My elementals floated to their feet, dragging me with them. A heavy weight pulled at my legs, and I looked down to see sandy scales racing up my body until it completely covered my fae armor. The constant thrum of Danae’s strength pumped through my muscles, making me giddy. I couldn’t wait to hit one of these assholes.

  Blue flames flickered to life on my fingertips, and I grinned at Adeen. I really wanted to create another fiery sword. She winked at me and released my hand before spiraling into a puff of smoke.

  When Niyol huffed, the tiny flames flickered but didn’t go out. I stuck my tongue out at him then smiled. His howling laughter filled the cavern as he disappeared.

  A chorus of gasps drew my attention to the warriors who must of came in during my circle-time. They didn’t line up in perfect rows like yesterday, organizing themselves in clusters instead. Six of them stood to one side, my opponents. Four men and two women, all of them armed with swords.

  “You are not alone,” Göksu whispered, pulling my attention away from the warriors’ shocked faces.

  My elemental fell into a pool of water that suddenly surged towards the ceiling, then disappeared. Danae remained but only for a moment. A hole opened in the stone beneath her, and she fell into it. The room shook as it closed again.

  I took a deep breath and pushed aside what I knew would happen at the end of this fight. These people were the first step to stopping Sabina and her dark warriors. I needed to make them see the power the elementals would give them.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked, my gaze sweeping across the group of warriors.

  Commander Jesenia stood near the door, once again masking her expression. Ronquil was in his place at her side, not hiding his fear or awe. Most of the others shared the same look of respect and longing for the power humming around me. Even the six who had volunteered for this fight showed signs of indecision.

  The old warrior from yesterday stepped away from the other five. Of course he would be one of them. “After what we just witnessed, there will be no rules of engagement.”

  “Then why are we fighting?” I asked. “If you fear my elementals’ strength, you’ve already made my point for me.” I waved my hand at his fellow soldiers. “This power isn’t restricted to me alone. Do you not remember when it was yours? Everyone on Earth still believes you have it. They have no idea it was taken from you. Why do you continue to deny this?”

  “Because they abandoned us and left us to wither away!” he yelled. “They had no right to take our magic from us!”

  I shook my head. Unreasonable idiots existed everywhere, not just on Earth.

  “And you would sacrifice your people because of your stubbornness? Sabina will come here to destroy you with her dark warriors, and your selfish ignorance will be your undoing.” I turned to the rest of Nardan’s warriors. “Will you really let these idiots dictate your future, or do you share their unbelievable need for the death of your people?”

  Several in the group stirred, their eyes darting between me and their fellow soldiers. But no one stepped forward to argue or defend. Idiots.

  “I have one request before I kick your asses,” I said. “If you want to join the fight, do it now. I want to look you in the eye and see the betrayal on your face before you’re a bleeding puddle on the floor.”

  A dozen more stepped forward. My heart sank. Were there really that many spies among Nardan’s warriors? God, I hoped not. I glanced at Ronquil and immediately regretted it. Fear showed itself plainly on his face.

  I’ll be okay, Ron, I said. No matter what happens, don’t interfere.

  He shook his head and pressed his lips together. I knew that look. He totally intended to jump into the fight. And where was Lodron? I hadn’t noticed his absence until that moment. It didn’t matter. He didn’t need to be here to witness my abduction.

  The warriors who chose to remain neutral backed themselves against the walls, leaving eighteen of their brethren in the center with me. As soon as everyone stilled, I cast a silent spell at the onlookers. It wouldn’t trigger unless they moved. I hoped they didn’t, but I couldn’t take the chance of more joining the battle and surprising me.

  “Let’s have some fun,” Adeen’s disembodied voice echoed through the cavern, followed by another of Niyol’s cackles.

  Chapter 24

  As my opponents spread out, their magic excited the air around me. As much as I wanted to make it a really quick fight, I realized they needed to see what they were missing. My previous display could be considered posturing, and they needed a real fight as proof. My little beast giggled with pleasure, but I wouldn’t let her out. Not today. Just like I wouldn’t mimic any animals. It’d just be me and my elementals.

  A fiery sword leapt to life in my right hand, and I stumbled as a pillow of air sprang up beneath my feet.

  They’ve laid traps all over the floor beneath you, Niyol explained. None of them are nice.

  I should’ve known. I’d just done the same to the non-players.

  Thanks.

  I pushed my hand towards my opponents, and a blast of air knocked them on their asses. I quickly pulled the earth around four bodies on the right side, trapping them in place. They might be able to cast spells, but they wouldn’t be getting in my space.

  The remaining warriors jumped to their feet, and a barrage of magic raced towards me. A wall of ice surged from the floor, backed by a wall of stone. The spells slammed into the walls, spraying shards of ice back onto the attackers. Two more spells cleared the wall, racing over my earthen armor and fizzling out.

  I smiled at the surprised expressions of my foes and pointed my sword at them. It transformed into a fiery whip. With a flick of my wrist, the flaming strand extended, snapping the old guy across his chest. His armor deflected the magic but not the impact. He staggered backwards and drew his plain metal sword.

  I laughed, and several of his companions paused. I laughed again as they hesitated, drawing their weapons slowly. I threw a spell beneath their feet. These people hadn’t fought in a real battle in ages, and it showed.

  “What’s wrong?” I crowed. “How long has it been since you had to fight for your life? Years? Decades? Maybe even centuries? Do you not like the adrenaline running through your veins?”

  The old warrior charged, and the others followed. He was obviously the leader of this little rebellion. Would he be the one to steal me away? I hoped so. It’d give me the perfect reason to really hurt him.

  My whip disappeared, and I drew a long spear from the air. I stood my ground, making the old fart come to me as I planted seeds of magic at my feet. Cries of alarm made him pause, and I smiled. Four more of his cronies fell to their knees, trapped in vines that snaked around their legs and torsos. That left ten fanatics racing my way, their weapons drawn.

  A tiny tornado grew at my feet, launching me into the air. The old fart roared his frustration, and all ten warriors started throwing spells at me. I let Niyol dodge their attacks, and I threw my spear into the group. They jumped out of the way easily and continued their assault. I created another spear and hurled it to the ground a few inches from the last.

  Our dance continued for several more minutes until a line of spears connected with the stone wall, creating half of the box I wanted.

  “Come down and fight!” Old Fart bellowed.

  “Just a sec!” I yelled back. “I’m a little busy!”

  Adeen?

  My pleasure, princess.

  A wall of fire circled the warriors below, trapping all ten in my little box.

  “Okay, I’m ready now.” I dropped to the ground. “If you can get out, I’ll fight you.” I stood outside their prison, taunting them through the bars created by my spears.

  The old warrior charged at me, slashing at the bars – aka my weapons - with his sword. The metal blade shattered on impact.

  “Oh my God, that’s awesome!” I cried. “I had no idea they were that strong.” I had to remember that for next time.

  The man glared at me with such hate and loathing I could almost feel it sliding over my skin. He cradled his sword arm against his chest and spat at me. What happened to him to create so much anger in his heart?

  “Do you yield?” I asked.

  “No,” he growled.

  I looked past him at the others. “And you?”

  Several nodded, but the rest didn’t.

  “If you yield, move to the stone wall. If you still want to fight, I’ll be releasing the spears so we can continue.”

  Two women and four men moved to the wall, leaving four warriors. I assumed they were the real traitors. As much as I wanted to tie the rest of them up, one was supposed to take me away.

  I’m ready, Danae.

  The stone wall wrapped around the warriors who yielded, and I whispered the trigger spell in my mind for the trees of life to engulf three of my foes. Unlike the tree of death, these trees didn’t kill their host; they just held them and their magic. I’d modified the spell when I couldn’t stomach leaving Ernesto to an eternity of pain. But these fae wouldn’t know that.

  Cries of outrage echoed through the cavern as my trees consumed the traitors. I ignored them and focused on the old warrior in front of me. My spears disappeared, leaving a clear path between us. He snarled and lunged, his fist connecting with my jaw.

  I heard both Lodron and Ronquil scream my name. As blackness rolled over my vision, the only thing I could wonder was when Lodron had shown up.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I woke to a splitting headache. I didn’t even try to open my eyes, knowing how much it would hurt. Something sharp poked my ass, and I didn’t want to know what I was sitting on. I drew in a deep breath, then wished I hadn’t. My ribs ached, and the smell was nauseating. Blood, shit, and urine mixed with sweat and something else - equally awful.

  I tried to move my arms but found I couldn’t. My shoulders screamed with the motion, and I realized my hands were tied together above my head. My eyes snapped open to complete darkness. Of course. I blinked several times, hoping my vampire sight would kick in.

  After several seconds, the faint outline of a door emerged several yards away. My cell couldn’t be more than eight feet across in any direction and appeared to be a rough circle. There were no windows, no bed, no toilet, nothing. Just me.

  I looked up at my hands and frowned. Thick bands of rope circled my wrists and connected to a metal ring, keeping my arms stretched to their limits.

  Could I stand and relieve some of the pressure? Duh. I wasn’t going to just sit around on my ass. It was much easier said than done. The rope was too short to allow me to move more than a few inches from the wall, which meant I had to tuck my legs beneath my ass, then turn around and stand up.

  Blood rushed to my legs, sending sharp needles of pain all the way to my toes. With the weight off my shoulders, they too started burning.

  “Well shit, isn’t this lovely,” I mumbled. “Please tell me you guys are still here.”

  I didn’t get a response.

  Göksu? Niyol?

  Still nothing.

  Anyone?

  I reached for my magic to heal the pain in my shoulders and got nothing. I whispered a fae spell in my mind. Nothing. I pictured my house on the beach, then tried to jump through the realms. I went nowhere.

  Was I disconnected from my magic? Was this one of those rooms like Jack had at the casino? The one Ronquil said didn’t exist. Surely it didn’t block my elementals, too.

  “Oh, hell no,” I whispered, closing my eyes and reaching for Danae. I was surrounded by stone. She had to be there.

  But she wasn’t.

  I found nothing but an empty void.

  Tears welled in my eyes. How many times had I wished to be a normal human with no magic? How many times had I wished I could live a normal life like everyone else?

  What the hell was I thinking? I couldn’t be without my magic. Being disconnected from it stole the breath from my lungs. I choked back a sob and tried to steady my breathing.

  “Calm down, stupid.” I still had my vampire gifts, so I wasn’t completely useless. Stay positive. And they hadn’t removed my armor, which was also a plus.

  Alra? Please tell me you can hear me.

  I waited for an eternity, or maybe just three seconds.

  AJ! Alra finally replied. I’m so glad to hear your voice. Are you okay?

  The tears I’d been holding back poured down my face. I wasn’t okay.

  Yep! Right as rain, I lied.

  Where are you?

  In a tiny stone room, tied to the wall, and totally disconnected from my magic.

  Silence filled my space again, and panic crept towards me from every corner. This place couldn’t block my fae telepathy too, could it?

  Alra, please say something.

  I’m with Lodron and Ronquil in the king’s war room, he replied. We’re coming to get you.

  As much as I wanted them to, I knew they couldn’t. At least, they shouldn’t. My elementals had a plan.

  No, you can’t. This was all part of the plan.

  What are you talking about? Alra screamed in my head.

  Don’t yell at me! I snapped. Just because I agreed to it doesn’t mean I’m not terrified and in need of some emotional support.

  I leaned my head against the wall and drew in several shallow breaths. Not just because of the disgusting smells either. Someone had kicked the hell outta my ribs. I didn’t think they were broken, but I was certain I had lovely bruises covering my body.

  What have you done, Alisandra? Lodron’s voice replaced Alra’s in my mind, and I cringed.

  Did you take care of your traitors? I asked in return. I left them in neat little packages for you.

  Why didn’t you tell me? the captain pleaded.

  I didn’t know until right before the duel, I replied. But I’m not sure I would’ve told you anyway. I didn’t know who to trust.

  Another few minutes of silence followed, and I assumed they were discussing their options. I tried not to think about mine. My elementals said they’d be here with me. Göksu had promised he would heal my pain. Did this magical barrier keep them out, too? If so, how?

  I’ve officially become the enemy, thanks to you, Lodron said. Alra and Ronquil aren’t happy but have agreed to leave you for now. I assume your elementals will come for you?

  That’s the plan, I replied, hoping it was still true. As soon as I see someone that matters, I’ll tell you what I know.

  Be careful, Alisandra, and only report to me.

  I frowned. What was that supposed to mean? Did he not trust his own prince?

  Why only you?

  Because I can protect our conversations, but no one else can.

  A little light went on in my head. The first time I met Grant, he’d basically said Elise could listen in on conversations.

  Oh my God. Did they hear my conversation with Alra? I’d all but admitted I was a spy.

  I don’t know. I can only hope not. Did they hurt you?

  I hesitated. He didn’t need to know and neither did any of the rest of them.

  I’m sure I have a spectacular bruise on my jaw, but I’m okay.

  Would you tell me if you weren’t okay?

  I chuckled, then grimaced in pain. No, probably not.

  Your elementals will get you out? he asked again.

  That’s the plan, Captain.

  I could almost hear him sigh. He wasn’t stupid. He’d read into the omission.

  I’m going to interrogate our traitors. If you need me, don’t hesitate to reach out.

  I will.

  Once again, I was left alone. Only this time, I was really alone. The silence in my head was almost debilitating. All those times I wished to be the only one in my mind…I was such a fool.

  I kicked at the loose stones on the floor and lowered myself down. Why had I agreed to this? Maybe I hadn’t. My elementals only told me because I asked them not to keep me in the dark. Would I have ended up here regardless?

  I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes, trying not to think. No such luck.

  “Oh no,” I whispered.

  I was supposed to meet Braden at the house. I’d been so worried about him being taken that it never crossed my mind it’d be me. Thank God I told him to ignore anything he might hear. I couldn’t imagine what he’d try to do to get me back. My next quandary: should I ask Lodron to pass a message to my vampire? Nope. Braden would be pissed if Lodron showed up at the house. And the captain would likely tell my vampire I was done with him.

  I shuddered at the thought of Braden hearing I didn’t love him, especially if it came from one of the fae. My vampire tried to hide it, but I knew he had insecurities about my time with the way-too-pretty-boys. I just hoped he also knew how much I really loved him.

  The sound of metal scraping against itself broke me out of my irrational musings. Two shadows broke up the outline of my door.

  Time to find out how strong I really am.

  Chapter 25

  Light spilled into my cell from the open door, forcing my eyes closed. The smell of lilac joined the other putrid odors in my space, and I almost laughed. A woman gagged several times, but it was quickly muffled, probably with some dainty lace handkerchief. An image of Braden’s mother heaving her guts up brought on another urge to giggle. I barely contained it, knowing it was born from fear, like one of those hysterically uncontrollable laughs that erupt from stress.

  Tingles of magic pricked my brain, and I realized my pendant still worked. Of all the magic I possessed, it couldn’t have been something more useful?

  “Stand her up,” the woman commanded in the fae language. I didn’t recognize her voice, but I wasn’t sure I’d know Sabina’s just from sharing Alra’s memory.

  I blinked furiously, trying to force my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness as a pair of rough hands pulled me to my feet. My shoulders protested at the awkward angle they were forced into, and my ribs groaned. Thankfully, my jailer turned me around to face the wall, relieving the strain on my shoulders.

  Slowly but surely, my sight adjusted, and I saw a pair of black boots next to mine. I craned my neck to see the man standing beside me. He was just as beautiful as any other fae, with light brown hair and blue eyes, or maybe gray. I couldn’t tell. He was nowhere near as tall as the Oceanic Fae. Probably around five foot ten or eleven. But his large hands and overly muscled arms sent a shiver down my spine. He wasn’t here to be gentle.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33