Daimon
Blades clangedagainst one another in constant opposition as Daimon walked through the camp. Though the fae had their Essence, Keir ordered everyone to learn how to wield weapons too. If one’s magic was drained in the middle of a fight, then they would need to know how to use a sword.
Zephyr flew above him, landing behind the cabin, over which a large cavern loomed. It only took them the first few nights of being bonded to realize they had to build their cabin where the wyverns could sleep close by. The creatures were fiercely protective, needing to be close to their Rider. But if Daimon were honest, he couldn’t stand being far from her for very long either.
All seven of the wyverns huddled beneath the rock cliff, sleeping on top of one another even though there was plenty of space for them to spread out. Hills and rocky cliffs surrounded the camp, resting on an outer valley before the larger slopes, on the outskirts of the Zenovia Mountains, so they used this as their base. It was a short enough flight from the palace that they could go back and forth easily while still maintaining patrols on the border.
Daimon walked into the fleet’s cabin, his shoulders slumped.It was times like these that he missed privacy.Whydid it have to be his idea for his unit to share a cabin? At first, it was just a way for them to bond as a team, but then it turned into something more. Something stronger. And here they were years later, still sleeping under the same roof.
Well, slightly the same roof, since Willow and Aster built an entire new wing of the cabin to make more room. No one wanted to have a room next to those two; they’d be kept up all night.
Brielle was studying a map spread across a small wooden table. Aster was beside her, drawing with charcoal.
“Ranick and Elias just started their watch on the glade’s border,” Brielle said without looking up. “We’ll be lucky if they manage to stay out of trouble.”
Aster grunted his agreement, scribbling away on the yellowed parchment. His snow-colored hair was pulled back into a knot at the nape of his neck, strands loosened and falling into his face as he sketched.
Daimon plopped down on a worn, cushioned chair. He stared out an open window at the snowcapped mountains glinting in the clear evening. Heaviness sat against his chest, as it always did following a battle. Visions played in his mind: the cannons destroying their ships, his people being blown into pieces, spears piercing their chests before he could save them. Loss was inevitable, but he still replayed every detail he could remember.
“They had twice as many cursed weapons as they normally do,” Aster said, pulling Daimon back to the present. He stopped sketching to give Daimon a pointed look. “We did the best we could given the cannons, too.”
Daimon glanced back at him. Aster was one of the quieter of the flight, the only Undine among them and somehow drawn to the only Woodland. Within a week of the flight forming, Aster and Willow were attached at the hip. Not long after, theyventured back to the temple during the spring equinox to be bonded.
“They would’ve had to in order for them to break past the fleets,” Daimon said with a sigh. “They never should’ve been able to do that.”
“Something was different in the way they fought today,” Brielle mused. “Perhaps the curses they cast on the weapons are starting to do more damage to them than harm to us. Warping them somehow.”
The best-case scenario would be that their own weapons worked against them, but thinking about the ships that had been hit and the scattered bodies… It felt as if they did plenty of damage.
“We know Moros is willing to grapple at anything for power, no matter how corrupt the means to get there is,” Daimon said slowly. “I’ll send a messenger to the palace.”
Daimon spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Aster scribble on his paper and bouncing ideas of new rotations off Brielle. It slowly developed into a more relaxing evening, a reprieve from the weight of the attack.
But more than anything, it felt like the calm before the deadliest of storms.
The entry door rattled as it opened, and Keir stepped in. His eyes were red with lack of sleep and his brows were pinched tightly together. Daimon leaned forward in the chair, propping his elbows on his knees as Keir paced in front of them.
“The rebels attacked Nox Grove,” Keir rushed out. “This morning, right around the attack on the edge of Drogheda. Beta Fleet Two brought word that they were after the orbs.”
“They’ve never made a move so close to the palace.” Brielle gasped. “And at the same time as the other attack?”
Daimon stood and walked over to the frost-tinted animal pelt that was fitted over the shutter. The mountains looked peaceful from this distance, stoic and ancient. Half the time, he wonderedif their presence helped keep the rebels out, or if it kept themin.The attacks happening simultaneously couldn’t have been a coincidence, and that worried Damion more than anything.
Keir blew out a deep breath. “I need you to investigate the grove while I go to the palace.”
Daimon had known this was coming, but the confirmation still made his pulse race. It had been so long since he had gone that close to the palace. Since he had been so close to Evelina.
“Then we better pack,” Daimon answered tightly and turned away from the shutter. He nodded to Brielle and added, “Care for a trip to the grove?”
Brielle smiled and placed a fist over her heart.
He looked to Aster next. “Keep the rest of the flight in line while we’re gone.”
Aster gave a curt nod.
They packed quickly, using sacks that could be secured onto their backs. Once they were done, they found Ren waiting for them outside, a bag over his shoulder. Ren was one of the Manor heirs, the responsibilities of which he often liked to avoid. Daimon knew Ren had been stationed on the western coast, not far from camp, but it still sent a ripple of shock through his body to see the heir standing in front of him.
Ren’s sandy-colored hair was lighter than Evelina’s, but his eyes were the same mixture of green and brown as hers. So much so that it took Daimon’s breath away. But his eyes weren’t filled with the same wonder.
