30. Chapter 30
I was sitting in the forge wearing a pair of Bryna’s breeches and a pockmarked tunic while my friends waited, staring at me expectedly. I looked like a child trying on their parents’ clothes for fun, but as all my clothes were ash on the landing field, I’d been grateful for the loan.
‘So … what happened?’ Katja asked. Instead of answering, I pointed to the anvil I was sitting on. ‘Why did you bring me here? We could be sitting comfortably in my room.’
‘Because you almost burned the town down, and I thought it might be safer to bring you somewhere where the fire is less of a problem,’ Bryna said, and I felt a blush crawl up my cheeks.
‘It was an accident. My magic became a little … difficult, and I needed to reach Vahin,’ I answered defensively.
‘We’re not blaming you,’ Katja sighed. ‘We just want to know what happened and what we should do if it happens again.’
‘It won’t happen again. It was a side effect of a spell reversal. Long story short, to defeat the spectrae that attacked us when we flew here, I had to bond with Vahin. However, I wasn’t able to complete the process because I was still grieving for my lost Anchors. Alaric took the grief and some other feelings away, and today it all came rushing back.’ I shrugged, the both of them staring at me in shocked disbelief.
‘The fuck he did,’ Bryna finally said, whistling through her crooked teeth while Katja pulled a small vial from the pocket of her dress. ‘Here, this’ll calm you down,’ she said, and I laughed.
‘Oh no, sister. You’re not knocking me out again. Besides, I’m fine now.’
‘Are you sure? You were never the sanest at the best of times.’ Bryna was unyielding in pointing out my shortcomings, but it was Katja’s silence that worried me.
‘Last time, you needed two Anchors. Is the dragon enough?’ she asked, and when I frowned, she added, ‘I want to live here, Ani. There’s this dragon rider, Tomma … I like him. Besides, the commander offered me an apothecary position with a house and a workshop, and the men here—well, at least most of them—treat women with respect. I like it, and I don’t want you to burn this place down if you lose your shit again.’
‘Katja!’ Bryna sent her a quelling glare, but I nodded.
‘Need? … Maybe? Want more Anchors? Yes. Two more, to be precise.’
‘So, one will be that dark fae mage.’ When I raised an eyebrow at her definitive statement, she chuckled. ‘Don’t deny it. He looks at you like a starved dog looks at a bone, but who else? One of the healers? There’s that nice artefact master, but he’s too old, I think.’
‘Katja Laster, are you trying to push men into my bed? And no, it won’t be a healer. I’m going to Anchor the commander,’ I said, enjoying the moment their jaws dropped.
‘Why him? He’s not a mage, and he’s been acting like a bear with a stick rammed up its arse,’ Bryna was the first to comment, and I chuckled.
‘True, but I like him like that, and when he pulls that stick out, the fire that burns inside him? Gods , that man can growl.’
‘Soldiers have been gossiping that you’ve already had a little taste of that.’ Katja’s remark was met with a wide grin, and my friend sighed. ‘Fine, just try to keep things together. This place is heaven for women.’
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that soon, no place would be safe for women … or anything else still living.
We chatted for a few hours, sampling Bryna’s stash of orcish ale, and not only did my magic settle, but a pleasant contentment spread over me, as if everything had finally fallen into place.
A sudden commotion outside caught our attention, disturbing the peace. As I stood up to check what was going on, a red-faced soldier burst in and looked at Bryna. ‘Do you have any blades left?’
‘What for?’ she asked, and he huffed.
‘Just give them to me before the latawce drive more people insane.’
‘Latawce?’ Katja and I spoke in unison, and the man looked at me like he hadn’t realised anyone else was there.
‘Yes, Lady Mage. A flock of latawce have descended on the town, enraging people with their maddening song.’
‘Get the commander and Master Alaric. Tell them to meet me in the town square. Katja, prepare more of your sleeping droughts. We may need to put people to sleep if they become violent,’ I ordered, cursing the current predicament. My weapons were in the castle, and between me and the building was an entire town laid siege by an unknown number of wind demons.
‘My lady, the commander and Master Alaric have already left the fortress. A group of biesy attacked Vodianka …’
I exhaled slowly, trepidation tightening my muscles. Attacking the fortress while the majority of our soldiers were out dealing with another issue felt like too big a coincidence, and I knew only one person who could coordinate monsters on such a scale.
The Lich King was making a move, and the handful of soldiers posted around Varta and I were all the defence this place had left.
‘ Vahin? ’ I tried in my mind. I could still feel his Anchor, but not his thoughts. My magic should be temporarily safe, but we were too far away from each other to communicate and I wasn’t able to speak with other dragons. Between the groups on patrols and the forces Orm likely took with him, I doubted there would be any dragons resting in the caves anyway.
‘How many soldiers and dragon riders do we have left?’
‘I don’t know, my lady. I’m new. You’d have to ask an officer,’ the soldier stuttered under my glare.
‘Take this,’ Bryna said, passing him a short sword—maybe not the sharpest, but still a weapon—and grabbing one of her heavy hammers. ‘Ani, what do you want us to do?’ I looked at my friends. I could see the expectation in their eyes. They saw me as a leader, but this wasn’t Zalesie and I had no authority here. Would the soldiers even listen to me? Still, it was my home now—our home—and Zalesie’s infamous trio always protected what was theirs.
From their grins, I knew what my friends were thinking, and my own grin slipped out as I stood up.
‘Bryna, gather the remaining men and tell them I’m acting on the authority of Ormond. Lie, bully, or beat them into doing as they’re told if you must, but bring them to the town. Katja, rally the healers. If the latawce are in town, we will have many on the brink of madness, harming themselves and others as long as the song lasts.’
‘What are you going to do, Ani?’ Katja asked, worry clearly etched in her eyes.
She’s worried I’ll lose control again .
It was a bitter thought, but I didn’t blame my friend. I wasn’t the most stable of mages, and I hoped Vahin was still close enough for our bond to keep me grounded. I had little choice unless I wanted to sacrifice the town while Orm and Alaric were away, but I felt the threads of the bond, and I hoped that would be enough.
‘I will take the wind out from under their wings,’ I said with a vicious smile, knowing exactly what I needed to do.
Latawce were wind demons. They floated on currents, their physical bodies like giant birds with sharp claws and colourful feathers, though they could never be mistaken for birds. They had human heads with faces so beautiful they left people mesmerised, and there was no sneaking up on the demons.
Like owls, they could turn their heads in any direction to capture their victim’s gaze before they started their unearthly song. Once that alluring melody began, people fell to the floor, clawing at their own bodies, ripping away flesh to offer as tribute to their tormentors. Even worse was when they shifted shape, becoming the victim’s most beloved, only to lure them to their deaths.
We left the forge, each of us heading to complete our tasks. I walked the steep path to the outskirts of the town, attempting to spot the demons and learn how many we would face. I heard the song as I approached and shuddered at its maddening beauty.
The soft melody rose and fell on a gust of mountain wind, caressing the mind, luring victims in, tempting you to let go of earthly constraints, then strip the flesh from your bones and throw it into the wind to finally be free.
Latawce didn’t need their claws to feed—their victims did the work for them. I saw people running, senselessly tearing at their ears, but I didn’t pause until I reached the town square. It wasn’t big, but it didn’t need to be.
One side led to the landing field, which in turn was connected to the high castle’s courtyard. Shops, townhouses, the tavern, and the small but popular brothel stood next to the underutilised town hall. A little further on was the boarding house for indentured females, for those who didn’t wish to live in the fortress—a place undisturbed by men. The latawce were there, flying around or perched on the rooftops, flocking, until another victim gave in to the melody and tossed a bloody scrap of flesh into the air.
When I entered the town square, every single demon turned in my direction, knowing smiles lighting their beautiful faces, and the song of the damned was blasted full force in my direction. The melody, however, had changed. It was no longer a wordless tune now, but filled with a tempting call to forget the problems of the world and leave, to leave and go to the Barren Lands. I was trained to detach my mind from worldly distractions as I concentrated on my spells, so their calls washed over me without gaining a foothold.
When it was clear their compulsion was having little effect, the song changed once more, promising to reunite me with Tal and Arno if only I would listen and go now .
This time, I did react, my concentration cracking, and an angry sob that held my outrage at them desecrating my lover’s memories escaped my lips.
As I fought the compulsion, the biggest of the latawce flew down, transforming in midair. The man had a handsome, timeless face; dark hair slightly dusted with white on the temples; and grey eyes as tempestuous as a stormy sea.
‘Lady Annika, thank you for coming to greet my servants. It is truly a pleasure to finally meet you.’ With a tilt of his head, the demon studied my unwelcoming posture. ‘What lies were you told about me that you look upon me with such anger? I am not your enemy, Lady Mage. In fact, I would like to make you an offer. Join me, and you will never have to worry about losing control.’
Seeing my features darken in anger, the latawiec’s smile widened. ‘Of course, that is not all I offer. I could reunite you with your lost lovers: your paladin mage and your fae healer. I can feel their restless spirits behind the Veil. They are waiting for their conduit to call them back, and I can return them to you. Unfortunately, I cannot do it alone. I would need you beside me, need your power to rip open the Veil for them to rejoin you.’
The demon’s lips didn’t move as he spoke, and as he reached out to me, I came so close to taking his hand …
‘Edoúru ta ere!’ 1
A single tear tracked over my cheek as I uttered the command.
A wave of aether distorted the demon’s form, and the monster fought for control before he lost his shape, once again becoming birdlike. The rest of the flock rose into the air with a mind-shattering scream. I closed my eyes as sharp claws sliced past my face, so close that I felt the movement against my cheek. I fell back a step, shocked, but watched as the demons flew around me, not once touching my body.
Orm had been worried that an assassin would kill me, but our enemy didn’t want me dead—he wanted me alive to use my magic. I smiled grimly and took advantage of that. I felt another breath of wind against my cheek, and my lips curved viciously.
The endless chaotic energy of wind, the power that gave the latawce their magic, was right there, at my fingertips. I spread my arms and took a deep, calming breath, releasing it slowly and letting the aether move through me, catching and moulding it to my need as I spoke.
‘Vor’me.’ 2
The aether wrapped around me like a happy puppy eager to please, and I did what I promised Katja I’d do. I ripped the wind from under the demons’ wings. They screeched and fell from the sky, feathers flying, their song forgotten, right onto the swords of the soldiers Bryna had rallied from the garrison.
It took some time to clear the town while I wove spell after spell, manipulating the wind every time a latawiec tried to escape. The spells were exhausting as I didn’t reach for my conduit skills, but I smiled each time a vile creature fell from the sky, hitting the cobblestones like rocks, helpless before the soldiers’ blades. Bryna and a young officer directed them with surprising efficiency, protecting Katija and her healers while they helped the injured citizens.
An enormous shadow moved over the ground, startling me. Raising my head, I saw a dragon gliding across the sky, its scales gleaming like pure jade in the setting sun. I followed his gaze: on the far end, near the landing fields, was a child.
A boy, maybe eight or nine years old, was sheltering his bloodied mother, hitting an injured latawiec with a broken branch. On instinct, I formed a fireball, but I didn’t have time to release it before the jade dragon plummeted from the sky, incinerating the latawiec, then landing next to the child.
I knew from the awe on the child’s face what had happened.
Vahin had told me about the Binding. In times of great distress, a human soul could call a dragon from the sky, binding them together. It was why dragon rider families left their male offspring in caves, scared, starved, and alone.
I felt tears pricking my eyes as I watched the child reach for the dragon, the massive beast lowering his head to let the small hand caress his eyelid. Amid the carnage, I had witnessed a miracle.
The birth of a new dragon rider.
Seeing a dragon pairing with my emotions working properly felt exhilarating. The fact that I was using my magic with ease made the experience almost euphoric, and I couldn’t restrain my grin as I surveyed the battlefield.
As I felt that ease falter, I knew Vahin was drifting too far away, but with only a few demons left, I closed myself off to the tempestuous wind and used my favourite familiar fire. Despite my tiredness, it took little effort to burn away their feathers, sending the creatures to their doom. With the last notes of the maddening song dying down and the smell of burnt feathers making me sick, I sank to my knees, breathing heavily.
‘My lady, drink this, please. You look tired.’ The voice came from beside me and I raised my eyes to see the crippled man from the tavern. He passed me a tankard and I took the offered drink, raising it to my lips. I sighed with pleasure as the ice-cold fluid hit the back of my throat, the apple cider sweet and refreshing. When I turned to thank him for his kindness, the old soldier had already hobbled away.
‘Ani, you bloody witch, you did it!’ Bryna roared so loudly that several heads turned in our direction. ‘She told me she would take the wind from under their wings, and she did exactly that. Cheer, you fuckers, cheer for our saviour!’ she yelled at them, and a resounding roar rang out as the soldiers raised their swords.
I sat on the cobblestones, holding the tankard to my chest, forcing a smile while dread washed over me.
We had successfully defended against one attack, but how many more were there to come?
This had been a shrewd move, happening the moment I’d been at my most vulnerable. I felt a pricking sensation, as if I was being watched.
The Lich King.
I didn’t know how he did it, but to lure Orm and Alaric from the fortress while attempting to take advantage of my raw emotions was a genius—and very cruel—scheme.
I was no longer hesitant to take an Anchor. Fuck, I would Anchor an entire army of mages if it would help, because witnessing the Binding, seeing my people fight together to protect each other? That was worth any heartache.
I was a bloody weapon. Imperfect, scared, and occasionally unhinged, but if this attack had shown me anything, it was that I could make a difference—not just for myself and my men, but for all of those too weak to defend themselves.
Sitting there on the cold cobblestones, dressed in singed blacksmith castoffs, I promised myself that if war was inevitable, then I would stand up and be counted. I prayed to the gods above and below that I wouldn’t fail this time. I would rather die than let my home become a playground for monsters.
1. Return to your nature!
2. Obey.