Chapter 22
D ash woke up to the sound of something pecking against his window. At first, he thought he was imagining it.
Until he heard the distinct pattern of the pecking.
Ronan.
Sliding away from Tanis so as not to awaken her, he pulled his pants on, then went to the window to push it open.
Sure enough, Ronan was there in that hawk form that he normally used whenever he had to travel fast.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I thought you were waiting for us in Licordia.”
Ronan craned his bird neck to look inside. “You alone?”
Dash used his body to block Ronan’s curious gaze so that he couldn’t see Tanis who was naked in the bed except for the furs she had wrapped around her. “No. And I know that’s not why you’re here.”
Even though he was a hawk, Ronan managed to give him an irritated smirk. It was quite impressive. “Aderyn wanted to update you.”
That didn’t bode well. “On?”
“Meara has heavily reinforced her army. She knows you’re coming in through the elfin portal and that you have Ferox in custody.”
Dash ground his teeth in aggravation. Hell of way to start the morning. Granted, he’d figured most of that was the case, but even so those plans told him something that just really stuck in his craw. “Who’s her spy?”
“No idea, but they seem to know a lot about your plans.”
Yes, they did. It infuriated him that the spy was able to hide so effectively among their group.
Not that they had to. Most of what Ronan told him was common knowledge. Baldur had given their plans over to his generals, who’d no doubt passed it along to their troops.
As for Ferox, everyone had seen him when they’d dragged him to his cage.
Ronan ruffled his feathers. “And not to pile shit onto you, but you do realize what happens in two more days?”
It would be time to cast the spell to trap his soul and kill him. “I do. I was trying not to think about it. Thanks for the reminder, Ro.”
“Sorry, but that doesn’t change the fact that we have to find Renata’s wand, and all we know about it is that it’s in the hands of some human’s imp partner.”
Dash frowned. “Human?” His ears honed right in on that single word. Was that the same human who’d killed his sister?
Ronan bobbed his bird head. “Like a fool, the human went to Meara and confessed it, thinking she’d reward him.”
“I’m sure she did. Is he still alive? Or did she gut him on the spot?”
“Last our spies said, he’s still screaming in her dungeon.”
That gave him a degree of hope. All they had to do was get to him before Meara had him killed. “Good. I need you to pull him out and protect him until I get home.”
“What about the trap?”
“I’m not going to walk into something I know exists.”
Ronan bobbed his head again. “All right. I’ll let everyone know the new plan. We’ll get the human and wait for you at the lodge.”
“Thanks, Ronan.”
He winked at Dash then jumped from the ledge and flew off toward Licordia.
At least they knew where the human was now.
So long as Meara held the human and didn’t cut his throat, they could get to the wand in time.
“Dash?”
He savored the sound of his name on Tanis’s lips. Closing the window, he returned to bed to find her sitting up with a frown.
“Is everything all right?”
Not really, but he didn’t want to worry her. “One of my men came with news.”
“To the window?”
Dash grinned at her confusion. It was a weird rendezvous spot. “Ronan’s a shape shifter.”
“Unicorn?”
“Not a unicorn. He came here as a falcon.”
She cocked her head to study him. “Is that why you look so upset?”
Stunned at the ease with which she could read him, he arched a brow. “Pardon?”
“You look as if you’ve had bad porridge. Something doesn’t agree with you. How bad was his news?”
He offered her a wicked grin. “I don’t agree with anything that pulls me from your arms, Lady Dragon.”
“I concur.” Tanis crooked her finger for him.
As Dash moved toward the bed, something loud exploded outside the castle. It was so fierce that it rattled the windows and caused the floor beneath his feet to vibrate.
Tanis left the bed and grabbed her clothes. “Are we being attacked again?”
That was what it sounded like.
What it felt like.
Damn their timing for it.
Preparing for war, Dash used his powers to dress himself and her before he headed out the door and down the stairs.
More explosions sounded.
Elves ran down the hallway, shouting orders and gathering forces to head to the main courtyard.
It wasn’t until Dash was outside the main door that he realized what was happening. You’ve got to be kidding me...
He cursed under his breath. If he didn’t stop this quickly, there would be bloodbath.
“Stand down, Baldur!” he shouted at the elfin king. “It’s not an enemy.”
Baldur, Hinrik and Tova stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“How is this not an enemy attack?” Baldur asked.
Without warning, Ryper and Halla appeared by his side. “Is that who I?—”
“Yes, it is,” he said, cutting his brother off. It was exactly who Ryper thought.
Halla tsked then laughed.
“There’s an army at my gate.” Baldur crossed the bailey to stand in front of Dash. “Why should I stand down?”
Dash brushed his hands through his hair to smooth it. “They’re on our side.”
Baldur snorted in denial. “They’re demons, oni... yokai! How in the Thirteen Kingdoms do you figure such beasts are on our side?”
Dash exchanged a grimace with Ryper. This was going to be an awkward explanation. And really, it was one he didn’t even want to begin.
So instead, he asked Baldur the only pertinent question. “Who leads that army?”
“I do, of course.” A smooth, deeply accented voice spoke from his left side.
Dash cursed at the unexpected appearance of his mother. She was so close to him that he jumped just as he normally did whenever Ryper snuck up on him. “I hate it when you do that.” Couldn’t anyone in his family make some noise when they moved?
She tsked. Which made Dash acutely aware of how many eyes were watching them.
But then Makkuro Naomi was a hard creature to miss. Taller than most females, she stood almost even in height to him and Ryper. And did so with a commanding presence that let everyone there know she wasn’t just a queen.
She was a fierce, ruthless warrior who’d never been defeated in battle. Her long black hair was coiled beneath her orange and gold kabuto. What was easy to miss was the fact that the golden horns coming out from the sides of her helmet weren’t decoration.
They were all hers. Along with those vibrant swirling blue eyes that appeared like a piercing summer sky with moving clouds. Because her irises were milky white, most assumed her to be blind.
That was their mistake. Ever vigilant, she was acutely aware of every heartbeat. And those eyes missed absolutely no detail no matter how small.
Even though she was dressed in armor reminiscent of a tiger’s lethal body that came with a tiger skin cape, she was still the epitome of feminine grace and beauty.
As was befitting the empress of the Tenmaru—the kingdom of demons, oni, yokai and tengu. They possessed some of the strongest magick in all the world. As well as some of the most feared warriors.
When Naomi marched that army outside of her kingdom, most surrendered immediately. His father had been the rare exception. Which was why she’d resorted to trickery to defeat the unicorn race.
In the end, her plans had backfired.
Dash suspected it was a meeting of mutual lethality. His mother had met the only creature more barbaric and ruthless than she. If ever there had been two creatures who should never have spawned, it was his parents.
What the hell had the universe been thinking when it brought those two together?
Had his father not already had a wife, he was sure they would have united forces and ruled all the known realms. To this day, he had no idea how Renata’s mother had survived. It would have been completely in character for either or both of his parents to murder her for their ambitions.
Yet neither had done so, and no one knew why.
“Your Majesty.” Baldur bowed before her.
She didn’t return the gesture. Instead, she stared at the elfin king as if he were something staining the bottom of her shoe.
Hinrik cleared his throat. “Does she not speak our language?” he asked Dash.
Naomi curled her lips. “Tell the insects that I don’t speak to those beneath me.”
Those words caused an eruption of activity.
Naomi held her hand up and immediately froze everyone in the bailey, except Dash, Ryper and her.
Dash let out a long sigh. “Really, Mother?”
“They annoy me, and I don’t have time for their nonsense because they think they’re not worthless when we know good and well that they are.”
Dash shook his head. “Did you come all this way to say that?”
Lowering her hand and using her powers, she manifested his wanted poster. “Explain this to me.”
A million snarky, rude retorts went through his head. But that would only serve to anger her and that never ended well for anyone. Even him. “It appears to be self-explanatory.”
“Who are the seven kingdoms who dare to come at you?” she demanded. “I want the names of their rulers and the names of their children, parents, and anyone and anything they care about.”
How typical of her to want to wipe out everyone her enemies cared for.
Ryper shrugged.
“We think it’s a lie,” Dash said. “No kingdom, other than Thassalia, has come forward to depose me.”
The poster burst into flames and was carried away on the breeze. “Better be a lie. If you are deposed, it won’t go well for any of the other kingdoms. My wrath will be eternal and excruciating.”
He wanted to remind her of the fact that he’d been sent to Meara to be tortured as a colt but knew better than to bring that up. That had never been her idea. Rather, the brainchild of his father. And the one time he’d made the mistake of mentioning it to her, she’d used her powers to reassemble his father’s corpse from his ashes just to desecrate it.
The one thing they knew about their mother...
She wasn’t the most stable of creatures.
To this day, he didn’t know or understand how Ryper and Yutaka had been sent to Meara.
Until his mother had lost control when he’d brought the subject up, he’d always assumed that she’d sent them as his father had with him. Too late, he’d learned Naomi didn’t willingly put her children in harm’s way.
That was the biggest difference between his mother and father.
When she’d sent him to his father, she’d assumed his father would care for him. Cratus was lucky Dash had been the one who’d killed him during their fight.
Regardless of her love for him, Cratus’s death at Naomi’s hands would have been far more brutal had she known how he’d treated her son.
With an imperious air, Naomi swept her gaze over the ones she’d frozen. “I assume you’re marching to take back your kingdom.”
“Of course.”
With a curt nod, she placed her hand over the hilt of her sword. “My soldiers are yours. Show us the enemy and we’ll annihilate them for you.”
That he had no doubt about. “Thank you. And while you’re being so accommodating, could you please unfreeze the rest of my army?”
Pursing her lips, she glared at him. “Must I?”
“Please.”
She held her hands out to Ryper. “Give us a hug before we do so.”
Ryper stepped into her arms. “Good to see you, Kaasan .”
She kissed his cheek and released him, then turned toward Dash. “And you.”
“Rather not.”
That caused her nostrils to flare. “We are your mother. Unless you wish for it to be known to all, hug us.”
Emotional blackmail. Her forte.
“Fine.” He gave her a very quick hug then stepped aside. “Good enough?”
“No.” Reaching up, she yanked his hair. “You are ever my insolent boy. You’re too much like your father.” She spit on the ground. “Bastard that he was.”
She stepped away from him then unfroze everyone. “Tell them that we will await you outside. When you’re ready to march, let us know and we’ll show you how our army travels.”
That he already knew. It was a lot faster than even the elfin portals or dragon wings.
Hence why no one wanted to fight the Tenmaruns. They weren’t just lethal. They were terrifying.
“Who was that?” Tanis asked as she joined them, with Halla in tow.
He glanced over his shoulder at them.
Ryper flashed an annoying grin at him. “Yes, Dash. Who was that?”
“Shut up.” He shoved at his brother, then turned toward Tanis. “That was Naomi ōgimachi . The empress or queen of Tenmaru.”
Tanus frowned. “Is she an empress or queen?”
“She’s whatever she wants to be,” Ryper said.
Baldur joined them. “What is she doing here?”
Dash gestured toward the gate that separated them from his mother’s forces. “Lending us her army.”
“But why?” Baldur asked.
Ryper flashed him another annoying grin before he stepped away, laughing.
I hate you, brother. Ryper was enjoying this just a little too much.
Dash took a second to consider the best answer. “She’s agreed to uphold her oath to the High King. Not to mention, she has a personal grudge against Meara.” He saw the curious frown on Tanis’s face, so he explained it with the truth. “Naomi’s son, Yukata, was killed escaping from Meara.”
The sympathy in her eyes was so sincere that he actually felt it. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not as sorry as Meara will be if Naomi gets her claws into her. I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop that beat-down.” Nor was he sure if he wanted to. Honestly, he’d love to see his mother give that bitch what she deserved.
Unlike him, Naomi didn’t have a contract with Meara that prevented her from killing the centaur queen.
Tova joined them. “Have any of you happened to peek over the wall this morning?”
“No, why?” Dash asked.
“You should probably go see the size of the army Tenmaru has brought. Are we sure they’re here to fight for you? ’Cause if they’re not, it’s going to be a bad day for anyone standing at your side.”
Scowling, Dash headed for the parapets with Tanis following behind him.
He climbed up and then froze at the terrifying sight.
Shit...
Were there any soldiers left in Tenmaru?
Marthen appeared by his side then clapped him on the back. “Looks like someone wants to keep you safe, Majesty.”
Dash was aghast at his mother’s army. “Just don’t with me, Marthen.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t want to be a centaur right now.”
Dash agreed, especially given what was ahead of them. “Then we better get on the march before their spy warns them, and they have time to route us.”
Tanis was gathering the last of her belongings from their bedroom when she felt the air behind her stir. She turned, half-expecting it to be Dash.
Instead, the Tenmaru queen stood there in all her fierce glory. And it was glorious. The queen was absolutely stunning in her beauty.
Tanis swallowed hard. Not from fear, but there was an air about the queen that let everyone know she was not to be trifled with. Naomi’s powers caused the hair on the back of Tanis’s arms to stand on end. Those powers literally charged the air around them.
“Majesty,” she said, curtsying. “To what do I owe this honor?”
Naomi cocked her head as she studied Tanis with those eerie blue, deep set eyes. “You’re a dragon.” Not question. Just a mere statement of fact.
Even so, Tanis felt the need to confirm it. “I am.”
Without another word, Naomi closed the distance between them and took a handful of her red hair. The queen wrapped her hand in it and held Tanis’s hair in her fist. It wasn’t painful, but it was firm. “You love him.”
Tanis wasn’t sure what to say. Again, it wasn’t a question. The queen seemed to like to speak in short, direct sentences with her beautiful, lilting accent.
And still, the queen held her hair. “Have you any idea the nightmare of your fate?”
Tanis didn’t like the sound of that, and she wasn’t quite certain what Naomi was talking about. “I don’t know... what fate?”
“To love outside your species.”
Sadness choked her at a reminder she didn’t need. One that haunted her constantly. “Of course, I do.”
Shaking her head, the queen released her finally. “You think so, but no you don’t. You have no idea what you’ll face. What your children will have to endure.” She swept a look over Tanis that made her feel as if she were lacking something.
Then, she waved her hand. “This will not do.”
Tanis was aghast. Was she insulting her? What did I do to make her hate me? “Beg pardon?”
Without answering, the queen snapped her fingers, and in an instant Tanis’s clothes were changed to Tenmaru armor. She even had a tiger skin cape that matched the queen’s.
Naomi nodded in approval. “Much better. That befits royalty.”
Befuddled by the unexpected gift and why the queen would give her such, Tanis offered her a tentative smile. “Thank you, Majesty.”
She inclined her head to Tanis. “No weapon of any kind will penetrate that armor. Continue to protect Deciel and there will be many more gifts for you.”
Then, she vanished in a cloud of dark smoke.
Stunned over the encounter, Tanis stood there, half-expecting this to be a dream.
Why would the Tenmaru queen give her such a thing?
For that matter, why was protecting Dash important to the queen of oni and yokai?
A sudden, horrible suspicion went through her. I better be wrong.
But nothing else made sense.
She quickly finished packing, then went to find her errant... whatever he was. Boyfriend. Irritant. She stopped short of calling him a lover because that just didn’t feel right to her. She’d thought they had a deeper connection than that. At least it felt deeper to her.
But what if he didn’t feel the same?
Dash was standing beside Ryper when she found him. Ryper’s gaze danced over new armor as the color faded from his face. He nudged Dash who looked at him until Ryper jerked his chin in her direction.
Only then did Dash turn toward her. He duplicated Ryper’s actions of scanning her armor and paling greatly.
That only confirmed her suspicions. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a relationship with the Tenmaru queen?”
Dash sputtered. “It’s not something we speak of in public. Ever.”
That actually angered her. “So we’re... what? Cast-offs? You sleep with us and then we’re ignored as if we never existed?”
Ryper burst out laughing.
Dash’s expression was one of deep confusion and horror. “What?”
“She thinks...” Ryper couldn’t finish the sentence as he broke off into another peal of laughter. He pounded Dash on the back.
Again, Ryper tried to speak, and still he continued to laugh.
“Stop!” Dash shoved him away from them. “Go over there and be stupid!” He pointed to a corner of the room.
Choking and laughing, Ryper actually obeyed him.
That only angered her more. “Why is this so funny?”
Dash stared at her. “ She’s not an old lover of mine.” Then he curled his lip. “Why are you dressed like her?”
“She told me to protect you. If she’s not an old flame who still has feelings for you, why did she give this to me? And why does she care so much about your well-being?”
Dash growled in his throat as he considered the best way to explain this. A thousand lies went through his mind, but none of them were believable.
Ironically, the most rational lie was the one Tanis had jumped to. That they were lovers. But he just couldn’t make his mind go there.
Not with his mother ...
He shivered at the very thought.
“Answer me, Dash. What is she to you?”
Ryper broke off into another round of laughter so hard that he actually slid down the wall to sit on the floor. If he didn’t stop that, Dash was about to be missing another sibling.
He didn’t want to answer that question, but if he didn’t, his dragon was about to take a significant portion of his unicorn hide and nail it to the wall.
The last thing he wanted was for this day to start with a fight. Especially with her. They both had too much they needed to be focused on.
So, he did what he’d never done before... he let her in on his secret.
“She’s my mother, Tanis.”
Her jaw fell open as he sent those words to her mind. “Wait... what?”
He nodded. “ All my life. And that is not information anyone knows or needs to know .”
She gave him an irritated smirk before she cast her gaze to the hyena who continued to laugh. “Say you. Given his ... reaction, are you telling me that he doesn’t know?”
“He’s my brother, as you noted earlier. That’s why he’s laughing. Please, don’t tell anyone.”
Tanis took a moment as those words echoed through her head. Not just what he was telling her. The fact that he gave her a secret he’d never given to anyone.
Other than those who knew because they knew.
Not to mention that it was a well - known fact that Dash was bastard born, but the common belief was that his mother had been a high-ranking unicorn who’d died giving birth to him.
No one had ever guessed this . No wonder he held the powers he did. He was half oni.
Half oni . Those words staggered her. And it explained so much about him. When he talked about an inner demon, she’d thought he was being poetic. Metaphoric.
No. In his case, it’d been literal.
“Are you all right?” Dash asked, putting his hand on her arm to help steady her.
She nodded. “I’m just trying to make sense of this. It was not what I was expecting you to say.”
At least now she understood why he never spoke of his mother. Why he and Ryper were so cautious around others. Given how much the unicorns despised the Tenmaru, there was no telling how they’d react.
It was possible they’d revolt and overthrow him.
Yes, this was one hell of a secret he’d just given her. One that could destroy not only Dash, but his entire kingdom.
She stared up at him. “No one else knows?”
Dash let out a long breath before he made a face. “ Just my uncle.”
She leaned in to whisper, “What uncle?”
“Marthen.”
Of course. She should have known. Now that he said it, she could see the similarities in their features. Even more in Ryper’s.
“Anyone else I need to know about?” Tanis asked.
“Other secrets aren’t mine to give. Please realize that I’ve given you something that I don’t want anyone else to know about.”
That made sense to her. Although if she had a mother as powerful and respected as Naomi, she’d want to shout it from the highest parapet. There were times he must feel the same.
How awful to have that fear inside. For both of them. It had to be hard to never be able to publicly claim each other as family.
That made her ache for him.
“Have no fear, Dash. I won’t tell a soul.”
Still laughing, Ryper rejoined them. “That is going to crack me up for a long time to come.”
Dash grimaced. “You’re sick.”
“Yes, I am. Can you blame me given our childhood?” Ryper indicated Tanis with a nod. “I assume you told her?”
“I did.”
He clapped Dash on the back. “You know, I think you’re pissed about the wrong thing.”
“How so?”
“We’re not the ones dressed in oni armor. Apparently, the queen picked a favorite and it’s not us.” He squeezed Dash’s shoulder. “I’m going to let that sink into your thick skull while I go find Dove.”
Tanis rose up on her toes and kissed Dash’s cheek. “I know that look. I often had it when my brother irritated me to the point I wanted to skin him to make a pair of shoes.”
His gaze softened as he smiled. “At least I don’t have to worry about you in battle any longer. She told you about the armor, correct?”
“That nothing can penetrate it. Yes.”
“And the rest?”
Her stomach sank at his tone. What had Naomi withheld? “Rest what?”
Dash rolled his eyes. “I should have known she wouldn’t...” He let his voice trail off before he spoke louder. “Koji say hello.”
“Shh,” a disembodied voice said. “Naomi-Joou told me not to say a word as it might scare her.”
Tanis gasped. “Who is that?”
“Your armor is tsukumogami.”
While it was sexy the way that rolled off his tongue, she was confused. “Sue... what?”
“Sue-koo-moe-gah-me. Easiest way to explain it is that your armor has a mind of its own. That’s how it’s able to protect you. Koji will fight with you and help you in battle.”
“I can possess you, too, if you like.”
“Don’t.” Dash’s tone was filled with warning. “I seriously doubt Tanis would appreciate the experience.”
“No, Tanis would not,” she quickly agreed. The thought of her armor taking control of her was a bit more than she could handle at present. “But he can talk to me?”
Dash nodded. “And he hears everything you say.”
Tanis wasn’t sure what to think about that. Happy? Or creeped out?
She was definitely leaning more toward creeped out.
“Don’t worry,” Koji said. “You’ll get used to me. And I won’t let any harm come to you, princess. You’re safer with me than anywhere else.” It felt as if he literally gave her a hug over her entire body.
This was definitely going to take some getting used to.
Along with the fact that Dash was part oni. Granted, dragons didn’t know much about them other than to avoid them. She’d never fought against one personally, but from the stories she’d heard, no one wanted to. During the worst of the Warlord Age, the Tenmaru had been on the verge of taking over every kingdom.
Only three had remained independent. Licordia. Indara. Pagos.
All the others had fallen to the Tenmaru armies. No one had ever understood how it was that Cratus had been able to negotiate with Naomi to keep her from invading Licordia. Or more than that, to allow him to be crowned High King of all Thirteen Kingdoms when she’d been the one who’d conquered most of them.
Now Tanis understood. His mother had never ceded her power to Cratus. She’d stepped down knowing that one day her son would be High King in Cratus’s place.
Tanis also knew why Dash had kept it secret. The Licordians would never trust a king with demonic blood in him. They’d be terrified that he’d allow his mother to occupy their lands.
As for the other kingdoms, they were liable to unite against him to defeat him for fear of Licordia uniting with Naomi and invading them all again.
Everyone was suspicious and hate-filled when it came to the Tenmaru.
Although, given the size of the army his mother had brought to Alarium to fight with the unicorn king, attacking Dash seemed like the worst idea ever imagined.
Indeed, Tanis would say that his mother had very strong feelings for her son, and intended to protect him no matter what.
Keegan came out of the barn to join them. “Morning, Majesty...” She tilted her head to Tanis. “Princess.”
Tanis smiled at her. “Good morning. I see you’ve regained your size.”
“And if feels wonderful.” Keegan stretched out her wings and flapped them.
Which knocked down three passersby.
Keegan blushed and quickly tucked them in. “Sorry! So sorry.”
Tanis laughed until a loud scream rent the sky above them.
Eyes wide, she looked up to see a milky white, iridescent, giant bird flying over their heads. One that had the body of a man.
This one she knew without asking. Karura . The devourer of dragons. Her stomach sank at the sight of the boogey creature her mother had used to frighten her with when she’d been small.
Keegan ducked her head down, and as funny as it was sad, tried to hide herself beside the much smaller Dash. “What is that doing here?”
Dash shrugged. “He’s Naomi’s best friend, Kyran. She’s never gone to battle without him.”
Tanis put her hand on Dash’s arm to steady herself. “I don’t like Kyran. Not at all.”
“Neither do I,” Keegan said quickly.
“It’s all right, dragons. Kyran doesn’t kill indiscriminately. He won’t harm you.”
He said that, but her fear didn’t have ears, and neither did Keegan’s. All of her people had been taught to run from the Karura.
The only good news... no centaur would be able to stand against that . It was said that their fire burned hotter than any dragon’s. Hence why they were heralded as the destroyer of dragons.
Dash cupped Tanis’s chin in his palm until she met his gaze. “No harm will come to you. Just breathe, dragon. You’re safe.”
“What about me?” Keegan asked.
“You, too. I promise, Kyran won’t go after you. I had the discussion with Naomi, and she’s sworn to me that all of our troops will be safe from hers.”
While Tanis believed him, it was still hard to get past that terrifying sight of a monster she was brought up fearing.
Tova walked past them and scoffed at their embrace. “Just kiss her for the gods’ sakes, and let’s get on with this ride.”
Tanis laughed at Tova’s surly tone and unexpected comment.
Giving her a smile, Dash kissed her quickly, then turned into a unicorn.
Tanis pulled herself up into the saddle as Halla rushed past them to join Ryper. Dash waited for her to get situated before he headed to the main gate where the others waited on horseback.
Wings sprang out of Ryper’s back so that he could fly beside them in his human body with Halla by his side. Impressive. And it made her wonder if Dash had the same ability to have wings in his human body, too.
Maybe I don’t know all their secrets.
It appeared they had many more than she could even guess at. Not that it mattered. They were heading to war with Keegan right behind her. That was what she needed to focus on.
Her heart pounded as she saw the huge glistening portal that Naomi had created for them. It made a mockery of the smaller elfin portals many used that often appeared as shrines to their gods.
Though she’d seen those portals, she’d never been through one. As a dragon, she was far too large.
This portal, however, was huge enough to accommodate the Karura and Keegan traveling through it side-by-side. Not that she would recommend the two of them trying to do such a thing.
Still...
It appeared as a giant mirror, except that it didn’t reflect. Rather it showed the green, wooded lands on the other side where they were heading.
Licordia.
She turned around to look at their numbers. They were an odd assembly for an army. Elves, oni, demons, yokai, a hobgoblin, a dragon, and a unicorn who held her heart.
She ran her hand through Dash’s silken mane. Leaning over his neck, she whispered her one and only secret in his ear. “Before our battle, beast, there’s something I want you to know... I love you, Deciel Coeur de Noir. And I’m praying for your safety.”