Page 14 of Stone Sentinels (Shadow Guardians #6)
BARON
The Veil
Dragan shields himself in smoke and shadow to stand guard over Morrigan and the little faerie creatures taking refuge in the cellar. He nods his head to me and I return his gesture. Though we may not always see eye to eye, the gargoyle and I have a mutual respect for one another’s skill in battle.
Furthermore, Eilish is out there, and we both care about her. A lot. I’m not sure who cares more—it’s easier for Dragan to show his emotions than it is for me. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t feel them to the same extent
Eilish means something to me. She means a lot to me and that’s a vulnerability I don’t enjoy having.
I sheathe my dagger and creep out the back door, shadow walking through The Veil like a phantom on the wind. And while I can’t see Pyre, I can sense him as he follows.
We part at the tree line. He moves to higher ground while I slither through the barren forest, feeling the dark chill of winter. Dozens of Unseelie soldiers lie in wait to attack, should their king give the order. I retrieve one of my blades and douse the edge in poison. The poison’s slow acting, weakening the soldiers in increments so they don’t think something is amiss.
I move quickly, touching each of them with my blade. It will feel like nothing more than an insect bite or something prickly caught in their clothing.
I shadow walk to a large tree that towers over the clearing, bending and twisting in a way that only ancient trees can, as if it has submitted to the will of the wind. I touch the bark of this tree, feeling its energy and silently asking permission to climb its great heights. Pyre has taught me to be respectful of this world and everything in it. I carry his teachings with me wherever I go in The Veil.
I have a sense of purpose now—a feeling I haven’t had before. Now, I have a place, a role to play in the aftermath of the deception that claimed my soul.
I hear voices carry as I climb, faint sounds that are no more than whispers. My body stills and I shiver, sensing death lurking close by. Pyre taught me that because I’ve seen death, I can nurture the ability to see and feel those who have left the mortal world but not yet passed into the afterlife. I shift my vision, peering out at the territories of The Veil from where I sit perched on a gnarled branch. From this distance, it appears like a wave of roiling fog.
But it’s not fog.
The restless spirits from the Obsidian Mountain come to cleanse these lands of those who don’t belong. Soon they’ll encounter the Unseelie army, as well as my allies. We must hurry. The creatures of The Veil are gathering to defend their world. I climb faster, shimmying along the branches until I crouch invisibly above a cluster of my enemies.
Eilish shifts on her heels, staring Theren down as though she doesn’t fear his might. I’m proud of her, but I can also scent her need on the wind and I can see the truth of her attraction to Theren in her eyes. I’m not surprised. They have intimate knowledge of one another—I don’t know how or why, but I know it, all the same.
“I don’t accept your offer,” she says.
“Come now, we both know what you need,” he answers with a smile. “Your hair wouldn’t be changing color if my words weren’t true.”
So Theren realizes she’s succubus. Damn fucking Cambion.
“You waste my time, Theren,” she says. “Here, you aren’t king. In a world where death rules, the living are not welcome. ”
Ah, yes. Pyre has spoken similar words to me.
Theren doesn’t seem deterred in the slightest by her show of courage. “Yet here you are,” he snickers. “How is it that you and the others are still alive, if that were true?”
“Because we’ve been given sanctuary by the one who rules this world.”
This gives Theren pause. He raises his hand and I see Unseelie soldiers approach the rear entrance of the cottage. Hopefully, Dragan can defend the Midnight Queen and the others. True, I don’t trust Morrigan, but I recognize that she’s valuable, all the same.
Kolvar stands in the window of the upper floor of the cottage, glaring down at the Unseelie army. He’s most likely reliving the horrors of being tortured by the dark fae. Though he’s angry, I trust him to keep his head in the fight and defend Aima and Eilish if necessary.
“My patience withers, young angel. Give me the Midnight Queen and I will allow you to live to see another day. If you continue to show—”
“Theren, please,” Aima cuts in. The soldier beside Theren rears his arm back and lands a thundering slap across Aima’s face. She turns her head slowly and squares her shoulders, resting her hand on her sword with a dare in her eyes.
“You are not permitted to speak to the king!” the man yells at her. “Your insolence is disgraceful! You are a traitor worthy of the punishment of treason.”
“Hold your tongue, Gorondr, unless you wish to find it writhing on the ground after I cut it from your skull,” she says and steps closer to the Unseelie, but Eilish holds out her arm to stay Aima’s advance. Aima hesitates for a moment but then backs down, which is a great show of respect for a warrior of her status.
Interestingly, Theren has yet to look away from Eilish, as if he’s caught in a trance from which he can’t escape. I know that look... it’s the result of her warmth and arousal calling out for a lover. Theren licks his lips and arches a brow.
“You need to feed, little one.”
“Maybe, but not from you,” she retorts.
“Yet, you want me all the same.”
She swallows hard and appears uncomfortable. She clears her throat. “The Unseelie Court is corrupt, Theren. It’s time you realize you’ve been had by whoever is controlling you. Instead of fighting us, you should join us and rise up against whoever that person is.” She takes a deep breath. “Or you may find yourself a casualty of a war that should never have come to be.”
Theren glares at her. “You do not give up easily. I acknowledge your resilience, but you won’t sway me with your seduction or your pretty words. Either we leave here with the Midnight Queen or we take everything.”
Theren’s sneer echoes through the forest, drawing the creatures of The Veil even closer.
***
DRAGAN
The Veil
Footsteps approach. I can feel my wings itching to come out and play, but I dare not destroy Pyre’s home. The stench of Unseelie stings my nose. The race has never bred with another, valuing purity over the longevity of their kind. Only those with royal blood have the tawny complexions of Aima, Cambion, Theren, and a few others. The rest are ashen with large red eyes, dark silken manes, and pointed ears much longer than any other species of elf or fae. They wear circlets of thorn and leather armor adorned with plates of onyx and jade. Their ferocity in battle belies the ethereal beauty of their hawk-like features.
The footsteps grow louder as the door of the rear entrance pushes open. I can only hope Kolvar follows his instructions and doesn’t leave his post until the signal has been given. No matter what he hears, he’s not to come to my aid.
Fuck. At least half a dozen Unseelie creep through the lower level of the cottage. The first one appears in the doorway of the kitchens.
“King of The Shadows,” the soldier chuckles. “Looking a bit run down since last I saw you on the battlefield.”
“Fuck off, Lithenli.”
“Heard your companion Thoradin was slain. What a pity. I would have liked to hold his heart in my hand while he gasped for breath.”
“Instead, I will offer you the same.” The cruel bite to my words doesn’t faze him, but his eyes widen as I hold my arm out to the side and summon a blade of shadow. Two more soldiers appear in the doorway, flanking their leader as he advances. One by one, they circle me. Flumph, Noni, and Morrigan hide in the cellar hidden under the planks of wood beneath my feet.
I must keep the elves from reaching them or Kolvar. “I miss the days when the Unseelie had pride and honor. You were once a kingdom that slaughtered leaders if they abused their power. What changed?”
Lithenli shakes his head with a bark of laughter. “Much has changed since you lost the war, gargoyle. And you’ve been gone so long, you still don’t know the Shadow Realm has been overrun by demons and orcs, taken by Variant and used as a place to breed his unholy army. Any gargoyles left either joined him or were returned to stone.”
“Is that so? Well, I’ll just add that to my list of reasons to kill Variant.”
“The Unseelie hold no allegiance to the false king,” Lithenli says and I’m surprised. He reaches into his belt and unsheathes his sword. “This is nothing personal, Dragan, just survival in the new world.” Lithenli lunges, slashing with his blade in a wide arc that causes me to drop to the ground to avoid having my head severed. The others follow his lead. Axes, daggers, swords, and hammers batter my body as I fight against their numbers.
I kick a soldier back and drive my blade into him. He screams in terror and the others pause for a moment, shocked by the sight of my shadow blades. Their pause buys me enough time to gather my wits and strategize against the onslaught of attacks. Another Unseelie falls, but is soon replaced with another as more flood the cottage. If I can’t defend our sanctuary, there’s nothing to stop Theren from harming Eilish.
Something squeaks and I catch Flumph squeezing through the floorboards behind the soldiers. He shoots bolts from his crossbow, trying to help me even the odds. We come back to back, but the sprite’s wing is injured. Still, he covers me as I hack and stab away at the Unseelie soldiers. One of the elves knocks Flumph to the ground, causing the sprite to fall unconscious. I cleave the soldier in two. Blood sprays across my face and I roar, causing the windows of the cottage to tremble.
Lithenli buries a dagger between the joints of my armor, going for my heart, but I thrash from side to side, causing him to miss my heart by a few inches. I can feel blood oozing between the plates, soaking my tunic beneath. My shadow blade is replaced by a wicked knife with a hooded curve at the tip. Lithenli’s eyes bulge as I dig the weapon into the underside of his chin. I watch the light leave his gaze as he gasps for air that never comes.
“Thoradin’s death was not in vain. He died with honor. Did you?” I demand.
I allow his body to crumple to the ground. The Unseelie continue to attack with fury. My body aches and I bash my head into the skull of a soldier. In the back of my mind is Eilish.
She needs me. I can’t die here.
Flumph crawls up the stairs, and I’m glad he made it to safety. He’s proven himself to be a worthy companion. Not that I will ever say that to his face. I’m quite happy with our banter, and watching the sprite tremble each time I walk into a room. Even so, if at least one life is spared by my efforts, then I will consider it a success.
My thoughts return to the fight. An axe swings through the air, but gets caught in the wall beside the fireplace. “Mind the furniture, dick. You don’t have to deal with the owner.”