It was disheartening. However, perhaps this was a unity we could build on. One we could strengthen through other means after we took back the capital. I had hope. What would be the point if I didn't?
We stopped twice to eat and make sure we didn't tire ourselves out too much. The second stop was where we'd decided to wait and make sure everyone else was also in place. Sven got on his phone to check in with the others as we drank some water and ate. We were still outside of the capital's border, but not by much. Just far enough that we wouldn't be spotted by the usual patrol, somewhere we could wait for twilight to become full night. Otherwise the forces closing in would be much too easy to spot. We could have been spotted already—that wasn't outside the realm of possibility—but Emberich had a lot on his plate right now. It was entirely possible he wasn't sending patrols out this far.
Sven was still on his phone, checking in on each flock, when one of the scouts from Ray's flocks careened overhead, his feathers aflame, screeching an unmistakable warning.
Enemy spotted.
"Shit," I muttered, standing and stripping off my tunic and pants immediately just as everyone around us did the same.
We were sitting ducks down here.
Less than ten seconds later, a group of about thirty flew in above us, at the same time as our people started taking to the air. The newcomers' hesitation at seeing the large group of us all together let me know they hadn't been expecting to see so many. That was in our favor.
Sven and I both took to the air, though Reelin and Amna made sure to keep our guards around us. Sven wasn't the kind of king to lead from behind. Or from the ground for that matter.
The guards didn't like it, but one of the reasons people were willing to follow Sven was because he was willing to put himself on the line as well.
I raked my talons along one phoenix's side as I dodged a flaming swipe of his wing, ducking down to body slam him. I saw Sven slam into another, using his own flaming wings to blind the other phoenix before tearing into its wings. All around us, I saw our forces attacking the enemy in twos and threes, our numbers overwhelming to their smaller group.
The fight was short and vicious.
Our attackers were outclassed as well as outnumbered. It was also soon clear that their hearts weren't really in the fight. Before we could eliminate the group, many of them pulled back, extinguishing their feathers.
A clear surrender.
I looked at Sven for instruction on how to proceed, as did everyone else. It was his call whether we accepted the surrender. Nobody would blame him if he didn't. These people had thrown their allegiance in with Emberich, effectively committing treason. But then, so had the turncoat Chieftains whom Sven had accepted, though perhaps not fully welcomed back to our side. I could almost see Sven's thought process as he hovered for a moment in the air, watching the phoenixes who'd decided to surrender.
Mercy?
Or retribution?
We waited in tense silence.
Then he signaled our attackers to land. I relaxed a little. I was fine with some mercy. We were going to get a taste of more violence soon enough.
The attacking phoenixes slowly dived to the ground, one by one, not daring to make any sudden moves. Smart. Everyone was on edge. Our guards especially. They would attack given the least provocation.
Sven dived down soon after, along with a wave of guards. I dropped down as well, though many others stayed in the air, their eyes sharp, on the lookout for any other attacks. We wouldn't be taken flat-footed again. We hadn't expected battalions to be flying on patrol. That was our mistake.
Sven changed form so he could speak.
"I do not have time to debate this issue," he started, eyes focused on the assembled phoenixes still in their bird forms. There was no softness in his demeanor or his voice. "So. Here is what is going to happen. All of you will change into your human forms and you will be tied up. I will leave people to watch you. If anyone attempts escape, you will die." He scanned the group. "No second chances. You will be dealt with after we finish what we set out to do. If you do not agree, you will die now." Another pause. "If you think this decision harsh—you are correct. But not nearly as harsh as it could be."
We waited. Sven was right. He was being much more generous than he had to be, and way beyond what Emberich would have offered in the same position. They must have realized that.
The first one to change was a tall, thin, redheaded man. Then a woman with naturally tan skin. And then the rest. There were some familiar faces, but nobody I knew well. It made sense. Emberich's strongest supporters would likely not have had a whole lot of contact with us, or with me even before Sven was king. They would likely have never had any problems, enjoying Emberich's strong tendency towards favoring those who supported him.
Nobody protested as Reelin and Amna commandeered some more people and went over with zip ties to fasten hands behind backs and ankles together. They even had them sit and attached their hands to their feet to further complicate an escape. They could still attempt to change to their phoenix forms, but they would likely injure themselves in the process and the guards who'd be watching would be able to kill them before they could get free. It was a good way to deal with this mess.
Reelin assigned a handful of guards to the prisoners after everyone was tied up. Yes, leaving people behind to watch our captives wasn't ideal, but we had enough numbers. We could afford to leave a few here.
By that point, after the fight and then sorting out the aftermath, it was time to fly to the capital.
I watched the group of cooperative prisoners as people started to take off again, rejoining everyone still in the air. There was something that caught my attention about the group, something that made me look at them with a little more scrutiny. If I didn't know better, I would almost say they were relieved. Relieved to be beaten and captured. It made me wary. What were they afraid of?
"Let's go," Sven ordered, his eyes holding the same knowledge mine no doubt held.
This quick of a surrender, even against overwhelming odds... These people were afraid. Afraid and questioning if they wanted to fight us at all. I didn't think the fear was directed at us. A shiver skated down my spine. What the hell were we going to find at the capital?
With a grim set to his jaw, Sven changed back to his phoenix form, and launched back into the air. I guess I would find out the answer to that question soon enough. With one last glance at the prisoners, I followed suit, changing and joining our army.
We continued towards the capital, the mood a little more subdued now. Everyone could feel that something was off. More off than circumstances would account for. As we flew, twilight slowly deepened, skirting with full dark. I was relieved to have that shroud of darkness to hide in, even in the midst of an impressive army.
We didn't fly very far before something else caught our eyes. A large plume of dark smoke rose up into the sky. Thick and almost viscous looking. Heart dropping, I followed the plume down with my eyes—knowing what I'd find but also not wanting to accept it.
My heart clenched.
The capital.
The capital was on fire.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I watched in horror as the flickering flames spread up the side of the mountain.
The capital...
There were still people in those buildings! And the history. There was so much of our history packed into that city that was being consumed in front of our eyes. What had Emberich done?
Nobody stopped us as we got closer. We could see the rest of our forces in the distance, on their way, lit by the fire that was overtaking the city that was now my home. The city I'd come to despite all the people who had advised against it. The place where I'd formulated my sense of self, figured out a way I could help my fellow phoenixes. Where I'd first met Sven. Where we were building our life together. I felt such a sense of devastation seeing it burn that it froze me for a moment.
But only a moment. Yes, the city was significant to me
and to us as a race.
But.
It was still just a place. Still just things. Things could be rebuilt. More important right now was the people.
We needed to get down there and help everyone. The rest of our forces would be here soon, but we couldn't wait for them. As one, all of us upped our speed, trying to close the distance more quickly now.
But the way wasn't as clear as it looked. Just when I thought we might make it to the city itself without encountering any resistance, a large group of phoenixes launched from behind the mountain itself, a mass of winged bodies that rose in a dark wave and headed directly for us.
It wasn't a small group. I scanned them, estimating that there were perhaps three flocks in total. As I focused on the incoming phoenixes, my eye stopped on a distinctive pair of wings. Eli. I narrowed my eyes on his form, his heaviness more evenly distributed in his phoenix form.
If he, himself, was fighting...circumstances were dire indeed. He was not the type to stick his neck out for a cause himself. He was more the type of person to send out anyone else he could find to take the risk for him. The reason anyone still felt the need to fight on Emberich's side was a mystery to me. He'd only been in power for days and the capital was already in ruins. If that wasn't a clear indication that he wasn't fit to rule, I didn't know what was. Perhaps they thought there was no going back from the choices they'd already made. That they'd made their beds and they'd have to lie in them.
That was certainly true for Eli. He wasn't getting out of this alive, not at this point. Not after kidnapping me and Siro. Not after stealing my blood and bringing this monstrosity back to life. Perhaps he realized that. Maybe he hadn't turned over a new leaf at all. Maybe he'd deduced all the possible outcomes and concluded that he wasn't getting out of this alive no matter what, and was choosing his death. If so, he'd come to the right party.
I felt the heat of our army's feathers igniting to meet the enemy, the flare of the fire bright all around me. I watched as the front line collided with the incoming phoenixes, shrieks of rage and pain already starting as claws dug in, flaming wings were used to burn, and people were tackled in mid-flight. Battle wasn’t neat or easy to follow. It was pure chaos.
I had the urge to jump into the fray as I saw one of our own hit so hard that he started dropping. I resisted it. It was not where Sven and I needed to be. The plan was for us to find Emberich while our forces kept the defending army busy. We needed to stick to that, to the sequence our cooler heads had decided on. Battle lust clouded judgment.
So I followed Sven and our guards instead, with a piece of our army at our backs. Our people could keep that many phoenixes occupied, and we had more numbers coming in to help. What we needed to do was get through the city and-
A crushing weight dropped on me from above, crumpling my wings before I could even process the hit. I plummeted down, stunned at the sudden blow. Whoever it was must have flown up high before tucking his or her wings in and literally diving down at me.
Shit.
DO something, Adara!
Right.
I twisted desperately, trying to get out from under that heavy body to no avail, feeling his fire singe me. I couldn't rise back up with that much mass on top of me, and if we hit like this, I was going to be seriously injured on the rocks below. If I survived at all.
Battlefields were messy by definition. The chances of Sven’s being able to gather my remains and bring me back were greatly diminished with a whole army likely fighting against him.
All of that rushed through my head as my eyes met those of the phoenix on top of me.
Eli.
Rage rose up inside me, tucked away neatly on a day to day basis, but always there for the right trigger. This asshole was responsible for my fear of city domes. For kidnapping Siro as well. For this whole damn mess. Incandescent with rage didn't cover how I felt when I saw him above me.
I felt his body tense. He was planning on dropping just far enough that I wouldn't have time to pull up, but he would because he could use me for leverage. I knew that as clear as if he'd whispered the plan to me.
Not today, asshole.
If I was going down, he was coming with me all the way. I stopped struggling against him and instead focused on curling my body inward, bending almost in half, positioning my feet right where I wanted them.
Eli jerked above me as my claws pierced his vulnerable underbelly, cutting right through the thin feathers there, and ripped down in a vicious tear that he would not be able to heal, not in this situation. He shrieked, his body spasming.
Now. I jerked to the side, getting out from under him while he was distracted. I righted myself, spreading my wings out. I was dropping too fast. I knew right away I was already too close to the ground. I braced myself, as much good as that was going to do. I wasn't going to make it—
I grunted as I made contact with something too soft to be the rocks below. I opened my eyes, not even realizing I'd closed them, and saw feathers. Another phoenix.
I blinked. I'd know that distinctive feather pattern anywhere.
Sven!
His powerful wings beat hard as he pushed me back up, fighting hard against our acceleration towards the ground. If I didn't get off him, we were both going to hit. I needed to get airborne now.
He managed to slow me down just enough that I was able to stretch my wings out fully. Using his body as a brace, I pushed myself back into the air, beating my wings as hard as I could. I needed to get off him.
It wasn't pretty, but I wasn't falling anymore. I wobbled in the air, my eyes scanning the area below me for Sven. My heart in my throat, I saw him beat his wings. The ground was coming fast.
Too fast.
Come on Sven...
Push!
He caught himself maybe fifteen feet off the ground, just shy of the jagged rocks in that very area. Cool relief flowed through me as he started gaining height again. Eli hadn't been so lucky. I looked away from what was once his body, finding no joy in his death even though he deserved it and more. He wasn't going to bother us or anyone else ever again.
Reelin and Amna hovered around me as we waited for Sven to rise, their feathered faces pissed. I knew they wouldn't be caught off guard by that kind of kamikaze move again.
Sven flew up to me, rubbing his side against mine before leading the way forward again. Back on track.
We could only go so far with the smoke and the fighting going on in the air around us. After only moving a few feet, we were forced to land in the city to go the rest of the way up to the palace. We touched down and changed into our human forms, taking a moment to pull our clothes on, strapping our weapons onto our bodies. It would take time to get back in the air again if we wanted to preserve them, but we had to take that risk. Fighting naked without back up weapons on us would not be ideal.
Then we had to walk up the streets. The gondola was gently swinging on the line, fully engulfed in flame. It would have been faster, but it would also have made us easy targets. Our group fell into line, surrounding Sven and me as we moved.
It was horrifying to find my familiar city a true warzone. It didn't feel real. All around us, there were people screaming and running, the entire city in complete chaos as buildings burned and phoenixes fought above us, bodies crashing to the ground intermittently.
But the fire was far from the only reason everyone was in a panic.
I didn't realize until we were walking down the street at a brisk pace, with so much going on around us that no one thing stood out. There was burning debris, people hurrying out of buildings, the phoenixes in the sky. So it was the smell that caught my attention first. The distinct smell of rot. Frowning, I looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from.
Then I saw the bodies. It was like my brain had refused to see them before, but now that I was looking, it could no longer do that. There was one on almost every corner, bloated and rotting. They were definitely more than a day old.
A warning? Why else
would they be out on the street like this, carefully placed at regular intervals? But to whom? The people of the city?
I slowed as I saw a familiar, larger body. It had been dark, and we'd only met briefly, but... I stopped in my tracks, staring at Plum's tortured body. His face was pristine, as if to make sure everyone could recognize him. But his body...
"Come on, Adara," Sven said, turning me away gently. "We'll take care of him after. We'll take care of all of them."
His voice sounded grim and tight as he helped me keep moving. I nodded numbly, falling back into the formation we'd been walking in. Those bodies hadn't been there when we'd come for Sven. There was no way we wouldn't have noticed them. Plum had died because he helped us. He'd been tortured for the same reason. That was terrible and ugly, but there was a reason for it. But the others...
Had Sven’s escape pushed Emberich fully off the deep end? Snapped what little control he had left? This was not normal in any sense of the word.
I followed Sven, his blond hair gilded by the light of the fire, leading the way along the winding path we had to take to avoid streets made impassible by fire.
All of us covered our noses and mouths to minimize the amount of smoke we breathed in, trying to also block some of the charnel-house smell, but we were still coughing as we pushed through the narrow streets. They didn't even look like the same, familiar streets I'd been traveling for years. It was as if they'd been reflected through some crazy, horrifying, fun house mirror. The farther up we traveled, the closer we got to the palace, the more bodies we saw. Fresher ones. Some of them had been ripped apart as though by a raging animal. I tried not to look, but I couldn't move forward with my eyes closed.
A ripple of unease flowed through our group as we continued up that mountain. I knew I didn't want to see what we'd find at the top. But we needed to finish this. We couldn't allow this to continue. I had to block out my peripheral vision and just focus on going up, so I wouldn't just wrap my arms around myself and huddle uselessly.
Court of Flame Page 13
