“I’m full of energy and spry like a flame, Miss Hellswan,” he said, and kissed me again. “But whenever you’re near, my brain and my body refuse to cooperate. Now, gear up while I go get the others. I’ll meet you outside.”
He smiled, then put on his goggles and pulled his hood and mask to protect him from the sunlight. I felt my heart swell with instant longing, watching him leave the tent. Caspian certainly had a way of riling me up, in more ways than one, and being so close to him offered me previously hidden facets of who he really was—a strong, determined Mara whose soft side made me melt like a candle before a fiery blaze.
I let out a breath. I’m going to be a puddle of wax before long.
Five minutes later, I was ready to go, loaded with my protective plates, my weapons and backpack on, and my head and eyes covered as I stepped out into the morning sunshine. The tent had been erected on the very edge of the Manticores’ bowl-shaped arena, next to three others for the rest of my team.
As soon as they saw me, they all rushed to hug me—Hansa, Jax, Caia, Blaze, Fiona, and even Vesta. I was close to tearing up as they held me close and told me how relieved and thrilled they were to see me up and walking again, while Queen Neha, Pheng-Pheng, and Kai stayed behind, quietly watching us.
“You were amazing yesterday,” Fiona said, patting my shoulder. “It’s a shame she stung you, but damn, you fought back!”
“And you won, too,” Hansa added, pulling me into another hug. She held me tighter this time, whispering in my ear. “Be more careful next time, kid. My heart can’t take another scare like this.”
“I swear I tried my best not to get my ass handed to me,” I chuckled, as Caspian discreetly moved to my side and snaked an arm around my waist, bringing me closer to him.
“You didn’t get your ass handed to you. Well . . . kind of. Almost,” Caia replied, pursing her lips. “Okay, technically speaking, you did. But you still won.”
“And I have to admit, no one has ever lived to make me yield, not after I stung them.” Pheng-Pheng stepped forward, hands behind her back. Her wounds had already healed, but I could tell, from the dark colors radiating from her, that her ego was still bruised. “Nevertheless, I must congratulate you. You won fair and square.”
“That is my daughter’s way of expressing admiration,” Queen Neha interjected with a dry smile, using her own voice. “In fact, my little Manticore likes you a lot.”
Pheng-Pheng rolled her eyes and scoffed in response. “Let’s not get all sentimental, Mother. She won the fight. That’s all.”
“You fought extraordinarily well,” I replied with a nod. “I do appreciate how quickly you were able to mirror my movements. No one has ever worked me over the way you did. I say this genuinely—I am floored by your fighting abilities and consider myself lucky to have survived for long enough to get you to yield. I know my life wouldn’t have been spared otherwise.”
Pheng-Pheng offered a brief half smile, then stepped aside for her mother to come forward. Queen Neha was a vision, once more. White silk flowed down her luscious curves, with a heavy belt made of thick, gold disks resting around her hips. More gold plates covered her neck and chest, and her auburn mane was tamed and braided with white silk thread. She carried a strange bird on her left shoulder, the size of an eagle, with a curved beak and fiery red plumage. Its tail was rich with long, crimson feathers, and its glassy blue eyes fixed on me.
“You proved yourself worthy of my support,” Queen Neha said to me, then smiled at Hansa and the rest of my team. “You have an ally in me, from now on. I do want to rid this world of daemons, and the pests that are the Exiled Maras, in particular. They don’t belong here, not at the expense of my people’s lives and wellbeing. So, yes, I will help you. The Manticores will stand with you.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” I replied, then bowed curtly. “Your support will be much appreciated. We’ll need all the help we can get, when the time comes.”
“And you have our word that, once our people get here and balance is restored on Neraka, the Manticores will have GASP’s full support in your rebuilding efforts. I’m sure you’d all like to leave this gorge, at some point,” Hansa said.
“We’d like to have that freedom, yes,” the queen said, nodding, “but I doubt we would actually abandon it. We’ve adjusted to the climate, and we thrive in the heat. Barring a couple of exceptions, we were never a people who expanded aggressively, but we’ve always enjoyed free movement. We don’t have that, as long as King Shaytan still rules.”
“Rest assured that once we get GASP here, King Shaytan won’t be a problem anymore. Neither will the Exiled Maras,” Jax added. “Too many lives have been wasted for their mindless greed. We’ll put an end to it.”
“We’re off to Draconis next, to look for the swamp witch,” Hansa said. “We’re due to meet back at Ragnar Peak with the rest of our team in five days, with or without her. Once we get her back, it will be over for the daemons.”
“Whatever you do, I wish you the best of luck,” the queen replied, then slipped her fingers under the bird’s feet. She handed the bird over to me, gently stroking its feathers. “This is an Ekar. We use them to communicate across large distances. Use it when you’re ready to call for our help. Just tell it to return to me, and the bird will find me, then guide me to wherever you are.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” I murmured. The Ekar’s claws gripped my hand firmly. It didn’t hurt or scratch me, and it seemed calm and curious as it scanned my face, its head twisting like that of an owl.
“The Ekar travels at an average of ninety miles over the span of an hour,” the queen said. “So take that into consideration when you send it back to me, depending on your location. You can even fit it with a message, if you wish.”
I placed the bird on my shoulder, and it seemed comfortable there, grooming its wings and occasionally glancing around at the others. “He knows to stay with you now,” Pheng-Pheng added. “I’ve raised Ramin from the day he hatched from his egg.”
“What if we encounter issues in Draconis?” Jax asked, while Caspian stared at Ramin. “Would you be able to come to our aid there?”
Queen Neha thought about it for a second, then exchanged a knowing glance with Kai. “It’s not something we’re eager to do, but, should you need our help to get out of there, Kai can certainly take some of our best warriors and infiltrate Draconis to rescue you. It wouldn’t be the first time we snuck into that city.”
“You’ve been there before?” I replied, suddenly curious as to her experience in the daemons’ prison city. The queen looked at me and exhaled.
“I was a prisoner there for a while, until Kai got me out and brought me here,” she said, resting a hand on Kai’s shoulder. A warm, golden aura enveloped them both, and I understood then that their relationship went well past that of a queen and her subject.
“I suppose your nest will always know where to find you,” Fiona replied, nodding slowly. I figured they’d had plenty to talk about while I was out cold and recovering from the venom.
“We are connected, for life, yes,” the queen replied, then looked at me. “Our fate is in your hands now, outsiders. I trust you will put your life on the line, if that’s what it takes to stop the daemons from killing more of our people, little vampire.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” I said, then offered another curt bow. “We’re allies now. And we will bring fire and fury to those who wish to hurt us.”
“Good. Because those daemons need to burn,” Pheng-Pheng replied, crossing her arms.
They most certainly do. I felt as though I could breathe again, knowing that we now had the Manticores on our side. Our journey and our mission were nowhere near over, but we had allies that we could rely on. I hoped that Scarlett and the others were okay, too, getting the Adlets to join our crew against the daemons and Exiled Maras.
We needed all hands on deck. And paws. And claws. And everything in between, as long as they helped us hold our enemies back while we retrieve
d the last swamp witch. With Caspian by my side, and fighters like Hansa, Jax, and the others backing me up, I knew that victory was no longer a distant dream, but a palpable reality.
Hansa
We readied the indigo horses, and Fiona brought Harper up to speed on what we’d learned about the Manticores, and what we’d agreed on with their queen already. Kai gave me some dried food and fresh water to carry for the non-vampires, including myself. Jax and Fiona had spent the early part of the morning hunting in a nearby ravine and had secured enough blood to sate the vampires and Maras on our team for at least a couple of days.
Harper was still guzzling her portion, while Fiona fastened the saddle on her stallion and told her about the Manticore nest. “The queen is like the mother here,” Fiona said. “She protects and nurtures the females, but there are no actual couples. They mate once every full moon, and that’s it. The females give birth, and the children are sorted by gender. The males raise and train the boys, while the queen raises the females, with the help of their mothers.”
“That’s not too far from how the daemons raise their young,” Harper replied. “More or less, anyway. I know the daemon king takes wives at his leisure, but the Manticore queen is single, isn’t she?”
“Yup, she flies solo, so to speak,” Fiona said. “Pheng-Pheng is one of her three kids. She’s got two other girls, but Pheng-Pheng is the youngest.”
“What about Kai? There’s definitely something going on between him and the queen.” Harper smirked. She must’ve read their emotions—those sentry abilities of hers never ceased to amaze me.
“Maybe, but they’re not displaying it in public,” Fiona replied with a shrug. “But get this! The queen is telepathically connected to the entire nest, just as we thought. She speaks through them. She can’t read their minds or anything, but she can communicate through them, whenever she wants. And they’re eternally bonded to her, too. You heard her yourself. They’ll always know where to find her.”
“That reminds me of the queen bee and the hive,” Harper muttered. “Makes sense. So, what about the female Manticores? Are they just baby-makers or what?”
“Oh, no,” I interjected, remembering my conversations with Neha from the previous night. “Not at all. They fight if they have to. But they’re precious, and cherished. The queen keeps them close, mostly for protection. You see, a female Manticore’s venom is far more powerful than that of a male. It kills faster, too.”
“So, they’re like the royal guards,” Harper concluded. “Damn, I was lucky then, to survive Pheng-Pheng.”
“Of course.” Pheng-Pheng joined us, followed by Queen Neha. “My venom takes less than ten minutes to kill. It usually paralyzes within the first minute, which is why I’m still very much impressed by your stamina after I stung you, Harper.”
Harper chuckled softly. “I’ll be thanking the stars for the rest of my days, believe me.”
“Are you all ready for your journey?” Queen Neha asked.
“Pretty much, yes,” I replied, patting my horse’s neck. The creature nuzzled my ear in response, making me giggle.
“I’ve decided to have Pheng-Pheng join you,” the queen said, wearing a faint, sad smile.
A couple of moments passed in silence. Jax and I looked at each other. I couldn’t see much of his expression, given his mask and goggles, but I had a feeling we were both wondering the same thing. “Why?” I asked.
“I figured you could use the extra help,” the queen replied, and Vesta nodded in agreement.
“A Manticore will definitely come in handy down in Draconis,” the young fae said.
“Personally, I’m thrilled to welcome Pheng-Pheng on our team,” I added, smiling. “Like we’ve already said, we need all the help we can get.”
“And we’re lucky to get a fighter like you on board,” Harper told Pheng-Pheng, who smiled in return, her tanned cheeks taking on a vibrant shade of red as she blushed.
“I’m honored that you’ll have me,” Pheng-Pheng replied, then playfully nudged Harper. “I’m riding with you. We don’t have any horses to spare.”
“Oh, okay. Sure, not a problem,” Harper said.
We then bid the Manticores farewell and got back in the saddle. Our horses were well fed and rested, their muscles twitching as they anticipated the ride. “We’re looking at another strip of hot desert once we leave the gorge,” Jax said. “We’ll go fast.”
“We’ve got about three hundred miles before we reach Kerentrith,” Vesta replied. “I think the horses can do it seamlessly. The sand dunes fade out the closer we get to the city, and the temperatures will drop a little, too, as the lava lakes are not directly underneath it.”
“That’s good to hear. I definitely don’t want to walk into Draconis in a medium-rare state,” Fiona grumbled, then gently pulled the reins of her horse, guiding it into the ravine that would eventually lead us to the northern exit.
Vesta took the lead, and Pheng-Pheng climbed up behind Harper on her horse. We shot after Vesta, the thundering of hooves echoing throughout the gorge, its tall, red walls casting a mild shade over us.
As soon as we left the Akrep Gorge behind us, I could feel the desert heat coming down hard on us—mostly on our vampires and Maras. I was sweating myself, but the high speed of our horses did make it slightly more comfortable, given that I was warm-blooded by nature.
Several hours later, as the sun left the noon peak in the clear blue sky, I could see the white city of Kerentrith rising in the distance. The reddish sand dunes began to fade away into flat, dry dirt. It must have been a beauty to look at, in the olden days—back when the Imen thrived and lived freely between its walls.
Not much was left standing, from what I could see as we got closer. The towers pierced through the sky, their white marble bricks glistening in the sunlight. The city of Kerentrith had been built on a steep hill, most of it carved into the hard white marble, with narrow stairs and alleys snaking down from the top. In many ways, it reminded me of White City, back on Calliope.
“I can see where the Exiled Maras got their inspiration for their precious city,” Harper muttered, staring at the gleaming ruins of Kerentrith.
“They most certainly did. The ancestors of some of the Imen still living in Azure Heights came from Kerentrith,” Vesta replied. “They probably died building that place.”
“It’s beautiful, still,” I said, gazing at the marvelous structure. I could see the central palace from our position, rising proudly above the dilapidated buildings around and below. “It must have been splendid in its heyday.”
“Stories about it survive to this day,” Vesta replied. “Kerentrith was once a hub of artists, merchants, and lawmakers, the beating heart of the Imen civilization. It was crossed by multiple trade routes, connected to other cities around the continent. The Imen royalty lived in the palace, there.”
Jax grunted, then nudged his horse with his heels, prompting the animal to go even faster as we reached the solid ground and left the sand dunes behind. Harper, Fiona, and Caspian did the same, and the rest of us had no choice but to keep up.
“Sorry, but I’m kind of boiling at this point,” Jax said. “I’d kill for some shade right about now.”
“I have to say, it’s kind of funny to see you guys so uncomfortable.” Caia giggled. Blaze stifled a grin and focused on the road ahead. We still had about ten miles to Kerentrith at this point.
“The worst part is that if I see another underground pond, I would rather burn in the sunlight than get in,” Harper said with a bitter chuckle.
“You must be boiling,” I replied, smirking, as Jax briefly glanced at me over his shoulder. Not that I could see his face, but I had a pretty good idea as to what his expression could be. “I know, redundancy is definitely my strong point right now.”
“Oh, chill out, Jax,” Caia added, then burst into laughter. “Wait, that’s basically impossible!”
“Yuck it up, ladies. And fire boy,” Jax shot back. I could sense the slight amu
sement in his tone, though it was carefully hidden beneath layers of irritation.
“Don’t hate on us fire folk,” Blaze replied, no longer able to hold back his grin.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough fun at the expense of our coldblooded mates,” I said, feeling a little sorry to see Jax in so much physical discomfort. “We’ll reach the shade in no time. Besides, the temperature is dropping a little already, just like Vesta said.”
“That’s because we’ve left the underground lava lakes behind, along with the dunes,” Vesta said.
“Actually, Harper, I’d gladly battle those water snakes again right about now, just for a few minutes of cool comfort.” Fiona laughed lightly as we reached the base of the marble hill.
Kerentrith was massive from up close, towering over us like a silent giant. The early afternoon sun cast its white glow against the broken walls and partially crumbled stairs. Birds chirped from the many trees that had grown out of the fertile soil beneath, splitting the alleys and squares open. Nature had taken its course, growing through the Iman-made structures with no regard for the architectural craftsmanship of an era long gone.
“Remember, we need to keep a low profile,” Vesta murmured. “There could be daemons patrolling the area during the day.”
“Unfortunately, Blaze, that means you don’t go dragon unless we really don’t have another choice,” Jax added, and Blaze replied with a soft nod.
Pheng-Pheng stared at him, her amber eyes wide with wonder. “You’re a dragon?”
“He doesn’t look like one, does he?” Harper smirked. “He’s what you Nerakians call a two-spirit, like the Adlets. He turns into a dragon, but you really need to get out of the way when that happens.”
“Yeah, I’m kind of a big fella,” Blaze replied.
“A gentle giant, you might say.” Caia giggled. “Unless you get him mad.”
“In which case, Pheng-Pheng, you run. You don’t look back, you just run, as fast as you can,” Fiona chimed in, prompting me to stifle a laugh. They were virtually demonizing the poor boy, just for fun. Judging by the blush in his cheeks, however, Blaze seemed to enjoy the attention. He was adorably shy and quiet by nature, and it was nice to see him come out of his shell once in a while, despite our dire circumstances. After all, daemons and Exiled Maras were still hunting us. And King Shaytan really wanted Blaze for himself.