by Naomi Sparks
Gabrielle shifts, not speaking for a while. I just lay there and hold her, letting her mull everything over in her head. She relaxes slightly, but she still doesn't speak. I start to wonder if she fell asleep, but when I look over at her, I see her eyes still open, staring up into the darkness above us. Finally, she lets out a sigh and shakes her head. "I need to think about it," she says, looking over at me.
A lump forms in my throat. She had been thinking about it. What more is there to think about? I want to mate with her, to form an unbreakable bond with her. Finally, I let out a sigh of my own, nodding.
She's been through so much. It makes sense that she wants to think this over thoroughly. We have only known each other for a short while, after all. And since she's a human, even if she is a fairly powerful witch, she doesn't have the same urges and instincts I do. Her only instinct right now is to protect her daughter, and I have to accept that, even if I wish it's different.
"I hope you agree," I say finally, pulling her tight about me. "But, whatever you choose, I will do everything in my power to protect you and Olivia tomorrow."
Gabrielle nods. Her body relaxes at last, and she snuggles up against me again.
Both of us have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Tomorrow, hopefully, will be the first day of our future.
10
Gabrielle
The camp is buzzing with activity long before the sun comes up. I should be exhausted, having stayed up so late with Ezra the night before, but I'm not. Instead, I'm fully energized, ready for what's coming. Today, I will have my daughter in my arms again. Everyone else has looks of anxiousness and apprehension on their face, unsure of how today will unfold. But not me.
I know exactly how it's going to end.
With Olivia, safe and sound again.
Valetta and the others are up early as well. By the time Ezra and I slip from his tent to find food, they're already there, talking with the Fae as they eat. Valetta waves me over, so while Ezra joins the other dragons, I sit with the witches. Everyone seems on edge, but Valetta ignores them, quizzing me on the magic I've learned over the last couple of days.
I wish I had more time to study and practice, but there's nothing I can do about that. Ezra mentioned the Fae's magic, and I long to sit and talk with them and compare notes. I bet they could teach me as much, if not more, than Valetta. I'm so far behind everyone else. Maybe if the coven hadn't bound my powers, I'd have a better chance.
But going back in time isn't one of my newfound powers, I must absorb as much as I can over breakfast and hope two days of cramming will be enough. It has to be. I'm willing to die trying to get my daughter back. This is my one chance.
By the time everyone moves out, I'm not feeling any more confident. Part of me really wishes I had something to soothe my nerves. Deep down, I know that would just dull my senses and reactions, so I just suck it up.
Another part of me wishes I had Ezra by my side, but he's with the other dragons, leading the main charge against the compound.
After everyone eats, we trek to the compound, arriving outside the perimeter just before the sun comes up. My heart pounds in my chest, knowing, just how close we are to Olivia. I want to rush in and get her back, but for some reason, we stop. I can see Ezra with the other dragons at the front of our group, standing around talking, but I can't make out what they're saying.
"There's a barrier around the compound," Valetta says in a low voice. She's watching the dragons, as I am. Her eyes are squinted, and I wonder if she's reading their lips or if she can really hear them. "They're discussing how to penetrate it. They can break it with sheer force, but the one named Lex is worried it'll use up too much of their strength. The Fae woman, Katia, doesn't think they have enough of her people to break through it either."
Merida, Nellie, and Ethyl look over at Valetta and frown. I wonder what they're thinking, but before I can ask, Valetta lets out a sigh. She raises her eyebrows, and they all nod. Then, she turns to me.
"Alright," she says, not looking thrilled about the prospect. "Barriers are what I specialize in. This one is considerably strong, but I think with your strength, we can unweave the spell, rather than break it. It's a bit trickier, but it'll use less raw power."
I nod, only partially understanding what Valetta's talking about. I am determined to help them get through this barrier. So I follow Valetta as she pushes toward the dragons. I hang back as she explains to Lex about what she intends to do. He glances over at Ezra as Valetta speaks, not looking eager to take her up on the offer. But in the end, Valetta convinces him that she can open the barrier.
The coven takes the form of a five-pointed star with me at the head. As they all begin to chant, I close my eyes, taking deep breaths and opening myself as Valetta taught me. I can feel tendrils of power slipping out of me, linking me to the coven. My power flows out to them as their power flows to me.
I can feel myself joining with them. Not physically, but spiritually. As much as I hate to admit I belong with the coven... when we join our power together, I know this is where I'm meant to be. The coven has been working together for many years, but my power brings them to a whole new level. It's a level they'd never reach on their own.
As the chanting continues, I feel the power shift and flow into Valetta. She moves her arms, and her fingers dance in the air. If I squint, I can just barely make out threads of magic following her moves. Then, there's a surge of power and the air seems to explode all around us. We all stumble backwards. The dragons rush over to steady us.
Ezra comes to my side, holding me steady as I catch my breath. The spell had taken something out of me, but not as much as I had expected. Either the spell hadn't needed that much power or all my practice has helped build up my strength. Either way, the barrier is gone, and everyone proceeds forward.
The coven and I hang back, letting the dragons and the Fae retake the lead. We're not useful in direct combat. While I know the coven is well versed in various spells, few of them seem helpful in fights. At least, not directly. So it makes more sense for the warriors to lead the way while we stay in the back, providing whatever aid we can.
I don't like it. I want to be up front with Ezra, storming the castle. I know there will be so many people between Olivia and me, but I don't care. I want to force my way through all of them until I get to her.
Somehow, I manage to control myself. Ezra had asked me to trust him. He promised he would protect both me and Olivia. Now is the time for me to put that to the test. I believe Ezra will do everything in his power to find Olivia.
We hear a man screaming as he dies as one of Katia's arrows pierced clear through him. The group keeps going past the man's corpse. Part of me wants to feel bad for him, but I only have to remember how each one of these men stood by and let me be tortured. Maybe some of them even helped.
That quickly zaps any sympathy I have.
Katia and the other Fae take out a couple more men as we make our way through the woods. Everyone is on high alert now, tension is running high. I can see from the grim looks on their faces. This is it. Ezra had told me about narrowly missing Amasis and the Clutch at their previous bases. By everything he's told me and the way everyone is acting, I know Amasis is here.
And if he's here, so is Olivia.
When we reach the edge of the woods, everyone stops again and spreads out. I can make out a few people moving around outside the compound.
Then, a soft murmur goes through the group, everyone looks up at the sky. Overheard, I see two dragons circling the compound. No doubt they are aerial scouts. The moment we leave the protection of the tree line, they'll spot us and signal the alarm. We'd taken care of the scouts in the woods. Now we needed to handle those in the air as well.
Everyone braces, then two of the dragon shift and launch themselves into the air. I'm not sure which two it is. Somehow, I know Ezra isn't one of them.
I watched in stunned silence as the two massive creatures shoot toward the sky. Before the circling enem
y dragons can cry out, our dragons are on them, their jaws clamping down around the enemy dragons' throats. Listening carefully, I can make out a strangled hissing sound as our men force the other two to downward, crashing into the compound.
So much for stealth, I think as the rest of our army surges forward.
The remaining unshifted dragons lead the charge, the Fae cover their assault with arrows and magic projectiles, picking off the stunned guards. The two shifted dragons remain in the air, circling the compound, acting as our scouts now. Occasionally, one of them swoops down and lets out a jet of fire, scorching the ground and any enemies stupid enough not to flee from them.
After that, everything becomes chaotic. Bodies are strewn all around the outside of the compound. At first, it's just the enemy, and I ignore them. Then, slowly, as the men inside the compound come out to confront us, our people start to fall as well. A small part of me is scared, not just for myself, but for the others. For Ezra. For the coven.
But as we force our way closer and closer to the entrance to the compound, I can feel her. I can feel Olivia.
Now that magic isnflowing through my veins, I can feel that connection to her. It's soft, likely because she's so young, and her power is only just beginning to bud. But it's there. And it's enough for me to follow it.
I stay with the coven as we push forward. I'm still connected to them, our power ebbing and flowing as the witches cast various spells. I can feel Valetta weaving small barriers of her own, using them to herd the enemies into groups. I can feel the earth shifting as Ethyl calls upon the ground itself to rise and fall, distracting some of the enemies and corralling others.
Every once in awhile, someone will charge at us. They don't get too close before Nellie lets loose a ball of fire, engulfing them completely and burning them to ash.
I should be shocked by the brutality and deaths all around me, but I don't let myself think about it. I can't. If I do stop and think, I'll break down. I have to remain strong for Olivia. So I push all of those thoughts to the back of my mind, locking them away. I'll deal with the aftermath once Olivia is safe and sound.
When we finally breach the compound, my heart skips a beat. The connection tethering me to Olivia is stronger here, without whatever wards the dragons had placed around the compound to muddle it.
I can't ignore it any longer. Ignoring the shouts from the coven, I take off running down one of the hallways. I have no idea where I'm going or how I'll find my way back, but I don't care. I just follow the bond, letting it led me to where I need to be. When I turn a corner, a snarling man rushes toward me. I thrust my hands forward, feeling the power well up inside me and surge. It's pure and instinctual magic, rushing out as raw power, rather than a spell.
The man is launched backwards, slamming against the brick wall and slumping to the ground in a heap. I don't stop to check if he's alive or not. I just keep running. My heart hammers loud enough to drown out the sounds of the battle taking place all around.
I come skidding to a halt outside of a large metal door. For a moment, I just stand there, gasping for air as I stare at the door. I have no idea what's on the other side of it or if it's even unlocked. All I know for sure is Olivia is in there. For all I know, there's an entire army with her, guarding her. I should wait for the others to catch up to me, or at least wait for the coven, but I can't. I have to get in there. I have to get my baby girl.
As if I'm moving through molasses, I reach out slowly for the door handle. To my surprise, it turns easily, and I push the door open. It swings inward, slowly. My pounding heart is deafening now, and I can't hear anything else. All I can do is stare ahead, holding my breath, waiting.
The room is empty though, more accurately, it's empty of dragons. There are cribs in there, with soft crying coming from a few of them. My feet seem to be rooted to the floor. No matter how hard I try to walk inside, my body doesn't respond. She's right there. I know she is. Not only can I feel the bond between us, but I can hear her soft cries too.
So why can't I move?
Because it feels wrong. It's too easy, I realize. These dragons have been spending all of their resources on the babies. So why are they just left here, unattended, unguarded? There should at least be someone with them, making sure they are safe and stay out of enemy hands.
And yet, not a single person is in there. Nor can I hear or feel anyone close to this room. Not that I've gotten used to sensing other people around me with my powers. Valetta tried to teach me to close my eyes and open myself to the flow of magic around me, but I'm still not much good at it.
I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. Easy or not, I can't just leave Olivia in there. I have to go to her, have to get her out of here, no matter the consequences.
Slowly, my body begins to respond. First one foot moves, then the other. The next thing I know, I'm racing over to one of the cribs and scooping Olivia up out of it and into my arms. I cradle her against my body, bouncing her slightly and promising her everything will be okay now.
The war rages on in the rest of the compound, but I don't want to think about that. For a few moments, I just hold my daughter and pretend that everything is okay.
I am jarred out of my little fantasy by a sharp cry coming from one of the other cribs. Taking a deep breath and opening my eyes, I walk over and examine the other cribs. Two of them are occupied with squirming and crying, babies. Babies, just like my Olivia, stolen from their mothers, held captive like they're property instead of small people.
I frown down at the squirming little ones, trying to figure out how I can get all three of them out of there safely. I can't carry all three of them in my arms. They're too small and fragile for that. Nor is there anything in this room I can use to make a sling or harness for one of them.
As I look around, I realize just how spartan the room is. There aren't any toys or playthings. No colorful decorations. Nothing showing even the least bit of love and compassion for these children. Just a handful of cribs set up in lines, an empty desk near the far wall.
Part of me wants to believe it was all thrown together in a rush. But deep down, I know the truth. These people don't care about these babies at all, not really. They are just property to them. It doesn't matter that these babies are the next generation of their kind. Now that the babies have been born, they will do just enough to keep them alive.
Rage wells up inside me. It's bad enough that The Clutch stole these children from their mothers' arms. But to treat them so callously after? These people really are monsters, no doubt about it.
"You've grown," a deep, smooth voice says.
I jump and turn around, nearly dropping Olivia in the process. The poor girl lets out a wail, and I hurry to shush her as I face the voice.
Yin, I realize immediately. He's standing by the entrance, leaning against the frame. His arms are crossed in front of his chest as he watches me. He's tall, I realize. Taller than I remember. Even leaning, he stands a good foot taller than me.
"The last time I saw you, there wasn't a trace of power in you," he continues, his eyes running up and down my body. "Now, here you are, with so much power flowing through your veins. Before, I wondered if you could really be my daughter. How could a daughter of mine be so weak? But now... Now, look at you! You are most definitely my daughter."
The grin on his face makes my skin crawl. He'd never smiled once when I'd been held captive. And now, here he is, looking at me like a predator studies his prey. But I'm determined not to be his prey, not this time.
Before, I couldn't defend myself. Now though... Now, I won't let him near my daughter. Even if it costs me my life, he'll never have her again.
I take a step backward, glaring at him as I tighten my grip on Olivia. He's standing in the doorway, and there's no other way out of this room. All of a sudden, I'm not so confident I can stop Yin from taking Olivia away from me again.
He frowns as he watches me back away. He stands up straighter and walks toward me, extending his hand.
"Don't be like that, Gabrielle. Come with me, join us. With your power, you'll be a valuable asset to Amasis. You'll be treated like a princess, just like you deserve."
I stiffen at his words. He wants me to join him? Why in the world would I ever want to join him? I can remember what it had been like the last time I'd been with The Clutch. I vividly remember being strapped down on a bed, poked and prodded like I was nothing more than a lab rat for their experiments.
Then, once I'd had Olivia, they'd dumped me in a cell and left me there to die. If Ezra and the others hadn't rescued me, no doubt my last days would have been in a cell. Yin and the others fled that compound, leaving a handful of us there without a second thought. We didn't matter to them at all.
And now he wants me to believe things will be different?
I look down at Olivia, safe in my arm. She shares his blood too, his blood, and the blood of whoever's seed they'd implanted inside me. And yet, things hadn't been any different for her. She was neglected in this room, along with two other infants. They were left to cry and squirm without even a nanny to keep an eye on them.
He'd held my mother captive too, no doubt leaching her magic from her, using it for his own purposes. Just like I know he wants to do with me. He doesn't want me to stand by his side. He wants to use me and my powers against his enemies without a second thought for what I might want.
No, I won't join him.
I will never join him.
He must see that on my face. He takes another couple steps forward, his frown deepening. "Don't be like that, baby girl. Just come with me. I can protect you. I can keep you safe. So long as I live, no one will ever hurt you again. Come be with your father."
"No!" I shout throwing my hand out, feeling the power surge through me again. "You're not my father!"
