Niyx

by Samantha Kroese

  He left the manor without incident. It was too simple, really. Was that all it took for the power in Aderaan to shift and fall? Was the stolen dragon magic all there was to the power behind the magic of the ancient houses? Onyx felt a little bit of disappointment at that. He had always thought Aderaan a place of mystery and magic as he grew up outside of it. It was disappointing to find out most elves were probably born with just a small amount of magic.

  As soon as he stepped into Ruel’s manor, he knew something was wrong. His Night Creature magic flared in warning, painting everything blood-red and making his skin crawl. A chill ran down his spine. Ruel! He hissed and broke into a run, calling for his brother.

  He stumbled to a stop at the main room of the manor. Rebekah lay crumpled against the wall nearest to him. Floof and several of the other shadow creatures hung suspended in the air, snarling and making horrible noises, but unable to move. In the center of the room stood Demi, no longer just an elf with dragon scales. He had sprouted massive dragon horns, wings, and a tail. He held Ruel suspended in the air with his magic, Ruel kicking and grasping at his neck as if he were choking. Magic drifted through the air between them, from Ruel and into Demi.

  Onyx resisted the urge to shout. They had not yet noticed him. He could sense Ruel’s panic, and it made him want to rush into the room and save his brother, but he knew better. Demi was too dangerous a foe for him to just rush in like a maddened bull this time. Instead, he summoned his blood magic and used it to slip into the shadows. He moved between them like a ghost, untraceable, as he snuck up behind Demi.

  Once he was directly behind Demi, he snarled and grabbed Demi’s shoulders, yanking him backward in an attempt to bite him. His fangs slid off the scaled skin of the dragon-humanoid. He couldn’t find purchase. His opportunity for surprise wasted, he grabbed for his daggers but before he could release them from his belt, Demi’s newfound tail lashed out and knocked Onyx away. Onyx hit the wall hard, stunned, the breath knocked out of him.

  “I have scales you know,” Demi said with a laugh then he tore his gaze away and raised his other hand, focusing both on Ruel now. “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt the boy. Much.”

  “Onyx…stop him…he’ll kill Floof!” Ruel managed to choke out.

  Onyx struggled to his feet and pulled his daggers but as he prepared to make another leap at Demi, a blast of winter wind knocked them both to the ground. The manor doors had swung open in the howling gale as Niyx stalked in. Ruel and the shadow creatures fell to the ground. Freed, Floof immediately ran to Ruel’s prone form and shifted into a lion to crouch threateningly in front of his fallen master.

  “No, wait…let me explain,” Demi stammered as he scrambled to his feet to face Niyx. That was as far as he got before chains of frost wrapped around his neck and Niyx yanked Demi to him.

  “You dare attack my family, Demi?” Niyx snarled, pulling the chains so Demi fell to his hands and knees at Niyx’s feet, choking off any replies. Niyx glanced at Onyx first. “Are you all right, Onyx?”

  Onyx nodded as he hurried over to help Ruel to his feet. “Ruel? What happened?”

  Ruel stumbled and leaned into Onyx, breathless and rubbing his neck. “I don’t know! Demi just came storming in here and attacked me! He said something about the shadow magic.”

  Niyx hissed in displeasure. Demi wrapped his clawed hands around the chains and looked slowly up at Niyx. Magic exploded, shattering the chains and throwing Niyx out the doors to the manor to land hard on his back in the courtyard.

  “Lover, this is not the time for a quarrel,” Demi scolded, then flung out his hand to pull the doors shut before Niyx could get to them. He sealed them closed against Niyx’s wintery assaults then turned with narrow eyes to Onyx and Ruel.

  Onyx snarled, baring his fangs, daggers drawn as he stood in front of Ruel. Floof crouched low to the ground, ready to pounce, howling a warning like a demon.

  “You are just making this more inconvenient for everyone. That magic is evil and corrupt. Let me take it from Ruel, I will become a dragon once more, and everyone will be happy.” Demi sighed at them, clacking his claws. “I’d rather not anger Niyx any more than I already have.”

  “No! If he takes my magic, Floof will die!” Ruel said, as he scooped up the cat. To everyone but Ruel he was hugging a giant lion to his chest. Floof made an exasperated face as he hung there and let Ruel hug him.

  “Does he realize that’s not really a cat?” Demi hissed to Onyx.

  Onyx narrowed his eyes, crouching, his fangs still bared. “You don’t touch Ruel’s cat. You can’t have Ruel’s magic; he needs it.”

  “He needs it? It is poison! Evil, darkness. Already it twists the light inside of him. He will become just as corrupt as his grandsire who made the pact. They are bound to the dragon Rathias. He was the most evil of our kind. He is dead because your own grandsire, the Dragonslayer, killed him to free the world of his tyranny. He tricked these elves into a pact with him. Let me drain his magic and destroy it,” Demi insisted, taking a step closer. “I don’t want to harm those dear to Niyx, but I will if I have to.”

  “You just want the power so you can change back into a dragon! My grandsire didn’t seem to have a very high opinion of you either,” Onyx commented, as he motioned for Ruel to back up.

  “You can’t stop me. You don’t have the power. You are an insect playing with a god, Night Creature,” Demi said in disgust, then with a wave of his hand, Onyx flew into the wall again. Ruel let Floof go and blasted Demi with a wave of his light magic as Floof leapt to attack. Demi waved them both away like flies, then yanked Ruel closer to him to start draining him again. “Stop fighting, child. You’re making it worse.”

  Ruel’s blue eyes darkened and the shadows around the room encroached. “You will not defeat my chosen, Deimios. Begone,” a voice that was decidedly not Ruel spoke from his lips as the shadows freed him. Ruel floated in the air on the shadows until he used his magic to yank the doors open and blast Demi outside.

  Demi sprawled on the ground in disbelief, then cringed when Niyx stabbed his massive blade into the ground only an inch from Demi’s neck.

  Niyx leaned on the hilt of the sword, looking unamused. “Will you stop now?”

  Demi looked from Niyx to Ruel still hovering covered in shadows as Onyx and Rebekah both got up as well. Then he growled at Niyx. “You don’t understand. I was trying to help him.”

  “You were trying to help yourself,” Niyx corrected. “You would ruin everything just to be a dragon again.”

  Demi sat up and shoved Niyx’s blade away, causing Niyx to stumble. “Wouldn’t you do anything to be what you are again if they changed you?”

  Niyx shook his head. With a smooth motion, he brought the tip of his blade to Demi’s neck, hoarfrost bleeding off the edge of it. “Behave and come back with me, or die here, dragon. I care not which.”

  “Kill him! He’s too unpredictable. If you let him live, we’ll always worry he’s going to try again,” Onyx hissed as he stormed out to join them.

  Demi jerked away from the tip of the blade when Niyx brought it closer. “Wait, I yield. I don’t wish to die today.”

  Niyx reached down and hauled Demi up by his arm. He frowned at Onyx. “I will make sure he does not cross us again, brother.”

  As Niyx turned away and whistled sharply, Ice descended from the sky and landed in the courtyard. Niyx threw Demi onto Ice’s back and climbed up behind him. Ice rose into the air with a keening cry, then flew past the city and into the forest.

  The shadows faded away as Onyx walked back inside. Ruel picked Floof up and hugged the cat close as Rebekah ran over to throw her arms around both of them. Onyx caught Floof’s golden-eyed gaze and sighed. That magic cat was going to be the end of all of them; he knew it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Niyx stood on top of his fortress with Ice lying behind him. He looked out into the forest that separated his new home from Aderaan. So little space, but it still seemed like worlds between hi
m and the elves, even though he had been born one of them. Niyx turned when he heard the scrape of leather against the ice, and watched with displeasure as Demi approached. He should have killed Demi. The power the dragon-creature had over him was disturbing, but he wouldn’t allow anything more than that. Niyx was still in control, even if Demi considered himself a god among dragons. Demi looked even less an elf now that he had kept the wings, tail, and horns.

  “You summoned me?” Demi asked coolly as he reached Niyx’s side. His attitude clearly conveyed that he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong, even though Niyx had punished him.

  Niyx looked at the glowing magical tattoo carved into Demi’s neck. The hoarfrost made it glow blue. It was Niyx’s mark. It bound Demi to him. He rolled his shoulders. “Teach me how to summon the Night Creatures. It is time my people came home.”

  Demi nodded and knelt obediently in front of Niyx. He drew magical runes of power in the ice in front of Niyx’s dark boots, then with a smirk, he rose and backed away. “You need only touch those with your sword and command your people to come. They will hear you and be unable to resist your call. Wherever they are in this world, they will come.”

  Niyx studied the markings trying to piece out the spell they created. He didn’t quite trust Demi. But it would be a lot harder for Demi to betray him with the binding mark Niyx had created. He placed the tip of his blade in the center of the markings and closed his eyes. He summoned the hoarfrost, feeling it travel down his arms and awaken in the blade. Then it flowed down into the runes and lit them one by one.

  “Call to them. Command them to come to their king,” Demi urged, his voice excited.

  In his mind’s eye, Niyx could see the world unfold before him and his people to light up like tiny blue spots. As they appeared to him, he used his magic to call to them. He could feel their shocked responses. There were so many. Far more than he imagined. They were out there. Suffering. When the magic faded, he stood for a few moments in shock. He opened his eyes and frowned at Demi. “Did you know there are so many?”

  Demi stared into the forest. “Yes. Like there are many of my people lost out there as well. Our war-torn world was not kind to Night Creatures or Dragons. My people who you rescued will need years to recover. They will be safest here with your kind. I will help you find your people, then you can help me unite mine.”

  Niyx settled his blade on his back and gave Demi a cool glance. “Why do you think I’ll do that?”

  “Because it is in your heart. You love my kind. As your grandsire was born to be a slayer of dragons, you were born to be our savior. Magic always has an opposing side. The proof of that is your bond with Ice.” Demi waved a hand toward the large blue dragon.

  Ice snorted frost-breath then rested his large snout on Niyx’s shoulder. Niyx reached to scratch under the dragon’s chin. “Nial does not have magic. Does that mean he will not need it?”

  “Perhaps. It may be an indicator that you and your generation will set the world to rights and, by the time he is grown, we will have peace for his lifetime. Or perhaps he will come into it later in life.” Demi shrugged.

  “Ruel is King of the elves. I am King of the Night Creatures. Onyx is Lord of the assassins. Our grandsire is the King of the humans,” Niyx mused.

  “There are reasons for all these things. Your generation is meant to bring our world back from the brink of the apocalypse my generation tried to cause. That is why you are so powerful. Why your twin is powerful. Why Ruel is powerful.” Demi said, his gaze distant. “There is purpose to Rubei being with one of the pirate Kings as well. The world is shifting to favor those who are pure once again. Evil is being vanquished. The world is recovering. Peace will reign for a time. Perhaps a long time. But always remember this, young Niyx. War always returns. Evil always exists. The scale always tips one way or the other.” Demi turned to start back inside. “The wise prepare for both. Rebuild your kingdom. Enjoy your peace. But don’t take it for granted. War will come again for us all.”

  Niyx continued to scratch Ice’s chin as he looked out as far as he could over their torn world. He imagined his people coming to him. However long their journey was, he wished them safety. Once Demi was gone, Niyx turned to find Kiril. Perhaps there was a way to bring them safely in a swifter manner. He had an idea, but he needed Kiril’s thoughts.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Onyx strolled along the road between Niyx’s fortress and Aderaan, on his way to carry a message for Ruel. But mostly he had spent the hours since dusk looking for Sephyrn. He had a feeling his sire was watching them still. Yet, tracking Sephyrn was proving impossible. Onyx could not smell if Sephyrn was near. His magic couldn’t sense his sire. He couldn’t hear him. Even his blood magic failed to find a trace this time. It was a very strange sensation. As darkness fell, he walked farther along the fence-lined road that led into Aderaan, feeling defeated.

  “Looking for me?”

  Onyx whirled at Sephyrn’s voice behind him, unnerved. How had his sire snuck up on him like that? Sephyrn sat on a fence post, whittling a piece of wood with a dagger. The giant cheetah that always accompanied him lay at his feet, to all appearances peacefully asleep. Floof had taught Onyx not to trust the capricious nature of magical cats and he could sense the cheetah was not a normal beast. His composure regained, Onyx spoke. “You said I could ask you questions after I helped Niyx. I think Niyx is pretty well established now.”

  Sephyrn smirked at him, glancing up from the whittling. “Yes. He has done quite well, hasn’t he? Not that you have not. You have built an empire for yourself out of the ashes of your former owners. I’m quite impressed with both of you. Good thing I didn’t kill you both as children as I was tempted to.”

  Onyx scowled at that and crossed his arms. “You would kill your own sons? Why would that even cross your mind?”

  Sephyrn’s blue-green eyes grew cold. He dropped what he was whittling into a bag and sheathed his dagger slowly. “I told you last time you might not like the answers to your questions. Niyx accepts things as they are. You are too curious for your own good. Surprising, considering where you grew up. The Divide didn’t let you ask questions, did they?”

  Onyx bristled at the mention of The Divide. Maybe this was a bad idea. Did his past really matter? But to him, it did. He wanted to know why he’d ended up there. “Yeah, let’s talk about The Divide, shall we? Why did you leave me with them?”

  “What was I supposed to do? Do you think I could have raised you any better?” Sephyrn snorted. “They call me a butcher. The worst killer this world has ever seen. Not exactly a good profession for raising children.”

  “So, leaving me to be trained by the assassins was better?” Onyx snarled. “Do you have any idea what Jadeia did to me?”

  Sephyrn frowned at that. “Less than my enemies would have done, I assure you. It is the past, Onyx.”

  “It matters still,” Onyx hissed, stepping closer. “I want to know. I want to know why I ended up there. I want to know why Niyx was given to the Night Creatures. I need to know.”

  Sephyrn slid off the fence and stood to his full height, slightly taller than Onyx. His cheetah yawned at his feet and rose to sit beside him. “There’s far too much to my past to go into in one conversation. You don’t need to know it anyway. Your mother was my lover. She was an elven gypsy woman from these woods. She worshipped the Night Creatures and used their magic in sacred rituals,” Sephyrn paused to glance back at the woods then shuddered visibly as he turned away. “She promised she would not have my children. I did not want to sire any bastards.”

  “You know there’s an obvious way not to do that, right?” Onyx snorted and rolled his eyes. “You kill them afterward.”

  “Well, I do now.” Sephyrn shrugged and leaned against the fence. “I was young and foolish enough to think I loved her. No, I did love her once, I think. Does that make you feel better? To know I loved your mother when you were conceived?”

  “I suppose it’s something.” Onyx flatt
ened his ears. “You didn’t want us.”

  “Again, I warned you that you might not like my answers,” Sephyrn tilted his head, his silver hair falling into his eyes. “I’m a bastard child. I knew how it was to grow up as one. I did not want to do that to my children.”

  “So you killed our mother and abandoned us instead?” Onyx spat, agitated.

  “No,” Sephyrn growled, narrowing his eyes. They glowed eerily in the darkness. “I killed your mother, yes. She betrayed me, cheated on me, and then lost you to The Divide and Niyx to the Night Creatures. She used me, and she used both of you. I didn’t even find out you two existed until much later. When I finally found out about the two of you, it was too late to save either of you, and you were both holding your own. You were better off where you were, even if you don’t understand that now.” Sephyrn turned and started the opposite way down the road. “If you’re quite satisfied, I have somewhere to be.”

  “Where are you going?” Onyx asked, stunned by the sudden flow of information. There were a million questions he’d wanted to ask, but none of them came to him.

  “Better that you don’t know. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to check on the two of you later,” Sephyrn replied with a dismissive wave. “Come, Duhma.”

  The cheetah glared at Onyx then stalked down the road after her master, her tail bobbing back and forth in obvious cat-irritation. Onyx sighed, watching them go. Clearly, he wasn’t a cat person. He kept annoying them.

  He shook his head and continued his journey to Aderaan, thinking over what his father had told him. He had hoped for something more. Sephyrn had blamed their mother for everything, but that was easy to do since he’d killed her, and she could not contradict him. Maybe Onyx would never know the truth.