“Wait, you’re Kaliah? The light fae descendant?” she gaped, and I nodded. “Holy hell, this just gets better and better.”
“And why is that?” I asked when I sensed heaps of sarcasm within her voice.
“Well, I’m part of your additional guard whenever you’re in the Otherworld. Queen Navi has been preparing for your arrival for the last year. She does not want to see Alaryk gain more power. Even though she doesn’t have fae magic within her, she’s a powerful sorceress with an affinity for all things earthly. When her land hurts, so does she.”
This was great news. Well, for me anyway. Sure, I’d been keeping Oliver busy, but he wasn’t with me all day, every day. He was just going to have to own his actions and apologize, then deal with the consequences, because something told me Brooke wasn’t going to be okay with a simple apology.
Oliver crept back into the room, his neck cleaned up and only a pink mark left behind from where Brooke’s blade had nicked him. “Uh, Jordan is back and waiting outside, but Stryx isn’t. She said you need to go meet Queen Yelah.”
So many queens around, and there I was standing in a castle, wearing a crown, feeling like an imposter.
You’re not an imposter, Kaliah. Go see Yelah and tell Oliver to wait for me. Brooke can escort you and Jordan. Then, we’ll meet you out there shortly. Queen Navi won’t be seeing all of us today, Stryx said, somehow always in tune with my conversations and his own.
It’s a gift you’ll learn eventually. Now go before the dragon queen gets angry from waiting and decides to eat you for dinner, he added.
You’re a horrible mentor and bonded animal, I snapped before ignoring his soft chuckle and relaying the pertinent information to Oliver.
Brooke wasted no time grabbing my arm and dragging me from the room. “Please tell me he won’t be with you every time you’re in the Otherworld.”
“Um, I can’t say for sure, but I think so.”
She mumbled several incoherent thoughts as we moved through the main doors we’d come in earlier, but this time there was no pressure.
Jordan was waiting for us, and she eyed the vampire holding on to my arm. “Who are you?”
“Brooke. Vampire and guard assigned to assist Kaliah with whatever she needs in the Otherworld. And you are?” Brooke sized up my best friend. Both of them seemed to be on edge, and I had no clue if this was going to end badly.
“Jordan, Arvaytan, guard assigned to Kaliah no matter where she is, and her best friend.”
Their gazes locked while I held my breath wondering what the hell was happening, but then Jordan cracked a smile and Brooke let go of my arm.
“Nice to meet you. Now let’s go see Queen Yelah. Last I heard, things weren’t good with the dragons,” Brooke said as if nothing awkward had happened just two seconds prior.
Jordan visibly tensed and didn’t wait for a reply before turning to run toward wherever Yelah was waiting for us. Brooke tugged me along, and we both ran, though I knew I was slowing her down.
Calling on my magic, I tapped into my general fae abilities to pick up speed. Mostly, my training had been connecting with my strongest power, being the water affinity, but a few hours had been spent explaining some things I may or may not be able to do that past fae could.
Thankfully, speed wasn’t an issue, and my legs began to move faster until we caught up to Jordan. She didn’t slow until we entered a forested area still within the gates of the peace sector.
“The snarky little gnome said we needed to meet her near the trees. I swear, if he lied and this is a trap, I’m going to chop his knobby little fingers into bits,” Jordan growled, but then a deep rumbling laugh came from the shadows and she relaxed.
“You haven’t changed a bit during our time apart,” the dragon said as she broke through the darkness of the forest.
Jordan gasped, and I did the same. Yelah had a large wound on her chest that was very fresh, almost two feet long. “What happened?” Jordan asked as I took in the rest of the massive beast before us.
Deep teal scales covered her body and seemed to shimmer with hints of darker blue and silver as she moved out of the shadows. From her clawed feet to the horns on her head, Yelah was around ten feet tall and packed with muscle.
“That weasel of a dark fae happened. I was going to travel to Arvayta as soon as I was healed if I didn’t see you before then, so I could tell you.” Her massive head swiveled toward me as her silver eyes glistened. “Kaliah, I presume?”
“That would be me.” Would I ever grow used to people knowing about me before they’d even met me? Probably not.
“Alaryk caught word that the dragons would stand with you, and he took it upon himself to visit my land without permission to leave a message for you, but it was more for us and anyone who would love to see him dead.”
“What message would that be?” I asked, doing my best to hide the tremors from my voice that I felt on the inside.
“Anyone who dares to assist you in fighting against him will face his full wrath. He killed eight of my best dragons and left me severely wounded. I have no doubt he’s capable of doing as he’s threatened. While that should make any reasonable queen back away from the situation, I want you to know, the dragons will still fight by your side, but it won’t be until the last moment. I need to keep my people safe for as long as possible.”
I turned to Jordan. “Do you think this is why no one talked to us in the market earlier?”
“Most likely. If Alaryk is making threats and following through on them, our allies will be few and far between.”
Yelah’s massive wings ruffled. “Alaryk is more powerful than any other being I’ve faced before, but I sense a greatness within you, Kaliah. Do not let fear hold you back from your destiny.”
Nodding, I stepped away and let Jordan speak with her dragon friend while I processed more of our craptastic situation, or at least attempted to. More lives were being threatened because of me. Because some psycho fae thought I was the key to world domination. It wasn’t exactly what I enjoyed hearing about.
“Are you okay?” Brooke asked from behind me.
Damn, I hadn’t heard her come closer and she’d scared the hell out of me. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’s just a lot to take in.”
“Something tells me you’re going to be just fine.” She grinned at me, once again showing her fangs, but they were more subtle than when she’d been ready to kill Oliver.
Before I could thank her, Stryx appeared and landed on my shoulder while Oliver was still running behind. “It’s time for us to go.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said out loud, and then added mentally, The visit didn’t go quite how I hoped, but we’ll talk about it when we’re back in Arvayta.
Without questioning him, I went back to Jordan and Yelah. The dragon queen kneeled when she saw Stryx. “It’s good to see you again, Stryx.”
“You as well, Queen Yelah. As a thank you for standing with us, would you like some help with the healing of your injury?” Stryx asked in a formal voice I wasn’t used to.
“I won’t say no to it, old friend.”
“Kaliah, please pull a feather from under my left wing, and then place it in Queen Yelah’s wound,” he said, as if that was supposed to be some normal thing that we did all the time.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“I’ll do it,” Jordan said. Then, Stryx lifted his wing and I watched my best friend swiftly pluck a singular full-size feather before turning back toward the dragon.
My feet instantly moved closer so I could see how the magic worked, and I was glad I did. The moment Jordan let go of the feather, it seeped into the damaged scales, and white smoke began to trickle out from the injury.
Yelah hissed, and her dragon legs buckled until she was almost lying down in the dirt. Stryx flew closer to her and flapped his wings in steady succession until the smoke dissipated. Once the smoke was gone, Yelah stood back up and shook out her wings. Her chest was
completely healed.
“I forgot how much that hurt, or I might have told you no.” She grinned at Stryx, showcasing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.
Shudders ran through me, and I was even more thankful she was on our side.
“We all need to go. Please let us know if you hear anything else and stay safe,” Stryx said to the dragon before we went our separate ways.
“I’m going to head back to the castle now. Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” Brooke asked, avoiding Oliver who seemed to be trying to gain her attention.
“Next time will be longer,” Stryx promised, and Brooke nodded before turning and practically disappearing as she ran back to the castle with full vampire speed.
I’m going to need to leave you once we’re in Arvayta. It’s time to bring the bonded animals back, Stryx said as we quietly headed back toward the gates.
I badly wanted to ask more questions, but I could feel Stryx shut me out, so I let him be until we were in a safer talking area. All the while, I couldn’t decide what was worse, having him be gone for who knew how long or knowing that things had gone so badly with Queen Navi that Stryx felt a strong desire to rush bringing the bonded animals.
Either way, things were about to escalate quickly, and our team was not at all prepared.
Chapter Nineteen
Going through the portal back to Arvayta wasn’t nearly as terrifying as the first time. Staying as far away from Jordan as I could, I watched Oliver walk through first, then followed after. My eyes stayed open, taking in the void and vibrant lights off in the distance that I assumed were other portal entrances.
When the light before me got too bright again, I closed my eyes and stiffened my body to hopefully stay upright and not stumble like before. Thankfully, it worked and I was able to walk right onto the ground. My only confusion was the darkness surrounding me.
“How long were we gone?” I asked, as I glanced around. It had been early afternoon when we’d left, but the sun was nowhere to be seen and we’d only been gone a couple hours.
“For too long,” a deep and not-very-happy voice grumbled from the shadows.
Ryland stepped closer, and I’d never seen him more livid, not even when I hit him with the orb full of bee stings.
“What happened?” I asked, looking only at him, afraid something had happened to my parents.
When his eyes met mine, they softened and surprised the hell out of me. “Nothing around here, but you may want to say goodbye to your best friend.”
Jordan stepped through the portal right as he said that. “Oh, serves you right to be left out. You’ve been a Class A jerk lately, so I don’t even want to hear it. Don’t think I don’t know what you were up to, because I do. As did Stryx, and it still needs to wait about another hour.”
What in the world was she talking about? I tried asking Stryx, but he was conveniently ignoring me through our bond. Ryland was up to something that had to do with me, and they really should have let me know. Or maybe I should have already known due to our Meraki bond that wasn’t really a bond. Stupid soulmate stuff was really frustrating.
Ryland’s eyes moved from Jordan to Stryx to me several times before he finally nodded. “I take it things didn’t go as planned in the Otherworld?”
“They went just fine, and we have the full support of Queen Navi and Yelah, but we need to move swiftly and without notice in order to keep everyone safe. Alaryk is making moves in the Otherworld, and I don’t believe it will be long before he shows up here,” Stryx said from his perch on a rock.
“Let’s go speak with Brooks and Daliah. They can fill the council in for us,” Jordan said with a shudder.
“Is there something wrong with the council?” I asked, wondering if there was something else that I was missing.
“No, I just hate having to keep my mouth shut for meetings with them. It gives me a headache.” She shrugged and moved on as I shook my head.
Stryx flew to my shoulder and positioned himself between me and Ryland, who seemed to be sticking pretty close to my side.
Are you seriously going to make me wait? I asked Stryx through our bond.
Wait for what?
Don’t play coy with me. What is going on with Ryland and why wasn’t he allowed with us? I demanded.
Ryland may have received some news that made him feel guilty for some of his actions. I knew from the Fates, and Jordan figured part of it out on her own. I’m sure that once we’re done speaking with your parents, you’ll know all about it. Just be patient, he said with a bit of a laugh at the end. We both knew I had zero patience.
However, I was eager to get the full story about what happened with Queen Navi, so I stopped questioning Stryx and we all ported to my parents’ house.
Our entire group entered through the already-open back door, and everyone moved around the spacious living room in various places. I then understood why this part of the house was so much bigger than the one we lived in back on Earth.
Oliver stuck close to Jordan, and they kept whispering about stuff that was really starting to irritate me. Stryx took residence on the back of the couch near my parents who continued to stand even after they both hugged me tight.
“You’ll have to tell us what you thought about the Otherworld later,” Mom said, and I nodded at her before flinching at the shadow near me.
Ryland was still following me like a lost puppy dog, and I was freaking out about his nearness. I really needed to know what was going on with him. At least my heart was happy about whatever was happening, even though my mind was thoroughly confused.
There was a sort of pulsing sensation running through me that increased as he dared to move closer to me, similar to how I’d felt the first time I’d been in the falls, but this was different and felt bone deep. Before I could continue analyzing it, Ryland’s hand grabbed my elbow and led me to an empty couch.
His touch was gentle but had my heart rate increasing, and when my eyes inadvertently met Jordan’s, she was smirking. If she was finding enjoyment in this, then it couldn’t be good.
After I took a seat, I assumed Ryland would sit next to me. Instead, he chose to stand right behind me where I couldn’t see him, further frustrating me. Before I could decide to stand myself, my dad began speaking.
“We have the council on standby to go over what you’ve learned. Is there any imminent danger we need to warn them of?”
“No, but we may need to prepare for it soon. Queen Navi has been sending her people out into the different sectors of the Otherworld, and things are progressing quickly now that Kaliah has come into her power. Alaryk is getting reckless, and nobody has been able to stop him,” Stryx answered.
“The dark fae even attacked the dragons without provocation, killing eight of them and severely injuring Yelah. She will still stand with us, but also asks that they only be required to help at the last minute as not to put her clan further in danger,” Jordan added.
Mom nodded. “That’s completely understandable, and the council will appreciate any help they’re still willing to provide. What about Queen Navi, though? What support can we expect from her?”
Stryx took the conversation back over then, and I took in everything that I could. They might not be saying it right then, but I knew if I didn’t get my crap together soon, I was going to be the reason Alaryk succeeded. I refused to let that happen.
“When I met with the Queen, she was rather distraught and afraid. She feared that if she met directly with Kaliah that Alaryk would know and strike sooner. She still has her wits about her, and I’m not worried about her taking action, but the damage to her lands has her on edge,” Stryx said.
“Rightly so. Is there anything we can do as a show of gratitude to help them?” Dad asked Stryx.
“That is also something we talked about. Our capable fighting guardians aren’t big enough to take over scouring the Otherworld in place of the queen’s people, but I suggested we begin to work together. Send some of the guardians with earth aff
inities to the most damaged areas in an attempt to heal the lands while also assisting with patrols. It would not only give us direct access to what’s going on over there, but it would also appease Queen Navi.”
“I’m happy to lead a group of us over there if needed,” Oliver offered.
“No, we need you here. The four of you need to stay together, on the same world at all times,” Stryx answered sternly.
“So, what’s your suggestion then, Stryx?” Mom asked.
“Tonight, I’ll leave for Dásos, and when I return, I will be bringing the bonded animals back with me. Every fighting guardian will be matched, regardless of how much fae blood they have. Each of them has at least a trace of their ancestors, and that’s all I need to complete the ritual.”
Mom and Dad shared a worried look that had me wondering if maybe the bonded animals weren’t such a good thing, but before I could question it, the conversation switched.
“As soon as we’re prepared, we need to move on the Otherworld. There are too many vulnerable guardians in Arvayta, and if we can avoid it, we need to keep the fight in the Otherworld,” Stryx added.
“But doesn’t that give him the advantage? Can’t we just ask those who aren’t able to fight to at least hide? From what I’ve learned, Arvaytans are strongest when powered by the magic of the falls. If we leave the falls, won’t we be putting ourselves at an even greater risk?” I asked, knowing that even if that wasn’t all true for everyone else, it seemed to be for me. The water gave me a boost like nothing else I’d found yet.
Mom raised a brow. “She has a point, and it will be an option we propose to the council. Ultimately, it’s up to them, and we should get going so they can decide. Stryx, do you need help bringing the bonded animals back?”
“No, but I will be making several trips over the next twenty-four hours. By the time I get back, the council needs to be decided on how they want to move forward. Alaryk isn’t going to give us much time.”
Mom and Dad nodded, then began moving around as they prepared to leave. I stood and moved toward Jordan and Oliver. Ryland was still right at my side, and I kept trying to avoid him, but it wasn’t working.
Of Dreams and Sorcery (Royal Fae Guardians Book 1) Page 13
