Empyrean: Return of the Fire Faery

by Twyla Turner

  “Daegan?” I heard a feminine voice call out.

  “Kaya?” He called back.

  One mare pushed her way to where we stood with two other unicorns following closely behind her.

  “Daegan, you don’t know how glad I am to see you.” She said with relief.

  “Are you okay?” Daegan asked. His voice was filled with concern.

  “Not exactly. We haven’t eaten in days. Many won’t last much longer.” She confided.

  “What are you doing here, Daegan?” The larger one of the three said to the black unicorn. “I told you never to come back here.”

  “I came to help, father.” I was shocked to find that it was his father that would speak to him so harshly, but then I remembered what Daegan had said about his parents.

  “You’re the reason we’re in this mess. You brought the darkness to us. And now you want to help?” His father scolded.

  “You have your information wrong, Emperor.” I finally spoke up.

  “And who are you?” He asked snidely.

  “Rafe, Prince of the Faeries.” I pulled my jacket away, revealing my face and the imprints on my arm. “Tomorrow the elfin army should be here, and we will do everything in our power to release you from this prison.”

  The emperor raised his head defiantly, so firm in his belief that his son was evil. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “Suit yourself.” I refused to fight with the unicorn. “Daegan, we should get back.”

  “Alright,” Daegan said, his voice sounded solemn.

  “Daegan!” Kaya called out. “Thank you for checking on us. I know you can save us.” She encouraged him, and I felt him stand a little straighter at hearing the words.

  “I will, Kaya. And then I’ll come back for you when the battle is over.” He announced confidently, and she looked pleased.

  We turned and hurried back towards the exit. I waited till we got out of earshot of the unicorns and imp guards before I spoke again.

  “Nice lady-friend you have there, Daegan. I didn’t know.” I patted him on the back.

  “Neither did I,” Daegan joked.

  “They kinda sneak up on you, don’t they?” I grinned, thinking of Immy.

  “They do. That they do.”

  Chapter 32

  Imogen

  I sat against the rough tree. I felt grimy and exhausted, emotionally and physically. I’d be fine physically if I could get a decent meal and more water. The water and bread that Rafe had given me were now gone. I’d eaten and drank the last of it the night before.

  My stomach grumbled in protest. It stopped after a few agonizing seconds, but I continued to hear a rumbling sound after it was done. But this time, it wasn’t coming from my empty gut. The gryphons and imps must have heard it too because they took off in the direction the noise was coming from. They flew to the eastern part of the island and their voices rose in their agitation.

  Since they seemed to have forgotten about me, I quickly got up and followed in the direction of the rumbling. As I came to the edge of the floating forest, I rose up on my tiptoes and stretched my neck to see what was going on. My heart started racing at the sight before me. Off in the distance, I could see an army of several hundred people riding towards Unicris. They even wheeled giant catapults with them. I knew it was the elfin army, and my heart nearly burst with relief that they’d finally made it.

  My internal celebration was cut short, though. The gryphons and imps began to freak out and soon they turned their focus on me.

  “Master Warley, what should we do?” One of the imps asked fearfully. “We could fight against her little group, but the whole elfin army outnumbers us by the hundreds.”

  “We’re up here, and we can fly. Their army can’t touch us. Only the four faeries can fly, and we definitely outnumber them. We will be fine.” Warley said arrogantly. “Now take her away, before she gets any ideas.”

  Two imps grabbed my arms and started pulling me back into the forest. “You won’t win!” I shouted at them all, but mainly to their leader.

  “Well, you’ll be dead before you find out one way or the other. So…” He taunted as they dragged me away, his penetrating eagle eyes staring me down.

  I clenched my jaw and stared right back. Not today, Satan!

  Chapter 33

  I sat with Yaron and Aviana in the palace dining hall. Our breakfast sat in front of us barely touched. None of us had much of an appetite after I had the vision of Imogen being taken by the imps to the Dark Isle.

  I had immediately told the king and queen about my vision of the battle with the Alpanians. After that, they’d moved me into an adjoining room to their bedchambers. To be close by if I had any more visions of their battles.

  Now, we were waiting just as impatiently as Imogen and the rest of the group for the elfin army to arrive and for my visions to return once more.

  I heard the rumble first. As I brought my fork to my mouth, my vision clouded over, and I was catapulted to the now dark border of Unicris. The fork clattered to the table forgotten as I saw the army march towards Rafe and the others.

  “They’ve arrived!” I exclaimed breathlessly and felt Aviana clasp my hand anxiously, though I could no longer see her. I could only see the scene unfolding in front of me.

  Valen strode up to Rafe as his army halted. “Rafe. Brother!” Once he reached the faery prince, they did their customary greeting. “I’m glad to find you well. Have you recovered Imogen yet?”

  “Valen.” Rafe nodded his head, before sighing deeply. “I’m glad you’re here. No, we haven’t, unfortunately. They’re holding her captive up on the Dark Isle. She and Daegan can communicate through their thoughts, and she says that they plan on killing us if we try to rescue her. She says there are about fifty gryphons and imps combined up there. We couldn’t compete with that. So we’ve been waiting for you.”

  “I’m glad you did. Now we outnumber them.” Valen grinned slyly.

  “We must hurry. Immy’s been without much food or water, as well as the unicorns. We don’t have much time to waste.”

  “We’re ready.” Valen gestured to Sabir.

  The captain of the elfin army raised his arm and gestured for the army to start moving forward once more. Rafe walked over to his group of trusted friends. All of their faces held different emotions. Excitement, fear, determination, anxiousness. Rafe looked as if he felt all four.

  “Are you guys ready?” He asked them.

  “It doesn’t matter either way. It’s something we have to do.” Saffi said, and then took a deep breath.

  “I’m always ready,” Wakeley exclaimed as Rae gripped his hand for support.

  Rafe looked to Daegan and the unicorn nodded. Both his best friend and his family were being held captive, he possibly had more to lose than all of them. Though losing a lifemate was not something any faery wanted to experience. I’d had a vision of Rafe’s soul surge with Imogen, so I knew that they were lifemates. So I prayed that neither of them would experience losing each other on this day.

  “Alright. Let’s go.” Rafe spoke his voice firm.

  As the army moved to pass their camp, they stepped into the front line with Valen and Sabir. One united front. They cleared the forest and marched towards the floating island. Lined up along the edge of the Dark Isle were the dark creatures. Rafe’s eyes scanned for Imogen, but she was nowhere to be seen. He looked over to Daegan and the unicorn automatically knew what Rafe was thinking without the ability to read his mind.

  “She’s okay. They’re holding her…for now.” Daegan hesitated.

  The army stopped several yards before the island. Sabir signaled to the archers, and they drew back their bows ready to launch hundreds of arrows at the enemy. The rest of the army and the faeries drew their swords.

  One lone gryphon perched high in a tree above the imps and gryphons lined up on the forest floor of the island. It was obvious that he was their leader. Rafe stared directly at him for several moments, his jaw clenche
d in anger.

  “Release the human girl,” Rafe shouted up to him. “Go back to Myrkur and you will not be harmed.”

  The gryphon cackled at his words.

  “Do you find your death humorous?” Rafe asked seriously.

  “It wasn’t my death I was laughing at, but yours and hers.” He called back.

  Just then, two gryphons stepped to the side as Imogen was brought forward. She was held by two imps, and she struggled against them. Feisty as ever. Her fiery hair was a wild and tangled mess. The white shirt that covered her was dirty and slightly torn. Smudges of grime were on her butterscotch legs and face. She looked beautiful and angry as Hades.

  Rafe looked over at Saffi. “Be ready.”

  She nodded.

  The imps and gryphons cried out with loud screeches and dove from the edge of the island. They headed straight for the army. Sabir lifted his hand, ready to signal to the archers. Saffi raised her hands out at her sides and then swung them forward, connecting them in a loud clap. Wind blasted the creatures, and they were blown back. Sabir released his hand, and the archers let their arrows fly. Disoriented from the blast of wind that sent them into a tailspin, several imps and gryphons were hit by the barrage of arrows and spiraled down to the ground.

  Rafe released his wings and lifted off of the ground. His only objective was to reach Imogen. She was his only concern. He knew everyone could take care of themselves, but she was currently defenseless. No armor, no shield, and no weapon. Rafe flew towards her with his sword drawn and he was quickly surrounded by three imps. He went on the attack, but they were quick and dodged his thrusts and swings. Rafe tried to zigzag to keep them off him, but one still managed to get behind him and get its arm around his neck. One grabbed his left arm and the other struck his right arm that held his sword over and over, trying to get Rafe to drop his weapon. He gritted my teeth, refusing to let go as he struggled to get out of their grasp.

  Shouts and screams rang out from the battlefield. The gryphons and imps had an advantage over most of the army, flying just out of reach of their swords. A gryphon came from behind and snatched an elf soldier up in its talons, before releasing him to fall to his death. I heard him scream on the way down, and I cringed when I heard the thud that silenced him.

  Saffi, Rae, and Daegan combined forces to battle the dark creatures. Daegan’s only protection was his silver horn. He couldn’t fight off the enemy like the others could. So Saffi and Rae protected him as they flew above him. Three gryphons dove towards them as the two girls were in the middle of fighting off two imps. Daegan saw the three gryphons coming towards them.

  “Saffi!” Daegan only had time to shout her name.

  She sliced at the imp that tried to grab at her. Her sword connected with its scaly flesh, and it screamed in shocked fury. Just as the gryphons sped towards them, the imp went back on the attack. Saffi didn’t have time to think. Quickly she took a deep breath and then blew it out with all the force she had. A gust of wind hit the dark ones with the force of a hurricane. Saffi twirled her hand around, manipulating the wind and turning it into a powerful cyclone. The gryphons and imp screeched as they spun out of control.

  Wakeley saw the tornado Saffi had stirred up. He quickly ran his sword through an imp he’d been toying with for a few moments, and then ran to their aid. Wakeley cut down the imp that was attacking Rae and then turned to the Air faery. Saffi glanced over at him, and Wakeley nodded. One at a time, she used her power to fling each dark one out of the windstorm. And Wakeley used them as target practice with his power over earth.

  As one gryphon was flung from the cyclone and plummeted towards the ground, Wakeley pulled his arm back and then flung his hand out, sending shards of earth and rock up into the air like natural spears. His aim was precise and hit the gryphon in midair, sending him flying back as it pierced its sternum.

  The others quickly met with the same fate as Wakeley sent his deadly earthy missiles at each one. He grinned proudly after they had fallen to their deaths. A cocky sideways smirk lit up his face.

  Wakeley glanced over at Valen and Sabir as he curiously watched them run towards the catapults. Without wings, fighting the imps and gryphons were next to impossible for the elves. So it was obvious what the elf king and his captain of the elfin army were planning to do as they climbed into the cradle of two catapults. Wakeley grinned and ran over to them.

  “I’ll help if you need me,” he called to them.

  Both men nodded.

  Valen held a sword in each hand, forgoing a shield for protection. He raised one arm and the elves that held the catapult’s lever, gripped it tightly, ready for his signal. The elf king watched as two gryphons flew towards him, ready to attack. Valen grinned and dropped his arm, signaling to release the catapult. The elves pressed down the lever and launched their king into the air. Valen shot out like a bullet. He twisted his body into a spin as he held the blades of his swords out. He flew through the air, right in the middle of the two gryphons, his blades connecting as he spun past them. Their eagle heads fell to the ground as their bodies quickly followed. Wakeley shot up into the air to grasp Valen before he fell back to the ground and hurt himself.

  Next Sabir was launched from the catapult. He tucked his body in, somersaulting through the air towards an imp that held an elf soldier several feet above the ground. In midair, Sabir untucked his body and raised his sword as he hurtled towards the imp’s back. With a battle cry, the elf captain sliced down the imp’s unprotected back. It immediately released the soldier and fell to the earth where the soldiers on the ground finished him off. Wakeley once more flew up to catch both Valen and the soldier. He easily floated down to the ground, holding them in each arm.

  Wakeley and Saffi were about to take flight to help Rafe, who was still grappling with the three imps in midair when a loud familiar scream drew everyone’s attention up to the floating island. I gasped and gripped the queen’s hand when I saw an imp holding Imogen by her hair as it held her over the edge of the island. Her legs flailed wildly as she kicked at empty air. Her nails clawed at his hand that gripped her hair painfully. My heart jumped in my throat, knowing what would happen next. It seemed as if everyone held their breath.

  “IMMY!!!” Rafe screamed.

  The imps that held onto him tightened their grip as he went wild to get out of their hold. As she struggled futilely, Imogen’s eyes met Rafe’s. The look that she gave him made my heart wrench in two. It was a look of ‘I’m sorry’, ‘I love you’, and ‘goodbye’ all rolled into one. Rafe’s eyes widened, and he shook his head in denial. Then the imp released her.

  “Nooooooo!” Rafe bellowed as he watched her mouth open on a scream, but no sound came out as she dropped.

  Daegan shouted out her name. Just as the others tried to fly towards the falling human girl, the second wave of gryphons and imps swooped down to attack. Daegan tried to run towards the area where Imogen was falling, but a gryphon flew down with claws ready to rip him in two. The unicorn was mindless in his need to get to his best friend. Just as the gryphon neared him, Daegan jumped towards the evil creature and speared it with his horn, shoving him out of the way. He barely even registered the gryphon’s cry of agony as he ran full speed towards Imogen’s falling trajectory.

  I held my breath as I watched his body start to blur and light began to shine from his ebony coat. Even the imps holding Rafe and fighting the others became distracted by the sight.

  Something that looked like extra limbs began to extend and grow from either side of the unicorn’s body. They unfolded and spread, and I gasped as Daegan’s galloping hooves lifted off of the ground. Glistening, inky wings of black feathers stretched from his body. They flapped and caught the wind as he soared up and caught Imogen in midair.

  It all happened within a matter of seconds but played out as if it was in slow motion. Once he caught her, everyone released their collective breaths they had been holding onto. I even felt mine burst out from my lungs.

  The fear t
hat had gripped Rafe’s heart finally released it and he could think clearly once more. He realized that the shock had yet to wear off on the imps that still watched the flying unicorn. Their grips had loosened from around him. He twisted out of their grasp, his sword slicing through the air. He cut two down at the same time before they even knew what was happening. Rafe spun around and ran his sword through the last one’s gut. The three of them fell to the ground, one after the other.

  Rafe looked down and saw the elves and three other faeries were finishing off the last of the dark creatures. His eyes searched for Immy and Daegan, and he caught them gliding down towards the ground. The unicorns corralled within the wall of thorns watched in amazement as he sailed past them.

  Rafe flew down to greet them as Daegan landed gently on the ground. It was as if he’d been flying all along. Imogen slid off of his back on shaky legs. She looked him over in awe and then wrapped her arms around his neck in a grateful hug.

  “You saved my life.” She whispered. Then she released him and looked at him again. “Look at you! Wings suit you.” She smiled happily.

  “Immy,” Rafe called to her. His voice was husky with emotion.

  She turned, and her eyes became glassy as she blinked rapidly to hold back her tears. He quickly strode towards her, closing the distance between them in a few steps. Rafe wrapped her up in his arms, lifting her off of her feet. She squeezed his neck in a death grip, she hugged him so tight.

  I collapsed back in my chair. My vision cleared, and I could see Aviana and Yaron once again. Once more, I was exhausted from the stress of the battle as well as relaying all that was happening to the king and queen at the same time.

  They smiled happily at me, overjoyed that another battle had been won for the light. As tired as I was, when my visions took me there to the battles, I felt young again. So I smiled back at them. Blissful in my fatigue.

  “Two down. Two more to go.”

  Chapter 34