42. Chapter 42

Myles kept me close in his arms, as loath to be separated from me as I from him. He held me even tighter during our ascend to the top of the mountain and I didn’t feel quite as fearful as I had with Kyle.

The trip down had been a nightmare. I nearly lost my nerve when I stood inside the bowl, staring down into one of the openings. Everything was so far down, that the people looked like toy figures before dizziness overcame me and I had to close my eyes.

I downplayed it, knowing full well Kyle was just waiting for an excuse not having to take me down there. Thankfully my determination proved stronger than my fear, and Kyle didn’t notice until I turned my face into his chest, to keep nausea and creeping anxiety at bay.

He didn’t say anything, but a stiffening in his posture told me that my secret was out. Thankfully it was too late to turn around.

He tried to reassure me, “I got you vissy,” several times, but his tone was clipped from his irritation with me. Had I not been so scared, I would have found it funny.

In Myles’s strong arms, I was still a little fearful, but feeling his muscles under my fingers outweighed any panic that lingered inside my mind and stomach.

I took a deep breath when we reached the top, our eyes locked and I read his desire for us to be alone in them. It was as strong as mine, but other things were more important at the moment, like the sirens surrounding our boats. Hundreds of them, if not more. Angrily their long tails splashed into the water as they tried to board the boats, but were repelled by Myles’s dragoons.

In the center of the bowl like mountain top, hovered the transporter that would take us back to Aecor, dragoons swarmed the area, pulling up rope after rope of Zuten.

Each of the men pulled up, stood transfixed, rooted to the spot for a few moments, shielding his eyes as he stared at the sky, the ocean, the sun. I couldn’t even imagine what must be going through their heads at seeing all this for the first time in generations.

Dragoons ushered them into the transporter, despite them not being ready for it. It needed to be done quickly though, time wasn’t our friend right now. We still had some element of surprise on our side and needed to take advantage of it.

“Where is Queen Sarissa?” Myles asked Kyle.

“When I realized what Vissy Niara was up to, I had her arrested and put into protective custody. It would take several legions to get her out.”

“Good,” Myles nodded his agreement .

“She said she would have someone else in charge should this happen,” I warned the men.

“That’s their problem,” Myles said darkly. “If they end up battling among each other for queenship, it will only help our fight.”

We boarded the transporter that would take us back to Aecor much quicker than the boats. I threw a glance at the fighting down below, but it looked like the dragoons were holding their own and the sirens off.

I kept my arms slung around Myles, loath to ever let him go again. I didn’t think I would ever forget the time I thought him in danger or worse. He was my world, my soul, my heartbeat and every breath I took.

My body was still trembling on the inside, but slowly Myles’s energy and strengths absorbed into me, recharged me.

The flight only took a couple of hours and when we passed Horn, I noticed another fight going on down below.

“They divided their numbers,” Myles observed.

“Nathan,” I whispered, worried about my brother.

“I’ve sent a legion to Horn, they will be well protected.” Kyle assured us.

“Whoever is in charge is making a large mistake,” Myles added darkly. I agreed with him and thanked the gods for this small favor.

Had the sirens concentrated their full force of attacks at one target at a time, we would have been in real trouble, since we had to divide our legions out of necessity. One to get Myles out, one to defend the boats, one to defend Aecor and even more at the many other cities around Oceanus I hadn’t even seen yet .

This played to our advantage.

As soon as we landed, Myles ordered Kyle to be in charge of defending Aecor, and Samurg to take care of the hundreds of Zuten refugees we had freed from Fall Mountain Island. While he and I and a small group of dragoons went to have a chat with Queen Sarissa.

“You are sstill here,” she greeted me spitefully when I entered with the dragoons. We had decided to keep Myles back for now, for maximum effect.

“I am,” I retorted putting all the haughtiness I was capable of into my demeanor and words. “I am the Vissy of Oceanus.”

Our eyes met and I didn’t flinch from her repulsive glare, every dagger she sent my way, I sent right back.

Sarissa looked away first, “Sso be it then. My ssirens will terminate Myless and attack.”

“You don’t need to worry about them, they’re already in full attack mode, unfortunately for you, it looks like they’re losing,” I gloated.

“Either way, Myless—”

“That is Vissigroth Myles to you,” Myles said entering. His voice was calm, deep and deadly.

Sarissa sputtered, moving back as if she had seen a ghost. “What? How?”

“Your little plan didn’t work,” Myles pulled me under his arm. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’ll let you go and you will take your despicable brethren and find a spot on Oceanus far from any Leandars. If I ever see so much as a shadow of a tail from you or your sisters, I will hunt you down and exterminate you, is that clear?”

“You need uss,” Sarissa recovered from her shock and rose on her tail to hover a head over Myles. “Without uss, your race iss doomed, you won’t have any more offsspring.”

“Wrong again,” Myles retorted. His body tensed next to mine, he was tired of this conversation, tired of dealing with Sarissa. I kissed his bare shoulder to convey that I was here. For him. Always.

He squeezed me gently and continued, “whatever you did to make seffies not want to stay on Oceanus is over. Even if Thyre seffies won’t come to live here, there will be plenty of human seffies, who will. We will have true offspring again.”

He glared at her, “Contrary to your species, whose spermbanks have just dried up.”

For a moment a look as if she was holding an ace in the hole, passed Sarissa’s features, but then her eyes slitted, “Sspermbankss?”

Myles and I only glared at her. The moment she realized that Myles had freed all the Zuten as well was easy to pinpoint by her expression. She hissed and slithered forward, straight for Myles and me. Myles didn’t blink. Crossed swords from the dragoons stopped Sarissa’s advance.

“So you see the only species that is doomed on Oceanus is yours.” Myles added triumphantly. “Your reign of terror is over, Sarissa.”

“We will ssee,” she lisped, lifting her chin and slithering out of the room like the queen she was.

“Is it over?” I asked Myles .

“I doubt it, but the main battle is. She’ll be back, begging for favors.”

When I eyed him concerned, he smiled warmly, “Don’t worry, this time it will be on our terms.”

Our terms .

I loved the sound of it. I rose on my tiptoes to kiss him and was rewarded by being pressed against his chest and a kiss so deep it told of all the longing and fear for me he too had experienced through his captivity.