by L J Andrews
“This is the way it has to happen,” Teagan whispered. “That sword is yours, and I know without a doubt you are the one who will power those stones.”
“I agree. I feel the sword will bond best with me, but that does not mean it’s because you won’t be here,” I whispered. “Do not forget your power. You will be the one to end this today, son, not me. You.”
Teagan winced, but I wouldn’t let him argue the point. I knew it with my entire soul. I didn’t believe the same as him. Something would change him today, but his life would not be robbed from me, from Thane, or from Jade and Malik. I wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders, my hand stroking the back of his neck and his hair like I used to do when he was still a small boy. “I love you, Mom. Please take care of them,” he whispered.
My heart shattered, and I couldn’t stop the tears from falling as I met his eye. “I will always be there for your family. But so will you. Teagan, I promised your father I would have hope, and I need you to do the same. Promise me, now!”
He nodded, his own eyes brimming with steaming tears. “I will always hope for the best,” he whispered, hugging me once more. “Don’t hesitate when the time comes. This is your moment.”
I nodded, forcing myself to smile as he backed away, his arm now wrapping around Jade’s waist. She was silently sobbing as she met my eye. I surrounded her with a wave of peaceful energy—she would need it for what was coming her way. Teagan didn’t know what his words meant. I feared I would hesitate, though I hadn’t shared my own dilemma with my son. As I watched my family back away, Eisha offering a respectful nod through her own tears, I knew for their sakes I would not have the option to leave Bron alive. I would accept whatever came from absorbing his energy. As Bron told me on the night of the divide, I would need to strike true. And I would strike hard.
Teagan knelt once more along the ground, one palm hovering just above the soil. Like a ripple along a lake, I felt the shift in power. A shimmering wall surrounded me, and though I could still make out every piece of the land around me, Eisha and Jade searched the area.
“You’re hidden,” Teagan muttered.
“I will see you again,” I whispered, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me unless I stepped outside the center sphere.
The distant battle was bellowing now. I heard roars from warriors. The sky was filled with smoke from their breath. The earth rolled and jolted in occasional energy swells. It wouldn’t be long now. Soon we all would know where our fates lived today.
Eisha shifted forms, and I watched silently as Teagan climbed onto her back, helping Jade in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder once, and I felt his anguish. I wished I could comfort him. It all was too painfully familiar watching my mate and my son be forced away from my side. Never again.
When Thane had shouted my name once he’d found my prison, when I’d embraced Teagan for the first time after being parted for so long, I vowed separation would not happen again. Should the worst happen, and I was forced to ignite the enchantments that would end my life, I had the peace that at least my son and mate would remain together. I would do all I could to keep the hope I’d promised Thane, but I would also kill Bron should he raise a hand to harm my family again.
Chapter 27
Teagan
Jade kissed Malik’s head about a hundred times as Eisha soared the short distance to the place where I would say goodbye. She believed she would say goodbye to our son too, but that is where I would have help, and I hoped she would understand. I prayed she would forgive me someday. I held her hand, my thumb tracing her fingers. I wanted to remember every detail of her face, of Malik. Seeing them in my mind, imagining them happy and free, buoyed my weak heart the closer we came.
Eisha took a downward dive, and soon we were on the ground. Roars erupted in the distance, and the urgency to join the fight filled my chest to the point I thought I might vomit. Energy swirled around the forest in chaotic waves. I felt warped darkness, lindworm energy, I felt the heat pulsing through the earth as mages took control. Even the water in the air dripped along my face, though the sun was shining bright. Everything roared with life and power as the battle that divided our world waged below the forest line.
Jade sobbed silently, brushing her cheek along Malik’s soft skin once we stepped off Eisha’s back. Eisha didn’t shift right away, and I met her eye when she stomped behind me. If she could cry in wyvern form, I was positive Eisha’s pale face would be coated in tears. Jade finally looked up, sniffing back her emotion as she studied the small circle of white stones. The space was large enough to fit several full-form dragons, but it was deep enough in the trees it would be hard to spot unless one knew how to find it. The stones weren’t the same as the ones in the sanctuary. Each engraving was a different mage enchantment. Most were similar to the power Gaia had infused into the willow tree that had protected the entire town of Wyvern Willows. The idea was much the same; I only hoped I’d make it strong enough should everyone need to cross the line. Jade cautiously peered at me over her shoulder.
“Where are we? You said we were taking Malik somewhere safe, away from the battle.”
“This is that place,” I whispered, resting my hands against the ground.
Jade gasped. I was certain she felt the tug of my energy surround her. I’d used her necklace and the quilt for Malik as their connection to the barrier. Easily, I envisioned each item, surging all the energy I could into warding them against harm. “Teagan, what are you doing?” her voice quivered as Eisha finally changed forms and slowly inched toward her.
Clearing my throat, I bit back the emotion boiling in my chest and scorching my eyes. As though she read my mind, carefully Eisha reached for my sleeping son so Jade’s arms were free. I crushed Jade against my body, holding her fiercely. My breaths shuddered as I buried my face against her warm neck. Jade clutched me just as tightly, her soft lips brushing along my jaw a few times. “Teagan, you’re scaring me. You sent energy against me. I felt trapped for a moment. What is this place?”
I pulled back, wiping my eyes, before pressing my forehead against hers. “This place is warded by every ounce of energy I could muster, Jade. It will protect every person in both our families should they cross the barrier. Only powerful dark energy will break it. I’ve studied this for months now, ever since we found out about Malik. I knew this day would come, and I needed…I need to know you and our son will be safe.”
Jade pulled back, her emerald eyes searching desperately in mine. “That Malik will be safe.” She tried to correct.
Tears fell along my cheeks, but I didn’t even fight them anymore. The agony was too much. The thought of saying a final farewell violently stole the air from my lungs. I thought I would die the day Jade disappeared with Ced—when I thought he was an enemy—but it was nothing compared to this moment.
“Jade,” I whispered, my voice broken and hoarse. “This is for you and Malik. It’s designed that if I stay, the protections will not hold. My energy will overpower it. I won’t leave you exposed, or Malik exposed, to what’s out there.”
“No,” she shouted, trying to shove me away, but I held firm to her arms. “No, you’re not leaving me here, Teagan Ward! I will fight with you, we stand by each other. We fight this together.”
My palms trapped her face, and I broke at the tears welling in her beautiful eyes. “Jade, I’m…I’m not coming back from this.”
There. I finally said the words out loud.
“What?” her voice cracked. “Why would you…why would you say that?”
A sob broke from my throat, it was small, but I couldn’t stop it. I kissed her, holding her wet face against my own tears. I didn’t know if I kissed her for a long time or not, only that her eyes were red and her face flushed when we broke apart. “I say it because I know it,” I whispered. “You know my mom can feel things, like premonitions. I had one too. Months ago. I felt my power being…wiped out in this battle. This is where I will end, Jade.” She shook her head, pulling ba
ck again, but I wrapped my arms around her. “And I’ll gladly do it,” I said, firmly. “If I know you and Malik will live.”
“I refuse to leave you,” she snapped, her heart thudding against my chest so ferociously I thought it might break through my body. “You cannot leave me here after saying that. If you are to die, then I will die by your side. You vowed to keep my heart happy—this will destroy my happiness.”
“I vowed to your happiness, but also to defend your life—our family. What about our son?” I asked, causing her to catch her breath. “I can’t leave him to grow up like us. Without parents, without his mother to guide him, to show him what he can become.”
My words brought Jade to a still, her eyes never falling from mine. When she finally spoke, her voice was as small as the breeze. “Don’t leave me, Teagan. You are my heart and soul. I cannot exist without you.”
Pressing my lips to her forehead, I shook as I took her hands in mine. “You can, and you will, Jade.” Clearing my throat, I looked to the ground as if it would give me the strength to say what I needed to say. “I love you. I love you more than all the power and strength and energy in my body. You…you and Malik are the truest joys in my life. I was lost before you, Jade.” Her arms wrapped around me as I spoke, her face buried in my armor, and she cried harder. “I was lost, but you gave me a purpose. You showed me this beautiful life, and I wouldn’t change a moment. Not a single moment. Live for us, please. Live for us, for Malik. Tell him…” My words caught, and I had to take several broken breaths before continuing. “Tell him I love him—I’ll always love him. Tell him I believe in him—tell him all the things I would say if I were there. Will you do that for me?”
“You will say those things,” she whispered.
“Jade, will you promise me you will tell him?”
The surrounding forest quieted. For a gut-wrenching moment, it was only me and Jade. She held me, her shoulders trembling, her body fusing against mine. Until finally she nodded, her voice so low and broken I thought I felt my soul rip in two. “I will tell him.”
Splitting rock echoed in my ears, followed by furious roars. The battle was gaining momentum, but from the swirl of darkness surrounding the forest, I didn’t know who was winning. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ced now standing by Eisha. He waited patiently, his face contorted in agony.
“What is he doing here?” Jade muttered.
Clearing my throat, I took her hand tight and pulled her toward the others. “I asked him to come, to help me…seal the place if I needed more energy.”
“You came to trap me,” Jade hissed at the prince.
He only looked to the ground.
“This isn’t right,” she sobbed again, her arms flinging around my neck as she shamelessly kissed me. If I didn’t step away soon, I feared I wouldn’t have the strength to leave her. But just as I knew my energy would fade today, I also knew I was the one who would draw Bron toward my mother. This was where my fate had brought me—it was where I needed to be.
Gently, I tugged her arms off me. I locked my gaze with Jade for an unforgettable moment. Everything I loved about her beautiful, regal spirit filled me with the courage to walk away. Gently, I kissed Malik’s brow. His eyes opened, and I was granted a final glance at his powerful eyes, though still so small. With a soft touch, I surrounded him with a calming energy I hoped would see him through this day. I filled his small body with every emotion I felt for my son, with the hope he would hold on to my own power and remember how much I loved him.
“I love you,” I whispered at my family, backing away over the barrier.
“No. Teagan, no!” Jade shouted, rushing after me. She jarred to a stop. Ced was focused on the line. Jade tried to cross again. I knew my own energy couldn’t hold her—we shared too close a bond, and she could overrule my power if she wanted. But night energy from a lindworm was different. Although I hated seeing the blaring rage in her eyes, I was glad Ced was here to create a stronger barrier until Jade could realize this was the best way to ensure our son was safe and our people were safe.
“Don’t you do this,” she screamed. “Don’t you leave us! Teagan! Wait, I love you! I love you, with every beat of my heart.” Jade was pacing and sobbing as I backed away. I could feel the desperate panic in her heart. Eisha went to her side, her eyes also filled with glassy tears. “Fight, Teagan!” Jade screamed. “Don’t you stop fighting. I will see you again! I will see you again.”
I kissed my own fingertips before placing them against the ground and sending my heart toward her through the earth. Closing my eyes, I turned away. The armor on my skin took form the farther I stepped from the safety of my family and the closer I came to the battle. Jade’s violent cries shot to the sky.
“My energy will only hold a short while,” Ced whispered at my side.
“It will be enough time,” I muttered, wiping the burn from my eyes once more. “She will know Malik needs her now. She will stay.” Ced stopped, his hand rubbing against his chest. When he looked up again, his eyes were dangerously dark and shadowed. “What is it?”
His lip curled and his fists balled. “My battle has begun, Teagan.” Ced faced me, a fierce, determined fury written on his face. “Do as Jade said, Teagan. Fight to live. For your family, but fight to live.”
“Ced, what’s wrong?”
Ced looked to the sky, his body heating, and I knew he was preparing to shift forms. “My father has found my energy. It’s time I faced him. This is my moment, like it is yours. Either Nag or I will die, but one thing is certain: both of us will not live while the other walks the earth. I hope you will fight at my side, but if this is farewell, I hope you know I have faith in you, Dragon Mage.”
Ced’s dark hair rolled into long, jagged scales that surrounded his large jaws and skull. His body elongated, and his arms transformed into powerful black wings. With a glaring look at me, I sensed the power of his energy race through my heart, reminding me that there was night inside me as well. I felt his support, his belief, but then I was forced to say goodbye to the Prince of Night, not knowing if we would meet again either.
A tremble surged through the ground. I felt the sickening darkness wrap around my legs and feet. Bron was near. My jaw clenched as I rushed into the forest. I heard the roars of the warriors, and I knew I had to find my father. I would fight with him as long as I could. Slowly, unsheathing one of the swords from my back, Jade’s sobs faded, and soon all I heard were the violent shouts of battle.
Chapter 28
Ced
I knew when this day came the battle would be fierce, but I never expected to see the carnage that had already bloodied the earth below. Wasted lives, energy filtered from existence with every slash of claws, every stab of a mage sword. My father, my blood, started this pain. I’d left the agony of Jade and Teagan with a heavy heart. Nag had caused their anguish too, in my mind.
Now, he was tracking me.
Unlike Teagan, I wasn’t sure what road my fate would guide me on today. I wanted to live. With every spark of my soul, I wanted to live, but my father had taken many lives. What was one more? It mattered little to him whether I was his son or not.
There was a presence on my flank. I dove quickly, turning my gaze for a closer look, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Laina, I gasped.
I stand by you today, Ced. As I told you I would.
Laina swooped close to me, and soon another five warriors joined us through the skies. I was empowered feeling their strength as I scanned the ground for the king. Dark mages littered the earth. Blasts of corrupted night energy swelled around the earth mages. I didn’t believe the peaceful clans would last long, but from my vantage, I watched in awe as the strange underground mages struck deep pits in the soil with a single touch, swallowing entire units of Bron’s army, before quickly burying them alive only to move on for more. Others were not so lucky. A rumble spread through the ground, sending an electric surge all through the sky. Dark mages blasted a terrible energy, and I w
atched in horror as an entire line of elemental mages lost and crumbled, their throats split and blood spilling over the gray stones.
Growling deep in the back of my throat, I refused to fly onward without bringing an end to what slaughter I could. I dove for the mages, my energy sparking along my spine. I could destroy, heal, corrupt, manipulate, entrap—whatever suited me in the moment—I was strong enough, and angry enough.
Roaring loudly, ebony flames erupted from my jaws, Laina and my warriors followed suit, washing the dark mages in a torrent of scorching flames. My haunches slammed onto the shoulders of a particularly thick mage. I dug my claws deep into his flesh until he screamed in agony. He scrambled to press his palm on my scales, and though his touch stung, I easily deflected his rage. Drawing in a fiery breath, I pulsed every ounce of night energy I could muster in a single breath into the mage’s body. Destroying with such power wasn’t a pleasant sight. The mage convulsed, his eyes rolling back and forth in his skull until the whites turned a sickly gray and blood oozed from the corners of his eyes. His skin had colored a disgusting puce, and his heavy muscles coiled and set stiff like a board as I dropped his corpse to the ground. Some of the dark mages eyed me, considering whether to stand against me. A bellowing roar sounded to the rear, and soon I was joined by Thane, Mitch, and Amber. Rochelle was running below Amber. I’d always considered the bloodline mage to be quiet and not prone to fight, but watching her draw a jagged sword through the center of a dark mage without even blinking, I found myself to be mistaken.
Mitch jumped from Thane’s back, his knives clutched downward and his body tensed to take on the enemy. His armor radiated in the same power I held in my blood. Gaia had done remarkable work protecting the lone human in our ranks—I believed he had just as much a chance at survival as any of us. Thane breathed a long stream of flames into a huddle of mages. They held up their palms, blocking his attack, but the warrior wasn’t finished. With their heads down, keeping his pyre at bay, Thane slashed his jagged claws, cutting through their weak armor and killing three mages with one blow.
