CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
JESPER, KILLIAN AND TALYN COME running into the Keep next, armed to the teeth, each of them dressed in black armor, looking every bit as dangerous as the dragons they ride. A warmth begins to unfurl in my lower stomach at the sight of them and their nostrils flare.
“Oh, Little Mouse. As delicious as you smell when you’re needy for your mates, we don’t have time. Unless you want to ride with me.” He winks, taking a step closer.
Talyn scowls. “We don’t have time for this—we need to fly fast and hard if we want to assess the damage before it’s tampered with. You can stay here with her. I don’t need you to be distracted on the mission.”
My arms cross across my chest. “Like fuck you’ll be leaving me here. As you said earlier, this is my realm. I wouldn’t want to get sores on my ass from sitting all day on my fancy throne, now would I?”
Nero and Vasari chuff with amusement.
“Aemon, if you don’t mind blinking me back to my room so I can quickly get dressed and grab some weapons, I’d appreciate it.”
“What, princess? Can’t you blink yourself?”
I ignore Talyn as Aemon takes my hand and his shadows wrap around us, just as I see Killian smack the asshole upside the head. It only takes a moment and light shines through, but we aren’t in my room.
“Since you’ve been here, I had the smith make you armor to match our wing.
It arrived yesterday, but I haven’t had the chance to show you yet.
Although I’m still working out the kinks on your sword…
” His lip curls in annoyance and I want to ask why there’s kinks, but I can’t take my eyes off the gorgeous armor in front of me.
The entire suit is as dark as the endless night, absorbing all the light that touches it, with a deep purple trim along the edges of each piece of armor.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe.
“Here, let me help you into it. It should fit over your leathers,” he informs me, grabbing the first piece.
I nod, letting him take the lead on this, and knowing I can learn how to put it on myself when we aren’t in a rush.
He works quickly, placing and strapping each piece into place, his nimble fingers gliding with ease, like he’s done this hundreds of times before, which I suppose he has.
Finally, he places the helm upon my head and smiles softly.
“There’s my beautiful, slightly stabby, Queen,” he chuckles.
My head shakes in laughter. “I haven’t stabbed you since that first day.”
He groans. “I know. It’s such a shame. I like it when you get violent.
We best get moving. Oh, before I forget.
” He moves over to one of the cupboards and pulls out a cage with a perch.
“It’s not much but I figure Nero wouldn’t want to be left behind.
It’ll strap onto your saddle and keep him safe during high speed flights. ”
“Oh, he’s going to hate this,” I laugh, just picturing the fight he’s going to put up about being caged. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” he whispers, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
I gasp, taken by surprise as I’m still not used to the random displays of affection. I melt into him and when I open my eyes, we’re back in the Keep. Jesper whistles and winks, while Killian stares at me with longing before he turns and storms after Talyn.
“Come on, Little Dream. Let’s get you on Vasari. It might take a bit to adjust to the weight, but it’s the lightest, most durable metal I could find.”
“It’s not too bad. I’m surprised how well I’m able to move still, though. It’s only slightly restrictive.”
He shadows me onto Vasari’s back and takes Nero’s transport cage out of my hands and begins attaching it to the saddle. “Some of the best smiths live here in Vathia. I couldn’t let my mate have basic armor. I’m not a heathen.”
Nero eyes the cage and I can sense when he comes to the realization. “Fuck no. Ravina. I will not be caged. I’m meant to be free and frolic amongst the treetops.”
I shrug. “Then I guess you’ll have to stay behind and miss out on all the action.”
He gasps, his wingspan stretching out and flapping a few times in betrayal. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Get in the cage, Nero.”
He huffs, his plumage puffing up. “Fine. But I’ll hate you for this.”
I laugh at his dramatics as he climbs inside the cage and pouts. The moment it’s secure, I settle myself in my saddle and prepare to take off, waiting for Vasari to get outside the Keep.
She swings her snake-like neck over her shoulder to peer at me and make sure I’m good, and when she sees Nero she lets out a bolstering laugh inside my head, chuffing. “Awe, the deformed chicken looks like he’s about to lay an egg. Hold on tight!”
WE FLY NON-STOP, only taking breaks to relieve ourselves, eat, get a couple hours of sleep and keep going.
My mates—or maybe it’s how wing hierarchy works—keep me in the center front of the flight, flying in an inverted ‘V’ shape.
It’s sort of comforting how safe flying like this in a wing makes me feel.
“Evisdor says that Aemon reports the village should be coming up now. You guys really need to bond so I can stop feeling like a messenger pigeon,” Vasari mutters dryly.
Wait. What? Bond?
She sighs dramatically. “Yes. Bond. If you let your mates mount you—whichever way you pesky fae like to do it, which is just over-complicated if you ask me—you form bonds. What comes with bonds?”
“Telepathic communication?” I guess.
“There you go. Now hurry up with that. You’ll be stronger together, too.”
I adjust my hips; sitting in the saddle for long hours has been making me stiffer than a board. “These things take time. I’m getting to know them again. I will bond to them when I’m ready,” I remind her for the tenth time today. I honestly have no idea why she’s pushing this so hard.
She huffs but remains quiet.
Nero shifts around in his transport cage. “You know she’s right. You five would have an extreme advantage to be able to communicate like this in battle and more.”
“I know, but that’s not a good enough reason to complete bonds. I want to make sure that…”
“That what?” He cocks his head to the side.
“That they love me… and I reciprocate it. I know we have this long complicated history of knowing each other and being friends… but is it enough?”
He chuffs, shaking his little feathered head.
“You’re so blind Rav. Those males practically worship the ground you walk on.
I know you keep saying that you won’t pull away anymore, but I think a piece of you is still holding onto something.
Let go and fall. They will catch you. If they don’t, then more eyeballs for me. ”
Am I holding back still? I relented to sharing my bed with Jesper and Aemon, although we haven’t done anything but cuddle.
Kill usually sits in a chair near the window and sleeps, and I don’t see Talyn come in or leave my room, but I know they’re there.
I spend time with them. So why am I not actually taking this step with them… Well, most of them.
Talyn pisses me off too much to consider bonding to him right now, and Killian almost seems hesitant to touch me. We haven’t kissed since that night in the library. My hand rests on my side where I know my mark sits. Could I take that step with the other two?
Suddenly Vasari begins descending towards the ground and that is when I see it. The village is nothing but ash, charred lands and smoke.
We circle the land a few times, making sure no one else is around before we land.
Vasari and Nero hiss.
“It tastes tainted,” Nero mumbles, his feathers poofing up.
Vasari dips her head moving closer to Tisur. “It’s ancient magick, but yes, it seems tainted.”
“Spread out and look around,” Talyn orders, hopping down from Zaddro. “Look for anything that seems unusual. And let’s hurry, I don’t like the feeling of being here.”
With a breath to steady my nerves, I climb down, my boots crunching on chunks of burnt wood. Whatever did this killed everything and burnt the village to the ground. Vasari sniffs the ground before her head whips to Evisdor, who also takes a whiff.
“What is it?” I ask, walking around to stand in front of her.
She paws at the ground, a strong sense of disgust coming from her. “Whatever these creatures are, they have access to shadow flames. The ground reeks of brimstone. If they had let it burn any longer they would have turned this whole slab of land into dragonstone.”
My eyes widen at the implication of what she’s saying. With how hot and fast shadow flames burn, these fae didn’t have a chance. “Why would someone do something like this? Did the other places use shadow flames as well?”
Surprisingly, Talyn answers me. “No, this is a new development. Before there were bodies left to find.” He then mutters to himself, “How the fuck is my father doing this…?”
“I can’t find anything,” Jesper states, bounding over to me and swinging me around before placing me on my feet. “I think we need to inform Lady Zorn about this and see if she has any ideas.”
I place my hands on my hips as I listen to them debate on what we should do next.
After a moment I decide to butt in. “Is there anywhere that might have information on what these creatures are? Surely there has to be information somewhere if your fathers are capable of controlling the Soul Stone somehow.”
They each glance at each other before Killian speaks up. “The only thing I can think of is the Library at the royal castle, but no one has been able to get in there.”
“Great, so back to square one,” I mutter.
Suddenly, all five dragons roar, shaking the ground beneath our feet and nearly shattering my eardrums.
“Riders incoming,” Vasari growls at the same time Talyn says, “Get Ravina to safety!”
“Like the void am I going anywhere!” I bellow back.
Talyn comes storming over to me, hoisting me up by my breastplate, while somehow managing to hold me an arms length away. “You will listen to orders. This isn’t some game, this is real life.”
I glare at him, now that he has us at the same height, and poke him in the chest. “If I’m going to be your queen some day, then you listen to my orders. I will fight alongside my mates if that is what it comes down to. I can hold my own. Why don’t you just worry about yourself and leave me be!”
“Because I’ve already lost you once! Your death tore my fucking world apart. So you will get on your dragon and fly back to Kraryn!”
“Fucking make me.” I swing my foot up and kick off his chest, flinging myself out of his grip as I race to Vasari.
I will not be sidelined.
Not anymore.
If I’m to fight to fix this realm that my mother loved, if I’m to possibly one day take on her mantle and throne, then I’m going to pour all my blood, sweat and tears into making it a reality.