Moon Raven Rising (The Moon Raven Trilogy #3)

56. Raelle

Chapter fifty-six

Nothing could have prepared me for traveling between the two powerful forces that are Dax and Osiris. Their presence alone in such a tight space was enough to be stifling, but the magic I felt pulling me forward to my destiny was surprisingly even stronger.

I watched Dax nearly break from the other side of the chamber barrier. He couldn’t see me, but I tried to send him reassurance, and though it hurt seeing him like that, what I’m looking at now causes everything else to fall away.

Recessed in the wall ahead of me lie three stones. Each one deep red, similar to that in Osiris’s ring. The chamber is no bigger than a closet, but the powerful magic I feel here brings a tremble to my hands as I reach for the stones.

“Queen now, daughter of the moon, bring forth a new rule. Bring balance and light to the darkness. A new moon—a raven rising brings change to all. The end is only just the beginning of much more.” The ethereal voice makes me jump, and I pull my hand back.

“Who are you?” I ask, spinning in a circle only to confirm that I’m alone.

“What do I do next?” I ask the voice within my mind—its answer is a hum. Swallowing, I let my eyes fall closed and take a deep breath, waiting for a response.

After a moment of nothing, I open my eyes, jumping back with a gasp as I come face to face with a familiar face.

“Seriah?”

“Moon Raven.” She bows her head as her voice continues to echo ethereally through the small space. “You have made choices that have led you to this moment. Guided by many, you have chosen above all else to follow the light, and now comes time for you to decide for a final time what route you will take.”

“I—how did you get here?” My eyes search the small room, and as they land back on the seer in front of me, I really take in her appearance. Both here and yet not. A projection of her body wrapped in white, the gauzy fabric hangs loosely around her deep, warm skin, creating a haloed glow around her. She smiles then, soft, but her eyes are narrowed as she waits knowingly while my thoughts catch up to one another.

My lips part as I come to the realization of who she really is. Who has been the guiding light all this time to so many of us. My hand comes to rest at the base of my throat as I try to pull the words from my chest. My magic swells within me as though it is urging me on. Without me saying a thing, Seriah nods. A slow tilt to her head, confirming my thoughts.

The Goddess of the Moon.

“Choose your fate, Queen.” She says as her hand comes out, brushing the backs of her fingers along my cheek. When she does, a vision so strong and fast flashes into my mind that my eyes roll into the back of my head. Goosebumps pepper my flesh, and a cold sweat breaks across my skin. When my eyes right, I look her dead in the eyes and nod.

Somehow, I know exactly what needs to be done. The feeling blanketing me like a cloak of knowledge. I close my eyes, and this time when I lift my hand toward the stones, my fingers do not tremble. I stand strong, and there is no hesitation on which stone is calling to me.

My fingers wrap around the center stone. The smallest of the three, and I squeeze my fist around it, and with a pulsing eruption of magic, the onyx door dissolves completely. Seriah’s laugh flits through the air around me as she too is now gone. I stand alone with an immense well of power throbbing through my veins.

“Your path is one that not all would take—give power to your bonds and let those who are unwillingly chained break free.”

My feet carry me through the dark caves without falter, and within moments I am stepping out of the cave and looking over the ruins that are the wastelands. Fae lay slain, and blood from both sides of this war saturate the soil here once again. Their magic seeping into the land and fueling its ever-growing power.

“Moon Raven?” Osiris’ voice calls from where he pulls himself up on the cliff edge, covered in filth and a sheen of sweat. He looks me over from head to toe with wide eyes, causing me to frown and blink, looking down at myself. I was too determined to get out of the cave to take notice of the drastic change that had come of my appearance. When the magic manifested, my leathers changed, and the dress I now wear is an enchanting and lethal combination of black and silver gossamer split up the middle to reveal tight leather pants and knee-high boots made for war; silver embellishments throughout sparkling in the low light on the cliff. The bodice is boned, black leather with the same crest as the others, but instead of just being an embossed emblem, the moon is the same silver that is throughout the dress.

The wind blows my hair, which is now in loose curls around my shoulders, causing it to whip around the same as the skirt of my dress, but the heavy press on my head tells me that I now wear a crown too. When I look back up, Osiris places his hand over the bond mark at his side and nods.

“Moon Raven, Queen.” He whispers with a bow of his head. When his eyes meet mine again, I turn my hand over, revealing the small, deep red stone pressed into the center of my palm.

“The stones—they aren’t what you thought.” I say lifting his hand with mine, I let the small stone fall into his, and his forehead wrinkles. “I have one for you; it’s all you need. This one is different from the rest. The moon goddess showed me. Help me get through this and you will save your dragons.”

“As I’ve said, I'm here to help. We will see this to the end—together.” He says sternly with a nod as he looks out over the edge of the cliff.

“It’s time the kingdom of Aldramani knows the true meaning of power .” I say, lifting my chin to the horizon and narrowing the destruction that has been reaped on the soil of my land. Looking for the only man who has caused every horrible thing to happen to me and to all of the Fae in Aldramani. Every single struggle has been single-handedly caused at its root by Soren Croix. Starting first with Cano and the childhood he had to endure at his father’s hand.

I let my shift take over my body, starting with my eyes as Osiris makes his way to my side. He stands like a solid wall of muscle, ready to fight for the same injustices he himself has endured. Raising my hand, I don’t have to look at Osiris to know he mirrors my stance. Just like our bond mark, the perfect fluidity of a circle. We were always meant to work together to bring peace, not just to Aldramani but to all of Orendara. In this moment, I pledge to myself that I will do anything I can to help him with whatever is plaguing the kingdom of Valeska also. We will do everything we can to bring peace to the realm.

The magic consumes all the air from my lungs and sends a shockwave over the land, a beacon of power calling death to those who wrong the balance. Shadows meet the magic in the air, blanketing the land in darkness.

Eyes of hot embers meet mine as my wings burst from my back and splay wide. Something inside of me swells tenfold as his wings break free also, and a crown of shadows halos the top of his head. With a powerful down thrust of our wings, we both launch into the sky at the same moment, leaving those below as they watch the King and Queen of Aldramani come together in a dance of beautiful fury.

Together we soar side by side through the snow-heavy clouds and toward the power that is calling to me. The virulent magic calling me to shield the kingdom from its turbulent malignancy clouding the air. Just before I reach the point of convergence in the well of magic—I smile, calling on the power of my bonds. The dagger at my arm tingles as I bring my forearm up to throw a shield out.

“Bracarva, bring me your fire.” I push the thought out to the dragon, and within the next moment I hear her loud screech echo through the clouds above. She dives, lighting up the Fae in front of us.

“Dax, do what you can to keep the people away from this place until this is done.” I yell over the wind.

“What are you going to do?” He asks, concerned.

“What needs to be done,” I say resolutely, tucking my wings and aiming my body toward the Colosseum, where I ascended. Using Ambriel’s air magic, I throw my hands out in a sweeping motion, revealing more of the buried palace and the gates that jut from the soil like a half-buried crown.

I land in front of the bronze twisting spires that are not much taller than me. They lack the shine that they deserve, buried with time and dulled with age, but as my feet touch the ground, I feel the magic within my soul stir. Just like the last time I was here… The land itself calls to me.

My fingers trail the intricate gates, and I come to a stop at their center. They no longer keep anyone in or out but only serve as a reminder of what once was, and it causes a deep V to build at the center of my forehead. I thought that the only thing I was supposed to do was stop Soren—kill him, and in doing so I would restore what once was. But as I stand here touching these gates that are calling to me, I realize that I’ve had all I needed to have the prophecy come true the whole time. I just had yet to realize the connection.

“If you do this… it won’t change anything.” I spin around to see the man the voice belongs to. My eyes clash with King Phyrrohs on the back of his deep red dragon as he lands, causing me to stumble back. Surprise bites at me as my eyes sweep out, and I don't see Soren anywhere to be found.

“You may be the moon raven, but this theory of peace… It is futile unless you have the power to control it.” He growls and the dragon’s mouth opens slightly, revealing its sharp shards of teeth and the sulfuric acid building in its throat. The threat of roasting me does not go unnoticed, but I stand tall and lift my hand to my throat. His eyes track the motion with barely contained rage.

“It’s not peace that needs controlling, Phyrrohs.” I say as my fingers wrap around the necklace I was given for my bonding ceremony. A gift, a black diamond pendant set into an eight-pointed star. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that eight children who grew up in Aldramani came together to fight off the evil that has run rampant in the kingdom our whole lives. That the man who stands before me had a deal with my birth parents and with Soren Croix, and a man who wants control above all else… trying to claim that the theory of peace is futile.

“It’s been you pulling the strings all along, hasn’t it? You are the reason that what was supposed to be my home became ruins. The reason the family I loved perished when they were trying to uncover the secrets you've hidden! Every piece of chaos that has been my life is because of your control. Isn’t it?!” I seethe, growling the words with the rage that has been growing with all the time I have spent searching for answers. Looking up at him, I take a step forward and disregard the warning growl his dragon makes.

“You were never supposed to live. It’s your fault I’ve had to go to the lengths I have. Without your existence, Aldramani would already be mine! BURN HER ALIVE!” He shouts, and as the dragon’s fire erupts in a billowing inferno, I drop to the ground, slamming the pendant to the dirt as I do. I shoot every ounce of magic I can think to call from my palm on top of it. The very foundation of the kingdom shakes and trembles with the magic I continually pulse into it. The fire never heating above a warmth over my skin.

From each point of the star, light explodes under my palm and shoots out across the soil. I scream, whipping my head back, my hair creating an arch in the fire that surrounds me. When I raise my eyes, they shine bright white, glowing with the power of the moon, and with my bonds, I bring my own fire to my hand, tilting my head. The dragon’s fire sputters out, and my lip curls back as I narrow my eyes on the coward on its back. It’s as if the ground around me is smoldering and I am left unscathed. I realize that just as I am, perhaps the dragons and their bonds are not what they seem, and I try something.

“He does not control you the way Osiris controls Bracarva. Does he?” Surprise shoots through the connection with the dragon.

“He holds our mates captive.” Her voice echoes through my mind, and I swallow, realizing that the dragons have more than just emotions they can share with me. “My fire does not harm you… How?”

“Dismount from the dragon, Phyrrohs. Your time here is up.” I growl, ignoring the dragon’s question. He laughs as he slides down the dragon’s front leg and steps forward. He is a very large man and towers over me, but he mistakes my taking a step back for fear and becomes cocky. Just as I knew he would.

When my foot falls, my hand slides to my waist, where Meraki is in its sheath, and as he lunges for me, I pull the blade and sink into his chest. Our eyes meet as he comes face-to-face with me and realizes his mistake. His blood coats my hand running up to the stone that sits nestled into the hilt of my dagger and coats it red. A sizzling crack sounds through the clouds, and as the King of Valeska falls, the earth and the very air around us quivers with energy.

Dirt and rock shake violently, and buildings that were once fallen and half buried shimmer like a mirage. The dragon takes to the sky and lets out a bone chilling cry, but I hear her thoughts as she soars toward the cliffs. Calling to Bracarva—the dragon sobs in relief that the king is dead.

As the wind picks up and whips around me, each powerful gust reveals more and more of the palace that once was. Each piece that is revealed pulls more and more power from me. It bleeds from each of my fingers, my eyes, and my feet where they stand planted. Behind me I feel the Fae all around fall silent, or perhaps I just can’t hear it over the screams that rip from my throat as I release everything . Darkness and light, air, fire, and let my mind become free.

When nothing else remains from the well of my power, I drop to my knees, panting and drenched in sweat. I let my head fall back, exhaustion and elation coming over me in a sagging relief, wanting nothing more than to be reunited with my mate.

When I open my eyes, it’s met by two glowing embers looking back at me. Dax reaches for me with the heat of all of his love displayed in his eyes, and the sight alone gives me the peace I was hoping for. Because at this moment, I know everything we have done to get where we are—all of it is worth every moment in his arms.

“You did it.” He purrs into my ear and guides my chin up with his thumb as he cradles my face. “Look at what you’ve done.” His eyes flick between mine, and though I am exhausted, I do what he requests. I look around and realize we are no longer outside of the gates but inside the throne room built up around me using the magic I poured back into the kingdom.

Two thrones sit with high backs at the center of the enormous room. Black leather cushions adorn the heavy, deeply stained wood, and steel frames a raven carved to the top of each. One black as night, the other bright white like the moon. Behind the thrones, a wall of stained glass paints the room in a rainbow of color. Magic is breathing here. It fills my lungs, swirls around my mind, and over my skin. A welcoming embrace from what was meant to be mine. Elation fills me.

I’m home.

A large steel door creaks open behind us, and still wrapped in Dax’s arms, he turns us to face Trent and Maki as they enter, blood-soaked and fierce. When Ambriel and Alaric step through next, the latter looking haunted but whole… I sag with relief, but still my gaze lingers at the door, waiting for the rest to walk though.

“Kait?” I ask when the door finally closes and no more people come into the throne room. Dax’s head falls, but he nods.

“She will be ok.” He responds in a whisper at my ear and everyone looks around.

“Cano?” I ask hesitantly. I know the answer as soon as the words leave my lips. The energy in the room shifts to something darker. Even with the magic that fills the air. Dax’s eyes meet mine with so much emotion, my heart seizes as tears roll freely down his cheeks and disappear into the scruff on his jaw. He shakes his head. I trap my trembling lip in my teeth, and as his gaze drops to the floor, I turn in his arms, pushing his chin up until his eyes once again meet mine. The pain I see there is more than heartbreaking. It’s devastation. It's remorse.

“He saved Trent. It would have been my brother. I couldn’t get to him in time, but Cano—he did.” No one smiles. There is no happiness in winning a war. Celebrating our winning is celebrating the deaths that should not have had to happen. This was a war of evil and the lives lost— a tragedy.

I take Dax by the hand and lead him to the thrones, where we sit side by side. Our broken, grief-stricken family here is mostly whole, and for that I am grateful. Dax and I will lead the kingdom now the way that it should be led, and the memory of the fallen warriors we lost along the way will be the only thing we celebrate. Because without them, none of this would have been possible.