“You be safe out there, you hear me?” I said. “Make liberal use of Telluris, as well. You have the castle plans, right? Patrik will be there when you get in on the fifth floor, based on what Aida told me.”
“I most certainly do,” he replied, patting the satchel on his back.
He then turned and kissed Anjani goodbye. They whispered something to each other before he got on the flying horse in front of the Destroyer. It was incredibly creepy to look at the creature, and yet I couldn’t peel my eyes off the elaborate trickery. Those shifters were, indeed, excellent at replicating not just the physique, but also the demeanor and speech patterns of other creatures – a skill that had nearly cost me my life when I’d first encountered them.
Anjani took a deep breath as Jovi took off. When he had become just a black dot in the bright blue sky, I turned my attention to Field, my heart feeling heavier than usual. We’d talked about all this already, but still, it felt difficult to watch my friends fly into clear and present danger.
“The same goes for you, Hawk,” I muttered as he hugged me. He closed his hand into a fist and rubbed down hard into my forehead with his knuckles, making me curse under my breath.
“Worry not, my dear. Got two trustworthy copies here to keep me company and the enemy distracted.” He gave me a half-smile and spread his wings out.
The remaining two shifters took on his form, complete with large black wings. Their eyes glowed violet, and they looked to him, waiting for him to take off. It was part of our initial plan for Field to fly out and give the signal to our allies once Nova was out of the castle.
“I’ll find cover in one of the tallest purple trees on the east side of the jungle,” he said. “Once Jovi confirms the little Daughter’s out of the castle, I’ll give the signal, like we agreed.”
His satchel was mounted on his chest, tied with strings around his back to make his flight easy and comfortable. I nodded, and he flapped his wings and took off, followed by the shifters.
We rushed to the front steps of Stonewall, where horses had been prepared—not just our indigo stallions, but several other white mares that had made a habit of grazing by the citadel walls.
Rebel went ahead with forty Bajangs. They all morphed into their giant feline forms and darted across the meadow. Jax’s nine wards rode after them, focused on keeping potential predators and hostiles at bay.
Draven, Hansa, Anjani, Jax, and I rode out after them, accompanied by the six Druids.
We crossed the wide meadow, hooves thundering below, and noticed strands of black smoke rising in the distant north.
“Hostile campfires,” Jax said. “They’re getting closer to Stonewall. Sluaghs must’ve survived from yesterday and reported back to Azazel.”
“Or he figured it out on his own when the Sluaghs didn’t return. Either way, we’re out of here,” I muttered. “The sooner we kill that snake, the better.”
“Right on, sister!” Hansa cheered on my left, her fingers brushing against the bejeweled gold handle of her broadsword.
We rode like the wind, angry and determined and ready to strike hard and mercilessly until Azazel’s head tumbled at our feet.
Serena
An hour passed as we rode deeper into the dark jungle, our horses galloping at incredible speeds. According to the terrain markers we’d passed so far, and the notes on our map, we were a couple of miles away from a Mara camp, and three miles from Luceria.
We couldn’t see the castle yet because tall purple trees curled out above, nearly covering the sky and casting heavy shadows around us. We had the swamp witches’ spell ready if any green fireflies decided to get too close. It involved throwing diamond dust at them and uttering a three-word incantation that would temporarily blind them, or, if they were close enough, would burn each of those creepy critters into a tiny puff of smoke.
Draven and I were first in line, galloping down the narrow path leading to Luceria, with the young Druids, Anjani, Hansa, and Jax right behind us. The Mara wards and the Bajangs kept a close distance, circling us about a third-of-a-mile away.
I could hear Destroyers hissing in the distance and the drums of war echoing from the castle. They were on high alert, aware that a strike was imminent. Zeriel, Tamara and the others had already circled the area with their armies, but were keeping a low profile, waiting for the signal. It didn’t matter what Azazel’s troops were up to anyway; we knew what we had to do. Furthermore, Azazel could amp up his defenses as much as he wanted, but the first hit was still coming from the inside.
My indigo horse got nervous and came to an abrupt halt, nearly throwing me over its head. Draven’s did the same, and I heard the others neighing behind. I looked up, clutching my crossbow and turning on my True Sight. I saw shadows darting around through the dark woods and Bajangs growling nearby.
I looked over my shoulder and saw that Hansa and Anjani had each loaded and raised their crossbows, ready to strike, as did Draven. Jax’s eyes flickered gold as he clicked his teeth with a displeased expression.
“They’re moving too fast,” he muttered. “I can’t latch onto them.”
I focused on what was in front of us again. One by one, the shadows rushed closer, and I got a better view. Our horses nervously began to trot back. These were succubi, dozens of them, wearing white paint on their faces and arms.
They were coming in too fast, so I pushed out a strong barrier, enough to knock some of them back, but more darted through the woods toward us. I heard the Bajangs growling as they moved back and tightened the protective circle around us. The wards must’ve managed to capture some slower succubi with their mind-bending abilities—several White Tribe members crawled out onto the path, holding their heads as they cried out, begging the wards to stop.
More of them came out toward us, but we already had our crossbows ready to strike.
“Stand down or we’ll shoot!” Draven shouted.
A sharp whistle shot through the forest, and the succubi stilled, slowly raising their hands in the air. My heart thumped in my chest as I realized what was going on. Jasmine was somewhere nearby. These were her succubi, after all.
“Jasmine must be here,” I whispered, not ready to put my weapon down just yet.
“She’s very smart, Draven,” a female voice echoed around us. “I’m impressed.”
I saw her then, just a few feet away, as she revealed herself and stepped onto the path. Jasmine was tall, with long, pale, sandy hair pouring over her shoulders and steely gray eyes that mirrored Draven’s. She wore a navy-blue dress, multiple layers of silk wrapped around her slender body, and a dark green hood that partially covered her tattooed arms. The Druid bands were a symbol of her training and wisdom, but it was her jaded gaze that truly reflected her experience.
She came closer, eyeing us all before she focused on Draven and put on a warm half-smile meant to defuse the tension. I felt a mixture of curiosity and anger seeping out of him, and I couldn’t blame him. He was most likely asking himself the same questions that had arisen when we’d first learned that she was still alive.
Jasmine looked at the succubi still groaning in pain on the ground to our right, then gave Jax a pleading look.
“Can you please make them stop?” she asked. “They were only following my orders.”
“Orders to do what, kill us?” the Lord of Maras snapped, an eyebrow raised.
“No.” She shook her head. “To test you.”
Jax scoffed, but snapped his fingers. The wards immediately released their hold on the succubi, while the Bajangs came even closer, the giant felines making the very trees around them tremble.
“I don’t think you’re in any position to test us,” Draven replied dryly.
“Oh, but I am, Draven.” She smiled. “I wanted to make sure you’re ready for what lies ahead. I must say, you’ve exceeded my expectations. You were fast in your response and very well organized. The succubi would’ve put up a good fight, but you’ve got, what, forty Bajangs prowling these woods?”
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One of the succubi huffed, pursing her lips. She stood up and brushed the dirt from her arms. Jasmine’s gaze continued to wander from one member of our group to another, her eyes flickering black when she once again looked at Draven.
“It is so good to see you, Draven,” she said slowly, taking a step forward.
“Don’t move,” Draven shot back, and aimed his crossbow at her.
I knew he wasn’t going to shoot. He was just irritated and eager to give her a taste of her own “testing” medicine. Jasmine stopped, her hands in the air, and sighed.
“You’re angry,” she muttered.
“You’re damn right, I’m angry,” he growled. “I didn’t even know you were alive until one of our Oracles spotted you in a vision, and yet, somehow, you seem to know plenty about me. Explain yourself before I ‘accidentally’ release a poisoned arrow into your chest.”
“That’s rather vitriolic coming from you.” Jasmine frowned.
“It’s coming from all of us,” Malachy’s voice boomed from behind.
The young Druids kicked their horses and moved closer, settling by Draven’s side. They were all mad at her, and, once more, I found myself unable to blame them. She had abandoned them, after all. Jasmine didn’t seem all that surprised to see them, just happy, a smile lighting her up from the inside.
“You made a wise choice to join my nephew,” she replied with a nod.
“First things first.” Draven raised his voice. “How did you find us?”
“I’ve had you followed since your friends left the mansion and sought shelter in Stonewall.”
She winked and whistled. I heard leaves rustling behind us. A young succubus, petite like Vita, appeared almost out of nowhere, her body covered in dark green paint and dried up dirt. Her bright, silvery eyes were the only thing that stopped us from mistaking her for a solitary tree. She came to Jasmine’s side, then bowed respectfully.
“We used a telepathy spell to keep in touch,” Jasmine continued. “It’s how I knew who each of you were before we came here to greet you.”
“You’ve got a cloaking spell over your camp, you have a telepathy spell,” I mused. “You’re using plenty of swamp witch magic, aren’t you?”
“Indeed, I am.” She smiled at me. “Long before the swamp witches were killed, I spent days in their company. They taught me a few tricks before things got bad and Azazel started coming after them. I was the one who urged them to split their spell book in three and got my brother involved in keeping a copy safe. These tricks have kept me alive until now.”
“So you knew about me. You spoke to my father. And my father knew you were alive but never told me anything,” Draven said heatedly, his nostrils flaring.
She nodded cautiously. “I asked him not to tell anyone. To be fair, he didn’t tell me about you, per se,” she explained. “After news broke of Genevieve dying in labor, along with the baby, I had a feeling that Almus wasn’t telling me the whole truth. He was never able to lie to me, anyway. At the time, we were facing constant betrayal from Druids turning to Azazel, and we were forced to separate. We didn’t know whom to trust anymore, and I’d made it my mission to protect the Grand Temple students. An attack on Persea was inevitable at that point.”
She paused to take a deep breath, looking at the young Druids. Recognition glimmered in her eyes.
“I brought them here while the portals were still active, and I hid them on Marton. I checked in on them once every full moon, but I was eventually tracked down and nearly killed. I’d been betrayed, though I still don’t know by whom—at the time, I was surrounded by many creatures I didn’t trust. Thankfully, whoever it was hadn’t figured out why I’d been going to Marton. In any case, after I got back to Antara and nursed my wounds, I went looking for my brother. I sent a message to him through several rogue succubi, and I was given a time and a place to meet. By then, Almus was getting weaker, still recovering from deeper wounds. Azazel was getting closer. It was then that he decided to tell me the truth about you, Draven, and the mansion with all its secrets, including the Daughter. He feared that death was imminent and needed to make sure you’d be looked after.”
“What a fine job you’ve done,” Draven scoffed, putting his crossbow away.
“I made the choice to stay away from you, yes,” she replied. “But not because I didn’t want to look after you. I did. More than anything. But there were still Destroyers on my tail. Traitors around me. Too many creatures knew where I was, and I couldn’t bring them all to your doorstep. I just couldn’t. You had the ancient wards in there; the mansion was protected. Almus had told me everything about the deal he’d made with the Daughters. I didn’t want to put you in danger. It wasn’t an easy choice, my dear, but I had to make sure you stayed safe. As cruel as it may seem, I felt it was in your best interest that I kept my distance.”
A moment passed in heavy silence as Draven and Jasmine stared at each other. I sensed the turmoil brewing in his heart, the mixed feelings and the inexplicable relief to see her standing there. I did understand where he was coming from. Despite his anger, Jasmine was the only family he had left. He’d grown up yearning for someone to show him the ropes, but all he’d had were invisible wards and the occasional friends he’d made whenever he’d ventured beyond the shield.
As someone who’d grown up pretty much on his own, he was relieved to see he still had family. It hurt that she’d kept her distance but, deep down, I knew he understood her reasons. I did, too.
“I kept an eye on the mansion all these years,” she continued. “I formed an alliance with the White Tribe once Azazel’s armies started burning through their territory up north. They joined me beneath the cloaking spell, and we operated quietly from there, waiting for you to grow up and continue your father’s work. When the protective shield came down, however, I had to come out of hiding. I’m here to help you, Draven. I’m here to lend you my strength. I see you’re finally taking the fight to Azazel, and believe me when I say that I’ve been waiting for this day to come for a long time…”
Draven still had trouble replying. But I could feel his defenses shattering. I knew him well enough to know how his reasoning worked. Past the novelty of a living relative, he was facing a new ally with dozens of succubi under her command. We needed every able-bodied fighter we could get, and the White Tribe was a welcome addition to our alliance.
Most importantly, Jasmine was an experienced Druid.
“I think I should also inform you now that my trusted White Tribe succubi were gracious enough to ambush and burn down the caravan of papers that the Destroyers had been ordered to bring back from the mansion after the shield fell,” she said.
“You kept eyes on the mansion after it fell to the Destroyers?” Draven blinked with surprise.
“I did, yes,” she replied. “There was too much precious information in there, I knew the beasts would have to bring it back to Azazel for him to look through. I didn’t want him to get anything of use to him. Consider it a gesture of good will, on my part.”
I looked over at Malachy and the others, and I could see them exhaling and nodding slowly as they exchanged glances. Draven ran a hand through his hair, then leaned forward.
“At least you got to see this day come,” he finally said.
Jasmine’s eyes flickered black as she fought back tears.
“I miss him, too, you know,” she replied in a trembling voice. “We were inseparable for centuries before Azazel decided he wanted Eritopia all to himself. Almus dedicated his life to preserving Druid principles and peace across the realm.”
“Then it’s time we bring it all back for him.” Draven straightened his back, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
Jasmine cocked her head to one side and put on a charming smile. I’d seen Almus in Draven’s memories, and I had to admit, she was definitely his sister.
“Does that mean you’ll allow us to fight by your side?” she asked with an undertone of humor.
“If you
can keep up with us, sure,” Draven replied, then clicked his teeth and gently nudged his horse into motion.
He was the first to ride out. The others followed suit, their horses galloping down the path. The Bajangs, the wards, and the succubi all darted in the same direction, rustling the leaves as they widened their circle around our group.
I trotted closer to her and offered her a hand.
“Need a ride?” I asked.
She looked up and smiled at me. She then took my hand and climbed onto my horse behind me. The stallion neighed, slightly unhappy with two riders, but eventually started racing after the others.
“Thank you, Serena,” she whispered in my ear.
“For what? It’s just a ride!”
“For helping him become the Druid he is today. I see the way he looks at you. It’s the same look that Almus had whenever Genevieve was near him.”
“Oh,” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks catch fire. I guessed we really were that obvious. “Thanks…”
“You give him strength, I can tell,” she said. “I’m happy he’s found someone like you at a time like this. True love blossoms in the face of adversity, after all.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. She was right, so I let her see my smile before I looked ahead and focused on getting my horse to run faster until we caught up with the group. I trotted to Draven’s side, and our eyes met for a moment. My heart swelled at the golden energy that emanated from him whenever I was near.
He looked briefly at Jasmine and nodded, then focused on the path ahead.
We’d gained an ally on our way to Luceria, but the hard part hadn’t even started yet. The castle loomed ahead, black and menacing, with swarms of Destroyers and green fireflies. The drums of war grew louder, as did the sound of a river flowing nearby.
The first real stage of our mission was about to begin.
Aida
We were stuck in glass bubbles, but it didn’t mean we were useless—at least, that was what I’d been telling myself as the hours slipped by. At dawn, I could see the sun rising boldly over the horizon, casting soft hues of orange and pink, quietly announcing the beginning of war. It was time to see what else was happening below.