The Prince of Night

by L J Andrews

  Jade met my eye. She was studying my face. I was overjoyed—even that couldn’t describe what I felt—but the moment was overshadowed the second I realized Jade expected me to put some sort of twisted trust in the lindworm prince. There was no trust—no, in this moment I wanted nothing more than to drain the prince of every drop of his black blood.

  Chapter 9

  The Queen

  Each breath was tight in my body with his touch finally against mine. Teagan held my hand as though I were about to disappear. I didn’t mind; there was the same fear rushing through my own thoughts. I clutched to him as though my life depended on it. But I also saw a fierce rage billowing in his eyes the moment I called away the warriors from the lindworms.

  The mountainside was quiet when the elementals backed away from their enemies. I met Magnus’s eye from across the clearing. The old warrior was in his human form, his face bloodied and a gash cut across his chest. He snarled ferociously at the elemental warriors, and it seemed as though it took every speck of self-control from each wyvern in attendance to withhold starting a battle again.

  Prince Ced held his shoulder where Teagan’s blade had ripped his flesh. Amber helped him from the ground, and the warrior who’d been by Teagan glanced up. His arm was protectively in front of a woman at his side as if Ced would bring her harm. When my gaze locked with the woman, I didn’t have to wonder long as to who she was. A spark of familiarity ripped through my memories. I was young during the divide, hardly more than an infant wyvern, but when her golden eyes found me, I recognized her. The delicate green marks cupping her temples and jaw didn’t leave much room to wonder why else I would know her. She was Gaia—Teagan’s mother.

  That must mean the warrior standing next to her was Thane. I gasped in the back of my throat. He was familiar to me the same as the High Priestess. Both faces from my past. I remembered how familiar Teagan had seemed when we’d first met. Perhaps my interaction with his parents as a child had spurred the forgotten memories. Despite Thane’s shadowed expression, he had Teagan’s eyes—how strange it was to see such resemblance in a dragon.

  “Jade!” Mitch shouted, drawing my eyes from Gaia, as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

  I chuckled, hugging him tightly then taking in his appearance. “Mitch, what’s happened to you?” I smiled, touching the sides of his shaved head and pointing to the knives in his hands.

  “I’m pretty impressive now,” he muttered with an arrogant smirk. “Basically I’m as awesome as the warriors.”

  “Right,” Raffi mumbled. “That will be the day I take my last breath, when a human is as stunning as a warrior.”

  I beamed when Raffi and Dash moved toward Teagan and me. At first it seemed they would embrace me as well, but once more, they lowered to their knees, their heads bowed.

  “Welcome back, my queen,” Raffi muttered, though I saw his mouth twitch in a smile.

  “Oh, stand up,” I mumbled.

  Raffi chuckled and wrapped me in his arms. “I have to be formal, my commanding warrior is watching,” he whispered in my ear before passing me to Dash.

  I smirked, but my breath was lost in my throat when Teagan tugged me close to him. “Jade, I want to introduce you—again, I guess. I forget you’ve met before.”

  I hadn’t imagined I would be so nervous when the time came to meet Teagan’s family, but in the moment, I suddenly wanted to inch to Sapphire, or Onyx, or greet Ruby instead. Swallowing hard, I gripped my clammy palm around Teagan’s tighter. Ced stood behind Amber, who was still valiantly protecting the prince from Thane and Teagan.

  Thane cleared his throat, his eyes on me. I wasn’t certain what to say, but he slowly bowed his head—not what I’d expected—but I was looking at him as Teagan’s father, not a wyvern greeting his queen. “My queen,” he whispered through his bow.

  I flushed, the heat in my face evident. When Gaia stepped forward and smiled, my nerves sort of dissolved for a moment. “Ariana,” she breathed through her smile. I glanced at Teagan before releasing his hand and taking Gaia’s outstretched palms. Gaia kept her eyes on me, but she spoke over her shoulder. “Thane, see how she looks like Reya?”

  Thane nodded, nudging Teagan’s arm when he stood next to him. “Yes, though I see Malik as well.”

  “It’s an honor to meet you,” I whispered. Gaia smiled, and before I could draw another breath, she wrapped her arms around me. I was overcome with a comforting energy that reminded me so much of Teagan’s, but there was another budding emotion buried in the bottom of her heart. I clenched my eyes tight when the tears threatened to spill out. “You shouldn’t feel any guilt for what happened.”

  Gaia pulled back, her eyes glassy with brimming tears. “You seem to be your own sort of empath,” she whispered. “I should have been there for them—for your mother.” For a moment it was only me and the High Priestess in the clearing.

  “You were, and still are,” I breathed. Gaia squeezed my hand and turned toward Teagan. I glanced nervously at Thane, who seemed just as uncertain. Clearing my throat, I grinned at the powerful warrior. “You must frighten the dark High Priest. He refuses to admit to anyone you’re alive. Elder Aldwin and Nag are positive Teagan’s father is dead.” I finally found the strength to speak.

  Teagan chuckled, and Thane seemed rather pleased when he spoke. “That monster will be forced to admit I’m alive soon enough. Did he harm you?” Thane’s voice was dangerously low as he asked.

  “No,” I insisted, glancing toward Amber and Ced, who watched silently. Clearing my throat, I raised my voice so everyone could hear. “As I said, Prince Ced has betrayed his father for our sakes. He freed Amber and me from King Nag and will surely die should he return. These warriors were prisoners of Nag. They only want peace with the wyvern race—not power over the elements.”

  Teagan bristled when I drifted toward Ced, so did most of the elementals.

  “How can you trust them?” A sharp voice I wasn’t ready to hear broke through the masses. I met Athika’s eye from across the clearing. Today was not the day I wanted to deal with the mage who had eyes for Teagan.

  “I didn’t at first. I wanted to tear Ced’s face from his bones,” I shouted.

  “Thank you for that image,” Ced grumbled, but Amber just grinned and stepped forward.

  “The queen speaks true. We would not have survived without the prince and warriors. King Nag had us in his sights. I was inches from death, my elemental stone at risk, and the prince risked his own life against his own people for mine,” Amber bellowed.

  Onyx glanced to Ruby. Their interests were piqued, but I sensed they remained completely untrusting toward the lindworms. I stepped forward again, my heart finding power when the warriors and the mage listened—willingly. “We know it will take time. All I ask is that you hear their tale. See for yourself if their hearts are true and valiant. I must warn you all, the dark High Priest and Nag are searching for us, and we should not stay in one place long. We must restore any protections lost immediately.”

  Gaia burst into action. With a signal to the other mages, they set to work warding the area. Teagan started to charge when Ced and Magnus turned away.

  “I must use night energy,” Ced grumbled, after I took Teagan’s hand tight in mine. “I’m more powerful than my father, and it will protect us well, combined with the mage power.”

  “Let him go,” I whispered next to Teagan’s ear. I liked the way I heard his breath catch in his throat with my lips so close.

  He reeled on me, his eyes bright like the summer sky. I thought he might be angry, but when his fingers traced along my jaw I only felt his calming power. “He didn’t try and…you know?”

  I shook my head. “It was a ruse, Teagan. Ced never planned to mate with me. He only wanted to get me to Nag’s manor so we might become allies.” I smirked and leaned a little closer, hoping to ease his spirit even more. “I think you might frighten him. He told me if my mage was as powerful as rumored to be, mating with me was the last thing
he would want to do.”

  Teagan grinned, his eyes locked on Ced and Magnus as they covered us in darkness. “Yeah well, if he touched you, he should be afraid.”

  The mages kept a wide berth from the lindworms, and there remained a definite divide between the serpents and elementals when the warding and protections were placed around us. My heart burst watching Amber and her mage greet. The mage was small compared to Amber, but when Amber squealed delightfully, I was left with the hope that we might find a normalcy again.

  “Jade!” Amber shrieked, waving her hands violently. “Rochelle found it! My stone!”

  I met Teagan’s eye, my jaw dropping slightly. He grinned and pulled me close. “We found it here,” he whispered close to my ear. “I didn’t think I’d find you too.”

  I lifted to my toes, readying to kiss him again, but stopped when we were bombarded with Sapphire and the other royals.

  “We never thought we’d see you again,” Ruby blubbered, taking my hands in hers.

  “That was dangerous, Jade,” Onyx growled, his brother, Peran, nodding in agreement.

  “I know,” I muttered, allowing myself to absorb the tension in the clearing for the first time. Though I couldn’t pinpoint who still mistrusted me, I knew it was there among the mage and the warriors. Not everyone agreed with the plan to join with Prince Ced and his lindworm warriors. “I felt like there was no choice—Elder Aldwin, he had Eisha’s house surrounded, and…I didn’t know how to keep you all safe.”

  Onyx sighed. He seemed stronger, though it had only been a few weeks since I’d last seen him. Onyx’s eyes were bright, and his hair was kept neat behind his neck. Eventually, he took my hand and kissed the top. “You are fearless and selfless, my queen. But always remember, we never want to lose you, either. We would rather stand and fight than see you in the clutches of King Nag again.”

  I smiled and nodded. Konrad stood a distance from Ruby and Onyx. From his heart billowed a clash of relief as well as frustration. Teagan stepped back, seeming to sense the same, and gave us room to greet one another.

  “I agree with Onyx,” Sapphire said. His coal-black eyes were sharp and penetrated the guilt wailing in my insides, but there remained softness in his expression—the softness I’d grown up around, the kindness and honor I cherished so much. “Jade, you are my queen, but to me, you are so much more. You are my family. I have tried to be there to help you along in your journey—”

  “Konrad, please—”

  “Please, let me say this,” he muttered, stepping closer. “I do not agree with the risk you took. I don’t think many of us do. We are the royal bloodlines and should make choices together.” My stomach clenched tight, and deafening silence surrounded our small group. I wanted to protest, to explain myself, but my words evaporated before taking shape. Sapphire stepped closer, his gentle yet strong hand resting on the side of my arm. “But the bravery in taking such a step to defend your family and your people—you have become more of a queen than I ever imagined.”

  My smile was small when he squeezed me tightly in his powerful arms. Sapphire was my family and always had been. Out of anyone in my life, my fellow royal had guided me with more wisdom than I felt I deserved. Leaving Sapphire had been nearly as painful as leaving Teagan. If I had the support of my fellow royals, of Teagan and his family, then I believed I could weather the storm of any mistrust from the others.

  The sun was fading, and the battle of strategy had begun on whether we should remain through the night or take flight back to the warrior’s haven. Teagan stood behind me, and occasionally I felt his hand run through my hair, then release me, only to return as though he couldn’t keep his hands away too long. Not one part of me minded his touch.

  Gaia and Sapphire were on either side of me, while the vast warriors scattered among the trees, trying to hear each argument. Except the lindworms—Magnus, Laina, and the warriors huddled in the back in the dark.

  “Flying through the night would surely bring Nag upon us since we’re littered with night energy from the snakes,” a warrior named Tao spat with an angry glance at Prince Ced.

  Ced hadn’t spoken much. I guessed he had yet to find his place among the command of the elemental wyverns.

  “Yes, but we’ve been here for quite some time, and we don’t know how close by the dark High Priest or Nag’s army might be,” Amber quipped from the dark edge of the clearing. She hadn’t left Ced’s side since we’d settled—I was grateful for her vigilance since there was no telling who would break and lash out against the small gathering of lindworms.

  “Thane leads the warriors, he should be the one to decide,” Dash added, his eyes locked on the tree Thane leaned against.

  Thane drew in a long breath, crossing his arms over his chest, and his eyes looked to me. “I am lead warrior, but my command comes second to the queen. It falls to her.”

  I shook my head, feeling my heart throb anxiously in my chest. Exhaustion, or stress from the antagonistic energy surrounding everyone I’d forced together, kept me in a fit of angst. I didn’t know what to do. If we left, what if Bron found us? If we stayed, any bloodshed would fall to me. I believed every bone in my body would splinter beneath the weight.

  “I am queen, but it’s no secret here that I am still very young in my ascension. I’m not fool enough to think I know every wise strategy. I would really value your input,” I pleaded.

  Thane smiled a little, and I was surprised how young it made his face. Stepping toward the center of the group, he nodded his head toward me. “As you say.” Thane faced the swell of mages and warriors, even occasionally glancing toward the lindworms. “I believe staying would be greater risk than returning to the cave. The dark High Priest, as we know, will never stop if he finds us cornered, and we don’t know what reinforcements Nag could be bringing. We take to the sky, we ask our mage companions to shield us on our journey, and we prepare to stand against our enemies once and for all.”

  Thane’s voice boomed around the clearing. I glanced up toward Teagan, who had a vibrant grin on his face as he watched his father. Seeing the peace in his features brought me more happiness than I could have known. The warriors bellowed their agreement, most clanging their weapons together, while those in wyvern form blew puffs of boiling breath from their snouts.

  Tao stepped forward, meeting Thane’s gaze before snarling toward the lindworms. “And what of the snakes?”

  Thane furrowed his brow, though I saw how his jaw clenched tight. Thane wasn’t keen on the lindworms either. “Though I have my own aversions, we have the word of two of our royals speaking to the valor of these…wyverns’ hearts. I haven’t sensed any betrayal, Tao. Have you?”

  Tao’s lips pursed tight, and his tanned skin seemed to redden in anger when he glanced at Thane. “I do not agree with lindworms in my haven.”

  Tao’s voice thickened with his sharp accent the angrier he became, but I saw him draw in a sharp breath when Thane’s eyes narrowed and the lead warrior inched slowly toward his warrior. “Then you would demand we ignore the royals’ assurances—one being our queen?”

  Tao shifted on his feet slightly, his dark gaze drifting across the clearing. Teagan’s hand found my shoulder protectively. Tao’s voice was sharp, and he spoke through his teeth. His mistrust for me was blinding, and though I kept my shoulders straight, I shuddered beneath his gaze. “I do not speak against my royals. I just ask for consideration in allowing our enemies around our families. Our people we left behind. There are young ones.”

  “Then take us as your prisoners.” We all startled, and like a wave of eyes, each wyvern locked on Prince Ced. His eyes gleamed with his passion in the night, and as the sunlight faded, all the lindworms seemed more powerful. “I mean it. As a sign of our good intentions, tether us, jail us, whatever you must do. I agree with your warriors—staying here keeps us in greater risk. Especially through the night. I can already feel the surge of my brothers. They are not looking for us—they are hunting us.”

  “I
will agree to taking the lindworm warriors and the prince as our guarded prisoners if it is agreed by the royals,” Thane said.

  “Well, I don’t agree,” Amber shouted.

  “Be reasonable,” Ruby snapped. “We will ensure no harm befalls any of them, but keeping them under guard while we determine their loyalties as you have will appease everyone.”

  Sapphire and Onyx voiced their agreement, and the final vote was left to me. Standing slowly, I felt every eye on me. Teagan’s fingers gripped my hand and I was strengthened. “Prince Ced protected us and his people. If it will keep the peace, I would beg the prince’s forgiveness, but I agree for the warriors to take the lindworms as prisoners. But they will be unharmed and treated fairly.”

  “I did not leave one prison to go to another one,” Magnus bellowed.

  “Magnus,” Ced hissed. “We put our trust in Amber and Jade—and the honor of the warriors,” he said with a glance at Thane. “We trust we will be treated with respect as we show we are not the ones you should fear.”

  Thane nodded, his eyes locking firmly with Tao, who backed away under the gaze of his leader. “Then we prepare to leave. And quickly, night has come.”

  Chapter 10

  The Mage

  Jade didn’t shift for the journey back to the cave. She remained in human form to stay with me. I didn’t protest, and together we clamored onto Raffi’s back so Thane wouldn’t have to carry three riders. Raffi demanded we keep a reasonable distance from each other, or he would toss us off, but after several hours, Jade’s head was resting against my chest and my arms were wrapped tightly around her waist.

  Her fingers traced my jade armor like always, and with her closeness I felt peace for the first time in weeks.