Without her soul beads, she had no spells to cast. She was simply a mortal human, no better than prey.
Ringing started in her ears, and unconsciousness took her.
Chapter 16
The sky was dark with soot and ash. Diovan saw through the black fog, watching as Joakim took Aryana from him. What was that blasted witch doing here? He'd told her to stay put. His heart lurched, and his head pounded from the damage these dragons had inflicted on him. With more difficulty than he should have had, he managed to take down one of the weaklings, and had two more to go. Joakim was already out of sight by then.
Cyrion came in from the left and gutted one of Diovan's opponents, and the last one was easily dealt with a swift swing of Diovan's tail and a swipe of his talons, but even that took too long.
"Cyrion!" Diovan said, panting from the fight. "Why didn't you save Aryana first?"
Cyrion, in his greenish form, quirked his head. "Aryana is here?"
Diovan spread out his wings. "Never mind." He lifted himself to the air and prepared to give chase, but Joakim was nowhere to be found.
The battle dulled into a dim chatter. Now that the Grimfires' leader had abandoned them, the dragons had no reason to fight, and the gnashing of teeth and slashing of talons stopped. The flickering of flames was all that remained. There wasn't much to burn in the Grimfire clan, since their buildings were mostly made of rocks, and the fires would die down once they ran out of material. The nearby vegetation would likely be lost, but that wasn't exactly Diovan's main priority.
He and his warriors shifted back to human form. They started clapping and cheering amongst the moping of their beaten-down opponents, but Diovan had no heart to celebrate. The flickering flames were too red, and his arms too empty because of the absence of Aryana.
His father was a coward after all, sliding away as a sore loser. Diovan had no reason to be afraid.
He punched a wall. The already charred structure crumbled to the ground.
He was too slow. Joakim could have already flown past Falron into the eastern regions.
"Cyrion, send out patrols," Diovan said. "I want everyone to be on the search for Joakim."
Cyrion wrinkled his brow. "We have the clan. We don't need him anymore."
"He has Aryana."
Cyrion's lips formed an O. "The men need some time to celebrate."
"Ask them to do that later."
Cyrion sighed before walking away to bark orders to the nearest dragons.
"I will kill him," Diovan said, kicking the rubble. He'd tried his hardest to chase after Joakim and Aryana, but Diovan's claws were full from trying to handle his opponents. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Leon, the traitorous wimp, standing alone. Leon hard a large gash over his chest, which was already knitting up.
The young dragon fidgeted while keeping his gaze away from Diovan's.
"I made myself very clear," Diovan said. "You were not supposed to bring her anywhere near here. Now look what you've done." He could hear his anger simmering in his eardrums.
Leon shrank back and held out his hands. "Don't hurt me, please? She said she'd take away my powers. I can't lose my dragon side. You know how that sounds. It's as good as death."
Diovan gritted his teeth. Unable to control himself, he punched the young dragon. Leon skidded across the rocks and rubble, and a loud crack sounded. "Cyrion!" Diovan called. "Take care of his wounds."
Leon raised his fists, preparing himself for another punch. Diovan didn't bother wasting the effort. It'd do no good anyway.
He narrowed his eyes and pointed at Leon. "You better pray that Aryana's alive. If she's dead… Well, I'll send you to hell and back, then down to hell again."
"That's what I told her you'd do if she got hurt."
"Then why did you let her get captured?"
"I—"
Diovan roared, smashing his fist into a charcoaled tree. They'd won the battle. The Grimfire mountains, his home, now belonged to him. Most of the original members of the Grimfire clan had suffered casualties, and many dragon wives perished in the crossfire, but that was expected. Diovan's team had only lost five men of their own, which was surprising and good news.
Even after his overwhelming victory, he felt like he'd lost everything.
"Punching things isn't going to get her rescued," Cyrion said, striding back to Diovan now that he was done shouting.
"How do you suppose we find her, smartass?" Diovan couldn't think fast enough. His normal quick-witted self was clouded with emotions of rage and anguish. He wanted to destroy everything in his path. The only thing holding him back was the hope that Aryana lived.
"I don't know. Finding things isn't exactly a specialty of dragons. We prefer to terrorize, steal, and hide."
"If you're not going to help, go eat some horseshit."
Cyrion continued, unfazed by Diovan's comment, "We could ask her sister. I'm sure they have some way of locating people?"
"Enid? She hates me."
"But she loves Aryana."
Diovan nodded. "Fuck you for being so levelheaded right now. It makes me look bad. But all right, that's a plan." He collected himself and sucked in a deep breath. "Let's waste no time."
"A 'thank you' would be nice," Cyrion said, shooting Diovan an indignant glare.
"Not happening."
Diovan summoned his wings from his back and lifted himself to the clouds.
Aryana blinked her eyes open. Joakim was alerted to her lucidity the moment she woke. His beady eyes shot toward her. He was a fine-looking man, although the years had worn down his features. He had the same blond hair as Diovan, although his was neatly swept behind his neck. And he had a bushy beard that covered his whole face.
Joakim paced around. "Everything I've built up all these years. My clan, my status, my power. Your mate has taken them away from me."
She tried to reel herself back to clarity as she pushed herself up into a seating position. Her head still hurt from the fight earlier. "I'm not his mate. I'm just a witch who was helping." She hoped acting nonchalant would help her case. She wasn't used to thinking up plans to get out of trouble. Usually, she'd just shoot her way through everything.
"Lies. You bear his mark." He pointed to her shoulder. "His scent is all over you, and I saw you next to him when I visited the water witch tribe that day." Joakim growled at her, hate and disdain in his eyes. "Don't you know what he's done? First, he took my mate, now, this."
She crossed her legs. Blood had scabbed over the few scratches his claws had inflicted upon her. "If you're going to kill me, do it now." She felt so helpless without her magic.
"Now? No," Joakim said, a low chuckle rumbling from his throat. "That will be too quick. Too easy. I want him to see him suffer when I take away his mate in the most gruesome fashion possible."
Joakim neared her.
She inched backward. The Red Beast shared many features with his son. On top of their blond hair, they had the same blue eyes, sharp jaws. Diovan had also inherited his nose. But even with all the similarities, Joakim was nothing like his son. Joakim's presence sent a chill through her.
She wanted nothing to do with this man.
"Aren't you excited, young thing?" He dragged a sharp claw down her neck, drawing blood. "We're going to have so much fun."
"Why do you want to make him suffer so much?" Aryana asked, pulling back. "He's your son."
Joakim's features flattened. "You know nothing of our past together."
"If I'm going to be the one being tortured, I'd like to know why."
A rumble shook from Joakim's chest. Aryana flinched, expecting a sharp stab through her skin, but when she opened her eyes, the small cave was empty. Only the sound of dripping water and the flowing of a nearby stream accompanied her thoughts. Joakim had left her alone.
She quickly scampered up to the entrance of the cave. Cold winds blew past her, making her afraid that she might fall over the edge. She clutched at the walls of the cave. The drop was too steep
, and she couldn't get down because she had no magic. The cave acted as a natural jail cell. There was no escape.
Diovan watched Aryana through the bluish fog. Enid was perched next to him, in the rubble of the water witch encampment. A shoddily built tent made of charred sticks and tattered cloth was constructed around them to give them some privacy.
"Do you recognize that place?" Enid asked him.
"No."
He could see that Aryana and Joakim resided in a cavern.
"There is a stream running through the cave," Enid said. The glow of the magic lit her skin blue. The place still smelled like ash, because of the destruction Joakim had wrought.
"There are streams all over Ocharia," Diovan said. "That doesn't mean much. He's going to torture her. I can't stand this." His fists shook as he saw his father scar Aryana's beautiful copper skin with a sharp claw. "Isn't there a better spell? Could we use a map to locate her?"
"This is the only one we know," Enid said.
He held back a roar of frustration. Think, think, think. "Can we talk to her?"
Enid paused. "It's possible. I can set up a temporary mind link while we're in this vision. We can't keep this up for long, however. This spell is too expensive. Why did you allow her to get captured? You promised she was safe." Enid's accusation almost sent him over the edge. The Red Beast had just fled, leaving Aryana alone. Knowing she was still intact managed to calm Diovan down, but barely.
"Then set up the link. Hurry," he said.
Enid scowled at him. "I will talk to her. Not you."
"Dragon Mother's teats. Set up the link between the both of us before I tear off your throat."
"Do not threaten me, dragon. You are in my tribe, using my powers. I will decide who gets to talk to who." She placed her hands on her temples and mumbled a spell.
He was tempted to strike her, but then the vision would vanish.
Enid furrowed her brow in concentration. "Aryana, can you hear me?"
In the fog, Aryana's head shot up. She looked around for the source of the voice then said something. Her lips moved but her voice didn't reach Diovan's ears. The vision couldn't produce any sound.
"You don't have to talk," Enid said. "Speak with your mind. Do you know where you are?"
Aryana leaned back onto the wall and sat still.
Diovan nudged Enid. "Is she responding? What is she saying?"
Enid shot him a glare. "Describe the place. We can only see what little we have in the vision. Okay, good. What else?"
"Does she know where she is? Tell her I'm looking for her," he said.
Enid shook her head.
Damn woman.
Diovan straightened. "I'm not sure if that's enough—"
The fog abruptly disappeared, collapsing in on itself. He reached out to try and make it stay, which no doubt looked foolish to Enid. "What happened?" he asked.
Enid brushed her hand through her braid. "I ran out of souls."
"And? What did she say?"
"She poked her head from the cave earlier. Other than the stream, she noticed some kingslin grass growing on the edges of the entrance and the position of the sun."
"Kingslin grass only grows around the borders of Yvrdeen. But those areas are so big and the herb is so hard to find. It might take days."
Judging from Enid's expression, she shared the same worries. "At least we have somewhere to start."
"I'll mobilize my men."
Chapter 17
Joakim flew into the cave, carrying a squealing pig and a barrel of liquor. He threw the pig onto the ground and seared it alive with his fire.
Aryana scrunched up her nose in disgust as she watched the pig die.
Quickly, she said, "Es rea misreagou. Kisla misreagou." She willed the dull and bright souls of the pig out, intending to use it against the Red Beast.
Joakim swallowed the pig whole before the souls had any chance to escape. A loud shriek pierced the air. Then the pig was gone. The dragon shifted back and slipped on his clothes. They weren't anything fancy—a simple tunic and some loose pants, completely unfitting for the image of a clan leader. "I've seen that trick so many times with you witches. I'm not going to fall for it."
It'd been a day since she'd eaten. She was hoping she could get some of that meat after she'd taken out the dragon. Or, if that plan failed, she wanted a chance at convincing him to share some of the food with her. Her stomach grumbled.
"Hungry, I see?" Joakim said.
"No," she lied. "I feel fine."
He harrumphed, then sat at the ledge of the cliff.
"What happened between you and Diovan?" Aryana asked.
Joakim snapped an angry glance at her. "None of your business." Joakim popped the barrel open and drank deeply from it.
Aryana watched cautiously. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged her legs. What else was she to do?
After a long pause between them, Joakim said, "He killed my wife."
She lifted her head from her knees. "His mother? That doesn't sound like something he'd do."
"Tore out from her womb. Wesryn didn't stand a chance."
"She died in childbirth."
Joakim's eyes flashed yellow. He regarded Aryana with anger before going back to drink himself senseless.
"Diovan didn't deserve to be punished for something he had no control over."
"What do you know?" Joakim took the barrel down from his lips and put it aside.
The sound of the stream continued to trickle through the cave. The winds that squeezed through the gaps in the rocks chilled her. Aryana wanted to go home. "I'm sorry for your loss." She wasn't sure if she meant it, but quickly realized she did. She could sense the ache pulsing from Joakim. His life had taken a turn for the worse through death, and fate had chosen him as its victim. Perhaps in the past, Joakim had been just as lovable and carefree as Diovan, and should the same thing happen to Diovan, her mate would have walked the same path as his father.
Joakim turned around. "Don't sound so confident—"
"I'm not."
"I'm going to take his mate away from him, like he took away mine."
"That's not even fair."
"There isn't fairness in Gaia."
Joakim threw the whole empty barrel over the edge of the cliff and got up. He stalked toward her in a fit of rage. Red wings unfurled from him.
Aryana stood and backed away. "Wait!"
"I'm even sure why I'm speaking with you."
"There's a way. If you want to meet your wife again. I have a way." It was a spell that came to her in her fit of panic. It was entirely against the rules of the water witches to use it. But Diovan had taught her that not all rules were meant to be followed.
Joakim stilled. Blue seeped back into his gaze. The viciousness pouring from him drained. "What do you mean?"
"It involves black magic." Aryana licked her lips. She wasn't even sure if she should be suggesting something so atrocious. What would her clan think of her plan? Would Enid forgive her? She recalled the way Yolanda had paid for her crimes. Aryana told herself this was different, that it was in self-defense. "I'll need a lot of power."
Joakim studied her. Aryana hadn't realized how empty his gaze had been before, but now that a trickle of hope glowed in it, the difference was obvious. "You might just be saying that to trick me."
Aryana shook her head. "I'm not one to make fake promises. If you want to see your wife, you'll have to trust me."
"Go on. Explain."
"It might not work. I'll first have to say that it's risky."
Hunger blazed from Joakim, not like the vengeance and lust for power he initially exuded, but the need to see his dead wife again. "I don't care for the risk."
"It's an ancient spell, used to talk to the dead. We believe that souls, once they're spent here in the physical realm, will be reborn in the spiritual one, where they await their next life. This spell… I've only read of it being used once, and I'm not even sure if I have the affinity to summon it. It
can bridge the gap between the physical and spiritual briefly, to let you talk to whomever you want to channel, through the witch casting it." As soon as she said it, she regretted it. Just one conversation with Wesryn wouldn't suffice for Joakim. He'd want to talk to her again, countless times. How many innocents would have to die for that? She stumbled backward. "I take back—"
"You will not back down on your promise. Tell me what you need."
She sucked in a deep breath. "I can't, Joakim."
"You will cast that spell for me! Regardless of the cost." His talons had lengthened, and his wings twitched behind his back. "Or I will make sure you die the most horrible death imaginable."
She saw the sorrow in his eyes. "Promise me that you will no longer lust for the power of the water witches after this."
Joakim nodded without hesitation. "Anything."
"And I will not use the souls of others. Only yours."
Hesitation stilled him. His eyes flashed yellow, then back to blue.
"I won't be forced to endlessly harvest innocents to keep up with your conversations. This has to be a one-time thing." And she would do her tribe the service of making the Red Beast less of a threat. Maybe then they'd forgive her for using the dark art. "I'll try not to use it all up. The spell doesn't require all of a sentient soul—"
"Take it. I don't care. Is that all?"
"Joakim, you don't understand. Your lifespan will be shortened through this, and I don't know how it might affect you."
"As long as I can see her."
"I'll need a good amount of normal souls, too, so you'll need to catch those critters for me."
He didn't say another word. He sped off with his red wings, leaving her alone in the cave once more.
Aryana walked to the running stream and washed her face with the water there. Did Enid see her now?
<
So her sister had been watching their conversation.
Aryana replied, <
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