I held up my hand and pushed him back, my sword flaming in my other hand. “It’s not going to end well for you, dark fae. Your master is dead. You might as well give up.”
“You will never win, Dawnstar,” the dark fae hissed. “Your army can never defeat Morgana’s.”
“That’s what you think,” I said, my tone confident.
The dark fae’s soulless eyes widened as my sword flashed with silver fire and quickly severed his head from his body.
As creatures fell, more came to take their place. The horde moved relentlessly against the fortress. Line after line of monstrous creatures attacked, Morgana’s mage soldiers in their midst, urging them on. They were like an endless sea of black, twisting and writhing with evil magic.
I sheathed Dawn and ran, calling on a different power, and created a bow and arrow out of glamour. I nocked an arrow as I sprinted across the battlements, infusing it with silver fire. I shot arrow after arrow at the persistent creatures that managed to scale the walls.
Tristan continued fighting, swiftly and efficiently slashing through the enemy, unleashing himself on any creature that managed to get up the ladders. Many ran at the sight of the dark prince, his swords flashing as he decimated Morgana’s minions.
The majority of the warrior-mages were at the gates, holding them with magic as the Drakaar battered them from the other side. A few witch warriors who had come to Eldoren with Silverthorne helped hold the wards in place. But even they could not hold it for much longer.
I spotted Rafe helping them and shouting orders to his warrior-mages. “We need more magic to reinforce the wards; they are not going to hold!”
The wards fell. Dark magic ripped through the shields and a host of gorgoths burst through, flying straight at Rafe.
My heart nearly stopped, but I did not. I dashed toward him, weaving magic in the air around me, sealing the gaps in the wards and reinforcing them as I ran.
Rafe turned swiftly to meet a gorgoth, his sword drawn. Lightning flashed in his palm as he slashed his sword across the monstrous creature’s wing, exactly as I had taught him. It screamed and fell to the ground, momentarily stunned as Rafe hit it with a bolt of lightning. Rafe raised his sword and sliced the gorgoth’s neck.
More gorgoths battered at my shield. I blasted them away from Rafe. They fell out of the sky amid screams and cries as my magic hit them, incinerating them on contact. I could keep going, burn a hole in their ranks again and again, but eventually I would tire and so would everyone else. No one could keep this up forever. And Morgana’s army was endless; they just kept coming.
A horn sounded in the distance.
I grabbed Rafe’s hand, and we scrambled to the stairs and back up to the battlements to look out at the valley.
A wave of soldiers on horseback thundered down the plain toward the demon army. Pointed helmets flashed as the vast cavalry smashed into Morgana’s unsuspecting troops, shattering their ranks.
Leading the charge rode the pirate prince on a white stallion, his golden crown flashing in the sunlight.
Santino had come!
Above the Brandorian cavalry flew a cloud of white snow leopards, growling with fury. Staffs lit up above them in multicolored hues. Magic crackled and streaked overhead as the warrior witches of Rohron crashed into the gorgoths, felling hundreds from the sky.
The drums sounded, Morgana’s army calling for a retreat.
Cheers and excited shouts went up from the White Fortress as we paused to watch Santino’s massive army drive the demon creatures away from the pass.
I heaved a massive sigh of relief. The battle wasn’t over yet, not by a long shot, but at least we would live to see another day.
Old Scores Settled
Once the fortress was secure, we all gathered in the great hall as night approached. Fires burned in the oversized hearths. The white stone walls, scuffed and dulled with time, were covered with faded tapestries from another age, showing weapons and crests of Eldorean noble families who supported the kingdom with their personal troops.
Beyond the keep walls, Morgana’s horde regrouped. They would be back in the morning, of that I had no doubt.
Uncle Gabriel paced in front of the flickering hearth. He looked up, and his eyes flashed in the firelight, which illuminated fresh scars on his face from the battle. His gaze settled on my father, who walked in beside me, and his mouth fell open. “It can’t be.”
My father smiled. “It seems I wasn’t so easy for Morgana to get rid of after all.” He glanced at me. “I guess it helps to have the Dawnstar as a daughter.”
I blushed.
Uncle Gabriel’s stoic face burst into a wide smile, one I had not seen in a very long time. He strode up to my father and enveloped him in a big bear hug, completely oblivious to the shocked faces all around him. “It’s so good to have you back, my boy.”
“It is good to be back, Gabriel,” said Azaren Firedrake, returning the embrace.
Santino joined us in the great hall after he had settled his troops. They were now camped outside the fortress guarding the pass. Santino greeted Silverthorne and clasped forearms with Rafe and Tristan.
He turned to me and gave me a hug. “I’m glad to see you are still alive, Princess Firedrake.”
I smiled at the pirate prince and hugged him back. “Thank you for coming, Santino.” I took a step back and raised an eyebrow as I studied him. “Or should I say, Sultan Santino?”
“Santino will suffice.” Santino chuckled, his amber eyes crinkling at the corners. “And I couldn’t very well ignore a summons from my father-in-law, could I?”
Silverthorne shot his son-in-law an amused look and clapped him on the back. “Your timing is impeccable, Santino.”
“Isn’t it always?” Santino said, completely stone-faced.
Penelope cleared her throat. “We don’t have much time.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Now that we are all here, we must discuss how to proceed.”
“Most of the mines have been shut down,” Santino offered. “Morgana will not get any more supplies of blackened iron to her army.”
Penelope nodded. “Good. But I suspect they have already managed to forge a good number of weapons from what they have.”
“Have you spoken to Izadora?” Silverthorne asked.
Penelope nodded. “Yes, and the Elder Council has finally relented. They have agreed to send the fae army to assist us. They have already started to march.”
Tristan stepped forward. “Even with their fae speed, it will take the army of Elfi days to get here. A few may be able to make it faster on griffins, but they are not enough. Even if we summon all the griffins from the keep, their numbers are scant at best.”
“We will have to hold the pass until then,” said Rafe, running his hands through his hair.
“The fortress will not hold until then,” my father said softly. “This is no ordinary army. Those creatures have been bred out of dark magic.” He shot a look at Silverthorne and Rafe. “Your warrior-mages cannot win against the Drakaar.” He glanced at Penelope and Tristan. “The fae have become weaker over the centuries, and the army Izadora will send is not strong enough to defeat this one. I spent enough time with Dragath to learn all I could about his plans. Today’s battle was just scouts trying to assess our weaknesses. There is a whole legion of dark fae armed with blades of blackened iron waiting within their ranks to destroy the fae army when they come. Once she unleashes her whole army, this fortress will fall, that is certain. Only Izadora’s Elite stand a chance against them, and there are only—” he looked at Tristan, “—seven Elite fire-fae warriors?”
“Eight,” the dark prince replied, jerking his chin in my direction.
My father gave me an indulgent smile and nodded. “Yes, eight it is. But even the Dawnstar cannot defeat them all.”
I stared into the flames as I sat quietly by the hearth and let them talk. My father was right. Even though Dragath was gone, it sounded like we were going to lose the war.
/> I turned the Dark Dagger in my hands, inspecting it from every angle. It pulsed with dark magic, still infused with the evil power Dragath had used to create it. Ever since I took it from him, its darkness called to me like a living thing, shrouding my mind with dark thoughts and trying to coax my magic back into the Dagger, even though it could not forcefully take it anymore. Having it with me all the time was proving to be harder than I had imagined. I wanted to be rid of it.
But I couldn’t get rid of it, at least not yet. My mother was still trapped within it, and along with her so many other fae that Dragath had taken over the many centuries of his rule. I pushed magic into it from every angle, trying everything I could think of, but nothing seemed to work.
I sent a thought out to Abraxas. “Any idea how I can break the curse on the Dagger?”
“It won’t be easy,” the dragon responded immediately.
“Obviously, Sherlock,” I murmured, running my fingers over the dark, twisted blade.
“Who is this Sherlock?” said the great dragon, a note of puzzlement in his deep voice.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t find it in me to laugh. “Never mind.”
Lights seemed to swirl within the blade when I touched it, but I could not get to them. I had no idea how to get my mother out. The Dagger held on to the lives and the magic it had taken. It was not going to give them back easily.
I heard a commotion in the corridors as the doors of the great hall burst open and Aiden came in dragging Skye with him. Her face was battered and bruised, and her golden hair was matted with dirt and blood from a gash on her head. It was painfully obvious Aiden had not gone easy on his sister. I almost felt sorry for her.
“How did you find her?” Penelope asked, taking a tentative step forward.
“I caught her opening a portal and I followed her through,” spat Aiden. “Little vixen was not easy to catch.”
“And the book?” said Penelope.
Skye hung her head and didn’t answer.
“Where is the Book of Abraxas, Skye?” Penelope asked again.
“She told me she already gave it to Morgana,” Aiden replied.
My eyes narrowed. “Why would she . . .” I froze. “That’s not Skye.”
Cold calculating eyes looked back at me, black as obsidian. She grinned.
“Lilith!” I gasped.
Before Aiden realized what had happened, Lilith grabbed a dagger from his belt. “Azaren must die!” she screamed and flew at my father.
My father’s eyes widened as Lilith raised her hand to strike a killing blow.
“No!” I sprang to my feet. My magic exploded without so much as raising my hands, flinging Lilith against the far wall and pinning her there.
She thrashed and writhed in her bonds, and in a flash, Tristan had a sword to her throat.
“Wait!” my voice boomed across the room.
Tristan stilled his hand. “She has to die. It is the only way for a traitor like her.”
“No,” I said as I stalked toward her. “Skye may be a traitor, but she doesn’t deserve to die.”
Lilith had occupied Skye’s body for her magic, to make her more powerful. She would keep changing bodies until someone stopped her. She had taken Vivienne’s life when she left her body, and I was not going to let her take any more.
“This ends today,” I said and placed my hands on her chest.
Tristan and Aiden held Lilith pinned to the wall as I plunged my magic deep into her. The Dark Queen screeched in fury; her rotting magic clawed and tore at mine, a hateful, twisted darkness that devoured souls and fed on power. I gritted my teeth against it and pushed harder. Light magic streaked through Skye’s body, drawing a shriek from her lips as Lilith swore and raged curses at my father. Wave after wave of pure, shining white light shredded apart the darkness and shadows that lurked in the deepest recesses of Skye’s body, incinerating the Dark Queen from this world forever.
I removed my hands from Skye’s chest. She stared back at me, eyes wide but blue as Mermaid Lagoon.
Aiden shook his head. “I’m sorry, Aurora. I didn’t know Lilith had taken over her body.”
I put my hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Aiden. No harm done.” I turned my eyes back to Skye. “You will be tried by the Elder Council for your crimes.”
Aiden nodded. “I will make sure she is delivered to Elfi.”
Skye spoke up. “I can help you get the book back.”
My eyes narrowed as I studied her face. There was no more of the Dark Queen left in her, but Skye had willingly betrayed the fae and helped her mother steal the Book of Abraxas. “Why would you do that? You were the one who helped steal it in the first place.”
Skye’s azure eyes glinted dangerously. “Dragath took my mother. She is trapped in the Dagger.” Her eyes softened as she lowered them. “I just want to get her back. And you are the only one who can do it.”
Now that was something I understood. But I had no idea how to get my own mother out of the Dagger, let alone anyone else’s. Still, Skye didn’t need to know that. Maybe we could use her to turn the tide of this war.
“I could,” I said noncommittally and ran my fingers over the hilt of the Dagger, which was now secured at my belt. “After everything you did, why would we trust you?”
“You can’t.” Skye crossed her arms. “But it’s your best option.”
“I will go with her,” Aiden said, his tone flat. “I can convince Morgana I have turned sides.”
I shook my head. “No, Aiden, it is too dangerous. Her camp is teeming with Drakaar.”
“Not to mention dark fae.” Tristan arched an eyebrow. “She will never believe one of the Elite would betray Izadora.”
“I will tell Morgana that Skye convinced me to help her.” He threw her a disgusted look. “She is my sister, after all.” He turned back to me. “If I can get close enough to Morgana, I can kill her and end this wretched war.”
“And it’s common knowledge how much he hates you, Aurora.” Skye smirked. “Morgana might actually believe he betrayed his queen just to get rid of you.”
Aiden opened his mouth to say something, but I held up my hand. “It’s okay, Aiden.”
“If she finds out you are lying, she will kill you,” Penelope added.
Silverthorne, who had remained quiet so far, spoke up. “Aiden is right, it is the most practical plan.”
I nodded. It did make sense—provided Skye kept her word.
“You will go tonight,” Silverthorne continued, “while her army is regrouping. We only have a few hours. They will attack again at dawn.”
“Be careful,” I added.
Aiden nodded and caught Skye by the arm. His boots clomped on the stone floors as they left the hall.
I fiddled with the Amulet of Auraken, which rested around my neck. I did not need it anymore, and it could no longer contain my magic.
Penelope held out her hand. “I will hold on to the amulet for safekeeping. We do not want it lost in battle.”
I nodded, taking the Amulet of Auraken from around my neck and giving it to Penelope. “Do you think Skye will betray us again?”
Penelope’s eyes were unreadable as she gazed out the great arched window. “I don’t know. But I think we may need to come up with another plan, just in case.”
The Final Battle
The monstrous army stirred as dawn approached.
We had run out of options, and we had run out of time.
I hadn’t slept a wink. I had sat on my makeshift bed in the great hall staring into the fire, waiting to hear from Aiden. There had been no word. I hoped he had succeeded in killing Morgana and ending this war. But it looked like there was going to be no such luck.
The fortress was packed to bursting, with all the rooms and beds full of casualties from the last battle. Soldiers slept on the floors and in the various halls and corridors, preparing themselves for what was to come. They offered me a room they had made available, but I had no interest in sleep. I
preferred to remain in the great hall and wait for word from Aiden.
The thud of drums began as Morgana’s horde began to march again. Today the fate of Avalonia would be decided, and we would need a miracle to win this time.
“Aurora.” Penelope’s voice was strained.
I looked up. “What’s the matter?”
“I think you’d better come and see.”
I followed Penelope to a wide balcony that overlooked the blood-soaked valley. Morgana was standing at the front of her army with a crown on her head.
She addressed the fortress, her voice amplified by magic. “Come out, Dawnstar. I know you are in there.”
An eerie silence followed.
“So, it seems you need a little persuasion.” Morgana shrugged and gestured for someone to join her.
My hand flew to my mouth as Skye dragged forward a barely conscious Aiden, bound in chains of blackened iron. She pushed him to the ground at Morgana’s feet. Six dark fae surrounded them, in case the Prince of the Day Court were to get free.
Skye had indeed betrayed us, but I never thought she would betray her brother like this.
“Hear me, Dawnstar,” Morgana warned. “If you come out and face me now, I will allow the others to live.” Her voice rose. “People of Avalonia,” she addressed my army. “Give up the Dawnstar and you shall all return to your homes tonight. If she doesn’t face me, you will never see your families again, and every one of you will die here today.”
Penelope put her hand on my shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. “You don’t have to do this. Every soldier here will fight for you with their dying breath.”
I shook my head. “I can’t let them do that while there is another choice.” I squared my shoulders, and my eyes narrowed. “I will meet with Morgana, and if I can get close enough to her, I can end this.”
My father stepped up first. “I will go with you.”
The Return of the Dragon Queen Page 31
