Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
ELARIYA
First light painted the courtyard in buttery shades of gold streaked with periwinkle by the time we gathered outside.
The morning air carried a pleasant chill, and the scent of dew-covered grass tickled my nose. In the distance, the sounds of birds drifted across the grounds.
Five dragons waited for us in the center of the courtyard.
Pyrion stood closest, her dark scales gleaming beneath the dawn light. Beside her, Hedion shifted his weight and released a low rumble that vibrated through the stone beneath my feet.
Three others stood nearby. I'd never seen them before.
My gaze moved over each of them. Like all Wolfe’s dragons, they were enormous and powerful. Magnificent.
Their wings folded neatly against their bodies as they watched us approach.
For a moment, I allowed myself to marvel at their beauty.
I could never get enough of dragons. Each one fascinated me in ways I couldn’t describe.
I couldn’t wait to get my own bonded. Though it would feel strange not riding Hedion as much.
I was certain I’d fix that, though. I never had a problem giving the dragons my attention.
Alaric stepped ahead of the group. The dragons immediately focused on him.
A faint smile touched his face. "Shadowfane."
The largest of the three dragons lifted its massive head. Gunmetal scales covered its body, gleaming like polished steel beneath the dawn light. Faint silver markings ran between the plates like veins, contrasting against the darker color.
The dragon lowered its head in acknowledgment when Alaric reached him. In response, Alaric stroked his head.
“Guys, this is my dragon,” Alaric said proudly. "Shadowfane."
“He’s beautiful. Why haven’t I seen him before?” I beamed.
“He prefers the colder temperatures of the North and hates living in a cave. We call for each other when we need to.” Alaric tapped the skin by Shadowfane’s thick neck.
“And he also doesn’t like flying dragons as much as me,” Wolfe cut in with a teasing smile.
Alaric relented. “Yeah. That too.”
Wolfe stepped forward, pausing to give me a quick kiss on my forehead, then he pointed to the other two dragons.
“This is Mirken and Garnette.” He glanced back at Bastian and Kaem. “You guys will ride them. Arielle, you’re with Alaric.”
Everyone nodded, though Arielle clearly wanted to be with Bastian. Wolfe wouldn’t allow it because Alaric was a more experienced rider than Bastian. If anything were to happen in the sky, Alaric would be able to take care of her and himself.
“This is going to be a long journey, guys,” Wolfe continued. “And dangerous.”
“You let me worry about the danger part,” Kaem chimed in. “I have a thing or two up my sleeves. Nothing should catch wind of us on the journey. Things will be a bit different when we reach Dravkava. Vampires are sneaky bastards.”
Wolfe sighed. “I know. We’ll cross over that bridge when we get there.”
Kaem nodded.
“Let’s get going.” Wolfe waved his hand, and the dragons lowered their bodies. Even Alaric’s dragon obeyed him.
Everyone mounted their dragons. Wolfe stopped me just as I was about to climb on top of Hedion.
“Be careful,” he warned.
I smiled back at him, remembering his journal entry about how he worries whenever I go flying. “You know I am.”
“I do, but just be extra careful for me. And stay close.”
I stood on the tips of my toes and gave him a little kiss. “I will.”
He caught me, bringing me closer. “I want more of those kisses when we get back.”
“You can have as many as you want.”
“Good.” He released me. “Be careful, Lady Nightblade.”
“You too, my Lord.”
He touched two fingers to his head and heart, then we climbed onto our dragons.
Hedion helped me up in his usual way, then we were off.
The dragons launched almost as one. Claws left stone and a gust of wind blasted across the grounds caused by their massive wings.
Within seconds, Vyrenth Hollow was falling away beneath us.
Cold air rushed past my face as we climbed higher and higher into the heavens.
This was my favorite part. When the world opened to me and the forests stretched vast in every direction.
We all flew together, almost side by side like a flock of birds. Except we were on dragons. I would never tire of this.
I looked across at Wolfe astride on Pyrion’s back, close enough that I could see that worry in his eyes.
I waved, letting him know I was okay.
“Hold fast, my Lady. Rough winds ahead,” Hedion said, speaking to my mind.
I grabbed on tighter.
The wind came, fierce and unrelenting, the kind that could hurtle you to your death from thousands of feet in the air. But I loved it.
It was in these moments when I felt most free, maybe because it felt like I could defy gravity. I hadn’t been good at many things in my life. Flying made me believe I could do anything.
Soon, the mountains gave way to rolling valleys and winding rivers that glinted beneath the morning sun.
Then time slipped by.
The dragons flew tirelessly, carrying us across vast stretches of land with impossible speed.
By midday, we'd left Galaythia far behind. By afternoon, the landscape had begun to change.
We stopped twice for a break of food and water, then carried on.
When the sky began to darken and the dragons slowed, I realized we were nearly there.
Dravkava lay the furthest to the east. It was the biggest of the vampire kingdoms.
The closer we got, the more my nerves tightened. I wasn’t sure what this trip would be like.
The uncertainty I felt was greater than going to Zyvaris with Thayden. I’d been there before, and it was in the mortal realm.
Dravkava had vampires. And knowing they hated mages most was unsettling, to say the least.
A knot bloomed in my stomach when Hedion began to descend the dusky sky.
We’d been flying all day, but the real journey was just beginning.
The dragons descended shortly, circling once above a secluded clearing before landing amongst the trees.
I slid from Hedion’s back and took a moment to steady myself.
For some reason, I'd expected Dravkava to look vastly different from the rest of the magical realm.
It didn't.
I thought of dark, skeletal woodlands like in the Interstice, but the forest surrounding us looked much like any other I'd seen during my travels through Galaythia.
Tall trees with blue and silver leaves stretched toward the heavens, and vibrant green grass covered the ground.
We could almost be walking through the woods at Vyrenth Hollow.
But… something did feel different.
It was the air. It carried a… strange heaviness.
Not exactly threatening. It felt… watchful?
As though the land itself was studying us. Like it knew we didn’t belong.
It wouldn’t be wrong.
Gawh. I was being paranoid. Maybe.
Pyrion folded her wings and released a low rumble as Wolfe slid from her back. He came up to me, and his hand found the small of my back, grounding me in a way only he could.
One by one, the others joined us.
No one spoke. We simply stood there together taking it all in.
“What now, Wolfe?” Arielle was the first to break the silence, a tremor in her voice. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Okay. So, it wasn’t just me, then.
“Nothing is going to feel right. They probably already know we’re here,” Wolfe replied, glancing around the clearing. “Let’s just hope we can reach Viktor’s house before we attract any other attention.”
I wanted to point out that getting to the house might not be any better than being out here but held my tongue. I was sure he already knew that and didn’t need me fanning the flames of fear.
“Let’s head to the village and make our way from there,” Kaem suggested. “It’s quicker and we may be able to blend in with the people there.”
“Good idea,” Wolfe agreed and glanced at Bastian. “Let’s cloak the dragons.”
Bastian and Wolfe spread their arms wide and muttered a Galdrlore spell. Within moments, the dragons disappeared from our sight. For a moment, I worried we wouldn’t find them again, but I remembered that Wolfe and Alaric would be able to, because of their bond.
We lifted the hoods of our cloaks over our heads and proceeded through the forest. I made extra certain no red wisps of my hair escaped. Vampires had red hair, too, but not this particular shade. Mine would always mark me a mage of the Ravenwood Realm.
It took a while to get through the forest. It was much darker by the time we spotted the first home. Then the village within unfurled, and I spotted the differences straightaway in the people.
The vampires.
The first thing I noticed were their eyes. Everyone we passed possessed an ethereal quality to their gaze.
Some had brown eyes. Others blue. Green. Gray. But beneath the color lay a faint silvery sheen, as though moonlight had somehow become trapped behind their irises.
I wasn’t frightened, more like fascinated, and the detail was impossible to ignore.
So was their beauty. It wasn't the polished perfection of the Fae. Nor was it the rugged attractiveness of warriors.
The vampires possessed a timeless elegance that made them seem frozen in their prime.
There were children amongst them and there were adults. But no elderly.
If this were Stormfell, I would have at least seen a few oldtimers by now, especially in the market square. There would be people like Goodie Longsdale telling the children stories while offering them candy, and Farmer Penrose complaining about the crows getting to his crops.
Even in Galaythia I’d seen older people.
But here there were no bent backs or wrinkled skin, and no signs of age beyond the wisdom carried in their eyes.
It was as though time had simply stopped for them.
All of them.
As we passed by and people stared back, it occurred to me that even though we’d done our best to disguise ourselves, we stood out a mile. We didn’t look like them. At all.
It was like trying to hide a ginger cat among a herd of black cattle.
“Stay close, guys,” Wolfe whispered, but his tone did not sound sure. He knew we were in trouble. That’s why he took my hand.
He held it close.
He led us down a cobbled path. When we turned the corner, guards dressed in uniform and carrying long spheres waited for us.
We stopped. The tallest guard approached, grinning menacingly, elongated fangs on show.
“Now, now,” he said, pointing his sphere at Wolfe. “What would bring Wolfe Nightblade and his court to the Kingdom on Dravkava?”
Shit. We were definitely in trouble.
I think we always were. There was never any hope of staying hidden.