CHAPTER 36
Getting up, I rummage through the walk-in, looking for a bag when Abigail walks in, nearly making me jump out of my skin in fright.
My heart pounds as I hear Dragus and Matitus stir in their sleep.
Abigail places a finger to her lips before holding up a black bag.
She hands it to me, and I quickly stuff it full of clothes fit for the cold winter.
Once that is done, I quickly get changed into jeans, boots, long sleeved shirt, and a parka.
Handing one of the parkas to Abigail, she quickly puts it on, and I hand her a pair of boots.
Abigail wants to come and decides to leave Claire behind with her mother until we find somewhere safe to call home.
Claire told us going outside is dangerous, that the Broken Ones are on the other side but wouldn’t tell Abigail anymore when she took her home.
So, to be on the safe side we are leaving her behind until we are sure it is safe.
Walking out, I look at my mates sleeping soundly in bed.
I didn’t want to put them in a position to choose, that wasn’t fair to them.
As much as they disagree with Silas, I know they love him, and he them. So, I chose for them.
Just as I walk toward the door, I notice my mother’s necklace sitting on the dresser and quickly pocket it.
Something was urging me to take it, telling me I would need it although I wasn’t sure for what besides being passed down from generation to generation it was only a necklace.
The urge was something else like it was calling to me and me it.
Shaking off the weird sensation that rolled over me, I follow Abigail downstairs.
Marian is staying behind to watch over Lilith and will come once we find out whether it is safe.
We quickly creep to the front door passing the study, Silas sleeping in the armchair next to the fireplace.
His arms are folded across his broad chest and his head slumped forward.
Abigail and I grab a cloak each wrapping it around us before cracking the door open.
My heart pounds in my chest when the heavy door creaks and Abigail freezes looking for any sign, we may have woken Silas.
When we hear no movement, we duck out. The wind blasts us, and I shiver from its icy coldness.
The sky is completely white and the snow is thick on the ground.
We make our way to the center of town. Aldrin and his wife are there waiting, and I figure that must be all who decided to come with us.
Aldrin and his wife’s face light up when they see me and Aldrin turns toward me when I notice an enchanted whip wrapping around his arm, feel the energy coming of it, cerulean blue and strong.
I have no doubt in my mind that Helcate Magic is running through it. “Your child?” I ask.
“With my wife’s father till we know it is safe” Aldrin says, and I nod.
“What’s that?” I ask, pointing to the gold twisting rope around his waist.
“Family Heirloom, first time I have been able to use it, wouldn’t unlock without magic.” I nod wondering what he meant. “Where’s yours?” he asks.
“Where’s my what?” I ask, wondering what he means.
“The Aziza sword?”
“Aziza sword? Never heard of it” I answer unsure. He looks me over and I wonder what he is looking for.
“You don’t have anything from your bloodline, a bracelet?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“No, only my mother’s necklace,” I tell him, pulling it from my pocket and showing him. He takes it from me shaking his head with a smile on his face.
“Hold out your arm,” he says, and I do as he tells me.
He pushes my sleeve up and I watch, mesmerised as he runs the chain over the pattern of my markings before I feel the zap, my magic absorbs the necklace, wrapping around my arm becoming attached my skin, the pendant bleeding into my palm and the rest of the chain slivering around my fingers.
It isn’t tight, but the necklace changes, becoming embedded in my skin and glowing the same color of my markings.
“Huh,” I say, shocked. I always thought it was a necklace and key to the book. “How do I use it?”
“It will sense when you are in danger. Never take it off my Queen,” he says bowing slightly and I look at him, and realize he too has the Fae markings.
Though his are blue and slightly different instead of blossoms and flames like I have, his are leaves and vines that travel over his face, neck and chest from what I can see.
Noticing my stare, he points to them, “Helcate markings. Zane had suns, yours are different because your mates are fire creatures.”
“So, if I have the Aziza sword and you have a whip, what did Zana have?” I ask curious.
“Time ring, Zana bloodline was eradicated that much I do know, nobody has seen the ring. Not that it matters, only Zana can yield it. The bloodlines and their magic forge each, only those of the bloodline can yield them,” Aldrin says, and I realize I will have fun picking his brain about Fae.
It actually makes me think he would be better to rule, he had the knowledge of the Fae, so having him on my side was going to be a huge help.
“We should head off; this snowstorm looks like it’s going to be a doozy and we need to get to the caves before it hits,” his wife tells me, and I look up at the sky.
We start heading toward the main gates when people start coming from the streets and houses.
All falling behind us, each with bags and I recognize the Fae people, but that isn’t what shocks me.
It is the humans. Hundreds of people follow, creating an army.
They are all dressed and seemingly eager to leave the city, eager to come with us.
I thought only the Fae would come but even I had my doubts when I only saw Aldrin and his wife standing in the town center.
Abigail nudges me with her elbow, and I can tell by the look on her face she is just as shocked.
I don’t know how to feel about it. But the further we walk through the city, the more people come out and join us.
By the time we get to the gates, the sky has darkened from the brewing storm.
We stop at the heavily guarded gates. Vampires surround us, but even they seem wary by the overwhelming number of us.
They are definitely worried about the silver eyes glowing back at them.
Fae with magic aren’t to be messed with but if this turns into a bloodbath.
I don’t know how we will fair considering no one knows how to use their magic.
Though I am quite certain Aldrin knows, his knowledge is unbelievable, and I too know I can trust my guides to help me and show me.
Stepping forward when he approaches, the humans cringe back, but Aldrin steps forward with me.
“Do your owners know you’re out?” the Vampire sneers, his red eyes glowing brightly against his pale skin and black hair.
“My owners?” I ask.
“Yes, girl you’re the Dragon King’s pet, now get back home before I send word to them,” he says, but he suddenly steps back.
All of them do. Looking over my shoulder, I see Abigail’s hands are glowing green, and all the Fae have stepped forward moving to the front, their silver eyes glowing brightly.
“Step aside leech,” Aldrin warns him, and the Vampire looks uncertain, looking to his comrades who also look just as confused.
“You don’t know what you’re asking, you can’t go out there. What lies beyond these gates isn’t safe,” he tells us.
“Well, that is for us to decide, so step aside and let us through. We won’t ask again,” I warn him. He stares at me, and I can tell he doesn’t like taking orders from a Fae, let alone a woman.
“Your funeral,” he says, nodding to the men by the gates, motioning with his hand toward them. They press some buttons and the gates slowly start to open. We all start walking toward them.
“You’re going to die, you just killed everyone here by leaving the safety of the city.”
“We are no safer out there than we are in here,” Aldrin tells the Vampire, who glares back at him.
We march through the gates to the other side.
I can feel everyone’s excitement about breaking out of the city, but I am too nervous to feel excited along with them.
All I can see is white, a sea of white, everything dusted in snow.
“Stay alert!” I yell to everyone, and they fall silent.
We continue walking toward the mountain knowing there must be caves in them.
We walk for hours, and I never let my guard down.
Too many people have given warning about leaving the confines of the castle so obviously there is something that has them worried.
Suddenly out of nowhere, I hear a thunderous roar coming from the direction of the castle.
They must have woken, and I am actually surprised the Vampire didn’t warn them earlier about us leaving.
Maybe he was hoping we all died. Everyone picked up pace.
It seemed to get colder, and I can tell the humans are really struggling with the icy blast of the wind, hearing their teeth chattering.
The snowstorm becomes so bad, it starts to get hard to see what is directly in front of us, like walking into a wall of snow.
We are unable to tell where the ground ends and where the sky starts.
Everyone starts holding hands so no one drifts off or gets lost. That’s when I see something. I stop, Aldrin’s wife bumping into my back.
“What is it?” she asks as I squint, trying to see anything through the wind.
Even with my enhanced eyesight, I can hardly see anything, but I swear I saw something dark move and whatever it was, was huge.
Blinking, I strain my eyes looking for movement when I feel a cold sensation rush down my arm, feel my magic seeping into my fingertips, feeling something wrap around my hand before feeling the coldness of steel pressed in my palm.
Looking down, I see the Aziza sword and gasp, it looks crystalline like my wings but feels hard as steel, purple veins of my magic woven and intertwine in it.
That’s when the awe of it shatters into a million pieces. Aldrin said the sword would come forward when danger was lurking so as much as I was amazed by it, it frightens me. Aldrin rushes over and I see his whip in his hand spiralling to the ground.
“Well, whatever is out here, we just found it” he whispers looking down at my sword.
“Can you see anything?” I ask
“Not a goddamn thing,” he says, squinting through the wind.
“Human’s move to the center, those who know how to use magic form a perimeter around them, we are not alone out here anymore,” I call over the wind, unsure if everyone heard, but I feel movement on the ground and through the tugging of hands and clothes.
Abigail’s hands glow subtly, her eyes searching, looking for any danger.
That’s when I see it out of the corner of my eye, and I whirl around trying to catch a glimpse of it, but it once again disappears.
Everyone is on edge and alert. The wind dies down slightly, making it a little easier to see when we notice it.
Scales. Though it doesn’t look like a Dragon, it is grotesque and bigger than human, has a long-barbed tail and talons but stands on two feet.
Everyone held their breath when they too notice it in the distance.
It turns around, its face morphed reptilian, cold-blooded eyes staring back at us, and I can just make out its features.
It looks like a half-shifted Dragon, stuck in an unnatural form between shifts.
It doesn’t move for a second just staring like it is shocked to see anyone out here, then suddenly it roars, which sounds more like a wail, my ears ring but I refuse to take my eyes off it.
The Broken Ones are Dragons.