Deadliest of Bonds: (The Blight 2), page 16
Sil, Thea thought. She was telling Ash that something had gone wrong.
Leethan and she were forced to sit in two chairs, in front of the desk, while Charo walked around it slowly to sit before them. He put Blessing and Leethan’s dagger on the desk, the metal clanking loudly, and settled deeper into his chair, smiling.
He carefully removed his gloves and laid both hands on the desk. Thea’s eyes widened as she looked at the hand Leethan had indeed cut. In its place had grown a new hand, but the skin was white as snow, paler than his usual golden tone, and dark veins snaked to every finger. She blinked, and when Charo noticed her surprise, he smiled.
“A gift from the Queen,” he drawled, turning his hand in front of them and uncurling his fingers, as if showing off a prize. His eyes lingered on Leethan, and Thea could feel his rage from where she sat.
How was it possible? What type of dark magic had allowed the Queen to do this? If she had access to enough power to do that, even without Rogan’s help, what else could she do? And if she had managed to do this on her own, why summon Rogan in the first place?
Thea had not anticipated that, and thinking of the Queen wielding more dark magic made a shiver rake up her spine. Shiver that she didn’t allow herself to show.
“It’s horrendous,” she said instead, forcing her tone to be calm and controlled even as her heart raced.
Charo ignored her, but Thea saw a muscle pop in his cheek as he balled his hands into fists before relaxing them again. He cleared his throat and Thea risked a glance at Leethan as the General spoke. “I should have expected that you would be stupid enough to come back here,” he drawled, dragging his hand through his now short black hair. The new haircut made him look younger than before, although the dark beard covering half of his face worked the other way.
Thea rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to retort something but didn’t get the time.
“I should have expected you to be just as weak and pathetic, but I’m still appalled,” Leethan replied, his tone light, but jaw clenched.
A shiver raced up her spine. It felt good, to see Leethan talk back at Charo. Thea hadn’t known him before all this, but she knew that this was more like him. Like the man Eden had cared for. And in the midst of all this situation, she was happy to see that he was getting back to himself.
Charo glared at him but didn’t reply, his dark eyes shooting daggers. Thea shook her head. This man had absolutely no courage whatsoever.
“So, are we just going to reminisce about old times, or are we going to do something interesting?” she asked, pretending to pick at her nails.
“Where is the Prince?” Charo asked.
Thea blinked her eyes back up to him. “The Prince?” She arched a brow.
“Don’t play dumb, bitch,” the General snapped, straightening in his chair. “Where did you take him?”
Thea looked at Leethan, cocking her head. “Did you take the Prince?” she asked him.
“Nope,” he replied, popping the P exaggeratedly.
“Neither did I…” she added.
“Stop—”
Charo was interrupted by the door opening so fast and hard that it slammed into the wall and bounced against it. Thea jumped on her feet, only for the guard behind her to push on her shoulders and sit her back down. She turned her head toward the newly arrived to find the Queen standing in the doorframe.
She was exactly like Thea remembered. Her dark skin all but gleamed, eyelids enhanced by a hint of gilded powder. Her black curls were pinned on her head carefully, a golden crown resting on her brow. And, of course, she wore a gold dress, the satin shimmering as she linked her fingers over her stomach, the picture of grace and serenity.
But Thea could see through her mask. She could see the inner turmoil inside her.
When those cold eyes landed on her, Thea couldn’t help but shiver. She was brought back to that night, in the dungeons, when the Queen had come to make her a deal. To offer to spare her and Eden’s lives if she swore loyalty. Even now, Thea didn’t understand why Luhra had made such an offer. Not that she would have ever even considered accepting it.
The hatred burning in her gaze was still here, raw and potent. Maybe not as strong as the hatred burning in Thea’s entire body. This woman was responsible for Eden’s death. That alone made her want to cut her into pieces. To burn her alive and listen to her screams of agony.
“Where is my son?” she asked, her voice controlled and filled with authority.
Thea blinked. She never would have expected her to actually speak about Kirion as her son. Not after she had condemned him for power.
“We have nothing to do with the Prince’s sudden disappearance,” Thea replied, surprised by her own calm. “And contrary to you, we had nothing to do with his current sleeping state either.”
A muscle ticked in the Queen’s jaw, the only reaction she allowed. “You forget who has the power here,” she said, walking closer.
Thea tensed despite herself, wondering what type of power she was talking about. They needed to leave. And soon. But now that she was here, she was tempted to find out why the Queen didn’t just kill them. Why she had offered her a deal before.
“And you forget that I have nothing left to lose,” she retorted.
A scoff. “We’ll see about that,” the Queen drawled. She turned to Leethan. “I didn’t expect to see you here again. Without your sister nonetheless.”
Leethan clenched his jaw. “Don’t speak about her,” he hissed.
Luhra sighed. “Why are you back here? And where is my treacherous daughter?”
“Maybe we came back to kill you for what you’ve done,” Thea taunted.
The Queen shook her head. “You may be reckless, but you’re not stupid,” she said. “And you seem to fail to remember that it wasn’t my hand who sliced your spy of a friend’s throat.”
Thea bit so hard on her tongue that blood invaded her mouth. She spat red saliva on the ground, splashing the Queen’s feet. “Don’t you dare twist this your way.”
“I did order his death, though. As I did yours, if I remember correctly. Not that it happened.”
The brand on Thea’s arm seemed to burn. Why was the Queen talking about this? Why was she mentioning Rogan’s ability to refuse her order? Did she know what he had done?
Thea dismissed the thought. There was no way the Queen could have known about Rogan’s precautions. Otherwise, she would have known that her order would have been useless.
“I don’t suppose that traitor is with you either, is he?” Luhra asked.
“It’s not our fault you were stupid enough to try and control the Inferling,” Leethan intervened.
The Queen turned to him fast, gripping his hair and pulling his head back. “Insult me again and I’ll have you killed,” she spat. She released him, pushing him with more force than necessary, and straightened. Smoothing her palms over her dress, she walked back to her initial place. “Besides, I don’t need him anymore.” She twisted her hand before her, and it took Thea a second to notice the dark veins snaking under her skin.
Dark magic. Did Rogan know this was possible? Would he have told her if he did?
“If you’re not going to tell me where my son, daughter or advisor is,” Luhra went on, “then you’re of no use to me.”
“Your advisor?” Thea asked, smirking. “Shouldn’t you be asking him where your daughter is? I thought I heard people mentioning that he escaped with the Princess after failing a coup for the throne.” She shook her head. “It’s funny how stories change from one person to the next.”
The General jumped and took more time than Thea would have expected to place his blade against her throat. “Be careful what you say,” he hissed in her ear.
“If you think I need you to find my daughter, then you’re mistaken,” the Queen said, stepping closer. “I have soldiers all around the queendom searching for every single one of you. Including in this city and in a certain forest.” She paused and Thea tensed. What was she talking about?
Thea forced herself not to react at her words. Had she really sent soldiers in the forest? Or was she bluffing, waiting for Thea to give herself away?
“I got word of a camp in Agres Forest, just a few days’ ride from here. And I did the necessary to make sure the rebels plaguing my land would be dealt with.”
Thea’s heart stopped. The information seemed too precise to be a lie, and the spark of satisfaction she saw in the Queen’s eyes, even as she forced her own to remain defiant and insolent, not showing any sign of fear, confirmed everything.
They needed to warn the others.
“I hope you said goodbye,” the Queen added as she turned back around, the picture of pride. “They will be dead by tomorrow night.”
Thea made eye contact with Leethan, and he understood her thought in a heartbeat. Warn the others through Ruelle and get the credens out of here.
She twisted, claws out, and bit hard on Charo’s arm. He released her and she spun, unsheathing her hidden dagger and driving it into his shoulder. Charo stumbled back with a scream and a guard turned to her, but she had expected it, so she only grabbed Blessing from the desk and slammed the hilt into his head. He fell to the ground with a loud slump.
Her sword in one hand and the sheath in the other, Thea turned back to the Queen, panting. Leethan was ready to fight too, dagger in hand, facing Luhra who was flanked by three guards.
The Queen smirked and lifted her hand. A web of darkness formed in her open palm and floated, ready to be thrown. “Do you want to test me?” she drawled.
Thea took a step back. She had no idea what dark magic could do. And she wasn’t sure she did want to test the Queen now that she had that kind of power. “How are you doing this?” she breathed.
Luhra only stared and lifted her hand higher, releasing her power. Thea ducked out of instinct and the guard that had been advancing toward her was hit instead, falling back hard against the floor. His eyes opened wide and his features tensed as he writhed on the floor, moaning in pain. There was no wound on his body, and yet, Thea had no trouble recognizing what was happening. Suffering.
Dread spread through Thea’s body. The Queen’s magic was powerful. And even if the man on the floor wasn’t dead, if Thea or Leethan was hit, they would be weak enough to be captured. And death was sure to follow. Now was the time to leave.
She turned toward Luhra once more and saw that she was already building a new weapon to throw at her. Leethan helped Thea as they got rid of one more guard. He hissed suddenly as a blade slashed through his arm but didn’t stop fighting.
Thea looked ahead at the door they had come through. It was still open but they couldn’t escape through here, not with the Queen and new soldiers coming from the corridor. She turned around, glanced at Charo who was still on the floor, clutching the dagger that protruded from his shoulder, and found the wide window.
“Thea!” Leethan called from behind her.
Instinct took over and she ducked, falling on the ground and rolling to the side to avoid a new attack from the Queen. She watched as the web of darkness flew through the room and hit the window, shattering the glass.
That was their way out.
She turned to find Leethan beside her, clutching his bleeding arm, and he looked right back, eyes wide, chest expanding fast.
They had to leave now, or they would be doomed. Thea had to shift, her first instincts were to change into a bird, but she wouldn’t be able to carry Leethan or her sword. Thoughts raced in her mind as she grabbed Leethan’s good arm. They ran, blocking out the General’s shouts to “get them”.
And just as Thea was about to jump through the now shattered window, one word echoed in her mind in a voice that was not hers but that she decided to trust. Dragon.
She and Leethan jumped outside, landing in the training field and narrowly avoiding a new attack of dark magic that turned the ground on her right a dangerous shade of black. She closed her eyes, letting her sword clatter to the floor as she focused.
And Thea shifted.
Chapter 23
A scream tore its way up Thea’s throat.
Everything hurt.
Changing into a new animal for the first time was always painful. But it had never hurt as bad as it did now.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that she hadn’t really thought this through. That she had acted on pure instinct without even knowing if what she was attempting was possible. Or possibly that it was harder to change into a creature she had thought didn’t really exist until a few days ago. A creature she had only ever seen pictures of in storybooks.
But it had been the only option, no going back now.
So, Thea screamed through the pain until her body stretched, bones cracking and muscles tearing. Until she landed on four heavy legs in the middle of the training field, earning yells and screams from the nearby soldiers.
She shook her head, trying to regain her senses even if everything inside her still hurt. Then, she opened her eyes, adapting to the new sight, and glanced at Leethan.
He was standing next to her, Blessing in one hand, gaping as rain rolled down his body. Blood ran down his arm steadily, but he didn’t seem to be in any pain.
Thea lifted her wings above her body and lowered herself down, grunting softly. They would have all the time in the world to wonder at how she could turn into a dragon later. For now, they needed to go.
Leethan finally snapped out of it when Charo screamed from the shattered window behind them. “Don’t let them leave.”
As if any of them could do anything to stop a full-sized dragon.
Thea scoffed, and Leethan quickly climbed on her back, her sword belt thrown over his shoulder. He sat himself on her spine and held on to whatever he could. Thea didn’t wait for confirmation that he was ready to beat her wings.
She was airborne in two beats. Two painful, powerful beats that sent the soldiers on the ground flying into the nearby walls. That was how strong she was now.
Pride and powerfulness beamed inside her as she took flight, soaring above the castle.
She flew higher, higher and higher, the rain falling hard and fast on her scales though she couldn’t feel it. Once they were above the clouds, the ground barely visible from here, she stopped soaring and steadied her pace.
She was a dragon.
Thea still couldn’t quite make sense of it. She looked down at her legs that dangled in the air and saw the beautiful, dark gray scales covering her body. She liked the color. It was lighter than Ash’s wings were, but she felt like it suited her better. It looked like steel almost, like a blade.
Leethan let out a whoop of something like joy as she continued to fly, and Thea would have smiled if this form allowed it. Instead, she let out a soft growl that made her entire body vibrate.
But now, she had no idea what to do.
She didn’t know where the others were; if they had left the city and where they were supposed to regroup. She couldn’t land wherever she wanted because a dragon wasn’t exactly discreet. She would undeniably draw attention to the chosen spot. Leading everyone right to her friends wasn’t the best idea.
The thought of going into the forest now that she knew what the Queen had done wasn’t very inviting but it was the only place that could offer a bit of cover. And the others would be able to find them easily thanks to Ruelle and Leethan’s connection.
So, Thea decided to fly for as long as her already aching body could bear and then she would land.
As it turned out, her body couldn’t bear much. She started drooping after what felt like hours to her tortured wings, but she had no idea how far from the castle they were. She had focused on aiming for Agres Forest but she hadn’t checked the distance.
Leethan had stayed silent the whole flight, and she didn’t know if it was because she couldn’t hear him over the rain still splattering them heavily, even in the clouds, or if he just didn’t have anything to say. She just hoped his wound wasn’t serious enough to have made him faint.
When she broke the protective layer of clouds, she was relieved to see trees under them. They were already far from the castle if the forest was visible.
Without thinking much more because her entire body was now burning with pain, she dove for a small clearing she spotted on the ground.
Too fast.
She hadn’t realized how fast she was going, unused to this large body, and the ground came at her faster than expected. She spread her wings to soften the fall but still landed hard enough for her front legs to dig into the ground deep, leaving trenches behind her as she dragged to a halt.
Leethan was off her in a heartbeat and then she changed, crouching naked and drenched in the mud. She panted, her heart racing and her arms shaking wildly as she tried to gather some strength to stand.
But she couldn’t. Her entire body was aching, she felt numb and hot at the same time. She lifted her eyes to the sky and then blacked out, exhausted.
“We need to stop meeting like this.”
Thea couldn’t agree more. She opened her eyes and saw Rogan before her, leaning against a wall. They weren’t in the woods this time, but in a room that Thea didn’t take long to recognize—the throne room. Why were they here?
The place brought back painful memories that she tried to shut out. She closed her eyes. After all, it was her dream, right? She should be able to change the place if she wished to.
But when she opened her eyes, the place hadn’t changed.
She was half-sitting against one of the columns framing the dais, the one against which Rogan had pressed her when the Queen had ordered him to kill her. Thea shivered at the memory and glanced at Rogan.
“We need to stop meeting at all,” she replied.
Rogan looked hurt, although he tried to hide it. “You’re the one calling me.”
“Because you put a fucking brand on my arm,” she reminded him.
“Are you sleeping?” he asked, his jaw hard.
Thea shrugged and got to her feet, supporting her weight on the column. Even in this dream state, she was exhausted, and her body ached everywhere. “I’m not sure,” she replied.
