by J. L. Weil
“What is it?” Zade’s form tensed, eyes going alert at the sudden change in my body.
Smoke and magic hung in the air. “I-I felt something, I think.” Or I’m hearing shit.
Wings flapped on either side of his body, holding us steady over the volcano. A chill went through me. Odd, considering not a single part of my body was remotely cold.
“Quick, Savior. Find me.”
“We must go,” Zade hissed, and with a powerful stroke of his wings, he lifted us up and away from the volcano, from the voice, from the star I was more than certain was inside.
Shit.
If I was right, how the hell was I going to retrieve a stone from inside a volcano without melting to death? It was an impossible task. Without magic—
I stopped breathing.
Magic.
The answer to my dilemma was a source of power I didn’t have.
“Are you okay? Your heart rate changed.” Zade interrupted my internal freak out session.
The fact they could pick up on sounds as quiet as a hiccup in my breathing pattern was disconcerting. “Just working out some stuff.”
“What happened? What did you feel?” he pressed.
“It’s there,” I confirmed.
We cleared the smoke and I took a gulp of fresh air, but the oxygen turned sour in my lungs. The sky was no longer ours alone.
A wraith.
Yet, something was different about this particular phantom of death. Cold lurched toward me, wrapping us in a blanket of colorlessness, a world devoid of humor, happiness, and love. Zade’s body stiffened beneath me as he fought to get us out of the wraith’s path. My body was shaking from the abrupt change in temperature, almost going into shock.
Eventful strands of swear words echoed in my head just as Zade darted for the ground, and the wraith shrieked, the sound piercing my ears. I recoiled against the noise. We hit the mossy earth with a jarring impact, and my muscles strained to keep myself seated onto his back.
“Don’t move,” Zade’s voice warned in my mind. He had tucked his massive wings against his body, and crouched low to the ground, using the shadow cast by the sun to blend into the side of a hill.
The wraith inched closer. I forced my eyes forward, not moving a muscle, and kept my face blank. Not even my eyelashes moved. The wraith went rigid, sniffing the air around me. Once. And again. The darkness clung to his faceless form, shadows gathering around him. Only a pair of gold eyes glowed underneath the hooded cloak of midnight.
“No matter what it says, no matter what it shows you, stay still,” Zade urged.” Don’t listen to its words. And most importantly, keep your mouth shut. Do not scream.” Desperation coated his tone.
What did he mean? The answer came seconds later, but I wished it never had.
Unlike Zade’s smooth and rich voice, this creature’s screech pitched violently into some deep part of my mind, hijacking my thoughts, and shoving in violent images that made me want to curl into a ball and tremble in a corner.
What. The. Actual. Fuck?
‘So pretty. So tasty. So strange. I can smell your fear. Let me taste you. Just a small nibble of your soul. So strange. So powerful. Open for me…’
I tried to swallow, but the air in my lungs felt as if it had frozen over, a hundred times worse than kissing the Ice Prince who was the embodiment of winter. I wanted to run, my legs screaming at me to get as far away as possible. No! I must not move, I reminded myself, closing my eyes tightly.
‘I will devour you. Every drop of your soul. Give me what I seek, and I’ll stop the pain. It will all go away. Open for me.’
My teeth were clamped so tightly together that my jaw ached from the pressure. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could resist it. More than anything I wanted to open my mouth and draw in air that wasn’t like ice in my veins. I wanted warmth. I wanted to end this misery, to save us all. Flashes of blood, bone, and bodies littering over the kingdoms of the Veil, and in the throes of horror were my dragons. Dead. Mutilated. Wings shredded or torn off completely.
I wanted to scream, the cry rising up inside me like a bubble threatening to burst.
‘Yes. Yes. Yes,’ the wraith seemed to purr.
“Do. Not. Let. It. In,” Zade ground out the words, as if it was an effort for him to project them. Was it possible the wraith was keeping him out? Or doing the same to him? I blenched at the thought.
This was part of the Veil the descendants had first warned me about, the lethal creatures that roamed this world and others like it. With that single thought, I found an anchor that tethered my restraint, giving me the strength to resist.
The descendants.
Their warmth. The way I felt with them. And the love I had for them engulfed me.
That was all it took for the cold to vanish from inside me, the wraith disappearing, and leaving behind a trail of stillness in its wake.
Zade exhaled through his nostrils, shaking his head.
“What was that?” I breathed, my lungs working to take in mouthfuls of humid air, thawing my insides.
“A devourer. It’s an ancient type of wraith,” he answered hoarsely.
Had this devourer tormented him with its images of death, and enthralling words of persuasion as it had me? “This was different than the others. Why couldn’t we fight it?”
“The ones we’ve encountered were messengers of death, bound to Tianna by magic. No one has seen a devourer in centuries, even before the war. They feed on souls and have the power to infiltrate your mind. They use it against you, to break their prey into giving them what they need. By tapping into your mind, they can see what you fear, what you desire, what you hate. It is how they get you to drop your guard.”
“Sounds delightful.”
His body rumbled in a short chuckle. “Fire is useless against a devourer, as is poison. I’m not sure if Jase could put it to sleep, but even if he could, it wouldn’t kill the creature. Tobias might have been able to, but it’s not an option with him gone. I never thought I would ever encounter one. Let's hope it doesn’t return.”
We had enough to deal with. This devourer only added another layer of shit to our stack of mounting problems.
I trembled despite my body being warm again. “I can still feel its touch crawling around in my head.”
“The effects will eventually wear off, but in the meantime, we need to warn the others.”
Chapter Nine
Zade kicked off the ground with his talons, shooting toward his castle and ten minutes later we were in front of Crimson Keep. The tremors racking my body had slowly started to subside. I twisted over to my back and slid down the side of him, my feet plunking to the ground.
He waited until I gathered my bearings and took a few steps back, giving him room to shift. His membranous wings tucked in, as the dragon became man. He rolled his shoulders and picked up his discarded pants, jerking them on with hurried movements. I was a little disappointed he hadn’t taken his time. A quick glimpse was all I was rewarded of his golden body, and I could have really used the distraction. The devourer’s essence still lingered in my mind, like a dark stain.
“When will the others be back?” I asked.
His eyes scanned the orange and purple horizon. “Soon. They’re on their way now. I sent word.” He took off toward the castle, leaving me to follow.
I doubled my steps to catch up. “How did a devourer get here? If they haven’t been around for centuries, how did a creature like that suddenly appear? And why?”
Glancing over his shoulder, he sighed and slowed his steps so I wasn’t jogging to keep up with him. “It was summoned.”
I didn’t ask who, for there was only one person capable of such magic.
Tianna.
We didn’t have to wait long for the others to arrive. One by one they flew in all wearing identical expressions of wariness as they joined Zade and me in the lounge. The staff had brought hot tea, little sandwiches, and shortbread cookies while we waited. I sipped the aromati
c tea, tapping my foot. Zade was reclined beside me, with more patience in his pinky than I had in my entire body. It took effort for me not to jump and pace the gleaming onyx floors.
Issik and Kieran were occupying the other two chairs, opposite to us. Kieran had an ankle crossed over his knee, while Issik wore his perpetual frown.
Jase was the last to arrive. I saw his reflection in the tile and my eyes flew to his face. He leaned a shoulder on the doorway, and some of the tension lining his back eased a bit. “What’s going on?” he asked roughly, glancing between Zade and me.
“A devourer appeared today, while I was showing Olivia the grounds,” Zade informed.
To Jase’s credit, he did a bang-up job controlling the tick along his jaw. “Are you certain it was a devourer?”
“There hasn’t been mention of one since decades before the war,” Kieran added.
Zade nodded. “I wish it weren’t true. It took us by surprise when we we're flying over the volcano, coming close to us.”
Kieran’s fist lashed out, putting a hole through the coffee table, and sent little sandwiches flying. The action had been so swift, I didn’t know what happened until wood was splintering and glass was shattering.
Issik glowered at Kieran. “Where the hell is your control lately? This temper isn’t like you.”
No. It wasn’t, and I had a good idea from where it stemmed.
“How is this possible?” Kieran seethed, ignoring Issik.
“The ward on the portal is weakening,” It was Jase who answered. The tranquility dragon always had a theory and was usually right—annoyingly so. “It would explain how Tianna was able to summon one,” he continued. All dots connected back to the witch.
Cold rage flickered over Issik’s beautiful face. “We must find a way to kill it. Our people aren’t safe.”
And neither were they.
I saw the worry gleaming in Kieran’s eyes, hidden under the outburst of anger. “How do we kill something we’ve only heard about it legends?”
Now they knew how I felt. It was a horrible feeling.
“There’s something else,” Zade added, his expression somber. He caught Kieran’s eye for a quick second, as if to say behave yourself.
Kieran rubbed at the back of his neck, taking his seat again, the ruined table between us.
Yet, Zade’s gaze remained on him, until he was certain Kieran was stable. “Olivia believes she might know the location of the next star,” he informed them.
Outrage shifted to hope in all of their eyes. “Where?” Jase was the one to ask, but I knew the glimmer of hope was about to be extinguished before it really had a chance to shine.
“It’s as we feared. Inside Titan Mountain,” Zade revealed, and as I dreaded, their expressions fell flat.
“Jesus,” Issik hissed.
Dinner was quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts, the heightened emotions of the day bouncing between them. I picked at my food, but no one seemed to notice my lack of appetite. It seemed all of our minds were in elsewhere and the dishes around the table were barely touched, though I did manage to down two glasses of wine. Perhaps not the smartest decision, but it took the edge off the mind invasion I couldn’t seem to rid myself of—the violation had left a mark.
Afterward, Jase and I took to the library. I volunteered to help with the research, hoping the task would calm the uneasiness that still lingered inside me with a book and another cup of wine. This one I promised myself I would nurse, or one of the descendants would be carrying me off to my room. Still, I doubted any of them would have minded. It had been months since I touched a drop of alcohol, since before the douchebag stepfather of the year kicked me out of my own house.
Prick.
Frowning, I wondered why he crossed my mind. I hadn’t given Denny a thought in weeks, and I wasn’t about to start now. All I had to do was gain control of these fuzzy thoughts and focus.
Books lay scattered on the table between Jase and I. The tranquility dragon was lounging on the couch, long legs stretched out, and violet eyes pouring over an ancient text of lore, searching for answers—answers we were desperate to unearth.
I stared at the page and blinked. The words blurred before clearing again, as my eyes glazed over the page but didn’t actually read the text. Too much wine. I’d pay the price in the morning with one hell of a headache, but for tonight, it was worth it.
“What are you smirking at?”
Looking up from the glass I’d been staring at, I peered into Jase’s eyes. “Was I? I hadn’t noticed. The wine might be going to my head.” My lips curled into a small reassuring smile, but Jase saw through the guise.
His gaze roamed over my face, and whatever he saw there had him concerned. “Why don’t you call it a night? We’ll be resuming your training tomorrow. You’ll need the rest.”
“We are, huh?”
“You didn’t think I’d forgotten?”
Curling into the chair, I shrugged. The hearth was crackling in the corner, its warmth beckoning me. “You’re not afraid I’ll poison you?”
He flipped the page in the book, one side of his mouth twitching. “We’ll get Kieran to help.”
I huffed out a snort. “If you can get him in the same room with me for longer than ten minutes.”
Jase lifted a brow. “He’s avoiding you?”
The wine glass danced between my fingers, making the deep red liquid swirl as I looked at him. “It’s obvious.”
“He had a difficult time during your capture. We were all sick with worry, but Kieran… he blames himself for letting Tianna take you.”
“It wasn’t his fault. She would have found a way whether it had been that day or a month from now. You’ve said it before. Her moves are calculated. She needed something from me, and she got it.”
“Only time will tell what she will do with your blood,” he replied, staring into the burning embers.
Nothing good.
Jase returned to his book, and I tried to do the same, but my mind kept drifting. Who could blame me? Between never knowing when Tianna would strike, the complication in recovering the Star of Poison, and Kieran plagued with guilt, I was a frazzled-hot-nearly-drunk-mess. The alcohol only dulled the shadows and aches for so long, but it couldn’t rid me of the scars I now wore—both physical and mental. Those I would have to find a way to live with.
I rereading the sentence for the third time and huffed, closing the book to give my eyes a rest. It was pointless. I wasn’t helping. Setting the book in my lap, I picked up my wine, and let my thoughts wander. It was no surprise Kieran’s face popped into my head. He was still evading me and it had to stop. What I needed to do was hash this thing out with him.
I gnawed on my lip for a moment, before pushing to my feet, but Jase didn’t look up as I slipped out of the room and into the hall, a testament to his worry. It was consuming him—consuming them all.
They were so close to ending their torment, but at every turn, something else stood in their way.
The main floor was empty, even the staff seemed to have scampered off to their rooms, or to their homes, not far from the keep. My feet clapped on the floor, echoing down the corridors. A flickering of light deep in the dark caught my eye, as I neared the sweeping stairs that led down into the dungeon—a place I’d rather avoid. If I turned to my right, the steps would take me upward, to the sleeping chambers, but that light…
What was down there? Who was down there? I angled my head to the side, a portrayal of curiosity.
This is a bad idea, Olivia, like your worse idea ever. Do not go down there.
My foot landed on the first step and carved stone covered the walls on both sides, boxing me in.
It’s not too late to turn back now. You’re not going to find Kieran down there.
I took another step. And another. My hand trailed along the metal handrail, guiding me down into the darkness. I clutched onto it tighter, fear clamping my chest and squeezing the deeper I went. The shadows were suffocating
me, and every bone in my body was yelling at me to turn around, to run back up to safety.
But the light flickered.
I narrowed my eyes, watching as the glimmer of gold fluttered to the left, like a little pixie, and I was enchanted. A chill seeped into my bones but I rubbed at my arms, encouraging warmth. A heavy weight settled into the air, pressing down on me like I was wading through a pool of mud.
“Hello?” I called into the shadows, my blood pressure skyrocketing. Not in the mountain. I’m not trapped. The words did little to calm me. “Who’s there?” I called out again.
No one answered, but I hadn’t expected anyone to do so. My shoe scuffed over the floor when I reached the bottom, and I cradled my palms together near my mouth, blowing a puff of hot air onto them. It was cold as if a frost storm had moved into the dungeon. Careful eyes trailed the ball of light as it summoned me further into the dungeon. I followed until the shimmering flecks of light brightened, growing and growing. From the core of white and gold, the figure of a woman formed and the light shining from her body bathed the dungeon, banishing the darkness.
Her aura was cast in gold, skin shimmering as if she’d been dipped in glitter and sunlight, while her feet floated a few inches off the ground. Long, rich brown hair was braided off to one side, flung over her shoulder. Soft lips curved as she offered me a friendly smile, and her head slightly bowed at me with the grace and dignity of a queen.
She was a queen.
The dead queen of Crimson Kingdom—Zade’s mother if my calculations were accurate, one of the women in white. They each appeared to me in their respective kingdoms.
“You are home,” she announced, the words sounding as though they were as important to her as they were to me.
“I am. Thanks to your sons… and you, I guess.” The women in white had aided me since day one and continued to do so. “How am I able to see you sometimes in the world, and others only in water?” I inquired, realizing this was only the second time one of them appeared to me outside of a pool or lake.
