Chapter 109
CHAPTER 109
Dayton
“E asy, girl, easy!” I say, patting the white mane of the winged horse. “Domitia, was it? You’re a good girl, Dom. This way.”
The giant wings of the horse beat as we descend to Rosalina. My mate stands knee-deep in ocean water, positioned in a small cove outside of the city. “Ready, love?” I ask.
Rosalina turns, dark hair blowing in the breeze. She wears a gleaming bronze breastplate over a long white tunic. A scarlet cloak billows behind her, a bow strung over her back. Stars, my mate looks beautiful dressed like one of the Huntresses of Aura.
“We’re all ready,” she says.
“Let’s fly.” I hold out my hand and hoist her up behind me. “Come on, Dom.”
Domitia beats her powerful wings, and we rise high into the sky. I keep us hidden in cloud cover as we breach the city walls and hover above Hadria.
“Did you decide where we’re doing this?” she asks.
“Somewhere high and close to the sea. No better place than Soltide Keep.”
Dom swoops lower, leaving trails of wispy white clouds in her wake. The streets of Hadria are barren besides creatures of the Below stomping over the cobblestone. My citizens believe they must submit to the Queen of the Below or die. We’re going to save them from that. All of them.
Dom circles over the spiral towers of Soltide Keep. The glittering white sandstone walls gleam with sea glass and shells, festooned by towers of pastel pink and teal. We land on the highest tower and slide off the Pegasus. The view is nothing short of resplendent.
The first hint of dawn brushes against the ocean’s horizon. I look over my city, to the calm waters of the harbor, shielded by the rocky breakwater. For a moment, the world stands still, and I simply feel . It seeps into me: the gentle rustle of the breeze, the distant cry of seagulls, and the soft lullaby of waves kissing the shore.
Rosalina gently brushes my fingertips with her own. “Are you ready?”
The answer swells in my chest. “Yes.”
Rolling my shoulders, I face the dawn. Navy shadows retreat, surrendering to the brilliance of the morning light, and the world awakens with a newfound vigor. The power of the Summer Realm flows into me. I’m going to need every ounce of it this morning.
I cannot fight this power. I must surrender to it. As magic flows freely between myself and Castletree, so does the Blessing flow between me and this land. Between me and the sea.
My eyes fly open, and my whole body tingles with electricity as I connect with the ocean. I grit my teeth, fighting to weave control through every wave, feeling my awareness spread over the surf. The ocean whispers to me, and I call back: Help me free my people. Help me save my city. Let me wield your might as my own.
“Dayton?” Rosalina says.
A smile breaks across my face. “Been a long time since us princes felt what our Blessings could really do.”
Like a released breath, the ocean surrenders. I stretch my fingers out before me, feeling as if the world is in the palm of my hands. I flick my wrist and waves crash against a nearby shore.
“There you are,” I grit out. Sweat drips down my brow. Power thrums within me, a tempest waiting to be unleashed. I feel the ebb and flow of the waves as they respond to my command. The air crackles with energy.
With agonizing effort, I draw the sea back …
Far on the horizon, a great wave rises from the depths of the ocean like a titan awakening from slumber, its towering crest garlanded with a frosty crown of foam.
“Oh my god,” Rosalina whispers.
Digging my heels into the ground, my fingers flex as all my concentration pools into controlling this wave.
As it draws closer, its sheer magnitude becomes apparent, dwarfing everything in its path. The water surges forward with primal fury. The fury of the ocean. My fury. A deafening roar thunders.
Below, screams sound as people notice the tsunami on the horizon.
“It’s so big, Day,” Rosalina gasps. I turn and see a flicker of fear in her eyes.
But all I can do is let out a strained laugh. “That’s the same thing you said last night.”
“Day—”
“Hey, I make jokes when I’m nervous.”
The thundering is immense now, roaring in my ears, my own rapid heartbeat drowning out everything else. I can taste the salt on my lips, feel the spray of the sea as it dances upon my skin. This is my domain, my birthright, and I shall not hesitate to wield it as I see fit.
With a primal roar that echoes across the skyline, I unleash the full might of my magic.
“Dayton!” Rosalina yells. “Release it! It’s too close!”
“Not yet,” I snarl.
The wave rises higher, a towering wall of water that roils closer and closer.
“Dayton!”
More screams sound, and I distantly hear my name being called. The people have noticed me up here.
“Dayton! It’s too close!”
“Hope your fucking green skeletons know how to swim, Sira,” I growl.
With a flick of my wrist, I command the great wave to halt its relentless advance just outside the breakwater, a singular barrier between destruction and salvation. It washes against the stones with a deafening roar. The impact sends a spray of mist cascading into the air.
For a heartbeat, the world holds its breath, teetering on the edge of calamity. Then, with a whispered command, I release the wave from my leash, allowing it to unfurl its fury upon Hadria.
The water surges forward like a ravenous beast, hungrily devouring everything in its path. Buildings tremble beneath the onslaught, their foundations shaken to the very core by the unyielding force of the tide. People flee in panic, and so do the monsters of the Green Flame.
Inside my body is on fire, my Blessing ablaze, magic pricking my fingertips. After being coiled for so long, it wanted to be used.
“Your plan is working.” I guide the wave with a delicate precision, channeling its might into controlled torrents that cascade through the streets like rivers of liquid silver. Where once there was chaos, now there is order, as the water follows the path that I have laid out for it with unwavering obedience.
“The power of the sea,” Rosalina whispers.
“I’d say we have about thirty minutes until the lower city floods, an hour till it makes it to the arena. By nightfall, the entire city of Hadria will be underwater.” I turn to Rosalina and grip her face. “It’s your turn, Blossom.”