“Yes, we’ll have to be careful when we reach the Athelathan Mountains,” Dion said. “Daemons will probably be stationed there. They’re always there, even after, what, seven thousand years?”
“More or less,” Alles replied with a nod. “They’re quite persistent in making sure the Dhaxanians don’t try to come down. Chances are they’ll have fires constantly burning, just to remind them of their fate.”
About an hour passed as we finished planning and stocked up on supplies and spells. Patrik wrote down the swamp witch spell incantations we needed for the pouches he gave us—fire starters, water detectors, and invisibility paste, the last made with local ingredients. We had to be prepared for everything on our end, even the worst-case scenario in which Blaze and I couldn’t use our fire abilities.
Dion and Alles then brought over the indigo horses, one for each of us. They were all strong, muscular males with long white manes and sparkling violet eyes that reminded me of the Daughters of Eritopia. My heart twisted itself up in a painful knot as I patted a stallion’s neck—I missed Vita, my parents… Hell, I missed Bijarki, Draven, Serena, the whole gang.
Blaze seemed to notice my sadness. He inched closer and briefly squeezed my shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Caia. We’ll get this done, and we’ll go back home.”
“Damn straight!” Heron grinned, and gave him a hard, albeit friendly, slap on the back. “I can’t wait to go back to Calliope. White City is gorgeous during the summer. All white and sparkling beneath the moonlight. You haven’t seen it, have you, Avril?”
Avril shook her head. “I haven’t had the chance, no.”
“Well, I’d be happy to take you there when we get out of this hellhole,” Heron replied, the shadow of a smile flickering across his face. Vesta then smacked him on the shoulder. “Ouch!”
“Show some respect!”
“Sorry,” he mumbled, then scratched the back of his head. “Though, technically speaking, you’re not from around here, either.”
“I was definitely born here, so it’s my home,” Vesta replied.
“Fair enough,” Jax said, then smacked Heron on the shoulder again, prompting him to mutter a curse under his breath. “Be kinder to the locals, Brother.”
“Wait till we get back to Calliope,” Heron shot back. “I’ll kick your ass in the training hall until you beg for mercy.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Jax replied with a smirk.
“And I’d love to watch,” Hansa interjected with a dazzling smile, before she dragged Jax back by his hood, “but we have a long road ahead of us, so cover up and let’s go. The sun is coming out.”
Vesta chuckled lightly, then got on her horse, while the vampires and Maras covered up with hoods, masks, goggles, and gloves. The sun was coming out from behind the gorges in the east, casting its vibrant light across a watercolor-blue sky. It looked so beautiful and tranquil, the very opposite of what was going on beneath.
We all got on our horses and bid the Imen goodbye.
“We’ll travel to Ragnar Peak together,” Vesta said. “Then we’ll be off to Kerentrith via the Akrep Gorge, while Dion and Alles will take your friends to Lagerith, as planned.”
“Wait, Kerentrith?” I asked, frowning. “I thought we were going to Draconis, the prison city of daemons.”
“We are,” Vesta replied, putting on a sad smile. “Draconis is beneath Kerentrith, the abandoned citadel of the Imen. It’s still beautiful, with its white marble walls and towers, but it’s empty. The Imen were driven out eventually, when the daemons decided to become conquerors and disregard all other creatures in this world.”
I nudged my horse with my heels and followed the rest of my team as we shot through the woods to the north. The trees whizzed past us in shades of dark brown and green, and birds flew out above, startled by hooves thundering across the hard ground.
This was it. Our most dangerous endeavor yet, and the most important one. Our lives depended on its success. One way or another, we were going to get that swamp witch back. Neraka was not going to hold us hostage for much longer.
Harper
The horses were ridiculously fast, reminding me why I loved their species so much. These beauties could cover a hundred miles in less than an hour at a smooth and steady gallop. Once we reached Ragnar Peak, we noticed how the landscape was slowly beginning to change.
We’d left the woods behind, flat green plains now spreading all around us. Before us stood Ragnar Peak, a tall but slender mountain—mostly bare stone with thousands of stairs carved into its ridges, leading all the way up to a fortress at the top. There were patches of trees here and there, but they didn’t do much to soften its rough appearance.
“This used to be a lookout point,” Vesta said, looking up at the fortress. “We still use it now and then, to check our surroundings for daemons.”
“No need this time,” I replied, then used my True Sight to briefly glance around. “It looks pretty clear for at least five miles in each direction.”
We hugged and said our goodbyes to Scarlett, Patrik, Avril, and Heron, who had Jack, Dion, and Alles with them. “We’ll see you here in seven days,” Patrik said, giving Hansa and Jax a warm smile. “Try not to get yourselves killed, please. By the Daughters, you have a dragon!”
“Same goes for you, Druid,” Jax replied with a grin. “You’ve got a pit wolf and the fastest vampire in the world. Make it count.”
I couldn’t ignore the hole in my stomach as I watched my friends leave for the northeastern Plains of Lagerith. Caspian guided his horse closer to mine, enough to gently brush his knee against mine and make me turn my head to look at him.
“They’ll be fine, Harper,” he said softly. Even with his leather garments, head and face fully covered, I could still make out the warm gold aura of his emotions. “That pit wolf will make all the difference in the world for them, especially with the Adlets.”
His aura turned red for a brief moment—pain, as he stopped himself from telling me more.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes,” he grunted, “don’t worry. Just testing my limits here. It seems like that’s all I can tell you about the Adlets and the pit wolf.”
“Don’t overdo it,” Jax interjected. “We need you in one piece. And so does Harper.”
I couldn’t see Jax’s face, but I could still sense the softness in his tone. He’d already figured out that Caspian and I were getting closer—though, to be honest, we didn’t really hide it, either. My cheeks were flushed, nonetheless, as our horses continued on their frantic sprint toward the northwest.
Over the span of three hundred miles, the terrain shifted around us. The green plains faded into dried-up dirt, and reddish sand dunes rose ahead. The horses didn’t seem to have much trouble, though, as they continued to gallop with impressive speed.
As the scorching emptiness engulfed us, I realized that the temperature was reaching some critical hot points. It was beginning to feel uncomfortable. The sun shone brightly above us, the sky too clear. There wasn’t a single wisp of cloud anywhere in sight, just an endless blue overlooking wave upon wave of red sand. It was beautiful, but incredibly cruel to creatures such as myself.
“Is anyone else getting hot, or is it just me?” I asked, my throat feeling parched.
“Nope, we’re all feeling it,” Jax replied. “It is getting way too hot. I’ve been in deserts before, but this… this is something else entirely.”
“Speak for yourselves. I’m doing fine, for the most part,” Vesta said. “But, then again, you vampires and Maras can’t be out in the sun for too long, can you?”
“I’m okay, too,” Caia added. “I mean, it’s hot, but I’m comfortable.”
“That’s because you’re made of fire, you adorable weirdo,” I shot back. “Something tells me Blaze is just peachy, too.”
Beads of sweat were gathered above Vesta’s eyebrows as she looked at me. “I think I know why,” she said. “It’s the lava.”
“Huh? Wh
at lava?” I asked, briefly glancing around.
“There are lava lakes beneath this desert,” Vesta replied. “Stretching for hundreds of miles all around Draconis. It’s a prison city, and it was built with that in mind. No prisoner can easily get off it. It’s basically an island surrounded by liquid fire, reducing possible escape routes to a few, potentially deadly ones.”
“It must have an impact on the environment, for sure,” I muttered.
“Oh, it definitely does. I just never traveled with a vampire or a Mara before. You guys seem to really feel its effects. I’ve gotten used to it, and your fae and dragon are both fire creatures, so they definitely wouldn’t be affected by it,” Vesta explained. “But that’s why we have a desert in these parts. We’re quite far up north. It should get colder, not hotter. The daemons did something beneath the crust, worked some swamp witch magic for sure, in order to get that much lava collected around Draconis.”
“It’s ridiculously hot,” I gasped, searching for my water bladder. I’d gotten used to living exclusively off blood, but I still packed water whenever I went out on longer trips—a reflex I was grateful for at this point, because my throat was in desperate need of a soothing liquid, and I didn’t make a habit of carrying blood over long distances, as it spoiled fast.
I carefully lifted my mask and drank some water, welcoming its freshness into my stomach. For a few minutes, it felt good, before the heat came back, almost twice as bad.
“The Akrep Gorge is right ahead,” Vesta said, pointing at the massive formation of sharp, red rocks rising over the dunes, less than twenty miles away. “We should get you into the shade for a while so you can cool down a little.”
“Fabulous idea!” I quipped, and pushed my horse to go faster.
Soon enough, we were all racing toward the narrow gorge opening, a crevice just fifty feet wide. “I’m practically steaming,” Fiona said, then got ahead of me.
“Okay, clearly the horse with the smaller load is faster!” I chuckled, watching her go.
“Elegant way of calling me ‘tiny’, Cuz!” She laughed.
Five minutes later, we reached the Akrep Gorge. It towered over us with sharp peaks and ridges as the sun headed west across the sky. “Look, a cave.” Vesta nodded toward a small, round hole in the wall. “Might be worth staying there for a bit.”
“Once again, I love how we’re on the same page,” I replied, then got off my horse and looked into its beautiful violet eyes. “You stay here, gorgeous, and keep the others with you.”
My stallion was now under my mental control, and I knew it wouldn’t go anywhere. I went inside the cave, followed closely by Caspian, Jax, Hansa and Fiona. Vesta, Blaze, and Caia soon joined us. I took deep breaths, removing my mask, hood, and goggles, relishing the flow of cool air through my lungs.
The darkness was absolute, and downright perfect. I could feel my temperature gradually dropping back to its normal level. We stood there for a while, leaning against the cold walls of the narrow tunnel, enjoying the chill.
The murmur of water at the other end caught my attention. “Do you guys hear that?” I asked, and Caspian nodded. I used my True Sight to look deeper into the cave, and nearly yelped with delight. I shot through the darkness. “Come on!”
A gorgeous cavern unfolded at the end of the tunnel, in the form of a huge, red stone bubble with smooth walls. It was filled with sapphire-blue waters, dimly lit from within. My guess was some species of phosphorescent algae. But it was truly stunning. The pool was deep, and the air was colder than in the tunnel.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely in the mood for a dip,” I said, removing my gear. My hand reached for the zipper, but I quickly changed my mind about taking the suit off, too, suddenly way too self-conscious in Caspian’s presence.
I briefly glanced at him.
“By all means,” he replied, slightly amused. He took off his gear and boots, but kept his suit on, like the rest of us.
“Beat you to it!” Hansa laughed, and jumped into the water, screeching with sheer joy. “This is amazing!”
“Tell me about it.” I somersaulted headfirst, and as soon as the waters swallowed me, my skin tingled with relief. I couldn’t help but laugh once I got back to the surface. Jax, Caspian, and Fiona joined us, while Caia, Blaze, and Vesta sat down on the edge and washed their faces.
It was a much-needed break in the middle of a scorching desert. Neraka could be merciless, but it sure knew how to reward those with enough patience to find hidden gems like this cave. The dim glow from the water flickered across the red walls, and, for a brief moment in time, just as Caspian swam up to me and took me in his arms, it felt perfect.
Hansa
I needed this, badly. It wasn’t just the desert heat taking its toll on my body, but the cumulated amount of awfulness that had taken over our lives in such a short period of time. The water was cool, and it instantly relaxed my muscles. My skin rejoiced beneath the leather suit, and, as soon as it permeated my hair and scalp, it felt as though all those deadly problems we were dealing with simply went away—even if for just a handful of minutes.
Caia and Blaze stayed on the edge of the water for a while, washing their faces and necks, then moved closer to the grotto entrance to keep watch. Vesta, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy watching us frolic in the water. She sat on the stone lip, removed her sandals, and submerged her feet. She then started playing with the water, pulling out crystalline streams and manipulating their swirling motions with gentle flicks of her wrists. It was always a pleasure to watch a fae at work, so deeply connected to the natural elements.
Fiona was giggling and swimming around like a happy little frog, and my heart swelled a little at the sight of her smile. I hadn’t seen much of it during our stay on Neraka, and I had been missing it, since it always brightened me up. Harper and Caspian were busy chasing each other around, looking more relaxed than ever. Come to think of it, this was the first time I was watching Lord Kifo simply being himself—and most likely in love, judging by the way he beamed whenever he heard Harper laugh. There was more good inside him, hidden deep beneath the darkness and secrets he’d been forced to carry for so long. We were lucky to know him. If it weren’t for him, we would’ve been daemon chow by now.
They made their way behind one of the large rocks poking out of the water on the other side—not by plan, but rather by how they “hunted” each other as they swam. They didn’t rush back out, either, and I wondered where my responsibilities as the “adult” in the grotto ended. Then Jax popped out of the water right in front of me, startling me. I stifled a yelp, he laughed, and I completely disconnected from the idea of a “responsible adult”.
His jade eyes twinkled with delight, as his body temperature had lowered. As a nightwalker who had been riding for hours in the desert sun, with no shade other than what his gear offered, Jax needed this cool water more than the rest of us non-blood-drinkers.
“I didn’t peg you for being so easily scared,” he quipped, then wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer.
“Whoa, using bold words there, Lord Dorchadas.” I grinned, resting my hands on his shoulders, while we constantly moved our feet to stay afloat.
“Back to official titles, now?” he replied with a smirk, then inched forward and kissed me, deeply, reminding me of why my heart throbbed for him, and him alone. We’d met during a war, and we both carried our worst memories with us, at all times—and yet, we fell in love, albeit in the middle of a world ruled by soul-eating daemons and Maras.
“Nah, I’m just playing hard to get,” I chuckled, my lips still pressed against his.
“Sorry, succubus, but I’ve got my sights set on you now,” he breathed, his jade gaze darkening. “Play as you wish; you won’t get rid of me that easily. As a matter of fact, you won’t get rid of me at all.”
The second time he kissed me, my senses went haywire. He was hungry and passionate, in desperate need of more—and I was the same, if not more so. W
e lost ourselves in each other as the water lapped gently at our shoulders. For just a few minutes, we were all we had to worry about. There weren’t enough words to describe what I felt for him, but it was deeply embedded in my system. Over the span of a few months, Jax had snuck into my soul and had taken a firm hold of me, while trying to deny his own feelings about me.
His lips moved along the side of my neck, dropping kisses until he reached the collar of my leather suit. He growled. My temperature was spiking already, and my breath was cut short—it was surprisingly difficult to keep my wits about me, while staying afloat and glued to his powerful frame. “I’m a horrible person, Hansa.”
My heart skipped a beat, and my stomach dropped. I worried that Jax was still weighed down by the tragedies in his past. “What are you talking about?” I asked, caressing his sharp cheek with the tips of my fingers.
“We’re in the middle of a Nerakian desert, looking for our only way off the planet, and all I can think of is getting everybody out of this cave so I can have you all to myself. Even though that would delay our mission by a couple of days, at least, and earn me the ire of GASP,” he replied, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Relief washed over me, promptly followed by the urge to laugh out loud. Instead, I pressed my lips tight and did my best to keep cool. “A couple of days, at least?”
He shrugged, giving me his most charming and seductive smirk, and tightened his grip on me. “Well, what do you think will happen when I finally get you out of this gear, Hansa? I already can’t get enough of you as it is.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t love him more, he went ahead and demolished the last of my defenses. I giggled, lighting up like a silvery flame as I blushed in his arms. He loved that look on me; I could see it in his eyes. I was about to kiss him again, when I caught movement somewhere below.