by Jaci Miller
As they trekked toward the city, Killenn thought about the coming days. The situation was dire. Defeating the ancient dark was an almost impossible task even with all the Arcanists powers at the ready, but without Dane, he was unsure of the future. If Adaridge could not find a way to bring her back, their chances diminished significantly, their future bleak, and if that was the case then he prayed death would find each of them quickly.
Chapter 24
Kai and Elyse tended to Killenn’s wounds. He’d sustained a bad gash on both his head and forearm, but it was the broken ribs that gave them concern. Breathing proved difficult and the bruising around his torso had Elyse worried there may be more extensive damage internally.
Kai put a cold washcloth on his head as Elyse mixed up a thick paste. She’d spoken with the tree spirits who conveyed instructions for an old herbal earth remedy.
“He’s in a lot of pain,” Kai said. “I hope this works.”
Elyse sighed. “Dane would be so much better at this than me. Earth remedies work better when the herbalist works within their own element.”
Sebastian leaned in. “Your ancestors were exceptional warriors but their connection to the tree spirits gave them a unique perspective on the natural environment. Earth magic is part of you and your herbalist skills will be enough.”
She looked down at the broken body of Killenn and his eyes fluttered open.
“This may sting a bit.”
He nodded, wincing at the movement.
The thick paste was cool under her fingertips as she slathered it across his abdomen avoiding the tip of the broken rib protruding from his skin. He grimaced but didn’t say a word, so she continued working until the entire bowl of paste had been transferred to his skin.
Kai put on a clean dressing and stretched a wool blanket over him.
“Sleep,” she commanded as they filed out of the room. “You need your rest.”
A fire roared in the hearth making the room warm and cozy. Diego lay snoring on the floor in front of it and Drow sat with Stevie on an overstuffed settee in the corner. He rose as Kai, Elyse, and Sebastian entered.
“How is he?” A thickness cloaked his voice.
Elyse took a deep breath. “If the paste does its job and I mixed it correctly he should be healed in about twenty-four hours.”
Drow frowned.
“He will be fine in a day and night,” Kai offered, recognizing his confusion with the time reference.
A grunt sounded from the shadowy corner of the room drawing their attention.
Marlee’s pale blue eyes glowed ferociously in the gloom.
Gabriella stood beside her a small dagger pressed to her neck.
“What about Marlee?” Kai asked.
Drow walked over to where the others stood. “There may be a remedy. Now the Keltie fae are trapped in the plane beyond and the gateway closed their hold on Marlee should weaken. If her birthright can be manipulated to evolve as her ancestors did then there may still be a way for her to become an Athir fae.”
Sebastian glanced at Gabriella; his eyes full of worry.
She shrugged. “Old magic might be a drastic measure, but it is probably the only option. The moon is moving through its phases, we need her.”
Marlee struggled against her binds and stared at Elyse her eyes full of contempt.
“Why do I get the feeling this is not a solution any of us will like?”
Sebastian glared at Drow before answering plainly uncomfortable with his suggestion.
“Purging is an old-world practice used by the Dragon Gypsies during archaic times when dragons still roamed their realm. It has not been practiced for generations. It was outlawed when Drow’s grandfather took the throne.”
“Outlawed! Why?”
Sebastian shifted uneasily.
“Purging requires the subject to drink a very strong tonic. It is laced with a poison created from the poppies grown on Kaizi, which have been mixed with a paste made from dragon bones.” He hesitated. “It kills more often than it heals.”
“We could kill her!” Kai said glancing at Marlee.
“It is a possibility,” Drow acknowledged. “But I do not see another way.”
“Nor do I,” Sebastian hesitantly agreed. “She is too far gone for any other medicinal intervention. Purging will with any luck change her chemistry, and she will evolve into an Athir fae.”
Tears welled up in Elyse’s eyes as she bent in front of her best friend. “Marlee, I know you’re in there. You must fight this and come back to us.”
Marlee’s blue eyes seared into Elyse, and she struggled harder against her binds. Gabby’s blade dug into her skin and a droplet of blood dripped down her throat. Although the gag muffled her response, her words were still understood.
“Die, elf.”
Elyse straightened and walked away her shoulders shaking in anguish.
“Take her back to the new world. The magic is too strong here on Athir and it may help the process if her ancestral power is diluted,” Drow said. “I will take Stevie to Kaizi to get the ingredients and supplies we need. As the only alchemist, she will need to prepare the tonic.”
Stevie paled. “I don’t know how.”
“You will when the time comes. Your ancestral knowledge is inside you and will surface when needed.”
Turning back to Sebastian he said, “I will harvest enough poppies and gather enough vessels to create elixirs for varying uses. We may not know what is to come, but we can be prepared.”
The warrior clasped him on the shoulder.
“Be safe. We will see you back in the new world in a few days.”
Drow nodded. “I will check on Killenn before I leave.”
“I shall come with you,” Killenn said struggling to sit up in bed and flinching as he did.
Drow put his hand on his shoulder pushing him gently back down on the bed. “You must heal.”
“I can heal on Kaizi, quicker,” he argued.
“Maybe, but the journey through the portal would be excruciating with your injuries. Here is where you must stay until you are well enough to travel.”
Drow glanced at Stevie who stood by the door.
He leaned closer to his friend and loyal soldier. “There is nothing to fear on Kaizi so there is no reason for you to worry. I will meet you in two days’ time at the Elder Oak in the new world.” He thought about Marlee and how severely affected she was by the Keltie’s control and added. “The others will need you more than I.”
After a few more minutes of arguing Killenn reluctantly agreed to stay behind.
“Will you watch Diego until I return?”
Stevie stroked the Dragonwolf’s head.
“Of course. He will be good company.”
“You can take care of each other.” She bent down and kissed Killenn on the forehead. “Get better.”
“Be safe.”
Drow put his hand on the small of Stevie’s back. “Come, we must leave at once.”
“Stay.”
Diego whined as she left, but he didn’t follow.
“You will see her soon,” Killenn said stroking the animal’s thick fur as Stevie and Drow disappear down the shadowy hall.
A warm breeze ruffled Drow’s long white hair as they exited the elvish fortress. He took Stevie’s hand as they walked along the precarious path up the side of the cliff. The portal was in the gazebo at the top situated on an outcropping overlooking the raging river hundreds of feet below.
A waterfall thundered to their left and its spray made the path slippery. Her boot heel slipped on the slick surface and as she fell back Drow caught her. A chill ran through her skin as his arms folded around her—his lips inches from hers. His cabernet eyes bore into her own and for a moment nothing else seemed to exist.
“Are you well?” he asked brea
king the tension.
“I think so,” she answered breathlessly removing herself from his embrace with a small smile. “Thank you.”
He bowed slightly, and she noticed amusement filling his dark red eyes.
As she turned away and began to trudge up the remainder of the path she wondered if Drow felt the same sparks she did when they were close.
A quiet moan from behind told her he probably did.
Chapter 25
They emerged from the portal into the courtyard behind the citadel. The bright red sky swirled above them and the black metal of the structure glistened.
A warm wind blew haughtily through the revived lands carrying with it the scent of poppies. The day was waning, but they still had enough time to harvest the crops before the sky darkened.
They moved without hesitation through the back gate and followed the ash path to the fields. A small metal hut came into view and Drow gestured toward it.
“We will find the vials and equipment we need in there,” he said. Pulling the metal doors open, they entered the hut. Shelves lined the inside walls, and he handed her a canvas sack and motioned toward the far wall.
“Fill this with as many vessels as possible. You will also need cauldrons, pestles, and mortars and anything else you think may help.”
“Will it help?”
Drow looked at her his concern deepening. “We are not just fighting the ancient dark anymore but also a legion of daemons that will be born from those pods. It is a first wave threat requiring much more than just a small group of warriors equipped with ancient magic and swords to stop it. We got lucky in the Dead Lands when the swarm of daemons emerged from the dark caverns, but luck will not see us through this time. To get an upper hand in the battle we need more and the elixirs you craft might just be it.”
He walked to the opposite side of the hut where razor-sharp machetes, scythes, and sickles hung from metal hooks. Grabbing one of the larger sickles he picked up a metal bucket from the floor.
“I will harvest the poppies. I won’t be too long.”
As he headed to the door Stevie grasped his arm. “Be careful.”
He stiffened under her touch. “There is nothing to fear here. I will be fine.” He leaned nearer. “But I will honor your request.”
They stood for a moment their heads close gazing into the other’s eyes. The energy in the small hut intensified and Drow lifted his free hand brushing a stray hair from her cheek.
“I will be back soon.”
Stevie gazed after him until he disappeared into the dense poppy fields.
To calm the magic burning inside she inhaled a cleansing breath. Her feelings for him had become very clear. She was attracted to him in a way she hadn’t been to anyone before. It wasn’t just a physical desire her heart ached when he was near. It was an unfamiliar sensation but one that felt right.
The lush poppy fields swayed in the breeze their potent fragrance drifted with it. This is where she needed to be—with him. The realization made her smile as she gathered the tools she required.
Whatever the future held, good or bad, she would face it with Drow by her side.
It took Drow less than an hour to harvest the poppies and another hour to separate the velvet petals from the crown, pods, and seeds.
“What do you call them?” Stevie indicated the huge velvety poppies scattered across the metal table.
“Besides poppies?” His brow lifted as the edge of his mouth twitched. “Dragon Gypsies do not give frivolous names to insentient objects.”
Stevie frowned. Holding a poppy up to the fading light her eyes narrowed as she studied the velvety petals that shimmered with orange, yellow, and red fragments.
“I shall call it the Fire Poppy,” she exclaimed.
Drow shook his head, a slight smile coming over his face as he mused her excitement. “Then it shall be so named.”
“Is that a royal decree?” she joked.
He bowed his head his eyes never leaving hers. “It is if you wish it to be.”
Stevie’s heart pounded as their magic essence mingled heating up the small metal hut. “We should finish up. It’s getting late.”
The sky had turned a dark shade of bloodred so Drow agreed. “We shall take the portal back to earth in the morning. Tonight, let us stay here and get some much-needed rest.”
He led her through the courtyard and into the citadel.
After a quick meal, she followed Drow to a part of the citadel she hadn’t seen during her previous time here. These quarters were set off from the other floors and accessible by a gated elevator, hidden behind a bookshelf in the citadel’s library.
The elevator opened to a small platform where a winding metal staircase led up to the royal quarters. At the top was an open living space full of opulent black metal furniture, deep rich fabrics, and walls lined with leather-clad books. Behind an enormous iron desk and throne-like chair, tall arched windows overlooked the poppy fields.
Drow led her toward the back of the room where two ornate iron doors opened into the bedroom. Through the intricate metal scrolling, the circular room beyond could be seen. As they entered Drow flicked his hand and one after the other candles ignited flooding the room in an amber-hued light.
Stevie gazed at the chamber impressed by its grandiosity.
Small metal tiles covered the walls and hundreds of candles sat on metal shelves around the room. A huge bed covered in black silk linens sat on a raised platform. The headboard, like the entry doors, was made of ornate iron. Thick red velvet weaved around the iron giving the bed a regalness. Long, red velvet drapes cascaded from the ceiling on either side of the patio door. Stepping out on the quaint terrace she was surprised by the view. From here she could see for miles even as night fell. The fiery moon ignited the land in a reddish glow a perfect backdrop for the dark silhouette of the volcano in the distance, orange lava flowing down its sides.
Drow moved in behind her and she quivered.
“Your realm is stunning,” she said trying to ignore the electricity that ignited between them.
“It is your realm as well.”
Stevie smiled. She supposed that was true.
They stood in silence undeniable energy swirling around them—a sexual tension difficult to ignore. The distant crackle of the flowing lava and the scent of the poppies did nothing to assuage the heady atmosphere wrapping around them.
“I will retire now,” Drow said. His voice broke as he spoke, and he clenched his fists as he turned away from her. “If you need anything I will be in the servant’s quarters to the left of the library.”
He’s such a gentleman.
“Drow,” she purred taking a few steps toward him.
He turned and his deep red eyes locked on hers.
She reached out pulling his face down to hers and kissed him.
A wave of heat rolled through her as their tongues entwined, and he pulled her body closer. She groaned as the kiss deepened and a flaring passion pulsed needy between them.
Breaking the embrace, she pulled him toward the bed without a word.
He studied her face with mild amusement as she undressed him. Her hands explored his pale, hairless chest. Her fingers traced the line of his collarbone, and he groaned under her touch but remained still allowing her to lead their encounter.
She pulled off her own clothes and stood naked next to him, the heat in their skin intensifying wherever it touched the others.
“Take me,” she murmured in his ear.
The command was all he needed.
He grasped her buttocks and picked her up. Her legs straddled his waist. The cold metal of the tiles felt good against her back as he pushed her against the wall. Heat flared between them, and she groaned as he entered her. As she moved in unison with him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tangled her fingers in
his long hair. Her skin was on fire and her sweat mixed with his. A pungent odor of ash wafted around them. Surging heat rose inside her and she tightened around him as a wave of passion rolled through her. He throbbed in response.
She kissed him hungrily her need for him addicting.
Pulling her from the wall he carried her to the bed and climbed in beside her. This time he never took his lustful eyes from hers bringing her expertly to another explosive end.
Sated, she lay in his arms.
His fingers caressed her skin as the heat from their lovemaking wafted through the room. Her body hummed with satisfaction, and she began to drift off into an exhausted sleep.
Drow’s lips moved to her shoulder, tenderly kissing her skin.
For the first time since she initiated their passionate encounter he spoke.
“Sleep, my love.”
Chapter 26
Two days had passed since Stevie and Drow left for Kaizi. Killenn was almost healed, Marlee had calmed and no longer wanted to slit Elyse’s throat, and Brannon and Tauria had left for Dywen to retrieve the weapons from the barrack’s armory.
Kai had offered to do the same but the weapons in Viccinius were useless to all but her. Apparently, according to Sebastian, mermaids preferred water warfare as in the ocean they were their most indomitable. Forged to slice through the water at incredible speeds the blades became light and buoyant when submerged without losing their strength. Although usable on land, the blades became weighty and awkward to handle by anyone not governed by the water element, lessening the wielder’s swiftness and effectiveness.
She had her blades so if the ones remaining on Viccinius were of no use then she would endeavor to find something else to occupy her time.
Since entering the Thanissia Universe, Kai had been keeping a calendar. As she flipped through it, she tapped the end of her pen against the paper and then scribbled some numbers in the corner.
“If Dane’s calculation of time between Thanissia and Earth is correct we only have five days until the full moon.”
“Then I suggest we return to your world. Two days have passed, and the others are sure to be doing the same,” Sebastian said.
