1. Tahlia
Chapter 1
Tahlia
O n Ragewing's back, Tahlia kept one arm looped around Marius's fabulously trim waist. She turned to see how close the others were following. The wind was cool and held the scents of hay and last night's storm system.
It was nearing autumn; soon the order would head north to watch the coastline for pirates. But for now, Marius, Ragewing, and Tahlia were on their way to King Lysanael and Queen Revna's vineyard. There, they would be briefed on the mission to retrieve the artifact the king's note had mentioned. It would take place during a human city's tomato festival. Tahlia couldn't wait.
The rest of the Order of Mist Knights flew behind Ragewing in three sets of arrow formations, a stone's throw from Ragewing's tail.
Titus pretended to vomit from the back of his Spikeback dragon and then grinned at Tahlia. She smiled back.
Last night while packing for the journey, they had both taken three too many shots of Maiwenn's greenblood—a batch of highly potent alcohol that was common in the Gwerhune where Maiwenn was born. Definitely a poor choice of drink the night before a dawn flight. Fara had been there, too, warning them to no avail.
"Maiwenn had best watch her back," Fara had said last night. "If you end up too hungover to begin your secret and surely terrible mission tomorrow, I'm going to rip her arms off. You just started and you can't afford to slack on your duties and she should know better than to tempt you…"
Tahlia snickered thinking about her friend. Fara hadn't tried to come along this time because she was up to her continually raised fists in Healer training. The irony would never get old. The most fighty gal Tahlia had ever met was working her way to being one of the best Healers in the Realm of Lights. Fara had sent Tahlia off with a stack of notes labeled The only way you will survive this adventure .
Despite today's headache, last night's imbibing had resulted in a slew of fantastic jokes about Albus, who joined in with his usual self-deprecating comments. And they'd been delightfully entertained by Maiwenn's classic impersonation of Atticus lecturing the staff at the tavern about overcooking venison.
Maiwenn waved casually to Tahlia and Tahlia lifted her hand in response. Maiwenn's dragon, Donan, let out a short roar in Tahlia's direction, a sound she was familiar with now. He was very worried about Lija, his fellow Seabreak, and her injured wing. He'd even barged into the Healer's fifth meeting on the subject when they'd gathered in Lija's stall. Let's just say a worried dragon is not super fun to deal with.
Tahlia focused on her bond with Lija and spoke through her mind—a power that they had awoken with Fara's suggestion of eating a certain magical plant. The distance their communication could travel was roughly a day's travel, but the range varied. Lija and Tahlia's Energy levels, the weather, and the activity of the crystals in the mountain altered the maximum separation they could have and still talk.
Lija, how were the exercises this morning?
Lady Fara is quickly becoming my enemy.
Tahlia laughed. You don't mean that.
Lija's growl reverberated through Tahlia's mind. I just might.
Nah, she's the sweetest evil genius in the world and you know it.
Hmm.
You sound like Marius.
A reluctant chuckle echoed from their bond. Fine, rider. I will go along with your squire's exercise plan. But know this: I'll be well and flying before she can pass her Healer evaluations, and we will put this horror in our past.
I know you will, Lija. We will get through this.
I will miss the beat of your heart while you're gone, rider.
And I will miss yours. Terribly.
Tahlia's eyes burned and she blinked back tears.
Marius leaned left and glanced over his shoulder. "I'm about to call out a kite formation."
"Got it." Tahlia clamped both arms around him and braced her thighs against Ragewing's saddle.
She relaxed and let the power of the belt that the goddess had given her rise into her heart and mind. It was like stepping into a hot spring, warmth seeping into her and reminding her that all was well. They would get Lija healed. It would be all right. She hoped that was true anyway. The threads couldn't show her the future exactly, though they did point to the outcome of her immediate actions in the physical space she occupied.
The threads of fate, action, and what she liked to think of as willpower connected Marius to Ragewing, Tahlia to each of them and to the dragon riders behind them. Certain spots on the ground or places in the air showed possible movements of dragons and riders. Somehow, the magic the goddess had bestowed on her permitted Tahlia to understand what each woolen-looking thread meant. When she wasn't suppressing her power—which she did so as not to become lazy—she used it to decide what to do at any given moment. She didn't want any of her fellow Mist Knights to believe she was taking the easy way out. Though they had all shown her respect and dedication since the adventure with the monster, Katk, she didn't think she'd ever stop trying to impress them. They were such heroes. She wanted to be like them still. Fearless. Skilled. Undaunted by challenge.
"Kite!" Marius called out in his Mistgold voice.
The sound bounced off the clouds and through her body, warming her blood for the coming fight.
Only Marius and Tahlia would participate in the mission to retrieve the artifact, but the rest of the order had been directed to escort them. On the way to the royal vineyard, the riders were to take down a band of thieves ravaging the Gwerhune forest.
"Spotted!" Claudia called out. Her orange tail whipped around behind her braided hair, and her sunset-hued skin sparkled in the midmorning light.
Her Heartsworn let out a staccato call and Ragewing answered her. They had been in the same unit for years and were as familiar with one another's calls as well as the calls of their riders.
"I see them," Marius said to Tahlia. "By the river. Can you give me a count, either of you?"
Tahlia didn't know if Ragewing had answered inside Marius's mind, but she did her own count, tallying the group of wild Fae drinking and laughing by the silver thread of water.
"I've got eleven by my count," Tahlia said.
"Eleven!" Marius shouted to the rest of the Mist Knights. "Unit Three, take the lead!"
Ewan lifted his hand and nodded his bald brown head. His Spikeback, Angus, dropped and sped forward. He and the others in his unit—Lucius and Cyrus each on their scarlet Heartsworns and Brutus on his pale blue Spikeback—passed Ragewing like bolts from a massive crossbow.
"What do you suggest, Tahlia?" Marius asked.
"Send a unit to cut them off because they're going to run, of course. Then send another unit over the far side of the river to come in low through the trees."
Marius nodded, then lifted his fist. "Good. You're learning. Down, One and Two! Three, get out ahead of them and circle back as they flee from Unit One. Two, veer past the river and come back below the canopy! Full flame, but watch the woods for spreading!"
"Full?" It was unusual for Marius to call for certain death.
"I read the report on these wild Fae. You don't want to know what they've done to terrorize the simple folk in the Gwerhune villages. Death is too kind, really, but it's what we have been ordered to give them."
"Aye, Commander," Tahlia said, dropping any feelings she was drumming up for potentially understandable crimes of those in poverty.
Ragewing dove, and Tahlia's stomach lifted into her throat. He unleashed a blaze that crackled and snapped. The thieves swore and began to run, all of them crashing into the river and heading north—as the threads had shown her. They were fast, dodging fire and leaping over boulders that turned the water into whirlpools. Wild Fae were a tough bunch, well used to doing what they had to in order to survive the dangerous Forest of Gwerhune.
"Durniad will take you all down, you spoiled pigs!" a wild Fae called out over the splashing and the sound of wings.
Ewan turned, his purple-blue eyes flashing, and directed Unit Three around to cut them off. The unit's Spikebacks and Heartsworns created a wall of light blue and scarlet.
Unit Two appeared through the trees on the far side of the river, their dragons already opening their mouths to flame and their throats glowing. All units fired on the thieves.
Their shouts and curses cut off quickly.
Dying by fire wasn't a lovely way to go, but at least it didn't have to take long.
The thieves' ashes swirled down the river, and what remained of the criminals was gone by the time the three units gathered beyond the moss-cloaked boulders that framed the banks.
Everyone dismounted and began checking tack and dragons. Smoke curled from the far bank. The forest was catching.
"We've got it," Maiwenn said, hopping back onto Donan. They hurried to the water, and the Seabreak—the same cyan-hued color as Lija—used his finned tail to douse the smoking trees and brush.
"Did you hear what that scum yelled at us, Commander?" Silver-skinned Atticus smoothed the wavy hair between his horns, uncorked his stash of water, and took a drink. He offered the water to Claudia, who took it with a nod of thanks.
"I did." Marius's nostrils flared. "If any of the rest of you heard what he said, please keep it to yourself. It's to do with our mission and we should bite our tongues unless the king and queen release us to speak about it further."
"Aye, Commander," Tahlia said, the others echoing the response.
Maiwenn and Donan landed beside them.
A stronger warmth emanated from Tahlia's Weaver belt. Tahlia touched the magical wool. "Ow."
Marius glanced her way, a question in his storm-gray eyes.
"I'm fine, but my belt is really hot."
"Your fancy Weaver belt?" Maiwenn squeezed water from her hair.
Titus's brow furrowed in a perfect big-brother-protector type of expression. "Your magic worked up there, right?"
"Yes." The belt sparkled and the light brightened.
Maiwenn stepped closer. "Whoa. What is happening?"
The dancing light flashed. Tahlia shut her eyes against the white flare of it. When she opened her eyes… Her stomach dropped.
The belt was gone.
The others gasped, joining her in shock.
Marius touched her arm and studied her face. "Do you feel unwell?"
"No. I feel the same…" The warmth was still there, but this time, it sat along her skin. She untucked her tunic from her weapons belt and eyed her stomach. A faint red pattern showed beneath her navel. She ran a finger over it. It was smooth, but… "The belt is—it's inside my body now?"
Marius took a knee and grabbed her hips. He brought her close and his gaze peppered her stomach. "I see its pattern. Yes. Definitely. Did the goddess ever mention this would happen?"
She held her tunic up and squinted at the markings. "No."
Lija?
Yes?
Do you know anything about my belt? It just, um, disappeared into my body.
Ah.
That sounds like you know things.
I always know things.
Yes, yes. Please, can you tell me anything?
The magic has likely grown used to you. It agrees that you are its keeper. I wouldn't worry about it. Your power likely doesn't want to rely on physical presence or varieties in the spiritual plane to interact with its wielder.
Tahlia exhaled. All right. Thanks. "Lija suggests that the magic has fully accepted me as its wielder and doesn't want to rely on physical something blah blah something or other."
"Your dragon talks like that?" Maiwenn asked, a hand on her hip. She blew her Fae-white hair out of her face.
Donan snorted above Maiwenn's head, obviously standing up for Lija.
"No, Lija is very well-spoken," Tahlia said.
Donan lowered his head and blinked at Tahlia as if to say he appreciated the comment.
"Commander?" Titus started.
Marius was still on his knee in front of Tahlia. She didn't mind his fingers on her waist.
"Yes, Titus?" Marius spread a hand over Tahlia's new inking of sorts and delicious chills swept down her body.
"If you'd like us to survey the area and leave you two some privacy to discuss this development…" Titus shrugged, his smile barely restrained.
Marius's eyebrow flicked upward and he glanced at Tahlia's face, a teasing light in his eyes as he whispered to her, "If I were king…"
He waved off his words and stood, his thumb running over Tahlia's wrist briefly as if to secretly say he wished they could have some alone time. Heat rushed through Tahlia's body and her heart beat hard. She swallowed.
"No," Marius continued, "we must move onward immediately. We will need time to go over our information once more before the royals arrive at the vineyard."
Titus bowed his head. "Aye, Commander."
The order mounted up and flew below the canopy, enjoying the sights, scents, and sounds of the Gwerhune, the mightiest of all the Fae forests. Oaks as large as King Lysanael's castle, Caer Du, reached thick arms to one another, pixies floating within their shadows. The pixies wouldn't bother anyone until after dark. They were lovely but incredibly annoying little things. The indigo pines took over as they flew onward. Needles shook in the wind of the dragons' wings, and the trees' fresh green scent rose into the honey-sweet air. Tahlia inhaled deeply.
"You like it here, don't you?" Marius said over his shoulder.
"I adore it. It's gorgeous. And exciting."
"Very true. Perhaps we can go on a holiday and explore the depths someday."
"Really? Do we get any holiday time?"
His body rumbled with a low chuckle. "Not much, but a commander can bend the schedule sometimes."
Tahlia slid her hand down his side and tickled his thigh. "I love sleeping with the boss."
Marius's laugh shook her slightly as she leaned over to peer down. A group of moss deer bounded over yellow and green mosses that matched their pelts and the growth that sprang from the buck's wide antlers. A tangle of roots boasted a cluster of towering pink flowers that grew in a long braid.
"We could bed down right there," Tahlia said, pointing.
Marius glanced down and growled approvingly.
Tahlia smiled and held him tightly. He didn't care about the flowers—she knew that—but despite his grouchy exterior, he was always kind about what she found lovely and enjoyable. As long as it wasn't something terribly reckless.
Would they be able to have some fun during this upcoming mission or would it be all risk and danger? In a perfect world, there would be a balance of both. After all, she didn't join the order to sit around knitting and oohing over flowers.