The stonework was impressive, but just like with the door, I had no answers for her. I never heard of a fortress inside a mountain, but there were many things I’d learned of late. About my own lands. Or myself.
Kate and Craig followed us in and stared around in awe.
Tristan, Sabella, Hank, and Danielle brought up the rear.
“Are there guards?” I asked.
“Yes, you didn’t see them?” Danielle replied with a wink. “They’re there, enough to warn us if there’s an attack.”
“And have there been, any attacks here I mean?”
“Not here, but nearby. Baladon’s forces have been moving closer every day.”
“His forces?” Mori asked this time. “Wait, I don’t understand. When we left, you two, you were fighting for your lives, and everyone was asleep. What happened?”
“More than we can tell you here. Come, we’ll get you something to drink, eh? You and the small army you managed to scrounge up in the human realm,” Danielle said , leading the way deeper into the mountain fortress. “Hank, make sure the newcomers have what they need, show them around.”
He bobbed his head and was off, whistling to get our small army’s attention.
The further we walked, keeping up with Danielle, the more shifters, elves, demons, and dragons came out of rooms and corridors to greet us. I stopped short at the sight of so many.
When they spotted me, I feared they would jeer at me, cast me out, but instead, they rushed forward, swarming me with embraces and asking how I’d lived. All they heard was we were sent from the realms, but no one knew for certain what happened to any of us.
I shook hands and hugged them back as Mori watched on with a warm smile.
“I do have some good news,” I announced to my dragons. “My uncle, Keanu, has returned with many more to expand the clans. And I have a new queen. May I introduce you all to Mori, my wife.”
She waved at them and then she was the one getting hugged and her hand shook.
Several of the women commented on the stars in her hair and eyes. She told them she used to be a star until the gods made her what she was now. They had just met her, and already they loved her.
I took the moment to look around and found Craig pulling a bruised Luca to him, his second in command. Tristan was doing the same with the pack leaders and other shifters. There were several sorcerers here, too. So many awake and alive.
But it was the few I didn’t see that had me anxiously scanning the crowd, waiting for their faces to materialize. The longer I went without seeing them, the more my gut clenched.
“Danielle,” I asked quietly as I reached her, “Drake and Ashan. Where are they?”
Her eyes flared yellow as she growled. “As I said, King Forrest, there is much to discuss.”
She nodded her head, and the six of us continued to follow her deeper into the fortress. We walked up several flights of stone steps and down a long corridor ending in a circular room with no windows, but one other door. Torches lined the stones, and a cracked, wooden table sat in the center with a few mismatched chairs. Once we were all inside, Danielle shut the door and came over slowly, joining us.
“A lot has changed since the six of you left,” she said quietly.
“We were only gone three weeks at most,” Tristan said, shaking his head. “You appear to have aged years. What happened?”
Danielle leaned her sword against the table, then rested her hands on it, glaring at the wood as if it was Baladon and she was going to tear him apart. “After you left through the portal, Hank and those still alive, we managed to escape the hall, thanks to the magic Greyson and Lucy weaved into the portal.”
“What?” Kate shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either honestly, but the blast brought down the entire hall, crushed those things beneath stones and let us get out. We took all we could with us, those who hadn’t fallen asleep and could move.”
“And the others?” Craig placed a hand on Kate’s shoulder. “Lucy and Greyson?”
“They lived,” Danielle announced.
A collective sigh of relief sounded around the room.
“Boris… Boris didn’t make it,” she added sadly.
Tristan growled, hanging his head.
She cleared her throat, clearing the emotions away. “He covered our retreat, but one of those monsters broke free and he… he stayed behind. I never saw him again, but I heard his dying howl, and that was bad enough. Haunts me still.”
We let the silence fill the room for a moment, then Tristan coughed roughly and asked her to go on.
“We ran into the woods, seeking refuge where we could, but Baladon’s monsters,. they didn’t come after us. For weeks, we stuck to the trees, seeking out any who might’ve been missed by the curse. We found several pockets of dragons and demons, joined forces,” she explained. “After a while, our numbers grew great enough that we set up camp at the edge of the Darrah lands, far to the north.”
The mountains would’ve given them a natural defense. It made sense, but Tristan was right. The lines etched into Danielle’s face spoke of years of battle, not just days.
“And then?” I asked, urging her along.
“And then we were attacked. One night, Baladon’s minions moved in, and by the time we realized we were under attack, it was too late to mount a defense. We retreated again. Each time we set up a camp, they came at us, and our numbers started to grow fewer, but then something strange occurred after the first two months—”
“Months?” Sabella asked sharply. “What do you mean, months?”
Danielle looked each one of us in the face. “Whatever Baladon’s done to the realms has messed with the time difference. From the last count, the six of you have been gone seven months, three weeks, and four days. And in all that time, we’ve been fighting.”
“But all those people out there,” I said slowly, “you said your numbers were growing smaller from the attacks.”
“They were until people began to awaken from the curse that had fallen over the lands.”
My head was spinning, and from the confused and horrified looks on the others’ faces, I wasn’t the only one trying to wrap my mind around what we’d missed out on.
Seven months of the war. Seven months of nonstop fighting against Baladon and the monsters at his call.
Tristan started asking her question after question, and it was all I could do to listen and retain all she told us.
She told us all. The lands were mostly destroyed. Forests burned down, castles obliterated, all of them. He took out every stronghold they might’ve held. The curse had begun to lift, but Danielle had no idea why. She said it started with the elves. Drake, Ashan, and their entire army had run into one of the small refugee camps set up by Danielle. They’d been amazed to see them all awake and sent out scouts willing to risk their lives to see if any others had awoken as well. They’d found hundreds hiding out, needing a way to get out of Baladon’s sights.
“And this place?” Kate asked, waving her hands around. “Where did this come from?”
“Something else to thank the Darrahs for,” she said with a smile. “It was theirs from thousands of years ago. We found the entrance, but it was too exposed. Lucy, Greyson, any other who could use magic worked to conceal the opening, and we’ve managed to keep everyone here alive. Well, mostly.”
“Meaning what?” Tristan growled. “Danielle? Where are Drake and Ashan?”
“Which direction did you come from?” she said instead of answering his question.
“The portal dumped us out in Torolf,” he told her. “Why?”
“Then you didn’t see the front. Baladon’s been attacking us from Gregornath and the Darrah lands mostly. We tried to hold back his forces, attacking in small numbers, wiping out his troops, but the front moves closer every damned day. Before long, he’s going to overrun us.”
I held up my hands at her words. “Front? You’re talking as if there’s an actual ba
ttlefield out there right now, with what, trenches? How large is Baladon’s army?”
Danielle’s eyes flared even brighter as she snarled. “Bigger than we ever imagined. The few you brought with you? Times that by one hundred and add another few thousand.”
“Curses,” Craig uttered, pacing away from the table.
“That’s not possible,” Mori whispered. “How?”
“We don’t know. They’re not of the races, I can tell you that much. Bone figures writhed in shadow and more of his damned monsters. Spiders, basilisk, harpies and banshees, creatures I never imagined existing in this world,” she spat furiously. “Drake, he thought he and Ashan came up with a plan to infiltrate the main camp and try to take out the commanders, weaken them however we could.” She hung her head, leaning heavily on the table. “No one returned.”
“Dead? They’re all dead?” I asked in disbelief.
“We sent two scouts to find out what happened, if any were taken prisoner that we could rescue, but… but they came back saying the elves had been displayed as an example. Drake and Ashan’s heads were on pikes near the main road in. That was three months ago, and they’ve been gaining ground ever since.”
Mori’s hand found mine as she leaned into me for comfort. I held her close, not sure what I could offer her right then. I expected to come back and find the place mostly as we left it, but this… I never imagined it would be this terrible. So many dead because of that monster. So much of a war we missed out on fighting because we’d been sent to the realms. Had it even been worth it to flee? What had we accomplished besides bringing more of the races here to their deaths?
“The darkness, when did that begin to lift?” Sabella’s head was tilted as she asked the question and I wondered what she was thinking.
“A few days ago. At first, we thought it was just a trick, but every day it grows lighter.”
“And you have no idea why? Or why anyone woke from the sleeping curse?” she asked, walking slowly around the room.
“No. Is there something you wish to say?”
“What would’ve been days ago for you and what was only hours ago for us… Forrest and Mori were wed and the circle complete,” Sabella said quietly. “The timing, it’s too perfect to not mean what I believe it does.”
“Care to share?” Tristan growled.
“Hope, that’s what it means,” she explained. “The light is returning because hope has come back to the realms.”
“And the curse?” If the people had been waking up for months, that could have nothing to do with us being wed so what caused that to happen?
“That I’m not sure about, not yet.”
I wasn’t sure about any of it and longed to see Gregornath, to know how many of my people were nothing but corpses on the ground. My anger rose, and smoke trailed from my nose, but before I could vent my anger, the door opened.
Kate jumped to her feet, rushing to the door. “Mama!”
“Kate, oh my dear,” Lucy replied, holding her close. “You made it back. I knew you would.”
“How did you survive? I saw you hit.”
“Greyson is very good at what he does,” she explained and motioned behind her.
Greyson walked in. He appeared a bit worse for wear and had gotten rid of the sorcerer robes for breeches and armor. “I have a very large scar, but otherwise, am alive.”
“We made it back, the orb is repaired, and we have our powers now, stronger than ever,” Kate told her. “Forrest and Mori, they’re wed now.”
“Good, that’s good,” she said.
I couldn’t take it any longer. “Why?” I snapped.
The room fell silent at my sharp tone.
“Forrest?” Mori asked, trying to turn me to her.
I brushed her off, glaring at Lucy. “Why did you make us leave? What good did we do while not here, huh? How many are dead because we weren’t here?”
Lucy’s eyes were sad. “Forrest, you would’ve been put under the curse—”
I cut her off. “Or not. We could’ve escaped with the others and been fighting alongside them this whole time. So many might still be alive, and yet you made us run. I want to know why. Why would you do this to us?”
Kate stepped between me and Lucy, but the witch gently pushed her aside. “I understand your anger, Forrest, I do,” she said.
I shook, struggling to keep control.
“But if you had stayed, there’s a chance any one of you would have died. And then what?”
“But Baladon has an army gathered now,” I muttered. “He’s stronger than ever.”
“Do you understand why power has returned to Mori, Sabella, and Kate? Why you three are able to shift again? Tell me, did you ask any of the others if they could, those who remained behind?”
I took a half-step back, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Danielle, can you shift?” she asked without turning away from me.
“Not for four months now,” she stated.
Tristan cursed quietly beside her.
“And the dragons? The demons? Can any of them shift into the creatures they were born to be?” Lucy went on.
“None.”
“But you six, you have returned powerful and strong.” Lucy gripped my arms firmly, forcing me to stare into her eyes. “Do you understand now, Forrest?”
Slowly, I nodded as my face burned hot with shame at my outburst. “Baladon.”
“Yes, Baladon,” she snapped. “He has taken the magic from the lands. What once blessed the races with unique gifts is now gone. All of us here, we are no better than mortals now, just like the rest of those you brought from the human realm. Honestly, I’m surprised the magic concealing this fortress has held up. Won’t be long now, though, until it fails. So yes, be angry that you lost so many of your kin. Be furious, but save it for the final battle. And it’s coming. It draws closer every hour. But because we sent you away, the magic that’s within you now does not come from the land. It comes from within, and that is far stronger than any magic that bastard could ever hope to have.”
“Lucy, I’m sorry,” I whispered.
She shook her head. “No need to apologize to me. Trust me, I understand your rage more than you know. Keeping the six of you out of the realms was the only advantage we have left.”
“But he knows we’re back,” Mori told her. “He was breaking into the human realm when we used the orb and brought everyone here, including him. Destroyed the crack he made too.”
“Which means he’s trapped… unless he gets ahold of the orb,” Lucy whispered. “It’s safe?”
“We have it, yes,” Sabella assured her. “What do we do now we’re back? This isn’t exactly what we planned on walking into.”
That was an understatement, but I kept the comment to myself.
“Why don’t you take the night to rest and in the morning, we’ll fill you in on what we know of Baladon and his defenses,” Lucy suggested. “This was a lot to take in, and if we try to plan now, none of you will be thinking rationally.” She directed the last to me.
I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.
Lucy turned away from me. “Danielle, can you show them to some spare rooms? And there is food and drink in the great hall if you are in need of any.”
The four of them said they would head there first, but I couldn’t stomach the idea of eating and drinking. Or facing the dragons left alive. Not yet. I needed a plan, a sure way to save them from this war before I faced them all again.
“I think I’ll turn in for the night.” I asked Danielle to show me to a room.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Mori asked.
I shook my head. “No, I’m alright. I just… I need a few moments to think.” I kissed her lightly and let Danielle lead me through the fortress.
I paid attention to nothing as I went, looking at the stones beneath my feet, listening to the chorus of voices echoing up from the hall. The higher we climbed, the more the voices drifted away until a
ll was quiet except for the sound of our muffled footsteps. When Danielle finally came to a stop and pointed into a small chamber with a bed and a single torch I told her not to bother to light, I’d manage, I was ready to fall into that bed and try to forget the past few minutes.
“Forrest,” Danielle said, stopping me. “I know you’re not my king and my words may mean nothing to you, but for what it’s worth, your people have fought bravely these past months.”
“Thank you, but that is their way. They are dragons after all.”
“No, but it’s more than that,” she argued. “They speak often of you, of how brave you are. How good a king. They’ve held onto hope all this time that you would return to save them. None of them doubted you, not for a second, so don’t doubt yourself.”
She turned and left me standing in the doorway to contemplate her words.
They had hope that I would return and save them. That’s what she said. How was I going to face any of them tomorrow and tell them the truth that we might still be able to shift and use magic, but we were no closer to understanding how we were supposed to kill Baladon. The only clue we had was the six of us must face him together, but after that, I had no idea what to do. I pictured Mori facing Baladon down alone with just Sabella and Kate by her sides, and it made me snarl, slamming the door shut behind me. I lit the torch with a burst of fire from within and watched it crackle, running my fingers lazily through the flames.
The door opened behind me, but I didn’t have to turn to know who it was.
“You can’t hide away forever.” Mori shut the door behind her. “Forrest? Talk to me, please.”
“What do you want me to say?” My hand fell to my side. “I just learned my people have been fighting against Baladon for seven months, waiting for the day I would return.”
“And you have returned,” she said softly. “There’s hope again. Can’t you feel it?”
“Months, Mori, they’ve been fighting fang and claw for months. They don’t want their king, they want a swift end to this war, but we can’t give it to them. You know that just as well as I do.” I spun around, running my hands through my hair in frustration. “How do we kill him? How?”
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