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DRAGAN

Mortal Ruins

I awake to find Myerdoth standing above me. “What is it?” I ask.

“The gargoyles have awakened, Dragan. Zir says the ritual worked, but the stone needed several nights of direct moonlight for the magic to flourish.” He stands and tosses me the Grimoire.

I can’t hide my shock. “I can’t… I can’t believe it.”

“Well, believe it,” Myerdoth answers and actually smiles, which is rare for the gargoyle. “Pyre suggested we take our new recruits to the glade to train. As their creator, they’ll have most of your knowledge already, but controlling their abilities will take time.”

“Time we don’t have,” I add.

He nods. “Time we don’t have.”

“Eilish... does she know?”

Myerdoth shakes his head and opens the door for me as I take my leave.

My companion and I part ways along the way to the war room.

When I throw open the doors and stride inside, I find Eilish staring down at the map with a frown on her face.

She looks at me and frowns as she then slides to the floor with her head in her hands. I move to kneel before her.

“Are you alright, Eilish?” She is beautiful, strong and courageous, but I see the dark circles beneath her eyes and the tension in her muscles.

The pheromones of her lovers still permeate her skin, so I know it isn’t hunger that’s distressing her.

I wrap my arms around her and she allows me to hold her.

“So many lives relying on me…” she presses her forehead against mine. “I need help, Dragan. We can’t do this on our own.”

“I have something to show you. Maybe it will ease your worries.”

I help her stand, lifting her from the floor.

We walk through the double doors and wave to the guards.

They allow us to leave through the gate.

Eilish is quiet on our walk through the city.

She answers my prodding questions with a simple nod or sigh.

I keep her close as we approach the water and the wind gets colder.

Eilish is happy to snuggle against my side as we work our way through the uneven sands.

Though the city itself is a graveyard, there’s so much life on the beach.

“We’re here.”

Large drag marks and symbols cover the ground, but there are no gargoyles. Myerdoth drops down from the sky in front of us. Eilish grips my hand and squeezes as a happy smile appears on her face. Four stone beasts land in the sands in a perfect formation just beside him.

Eilish appears surprised to see them, of course, but when she turns to face me, her surprise grows. “Dragan, how are they able to be in the daylight?”

“Myerdoth?” I ask, not sure of the answer, myself.

He nods at us both. “The short answer is… Pyre.” Eilish and I both laugh at that. Myerdoth continues. “We’ve given them the choice to remain nocturnal or embrace the light. There’s a possibility that many will still prefer the night, but having a choice is what makes all the difference.”

Eilish approaches each of them, studying each one of them closely. Clearly, she’s impressed. “Why are they still made of stone? Why aren’t they flesh, like you?”

Myerdoth answers this question, as well. “The stone will shed in a few days.”

“It takes a long time for gargoyles to build up a flesh form and when it first grows, it’s still very thin,” I add. “The stone acts as an exoskeleton until the process is complete.”

“Do they have names?” she asks.

“They will get names and ranks once they mature completely,” I reply. “But, as you see, we now have more warriors for your army.”

“That... thank you, Dragan. I know you did this to restore your people, but I’m grateful you thought of the Vindication, as well.

” She returns to me, sliding beneath my arms to hold me tight around my middle.

“Belroth says he’s working on more golems, as well.

At this rate, half of our forces will be birthed from stone. ”

I turn Eilish towards the beach and we walk along the water’s edge. The water is a clear blue that seems far too large to be anything but an illusion.

“I wonder if this place was always so peaceful?” I ask.

“Not according to Bombri.”

“Who?”

“The infuriating little hobgoblin that follows Noni like a shadow. He considers himself an expert on the ancient humans. Always spouting nonsense no one but Pyre can understand and even he just shrugs it off sometimes,” she laughs.

“Bombri… is he that ugly little creature who yaps uncontrollably?”

Eilish laughs. “I find him charming.”

“Charming? Do we have competition where your heart is concerned?”

She shoves me a little, not finding my teasing as funny as I do. “Enough. Have your laugh, but you’re wrong. I’m quite content with the lovers I have. Our connections are what make it special.”

“Even Variant?”

Eilish slows down and stares out at the water. “I don’t know what to do about Variant. I’m not sure anyone truly knows him anymore. All our memories of Variant are tainted by Morrigan’s treachery.”

“That’s true.” I sigh. “What do you think is to be done about him?”

She swallows and remains quiet for a few more seconds. “I need to learn who Variant really is before I make a decision as to what to do with him.”

“Well, you may want to make that decision sooner rather than later. No one trusts Variant, obviously. The people are still adjusting to Theren. I worry there may be a revolt if they hear you’ve accepted Variant, as well.”

***

ABEDON

The Tomb of The Gods

There are times when my eyes deceive me, moments when the past and the present merge and I stand at the center of my prison with a frown on my face.

The shadows in the corners seem to grow as my mind plays tricks on me.

I can still hear Morrigan’s laughter ringing out between the white marble walls.

Cracks as long as I am tall have ravaged the once pristine stone.

Moss and mildew creep along the edges. The ground is still sticky with the preserved blood of my foes as I walk over their bones.

I cast an orb of light towards the chandelier and bathe the decrepit hall in a scarlet glow.

Tattered curtains still drape from the ceiling, thin and spattered with holes like enormous spiderwebs. Beetles, maggots, and other insects have made the carcasses on the ground their homes as they scramble across the ground to avoid my thunderous footfalls.

I shrug my robes from my shoulders and stand at the heart of the tomb, bare as the day I was born.

My hands trail along the ridges of my protruding ribs and my skeletal form left behind by centuries of starvation.

But as my touch moves along the leathery flesh that covers my bones, the skin, muscle and bone heal along the way.

Muscle replaces the sharp dips and creases, restoring my figure to its former glory.

Sweat glistens in the crimson light as I finish the spell.

No longer are my teeth broken, crooked shards, but a flash of white framed by plush lips that once made females drape themselves across my lap like whores.

The angles of my face are now regal and the arch of my brows prominent.

Eyes of liquid gold that see beyond worlds and hair as black as the Chasm itself.

Yes, I am beyond handsome. I am a god Eilish would be a fool to deny.

“Elioth,” I whisper to the shadows. “Come to me.”

A moment later, the flickering image of the dark sorcerer appears.

“My priests?” I ask.

“Awakened,” Elioth replies. “They are much stronger than before. The darkness Morrigan and her pawns spread has been feeding them wonderfully.”

“What of the followers? Has the Cockatrice been successful in his convergence?”

“He commands the Unseelie Kingdom, my lord. A loyal servant.”

“Take over the Unseelie forces. Let the people know the true king has risen. Take back your home, Elioth, and see to it we’ve enough followers for the ritual.”

“What should I do about the Vindication? We still haven’t found them and my own heir protects the filthy hybrid queen,” he sneers.

“She will soon be your filthy hybrid queen.”

“My Lord?”

“I am taking Eilish as my bride.”

Elioth appears both confused and frustrated by this information. “I thought the plan was to use her magic and turn her into a weapon?”

“It was.”

He nods. “You arranged everything, my lord. You instructed me to send Prince Yanhir after her sister, knowing Eilish would protect her sister at any cost.”

“Yes, I am well aware, Elioth. And you did the right thing using your influence on Morrigan to send the Cockatrice. Eilish’s family was supposed to die.

Eilish was supposed to blame Cambion and Theren for not protecting her family.

Everything went as was planned until Cambion took away her memories. ”

“So, why take her as a bride at all? Would she have you once she learns you orchestrated everything? That you and I have tugged the strings of fate all this time?”

“Eilish will never know,” I say and wave away Elioth’s concerns.

“She is weak and naive. Far too trusting. Look at the way she accepts the males around her,” I chuckle.

“It would be too easy to spin a tale of my own to earn her sympathy. And when the war comes and Eilish sees the glory of my might, she will leave them—all of them. Her hunger alone will demand she feed from my power.”

“But why her , My Lord?”

“Morrigan is gone. I require a new mate to ensure my lineage will endure the times to come. Eilish will be strong enough to bear my spawn.”

“Are you worried she will grow too powerful?” Elioth questions. “She could become a problem for us. This could be… too risky.”

“Eilish is a conduit of light and dark. With her, we will be able to destroy all light from this world and bring the darkness of the Chasm to the realms.” I lose my voice as I picture it.

Then I turn to face Elioth. “It will be far greater than the Singularity ever was. And Eilish will be willing to do as I command if I own her heart.”

Elioth bows his head respectfully. “As you wish, my lord.”

“Good. Now, gather my followers and prepare for the ritual. We require much blood magic to break through these spells.”

“And the Knights of Umbra?”

“Send them into the realms. Tell them to feed off as many fae as they can. We need them at full strength for the battle.” I return to my throne and watch as Elioth leaves me. Once again, I am alone within these walls that haunt me with visions of a time long past.