name,” she confesses. The man beside her leans in and gives her a small kiss of comfort.
“You never answered the question of how you know Azra’s mother? What's your connection is with her?” Shax says, speaking to Jack.
“She was my intended mate before she met Azra’s father,” he says, with a sneer. There is a lot of hurt left after all this time.
“Intended mate?” I screech. Shock vibrates through the air, and my fire jumps to my skin. It causes a glow to come over the room. Grey moves up behind me to help steady my nerves. I pull on his water magic to cool me off.
“Sarabael was my intended mate. We were betrothed to one another by our families. It was supposed to be the first high-born match between a dragon and a Fae. She chose my best friend instead, squashing the deal with both families and essentially making herself an outlaw. She went against all that was supposed to be and she paid for it,” he sneers, dripping with discontent. He’s still miffed he got dumped.
“What do you mean she paid for it?” I say, standing from my chair. My emotions are all over the place and my wings pop out. They ignite without a thought, and I know I must look every bit the part of avenging angel.
“She died. She defied fate and chose another,” he says, taking a step back. My anger floats around the rooms in waves, and if I don’t release it somehow it’s going to consume this whole building.
“Did you kill her?” I ask, my voice low.
“No, you did,” he says, staring right into my face. It clicks then. I look over at Mara and she gives me a sad smile. She died in childbirth. I caused her to die.
Grey and Gunner step up to me, menacing looks on their faces. Shax and Cass come to stand beside me, and we all automatically link hands. I’m sick and tired of people coming into my life and choosing to do things for themselves. No more.
“Shax, take us out of here,” I say loudly so everyone can hear.
“Gladly,” he says, just before there is a pop of magic and the world tilts on its axis. We teleport into a field just beyond the barrier. I don’t know how he was able to get through, but I’m grateful for it. I needed to get away.
As soon as we touch down, I let it out. All the pain and magic that I have trapped inside of me. The earth quakes and lightning arcs over the sky. The moisture in the air forms a dense steam and my wings burn through it all. I’m so filled with grief that I feel like I will be torn apart. I hear shouting and my name being called, but I can’t focus. I can’t let go of the feeling that we were doomed from the moment I was born. So much death and destruction surround me. I am the cause of it all.
“Azra, you need to calm down. You’re going to set off another bomb,” Shax screams, gripping my biceps and making me look at him. His violet eyes blaze with the emotions I’m feeling. I lean into him looking for comfort. Looking for someone to bring me down from this place of all consuming sorrow.
The guys all crowd around me, forming a protective barrier. We hold one another until my heartbeat returns to normal, and the elemental storm I’ve caused stops. The forest is quiet around me, and when I break from the hug, I see the destruction I have caused. We stand in a pile of ash and smoke. There is nothing around us for miles. Holy fuck!
Chapter 20
The Intended
Jack
Gods, she looks just like her mother. She even has the same tenacious attitude. Her long inky hair bellowing in the breeze of her fire. Her dragon fire. She must think it’s the half-demon’s hellfire, but it’s really her father’s. She’s going to destroy the monarchy if I don’t get her away from her mates. I was promised a second chance, and I intend to get it any way I can.
When they teleported out of the conference room, all the air was sucked with them. My aunt was the first to get up and yell. The old hag. It’s not my fault that Azrael didn’t like what I had to say. Her mother died for her betrayal. She messed with the fabric of time, leaving Azrael vulnerable to any Fae who possessed her.
I got lucky when I found her all those months ago. Living in a small town near a rift in between the realms. I’d been searching for years. Trying to find where Sarabael and Gabrael hid her. Gab was my fucking best friend. The traitor stole her from right underneath me. Now it will be my turn to do the stealing.
“Where are you going?” A loud voice sounds behind me. I turn to see the Arion looking at me with disgust. I knew a few of them before I was trapped on Earth. They are strong swift beings, but no match for my dragon. The power of Faerie floods my veins, and I look at him with renewed interest. I wonder if I’ll have to kill him first.
“What concern is it of yours?” I ask, widening my stance in case this ends in an argument.
“I’m Azra’s soul-bonded. Everything is my concern. So answer the question, dragon,” he replies, letting his predator out. In horse form, an Arion is a deadly hunter, in human form, he is a deadly fighter. Neither would be easy to take on, but if I have to, I’ll end him. Nothing is going to stand in my way this time.
“Just taking a walk. It’s been so long since I’ve been in Faerie that I'd like to see what has changed,” I reply, putting on my sincerest face.
“Don’t go anywhere near the barrier, and don’t try to look for Azra. She isn’t here,” he says, before turning away. I wonder where the little Changer has gone?
Red
There is something wrong with that dragon. A chill of unease creeps through my system when I’m near him. He’s up to something and I intend to know what.
“Did he say where he is headed? Ash asks, sensing my nervousness.
“He said he hasn’t seen Faerie is a while, and wanted to take a walk. He’s up to something,” I say, staring at the place where he’s walked off to. He made his way between buildings and out of sight. I should follow after him.
“I know what you’re thinking, and we can’t do anything without proof. He’s the Matriarch’s nephew, we are going to need a reason to kick him out or kill him. The dragons are going to help us win this war.”
She’s right, but I don’t want to admit it. The dragons have come to our aid, and with them, the fight will be easier on us. Especially because so many of the Fae that have taken refuge here are mere farmers or artisans. In dragon form, fighting comes naturally. They are able to breath their fire from distances, and their sheer size makes them a formidable opponent.
“Has the rest of the dragons settled? We should begin to break them into groups for training. How many men and women are fighting with us?”
“Always the general. Can you take the night off? Azra is off with her mates and everyone else is busy with the dragons. How about we find a place to run, and relax? I’ve only just gotten you back, and we were thrust into another war. I want to spend time with my mate.”
Looking at her in the sunlight, my heart begins to melt a bit. My mate. I never thought I’d see her again. After all these years. All that we went through in the last war. Losing Sola and not having a place to escape. Being separated and eventually torn apart. To see her standing there looking at me, my heart begins to melt.
“That does sound nice. We have not had a run together in a long time. It will be refreshing to be alone as well,” I say, waggling my eyebrows. Ash has always been everything to me, and when I lost her my soul died. Azra brought me back to life and she gave me Ash. I will forever be grateful to my soul-bonded. I’m one lucky Arion.
Chapter 21
Hiding
Azra
Time passes at a snail's pace. We all wait on pins and needles for the word to come that Lucifer and Michael’s army have started to move. Izzy has sent out more scouts, but so far no one has reported any activity. The anticipation of this battle, and everything that we have worked for is driving me slowly insane. I feel like my life is at a stand still. That we’ll never find our peace.
“Any word?” I ask, walking into the operations room. Izzy is the only one in here. She’s sitting at the table with maps spread out all around her. There are reports and papers strun about and she looks tired. I’m not the only one this is affecting.
“No, nothing. We just can’t seem to find their locations. It’s like they are hiding, but with nowhere to hide,” she says, her pink hair is tied up today. Izzy is one of the most gorgeous Fae I have ever seen. She’s slim and tall with an athleticism I will never have. Her skills with a bow are unprecedented, and when she hooks onto something she doesn’t let go till it’s done or dead. She’s a great leader.
“How many places can hold an army of that size without it being noticed?”
“None. That’s what makes this such a puzzle. And I hate puzzles. Michael has always been a cunning asshole, but this seems more than that. It seems planned. I don’t know. I’m sorry to dump this on you. Did you need something from me?”
“You’re not dumping. We’re in this together. Without your genius and my crazy magic, this isn’t going to work,” I say, offering a small smile. Her face goes pale for a second before she gives me one of her own.
“I need to tell you something,” she says. Standing to face me, she takes a deep breath. Her posture is tense, and I know what I’m about to hear isn’t going to be good.
“What is it?”
“It’s about your magic. It’s something that Maztal and I guessed. I didn’t want to tell you, but I don’t think it’s right for you not to know.”
“You’re scaring me. Just spit it out.”
“In order for the connection between your conduit and yourself to hold, you need to give a small piece of yourself over to the magic. It may be something small, like your lightning powers, or it could be as big as your wings, but something needs to fuel the bond, and you don’t get to choose what it will be. Depending on the magic the Changer sword is going to pull, it may even be your life.”
Her gaze drops from mine, and the air in the rooms gets thick. Trying not to choke on the news that I might die in this battle, I struggle with what to say to her. She’s not the one who made these rules up, but a part of me hates her right now for keeping this from me.
“How long have you known?”
“Before the scrying pool.”
My hand reacts before I can think and I slap her across the face. The look she gives me is one of pure shock. I stare down at my hand to see if I really did that and then back at her. Expecting anger, I just see sadness and understanding.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’m just so stressed. All of this is too much.”
“It’s okay. I understand what you are going through. A long time ago, I had to fight for the witches in my coven. They were taken by Michael and experimented on, given wolf’s blood and made to mate with them. He was trying to create a super race. He’s been preparing for a very long time.”
“Holy shit! Did he make the new wolves?”
“Some of the witches were turned fully, some died during the change, and others had to be put down because they were stuck in the middle. Too much of their humanity lost. Whether he was able to breed the ones that were changed, we don’t know. He disappeared into the Earth realm that day, and I haven’t seen him since.”
“How did you find out he was your father?”
“Mazatl told me while we were battling Michael. He keeps everything to himself until the worst moment.”
“He’s an asshole. Why keep him around?”
“The information that he could one day provide. It’s the lesser of two evils. Never knowing sucks more than having to wait.”
I look at the maps she has on the table. Most of them look extremely odd, but one of them stands out. It’s a map of the compound Michael built. There are all the cookie cutter homes and even the dome is represented here. But something is missing.
“Where are the barriers? The ones in the back of the woods where I created the portal into Faerie. It’s not indicated here.”
“What?” She asks, grabbing the map to have a better look. I lean over her and point to the spot where we made our getaway. Surely they would know there is a rift that can be manipulated there.
“Right here,” I say, pointing with my finger. “This is where I pulled back the fabric of realms or whatever, and got us into Faerie. I was aiming for New York City, but it brought us to a forest not far from the Dark Court.”
“You created a portal without knowing where you were going?”
“It wasn’t like I had a choice. Michael was after us, and I needed to get the guys and myself to safety. It was instinctual.”
Awe comes over her face, and then a huge smile. She grabs me into a hug, making me think she’s already forgotten about the smack I gave her.
“You’re a genius! If there is a rift, then that means portals can be created here. It also means this is where he could be hiding everyone —back on Earth. I doubt Lucifer is there, but for sure this is where the coward would be hiding.”
“You think he would jump back and forth between realms?”
“Yes, he did it when he was taking the witches from my coven. He used the portals so that we couldn’t find where he was bringing them. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before,” she muses, shuffling her papers around, looking for something else. This only solves half of our problem though.
“So if Lucifer isn’t with him, then where is she?”
“I don’t know. It has to be somewhere out of the way. Somewhere she has hidden access to, but isn’t out of the way.”
“How far is the Dark Court from here? The original, not the Summer Palace.” I ask, leaning over her shoulder once again. The anticipation I’m starting to feel is getting me excited. I often think about what life would be like if it was just me and the guys. What would we do with ourselves? Would Shax or Cass want a place on this new council Izzy keeps mentioning? Would we find a corner of the realm and hide away? Anything would be better than constantly fighting and running for our lives. Even if I don’t have any magic left at the end of this, I’m okay with that.
“We are about four days ride in the eastern direction. It’s not far, but it’s not super close.”
“When we entered Faerie through this portal, we ended up in the forest behind the Dark Court. Taking shelter in a mountain range just here,” I say pointing to it on the map. “There was a secret entrance to the court from these tunnels. I don’t really remember which tunnel we used, but guards from Lucifer’s court came upon us as we were walking through. It took us into a closet that then led us into the throne room. It was crazy weird at the time, but now that I’m thinking about it, she probably used it as an escape route.”
“How large were the tunnels? Were there caverns for making camp?”
“We could walk two by two or a horse and rider. The one cavern we stayed in was quite large. I’m guessing you could put about 50 people at one time in there.”
“You might be onto something then. This might be where she is hiding them. It’s a short enough distance if they’ve found out where we are, and it also keeps them off of our radar. I need to send in some more scouts.”
“Before you do that, why don’t you speak to N
oli. Her mother is still with Michael. Maybe there is something that she mentioned that could help? Can’t you do like a mother-daughter spell thing to track her?”
“Mother-daughter spell thing? You sounded so human just then.”
“It’s because I am human. My DNA might say different, but I was raised human and will probably act human until I die.”
“Fair enough. There are some things we can try, but I’m pretty sure Nora would protect herself from scrying, unless she really is on her daughter’s side. Then it should be easy enough to see where she is.”
“Is there anything that I can do? I feel useless just training all the time, and not actually doing anything.”
“You’re doing what you are supposed to. This battle isn’t going to be a little fight. We’re attempting to take the lives of the strongest Fae in existence. We’re going to kill thousands of Fae and hopefully get out of this alive. It’s not something that will be easy. The more you train and the more you hone your skills, the better we will all be.”
“It’s frustrating all this waiting. I don’t know how you’ve done it for all these years.”
“Out of necessity. We always had hope that you would come and save us. We all stand behind you no matter what. We deserve our freedom.”
“I can feel the weight of your words, Izzy. It’s crushing to think all these people who have suffered so much are counting on me.”
“You’re stronger than you think. You can do this. Your magic calls to Faerie. It feeds into the earth and gives it what it requires. After so long of taking, it’s relieved you are here. It will help us. I know it with my soul.”
Her words touch me. The faith they have in me is incredible. I hope that I don’t fail. I hope we can create a better world and bring peace to Faerie. I want this more than anything I’ve ever wanted before. Time is the only thing holding me back from creating this reality. Waiting sucks.