Page 41 of House of Embers (Royal Houses #5)

Chapter Thirty-Five

The Allies

Kerrigan opened her third portal of the day. Her bones felt like they were going to crack. Her nerves were fried. Her energy was tapped. She had one more to do after this, and then she was done. The way her fingers shook made her question if she’d even be able to do it.

“This is too much,” Fordham told her as he cast his gaze across the open valley floor where a doorway had just materialized out of thin air. “You’re shaking.”

“I can do it.”

He didn’t contradict her. He knew her well enough to know that she would push herself to the brink if she had to. He’d only stop her when it was most necessary.

“We could still fly to Herasi,” Fordham suggested instead.

He was right. Herasi was the closest house they were allied with.

They were just past the Holy Mountain, to the west of the House of Shadows.

Sayair was directly to the east. And though they had an ally in Sayair in Gerrond, he was still working undercover in the Society.

They couldn’t risk him trying to reach someone in that house right now.

The hardest part of portaling had been that Kerrigan could only open portals to places she had been before, which was relatively limited for someone who had grown up inside Draco Mountain, a place that she couldn’t open a portal into.

She had tried it on a whim while practicing earlier in the week to prep for this moment.

It was as if the mountain—all the mountains—had natural defenses that kept her from opening directly into them.

She couldn’t get into the Holy Mountain or Ravinia either. Tieran suggested it was because of the presence of tendrille, but she thought it was strange that she could open portals out of Ravinia but not in .

“We should portal. It’s faster and safer,” she argued.

“It isn’t safer if you burn out,” Fordham said.

“I’m not going to burn out.” She sighed as he looked at her with his stoic expression. “I’m okay, just contemplating why I can’t use the portal into the mountains.”

“Tendrille,” Fordham said.

“I know that’s what Tieran believes, but why can I portal out of Ravinia then?”

He shrugged. “Maybe because the portal is opening to a place without tendrille?”

“Maybe.”

Her portal wavered, and Fordham put a hand to her wrist. “Concentrate.”

She narrowed her focus back to the present—getting dragons to their allies.

After all her practice had proven fruitful, they had made a map of locations Kerrigan had visited so they could move dragons unbeknownst to the Society.

Her first portal had opened to the outskirts of Noirwood Forest. It was a black forest where everything within was poisonous.

Kerrigan and Fordham had been portaled there during the tournament, and it was within Venatrix territory.

Gelryn and Kivrin had flown through with a contingent of dragons.

He’d meet Fallon and Hadrian at the Galanthea border before returning north to meet with Alura and Anya.

Her second portal had been to Erewan territory in northern Alandria.

The freezing, rocky environment was home to hard people who were distrusting of outsiders.

When it had come out that they were familiar with Mendy and her house within Erewa, Aurelie, Celeste’s daughter from the Blanchard family, stepped forward.

She had bonded a dragon, Orit, who had been bound to an Erewan leader for some time.

She suggested that they should try to track them down.

Kerrigan had been uncertain, but it was Gelryn who had turned the tide. His first rider had been from Erewa too, and he believed that Orit and Aurelie could do it.

Luckily for them, Kerrigan had been there. She’d opened a portal directly into the mountains and sent them on their way.

There were other dragons who offered their expertise for the other houses, but not only had Kerrigan never been to those places but they had no confirmed allies there. So she wanted to remain cautious while also knowing they needed all the help they could get.

Now, she had the third portal forming before her—the biggest portal.

This one would open outside Rosemont, the capital of Bryonica.

She’d considered sending it to Waisley. She wanted to check on her ancestral home, Benton and Bayton, and everything happening there, but it was more central Bryonica, and they needed a closer area to meet Noda coming across the Strait of Ursi from the Isle of Song, where House Concha resided.

“Almost ready,” Kerrigan said as the portal grew and grew. With a huff, she reached the brink of what she could do and tied the portal off. It still required some of her magic, but it was much less than opening it in the first place.

Fordham put a hand on her back. “Careful, love.”

Audria stepped up to their sides. Tears were in her eyes as she stared out at the shores of her home. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see it again.”

“I know,” Kerrigan said, her voice thick.

“Step into my dreams anytime,” Audria said, patting her on the shoulder. “I’ll get the king and queen on our side. Well, Evien will. The dragons are going to tip this.”

“I believe in you.”

Audria swallowed hard. “Thanks for never doubting me.”

“Hey, you were the first person to realize that I was the ‘lost princess.’” Kerrigan put the words in quotes. “You were my best friend growing up. You wanted to sponsor me as soon as you found out. You fought at my back. As far as I’m concerned, we’re sisters.”

Audria sniffled as they clasped forearms, and then she tugged Kerrigan into a hug. “I love you, okay? Be safe.”

“Love you too. Give my regards to Noda. I miss her.”

Audria stepped back and nodded. “I will. It’ll be good to get our girl back.”

“Almost the whole team.”

“Yeah,” Audria said softly. “If only…”

She let it hang. If only Roake hadn’t turned, but he had done too much damage. Kerrigan wasn’t sure there was a way to bring him back.

Audria climbed onto Evien’s back and then disappeared through the portal. Dragons flowed after her, enough for both Bryonica and Concha if all went well.

Once they were through, Kerrigan turned her mother’s golden bracelet and let the magic cease. The portal crackled before disappearing as if it had never existed.

“Do you need a break?” Tieran asked.

“Just a minute,” she told both him and Fordham at once.

Fordham held up his hands. “I didn’t ask.”

“You were thinking it.”

The last portal she’d get to walk through and close from the other side. She’d have time to recover. Just one more.

Kerrigan blew a breath out slowly and then pushed her shoulders back. Herasi was the shortest distance of all the ones she had opened today, and she knew exactly where to open.

She twisted the gold bangle and felt it constrict around her wrist. A shimmering, iridescent portal door materialized out of thin air as she concentrated on the place that she wanted to bring the dragons through to meet Zina.

After a moment, the other side of the portal began to transform from the pearly iridescence to the mating grounds on Bain Bay.

Tieran touched her mind. “Home again.”

“You are not taking me under that water,” she told him.

He laughed into her mind. She knew he felt lighter, seeing the island where they had rescued Amita come into focus.

Amita herself had tried to argue that she should come on the mission with them.

Basically everyone around had shot down that option.

She’d been sulky, since she couldn’t bond anyone, and since she was the only hatchling with them, everyone was treating her like a child—mostly because she was one.

Fordham’s hand returned to Kerrigan’s shoulder, the bridge of their bond wide open so he could stabilize her through the hardest part.

A doorway was easier than the size she needed to make for the dragons—wider, wider, wider.

She pushed until the frame became big enough for a house to squeeze through.

Her head felt heavy and light at the same time. Her vision had spots in the corners, and her breathing became jagged.

“Steady,” Fordham ordered, his commanding voice stabilizing her.

But it did nothing for her beleaguered situation. Her hands trembled, and it was moving up her arms to her shoulders. Her mouth went dry, and she swayed slightly on her feet.

“I don’t…feel…so good,” she whispered as she knotted the portal into place and promptly passed out.

***

“You live for the drama, don’t you?” a voice said.

Kerrigan’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked up into the face of her old mentor, Mistress Zahina.

She had gray at her temples and lines around her eyes.

Fae so rarely aged that it was sometimes disconcerting to see it in her ancient face.

She was shorter even than Kerrigan, as if the years had weighed her down.

But she had changed out of her dragon rider black robes and into the bronze cloaks of House Herasi, indicating she had become the leader of the house.

“Zina,” Kerrigan said on her dry, overused throat.

“Don’t talk yet. You pushed yourself much too far. What did I teach you about spirit magic, girl?” Zina shook her head. “Well, probably not enough, but surely I said something about not burning out your magic.”

“You mentioned that once or twice,” Fordham agreed.

“And you,” she said, pointing at him. “Can’t you stop her from doing stupid shit?”

Fordham chuckled. “Trust me, it’s my life’s work trying to get Kerrigan not to do stupid shit.”

“He’s bad at it,” Kerrigan confessed.

“Basic directions: no talking,” Zina said. “The healer is working, and we don’t need to make her life harder. You’re good at that.”

Kerrigan cracked a smile, and even that hurt. “Tell me what happened.”

“If you’re quiet, then fine.”

Kerrigan smacked her lips together and nodded.

Zina sighed. “You opened the portal to Bain Bay. Luckily you tied the thing off before you collapsed, or else you wouldn’t have had my help. Unluckily for you, it was tied off, and your magic is still draining.”

Fordham reached for Kerrigan’s hand and squeezed. “It’s still there. Open between Ravinia and the island.”

Scales.

“You can close it later,” Zina said. “It requires too much energy to do it now. Your dragon was smart though. Tieran picked you up and carried you straight through to me. I had a healer on hand who I’ve worked spirit magic with before.

I can channel spirit into her healing.” Zina gestured to the tall Fae female at her side.

Kerrigan had to tilt her head to get a good look at her.

She had black skin, short, curly hair, and angular features with chiseled cheekbones.

She too wore Herasi bronze with a tunic fashioned to look like dragon scales. “This is Vindraya.”

“Hi,” Kerrigan whispered.

Vindraya tipped her head at her. “We’re almost done.”

“Anyway,” Zina said on a sigh as she stood, “we’ll finish this up, make you eat something, and then we’re going to close the portal. Then we’re going to talk about these dragons you brought me.” Kerrigan opened her mouth, but Zina held her hand up. “Not until after you’re well, and that’s final.”

Kerrigan had almost forgotten what it was to be babied. She’d had to be the leader of everything for so long that even Gelryn and her father were looking up to her. She could only let her guard down with Fordham. But this was something else. This was authority .

“Can I ask something else?”

Zina sighed and looked back at her. “What’s that?”

“Do you know anything about a magical artifact called the metal crown?”

Zina’s eyes widened a fraction before shooting to Vindraya. The healer took the hint and got to her feet. “I can check on you again later if you like.”

“Thank you, Vindraya,” Zina said. It wasn’t until Vindraya was out of the room that Zina spoke up again. “Where did you hear about the metal crown?”

This was the other reason that Kerrigan and Fordham had decided to personally meet with Zina: she was one of the oldest Fae in Alandria, certainly the oldest who was on their side.

She had more knowledge in her pinkie than most people did in their entire being.

And while she was eccentric, she was their best hope at finding the thing. Not to mention Kerrigan trusted her.

Kerrigan explained how she’d seen the Irena Bargain from the perspective of Ferrinix at the Holy Mountain with Tieran. “And I realized I’d seen it in a book that Bastian gave me when I was his apprentice,” Kerrigan said. “There wasn’t much information on it, just that it was missing and dangerous.”

Zina lifted her feet and hovered around the room—the ability to use complicated air magic so effortlessly still shocked Kerrigan—as if floating around the room with her legs tucked under her was a better thinking position than pacing.

“Dangerous is an understatement. It’s the most powerful artifact that has ever existed in Alandria. Even that Ring of Endings you stupidly gave to Bastian is nothing in comparison.”

“I didn’t give him the ring,” she argued.

Zina waved her away. “My father was obsessed with the crown after my mother died.” She huffed a breath. “He followed every lead, every story, every scrap of information. He read it. He traveled. He dissolved into it.”

Kerrigan frowned. “Why?”

“To bring her back,” Zina whispered.

“Mei?” Kerrigan asked. She glanced at Fordham. “Is that possible?”

Zina shrugged. “He was convinced it had enough magic. At the time, I thought he was losing his mind. It wasn’t until you told me that my mother used her magic to put the barrier up around the House of Shadows that I realized it.

It was why I traveled home. I went to him and asked if he had found it, if he could use it to reverse the spell that ended her life. ”

“Oh,” Kerrigan whispered.

“He never found it,” Zina said. “He gave up his search long before I confronted him.”

“Oh,” Kerrigan repeated.

“Why did he think it could bring her back?” Fordham asked.

Zina shrugged. “There was a lot of lore around it at the time as a powerful artifact of the gods. And god magic can do unpredictable things.”

That was damn true.

“But there wasn’t enough information about the Doma or how to use it. We don’t have those resources.”

Kerrigan gradually came to sitting. A groan escaped her as Fordham hurried to help her up. Zina was so lost in her thoughts of the past that she didn’t even scold her for it.

“We need someone who knows more about the crown,” Kerrigan said.

“Who would know more than Trulian?” Zina asked.

Kerrigan met Fordham’s eyes. “Who would know more about Doma?”

Fordham’s face lit up in recognition. “Cleora.”

Zina glanced between them. “Who is Cleora?”