"Need to borrow it," Brett said in a rush, yanking the sword free from the scabbard. The startled guard jumped back, but didn't try to retake his sword. Maybe because the hydra was headed in their direction and he'd rather Brett take care of it before he was also in the path of the monster.
After taking a deep breath to steady his raw nerves—this was so not like playing a video game where he could go to an earlier saved game if he died—Brett flew back to the hydra and as the first head struck its fangs at him, he swung his sword. The sword connected with the tough hide and cut all the way through the neck. The hydra screamed in agony as the head dropped to the ground and jerked around in its death throes, the tongue still flicking. With real snakes, a person could be bitten for a time even if the snake was dead. So Brett had to watch getting too close to it. The stench of blood and of fishy hydra filled Brett's nostrils.
The hydra continued to roar in anger and pain, the sound nearly deafening. Two new heads formed at the stump of the neck that was missing a head, dashing Brett's hopes that the creature wasn't like the mythological beast. Now he had to cut off four heads. In the video game, he needed fire to sear the wounds closed. Or wield a magical sword that could take care of this. Or… create magic that could eliminate the beast.
Which he couldn't conjure up for the life of him. What he did know was how to fight, having done so to help protect Ena and her people. Practice made perfect and he was certain, given time, he could fight another mage using magic. But he needed more time to learn the skills. He ran off as the hydra slithered behind him, flicking its forked tongues, its breath and bite poisonous if it got close enough. At least, according to legend and his games. Brett didn't want to get near enough to see if it was true here.
He glanced at one of the burning braziers nearby, white hot flames leaping into the air. What if he could poke his sword into the flames and heat it thoroughly enough to sear the hydra's neck wound? But would the air cool it too much as he swung the sword? Brett imagined how his sword needed to be coated with flames so he could seal the wounds of the hydra and keep it from growing new heads. Before he could fly toward the closet brazier, flames suddenly flickered around the glistening steel blade. For a second, he stared at the flaming sword. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. Just like he was still having a difficult time believing he was a phantom fae. Or that he was a mage now, too. It was just like magic. Maybe some of it was coming to him after all the studying he'd done.
Brett turned and found the hydra moving toward him in its slow zombie like, slithering pace. Once it got close enough, the heads moved quickly, one of them coiled to strike. At least only one threatened him at a time, as if the hydra could only concentrate on moving one to kill a predator. Brett again feared swinging the sword would put out the flame, or slicing through the leathery neck of the hydra would. Or maybe even that its blood would extinguish the fire. What if the flaming sword wouldn't even prevent the hydra from growing another two heads? That's how legends claimed it would work, but the mage apprentice had created this one. No telling what would work on it.
Brett swept the sword across one of the beast's necks—the one closest to him as the head bent to strike. The sharp edge of the flaming steel cut through the leathery skin and lopped off another head, the hydra screaming in pain. But this time, new heads didn't appear from the burned and blackened flesh. The flames surrounding the sword remained intact. Thanking God, Brett quickly swung again, cutting off another head.
Before one of its remaining two heads could swing around and bite him, Brett dove out of its path in Zane's direction. Would the hydra attack the mage-apprentice? Brett could only hope.
The hydra moved toward the two of them, but ignored Zane as if he wasn't even there, which, considering Zane had conjured him up, wasn't totally a surprise. The hydra continued to writhe its remaining heads and exposed their fangs, hissing as they tried to reach Brett.
Brett came around and swung, connecting with one of the necks of the beast. Its ear-shattering screech echoed across the bailey as it swung its last head around to sink its fangs into him. His skin sweating, despite the cool air, he dove under it. He swung the sword up and over, cutting off the last of the heads.
Trying to catch his breath, Brett watched the hydra collapse to the ground in a dead heap. Then all the hydra's heads and the body vanished as if they'd never been there.
He felt some satisfaction as he stared at the area where the creature had disappeared and felt as though it was like a video game—in that it hadn't been real. Though if one of those heads had managed to bite him, he was certain he would have been poisoned.
He gave Zane a smug look, glad that he had managed to survive that part of the first of the trials. Zane was looking at the ground as if he couldn't believe Brett could manage to destroy his conjured beast.
Now what? Brett was afraid the queen would ask him to summon a beast for Zane to tackle. She scowled at Brett as if she was disappointed he'd survived, since Zane was the favored mage apprentice. Instead of her commanding Brett to do anything, she just waved for a dismissal. Which was good because he hadn't learned to conjure up any kind of beast to use to fight with.
"Tomorrow, the second trial begins," the queen said, and then she stalked off.
Maybe that was the way it was supposed to be. Tomorrow would be his turn to conjure something up and Zane would have to deal with it.
Then Brett was irritated. He highly suspected she had intended that Zane would create a monster to kill him, and when that didn't happen, she had no intention of Brett having his turn. That if he could have done so, the mage apprentice might not have managed to kill off Brett's beast. He let out his breath. He would have to read up on that tonight and see if he could produce one, just in case.
Flaming sword still in hand, Brett watched as the courtiers all went about their business. Except for Zane. "Now how are you going to put out the flame on the sword?" Then he snickered and stalked off.
The guard watched Brett and looked at his sword. When Brett strode toward him to give it back to him, the guard frowned and shook his head. "Keep it." He stalked off, joining some others who had been watching the exchange.
"Don’t want a flaming sword, eh, Wister?" one of the guards joked and slapped him on the back, and then they climbed the stairs that led to the wall walk to perform their guard duty.
Brett stared at the sword and imagined the flames would be extinguished, hoping that would do the trick. Nothing happened. He glanced up at the wall walk and saw the raven watching him. Worn out from his ordeal, Brett sighed and headed for the keep and his chambers where he would have to read up on flaming swords and learn how to extinguish it. He hoped he wouldn't burn the castle down while he tried to figure it out.
***
Trying not to give in to the pain where Zane had zapped her before Brett had knocked him down with a fist to the jaw, Freya flew to the healer's cottage. Though she was having trouble steering her course and tried to let the air currents carry her there. She couldn't believe that Brett would risk his life to stop Zane from injuring her. No matter how much she hurt, she hadn't been about to leave. If one of the hydra's heads had gotten too close to Brett, she would have swooped down and stolen his attention to give Brett a chance to escape.
She couldn't believe it when he flew across the bailey. He truly was a wonder, surprising everyone there who had witnessed it. And then the flaming sword? Genius! Though he had looked a little puzzled about how to put out the flames.
For now, she had to have the healer take care of her wound, but she wanted desperately to thank Brett for saving her life today.
The healer was only known as such and shook her head and tsked when Freya showed up on her fence post and cawed.
"Now how did you get this?" the healer asked, coming out of her cottage, her gray eyes worried, her long blond hair curling about her hips. She was a young healer, having taken her grandmother's place when she died. She was the only one the queen was careful to treat w
ell, in case she became ill and needed the healer's services.
The healer lived outside of the castle, as most healers did, so that she could gather her herbs from a garden, and other items from the forest. The healer sniffed at the burns. "Zane," she said, under her breath. "Let me apply a poultice. You'll need to bandage it when you become your normal self. Do you have bandages?"
Freya nodded her head up and down. She wished the healer could understand her. That was part of the curse. No one but Brett seemed to recognize what she was saying. Was it because he was a mage? She wondered if Zane understood her, though he let on that he did not. But since the curse was his doing, he might very well understand her.
She cawed in annoyance. The healer smiled. "You should be fine by tomorrow. Just stay out of Zane's way. You know he would like nothing better than to eliminate you if he thought it would put him in good stead with the queen."
Freya flew onto the healer's shoulder and rubbed her head affectionately against her cheek, the only way she could thank her for her kindness while she was a raven, though she had helped the healer in her garden in the past, eager to learn about her special healing skills.
By trade, Freya was a weaver, but to her frustration, she could no longer even do that.
Freya flew off then to the castle, hopeful she might catch sight of Brett outside. She couldn't go inside in her bird form, and she had only a limited amount of time to be in fae form, so she didn't want to waste her…"gift." It really made her appreciate what she'd had, and made her want her old life back even more.
Especially now that Brett was here. But would he pay any attention to her if she was always around, and not so mysteriously slipping in and out of his life?
And what about the dragon fae, Ena? He had to mean something to her, based on the gifts she had bestowed upon him.
***
As soon as the dragon fae Princess Alicia returned to the Denkar realm of the dark fae with her husband, Deveron, the crown prince of the dark fae, from their honeymoon that she would cherish forever, she knew something was horribly wrong. Her good friend Countess Saliness quickly met with her in the entryway, her eyes red from crying.
The dark fae queen had sent a messenger to summon both Alicia and Deveron to her chambers immediately also.
"What is wrong?" Alicia took hold of Countess Saliness's hand to offer comfort. After the countess had helped Alicia escape a fae dungeon last year, which seemed like centuries ago, she'd become a good friend.
"Your grandfather, King Tibero, was murdered. Prince Grotto has proclaimed himself king, imprisoned your mother, saying she had murdered your father to install you as queen, and stated that you are behind all of it. It all began with Ena leaving the dragon fae realm to escape a marriage to Prince Grotto. And then all of the dragon fae took their gold and household staffs and left."
Alicia stared at the duchess in disbelief.
Queen Irenis didn't wait for Alicia to come to her chambers and suddenly appeared in front of her in the fae way, dressed in a red gown that meant she was livid with anger. "I'm so sorry for all that has happened in your kingdom, Alicia. Are you ready to go to war?"
Chapter 3
As soon as the dragon shifter, Ena, was summoned to meet with King Tiernan of the hawk fae, and Queen Ritasia, his wife and a dark fae, Ena was certain one of her dragon shifter friends had done something wrong. Even though she wasn't responsible for them, per se, the king and queen had made her accountable for them since she had brought them here. So whenever there was trouble, they spoke with her and she relayed the message to them.
"We have word from my brother," Ritasia said, her look grim. "Deveron sent news that Prince Grotto has killed his and Princess Alicia's grandfather, King Tibero. The prince has taken over the kingdom. He has imprisoned Princess Alicia's mother, Viviana. We assume it's a trap. He's waiting for Alicia to come to rescue her mother, and he will kill her and her mother to end their family line that would have ruled first before Prince Grotto had the chance."
Ena never felt feint, but right now, the blood had thoroughly rushed from her head and a guard quickly grabbed her arm. She hadn't even realized she was feeling like she might pass out until he touched her.
"It's my fault, isn't it?" Ena felt awful about the whole situation. No way would she have married that despicable toad of a prince. He'd had it in for her from the beginning. King Tobias had not been her friend either, but she felt a strong sympathy for Alicia. And Ena had always admired Alicia's mother for falling in love with a fae of another kingdom and following her heart.
"No, it's not your fault," Ritasia said sternly. "Prince Grotto has been trying to come up with a plan to eliminate Alicia's ability to take over the throne, once he learned she lived."
"What is she going to do?" Ena asked.
"My mother has declared war on Prince Grotto of the dragon fae kingdom of Morcalon, since Alicia is her daughter-in-law. She understands that not all of Alicia's people are siding with the prince and my mother only wishes to eliminate those who follow him."
"And you?"
Ritasia glanced at King Tiernan. He took her hand and squeezed it. Ritasia said, "We will go to war against the dragon fae. Alicia is my dearest friend and my sister-in-law, who is like a sister. Where do you stand on this issue?"
Since Ena was a dragon fae, she should have been against fighting her own people. But Prince Grotto, now self-proclaimed king, was a tyrant, she had every intention of aiding Alicia to right the wrong. "Princess Alicia would make a fine queen while presiding over the dragon fae. She has always been good to my dragon shifter kind. With Prince Deveron at her side, they will rule well. Her cousin, however, is ruthless and dangerous. I will fight for her. I cannot guarantee that the other dragon shifters will. But I will ask them."
"Good. King Tiernan will lead his forces. Will you lead the dragon shifters into battle if any agree to go with you?"
"Of course." Not that she believed they would agree to that. But she liked to think they would.
"I must warn you. Prince Grotto is no fool."
Ena snorted.
Ritasia smiled a little. "He suspected we might ally with the dark fae and fight against him. He has enlisted the griffin fae who live on the island off our coast. And he has asked the phantom fae to fight with him also, since both fae kingdoms have been at odds with the hawk fae kingdom before."
Immediately, Ena thought of Brett, the human she had saved from Alicia's grandfather's wrath. She had been forced to give him to the phantom fae kingdom in order to pass safely through their land and wished she could free him from them. But what if he was happy there? What if he was forced to fight alongside the dragon fae? What if she was forced to fight him?
She wouldn't think of that. All she could do was focus her attention on asking her shifter friends if they'd help her to battle Prince Grotto. Since one of them was her brother, and some of them her suitors, she assumed some might go with her.
She bowed her head a little in acknowledgment. "I pledge my loyalty to the hawk fae kingdom, since you so graciously took us in and that could have led to a war with the dragon fae. When do we go?"
"Tomorrow morning. We are taking the earliest flight out from Edinburgh, Scotland, and will arrive at the dark fae kingdom by late afternoon. From there, we'll rest and make final preparations with the dark fae for the assault."
The guard released her arm, and she bowed her head to him a little, thanking him for his service, though she hated how embarrassed she'd been to have nearly feinted.
"I will speak to my people then." She bid the king and queen adieu, and headed out of the keep to call a meeting with the dragon shifters.
Instead of running around from castle to castle, she used a gong to spread the word that she was calling a meeting. She only used it when she had to share something really important with them, which meant if she used it, they didn't hesitate to come.
In their dragon form, they flew into the inner bailey of the castle she now managed.
Thankfully, no one had objected to the fact that out of all the dragon shifters, she was the only one to have a readymade castle. The others were still building their own.
Before she could speak, her brother said, "Prince Grotto is waging war against the hawk fae kingdom for taking us in?"
She shook her head. "He has killed King Tibero and taken over the dragon fae kingdom."
There, her shifter kind had been second-class citizens, at least in the king's and Prince Grotto's eyes. Even so, she and her shifter kind had friends among the dragon fae who were not shifters. Alicia had treated her and her kind as though they were just as important as anyone else in the kingdom. And many of the merchants the dragons did business with knew just how important the shifters were in keeping their kingdom safe and taking on other tasks better suited to them. But the shifters were also generous with their hordes of gold when paying for goods and services and were treated with respect by the merchants and tradesmen. So she thought her friends would want to help rescue them from Prince Grotto's tyranny.
"Are you going to fight him?" her brother asked.
"Yes. I told King Tiernan I will and that I would ask if any of you wished to fight on their behalf."
The shifters exchanged glances.
One said, "I wouldn’t want to kill the dragon fae. They are our brethren."
"If they take up arms against us—" Ena said.
Her brother said, "He is right. They will all fight against a common enemy—the dark fae. It's in their nature. Our nature."
"The dark fae and hawk fae kingdoms won't fight any who will back us in freeing Princess Alicia's mother and putting an end to Prince Grotto's rule. He is the reason we left our own home. If he is eliminated, Alicia can rule. Or her mother will. And if we wish it, we can return home."
Several of the dragon shifters looked to her brother for his counsel.