Chapter 58
VARIDIAN
For three hours now, as I relayed information between scouts and commanders, as the clash finally became even, instead of heavily weighted against us, I plunged deeper and deeper into the pool of magic that had appeared when the lightning soul merged with me.
A freefall through endless layers of magic.
There was so much more than I’d felt before, and now I’d begun a controlled drop through it instead of tearing out chunks in rapid succession to call down lightning bolts, I realised its true scope.
The true power the lightning soul had hidden inside me.
It was astronomical. A wealth of magic that would, as she said, shake the world.
I could collapse this entire continent if I chose.
Inside, where no one could see, I fell through another layer of magic, the cool shudder of a storm swelling. Controlled, but for how long?
Do not lose your grip, she snapped. If you lose control now, you’ll wipe everything in sight from the map.
I gritted my teeth, dragged rain-laced air into my lungs, and breathed. Heat simmered just under my skin, and I knew I was hot to the touch. Clouds of shimmering air formed in front of my face, clashing with the cold air and turning the rain to steam. She was right; I needed better control.
Hoarse panting reached my ears moments before the scout arrived, leaning with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. He wheezed, “Tiger allies have reached the field. They fight alongside our soldiers now. But more—more winged enemies come from the river.”
“More?” I growled, and tasted the crackling energy of a lightning storm on my tongue.
Breathe, the lightning soul barked. Now.
I obeyed, filling my lungs with cool air that offered little relief when it heated instantly.
“Five thousand at least,” the scout confirmed, recovered enough to stand up. He was younger than I expected, little older than nineteen, and the thought of how he risked his life for this information had guilt scything through my stomach.
“I found this,” the scout said, holding out Dusk-Breaker to me with a level of care and reverence that told me he knew the legends of Ithanys. “And I just spotted two wyverns just—” He pointed behind himself, but I saw them before he could finish the report. All the breath strangled in my throat.
I wrapped my hand around Dusk-Breaker's cool handle and speared my aching, bruised soul across the narrowing distance.
Relief made my eyes slam shut at the feel of Ameirah—as hot as a raging fire and trembling with something like awe.
In the sky atop Raheema, she looked so small, but her soul was all-encompassing, and full of avenging power.
At Raheema’s side rode a wyvern I never thought I’d see again.
Crimson scales lightened at her nose and belly, slashed with scars all over that sat faded white against the deep red.
Spikes followed the curved shape of her tail.
Eyes the colour of fresh grass shone with their own kind of fire—courage and cleverness.
She was the level head of our legion, always the grounding force when wyvern tempers sparked.
Maleeha. Fahad’s wyvern. With Nabil riding on her, as Fahad had so many times I’d lost count.
She’d come back for us. Maybe even… I thought of the battle-scarred wyverns Mihrunnisa had rounded up, the lone wyverns and feral rogues.
And I wondered if Maleeha didn’t have something to do with that, too.
My vision blurred with tears I couldn’t blink back.
The moment Raheema began to land, I thanked the scout and set off running, sheathing Dusk-Cleaver across my back. Strength filled my muscles until they no longer ached. My pounding head cleared, like the sight of my wife alone was magic.
When her feet touched the ground, I had my arms around her, my face buried in her hair as ragged breaths cleaved apart my chest.
“She found us just before we left the fortress,” Ameirah said with a soft laugh of wonder, running her hands over my messy hair, my shoulders, my neck, my face. “She brought a whole legion with her, fifty wyverns strong. For Fahad. All of it for Fahad.”
My throat closed up. Vicious pain cut through my vocal cords, and I held Ameirah tighter. Rose and gardenia merged with the coppery scent of blood and the earthy tang of mud, and I dragged in more of her scent, filling my chest with it until I could breathe properly again.
“Are you okay?” She drew back, framing my face with warm hands that made my eyes sting. “Varidian, in the bond…”
“Mak’s hurt,” I said hoarsely. “But he’ll heal, he’ll be fine. Well, he’s going to be a grumpy nightmare while he heals. You know what he’s like,” I added in a sad attempt at humour.
Ameirah’s eyes softened, violet and chocolate brown cutting through skin and bone right into my heart. She kissed me without another word, offering the connection and comfort I desperately needed.
I was a moment away from lifting her into my arms and marching into the woods for a secluded spot when I realised a crystalline sense of urgency hid behind the relief, love, and fierceness in the bond.
“What is it?” I asked, bracing myself. “Is the gate still open?”
“Yes, but it’s guarded, and my cousin’s bringing his guards through as we speak.”
I jolted. “What?” I thought she and Nabil would destroy the gate, but it appeared I’d missed a great deal. Her cousin's guards?
“I’ll explain later. Right now, we need to find Xiu, and bring the imams out of hiding.”
“Xiu?” I snarled, the hatred that slumbered in me rising. It was a specific kind of loathing, reserved for her father, her brothers, Xiu, and now Kaazhim.
“She’s the one doing this,” Ameirah explained, and clutched me tighter when the news made me stagger. “She’s the first queen’s descendant. But we have to stop her before she brings back the Zalaam queen and—”
The crack of leathery wings reached us, and I nearly lost my grip on the cold lightning gathering inside me, until I spotted the rider atop it. Amr, the scarred, blood-splattered warrior of my brother’s legion.
“The queen’s at the river,” he shouted down to us, and his rage was palpable from here. “She’s surrounded by wyverns, but Kamaal says it has to be now. It’s our only chance to kill her.”
Ameirah nodded, any kindness and compassion swept behind a mask of steely rage. “Let’s go.”