Page 15 of Vengeance and Fire

DRAVYN

Ican never forget the sights and sounds of this place. The volcanic activity, the flowing lava through the cracks in the ground looks like violent red rivers of molten fire. The memory of my mother screaming at the children to stay within the valley because anywhere beyond it promised death. The cracking of the of the brittle obsidian as it broke away from the mountains, causing a landslide down below. The yellow vapors and acidic water that burst from the hot water vents going off like clockwork. I remember how it ate away at the valley, causing the derelict settlement to retreat in on itself. By the looks of things, it appears to have gotten worse.

The makeshift houses are pieced together like jagged puzzle pieces, stacked on top of each other like broken building blocks. The homes and buildings were made out of whatever scrapsSaphiroffered or were found by those who dared to venture out to find it. The smell, though, is something you never get used to. The pungent stench of rotten eggs singes my nostrils, it hits the back of my throat, making me rethink my heavy breakfast this morning.

This is theBarren Lands.The place I was born. The place that my father took me away from under the pretense of giving me a better life. If he moved up in the world, then so too would I, at least, those were his last words to my mother as he pulled me kicking and screaming from her arms. Knowing that she’s been here all this time sends a fresh wave of hatred and rage through me. The conditions these people are living in is abysmal! My father took over Arcadia and did absolutely nothing for the inhabitants of theBarren Lands, especially when he knew firsthand what it was like living here. Thaddeus is a dead man walking. He doesn’t deserve to be called father. I vow that no matter what happens that he will answer to me for his mistakes.

“Well, I don’t have to worry about what Cordelia is doing right now.” Torin laughs, pulling me out of my thoughts. Warmth wraps around my insides and floods my body with a wave of pleasure that causes me to gasp unexpectantly.

“I don’t think she’s enjoying sword fighting that much,” I finally say after we’ve both collected ourselves. The last thing I need is to be rock hard in front of my mother.

“She’s enjoying some swords alright,” Torin groans in frustration, looking over I catch him adjust his erection, and I laugh as I try to secretly adjust mine as well. Kicking my legs out to the side to ease the pressure and get some relief.Damn it, Cordelia, you’re killing me baby!The past two days she’s been going nonstop, and we can all feel her stress and anxiety through our bond. She is trying hard to make good on so many things, that she’s running herself ragged. I guess it’s her inner businesswoman taking over, wanting to take on every task until completion. So, if Adrian and Gale can help her blow off some steam, then sex it is.

“I think we need to put these away before we meet my mother. Can you imagine her face, let alone the reaction of the crowd?” I point to the gathering crowd down below and then my dick and we both laugh together.I doubt my erection would be met with a warm welcome,I chuckle thinking to myself. I let my thoughts wander aswe both begin to make our way down the slope. It feels good to be with my old friend once more. Torin was one bright spot in my childhood when I had the chance to be a kid. It was short-lived, but it was a moment in time that I always cherished. I’d hidden it away in the parts of my mind that Maurelle and the evil bastard of a Mage, Fynn, couldn’t touch. We walk in companionable silence until Torin stops and points out a blackened-out spot against the side of the mountain to our left.

“This is where the portal was. Cordelia pulled you through and then her father destroyed it.” Torin gestures toward the charred rock with a somber look on his face. “If I could get to him, I would. If I could give Cordelia her father back, at least to give him a proper burial, I would. I never met him, but I feel like I owe him everything. Do you think Maurelle has found him yet?” Torin asks as I slowly walk the three steps it takes me to reach the rock.

“Knowing Maurelle, she definitely found him.” I lift my hand and press it against the burnt-out rock. Closing my eyes, I let Torin’s intentions become my own. I don’t know what I can do now that I’m a Dragon, but I know my Fae magic is not gone, so I try to feel for where the portal once was and seek to pull it open. I don’t know if it will work, but I remember hearing Twyla telling Cordelia that our intent helps shape what we want our magic to do. If the seers are correct and I’m some rare Dragon, then I send a prayer up to whoever is listening to let me do this for my mate.

“What are you doing?” I can hear Torin move to stand behind me, but I don’t respond right away. Instead, I hold up my hand, hoping he understands I need a minute. Magic flairs to life from deep down inside me, black shadowy tendrils pour out of my hand and crawl up the wall in front of me. I can’t see it, but I can feel it climbing higher until it reaches the limits of the original portal. I can feel myself straining against my Dragon’s magic, to him, this magic is foreign and needs to be purged. I push more of the shadow magic up the rock. Torin gasps and places his arm on my shoulder, which causes me to open my eyes. I am so shocked by what I’ve just done that I almost let the magic drop away.

“Dravyn, how?” Torin asks

“I . . . don’t know . . . I let your words guide me.” I look back at him and then back at the two shimmering cracks in the rock. I can feel my adrenaline spike, from partly excitement and partly fear of possible failure. I have to try. I’ve gotten this far. I close my eyes and I mentally pull at the cracks spreading them slowly. I can feel the resistance, but I keep pushing more of my shadow magic into the crevice. I can feel the magic unraveling inside me. Unlike the moment I emerged, this time the two sources of magic separate easily, my body recognizing which one doesn’t belong. I can feel sweat break out on my forehead and grit my teeth as I pull harder.

“Dravyn,” Torin calls my name. My eyes spring open as a flickering portal stands before us. Movement on the path catches my eyes, from a distance I can’t really tell who it is, but Torin does. I don’t know how long this portal will remain open, because it’s definitely not permanent. I am holding it open by my sheer force of will.

“It’s your mother,” Torin says as he steps away from me, looking between my mother and the open portal.

“Go to her, I can go and get him,” he says. But I know it won’t work that way. The portal will collapse, and he would be trapped in Incantatia. Not a chance in hell I am risking that.

“I will be right back, Torin. If he’s there, I will grab him and haul ass out of there,” I tell him. Torin looks torn. I can tell he wants to argue but I know we don’t have long.

“I am holding this open and it’s taking everything. Please, brother. I will be back.” Our eyes lock and I will him to believe that no matter what I will be coming back.

“Go,” he says as he watches my mother walk toward us. “Dravyn. If he is not there, bring your ass back through as quickly as possible. We don’t know who is waiting on the other side.” Placing his hands over his head he turns, walking away from me to intercept my mother who has started to run up the slope.

“I promise.” I don’t look back as I take a step through the portal and out into the cold darkness of the cave. My goal is simple. Check to see if Dain is here and get his body out. If he isn’t, then at least I know I tried. Torin’s right, if we can do this for Cordelia, it will give our girl a small semblance of peace. Everyone she’s lost she’s had to leave behind. No, I am determined to make this right. Dain saved me. I will be forever in his debt, and the only way I can repay him is to love and protect his daughter. I got the easy part of the deal.

My eyes don’t need to adjust due to the light coming from the portal that seems to be holding steady. The roar of the waterfall is loud enough to mask my movements, so if there is someone beyond it standing guard, they won’t know I’m here. My eyes find their target immediately, not far from the portal opening a body lays still on the ground a few steps away. I move slowly towards Dain’s body, laying on his back, his eyes closed, as if he is sleeping peacefully. I know it has only been a few days, but it’s as if his body has been preserved. I have seen enough death in my life to know the different stages of decay, there should be some signs of breakdown.

I blow out a breath, the drastic temperature change causes it to fog up in front of me. Dropping to my knees beside him I slide my arm underneath his shoulders and that’s when I notice the hole left by whatever killed him. I scan the floor and see a long metal rod not far from him. “Iron,” I whisper to myself, knowing that it was Maurelle’s sentries that did this. She knows that iron can cause harm and kill her kind, yet she uses it as a weapon against her own people. Now her own flesh and blood has perished because of it. I can feel my anger rise at her blatant disregard for Dain’s body. He was a king and deserves his due. It doesn’t matter if he gave it up, she owed him that much. She doesn’t love anyone but herself and her power. I’m almost certain she’s been here. I also know she left him here on the floor to rot out of spite.

Taking my free hand, I lay it on top of the hole in Dain’s chest. I attempt to stand.I should have grabbed his shoulders and dragged him over,I berate myself for approaching this all wrong. I tsk to myself. Laying him flat again so I can readjust my hold, the hand over his wound lights up suddenly, a blinding golden glow. I gasp in shock, and my mouth falls open in disbelief. My eyes snap shut briefly, as I try to shield them from the incandescent intensity. Instinctively I try to snatch my hand away, only to find it fixed in place. I open my eyes as the power surges through me. Exactly how it was with the portal, black shadow-vines pore out of my fingers and latch onto Dain’s body. My Dragon pushes against the Fae magic, my body rocks forward from the force it’s taking to eject the unwanted supernatural essence that’s had its hooks in me for so long.

“Ugh!” I grunt, doubling over, trying not to land on Dain’s body, the shadows continue to leave me and flow into him. The pain has me gritting my teeth, even with the waterfall, if I were to vocalize my pain someone would definitely hear me. My body feels like it’s splitting in two. I guess in a way it is. Now I have my Dragon, he is giving me no choice in the matter. I don’t know how long I need to brace myself over him, but eventually the light in my hand goes out. Only the shadows remain, swirling over Dain’s body like a long-lost friend. Pulling my hand away, I scramble back in shock looking at the smooth brown skin where there once was a hole going straight through him.

“Impossible,” I say to myself, staring down at my hands in disbelief. I had no control over what just happened, but as I crawl back over to Dain’s body the last of the shadows disappear inside of him. I watch with rapt attention, holding my breath, waiting for something, anything else to happen.

I close my eyes as I try to confirm what I already know. Calling on the shadows is like a second nature; they usually answer my call almost immediately. Now . . . I am empty. My Dragon flares to life underneath my skin, flooding me with power I am yet to understand. A reminder that I no longer need magic that doesn’t belong to me. I am a Dragon, never a Fae.

Suddenly, as if he were Lazarus himself, Dain takes a breath.

CHAPTERTEN

TORIN

“Dravyn!” Miriam screams as she runs up the hill. Looking over my shoulder I see Dravyn pass through the portal. I pray that we didn’t make a mistake. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let him walk into danger. I know Dravyn’s resourcefulness has served him well all these years, and I know he can handle himself. I can’t stop myself worrying about him though. We just got him back. Cordelia is going to lose her shit as it is. We deviated from her plan. This should have been a simple gathering of people. Well, to convince Miriam that Cordelia is offering her people something better. Make no mistake, I know who the leader of these people is. You can tell they defer to her, hence her approaching me alone like she had the other day. I hold up my hands to stop her progressing, yet she walks right past me. Her intention is clear, Dravyn.

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