Chapter 10
GRAESON
Kalisandre slipped from Graeson's grasp as he was dragged back, his legs scraping against the ground. As he reached up and tried to yank the hands from his throat, the stranger only tightened his grip.
"Restrain him," Kalisandre commanded, scrambling to her feet.
The hands around Graeson's throat vanished before quickly twisting Graeson's arms behind his back, causing his shoulders to pop. When Graeson attempted to glance over his shoulder to identify his assailant, familiar brown eyes stared back at him.
Graeson gasped. "Terin, what are you doing?"
"Twist his arm harder," Kalisandre called out, her voice cold and detached.
Searing pain shot through Graeson's arm and up his neck as Terin obeyed Kalisandre. Graeson didn't understand how she had manipulated Terin in the first place without uttering a word, yet somehow she had him under her spell.
Despite the danger they were in now, the god within Graeson hummed in appraisal. While Graeson didn't doubt her inner strength, he wished he wasn't the one in peril because of it.
He looked around but found no one in a position to help. Sylvia and Medenia fought back-to-back as three soldiers circled them, taunting them. Further away, Ellie fended off three men, diving beneath a swing that came straight for her head. Although he couldn't see Dani in his peripheral, he heard her grunts from somewhere farther away. He would need to deal with this himself, then.
Without hurting his best friend or the woman fated for him.
Kalisandre stood, her legs trembling slightly as if the spike of adrenaline was quickly draining from her body.
Noticing where Graeson's gaze had gone, Kalisandre tilted up her chin and snarled, "He warned me you would do this. He warned me you would try to sway me to betray him!"
"Whatever he told you," Graeson said on his knees, "you can't believe him."
Kalisandre stalked closer, pointing at him and cutting him off, "You do not get to tell me what I can or cannot do."
Baring her teeth, she dropped onto her knees in front of him. She snatched the collar of Graeson's shirt and yanked him forward, Terin's hold remaining firm.
With just a few inches between them now, Graeson could feel her breath on his face as she bristled with anger.
Mine, the god whispered.
"But Domitius does, is that right?" Graeson challenged, voice low as he cocked his head.
Kalisandre blinked but immediately shook her head, dispelling the brief flicker of emotion spanning her countenance. "He does not control me."
Graeson smirked. "Are you sure about that, little mouse?"
"Yes," she hissed.
"Then why were you going to marry the Frenzian king?"
"Because--" Another hesitation, another slip in her demeanor and Domitius's manipulations.
Marrying the Frenzian had never been Kalisandre's choice. It was one of the many made for her; they both knew she could not deny it.
Still, the slip was short-lived.
Kalisandre rolled her shoulders back and steeled her expression, her lip curling. "I was going to be queen. I was going to have power."
Graeson huffed. "You mean you were going to be Domitius's puppet."
"I am not his puppet; I am his daughter."
"You are his weapon !" Graeson shouted, the anger pooling over through what had been a previously calm facade. "To be used and swung whenever he demands. Do you truly not see what he has made you become? Even now, you take your anger out on me when all I wish is for you to be free!"
Kalisandre lunged, snatching him by the collar. "You speak of my freedom?" she hissed. "You tie my wrists and knock me out; that is not freedom, Graeson. That is--"
Without warning, Kalisandre crumpled to the ground, her words dying in the air in an instant. Without a second thought, Graeson wrenched himself free from Terin's grasp and lunged for Kalisandre before her head could hit the dirt.
"You stupid, lovesick fool!" Dani said, spitting on the ground beside Graeson, her dagger in hand a mere foot away.
With Kalisandre cradled in his arms, Graeson snapped his gaze up. But before Graeson could yell at Dani for knocking Kalisandre out, someone clawed at his arms, trying to pull him back.
"Terin!" Dani shrieked. "What are you doing?"
"Shit," Graeson hissed, setting Kalisandre on the ground. "He's still under her command!"
He quickly rolled away, shaking Terin off. His friend did not stop his pursuit, though, driven by the remnants of Kalisandre's command. She had indeed gotten stronger since they first found her and took her to the Whispering Springs. And Graeson only had himself to blame for that.
Terin lunged again, grabbing Graeson and sitting on his legs, stilling him. With blind ferocity, Terin smashed Graeson's face into the ground, and dirt and grass filled his mouth.
"Just hold still!" Dani shouted.
Graeson released a muffled groan as Terin yanked Graeson's arms, twisting them behind his back.
Graeson winced as the sharp pain shot through his body. Behind him, he heard a loud thump , followed by a groan. In an instant, his hands were free.
Rolling onto his back, his shoulder throbbing, Graeson found Dani brandishing her dagger, the blade pointed to the sky. With her other arm, she caught Terin as he slumped over, unconscious. Dani huffed as she lay the prince carelessly beside Kalisandre on the ground.
"Playtime is over, don't you think?" Dani cocked a brow, swiping up Graeson's scimitars from the ground and tossing one of them at him as he stood. "Perhaps now you can do something useful?"
Graeson caught the first blade by the hilt, then the second. "You just knocked out--"
"Kill now, talk later," Dani snapped, spinning on her heel as a soldier came barreling forward.
Graeson looked at Terin and Kalisandre, hesitating briefly. But as more soldiers flooded from the nearby treeline, Graeson knew Dani was right. There was no time to argue.
Joining the fray, he ran toward Sylvia and Medenia. Sliced one of the soldiers at the ankles, Graeson pulled him to the ground and stabbed him straight through the chest.
"Hey! He was mine," Medenia shouted, her voice a near whine.
"You can thank me later! Protect them," Graeson said, not bothering to stop as he changed directions and headed toward Ellie on the other side of the camp.
One soldier had Ellie's back pinned to his chest while his friend waved a blade in front of her, taunting her with her untimely demise. Graeson didn't wait to hear the man speak before charging forward.
Jabbing his shoulder into the man, he sent them both crashing to the ground. The soldier was quick, though; he rolled, forcing Graeson under him. As the soldier raised his dagger, poised to strike, darkness swept over the area and the wind picked up. A sound akin to a screech filled the air.
The man stilled, his face rife with fear.
Graeson's mouth curled into a sinister smile as he peered at the sky. Enormous wings flapped against the backdrop of the sun, their nearly translucent membranes nearly glowing. Sharp claws shimmered in the sunlight as the creature circled overhead.
"What is that?" someone nearby asked as Emmett's high-pitched scream ripped through the forest.
As the soldier looked up, Graeson did not waste time to question why the dragon-wolf was here or how it found them. He twisted the soldier's dagger around and drove it straight through his heart.
Quickly tossing the man's lifeless body off him, Graeson stood just as the dragon-wolf dug its claws into one of the soldiers running for Dani. The creature crushed him flat against the ground, muffling the victim's scream.
It swiped its tail across the forest floor, knocking one of the soldiers Ellie was battling off his feet.
Just when Graeson thought maybe the wild animal was on their side, its black-feathered wings flared out, and Graeson ducked, narrowly missing them. When Graeson tried to push himself up, the dragon-wolf's tail came flying towards him. His chest smacked the ground, pushing out a groan. Air whipped over his head. Just as quickly, a scream ripped through the air behind him, followed by a thunderous crack .
Cautiously, Graeson lifted his head and peered behind him, his stomach curling with dread for what he may find.
Pressed against a tree, a soldier struggled to get up, his limbs shaking and fear sparkling in his eyes. With a snarl, he grabbed a dagger from his belt, his gaze dripping with anger. Glaring at the dragon-wolf, he reared his arm back, preparing to strike.
Before he could release the blade, though, a black throwing knife pierced his neck.
The man's blade fell from his hands as blood spurted from his lips, mouth gurgling as his life force swept out of him in currents of crimson. He scrambled to apply pressure to the wound, but it was no use; he fell limp to the ground moments later.
Across from Graeson, Medenia grabbed another throwing knife, rage drenching her stance as she turned away from Graeson and the soldier, who now slumped dead against a tree.
The massive creature stood on its hind legs, roaring as several soldiers ran towards it from multiple directions, their swords raised.
As the animal stomped down, it lashed out with its wings, sending a powerful gust of wind whipping at the men, knocking one of the men to the ground.
A blood-curdling scream left his lips, but another soldier came charging in his place.
Graeson sprang to his feet, and from the corner of his eye, he spotted Medenia aim another blade. She threw the knife, but it was a second too late.
The soldier drove his dagger through the creature's large wing, piercing its membranes, right before Medenia's knife found its mark.
The dragon-wolf screeched, loud and ear-shattering, as it retracted its wing with the blade still lodged in its flesh.
Knowing the beast was now wounded, the third soldier ran harder as the dragon-wolf retreated several steps, hissing its displeasure.
Graeson ran, sliding past the dragon-wolf and cutting off the man. The color drained from the soldier's face, and Graeson didn't feel an ounce of guilt as he drove his blade through his stomach with a sickening squelch.
When Graeson turned around, he halted, a shout lodged in his throat as another soldier charged.
But this time, the creature was faster, and the man soon met the God of Death as his body was chomped in half by the beast's harrowing array of sharp teeth.
Struggling to catch his breath, Graeson quickly scanned the area. All around him was destruction.
The ground was littered with bodies and blood. But thankfully, and by the blessings of the gods, none of the corpses belonged to any of their entourage. He breathed a sigh of relief.
With the battle over, Ellie hurried to Medenia, checking for any wounds as the princess shoved her away. Sylvia knelt beside Terin, who was still knocked out, checking his head. Even Emmett had managed to stay alive, his dagger stained red.
He heard someone retching as Emmett asked, face drained of color, "What--what is that?"
The creature snarled, exposing fanged yellow teeth as it turned toward Emmett. It spread its wings, and the muscles in its legs flexed as it crouched as if readying to pounce.
"That," Dani said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and pressing her stomach with the other, "would be the infamous dragon-puppy."
A sad smile twitched at the corner of Graeson's lip at the mention of the name Moris had given the wild creature.
"Fucking balls." Emmett gasped in horror and took a step back. "You all did not mention how terrifying it is."
Graeson observed the animal. Although its lip curled into a snarl, the creature did not move toward Emmett as everyone seemed to hold their breath.
The dragons of old, the god within said, were born with strong instincts.
Graeson wasn't sure if he trusted the god's assessment, but perhaps the dragon-wolf could tell friend from foe. Many animals could sniff out a human's intentions.
"As long as you don't piss it off, you'll be fine, Emmett," Graeson said warily.
He took a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped each blade clean before returning them to their sheaths on his back.
"I'm not too sure about that," Emmett remarked, his legs trembling. "It's staring at me like it wants to eat me." He swallowed, and his knuckles turned white around the hilt of the dagger as he glanced from the creature to Graeson.
The dragon-wolf's lip curled higher as it sniffed, its nostrils flaring. Even from yards away, Graeson could smell the scent of iron and decay on the creature's breath as it snarled. As Graeson cocked his head to the side, the animal flicked its blazing eyes toward him. He swallowed hard.
Perhaps he was wrong. Maybe the creature would kill them all.
But as he looked more closely, he noticed something else within the animal's expression: pain .
The animal shifted, and that's when Graeson saw it. Its right wing was curved closely to its body as if shielding it. A glint of metal flashed in the sunlight, and Graeson's eyes widened.
He cursed under his breath. The dagger was still stuck in its wing.
Tentatively, Graeson took a step forward, slowly but not as hesitantly as he had the first time when he freed the beast from its chains.
He heard Emmett gasp and whisper, "Are you insane? We just saw it slaughter those guys."
Graeson ignored him, though. He could sense the god watching from its cage, too. Not with fear but curiosity.
I told you, the god said, the dragons know when they are in danger.
When he was only three yards away, Graeson put out a hand.
The dragon-wolf recoiled and snarled, its hot breath smacking Graeson's face.
Holding his ground, he pointed to the dagger. "I can help," he whispered gently.
With flared nostrils, the creature flexed its paws, and sharp, ivory claws dug into the dirt.
Most would have retreated then, but the creature couldn't heal if the dagger remained lodged in its wing. It couldn't fly or enjoy the freedom it only recently obtained access to.
As Graeson stood there, waiting for the animal to relax, unease washed over him. Despite his determination to provide aid, he wondered if some things could not be helped. Just as he was about to give up, the creature shifted, spreading out its injured wing for him to inspect it.
With a quick nod, Graeson slowly approached. His hand gently ran over the membranes of the wing. Outside of the wound, the beast looked healthy--or at least better than it had the first time Graeson had seen it a couple of weeks ago when he freed it.
The recent freedom had transformed it quickly, though, as if the mere taste of it was power enough. No longer captive and under the Frenzians' hold, the dragon-wolf looked like it could finally breathe, live, and flourish.
And yet, if today had gone differently or if there had been more soldiers, what would have happened? Would any of them have survived?
Humans will do anything to get what they want, the god inside whispered.
Or was it Graeson's voice, his words?
Because despite fighting it at every turn, Graeson was slowly realizing that the two were not so different. Both were monsters in their own right. The corpses across the field proved that.
Clearing his throat, he wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the dagger and pulled the blade out.
The animal screeched, loud enough to send any birds that remained in the nearby trees scurrying deeper into the forest. Even he had to wince, the sound piercing his ears.
Graeson stepped back, tossing the weapon onto the ground as he gave the animal a wide berth.
"How did it even find us?" Dani asked quietly as if afraid to disturb the animal.
"I have no idea," Graeson whispered.
The beast stretched its legs first, then spread its wings, testing them. A pained expression immediately crossed its face as the wounded wing twitched. With a frustrated huff, the animal crouched down, the muscles in its hind legs flexing as it prepared to take flight.
Graeson's stomach churned as he watched the animal struggle. The moment the dragon-wolf jumped and tried to move the wounded wing, compensating by flapping the other wing more furiously, it crashed. A thick cloud of dirt flew into the air.
Graeson coughed and waved the cloud away, clearing his vision. The creature whined, curling its wings against its sides as it stared at the sky with agonized longing.
"What's wrong?" Medenia asked quietly, approaching.
Dani hissed at her, but Medenia waved her off.
"Its wing is too damaged," Graeson said. "I don't think it can fly."
The creature snapped its head in Graeson's direction, growling as it peeled its lip back over its teeth. Medenia hummed in acknowledgment and kneeled in front of the creature's head.
Graeson quickly stepped closer. "What are you doing?" he asked warily.
Medenia waved him off as she reached out her other hand.
Graeson glanced at Ellie, but she shook her head, holding up a finger for him to wait.
When the creature extended its head, Medenia caressed its cheek. With a soft smile, Medenia crooned, "You will fly again, little one."
"Little one?" Dani whispered.
Medenia ignored Dani and continued petting the dragon-wolf. "Would you like to travel with us?" she murmured.
"What did she just say?" Emmett shrieked in disbelief.
A quiet grumble came from the dragon-wolf as it looked at Emmett, its ruby-red eyes narrowing.
"Do not listen to him," Medenia chided, calling the animal's attention back to her. "He is just scared of the unfamiliar. But you're not so different from my dog at home, now are you? I can even see you have the same snout." She grinned.
The creature puffed up its chest and lifted its chin from Medenia's hand. Dumbstruck, Graeson could do nothing but watch the interaction.
Medenia clicked her tongue. "Oh, don't be like that. I think you and Beau would get along swimmingly if you met." She tipped her head closer and chuckled. "As long as you promise not to eat him. But you wouldn't do that, would you, Nyrri?"
The creature scoffed.
"That's what I thought."
"Wait, now she's naming it?" Emmett gasped, clutching his hair.
Medenia scowled at him. "Of course not. She already has a name. Everyone does."
Graeson eyed Medenia curiously as Dani asked, "Wait, are you speaking to the animal?"
"It is not that hard if you simply listen," Medenia replied, her voice still containing the same melodic lilt she used with the dragon-wolf.
Mouth agape, Dani turned to Ellie as if she would be the one to admit that the princess was on the verge of losing her mind.
Arms crossed, Ellie merely shrugged with a look of indifference. "What? Medenia is particularly in tune with the Goddess Nerva."
"But she's the Goddess of Strength," Dani argued, still skeptical. She looked at Graeson, but even he was at a loss for words.
Ellie sighed. "The gods do more than what some mortals claim. You should know that by now. Take the Goddess Misanthia, for instance. She may be the Goddess of War and Strife, but she is also extremely strategic and gentle when it comes to protecting those who cannot protect themselves.
"Nerva may be the Goddess of Strength in your kingdom, but to us, she is so much more. She is the Goddess of Motherhood and Femininity."
"So...because of this, Medenia can speak to animals?" Dani asked, incredulous.
Ellie rubbed a hand across her face, exasperated. "First off, if you think that your little island is the only kingdom a god has favored and provided with gifts , you are wrong and more ignorant than I first thought. Second, Medenia does not simply speak to the animals; she understands them. Many people possess this skill, but Medenia is particularly talented."
Medenia patted the top of the dragon-wolf's head and stood, wiping the dirt from her palms. "We should get going. Nyrri believes more soldiers will come soon if we stay too long," she explained.
"You cannot possibly be serious?" Emmett sputtered, eyes wide.
The animal snarled at Emmett, and he raised his hand in response. "See! It's a wild creature, not a pet!" He looked around in a frenzy. "The horses surely will have issues traveling along it."
" She is no danger to anyone," Medenia argued with a growl.
"How can you be so sure?" Dani asked.
The princess raised her chin. "She told me."
Dani glanced at Graeson. "Come on. You're telling me that you believe her?"
The gods were more powerful than any of the myths gave them credit for. The god within him was one beast; Pontanius, another. But the rest? The rest were so much worse . Despite how fondly Ellie spoke of Nerva, most of the high gods were brutal and unyielding. They were not beings that Graeson wished to deal with if he could help it.
Graeson turned to the god within for an answer.
Now you wish for my opinion? the god asked, voice dripping with annoyance.
Does she speak the truth?
The god huffed but did not deny it. If the god did not question Medenia's ability to communicate with the animal, Graeson wouldn't either.
"I believe Medenia," Graeson said finally. "If she says we are safe, we are safe."
"I should mention," Medenia interjected, dusting off her soiled slip as she stood, "that the previous humans Nyrri has interacted with have not been kind to her. If Nyrri senses that you wish her harm, she will not hesitate to act upon her instincts."
Nyrri pushed herself up, and though she held her wounded wing closely to her, the sharp teeth she revealed warned that she was still utterly a threat.
Emmett squealed.
Dani groaned, mumbling, "Yes, because that is comforting."
"There is nothing to fear. Even dogs were once wild creatures," Medenia assured, surveying the group. When her gaze caught on Graeson, she cocked her head and offered him a soft smile. "Sometimes we only need someone willing to understand us to help shed our cold exterior, do we not?"
Graeson shifted but remained silent.
"Very well," Dani said, though the skepticism was still present.
"What are we going to do with them?" Sylvia asked, calling everyone's attention to them. Sylvia pointed to Terin and Kalisandre, who remained unconscious on the ground.
With her arms crossed over her chest and brandishing a smug look, Dani turned to Graeson. The faint traces of the bruise around his neck heated beneath her gaze.
He pursed his lips. The bruise would fade quickly. He walked over and picked up Kalisandre. Once in his arm, her head slumped back, but otherwise, she did not stir.
In his arms, she was safe.
He inhaled, blowing it out slowly.
Turning toward his horse, he said to the others, "We ride onward and hope that Terin wakes up before she does."