by Shelley Cass
“What would you have wanted?” Dalin asked me, as we gazed down from the great height and felt the wind plucking at our clothes.
“Oh …” I smiled. “It was definitely you.”
I leant forward to draw a lingering kiss from him that made the magic dance more furiously between us.
Then I launched us from the window’s edge, and we soared upward, spiralling around the watch towers and racing along the rocky walls.
I slowed our progress for just a moment when our eyes, sharpened by the magic, found Noal and Maeve at their balcony in the distance. I could see their features changing with disbelief as we drew close.
“Dalin …” Noal coughed in shock. “You didn’t tell me you could fly.”
Dalin shrugged. “I only just learnt.”
“You can learn too if you like,” I offered.
But both Noal and Maeve eyed our dangling feet as we hung suspended above the mortifying drop and shook their heads.
“Thank you, but perhaps another night …” Maeve managed politely.
I laughed gaily and allowed the wind to sweep Dalin and I away once more, pulling us upward and then gusting us in the direction of the ocean.
We clung together and spun through the air with abandon until, in exhaustion, we stopped to watch the night deepen together from the beach.
The salty breeze played through our hair and the cool waves swirled and tickled about our ankles, refreshing us right down to the soul. The sand shifted beneath our feet, ever changing, and the stars glittered their reflections upon the surface of the sea, as though apparitions of billions of lily flowers were floating on the waves.
“Thank you,” Dalin told me after a while, stroking my hand with his as he looked out. “This was exactly what I wanted.”
I put my free fingers on his scar lined jaw and turned his face to me. I let my lips gently caress his again, our kiss slow as he moved his arm to hold me closer.
And it was my heart, this time, which took flight.
Chapter Eighty Seven
Noal
The tavern on the lowest level of the Jenran mountain was bursting with raucous gaiety after Kiana had tired of pouring over ancient maps for the day. The maps simply guessed at where the lands of the magical races might be, and offered no way of navigating the sea with any certainty, so Kiana had left them upstairs and rounded up every Krall soldier so that we could all spend our second last afternoon together properly.
“I can’t believe you convinced my mistress to excuse me from all duty for tonight,” Maeve whispered into my ear.
“And tomorrow,” I reminded her. “Though for a moment I thought nothing would sway your hard faced mistress to agree.”
“How could she not obey the request of one the Three? Prince Noal. And the Raiden impressed her to. You went above and beyond to secure me a break,” Maeve added.
“I guess Dalin can be impressive when he stops slouching and puffs himself up,” I grinned, looking over at where he was sprawled out on a large armchair, roaring with mirth at Tane and Thorin’s ale racing antics.
I felt Maeve’s small hand slip into mine under the bench. “I am glad to spend time with you.”
“Gods know it is all I’ve craved,” I assured her, and she rested her head on my shoulder to watch Ferron and Phrixus arm wrestling over a mead barrel nearby.
When we all at last bundled back into the room I shared with Dalin, continuing the merrymaking from the tavern in there, I felt incredibly natural as I sat with my arm around Maeve’s shoulders. We sat together on my bed, our backs against rich red cushions, while the men perched anywhere they could. Any warriors who didn’t fit inside the room spilled out comfortably into the hall, revelling just as easily from perches on the floor.
It was only when Kiana had retired for the night, and when we heard her voice carrying from where she sang in her room, that the men began to quiet down.
She sang the ‘Isilia Isiltha’ – a song about great journeys and courage, and Tane sighed and shook his curl covered head when she got to the part about sad partings.
Wolf groaned from where he was dangling on the edge of a sofa that was already being accosted by Thale and Vulcan’s weight.
“I am going to miss her,” he said ruefully.
“We pledged to follow the Three,” Purdor agreed in exasperation. “It doesn’t bode well to see one of the Three journeying far from our aid.”
“Do not fear,” Dalin told the subdued soldiers solemnly. “Noal and I are actually the hopeless ones out of our group. We need your aid more than Kiana does.”
“We know,” Thale reassured him, rising to move to his room. “We’ll have a great task ahead of us.”
The room began to empty out as Gideon and Lydon stood too, and others began to gradually wander off to find their own beds after that.
“But, I’m not tired enough to sleep yet,” Thorin complained as he watched them go. He turned to Dalin. “How about some friendly gambling?”
Dalin sat up from where he had stretched out on a rug and shrugged a shoulder. “Friendly, you say?”
“We’re up for that!” Ferron cried, dragging a merrily humming Phrixus up with him and gesturing to Phobos so that, in a matter of moments, the eager hubbub of men exiting our room had finished, and Maeve and I found ourselves in peace.
She gazed up at me with a smile at their energy, and, emboldened, I cupped my hand under her smooth chin and gently brought her face up to mine.
Then I stole a kiss.
And after a moment of hesitation, she kissed me back.
Slowly we pulled away from each other, but her face stayed close to mine and I could see a tiny furrow in her brow.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered, tracing her lips with my fingertip.
“We … can’t be together,” she said. “Even if you stayed here as an ambassador and took me for a bride, people would be disappointed that a more advantageous pairing had not been made. We are not an acceptable match.”
I grinned. “You’re right.” I stroked her hair. “You are much too good for me.”
I hugged her close, and after a faltering moment, this time she took my face into her hands, kissing me harder, as if we could keep ourselves from being dragged apart by the war.
My heart was racing and I was sure hers was too as our embraces became more fervent. More desperate. More intimate.
We found ourselves kneeling up together on the bed. Holding each other tight, our lips dancing together. I felt her hand on my chest and my own hands stroked her neck and back, then bunched her golden hair.
My lips began to move down her throat and she held me close, her hands warm and tight around my arms.
Then I felt her fingers pulling the tie of the front of my shirt loose just as my own were fumbling at her blouse.
I was hot and cold all over and her lips fluttered over my chest and back to my mouth.
I pulled her closer to me. Hugging her. Wrapping her in an embrace as if I would never let go while I ached at the knowledge that I would have to.
I had never wanted to tell a lady that I loved her. Until that very moment when I knew I meant it. That I was in love with Maeve. And I kissed her even harder, her body pressing against mine.
My heart was speeding up, and this time I felt hers pounding too because our chests were pressed together.
I leaned forward, pushing her backward, holding her suspended underneath me with one arm while pressing my lips to hers. I was about to lower her down to lay on the bed.
When Dalin and Thorin walked back in to find us.
Maeve’s lips sprang away from mine and our heads whirled to stare at them, both of us caught with sudden awareness of the gravity of what we had been doing.
Dalin quickly apologised and dragged a stunned Thorin out by his collar, shutting the door.
And Maeve muffled a cry, pressing her face into my chest for a moment before she wriggled free and our bodies parted.
Maeve was off the bed in an instant, quickly re
adjusting her dress and tidying her hair, her face pale while I stayed rooted where I was in shock.
“We’ve only known each other for a short time …” she was saying faintly as she bustled about and wrung her hands. “I have to do something …” she turned to me abruptly. “I have to go.”
She was gone before I could apologise for my foolishness. And before I could admit my true feelings for her.
Chapter Eighty Eight
Noal
I cringed to think of what I had nearly done to the girl I loved, and while Dalin mentioned nothing of it in the morning, my misery over Maeve and what was ahead for the Three surrounded us as we spent our last day with Kiana.
We were mostly quiet, wandering along the beach at the bottom of the cliffs and dawdling peacefully in the valleys. And the guilt and disappointment bubbled in my stomach as the usual time of our walk passed without a single glimpse of Maeve.
I was feeling so wretched that I parted with Kiana and Dalin to return to our rooms, and I was staring glumly at my feet as I reached the door and didn’t see the Jenran in my way, bumping into the maiden.
“My apologies, miss,” I mumbled dejectedly as I passed.
There was a soft, familiar laugh. “I forgive you.”
I spun around in my open doorway.
“Even though I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“Maeve!” I breathed in disbelief, standing frozen where I was.
“Yes.” With a smile she rushed towards me, flinging her arms around my neck, and propelling us into the room.
“I’m so sorry!” I gushed at her, holding her tightly. “I should not have let that happen, it was not the time, we may never meet again,” I gulped. “I could have ruined you,” I groaned remorsefully. “I don’t want that life for you. You deserve someone that can take care of you, not soil your reputation. Gods, I feared I wouldn’t get to say goodbye!”
Maeve looked up at me with her little frown, and put a hand over my lips to shush me. “Last night,” she began meaningfully. “I wasn’t upset about that, not really.”
The air rushed out of me. “Then, why didn’t I see you today?” I asked in confusion.
She pulled me gently to sit on my bed beside her. “I was upset that I would be losing you. It was obvious you felt as seriously for me as I do for you. I would do anything not to lose you,” she smiled. “And you didn’t see me today because I had something very important to do.”
The swirling mass of nerves began to dissipate from my stomach. “What did you have to do?” I was ecstatic as I stroked her golden hair, drinking her in.
“I had to speak to Lady Amarantha,” she told me. “But it is nothing for you to worry about.”
“Gods, I am just so relieved to see you,” I groaned, pulling her into my arms.
We sank down to lie on the bed, glad just to be together, refusing to let go of each other even when night began to set in.
Chapter Eighty Nine
Dalin
The dawn had not yet come and a chill hung in the air from the night.
A white cloud of mist erupted from my cold lips, with each breath making vapour in the dark.
Though the Jenrans were massed at the base of the mountains the many voices around us were muted as sorrowful partings were made and brave faces were assumed. Subdued soldiers pulled carts into place and joined their ranks with resolute postures, ready to leave their homeland – possibly forever.
I waited near where the hidden mountain tunnel was supposed to appear, standing out of the way atop a jutting rock while the crowds gathered quietly to farewell us on our Quest.
Our starting signal was to be the breaking of dawn, and I could see Noal, quiet and grimly focused, standing in wait with Thorin and Thale a small distance away.
I could also see Kiana conversing quietly with Durna and Aeron. She was sombre and dressed for travelling.
I sighed, with more white mist erupting from my lips into the dark, but held up the brave face of the Raiden.
I scanned the Krall men, who were forming their ranks directly behind Aeron’s elite team in places of great honour. They were hulking and intimidating again, carrying their spiked armour, and only Tane’s face still managed to show cheer.
He seemed to be telling Phobos to put his helmet on so that less moon would be reflected from his head.
The little skulking figure of Agrudek was hovering by itself on the edge of the crowd, nervously clutching his little ball pendant. But I ignored his piteous form, and instead looked to the slowly lightening sky.
I found no comfort there either as I saw that, at the peaks of the mountain we gathered below, there appeared to be countless numbers of strangely shaped shadows.
I strained my eyes to pick out one large shadow in the distance and started in dismay.
“There are hundreds of Griffins up there,” Kiana’s voice affirmed for me. “Just watching and waiting.” She launched herself up lithely to stand beside me on the rock.
“Watching and waiting for what?” I breathed in horror.
“They are going to see how good the defences we left are. If they find a weak spot, they will aim to make the entire City their Griffin dinner.” She glared upward. “But Aeron, Durna and the Council have prepared well. The moment one Griffin leaves its perch on those mountain peaks to swoop above the valleys, a hailstorm of expertly launched arrows will fell as many of them as is possible.”
“They’re not witless,” I croaked. “Why would they even try when they must realise great consequences await their attack?”
“Because even if they aren't daft, they are hungry and greedy. It is within their nature to send their smallest and weakest to at least test the remaining defenders before they rule out the possibility of a Jenran meal. Such a meal would almost make leaving for Krall’s battlements pointless.”
“Sacrifice their most useless brothers to test us out,” I shook my head in disgust.
“Aeron seems to think the Unicorn horn will addle their memories and motivation,” Kiana mentioned with interest. “So they won’t remember the opening of the tunnel and pass the information on.”
I moved my eyes from their foreboding shadows to look at Kiana. She carried only a very light pack and her daggers and sword so that she wouldn’t be weighed down on her great journey. She had left her healer bag and her Unicorn figurine in my care while her bow and quiver remained back in her Jenran chamber.
A sudden wistful desire to kiss her just once more burned through me, and her sharp blue eyes flashed to my face, feeling my scrutiny.
She raised one perfect eyebrow and then smiled faintly, as if she had understood my thoughts.
Kiana wrapped her arm lightly around my waist and I rested mine about her shoulders, and with the rest of Jenra we watched the first rays of the golden sun lightening the sky.
Chapter Ninety
Darziates had called!
His magic curled around her limbs and dragged her out of that plane of existence. With glee Agrona morphed into her beautiful female form as she sailed through time and space, buffeted by the evil of the Other Realm.
It burned and stung, and she would have been reduced to ashes without his guidance, but if he was pulling her to him, then surely the Sorcerer had missed his Queen of Darkness!
Agrona felt herself blurring into existence again, re-materialising triumphantly, only to find herself summoned into the planning room, where her Sorcerer was in conversation with Angra Mainyu.
Agrona had hoped for their reunion to be more intimate. Or that her master would at least glance up from his discussion with the inferior, crazed mortal. But instead, it was Angra Mainyu who stared up from their battle plans to rake her body appreciatively with his red tinged eyes. Then even he turned back to the plans and she was left neglected, waiting for them to finish.
The Witch inwardly glowered until Angra had been dismissed, and then she waited hungrily for Darziates to acknowledge her. Though for an agonising amount of time, the
Sorcerer – his dark power swirling about him like a storm – remained outwardly passive. He simply continued to observe the parchment he held, leaving her to hover near him like a starved child staring at a banquet.
When he at last rose and turned, she waited expectantly for his greeting.
“Agrona,” he said in his deep velvety voice, and her breath was held abated. “You have work to do.”
She stepped closer and was bold enough to take his hand, grovelling over it, and he did not draw it away. “My Dread Lord, I shall serve you in any way you wish.”
He had no idea how far she was willing to go.
“Agrudek has spoken to me. I want you and the Evexus to go out on the hunt. The Three will soon be out in the world again.”
“Of course, master,” she crooned. “The Three will be no more.”
“No.” He shook his head slowly and spoke softly. “Bring them to me. Bring her to me.”
Agrona felt as if a sharp hook had just been tugged through her insides. It was the feeling of the realisation of her visions.
The forces beyond the physical planes – the Gods and Demons of the Other Realm, had chosen to warn her. Had chosen to reveal that the wretched Larnaeradee would do this.
Why? Simply to torment the Witch? To tell her to give up on Darziates? Or to tell her to rise up as her own kind of force to be reckoned with?
Agrona felt herself harden inside. She drew a cloak of red magic about her feelings and her mind. And for the first time since she had met him as a child, Agrona was able to shield all thoughts from the Sorcerer.
She had to help Darziates. His mind had been corrupted by pure magic, and he needed her loyal aid to ensure he was able to complete his Quest before the tenth age.
The Three had to die. Kiana had to die. And the magical races of the world had to be completely destroyed. Only then could life begin anew – rising from the ashes with a new world belonging truly to Agrona and her King.
It was up to her to help him to preserve his ideals, when his own mind had become clouded.