Fiona had managed to slip into it, with just the tips of her hair and parts of her suit burned. I went in second, but my move had coincided with Blaze’s second wave of fire. Heron had pushed me to the ground, shielding me with his body. He’d sustained serious wounds, his leather suit burned and portions of the skin on his back simply gone.
He drank from my palm, his eyes closed. He breathed heavily between painful groans. My insides burned and my stomach had been reduced to the size of a pebble, watching him in such agony. I knew he’d be okay, but still, it was torture to witness his suffering. I could only imagine what those wounds felt like.
Fiona and Scarlett were on their knees next to me. They both took fistfuls of healing pellets out of their belt compartments and crushed them over Heron’s burns. The fine pink-and-yellow powder scattered gently over the raw flesh, then dissolved and bubbled up as it was absorbed into the tissue.
Hansa, Harper, Caia, Blaze, and Patrik were a couple of feet away, giving us room to breathe. The young water fae who had helped us stood next to them, watching us quietly. I couldn’t see Caspian anywhere anymore. Which was strange, given the fact that he’d only just been with us. Harper looked confused as well, but didn’t say anything. I tried to focus on what our team had to do next, including questioning the water fae, but my mind refused to cooperate, unable to function properly until Heron was healed.
“You’re going to be okay,” I murmured in his ear, my right hand resting on the back of his neck while he continued to suckle from my palm.
Jax moved closer, a frown pulling his brows together. He’d sustained some injuries as well, in the form of long gashes on his sides and thighs, but nothing that wouldn’t eventually heal on its own in the next couple of hours. He fumbled through his belt pockets and found more healing pellets. He swallowed one and gave the rest to Scarlett and Fiona, for them to keep applying over Heron’s wounds.
“Hang in there, little brother,” he said slowly. “We need you.”
Heron groaned, his eyes shut tight as he tried to stay conscious and concentrate. His lips were soft against my skin, his fangs gently grazing my palm as he drank my blood. I ran my fingers through his short black hair, slowly massaging his scalp in a bid to help him relax.
“Thank you for looking after him, Avril,” Jax said.
“It’s okay,” I replied. “He saved me just now. It’s the least I can do…”
“You could do more,” Heron huffed, resting his head on the ground for a while as the healing pellets and my blood settled in his system and began repairing every inch of damaged tissue.
My cheeks caught fire at the sound of his low and husky voice. I knew he had a dirty joke ready to follow up with, and it was the one time I was okay with letting him be his naughty, unapologetic self.
“Oh, yeah? And what’s that?” I asked, feigning irritation.
His jade eyes peeled open. He looked at me and flashed me a lazy but charming grin.
“I can’t talk about it in public,” he muttered. “It’s frowned upon in civilized societies.”
“Since when did that ever stop you?” I chuckled, then continued massaging the back of his neck. Patrik handed me a red pill made of dried herbs and crystal salt, then nodded at Heron.
“It’s for pain relief,” the Druid said.
I gave it to Heron, letting it slip between his lips.
“Here, swallow this for the pain,” I told him.
He sighed and chewed the pellet a couple of times before swallowing it with a bitter grimace.
“It tastes like crap,” he complained.
“Yeah, well, maybe don’t get your ass scorched next time!” I retorted.
“I’ll do it again if it means keeping you safe,” Heron mumbled. His gaze found my face, and our eyes met. I softened at his words, and the thought of his selfless gesture cast him in a different light. Sure, I already knew what a valiant and noble creature he was beneath his philandering persona, but watching him nearly die to save me was something else entirely.
My heart swelled in my chest, and I swallowed back tears, slowly coming to terms with the fact that I’d nearly lost Heron in this gorge. It wasn’t an easy thought to process. On the contrary, it felt like torture, like claws puncturing my gut and slashing my chest open.
“Thank you,” I whispered, not sure whether he heard me. I just needed to say those words, to acknowledge his sacrifice.
“Anytime, baby,” Heron breathed, closing his eyes and smiling again.
I had a feeling the pain medication was kicking in, and it had an interesting effect on him. His neck muscles relaxed under my grip, and he emptied his lungs with a long sigh.
I was shaken to my core, downright rattled by the turn of events. I’d been so busy fighting alongside Heron that it had come as a given that I would see him walk out of this mess unscathed. Watching him lie on the ground, his back and legs slowly healing from what had been horrific burns up until five minutes ago… That had not come up as a possibility.
Blaze came closer, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked terrible. His blue eyes were filled with regret, and his lips pressed together in a thin line.
“I am so sorry,” he said with a trembling voice. “I thought you were all covered. I didn’t see you, so I thought you… I thought you’d made it to safety…”
“Oh, Blaze, it’s okay!” I tried to comfort him. I hadn’t thought to blame him at all. There was no reason for that. “We picked the wrong place to hide, that’s all. We should’ve gone directly for that crevice, but everything happened so fast.”
“I should’ve been more attentive.” Blaze shook his head, not yet ready to accept that he wasn’t at fault for this.
“Listen, Blaze,” Heron groaned, then slowly rolled to his side to get a better look at the dragon. “This job comes with risks. It really wasn’t your fault; we had to finish those daemons off once and for all. It’s why we brought you with us in the first place. Now, stop beating yourself up over this, and just get comfortable with the fact that I’ll kick your ass six ways from Sunday once we’re back in the training halls.”
Blaze gave him a weak smile.
“Cool,” he replied, “but don’t expect me to make it easy for you. Bring your best game and I’ll be happy to let you beat me.”
I stifled a chuckle as I noticed Heron gradually regaining his strength. We’d made it this far, after all. There was no way I was letting him die in these gorges.
There’s no way I’m letting you die, period.
Harper
(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)
Sometime in the brief interval between Blaze’s dragon inferno and our emergence from our safe spots, Caspian had vanished. One minute he was standing next to me as we came out of the crevice, my legs still trembling from both the sight of the dragon’s full power and the proximity of Caspian’s body. The nook we’d slipped into was narrow, and its tight walls had kept me glued to him, his heart thundering against my ribcage.
I’d been so busy struggling to regain my footing and normal breathing that I didn’t even notice when he left. He’d clearly done it on purpose; otherwise he would’ve at least had the decency to say goodbye or something. I’d used my True Sight to find him, while we gathered close to Heron and Avril, but I couldn’t spot him anywhere.
I couldn’t understand why he’d done it, either. We were going to meet later, back in Azure Heights, anyway. Had he thought that his “job” of assisting us was over? Was he planning to wait for us back in the city, to see if we emerged with a full and perfectly functional team? I couldn’t put it past him, based on his previous statements.
While Heron healed, lying in Avril’s arms, we all looked at the young fae. Judging by the abilities she’d briefly displayed during the fight, I had a feeling she was a water fae. Her platinum hair was long and braided over her shoulder, with blue feathers and beads, and she wore brown leather sandals reminiscent of ancient Greek styles, with straps tightened up to her knees, matching the re
st of her outfit. Her skin was tanned, and her eyes were a bright blue that spoke of tropical oceans.
She repeatedly glanced over her shoulder, frowning as she watched the freed Imen become black dots in the distance. The prisoners we’d released had already reached the western plains.
“Thank you for helping us,” Hansa said with a soft smile. “My name is Hansa. What’s yours?”
The fae eyed us carefully, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Vesta,” she replied.
“What brought you here, Vesta?” Hansa asked.
“My family was in these cages.” She shrugged, nervously stealing glances at Heron and Jax. “I was coming to try to get them out when you started fighting the daemons. Thought I’d help.”
“That’s strange, I didn’t see any fae in the cages,” I replied. “I’m Harper, by the way, and these are my friends and family. So, if there’s anyone who understands the courage it took for you to do what you did, it’s us. Seriously, thank you. You helped us move things along.”
Vesta nodded slowly, then asked, “What’s a fae? My family are not fae. They’re Imen, of the Free People.”
“How is that possible?” I asked, confused. Fae were either born or made, but there was no sign of fae cultures on Neraka, nor had I read anything about their presence here in the Exiled Maras’ library.
“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I only remember the last five years of my life. I was found by the Free People, floating toward the ocean shore. I was unconscious and wounded. They nursed me back to health. They gave me shelter and helped me start a new life in their tribe. Coming here to save them was my duty.”
“But you know what you are, right?” I replied.
“You said ‘fae’. What’s that?”
“Fae are special creatures, deeply connected to the natural elements. Water, earth, fire, and air,” I explained. “They’re a highly capable species, treasured across this universe. But fae are usually born fae, and only in very rare instances are they made. Which is why I found it odd when you mentioned your Imen family.”
A moment passed as she digested the little bit of information I gave her. She seemed enlightened, her eyes glimmering with curiosity. She finally had a name for herself, for her abilities and her different nature, and an explanation for her uniqueness among the people who had found and helped her.
But her presence there still begged the question of her origins.
“You’re a fae, too?” Vesta asked Caia. She seemed particularly fascinated by my cousin, and, after what Caia had done to protect her from Blaze’s firestorm, it made sense. Of course, fire couldn’t kill a fae, as it was an element they controlled, but the intensity of a dragon’s flames could still cause serious damage.
“I am only part fae, and I’m more on the fire side.” Caia smiled. “I’m guessing you’re more into water?”
Vesta beamed with pride, her lips stretching into a grin.
“So, you live in the west, beyond these gorges?” Hansa asked.
“Yes. The Free People are safer in the woods there, but the daemons still hunt us,” Vesta replied, a muscle twitching in her jaw as she looked around at the charred daemon corpses. She then settled her gaze on Blaze, awe twinkling in her eyes. “You’re a dragon…”
“You’ve heard of dragons?” I asked, wondering how much the Imen knew of the world beyond Neraka.
“From old wives’ tales, yes.” Vesta nodded, then sized Blaze up for a second. “But none of them looked this good!”
We all burst into laughter, while Blaze’s face reddened up to his ears and he gave us a sheepish smile. Heron’s cackle was particularly loud.
“Don’t even think about it, little fae,” Heron replied. “The dragon’s keeping himself chaste for another couple of years.”
“Shut up and focus on healing.” Avril chuckled as she reprimanded him, helping him sit up as his burns transformed to first-degree blotches of red skin. “You loudmouthed bully!”
Vesta appeared amused by our friendly banter, but continued looking over her shoulder and giving Jax and Heron the wariest of looks.
“What’s wrong, Vesta?” I asked her.
“Nothing, I… I just need to get back to my people,” she replied slowly. “They’re out there on their own, and I need to make sure we all reach the woods before more daemons come out. Everything you’ve done here will have an impact on us, though you were only trying to help. Not blaming you or anything, but my tribe needs me now more than ever.”
She bowed before us and moved to go after her people, but Hansa wasn’t ready to let her go yet. None of us were. She knew more about the daemons than anyone else we’d come across—except, of course, Caspian, who kept his cards close to his chest.
“Wait, Vesta,” Hansa said, “what about these daemons? Where did they come from? Where were they going? What do you know about them and their underground cities?”
Vesta opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of horses trotting echoed through the gorge and caused her to fall silent. Her blue eyes widened when they found the source of the noise. We followed her gaze and noticed Exiled Maras pouring out of a narrow pass, fifty yards away, on the other side. Vincent and Cadmus led the group with their swords drawn. They crossed the open space, staring at the burnt tree stumps, the charred daemon corpses, and the columns of black smoke still billowing around us.
I then heard feet shuffling, and, as soon as I turned my head, I saw Vesta running as fast as she could toward the western part of the gorge, after her people.
“Damn it!” I cursed under my breath, using my True Sight to follow her. She glanced over her shoulder at us, fear visible on her face whenever she looked at the Correction Officers.
“Do we go after her?” Scarlett asked, ready to dart in the fae’s direction.
“No.” Jax shook his head. “She’s scared of Maras. It’s why she was looking at Heron and me with such fear. We need to go back to Azure Heights now, send one of us to Calliope to bring back more troops before we try to engage the Free People or take any action against the daemons.”
“For now, however, we need to make sure we all reach the city in one piece,” Hansa agreed.
We watched as Vincent, Cadmus, and the Correction Officers rode their horses across the burnt ground.
“Let’s not tell them about Lord Kifo.” I remembered Caspian’s request for discretion. “I… We promised we’d keep our mouths shut.”
Hansa nodded but was sure to make her groan heard. She wasn’t too happy with the secrecy, and I couldn’t blame her.
“What about Lord Kifo?” Fiona asked.
“He’s the masked dude who’s been sort of helping us out,” I replied, oversimplifying for lack of time. “I’ll tell you more when we’re alone.”
“Oh. Wow. Okay,” Fiona breathed, blinking several times as she connected the dots.
“We’ll have to talk about him as soon as we get a chance, though,” Hansa said. “This secrecy makes us no better than the Exiled Maras.”
“I agree, and we will definitely discuss this later,” I replied, then moved closer to Fiona and wrapped my arms around her. “You know, it’s been so crazy and chaotic here that we haven’t even had the chance to hug you and tell you how good it is to see you, Fiona.”
She giggled as Scarlett, Avril, and Caia joined in for a group hug.
“Thank you… Thank you all for coming to get me.” Fiona gave us a warm smile.
“What happened to you out here? How’d you make it back?” I asked.
Vincent reached us first, and got off his indigo horse with a radiant smile plastered on his handsome face.
“It’s a long story. Hold on.” Fiona sighed, then looked at Lord Roho, who rushed toward her and took her in his arms, holding her tight against his chest.
“I can’t believe they found you!” Vincent breathed, his face hidden in Fiona’s auburn hair. He caressed her face, affectionately looking at her before he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked
her over from head to toe. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m good, thank you, Vincent.” Fiona gave him a weak smile.
The Exiled Mara looked thrilled to see her again. But I couldn’t help but wonder how much he knew about what was really going on in these gorges, as well as beneath them.
The doubts I’d had about the Maras before were only coming back twice as strong now, virtually blaring in the back of my head after what Caspian had told us about the daemons. He obviously knew more, so why wouldn’t I think that the others knew more too?
Fiona
(Daughter of Benedict & Yelena)
“Vincent, Cadmus, what the hell took you so long?” Jax growled, eyeing Vincent and the Correction Officer I identified as Cadmus. The other Maras stayed behind, unable to take their eyes off the devastation left behind by Blaze. The smell of burnt flesh was impossible to ignore.
“It wasn’t easy to find another access route to this gorge.” Cadmus shrugged, then jumped off his horse. He glanced at me. “Are you all okay? It looks like you’ve made quite the mess here…”
“We heard the dragon roaring from the other side,” Vincent added, then glanced around. “What happened here?”
“Daemons happened,” Harper replied, nodding toward Blaze as he moved closer to Caia’s side. “But we had a dragon, so, you know… Poof!”
“Fiona, where were you?” Hansa shifted her focus back to me, as the question of how I had made it back to them had yet to be answered.
“A daemon took me from the prison, as you already know,” I explained. “His name is Zane. He kept me in a cage, inside a grotto nearby, in another gorge toward the north side of this place. It was weird, though. He used colored powders, which he blew in my face, to either knock me out or render me unable to move—”
“Wait, colored powders?” Patrik interjected, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to remember something. “What colors were they?”
“Well, he had three,” I recalled, scratching the back of my neck. “A yellow one that knocked me out altogether. A red one that relaxed my muscles too much, to the point where I could barely use my arms and legs. And an orange one that paralyzed me. It kept me conscious, but I couldn’t move or even speak.”
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