by Linsey Hall
My throat tightened, and tears pricked my eyes. They were right. And I was going nuts. The truth of what I might face in the dragons’ mountain had made me lose my mind. But I had to be sharp and smart.
We had an army. We had to use it. And they had a right to fight for themselves.
I sucked in a ragged breath and nodded. “All right. You’re all right. We should do this together. But we’ll go according to my plan.” If they didn’t fight ’til the dragons woke, their chances were better.
“What do we do?” my mother asked.
My mind raced, coming up with a plan. With this many people, perhaps I could make a stab at rescuing my deirfiúr before I woke the dragons. That’d go even further toward ensuring their safety.
I looked out toward the crowd and called, “Can anyone create a portal?”
There was a rustling, and two women stepped forward. They were identical, with wild red hair and pale round cheeks. From the feel of their magic, they were from the Order of the Magica.
“Jennn and Alison,” Claire whispered at my side. “Mercenaries with the Order.”
“I can,” said the one on the left. “I’m Jennn Donner. This is Alison Donner. Together, we can create a large portal going anywhere you like.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” I met the gazes of those in the crowd. More people had shown up, parking on the end of the street or appearing out of thin air. It was nearing our departure time, and the last of our reinforcements were arriving. A massive group appeared on silent feet—the vampires. Connor sprinted down the sidewalk from P & P, a bulging sack hanging from his side.
Once I was certain that everyone had arrived—though it was really just a guess—I raised my voice to carry over the crowd. Fortunately it was still dark and early. “Jennn and Alison will create the portal. I will go through first, along with my dragons. We will attempt to free my captured friends. While we are doing that, you will join us. It will be cold and dark and mountainous. The enemy is in a valley shaped like a bowl. You will arrive out of sight, but surround them in the mountains above. Once I have woken the dragons, you will flow down the mountainside to attack the demons within.”
“What if you need help?” Ana asked. “Waking the dragons?”
I turned to her. “Only I can do that.”
“I’ll be with her,” Ares said.
I wasn’t even sure that he could accompany me to the dragons if there was a force field around them. He hadn’t been able to pass the force field that cut off my village. But I didn’t say anything—there was no time for arguments.
I met Ana’s gaze. “The fight will begin when the dragons appear. Do you all agree?”
I needed their agreement on this. Anything else was too risky.
There was a sea of bobbing heads and a chorus of agreements.
“Thank you all,” I said.
Claire pressed close and murmured, “No, thank you. Because you’re going to do something dangerous, aren’t you? Like, really dangerous.”
I met her gaze, seeing the sad knowledge within. Ares hadn’t figured it out. His fear for me had been abstract. Claire, my clever friend—she knew the sacrifice I thought I had to make. Her dark eyes shined with tears, but she blinked them back. If anyone knew the value of sacrifice, it was Claire.
I threw my arms around her and hugged her. “Take care of Cass and Del.” I breathed the words, they were so quiet.
“Always.” She squeezed hard, voice breaking.
I pulled back and didn’t look at her. I couldn’t. More than anything, I had to keep my shit together.
I turned to Connor, who stood a few feet back from his sister. “Do you have a couple of invisibility potions?”
“I do.” He dug into his bag and then handed over the little vials.
I took them, holding on to his gaze a second too long. His brow wrinkled in question, but it wasn’t like I could say anything like, “Oh yeah, just looking at you for the last time” without raising suspicion.
Because it might not be the last time. The forest sprite hadn’t made it clear I would have to die to wake the dragons, though it was hard to think how I might give up every ounce of my magic and then want to live.
I turned from him and handed one of the vials to Ares. “Since I know you won’t let me go alone.”
He took it and smiled.
Jennn and Alison joined us.
“So, where’s this portal going?” Alison asked. Her hair was topped with a green hat, but the rest spilled out, brilliant and red. It reminded me of Cass, and my heart ached.
“It’s a place that’s protected by primordial gods. It’s hard to describe. Would it work if we took one of you there?”
“That’s perfect,” Jennn said. “We’ll build the portal from both sides. That’s strongest.”
I turned to Ares, but my mother’s voice stopped me.
I turned back to her. She approached, stopping to stand in front of me. She reached for my hands and squeezed.
“I’m proud of you, Nix.” Her voice broke, but she sucked in a ragged breath and got herself under control. “Whatever you face, you are up to the task. And you will survive.”
Did she guess my fears? Were they her own? I wasn’t exactly a normal daughter, or a normal Magica. Of course my fate would be iffy. I possessed magic that was not my own, donated by the town that was willing to die to give it to me.
Was it so much of a stretch to think that I might die too?
Apparently my mother didn’t think so, though she clearly—desperately—wanted to believe otherwise.
I hugged her, my throat too tight to speak. Finally, I managed to eek out an, “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Love and pride gleamed in her eyes.
My father stepped forward, and I repeated the motions, savoring the last moments with my parents. As soon as I pulled back from the hug, however, I shut down sentimentality. That would get me nowhere. Now was the time for action.
I wanted to thank the crowd, but really—it was condescending, wasn’t it? They weren’t fighting for me, but rather for themselves. For their loved ones and all the magic in the world. For the desire to live free from tyranny, out from underneath the boot of an evil madman.
Instead, I swept my gaze over the crowd and said, “I’ll see you on the other side.” I wasn’t even sure if I would, but it didn’t matter. I turned to Ares. “Can you take us now? To the rock outcropping where we hid before?”
He nodded and held out his hands. I took one, and Jennn took the other. A moment later, the ether sucked us in.
The air was bitter cold when we arrived, the night dark. There would be no dawn, not here in Svalbard at this time of year. Immediately, Jeff and the Pūķi appeared at my side. I smiled at them.
“Holy Merlin’s balls, this is cold,” Jennn said. “Where are we?”
“Svalbard, an island north of Norway.” I inspected the terrain around us. Everything was silent and still. As I’d feared, the dragons’ mountain was contained in a dome like the one that had surrounded my town. We’d have to break through that.
Jennn rubbed her hands together, then held them out. Magic glowed at her palms, a pale pink light that shined on the snow. The scent of the ocean swelled, bringing with it the sound of chirping birds.
Soon, the air in front of her began to shimmer, turning into a mirror. Then it disappeared entirely. Alison stood on the other side, her hands outstretched, a grin on her face. Then she stepped through.
Immediately, she scowled. “Cold as hell.”
“That’s what I said.” Jennn hugged her sister, then turned to me. “Three at a time can come through, so you’d better give the order.”
“You can,” I said. “You’re now in charge of transportation.”
She saluted and grinned, then stepped through the portal.
I turned to Ares. “Ready?”
“What’s the plan?”
“Get to the top of this mountain so we can see the valley below. Once we know where
my deirfiúr are, and Aidan and Roarke, we take the invisibility potions. Then we sneak to them. They have to be in a blue cage like the one that held Alton, so I’ll try to cut through it with my sword.” I turned to Jeff and the Pūķi. “You guys come get us out of there when we’re done. Stay hidden until we need you.”
Jeff nodded, and the Pūķi just stared. But they got the picture. I knew how they worked at this point.
I eyed Jeff. He was pretty big now, the size of a large SUV. “Jeff, do you think you can be bigger?”
Magic swirled around him, silver and bright. Then he grew. And grew. Soon, he was the size of a small house.
“Shoot, Jeff.” I grinned. “You can quit.”
He snuffled happily, flame billowing from his nostrils.
“Just stay hidden, all right?” I said.
He nodded and flattened himself on the ground. I laughed. Fierce dragon sometimes, pretty much a goofy dog the rest of the time.
“Good luck,” Alison said.
“Thanks. You too.” I glanced at the portal, where people had started to flow through. “And remember, don’t attack until the dragons are awake. That is key.”
“How will we know?”
I thought of the massive dragons, envisioned them swooping through the sky. “Oh, you’ll know.”
Ares and I set off up the mountain, hiking in silence. Soon, my lungs and thighs burned. Snow made the going slow, but eventually we reached the crest. I got on my belly and shimmied forward, the cold snow sneaking down my jacket and making me shiver.
The sight below made my skin chill even more.
Chapter Twelve
“Hundreds,” I whispered. I couldn’t see Drakon, but I could feel his magic, just a hint of it. He was here, somewhere.
“To the left.” Ares pointed.
My gaze followed his arm. There, right beneath the dome that contained the dragons’ mountain, was the blue cage trapping my deirfiúr. Like Alton, they stood frozen inside.
Rage welled inside me, dark and black. Fear, too, which tempered the heat of anger.
Unlike before, there was no lightning bolt connecting the cage to the dome. Rather, they butted right up against one another. I wouldn’t be able to pull the same trick as last time, with cutting the connection. They were one and the same. Hopefully, if I woke the dragons, they could take care of it.
“We can’t approach from the top or the sides,” Ares said.
He was right. The top was covered by the dome, and the sides were too steep. We’d have to go straight through the army.
Smart, Drakon.
“I don’t see Aidan or Roarke.” Dread pierced me.
“I doubt they’re dead,” Ares said. “They’re bargaining chips for your deirfiúr.”
I clung to the thought, not sure how realistic it was but not caring. I needed to believe they were okay. That we’d get them out of here.
I tugged the vial of invisibility potion out of my pocket. Ares did the same. I uncorked it and drank the foul stuff, cringing at the muddy taste. The chill rushed over me and I disappeared. For half a second, I couldn’t see Ares, then he appeared next to me.
I leaned over and kissed him hard. This was it for us, if I didn’t survive. “I love you. Always.”
He wrapped a hand around my neck and kissed me deeply, then pulled away. “I love you.”
I nodded, tears prickling my eyes, then pulled away. Silently, we scrambled down the mountainside. Though we left tracks, it was a moonless night. As long as none of the demons studied the snow, we’d be okay.
There were so many below. A roiling sea of them. All species, all kinds of magical signatures, all feeling like darkness and evil. I shuddered as their magic washed over me. The things these demons could do with their magic….
Shouldn’t be allowed on Earth.
As we neared the valley, the raucous sounds of demons filled the air. They partied and fought and argued, none of them seeming to sleep. Dozens of fires burned, with demons surrounding each one. It looked like an ancient battlefield the night before the fight.
But these were the bad guys.
My heart lodged in my throat as we reached the bottom of the valley. From down here, the crush of demons looked impenetrable. They were packed in like sardines. Their magic made me gag.
Ares reached for my hand and squeezed, then let go and led the way. We wove between the crowds of demons, careful not to touch anyone. The hair on my arms stood on end as we snuck by a group that searched the air where we stood.
Could they see us?
A demon sprawled in front of me, dead or passed out, I couldn’t tell. Ares stepped over. I jumped.
We were halfway across when the crowd crushed in around us. They were on all sides, pressing ever closer. They were all watching something that I was too short to see. There were shouts and jeers. The smacking of fists. They were crowded around a fight to the left. I edged away.
“Oy, what you doin’?”
I stiffened at the rough voice and turned. A demon raked his gaze over me. He could see me. Fear spiked in my chest. But none of the other demons seemed to notice. All their gazes were riveted on whatever had formed this crowd.
Could this demon see through invisibility potions?
“Oy.”
I didn’t let him finish. Just conjured a dagger and sank it into his heart. I’d never moved so fast in my life. The demon gurgled, but made no other noise. Ares appeared a millisecond later, grabbing the demon’s body and lowering him to the ground.
The crush of demons around us was so fierce that no one seemed to notice. Tension tightened my muscles as we left him where he lay and hurried off. Please don’t let us get caught.
We were about twenty yards away when the shouts started up. Someone had found him. But it seemed that no one saw us.
“We’re close,” Ares whispered.
“How close?” I craned my neck. I could see the cage containing my deirfiúr because it was on higher ground, but not the edge of the demon army. We were still in the thick of it, as far as I could tell.
“Twenty yards.” He gripped my hand and led me through the crowd.
When we reached the edge, I sucked in a breath of sweet, fresh air. The slope led upward toward the glowing blue cage. It was a dome, like Alton’s had been, and Cass and Del stood frozen within.
My heart ached to see them like that. I burned to race up the mountainside toward them, but we had to be smart.
“Go from the side,” Ares said.
I nodded my agreement. We edged along the crowd of demons, toward an emptier area. There’d be fewer demons to see our footprints in the snow over here. We’d just have to pray they didn’t look.
As fast as I could, I raced up the mountainside. Del and Cass were a couple hundred yards up, and my lungs burned by the time I reached their elevation. Once I did, I hurried toward them, Ares at my side. Tension tightened every muscle as I waited for a demon from below to spot our footsteps, or for my invisibility potion to wear off.
No one shouted.
The magic of the dome burned my skin as I approached. I shuddered. I’d never felt anything like this, and didn’t want to ever again. The electric blue of the cage bars pulsed with light as I neared.
“Del, Cass!” I whispered.
They didn’t move, but I thought maybe I saw something in their eyes.
“I’m going to get you out!” I drew my sword from the ether and raised it high overhead. With a quick prayer to the fates, I brought it crashing down on the blue cage.
Electricity shot up my arms. I flew backward and landed hard in the snow. Light flashed.
Blinking, pain racing through me, I scrambled to my feet.
My deirfiúr were still trapped.
Shit!
I stumbled toward the cage, raising my sword and slicing down.
Boom!
I was thrown backward again, electricity singing through me. I surged up.
“They’re still trapped.” Ares rose beside me.
Apparently he’d been thrown back as well.
And he was right. The cage was still intact. My deirfiúr still frozen.
“Drakon has changed the magic.” Panic surged in my chest. Had he imbued it with some of his own strength? My blade didn’t work on that. “My sword worked before.”
“He’s smart.”
A roar sounded from below. The demons were charging up the mountainside, straight for us. My attempts on the cage had alerted them. My heart leapt into my throat. They were only a hundred yards away.
A screech rent the night air, chilling my skin.
“Drakon.” I raised the sword one last time, desperate, and sliced down on the cage. Electricity threw me backwards. Pain sang. I dragged myself up.
The cage was still there. My deirfiúr still wrapped.
The demons were closer, bearing down on us.
And in the sky above, Drakon raced for us. He was still several hundred yards off, but gaining.
“Jeff!” I screamed. My gaze raced back to my trapped deirfiúr. My heart broke in my chest, pain like I’d never known.
I had to leave them.
If my blade couldn’t free them, then only one thing could—the dragons.
Jeff swooped from the sky, the size of a house. He landed with a heavy thud in the snow, turning to face the oncoming demons. The first wave was only forty yards away. He roared, breathing a massive jet of fire on them. They clambered backwards, some of them alight.
I climbed onto his back, Ares behind me.
“Go!” I screamed.
Jeff launched himself into the air. I clung to his back as the cold wind pulled at my hair and stung my eyes.
In the distance, the red Pūķi tried to distract Drakon, shooting flames at his eyes. I leaned over Jeff’s back and peered into the valley below. An open circle in the middle of the crowd caught my eye. Two men were tied within—Roarke and Aidan. They were conscious at least, tied to a pole. The demons around them jeered and screamed, but they couldn’t reach them for some reason. A force field, maybe. Ares had been right though—they were being saved for something. Whatever use Drakon had for my deirfiúr and their men … No way I was letting it happen.
