The tunnels beneath the fire court castle had gotten easier to navigate. It hadn’t been that long since I’d followed Rowan to the eternal flame. Some of my kin had traveled with us to the core of the planet to watch as he proved he was the rightful king of our court. He had no idea that the elders would return his wings. I wished I could’ve been there with him as it happened. A ton of guilt washed away when he flew out of the caves. Although forced, I’d never forgiven myself for leaving him disfigured. Years later, his screams still echoed in my head from that dark day.
The crackling of the burning fire was the only sound I heard. I strode down hallways with lava-covered walls so hot it steamed the air I breathed. It was like I was walking through a mile-long sauna. The temperature increased with every step. No other elemental from the other courts could withstand the heat. Even the hounds had difficulty breathing down here. As I approached the planet's core, my power rejuvenated. It had been days without much sleep, and I was desperately in need of an energy boost. The sensation was so strong I had to fight the urge to shift into my hound form.
As I approached the end of the tunnel, I saw my destination. The arena-sized cavern was a vast space held up by large rock pillars. There was no light beyond the fires burning within the molten rock. A steamy haze covered the entire cave. Members of my pack stood on the outside of a small opening. Many of them were leaning against the wall, struggling for breath. Hounds had a hard time breathing in the blistering heat-filled air, which made me wonder who had taken Rowan inside the flame.
When they saw me coming, the hounds bent their heads down as a show of respect. I did the same in return. They wouldn’t mention Ariel or offer any formal condolences. Hounds rarely displayed their emotions. They were renowned for their strength and compulsion for violence, which was what I needed more than sympathy. As I headed for the small entrance, a twisting fireball spat out. I ducked a second before it nearly smacked me in the face. I poked my head inside. The flooring was nothing but pools of magma with a few flat rocks to walk along.
I couldn’t make out the faces of the elementals inside. I was able to see that someone stood over a body lying on a flat surface. “Who is with Rowan?”
Ethan, the smallest and youngest of my pack, was the first to answer. “Kalin carried him inside.”
I wasn’t surprised. The akasha was the strongest of all the elementals. She was the only one outside of our court who could enter the flames. And she loved Rowan. I doubted there was much she wouldn’t do for him. “Why couldn’t he go in on his own?”
“He’s still passed out,” Ethan replied, eyes wide with worry. “He hasn’t moved since we brought him here.”
Rowan’s energy should have restored well before he went inside. If he was unconscious, he must’ve been even worse than I thought. Closer to death than he’d ever been before. Tension filled my shoulders. I stood in the doorway, watching as he was horizontally raised at least thirty feet off the ground. A glowing ring of fire encircled him like a force field. His body jolted as worm-like flames entered his chest. His black wings burst out, fully expanded. Then the ring of fire disappeared and fell toward the ground.
Right before he was about to hit the rock floor, he appeared to awaken. Landing on his feet, he embraced Kalin. I let out a sigh of relief. Hand in hand, they exited the eternal flame. I moved to the side, so I wasn’t blocking their way. Rowan had a smile on his face until he met eyes with me. I sensed him almost as if he was reading my thoughts. Without words, he strode toward me. We embraced each other like two soldiers reuniting after a long-fought war. There was no explanation needed; nothing left to process.
I released him. “Cutting it a little close, don’t you think?”
Rowan glanced back at the spitting inferno and let out an exhausted breath. “I had no other choice.”
“You could’ve died,” I cautioned. “You have to be more careful.”
He smirked. “I’ll keep that in mind the next time I’m saving your life.”
Kalin put her arms around both of us. “This heat is intense. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get out of here.”
The moment we exited the portal, the hounds headed straight for the mess hall. I followed Kalin and Rowan to his quarters. I was hungry, but we had more pressing issues. Namely, how we were going to find Valac and end his life once and for all. Blood from the battle still covered Rowan. I waited with Kalin while he showered and changed clothes. She told me that Valac had managed to steal the shield, which complicated things even further. With all four sacred objects, he was now virtually indestructible.
Killing him wasn’t going to be easy. He still had rogue elementals that followed him. We’d likely have to fight our way through. After all that we’d suffered, it sounded like a daunting task. But I wouldn’t rest until he was dead. Not until he paid for what he’d stolen from me. The hole in my chest ached at the thought of Ariel. How was I supposed to go on without her? Beyond retribution, I had no reason to live. She was all that I ever wanted. The only dream I ever allowed myself.
Vengeance burned in my core.
Rowan stepped out of the bathroom in a faded black Rolling Stones t-shirt and dark jeans. Wet strands of wavy hair dripped down his face. “I feel much better.”
Not wanting to waste any more time, I asked, “Are you able to sense the Ring of Dispel?”
He folded his arms. “Don’t you think you need some time to—?”
“Exactly my point, Rowan.” I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. The last thing I needed was more time to grieve. I’d spend the rest of my life lamenting her loss. “Valac will be expecting us to mourn, which might be our only opportunity to ambush him.”
“Did you have a plan in mind?” He sat next to Kalin on his bed.
“After everything that happened, what’s left of his rogue army must be exhausted,” I explained. “Without access to the eternal flame, they’ll need to rest. That’s when we attack.”
“What about the sacred objects?” Kalin asked, her eyes shifting between Rowan and me. “According to the journals, his power is infinite.”
I wasn’t willing to accept defeat. Not after everything I’d lost. I’d do whatever it took to see this through, and I didn’t care about the cost. Nothing mattered to me anymore. My life was void.
“There’s always room for mistakes,” I argued. “He can’t sleep in that armor. It’s got to come off at some point.”
“Don’t you think he’ll see us coming?” Rowan questioned. “It’s not easy to hide an army of hounds.”
I’d come up with the answer to that as well. “We won’t shift until we’re about to attack.”
“That makes you vulnerable,” Rowan spoke in a stern tone. “I’m not willing to risk your life or the lives of your pack.”
“There’s a risk no matter what we do.” Surely he knew I understood that better than anyone. “That’s the price of war.”
“What do you think?” Rowan glanced at Kalin. They were both quiet as their fingers entwined. “Do you think we should attack now or wait for them to make a move?”
“Marcus is right. I doubt they’d expect an attack so soon.” She turned to me with sympathy in her eyes. “But I’m worried you’re going to get yourself killed.”
“I can handle myself,” I added quickly.
“I’m not questioning that,” she smiled. “It’s your demeanor. Your anger.”
I stood up. “Yes, I’m angry.” The words came out louder than I intended, sparking a dark glare from Rowan.
“You want revenge for Ariel.” She rose to her feet. “But if that’s your only motivation, you will fail.”
“What is it you want me to say? Do you want me to scream? Cry? To curse the world and everyone in it?” I pushed back the pain that tried desperately to break through the wall I’d built around my heart. My tone turned desperate. “I can’t do that right now. There will be no peace for me until this is over. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
&nb
sp; Kalin reached up, cupping her hand on my cheek. Her soft touch reminded me of Ariel, and it nearly broke me. “I need to know that you’re going into this with a level head.”
For the whole of my life, I’d tried to be the voice of reason. The one hound that maintained a level of control, and refused to let his emotions overrule common sense. But all of that was gone now.
Pain.
Anger.
Resentment.
Vengeance.
That was all I had left. “I’ll be fine. Let’s gather my pack and end this.”
Chapter Nineteen
Rowan
I prepared for the final battle.
While Marcus showered and changed, I made the pack aware of our plans. Based on the reports from the hounds, only a few rogues had survived the last attack. We didn’t need big numbers for the ambush. That was why we decided not to make the other courts aware of our decision. They’d want to rush in with all that we had. I didn’t want to risk Valac figuring it out and escaping again. For that reason, we’d go in with only the hounds in their mortal forms. Once we were ready to strike, they’d shift.
I was heading toward the weapons storehouse when I ran into Merlin. He’d cleaned himself up since I last saw him. His face was shaven, and he wore modern clothing: a simple long-sleeved maroon shirt and dark jeans. We stood silent for a few uncomfortable seconds. I wasn’t sure what to say to him after our last conversation. It certainly hadn’t ended well.
“Kalin told me about your plans,” he said, ending the awkward silence. “I’m coming with you.”
I wasn’t surprised she had. She’d wanted me to speak with Merlin since she'd learned he was my father. But I wasn’t ready to do the open-arms thing. I didn’t downshift that quickly. And I wasn’t really into bonding. He was my father, but what did that mean? I didn’t know anything about him. And what I had learned was more than I could handle. It seemed easier to keep him at a distance, at least until we got through this.
“We don’t need you,” I answered smugly.
“You needed me in the air court,” he argued, crossing his arms. “I was regenerated. I could’ve helped you.”
He was probably right. I'd let my anger get in the way when I'd refused to let him attend Marcus’s wedding. Had Merlin been there, he would’ve likely saved many lives. I sighed. “There’s no point in discussing what might’ve happened. We need to deal with what is.”
“I agree,” he replied, with a smirk on his face. “I’ll meet the rest of you in the throne room in five minutes.”
He walked away before I had a chance to respond.
Stubborn ass.
I made my way to the weapons storage. Once inside, I snapped my fingers. Each candle in the room illuminated. Every weapon available on Avalon filled the large room to the brim. The walls were lined with swords, knives, and bows with iron-tipped arrows in every shape and size. Glass bottles filled with explosives were lined up on a wooden table in the center of the room. The hounds didn’t need weapons, but I wanted to be cautious in case we were surprised.
Marcus had me worried. It wasn’t like him to jump into something drastic. He wasn’t himself. The cautious friend I’d known all of my life was full of anger and rage. Since I’d learned to communicate with him in his animal form, I was now able to sense his emotions. I tried to tap into him as we spoke, but all I sensed was his desire for revenge. The absence of anything else scared the life out of me. I considered canceling the whole thing. The only reason I hadn’t already was because we’d miss an opportunity if we waited.
I collected a variety of weapons into a canvas bag I found hanging on the wall. I thrust the sack over my shoulder and winced. The damn thing weighed a ton. Once I reached the throne room, at least a hundred hounds filled nearly every available space. Not all of them were coming. Families said their goodbyes to their fathers and older siblings. It was one of the only times I’d witnessed any show of emotion from them. The hounds were especially secretive of their rules and customs. Being best friends with their leader got me closer than any other before me, but I’d never been one of them.
As I laid the blades across a table, Selene timidly approached. Instead of the servant's clothing I’d gotten used to seeing her in, she changed into leather pants and a black tank top. As if that weren't strange enough, she grabbed a sword out of my bag and swung it a few times. It was hard to believe this was the same girl who spent decades strolling around the castle in lavish gowns like some old-fashioned princess. “What are you planning to do with that sword?”
“I’m going with you,” she replied, standing firm.
I chuckled. “Are you in the mood to die today?”
She let out a banshee scream that brought me to my knees but didn’t affect any of the hounds. They watched as I held my hands to my ears, trying to block the sound as much as possible. The screeching noise felt like someone was drilling a screw into my head. When I was sure my ears were about to bleed, she abruptly stopped. “Any more questions?”
“Nope.” My ears still rang. “You’re going.”
Grinning, she headed back over to a group of female hounds. I’d always assumed she was an untrained banshee. In the years I’d known her, she'd never expressed any interest in learning. She was the weaker twin, always following Valac’s every move. But she had total control of her pitch. I massaged my temples.
That would be the last time I underestimated her.
Kalin and Marcus rushed into the room. Winds blew around her like a tornado. Her hair whipped all over the place as she scanned the area. Everyone watched them, wondering what was going on. When everyone went back to what they were doing, she shut it down. “What was that noise?”
“That was Selene,” I replied, sounding as surprised as they looked.
Marcus scratched his head. “I thought she was untrained.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose as I recalled the searing pain. “Oh yeah, she’s trained.”
Kalin let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad she’s on our side.”
Banshees were rare in the elemental world. Like incubi, they had a very dangerous power. Centuries ago, many were hunted and killed off once they determined they were too wild to be controlled. Some had gotten a little more creative. They developed iron collars that dulled their abilities, which made it easier to turn them into servants. I believed that was why their birth mother gave them to Prisma. She was strong enough to protect the twins and appreciated the potential of Selene’s power. Luckily for them, she grew to love them, and raised them as part of the royal family.
A familiar humming rang in my ear. I headed outside, away from all the noise in the throne room. It was the Ring of Dispel. Once more, it was trying to communicate with me. Like last time, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the sound. The buzzing grew louder as an image came into focus. The ring was in the woodland forests close to the fire court border. In the distance, I saw a glowing shimmer. It was the mist. My chest tightened. Valac was preparing to follow through on his threat. I’d bet he planned to wait there until he heard from the leaders of the courts. If we refused to pledge our allegiance to him, he’d cut the mist protecting Avalon.
I gazed up at the skies. We had a few hours left before sunrise. If we were going to ambush them, we needed to do it soon. I came back inside and waved over Marcus and Kalin. “I know where he’s keeping the ring.”
Marcus nodded. “I’ll gather the hounds and weapons.”
Kalin grabbed my hand, entwining our fingers. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
My eyebrows knit together. “Are you worried we won’t succeed?”
“No, I’m worried about Marcus.” She glanced over at him as he directed his pack. “I’m afraid he might do something reckless.”
I held her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll protect Marcus.”
She unsheathed my sword with her other hand and ignited the blade with blue fire. “And I’ll protect you.”
I used to th
ink that a woman in stilettos was the hottest thing on the planet. I was wrong. My badass girlfriend swinging a sword was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. She leaned in and kissed me as if she were reading my thoughts. I hoped she didn’t have that power because my thoughts about her weren’t usually the gentlemanly type.
After the weapons were passed out and the goodbyes were said, we strode toward the pathway. I considered traveling by foot, but the fire territory was mostly a flat surface with very little to conceal us. It was better to use a portal to get into the woodland territory. Once we were in the forest, lots of trees and a variety of greenery would keep us covered. As we made our way, Kalin stayed by my side near the back of our group. Selene remained close to Marcus at the front of the line. They didn’t speak much. I was surprised by their friendship, especially when she was prepared to sacrifice herself to protect him.
Selene wasn’t at all the way I'd pictured her.
She’d been weak and spoiled, but being around the hounds had helped her to see our world differently. Now she understood the injustice of their forced servitude. I was proud of her for that. Over the last few days, she’d gone against her brother, defended Marcus, and comforted Ariel in her final moments. Not to mention how she entertained and served the hounds when she first returned to the castle. It made me hopeful that we could resolve our differences and learn how to be siblings. As I continued to watch them, Merlin caught up to us. Kalin smiled at me, then sped up to walk beside Selene.
Sneaky little minx.
Merlin kept his eyes forward as we strode together. “Not something I’d ever expected to see.”
I chuckled. “Agreed.”
“I think it’s good for them both,” he said, keeping pace with me. “Marcus needs a friend right now.”
“Marcus has friends,” I corrected him with aggravation in my tone. “He always has.”
Ignoring my remarks, he replied, “I’m sorry about Ariel. I know she was loved by many.”
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