“How do you know where the settlement is, then?” Draven replied.
“I still have contacts among the rogues. It wasn’t easy, but I pinpointed their location shortly before I was imprisoned. I was going to tell my father about them, as I had been ordered, but once they threw me in a cage, I decided to keep it to myself.”
“How noble of you, son of Arid,” Jax interjected, his tone laced with sarcasm. It was becoming obvious that the Mara didn’t like Sverik much.
“Wow, you really need to tone it down a little,” the incubus shot back. “What did I ever do to you?”
“I just don’t like weaklings, incubus. Let’s not forget you did Azazel’s bidding for a while.”
“And I paid a hefty price when I was thrown in a cage!”
“Cut it out,” Hansa barked at them, visibly annoyed. “We’re in this together now, and Sverik is one of our own. Give him a break. He’s been through enough as it is. I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy for him, stuck between his father and brother.”
“Hold on. Why are you making it sound like I’m traumatized and weak?” Sverik looked insulted. His eyes darted from Hansa to Jax.
“She doesn’t need to make it sound like you’re weak,” the Mara replied. “It’s already obvious.”
Sverik scoffed and kicked his horse in an attempt to put some distance between him and Jax, but the animal was once again unwilling to cooperate, neighing and lifting itself on its hind legs before it trotted away into the woods.
“No, don’t!” Sverik shouted at his horse to no avail. “What are you doing? No!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle, watching as the incubus was carried into the forest by a very stubborn horse. I looked at Jax, who looked vaguely amused. Hansa shook her head slowly.
“Did you do something to his horse?” I asked Jax.
“Absolutely nothing. I told you these are special creatures. They sense weakness and do not obey unless they’re shown strength and determination.”
“Then fix it!” Hansa snapped, pointing in Sverik’s direction. “Get him back!”
Jax exhaled sharply and patted his horse on the neck. It trotted after Sverik. I heard neighing and hooves rumbling in the darkness. A minute later, the Mara and Sverik emerged from the woods and rejoined the group. Jax was trying to stifle a smirk, while the incubus was sullen and glowing with embarrassment.
“By the Daughters, I’m stuck with a Druid, a sentry, and two children,” Hansa grumbled and moved in front of the group.
Jax put on a straight face and joined her. His jade eyes settled on her profile as she kept riding and avoided his gaze. I had a feeling he was interested in her, but I wasn’t sure what that interest entailed. It was difficult to read him based solely on his facial expressions.
Draven and I looked at each other, projecting our emotions in warm waves of gold and pink. Words of affection were risky outside of the mansion’s protective shield, and we both knew it. We were in foreign territory, in the company of others, and about to meet potentially hostile incubi. After all, aside from their location and what they’d once done with Kristos and Bijarki, we knew nothing else about them.
Some years had passed, and there was a chance that they may not be interested in an alliance anymore. They might be focused solely on surviving, or worse, just hopeless and waiting to die.
Whatever came next, one thing I knew for sure; I looked forward to another moment alone with Draven. There were still many words left unspoken between us to describe how we felt about each other. With each moment, I became more and more aware that whatever was going on between us was growing. It was increasing in intensity until it was difficult to imagine a future without him.
Another hour passed before we saw lights flickering in the distance, scattered across the beach and into the neighboring woods. The incubi settlement was barely a hundred yards away as we left the woods behind us.
“We’re here,” Jax said.
Sverik rode forward until he reached Jax’s side to get a better look. He glanced at us over his shoulder and smiled with newfound confidence.
“Let me do the talking,” he said. “They’re more likely to speak to an incubus.”
The four of us watched him as he went ahead. I used my True Sight. The incubi had sensed movement and could see us approaching. They rushed for their weapons, pulling knives and swords out of their sheaths and taking their defensive stances.
I tried to warn him. “Sverik, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
The sound of feet shuffling through the sand caught my attention.
Several dark figures approached us from all angles, obscured by the darkness as the moon hid behind a cloud. My True Sight quickly revealed them as incubi holding knives and baring their teeth.
The settlement was now fifty feet away, and it was riddled with rogues readying themselves for a fight. Some had already taken the initiative to give us a not-so-friendly greeting.
“Don’t move,” Jax ordered.
His eyes lit up, and his arms reached out to both sides, fingers spread wide.
Jovi
Later in the day, the succubi were waiting downstairs in the banquet hall, filling up on a hearty lunch. I came in last, finding Phoenix, the Daughter, and Anjani already at the table, sipping coffee and talking about the Destroyers waiting outside. I’d seen Bijarki go into the upstairs study room, most likely to look over the maps of Calliope to plan out the campaign against Azazel.
I sat down next to Anjani and poured myself a mug as I glanced at her. She hadn’t slept much the night before. I could tell from her tired eyes and slow movements. I’d barely caught an hour of sleep myself. I’d spent the night alone in my bed, hoping I’d hear her knock on my door. We’d gotten so close during our stay at the River Pyros that I’d expected her to want to spend her nights with me.
I figured she must have spent the night with her sisters, catching up after the Red Tribe tragedy, so I didn’t go looking for her. I gave her space in the morning as well, as she looked after her sisters and served breakfast.
The Oracles had gone through another session of visions, with Field watching over them.
“Didn’t sleep much?” I asked Anjani. I filled my plate with food.
She shook her head and smiled.
“Barely an hour or two. I stayed with my sisters until we all fell asleep. You don’t look so well either.” She raised an eyebrow at me.
“I find I sleep a lot better with you in my arms,” I replied, my voice low.
I watched her expression change into something soft and sweet, glowing momentarily before she looked away, focusing on her sisters. I’d made her blush. One more point for Jovi.
“They are safe here,” she said. “I’m so relieved to see them.”
“I know what you mean,” I told her. “I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to Aida.”
I didn’t see Aida in the hall, and Field and Vita were also missing.
“Have you seen her since your vision session?” I asked Phoenix.
His mouth was full of steamed vegetables. He shook his head and pointed his fork upward. He swallowed. “Aida and Vita are sleeping upstairs. We had a rough one. Field’s outside working out,” he said.
“Okay, well, share anything you can with us when you’re ready. What about the Lamias?”
“I have no idea, and, frankly, I’m not too keen on finding out either. They’re in here somewhere, as insufferable as ever. I offered them dinner last night, and they just scoffed and walked away.”
“They’re not the easiest to be around, especially since we’re all confined to this mansion. As big as it is, it still feels small when you don’t like the company,” Anjani chimed in.
“Speaking of which,” Olia said, pouring herself another coffee, “the girls and I spoke earlier, while you were showering. We’re not going to stay here.”
Anjani stilled halfway through a mouthful, her gaze fixed on Olia.
“What do you mean??
?? she replied.
“We’re of no use to anyone here, Anjani. We need to be out there, rallying more troops against Azazel. Assuming Hansa made it safely through the passage stone, she’s out there reaching out to other creatures. We can’t stay here and just wait. We should be doing the same in the southwestern region. There are plenty of rogues in that area who would be thrilled to join our alliance,” Olia explained.
“No. Absolutely not.” Anjani shook her head. “You barely escaped death. You need to stay put. You’re protected here!”
“For how long will we be protected?” Perra intervened. “According to the Oracles, the Destroyers will get in at some point. We don’t need to be protected. We need to be out there fulfilling our duties, supporting this alliance. We need more soldiers, and you know it.”
“No! You cannot leave! There are Destroyers just waiting for any one of us to come out. You won’t make it fifty feet in any direction!”
“There’s the invisibility spell,” the Daughter chimed in.
“The what now?” Olia’s focus shifted to the Daughter’s face.
“No! Draven took some of it and left us with the rest in case something went wrong here with the shield. There isn’t enough, and you know it will take months to regrow the ingredients needed for it,” Anjani replied, then looked at Olia. “Forget about it!”
“There’s enough to last about a mile for a small group of people,” the Daughter said. “It will be enough to keep them cloaked for long enough to get out of the Destroyers’ range.”
“You’re not helping.” Anjani sighed.
“Your sisters do have a point,” I said to her, realizing that she’d been trying to withhold the invisibility spell from the succubi to prevent them from leaving.
She gave me a death glare, and I instantly raised my hands in a defensive gesture. I knew she was only being protective of her sisters, but she had to accept the practical side of things. We needed help from wherever we could get it.
“Just hear me out, Anjani,” I pleaded. “I can’t go out, and neither can the Daughter or Field or any of the Oracles. Neither can Bijarki, who’s got a bounty on his head. We’re at high risk out there right now, and Azazel will sense the Oracles if they leave the shield. You need to stay here and protect them and the Daughter. You’ve sworn an oath to your sister, remember?”
A few seconds passed before she nodded, pursing her lips. She didn’t like where this was going, clearly, but she was beginning to see the bigger picture as she looked at her sisters.
“The succubi, on the other hand, are more inconspicuous,” I added. “And if they use the invisibility spell, they can get out of here with a higher chance of success. They’re fast, and they know the jungles. They know where to go and whom to look for regarding our alliance. And there are plenty of them to protect each other. I am sorry, but your sisters are of more use out there than in here.”
“Besides, we’re big girls. We can take care of ourselves. You shouldn’t underestimate us like this,” Olia reprimanded her.
“I just don’t like the idea of you out there and me stuck in here, unable to reach you,” Anjani muttered, leaning against the back of her chair.
“I don’t think that’s a problem anymore,” the Daughter replied.
“What do you mean?” Anjani asked.
“Phoenix and I were up most of the night translating more spells from the swamp witches’ book. I found a spell that will help you keep in touch with your sisters,” she explained.
“It sounds like a telepathy spell, from what I understood,” Phoenix added. “It’s a shame it didn’t come up sooner, before Serena left through the passage stone, but the Daughter has yet to regain full control of Eritopia’s cryptic languages. It takes her a while to translate some spells. We can at least try and use it with your sisters.”
The succubi looked at each other, smiles stretching over their faces as Anjani rolled her eyes and nodded her consent.
“Fine! I won’t stop you!” Anjani said, then glanced at the Daughter. “What do you need for the spell? How does it work?”
“We need the blood of all those you wish to reach out to, a few drops from each, and yourself,” the Daughter replied. “Once they are out of here, you can perform the spell yourself to communicate with them. The book calls it a connection of spirits. I don’t know exactly how it works. I only know how to prepare and perform it.”
“We’ll get ready, then!” Olia beamed from across the table.
An hour later, we gathered outside the mansion. Phoenix and the Daughter had collected the succubi’s silver blood in small glass vials, placing them in a small wooden box, along with a scroll and several small bottles filled with colorful powders, which they handed to Anjani.
“This is the spell?” she asked, carefully analyzing the ingredients in the box.
The Daughter nodded. “Whenever you want to reach out to your sisters, follow the scroll’s instructions. “It will help you communicate with them.”
“You will be able to talk to each other in real time,” Phoenix added.
The succubi had dressed in their leather garments. Their travel satchels were tied on their backs, and their swords hung loosely from their belts. The younger teens were by Anjani’s side, as she had insisted that the girls stay behind.
They hugged and bid their farewells, whispering words of comfort and confidence to each other. I watched Anjani swallow back tears as she gave her sisters advice on where to go and how to travel the long distances that they needed to travel.
“Thank you for understanding.” Olia wrapped her arms around Anjani. “I will see you soon. I promise!”
“You had better! We need to restore the glory of our Red Tribe, and I can’t do it on my own!” she replied.
“We’d best be leaving now to get the most of the daylight. There are several camps east of Sarang Marketplace. We’ll head there first,” Perra said.
Phoenix passed the bowl with the prepared invisibility spell. The succubi took a handful each, which they ingested and washed down with some water.
“Now recite the spell as I’ve shown you,” he said.
The succubi cleared their throats and straightened their backs, solemnly repeating the swamp witches’ invisibility spell.
“In darkness and light, we will not be seen. Shapeless creatures we shall become, foreign to the eyes of anything that moves. Between leaves and against stones, through water and dirt, we shall be like air. Unseen, obscured, concealed. We shall be cloaked in light, reflecting light, exuding light.”
They looked at each other, then at Phoenix and the Daughter.
“So, what now?” Olia asked. “We disappear?”
“Exactly,” Phoenix said and nodded toward the sisters.
Olia gasped as she watched the succubi around her glimmer and vanish gradually. The spell had worked perfectly.
“This will hold you for about a mile, based on Serena and Draven’s previous experience with it,” Phoenix added.
“Good. We’re leaving now.” I heard Olia’s voice in the spot where she’d last been visible.
“Please, be careful,” Anjani said. She waved goodbye.
She took a deep breath as we heard their steps through the grass. They reached the protective shield, where several Destroyers were patrolling, absently looking around. The barrier shimmered lightly. It was barely noticeable—the Destroyers weren’t aware that the succubi were slipping through their fingers.
I looked at Anjani and noticed the pained look in her emerald-gold eyes, glazed with tears. I moved closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She caved in, sobbing as she hid her face in my chest, her hands settling on my sides. I held her as she shuddered.
Phoenix and the Daughter took the young succubi back inside the mansion. The girls glanced over their shoulders, visibly concerned about Anjani, but I heard Phoenix reassure them that she would be okay.
I smiled, thankful to have him as a friend. A reliable fighter who had almost died try
ing to protect me was capable of babysitting two teenage succubi, even if they could barely sit still for more than five minutes.
“It’ll be okay,” I said to Anjani, my body filled with the familiar warmth of her touch.
She took deep breaths, relaxing in my embrace.
“Thank you,” she whispered and looked at me.
“For what?”
“For…you.”
Anjani had this way of flooring me with just a handful of words. I ran my fingers through her curly black hair, then traced an invisible line along her jaw before I touched her lower lip.
“I could say the same thing,” I replied and dropped a gentle peck on the tip of her nose.
She blinked several times, then pushed herself up on the tips of her toes to kiss me. I welcomed her warm sweetness. Our lips parted and molded in perfect union. It felt so right, even with death waiting for us beyond the shield.
The wolf’s head pendant seemed heavier in my pocket as I deepened the kiss, caressing her face and breathing in her scent.
Who was I fooling? I couldn’t possibly see myself giving that pendant to anyone else. It made no sense to look any further for a soulmate. I’d already found her.
Phoenix
The Daughter and I left the young succubi girls in the greenhouse, which seemed like their favorite part of the mansion. They used some of the gardening tools stored in a box there to trim the potted trees and collect various flowers for poisons, saying they wanted to make sure that their big sister had everything she needed in case of an attack.
I found their support and devotion heartwarming, as I understood that the succubi were taught from a very young age to love and protect each other. It only made the Red Tribe massacre an even greater tragedy. I understood Anjani’s reluctance to let her other sisters go, but they served a better purpose out there than stuck in the mansion with us.