CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
MY BLADE CUTS THROUGH THE cheap, fragile armour of the fae in front of me.
Blood pours out his mouth as I put my boot on his chest and dislodge him from my sword.
I don’t have time to watch the light leave his eyes as I turn and dispose of the next one trying to end my life.
It’s been three long days of this and I’m exhausted.
The end has to be near. Craven is going to have to show his face eventually.
Jesper is pouncing around me, leaving a mountain of bodies in his wake.
Vasari and Tisur fly just above us and they take down gryphons, protecting us from aerial attacks.
It’s utter chaos and bloodshed. My body is fighting to survive while my mind has disassociated, only focusing on making sure we all get through this alive.
“Has anyone spotted Craven?” I shout into the bond as I dodge another blade, summoning fire and shooting it at the fae who dares attack me. Rude.
“Yes, please tell me someone has seen the fucker,” Nero growls as he lands on my shoulder again. My constant movement must be annoying as Fates, but we refuse to separate in case someone gets a hold of him. Plus he wants to be where all the snacks are.
Killian grumbles, “Nothing yet.”
“The dragons haven’t seen anything either,” Aemon adds.
Talyn scoffs. “My sperm donor is here somewhere. There’s no way he would miss this. He is probably sitting back at the war camp waiting for something.”
Metal clangs violently behind my head and I whip around to see two blades crossed, barely a foot from me. Batsil grimaces as she thrusts her blade through the enemy fae’s face.
“Try to be more aware of your surroundings, Princess,” she breathes, out of breath from the physical exertion of fighting. My Royal Guard surrounds me, keeping most of the fae from reaching me. “Might I suggest getting back on your dragon. You’ve proved enough already.”
I shake my head. “If I run now, how will I ever gain the respect of the realm?”
She places a hand on my shoulder. “You have more than earned your citizens’ respect. Now go. Save your energy for when you find Craven, and bring that bastard to his knees for both of our families,” she growls.
I sigh, reluctant, but I know enough not to argue any further, so call Vasari.
She swoops down low enough for me to blast myself off the ground with air and onto her back, and my mouth nearly drops when I see the carnage below from this vantage point.
Nero follows, and with nimble fingers I attach his lead so he doesn’t fall behind with my dragon’s quick speeds.
Tisur scoops up Jesper into his talons and throws him up into the air before catching him on his back.
I glance down at our warriors below and my eyes widen with horror. My scream lodges in my throat for a second too long. “Watch out!”
Batsil doesn’t have time to block the attack and Craven’s warrior drives their blade deep into her gut, twisting.
Vasari roars, feeling my anguish as she dives back toward my instructor and Royal Guard leader, swallowing her attacker whole.
The screams as he’s swallowed abruptly stop as I jump back off Vasari.
My bonds flood with worry at my distress, but I block them off as I run to my Guard, who’s being rallied by Numix.
“Batsil!” I land on my knees beside her and Numix takes up his post at my back.
She’s pale and blood dribbles from her mouth, her glassy eyes staring off into the distance like she’s trying to find where I am, and I already know in my heart that she isn’t going to make it. I take her hand and her breath stutters.
“Princess… I-I told you to flee… Kill that motherfucker…” She coughs and blood sputters.
Tears stream down my face as anger wages its own war inside me.
“I will.” Her breathing stutters again and I know my next words will be the last she hears until she’s with the Fates.
“You honoured your family. You fought bravely, and when this is done you will receive a warrior’s funeral.
Go with peace, and know that you did extraordinarily.
” A sob rips from my chest as I fight to get my composure.
A breakdown can come after this is done.
She takes her last breath and joins the Fates, where I can only hope she’s found the peace she deserves.
I climb back to my feet and rush for Vasari, determined to find Craven, even if I have to hunt him down to the ends of the realm.
Once we are in the air, I speak through my bonds. “Well if he isn’t going to meet us here, then we will bring the fight to him,” I growl, finished with all the destruction this greedy, vile male has caused.
Aemon starts to try to talk me down but Killian cuts him off. “Incoming enemy wing of five from the south!”
Shit. Vasari spins us and beats her massive wings to remain in place as the shadows on the southern horizon continuously get bigger. Tisur and Jesper join me, and moments later so do my other mates with Ember, Rozen and Lennox coming up behind us. eight against five are good odds right?
My knuckles are nearly white as I grip Vasari’s saddle, squeezing my thighs against her massive form. I will not fall again.
The enemy wing gets closer and my eyes squint, then widen as I realize I recognize that dragon and the one-eyed rider on top of it. Bracken. Nero growls, his form vibrating with rage. This time, that miserable excuse for a fae is not leaving this field alive.
“He is mine,” I hiss to my mates as Vasari charges straight for him. Our rage is palpable and Vasari moves swiftly, diving talon- and teeth-first at the massive black beast. Their bodies collide and my dragon has the upper hand as she forces his to the ground.
The thundering above me as my wing attacks the other beasts still in the air is merely a background thought as my own battle crashes to the ground.
Vasari’s needle-sharp teeth dig into the enemy beast’s neck and rip its throat out in a shower of blood and fleshy chunks.
She roars in victory and stalks around her kill, but my eyes don’t leave the male who thought he could use me.
Who took advantage of my kindness, who betrayed not only me but the realm by working with Craven—and now his time in my kingdom has come to an end.
“No! My dragon!” he bellows, tears pouring down his face as he tries to rouse his beast. Now even if he somehow escapes, he won’t live long thanks to that bond between them being ripped to shreds.
I jump off Vasari. The sound of clashing metal and screams surrounds me as I stride toward Bracken, pulling my blade from its sheath once again. “Well, well. How the mighty have fallen,” I sneer when I know he’s close enough to hear me.
“You,” he growls. “This is all because of you! We could have had everything—”
“Seriously?” I yawn. “This again? I should just save my ears the suffering and kill you now.”
Nero chuffs. “Don’t forget his other eyeball. It can be my first matching set!”
Bracken sputters, nearly tripping over his own feet as he moves toward me. Pathetic. “You could have ruled a province with me. King Craven would have let you live for the use of your blood, even though you stole his mate.”
I laugh, a full aching belly laugh. “Oh you stupid male. I am the future Queen of Damorleia like my mother before me, and no male will ever belittle or abuse me again.” I growl. My magick sparks at my fingertips as I pull the air from his lungs while I slowly move toward him.
My blade comes down on his arm, severing it from his body, his own sword clattering to the ground with it.
I lean in and whisper. “You are nothing, Bracken Levine, and you will die here forgotten with no one to mourn you, and for me, that is a win.” A grin stretches across my face, one that I’m sure Jesper would be proud of, before my sword arches, sailing through the air and slicing through his neck.
I watch as his head rolls away, the light fading from that pale blue eye.
Nero darts off my shoulder to collect his prize and I turn to Vasari who—if dragons could smile—appears to be grinning at me with pride.
I hop back on her and Nero joins me. I pull one of the vials I stored in Vasari’s pouch just for this reason and Nero plops the eye in.
I cork it shut and put it away for him, for later.
At this point we are going to need a whole room for his growing collection.
Talyn’s sneer cuts through my thoughts. “Just received a pixie from ground scouts. Craven has been spotted on the westernmost hill of the battlefield.”
I don’t have a chance to think as we take off in that direction. It’s time to end this once and for all.
“Don’t do anything without us,” Killian growls. “You keep that pert ass of yours planted on Vasari.”
I shake my head. “If he’s showing himself, it means he’s probably up to no good. We need to stop him now. The bloodshed needs to stop, and that ends with his death,” I growl back.
“Let’s take back our realm,” I mutter, leaning forward as Vasari kicks into high speed.
It’s not long before we are circling high above where he’s standing guarded by his dragon and a small army.
“What can you see? We are too high up for me to glimpse anything other than shapes,” I ask Vasari.
“About fifty fae, a couple of gryphons, his dragon—who is definitely under the Stone’s control—and the slimy bastard himself—shit.
He’s pulled out what he has of the Soul Stone and just poured what looks like a vile of blood on it.
” She back-flaps once before diving straight down. “I’ll eat the fucker.”
“Vasari no! You can’t eat the Stone, and as docile as his dragon is right now, we don’t know that he hasn’t commanded it to protect him if we get too close.” She growls and changes course just as the entire area thickens with darkness.
Wraiths.
I wrack my brain for any ideas, but only one comes to mind, and it may get me in trouble but it’s the only thing I can think of. “Aemon, take the white dragons and handle the wraiths coming toward our troops. He’ll wipe us out if we don’t.”
“And what are you going to do?” Killian asks. The warning in his tone makes me wince, but it won’t change my mind.
I adjust my body, moving my legs underneath me, and take a deep breath. “Don’t panic, I have a plan. Vasari, get ready.” Then I dive off her back, my gaze firmly on Craven.
Their voices echo in panic as they call my name.
“A little more warning next time, Lost One, would be great,” Vasari sasses as she watches me plummet towards the ground, catching on to what I’m doing.
Nero hisses, “Ravina! You don’t have wings for Fate-sakes!”
My magick prickles at the ready as I pull shadows from the ground and vanish within them before appearing right in front of Craven, whose eyes widen in surprise.
I grab the Stone and weakness immediately overcomes me as my magick fades, but using the last bit of strength I have, I whip the Stone into the air.
Feeling my powers come back to me, I blast it further into the air, just before Vasari’s talons, wrap around it.
I stomp my foot and the ground shakes around us. The earth quakes so hard that it blasts his small army away from us. “This ends now,” I tell him.
He throws his head back and laughs hysterically before air hits me right in the chest, sending me flying backwards.
“Oh, you stupid female. This Kingdom is mine! It was promised!” His voice takes on an otherworldly tone, almost like he’s possessed.
His eyes are wide and crazy, and I’m not sure if he’s even sane anymore.
“That Stone is mine. Only I can use it, I am the master! The King! I am a god, and you will perish for taking it from me!” Black sludge begins to seep from his orifices—eyes, ears, down his chin.
He summons fire to his hands so quickly I barely have time to dodge. Vasari lands and his dragon doesn’t even flinch as she tears its throat out, with zero resistance from the brainwashed beast. No creature should have its will taken from it.
“No!” he thunders before muttering to himself.
“I got the stone. Where’s the stone?” All elements explode from him, and I throw up a protective air bubble as dirt, fire and water swirl around me.
“You took my mate!” He screams out over the noise of the battle.
His voice is back to normal and I begin to get wary of what I might actually be dealing with here, but I can’t stop now.
I take a step towards him. “She was never yours. She was fated to my fathers and you destroyed that! And now I’m going to destroy you!” With one step in front of the other, I push forward through his magick. My bubble is shrinking under the pressure of the elemental storm that’s wrapped around us.
“Ravina! Abort!” Talyn screams.
“Get out of there now! He’s going to blow with the amount of magick he’s using! My shadows can’t penetrate the vortex!” Aemon says, his voice panicked.
“I can’t fucking get through! Voissor, what do you mean you can’t enter? Get me to my mate!” Killian’s voice echoes.
“Beastie, you listen to me right now. Come back to me. To us. He’s unstable,” Jesper pleads.
I block out their voices and keep pushing until I am face to face with him.
His face is half melted, his body pierced by different elements, yet he stands there looking euphoric.
He grins at me. “I’m going to end this realm and make it anew.
Just as it was promised to me by those witches!
” His voice morphs and becomes distorted. “It all ends, starting with you—”
My sword cuts into his chestplate—using the strength of the Vopn Fo and pulling on my mates’ magick for support, I force it through.
He grabs the blade pushing it into him until we are face to face with each other.
Rage contorts his already mangled face, then the blade begins smoking and he screams. The noise is so unsettling that hair rises all over my body.
Definitely not human. He must be possessed by a demon—that thought drives me forward and I scream back, holding the blade there until the sluggish beat of his heart stops.
The cursed magick he was using explodes from within him. Pain rips through me as my body collides with something solid, and everything goes black.