“These feel a little weird,” he murmured. “I mean, I’m comfortable wearing them, just not used to them.”
“Mhm. Jax, please, try mind-bending our good dragon here again,” Laughlan said.
Jax nodded, his eyes glimmering gold again as he shifted his focus onto Blaze. “Blaze, I need you to jump three times on one foot, then three times on the other.”
A couple of moments passed, until Blaze chuckled. “You know, without the actual mind-bending, you guys sound pretty funny when you try to order us around,” he replied.
“Blaze, I order you to jump,” Jax insisted, his voice gruff and his gaze incredibly intense, as he stepped forward and amplified his mind-bending.
Blaze crossed his arms, grinning defiantly. “Holy crap, these things actually work.” He chuckled, sincerely relieved.
Even Jax was pleased, the shadow of a smile rushing across his face. Caia moved closer and put her arms around Blaze’s waist, beaming with joy.
“There we go. Problem solved!” She giggled.
Blaze lovingly cupped her face in his palms, then kissed her softly, leaving the rest of us out of breath. “Thank you, Caia, for making this happen.”
Caia blushed, suddenly tiny and shrugging, then pointed at the Druids.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without them,” she said.
Hansa smiled. “Darling, it’s your spirit of initiative that gave us a defense method against the Exiled Maras. Your determination and your resourcefulness. After all, you looked all the way back to your planet for a way to protect our dragon and our team. It says a lot about you.”
We all nodded in agreement. I was so proud of Caia and her dedication. With creatures like her on board, we definitely had a winning hand.
Heron narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.
“I thought you were on a celibacy vow or something,” he quipped.
Blaze frowned, tearing his puppy eyes off Caia and shifting his gaze to Heron. “Yeah, and?”
“Well, are you sure you two should even be kissing?” Heron replied, grinning mischievously. Avril nudged him with her elbow, but he didn’t quit, stifling a chuckle.
Behind them, Nevis stared at Blaze and Caia, a faint smile stretching his lips. His aura was pale, in a multitude of colors—quite difficult to interpret, compared to other species. There was something curious about him, something I’d yet to put my finger on, triggered by the persistence with which he stared at the contact lenses on the plate.
I figured it had something to do with protecting his Dhaxanians from the Exiled Maras. It didn’t seem like a bad idea, given their history.
“You worry about yourself, pipsqueak,” Blaze shot back, then wrapped his arms around Caia and held her close, surprising not just her, but also the rest of the room. I’d spotted the feelings buzzing between them already. I knew that this was just the dragon’s way of making it official.
“You’re lucky you’re a big-ass dragon. Otherwise I would’ve had a better comeback,” Heron muttered, feigning disgruntlement.
They all chuckled, and I took a step back and briefly scanned every member of our group. The day had started out well, in a way. Having something to protect our dragon from the Exiled Maras was a huge step forward. It certainly boosted the collective morale.
We had one hell of a mission ahead of us. The least we could do was head into it with clear heads and full hearts. We were on the right track.
Avril
We spent the rest of the day preparing for the mission. With our weapons, invisibility spells, and supplies ready, we gathered back into the dining room for a final roundup. Jax and Hansa checked the maps once more, as Fiona showed them the potential escape routes on the eastern side of the mountain on which Azure Heights had been built.
Zane and Velnias exchanged ideas for disabling Correction Officers as discreetly as possible, while Nevis, Colton, and Neha went over their scenario for the Mara Lords.
Ramin, Harper’s faithful new companion, sat on the branches of a potted tree in the corner, watching everything intently. Harper had told me about Neha’s stories regarding the fire spirit, and how it would sometimes communicate through the Ekars. I wondered if that was the fire spirit of Neraka watching us through the Ekar’s eyes.
“Ramin should stay here,” Pheng-Pheng suggested. “Given where we’re going and what we’re about to do.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Harper agreed, then lowered her head to be on the same level with Ramin. “I need you to stay in the inn for now,” she said to the fiery red bird. “I’ll need your help later down the line,” she added, then straightened her back and gave Pheng-Pheng a sideways glance. “I wonder if he understands everything we say.”
Pheng-Pheng shrugged. “I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s a smart one, well above the average for his species.”
The Ekar wasn’t exactly a point of focus for her, given the circumstances. I could see the pain flickering in Pheng-Pheng’s eyes. There was still so much of it stiffening her frame and clutching her heart. I almost felt it myself.
“Listen, I can see you’re in a lot of pain, and I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I think it’ll get better with time,” I said to her, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze. “I don’t know what it feels like right now, and I hope I never do, but I do know that time dulls everything in the end.”
“Except love,” Pheng-Pheng replied, putting on a weak smile. “My love for my sisters will never go away.”
“And it never should,” I agreed. “We’ll make them pay, I promise.”
“Oh, I know we will,” she shot back with a cold grin.
Hansa cleared her throat, signaling the rest of us to pay attention.
“Okay, so, here we are,” she said. “This is it. The moment we’ve been fighting for since we found out about this wretched alliance between the daemons and the Exiled Maras, and the extent to which they’re willing to go in order to sustain their sickening addiction to souls.”
“We’re clear on the teams, as per our previous discussions,” Jax continued, crossing his arms and looking at each of us with a mixture of pride and encouragement. “Harper, Caspian, Fiona, Zane, Pheng-Pheng, and Arrah will lead Lumi’s extraction. You know what you all have to do. Do not derail or delay the plan in any way. Every second counts, from the moment we enter the city.”
Harper looked at Caspian, then Pheng-Pheng, Fiona, Zane, and Arrah. They nodded at each other, not needing words to confirm that they were clearly a tight crew, and that they would stop at nothing to get the swamp witch out of Azure Heights. My stomach churned at the thought of what trial lay ahead for Harper, in particular, but I pushed the fear back down to the bottom of my consciousness, refusing to let it bother me.
Caspian rested a hand on the small of Harper’s back. She’d also told me about the previous night, including Caspian’s newly developed sentry abilities. He could feel everything she felt now. I also knew how nervous she was about her task, wondering how good she was at keeping that under control. The last thing she would’ve wanted was to let him think she was having any second thoughts. It had taken plenty of talking to get him on board with this in the first place. From the look on his face, he was still mostly okay with it.
“Yes, we’re clear on orders and protocols,” Harper replied, keeping her chin high and slowly descending into soldier mode. She had this clean-cut expression I’d learned to recognize; a signal that she was detaching herself from the emotional side of things and transforming into the “Cool Cucumber” we’d learned to both fear and admire. It was the single most important feature she’d picked up from her father, Tejus—that ability to clear her head and go into the war zone with razor-sharp focus.
“Good. Hansa, Dion, and I will guard the tunnel exit in Azure Heights,” Jax said. “We’ll make sure no one comes around, by accident or otherwise. Since the door will be unlocked once we come through, we can’t risk any curious Maras or Imen popping by,” he added, then pointed at the exit on the map. “This wil
l also be our gathering point. Once everyone does what they’ve been tasked with, we’ll meet back here. Clear?”
We all nodded this time.
“Hundurr and Rover will guard the tunnel entrance with Vesta,” Hansa said. “We’ll need this part of our access route into Azure Heights protected. Should the worst-case scenario happen, should we fail in any way, Vesta will make sure no hostiles come through and track anyone back to Meredrin. The town must be protected at all costs.”
Peyton stepped forward, one hand resting on his sword handle. “I’ll take two of my Maras and keep her company. The rest will continue to guard the town on a prolonged watch, as discussed.”
“Thank you, Peyton,” Hansa replied, then looked at Vesta. “No matter what happens, you must protect the delegation. Even if we fail to come back, you must find another way to get the swamp witch out. As soon as that shield comes down, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that GASP will bring in troops to rescue us. Someone will need to make sure they know what happened, if… if we’re gone,” she added, her voice trembling slightly.
“Rest assured, I’ve got you covered,” Vesta said.
Idris and Rayna stood behind her. “Count on us for anything,” Idris added. “You gave us our lives back. We’ll make sure that Lumi gets out, one way or another.”
“Okay, but let’s focus on us actually succeeding in this mission, because you people are bumming me out,” I interjected, checking the maps. “I’ll take Heron, Scarlett, Patrik, and Velnias through the lower half of the city for our side of the mission. We’ve got the explosives and spells ready to rig, and we know the way into the prison already. We’ll handle Cadmus’s extraction.”
Velnias crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the map.
“If we get an extra minute in there, I’d like to try and get a couple of Maras out of there,” he muttered. “Friends of mine, pacifists themselves. They’ll come in handy for stage two of the plan.”
Hansa thought about it for a second, then nodded. “But only if you have the time. Otherwise, we’ll have to make do with the fighters we already have on our side,” she replied, then looked at Nevis, Neha, and Colton. “You three will pay an unannounced visit to the Mara Lords. I presume you’ll know when to make your entrance, ensuring they’re all together, including Rewa, in Darius’s absence. Caia and Blaze will cover your backs, invisible and now protected by their anti-bending lenses.”
“That is correct,” Nevis replied. “We’ll keep them busy for fifteen minutes. Neha, Colton, and I have already agreed on what to tell them.”
“Okay, just make sure you don’t screw us in the process,” Heron muttered. I nudged him and gave him a meaningful frown. He chuckled in response.
Nevis, on the other hand, seemed equally amused. “Rest assured, if I wanted to get my hands on Avril, I wouldn’t betray this entire alliance to do it. I may be extreme, but even I have my limits.”
Hansa clicked her teeth, discreetly pulling us all back to the main conversation.
“Everyone else will stay in Meredrin,” she said. “Wyrran will watch over Alles, and the rest of the delegation will prepare for stage two—both scenarios. Whether we fail or succeed, it will be up to you to help us complete this quest and get Lumi out.”
Neha cleared her throat. “Our people are also stationed in the gorges, and by ‘our people’, I mean all of us—rogue Imen, Adlets, Manticores, and Dhaxanians,” she replied, smiling softly at the delegation members. “Whatever you need, you can rely on our troops. We have Ekars in place to send messages, and I believe Wyrran has his own scouts to send into the Valley of Screams. All this, of course, is if we fail to return.”
“However, I trust we will all be back in one piece,” Nevis retorted, slightly irritated. Something told me he didn’t tolerate the prospect of failure much. Yet another thing he and Heron had in common. They even scoffed almost simultaneously whenever the worst-case scenario was even brought up. “I have no intention of dying at the hands of bloodsucking bastards.”
“Oh, trust me, we are on the same page,” Jax replied with a firm nod. “We’re all getting out of this alive. Am I clear?” he asked, looking at all of us.
The agreement was vocal and in perfect unison, a resounding Yes.
“We leave in ten,” Hansa said. “Get ready.”
Tension gathered in my shoulders as I leaned against the dining table. I was already ready and fully geared up. I’d even put my backpack on. Heron moved closer to me, leaving only an inch between our bodies. My core buzzed, my heart delighted by the vicinity.
“Are you okay?” he asked, lowering his voice as he carefully analyzed my expression.
“Yeah. Just bracing myself for what comes next,” I replied, resting a hand on his chest. “Stage one is scary enough as it is, based on what we all agreed to do. We have to make it to stage two, though.”
He pressed his lips against my forehead. “I know. We’ll get through it,” he said. “This is a secret extraction. We’re not causing a ruckus this time. We know the city already, unlike our previous… adventures. We know that city almost inside out, in fact. And, besides, with you by my side? I told you, I’ll take on the whole freakin’ planet.”
I chuckled softly, then raised my chin so I could kiss him. His lips were sweet and soft, like midsummer roses at dusk. He filled me with the energy I needed to get through this.
“Remember, I’ve got a lot of dating to do with you,” he added, wearing a playful smirk.
“I think I just puked a little in my mouth,” Nevis interjected with the grace of a pachyderm in a china shop, his tone ice-cold and flat.
Heron and I both rolled our eyes, then scowled at him. Nevis raised an eyebrow in response.
“Your finesse is beyond reproach,” Heron shot back.
Nevis shrugged, stifling a grin. “Perhaps keep the nauseatingly sweet couples’ crap for the bedroom, loudmouth,” he retorted. “It’ll make it easier to be around you two. Even if I weren’t partial to Avril, I’d still be a little sick.”
Heron scoffed. This was their new favorite pastime. Poking one another, then deliberating on who had the sickest burns. They’d gone from rivals to weird friends almost overnight, and I was both amused and somewhat horrified by their bromance.
“You’re lucky my girlfriend likes you. Otherwise I would’ve made more of an effort to make you eat your words,” Heron replied.
“And you’re lucky I tolerate you. Otherwise you would’ve been turned into an icicle decoration for my bedroom mantelpiece,” Nevis said dryly.
“Ooh, burn,” I whispered, then burst into laughter.
I let it all out, doubling over, thankful to have such crazy, incredible people in my life. I needed the chuckle. It fed my soul as we delved into our quest to rescue the one creature who could get us back home. Sure, we wanted to free Neraka, but the selfish part of me was simply eager to go back to our worlds.
I want to go home so badly.
Harper
With our backpacks loaded and our shields mounted on top, we prepared for the two-mile trip to the abandoned red garnet mine. The sun was about to set, streaks of pink and flaming orange cutting across the sky. I put my hood, mask, and goggles on. I’d no longer need them by the time we reached Azure Heights. The plan was to get there in the evening, when there was less activity from the resident Imen, and thus less to worry about in case of combat.
Vesta hugged both her parents tight, swallowing back tears as they said their farewells.
“You come back to us, you hear me?” Idris said, his voice trembling as he kissed his daughter’s forehead.
Vesta nodded, giving them both a weak smile. She then joined our group, and Peyton led us out of Meredrin. We used the boats this time, to conserve energy. The small vessels cut across the rippling lake waters. I looked back and watched the delegation, Sienna, Tobiah, and our hosts stay behind. Hundurr and Rover swam along, surprisingly agile. They had impressive stamina, considering the distance they had to cove
r through the water. Vesta and Caia were ready to assist them if they needed help, though.
“We’ll be at the mine in less than an hour,” Peyton said, rowing with smooth, controlled movements.
We used the small canals connecting the lakes to get across and reach the southwestern edge of the region. Leaving the boats tied to a small jetty hidden beneath sprawling greenery, we made our way on foot for the rest of the short journey.
“Are you sure about leaving Sienna and Tobiah back there?” Caia asked Hansa.
Hansa replied with a brief nod. “If anything happens to us, the town and the delegation will be protected,” she said. “They’ll need all the help they can get if rescuing Lumi ends up falling on their shoulders. The same goes for a sudden ambush of any kind.”
“Which is why we’re taking this short trip the old-fashioned way,” Peyton added as he led the way toward a large mound covered in thick shrubs and gnarled old trees. “The smaller our imprint on this area, the slimmer the chances that daemons might pick up a scent or trail our footsteps back to the lakes.”
“Is that it?” I asked, pointing at the wooded hill.
“Yes. The mine is at the base. The tree crowns keep it out of sight,” Peyton replied.
The closer we got, the clearer we saw how easy it could be for someone to miss it if they walked past it. The mine entrance was partially collapsed, nestled between curling trees with thick and heavy crowns. From certain angles, there was nothing there that could invite the thought of a mine, or any kind of shelter, for that matter—other than the trees, of course.
“Few know of its existence in these parts of Neraka,” Peyton continued. “This was one of the first mines used to extract red garnet, back when the Maras first came here. It’s known to have collapsed, but the workers didn’t have a clue as to how much of it actually became inaccessible.”