Chapter thirty-four
Sometime in the night, I woke in a cold sweat. I felt like I was in the middle of the Creale sea; waves of darkness crashed in on me, and I couldn’t breathe. That was hours ago, but I still sit here alone in the dark of my room. Not even the hearth is lit, and I stare out at the quiet night sky. The moon stares back at me in a silent contest to see who will blink first.
So much has happened, and while it seems like time has stretched out to an endless crawl, I know that too much time has passed. Closing my eyes, the moon wins, but I see Raelle’s bright face in my mind. The smiles she gave me that I etched into my memory replay as though it were just yesterday.
A heaviness presses on the center of my chest. A feeling of unease. Urgency. With a grunt, I stand, throwing the blanket from my lap and grabbing my discarded tunic from the back of the chair. As I step into my boots, I hear a knock at the door. Without strapping them, I yank the heavy wood open.
“You feel it too?” Ambriel stands with her brother, both with a deep wrinkle between their eyes. Alaric rubs at the bond mark on his chest absently, and I watch as my mind reels with the possibilities.
“I can’t tell you what it is I feel, but I do feel something .” My voice is heavy from lack of use. “Something is telling me we need to move in on Demetrey sooner than planned.”
“I agree,” Alaric says immediately as he pushes past his sister and into my room. I step back, and Ambriel follows, shutting the door behind her. “Do you think you can project your raven? Raelle mentioned you did it before. Used your raven to see her while she was searching for the cure, right?”
“I have, but I was still under the curse at the time. It was my subconscious. But I do think after projecting at the cliffs—I think, I can do it again.” Silence follows my words as I begin to pace. “Where is Trent?” I ask Ambriel.
“He and Cano couldn’t sleep and decided to spar before Alaric and I got this feeling.” I nod at her response. Trent is always quick to forgive. It doesn’t surprise me that he has accepted Cano back into the fold. I, however, will only trust him once he’s either proven himself or is dead. The latter seems more likely, but one thing I’m not going to do is question this feeling anymore. We have everything planned, but when fate calls for action, sometimes waiting is not the best course of action. I think I’ve learned that lesson the hard way too many times in my life.
Crossing the room, their eyes follow me as I pick up my baldric and strap it to my chest—a set of small knives placed in their sheaths. One at my hip and one at my boot, and lastly the sword I retrieved from the caves.
“It’s time we make our move. Something isn’t right. We all feel it.” I announce, and Alaric comes around and claps me on the back.
“Let’s go get your queen back.” He says with a smirk.
“Our queen.” I correct and nod, looking between the siblings. The smile on Ambriel’s face brings strength to my bones, and my lips tug up in return. The motion feels foreign on my face, but it feels… good . Alaric steps away, his chest puffed out as I have finally accepted him as a part of our unit. Something in the cave bonded me to him, and though we don’t bare a mark… I feel it nonetheless. Our blood calls to one another, and finally, our fates are in alignment. He is in this unkindness just as any of the others.
“I will go gather Maki. He and I will prepare the regime who is to follow and send messengers to the forces who lay in wait at the other territories.” He says as he reaches the door. His time in the regime with Cano serves Aldramani well now—even being less civilized, having been dead those years. He does well as a commander. I haven’t told him yet, but I’m considering him to be my second in command. Well… considering Kait likely won’t be around after we take the kingdom.
It’s no surprise to me that Kait wishes to find answers of her own about her family. Since meeting Raelle and finding out all the secrets tied to her. It would make anyone curious to have answers.
“Ambriel, a moment?” I ask, halting her in her retreat.
“I’ll get Trent and Cano and meet you at the stables in an hour.” She tells her brother before he nods and leaves us alone. When she turns back to me, she drops her brows and looks at me questioningly. “What is it?” She asks, cutting to the point. I like that about her. She will be good for Trent.
“I first want to tell you, congratulations. I got to speak with Trent about the bond between the two of you, but I haven’t had a chance to tell you myself. I’m happy to bless your union with my brother, and I know Raelle will feel the same.” I can’t help how my eyes fall to the mark on the interior of her wrist.
“It means everything to me that you feel that way. Thank you. Also, Dax?” She steps into me, gripping my hand and squeezing in a reassuring gesture. “She is strong. I feel her growing stronger, too. She will come out of this.”
“But not unscathed,” I add, pain-laced anger pulsing through my veins.
“I suppose that’s true for all of us.” She says somberly, pressing her lips together in a thin line. “But strength is built through damage. Is it not?”
“Indeed it is,” I say as my gaze catches on the waxing moon. “Before we go, I’d like to try projecting to see her. Make sure she knows I’m coming. Can you stay with me while I do?”
“Of course.” She responds and then guides me to sit at her side on the settee. She keeps her hand firmly in mine, and while it should feel strange having this woman holding my hand, nothing feels wrong about this. It’s as though she is already family; the press of our skin brings me the same kind of strength I would hope I gave Melani or Trent were they needing it from me.
“I’m not sure how this works, but with the connection of our hands, you may be able to see how I do; through the eyes of my raven,” I tell her, and she nods excitedly.
“I’m ready.” We both close our eyes, and I focus on Raelle.
On the love I have for her.
Our bond.
Our future.
My soul seems to float through the vast nothingness between conscious and unconscious thought. I finally settle into the shape of my raven and perch on the edge of the railing. I’m still outside, the castle’s ominous shadow looming over the balcony where I can see into what must be Raelle’s room. She sleeps peacefully in a bed, with what seems to be all the comforts of home. It allows me to breathe a sigh of relief.
I don’t feel Ambriel with me. I’m not sure if I was able to actually bring her with me like I had hoped, but I’m relieved to know I can do it at least. I can project . Inching closer to the arched door, I tilt my head as I hear the door to her room click. The feeling of relief quickly dissipates as I hear the tell-tell sound of a lock sliding and see the door easing open. A guard, Soren, and someone who appears to be a healer, judging by their tan gown covering them. They shuffle into her room on light feet, and the closer they get, the more I feel my magic pressing outward.
A male guard with a grotesque face, scared with old injuries and teeth rotting from lack of care, hovers over her and slaps his big dirty hand over her mouth. My wings flare with the movement. My need to be there for her, to defend her, and to kill the fucker who puts his hands on her now causes my concentration to flicker. Black shadows plume like smoke from my wings, trying to carry me back to my body, but I clamp down on the feeling, and I take a deep breath to stay there. Even if my presence is useless.
Her eyes are wide as she is startled awake, and she opens her eyes in fear to see a stranger looking down at her. He smiles at her in a way that causes my skin to crawl, the feathers of my raven to lift and puff, and a sharp caw comes from my beak.
Soren comes up behind the guard, and Raelle’s eyes flash with her moon magic, only for a second, before he nods and the healer shoves a needle into her arm. I see the terror on her face as she realizes what has just happened.
I push all the magic out, from the moon that shines on my beak to the shadows that form my feathers and the twirling magic that is our bond. I tell her that I’m on my way, and I hope that she can hear it. Feel it. “ I’m coming, my love. Hold on .” I let out a loud cry through my shadowed beak before pushing hard at the rail and launching into the sky, my body dissolving into mist. The last thing I see is Raelle’s eyes close and Soren with a wise look of fear painting his face, and I can’t help but hope he saw me as my shadow raven. I hope he heard my cry. Because it was as much a warning for him as it was a notice for Raelle. I am coming for them both, but for Soren, it will be his death I seek.
I’m gasping when I come back into the room with Ambriel at my side. Sweat coats my forehead, and when I look down, I see the shadows binding my hand with hers. Ambriel blinks, then looks into my eyes, unconcerned about the deadly shadows that wind around her wrist and mine.
“Dax, I was pulled… I don’t think you took me with you with your projection.” She says, as tears well in her eyes. “I—I think we need to leave… Right now.” My eyes flick between hers and I don’t waste another moment as I pull her up with me, and we both run from the room in a flash.
We don’t have to wake anyone. The castle is brimming with energy. Every Fae here is able to feel the shift in the air as the tides change on fate. We run into Trent and Cano on the way to the stables. Kait bolts from the treeline, pulling clothes on after her shift. We all come to a stop just outside of the inquisition center.
“We all have our orders.” My voice echoes through the town center. Looking out toward the stables, I see Maki standing with armor on next to my war horse. They will both be in good hands with each other. I nod, and Maki returns the gesture.
Alaric lands at my side within the next moment, and my wings burst from my back. Cano cracks his neck and begins shaking out his limbs, readying for his own shift. We all know the plan and what our roles are. It’s time that we finally come together and bring our queen home to reign.