Page 17 of Stone Sentinels (Shadow Guardians #6)

CAMBION

The Veil

The dry winter air burns my lungs as I run through the forest, trying to put some distance between me and everything else. I can’t fight with bound arms.

I hear Theren behind me. The rain blurs my vision, but I sense my brother even through the dense storm.

“Where will you run, Cambion?” he taunts. “Where will you go that I won’t find you and make you beg for mercy?”

My heart thunders in my chest, matching the ferocity of the storm above us as my brother gives chase. I heard what Eilish said. I know the Theren who pursues me isn’t the real Theren, or at least not all of him.

A loud roar drowns out the sound of boots splashing through puddles and clashing soldiers, and shivers race down my spine as I turn my eyes to the sky. The great beast of old, a creature of legend and mythos... a dragon.

It blends with the dark sky, obsidian wings slicing through the air with devastating strength and speed. A deafening bang shakes the forest as the beast lands in the clearing. Glowing emerald eyes larger than my head stare through the trees. Soldiers scream and spirits scatter. A voice whispers in my mind: Wynroth .

I stop running, and so does Theren. The dragon inhales deeply, expanding its great chest before it bellows a stream of roiling fire from its mouth, setting the trees aflame. And in the light of the fire, I see him clearly. Bat-like wings flap, fanning the blazing inferno around us and burning the ground asunder. Baron and Kolvar attack in unison, trying to pierce the tough scales of the muscular beast, but its skin is as hard as diamond. Theren grabs me and drags me towards the portal.

Lightning strikes, hitting the dragon, and he turns to a sapphire blue. Fear stops us both in our tracks once more.

“What is that?” my brother gasps.

“An elemental . His name is Wynroth. I thought him dead long ago.”

The dragon rears its head back before bellowing once more, but instead of fire, streaks of lightning send an electric current through the air. In an attempt to get away from the beast, I run as fast as my feet can manage and I throw myself through the portal, landing on the ground just in time to avoid the rush of shocks that charge the air we breathe. Theren collapses behind me.

He stands instantly and reaches for his shard of mirror.

I struggle to roll over, but when I look up, I’m staring into the eyes of my sworn enemy. Variant squats down and slaps my cheek condescendingly.

“You look tired, old friend. I hope you don't mind if I kill all your allies.” His laughter causes me to flinch.

He stands and steps over me toward the portal, but Aima jumps through, knocking him down and crushing something in her hand that closes the portal. Variant shouts and drags her across the ground.

“Do you have any idea what you've done?!”

“Yeah, I do. I stopped your plan. Get used to it. This won't be the last time it happens,” the crazy woman chuckles. She lands a heavy punch against Variant’s jaw. “The Rebel Lords of The Vindication send their regards. I’m sure Dragan would have loved to be here to knock that smug grin off your fucking face.”

Unseelie soldiers descend on Aima with a vengeance. They don’t take kindly to those who kill their brethren, and she just fought against hordes of Unseelie in the name of our cause. Whatever hesitancy I felt in allowing myself to trust Aima, Kolvar, and the others vanishes in that moment.

A biting grip yanks me from the ground, and we’re escorted to the dungeons, where the binds around my wrists are cut. I’m shoved into a cell so hard, I bounce against the stone wall. Aima is just behind me. The soldiers slam the door closed to our cell, leaving us in mostly darkness.

Aima spits blood into the corner and hisses through her teeth. “I hope the others survive fighting against that fucking dragon. I think Kolvar wept with joy”

“Joy?” I repeat.

She nods. “He’s been talking about meeting a dragon since the day I met him. His clan practically worships them.”

“You seem calm about all of this.”

“Don’t let this smile fool you. I’m going to beat your ass as soon as my ribs heal. Sit tight, Cambion,” she says with a smile.

I slide down the wall and sit beside Aima. “Do the others hate me?”

“Hate’s a strong word... but you’ll need something a little stronger to describe how Pyre and Dragan feel about you at the moment.” She wipes her sleeve across her mouth and shrugs. “I’ve never seen Pyre so upset. The mirror you took belonged to the woman he gave his soul to save... it was all he had left of her, and in the end... it was the thing that brought destruction to his home.”

“I never wanted this.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that it’s happening and… you’re at fault.”

“So, that’s it? I’m no longer one of you then?” I hang my head and brush the wet strands of hair from my face. “One fucking mistake, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life regretting it. Dragon must be dying to rub my face in it.”

“One mistake?” Aima snorts rudely. “You’re at the center of it all, Cambion! If you hadn’t taken Eilish’s memories, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess to start with. She knew what the threat was before her family was killed. Now, we’re scrambling to make flimsy connections with unfinished prophecies. This is just another mistake on your part, not the only mistake.”

***

DRAGAN

The Veil

The blaring roar that rattles the cottage draws me to the broken window. I see the dragon that Pyre mentioned, and it’s so much more incredible than he let on. Wings like that could blow an entire village to the ground. No wonder the texts in the library speak of these giants with great respect and awe instead of impassive footnotes like some of the other creatures. Dragons are royal creatures of majestic blood, entities and gods in their own right. To look upon one is considered a great privilege... well, if you're not on the menu.

“Yes!” I shout with pure joy as the dragon sets those Unseelie assholes on fire. My companions are smart enough to actually get the fuck out of the way. Harpies and spirits still fight against the living while Cambion, Theren, and more soldiers retreat to the forest. I know they’re headed to the portal, like a bunch of spineless fucks. I would have stayed and faced the dragon, hands tied or not. Kolvar must be thinking the same way, because he lets out a whoop of excitement, charging head-on toward the great beast.

I’ve all but conquered the Unseelie in the cottage, but a few stragglers take cover to recoup their strength. “Your king has abandoned you,” I grumble. “If you don’t die here, then the Guardian of The Veil will have you. And if that happens, you’ll wish you’d died by my blade.” They make no move to come out. I turn back to the window, but a strange sound pierces my ears just as I’m struck by a burst of magic.

Then everything goes black.

“I wish I could remember them, Dragan,” she whispers in the quiet of the night. Eilish snuggles against my chest, curling into me as though she’s a cat basking in the morning sun. “Not just my mother and sister, but everyone I’ve forgotten. Whether they’re alive or not, they deserve to be remembered.”

“Some of us pray to forget, Eilish. Some things are best left in the past.”

“You can’t think that way,” she argues. “Not when all the answers to our trials are trapped in my memory.” She lifts her head and brushes her lips on mine. I draw comfort from her touch, and it pains me that this will never be enough. Eilish will always need more, more than what I can give her. Am I strong enough to watch her love another man? Take another man inside her, yes I’m strong enough. I’ve already witnessed as much between her and Baron. But, am I strong enough to share her love? Am I strong enough to let her love me?

“I wish I’d known you before Lamia.”

“So do I.”

“But I’m glad you see the man I really am now.” Her hand trails down my abdomen and I feel the blood in my body rush to my straining erection. I bite my lip and lean down to capture her mouth again. I wish we could stay like this forever...

“Wake up, Mr. Dragan!” Noni squeals.

My eyes fly open to see the little house brownie standing over me, shooting bolts into Unseelie soldiers who pour through the doors and windows of the cottage. I pull her close and cover her with my body as an elf with a hammer attempts to flatten her. Noni squirms in my hands, but I stand, tucking her against me as I run up the stairs and through the door of the sleeping quarters.

My head aches like a son of a bitch.

Flumph lifts his head and blinks at me. I see fire crawling up the side of the cottage and I set Noni on the bed beside him before running over and barricading the entrance with the wardrobe. When I look back over, Noni’s using her power to heal Flumph, but then she falls to the mattress. The sprite lets out a shrill sound and pushes Noni’s tunic up a little. My eyes widen when I see the wound on her belly.

“Whats we gonna do, Shadow King?”

“She saved my life…”

“Mine too, so snaps outta it or I fuckin’ kill you.”

Flumph hovers beside his friend. I owe Noni my life. She fearlessly defended my unconscious body as the cottage was invaded by soldiers. She could have died, and yet she tried her best to save us both. I scoop her up and Flumph sits on my shoulder. I run to the window at the far side of the room and bash my gauntlet into the glass, causing it to break.

“We have to get Morrigan out of the cellar,” I say.

“She ain’t there no more,” Flumph responds.

I turn to look at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, she ain’t there. I don’t know how she did it, but she gone.”

I don’t know what to make of that, but I also don’t have time to worry about it now.

I swing my leg over the windowsill and climb down to safety before the Unseelie are the wiser. We dash for the tree line, dodging flames and spirits, heading for the lake. A siren lifts her head from the water and sends a wave toward us to extinguish the fire that licks at my boots. Noni peeks up at me.

“It be the Midnight Queen that do this.”

“Did what, Noni?” I ask, with interest.

“She cast a spell to make Mr. Dragan go to sleep and Noni try to help. There too many mean elves and Noni get hurt.”

“Shhh. Don’t try to talk,” I say even as anger burns me to know it was Morrigan who knocked me unconscious and left me for dead. “Thank you, Noni. You saved us.” Noni shuts her eyes to rest and I prod gently around her wound. I wish I had healing powers like Cambion, Pyre, and Eilish, but I don’t.

My skills are best used in battle, where I can maim and kill without need of healing. I set Noni down in the sands beside the lake. “Please. Help her.”

The sirens do what they can for her as Flumph and I watch.

The sounds of war threaten to pull me back into the past, but not in the comfort of Eilish’s embrace. No, my mind fights against the memories of losing against Variant and Theren. Flumph’s hand on mine startles me and my eyes open once more.

“You musta hit youze head harder than I think,” he says. “Ain’t never hears you sayin’ thank you to nobody, not even Pretty. Shoulda hit you a long times ago, if that mean you shows us little guys some respect.”

“Flumph?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”