44. Esther
ESTHER
One moment, Regent is here, and the next he is gone.
My heart beats wildly with frustration and fear, alongside the knowledge his magic isn’t even at half of its strength.
How much will the Ariagem take from him before he drops into the midst of the enemy’s camp?
My fingers curl into my hand at the thought of Dahlia being the one to greet him because I’ve seen her ruthless nature firsthand.
And although I know Regent’s strength and force, I worry it’s not enough to face her as he is now.
A nearby tent goes up in flames, and I dive for a child who is almost wiped out by the falling tent.
We barely scrape past it as it crumbles onto the next, flames spreading throughout the camp.
The taste and smell of smoke ferment on my tongue, and it reminds me of the same night Master Kain and I were taken out to sea, ushered in by the bait of a sea beast, and never to return home again.
I wouldn’t allow the Tahil clan, who took me in, to suffer the same fate.
Women usher the children toward the cliff edge as the greers and hunters gather, raising weapons. Sheila and Imogine calmly shout orders as if they’ve been on the frontlines many times before, controlling the chaos and panic.
“Go,” I say to the child, pushing him toward Imogine.
Within seconds, Blaze is at my back. “We have to leave.”
“We do not leave these people unguarded. We fight,” I tell him, mustering the strength of my ancestors and calling upon the water along the cliff edge to assist. A warrior lunges for me, but Blaze intervenes, slicing him down and kicking him away.
The water comes to me like a smooth snake, its once-jagged edges perfected and polished as my soulless beast glistens in the early hours of the night. Grimace’s eyes widen as it goes overhead, and I summon it to bring the flames to an end, washing over the tents.
A man runs out from the tents, rolling out the flames on his back, screaming even when my water splashes over him.
A woman immediately rushes to his side, pulling him away from the fight.
I release the soulless beast, looking down at my hands, flexing them back and forth, comfortable with the ease in which it now takes me to summon it.
I turn, facing Sheila and Imogine. “Have as many of your children and women as possible go to the boats like Regent said. I can send you against the ocean back toward Skyla. With my influence and magic, it should only take a few days to reach the border of your homeland. The warriors who are wanting and able to fight, come with me.” I look down at myself, the skirt and sleeveless shirt. “I need my leathers back.”
“Your leathers were ripped to shreds when you first arrived, girl.” Sheila grabs my hand. “But Imogine has something better.”
“Imogine.” Talis, her hand-fastened runs toward her. He’s bloodied and filthy, another six men standing strong behind him.
“Talis, thank the Fates.” She wraps her hand around his neck as they dip their foreheads in greeting.
“Spirit guided me back, and just in time. Soldiers move toward us,” he says, besotted by the woman before him. “Where is Regent?” Realization dawns on his expression. “He can’t be out there. If he falls, it’ll ruin the land, and then who knows how far the plague will spread.”
“He made his decision. But we’re getting him back, right?” Imogine says, pinning me with a glare. I nod, grateful to the spirit greer who, despite our differences, is also one of the fiercest warriors I’ve met.
“Sheila!” a man screams as he carries a wounded warrior, a deep red gash down his back. “You have to help Roco. He took a hit from a strong wind greer, and—”
“Bring him to my tent,” Sheila demands, bursting into action.
“Wait, what did this wind greer look like?” A sinking feeling settles into my stomach.
He licks his lips. “She had black hair with pale skin. There was also a fire greer with her, but I can’t identify him much because he was mostly covered. They’re leading soldiers in this direction up the narrow path and toward the cliff edge we have our posts stationed at.”
Fuck. If the wind and fire greer who bought me at the auctions are here, it means Dahlia and Lainteen are working together. My urgency to get to Regent is overwhelming, but I push past it, following Imogine as the warrior slips past us, the weight of his comrade’s life in his hands.
Every second that trickles by manifests the worst-case scenario in my mind. Blaze follows us as Imogine guides me to her tent. For the most part, the chaos now only entails those who are running toward the boats, and the others who rally, their brethren infected now lie on the floor dead.
“Here.” She throws a sword that I catch mid-air.
I swish the blade in two full swings. It’s smaller than Regent’s, but I like the feel of it in my hand.
“It’s blessed from the mainland in Skyla, infused with spirit magic.
It offers a resistance to magic.” She pulls out a standing wooden display, leather-clad attire prepared.
My mouth opens, my fingers brushing over the finery.
“Regent requested I make this for you before we part ways. It would appear it’s required sooner rather than later.
I haven’t been able to imbue much resistant magic into it yet, however. ”
“You can do that with clothes?”
She offers a wry smile. “Girl, I am the next matriarch of the Tahil clan. If I cannot offer my warriors a resistance to death, then what right do I have to lead them?”
“Thank you,” I say, wanting to thank her for so much more. Despite our differences, I understand that Imogine only cares for her people. She nods, grabbing a bag and shoving essentials into it.
I remove my clothing, putting on the pants and leather shirt that buttons at the front, stiff, but thick in material.
Fine detail marks the shoulders and long shirt in waves at the cuffs and across the chest. I fall silent as I think of the purposeful detail that reminds me much of home. A warrior’s garment.
I shift my talisman as I bring my braid over my shoulder, looking down on the faces of Neina and Felia on either side. Grimace’s stolen ruby-incrusted necklace beneath it.
I strap my boots as I catch a glimpse of myself in a small mirror.
A part of me sinks as I hide the shifting markings because of the long-sleeved shirt that comes to my wrist. But still the half-moon circled by the sun at my throat has lulled into a dull blue, displayed proudly.
I look down on Grimace, placing a kiss to his forehead.
“I am proud and honor you, my little beast, but also let me keep you safe in this battle.” Although the constraints of the glamour Master Kain enchanted to hide our beast contract are gone, it doesn’t mean that I’ve become reckless with his life.
We are still bound, for better or for worse, and I only ever want to protect him.
That pang of guilt still sits deep in my stomach, now knowing that all this time, I’ve stunted his growth by hiding the marking.
And I hope, even now, he doesn’t view my request as suppressing him during this battle but only trying to keep him safe.
He nudges himself against my lips, his orange eyes growing wide in that expression he often makes when he feels like he’s missing out. But, with reluctance, he shifts back into shadow. I wait for the scorch of my marking, but instead, it feels light, and I take in a shaky breath, feeling whole.
No chain, no collar. My hand goes to the marking, grateful to have Grimace with me. With that aside, I immediately hone myself into a sharpened blade, my magic fine-tuning with what has to be done.
Imogine and I walk out from the tents and toward the cliff edge. Greers, warriors, and feelopes gather, the last of the children hanging over a warrior’s shoulder as he climbs down the ropes.
The boats are full, over capacity, with few resources. Sheila walks up with her cane, as a warrior brings Regent’s mare toward us.
“Is this everyone?” I ask, looking over the five boats.
“Everyone who can fit, yes.”
“Mother, you have to go with them.” Imogine grabs one of the warriors to request that he help her down, but Sheila raises her hand.
“No, my daughter, you must go with our people.”
Imogine’s eyebrows furrow. “What do you mean, I will stay here and fight.”
“No.” Sheila shakes her head. “I am old, Imogine, and the barrier responds to me. If I leave my post and go to sea it will crumble quicker, giving our warriors less time when the odds are already stacked against them. You must guide our clan to safety and prosperity.”
“No, that’s not what we discussed. We agreed that if they attacked, you would go with the children.”
The old greer casually shrugs. “I lied. And my word is law until I am dead. This is an order, my daughter.”
Imogine’s eyes widen. “Mother, please,” her voice cracks with hurt.
“This is a mother’s duty. As you will soon find out,” she says, placing her hand on her daughter’s stomach.
Imogine’s hand immediately drops on top of Sheila’s.
My brows rise in surprise. Imogine is with child?
“You must carry on our bloodline, Imogine. Which is why I am sending Talis with you.”
Imogine’s voice breaks, “How long have you known?”
Sheila laughs. “You cannot hide anything from me, child. Talis is our fiercest warrior, but we also need someone who can fight on the sea. I am assigning him the responsibility of carrying on our bloodline, and I hope that my grandchild is quite the handful,” she says with a mischievous glint in her gaze.
“You will hear my voice from either here or there. Now go.”
Tears build in Imogine’s eyes as she looks to me, and without words, I nod, understanding the request.
I will do everything I can to protect her.
Imogine scoops her mother into a hug, almost surprising the old woman, whose features crinkle as she smiles and places her hand on her daughter’s back. “Now go. Warn the others of what is to come.”
Imogine scales down the wall as Talis frantically breaks through the crowd with Biscuit and Lovealots.
“You summoned me, Sheila.”
“Go to your wife, Talis. You need to protect our people. You, of all people, know that even on the land of Skyla, they are not safe even among our own. I want you to protect my daughter and the bloodline.”
“But our men here will need guidance and—”
She stomps her cane against the ground. “I will lead my people, or did you forget I was once a warrior, and not only a greer and matriarch alone. You need to raise the next generation, and your warriors will follow you, from either here or there.”
His jaw grinds as he nods. “From here or there.”
I wonder if he knows about the child that’s on the way, or the gift of time that Sheila has blessed them? He climbs down the ropes, meeting Imogine, who glances up from the middle boat.
A loud meow divides the warriors standing behind Blaze and me as Biscuit and Lovealots shoulder through them. They peer down at me with identical eyes.
“They wish to fight alongside us,” Sheila says matter-of-factly as she looks over her people, an astute air about her.
“Fight?” I ask, surprised.
“The feelopes are revered for protecting their young fiercely because they can only have so few. Don’t worry about them, let them do what they do best, and they’ll find their way back home.”
I nod to the feelopes. “Thank you.”
Imogine offers me a signal, and I bundle my magic, calling forth the sea and commanding sirens, far and wide, to silently go beneath the water, ensuring nothing attacks them while in the open.
My mind rattles with chants and prayers of my people, finding the enchantment that best sends them on their way to the land of Skyla in the East. My feet dig into the ground as the force and might of their passage shifts forward.
I breathe, infusing an undercurrent of my magic beneath their boats, enchanting each so that they continue pushing forward until they reach the land of Skyla.
A nauseating swirl builds in my stomach until I relinquish control of the enchantment and hope it’s enough to protect them on the open waters.
My shoulders sag as I rattle out a shaky breath, a little more tired than before, but my blessings and thoughts carry through to them as the boats drift into the canopy of darkness and the unknown.
“Sheila.” A man comes running to her side as greers and warriors wave and some weep in parting. I have every intention of making sure that most of them one day reconnect with their loved ones. “We have an update.”
I turn to the heavily bleeding man. He’s taken a shoulder wound, is beading with sweat, but stands tall, as if unfazed. “We believe Regent has been captured.”
My blood turns cold, and I’m moving toward Reene, already having wasted too much time. I grab her reins and look her dead in the eyes. “Will you take me to him?”
The mare dips her head, and I press my forehead to hers in thanks.
We’re coming for you, I murmur into the bond, not sure if I’m doing it right or if I’m within distance for him to hear it.
However, I let it carry over the wind and elements and anything else that will send forth my message.
My magic is now fine-tuned instead of turning into the chaotic emotional thing it’s inclined to burrow into.
I grab it tightly, reminding my magic that I am its master, and for him, I will control it and destroy everything and everyone that comes between us.