by T. A. White
Their vexed expressions said they might not like it, but they reluctantly agreed.
"Do you really have to take Gabriella?" Dewdrop asked, his shoulders slumping. "I don't trust her anymore."
"You trusted her before?" Tate raised her eyebrows skeptically. That was news to her. Dewdrop wasn't known for being overly trusting. His paranoia made her look gullible in comparison.
Night chuffed. She's right.
"I liked you better when you were a dragon," Dewdrop grumbled as Vale stepped out of the shelter.
They all watched silently as the guardian approached them hesitantly.
"Just try not to get stabbed in the chest again," Dewdrop said. "Ryu about lost his mind last time."
"It's not an experience I plan to repeat," Tate said.
Dewdrop and Night ambled back to the shelter where they would wait while Tate and Ryu got a head start. Mia would then lead them to where she suspected the others were being kept while Tate's confrontation with the Harridan distracted the rest of the Silva.
"I'm going with you," Vale said without preamble.
Oh, was he? That sounded an awful lot like a demand.
"You're trying to keep the mediation alive. You'll need me, if that's the case. There will be questions otherwise." Vale was calm and reasonable as he laid out his reasoning.
Tate had to admit, he had a point.
"The situation we're walking into is dangerous. There's a very good chance we won't make it out alive. Are you sure you want to volunteer for that?"
Uncertainty and fear crossed his face. His shoulders straightened and he lifted his chin. "The Saviors have had a larger than life presence in my existence for as long as I can remember. I've spent years studying them, trying to understand why they did what they did, and where they got the courage to save so many when the cost was so high. For the first time, I might actually get to experience a small taste of what they went through. How can I back down now when I have striven to imitate them for so long?"
Strong words. Noble even. Only time and experience would tell whether he could follow through. The threat of imminent death affected people in wildly different ways. Some rose to face it head-on, never wavering, never compromising their core selves. Others crumpled like dirty clothes, sacrificing anything and everything to escape it.
Which side Vale would land was unknown.
"I won't stand in your way," she finally said.
"Thank you."
Ryu stepped out of the shelter, his eyes going straight to Tate as Gabriella followed him.
"You ready for this?" Tate asked him.
"Only one way to find out."
Tate wasn't surprised at the vague answer from her dragon.
"We have a long way to climb," Gabriella said, moving past them. "We should get going."
"Talkative," Ryu murmured in a voice only meant for Tate.
"And I have excellent hearing too," Gabriella said, raising her voice.
Gabriella picked up the pace, leaving the rest of them with no choice but to follow as she loped for the city, moving across the flat plain at the city's feet. They reached the edge quickly, disappearing into the twisting streets.
Their passage among the buildings wasn't quite so obvious as it would have been on the plain, but with Silva waking all around them, it didn't feel much safer.
They were quiet as they made the climb, Gabriella leading them to one worn staircase after another. The air was cool and crisp on Tate's skin, but not for long, as the exertion stole her breath and heated her limbs.
"Why is it so hard to breath?" Vale panted next to her where she had paused to look up.
Their current staircase stretched far above, curving in places before looping back on itself where a building blocked its path.
"It's the altitude," Ryu responded. Sweat dotted his forehead. He'd pushed up his sleeves to reveal strong, tanned forearms. "You're not used to it."
Neither was Tate, judging by how exhausted she already was.
Even with the chill of morning, she felt hot. They'd left the desert climate behind at some point during their night flight. A fact she was grateful for. All the climbing would have been so much worse in that heat.
"How much further?" Vale asked.
Tate looked up. The buildings blocked her view of the Harridan's den, but she had a feeling they still had a long way to go.
"Not far," she lied.
Ryu shot her a look. He knew as well as she did, they were nowhere near the top.
They resumed their trek, catching up to where Gabriella waited several steps above. Here, there was no railing. It would be easy to take a tumble and fall, only the buildings below breaking their descent.
The stone of the steps was weathered and worn in places, at times broken, making their path perilous. Gabriella said she had chosen a route not many walked for that very reason. It was an older section of the city and hadn't been kept up for many years.
"I'm starting to wish we'd gone with option one," Tate told Ryu. They'd discussed changing to their dragon selves and simply flying to the top.
"We didn't know if the Harridan would be there," he pointed out.
"We're dragons. I'm sure if we'd landed on top of her home, someone would have done us the courtesy of summoning her," Tate grumbled.
Vale choked on a small, nervous chuckle. "Yes, but such an action would have announced your presence to everyone."
Including their enemies.
"I'm not sure we haven't already," Tate said, sharing a look with Ryu.
There were only so many ways up this mountain. If the Morain were smart, they'd have posted guards on all the stairs, including ones not in use anymore.
"Until they act against us, we can't either," Ryu said softly.
That's what Tate was afraid of.
Gabriella started climbing as soon as they neared, her legs powerful as she resumed her path up.
An hour slid into the next as they continued up the side of the mountain, the ground far below. The plain spread out before them, stretching endlessly before running into the embrace of mountains in the distance.
Buildings towered above them as they wound through the streets, some of which were as narrow as the slot canyon they'd traversed to reach the Kinjisan's stronghold. Gabriella was careful to keep to the shadows and out of the main arteries, sticking to the back alleys and less visited routes.
They approached another staircase, and Gabriella pushed forward, taking the lead as she watched their surroundings with a predator's focus.
The rest of them followed her to the gray steps that led up to a small overlook.
They reached another landing, the untouched rock of the city's foundation acting as a wall.
The slightest scrape of sound, boots against stone was all the warning Tate got. A body dropped onto the railing next to her as another appeared on the landing above.
A startled cry from Vale indicated their retreat had been blocked too.
Tension crawled through the air as three Silva regarded them, their expressionless animal masks giving no hint to their thoughts.
Tate straightened and lifted her chin, stepping up to join Gabriella on the top step. "We've come at the Emperor's behest to mediate with your Harridan."
Tate was careful to keep her hand away from the dagger sheathed in the belt at her side. Dewdrop had slipped it to her before they left. Its familiar weight acted like a security blanket.
All of the Silva held weapons, but they had yet to aim them in Tate’s direction.
The one at the top of the staircase stepped aside.
"I'll assume that means they’ve granted you an audience," Ryu said.
"Lucky us." Tate didn't take her eyes off their new friends as Gabriella clasped Tate's arm, giving her a reassuring look.
Tate was conscious of Ilith's presence inside her as the dragon focused on the three Silva with deadly intensity. She glanced at Ryu, unsurprised at the same predatory intent there.
The slightest g
leam of the dragon moved behind his eyes and Tate caught the sensation of a large shape wrapped around Ryu, scales rasping as they slid past. She blinked and the double image faded, but not before leaving suspicion behind.
Why did she get the feeling his dragon was a lot more present than he should have been?
Ryu glanced at her in question. Tate shook her head, dismissing her concerns. Ryu was fine. He would tell her if he wasn't.
Ilith, do you sense anything different about Ryu or his dragon? Tate asked silently. She needed to be sure.
Ilith cocked her head, using Tate's eyes to peer out. I can feel something, but I'm not sure what.
Ilith's confusion didn't help with Tate's own unease.
The sound of Vale's labored breathing distracted her and let her focus on something else. "Steady. Deep breaths. You're still alive. Keep telling yourself that."
"That's not as comforting as it should be."
Tate shrugged. "It always works for me."
There was little humor in the sound he made, the end sounding closer to a sob. "Look at me. My first test and I've already failed."
Tate studied him before glancing back at their escorts. The one beside her, walking with perfect balance along the slim edge of the railing, turned toward her slightly, listening.
"You haven't failed until you're curled in a ball unable to move." She meant it. "Do you think your Saviors never felt fear? They did, more than you'll ever know. Fear of failure, fear their decisions would kill their friends, fear of death. That's what really makes them special. They held their line against everything, even their own self-doubt. They didn't let fear define them."
Vale's breathing slowed as he listened, calm settling on his shoulders. She waited until he met her eyes, until she had assured herself that he wasn't going to break and get himself killed. He was still afraid, she could see that, but he was handling it. Controlling it, rather than letting it consume him.
"Better." Approval moved in her tone.
A brief, scared smile was his answer.
Suddenly, a pair of arms went around her, pulling her firmly into a chest she recognized. Ryu's chin dropped down on her head. "My mate."
Tate blinked, at both the behavior and the voice.
Ilith thrust her way forward. "Only if we decide."
He glared down at her, his face adorably disgruntled. "Mine."
Ilith/Tate narrowed their eyes back and bared their teeth. "Maybe."
At that, Ilith abandoned Tate to her own mind, settling down in the corner and waiting.
Tate shook her head. Dragon mating behavior was so weird. Ilith had been referring to the other dragon as her mate for months. Practically from the moment they first spotted Ryu, before they knew he was dragon. Only now, she was playing hard to get.
"Enough flirting, keep moving," Gabriella ordered.
"Why did you save her?" Tate muttered to Ilith. She could have left Gabriella behind in the desert.
Tasty snack.
"I thought we discussed sentient creatures being off-limits as food," she hissed.
You did. Didn't listen, Ilith said.
Tate grunted in frustration.
Ryu paused next to her, his eyes glittering down at her.
Was he having fun?
He dropped a kiss on her nose before prowling past. She stared after him. Yes, yes, he was having fun. Crazy dragon. Didn't he realize how much danger they were in? Or, like Ilith, maybe he just didn't care?
Probably the second.
"We're here," their lead guard said, breaking her out of her consternation.
They'd reached the top of the staircase, but unexpectedly they hadn't been led to the large building at their back. Instead, the Morain turned away from it, striding over a cobblestone courtyard toward the mountain peak, which wasn't an actual peak at all. It looked more like an amphitheater, molded by nature and then perfected by artisans.
Two statues the size of tall buildings stood on the opposite end across from Tate. Their size was breathtaking, rivaling the statues of the Saviors in the underground temple of the guardians. These had their hands upraised, bare inches separating their fingers from one another. Yearning and love were on both statues’ expressions as they faced each other.
Behind them, wind howled through a huge gap in the mountain peak, blue sky visible on the other side.
Walls curved to either side of the statues.
At their feet was a bowl like depression filled with columns of varying height and size. They looked like basalt, the sort you might get from extreme heat before being rapidly cooled again. For instance, when lava hit water. Except Tate didn’t think the sea had ever reached this far inland.
Which pointed to a less natural formation, perhaps of Savior or Creator interference.
The height of the basalt columns followed the lines of the depression, leaving the higher columns toward the edges, and the shorter ones toward the inside. The tallest of the columns only came up to Tate’s hips—except for one in the very middle which was as tall as a man.
A ledge several feet wide lined the wall, overlooking the small depression in the ground. On it, Tate could see various Silva statues, male and female, armed, their expressions fierce as they stared down at the depression. Unmoving guardians watching the world pass them by.
"What is this place?" Vale asked.
"The Song of Tranquility," Gabriella asked.
Tate heard why seconds later, as the wind rolled through the narrow opening between the giant statues and music danced on the air. It sounded like pipes, but no human's fingers had ever plucked this melody out.
Tate listened, her eyes closing as the wind played her a song of countless ages, moments missed and caught again, as it frolicked so high above the earth not even gravity could catch it as it flirted with the sun.
For a moment, she felt that way herself. Wild and free, something no person could ever tame. The bonds society had placed on her forgotten as her soul took flight.
It's beautiful, Ilith whispered.
The serenity filling Tate trickled to Ilith as well, the moment indescribable. It was like realizing there was a god standing beside you when you'd been convinced you were alone this entire time. Holy. Almost transcendent as the wind tickled and teased.
Whether natural or created, this place was a miracle.
Tate's head tilted back as she gave herself over to the experience. The peace of the place deepened until it sank into her very bones, whispering across her soul.
Gradually, she became aware of a woman humming softly to herself.
"Who is that?" Vale asked softly.
"The Harridan," Ryu answered, the timber of his voice deeper than usual.
The Morain made no move to force them forward. They spread out, leaving Tate and her party alone. If not for the weapons at their side and the speed she knew them capable of, Tate would have thought they left the Harridan defenseless.
The woman sat in the middle of the depression with her back to them. The long, silken skirt of her dress draped over the columns around her. Her head tilted as she glanced up at the archway the two statue’s upraised arms had formed, humming her strange melody as she gently swayed.
She appeared more delicate than Tate would have expected of someone who led such a fractious race, one as inclined to dominance challenges as it was to loyalty. She was either well-loved by her people or utterly ruthless.
Long, white hair flowed down her back. Despite the age the hair color hinted at, her bare arms, toned and strong, suggested she was young. Cuffs on each bicep and a heavy torque around her neck completed the outfit.
"Am I what you were expecting?" The Harridan's melody cut off abruptly. Like her singing, her voice was lilting and melodic.
Tate didn't want to lie—Tala could sense a lie, and there was no reason to assume this woman couldn't as well—but she also wasn't sure the truth would serve her well.
"Not really," Tate finally said. "But I wasn't quite sure what to expect of the w
oman who lured me here under false pretenses."
She kept one eye on their escorts, who were careful not to get close to the columns as they circled the perimeter.
"Do you think I'm mad?" the Harridan asked. She still hadn't looked at Tate. She remained motionless, facing away.
"I don't know."
"They do." The Harridan finally moved, her voice hardening as her head twisted toward the Morain.
Tate stepped forward, not liking the loathing or sly anger there. It was the first hint of madness she'd detected. "Did you give them reason to think so?"
The Harridan stilled and withdrew as if thinking. Muttering reached Tate as the Harridan bent forward. Tate edged closer, taking the path the Morain had.
"Careful, Tate. Don't get too close," Ryu cautioned.
She nodded. She didn't plan to. While the Harridan seemed coherent for the most part, Tate had seen enough to suspect Gabriella and the others were right. There was something wrong with the Silva's leader.
She circled around, using the small ledge until she could see the Harridan's face. She caught a few words as the Harridan talked to herself.
Abruptly, she straightened, her pale amber gaze finding Tate's. "I don't remember."
Not really the words of a woman right in the mind.
"Do you remember ordering my friends taken prisoner?" Tate asked carefully.
The Harridan glanced away, her expression clouded and vague. There was a wistfulness on her face as she listened to the chiming of the wind. Her ear tilted to one side as she whispered, "They weren't the mediator. I couldn't accept second place."
"But I sent them to you until I could arrive," Tate said.
The Harridan softly hummed to herself as she started swaying again. Tate was losing her.
Tate stepped forward. The Silva closest to her caught her arm. "Careful. The stones are beautiful but they exact a price."
"What do you mean?"
"They will sooth the beast within." The Silva touched the middle of Tate's chest. "The human side will know peace, but stay too long and your mind will become clouded."
"Is that what happened to her?" Tate jutted her chin at the Harridan.
