Night of the Storm: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Eura Chronicles Book 2) (28 page)

“DO NOT RUN NOW,”
Litha said, her voice seeming to invade their minds. “We were just starting to have
fun
.”

Delia appeared beside Liam. “I will get Lilae. Get the others inside the castle,” she lowered her voice, her eyes darting to Litha’s dark spawn. “We will Gate as soon as everyone is inside.”

The whistle of Litha’s power shook the ground, and Delia lifted her staff, the light intensifying as she concentrated her Elder powers on them. Every creature in direct view of her staff froze midair, as if something held them in place.

They didn’t move, or fall, and Liam couldn’t wrap his mind around how that was even possible. As he watched the skeleton army Vaugner had summoned fight against the other creatures, he realized there was so much he would never understand.

He nodded. “We will see you inside.”

Delia spun and shifted back into her true form.

Liam watched her head toward Lilae.

Creatures flew around the square, and Liam did his best to fight them off. He grunted as the talons pierced his shoulders and pulled him back. The pain shocked him, yet he didn’t have time to think about it.

Liam raised his sword to the sky, calling forth the lightning that begged to be unleashed. The thunder that proceeded his lightning roared over the chaos below as electric threads shot down and onto the creature that gripped Liam.

The smell of burnt flesh filled Liam’s nose as he rode the lightning down to the ground, his sword ready for whatever was next.

Rowe ushered Ayoki toward the castle, grabbing any creature that was in his way and tearing them in half with his bare hands.

Litha’s black rope of power sizzled through the air like an arrow set ablaze. It chased Rowe and Ayoki.

“Hurry,” Liam shouted, his sword impaling another creature into the ground.

He used his foot to wedge his sword from its body and glanced over his shoulder to see Mai scramble from her hiding spot and led the way toward the front doors of the castle’s keep.

Liam saw the lights heading straight for the others and called out. “Watch out,” he yelled, running toward them.

Rowe cried out in pain.

Like a punch to the gut, Liam was left breathless. He skidded to a stop, his eyes widened in utter shock as Litha’s fire wrapped around Rowe and yanked him to the ground, burning through his clothes and skin.

Liam’s face turned red. “No!”

Litha appeared before Liam, her nostrils flared. “Should have listened to me,” she whispered, and pulled the black lights along like a rope, Rowe’s body being flung into the dark sky as if he were weightless.

“Let him go,” Liam pleaded, his voice breaking as he watched his best friend in the entire world suffer. “I will do whatever you ask.”

“Too late,” Litha hissed and sent Rowe higher into the sky, the cords of power wrapping and tightening around his body, melting through his skin until they reached bone.

Rowe’s cries turned Liam’s blood cold. He ran his sword into Litha’s body, desperate to stop her.

Teeth bared, he ran her through, and yet she only smiled as her body floated through the sword and Liam until she rematerialized behind him.

Liam’s eyes rose to Rowe, knowing that he couldn’t survive this kind of threat. Tears burned his eyes as memories of their time in the Order filled him. Rowe had saved his life more than once and had been the most loyal friend he could have ever dreamed of.

“Please,” Liam whispered, the tears streaming down his face.

If Rowe died, Liam knew that he would be forever changed. He balled up his fist and closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest as his worst fears were being realized.

“Please,” he repeated.

KAVIEN HELD ONTO LILAE
as he waved his hands along the stone walls of his cursed prison. “If we can find a way to unlock this door, I can escape and send you back to the present.”

Lilae breathed in, her eyes examining the dark gray stone. She nodded, glancing at Kavien as she tapped her lips. “If you think it’s truly possible.”

“I do,” Kavien said with a nod. “The mind is a powerful thing. It can beat the curse that seeps through my body.” He lowered his eyes, his brows furrowing. “I won’t have to waste another minute waiting for Sona to cure me.”

“Sona?” Lilae asked, stepping away from Kavien.

Kavien pursed his lips as he looked down at Lilae. “You know who I served, Lilae.”

Lilae continued to back away from Kavien. “I do. I also know that she tried to kill The Storm.” She pushed hair out of her eyes, as she narrowed them at Kavien’s face.

“Tried?” Kavien asked. “You’re saying that she didn’t succeed?”

Appalled, Lilae wrenched free from Kavien’s grasp around her shoulder. “Right. I am saying that,” she said. “He is alive.”

Kavien sighed.

Lilae’s cheeks reddened. “Did you bring me here to help free you so you can come after those that I love? Do you plan to kill me?”

Kavien’s eyes widened as he shot a look at her. “What nonsense, Lilae. Why would I ever try to kill you?”

“We are enemies,” Lilae said into the darkness that grew the farther she backed away from Kavien. “We’ve always been enemies.”

She suddenly felt very foolish. How could she expect Kavien to do anything but what Wexcyn ordered him to do? If she helped him, he would only turn around and wage war on her and her friends.

“You are not my enemy. I told you that I wanted to escape the entire war with you. Why can’t you understand that?”

Lilae tensed at his voice as it rose from soft to terse frustration. Memories of his quick temper returned.

“You said love, Lilae,” Kavien said, his brows rising. His eyes turned cold as he stared at her.

Pain began to seep back into Lilae’s flesh, creeping onto her like an itch she couldn’t scratch because it went so deep. She looked down at her hands, watching them flicker between transparent to solid.

She didn’t look him in the eyes. “Yes,” she said. “I love him.” Speaking the words aloud gave them even more weight, enough to erase any doubts Lilae had about her true feelings.

“Who?”

Lilae embraced the pain. She needed to ride it back to her present self, away from this prison.

Away from Kavien.

“The Storm,” she whispered as her eyes met Kavien’s. Startled by the disappointment in his eyes, she shook her head at him, mouthing the words ‘I’m sorry,’ and faded away.

A BRIGHT LIGHT BLINDED LIAM.

The pain of losing his greatest friend left him numb as he shielded his eyes, backing away from whatever new terror Litha to join the battle.

He fought to keep his eyes open to face it, and found himself gasping as Rowe’s body was carried down to the ground by someone Liam never thought he would see again.

He fell to his knees, his face wet with tears.

Nani appeared inside the light, her wings glittering in the sunlight that now shone through the bright blue sky, Litha’s darkness dissipating.

Nani knelt over Rowe, and held his face in her hands. His Tryan glow brightened as did her body as she healed him with her fairy power.

Rowe reached up and pulled her down into a hug that made Nani smile. When she stood, she ignored Litha and flew over to Lilae and Delia.

Liam watched Litha as her eyes followed Nani. His heart soared at seeing Lilae stir under Nani’s power.

The fairy god simply had to touch Lilae to awaken her. Lilae gasped for air, as if she’d been drowning. When she realized Nani had saved her, she also hugged her. Nani helped Lilae to her feet, her eyes locking with Litha’s as she did so.

“Go to them,” Nani said.

Lilae, nodding, ran straight to Liam with a mixture of joy and relief on her face.

Lilae crashed into Liam, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him before everyone.

Litha laughed, clapping her hands, and Lilae let go to turn to her.

“Who is she?” Lilae asked him, finally surveying the battle scene all around them.

Liam frowned at Litha, wondering what could possibly be so funny.

“Hello there, little god,” Litha said as her shoulders shook with laughter. “I am very pleased to meet you.”

Nani didn’t return the smile. In her radiant glow, she approached Litha. “Leave,” she said, holding a weakened Rowe in her arms. “Now.”

Litha smoothed her dress and scanned the destruction around her. “Of course,” she said. “It seems one of the most important Laws has been broken. Now, I have work to do.”

Delia appeared beside Liam, helping him to his feet. “No, Litha,” she said. “Don’t do it. You don’t know what this will do to our world.”

Litha shrugged. “I do not care. I only execute the rules, and your fairy
Ancient
has broken the most important one by interfering. The rules strictly state that none of the Ancients shall enter the realm of the mortals in times of war. And what do we have here?
An Ancient
.”

“You planned this,” Delia said, pointing to Litha’s face.

“I did no such thing,” Litha said. “Why should I care who wins this petty war?”

Liam began to follow what was happening, and held Lilae in his arms.

“I think you do care,” Delia said. “Somehow, you have a stake in who wins the war, and I have a feeling I know which Ancient that is.”

“Oh,” Litha said, feigning innocence. “Interesting theory.”

Litha summoned the orb once again and with a blast of light, she, her sheriff, and the remaining creatures vanished.

Lilae clutched Liam, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I saw what they’ve planned,” she said.

Liam’s brows furrowed as he looked into her green eyes. “What is it?”

“Wexcyn,” Lilae said, breathing in a deep breath. “Litha is going to free him.”

ARIA LICKED HER DRY LIPS.
Days without food or water had left her weak. She pulled her knees into her chest as she pressed her back against the cold, damp wall of the Orenian palace dungeons.

The wails of the other prisoners were her nightly lullaby, not that she could tell day from night anymore. The tiny cell was absent of any windows. Not even the door had a window or bars.

Complete and utter darkness smothered Aria like a blanket.

And the mice were her only company. How they had entered the room was a mystery, for not even Yoska could make his way to her.

She opened her eyes to the pitch before her and groaned as her stomach grumbled. She doubted that anyone would bring her food or water besides the cup of cold oat porridge that the guard set onto her floor once a night.

She flinched once the door to her cell was opened, letting in a small ray of light that still hurt her eyes.

“Time to face the executioner,” one of the men who waited outside said as two guards entered the cell.

“Dear Ancients,” Aria prayed. “This can’t be the end. You cannot let this happen.”

There was no reply, and Aria refused to break her composure as the two guards grabbed her by her arms.

Though her face was free of emotion, her insides were a storm of rage, sorrow, and fear. She never imagined dying in such a way. Cyden’s teaching were coming in handy now as she kept calm in the face of death.

She just wished she’d heeded his warnings and that of her mother. As they walked her from the dungeons to the doors that led outside, Aria turned off her ability to hear the thoughts of those around her. She couldn’t stomach the horrid thoughts her people had about her. With her power, Sona had turned everyone against her.

In mere days.

Aria shuddered to think of what the woman could do with more time.

At least I tried, Aria thought as she faced the audience of her people who had come to watch her beheading.

Completely withdrawn from the situation, Aria focused on the stone walls of her palace. The large blocks were perfectly stacked and were still shiny, even though the sea air had buffed it with its salty air for centuries. She counted those stones—anything to keep her mind off the sharp ax the executioner held.

Aria couldn’t look at her people, yet she did find one in particular she would meet head on. Her eyes met those of Sona’s as she stood on the balcony in a painted white chair, her hands folded on the railing before her.

“Wait,” Sona yelled from above.

“Yes, Queen Sonalese,” Captain Strongbow called.

“Don’t forget to cut off her hair first,” Sona said.

Aria’s eye twitched. The corner of her mouth turned up into a snarl.

“You will regret this, Sona,”
Aria said, directly into Sona’s mind.

Aria watched Sona’s lips curl into a grin.

She was held by her arms as one of them pulled out a sharp knife. She squeezed her eyes shut as he began sawing away at her long beautiful hair. He held the black mass out before her eyes, and when she opened them, a whimper escaped her lips. She’d never cut her hair in all of her forty years. Having such an intimate part of her taken away hit her harder than she’d anticipated.

They left her hair uneven and short like a boy’s.

“Perfect,” Sona sneered.

Aria’s lips parted as they pulled her back to the chopping block. The blood of previous criminals stained the wooden platform. Murderers, rapists, and those that committed the darkest and most evil of crimes had proceeded her. At least Aria had sought the truth and knew exactly who deserved such punishment. It was a bitter thought to know that she was the first innocent victim of this form of punishment.

Her heart pumped wildly within her chest as she was pushed down to her knees.

“Aria,” Yoska’s voice called from the distance.

She looked up to see him fly toward the palace, relief and sadness filling her
. Don’t come any closer, Yoska
.

No
, he thought
. I cannot allow this to happen to you. I will not.

You don’t have a choice. They will catch you and kill you too if you reveal yourself.

Aria hated to send him away, but she was relieved to see him one last time. To see someone who loved her before she died was truly a gift.

Thank you for coming to me one last time.

No
, he thought, his voice wavering.

Aria held her breath as Yoska flew straight to her, landing on the wooden platform. “Yoska. Leave. Quickly!”

Sona shot to her feet and pointed to Yoska. “Grab the eagle. I have some questions for him.”

“No. Leave him alone,” Aria pleaded, breaking her composure.

The guards reached for Yoska, and he turned to her, his dark eyes meeting her tear-filled gaze.

Aria’s voice caught in her throat as Yoska closed his eyes…and transformed right before everyone.

There was a collective gasp from the crowd as they watched Yoska’s eagle body spin and morph into a creature that hadn’t been seen by Tryans in hundreds of years.

Yoska,
Aria thought, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath and make sense of what just happened.

His body stretched tall and his body became lean. There was a shimmer across his stark, nude white skin that made him look unnatural in their realm. He glanced at Aria and then to the men that had tied her to the stake.

You’re a Silver Elf?

All anyone could hear was the sound of the wind as Yoska turned to her and nodded.

I am.

Yoska’s eyes were no longer black, but a silver that reflected the light.

Surprise filled his eyes as he looked at his hands.

They shook and Aria raised a brow, wondering if he even knew what had just happened.

His chest heaved as he touched his short, silver hair.

“My curse is broken,” Yoska whispered in awe.

A whisper rose from the people of Oren, until shouting filled the entire square.

“KILL THE ELF,” Sona shouted, her eyes wild with bewilderment and what was, perhaps, fear. She kept shouting the same thing as if she knew something Aria hadn’t quite figured out. “Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

Soldiers started to rush the platform, and Yoska lifted his hand.

In a flash, the enchanted elven sword that had hung in her vaults for centuries met the palm of his hand. He wrapped his hand around the hilt, and within seconds, he was clothed in shining black armor.

Steel.

Aria swallowed, stunned by what she beheld
.

Her mind raced as she tried to comprehend what she’d just witnessed, and her eyes widened at the realization.

Yoska is The Steel.

His eyes glowed, and with speed she’d never seen, he made three swift slashes that sliced through three soldiers. The blood splashed onto the faces of those closest and dripped down Aria’s cheeks toward her lips.

Yoska sliced through the ropes that bound her. “Aria,” he said, finally looking at her with his silver eyes.

Goosebumps knitted her exposed arms. She finally saw the true Yoska.

“Come,” he grabbed her by the forearm and lifted her from the stake, the sword in his other hand.

He clutched her tight to his chest, looked deep into her eyes, and together… they vanished.

BRIGHT LIGHT WELCOMED
Kavien as he opened his eyes. Numb and disoriented, he squinted against the light that nearly burned his eyes.

Where was he? The smell…smelled like home.

Move
, he thought, and focusing on his arms first, his body obeyed.

Power filled his body as he shot up from the bed that had been more of tomb, and he froze the instant he saw the man in the room with him.

Kavien fell to his knees, utterly stunned by what he saw. The bright light that emanated from his body was what Kavien had seen when he was awakened.

Lilae
, he thought, despair taking over the brief moment of joy he’d felt.

His face went stern, complacent, as his eyes lifted to the man that stood in his quarters, shrouded in light, skin the color of polished bronze, dark hair pulled into a ponytail. He bowed his head, tired of fighting what he knew his destiny to be.

What else could he do? Lilae had betrayed him yet again.

“Welcome to Eura,” Kavien said, coldness filling his heart. His jaw tightened as he looked up at the man before him. “Father.”