Page 31
Tari
I paced the battlements , the cool northern wind blowing back my hair and bringing with it the pungent smells of the ocean. Worry gnawed a hole in my gut while I wondered why the attacks were coming in stages. Poor planning by the demons, or was the point to wear us down, so we’d be too weak to fight the bigger threat? Ash had left me to lead the stunned shifters into Thebes. Drae stoically watched over Shiri as she slept on the ground between Nikkos and Blaze. This had all been too easy. Where were the shadow demons that had attacked the eastern coast just a few days ago?
I held my breath, unable to relax as the sun slowly set over the horizon. I had a sinking feeling the shadows would come with the night. The trembling in my limbs didn’t subside until I saw Ash emerge below the castle walls, hundreds of shifters following him. They looked thin and dirty, but otherwise whole. Other green witches would have to heal them while I focused on the next threat.
The stars twinkled in the sky by the time Ash returned to me with his father, Adrean. I remembered the shifter king, for he was the one who’d recruited me to help him take down Fachnan. I was glad now that we hadn’t battled Fachnan then. My magic hadn’t been strong enough.
Ash was smiling ear-to-ear as he escorted his father toward us. “Tari, you remember our father, King Adrean?”
“I do.” I recognized the shifter with the missing eye and burn scars on one side of his face and chest. Magic tingled my fingers, and I repressed the urge to heal him, remembering how he’d refused my healing powers before, saying the scars were a reminder of all he’d lost.
I went to shake his hand, but he took me in a tight hug. “It’s so nice to see you alive,” he whispered in my ear.
“I’m glad to see you’re alive too.” I squeezed him back. “It has been a trying few years,” I said as way of explanation.
“Ash told me everything.” He pulled back, grasping my shoulders in a fatherly gesture. “Your parents lied to me.”
I tensed at that, fearing he’d want revenge, and I was so tired of fighting. “I know they did.” My heart faltered as I shared a look with Ash. “They deceived me too.”
“I don’t blame them now. I was too obsessed with revenge to see clearly.” He flashed a lopsided grin, revealing missing teeth on the burned side of his face.
Relief washed through me that he’d forgiven my parents. One less battle I’d have to prevent.
“Ash told you about Fachnan and the other dragon rider leaders?” I asked.
He nodded.
“I-I hope it’s enough for you,” I stammered.
“It is.” His shoulders fell, weariness reflecting in his one eye. “What I want now more than anything is to send these demons back to hell for good and to spend my final years in peace with my sons and grandchildren.”
I clasped my hands to my heart, emotion bubbling up in my throat as I shared a smile with Ash. “That would make us all very happy.”
Radnor landed on the ramparts with a roar as Isa flew erratic circles above him. Helian jumped from his dragon, jutting his sword toward the ocean. “Tari, something’s coming.”
Dragons flew past us in a blur, fear reverberating in their roars while they shook water onto our heads. A pale mist turned darker as it drifted in from the ocean. My heart leapt into my throat when I saw the shadowy sails moving toward us through the fog.
Holy Elements! The shadow demons were here.
“This is it,” I said to Helian and Ash. “The real war is here.”
Ash braced himself beside me, his mouth set in a hard line as the wolf flashed in his eyes. “You can defeat them, Tari.”
Standing beside Malvolia, Arabella began blowing back the fog with her wind magic.
Cassandra hurried to me, clutching the demon book of spells to her chest. Her cheeks flushed when she saw Adrean, though she said nothing to him. The shifter awkwardly coughed into his fist, taking a big step back from his former lover.
“How do I defeat them?” I asked Cassandra, my voice laced with desperation.
She nervously flipped through the pages. “I found no spells in here for repelling shadow demons. The books says they are former humans turned into ghouls, then killed and made into a ghost army.”
So that’s what happened to the humans. Elements, what a horrible fate.
“Fuck!” Helian blurted.
Cassandra gave her son a sharp look before turning to a dog-eared page. “I did find this line repeated several times in the book.” She cleared her throat. “Only light can drive away darkness.”
Resolve stiffened my spine. I would defeat these demons and live to raise my children in peace. “Very well, then I will bring on the light.”
Despite Arabella’s best efforts, the fog still crept toward us, washing over the seawall and then fanning out across the beach, spreading like a fungus. A powerful, frigid wind blew back my hair, and gasps rose up across the battlements as every single torchlight was extinguished, bathing us in darkness.
Several firemages cried out. “I can’t summon my flames!”
I felt Helian and Ash squeezing my arms.
We’re here for you , Helian projected into my mind.
I released a slow and steady breath, letting their love flow through me, the magic building up in my chest like a giant, glowing sun. And then I threw out my hands with a roar, magic exploding from my fingers and lighting up the sky. The light hummed as it rolled across the landscape, illuminating shadowy flying, crawling, and slithering creatures, their terrified screams rending the air before they vanished into the mist.
At some point, I remembered to take a breath as my light continued to fan out, washing all darkness away, leaving houses and Fae intact while turning only the shadow demons and their ships to ash.
Cheers rang up after the light faded, and I slumped in Helian’s arms, spent from using too much magic.
* * *
Tari
T HIS WAR WASN’T OVER yet. The demon mistress still hadn’t made her appearance, and I was afraid she would go after the children, so my mates and I made the decision to get them. I gulped down a goblet of milk and ate a biscuit. Then I kissed Helian and Ash long and hard, letting their love restore my well of magic until I was strong enough to make a portal to Abyssus.
Finn howled when we arrived in the garden. We shared a joyful reunion and returned to the castle ramparts in Thebes, leaving the rabbits with Mrs. Euphemia. Triss flew off with a roar, joining her parents in the sky, and Finn welcomed his father with a bruising hug.
The girls clung to my legs, watching their fathers hug the older shifter. “Do you remember your grandfather, Adrean?” I whispered to them.
They nodded, burying their faces in my skirts.
Adrean knelt in front of the girls. “Hello.” He reached into a pack slung over his shoulder. “Look what I have.” He held out a ratty straw doll.
Ember let out a howl, reaching for the doll. “Bethamy!”
He handed the doll to her, and she clutched it to her chest so hard, the straw crackled and splintered. Frowning, she held it in front of her, dusting dirt off the torn dress that was made from a potato sack. “She’s so dirty.”
“I’m sorry.” He let out a wolf’s whimper. “I tried to take care of her.”
She blinked at him with glossy eyes. “I understand, Pappo.”
He wiped his one wet eye with the back of his hand. “I think she brought me good luck.”
Her mouth fell open. “You do?”
“Well.” He flashed a fanged grin, motioning toward Ember and Aurora. “She brought me to both of you.”
Ember threw herself into her pappo’s arms. Adrean tucked her against his side, opening one arm to Aurora with a hopeful look. He closed his eye when she fell against him, whispering a “thanks” to the Elements.
There wasn’t a dry eye around us as we watched their tender display of affection until the girls squirmed out of his arms like fickle felines, tired of being smothered.
“We’re hungry.” Aurora rubbed her belly. “Do you want to eat tarts with us?” she asked her shifter pappo.
“Tarts?” He slowly stood, his knees popping with the movement. “I would love to, but I need to talk with your parents. May I eat tarts with you later?”
Ember beamed up at him. “Of course.”
I hugged the girls to my sides, kissing the tops of their heads, so relieved that they were safe with us. “Papa Finn will take you to your nursery and summon the servants for some food. Does that sound good?”
They eagerly nodded.
Kneeling in front of them, I took their hands in mine. “I love you both so very much.” I squeezed their hands. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
They nodded, and I stood, kissing Finn goodbye. Finn scooped them into his arms, holding them against his broad chest. As they descended the stone stairs to the castle below, I waved to them, feeling as if Finn had taken my heart with him.
* * *
Aurora
A URORA LET GO OF PAPA Finn’s hand once they reached the nursery, excited to finally play with the toys she’d been forced to leave behind, only to be shocked and then angry to see another child building a castle with her blocks, a boy, from the looks of it, because he had two feathery wings, and Auntie Shiri had told her that only Ravini boys had wings.
Aurora didn’t pay any heed to the older maid, who sat in a chair while watching the boy play, or the firemage guards standing beside the windows. All she cared about was that boy playing with her toys.
Papa Finn put his hands on their shoulders. “Look, another playmate,” he whispered. “Remember to play nice.”
Aurora felt betrayed when her papa pushed her toward the strange boy. She put one foot in front of the other, tugging Em toward the boy while firemages practiced pretend war right outside their windows, making Em flinch with each step. Dull light that spilled through the window curtains cast the boy’s face in shadows, making him look dark like her firemage uncles, but when she got closer, she noticed his skin was pale like Uncle Helian’s.
The boy stood when he saw them, then gave them an awkward wave, his cheeks flushing like he was hot, which was weird, because he was a Ravini, and Aurora thought they were always hot. “Hi.”
Aurora looked at her sister, who batted her lashes and sucked her thumb. She always acted shy when she met new people.
Deciding she’d have to be the brave one, she dragged Em toward the boy, noticing that his wings and hair were a dark red and he had a smattering of freckles on his nose. Weird. Most Ravini had black wings and hair and no freckles. She scowled at the block he still held in his hand, deciding that her blocks were her new favorite toys, and he should not be playing with them.
Her auntie and yaya had always told her to be polite when meeting new Fae, but she didn’t feel like being nice to this boy. “Who are you?” she blurted while holding tightly to her sister’s hand.
He splayed a hand across his chest. “I’m Teddy.”
Though Teddy looked a few years older than her, she resolved not to let him boss her around. “I’m Aurora.” She thumbed toward her sister. “She’s Ember.”
He scratched the back of his head, appearing awkward as he shifted from foot to foot. “I know who you are.”
She pointed at the block he still held in his hand. “Those are my blocks.”
He frowned. “Cousin Flora said they are everyone’s blocks.”
Cousin Flora? Her yaya? How dare Yaya let strange boys play with her toys! And how dare this strange boy argue with her! “She’s wrong.”
Em tugged on her sleeve, then whispered loudly. “We can share, Rora.”
Aurora scowled at her sister for whispering instead of speaking through thought. The icky boy didn’t deserve to hear their conversation.
“Fine.” She released Em’s hand, crossing her arms. She smiled to herself while thinking up a plan to get the blocks away from Teddy. A game that he would surely lose. “Do you want to play hide and seek with us?”
He squeezed the block while shaking his head.
Aurora stomped a foot. “Why not?”
“Because you can cheat.” He jutted a finger at her. “I know about your magic.”
Aurora decided she hated freckles. “How do you know about my magic?”
“I’ve dreamed of you,” he said. “One day, you will marry me.”
“Eww.” Aurora stuck out her tongue. “No, I won’t.”
“You will. I have seen it.” He nodded toward Ember and then Aurora. “Our descendants will finally destroy the demons.”
Em wrinkled her nose. “What’s a descendant?”
“The children of our children,” Teddy said.
Ember covered her mouth with a hand, giggling.
Aurora was so angry, she had to clench her fists to keep from punching Teddy in the face. “Our mother and auntie will destroy the demons.”
“They will send them into hiding,” he said, “but they won’t destroy all of them.”
Ember gave him a curious look. “Who will, then?”
“Only the King of Darkness and Goddess of Light can destroy the demons.”
Aurora glared at Teddy so hard, she thought her eyes would cross. How did this boy know all this? “You sound like Em when she talks to her friends.”
“Who are the King of Darkness and Goddess of Light?” Ember asked.
Teddy’s eyes misted, as if he was waking up from sleep. “The most powerful death bringer and life giver that will ever live.”
Em gasped. “And they’re our descendants?”
“The children of our children and so on,” he said, sounding way too smart for a kid. “We will be long dead before they’re born.”
Ember giggled. “Maybe we can be their friends.”
Teddy frowned, his eyes too serious for a boy with freckles. “They will need many friends if they’re to defeat the demons.”
Aurora settled her hands on her hips. “How do you know all this?”
He turned up his chin, beaming. “I dreamed it.”
“You’re weird,” Aurora blurted, tired of this strange boy’s strange dreams.
He squeezed the block tighter, his face turning blotchy. “So are you.”
“Rora, that’s not nice.” Ember tugged on her frock. “He lost all three of his parents.”
She scowled at her sister. “How do you know?”
“Because they told me. They died when the demons attacked.” Ember pointed toward the ceiling. “They asked us to be nice to him.”
Aurora’s face flushed, and she felt bad. She hadn’t known Teddy had no parents. Aurora knew what it was like to lose her parents, though she was lucky that she got them back. But what if she lost them again? What if demons killed her parents like they killed Teddy’s parents? Her heart would break into a thousand pieces.
She still didn’t want to share her blocks, but she felt bad. Really bad. “Fine.” She impatiently tapped her foot, giving Teddy an expectant look. “Are you going to play with us or not?”
He shrugged. “I’ve never played before.”
Ember’s mouth fell open. “Why not?”
His face turned even blotchier. “Because I’ve never had other children to play with.”
“How sad, Teddy.” Ember stepped up to him, taking his hand. “We’ll teach you.”
Aurora jerked her sister away. “Don’t take his hand!”
“Why not?” Em asked with a pout.
“Because he’s going to marry me, not you,” Aurora said accusingly. First, Teddy took her blocks. Now, Em was trying to take her Teddy. That made her very angry. And she was already upset and hurt because demons might kill her parents.
Em lifted her chin. “I thought you said you weren’t going to marry him.”
Aurora shook a fist at her sister. “Stop being a brat, Em.”
Em’s cheeks turned red, and Aurora feared her sister would hold her breath and die. “I’m not being a brat!” she blurted on an exhale. “You are!”
Aurora gasped, hurt by Em’s words. Her sister was supposed to be on her side. Why was she being so mean? Stomping past Teddy, Aurora knocked the castle down and threw the blocks into a basket while the backs of her eyes burned. She fell onto her bottom when the tears fell, and she loudly sniffled when she heard Teddy and Em whispering behind her. Were they making fun of her? Em was supposed to be her best friend and loyal to her.
She wiped her eyes and her nose on her sleeve when Em knelt beside her, hugging her to her side. “I know you’re scared, Rora,” Em said while kissing her head. “I’m scared too.”
Aurora turned into her sister with a sob. “I’m very scared, Em.” More tears fell, and she cried harder and harder, holding on to Em and then Papa Finn when he carried her to a chair and held her. She cried and cried, holding her papa close while praying to the Elements that she’d never lose him or any of her family.
By the time all her tears had dried up, she was tired and hungry. Her mouth was dry, and she wished she had something sweet to drink, but she didn’t want Papa Finn to let her go. She heard the servants come into the room and smelled the sweet and savory scents of butter and cinnamon.
“Are you hungry?” Papa Finn whispered while rubbing her back. “The servants brought tea and tarts.”
She sat up, smiling at him through her tears while he wiped her eyes and nose with a cloth. “I love tarts.”
Em was leaning against Papa Finn’s knee, sniffling. “So do I.”
Aurora reached for her sister’s hand, smiling when Em took it. “I’m sorry I called you a brat.”
“I’m sorry too.” Em squeezed her hand. “You’re my best friend, Rora.”
Aurora looked at Teddy, who stood nearby, his cheeks still flushed. He swayed on his feet while ruffling his feathers.
“I’m sorry you lost your parents,” she said to him, even though her throat ached and talking about dead parents made her very sad.
He hung his head. “Thanks.”
“And I’m sorry I broke your castle,” she added.
“That’s okay.” He shrugged. “Maybe we can build another one together.”
“Okay.” Aurora clung to Papa Finn as he carried her to the low table where the servants had set up the food. “After we eat tarts.”