17. Chapter 17
W e left the moment the skies emptied, Vahin exploding from the cave with an urgency that bordered on desperation. He flew with breathtaking speed, his wings slicing through the cold air, and I didn’t dare waste breath on words. Every ounce of strength, every precious second, was focused on returning to Ani’s side.
The flight was torturous, the freezing wind leaving my hands and face burning from the cold, but we didn’t let that keep us from returning to our family. I couldn’t see the ground beneath us, but I didn’t have to—Vahin knew exactly where he was going.
In the end, however, it didn’t matter how fast we flew. The sun was already reaching its zenith, and the trial had been set for the dawn. We were late, and the implications of that froze my heart even more than the icy winds.
As the walls of the capital shimmered on the horizon, I broke the silence. ‘ Can you sense her? ’
‘ Yes, ’ Vahin replied, his voice strained.
I felt his fatigue as keenly as my own. The oldest and most powerful bonded dragon on the continent was nearing the limits of his endurance, but he didn’t falter. He didn’t slow. We hurtled over the city walls, heading straight for the arena.
When the sound of cheering reached us, Vahin roared in fury, a primal sound that sent shivers through me. Those fuckers are cheering while she fights for her life? His outrage became my own, fuelling a fire that burned hotter than the freezing air.
Vahin tucked his wings and dived, plummeting towards the arena floor like a thunderbolt. I braced myself, ready to leap from his back and cut down anyone who dared threaten Ani—or anyone who dared revel in her suffering. My disgust at my own people churned in my empty stomach.
We smashed into the arena floor, sand exploding upwards and filling the air with choking dust, but even as the grit stung my eyes, I saw her. Ani. She moved in a deadly dance, weaving between her attackers with lethal grace, staining the sand red with blood.
I cried out when a blade sliced across her chest, but she twisted just enough to avoid a killing blow. Pressing my knees into Vahin’s sides, I urged him to attack her enemies, but before we could move, a wave of power surged through the arena, turning the sand before us to glass, and Vahin froze.
Ani’s name left my lips as I bellowed, seeing just how outnumbered she was. This wasn’t the political charade I’d expected, a face-saving show to give the empress an excuse to join the war. No, that damn woman wanted them dead, no matter the cost. She truly intended to kill the only conduit mage we had left.
And like a fool, I’d let it happen.
I’d examined the situation and calculated the odds like a commander but had underestimated Talena’s hatred. Alaric had killed the empress’ mate. For that, she’d thought he had to die, and she didn’t care who died with him.
Another explosion shook the ground as we tried to move forward. The fire and smoke blinded me, and I cursed the fates for my helplessness until I saw Annika through the clearing haze. I punched the air in triumph, only for the feeling to be short-lived as Ani and Ari fell into a swirling black void. The portal vanished, and they were gone.
Vahin roared, his wings snapping open with a thunderclap. The lightning that penned us in stuttered and disappeared, but it didn’t matter. The Black Dragon of Dagome was enraged. He lunged forward, smashing through glass spikes and fae warriors alike, tearing towards where the portal had been.
Panic spread like wildfire. Warriors and spectators scrambled to escape as Vahin’s fury turned the arena into chaos. His scales blazed with blue light, raw primordial magic radiating from him. The air thickened, heavy with power, and cold sweat pooled under my collar. I’d never seen him like this, and I knew there was no controlling him now.
Vahin’s mind was locked onto one thought. Ani.
‘Open the portal!’ he roared, his voice a thunderclap that shook the ground. The mages that had surrounded the portal collapsed to their knees, shaking in terror.
‘Vahin, no,’ I begged, acutely aware that he was preparing to unleash an inferno. ‘Please. Annika wouldn’t want this.’
‘ She was bleeding! ’ His voice trembled with anguish. ‘ My Little Flame was injured, and they sent her beyond my reach! She made me promise, Orm. Even now, the promise I made— ’ His roar shook the arena as he dropped to all fours, releasing short bursts of fire. ‘ I’ll honour it, but pray your gods have mercy on your kin because if my light is gone from this world, I will turn it into dust. ’
I thought the wild magic burning inside me was relentless, but as I felt Vahin’s rage, I knew nothing could withstand the dragon’s fury. But if he lost control and destroyed the city before Ani returned, he would never forgive himself.
Just like I’d done at Roan, I opened myself to Vahin’s fury, allowing it to flood through our bond. I accepted his rage, his hate, his anguish, and gave him my love and unwavering support in return. Together, we sank into the storm of his emotions, the world beyond our connection fading into insignificance. Slowly, the tempest began to subside. Vahin’s control returned, and I allowed myself a moment of relief—until an arrogant voice shattered the fragile peace.
‘Welcome back, Commander,’ Talena drawled, her tone laced with mockery. ‘Unfortunately, you missed the most entertaining part of the trial. The conduit mage fought well—far better than I expected. Imagine my surprise when she managed to open the portal.’ Her voice turned cold, and she gestured dismissively towards the arena floor. ‘But since we don’t anticipate her return, we can end this farce and consider the matter concluded.’
My head snapped towards the balcony where she stood. Even as she held herself with pride, wrapped in her magic like a shield, I caught the tremor in her hands. ‘What do you mean, concluded ?’ My voice dropped, each word a warning. ‘Choose your next words wisely, my lady. My dragon is on edge, and so am I.’
Her smirk widened, a venomous expression that ignited my rage anew. ‘Only twice in the history of this trial has the Dark Mother granted her mercy to the penitents. I wouldn’t hold your breath for their return.’ She turned to her attendants, her tone flippant. ‘I think a mourning feast is in order. Shall we?’
Every fibre of my being screamed for vengeance. I wanted to kill her, to rip her into pieces and watch her bleed on the same sand stained with my Nivale’s blood. But Vahin’s rising heat beneath me reminded me of the fine line we walked. If I gave in to my fury, so would he.
‘ No, ’ I told him. ‘ We can’t kill her yet. Maybe one day, but not now. We need her, and Annika will return. Trust your Little Flame to find her way back to us. ’
As if summoned by my plea, a new voice broke through the tension.
‘My lady, trial laws demand we wait for at least two hours before concluding the matter,’ Valaram declared with perfect indifference, though his body radiated tension. I frowned, puzzled by the ambassador. He was clearly acting against the empress. Why?
Talena’s head whipped towards him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. ‘I don’t appreciate your insubordination, brother dearest,’ she hissed in an attempt to keep her voice low. ‘Ever since you met this woman, you’ve questioned me far too often. You’ve never taken such an interest in females before, yet now you’re arguing with me over a human ? Do you wish to end up like my Erestis, slaughtered by the very one he sought to protect?’
Valaram’s expression didn’t waver, but his reply carried a subtle edge. ‘Alaric’s hand may have held the dagger, but the Lich King’s had guided it—and you know it. It’s unreasonable to kill our strongest weapon. As for my fascination with the human,’ he added with a faint smile, ‘I find Annika most entertaining.’
Despite his casual tone, something in his voice felt off. I focused on our unexpected ally as he leaned towards the empress, placing a hand on her shoulder. ‘C’mon, sister, let’s make a wager. I’ll even put up that artefact you’ve always wanted, the necromancer’s ruby, that she’ll return. Annika is quite the resourceful little fox.’
‘Your infatuation with this girl is blinding you,’ Talena snapped, suspicion flashing across her face before she conceded. ‘Fine, get your ruby ready to be delivered to my throne room. And what will you demand if your precious mage does indeed return?’
The ambassador’s smile didn’t falter. ‘I want command of the army for a year.’
Her gasp echoed across the arena. ‘You planned this!’
‘Perhaps.’ Valaram shrugged, and I tightened my grip on my pommel, fighting the urge to intervene.
‘I will add to the wager,’ Reynard said suddenly. ‘The Zielands—those fertile lands your empire has long coveted. I wager them on Annika’s return. Unless, of course, you are afraid to lose, my lady?’
The empress’ face darkened, a sneer twisting her lips. ‘I will take that bet. And what do you want in return, King of Dagome?’
‘Not much,’ Reynard replied smoothly. ‘Just to offer your brother the position of my advisor, if he wouldn’t mind accepting it.’
If the wager were not on my Nivale’s life, I would have admired my brother’s genius, but Annika was lost in a different realm, and they were using her life as a bargaining chip. Before I could speak, Vahin’s roar silenced the arena.
‘Fae Empress,’ he thundered, levelling his massive head with the royal balcony, ‘despite the passing of many years, you remain as reckless and impulsive as when you were a child.’ His voice rumbled like an oncoming storm, and Talena stiffened under his glare.
The tension between them crackled, raw power radiating from both sides as they held a staring contest. The empress stepped back, her nostrils flaring as she summoned her magic, until Vahin’s furious growl shook the arena.
‘Sit. Down ,’ he commanded, his voice filled with ancient authority. Talena fell back into her chair, the weight of his words pressing her into submission. ‘We will wait, and you should pray that your recklessness doesn’t bring destruction to your people. Pray to your Dark Mother and hope that she returns my light to me. Hope that she shows you mercy. Because I will not.’
The conviction in his voice sent ripples of fear through the crowd. Many dropped to their knees, whispering desperate prayers.
The Vahin who had once laughed at Annika’s antics and snorted at her requests to rub his belly was gone. Before us now was a creature of raw power and fury, his scales sparking with lightning as the sand beneath his claws melted into glass. The very air hummed with electricity, and I knew that no force in this world or the next would stop him if Ani was truly lost.
Talena trembled, her wide eyes fixed on Vahin in utter disbelief. ‘My father spoke of your kind—the eldritch dragons, the Elementals. You’re one of them,’ she whispered, gripping the armrests.
‘Yes,’ he replied, his voice like distant thunder. ‘I am Vahin of the Firstborn—the Aether of Storm. Don’t think to test me, stripling, unless you are willing to face the fury of the tempest.’ With that, he stepped back and turned to wait in the centre of the arena, his scales dimming as they returned to their usual hue.
‘ Aether of Storm? ’ I asked, still grappling with what I’d just heard. In response, Vahin showed me a vision: raging thunderstorms setting fire to the land with every strike, consuming everything in their path. And in the midst of the inferno, clashing dragons fought for dominance.
‘ I’m sorry, Ormond, ’ his voice echoed in my mind, heavy with weariness. ‘ I am much older than you could imagine. The Primes—my kin—nearly destroyed this world in our reign of fire. We who survived swore an oath to the skies, vowing never to meet again, lest our power shatter the world anew. With Annika carrying a shard of my soul, if she were to die, it would break me. I would be lost, and the world would experience a thunderstorm that would horrify even the gods. ’
There was no reply I could make to that, not when the beast in my heart roared, clawing its way out at the thought of losing my Nivale.
And so, we waited—our fates resting in the hands of an unknown goddess and a stubborn mage.
An hour passed. At some point, I’d slid from Vahin’s back, leaning against his paw and absentmindedly stroking his eyelid as we stared at where the portal had been. I would have missed it if Vahin hadn’t startled me, his sudden shift nearly planting my face in the sand—a strange pressure that made you grind your teeth to relieve it.
‘ She’s coming. I can feel her again! ’ He roared, silencing the murmuring crowd surrounding us.
I jumped to my feet, sprinting towards the shimmering light that materialised, but Vahin was faster. How such a gigantic creature could move so quickly was baffling. In one fluid motion, he moved from his resting position to coil protectively around the woman who appeared in midair, cushioning her fall.
The joy Vahin was projecting overwhelmed my senses, and I stumbled, but I fought to stay upright. This moment was too important to falter now, so I closed our bond and rushed forward, looking around in distress. Annika was here, but where was my other mate?
My question was answered moments later. As Annika disappeared within the coils of Vahin’s body, Alaric appeared, only to fall to the ground, hitting it so hard that the glass cracked beneath his body.
‘Hrae! You overgrown, slow worm. There are two of us, you know,’ he cursed, wincing as he tried to sit up.
I reached him first, pulling him into a crushing embrace. Relief flooded me, leaving me breathless and grinning like an idiot. ‘You survive a goddess and still have time to whine about not getting a cuddle from a dragon?’ I teased, pressing him so hard to my chest that his bones creaked.
He muttered something unintelligible, but all I could think of was that I had my fae back in one piece. ‘No,’ I growled quietly when he tried to push me away. ‘I need to hold you, just for a moment.’
‘Fine, but you’re choking me,’ he answered with a laugh.
After a moment, I reluctantly let him go to focus on my dragon and the treasure he held close.
‘Vahin, give Ani a chance to breathe, please,’ I said, my throat tightening with emotion.
‘So you can crush her next?’ he retorted with a glee. Vahin slowly unfurled his wing, allowing me to see my Nivale. She was battered and bruised, dressed in a strange grey robe that seemed opalescent in the sunlight, but she was alive. I could see a fresh scar where something had pierced her shoulder and various half-healed cuts across her body, but none of that mattered.
She smiled at me, and suddenly, all I knew was her radiance and the love warming our bond. Every rational thought left my mind, and I couldn’t move, shaking at the realisation of how close I had been to losing them.
‘You made it back in time. I heard Vahin when ... I thought I’d never see you again,’ she said, reaching for me, and still , I stood there like a dumb rock, afraid that if I moved, if I tried to touch her, she would disappear. Annika frowned as her outstretched hand hung in the air. ‘Orm, I’m here. Aren’t you happy—?’
I didn’t let her finish. In seconds, I was by her side, sweeping her into my arms.
‘Happy?’ I growled, my voice shaking. ‘I’m fucking furious. I’m never letting you leave my side again. I’m gone for one day, and you and this rogue vanish to gods know where. I watched you disappear —both of you! Do you have any idea—’ My voice broke, the weight of my fear choking me. ‘Vahin was ready to destroy the world, Ani. And I would’ve helped him. You’re my everything,’ I said, forcing myself to take a breath. ‘And you need a fucking healer.’
Alaric cleared his throat beside me, resting a hand on my shoulder. ‘If you think I’ll let another healer touch my domina, you’re mistaken,’ he said, his tone light. ‘I’m her healer, and I recommend Ani be waited on by both her Anchors in a tension-melting bath.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Vahin wouldn’t fi—’ I began, but the words caught in my throat as realisation struck. My eyes darted to Alaric’s chest, where his curse marks had been. ‘Ari?’
He grinned and Annika jumped up to kiss my neck. ‘What the fuck happened on your little detour?’ I demanded.
‘It was bound to happen,’ Annika replied, though her expression was tinged with confusion. ‘When we ... when we ...’ She trailed off, glancing at Ari, who shrugged.
‘Don’t even try, sweetheart. You know how the trial’s details are kept secret,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry, Orm. I don’t think we’re allowed to talk about it.’
I frowned but relented. ‘Fine, but your curse—’
‘Is gone,’ he confirmed.
I let out a disbelieving laugh, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions. ‘We need to celebrate,’ I said, closing my eyes against the onslaught of relief and joy. ‘Fuck, I can’t believe it.’
‘Warn me before you start anything amorous so I can fly high enough that your celebrations can’t reach me,’ Vahin grumbled. ‘One experience of your bathing antics was more than enough for this old dragon’s mind.’
We burst into laughter before a sharp voice shattered our moment of happiness.
‘Annika Diavellar, how long will you make me wait?’ Talena sounded furious, and I realised we’d been ignoring everyone in our happy little bubble.
Annika stiffened, a dangerous glint in her eye. ‘I am going to knock her teeth out. Let me go, Orm. I have some issues to put to bed.’ She pushed away from my chest, her body trembling with restrained energy that left no doubt she meant to do exactly what she said she would.
‘I’m sorry, love,’ I said with a wry grin, wrapping my arm around her waist. ‘We still need her, so please try to be satisfied with watching her eat her humble pie. Reynard and Valaram have already handled it.’
‘Oh?’ she asked, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.
‘You’ll see, sweetheart. You’ll see.’
Annika narrowed her eyes but allowed me to guide her towards the royal dais. She met Talena’s venomous glare with a smirk, unbothered by the hatred radiating from the dark fae empress.
‘Congratulations, human,’ the empress sneered. ‘Alaric’va Shen’ra is cleared of his crimes and may live freely in the Care’etavos Empire.’ Her expression was so sour I wondered if she was chewing on a pickle.
‘And?’ Valaram prompted softly.
Her lips curled in distaste, but she continued. ‘ And my brother is free to command the dark fae army for a year. If he wishes, he may also serve as your king’s advisor.’
Annika’s eyes lit up, and she turned to the older fae with a triumphant smile. ‘You got the army,’ she said.
Valaram stepped forward and kissed her hand reverently. ‘I knew you could do it, lara’mei. You were incredible.’
Before she could respond, Ari’s voice cut through the air, cold and razor-sharp. ‘She is not your lara’mei . Are you challenging me, my lord?’
The ambassador raised an eyebrow, unfazed. ‘I already told you, Shen’ra. It is not your decision to make. But you are welcome to issue a challenge. I haven’t fought a duel in years, but I’m sure I still remember how to wield a dagger.’
‘This is absurd,’ Talena snapped. ‘She is not your lara’mei, and there will be no challenges.’
Annika let out an exasperated sigh and stepped forward, hands on her hips as she glared at the gathered nobles.
‘I’ve had enough of this nonsense. I’m not sure what you’re all playing at, but you will all calm down, or I swear I’ll make you regret it. I’m tired, dirty, and my body still aches from all the beatings I’ve been put through. I have no interest in two men measuring the size of their ... daggers, and I’ve really had enough of you, Empress.’ Her voice sharpened as she addressed Talena directly. ‘You’ve hated me from the moment you set eyes on me, and you know what? I’m a gnat’s nose hair from sorting this out right now and putting you out of the misery of your existence.’
I pressed my lips together to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape my control. Annika was magnificent, even if she looked like a furious cat hissing at her enemies.
‘My lady—’ Valaram began, but Annika cut him off with a raised hand.
‘Enough! You’re old enough to know better. And you—’ She whirled on Alaric, who suddenly looked sheepish. ‘If you want to play soldier with Valaram, be my guest. I’m going home, and I’m sleeping with the dragon tonight. He’s the only one with any sense left.’
I lost control of my laughter, my sides fit to burst as I looked at Talena’s horrified expression. Annika gave me an accusatory glare before storming down the stairs, Alaric hot on her heels, his face bright red.
My expression sobered once they’d left, my gaze hardening as I turned to the empress. ‘Will you keep your word and fight with Dagome?’
She hesitated, then sighed. ‘Yes. I didn’t expect her to return, so it must be the Dark Mother’s wish that I ally with you. Dagome will have the support of the Care’etavos Empire, though I’ll leave the fighting to my brother,’ she said before gesturing to her guards and nodding to the king as she left. ‘Send a message to Valaram when you’re ready for the war council.’
‘Good,’ I said grimly. ‘Roan Fortress has been obliterated. Dragons, soldiers, civilians—everyone. The place is swarming with spectrae. That’s why I was late. The war has already begun, and we must confront them before more lives are lost.’ I turned to Reynard, gritting my teeth at the still-raw grief. ‘Shall I meet you at the palace to plan?’
He shook his head, his expression sombre. ‘No. Go home, Orm. Be with your family. We’ll need you rested and clearheaded when the council convenes. Just be ready to come when I call for you.’
I nodded, relief washing over me at the reprieve. Ari had anchored Annika, and I was curious to find out what that meant for us. I needed time with my family. After nearly losing them both, I realised my fear was not only for her but also for a roguish fae who’d stealthily stolen my heart.