Page 31

S huffling into the Keep, the Phoenixes perk up at our presence, but keep to their resting places. I scan the space, not having made the time before now to come inside.

It’s airy, with windows high above that offer moonlight to shine through and the sea breeze to filter into the space. With individual open stalls, birds have room to nestle, either in groups or alone. The floor is laid with fresh bedding, soft and forgiving under my feet. Rafters lofted high above for the Phoenixes who wish to roost.

Deah soundlessly opens the door, sliding in next to me. I do a double take at what I find. Her normally loose ringlets are in tight, thin braids down her back.

“I like it.” I nod toward her plaits.

She runs a hand over them, beaming back at me. “I’m tired of brushing out knots after flying.”

We grab supplies as Artemis, Orion, and Adonis all make their way out of the Keep. Deah and I sling the satchels over our shoulders, exiting the Keep to find Ridge loading up already.

Ingrid and Emmy are already packed and mounted, looking at me expectedly.

“We couldn’t sleep,” Ingrid admits, biting her lower lip nervously. Her short black hair whipping in the breeze, she strokes the Phoenix’s neck under her gently. A bird who I know doesn’t have a tethered flier. “Rend is allowing me to fly him to the Wall.”

Lotog and Laz round the corner, the latter—my brother —running a hand down his face. “Was a middle of the night leave time really necessary? ”

Lamond and Nalin are gathered at the walkway, the sounds of the sea crashing behind them. I can’t tell from Lamond’s stiff posture if he’s irritated or relieved that he and Nalin are staying to guard the city. Nalin, as always, looks aloof and expressionless, his dark eyes and bulky frame always on alert.

“We’ll land right before daybreak, and we need early light in order to work effectively,” Ridge says as he swings a leg over Orion. “You’re already awake and here, so enough whining.”

Laz flips Ridge off before hopping on Tillian’s back, who clacks in agitation. I can’t help but linger, watching them.

My brother .

I’d been avoiding talking to him about it since the day I was poisoned. Enough is enough when it comes to my habit of evading important people in my life.

Lotog and Hans ready themselves, Hans stretching out broad wings. He’s not the largest bird here, but he’s been fighting in the Ravels since long before any of us were born. His arrogant ways make him the perfect match for Lotog.

We take flight, and I navigate Artemis next to Tillian. Laz smirks at me when he sees me fall in line next to him, eyeing Artemis.

“She’s truly a beaut,” he calls to me, gesturing toward my Phoenix.

You surround yourself with lovely men, Artemis purrs, and I bark out a laugh.

Not surprised you would think so.

“She likes you.” I roll my eyes, looking forward to ensure we’re flying straight. “We haven’t really talked about the whole brother-sister thing.”

Artemis squawks, clacking her beak at the moon above. Brother?

Oh. I didn’t mention that earlier?

No, she seethes, still tossing her head. Of all the times for you to actually learn how to use your barriers.

“Is there something you’d like to discuss?” Laz asks curiously, his long hair pulled back against the strong winds. I silently curse myself for not noticing any kind of resemblance sooner.

The icy blue eyes alone should have tipped me off. “How old are you? ”

He pulls his lips back into a wild grin at me. “Thirty.”

“Do you look thirty, or are you thirty?” I press. The Fae are clever, always looking for an out when it comes to questions.

“Both.” He flashes me that typical Laz grin, barking out a booming laugh that captures the others’ attention.

He’s one of the most spirited people I’ve ever encountered.

Watching Laz and Tillan float through the sky sparks a memory in the recedes of my mind. It’s akin to looking through a dense fog; I can see veiled details.

“Tell me about our parents. I don’t remember anything about them.”

Laz looks skyward, considering. “You and I come from a line of powerful Fae in Aledon. When our parents were taken by the Human King, Ridge took me in until I could join the Ravels.” His demeanor shifts, voice full of dolor, wincing at his own words. “They were remarkable people. Beloved by their friends; courageous.” His tone changes, growing softer as he gives me a somber smile. “You look like our mother.”

“He left you when they took our parents?”

He nods; I can see the burden of losing our parents weighing heavily on him. “I suppose I wasn’t powerful enough for them to warrant taking. I woke up and they were just…gone.”

“You were their only child?” I ask, curious about his upbringing.

“Yes,” he says slowly, looking forward. “You and I are more powerful than our parents were; you exceedingly so. During childbirth, our mother nearly died having me. I don’t think they wanted to risk it a second time.”

“Yet they were forced to have me,” I respond quietly. “I still don’t understand how I ended up with these powers.”

Laz nods, considering. “Rathian Zan had clearly been manipulating the Unborn Vase, there’s a chance he used that on you. Most Fae have one, perhaps two, abilities. You have three powers that are very uncommon, or nearly unheard of.”

I don’t answer, but I contemplate the words.

Fire. Darkness. Nullification .

They don’t unsettle me anymore, but they certainly seem to unsettle others.

“It is quite rare to have such a wide variety of powers, Aledrya. Typically, we inherit them from a family member. Our great grandfather had fire, like we do. Nullification hasn’t been seen in generations, darkness I’ve never heard of. It was clear before you displayed any primary powers that you have the marker of the full-blooded, noble Fae.”

“My markings?” I guess, not following his line of thinking.

“The crystal-like eyes. Have you not noticed only certain Fae have them? It’s a marker for the bloodlines of Fae who produce unrivaled power.”

There is no sound other than the beat of our Phoenixes wings between us. I can hear the others further below laughing and talking, but I tune them out. Yet another clue that had escaped me until now.

Ridge, Laz, Lamond, Deah, and Treia all have those icy eyes he mentioned.

And I do too.

We fly in silence for a long moment, Laz giving me space to process. I wonder if he ruminates on things like I tend to.

“So our parents were taken before they had me?” The question rolls off my tongue, but it felt like slogging through mud to force it out.

The stocky mountain line that acts like a natural barrier between our realms comes into view, and I fixate on it. The way the mountains seem to jut up like spikes, warning off any trespassers. The narrow footholds like the one Lamond and I went through.

“Yes. They had you while in Torrent, under Rathian’s orders.” Laz’s voice is tight, sorrow tinging the edges of his words.

I don’t respond. I’m plagued with contrition from the loss of a family I don’t even have memory of.

I let myself truly consider that I have a family on this side of the Woven Wall. The thought stings my eyes, remembering who I’d left so easily in the Human Realm. The ones who kept me safe all those years.

I’d like to pretend I won’t lose anyone else.

But the war hasn’t even begun .

Our group flies in silence as we make our final approach toward the Wall.

Foul power saturates the air here. Mercifully, we make a hard bank away from it. Our group climbs in altitude to remain unseen until Ridge can locate the camp. Heaviness hangs in the air from the Wall’s power, leaving the taste of copper on my tongue. A flash of white below, where Ridge and Orion separate from our group. My heart stumbles, despite knowing our plan. I can’t stand the thought of him being in danger and alone.

I’d meant it when I said that any amount of distance from Ridge felt painful.

He and Orion will be fine. They have cloud cover to keep them out of sight, Artemis reminds me, her normally squawking voice calming.

I don’t have any other option than to believe our plan will work. To remember that Ridge is the most powerful Fae in our realm.

He has the power of dematerializing anything or anyone he sees fit. There is no equal in our world to Ridge.

The others fall in line behind Artemis, and we slowly descend, making our way to the forest below. The power from the Wall is dampened here; still present, but not as oppressive. The birds gently land on the floor below, and we make haste of climbing the tall trees. The Phoenixes lift off once more, landing in the treetops above us. Deep green leaves float down all around us as the birds grip onto the branches above, their talons digging into the bark. I can hear the creaking of the branch above me from Artemis settling in.

Deah scoots down her branch on the opposite side of the trunk, grimacing at me. “Do you think they know not to—you know —while we’re below them?”

Does she believe we are uncultured swine? Artemis puffs, disdain heavy in her voice.

I stifle a snort. “Artemis says be good or else.” A squawk above me has a laugh bubbling out before I can stop it.

Insufferable girl .

“Don’t lie, I can tell.” Deah giggles, her many braids shifting over her shoulder as she leans to look at me around the thick trunk of our tree. I know what she’s doing by trying to distract me. I reach out and squeeze her hand in silent appreciation.

“How long do we have to sit here?” Emmy complains from somewhere below. I can hear the creak of her branch as she shifts. I lean forward to look, but lose my balance, flinging my weight back to remain upright. I dig my fingers into the rough bark on my branch to lock myself in place.

That was way too close.

The air here makes me lightheaded. Queasy.

“However long it takes Ridge to locate the camp,” I remind her, keeping my voice low. “I need him to pinpoint where and what they’re hiding.”

I clamp down on the urge to reach down our tether. Relief comes when I find it still blazing with flame. Each day that passes somehow gives it more strength.

Less like a thread and more like a tie to his soul.

“Are we ever going to talk about Ridge?” Deah peeks around the tree at me, carefully this time. “What is going on there?”

“Yeah, how is the sex?” Ingrid calls from below, near Emmy.

There’s a strangled sound from above. “Oh gods, no. Talk about anything else,” Laz groans from his own branch. I glance up to find him leaned back against the trunk; one leg kicked out in front, the other dangling.

Ready? My heart leaps from my chest when Ridge’s voice swirls around my mind. I almost topple off my branch once more.

You’ve never been that excited to hear from me, Artemis whines, ruffling her feathers from the branches above.

Hush, bird.

My power begins to thrum as I send my response to Ridge. It bites and gnashes at the leash I’m keeping on it until we get to the correct spot.

I turn to Deah next. “I’m going now. You know what you need to do?”

She gulps, but jerks her chin up. “See you on the other side. ”

I take a composing breath, sliding down the trunk to the forest floor below. Darting out toward the break in trees, I meet Artemis; Orion and Ridge touching down as I approach.

“They have a camp at the foothills. The spell must not be able to hold on this side of the Wall, because they’re not concealed.” His voice is all warrior; command ringing through his rolling timbre.

I look at him for a long moment, and his eyes soften. “None of that. Everything will be fine. We’re here to send a message and make a stand.”

I don’t have a choice to believe otherwise. I swing my leg up and over Artemis, and we shoot into the sky. She banks hard as we scope out the encampment.

I see Deah darting between patches of thicket, Ingrid in tow. They’re heading through the trees toward the Torrent forces, now visible to me from the skies. Tents are erected, lanterns still blown out. In mere seconds, they’ll be awake.

They won’t be too thrilled about it, either.

Lotog now soars above me, ever the perfect distraction. I’ve never seen him summon his power, and I’m jittery with excitement to finally witness it. Hans lets out a piercing screech, swan diving and swooping low over the camp. Soldiers stumble out of their tent instantly, still drunk with sleep as they look skyward.

Hans misses them by inches, sending them scattering for weapons. When Lotog makes his second pass over the camp, he and Hans disappear as they narrowly miss a group of now armed men. They disperse in all directions, panicking.

A few of them shriek when Lotog reappears several seconds later, dropping his invisibility power.

Deah lunges for one that has been separated from the group, she and Ingrid working in tandem to restrain him using a spell. The next part makes me truly nervous for my friends all around me. I ball up my fists, forcing my jitters to subside.

With my friends scattering away from the camp, I can finally unleash the rising power .

I take aim toward the rest of the base, shooting my power out in all directions. My entire body shakes with the effort of containing the nullification over the large area.

Lanterns that the soldiers hoist up are extinguished in my wake as Artemis lands with a heavy thud. I dismount within the same heartbeat. My hands tremble with the density of this power, as if I’m holding the entire camp's weight suspended into the air.

The men pull at a feigned power that won’t come; staring at their hands that offer nothing in return. Yet my hands burn with an intense inferno.

I hear Ridge and Laz land on either side of me, with Emmy keeping watch overhead. Our plan has, so far, unfolded perfectly.

My arms go numb with the tonnage of this power. But still, I hold.

“Bringer of Darkness,” one of them mutters, staring slack jawed at us. His dark features remind me so much of Hune, it makes my heart palpitate.

“She’s so much more than that.” Ridge spins his dagger in one palm, smirking at the trespassers. “At least you got her title partially correct.”

The man standing next to him spits on the ground between us. “The king knew you were here, bitch. Crossing into enemy territory is treason.”

I can sense Ridge at the edge of my mind, so I release my grip on the nullification. Really, I don’t think I could have held it out much longer. This plan would have been fruitless without Ridge.

The second I let go, the man dissipates atom by atom. The only thing that remains of him is his sword. It lands with a sickening thud where his feet were mere seconds ago.

“Anyone else want to speak ill of the lady?” Ridge growls. “His death was swift, but my mercy is in limited supply.”

The remaining soldiers hesitate, sharing glances.

Deah sprints toward Laz, but she’s close enough that I can still hear her murmur, “He talked.”

“We’re done here,” Ridge growls with indignation, sliding a dagger back into the sheath at his thigh. “That’s too bad for the rest of you. ”

The man across from us widens his eyes, stumbling back, but not fast enough to stop the roaring of Ridge’s power. Ridge smirks as he flicks his hand lazily, eviscerating the entire camp in a blink. He doesn’t react at the loss of life; his jet-black fitted clothing is a symbol of the destruction and doom he’s capable of.

I may be Bringer of Darkness, but he’s Bringer of Death .

“Didn’t feel like leaving any witnesses, Ridge?” Laz calls out as he stalks toward the now lifeless camp. He tugs open flaps on the tents, checking for a captain's quarters that might hold information.

“I sent a message to the king through one of them before I killed them. Turns out he can communicate with them under that spell. I had little use of them after that.” He shrugs, brushing off the front of his shirt. “And the world had little use for them after what he called Aledrya. Let Abacae have him.”

“You killed an entire camp over him calling her a filthy name?” Deah says, observing the eerily silent camp in front of us.

“Obviously,” Ridge retorts. He moves to stand in front of me, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

Laz emerges from a tent, parchment in his hand. “Found their maps.”

Ridge gives an approving nod, but turns his attention to Deah. “You said you got what you needed?” I stare at his strong profile, the way his jaw sets when he’s anxious for information.

Our plan had been for her to use her truth-telling abilities to bring out what the soldiers knew, while Ingrid rendered him physically useless with a spell. Ingrid stalks up behind Deah, face drawn. My guess is the man had disappeared in the wake of Ridge’s power.

“It is as we suspected. Rathian is poking holes through the Woven Wall in order to send enchanted soldiers over. The enchantment allows them to move unseen, making the army incredibly effective in movement.” Her dark brown eyes seem to flare as she considers. “If that soldier is to be believed, the king has raised an army ten thousand strong. ”

“Ten thousand?” I blurt out, my heart crawling up my throat. Ridge doesn’t react, but I can see the wheels in his mind turning.

“Of men, of creatures…” She shudders as Ingrid comes up beside her, wincing. “He plans to move his armies once he gets reports back on the status of our armies. He believes that Fae powers are weaker than ever before.”

“The Unborn Vase,” Laz murmurs, now standing near our group once more.

“What of it?” I probe, turning to face him.

Laz holds my stare. “That Vase is crucial to our power. It’s true when he took it, our power became less potent. Being the holder of it means you can wield much quicker, much more intensely. If he gets that key…who knows what kind of destruction he could create.”

“There is one other thing…” Ingrid hesitates, shifting from foot to foot.

“Out with it, then,” Ridge snaps with more impatience than necessary.

“The king seems to be taking it personally that Aledrya is in the Fae Realm.” Ingrid stares off in the distance, unable to meet my eyes.

“Okay…” I can hardly stand this drawn-out conversation any longer.

“He killed your foster parents, Aledrya. He said they were committing treason by allowing you into their home.”

I let my gaze shift to the Woven Wall, my entire world narrowing. I’m distantly aware of the others trying to talk to me, but their voices are muted.

Lotog puts his hand on my shoulder, but I shake off his friendly touch.

Aledrya. Artemis’s words sound like she’s underwater. I snap myself out of the daze, hearing Laz’s voice.

Laz’s features are rigid as he addresses Ridge. “We need to retaliate. He cannot get away with this.”

Before Ridge can respond, my heart stops. There’s a flash of red and orange as a Phoenix tumbles through the sky, landing on the opposite end of the campsite. There is something unnatural, so off-putting about the landing, it makes our group freeze.

My heart breaks into a gallop as I realize. “ Emmy . ”

I feel removed from this world as I launch into a run. Like everything is happening around me, and I’m merely a spectator. My heart hasn’t come down from my throat since Ingrid last spoke.

Our group is scrambling across the campsite in order to get to Emmy and Solay, the other Phoenixes shooting to the sky to assess for danger.

Stay with him, Artemis commands before launching skyward, but I’m too disoriented to keep track of where Ridge is.

I make it to Emmy and Solay first. The sight has me crumpling to the mossy earth beneath my boots. I feel the wet cold seeping through my clothes as I kneel before them.

I can’t hear anything but the rushing of water in my head, that ocean rising again to drown me.

Emmy and Solay had been murdered, a note nailed to Emmy’s head.

Their bodies look so similar to Westyn’s. Clearly having suffered greatly before their demise. Knife wounds cover their corpses, some deep, some shallow.

I’m distantly aware of someone gripping my shoulder. Based on the way callouses snag on the fabric of my shirt, it’s Ridge.

I can hear the thick emotion in Lotog’s voice, feel his attention on me, even though I don’t look up. “Aledrya?”

I can’t bring myself to respond.

After several moments, I rock back onto my heels, that invisible water crashing down all around me. Without a word, I stand and walk from the campsite, past the edge of the trees, and turn right. I hear one set of footsteps behind me, but I don’t need to look back to know who it is. I don’t need to warn him I might be dangerous right now.

He’s the dangerous one between us.

So, let him follow me.

My gait is purposeful, and the quarter-mile walk does nothing to whet my thirst for revenge. The invisible water now sounds a lot like a roaring in my ears. The further I get from Emmy and Solay, the more bitter I become. The more I want to exact this pain onto another person. Namely Rathian Zan.

It’s not just about the Human King, though. It’s about every single Fae he’s ever hurt. Every human he’s terrorized.

I finally approach my target. Sizing it up, I let the disgusting, oppressive power take over my senses. The Wall’s odious presence is the only thing overriding the water that won’t let up. This is the closest to bloodthirsty I’ve ever felt.

I let it consume me.

A flicker in the dark that’s almost indiscernible.

The smallest of sparks has the means to become an inferno.

“This is for Emmy and Solay.” My voice is not entirely my own. “Fuck you, King Rathian Zan. You’re next.”

With a brushstroke of nullification, that invisible Wall unweaves itself entirely.