“Something to be discussed later,” he said tightly, the sound of the battle waning. They must be close to having things under control. “Let’s take her out of here and come back.”
He’d taken a whole two steps when she said, “I think the biggest reason I’d call you the cursed king though is because you haven’t figured out that you are the reason for all the Fae deaths.”
For a moment, all thoughts of the battle and the creatures of old and their safety were gone, completely eclipsed by her words. He stilled, slowly turning to face her once more. “What are you talking about?”
She was staring back at him, features hard and cold. Something dark and wicked that he’d seen from her but a handful of times.
Moving with the grace of the predator she was, she brushed past him, ashy footprints left behind. Approaching the slumberingstryx,she paused beside it, taking the creature in.
“They truly are majestic creatures,” she said thoughtfully. “And yet they are kept slumbering and caged, used for their abilities.”
She lifted a hand as if to touch it, and that was what had him lurching forward and breaking him free of all the thoughts swirling as he tried to figure out what was happening here.
“Don’t, Kailia,” he warned, knowing if he had to struggle with the creature again, he’d have nothing left for the other two.
He knew more than he let on. He’d observed her in her dreams for months. Seen things she hadn’t realized he knew yet. Or rather, she was likely questioning what all he knew, but didn’t want to bring it up because she didn’t know. Their battle for dominance hung in the balance, waiting for one of them to tip it. Despite the things he’d gleaned from her dreams, there were still details that evaded him. Things he couldn’t figure out no matter how many times he slipped into her dreams or danced around topics in conversation.
She paused, her fingers inches from the creature’s feathers. His crown was looped around her arm, her bow still in her other hand.
“We don’t cage them,” he continued, the words causing her gaze to slide back to him. “They are not domesticated creatures. They guard sacred sites. According to the Elder Clans, that’s what they’ve always done. Long before my family assumed the throne, that was their purpose. According to history texts and knowledge from the Elder Clan, they came with those who created this world for that purpose. We don’t know what disturbs them enough to wake them, but they are not the threat. We recognize that. It’s why we do not kill them. We return them to their purpose. Let me show you.”
Moving forward, he took her hand, then rested his other gently on thestryx’sbeak once more. Traveling them deep into the Olwen Mountains, they appeared inside a nest tucked into an overhang. It was bigger than thestryxwas, and the creature immediately settled in, tucking her face beneath a wing.
Guiding Kailia out of the nest, they made their way down the steep embankment until they came to a relatively flat area. Keeping his voice low, he gently turned her to face another direction, pointing off into the distance. “See there?” he asked. “Another slumbers. There are several nests in the area, and they all guard this.”
He guided her to face yet another direction, where two giant onyx doors were built into the mountainside. They were tucked so far into the shadows, they were nearly impossible to spot unless you knew they were there.
“What’s behind them?” Kailia asked, stepping closer.
“Another time,” he answered tightly. “But I wanted you to see that they are not caged or harmed. They are not forced into their positions. They guard these sites because they choose to, but they also do not differentiate between friend and foe.”
“What would happen if they were simply given freedom?” she asked.
“While I’m glad you are once again speaking with me, tiny fiend, this is truly a conversation to be continued at home,” he said, taking her hand once more. “We need to get back and get the other two creatures returned to their nests.”
Before she could reply, he Traveled them to the same clearing, planning to meet up with Draven and Ariadne. He could get a report, then they could hopefully track down Tybalt and the others.
But the moment they appeared, Draven was rushing forward, stumbling over the terrain.
“Cethin! Thanks the Fates,” Draven called. “Ariadne is hurt, but you need to know that?—”
The male’s eyes went wide as a swirl of smoke and ashes appeared in the air behind him. Cethin glanced to his side, where Kailia still stood, then back to the warrior.
“Draven?” he asked, taking a single step, but the male slumped to the ground in a heap.
Standing over him was a male with black hair and grey eyes. Eyes he’d never seen swirl with smoke until now. He was corporeal, but his hand was still ashes, and clutched between his fingers was…
A spinal cord.
As if he’d reached inside Draven’s body and pulled the entire thing out of him.
His mind raced as he frantically tried to sort through what he was seeing. Lord Corveth Astor wasn’t an Ash Rider, but the male standing before him fucking was and he looked exactly like the lord.
The male dropped the bones atop Draven’s body, discs and vertebrae scattering at the lack of care as his hand reformed into flesh and bone. He wasn’t wearing the dirty boots and work clothes Cethin was used to seeing him in. Instead, he straightened his sleeves and pulled at the lapels of his fine jacket. His polished boots had a few scuffs, but nothing like they would be from working on sheep farms or in shops.
He stretched his neck from side to side before settling his gaze on them once more. His lips curled into a wicked smirk as he beheld them, and Cethin stepped in front of Kailia, blocking her from his view.
“Explain yourself,” Cethin demanded, rallying his power despite not having any to spare.
