Battle for Cymmera

by Dani-Lyn Alexander

  Even if Ryleigh was gone, he couldn’t shirk his responsibilities again. He would rule Cymmera until his dying day. But he’d rule it alone now. Every decision would be made based on logic, never emotion. If he had things his way, he’d keep his emotions suppressed forever. Until he could be with Ryleigh again.

  “We’ve grown too, Jackson. And we all took an oath to protect our king with our dying breath. That’s our responsibility, the responsibility of a Death Dealer, and none of us take that lightly.”

  “And you shouldn’t. But I’m one of you, Ranger. We’re friends, we’re comrades, we’re teammates. That doesn’t mean any of you should risk your life to shield me. If that’s the case, I can no longer ride with you.”

  “What?”

  “How could I, knowing you’ll treat me differently, knowing you’ll trade your lives for mine?”

  Dakota stood. “It’s not differently, Jackson. I’d step in front of a sword for you too. Because you’re my friend. And my teammate, and my king. But I’d also do it to save any Death Dealer or any Cymmeran citizen. Wouldn’t you?”

  Of course he would. But that wasn’t the issue. His men had to respect him as an equal.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Dakota slapped the back of Ranger’s head. “Don’t be making him think he’s special or something. His head’ll get too big to fit in his helmet.”

  Ranger laughed.

  Dakota shot Jackson a grin, but his eyes remained strained. “We’re a team, Jackson. Leave it at that.”

  He nodded. It would have to be enough for now. “Is Darius any better?”

  “He seems to be. I think he’s healing. It was really close, though.”

  “Harrison is an amazing kid.”

  “Yes. He’ll make a great Death Dealer one day.”

  “Where are the kids?”

  “The others took them a little way into the cave. Away from the injured, just in case.”

  Yeah. No sense having them see anyone die. They’d already been through enough. “All right. Ranger, you stay with Vaughn, and I’ll leave two others in case you need help. The kids will stay here as well. Dakota, what do you want to do?”

  “I’ll come with you. I’m sure my father will be okay. Besides, he’s a soldier, he’d expect me to do my duty under any circumstances.”

  Yes, he would. “Good. Get the others while Ranger and I try to get this wound closed.”

  He pressed his hands harder against Vaughn’s back, returning his full focus to the task. If they could just close the wound enough to begin the healing process, they might be able to save him. He laced heat around the edges of the wound, tried to pull them together, get them to seal so the internal damage could mend itself. “This isn’t working.”

  He closed his eyes, feeling the blood rush through Vaughn’s body and back to his heart. It wasn’t beating strong enough. Jackson willed it to match the rhythm of his own.

  He slid two fingers into the hole. Maybe he could heal it from the inside out.

  Something dark slithered just out of his reach. If he could only grasp it, he might rid Vaughn’s body of the invasion. This was dark magic. Evil. Elusive. Eerily similar to the feeling that had assailed him in the cave in Argonas. Now he understood what Ranger had said earlier, about the magic feeling the same as that which had taken his father.

  He yanked his hand back and jerked to his feet. He wiped his hands on his jeans, desperate to get the filth off them. This was beyond any of their abilities. They needed a sorcerer. He had to find Elijah. Now. “Let’s go.”

  Jackson whistled for the dragons, then strode toward the exit with Dakota at his side. The other Death Dealers fell into step behind them.

  Chapter 6

  Ryleigh rolled over onto her back, clasped her hands behind her head, and stared up at the starless sky. She’d grown used to the colorful stars in Cymmera, sprinkled across the night sky like jewels. She missed them.

  The sky glowed with murky light, but from no discernable source. She sat up. No sense trying to sleep. It wasn’t going to happen. All of the soldiers had agreed with her decision to wait until first light to search the jungle, but she was still anxious to get started. She had to find a way back to Cymmera.

  A dark figure circled the clearing, his silhouette and stride familiar. Noah.

  When she and Noah had dated—well, maybe dated wasn’t the right word, but they’d been more than friends—Noah had always offered to help. She’d usually refused. She hadn’t wanted to burden him with her troubles.

  But there had been a few times, when she’d allowed him to tag along and sit with her through her grandmother’s chemo treatments, when he’d taken Mia for pizza and ice cream when Grandmother had a particularly bad reaction and Ryleigh had to care for her. He’d always understood her need to stay close to home, hadn’t ever seemed bothered by it.

  She and Noah used to lay on a blanket in the yard and watch the stars. They’d talk about the future, where they wanted to go, what they wanted to do. Images of him laying at her side, leaning over her, holding her, kissing her brought a wave of sadness.

  Maybe she hadn’t been able to admit to herself how important he’d become to her, so she’d broken things off. Before she could lose him.

  She shook off the memories. That had been a different time, an innocent time, before she shouldered the responsibility for sentencing a man to death. Before she’d killed and maimed a countless number of creatures. Before she’d killed a man, an enemy soldier, who was barely more than a teenager. No part of that innocent young girl remained.

  She climbed to her feet, brushed herself off, and crossed the field slowly, careful to avoid the clusters of sleeping children.

  Most of the adults slept in a circle surrounding the kids. Those who slept, anyway. The soft murmurs and rustle of clothing as they tossed and turned had her doubting it was many.

  “Noah,” she called softly. She didn’t want to startle him.

  “Yeah.”

  “Could I talk to you?”

  “Sure.” His tone remained annoyingly neutral.

  “I’m sorry I scared you when I pushed you through the portal.”

  He stayed silent, his features hidden in shadow.

  At least she tried. If he didn’t want to forgive her, that was up to him. “Anyway. I just wanted you to know.” She started to turn away.

  “Do you have any idea how hard all of this has been for me?”

  Ryleigh had chosen to remain in Cymmera. She could return to the human realm at any time if she wanted. Not that she had anything left to go back to. But Noah didn’t have that choice. He’d been killed in the human realm. Murdered by Jackson. His choice had been stolen. “I’m sorry, Noah. I can’t even imagine what it’s been like. If I could change it, if I could go back and stop Jackson from taking you, I would.” She shifted, uncomfortable admitting the half-truth even to herself. While she was sorry Noah’s human life had been cut short, Mia would be gone if not for Noah and his men.

  “It’s not that, Ryleigh. I accept my fate.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “It’s you.”

  “Me?”

  “You were the only girl I ever loved. The only one I ever allowed myself to get close to.” He cupped her cheek and rubbed a thumb over her bottom lip, just like he used to. “I would have done anything for you, but you pushed me away. And now, even though I’ve accepted my role in your army, accepted my place in your world, accepted we aren’t meant to be, you still push me away. You still refuse to accept my help.”

  She stepped back, needing the space, the distance from his pain. “I’m sorry.”

  “Stop apologizing. You don’t have to be sorry. Just let me in. Accept my friendship, and let me do the job I was obviously destined to do. Please.”

  A smile tugged at her. She’d always have a soft spot for Noah. “I can do that.”

  “Good. Now, come here.” He pulled her into his arms and r
ested his chin on her head, the gesture comforting.

  She hugged him back.

  “See. Was that so hard?”

  She laughed. Noah had always been able to make her smile, even when things were going totally wrong. “No.”

  “Good.” He released her and resumed his patrol around the perimeter.

  She fell into step beside him.

  He examined the shadows, his posture alert, as if he expected something to jump out at them at any moment. “What do you miss most?”

  The question caught her off guard. Jackson immediately came to mind, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t want to hear that.

  “From home. Other than people, I mean.”

  The sadness in Noah’s tone hurt. She hadn’t given much thought to Noah’s family lately. Mia was the only family Ryleigh had left, and she had come to Cymmera with her. Ryleigh had been overwhelmed caring for Mia and their sick grandmother the last few years, and she’d pulled away from most of her friends. She hadn’t had time to spend with them. A small moment of regret flared, but she could examine that more closely later.

  Noah had left behind all of his family, all of his friends. Well, most of his friends, anyway. He seemed close with the teammates who’d been transferred with him.

  He shook off his somber mood and grinned. “I miss my cell phone. Just think, right now we could just type ‘uncharted realm’ into GPS, and it would tell us where to go.”

  She accepted the change in his mood. It was easier than dealing with the pain. “Hard to believe it was ever that easy.”

  “So, what do you miss?”

  The squish of their soft footsteps in the spongy grass carried rhythmically through the quiet.

  “The radio.” Their home in the human realm had always been filled with music. Her favorite songs had been her companions through pain, joy, sorrow, pretty much everything. With no technology in Cymmera, she hadn’t heard music in a long time. Too long. She had no idea if they had music in Cymmera, but once they got out of this mess, she’d make sure they did. “And ice cream.”

  Noah grinned. “You did love ice cream. Chocolate fudge brownie, if I remember correctly.”

  She didn’t answer. He remembered. It seemed he remembered everything.

  Bright pink highlights touched the horizon on the far side of the clearing.

  Time to end their journey down memory lane. Probably for the best. “Looks like it might be starting to get light.”

  “Yup.”

  “Does Tristan have the groups set up to do the search?”

  “Yeah, we’re ready.” He headed toward a small group gathered at the far end of the clearing.

  “Will we be able to provide protection here?”

  “Jimmy’s going to stay with Lucas and a couple of the newer Guardsmen.”

  “Will that be enough?”

  “It’ll have to be. It’s all we’ve got.”

  His answer did little to reassure her.

  “One group of searchers will patrol the area immediately surrounding the clearing. They’ll be close by if anything happens.” He rubbed a hand up and down her arm. “It’s as safe as we can make it.”

  Blinding light shot across the clearing.

  Ryleigh ducked and threw her arm in front of her eyes.

  “I guess it’s morning, huh?” Noah laughed.

  “Jeez, you could go blind that way.”

  Tristan shielded his eyes with his hand as they approached. “We’re ready. We’ve done a head count. Everyone is accounted for, and the injured have all been cared for. Has Noah explained our plan?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. We’ll let you know when we’re ready to go.”

  “Thank you.”

  Some of Mia’s color had returned, and her eyes seemed a little brighter.

  “How’s the pup?”

  “He’s doing really well. He even flew a few minutes ago.” She grinned. “And didn’t get stuck in a tree.”

  “Where is he?”

  She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “He’s with Hannah, Sadie, Marcus, and Trey. They’re playing with the pups while Nahara watches over them.”

  “Trey?”

  “The little boy you took from the castle,” Tatiana added.

  “You figured out who he is?”

  “Kiara knew him.”

  Though it would have been nice to fly over the jungle on Nahara, Ryleigh definitely felt more comfortable leaving the giant hound in the clearing with the kids. Besides, she was the only adult animal they had with them, and no one was leaving this clearing alone on her to search. She’d be a target the second she soared above the tree line, anyway. “Did anyone find his parents?”

  Kiara shook her head. “You said Darius handed him to you?”

  “When I was leaving the kitchen, but he didn’t say where he found him. You know who his parents are?”

  “Yes. His father is a Guardsman. His mother works in the castle. Nobody’s seen either of them or his siblings.”

  “How many?”

  “Three. His brother and two sisters. We can’t get him to speak, so we have no idea where they were when the castle was attacked.”

  She could only hope his mother had managed to escape with the other children. “I’m pretty sure we lost a lot of the Guard in the throne room.”

  “You haven’t said much about what went on in there. I’d like to know what happened with Elijah. When you’re ready,” Tatiana said.

  Ryleigh only nodded. She couldn’t talk about the prophet yet, could barely even think about him without falling apart. Right now she had to figure out what they were going to do about the undercurrent no one but her seemed to be able to feel. Later, when she was alone, she could indulge her grief.

  “Do any of you feel that undercurrent?”

  Tatiana frowned. “You mentioned that yesterday, too, but I don’t feel anything.”

  Kiara nodded. “It’s been bothering me since the portal closed.”

  “Me too,” Mia added.

  “Any idea what it is?” She kept her opinion to herself, not wanting to sway them.

  “I kind of figured it was remnants of the magic Mia used to open the portal.” Kiara looked at Mia for confirmation.

  “I didn’t use magic to open it. At least, I don’t think I did. But I do feel what you’re talking about, and it definitely is magic.”

  Exactly what Ryleigh suspected. “Can either of you tell if it’s dark magic?”

  They glanced at each other and both shook their heads.

  She’d already questioned the soldiers, and none of them sensed the undercurrent at all. Of course, most of those who’d escaped with them had no training in magic. While the Death Dealers were trained in the use of magic, most of the other soldiers were not. The Queen’s Army would have been trained, but there hadn’t yet been time. She was going to have to send someone into the jungle with them who could at least feel it. An increase in the magic’s intensity might be the only warning they had of an impending attack.

  “Have you been trained in the use of magic, Tatiana?”

  She shrugged. “Somewhat, but not much. And I never developed a knack for it.”

  She couldn’t send Mia into the jungle, even if she wanted to. She was the only one who held any hope of opening a portal back to Cymmera. And Kiara was their strongest healer and had Sadie to care for. Besides, someone had to protect the clearing. At least Mia and Kiara might have a chance if they were attacked by someone using magic. No one else would have a clue until it was too late. “I’m leaving you in charge here, Kiara.”

  She bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  Tristan and Noah approached, each leading a small group of men.

  Jimmy and Lucas each led a group of their own to the edges of the clearing and began their patrol of the perimeter.

  “We’re ready,” Tristan said.

  “Okay.” Ryleigh clasped her hands and stretched the
m over her head, arching her back. Lying on the damp ground all night had been murder on her back. She tilted her head from side to side. “Which team am I going with?”

  Conversation stopped as they all stared at her.

  “What?” Tristan looked at Noah, his eyes wide.

  Noah shrugged and shook his head, leaving Tristan to fend for himself.

  “Look, Ry…uh, Your Majesty.”

  Ryleigh bit back a grin at his discomfort. It didn’t matter what he said; she was still going. “We have no choice, Tristan.” She gestured to the other women standing with her. “We all agree there’s some sort of magic hanging over the clearing, and the intensity increases the closer you get to the jungle. None of you can feel it, so one of us has to come. I’m the best choice.”

  “You are the Queen of Cymmera. You are responsible for everyone here. You can’t go tramping through an uncharted jungle and leave your people behind.”

  “We have plans in place to protect the people here. Besides, Mia and Kiara are both better trained at magic than I am. They stand the best chance of defending the clearing.”

  His cheeks flamed red, and he nodded. “If we had weapons, maybe.”

  “I’m extensively trained in hand to hand as well.”

  “Please, Your Majesty, you must understand.”

  “Understand what?”

  “I can’t guarantee your safety if you go into the jungle.”

  “Let’s be honest. You can’t guarantee my safety if I stay in the clearing, either. None of us can see the future, Tristan.”

  “I can.” Mia shot her an ear to ear grin.

  “Ha ha.”

  Tristan shifted from one foot to the other. “But you can’t—”

  “So what is it you expect me to do? Sit on a rock and wait for you to come back?”

  He offered a hopeful look.

  “Not happening, buddy. I am fully trained in combat, have actually fought savages as well as men. If it were Jackson here instead of me, would you be asking him to sit in a clearing and sun himself while the men went out and searched the jungle?”