Chapter 4 Crumbling Castles and Lost Things
CRUMBLING CASTLES AND LOST THINGS
AZ
Nyx’s tiny hands tugged on Az’s hair, but he barely noticed.
The water sloshed around them. Sediment fell from the stone ceilings, with hunks of rubble hidden beneath the icy water that lapped against their legs. He had to tread carefully so he wouldn’t trip.
The flames in the sconces flickered, no match for the air whispering through the halls.
They were quiet. It was hard to hear over the roaring wind and water and their harsh breathing.
Az had one goal in mind: Luella.
He had to get to her, had to make sure she was safe.
But that all hinged on the mercurial dragon King.
Tharen looked back at him. "The halls will open up ahead! Go left!" he called, voice bouncing off the stone and water.
The stone cracked around them, large pieces splintering off from the walls, leaving hollow spaces.
The hall widened, revealing utter destruction. Shattered windows let in sheets of rain; wind roared through the opened spaces. From the few glimpses he could catch, he realized this was only the beginning. It was utter chaos out there.
His sweet, gentle Vincire. She had done this. The same female who found solace nestled against his chest, who could not stand the thought of bathing alone…
Az felt Nyx burrow deeper into his hair, gritting his teeth as she gripped his horn.
In the ruins of the halls, they passed no one. No maids, no servants, no fleeing revelers. Az hoped they all found safety. Wondered if they all deserved it, however.
Tharen held up a hand, forcing Az to stop. He ducked as a small hunk of stone fell a few paces to his right, water splashing up and getting in his eyes.
"What?" Az yelled. "What is it?"
Tharen did not look back at him. "Stay there. I thought I heard…"
The mage waded through the water, straight for a torn tapestry, barely clinging to the walls.
One end was ripped, the frayed edges rippling violently in the wind.
He grabbed the edge of the tapestry, lifting it with effort as the water kept it weighed down.
A shadowed alcove was tucked behind it, and within, a small black ball of… fabric?
Az took a step forward, unsteady on the rock-laden floors.
Large, golden eyes peered up at them from a mass of soaked black fur.
Nyx gasped. "A cat?"
Az felt the sprite teeter near his horns, and he lifted a hand, stilling her.
"Tharen!" he called, but the Prima was silent, staring at the creature.
Alone, shivering, and soaked—they couldn’t leave it.
Tharen groaned out, "Vale will kill me for this." And then he shifted the hold on the tapestry to one hand, using the end of his cloak to carefully reach for the cat and wrap it up in his cloak, bundling it close to his chest. It gave a soft mewl, tiny head peeking out from within Tharen’s collar.
The mage winced as the sharp claws cut into his shirt, seeking purchase.
"Let’s go," Tharen urged, "before I get us into any more trouble."
From that point on, it was a swift escape.
Nyx was quiet on Az’s head, and Tharen led the way through the waterlogged halls, and finally, blessedly, he saw their exit.
Tharen held a hand to his chest, keeping the cat nestled against him, as he jammed his foot against the door. It gave way easily, and the water inside the castle spilled outwards onto the muddy grass.
They were free.
But not free from Lu’s storm.
The sky was dark, thick clouds converging overhead in ominous spirals. Their ends tipped down, reaching with clouded points toward the earth.
Rain fell hard and fast, soaking them through. Nyx squealed, and Az opened his collar, allowing her to hide against his nape, protected by the ends of his hair and shirt.
"We have to go!" Az roared.
Tharen started for the small trail that led to the gardens—and further, the stables. "To the stables!"
They ran, mud squelching under them. Az held a hand over his head to ward off the icy shards of rain.
As they cut through the gardens, the treetops offered brief shelter, and Az wiped the back of his arm over his face.
They broke free from the orchards, passing drooping rosebushes and rain-slicked apple trees.
Water streamed in divots in the earth, puddles rising.
Would the whole kingdom drown?
No. She wouldn’t. Lu was good.
She didn’t mean to do this, never meant to do any of it, Az knew.
She would stop this. She had to.
He would help her.
Rain hammered the stable roof as they all but tumbled inside. The doors slammed shut behind them. Graves caught Az’s eye and nodded once as he saw Nyx, her fingers curling around the neckline of Az’s shirt as she poked her head up.
"You can come out," Az told her.
She did with a shivering, violent shake, splattering water and leaves everywhere as she sighed, "I’m not an Aqua sprite! I wasn’t made for water."
She hovered in midair, verdant eyes surveying the room.
Bastian finished wrapping a blanket around Ori’s shoulders.
His sister sat beside him, holding his hand tightly.
Ina was stroking a hand through Lya’s white coat, Akira at her feet, growling lowly, watching the new female with wary interest. Dyara paced about the bales of hay in the corners, drool hanging from her jowls as the horses snorted and whinnied.
"What of the castle? Any survivors?" Graves asked, voice mumbled through his cowl. Damp black hair poked through his hood, plastered to his temples.
Az swallowed thickly.
"None. The castle… it won’t stand much longer. We have to leave. Now." Tharen started for one of the stable doors, kicking it open with his foot. The horse was already saddled; the mage grabbed the reins and led the horse from the stall.
Graves jumped into action, going for the next stall—home to a black-as-night steed, muscled and strong. "Miria rides swift." The male jerked his head to the white steed. "Snow rides sure. Pair up."
"Wait." Osa stood, Ori quickly doing the same. "You mean you will not journey with us?"
"No." Tharen shook his head. "You four will go alone. Miria and Snow are not commonplace horses. They will deliver you to a village further inland. Ride north, and do not stop until the storm no longer follows. If you have to, go to Medius—you’ll be safe there."
Bastian stepped in. "We’ve left coin in the saddlebag."
Ori’s fists clenched at his sides. "I’ll keep you safe, Osa. You, too, Ina. I’ve been out of the palace grounds before. I know what I’m doing."
Valiant. Az just hoped it wouldn’t get them killed.
Nyx flitted forward. "I know my way around the trees. I can keep us safe, too."
"It’s a plan," said Tharen. "You leave now. We’ve wasted enough time here."
Nyx hovered before the mage, twirling around his white hair. "Thank you, Master Tharen. Keep Lu safe."
It was a short send-off. Ori promised to ensure the females’ safety, while Nyx swore to protect them, wings as swift as a hummingbird’s behind her.
Now alone, the rain just barely drowned out the softest mewl. Akira picked his head up with interest, but one look from Tharen quelled it.
"What was that?" Bastian looked around.
Tharen sighed heavily, holding open the front of his cloak and revealing the small black cat curled against his chest.
This close, Az realized it was more of a kitten than anything.
"Godsdammit, Tharen! I told you—no more lost creatures. And a cat? Felines are treacherous." The vampire hissed as the small kitten peered at him with great, big golden eyes, a small thing clinging to warmth.
Az couldn’t help it—she reminded him of Lu. The way she tucked into his side and shivered, blinking up at him with those gorgeous pools of sunlight, before her glamor had been removed.
The kitten crawled from Tharen’s chest, hooking her claws in his shirt and curling around his neck like a scarf.
Az didn’t know when he started calling it she, but the tiny, shivering thing was too much like Lu.
Gods, Az missed her. He needed her. More than air.
"What if he doesn’t come back?" The demon’s words shattered the soft brevity found among the raging storm.
"He’ll come back," Graves said lowly. "He always does—"
A piercing roar rattled through the stable roof.
They all shared a look.
It was time to leave.
Tharen whistled once, the sound sharp, and the three wolves came to his heel.
Echoing beats of wings grew closer, and the group left the safety of the stables, the rain immediately taking them in its icy embrace.
The onyx dragon lifted a talon, claws sinking into the mud and water. Green eyes narrowed as he spotted the small kitten curled around the Prima’s neck, and tendrils of smoke wafted from his snout.
The mage was unapologetic.
Graves touched a hand to the amulet around his neck, turning to a small raven in a blink.
The bird hovered over the dragon’s talon, and the dragon unfurled its claws, allowing the raven to hop onto its palm.
Tharen jerked his head, and at once, the three wolves trotted after the bird, jumping into the dragon’s talon like it was nothing.
Az stiffened. He could do this for Lu. He could be brave—be the male she needed.
While Az had been steeling himself, Bastian and Tharen had already mounted the dragon’s back. His wing was lying on the ground, and the end twitched as if in impatience.
The dragon was more mountain than beast, and they were going to ride him straight into a fucking storm.
Az huffed as he clambered on top of the wing, hands slick as they slid over the wet, silken scales. "You better not drop me, Vale," the demon warned.
Under him, the beast rumbled.
They took to the skies, the air charged with electricity. The dragon cut through clouds, leaving a misted chill in its wake. The rain was blinding, lashing against them. Az’s hands curled around the knobs protruding from the dragon’s spine, his heart hammering.
I’m coming, Lu, Az thought, hoping, somehow, that she could feel his devotion through their stretched-thin bond.
In the distance, the castle crumbled. One of the outer towers gave way with a distant groan. Dust plumed among the thick fog and rain.
Over the beating of the dragon’s wings and the roar of rain, Bastian’s voice was barely audible—
"I fear we have not seen the worst of it."