Hearing this, Jada knew Edith had found an answer to the question of whether or not their mate's bond could be undone. But, considering neither of them would entertain the possibility any longer, she felt badly for putting the enchantress to work.
So she apologized. “I'm really sorry I put you to the trouble, Edith, but whatever answers you found, we won't be accepting the results.”
Edith smiled, admitting, “I didn't think so. Still, would you like to know what I found anyway? Because it's really interesting.”
Dalris exchanged a look with Jada, then shrugged. “What is it?”
Nodding, the enchantress supplied, “I wouldn't have been able to break your bond personally. Instead, you would've had to locate a cordivus.”
“A … cordi-what?”
Nodding as if she understood their confusion, Edith explained, “I didn't know what it was either. So I asked my instructor, and she said a cordivus is an archaic word that could mean one of two things; a person chosen as a vessel to carry the essence of a deity, or, and this one's more interesting, a deity who's taken physical form.”
Completely intrigued by her description, Jada and Karina both drew out the word, “Cool.”
“I know!” Edith retorted, grinning. “But that's basically it. You can break the connection, but it takes divine powers to do it.”
Considering matehood was usually decided by fate, and fate might be considered the will of the gods, it made sense.
But merely thinking about the prospect had a wave of possessiveness sweeping over Jada so strongly that she thread her fingers through Dalris', heartened when he gave her hand a squeeze in return. Will of the gods or not, he's mine.
She decided to tell him so once they were alone again, and for now, listened as Edith added, “So what are you two gonna do now? Did you get any answers from that ruin?”
“Not specifically, but we did learn where we need to go,” Dalris replied, allowing Jada to explain their trip, starting with what the ruin turned out to be and the anonymous message they'd found inside revealing the location of Rinora's lair.
She also made sure to mention her grandfather's letter, and what the Archon told him, summarizing, “Even Menlor mentioned something about saving innocent lives before we entered the ruin. I don't know what it all means, but something's going on that we don't know about.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Novak started, snapping his fingers. “Speaking of Menlor, Karina discovered there were actually two spies on The Cutlass. We have them locked away now.”
Quickly, Jada turned to Karina for an explanation. “Who?”
“Do you remember the guy Adravi attacked when we first boarded?” At her nod, Karina continued, “The night you guys left, I was scouting below decks as a cat, and overheard one of the half elf crewmen talking to another about throwing a card game so he could give Moore a tracking device to pass onto Dalris that would allow Menlor to follow you.”
Jada's jaw dropped just as Dalris growled angrily, “You mean that ring?”
“Yep,” Karina confirmed.
“No wonder he found us so quickly,” Jada groused, looking down at the ring on her finger. “Damn it, I like this ring, too! It's sentimental now.”
“I can remove the tracking magic if you'd like,” Karina offered. “I mean, unless you'd rather leave it here to make Menlor think you're still in the shrine, er … saying he hasn't left any spies behind who've already seen us, that is.”
Jada pursed her lips, taking the suggestion to heart. There was no doubt Menlor had people watching the swamp, but the idea held merit.
Dalris also made it easier to decide when he placed a hand on her back and leaned in to say against her ear, “Don't forget, I'll be showering you with jewels once this is all over anyway.”
She fought a smile, and ultimately decided to leave the accessory behind. Besides, now that she knew the ring was actually from Menlor, the luster had come off.
But before she could agree, Edith glanced right with a peculiar expression on her face.
Seeing it, Isaac looked in the same direction, asking quietly, “What is it, angel? Something set off your ward?”
“I'm not sure,” the enchantress replied. “Charlotte, do you sense someone around?”
The fae focused for a moment, then shook her head in the negative. “Nope.”
Edith seemed to believe her, but she stood anyway, lifting her staff which flashed with a bright light that caused her body to disappear from sight.
“I'll be right back,” the invisible enchantress remarked.
In turn, Isaac looked back at the rest of the group with a shrug, idly mentioning, “I still wanna try having invisible sex. Just wonder how it'd go.”
Unexpectedly, Liam and Novak both qualified, “It's tedious.”
Their synced responses incited a round of laughter from the group, though things quickly grew silent when Edith suddenly muttered from somewhere nearby, “I'll be damned.”
Immediately following her remark, a bright flash of light accompanied by a magical explosion emanated from just beyond the trees.
In turn, Isaac shot to his feet with a deadliness in his fiery eyes that made Jada shiver.
“Edith?”
“I'm okay,” she answered, reappearing right behind him.
Visibly relieved, he turned to her and asked, “What the hell was that?”
Frowning, the enchantress explained, “I just destroyed a Third Eye sitting right on the edge of my ward.”
“Oh great,” Karina grumbled sarcastically. “Guess that means it's time to go.”
Nearly everyone agreed, automatically getting up to begin the process of packing. Yet Charlotte seemed confused, asking, “Wait, what's a Third Eye?”
“It's a magician's trick,” Karina explained. “Basically, they create a floating orb that can travel over short distances, and whatever it sees and hears, the magician controlling it knows, meaning someone's not far away, and they've been listening in.”
“I'd bet everything we have that this magician is both elven, and working for Menlor, too,” Jada supplied, extremely disgruntled over this new development. “So we'll need to move fast if we're going to reach The Wastelands before Onoria can send anyone out and … oh goddess!”
At her exclamation, Dalris inquired, “What's wrong?”
Turning a worried gaze up, she pointed out, “Whoever that magician was, they didn't hear the full story, and don't realize that Rinora's lair is under the protection of the God of Magic. So if Onoria sends some force out, something horrible could happen.”
Dalris groaned as if he'd forgotten that part—though Jada wasn't entirely certain what would happen if a force of elves showed up in the oasis. Still, considering Onoria's suspicion of something dangerous being concealed within Rinora's temple, it stood to reason things would go terribly wrong, and though she wasn't rooting for the clergy, she didn't want anyone to needlessly suffer.
Edith and Karina both looked intrigued by her description as well, the former walking over to ask, “Can I see that message?”
Jada didn't hesitate to pull the curator's diary out of her pack, then handed it over after turning to the proper page. In turn, the enchantress took one look and declared, “Oh, that's cool! Chandra's the only mage I know who's mastered the magic of writing in omniscript.”
Omniscript? Jada had never heard of that before, but she did know Chandra was Edith's instructor, and asked, “Do you think she might be able to provide some insight into who wrote it?”
“It's possible,” Edith confirmed, handing the book over. “Omniscript is a rare talent, so I'll definitely ask. As for this message, is there any way you can send a warning to Onoria?”
“We could,” Jada started, “but I doubt they'd believe us instead of thinking it was just some attempt to keep them from trying to stop us.”
“Definitely,” Karina vouched. “Besides, we can't be completely sure how long that Third Eye was listening in, so sending a warning could mean
revealing where they'd need to go for sure.”
Edith conceded their points with a nod while Jada remarked, “Right. So what we need now is for someone to stay behind and watch the rookery while we find the quickest way to reach this oasis.”
Charlotte volunteered to care for the unhatched eggs, and Ulric agreed, suggesting they notify House Da'Vir to send caretakers because they were the closest to the area. It was definitely their best bet at getting help to the rookery quickly, and of everyone present, Jada liked the thought of having another draconian and a fae taking care of the eggs.
So, with that issue settled, she put her focus on the task of reaching the oasis—and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. How would they locate the lair before anyone else? The map provided in the diary wasn't precise enough to teleport, and even if they tried, The Wastelands were overrun with predators, making it necessary to organize provisions first.
The only silver lining was that the indigenous creatures would prevent anyone from progressing easily, particularly when so much of the continent was uncharted.
Still, Onoria had a plethora of resources at their disposal, and Menlor's constant interference was proof that they'd be adamant about finding the oasis—saying the Third Eye had even picked up on that tidbit.
Yet, in voicing these concerns to Dalris, he stated simply, “Don't worry, las'ira. I know of an easy way to reach our destination.”
“How?”
Curiously, he smiled. “By making good on a promise I gave you when we met … .”
CHAPTER 38
The Wastelands of Ahm'Ra
Two Days Later
Sand and rock stretched out across the horizon, proving Ahm'Ra's new name wasn't for show. From the ground, there was nothing noteworthy to behold, much less any landmarks that might help a traveler find their way.
But from the air?
A squadron of Skyriders flying more than thirty red and blue drakes emerged from the clouds, their scales glinting in the early morning sun as they soared over the harsh terrains below. Moving in sync, the flight made turns that corresponded with two blue drakes leading the group which were mounted by Liam and Dalris.
It was the first time he'd flown in nearly two centuries—and he'd forgotten just how enjoyable it was.
The wind whipping past was freeing as his drake skillfully soared around at an arc with the rest of the group following behind. But despite the speed at which they traveled, their altitude made the landscape so far below seem to crawl by.
Still, for all of Dalris' enthusiasm, he knew no one was enjoying their trip more than his mate.
As they took a hard dip downward toward a mountainous region at the heart of The Wastelands, he could hear Jada laughing while clutching her arms tightly around his waist. The sound made him grin—even after spending the better part of the morning in the sky, she seemed just as happy now as when they'd started.
If haste to find the oasis hadn't been an issue, Dalris would've definitely taken the time to teach her how to fly before making this trip. But sadly, that wasn't possible with Onoria moving against them—and they knew for certain the kingdom had already started.
The previous evening, Novak sent word from The Platinum Sea that he'd spotted a large fleet of elven ships sailing south toward The Wastelands, proving they intended to find the oasis and stop anyone from entering Rinora's lair. Whether they'd succeed was a different story, but the one advantage Dalris and Jada had was the Skyriders.
While they prepared for the trip, starting by sending word to every House of Draconia concerning their discoveries, the Skyriders sent a number of scouts ahead to attempt locating the oasis from the air, and their reports were promising. At the heart of The Wastelands stood a vast mountain range, most of which was barren and teaming with monsters. But some of the riders spotted a large valley between the rocky peaks that was obscured by low-lying clouds.
The description reminded Dalris and Jada of the anonymous message; A vast oasis, shielded by mountains under the cloak of the sky. It certainly sounded like the right spot, and in passing, one of the scouts noticed a few isolated palm trees standing tall on one of the cliffs.
But landing for a closer inspection had been out of the question when the slopes were overrun with cockatrices, large scorpions, and several mountain giants, forcing the scouts to move on without a bigger squadron for help with extermination.
So now, their flight was soaring toward the same area, inevitably dipping down to the tall, rocky slopes at increasing speeds that only let up just before their mounts landed.
Dalris' blue drake took several heavy steps, coming to a stop with a low growl as he surveyed the landscape under the morning sun. Just as the scouts described, low-lying clouds had settled toward the valley below, and a few palm trees were standing on a cliff nearby.
“Okay, we've found the trees,” Jada started, “and I'm not complaining, but where are all the monsters?”
Punctuating her question, one of the red drakes suddenly growled, opening its maul to send a blaze of fire out at a giant scorpion that was about to attack.
Dalris could feel Jada shuddering at his back in response—and her derision only intensified when the drake finished the creature off by eating it.
“Ugh!”
He smirked, patting her hand comfortingly before turning his gaze left when Liam rode in next to them and mentioned, “It's too quiet.”
“I agree. Either the monsters are more active in the evenings, or someone's cleared them out.”
Karina, who was sitting behind Liam, qualified, “Predators could've been drawn away by something they consider food, too. Like, you know, a large group of elves wandering the desert looking for an oasis.”
“True,” Dalris concurred, and there was only one way to know for certain—by entering those clouds and learning what waited below.
So he called for the riders to water their mounts, wanting to make certain the drakes were in the best condition possible after their long flight.
Jada temporarily dismounted to take one of the canteens to their own, and Liam checked on the trio of babies they'd secured in a carrier fitted to the back of his drake. But Dalris didn't need his brother's input to know they were fast asleep—he could hear them snoring from seven feet away.
Grinning at the soft buzzes coming from inside the carrier, he reached out when Jada returned and helped her climb back into the saddle. But because they were so close to their destination now, he urged her to sit in front of him this time if only to give her a better view.
Once settled, she looked back and mentioned, “By the way, we've been so busy I didn't get the chance to ask if you think any of the Great Dragons will come here when they learn what's going on.”
Dalris nodded with his explanation. “Once word reaches them, they'll definitely track us, though when, and who will come is hard to say. Nefilias' lair is closest, so we'll probably see him at the very least, which … I'll admit, worries me a little.”
At his sheepish comment, Jada canted her head curiously. “Why?”
Smirking, he qualified, “Because of all the Greats, he's the most likely to start a fight.”
Though Nefilias wasn't mindlessly wrathful, the red dragon had the shortest temper and derived amusement from taunting. Still, he'd never start a fight needlessly—saying he showed up at all.
But the rest of the squadron soon distracted Dalris from the thoughts by giving their signals of readiness to depart. So he called the order, and one by one, the drakes took to the air again, their wings swishing powerfully as they propelled themselves toward the clouds below the rocky peaks.
Soon, that misty fog engulfed them entirely, and somehow, the cloud formation was strange, being unusually dense for such an arid landscape. Perhaps, as a part of Velias' bid to protect the oasis, they'd been magically conjured to conceal what waited below.
But the Skyriders managed to stay on course, each drake carrying its rider through the clouds without
falter—and there was only one word that described the scene coming into view below.
Paradise.
The moment the haze cleared, Jada uttered in awe, “Oh my goddess … ,” and it was a sentiment Dalris shared. The oasis was lush, with numerous palm trees dotting the landscape amidst flowering bushes and a wide tributary winding through several rocky chasms.
If this was just a taste of what Ahm'Ra used to be, then he was sorry it was ever destroyed. There was so much beauty in this space alone that it was hard to imagine what the entire continent used to look like—but not so difficult to think a Great Dragon would wish to dwell there.
The only oddity was how the sun shone brightly down on it all despite the clouds they'd just penetrated. Above was a clear, blue sky, proving his previous assumption correct; the clouds were an illusion conjured to keep a secret.
Now it was just a matter of finding Rinora's lair before anyone else, and Dalris returned his attention to the landscapes below.
Soaring down to a lower altitude, Jada suddenly called above the whipping winds, “Look! Someone's been here!”
As she spoke, he noticed several dead giants and cockatrices littering the landscape. In drawing closer, it became evident that the creatures were slain with blades—probably elvish in origin.
But if Onorian forces were in the oasis, they'd already moved on, and the only question was whether the trail of corpses left behind would lead to Rinora's lair, or simply take them to those responsible for the carnage. Only one way to find out.
At that, Dalris gave a signal to the rest of the Skyriders to navigate the river, flying so close his drake's wings splashed against the water's surface in passing. Soon enough, the trees surrounding the tributary cleared in the face of a large, rocky incline that the waterway flowed past—and circling around the geographical feature revealed their final destination.
Hundreds of meters ahead was a large platform constructed of marble at the top of a broad hill. A long set of stairs rose up from a bridge over the river, and at the top were several columns laced with flowering vines surrounding a door built into the platform like the one at the shrine.
Fated Fortunes Page 28
