by Raven Storm
“You have a place for us?”
I grinned.
“Ever been to Lyoness?”
Three
I’m not sure what the drakens expected to see as I flew side-by-side with Astrid, our hair flying wildly behind us. Following closely was the remainder of her coven, thirty-three witches strong. The dead lay in the woods, blank faces tilted up towards the sky. As much as it pained the witches to leave them, it would be far worse if they were still around when the demons returned.
As soon as I set my heart on home, my wings automatically adjusted and tilted me in the proper direction. Astrid smirked, and fell back to her people. The air witches elegantly rode on large brooms—including bits of wood from the remnant of their homes. Dangling from the wood were the tied remains of the possessions they had decided to bring with them—favorite clothes, utensils, and jewelry that had survived the demon hordes and could be quickly gathered. Luci rode with Astrid, her eyes wide as she flew through the open sky. The witches from the earth and water covens had gone home to spread the news, but one earth witch rode on the back of another’s broom, excited to see the land of the drakens.
“You wouldn’t get to do this with your old coven,” Astrid bragged to Luci, throwing her hands wide to the open sky and crying out in delight. I careened and tumbled in the air with them, ecstatic to stretch my wings and test my limits. I was still sore, but the more I flew, the better I felt. Astrid had given me a band to wear across my breasts and a skirt made of leather, covering all the important bits, but still allowing me freedom of movement. Astrid mentioned seeing female drakens dress similarly in the past, which made me wonder exactly how old she was. Regardless, it was kind of her, and it made the scandalous collection in my wardrobe back at the mountain make more sense. My draken body wasn’t interested in wearing clothing—in fact, it wanted to show off. How else would I attract more mates to give me strong children?
Wait, more mates? I shook my head, dismissing such irrelevant instincts.
I lowered my head and bared down as we quickly left the mainland of Dorea behind. An endless expanse of blue stretched out before me, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I had never been to the ocean, and to be flying over it...it was surreal. Astrid gave another whoop of joy, and the witches behind her echoed it. I pumped my wings harder, faster, having no other desire than to find Lyoness and be with my mates. What would I do if Benedict hadn’t made it out? Don’t think about it.
Quicker than I had thought possible, a small sliver of land appeared on the horizon.
Lyoness.
I left the witches behind, pushing my body harder than I should have. I didn’t care, I needed to go home, to a place I hadn’t even seen yet, but had everyone I had ever cared about on its shores. The rocks surrounding the island greeted me first, sharp and jagged as they jutted up out of the ocean. Each bit of land on the eastern side was covered in rocks and high cliffs, the western end sloping down into black sand beaches. It was difficult to tell what the land might have been like, before it was covered in layers upon layers of magma and hard, unyielding black rock. The entire landscape was wrecked, left as a desolate wasteland. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it didn’t matter. My mates were on this charred bit of land.
Astrid pulled up beside me, a questioning look on her face. It just didn’t seem right—the absolute lack of any life upon a mountain of yielding rock. How would we live here?
“Shouldn’t it have grown in?” I asked her, doubting my plan. “It’s sat like this for centuries!”
Astrid frowned; her brow furrowed in worry.
“Not if it was magical. Then it wouldn’t heal.”
I thinned my lips. “So it was planned by the Overlord. I would bet anything on it!”
I twisted my head back to Astrid, embarrassed and ashamed.
“I’ve brought you from one pit of ash to another. You can hardly live here.” Astrid only grinned.
“Just wait.” I didn’t understand.
“But you could have stayed in the forest—”
“—And be hunted down by the hordes? No thank you. Everyone knows drakens wards are superior to anyone else’s.”
Astrid bent further over her broom; her eyes trained on Lyoness.
“Let’s see if they’ve set any of those wards up yet."
Together we dove, the surviving witches behind me. Nothing stopped us as we broke the air over the island, a rather anticlimactic ending as we all braced ourselves. We landed on top of the high cliffs and were quickly surrounded by drakens. They went from rapid to astounded in the blink of an eye, barely letting my claws touch the ground before they swarmed me.
“Praise the gods! The queen lives!”
Domik was there, the first to shove me behind him as the rest snarled at the witches. It was tempting to dig my claws in his back, but I squelched the urge. The other drakens pushed forward, eager to put distance between me and the witches.
“Stop it!” I hissed. Domik didn’t listen, instead baring his fangs at Astrid.
“What do you want, witch?”
Astrid was in her prime, holding her white robe up daintily so as not to drag it through the ash and dirt around her. She didn’t look concerned at all with the large group of growling, feral drakens around her.
“We’d like lodging and food as payment for not turning your female over to the demon hordes and having our homes burnt down and our witches massacred,” she purred, her eyes deadly, “for starters.”
The drakens froze, and Astrid stared them all down.
“It’s true,” I added, wiggling out of Domik’s grasp. “I was shot through the wing and fell into their forest. One of their witchlings hid and fed me while I healed. When the shadow demons came—” the drakens assembled gasped, and I ignored them “—they hid me, and their forest was burned with the hope of flushing me out. We owe them a home here.”
“Says who?”
I felt his presence a split second before I heard his voice; deep, growling, but so unmistakably his. My body physically ached to go to him, to run my hands across his skin, just to make sure he was really here and safe—
Benedict stormed towards Astrid, possessiveness in his eyes. Astrid lifted her chin, refusing to be cowed. I put my hand out, stopping him from stalking any further towards her.
“Says me,” I answered, holding his purple gaze with my own. His eyes widened when he saw me, not even blinking at the dirt and grime that covered me. I watched his face nearly break for just a split second, so wounded and raw that I wanted to cry. Then it was over, his lips curled into a sneer as his mask slammed firmly back into place. I shook my head and focused on Astrid. It was such a relief to see him alive and being an utter ass that I didn’t have the heart to chastise him more than I already planned to.
“They saved my life. They have nowhere else to go.”
I could almost taste the dilemma in front of Benedict. Stony silence descended as we stared at each other, the tension thick enough to slice with a knife.
“Do you not have wards on this place? Not that it seems to be anything worth protecting.”
Astrid broke through the silence with a regal air, looking around distastefully. Benedict’s eyes flicked to her, a growl emanating from his chest.
“Get the hell off my island, witch.”
Astrid tsked, then crossed her arms. “Why haven’t you set the wards, draken? The hordes may follow us here.”
Benedict's hands closed into fists and opened again methodically.
“We did set wards. As soon as I stepped foot on this land, Gelf and Pirth weaved black wards. They were…extremely powerful, but obviously they have holes. We didn’t expect a bitch invasion.” His glare at the witches was intense.
“Ha, I’ve never heard that one before…” Astrid muttered.
I didn’t hear her—all I could think about was the silver-scaled draken who had treated me like spun glass. The one who defended me after my first battle, going toe-to-toe with Benedict and ri
sking his life in order to keep me safe.
“Gelf is dead?” I whispered. I could have sworn Benedict’s shoulders drooped, but I blinked, and he was standing tall again.
“He sacrificed himself with Pirth to set basic wards, like Sabien did. Due to their ages and experience, they are quite powerful. They will be remembered as great heroes.”
I swallowed heavily, trying to keep it together. How many more of my friends would die to give the rest of us a chance? I hated it. I remembered Gelf standing over Sabien’s body in the mountain, grief etched on his face.
It should have been us. We have lived long enough.
It was staggering to think how little my losses truly meant compared to Benedict’s, or any of the other drakens. Astrid blinked rapidly, her voice breaking slightly.
“We do not wish to be a burden. There are witch wards we can weave around yours, strengthening the defenses here. And there are...other ways we can help.”
Astrid gestured behind her, and the earth witch from the back of the coven walked slowly forward. She was the summer to the air witches’ winter—her hair was brown like mine, her skin and eyes tinted with green. She stopped in front of the closest draken, tilting her head to the side. He watched in confusion as she bent down in front of him, and placed her palm over the black, cracked earth at his feet. Green leaves sprouted through her fingers as she lifted her hand, weaving it through the air as the sprouts became a sapling, and then a young tree. Her smile was beatific as the draken gaped at her.
Astrid glided forward, laying a hand on the earth witch’s shoulder.
“If the drakens would be inclined to shelter my sisters, I would be inclined to petition the earth coven to rebuild Lyoness, in addition to adding our wards. It would be an honor, even if it is a sorry apology for leaving you to fight the Demon Wars alone the first time.”
The earth witch lazily raised a few more blades of grass as she smashed through the hardened magma. The draken in front of her sniffed loudly, his face twisting as he fought to contain his tears. He let out one sob, before seizing the earth witch to his chest in a giant hug. Astrid smiled in victory, and the witches surged forward to mingle with the drakens.
“Look at that! History in the making!” Astrid was full of glee, punching Benedict playfully on his shoulder. He grumbled, turning away. Astrid dismissed him with a wave of her hands, and quickly drew the earth witch along with her, already discussing where to grow a grove of trees to make new homes for everyone. drakens trailed behind the women like eager puppies, offering their own suggestions and gesturing wildly as they described in detail what the island had looked like before. Their hope was an addictive drug.
Benedict and I were finally left alone. I looked up, allowing myself the luxury of trailing my eyes over his body. I reached a hand towards him, and realized it was shaking. He clasped it between both of his, one dark eyebrow shooting towards his brow.
“Is it magick you use to make so many allies?”
I laughed, putting my other hand on his chest. It blossomed with warmth as I ran my palm up to his shoulders, his eyes filled with heat. He looked down at me, so tense I thought he might shatter. I sighed.
“Go ahead, get it out of your system.” His shoulders sagged, and then he sniffed the air above my head, his eyes going immediately to my wing joint. Without another word he offered his wrist, and I bit down.
How I’d missed the taste of his blood! I had enough to heal in seconds, but it wasn’t enough to fill the hole left by his absence, or make up for the worry and the fear I'd felt. I tried to drink more, but he ripped his wrist away, licking it healed.
“I was so afraid, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t sleep—” I closed my mouth, not wanting to babble.
Benedict frowned. “Afraid of what? The demon hordes?” I stopped, glancing up to see if he was joking. He wasn’t.
“No! I was sick with worry over you!” I pounded his chest in frustration until he grabbed my wrists. We stared at each, our faces only millimeters apart. I ripped my wrists away and glared at him. Now that he was here, now that I knew he was safe, the anger came rushing back. It hurt that he’d believed me a traitor—that he’d left me for dead under the hot sun. It hurt worse that it took his people turning against him to not murder me. Benedict read the conflict in my eyes and looked away.
“I’m…sorry.”
A few months ago, it might have been enough. Now, standing as a queen and a survivor, I hesitated when he held out his hand again. Then I remembered Gelf…Pirth…the hopes of every draken who looked to us for guidance. If I didn’t forgive Benedict, was I any better than him? Forgiving me for his brother’s death was a large step, and even if he was awful at forgiving people, he wouldn’t learn how if I didn’t show him first.
I allowed him to pull me into his chest, his arms coming around as he held me tight. I stood rigid, my arms hanging awkwardly at my sides. Drops of water landed on the back of my shoulder, and he clutched at me harder. Benedict was crying—silent tears of regret and suffering. I had to forgive him; after all, forgiveness is never for you, it’s always for them.
Slowly, my arms came around to embrace him back, and every tight knot and tense breath he had been holding released. He released one small, quiet sob, and I squeezed him tighter.
“Don’t do it again—the witches taught me a few things.”
He gave a strangled laughed as I pulled back, such relief swimming in his eyes that it made me feel like the most powerful person on the planet. I audibly gasped when he seized my lips, one hand resting against my face, and the other burying itself in my hair. I relaxed against him, finally, finally feeling as if I’d come home. He was still as I took in the bags on his face and the myriad of unhealed bruises.
“You look like shit.”
His eyes sparked, and I held out my wrist. He exhaled through his nostrils, turning his face away. I scowled.
“Drink, or I’ll give you a few more bruises.” I slit a claw against my forearm, not bothering to wait. As soon as my blood touched the air his instincts took over, and he was drinking before he could stop himself.
How did you survive?” I whispered as he only took a few licks. His tongue was rough against my skin, languishing along the cut to ensure all traces of the injury were gone.
“You thought I would just let a mountain fall on us?” He gave me a disappointed huff, and the corner of my lip curled upwards.
My eyes flared in hope. “Us?”
Benedict threw his arms in the air. “Your human was standing at the hole by the blasted elevator shaft. It was easy to grab him and shift away, though I didn’t escape completely unscathed.” I closed my eyes, utterly relieved for his bloodline’s ability to shift through shadows. I wrapped my arms around his neck, whispering into his ear.
“Thank you.”
His arms went around me in reflex, though I could feel the heat radiating from him in mild embarrassment.
“Normally a male brings a mating gift to the bond. I wanted this to be mine.” He wouldn’t look at me, even as a dull blush colored his cheeks. I pulled back as he glanced down at me.
“You were truly worried for me?”
I gave him a squeeze, then looked him up and down. “Idiot. I love you.” Those heavily guarded eyes softened as he lowered his face to mine. He didn’t need to say it back; he was a man of action who didn’t hold words in any regard. To go back into the mountain and get Georg for me, leaving his people behind, meant more than a thousand loud declarations.
He slowly kissed me, devouring me from the outside-in. That single solitary kiss told me everything I needed to know about his love for me. He reluctantly drew back, his fingers stroking my face gently. I frowned, still not happy with the gaunt, pinched look of his face.
“You need more blood.”
“I need my mate.” The touch on my face turned possessive, and a bolt of desire went straight to my core. Wait.
“Where’s Kieran and Ronan?” I felt guilty for not thinking about
them until now. My heart sank as Benedict’s expression turned serious.
“They didn’t die, did they?”
It felt like a fist had a grip on my heart and was squeezing, squeezing—
“No,” Benedict answered, “they didn’t die.”
I was confused. “Then what—”
“You didn’t mate with them right after your change, so they’re going through mate withdrawal twice as hard. Wyrren said he’d never seen anything like it. It was useful on the way here during the battle—Kieran took out a score of demons single handedly, and Ronan about a dozen vampyres and two scores of those large, gargoyle beasts. Once we got here though, they kept trying to kill. We had to chain them in caves on the cliffs before they killed any drakens. That’s why I look so drained—it took a lot of blood to heal the drakens they had gotten to.” He paused, his eyes taking on a far away, haunted look.
“Let me guess—you didn’t have enough left to heal yourself.” It was something he would do. He would die for his people. Benedict shot me a heated look.
“A few days ago, Kieran and Ronan finally ran out of strength.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
“Where are they now?”
Benedict sighed, and it was such a tired, defeated sound that my head shot up to look at him.
“We might as well take care of it while the witches are busy playing with dirt.”
He grabbed me and pressed my body against his, muffling the surprised yet pleased yelp that left my throat. I felt his raging need against my thigh, and his teeth scraped by my ear, promising nothing and everything.
“It is my right to go first, and my instincts are screaming at me to do it, but I will waive it if you wish to help the others first.”
He dropped me and took to the air. I stumbled, my head fuzzy and my limbs heavy with need. I growled, then spread my wings and followed behind him. We flew along the scraggly coastline, watching the blossoming path of green left by the earth witch. The drakens following treaded carefully around the thin, new blades of grass. Their eyes watched her with wonder.
