Faery Revenge

by Donna Joy Usher

  Her fingers were digging into my bicep before I had even finished saying the word. ‘Ulandes said you would find a way?’

  I winced as I nodded. She was really strong.

  ‘Well then.’ This time her smile held warmth. She let go of me and dusted her hands together. ‘If Ulandes said there is a way, there is. You just need to find it.’

  She turned away from me as if it was a done deal. Happiness radiated out of every line of her body. She even skipped as she crossed to talk to Aethan.

  ‘Izzy.’ Sabby was back by Thomas’s side. ‘You’re going to need healers.’ A small band of healers spread out behind her.

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘We will.’ I could feel tears biting at the corners of my eyes. I didn’t want her there with me, not where the fighting was fiercest. Not where a stray arrow could find her. I looked around the field. I didn’t want any of them there with me, risking their lives to stop something I had started.

  A cold certainty settled over me. It had to be me, alone, that ended this. It was the only way.

  For a second, the knowledge of how it could be done teased around the edges of my mind. I tried to latch onto that thought, but it reared away like a wild cat refusing to be caught, and then it was gone.

  ‘Izzy?’ Sabby grabbed onto my hand, her fingers pressing onto the pulse point at my wrist. ‘Are you feeling okay?’

  Racing heart; short, quick breaths; nerves fluttering around the core of nausea in my stomach? Yep. That was about right.

  I pulled my wrist from her grip and forced a smile onto my face. These people needed me to be strong. I drew on the optimism I could hear in Isla’s voice as she chatted with the waiting Guard.

  ‘I feel great.’ I winced a little. That was a little too optimistic. ‘I want your band of healers to spread out through the dragon fleet. There’s a chance we’ll run into Vulpine.’

  She pressed her lips together and nodded, then she turned and marched back to them with purpose. I heard her starting to issue orders as I walked towards Emerald.

  ‘Where do you want us?’

  I started at Grams’ voice. I hadn’t realised she had returned. About half of the witches were with her.

  ‘Wolfgang?’

  ‘Coming. He and Rako are with Athol. He’s updating the other leaders.’

  I bit at my bottom lip. We needed to be in the air. Every second we wasted was a second closer they got to London.

  ‘We need to make sure our efforts are as coordinated as possible.’

  ‘I know, I know.’ I ran my hands over my braid trying to calm their shaking. How did we not see this coming?

  ‘All right everyone.’ Aethan’s voice ran out over the field. ‘Gather in.’

  He waited a few moments while Guard, Millenium, witches, and a handful of humans pushed in around us. Turos stood at the very front. His ice-blue eyes were serious and his biceps bulged as he crossed his arms across his broad chest.

  ‘Some of you already know what has happened. For those of you that don’t, the enemy breached the veil during the night. They have already gone past our position, and at our best guess, are heading for London.’

  Several voices broke out, firing questions at Aethan. He raised a hand in the air, waiting till they had quietened before continuing.

  ‘What the enemy doesn’t realise is that they have played right into our hands.’ His voice grew louder. ‘The only way to London is through the Valley of the Kings. We will travel far fleeter than they will by foot and reposition there, blocking their passage. The rest of the troops will attack from the rear.’ A vicious smile spread his lips. ‘We will crack them like a nut between us.’

  This time the voices broke out in a roar of approval. Fists pumped the air in time with the cheers.

  ‘Mount up,’ Aethan said. ‘It’s time to go kick some goblin butt.’

  ‘Nicely done,’ Rako said from behind us. I swivelled to find him there with Wolfgang and a group of human fighters. ‘We’re to take as many as we can.’ He nodded back toward the humans.

  Wolfgang squeezed my hand as he walked past me. His smile was grim and his eyes sad.

  Fighters were spreading out over the field, checking their weapons and mounting dragons. I watched Isla, a small smile playing around her lips as she leant against Arthur. She had positioned quivers full of arrows all the way down his flank. He twisted his head back and blinked his eyes at her, smoke drifting lazily from his nostrils. Whatever he was thinking was funny because she broke out into a peel of laughter and then threw her arms around his neck.

  Emerald snorted and shook her head. You coming?

  I nodded and closed the remaining distance between us. Grams and Lionel were already on her back. Aethan broke away from his conversation with Rako and trotted towards me.

  ‘Are we going through the veil here or at the other end?’ Like a coward, I didn’t want to see the destruction Santanas’s army had left.

  ‘The other end. I’d like to surprise them if we can.’

  I turned that over in my mind a few times. Was it possible to surprise them?

  I climbed up onto Emerald’s neck and wrapped the leather straps around my wrists. A second later we were airborne, winging our way up to where Lance already circled. We tucked in on his left shoulder, flying long, lazy laps overhead as we waited for the rest of the dragon flock to join us.

  I felt Aethan’s hand on my shoulder. ‘Does Turos know where the Valley of the Kings is?’

  I glanced back at him. ‘No, but Emerald will tell Lance.’ I’d already showed her where we were going.

  ‘So…no chance that we can lead?’

  I let out a laugh. ‘Does that bother you?’

  He shrugged and shot me an impish grin. ‘It would be nice to lead my people into battle.’

  I reached back and patted him on the knee. ‘Your ego will survive.’

  We were silent for the rest of the time it took our mini-army to become airborne. I watched the rest of the army forming up below. I was impressed by the discipline Tamsonite had installed into them. They would be ready to start marching soon. I just hoped it was soon enough. Santanas’s force had at least a night’s march on us. I liked the fact that that meant they hadn’t slept. It would make for tired fighters.

  The final dragon took to the sky and Lance turned in a smooth arc and began winging his way towards the Valley of the Kings.

  ‘Relax,’ Aethan murmured in my ear. ‘You’re wound up so tight you’ll be exhausted by the time we get there.’

  I let out a big breath and began to relax my muscles one-by-one. He was right. I hadn’t realised how tense I was.

  I wiggled my shoulders and flexed my head from side-to-side. A few seconds later I felt his hands on my shoulders, strong and tender as his thumbs dug into the muscle knots they found there.

  I let out a groan and wiggled backwards to give him better access. He might have lost his memories of me but his hands still knew what they were doing. They turned me to melted putty as they kneaded my flesh.

  I closed my eyes and let my head drop forwards and suddenly I was standing in front of a pagoda in the middle of an ornate garden. I let out a yelp as my eyes flew open.

  ‘Sorry.’ Aethan’s voice was a breeze on the back of my neck. ‘Did I hurt you?’ His fingers paused their dance across my skin.

  ‘No.’ I shook my head. ‘I saw something.’

  I could feel the weight of his body shifting behind me. ‘Vulpines?’

  ‘Nothing like that. I think I fell asleep for a second.’

  He let out a throaty laugh and his fingers took up where they had left off. Even though they remained on my neck and shoulders I could feel the tension unwinding throughout my whole body. I let my head drop forwards again and slowly closed my eyes.

  This time I didn’t jump when the garden appeared before me. Two people reclined on the lounges in the shade of the pagoda.

  ‘About time.’ Wilfred pushed himself to his feet and strode towards me. ‘We’ve
been waiting for you for hours.’

  My mouth flopped open as I stared at him. ‘Willy?’ I took a step towards him.

  ‘The one and only.’ He threw his arms out as he closed the last few steps between us, and swept me up into a hug. He spun me around before setting me back down.

  I looked over to the person witnessing our reunion. ‘Ulandes.’ I pulled myself out of his arms so I could sink to my knees and bow my head.

  ‘Rise, Isadora. There is no need for you to kneel in my presence. I can feel your reverence for me, that is enough.’

  I let Wilfred pull me back up, but I kept my head bowed as I walked towards her. ‘Isla asked me to thank you for her gifts.’ I looked over at Wilfred.

  ‘She liked them?’ His mouth split into a wide grin, just visible through his shaggy, red beard.

  ‘She loved them.’ I looked back at Ulandes. ‘Did you know…?’

  ‘What would happen when she put them on?’

  I nodded.

  Golden light seemed to emanate from under her skin as she smiled. ‘I hoped it would. It means her faith is true and deep.’

  ‘So it wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t?’

  She shook her head as she rose gracefully to her feet. ‘They would have remained what they appeared to be. Beautiful jewellery but nothing more.’

  Wilfred looked from Ulandes to me and back again. ‘They are more than that?’

  ‘Oh.’ She let out a laugh and I was reminded of bells tinkling in a light breeze. ‘You have no idea how much more. You will see soon enough. But that is not what I brought Isadora here to talk about. Come child.’ She took my hand and led me back to the chairs. ‘Sit.’

  I sat as gently as I could, but next to her grace I might as well have plonked myself down into the chair. Wilfred sat on the far side of me, leaning back with his hands clasped behind his head.

  ‘You have questions for me?’

  I let out a sigh of relief. She was going to tell me everything I needed to know. ‘How do I defeat Santanas?’

  She reached over and pressed the palm of her hand to my cheek. ‘I told you last time, child, that is the one answer I can not give you. But that is immaterial. You already have the answer.’ She tapped the side of my head. ‘In here, and in here.’ Her hand moved to hover over my heart.

  ‘Arghhhhhhh.’ I slumped back into the seat. ‘I don’t know what to do. I’m no match for him. Next to him I am a joke of a War Faery. I may as well not even be one.’

  ‘Ahhhhh.’ She cocked her head to the side as eyes, brimming with intelligence, studied me. ‘I see where you get your misconception from.’

  ‘Misconception?’

  ‘That he is a better War Faery than you.’

  ‘But he is.’ I couldn’t hide the frustration in my voice. ‘He’s stronger, faster, smarter, and his control of his magic far outweighs mine.’

  ‘And those are the things that you think make a good War Faery?’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ I sat forwards on my seat.

  ‘No.’ She shook her head as she rose and paced across the floor of the pagoda. ‘Not at all.’

  ‘But…he’s better than me. And I don’t have the time to learn how to improve.’

  She leant over a rose bush and plucked a bloom from it. The white rose she held, when she walked back towards me, was perfect. I took it from her when she offered it.

  ‘War Faeries weren’t created to lead their people. They weren’t created to be lethal and ruthless.’

  ‘They weren’t?’ I turned the stem of the rose in my fingers, admiring each petal, each drop of dew that glistened on its snowy beauty.

  ‘They were created to protect. They were created to love. They were created to serve.’ She sat back down beside me and grasped my face between her palms. ‘Your love is your greatest strength. Your compassion and empathy is what will allow you to succeed. You are,’ she brushed her finger over the petals of the rose, ‘the perfect War Faery. His hatred has corrupted him.’

  ‘That’s all you’re going to tell me, isn’t it?’

  She nodded. ‘You need to stop doubting yourself. You already have everything you need to get the job done.’

  I bit my lip to stop myself from making a smart-arse comment. I’d leave those to Wilfred.

  ‘It is time you returned.’ Ulandes stood again and held her hand out to me.

  ‘Already?’ I feel like I just got here.’ I turned to Wilfred. ‘And I didn’t even get to talk to you.’

  He hooked an arm around and pulled me to him. ‘Don’t worry,’ he rubbed the knuckles of one hand across the top of my head, ‘if everything goes to plan, we’ll be together again real soon.’

  ‘Wilfred.’ Ulandes voice held admonishment.

  ‘What? I didn’t mess her hair up too much.’ He released me with a grin.

  ‘That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.’

  ‘Oh.’ His hand flew to cover his mouth but his eyes twinkled merrily. ‘Did I say too much?’

  She let out a sigh and shook her head. ‘I’m sure the other Gods and Goddesses don’t have to put up with this.’ She rose to her feet in one smooth movement.

  I took her outstretched hand and stood. ‘Thank you.’ Her words hadn’t allayed my fears, but I knew she had done her best.

  ‘Believe,’ she said. ‘Believe in yourself. You are far more powerful than you know. Now,’ she leaned over and kissed me on each cheek, ‘it is time to wake up.’

  14

  The Final Battle

  Aethan’s arms were around me when I woke.

  ‘Hey sleepy head.’ He released me slowly, the tips of his fingers lingering on my bare skin as he slithered backwards down Emerald’s neck.

  I ignored the emotions his touch stirred in me, and asked, ‘How long was I out?’ I looked at the ground far below, trying to work out where we were.

  ‘A couple of hours.’

  Huh. It hadn’t seemed that long.

  ‘How much further?’

  ‘We’re nearly there. I was about to wake you.’

  I nodded my head. I was going to have to open the veil soon.

  Tell Lance we’re taking the lead.

  It’s about time. Emerald let out a huff but I could tell she was joking. She didn’t mind if her mate led and she followed.

  Lance’s wing strokes slowed and Emerald swooped into the lead. I heard Grams let out a squeal of delight at the increase in speed. I shook my head but could feel the smile on my face.

  A look over my shoulder showed me the dragons were in tight formation. It meant that opening a big enough gate would be easier.

  Turos raised his hand in a mock salute and winked. I winked back and flashed him a smile. Opening a gate was something I knew I could do.

  ‘Do you think we’re past them?’ I swivelled back around to look at Aethan.

  ‘Only one way to find out.’

  I sucked in a breath. ‘Oh well. No guts, no glory.’

  As soon as I thought about it, I could feel the veil lying like a heavy blanket over me. I felt a thrill race through me at how easy this had become. Maybe one day, my magic would feel this natural to me too.

  I grasped the veil a few hundred feet in front of me and tore it apart. Unlike when I was at ground level, this parting was almost invisible. The blue sky on the other side looked the same as it did in Isilvitania. I pulled on the edges, widening the gap till I was sure all the dragons would easily make it through.

  Butterflies started rustling in my belly as Emerald approached it. I wasn’t sure what we would do if Santanas’s army was below us. We needed time to get set up, and we were counting on the narrowest part of the Valley to help us in our defence. I resisted the urge to shut my eyes. That was going to be about as helpful as hiding under my bed.

  We swept through the veil and I scoured the ground below for signs of the enemy. It was possible they had already passed through the valley. Possible, but not probable.

  All looked as it should. The long
winding road was intact, the grass untrampled, the trees still rooted. I heard Aethan echo my own sigh of relief. We had made it in time.

  ‘Tell Emerald to put us down at the end of the valley.’

  ‘Tell her yourself.’

  ‘She can understand English?’

  I looked back over my shoulder at him. ‘How do you think we communicate?’

  ‘I didn’t know.’ He shrugged a shoulder and gave me a cheeky grin. ‘Pictures?’

  Emerald started to descend towards the mouth of the valley. We do also communicate with pictures.

  I nodded. ‘She said to tell you that we do use pictures. Sometimes it’s faster that way.’

  ‘Can you hear all the dragons?’

  ‘The dragons can all hear each other, but I’m bonded to Emerald. So I only hear her.’ I paused, wondering if I should tell him everything. ‘Well, that’s not entirely true. I can hear other dragons and other riders if we open our bonds to each other.’

  ‘So…how does that work?’

  ‘If we deem it beneficial, we can mind link.’

  ‘So you can all hear each other?’

  ‘Yes. But it goes much deeper than that. I don’t just hear Emerald. We share each other’s emotions as well.’

  When he didn’t reply, I risked a peek over my shoulder. His face was frozen as he worked his way through the ramifications of that. He looked from me back to Turos. ‘So, when, Emerald and Lance…?’

  I felt a rush of heat on my cheeks that could only mean one thing. I was blushing furiously. I looked straight ahead and crossed my fingers as I said, ‘We can block it.’

  He cleared his throat. ‘Well, that explains a few things.’

  I wanted to deny it all, but I wasn’t sure exactly what I was denying. I decided, instead, to ignore it. ‘Anyway, it means we can fight as if we are all extensions of a single unit. It’s handy during aerial combat.’

  Emerald stretched her wings wide and flapped backwards, slowing herself down as she reached out her taloned feet to grasp the ground. I heard Lance land behind us.

  ‘First floor women’s lingerie, manchester, glassware and crockery. And if we’re very lucky later on there’ll be a goblin or two.’ Grams laughed like she’d cracked the funniest joke in the world.