Chapter 3 #3
As the last one finally made it through, dark elves appeared down the cobbled drive between the townhouses.
They were only a few hundred feet from us, so I could even make out their onyx-colored, pointed ears, giving them away.
Additionally, their shouting and pointing in our direction marked them as unfriendly.
As Jax and Loden hurried into the portal with mine and Rynn’s bags, Darrow sent all the enemies within view flying toward the royal garden behind them. Their shocked screams rent the air.
Several landed on top of the Arrecian songbuds, and I wanted to cry at the thought of those plants never playing their beautiful melodies again.
While it was too late in the season for them to have the red and white blooms that played the rhythmic sounds, they wouldn’t recover from being crushed to do so when it warmed again.
Darrow grabbed me, pulling me hard into his side.
Just before we went through, he dropped a round, yellow stone next to the ring.
I gaped at it before we sank inside. Those rocks were explosive, so experienced magic users could set them to detonate after a specific time period.
I assumed that one would ignite soon after we made it to the other side, and with luck, when the dark elves arrived to investigate the portal.
It would injure or even kill them while rendering the ring unusable.
The flash of lights zooming past us lasted for only a matter of seconds before we stepped onto solid ground again. I jerked from Darrow’s hold, wanting to put some distance between us. Nothing about him felt familiar right now. Even his fingers had dug too tightly when he’d gripped my arm.
“What happened to you?” I asked, taking a few more steps from him.
He turned his glowing gaze my way, and chills ran down my spine. “The God of Wrath’s power currently runs through me.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I called upon him for help.” Darrow broke eye contact and walked away. He was like a stranger.
I turned to Loden and Jax, who stood a short distance from me. Both had concerned expressions as they watched their friend move toward the nearby village.
“What exactly happened to him?” I asked.
Loden cleared his throat. “We ran into Darrow’s uncle.
He’s the strongest dark elf in Karganoth except for the king, but as if that wasn’t bad enough, Radan was filled with the God of Wrath’s powers.
It was impossible to fight him like that.
After Darrow took too many hits, he had to boost his magic, too. ”
I drew in a deep breath, trying to understand the implications.
I’d heard of the god since he was the only one with some sort of name, of course, but we didn’t worship him in Zadrya.
He was too dangerous. There’d been stories about dark elves harnessing the deity’s powers, but I’d had no idea they could affect anyone to this degree.
“Is it normal? His eyes and everything?” I asked.
Loden nodded regretfully. “High fae can absorb a lot more power, and especially Darrow, so the effects are more extreme. I will say this is the worst I’ve ever seen him, but he’s also more lethal. I’m not sure where his limit is at the moment—or if there is one.”
I swallowed. That was more than a little disturbing.
“Please tell me he killed his uncle,” I said, hoping for a bright side.
Jax shook his head. “No. The coward teleported away a moment before Darrow could finish him.”
My eyes rounded. That was a rare ability, and it would make Radan especially dangerous if he could appear anywhere at any time.
I hated the idea that he could still be in Zadrya somewhere, alive and able to attack again.
The heir to the Karganoth throne would have to be extremely powerful, especially if he had the same boost as his nephew.
“How long is Darrow going to be like this?”
The two men glanced at each other before Loden shrugged. “It’s usually just for a few hours or maybe up to a day if necessary. I haven’t seen him like this for a long time, though, and he pulled more power than usual.”
What did that mean? While any fae could be temporarily instilled with god magic as a gift, light elves couldn’t harness it at will like the dark elves.
We had to summon one, hope they showed up, and then negotiate on the slight chance they’d grant it.
Darrow, on the other hand, had quickly gotten a massive boost with little effort.
I wouldn’t be able to go near him without feeling that burning rage that enveloped him.
Just when I thought we could finally be together somewhat normally, a whole new set of problems presented themselves.
I clenched my fists. “Under the circumstances, I’m guessing he’ll keep using it for as long as he needs to get everyone to safety, assuming the god cooperates.”
It wasn’t lost on me that the prince wasn’t the only heir, and Darrow would need to go out again.
“I’m afraid that may be the case,” Loden said, giving me a grim look. “We need to take care not to upset him, and simply use him to our advantage.”
Our realm was now at war, and my husband might be one of the most powerful fae to fight back against the enemy.
My stomach twisted at the thought of what lay ahead for us.
I wanted to put on a brave face, but recent events and draining my magic to flee Porrine had weakened me to the point that I couldn’t do more than keep myself upright. I was so tired already.
I sighed. “Fine. It’s not like we have much choice.”
Loden nodded, then he and Jax walked away.
I turned my gaze toward the Pazakian Sea, where the waves gently crashed against the sandy shore.
The water was clear with a cerulean tint that never failed to take my breath away.
I noted the horses had moved to stand near it, huddling together in their unfamiliar environment.
I’d never even brought my mare here, so I understood their nervousness at the new location.
Voices drew my attention in the opposite direction toward the nearby village, Doga.
I could barely make out the pointed rooftops from where I stood.
A field of blue-green grass stretched between me and the settlement, with a group of men standing in the middle of the open expanse.
Orran, the chieftain of the Andalagar tribe, stood with half a dozen of his warriors as he spoke with Darrow.
I couldn’t make out their expressions, but their postures were stiff.
I wanted to know what they discussed, but Rynn was hard at work healing Armin, and I didn’t want to leave her. The prince’s guards stood over her to keep watch, though both swayed on their feet from their own injuries.
“Sit,” I ordered them. “We’ll be safe here, and neither of you can put up a fight at the moment anyway. You should rest.”
They both set their jaws, and the one with short, brown hair spoke, “Thank you, my lady, but we will stand. Our watch is not over yet.”
“Will you speak sense to them, Armin?” I asked. The prince was already looking better since Rynn had closed his worst wound.
He gestured at the guards. “Aella is right. You’re only making yourselves worse by standing there when you should rest.”
Both finally relented and took a knee on the ground, still ready to rise at a moment’s notice. That was probably as good as it would get until they were relieved of their duties. It was hard to blame them after how the day had gone.
“What happened in Porrine?” I asked once the prince’s face eased a little more from the pain.
He worked his jaw, sorrow in his gaze. “I was out hunting when they invaded, but as soon as the fighting reached the woods, we realized something was wrong and hurried back. Dark elves were killing everyone they could find. There were several times I would have died if not for my magic.”
Armin could become intangible the way Jax could become invisible, so no weapons could harm him, but he could still be seen.
He clenched his fist at his side as he continued, “It was impossible to reach the palace, but we heard enough from those who were fleeing to know only death waited for us there. After that, I headed for the meeting point with Darrow.”
I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry about your parents. They were Zadrya’s greatest monarchs and will be sorely missed.”
“Thank you,” he said, gripping my hand in return before releasing me. “As soon as possible, we need to find out who betrayed us because Karganoth shouldn’t have been able to take the palace that swiftly without help from key figures. For sure, the main portal channeler played a part.”
“And some of the palace security,” one of Armin’s guards added.
I rubbed my face. “You’ll need to screen everyone who comes near you to ensure they don’t intend you harm.”
Since the prince could read active thoughts in people’s minds, he was the best person for the job. At his power level, no one other than his father had ever been able to keep him out of their heads.
Armin smiled. “All of you are already cleared, as well as Darrow and his friends.”
“That was brave of you to go into my husband’s mind right now,” I said, grimacing.
“The anger in there is terrifyingly strong, but his thoughts are rather straightforward. He aims to protect those who matter and kill anyone who gets in the way.” The prince’s expression softened. “Despite everything, he’s been deeply worried about you and Rynn.”
I nodded, appreciating his telling me. “You should save your energy and stop using magic until you’ve rested.”
“Yes,” Rynn said, scowling at him. “You’re going to heal slower if you don’t relax.”
He snorted. “Easier said than done under the circumstances.”