Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

ANDREAS

T he ice cave glittered with a haunting beauty, its walls adorned with crystalline formations that caught the faint light from the fires Andreas had placed strategically around the cave. The air was cold and crisp, every breath a visible puff in the frosty atmosphere. Andreas, in his dragon form, stood at the entrance, his scales shimmering with an ethereal coppery glow. His eyes, normally fierce and unwavering, now reflected the turmoil within him.

He looked at her sleeping. She was so beautiful, so peaceful. He had thought never to leave her, but he could not draw her into his fight. This was not like her fight with the Resistance; it was personal, and it was between him and Xenos. If Andreas survived, he prayed she would find a way to forgive him, but even if she didn’t, he knew he wouldn’t risk her. Far better she lead a long and full life without him than for him to be the cause of her death.

“You aren’t about to do something stupid, are you?” she asked, sitting up in their bed.

“Depends a great deal upon your point of view.”

“How about from mine.” Her eyes flashed angrily.

Andreas turned to her, his expression a mix of sorrow and determination. "Caye, I can't let you come with me. Xenos is too dangerous. This is between me and him. I won't risk you getting hurt."

“For the record, that would count as something stupid,” she said, her eyes narrowing as her jaw clenched in frustration. "You think I can't handle danger? We’ve already faced Xenos and what makes you think it’s personal between the two of you. He recognized me, or at least knew I was with the Shadow Sisters. You think if he manages to kill you, he’ll just leave me be?"

"It's not about what you can handle," Andreas replied, his voice strained. "It's about what I can bear. I can't lose you, Caye. I won’t."

“Not your choice to make.”

“It is. You cannot follow where I will go.”

“Think not?”

“You are transitioned, but not fully. I suspect you could shift into a dragon, but whether or not you could fly or breathe fire is unknown.”

“Then let’s find out.”

“No. My decision is final.”

“That might have worked back when your kind ruled the skies; maybe even back in the nineteenth century, but it won’t fly—pun intended—here in the twenty-first century.”

Andreas hesitated before shaking his head. “No. I will not allow it. You will remain here.”

“Don’t count on it,” she said.

He said nothing and spread his wings, the massive span casting a shadow over her. He took a step forward, but Caye leaped off the bed and darted in front of him, blocking his path.

"Andreas, listen to me. We are stronger together. You would still be an oversized ice cube if it wasn’t for me."

Andreas looked down at her, his heart aching. He gently nudged her aside with his snout. "I'm sorry, Caye. But my mind is made up."

He took a running start toward the opening of the cave, leaping off the side of the mountain and spreading his wings. Andreas soared through the tumultuous skies, his massive wings slicing through the raging snowstorm with powerful, rhythmic beats. The once copper scales shimmered with ice crystals as frost clung to them, blending seamlessly with the swirling flurries. His keen eyes glowed with a fierce determination, piercing through the blinding blizzard as he scanned the rugged mountain range below.

The peaks of the mountains jutted up like jagged teeth, each one shrouded in a thick blanket of snow. The wind howled through the narrow passes and craggy cliffs, creating eerie, whistling echoes that mingled with Andreas’ heavy wing beats. The landscape was treacherous, with sheer drops and hidden crevices lying in wait to trap the unwary.

His breath came in visible puffs, each exhalation a plume of white mist quickly swept away by the gale. He veered sharply, navigating the labyrinthine terrain with grace and precision, his eyes flicking from one potential hiding place to another. Dense clusters of pine trees, their branches weighed down by snow, offered scant cover. The dragon dismissed these as too exposed for a cunning wizard such as Xenos. He was convinced Xenos was somewhere within the Wrangell Mountains. He’d come after Andreas too soon after he’d broken the spell for Xenos not to have been waiting.

Instead, Andreas focused on the darker shadows – deep caves carved into the mountainside, their entrances partially obscured by snowdrifts. He swooped lower, the sound of his wings momentarily drowned out by the roar of the storm and peered into the gaping mouth of each cavern he passed. His keen sense of smell cut through the frigid air, searching for any hint of magic or signs of recent habitation.

The storm intensified, the wind whipping ice and snow into a frenzy and reducing visibility to mere feet. Yet, Andreas pressed on, unwavering in his quest. He circled a particularly forbidding peak, its rocky surface slick with ice, and spotted a narrow fissure that seemed to lead into the heart of the mountain. Even though the entrance was almost entirely hidden, a thin plume of smoke, barely visible against the whiteout conditions, trailed out, mingling with the icy storm.

With a powerful thrust of his wings, Andreas descended towards the fissure, landing with surprising delicacy on the narrow ledge outside. Folding his wings tightly against his body, Andreas crept closer so he could peer into the darkness. The storm's fury muted by the mountain's bulk helped to keep him safe as he strained to see or hear what might lie within. At first there was nothing, but then the faint hum of arcane energy emanated, making its way back to him.

Andreas smiled; this was no ordinary cave. This was a place where a wizard might hide, weaving spells, protecting the undead and plotting schemes away from prying eyes. With a low, rumbling growl, Andreas stepped forward, ready to confront whatever lay within, his mission clear and his resolve unshaken.

CAYE

God, he could be an arrogant asshole .

Caye searched within her mind. Neither hellhound nor dragon appeared clearly. They were both there, but she doubted she could call either of them forth to shift into. The drakaina would be the most beneficial at this point, but while Caye could see that she heard her call, she did not have the strength to answer. She cast her gaze on her hellhound. She, too, had insufficient strength, but Caye knew she didn’t need either of them to move between the worlds.

But where to go? The abbey in Cornwall that served as the base for the Shadow Sisters was the obvious choice, but to reach it would tax most of her strength and there was no way Caye could get a sufficient force gathered and back here—wherever here was—in time to save her foolish, but noble, mate.

That meant going into the In-Between. She had no idea how the forces that governed it would take to a dragon within that realm. Dragons and hellhounds had never been allies. But if she could get to the Hollow and to her brother, Hayden, she might be able to get Andreas the help he needed to take on Xenos.

Caye centered herself and felt herself shimmer as a space between the world of the living and that of the dead opened for her. The In-Between was a kind of twilight realm that defied easy description. It was a place of shifting landscapes and ethereal mists, where time flowed differently, and the boundaries between reality and the supernatural blurred.

For the first time in her life, she felt out of place. The In-Between was never some place even hellhounds tended to tarry, and it felt more dangerous than it ever had before. Soft tendrils of mist curled around ancient, gnarled trees that seemed to grow sideways from the ground, their bark faded and spectral. The ground beneath her feet felt both solid and insubstantial, a shifting mosaic of muted colors that mirrored the emotions and memories of those who had passed through.

Light in the In-Between was diffuse and ever-changing, casting everything in a soft, luminescent glow that emanated from no discernible source. Shadows stretched and twisted, taking on shapes that seemed to dance just beyond the edge of perception. Sounds were muted yet hauntingly clear—echoes of distant whispers, the rustling of unseen spirits, and the faint, melancholic strains of forgotten melodies.

Travelers in the In-Between could encounter apparitions—souls caught between worlds, shimmering in and out of existence like ghostly reflections in a pond as well as the spectral creatures known as reapers, who acted as guardians. Spirits weren’t allowed to linger long—they were either cast back out into the land of the living, into the Shadowlands to wander forever, or into Hell.

The Hollow was the dominion of the hellhounds and was a distinct and separate part of the In-Between. Caye knew if she was to be safe and find help for Andreas, she needed to reach the Hollow. She let instinct orient her and draw her toward safety. She turned toward what had once been her home and made her way as quickly as possible while trying to avoid the reapers.

A wraith-like figure clothed in what appeared to be a gray monk’s robe rose from the path in front of her. “You do not belong here Cayetana South. You are no longer hellhound, and your life is forfeit.”

Shit! This is the last thing I need.

“My sister is a hellhound, and therefore has every right to be here. Stand down, reaper.”

She’d never been so glad to hear her brother Hayden’s voice. “I can explain…” she started.

Hayden scented the air. “It’ll have to wait.”

The wraith's eyes burned with a malevolent hunger as it floated towards Caye, its movements fluid and unhurried. Hayden reached out and grabbed her by the forearm, dragging her behind him.

Hayden tightened his grip on his sword. With a snarl that echoed through the In-Between, he lunged forward, his movements swift and precise. The wraith's scythe swept down in a deadly arc, slicing through the air with an eerie whisper. Hayden parried the blow with a skill born of countless battles, the clash of metal reverberating throughout the realm. The sound would summon other reapers, and Caye realized she could do nothing to help.

The dance of death between her brother and the reaper continued, a whirlwind of steel and shadow. Hayden's strikes were fierce and relentless, each blow aimed with deadly accuracy. The reaper, elusive and ethereal, countered with ghostly swiftness, its scythe weaving patterns of death in the air. Sparks flew as their weapons met, illuminating the grim tableau with fleeting bursts of light.

Hayden ducked and weaved, keeping himself between the reaper and Caye. He feinted left, then struck with a sudden thrust that grazed the wraith's incorporeal form, causing it to recoil with a chilling shriek. Undeterred, the reaper retaliated with a barrage of swift slashes, its scythe whistling through the air like a specter of death.

With a surge of strength, Hayden launched himself at the reaper, his sword slicing through its insubstantial form where its head should have been. The reaper let out a keening wail, its ephemeral essence dispersing like smoke in the wind. Silence descended upon the In-Between, broken only by the sound of Hayden's heavy breathing and the faint echo of his victory.

They stood for a moment, before Hayden grasped her hand and led her quickly toward the Hollow. Once inside its boundaries, Caye stood as the air grew still and the shadows retreated to their hidden corners. Hayden’s eyes, glowing with triumph, turned to his younger sister.

“I can’t wait to hear this. First, you go off to join the Shadow Sisters and choose to exist in the land of the living, and now you’ve gone and gotten yourself pair-bonded with a dragon? Please tell me that at least he’s a member of the Phantom Fire.”

Caye grinned at him. “First, it’s good to see you, too. Second, thanks for saving my butt with the reaper, and last, I’m afraid not. But the good news is, I think you’ll like Andreas. He’s all noble and shit like you.”

Hayden rolled his eyes and groaned. “I swear, either you or my mate is going to be the death of me.”