42. Ambriel
Chapter forty-two
Trent wraps his arms tight around me, sitting on top of the dragon’s back. His unease in the situation is obvious with how hard he pulls me into him. I don’t need to read his emotions or speak in his mind to know. I feel the same, but I also know that the feeling I got from the guards when they saw my war maiden bond mark was not of alarm.
Even with the dragon’s size, its movements are almost serpent-like. We’re standing at the parapet, the stone nothing but a ledge to the massive beast, but before it takes off, its enormous head tilts to the side. At the same moment, I feel the brush of magic, making my head turn, seemingly in tune with the creature below me.
The dragon’s roar is deafening at a distance, being on its back when it does, though? I feel it through everything. Trent tenses behind me, and everything goes silent when I see the trajectory of the dragon. Its deadly, sharp teeth displayed like the most menacing weapon and aimed to rip my brother in half.
Without thinking, I lunge forward, planting my hands down on the dragon’s rough scales, my throat ripping with the ferocity of my scream.
“NO!” I feel magic blast into me; it’s not a physical blow, but internal combustion. Anger and confusion erupts in a war within my mind, and the dragon staggers suddenly, shaking its head. “ALARIC!” I call out again, and then Trent calls out too, as Alaric’s wings flatten as he aims for the dragon’s head. I know what he is going to do. If he does it, he will be so wiped out he will likely die from the power use. I can’t let this happen. I can’t let either of them die.
“He can’t hear us,” Trent growls in frustration.
“Go,” I demand him. I turn and look into the eyes of my mate. “Please, save my brother.” Trent’s brows gather in the center of his forehead. The war of doing what I want and staying by my side is a clear battle for him, but just as I knew he would, he chooses to trust me. Before he stands, he cups the side of my face and kisses me with his eyes glued to mine the entire time.
“I’ll be right back.” He says before his wings burst from his back. I nod, and he takes flight. Alaric is struggling to fly. Kait is draped over his shoulder, and with every thrust of his wings, he only drops lower. I can see the strain it is causing him too. I throw my head back with a groan. I’m useless in this situation. The thought causes my teeth to grind.
“I won’t hurt them.” The words echo through my mind like a whisper through a tunnel. I hadn’t realized the walls on my magic were down, and I lock them up tight, not having recognized the voice within my head. Trent swoops low to try to get in front of Alaric when the dragon tenses. Its body is coiling tight, and I only have seconds to find something to grip onto before we are surging through the sky.
My stomach floats into my throat as the dragon drops from the edge of the earth and toward the sea. Flying with Trent feels intimate. This is anything but that; this is—exhilarating. Adrenaline forces my blood to surge in my ears as I hold on with everything I have.
“Ambriel, trust her. Trust Bracarva!” Raelle’s voice piercing through my shields makes my eyes fly wide. Who is Bracarva? Where is Raelle? My head is spinning as I search the blanched sky, and my hot breath clouds around me. I don’t even see Trent, Alaric, and Kait anymore. My worry begins to turn to panic when I can’t catch even a glimpse of them, then the dragon banks hard right and flattens out. My stomach drops, and my head feels light as my vision begins to darken.
“Shit,” I hear Trent curse as he comes in to land behind me, wrapping me in his arms and preventing me from falling to my death. I didn’t even realize I had let go of the dragon. “We need to work on you being more comfortable in the air, baby.” Trent chuckles, pulling me into his chest.
“Alaric? Kait? Are they ok?” I ask as tears carve scorching paths down my icy cheeks.
“Hey, I would have given my life for both of those bastards. You know that. Lucky for them, Maki was close. He saw the dragon on our tail and came to help. Did you hear Raelle?” Trent whispers in my ear, and my gaze snaps up to meet his at what he said.
“You heard her too?” My head shakes in denial at what he’s saying. “You don’t have a bond with Raelle. How would you have heard her? Neither of you have the ability I have…”
“I’m not the only one.” The dragon lands, and I see Maki slowly approaching. My brother, hunched over Kait’s still form, looks over his shoulder in our direction.
“You all heard her?” I whisper in awe as Trent pulls me into him, flies us from the dragon’s back, and lands on solid ground. Even though my stomach feels a little queasy, I swallow back the bout of nausea and look at the group surrounding me.
“ Even better, ” Maki smiles, pointing over my shoulder. My body pivots without my command, willingly searching for my queen. Tears bloom once again in my eyes as they land on the Queen of Aldramani. Her white hair blowing in the wind like a flag and a look of unfiltered resolve on her face.
“I hear you gained your wings?” She calls out over the frigid wind, and her smile is radiant enough to warm my soul. The relief I feel weakens my knees, but even so, I run to her. At this moment I can’t care about formality, my bond, or anything else. All that matters is my friend is ok, and she’s standing right here—flesh and bone—in front of me.
My body collides with hers, and I laugh. The sound is hysterical and choppy, but then I look at her again and notice that she’s crying too, and I know that I’m not the only one who needs the hug.
“I think I’ll stick to my friends with feathered wings,” I say lightheartedly, but I am serious. I don't think I could handle riding on a dragon’s back more than required. The dragon chuffs, and I side-eye the beast because the sound resembles a laugh.
“I think Bracarva likes you,” Raelle says, and the dragon chuffs again before it takes flight and lands on a nearby cliffside looking out over the land I can’t see.
“Bracarva?” I ask incredulously.
“That’s her name.” Is her only response, and my brow furrows.
“You’ve been getting close to the dragon prince…” I say, and can’t hide the frustration I have on my face. I saw the vision of her standing on the cliffside with him at her side. The vision of them in the field where he leaned in too close for someone who has a bonded mate… Grinding my teeth, I force myself to shake my head, dispelling the thoughts. She’s here now. I can trust Raelle. Can’t I?
“We have a lot to discuss. He should be here soon.” Raelle says with conviction.
“ He should be here soon ?” I can’t escape the accusation in my tone as I respond… let alone the scowl I know must be plastered to my face. I don’t want to. She can’t be serious. She hasn’t even said one thing about Dax. Trent comes up behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist, and begins pulling me backward, away from Raelle, but I plant my feet and stand my ground.
“Osiris isn’t the—” She starts and my brows jump up my forehead as I look away from her.
“ Osiris?” I hiss his name. “I see you have become very acquainted with The Prince of Valeska, so much so that you are comfortable using his name in such an informal way. And what of Dax? Why do you seem as though you have no concern whatsoever for your mate?” I absently reach down, rubbing at the bond mark on my wrist. A burning sensation is ever-increasing as I allow my anger to seep out of my mouth. Distracted by the pain it’s causing, I don’t notice that Trent has left my back and Raelle has approached me until her hand covers mine over the mark.
“Your doubt is causing the pain.” Her voice and touch startle me, but I swallow hard. Knowing it can change things if I tell her anything about the vision, but the feeling in my arm—the burning pain radiating up the inside of my arm and into my chest—hurts more than any pain I have ever felt before. “Ambriel?” She whispers my name.
Lifting my chin, my watery gaze meets hers. “To fail my bonded oath is death to a war maiden.” Tears fill my vision and spill over my lashes as I continue, “Even if my heart wishes you would make another choice. I am yours to wield; my blade is yours to command.” I say solemnly.
“You speak as though I have given up on why we are here. As though I have taken Osiris as a lover… Is that what you think ?” Hurt flashes on her face and I immediately feel uneasy. What was I supposed to think?
“You seemed very intimate with him…” I start but clamp my mouth shut.
“You had a vision.” She puts together what I’ve said with my reaction and pulls me into her. “You have nothing to worry about. Where is Dax? He will tell you.” Maki speaks up to her question.
“Dax isn’t here, Raelle.” Maki speaks up to answer her question. A deep V begins forming on his forehead.
“He has to be. He left. Well before I did…” Raelle’s mouth falls open and the dragon screeches into the sky—both of them looking in the direction of the castle.
A deep vibrating rumble carries on the cold breeze, sending a chill down my spine as I watch the large dragon flex its enormous wings before flying low in a circle over us.
“Something isn’t right…” Raelle says as she watches the beast. Her jaw tenses as she then looks around at the crowd that has surrounded us. I can sense the unease coming from Raelle and I think the dragon as well. I can feel their concern over whatever is going on with the two royal men. Trent grabs my hand and laces his fingers through mine; the connection helps ground me, and as I look back at Raelle, a change snaps into place on her features.
“We need to get to the Soule Mountains. Maki—move the soldiers. Send everyone to the wastelands; we need to go to the caves at the base of the Soule Mountains.” She demands, and he immediately starts giving orders to the soldiers. Her bright-white, feathery wings unfurrow from her back, and even in the mundane gray dress she wears, she looks every bit the warrior queen I knew she would become.
“I don’t know what you have planned, Raelle. I’m sorry I—”
“Don’t apologize. I’m glad you questioned me. How could I trust that you were a true friend if you didn’t?” She says, rolling her lips into a small smile. “We will have time to talk more later. I think more dragons are coming this way, though. We need to get these people moved, fast .” As if summoned by her order, the screeching of a dragon in the distance echoes through the air and sends everyone around us into a frenzy of motion.
“Bracarva, help me keep them safe.” I hear her mutter as she spins on her heel and sweeps low, plucking a sword from a stockpile of weapons one of the young armorers had started loading into a cart.
I reach down into myself, seeking the guidance of my magic. I’m met with the gentle caress of my air magic and the soft static that is the essence of everything else, and I know—whatever happens next, one thing is certain—the moon raven is rising.