21
Tyr was dragged into Isaac’s new office in chains. His cheeks were red, his eyes covered with a thick black piece of cloth.
Nik and I had dressed as quickly as we could and joined the rest of the council, my hair mussed, and my face flushed.
Tess shot me a glance, letting me know I wasn’t the only one who had been interrupted by this revelation.
“Exactly how much of the spell did you successfully transcribe for her?” Warrick asked, his voice hard.
He knelt before Tyr so that his face was level with his before ripping the cloth from his eyes. Tyr startled, flinching backwards as his vision adjusted to the room around him.
This office was much bigger than the last one Isaac had claimed in the other safe house, and it was lined with windows, the shades now drawn shut against the oncoming night.
A chill ran down my spine all the way to my toes.
Had Donika found us?
Isaac had said there had been a sighting of Donika in Prins, and to my knowledge she never left The Stone Palace. Ever.
“Cousin, I am much better at playing the bad guy, if you would just—” Nik started, his arms crossed.
His words were cut short by the glare of pure loathing Warrick shot his direction. Things had been even more tense than usual between the two of them over the past few weeks.
“I didn’t… I didn’t get that far in the transcription. Not nearly far enough that she could wield an actual spell out of the damn thing!” Tyr’s voice shook with his words, his eyes darting back and forth.
He had been found innocent by the council, but Isaac had still thrown him into the prisons of the resistance the second Donika had been spotted far too close to where we had been hiding. Tyr wouldn’t admit it, but Isaac suspected he had given away our location.
“Then how do you explain the Noctani?” Warrick asked, gripping Tyr by the back of the neck hard enough to make him gasp.
“I don’t know!” Tyr spit out, struggling to get away, his hands still bound. “I swear to you! I never even knew the location of the new safe house—I couldn’t have given away your position. I only transcribed some of the siphoning spell, not enough for her to have created those monsters. I swear it!”
“Do you believe him?” Warrick asked as he turned towards Isaac, his grip still tight on the back of Tyr’s neck.
A muscle ticked in Nik’s jaw as he met my eyes. I could tell he wanted to be the one interrogating Tyr, and if that were the case, we would be having a very different ‘discussion.’
“I’m not sure what to believe anymore,” Isaac replied, running a hand down his face.
He appeared tired, as if he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since that day I lost control of my own storm. Liss had been taking care of him, but the lines of exhaustion were clear on his face.
“Most of what Donika did with her Noctani was done after Tyr escaped Akra. I don’t believe he had anything to do with it, for what it’s worth,” Zion said from the far corner of the office, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were narrowed on Tyr and Warrick in the center of the room.
“There’s nothing we can do about that now,” Liss pointed out, joining Zion and resting her hand on his shoulder. “She has already created the monsters who siphon. Our only path forward is to figure out how to stop them. The problem now…is how Donika was spotted this close.”
“My point exactly.” Warrick clenched his jaw shut.
He let go of Tyr with such force Tyr rolled backwards, unable to catch himself. “Who do you think told her where we were?”
“I couldn’t have—” Tyr’s words were cut short with a gurgle, and blood spilled forth from his lips. Startled, I jumped forwards, my arm on Warrick’s.
“Stop it!” I hissed.
His gaze never strayed from Tyr, whose gurgling continued, causing blood to spray across his shirt and the hardwood floor beneath us.
“Warrick,” I warned.
“There is no way he could have given our location away if he didn’t know it in the first place, mate,” Puck said, moving forwards as if he would stop Warrick himself if he needed to.
Warrick still didn’t move. My eyes narrowed on him, and I reached into the core of my magic, ready to call on it if needed. My magic surged forth readily, desperately. It wanted to be unleashed equally as much as I wanted to unleash it.
“Don’t make me warn you again.” My voice was deadly calm.
When Warrick still didn’t glance away and Tyr’s gurgles became panicked gasps, I raised my hand towards Warrick, letting a surge of amethyst magic burst forth.
Warrick was standing in front of me one moment, and in the next he was across the room being thrown into the bookshelf. The bookcase rocked back against the wall, books and supplies falling forth as Warrick slumped to the ground with a grunt.
“Warrick, you are out of line.” I moved forwards, my hand still extended towards him.
I relaxed when he didn’t move, only stared up at me in shock, his jaw slack.
“Might be the last time you don’t listen to her.” Puck laughed under his breath as he shot Nik a proud glance from across the room.
“That will be the last time you use your magic on him like that. Do you understand me?” I asked, my expression cold.
“Diana…” Warrick shook his head, stunned.
“I said…do you understand me?” I repeated.
Nik silently moved to my side and without a touch or a word, I could sense his strong presence at my back.
“Your queen asked you a question. I believe it’s in your best interest to answer her. Now.” Nik’s voice was stern, his shoulders taut.
He was prepared to act on my behalf if needed, but I had thrown Warrick across the room by simply raising my hand. I might not be able to wield my storms right now, but I was still a damn powerful witch, and I would not be walked all over.
I could fight my own battles.
Tyr had slumped over, unconscious, a pool of blood surrounding him. Liss moved forwards silently, pressing a hand to his forehead and reciting the words of a healing spell she knew like the back of her hand. His eyelids fluttered, but they did not open.
Isaac moved around the desk, his eyes on me, his expression reverent. When I first met Isaac a few weeks ago, I had been the scared, fragile Stormshade who had just escaped the Stormvault.
But I was a queen, and now I was starting to act like it.
“I understand,” Warrick replied, his voice hoarse.
“If you try to kill a prisoner without the vote of this council again, you will no longer be a part of it.” Isaac’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Liss, if you would please tend to him. We need to discuss the matter of how to proceed with accommodations.”
Liss and the guards who brought Tyr in exited quietly, the only thing left of them was the pool of blood before us.
“Is the location of this safe house not compromised now as well?” Nik asked, turning towards Isaac.
“I believe only the last location has been compromised. Donika was spotted on those streets, a long-haired male Shade at her side,” Isaac replied.
Could the long-haired Shade have been Corian, the one I had seen experimenting on the Noctani with her?
“And the townhouse?” Puck asked with a raised brow.
It didn’t escape my notice that Tess’ hand was firmly planted inside his, their fingers interlaced. A sly smile played on my lips that I fought to hold back. Now was certainly not the time, but I couldn’t help but be happy for her, despite the seriousness of the situation.
“I believe Dragon’s Hollow is the safest place for all of you at the moment. I ask that you go there tonight, and you don’t leave again until I have sent for you.” Isaac stopped to search each of our faces. “If Donika is in Prins, it isn’t safe. We don’t have the numbers to fight yet. We aren’t ready to make any offensive move against her. Defending against an attack will only whittle our numbers further. We have no stronghold. No castle to defend. We are spread out, in hiding across the city. An attack would be detrimental to our cause, not to mention her goal is likely to capture Diana again.”
“Have the Noctani been spotted?” I asked.
Puck’s gaze fell on me. “No, it was only the two of them. Not even soldiers from their forces, they appeared to be alone.”
“Why would she come scouting without a force behind her?” Nik mused. “That doesn’t make any sense. Something isn’t right.”
“I have to agree,” Isaac sighed, moving towards the bookcase to pick up the fallen books and place them back onto the shelf. “She would have come with a force if she knew our exact location and planned to take Diana. Or even to diminish our numbers. Something else is afoot here, and until we know her motives, we need to be very careful.”
“Did you see her yourself?” Nik asked, his gaze meeting Puck’s.
Puck gave a gentle shake of his head. “No, only reports of her sighting.”
Nik gave a thoughtful nod, his expression unreadable.
“How long are we supposed to stay holed up in the townhouse for?” Tess asked, her brows knitted together.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the idea of hiding out indefinitely either, but Isaac was right. We needed to stay safe, and we couldn’t risk recapture. Simply returning to the townhouse tonight would be nerve-wracking enough, knowing Donika was here in Prins somewhere.
“Until the threat passes.” Isaac sounded tired as he moved towards the door.
“And if it doesn’t?” Puck asked, cocking his head to the side.
“Then you don’t leave,” Isaac replied simply. “I mean it, Petyr. You four are to stay in the townhouse until further notice. We have another scouting mission leaving in the morning, and until there is more news, we are all to stay put.”
“And you don’t think Tyr had anything to do with the information leak?” Zion asked from the corner of the room.
He had stayed silent throughout the whole exchange with Tyr and Warrick, but now he pushed off the wall and moved towards us.
“I agree with you, Zion. I don’t think Tyr was involved. He has been under our thumb since he came back, and we never revealed that location to him. We knew it was compromised, hence why we moved here, but I never thought Donika herself would be spotted there.”
“Me neither,” Zion agreed with a shake of his head. “Do you need an escort back to the townhouse?”
“I’m not sure if you missed the part where Diana threw a grown man into the wall earlier, but I think we will be fine,” Puck replied, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk.
Tess giggled and pushed off the desk, moving towards the door with Puck in tow.
“You will let us know when you have more information?” I asked as Puck and Tess filed out behind Zion with Nik on their heels.
“Of course, Diana.” Isaac gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “There’s one more thing…” His eyes flashed to the door before moving back to rest on me, and heat immediately rushed to my cheeks.
I thought we might be able to avoid this conversation entirely, given the tenor of the earlier topic of discussion.
“Isaac you don’t—” I started, but he cut me off with the raise of his hand.
“All I was going to say is…I am happy to see you happy.”
“Nothing is going on,” I insisted, realizing what it might have looked like to an outsider.
I couldn’t explain it to Isaac, but it had been a moment of weakness and wanting. There was nothing else going on between me and Nik because I still didn’t trust him. I didn’t know if or when that would ever change…it was complicated.
“Whatever the case…Nikolai is a good man, and I have known him a long, long time.” Isaac’s expression was soft, his eyes knowing.
“Thank you, Isaac. But in truth, it was nothing.”
“I understand,” he replied with a wink.
Isaac had been a father figure to Nik, and this conversation felt awfully fatherly as well. Isaac was a good man, and I found myself secretly hoping something was going on between him and Liss.
But things had changed since Zion came back, leading me to think there was a love triangle going on between the three of them.
I gave him a playful shove before moving towards the door to join the others. “Thank you, Isaac.”
“Anything for you, My Queen.”
Puck, Tess, and Nik were waiting for me outside the compound and, despite my protests of not wanting to be stuck looking like a stranger for the next few hours, we all drank glamours for the walk back.
The night had descended upon Prins and the streets were dark and filled with people and creatures alike lurking through the shadows. I didn’t expect to run into any Araneoch in the city center, but as we walked towards Dragon’s Hollow, we needed to be vigilant that Donika was near.
Puck and Tess walked hand in hand ahead of us, leaving Nik and I several yards behind. I was worried that he might bring up what had happened earlier, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to talk about it. I had been caught up in the heat of the moment, his hands had been on me, and the position…it had brought back a few memories.
That’s all.
He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye before clearing his throat. “That was pretty impressive back there, with Warrick.”
I took a deep breath, relieved he hadn’t decided to bring it up. Maybe he was feeling the same way I had, and he had only been caught up in the moment. There was no reason to believe it was anything more than that on his part, either. Maybe he didn’t even feel that way about me anymore. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and gave him a lopsided grin.
“Well, I did have a good magic teacher.”
“A great magic teacher,” he corrected with a grin. “I knew it would be as easy as breathing for you if you practiced. I know you are upset about not being able to use your storm magic, but I promise that doesn’t make you weak. Look at what you did back there…you are stronger than you know, even without having to tap into that side of your magic.”
“And when I pull on too much power and gas out?” I asked, raising my brow at him.
We turned towards Dragon’s Hollow and the streets grew darker and emptier. The lights weren’t turned on outside the shops on this side of town, the people already having turned in for the night. The only sound was our hushed voices and the soft clip of our boots against the cobblestone street.
“That hasn’t happened yet, so let’s not think about it.”
“That’s a great way to think about it. We will cross that bridge when we come to it…so let’s never come to it. Simply don’t pass out.”
“Exactly.” He grinned, playfully nudging me in the side. “Just don’t pass out.”
“I’ll try my best,” I replied.
“Did you know those two were back together?” he asked, nodding towards Puck and Tess ahead of us.
I swallowed hard. “Yes. I assume you didn’t?”
He shook his head. “Puck and I…we haven’t exactly talked…about any of that.”
A blush heated my cheeks and I was thankful for the dark cover of night. There was no way Nik would be able to see the flush under the dim light of the moon.
I wondered if he would tell Puck about today, or if they hadn’t spoken about it because it didn’t mean anything to him anymore. Maybe his protectiveness in the infirmary was simply protection of the heir to the throne, to the true queen.
Maybe there was nothing romantic about it.
I laughed, but the sound was hollow in my own ears. I hoped it was convincing enough as my mind ran away with my thoughts. As we reached the door to the townhouse, Puck and Tess stopped for a quick kiss in front of the stone steps.
A sudden chill ran down my spine, unsettling me. I glanced behind me, but the street was dark and empty. Why did it feel as if someone had been watching us?
I broke away, the sound of Nik’s voice calling after me as I turned around the side of the building. Something was drawing me in that direction, and I couldn’t explain what.
I felt a tug, like a physical pull that I couldn’t push back against even if I tried. I felt eyes on me, and when I turned the corner of the townhouse, the sight before me sent a shiver through me that threatened to freeze me in place, despite the warm spring air.
Before me were two mounted horses. The first rider rode a horse of milky white, his shoulder-length hair familiar though I had only set eyes on him once before, when I was dream walking. My eyes passed over him, already knowing who I would see next.
The second horse was all black, its mane long enough that it almost trailed along the ground. The rider carried a long, black staff with an amber gem set in the bezel. It had black textured serpents crawling up the side of the staff towards the gem, where they appeared to open their mouths towards it, their fangs extended. My eyes traveled upwards further, to black tourmaline eyes and white and blue hair that was striking against the black of night.
My breath left me as if it had physically been squeezed out of my lungs. I could hear Nik calling my name, but when I turned back, he was gone.
I couldn’t see him anywhere.
“Diana! Diana!” His voice was strangled as he said my name, over and over again.
There was nothing behind me but the quiet of Dragon’s Hollow, shrouded in a dense black fog.
I turned back towards Corian and Donika, my hands shaking.
The glamour must have worn off…but it hadn’t been that long…how was that possible?
Corian’s mouth curved into a sinister smile as he glared down at me, his hand moving towards the sword at his hip. Donika moved the staff towards me, and the amber gem lit up brightly enough that I had to shield my eyes with the back of my hand. When the light cleared, my eyes met hers, a pit in my stomach, my feet rooted in place.
Her lips were coated in bright red lacquer, the corner of her mouth lifting as she peered down at me.
“I’ve found you, little Stormshade.”