Twenty-One Samkiel

The natural spring near the mountain’s edge is damn near freezing, but gods, was I happy for a bath. We had made another stop at a neighboring castle to retrieve something so vicious that they had lost six guards trying to contain it. Ultimately, they managed it, and I felt for the creature. It had screamed all night, scaring away the large predators that hunted these hills. It wasn’t until the soldiers opened a crate carrying spears tipped with heated prongs and poked at the beast that it went quiet. Orym had to hold me down so I didn’t interfere.

“Still pissed?”

I heard the water splash near me. “No, but it goes against everything I believe in for one to suffer at the hands of another, especially one already caged.”

“If you had interfered, they’d have killed you.”

“Doubtful.”

“Or worse, your entire cover would be blown.”

I raised a handful of water to my face, scrubbing at the prickly hair along my chin and neck that threatened to grow back. “Sometimes, it is not about me or what I wish. To let another suffer . . . I can’t. If it happens again, do not stop me.”

Orym swallowed. “I have to.”

My eyes narrowed. “And why is that?”

His eyes darted toward the water’s edge and the guards patrolling the tree line. Several of them were talking, but they all watched us carefully.

“I’ll tell you tonight.”

That was all he said before sinking into the water and swimming away. Frustrated, I returned to my makeshift bath. My side seemed less tender but still sensitive. The ominous lines around the wound were still spreading. I felt weaker than usual, more winded, and I wondered how deep that poison lay.

I just wished Dianna were here. I missed her. This was the longest we had been apart since Onuna, and I hated every fucking second of it. Every crackle of leaves or noise pulled me from my sleep, expecting to see red eyes. I wanted her to find me, but I knew she wouldn’t, not until I left here or got a message to her. These realms were dangerous, even for my brave, fiery girl. I needed to know she was safe, alive, and whole.

I glanced down at my finger and the empty space where a mark should be and cursed. She was my amata, and yet it hadn’t shown. If I just had it, I could feel her, sense her, and let her know where I was, but it was not there. The patch of skin remained bare, an empty space where my soulmate bond should be.

Worry made my stomach churn, and I was unsure if it was concern for her safety or from the poison digging deeper. I made it to the water’s edge before what I ate came back up again.

“DON’T STARE.”

I glanced toward Orym as we sat around the fire. It was still only us, the rest of the prisoners avoiding us. I stirred the slop they gave us every night, my stomach rolling.

“I have more of that root in my knapsack if you need it.”

I shook my head. “It’s not helping anymore.”

“If the healers from Jade City poisoned you, then they are all that can help.”

I nodded, stabbing the lumpy mush with my spoon. “Good to know.”

Silence fell, the fire pitching a fraction higher as Orym placed another piece of wood. The guards made their rounds, glaring at us and making remarks as they passed. They hated him the most, it seemed. No one had questioned us about the three missing guards. They had continued to go about their business, claiming the beasts in the woods had taken them.

The fire burned brighter, the crackling picking up and the flames emitting a low hiss.

“I need to talk to you.” Orym moved closer, eating his food as he watched the surrounding area. “Just pretend to eat.”

I didn’t look at him but nodded.

“I wasn’t just kicked out of the legion for rebellion. I was also a spy for The Eye. My sister, as well.”

My spoon froze mid-dip, but I kept looking ahead.

“Veruka is her name. She’s there right now and sent me word.”

He reached into his pocket, pulling a small piece of parchment out with words scribbled on it. “They are moving us to Flagerun. From what I hear, it’s a prison and one of her favorites. A sweeping fortress that burrows into the planet.”

“Okay.”

“She also said there is something you need to see.”

This time, I did turn to him. “You told her about me? Why?”

“Look ahead,” he hissed, taking a spoonful of food. “I had to. She won’t say anything, I swear. We want what you want. We want the fall of Nismera, and you are going to help us get it.”

I snorted. “Am I?”

“Yes, because Nismera has a weapon there.”

“A weapon?”

Orym nodded. “Veruka says it is something she’s very protective of and won’t leave. She says that whatever weapon Nismera is holding at that prison, you will need it for what’s coming. Let me help you get it, and you can help me bring my sister home.”

I shook my head, my lips pressing into a thin line. “I do not like to be backed into a corner.”

His spoon stopped above his bowl. “I need your help. We all do, and besides, it’s mutually beneficial. Help me free my sister, and we get this mysterious weapon at the prison.”

Placing my bowl aside, I turned to him. “This is not how you build any sort of alliance.”

He went to speak as a shriek rent the air. Everyone in camp turned to look at the massive steel cage behind us as it rocked back and forth violently. A golden brown-tipped feather, larger than my hand, flew out of the small window, and my jaw clenched.

“What do you think is in that crate?” Orym asked.

“That pattern and shriek. It’s a toruk. I would know that call anywhere,” I said. The guards rushed forward, some with those spears, and I knew what I had to do.

“No way.” Orym choked on his food. “That explains its desperation to be free, but they realize toruks cannot be tamed, right?”

My fists clenched. “It doesn’t need to be tamed. Once it reaches Nismera, she will force it into submission like she does all who follow her.”

“Poor thing.”

A plan formed in my head, and I turned toward Orym. “Do you have any more of that parchment paper?”

Orym nodded, and I looked away as the guards approached. I forced myself not to hear the shrieks of the toruk once more as my plan solidified. The crate rocked and then stopped, the guards commenting about returning to their posts as the beast settled.

I knew what I had to do, and it would be the perfect way to get a message to her.

NIGHT FELL, AND THE WIND SLOWED TO A QUIET brEEZE. SNORING ripped through the air from an ogre picked up and added to the cargo only a day ago. Orym groaned and tugged at his blanket as he shifted in his sleep. Once he settled and his breathing evened, I snuck out.

Guards laughed, sharing a small water pouch as they leaned against a wagon. I crouched and took one last look before running for the tree line. Once I was out of sight, I walked in the opposite direction. I checked where I stepped, skipping over any brush that may crunch too loud or half-dead sticks that may snap.

Solid dirt is preferable but cover your tracks. Rocks are better, but be quiet, nonetheless.My father’s words echoed from my memory.

The trees ahead were illuminated as I approached the steel wagon. They had moved it far from camp, hating how often the beast screamed for freedom.

I paused in the shadows, studying the wagon surrounded by brush. They would have patrols checking out here, so I waited patiently. I crouched low as the guard emerged from the darkness, circling the wagon. He was more thorough than I expected. He made one more sweep around the wagon, peering into the night before his footsteps retreated, letting me know he was headed back to camp.

I waited another few minutes before running to the front of the cage. Several locks, thicker than my palm, secured the thick door. My hand dusted over one lock, but I sensed no magic. I glanced behind the wagon, checking for the guards before I yanked at the metal. It crumbled, and I cursed at how loud it was. Another peek around the corner assured me no one heard. I hurriedly broke the remaining locks and jumped inside, closing the door behind me.

The darkness was unrelenting, but I could feel the pulse of power and scent the wildness of this creature. A pair of eyes glowed from the back of the cage, the slitted pupils wide in the absence of light. The toruk glared at me balefully, and I knew the darkness was no hindrance to this creature. I raised my hand and pressed a single finger to my lips, warning it to be quiet.

It watched and waited as I formed a very dim ball of silvery light on my palm. The only thing I heard from the beast was a soft susurration of sound as feathers slid over feathers. The cage creaked as one massive clawed foot stepped forward, followed by another.

The silvery light cast shadows on the beast. Its golden-tipped beak emerged from the darkness. Twin rows of feathers atop its head rose skyward as it watched me. Its eyes narrowed, and I knew it was about to scream. I held my hand out a tad further. It was either the bravest or stupidest thing I could ever do, given the fact it could snap it off with ease. Its eyes widened, and its head pulled back in surprise. There was a shuffle as it tried and failed to spread its wings, its massive beak wide open.

They called this magnificent creature a toruk, but in my world, it was a griffin.

“An Ig’Morruthen ripped the realms to shreds, and it smells as if you’ve bathed in its scent. Treacherous, murderous fiend.” The voice was surprising and decidedly feminine.

My hands lowered. “You can smell Dianna on me?”

My pulse quickened. It had been weeks since we had been together, and a part of me was thrilled to know she was still with me, at least in some way. As I lowered my hands, the feathers on her head flattened.

“You speak Brushnev?”

A soft smile played on my lips. “I speak several languages.”

She blinked at me several times before sniffing at the air, transfixed. Her taloned feet stopped gripping at the hardwood below, and her fluff-tipped tail lowered, no longer thrashing. She drew closer, and I could see the fur along the other half of her body. Perfectly circular burn marks marred the beauty of both her coat and wings.

Sadness filled me. Female toruks were fierce, protective, and, above all, loyal. They were the warriors on their home world. While the males had the muscle and strength, the females would not stop fighting until their hearts stopped beating, and she had to put up a fight here. No wonder she screamed and fought, no matter how many times they burned her. She’d never make it to Nismera. She’d die here fighting for her freedom.

“You reek of death. Poison.” Her head lowered, and I turned my head away as she breathed me in. “You will perish soon.”

My grin was crooked. “Thanks.”

I didn’t need to tell her I knew that or had assumed the worst. My side was only getting worse. The poison they’d slipped to me in Jade City was making me beyond weak. I couldn’t eat without feeling nauseous, no matter how many roots I was given, so I’d stopped. It was a task just to stand most days, but I had to hang on. I had to find a way to get to Dianna. She would help me.

Her beak grew closer. “Ah, you have not succumbed to your wounds yet because you smell of the old worlds.”

Another breath.

“Rashearim.”

My pulse quickened at the mention of my home. She inhaled deeply again.

“You are another of Unir’s blood, only made of silver light like her.”

My head whipped toward her. “I am nothing like Nismera.”

“No, you are the lost king. Guardian. Protector. You are a long way from home, King of Rashearim.” I swallowed, and the chains containing her massive form rattled as she sat. “Your light burned the sky and ripped the world, yet you stand before me. How is this so?”

“Someone I love saved me.”

Her head tilted, those two long feathers on her head perking up like a canine with ears. “Love? I’ve heard you have had a great many loves. Which one saved you?”

A small chuckle left my lips. “I can assure you, I have only had one, and it’s the one you smell on me.”

Her wings rustled. “You mate with the same beast that has destroyed your world and worlds before?”

“She is not a beast.”

Those feathers twitched at my tone, but I was sick of how others prejudged Dianna without knowing her.

“She smells of a beast. One far older than you.”

I extinguished my defensive rage. I wanted to help, not lash out. She was hurting, and now, with her words, I finally understood why.

“You know what I know? I know they wish to transport you to Nismera along with me. I also know, by the orange band along your snout, that you are female, and the breeding season passed two moons ago. That cry you yelled earlier was not of physical pain but of devastation. I know it well. You lost something important to you. I would bet you had eggs, and they destroyed them.”

Rage faded as an empty, haunted expression filled her eyes. She lowered her body to a crouch, placing one clawed foot over the other, chains draped over her thick back, shackling wings of tan and gold to her form. Lash wounds, partially healed, marked her head and face. Dried blood flaked from her beak and matted her fur. She had fought so hard.

“They took more than eggs, King of Rashearim.”

I extinguished my light and put my back against the wall. Sliding to the floor, I resisted the urge to press my hand to my side. “Your mate.”

“We may be the fighters of our home, but they are the protectors. They were slaughtered first. Then they destroyed our home. It rains ashes in the mountains now because of Nismera, and the remaining realms will soon follow.”

Pain writhed in her golden eyes. Pain that would haunt her forever. My shoulders tensed at her words, determination replacing the empathy I felt for her.

“Not if I have a say in it.”

I sighed and pushed to my feet. The toruk stood as well, the steel cage creaking beneath her weight. I peered out the small airhole to make sure no guards had returned, but only the shadows created by the flames of the torches moved outside.

Her wings shifted against her chains again as I reached into my pocket, fishing out the rings there. I placed them on my fingers one by one and called forth an ablaze dagger. A soft glow filled the cell, and her eyes narrowed into slits. I shifted to her side, and her powerful beak opened slightly. She watched me carefully but made no move to attack as I sliced through the chains holding her. I caught them in my hands, placing them on the floor so they did not rattle.

“You free me?”

I kept working until the last chain was released, then moved toward her wing and side. Returning the dagger to my ring, I lay my hands on the small circular burns. She shuffled to the side, her feathers expanding and her tail thrashing in pain. I concentrated on pulling on the energy inside me. Light flickered on my palm, my abdomen aching as the last of my power leaked out of me. I focused until my hand glowed. Carefully, I slid it across the injured bone of her wing, feeling it snap back into place. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I gritted my teeth. The skin smoothed as it knitted, and feathers grew back, thick, golden, and full where they had been burned off.

“You’d heal me when you can not heal yourself?”

I nodded, suddenly dizzy as the power ebbed from my hand. I took my rings off and placed them back in my pocket.

“You have to go. The guards will make another pass soon, and you cannot be here. We cannot allow you to be taken to Nismera. If she cannot break you, she will use your bones as she sees fit, and we both know the magic that lies there.”

“What do you wish for in exchange, King of Rashearim?”

I swayed on my feet. Her wing shot out, steadying me, keeping me upright.

“Thanks,” I said as she lowered it, and I headed toward the door. Tremors slithered through my body, and I ached. I had used too much power and had little left. I carefully opened the door and glanced out, checking to ensure no guards were nearby.

“I need you to find someone very important to me and deliver a message. If you do this, I can promise you will be free. I promise you a mountain that no one can reach. I promise to save these realms.”

The toruk’s eyes blinked once, then twice before she stood to her full height. As that feathered chest splayed, the carriage rocked. She stepped closer, massive, proud, and powerful. I was in awe of her beauty.

“A great darkness hovers around you, King of Rashearim. It smells of the old one. Ancient. Powerful. Bloodthirsty. Perhaps Nismera is not the only evil being in this realm.”

I knew she was speaking of Dianna. She could sense her imprinted on my soul.

“Dianna is not evil.”

“Your love for a creature of death will be your demise.”

“Will you do it or not?”

The toruk lowered her head until her face hovered inches from mine, her powerful beak taking up most of my vision.

“She is your beloved?”

Her eyes flashed bright, shimmering gold, and a warmth spread through my body. I had a second to remember the power behind the eye of a toruk, and I knew, above all, that was what Nismera truly wanted. This was not just a random toruk she wished to use for its magic. No, this was the sovereign who wielded the eye of truth if the legend was to be believed. It was a flash of magic connected to the universe itself. A mythical beast that people would die to tame and keep. That warmth spread, and my mouth moved, only the truth spilling from my lips.

“I’ve never loved or been so consumed by another, nor will I ever again.”

“Very well.”

I blinked and stumbled. The daze was wearing off, but I couldn’t remember what I said. Shaking my head, I reached up and unclasped my necklace. The small roll of paper felt so fragile as I secured it to the pendant, but it was heavy with hope and love.

I handed the necklace to the toruk, and she leaped from the carriage. Powerful wings beat hard, propelling her toward the sky. She barely cleared the tree line before the shouting started. I moved quickly, jumping to the ground and sneaking into the cover of the woods. Guards rushed forward as I lowered myself into the brush to wait.

It was a while before it was safe to return to camp, and I did it as quietly and carefully as possible. Guards stood outside every prisoner’s tent, ensuring no one left during the chaos I had created. I snuck to the slash I’d made in the back of the tent and silently slipped inside.

“You are just as reckless as the great love you speak of,” Orym grumbled, staring at me through sleep-heavy eyes. He said nothing else before turning over and going back to sleep.