“Bijarki,” I called out.
Draven watched me quietly, his hands resting on my knees.
“Serena,” I heard the incubus inside my head, making me smile.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, for the most part. I had some issues in Sarang, but I got away with a couple of scratches and the larimar stone powder I needed. I’m going after the fire orchids next. I should have them by the end of the day, provided no one else decides to try and cash in on Azazel’s promised reward for my head,” he replied.
“I wish we could be there with you,” I said.
“No, don’t worry. It’s better this way. I move fast, and I never stay in one place for more than an hour. There are green fireflies everywhere, so I keep off the main roads. I’ve squished so many of those little devils that my fists are green.”
“Okay, be careful, please. There is a treasure trove of information here in Stonewall. The Bajangs have been preserving the Druid archives and we are close to finding the last entries regarding the young Druids that escaped Azazel. We’ll check in again in a few hours. We have more research to do.”
“That’s unexpectedly excellent news! Be careful as well, Serena. Swamp witch spells may hide Stonewall, but that didn’t stop the Sluaghs from bringing Destroyers to the Red Tribe. Make sure no one sees you. Azazel has spies everywhere.”
“I will, I promise,” I said, then moved on to Tamara, her soul ribbon a bright shimmering yellow. “Tamara, are you there?”
“Indeed, I am, Serena,” her response echoed in my head.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I made it to Mount Inon, and the Dearghs were kind enough not to stomp on me when I showed up in snake form. They’ve put the word out already and will meet us all at Stonewall. However, the closest volcano for them is Mount Quell, several miles north of the harbor. They will have to walk from there, and they’re far too large to be inconspicuous. They will have to pretend they’re massive stones whenever someone passes them by.”
“It’s risky, but we don’t have any other choice,” I replied. “If they can do their best to avoid followers on the way here, we’ll take it. Either way, they’re big enough to squish anyone who tries to attack them, including Destroyers.”
“Yes, but the point is for them to reach you without setting off Azazel’s alarms,” Tamara said. “Either way, like you said, we’ll just have to hold out hope that the Dearghs can make it to Stonewall without too much of a fuss. I’m on my way to the River Pyros now to get my girls on the move. I should be there by nightfall. I’ll be taking the swamp routes.”
“Okay, be safe, please. You are invaluable to this mission,” I replied, cringing. I wasn’t her biggest fan because of her ridiculous conditions, but I had to admit she was strong and sharp enough to play a crucial role.
“I will, darling. Don’t worry about me. Just keep the Druid alive. Otherwise, our deal is off,” Tamara said, and I could almost hear her grinning ear-to-ear.
I took a deep breath and looked at Draven. He gave me a reassuring smile and a wink, enough to stop me from shuddering at the thought of the Lamias’ request for Draven to produce them an heir. Tamara liked reminding me of it, probably thinking it would put me off him completely. She didn’t know who she was dealing with.
I checked in with Phoenix and Aida next. After expressing their delight about the Druid archives, they brought us up to speed about Vita and the visions. I was relieved and thrilled to know they were all okay, including Vita, who had taken her inside role seriously.
I worried about her safety, but, as Draven had previously said, she was safe there so long as she played by Azazel’s rules. Bijarki was doing his part to get her out of there, but I knew I wouldn’t rest easily until we got her back. I couldn’t stand the thought of her being so close to that monster. I’d already seen the inside of Luceria, and it was ugly, dark, damp, and riddled with abominations and traitors. It was no place for my sweet Vita.
“Jovi,” I reached out to him next, hoping they’d made it to Grezzi’s camp by now.
No answer came.
“Jovi,” I called out again, feeling my stomach tie itself up in a painful knot.
Draven frowned, his gaze searching for mine. When our eyes met, he froze.
“Jovi!” I shouted the third time, mentally poking him. I felt him, but I got no answer from him. “Are you okay? Hansa! Jax! Anyone?”
“We’re here!” Jovi’s voice boomed in my skull, ridiculously loud.
“Finally! What’s happening? Are you okay? Where are you?” I asked, rubbing my temples.
“We’re just about to reach Stonewall, actually,” he replied, breathing heavily.
“What, already?”
“The horses are faster than we thought. We’ve got some undesirable company and would appreciate some assistance. We’re less than a mile away, and they’re closing in on us.”
I froze, my eyes bulging with fear.
“Draven,” I managed to say before he jumped to his feet and pulled me up in the process.
“Say no more,” he replied.
He took my hand and together we ran out of the archive hall and through the massive living quarters where Bajangs were prowling curiously. I recognized Thorn and Rebel in feline form as they raised their heads to look at us.
“Thorn! Rebel! We need your help!” I shouted as we ran to the swamp witches’ fake wall.
We stopped in front of it, placing our hands on it. It was hard and cold, unwilling to let us out. It needed the blood of a Bajang to open. I heard shuffling behind me before I saw Thorn and Rebel join us. Thorn bit into his finger with a sharp canine and pressed it against the wall, which began to ripple, letting us through.
“What happened?” Rebel asked while we ran down the large corridor leading to the main courtyard.
“Some of our friends are on their way here, but they’re under attack. We need to help them,” I replied, increasing my speed.
We reached the main gate quickly, hundreds of stone steps unraveling at our feet. The valley was green and empty, orchards spreading across the hills on both sides. The forest ahead was dark, and I had to use my True Sight to get a better look.
I saw Jovi with Jax, Hansa, and Zeriel riding through the woods, their horses galloping with foaming mouths as shadows rushed around them. I recognized the shape-shifters, a large pack of about thirty, constantly trying to snap the horses’ legs and getting kicked in the process.
The shape-shifters were relentless, and I feared they would eventually get to them, even with Jovi and Hansa shooting their crossbows at them. The creatures were apparently moving too fast for the Mara’s mind-bending abilities to latch onto.
My heart constricted inside my chest. I balled my fists and darted down the stairs to get to them.
“Shape-shifters!” I shouted over my shoulders.
Draven, Rebel, and Thorn followed along with a few more Bajangs.
By the time Jovi’s group made it out of the woods, we’d already crossed half of the plain in a feverish sprint. Shifters spilled out from between the trees. Hansa got one in the neck with a poisoned arrow.
Jovi was reloading when a shifter jumped right at him.
Serena
I wanted to scream, but I didn’t get the chance. Thorn in black panther form rushed through the tall grass and jumped in the air, ramming his fangs into the shifter’s throat mid-air and knocking it down before it could hurt Jovi.
Rebel and the other Bajangs swiftly joined in, pouncing on the shape-shifters. Some of them were killed instantly as their throats were ripped out by the massive felines. Others morphed into the Bajangs, growling as they continued going for the horses carrying my friends.
I stopped a few yards away from the skirmish. I channeled the strongest barrier I could muster and pushed it out at full force, knocking some of the shifters back. They rolled through the grass before the Bajangs attacked them, tearing at their flesh and slicing them with their large claws.
Hansa and Zeriel got off their horses and took out their swords, taking on several shifters at once. Jax’s swords came down and beheaded two of them at once, leaving about ten remaining.
Draven muttered something under his breath as he charged one of the remaining shifters, casting blue flames from the palms of his hands. The blaze engulfed the creature, eating away at it as it collapsed. He then raised his crossbow and shot another point-blank right between the eyes before drawing his sword and going for one more.
One by one, the other shifters were killed.
The last one dodged hits and attacks from all sides before squeezing itself out of the tight spot and rushed toward me, its fangs bare, sharp, and eager to take me down.
“No!” Draven shouted and darted for me. I gritted my teeth and pushed out another barrier, this time strong enough to hit the creature hard and send it flying back through the air.
Rebel jumped after it, snapping her jaws around the creature’s head and removing it from its body, then spitting it out.
“What the hell,” I shouted, catching my breath. “We didn’t run into them when we came here yesterday!”
“It’s a fifty-fifty chance with these woods,” Thorn said as he shifted back to his humanoid form, prompting Jovi’s jaw to drop. “The packs move around a lot to avoid running into incubi or Destroyers. This was bad luck.”
“We’re not done with them yet,” Jax said, then walked back to the edge of the forest.
“Wait, what are you doing?” I asked, as we all went after him.
We heard growling and branches breaking in the trees ahead. I turned on my True Sight and saw another pack of shifters moving toward us. I prepared myself for another attack.
Jax stopped with his arms stretched out and his jade eyes glowing yellow.
We all watched as shifters came out from behind the trees, drooling and eager to eat us, moving slowly through the tall grass. Rebel got on all fours, ready to shift. Thorn stopped her, watching Jax with childish fascination.
“Wait, sister,” he muttered. “We’re not needed this time.”
Jax played his mind-bending trick on the shifters, all thirty at once. Their black eyes opened wide as they screamed, wailed, and covered their heads in sheer terror before they ran back into the woods, tripping over each other, desperate to get as far away as possible.
I was both impressed and confused.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
Jax looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow in response.
“I had a little help. I typically can’t bend that many shifters at once. One or two, maybe, if they’re not moving fast and I catch them before they split. This time, I had some much-needed support,” he replied.
Ten Maras emerged from the forest, riding white mares with rich, black manes. I recognized the leather uniforms and the rune tattoos. These were Jax’s wards. He’d brought them back with him from White City.
“Where were they earlier, when these shifters attacked you?” I asked, pointing at the dead creatures scattered around us.
“They were attacked by another pack. We were separated for several hundred yards,” Hansa replied, putting her sword back in its golden bejeweled scabbard.
“How many shifters were there?” Draven asked, frowning.
“About sixty, maybe seventy. They came at us from three different directions,” Jax explained. “Most likely three packs working together.”
“That’s highly unprecedented,” Rebel muttered, then noticed Jovi staring at her and the other Bajangs. She sniffed the air and caught his wolf smell. She crinkled her nose and raised an eyebrow at him, “What’s the matter, wolf-boy? Cat got your tongue?”
Jovi blinked several times, then nodded respectfully.
“Sorry. I, uh, I’ve only seen your kind briefly before, takes a little bit of getting used to,” he replied.
Jovi and the others got off their horses.
“Thorn and Rebel lead the Bajangs of Stonewall,” Draven made the introductions. “They’ve been kind enough to assist us by both allowing us to use the citadel as a meeting place and providing soldiers for our campaign against Azazel."
“They’ve also given us access to the Druid archives, which are a gift from heaven,” I added with a grin.
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Jovi gave them a curt nod.
“We’ve not seen your pack in a long time,” Hansa said.
“We’ve been holed up in Stonewall, raising our cubs and keeping our people safe for as long as we could,” Thorn replied.
“Thank you for having us here,” Zeriel bowed slowly, putting on his charming signature smile, which seemed to draw a half-smile on Rebel’s face.
“Still as pompous as ever,” Jax replied, cocking his head to one side as he measured the Bajang twins from head to toe. “Nevertheless, I’m relieved to hear you’ve joined the alliance. Your presence is welcome and much appreciated.”
“Oh, and I’m the pompous one,” Zeriel shot back, pursing his lips at the Mara.
Jovi shook his head, smirking as he took me in his arms and lifted me off the ground, making me squeal.
“I cannot explain how good it is to see you!” he said as he put me back down.
I was equally thrilled to see him, along with Hansa, Jax, and Zeriel. The more of us, the better. It was time to bring us all under one roof and rid the universe of Azazel once and for all.
“I’m happy to see you all here in one piece,” I replied, looking at the whole group.
The Mara wards approached us, standing in a line behind Jax. One of them stepped forward, raising his head.
“We eliminated the other pack,” he said.
“Thank you, Kiel,” Jax replied over his shoulder, then shifted his focus on us. “Destroyers came in as we were evacuating the lagoon.”
“I got out, as did most of my soldiers. The elders and children left first to the shelter. They will be safe there, provided we eliminate the threat,” Zeriel added. “I’ve decided to come with Jax and make sure the alliance stands strong going forward. Azazel is getting closer, and we can’t let him continue. My Tritones will be here soon. They’ve taken the underground canals.”
“There are underground canals beneath the continent?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise.
“They run from the western to the eastern coast of Antara, yes,” Zeriel replied.
“White City has been evacuated as well. Azazel knows about our fortress now. As good as our mind-bending skills can be, we can’t face an entire army of Destroyers. My Maras have spread out in the nearby woods and will get as close to Luceria as possible. They will wait for my signal when we are ready for a siege,” Jax continued. “Grezzi’s camp wasn’t as fortunate. Destroyers raided their settlement, leaving many casualties behind. However, his scouts are still gathering the rogue nations. He will meet us here in Stonewall in three moons as we agreed.”
“Why didn’t he come with you?” Draven asked. “Surely, he was safer here than there.”
“He’s waiting for his scouts to return,” Hansa explained. “I left him my supply of death’s kiss powder to use against any Sluaghs that may come scavenging. The Destroyers left him for dead, so he and his surviving incubi will wait hidden in the nearby woods until the scouts come back with news from the others. Then they’ll meet us here.”
“We should continue the rest of the conversation inside,” Rebel reminded us. “We are not safe out here.”
Azazel’s spies could be lurking anywhere. We returned to Stonewall and the safety of the cloaking spell. Our group was one step closer to mounting a war against Azazel and his Destroyers.
We had a lot of planning to do over the course of the few days left until our alliance meeting, and a lot of information to share from the Druid archives, as well. There was enough time in between for Draven to start learning and practicing the higher level dark magic he’d gathered from the Grand Temple spell books and enough time for me to further coordinate with Ai
da and Bijarki regarding Vita’s rescue.
Time wasn’t on our side, though. Every day that passed meant that Vita had to go into a series of visions and lie to Azazel about what the future held, putting herself at risk. The odds seemed malleable, though. Bijarki was one step closer to completing the invisibility spell.
Aida
As expected, I felt deliciously sore after my training session with Anjani. We bonded as she told me more about her upbringing and what was expected of her, expectations that were in contrast with her relationship with Jovi.
She was aware that they’d be frowned upon as a couple, given their anti-male tradition as a tribe, but that she couldn’t stay away from my brother. They were in love with each other, and they would figure out a way to be with each other, provided we all lived to see that day.
I understood that Eritopia had different values and societal systems, but love was universal, transcending any world through time and space. It was intense and all-consuming, and it didn’t look at who we were. I felt it every day with Field and knew that there was no stopping love once it found its way into one’s heart.
I needed a cold shower after training. I spent about half an hour under the cool stream, letting the water run over me and wash everything away. It felt particularly fabulous on my heated scalp. I was halfway through putting on a white cotton summer dress when my ears began to ring.
I cringed from the sharp, familiar pain. Serena was reaching out to us.
“Aida,” I heard her voice echo in my skull. “Aida, are you there?”
“Yes, I am. Are you okay?” I asked, readjusting to the weird feeling of our minds connected like that.
“We are. Jovi, Jax, Hansa, and Zeriel of the Tritones have reached Stonewall,” Serena replied. “They’re okay and safe here with us.”
My heart leaped with joy at the sound of that. Waves of relief washed over me. I had one less person to worry about, one person who was as much a part of me as I was of him.
“Jovi! Can you hear me?” I called out.