Rise of the Fae (Dragon's Gift

by Linsey Hall

  The tunnels sloped sharply downward, studded with shards of black slate. Smaller tunnels jutted off of it, but I ignored them. I picked up the pace, jogging downward. The tunnel grew wider as I ran, and small chambers opened up on either side.

  Flashes of gold caught my eye, and I peered in as I ran by.

  Whoa.

  Huge piles of gold sat inside each one—coins, jewelry, goblets, weapons. It had to be millions’ worth. I could just imagine the dragons crouching over their horde, spending long nights amongst these piles of treasure.

  I’d never been much for gold—not like the FireSouls were. They shared a soul with a dragon, and something about that made them particularly covetous, like their dragon counterparts.

  My blood didn’t do that to me—normally.

  But right now…

  My fingers itched.

  What I wouldn’t give to go roll around on one of those piles. Maybe drag a few bags home with me.

  I shook my head, focusing on the tunnel around me. The darkness called from within. Deeper and deeper I ran—and harder and harder the gold pulled.

  It felt like a rope wrapped around my middle, yanking me back.

  “The gold will solve your problems.” Perisea’s voice echoed in the cavern, disembodied and strange.

  “It won’t!” I shouted. But I felt it. Perisea was right. This gold was magic.

  I faltered, nearly turning into one of the caverns to my left. The glimmering pile drew my eye, and I swore I could see the magic sparkling around it. With a gasp, I forced myself away from it, continuing to run down into the mountain.

  It was as if I could feel Tarron and Aeri down there. Their signatures drew me, and I needed to find them.

  “It will save them all,” Perisea said. “All the Fae.”

  All?

  I swallowed hard.

  That was the only thing I really wanted. To save Tarron and all the Fae.

  Torn, I turned back to the gold.

  Burn appeared at my side, pressing his thorny body against my leg.

  I shook my head, jerked out of my obsession. I looked down at the Thorn Wolf. His fiery eyes blazed up at me.

  “Thanks, buddy.” He gave me so much strength. So much clarity of mind. But… “I think you need to get out of here, pal. I’ve got to prove myself worthy.”

  He woofed low.

  “I know. But Perisea sent me here alone. I think I have to finish the drill on my own, too.”

  Understanding seemed to flash in his eyes—or maybe it was my imagination. But he disappeared.

  Without Burn at my side, the gold began to pull at me again.

  I shook my head and kept running, nearly going to my knees with the force of my desire for it. Not just because it was shiny and pretty—I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t like shiny, pretty things—but because it felt like it would solve all my problems. Perisea was feeding some kind of magic into it—she had to be.

  There was no way gold would solve my problems—even magical gold. There was no magic that it could perform to get me out of this mess.

  It would be up to me. Only me.

  The pull of the gold loosened, as if my realization had freed me.

  I powered onward, jogging though the tunnels, ignoring the chambers full of treasure.

  Then I heard it.

  Screams. Shouts.

  Tarron and Aeri.

  Shit.

  They were in danger.

  9

  As I ran through the dragon tunnels deep beneath the slate mountain, Tarron’s and Aeri’s screams echoed up from the depths of the caves.

  Was this where they had gone? Had Perisea swept them up and taken them somewhere down here?

  It was really them, not some figment of my imagination. I could feel it, as if they were close enough to see.

  I sprinted forward, determined to reach them.

  Prove yourself worthy.

  My breath heaved in my lungs as I raced toward them. They needed me.

  More loose slate appeared in my path, threatening to trip me up. The ceiling was low, but I called on my wings anyway, flying along the ground. When the slate on the walls began to move, my heart jumped into my throat.

  The stones along the side of the tunnel shifted, forming monstrous shapes. Creatures with multiple legs crawled toward me, like giant spiders made of rock. Eyes of flame burned within their heads, and they hissed loudly.

  One lunged for me, and I flew upward, darting away as quickly as I could. The creature reached up with one long leg and swiped for me. I dodged.

  As I drew my blade from the ether, a second creature leapt for me. It reached out, smashing one of its stone legs into my hip.

  Pain flared as I tumbled, barely managing to keep myself airborne.

  In the distance, my sister and Tarron screamed.

  My heart thundered, fear chilling me.

  The monsters converged on me from below, leaping up, determined to keep me from my family.

  These bastards are going down.

  As I drew my sword from the ether, I spotted a cluster of tiny monsters huddled against the wall.

  My jaw slackened.

  Babies?

  Crap.

  I couldn’t kill these bastards, even if they were between me and what I loved. No way I could do that. And Tarron and Aeri would never stand for it, anyway.

  These creatures were just protecting their young.

  I flew as fast as I could, darting around the leaping stone spiders that lashed out with their legs. One of them hit me in the thigh, and pain surged through me. A blow to the chest drove the air from my lungs.

  I ignored it, flying as fast as I could through the tunnel, following the screams.

  Until they stopped.

  Dead silence…

  There was just the sound of my breathing.

  Shit.

  I reached a junction where the tunnel split off into four directions. Panic surged.

  Which one?

  I could no longer hear Tarron and Aeri.

  No, no, no.

  Frantic, I looked down each passage, trying to guess where they were. There was nothing but silence.

  Misery and anxiety clashed within me. They were hurt. They were in trouble. I could feel it.

  And I didn’t know how to find them.

  Think.

  I spun in a circle, searching for any kind of clue. There was nothing but silence.

  And then the dark closed in.

  The eerie golden light that had filled the space disappeared, and it was just me and the sound of my heaving breaths.

  Frustration surged within me until I wanted to cry. This couldn’t be happening!

  It took everything I had, but I shoved the feeling of helplessness down deep.

  This wasn’t the end.

  I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes. I breathed out, shuddering, and focused on my surroundings. Focused on the feeling of Aeri and Tarron, trying to use my seeker sense to find them.

  No matter how hard I tried, it didn’t work. Almost like it was blocked.

  No way I’d let it stop me. I imagined them and everything I loved about them, everything that they were. We had a connection. I’d use it to find them. This mountain was where I would get new magic, and damned if I wouldn’t make it happen.

  I drew a knife from the ether and sliced at my wrist, letting blood flow. Not enough that I would pour out all of my blood and create a permanent power—I didn’t have time for that—but enough that I could create new magic that would work to find them.

  As my blood dripped to the ground below, I imagined being able to sense their location using only the love I felt for them. It was a bond that was stronger than anything, and that was powerful magic in itself.

  Slowly, the air began to change. Almost like I could feel vibrations in it. My heart sang along, thundering in my chest. Pulling me forward. Magic sparked through my veins, lighting me up inside.

  I could feel them.

  I fol
lowed the sensation, flying quickly through the dark. My wings brushed the walls a few times, but my senses carried me safely through the tunnels. I flew as fast as I could, not worried about slamming into the stone. Speed was most important, and I knew my power would lead me true.

  When light began to shine from a distance, I blinked, focusing my vision. The tunnel gave way to a huge atrium. I tried to speed up, but I was already going as fast as I could, muscles and lungs burning.

  When I flew into the enormous cavern, my wings faltered. The magic that made them work faded, and they grew weaker and weaker. I landed in a hard run, taking in the scene before me.

  My heart nearly exploded out of my chest. Tarron was separated from Aeri and Declan. They were bound to pillars on separate sides of the massive room, encased behind thick sheets of ice. The ice was so thick that I could barely see them—but the feeling of them was unmistakable. My temporary new magic pulled hard toward them.

  They weren’t alone, however.

  Two massive black beasts lunged for the ice wall, breathing fire to melt it. The creatures were covered in scales and were at least the size of grizzly bears, though they looked like no animal I’d ever seen in real life. Spikes covered their backs, and horns extended up from their heads.

  They ignored me entirely, going instead for my family. Their flaming breath melted the ice wall, sending rivulets of water streaming over the ground. Soon, they’d break through and devour them.

  I tried to draw a sword from the ether, but nothing came.

  Shit.

  I was blocked.

  Magic sparked in the air, a spell that would keep me from getting what I needed to fight them. And my wings were disabled.

  All of my magic was disabled.

  What the hell was going on?

  I’d just been able to make magic a moment ago.

  A test.

  This was a test.

  I couldn’t take on the two monsters without weapons. They were enormous—those fangs and claws would take me out, then they’d get to my family.

  No.

  Anyway, killing things didn’t necessarily prove me worthy. For all I knew, these were Perisea’s pets. I needed a better plan. And I had almost no time to figure it out.

  I spun in a circle, searching for clues. There had to be something here.

  The ground looked uneven near Tarron and Aeri. I sprinted toward them, skidding to a stop at a ledge that plunged downward. A pool of crystal blue water glimmered deep within—at least a hundred feet down.

  I swallowed hard, staring into the depths.

  There was something down there. It gleamed brilliant red, calling to me.

  A solution?

  Or death?

  The water was freezing cold. I could see a gleaming sheet of ice on the top—thin enough that I could break through it, but icy cold all the same. Something huge swam deep in the water, far enough down that I couldn’t see the details. It was easily ten times the size of me, though.

  If I jumped in that water, I wouldn’t survive long. Even if the monster didn’t come for me, the cold would. And if I retrieved what I needed from the depths, how was I going to get back out? My wings didn't even work.

  I’d have to scale the rock walls, which could be impossible in itself. There were hardly any handholds that I could see.

  It was a death trap.

  Shit.

  I looked back at Tarron and Aeri.

  I could fight one of those monsters on my own—maybe. Which meant I could save one of them. Only one.

  Not an option.

  No time for hesitation.

  If this was about proving my strength, damned if I was going to wimp out.

  I jumped.

  Wind whistled by my head, tearing at my hair. My eyes watered and my stomach pitched. The fall was endless.

  When I crashed through the thin layer of ice and into the freezing water, all the breath was driven from my throat. My head ached with pain—the ultimate ice-cream headache—and I nearly opened my mouth on a gasp.

  I barely managed to keep it shut, trying to get a handle on myself.

  Freezing cold made my muscles want to seize up and quit.

  Ignore it.

  I kicked downward into the depths, opening my eyes and narrowing my vision on the red glow deep in the water. More light came from somewhere else unknown, illuminating the deep pool and revealing huge slate rocks clustered all around. The sea monster was nowhere to be seen, which meant it was probably hiding behind the slate.

  When an image flickered at the corner of my vision, panic flared. I looked toward it, my vision distorted by the pressure of the water.

  A massive sea monster swam toward me, rage in its black eyes. The blue and green scales sparkled with light, beautiful despite the threat promised by the creature’s claws and fangs. The monster was long and graceful, with four legs tipped with webbed toes. Wings extended from the back, but they waved in the water like fins.

  A sea dragon.

  It pushed effortlessly through the water, charging toward me, darting between me and the golden red orbs at the bottom of the pool.

  I swam behind a cluster of rocks, taking cover as my lungs began to burn. Heart pounding, I peeked out from behind the boulders, taking stock of the creature.

  Where should I strike it to do the most damage?

  I would be lucky to get even one shot, so I’d have to make it work.

  Perhaps to the throat, if I could reach it? There looked to be an area that wasn’t covered quite so thickly with scales. Or the eyes? Those were always good. Punching underwater was difficult, so I’d have to maximize my attack.

  Behind the dragon, the eggs gleamed invitingly. One of them was transparent, and inside, a silver dagger glowed.

  That was my goal.

  I knew it like I knew my own name.

  I needed that knife.

  And this dragon was all that stood between me and it.

  So, the neck or the eyes?

  The dragon hissed at me, the noise carrying effortlessly through the water.

  Get back, it seemed to be saying.

  I frowned, mind racing. The cold and oxygen deprivation were making it hard to think.

  But this wasn’t so different from the challenge with the spiders.

  I’m not supposed to kill it.

  Suddenly, it was obvious. The threat to Tarron, Aeri, and Declan had gotten me raring to fight. I’d seen only a violent solution to this problem.

  But no…

  This sea dragon was just protecting its eggs—one of which I wanted to steal. I didn’t think the egg with the dagger had an actual baby monster in it, but the sea dragon might not know that.

  I was just a threat.

  Obviously, I shouldn’t try to hurt the dragon. I couldn’t believe I’d even considered it—chalk it up to terror and freezing cold.

  It was one of the scariest things I’d ever done, but I swam out from behind my rock. My burning lungs reminded me that I had barely any time left before my air ran out.

  My muscles ached from cold as I swam toward the dragon, holding my hand out in a way that I hoped was non-threatening.

  The dragon glared at me with dark eyes, clearly unsure of what to make of me.

  It hissed again, then moved its head forward just slightly, sniffing.

  I tensed, heart going a mile a minute.

  Please.

  I was flat out of ideas if this didn’t work—and I’d also be dragon food.

  Tense seconds passed as my lungs burned and my muscles ached. I tried to imagine all of my good intentions, hoping the dragon could sense that I meant no harm.

  Finally, the dragon twitched its head, then swam backward.

  I nodded my thanks, then swam past. The gold and red eggs called to me, and I pushed myself hard. The regular dragon eggs were crimson bright and shot through with veins of gold. The one that I sought was semitransparent, revealing the dagger within.

  I reached for it, carefully av
oiding the other eggs. It was shockingly warm to the touch, and I clutched it close to my chest. I gave the dragon one last grateful nod, then kicked toward the surface.

  Every inch of me was nearly numb with cold, muscles aching wherever I could actually feel them. My lungs burned from lack of oxygen, and my vision started to go black at the edges.

  The surface still looked so far away.

  I kicked harder, seeming to go slower with every inch.

  Shit.

  I wasn’t going to make it.

  Hot tears smarted my eyes, strange against the otherwise cold water. I struggled upward, fighting the urge to try to suck in air, since there was only cold water to be had.

  Help!

  I begged the universe, begged the dragon. I didn’t know who I begged, but no one came.

  It’s just me.

  Somehow, I found the strength to kick the last twenty meters to the surface. It felt endless, and by the time I reached air and gasped, I was nearly out of my mind with pain.

  Immediately, the air surged into my lungs and through my body, giving my numb limbs strength. I swam toward the black rock wall that extended upward, seeming infinitely long.

  How the hell was I going to climb that?

  I shoved away my doubts and pushed the dragon egg into my shirt. It managed to stay wedged against my stomach.

  “Thank fates.” The words came out mumbled and rough as I began to scale the black wall. I was so numb that it was nearly impossible to feel my feet or my hands, but I forced myself upward. Handholds were few and far between, but visions of Tarron, Aeri, and Declan—all trapped and at risk—fueled me. It was the strongest motivation there could be, and it propelled me upward.

  Halfway up, I tried calling on my wings.

  They didn’t come.

  Damn it.

  Frustration surged within me. I was too slow.

  Still, I continued. I nearly slipped several times, barely managing to cling on at the last minute. By the time I reached the ledge at the top, I was so tired that I nearly flopped onto my front.

  No, don’t break the egg.

  I scrambled onto the flat, rough surface and knelt, head bent as I grabbed the egg out of my shirt.

  The scaly monsters were still attacking the ice walls with their flames. They were nearly through, the ice so thin that I could see Tarron and Aeri’s faces.