Chapter Twenty-Two #5
“Since when do you know how to use a sword?” I wondered. He’d wielded one before, but it wasn’t his first choice. Charlie had always been one to fight with his fists.
“Since Drea taught me. This sword was my grandfather’s.”
“Then swing it well. He’d be proud of you for not giving in to the Warden.”
Charlie shook his head. “I don’t know if he would be proud, after everything I’ve done. But I plan to make him proud today.”
“I’m proud of you,” I added, and a soft smile bloomed on his features. “As long as you keep fighting, I always will be.”
His eyes gleamed before he nodded, taking a quickened breath. “Okay.”
We left for the beach. Oberi transformed into a wyvern once we were outside the palace walls, shaking his scales and stretching out his wings with a long groan.
It seemed he hated not being able to shift for so long, and finally felt relief now that he was able to take a different form.
Charlie helped boost me onto Oberi’s back and strap me into the saddle, then sat behind me as the wyvern took off.
I left my chair behind, because there was no need to take it to where we were going.
Charlie’s hold tightened around me as we flew to the beach. The wind blew back my hair, and I leaned against him as we soared over the city. His arms wrapped tighter once I pressed back, signaling he was there.
Why hadn’t we done this more often? It was so peaceful and freeing.
We often took rides on Oberi, though it was rarely together, and almost never through the skies.
I let myself relax, telling myself it was okay if Charlie made me feel at ease.
We were working on fixing things. Might as well accept the good instead of trying to fight it.
He didn’t comment that this was weird, just rested his head on top of mine, and I let him.
I think he enjoyed it, too. I was glad neither of us were fighting this.
“I want to fly around more on Oberi when we get the chance,” I called to Charlie. “Together.”
“We will,” Charlie promised. “Whenever we can.”
Oberi trailed down to the beach. Kallie was near the water, her hands raised as she crafted an illusion to disguise the beach.
Thousands of Elvish warriors were there, waiting to go through the invisible hole in my shield.
I felt a start of inspiration as I saw the shining red armor of my Firebirds, every woman carrying a shield, sword or spear.
They looked brave and ruthless. I pitied anyone who stood in their way.
Oberi landed, scattering sand everywhere. Kallie dropped her hands and walked over to me, signaling her spell was complete.
“How long have we got before your illusion drops?” I asked.
“It’ll hold until tomorrow evening, but we can’t be messing around,” she said. “Let’s get there and get back.”
Danny approached, his sharp vampire eyes wandering upward. “What’s your little sister doing here?”
I turned. I spotted my sister’s mane of red hair through the crowd.
Alana was wearing a light blue bodysuit that was covered with the designs of ancient Hawkei runes.
Behind her was a group of around fifty other Toaqua, all around her age, wearing the same bodysuit she was.
She marched toward me with purpose, a blaze in her eyes that I often recognized in my own reflection.
Her rainbow tigress, Zareen, followed with a low growl.
“Alana, what’s going on?” I asked.
“I heard about what you’re doing, and you need Toaqua soldiers,” Alana said, putting a hand on her hip. “The prison is near water. That’s our tribe’s weapon of choice. We can help you if you let us.”
“This is dangerous,” Charlie argued. “A battle is no place for a bunch of kids.”
I snorted. “Like we aren’t kids ourselves.”
“I’m of age now, and I’m tired of sitting around doing nothing while the Warden destroys everything,” Alana argued. “This is my fight as much as it is yours, so I’m coming no matter what anyone has to say about it.”
“What about your friends?” I looked at all the Toaqua students behind her, but honestly, they looked more like her troops than her companions. They were all gazing at Alana like they considered her to be the one in charge.
“They’ll listen to me,” Alana promised. “We’ll all work together.”
“Yeah, it was Alana’s idea to start a group of young fighting Toaqua,” one of the boys spoke up. “We’ve been training in secret for months, and she’s our leader. We’ll follow whatever she says.”
“I’m no leader,” Alana argued.
“Looks like you are,” I replied. “If you want to help, I’m in total support.
I know there’s no stopping a Mitoh woman when she sets her mind to something.
You can stay by the lake and prevent The Mission from coming after us as we’re leaving through the portal, because it’s going to happen.
They’re going to chase us. Your job is to stop them. ”
Alana nodded. “We can easily do that. No one is getting past our waves.”
I smirked. “Do Mama and Daddy know you’ve started a secret fighting group?”
Alana raised an eyebrow. “Did Mom and Dad know about all the crazy stuff you did until after you did it?”
“Nope! Let’s keep it that way.” I shot a glance across the beach, where my parents were receiving their orders from Eldin.
Nadine and Ethan were with them. The only parents that weren’t coming were Lucas and Emma, who were still in Edinmyre working on making that hole in the afterlife for us to sneak through.
“Though I’m not sure you’ll be able to keep this from them for long. ”
Alana caught sight of our parents and ducked behind a couple of her warriors. “Shit! Don’t let them see me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Come on, Alana. We’re going to need you and your team of Toaqua to calm the waves so Charlie can form a portal.”
Alana got to work right away. She lifted her hands, and her comrades joined her in unison. The waves that broke the surface of the sea gently calmed, until the ocean began to shimmer and develop a reflective sheen, sparkling against the starry sky.
I gently nudged Charlie’s shoulder with my own. “Your turn.”
Charlie slid off of Oberi’s back, wandering toward the water. He lifted his hand so his magic could feel where the hole in the shield was, then once he found it, slipped through. I watched as he spread his hand out over the water, and a ripple of magic glistened across the reflective surface.
It still gave me goosebumps whenever he cast his Elf magic. He was so gifted at whatever he did. He had no idea how special he was. It was one of the great tragedies about him.
“The portal’s open,” Charlie called. “Once we walk through, we’ll be in the lake near Fasva.”
Marcus and Kallie went first, to break the wards that would allow the others passage.
Kazim and Sigrid followed; they were the rulers of the fae, so they were leading the excursion into the camps to free the prisoners.
Soldiers began to slip through the shield’s hole after them, one by one.
Once they were on the other side, they walked into the waves, which swallowed them up and portaled them to Malovia.
It appeared all our allies were here— everyone but Ivy and Opal.
Ivy had retreated so far from our group that I wasn’t even sure they’d received the message we were rallying to fight.
Opal had a daughter to think about, and her skillset was better suited here in Ilamanthe, where she could keep children like Casey, Marina, and Maverick out of harm’s way.
I wasn’t mad at Ivy for missing out. I didn’t want to worry about them, and no matter how badly our friendship had ended, I didn’t want them to risk their life in a fight that wasn’t theirs. It was better if they were out of harm’s way.
Everyone else was poised and ready to fight, including Chancey and Eddie, the Demigod Guardians, our parents, and all their friends. Even Marcus’ little sister Erica had shown up, along with Ghost, whose hands shook against vials of battle potions he had strapped to his waist.
It took some time for the army to get through.
The beach slowly emptied, until Charlie, Oberi and I were the only ones left on it.
I gripped my bow tightly, excited to get back out there.
I was a fighter, with a warrior’s spirit.
I wasn’t happy unless I was warring against something.
It was finally time for me to rejoin the battle.
“Time for us to go through.” Charlie reached out to me from his place on the ground. Oberi wouldn’t fit through the hole as a wyvern, so Charlie needed to carry me. I slid off of Oberi and into Charlie’s arms. He cradled me against his body, carrying me through the opening within his strong arms.
This reminded me of our wedding night. My heartbeat pulsed wildly, and a thrill rushed through my veins as I took in his chiseled jawline.
He couldn’t look at me, but I could gaze at him all I wanted as the moonlight reflected off his jet-black hair, soft dots of sea water hovering from his eyelashes.
I still thought he was the most handsome man that had ever lived. Walking into the ocean with him like this, I could almost pretend like nothing else mattered.
“Something wrong? You’re awfully quiet,” Charlie said as we walked into the ocean.
I didn’t take my eyes off of him as I said, “Everything’s perfect, so long as I stay in this moment and don’t leave.”
“What are you talking about?” His brow furrowed, because he didn’t get it.
“Nothing you’d understand.” How could I explain to Charlie how in love with him I still was? I couldn’t. It’d be impossible.
Oberi shifted into a husky and trotted through the hole in the shield to follow us as we entered the water.
The cool water graced my skin. I held on to Charlie tightly, holding my breath as he walked us into the deep.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him and my bow as our heads sank underneath the waves.