Chapter 22
Lagina
There wassomething in the air when we reached the palace. It made my skin crawl and I resisted the urge to turn and walk the other way.
“The air tastes weird,” Cora said.
“Is that magic?” Sophia asked.
“It is, indeed. There’s a lot around the palace. Like it’s drawn here,” Laera replied.
“That will be good for the shields, right?” I glanced at the fae princess, hoping to get some optimism from her. Instead she had that ever-present scowl she always seemed to wear.
She shrugged. “One way to find out.”
“I’m no help with the magic stuff,” Cora said.
“I’m sure we can find a way for you to help,” I countered.
Laera raised a skeptical brow and I shot a glare at her. Cora was finally stepping into her strengths and offering support. I didn’t want to stop her.
“No, I don’t need to be a distraction or get a job to keep me busy. I’m going to town to start evacuating people,” she said.
I stared at her, my mouth parting in surprise.
“Don’t give me that look. I do care about Athos. I do care about our people,” she said.
“I never said you didn’t,” I replied. “I’m just not sure it’ll be safe.”
“I know what everyone thought of me. But mother isn’t here anymore to tell me my only worth is my body. I’m more than that. I need to do this before I marry. Before I go back to that role of the pretty face.” She balled her hands into fists and stared at me with determination.
“A mating bond has nothing to do with your looks,” Laera said.
“That’s not helpful,” Cora retorted. “It’s still about me being the prize for someone else based on something I didn’t do.” She looked at me. “Let me do this.”
“I’m coming with you,” Sophia chimed in.
“Oh, no,” I shook my head. “Have you two forgotten that Ara was nearly killed by our own people?”
Laera set her hand on my shoulder and I turned to her. The fae princess was staring at my sisters. “You need to let them go. Besides, if anyone messes with them, Sophia has ways of making them regret their actions.”
I hesitated, wondering when my sisters had matured so much. It was like they’d aged years since our father died. I supposed finding out about all the lies we’d been told had a way of forcing us to face reality unlike anything else in our sheltered lives.
“Be careful,” I relented. “Remember, you can’t force anyone. If they won’t listen, move on. We won’t be able to save them all.”
“You sound like a queen,” Cora said, a note of pride in her tone. She smiled warmly. “We’ll be careful. You do the same.”
I nodded, then held back the tears as my sisters turned and left for the city below.
“Where are the stables?” Laera asked.
I pointed. “I need to tell the guards and servants about what’s coming so they can prepare. Then I’ll meet you there.”
“Go. Hopefully we can get this shield up before my father arrives.” Laera took off toward the stables and I walked toward the palace.
Argus was waiting for me at the entry. “How did it go?”
“We found what we needed. The shield exists and we might be able to use it,” I explained.
His shoulders lowered and he visibly relaxed. “That’s the first good news I’ve heard in a long time.” When he caught my expression, his tension returned. “What’s the bad news?”
“We can only shield the area around the palace.”
“We’re bringing the whole city here, aren’t we?” he asked.
I nodded.
“I’ll prepare my men. We’ll get tents and provisions ready. Anything else?” he asked.
“Have you heard from Ara?” It had been a few days since she’d left for Naxos and I was getting anxious. I didn’t know how long the goddess planned to keep her.
Argus shook his head. “Nothing yet.”
“Any word from Ryvin about the sorceress?” I had a feeling it was the same as Ara, but I had to ask.
“No.”
“What are we going to do if they can’t remove that extra power? How long can we keep everyone alive in the shield?” I swallowed hard. Athos wasn’t built for a siege.
“I’ll find out and let you know,” he replied.
“Thanks, Argus. For everything.”
He nodded. “Anytime, your highness.”
Knowing he had everything under control, I headed to the stables, hoping that Laera had some good news.
As I got closer, my instincts flared with warning and I broke into a run. Breathless and on edge, I entered the stables. The horses whinnied and stomped as I passed by. They were just as spooked as I felt, but I couldn’t find the source of our anxiety.
As soon as I exited through the other doors, my heart fell into my stomach. Laera was on the ground, unconscious, a dark crimson stain on her side. I ran to her then dropped to my knees, pressing my fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse. Just as I found her heartbeat I heard hissing.
Teeth bared, golden eyes locked on me, was a chimera. The monster’s lion’s feet pawed at the ground, its serpent tail whipped around, hissing and spitting. The goat head glared at me, as if trying to decide which part of me to devour first.
I stood, not taking my eyes from the beast. I needed a weapon. There was no way I could defeat this thing with my hands. It had injured Laera and she was more skilled than I was.
Carefully, I backed up, risking lowering my eyes in a sign of submission. The hissing ceased after I’d taken a few steps so I glanced up to see what it was doing. The monster had turned its attention from me to a large, cylindrical stone. It was circling the gray rock. The goat head opened its mouth and breathed fire on the rock. When the flames ceased, the creature investigated the stone. The snake snapped at it and the paws pushed on it, but the rock looked the same as it had.
It was trying to destroy the shield. That had to be the marker for the convergence point that we needed. I had to stop the monster before it could complete its task.
I continued to walk backward until I was at the door to the stable, then I turned and darted back into the building. There had to be something here I could use.
I scanned the walls, seeing hammers and rakes. There were hoof picks that were fairly sharp and a pitchfork that might work. I crossed the space to the tools, the horses continuing to act unsettled. They could probably smell the chimera.
I shoved the hoof pick into my waistband then grabbed the shovel. It had a slight point on the end and was heavy. It might do more damage than the pitchfork or rake. Their points looked rather dull.
Satisfied with my choice, I returned to the back of the stable and took a deep breath before walking through the door.
The chimera was breathing fire on the stone. I moved toward it quietly, knowing I’d only get one chance to sneak up on it. Something snapped under my foot and I winced. The creature’s head whipped toward me and it snarled, then it returned to lighting up the stone with its breath. I hoped I wasn’t too late.
Since it already knew I was there, I ran, shovel over my shoulder, ready to swing. The monster’s fire ceased and it turned toward me, lowering its upper body, preparing to pounce. I paused my advance, tightening my grip on the handle.
When it leaped, I swung.
The shovel smacked the chimera in the head with a sickening thunk, knocking the beast to the ground.
My hands were shaking, but I moved toward it and lifted the shovel to strike again. The monster righted itself and just as I pulled back to swing, it attacked, knocking me to the ground. I lost my grip on the shovel when I fell. Claws bit into my chest as the beast pinned me down. It opened its jaws and I knew what was going to happen next.
I grabbed the hoof pick and jabbed it into the goat neck before rolling away. The monster cried out, a horrible sound that was somewhere between a screaming goat and a roaring lion. It set my teeth on edge and made my eyes water. I covered my ears and moved away from it.
The hoof pick was still in the chimera’s neck but it wasn’t going down. The lion paws swept back, then it lowered, the snake hissing as the lion shaped rear end wiggled like a cat preparing to attack.
I went for the fallen shovel, but the creature reached me first, massive paws landing on my turned back. It shoved me to the ground, digging its claws into my skin. I cried out as sharp pain sliced down my entire back. I’d never felt anything like it. Tears slid down my cheeks and I whimpered as I pulled my legs up to my chest, and covered my head with my arms.
I prepared to be roasted alive, curled up in a pathetic crying ball. I was just glad nobody was here to see how I’d failed.
The heat didn’t come. I took a few more breaths, until I was calm enough to lower my arms and open my eyes. The monster was back at the rock, igniting it with everything it had.
I stretched out my legs and turned to push myself to stand but the pain in my back roared to life. I bit down on my lower lip to keep from screaming. Trying another position, I worked to make myself rise, but the pain kept me down.
I couldn’t move. I was going to die here. Bleeding in the dirt. I’d be embarrassed if I wasn’t in so much pain.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement and a flicker of hope filled my chest. It was quickly swallowed by fear. “Get out of here. It’s too dangerous.” I didn’t want someone else to meet my same end.
Laera’s face appeared above mine. She had dark bruises along her cheekbones and her silver hair was a mess but her eyes were fierce. She pressed her index finger to her lips, then removed a blade from a pocket on her thigh. I noticed she had a blade in the other hand as well.
I made myself shift just enough that I could see the chimera, still focused on its task. When I turned back to Laera, I whispered, “Kill it.”
She grinned, then walked away from me. She moved like a dancer. Like she was walking on air. Silent and graceful. The chimera didn’t even flinch as she approached.
When she struck, it was a blur. Blood sprayed, the flames died, the creature bellowed in agony.
Then there was Laera, standing over the quivering form of a fallen chimera. Her shoulders rose and fell quickly as she glared down at the monster. She was covered in crimson.
With a roar of her own, Laera attacked again, diving her blade into the softest spots of the beast. When she was finished, the creature didn’t move.
Laera returned her blades to the pockets on her thighs, then walked over to me. “Can you get up if I help you?”
“Yes.” I didn’t care how much it hurt.
Laera grabbed my wrists and pulled. I screamed as pain expanded from my injured back and chest, radiating through my entire body. I grabbed her wrists, forcing myself to get up. She didn’t say a word about the tears or the curses coming from my lips.
Somehow, with stars exploding in my vision, I was on my feet. I took a few tentative steps. The pain was intense, but as long as I wasn’t moving too quickly, I could walk.
“You’ll need to get that cleaned and you’ll need the antidote if the snake got you,” Laera said.
“I don’t think it bit me,” I replied.
“That’s good.” Laera walked back over to the stone, then caressed the rock as she walked in a slow circle around it. “I don’t think it was damaged. Chimera fire didn’t seem to be enough to erode the stone or the magic. I can still feel it.”
“Can you make it work?” I asked.
Laera removed her hand from the stone, then looked up at me. “No.”
My heart fell into my stomach. “No?”
“Not alone, anyway. It’s been dormant for so long, the spark is buried. I need another magic user,” she replied.
“Sophia?” I asked hopefully.
“I don’t think she’s strong enough,” Laera replied. “I’d need Ryvin or Ara, but they’ve not yet returned.”
“What about your mother?” I suggested.
Laera scowled and after a few breaths, she nodded. “I’ll ask.” She closed her eyes and went so still, I wasn’t sure if she was even breathing.
An overwhelming urge to shake her to see if she was alright came over me until I remembered what she’d done at the temple. This was magic. She was doing something with it.
She opened her eyes. “She’s on her way. And she’s bringing Selena.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“It still might not work, you know,” she said.
“I know. But we have to try,” I replied.
“He’s on his way,” she added. “My father.”
“How far?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’m not sure. He was blocking me out completely, but now I’m getting through a little. It’s like whatever he used to keep me out is cracking.”
“Let’s hope it falls apart completely soon,” I said.
“It will.” She sounded confident.
“Can you check on anyone with your magic?” I asked.
She lifted a brow and I realized I’d overstepped. “I’m not trying to inquire about your magic. I’m wondering if you can check on Ara.”
Her shoulders dropped. “I haven’t been able to find her or Ryvin or even the shifter.”
“I hope she’s alright,” I said.
“She’s stronger than you realize,” Laera replied. “So are you.”
“This better be important,” a sharp female voice called.
We turned to see Aspasia and Selena emerging from the stables.
“It is if you want to survive the upcoming attack,” Laera said.
Aspasia sighed dramatically. “Fine.”
“There’s a convergence point here with a shield stone. There’s another in the orchard. We need to turn them on,” I said. “Can you help?”
Aspasia slowly began to remove the bangles on her wrists. She held them out toward me. “Hold these. Gold isn’t the right conduit for this kind of magic.”
I took the jewelry and waited while she removed the heavy gold necklace at her throat. She handed it to me, then turned to her daughter. “Let’s get this over with. You interrupted my nap.”
Selena followed behind the queen, and Laera led them toward the stone. I watched as the three fae women formed a circle around the convergence point. They held hands, then all of them lowered their heads as if in prayer and closed their eyes.
They were silent. There was no chanting or dancing as we’d heard from the stories of how women sometimes used magic. But I knew they were using it. Goosebumps traveled up my arms and a chill ran down my spine. The air tasted like a storm and something seemed to buzz with energy all around me.
Wind whipped around us and all three women’s hair rose the way someone’s would when they were too close to lightning. I took a step back, heart racing. I was so close to it the hair on my arms stood on end.
The stone began to glow. Brilliant white light lit the rock until it was the same luminous quality as the stars in the sky. It flashed, the intense light making me close my eyes against the brightness. I could see the light through my eyelids, and then it faded.
Carefully, I opened my eyes and saw that the stone had taken on a warm golden glow. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining things or if I could actually feel the vibration of the stone from where I stood.
The women released each other’s hands and dropped their arms to their sides. “It appears to be working,” Aspasia commented.
“Thank you,” I said.
She smoothed down her hair, then did the same with her green peplos. “You’ll hold my jewelry until we ignite the second one.”
It wasn’t a question, it was a command. I bristled, resisting the urge to remind her that I was also a queen. Instead, I smiled sweetly. We needed her help. “Of course.”
“We’ll get the next one turned on and meet you back in the palace,” Laera offered. “Thebes has arrived.”