Page 73 of Vathia
“And if I want to pay the price?” I mutter, knowing exactly what Aemon’s brand of punishment entails.
Their growls entice me to keep teasing them, even if I have no intention of putting myself purposely in harm’s way. This is my first battle and I will listen, at least… I think I will.
The dragons roar in warning. “Get on. NOW,” Vasari rumbles.
With urgency pushing me I give both Jesper and Aemon a kiss before looking quickly for Killian. I find him a second later sitting on top of Voissor, his gaze already locked on mine. The moment lasts only a split second before I’m rushing up her leg but not before a tendril cracks against my ass.
“Stay with us. No funny business,” Aemon states, his voice floating through my head, our connection as easy as breathing.
“I will stay with you,” I tell him as Vasari takes to the air, and what I see below me has my heart clenching with fear. Mystomach is tightening as my flesh freezes. If we’d stayed on the ground any longer we would have been overwhelmed.
Where are Talyn and my friends? I’m not sure where exactly they are other than that they’re down there somewhere fighting for their lives. “Aemon…” I start.
“Talyn knows what he’s doing and we will find your friends once we deal with this,” he states just as the dragons take over, blasting the enemy with fire and water.
I can’t help but look down around me in horror at the carnage befalling the camp. Fire, hallucinogenic gas and smoke fill the night coming from every side of camp.
“They have us on all sides,” I tell the three of them, reaching out with my Szellemi magick. It takes a second longer, waiting for both Killian’s and Jesper’s mental walls to drop just enough to let me in.
Aemon only takes a moment to assess the situation, happy to let our dragons handle things for the moment. “Tell Killian to take the north, I will go east and you go with Jesper west. Tell them to keep an eye out for our family and make sure they are safe.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me, and I quickly relay the message. Killian doesn’t waste a second, taking off and flying low enough over the tents to help but stay out of danger. Aemon does the same, while Vasari saddles up next to Tisur and Jesper.
His red hair blows behind him, unusually bright with only fire from below lighting up the night. He winks, looking far too excited for the situation we’ve found ourselves in. I feel his presence press against my mind—something he wouldn’t have to do if we’d bonded. All things considered, I’m glad his magick still lets us communicate mentally, even if it doesn’t feel as natural as Aemon or my bonded creatures.
I lower my mental wall enough to let him in. “You look fates-damned gorgeous riding a dragon into battle, you know that?”
My head shakes in amusement. “Fae are literally dying around us and you’re flirting?”
“Battle is a great time for flirting. You know I love watching you handle a sword.” There’s a teasing lilt to his voice that hints towards something else and I find my cheeks heating, and it’s not from the dragon fire.
I focus on the battle below, watching as Vasari’s flames consume groups of the enemies seeking to wreak even more havoc on our camp. Jesper’s amusement floats through my mind as he pulls away, leaving me with an emptiness that has me rubbing my chest and the mark along my side. I need his bond. As soon as we have some free time, we’re completing it. If it wasn’t for this battle happening around us, I’d take him right here.
“You could always make him take you on the battlefield. There’s nothing like a bloodlust-induced mating,” Vasari adds before flames erupt from her again.
“That sounds overly dangerous,” I tell her, but she doesn’t miss the subtle hint of intrigue that lingers on my words.
She laughs. “Sometimes I forget how innocent and withdrawn from your baser instincts you are.”
My body grips to her instinctively as she performs evasive maneuvers to avoid some flaming arrows headed our way. “A little warning next time,” I growl. “And I’m not that innocent.”
Nero surprises me by laughing as well. “I may not ever agree with the lizard, but yeah, yeah you are.”
I ignore them, deciding to keep my eyes peeled for my friends. However, with the air quickly filling with smoke, I lose hope in spotting them. Maybe one of the others have found them already?
I’m not sure how long we’ve been flying, looping around as we deal with clearing out our camp, but the air becomes still and sounds of battle become increasingly quiet.
My mind reaches out for Jesper but he’s already there, asking for entrance again. “Are we done? Is it over?” I ask, not seeing any enemies below.
Vasari and Tisur growl, my hair standing on edge as the realm seems to take a breath and hold it.
“I don’t think it is,” Jesper states, and something about his voice puts me on edge. “They’ve retreated but the dragons are still restless. Something isn’t right—”
An un-fae-like screech rends through the air and an uncontrollable fear courses through me. I know there are dark things in our realm, things that prefer to stay in the ancient forests. Stories are told to fledglings to keep us from wandering where we aren’t supposed to, but this? This noise vibrates through my body like an omen of death, like my nervous system has gone straight into flight mode. There’s nothing I want to do more than urge Vasari away, to fly as far as we can get. To find those I care for and run for the mountains.
I force myself to take a few deep breaths. My knuckles are white as they grip onto the saddle. “We need to find the others.” I’m not sure who I say it to, or if I say it out loud, but for some reason Vasari listens to me without argument.
She soars low and I vaguely hear Jesper yelling my name but I know he’ll follow. I need to find my mates. I need to find my friends. As we reach the north side of the encampment the screeching is louder and that’s when I see them.
