She opened her mouth to speak as she realized that she already had.
Before she could reply, a loud explosion rumbled the ground. They both shot to their feet and ran toward the sound. She gasped and covered her mouth as they saw smoke coming from Withrae.
“What’s happening?” Rowen asked.
Rickard ran his hand through his hair, his face paled of color. He looked at her with worry. “He’s done it,” he said.
“Done what?”
He took her hand and held tight. “We’re too late. My father has destroyed the barrier.”
Chapter 19
Withrae was as they left it—minus the escaped souls wreaking havoc on everyone in the vicinity. Loud, full of Dragons, and crowded, the largest kingdom in all Draconia was a dark and gloomy place. Smoke escaped stone chimneys, filling the sky with a gray cloud that mimicked those of a storm. The scent of cured meats and fresh fish intermingled, as traders and merchants shouted into the chaos what goods they were selling.
Elian hadn’t planned on ever returning. After rescuing a convicted murderer and finding out she was his daughter, he thought fate was on his side. Now, bound by the wrists, he was certain they had forsaken him.
The Dragon fleet landed just inside the main gates of the kingdom, and Elian and the others followed The Duke of Harrow and Nimah through the marketplace.
Elian’s skin itched as they drew closer to the Gatekeeper. The stench of her ancient magic bothered him. It wasn’t compatible with the magic that ran through his veins, or the fact that he had sinned far too much to be granted transport.
“What do you think you’re doing?” He asked Feyda.
She sighed. “This is the quickest way to the palace.”
“What’s the rush?” Gavin asked. “Why don’t we all settle in to one of the pubs and have a drink? I know a gal. She’ll fill your mug for free.”
“Nice try,” Feyda said, smiling at Gavin. “It’s a shame you’re associated with Captain Westin. You would have been of much better use with me.”
Elian rolled his eyes at the sight of Gavin soaking in the compliment.
“But, no, son,” Feyda said, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “We port with the Duke and Duchess.”
“I’m not porting,” Siddhe said, standing her ground. With her hands bound behind her back, she looked up at the cloaked older women who stood at the top of the stairs of the Gate Tower. Glowing, with her staff held upright, the Gatekeeper was one of the only sources of human magic in all of Draconia.
Feyda rubbed her temples. “Enough with the complaining, Siddhe. You’re going to drive me mad. We are all porting. Elian, you’re drinking the sin-reaper potion. Siddhe, you’re marching your arse up there along with the scribe, and we’re all going to do it with a smile on our faces. Understood?”
“You’re begging for a swollen lip, lady,” Siddhe snapped, stepping close enough to Feyda to be chest-to-chest.
“Ha,” Feyda said, taking the extra step toward Siddhe and glaring. “I’m looking forward to watching you hang.”
Siddhe didn’t back down and neither did Feyda. Elian watched them, his skin crawling with dread as the magic of the Gatekeeper seemed to seek him out and sniff at him like a vulture.
His eyes widened as Siddhe gritted her teeth and head-butted Feyda so hard that the sorceress fell back and onto the ground.
Perdan shoved Siddhe and bent down to his mother.
Siddhe cackled as Perdan tried to rouse her.
“What’s this?” The Duke of Harrow shouted from the stairway to the Gatekeeper Tower.
The square went silent as a loud explosion came from the barrier. Elian lost his balance as the ground shook and cracked open. The chaos that ensued provided the perfect recipe for escape. He looked to Siddhe, ready to make a run for it.
Siddhe screamed as she lost her balance and fell into the groove that continued to stretch across the square. “Elian,” she cried, her green eyes looking to him with desperation. “Help!”
He gasped and tried to fight through the pain to go to her.
What happened next confused Elian more than anything he’d seen since Rowen revealed her ability to manipulate fire.
His brows furrowed and he held his breath as Gavin broke free from the ropes that bound his hands together. He wasn’t sure if the young man had worked his way free prior or if he suddenly gained super human strength and broke through the ropes. But, that wasn’t what made Elian’s face drain of color.
Gavin worked quickly. He knelt before the opening in the square and closed his eyes, his forehead creasing with focus. He reached out for Siddhe and without touching her, he pulled her up with an unseen force—unseen to the untrained eye, but clear as day to Elian.
Magic.
It rippled the air around Gavin and made his hair float as if by a gentle breeze.
He lifted her above ground, and opened his eyes, silently reciting words that Elian hadn’t heard since his childhood.
Then, Gavin set her down, and wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
Perdan and Feyda looked to Gavin, as did Elian and a very shaken Siddhe.
Feyda wiped her eyes. “Tell me, Perdan. Did I just see the scribe use Ghost of a Wizard?”
The world around them was going mad—the ground beneath their feet literally collapsing—and they all couldn’t get over the fact that Gavin had just used on of the most difficult spells in the Wizard Scrolls.
Chapter 20
He’s a wizard?
Elian remembered the first time he’d met Gavin. He knew there was something there that he couldn’t place. He didn’t show fear the way most people did when they met the infamous pirate, Captain Elian Westin.
It both did and didn’t make sense. Why was the young man spending his days as Elian’s scribe when he held so much power?
The time for answers would come, but right then, Elian had other plans. While chaos ensued around them as Dragons took to the skies and others scrambled to find safety, Elian had his eyes on one person in particular.
The pain in his chest was nearly debilitating, yet he would let nothing stand in between him and his prey. He’d been patient for far too long and his appetite would be sated on this day.
The air grew thin as Elian channeled his power. He ushered it forth from dormancy, and gave it the last of the energy he’d been reserving for the past week. With that energy, he burned through the ropes that bound his hands.
“What are you doing, Elian?” Feyda’s voice echoed in the back of his mind, but he ignored her.
Instead of wasting a second on giving her a reply, he reached out a hand toward the Duke of Harrow. A wicked grin came to his lips, as he narrowed his eyes at the man. He needed to be quick, and efficient in securing this victory, lest the Duke shift into a Dragon and ruin it all.
He stood on the stairs of the Gatekeeper Tower, overlooking the destruction below. Elian tuned everything out, and gripped his power around his heart.
The pull that separated his soul from his body was quick. Elian watched the color drain from the Duke’s face. The look of shock was more satisfying than he’d imagined. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as Elian lifted his body a foot off the ground and called the soul to him.
A white light raced along Elian’s arm and down to his wrist as the magic found its target and wrestled it free.
It snapped the wayward spirit and gripped it tightly to his power. A chuckled came from Elian’s lips as he pulled the soul forward with the last bit of strength he had left. The Duke’s body slumped over and tumbled down the stairs to the broken marketplace floor.
Nimah turned to see what happened right at her side and backed away.
“What have you done, Elian?” She asked, covering her mouth.
Elian didn’t have time to explain. Soon, he would be untouchable.
He licked his lips and watched the writhing soul glide along the air and close the gap between Elian and the Duke’s lifeless body. He s
ucked it in, expanding his lungs and filling his chest.
The sensation was euphoric and nearly sent him to his knees. But, no. He wasn’t done. The soul revitalized him. Energy shot through his veins and traveled along every inch of his weary body. Luster was brought back to his skin, and he stood a bit taller, the pain in his chest and stomach erased.
All went silent, as Elian outstretched his arms, and stole the souls of every man in the Duke’s fleet. The impact of all of those souls knocked him forward, toward Nimah who looked at him with horror in her eyes. He stood frozen for a moment as the souls fought and raged and finally submitted to his power. He closed his eyes.
Thirteen new dark souls.
The day was looking up.
“What have you done?” Nimah asked, breaking him from his thoughts.
When he opened his eyes, they glowed white until he calmed the power within. It wanted more souls, but he would not be greedy. He had enough.
For now.
He took a step toward Nimah and held a hand out to her. “I freed you,” he said.
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
Elian’s grin spread across his face. “Don’t you remember, love?”
The look on her face was too delicious. He’d savored her flavor for so long that he was almost lost to the world. And, he gave her up when he had what he wanted, never expecting to miss her with every waking moment.
Nimah took a step backward. “Elian,” she said, looking around for someone to stop him for her. “You’re scaring me.”
“How could I scare you, my love?” he asked. “With all of that power you harbor, you’re afraid of little old me?”
“Enough of this. Stop it and back away.”
The ground rumbled again and Elian ignored it, stepping forward until Nimah backed herself into a stair and fell onto her bottom. She looked up at him with widened eyes as his face changed. His body changed. He was not a shifter. No, he was something more dangerous.
Elian now stood before her in the form he used the day he met her and changed her life forever. With hands outstretched and eyes aglow, he looked up at the Gatekeeper, who left her stoic pose to shudder in terror at the wizard standing at the bottom of her tower.
A chuckle escaped his lips as the woman ported herself to who knows where.
Just to escape his gaze.
“It’s you,” Nimah said, tears streaming down her face. “This whole time?”
Elian nodded. “That’s right. It’s me. The insignificant mortal.”
Chapter 21
Rowen fought through fatigue to race through the skies behind Rickard. Withrae was on fire, and the barrier was disintegrating before their eyes.
“What has he done?” Rowen asked herself. Did King Thorne not realize that he was opening his territory to war?
The humans would not simply bow down to the Dragon King of Withrae. The thought of how many lives would be lost drove her forward despite the pain in her lungs and the weakness in her wings. Rickard seemed unfazed by the physical exertion, and flew yards ahead.
Her eyes widened as she peered at the destruction below. Cannons and Dragon fire shot toward the barrier walls, which lifted the ground all around for what looked to be miles. She couldn’t help but remember the prophecies she’d seen, and prayed that this was not the day when dead bodies would litter the ground at her feet.
Before long, the smoke that arose into the sky made it impossible to fly.
How were they going to fix this?
Rickard shot down to the ground just inside the walls of Withrae where one of the grand marketplaces was located. Rowen followed and together they shifted into their human forms. The ground was cracked and opened. Pieces of stone jutted from the surface, creating tall platforms that looked down into an abysmal pit.
“Why are we stopping here?” Rowen asked.
Rickard looked back to her. “It’s your mother,” he shouted over the commotion. Dragons took to the skies to escape the destruction, and those who didn’t shift struggled to gather their goods and make it out of the marketplace alive.
Rowen spun around and searched for her mother in the crowd.
“The White Dragon,” he said, pointing to the center of the crowd.
Rowen ran to her. She was in her Dragon form and blowing fire at a human man.
She recognized that man. “Elian,” she said under her breath as she pumped her arms, hoping it would propel her faster to her mother’s aid.
Her heart skipped a beat as Ioan appeared out of nowhere and landed in front of her, blocking her path to her mother. He roared at Elian and spat fire that bounced off the walls of Elian’s aura. The translucent shield protected him from Dragon’s fire, and he stood in the center with an odd smile on his face.
Rowen ran around Ioan. Having seen her daughter, Nimah returned to her human form. They ran to one another. In tears, Nimah wrapped her arms around Rowen.
“Mother,” Rowen cried. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
Nimah stroked Rowen’s hair and pressed her face to her cheek. “No, my love. There is nothing in this world that could keep me from you. But, we have to get out of here. Your father is the wizard responsible for all of this.”
Rowen’s face paled, and she glanced over her shoulder at Elian. “It can’t be.”
“Nimah?” Ioan called, and Nimah looked up to him.
She gently pulled away from Rowen, and took her by the hand, facing Ioan. “Ioan.”
He lowered his head to her. “I’ve come to bring you home.”
Nimah walked to him and placed her hands on his face, embracing him. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to find me?”
“Why didn’t you come back?” Ioan asked.
Rickard joined Rowen at her side. He whispered to her. “What is Elian doing?”
Rowen watched him stand there, in his shield. When he began to levitate, her heart sank. “He’s up to something,” she said. “Something terrible.”
“I can never return, my love,” Nimah said. She nodded up at Elian. “Until the spell is broken, and he dies.”
Ioan roared and blew fire at Elian. He drew his spade at the end of his tail and lashed out at the man who had stolen his beloved.
“Get your mother out of here,” Rickard said.
Rowen heard him, but she couldn’t move. Her eyes went from Elian to Ioan, and to how the Dragon’s fire did nothing to weaken the wizard before them.
“It’s not working,” she said. “Ioan’s fire is useless.”
“Leave it to us,” Rickard urged, pulling her away.
She spun on him. “No. My mother needs me.”
He pulled her into his chest. His brows furrowed as he met her eyes. “I need you.”
Nimah’s scream chilled Rowen to the bone. The look on Rickard’s face said it all. Something was wrong.
Something was terribly wrong.
She turned to see Elian snatch her mother from the Gatekeeper Tower and bring her into his shield. Nimah slapped Elian in the face and he grabbed her by the wrist.
Seeing his hands on her mother sent Rowen into a rage. She broke free from Rickard’s grasp and ran after them. He was flying away with her mother and she refused to let him get away.
As she ran, she realized that the Dragons were no match for Elian. It would take something more.
Something undefined.
Someone like Rowen.
Chapter 22
Rickard’s voice called after her, and all Rowen could do was run. She was used to running, but this time she wasn’t running away. She wasn’t escaping. She didn’t need someone to save her.
Rowen was going to be the woman she dreamed she could be.
It was time to show the world just how strong she really was.
She leaped over the staircase to the Gatekeeper Tower and ascended into the air. Her hair flew around her and her dress billowed out as the wind blew her higher into the sky. She sucked in a breath and almost screamed when she
realized what she was doing. She covered her mouth and looked down.
She was flying…as a human.
As the sun began to set and transform the sky from blue to deep oranges, reds, and purples, the Dragons of Withrae stopped to watch the half-blood soar through the sky after the wizard who had stolen her mother centuries ago.
Father or not, he wasn’t going to win. Not this time.
“Rowen,” Elian called, holding her mother hostage by the hair. “What are you doing?”
“Let her go, Elian,” she said, hovering before his shield. “Break the spell and let her go. You’ve made her suffer long enough.”
He laughed at her. “What about my suffering? Your mother is a selfish Dragon and an even more selfish woman. I gave her the power to live in both worlds, and she repays me with the coldness of her heart.”
“Rowen,” Nimah called. “It’s fine, darling. Get out of here. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
Rowen fell silent. She’d seen some of what Elian could do. From stealing souls to crafting a shield that could protect him from Dragon’s fire, he was a brilliant wizard. The fact that he had survived for centuries and created the shifter race just added to his powerful persona.
She’d seen it.
She’d also seen what she could do.
Rowen closed her eyes, lifted her arms, and summoned the hidden magic the prophecies had showed her.
The world went quiet, and the pull of energy from within seemed to stretch her in every direction. She bit down on her bottom lip and focused on controlling it. Her head grew light as it coursed through her veins.
Feyda’s words returned to her. They were sitting around the fire in the Wastelands when Rowen learned to control fire. The fire within. She wished she had more time with the sorceress to learn her true potential, but her mother needed her. There was no longer any time.