Chapter 29 #2
Vane caught her as she stumbled. “Soren! Gods, stay with me. It’s just a little further—”
But laughter cut him off. Soren blinked heavily, her vision focusing just enough to see Ilav standing a few feet away.
“Impressive,” he mused in a voice that was not quite right. “You both made it much further than I would have thought. And the game was rather fun to watch, I will admit. Arcadia has grown rather dull over the years without the idiocy of the mortals providing amusement.”
The reality of who—what—Ilav really was came to her slowly. Too slowly, because he was already moving towards them.
“Stay the fuck away from her,” Vane snarled. She could feel his body heating, but she was sure his magic was dimmed too.
There was only one powerful enough to do that.
“Kronos,” she whispered as Ilav knelt. His eyes flickered silver as she said it, and he smiled.
“Hello, Sora. I’d say you look well…but it’s nothing I can’t fix.”
Vane held her tightly against him, as if he could shield them both from what was coming. Kronos’ gaze fell to his hand, his eyes flicking over the marriage band there, and amusement was quickly replaced by rage.
“Come, Sora, if you wish him to live.”
She coughed weakly and rasped, “You’re a fucking liar. You always have been. “
“Fine,” Kronos said, rising to his full height. “We do this the hard way, then.”
Ether sparked the ground around them, and Vane shielded her with his body. But the blow never came, and two wild roars filled the air. Dragonfire, blue and red, torched the ground, setting the camp ablaze in seconds, and she lost sight of Kronos in the sudden chaos.
Dragons were taking to the sky around them, adding to the blaze Thessa and Heles had begun. People screamed in the camp as flames engulfed them. Vane helped haul her onto Thessa’s saddle before practically jumping onto Heles.
Prepare yourself.
Soren coughed as smoke filled her lungs. The other riders—
The mortal princess gathered them. They fly with us.
Thessa took off running, catching the air and vaulting up into the night sky. Heles let out a cry behind them before forging ahead, leading the way. Kneeling atop her, Vane called out, motioning to the riders who circled the camp.
Stay awake, Thessa ordered.
Soren forced her heavy eyes open. Why do the other dragons follow us? Why not try to kill us? We killed Johannas.
We do not bow to a mortal king. We were forged in fire by Vulcan. They only bent the knee to King Johannas’ war because his heir is bound to it so closely.
Heir?
Heles roared, letting another stream of red-hot flame loose in the air, Vane pointing north atop her.
Vulcan, like Nyx, only ever gave his ember of life to one child. Why do you think we chose you both that night?
Does he know?
A rider screamed behind them, and Soren twisted in horror to see three dragons at the tail end of the group, snapping their jaws. Their riders were no friends.
“They must have seen the smoke!” Vane bellowed, turning Heles around, his fingertips glowing like hot coals. Soren could feel her magic returning to her now too, Kronos’ hold loosening. She didn’t know why and didn’t trust it.
Vane called out the name of a flight formation Soren vaguely remembered from her first few days in camp, and Heles roared. As Soren watched, she thought she could see the truth of Thessa’s words now. Vane was powerful, a born leader. That kind of intuition didn’t come from nowhere.
No. We were instructed not to tell you until the right time arose. Heles informs me we are to flee. I am opening the connection back up to them both.
Soren had only half-realized Vane couldn’t hear her conversation with Thessa, but until she could tell him properly, and not in the middle of an ambush, she shut her mind to the issue.
Vane whipped his head back and roared, “Go! Get her to safety!”
“No!” Soren bellowed over the wind currents. “Do not listen to him, Thessa.”
Ahead, a dragon screeched in pain, their rider screaming as they fell, the dragon’s neck partially severed. Cion was letting loose arrows from the back of Valhamnor, and dragonfire lit up the night air.
“Soren!”
She sucked in a breath as Thessa dove, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws of a large gray dragon.
We are leaving.
“No!”
Kronos drained you, even if his hold on you is gone—for now.
Thessa turned from the battle, heading for the thick of the mountain range, and Soren whipped her head back as they gained altitude.
Vane wielded a stream of fire, twisting it with Heles’ and obliterating the last enemy dragon and their rider.
As they fell, he shouted at the others, who began to follow her and Thessa.
I promise, if I wasn’t sure we could make it, I wouldn’t have told Thessilnn to go. Vane’s voice was breathless but gentle in her mind. But you could barely mount her, and I couldn’t focus on getting us out of there while worrying about you falling off her back again.
She didn’t reply, not trusting herself to not accidentally reveal what Thessa had told her.
Heles caught up to them quickly, though, flying next to her.
Every few minutes, Soren saw Vane glance over at her in between scanning the horizon.
She wanted to argue she was fine, but she didn’t have the energy to do much but stay awake.
They landed on a large outcropping of stone just as dawn crested over the horizon. Ahead, the entrance to a cave loomed, but none of the dragons appeared uneasy. In fact, they seemed to relax as they saw it.
Thessa landed next to Heles, and Vane slid off her back, calling, “Let go. I’ll catch you.”
“I am fine,” Soren muttered, though her voice was thin from exhaustion. He caught her as she stumbled to the ground, adding, “I just need food.”
Vane’s mouth curved. “We’ll see to it. Stop trying to walk.”
“You are not going to carry me into a dark, unmarked cave,” she argued, but he was already sweeping her up.
“It’s not unmarked, or at least not unknown. Not to us, and not to the dragons.”
Cion approached, and Soren squirmed uselessly in Vane’s arms. The princess’ lips twitched, just barely. “I suppose it isn’t too difficult to believe you two are actually married.”
Vane didn’t smile. “Does anyone know, besides the riders you gathered?”
She lifted her chin and said quietly, “I told them the commander turned traitor and killed my father. They all report to me now, given I am Queen of Aren.”
“And why do they think they’re here?”
Cion shifted, crossing her arms. “I told them there is a way to restore magic to the mortal world.”
Soren sighed sharply. Let me down.
No. “This isn’t some magical quest.”
“Remember who you’re talking to, Mòr Maslach. I don’t plan on keeping some barbaric hold on you like my father, but I will protect myself and my people against any threats. That includes Kronos. Don’t include yourself in that list.”
“And Mise? The rebels?” Soren said.
Cion worried her lip. “All three kingdoms are in chaos. Kellmere is dead and so is my father. My plan is to call a meeting with the kings of Meesling and Mise and propose a truce, as long as they agree to aid us in a solution.”
“And if they don’t.” Vane began walking to the cave entrance.
Cion followed and replied crossly, “I haven’t gotten that far.”
He turned down the first tunnel on the left, shifting Soren to one arm and using his other palm as a torch. Footsteps behind them told her the other riders were joining.
When Vane stopped again a few minutes later, the tunnel opened into a small cavern. He flicked his fingers, and a ring of torches lit up the space, revealing a few sleeping mats, an abandoned clay mug, and a dusty scroll directly in the middle of it all.
After setting Soren down gently on one of the mats, he looked Cion directly in the eye and said, “Figure it out. And deal with your riders, preferably away from here.”
“Where do you suggest we—”
“In a second cavern, about a quarter of a mile down that tunnel,” he said shortly, pointing to the corner. “There should be a store of supplies there. They’re old but should do just fine.”
“Right,” Cion said flatly. Soren was surprised she didn’t argue, instead just grabbing one of the torches from the wall and shouting, “Riders, with me!”
They filed into the tunnel, and Soren closed her eyes, mumbling, “You didn’t lie, right? There is another cavern, not a gaping hole where they’ll all fall to their deaths?”
Vane chuckled roughly, brushing her hair off her forehead. “I did not lie. I just needed them to not be here.”
She opened her eyes. “Vane, there’s something—”
“Later, my love,” he said. “You need to rest.”
She bit back a protest, knowing he was right, and shut her eyes, letting oblivion take her.