Malek’s brow furrowed. “Even though you don’t live in Faerie?”
Bane crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re a fool. The Wild Hunt has acknowledged her as the Queen of the Unseelie. If she becomes a subject of the light, all of the Unseelie will be forced into servitude by her father. He’ll be able to summon her to his side whenever he wants. He has quite a penchant for torture from what I’ve heard.”
Sabine squeezed her eyes shut. Such a thing could never come to pass, no matter what sacrifice she’d need to make to ensure it didn’t happen.
“Shit,” Malek muttered, turning back toward Bane. “Do you know how we can remove the bond? Or even prevent such a thing from happening?”
“Other than killing you?” Bane rubbed his chin and shrugged. “There may be something in the dwarven archives. If not, my people have records pertaining to the Fae. They may have knowledge of an exiled Unseelie Fae who may be able to etch her skin to solidify her alignment.”
Sabine took a shaky breath. There were no guarantees, but in the meantime, she’d need to be careful around Malek. The more they combined their magic, the faster the change would happen. “We’ll look into it the first opportunity we get. For now, we need to return these people to their home.”
Sabine turned toward the ocean, where the remainder of the True Folk were gathered. Ilwan approached her, frowned at Bane and Malek, and asked, “Is everything all right?”
Unwilling to answer, Sabine gestured at the ocean and asked, “Your people are ready?”
Ilwan nodded. “Yes. Once I join them in the sea, you may begin.”
Sabine watched him walk away, catching sight of Esmelle, Levin, and Blossom, who were a short distance away. Blossom was still eagerly zipping around Esmelle, delighted to have her dryad friend back.
Ilwan held up his hand to indicate he was in position. Sabine took a deep breath, summoning her new magic to the surface. Since this was a foreign type of power, she wasn’t concerned about being detected by her family.
A cold power welled up from the deepest recesses of her psyche, silent and heavy like the ocean’s embrace. She gathered it within her, using the power of the land to keep it contained while it built in strength. Struggling to breathe under its staggering weight, she managed to take a breath and then spiraled it outward over those who sought to claim the sea for themselves.
At that moment, the sun crept over the horizon, blinding in its brilliance. The True Folk all glowed as well, eclipsing the light of the sun. Unable to keep watching, Sabine hid her eyes and looked away. In a flash, it was gone.
Sabine turned back toward the ocean, watching as the True Folk shouted in exultation, flicking their fins and splashing one another. They dove under the surface and then sputtered back up, the sight lightening the burdens on Sabine’s heart. Malek placed his hand against her lower back and said, “It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it?”
She nodded, unable to put her emotions into words. It was more than beautiful. What they were witnessing was the hopeful promise for a different future. Each of these people now had a choice, whether to return to their roots or seek out another path. And that was more precious than anything Sabine could imagine.
“Great,” Bane muttered with a sigh. “More fish people.”
Sabine smiled. “You suggested I make some alliances.”
Bane harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Unless they’re willing to drown your enemies, I don’t see much point. Now the dwarves, they produce some rather fine weapons. I wouldn’t mind an alliance with them.”
Blossom came flying back, her wings fluttering in excitement. “Sabine! Don’t forget your promise now that Bane’s here. I want my reward!”
Bane’s brow furrowed. “No one squished you yet? What reward is the bug talking about?”
Sabine paused and bit back a smile. Lifting her hand, she sent a powerful wave of magic over Blossom. Her image shimmered, and with a flash of light, she changed into a Fae-sized pixie.
Blossom’s hair was glamoured yellow today with several long braids woven into an intricate style. Her matching dress was made from an impossibly thin gossamer-style material, and it sparkled like the morning’s dew. Her wings twitched in excitement, and she grinned at Bane. “Surprise!”
“What the hell?” Bane scrambled backward, his eyes shifting to silver.
Blossom put her hands on her hips and stalked toward him. “Go ahead. Call me a bug again.” She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. “I dare you.”
Sabine grinned at Bane’s bemused expression. He’d think twice about tormenting the pixie for a while. Although, once the magic faded, it would be another story. But Blossom would get at least a full day’s worth of enjoyment out of her new form.
Malek chuckled and put his arms around her. “Well, at least he’ll learn to treat her with a bit more respect. The trip to Razadon should be interesting.”
“I think you’re right,” Sabine said with a smile and leaned against him. They might need to be careful about fusing their magic together, but it didn’t negate how much she’d grown to care for this dragon. Taking his hand in hers, she led him back toward the ship while silver fins danced in the waves behind them.
Sabine’s story continues in Facets of Power, The Dragon Portal #3. Click here to learn more!
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Also by Jamie A. Waters
THE OMNI TOWERS
(Dystopian Fantasy Romance)
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Ruins of Fate
Beneath the Fallen City
Shadow of the Coalition
Tremors of the Past
Drop of Hope
Flames of Redemption
Spirit of the Towers
About the Author
Jamie A. Waters is an award-winning writer of science fiction and fantasy romance. Her first novel, Beneath the Fallen City, was a winner of the Readers’ Favorite Award in Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance and the CIPA EVVY Award in Science Fiction.
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Jamie currently resides in Florida with a murder of crows in her backyard and two neurotic dogs who enjoy stealing socks. When she’s not pursuing her passion of writing, she’s usually trying to learn new and interesting random things (like how to pick locks or use the self-cleaning feature of the oven without setting off the fire alarm). In her downtime, she enjoys reading, playing computer games, painting, or acting as a referee between the dragons and fairies currently at war inside the closet. Learn more about her at: jamieawaters.com.
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