Page 46 of A Flame of the Phoenix (An Heir Comes to Rise #6)

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Tauria

M ordecai didn’t trust Tauria. He never had. As soon as they’d reached the war camp in Fenstead’s valleys last night, he’d bound her wrists in Magestone and chained her to the middle of a large tent, where she’d sat vulnerable to the jeers and mockery of the dark fae soldiers who used it for mealtimes.

She hadn’t been able to sleep from the noise and the loss of her dignity, but her spirit remained strong. Tauria tuned them out under the constant reel of her own planning. She hadn’t expected Mordecai to treat her this way, though that was her error in judgment. Night was falling, and the full moon would rise to its peak. The Transition was still scheduled—it was all the soldiers could talk about.

None of them touched her. They were strictly prohibited. But they did approach, crouching around her and inspecting her as if she were some wild beast. She gave them no show. Nothing but her face of pure resentment that promised their death.

Mordecai would have to remove her shackles for the Transition. That window of opportunity with her magick was all she would have to stop the sinister fate from befalling her.

Despite all of this…Tauria knew she was exactly where she needed to be.

A dark fae came over with an arrogant, sloppy swagger. He crouched like the others, canting his head curiously as though he’d never encountered a being like her before. He was handsome, she supposed. But his beauty masked the cruelty that was evident in the gleam of his onyx eyes. A Transitioned dark fae.

“You are far too beautiful to be chained like a pet,” he said smoothly.

“Come any closer, you’ll find out why.”

His smile took that as a challenge. The dark fae dared to shuffle closer on his haunches. Their faces came intimately close, and she could scent the old blood from his breath, which churned her stomach. Tauria gritted her teeth at the thought of her human people being the prey he fed on.

Her leg kicked out, tripping him off-balance. He slammed to the ground, and she twisted over him, jamming one knee into his chest and the other into his neck. Her wrists twisted awkwardly, still tied to the thick pole, and the Magestone burned her flesh, but she didn’t care.

Tauria was close to crushing his throat when someone brutally intervened, slamming her head against the wooden pole she was tied to. Her vision blacked out for a moment, and warmth flooded down the side of her temple. Tauria breathed steadily on her knees, willing herself not to fall unconscious to be left vulnerable to these vultures.

“I said no one was to hurt her.”

The dark, menacing voice of Mordecai rumbled through the tent, silencing their laughter and her shouting from the altercation with the dark fae. Despite her misery right now, it had been worth it.

“She attacked me!” the dark fae cried. Those were the last words he spoke before Mordecai’s large hand lashed around his throat and crushed it.

Mordecai dropped to her level, taking her chin and examining her wound. His dark eyes were tender for a second, until fingers slid down the trail of her blood from her temple to her jawline, then he licked the crimson from them.

Tauria looked away in complete repulsion.

“It is time,” he said. Three words that struck through her like a gong.

She was led out by the chain connecting her shackles by a dark fae in front of her. The field glowed with torches and was packed full with bodies. They parted to let them through, and Tauria was pulled like a dog through the thick of her enemies who’d emerged from their tents to bear witness to the Queen of Fenstead becoming one of them .

Something of a stage was fashioned, and she was led up onto it. A fae was already kneeling as a spectacle. His head was bowed, but his shoulders shook with sobs of terror. She wanted to console him, but Tauria wasn’t pushed to her knees beside him.

She stood overlooking the endless blots of bodies blending into the dark horizon, broken only by the occasional flickering amber torch. Tauria Silverknight held her chin high. She would not let them see her fear.

Her chain was released which silenced the murmurs around the field.

These valleys had always been so tranquil. Now they were defiled, and Tauria’s soul cried at the invaders who took no care in the land they trampled and the rivers they polluted.

There had to be at least ten thousand soldiers here. There was only one of her. But they stood in her element. The air that wrapped around her skin, caressing her cheek now, waiting for her call.

“The full moon is upon us,” Mordecai’s voice bellowed through the still night. “And tonight it shall bear witness to one of the greatest Transitions of our time. As Queen Tauria Stagknight joins us as dark fae. For in darkness, we shall triumph.”

In the eerie silence that followed, Tauria said, “Silverknight.” Taking a long breath, she squared her shoulders, and more striking than the power of Mordecai’s voice was the sound of her shackles slipping off her wrists and clanging to the ground. “My name is Tauria Silverknight, and this is my home.”

Mordecai’s eyes widened with rage and mockery, glancing from her shackles to her face. “Who released you?”

“I did,” she said.

The first dark fae to move—the one who had been holding her chain—choked as she stole all the air from his lungs with a twist of her wrist.

“You made the mistake of underestimating what I can do. You are always at my mercy. Always surrounded by not just one of my powers, but two.”

As a demonstration, Tauria touched the life essence of a root under the ground at the dark fae’s feet as he struggled for his stolen air. The root launched out of the soil, piercing through his back. He fell, suspended on the root like a spike. It took a lot more effort to use her Florakinetic ability, but her determination knew no bounds to do what she’d come here for.

“Why wait until now?” Mordecai asked, simmering with loathing.

“To make a spectacle out of you . To show you are nothing more than a powerless dark fae reliant on a history that painted your reputation. Now…you are nothing to contend with on your own.”

Tauria reached under her skirts, retrieving her staff, which she extended to full size in a breath. Then, in her next, she conjured a sharp gale of wind and sent it slamming into Mordecai.

Then she became spellbound to the wind and nature around her. Tauria was a hurricane sweeping through the field that erupted into chaos. She was just one person, but none of these dark fae had abilities, and she would fight for as long as she could, eliminating the enemy force that had plagued her land for too long.

She hoped she’d also damaged Mordecai’s reputation. That word would spread of how easily he was fooled and overpowered, and how he’d allowed Tauria to wipe out an entire legion.

At least, that was her ambition. It would sound incredulous, laughable, to most. But Tauria’s wind wrapped around necks and stole air as she danced through the crowd, cutting down everyone who advanced for her. She blasted others back from reaching her while she commanded the roots in the ground to kill others instantly. Her body quickly ached, and her skin slicked with sweat from using more magick than she ever had before, but she pushed past the warnings. She fought harder .

Maybe she was a fool, about to be overwhelmed and cut down at any moment, but the purpose in her heart thought it was worth it. She’d run from her enemy once, leaving them to overthrow her kingdom. She owed them this for her failure all that time ago.

“You can’t fight forever, Tauria,” Mordecai yelled at her from above.

The advance of soldiers was endless, but she tuned out the high lord’s taunt.

One body at a time , she told herself calmly. Thinking of the masses would only waver her will.

Her staff twisted and spun and cut between her hands, and slowly she pushed forward. She was surrounded but not alone. So long as she had the pairing of the wind and the anguish of the nature, Tauria kept going.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but her lungs had passed the point of burning, and she knew the moment she stopped she would collapse. At some point, she thought the push of enemies became less, but the sounds of battle grew. Some of the dark fae shifted their target, and it was then she saw…

Something rammed through the throng in front of her. It made the dark fae scramble to fly to get out of the way, but many were thrown unnaturally into the air before slamming down. Even Tauria balked at the massive thing that charged right in her direction. The dark fae stopped attacking her, and Tauria’s vision peppered as she struggled to catch her breath.

Then the beast burst through the mob, causing her to stumble back, but what she saw struck her powerfully.

Tauria gasped, in complete awe as the giant white stag reared up, mighty and triumphant, declaring itself with a loud call like a horse. Its antlers shimmered silver, and Tauria knew there was something sacred about this stag. Something of myth and legend come to life. She blinked consciously, wondering if she’d fallen in battle and this was some beautiful vision.

She couldn’t explain the pull she felt when its silver eyes met hers. Ride with me , it seemed to say.

Tauria wasn’t thinking about the impossible—she raced forward, lunging up onto the beast that lowered enough for her to use the wind for aid onto its back.

The vantage point flooded her with a sense of pride and power. The dark fae balked, but some began to resume their stances and brace for flight.

With another powerful rear, the stag launched forward, and Tauria’s legs clamped tighter around its body. It charged through the dark fae as though they were mere twigs under its giant hooves.

Ahead, Tauria couldn’t believe what she saw billowing over the heads of a force that headed over the hills toward them. When the moonlight caught the stag crest and revealed the vibrant green of the material, pride thundered in her chest like the stag’s hooves.

If Fenstead forces were here…had Nik brought them?

Tauria was so distracted she missed the dark fae that swooped down, knocking into her and sending her flying off the height. She slammed into the ground and screamed from the impact that dislocated her shoulder. Her will to survive numbed the agony, giving her enough adrenaline to swipe up her staff in her right hand and stand.

She faced off with Mordecai.

“It’s not too late for this Transition,” he seethed.

“Yes, it is.”

Tauria’s cry shook through the soils beneath her as she plunged deeper into her well of magick than she ever had before. She focused all her energy on the nature deep underground. The endless roots that connected far and wide. Tauria crouched, slamming her good hand to the trampled ground. The web of roots awoke, trembling as she asked them to grow; asked them to fight with her.

Then, shooting up from the soil, nature’s spears took their vengeance. One plunged through Mordecai’s chest, and he grunted, back arching over the root. Another speared his abdomen. Then a final one shot through his throat, killing him. Though he wasn’t truly dead.

Across the field, many cries rang out as the root continued to launch out violently and unexpectedly, spearing the enemy that couldn’t outrun it. She kept pushing her magick into the soil until her whole body tingled and the heat smothered her. Tauria had pushed beyond her limits, but she thought it was worth it.

When she channeled every last drop she had…Tauria fell onto her dislocated shoulder.

The pain made her black out, but the nauseating sound and feel made her believe the fall might have pushed her bone back into place. The stars came in and out of focus, and the sounds of fear and pain drifted away. For a moment, Tauria felt at peace.

Someone found her.

They kneeled, speaking to her, but their words were above water she didn’t know she was drowning in. She couldn’t breathe. Her eyes slipped shut.

“NIK!” the person yelled.

Nik… His name jolted through her like a demand to stay awake.

“Stay with me, Tauria.” She recognized this voice.

Lycus.

Tauria blinked a couple of times, but her heavy lids wanted to stay closed. She swallowed, but her throat was as dry as sand. She was outdoors…it was winter…but she was on fire.

The soil under her turned colder, as if answering her needs, and she moaned.

When she next opened her eyes, she was staring into the most beautiful set of emeralds.

“Nik,” she breathed.

Was this real?

“Oh, my love,” Nik said, panicked. He lifted her into his arms. “I’ve got you. At last I’ve got you back, and you’re not allowed to leave me again.”

Tauria burrowed into his chest more. She inhaled his scent, which brought her back to full clarity.

“Never,” she croaked.

“You’re hurt,” he said darkly. “We need to get you inside.”

“I’m okay. More than okay, now you’re with me.” She ran her hand down his abdomen, haunted by the last time she’d seen him with a sword through him. “I’m so sorry I left you when you needed me.”

Nik forced her to look at him with fingers around her chin. His expression was firm. “You did what you had to, and you’ve done a brilliant job here.”

She didn’t know if that was true. They may have wiped out a few legions of Mordecai and Dakodas’s army, but it was just a fraction of their numbers.

Tauria patted her bodice, pulling out scrunched parchments she’d managed to swipe from Mordecai’s room before he brought her here after the rebel ambush.

“We might have more insight into their planned movements,” she said, examining the contents.

Nik’s lips pressed to her head. “Absolutely brilliant,” he muttered softly.

When they retreated to the castle, Tauria didn’t know how she felt. It was like the darkness still clung to the corners of the walls. They’d won the battle and reclaimed Fenstead’s fortitude, but the war to come still lingered heavily.

Tauria sat, letting Edith fashion a sling for her arm, though she felt it unnecessary. Nik filled her in on all that had happened since they’d parted. Her eyes welled at hearing about his short reunion with Faythe. She pined after her friend so deeply. While they were fighting to get Reylan back, and they would all reunite in High Farrow, Nik said they had one more mission before they headed there.

Lycus approached to inform them, “It’s going to take time to push the dark fae out of the kingdom completely, but we have a great stronghold now.”

That was a relief to hear. She had enemy plans to take back to the others, and her people had a beacon of hope for their kingdom to be purged of the evil that had grown for too long.

“What happened to Mordecai?”

“We didn’t see him on the field.”

Tauria sighed. She hoped she’d made an impact on his reputation by humiliating him and wiping out his legions in Fenstead, but clearly, he still had allies when she’d left him perfectly skewered on roots.

“I trust you’ll lead our forces well to continue our efforts,” Tauria said.

Lycus nodded fiercely.

Her gaze slipped to Nik. “What is next for us? Dakodas’s ruin isn’t here.”

Nik pursed his lips, and she detected a shift of nerves in him. “Did your father ever mention another lover? Another…child, perhaps?”

Tauria stood when Edith was finished. She frowned at the odd question. “No. Of course not. He was a great father and a loyal partner to my mother.”

“I have no doubt,” Nik said. His tension grew uncomfortable. He led her into a walk down the hallway for a little more privacy. “This would have been before you arrived. Before he became devoted to your mother and you.”

“What are you trying to say, Nik?”

Tauria had to lean back against the wall as he explained.

A half-sister.

The fae that had been with Tarly…

Tauria was haunted by the truth. She didn’t know what it meant…what it might change. Would Nerida want to stake a claim on the Fenstead throne? Nik spoke of her fondly, which gave Tauria some comfort. The fae healer and Waterwielder didn’t even want her own Lakelarian throne, it seemed.

“You really think our abilities together can get into Hilia’s Cave?” Tauria asked. The task sounded monumental, but the reward if there was a dagger—the Spellthief— inside meant it was certainly worth trying.

Nik took her hands, looking at her fondly. “I believe you can do anything, Tauria Silverknight.”

He slipped a ring onto her finger. No—he’d returned her marital band, his mother’s ring, but now it held stronger meaning than their engagement. Tauria slipped a look across, but Lycus and the others were occupied in conversation. Nik kissed her.

“No one knows yet,” she whispered against his lips.

Nik smiled, caressing his knuckles down her cheek. “I want everyone to know you are my wife, Tauria.”

Tauria and Nik had wed in private before they’d conspired to fool Mordecai and left High Farrow. If one of them fell, the other would have rightful claim over both High Farrow and Fenstead thrones. They’d wanted that security. For themselves… Tauria couldn’t wait to truly have their wedding celebration with all their friends.

She was admiring her ring when Edith bounded over.

“Oh, that’s pretty!”

Tauria dropped her hand to release the attention from it. “Thanks for being my friend, Edith. I hope you know you’ll be safe here.”

The dark fae frowned. “Are you going somewhere?”

“I have to leave for a while. Lycus will be in charge in my stead, but no one will harm you.”

“Please let me come with you.” Edith tugged at her good arm like a child.

Tauria exchanged a reluctant look with Nik. He said, “It’s not safe where we’re going. We can’t afford to have more people in danger for no reason.”

“But I’m excellent at finding things. And building fires! And I can look out for myself! Oh, please? I’ve been locked away in this castle all my life.”

Tauria’s mind spun with her frantic pleas. She shrugged at Nik and could practically hear his internal groan.

“If that’s what you wish,” Tauria agreed.

Though she didn’t feel right about it, she couldn’t be another person in power shackling her to servitude where she didn’t want to be.

“We’ll leave at first light,” Nik said, taking her hand.

“Where are we going?” Tauria asked as he led her away.

“I’ve been separated from my wife far too long,” he said, his voice dropping to a seductive murmur. “We’re going to find a room where I can exhaust you until dawn.”