Chapter 71 Nora
Nora
It had been days.
Days of traveling, leading several thousand men and women.
Tryssa had done a fantastic job of spreading the word to her network of magic wielders.
A few dozen had enlisted, dropping themselves into service before we departed Highcrest. Ravinder and the remaining Rahana soldiers took up position in the middle with them, including Sverik. We had capable hands, indeed.
Nick walked ahead with the stone creature and Dante.
Though I possessed no magic, the power I did wield came from my position in the kingdom.
For days, I walked side by side with the people I cared about, getting to know the others and how their magic worked.
How anyone could create a place for hate to nest within themselves toward people with an equal amount of humanity was beyond me.
I’d be lying if I said my snarling glares toward Windguard’s high-ranking officers had been hidden well.
I palmed the hilt of the dagger strapped to my hip when I thought about what I might say to the King of Windguard when we were to inevitably meet.
That slimy bastard had refused to contribute his forces to march on The Order in the north.
Refused to let ours cross into his territory.
Claimed we couldn’t be trusted not to enact war upon his people since we might hold resentment for his “reasonable” attack against the “criminals” of Rahana.
My grip tightened, the ridges of the metal melding perfectly with my skin. I let go, allowing my hand to fall to my side and sway with my strides when I realized my first course of action was to reach for it.
“I would give you warning if you were crossing a line you couldn’t return from.” Evenita stepped beside me.
“Are you sure you don’t read minds?” I craned my neck to assess her, a cheeky smile tugging at my lips.
“Now that is not a power I possess,” she retorted with a soft smile.
I had been so stunned I couldn’t form words when Evenita appeared at Highcrest, demanding that she join the army marching to Windguard. Alaina jogged to catch up to us, falling into place beside the old seer.
“Decided you want to share anything else with me yet?” she asked the seer, the perfect picture of a warrior.
Her many braids sat atop her head in a knot, save for a few that fell.
Her dark skin glistened in the summer sun, her toned arms exposed by her leather vest that hosted a couple throwing knives.
Evenita hummed, as if wrestling with a great decision. Then she simply replied, “No.”
Alaina released a frustrated huff. “You know, it would be helpful to understand this damned prophecy before we meet face-to-face with those wielding dark magic.”
Marco and Alaina had returned with half of Marco’s army, no less, bringing with them ancient records from before Argora Vale fell. Alaina had been pestering Evenita about it since they reunited.
When Argora Vale was overtaken by the curse one hundred years ago, Evenita had been there. She didn’t reveal much about what happened back then, explaining that fail-safes had been created for when the day came that the Black Pool awakened again.
A single sparrow flew overhead, the only living creature besides our army that I’d seen in days. Every so often, I’d catch Evenita flashing a smile in its direction, like she greeted an old friend. It reminded me of the elderly women who would toss scraps to the seagulls along South Harbor’s beach.
“Regretting this yet?” Marco snuck up behind me, intentionally blaring the question in my ear.
I jumped, my heart pounding in my chest. “Look what could have happened to you!” I directed his attention to the raised dagger in my hand that I’d withdrawn out of instinct.
“Good thing I’m a healer.” His smile boasted his pride.
“You’re impetuous.” I rolled my eyes, sheathing my weapon—though a small part of me wanted to test how fast he could recover. “And no, not yet. Can’t imagine it’ll be long now.”
We’d almost crossed the entirety of Windguard.
I glanced over my shoulder. Melody rode atop a horse, Tio on another beside her.
If I believed in praying, I would have requested they spare her any trauma that might arise from facing these assholes again.
This same group was responsible for almost taking her away from me. Twice.
Every fiber of my being vowed they would suffer, and she would not be lost to them a third time. Had Taja not been forced into compliance with our mission, he would have felt the first of that wrath.
Marco’s army had been the leverage we needed. Windguard’s army was greater than Highcrest’s, but once Highcrest combined with half of Duski’s, we called the shots. Especially since his people were equally experienced fighting with magic as with a sword.
Morale among the few dozen Highcrest wielders boosted seeing the soldiers from Rahana and Duski.
Over the days, our people had been practicing together.
It’d been amazing to see what could be accomplished when we joined forces.
This would serve as the model for the new Highcrest, the one we would create once we returned, having vanquished our foes and the threat to the kingdoms.
Or this broken world would die from the unleashed curse.
“We’re about to have a visitor,” Evenita said, cheery as ever. “I’d command your guards to put away their weapons now.”
“Never not cryptic, are you Nita?” Marco chuckled.
I projected my voice loudly. “An ally approaches. Lower your weapons.” Backs straightened, gazes keen on the still silent woods around us.
A few moments passed before rustling sounds came from ahead. Nicholas had been several paces in front of me, but returned and wrapped his arm around my back. A black shadow barreled toward us, and bile rose in my throat thinking the curse had surged.
Instead, a massive mangy beast burst forth. We remained frozen in place, except for Tio, who charged on his horse toward the creature, no weapons raised.
“Ro!” he shouted. That was when I noticed the riders atop the demonic feline. Ro slid from the beast she rode at the same time Tio dismounted before his horse had even pulled to a stop. They ran toward each other and embraced.
“Let’s go,” I said to Nick and set my hand over his, leading us to reunite with our friend.
If we’d been in danger, Evenita would have warned us, not disarmed us.
I repeated that in my head over and over as finer details of the atrocious creature came into focus.
Nick switched sides, placing himself between me and the beast. It didn’t act normal.
Its bones constantly shifted beneath its onyx fur, like something roiled inside it, like it couldn’t sit still.
“Nora,” Ro greeted as she came in for a hug.
I couldn’t help but notice how drained she looked, and sadness engulfed me like flames.
Tio had informed us what had happened to her, at least the parts he knew.
I’d seen the conditions this so-called Order of Darkness inflicted upon Melody when she’d been kidnapped and placed on that boat so I could only imagine what happened at the heart of their operation.
Her body trembled in my embrace. “I’m so fucking happy you’re okay,” I whispered into her ear.
Seeing her this shaken knocked my confidence on its side.
Who were we up against? Ro had been a badass since the moment I’d met her, breaking rules of convention but was guided by a caring heart.
A tear trailed my cheek, and I swallowed the sob that wanted to rip free.
“We might be too late,” she whispered, her voice coming across broken and fear-stricken.
“What do you mean?” I pulled back, holding her arms for fear she’d drop to the ground without my support.
Ro tossed a weary glance toward the heinous creature. It looked back at her. A silent conversation passed between them.
“Yeah, they do this a lot,” one of the young men who’d been riding with them said, stepping up to Ro’s side.
“You’re new,” Tio said to the young man, crossing his arms. “Dae’s brother?”
“More like, Dae should be known as my brother. I’m Jai.” He extended his hand toward Tio, who took it, then he extended to me and Nick as well.
“Nice to meet you, Jai. I’m Nora, and this is my husband, Nick.”
Jai widened his eyes. “As in…”
“King and Queen of Highcrest,” Tio added with a grin, getting satisfaction over the young man’s shock.
Jai awkwardly adjusted his shirt, trying to smooth the wrinkles. “Wow. Honor,” he said with a dip of his chin. “This is my other brother, Kaval. He’s been leading The Kraanti, a magical rebellion group in Windguard.”
Kaval stepped forward, bending at the hip to give us a bow.
“Tell us what we’re up against,” Nick said, nodding toward the direction they’d come from.
“Well, when we left, dragons were attacking. I don’t think they’ll be much for us to deal with after that,” Kaval said.
An unnatural breeze flitted by, and suddenly that mangey creature was gone. In its place stood a man with striking resemblance to Jai. Tio had told us about Dae, but that he could shift into a tiger, not…whatever that had been.
He strode up to Ro, taking her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest, like he could shield her from whatever horrors she’d endured.
The way his hand sank into her hair, and how his cheek rested against her head, confirmed what Tio had hinted at.
They were together. The care he held for her was evident.
I was grateful she had someone to help steady her.
“So we should hold the army here. I won’t send our forces into a bloodbath against ancient creatures. Seems like they might take care of our problem for us,” Nick suggested.
“Ro, did the dragons say what they wanted? Why they ended up coming?” I asked. Tio and Melody had explained where Ro had gone while they attempted Mel’s magic on the curse.
“We didn’t have time to ask. We were in the middle of a…situation when they showed up. It was the distraction we needed to slip away,” Dae said, finally addressing us.
“They shouldn’t have come,” Ro basically whimpered, remaining in Dae’s embrace.
Evenita quietly joined, slipping past Nick and gently placing her hand on Ro’s back. “It’s going to be alright, child.”
Ro and Dae looked at the old woman.
“I have something for you.” Evenita removed a scroll tucked beneath her shirt. She placed it in Ro’s hand, curling her fingers around it. “You. Are. Brave.” Evenita complimented the broken woman before her, kind encouragement to bolster her strength.
Alaina and Marco had retrieved that scroll. We’d read it on the trek through Windguard, but it seemed like a bunch of poetic nonsense.
Day is dawn and dawn is day,
When life springs forth anew.
Restless nights with darkened frights,
Dying at the sinew.
As opposites meet, one takes the lead.
Glory goes to no victor.
Death ends with life,
A cease to strife, and it starts with just a flicker.
Had Evenita not placed such importance on it, I would have elected to leave it behind. Why she gave it to Ro, I didn’t understand, and judging from Ro’s expression, she was also confused.
Evenita caressed Ro’s cheek as she read from the scroll, but her body jolted as she stared off into the distance.
“Evenita?” Nicholas asked before I had the chance to. “What did you see?”
The silver-haired woman blinked away the vacancy that shrouded her eyes for those seconds and faced Nick. “We must march on.”
Nick nodded.
“You mean head back towards the fire breathing death birds? The ones raining murder and destruction against an already powerful group?” Jai asked, looking bewildered.
Ro rolled up the scroll and straightened, a deep crease forming between her brows.
Evenita squeezed her hand. “Yes.”
Tio wrapped his arm around Jai, turning him to face north. “Who better to fight fire with fire, hm? I hear you wield it.”
The two began carrying on in conversation. I laced my fingers through Nick’s beside me. “I love you. Let’s go show those bastards they messed with the wrong family.”
I didn’t just mean for what they’d done to Melody, though that was enough for me to slit throats all on its own, but for the family we’d made along the way. The people I was glad to have at my side during this battle, since it may be our last. We would come together and fight for a better world.
My husband pressed a kiss to my cheek, and I hoped it wouldn’t be the last.