Dance of Wings, page 31
part #1 of The Dragon Portal Series
“Should I tell her?” Blossom whispered.
“No.”
Taking pity on his parents’ staff, Malek cleared his throat and said, “Mother, perhaps you could walk with me back to my estate. I had a few other matters I wanted to discuss.”
Nymira turned to him and blinked. “What? Oh. Of course, dear. I have a few more things to handle first.”
Malek grinned and took his mother’s arm, walking with her toward the Great Hall. “I have a feeling Father isn’t going to be returning for a while. You have plenty of time to make him miserable.”
The cook mouthed a silent thank you as they passed.
“I suppose,” Nymira relented with a sigh. “Oh, Malek. It pains me to know you were reluctant to tell us you’d taken a mate. Will you tell me about her?”
“Her name is Sabine,” Malek said, leading his mother down the front steps. At his gesture, a wyvern guard patrol followed them at a discreet distance. “I hadn’t intended to introduce her to anyone yet, but Kaia kept banging on my wards and refused to go away. I was hoping to give Sabine some time to adjust to my home before meeting my family. It took several months before she finally agreed to come here, and we can be a little overwhelming on a good day. I didn’t want her running for safety before a single day had passed.”
Nymira sighed. “That’s understating the matter. I’ve had to replace that ceiling three times since you’ve been gone.” She stopped walking and turned to face him. “You care for her deeply?”
“More than anything.”
“And she cares equally for you? Even without a mate bond?”
Malek nodded. “I saved her with dragonfire after she was struck with an iron bolt. She’s opened her heart to me, completely and without reservations. It may not be the same as what you share with Father, but there’s a strength in the bond between us that goes beyond anything I can describe.” He touched his chest. “I feel her here, like a second heartbeat. She’s always with me, even when we’re apart. She feels the same.”
Nymira stared at him in stunned shock. “That shouldn’t be possible. What you are describing is a mate bond and an anchor point, but it should only go one way. You’re sure she’s fae?”
Malek laughed and continued walking. “Yes, Mother. I’ve experienced her magic and seen her with glamour and without.”
Nymira frowned. “Perhaps we’re not as incompatible as I believed. Your grandfather never shared such a bond with Elisa. I suppose their beginnings had something to do with that. How did you meet your Sabine?”
“I was following up on a lead in Akros. She’d been living there for a number of years when our paths crossed. She didn’t know I was a dragon at first, and I believed she only had some fae ancestry. We’ve had quite a few trials to overcome so far, but the past few months with her have been among the happiest of my life.”
“The mate bond has never been dependent on time being a factor,” Nymira said with a small smile. “It can fall into place within a matter of days, or take years to develop. Sometimes it never happens at all, despite what some may wish. I’m pleased you found someone you care so deeply about, but I fear you still have more obstacles to face—ones far greater than your father. I hope you’re both prepared for that.”
“I’m aware,” Malek said, staring up at the Obsidian Clan wyverns patrolling overhead. “In fact, that’s one of the things I wished to discuss with you. After the wyvern attack, I decided to venture into Imenel under the guise of a human. I was hoping to learn something about the clan who attacked me.”
“Did you?”
“The gates were under unusually heavy guard, both human and wyvern. We decided it would be best to separate to avoid scrutiny. Sabine and Bane, the demon accompanying us, went over the wall while I escorted Sabine’s human ward, Rika, through the main gate.”
“You truly trust this demon with your mate’s protection?”
Malek nodded. “He would give his life for hers.”
“I trust your judgment,” Nymira said. “However, the Council may see things differently should they learn of his presence. They’ve tightened all patrols around Imenel, preparing for a possible attack by enemy forces. We were told an advance scouting party would likely target the city any day. Apparently, Faerie has declared a new Unseelie queen. She’s been quietly amassing armies with the intention of targeting the Sky Cities. She may have even recruited one or more of our own as spies.”
Malek halted abruptly. “How exactly did the Council come by this knowledge?”
“A missive from the Seelie King with his seal affixed. He claims while he has no love for us, he would not see our ceasefire broken by Unseelie treachery.”
Malek bit back a curse. “I can’t go into details just yet, but the new Unseelie queen has no intention of setting her sights on the Sky Cities.”
“What have you heard, Malek?”
“She has been forging alliances, but not with the intention of targeting us. This is simply internal Faerie politics at play.”
Nymira frowned. “No one among our clan would dare question your word, but this missive was shared among all the clan leaders. Without more information or some sort of proof to take before the Council, I’m afraid your mate and the demon will be in grave danger. Even you may find yourself under some scrutiny, Malek.”
“That explains Uncle Emanthir’s warning.”
Nymira regarded him with surprise. “What? You saw Emanthir? When?”
“When we were in Imenel,” Malek admitted. “He sensed Sabine’s magic. I told him I was investigating a matter on behalf of our clan. He wants an accounting by the end of the day from Father.”
“Oh, Malek,” Nymira said with a sigh. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to keep Sabine’s presence quiet. Given this missive and Emanthir’s knowledge of her, it would be best if you met this head on. I’ll handle Emanthir, but you’ll need to bring Sabine to the gala and introduce her as your mate. There’s no other option.”
“I suspected as much,” Malek said, taking his mother’s arm again.
“The timing of this couldn’t be worse,” Nymira said. “We need to be focused on controlling the portal, not on the possibility of an attack that may never come. It’s still early in Kaia’s pregnancy, but she’ll continue to weaken as the child grows. Soon, neither one will have enough magic to sustain them.”
“Kaia mentioned you had someone brewing tonics that were supposed to strengthen her magic?”
Nymira nodded. “I recalled you mentioning a powerful witch who had crafted the medallion to hide your identity. Tivaly has been acting as an intermediary, purchasing the tonics in exchange for rare herbs and gemstones. I don’t know if they’re helping with her magic, but Kaia seems stronger after she drinks them.”
“I was hoping you’d found someone other than Idola,” Malek said. “I stopped to see her on my way to Imenel. When Idola realized Sabine was fae, she tried to kill her.”
Nymira’s hand flew to her chest. “Malek, you didn’t.”
“No,” Malek said. “I nearly did, but Sabine stopped me. I banished Idola from the Sky Cities instead.”
“Then for that, I’m grateful to your mate,” Nymira said quietly. “Malek, you have a right to vengeance for what she attempted to do, but if Idola’s tonics can help your sister…” Her voice trailed off as though unable to continue.
“I know. With your permission, I’ll arrange to have a squadron of clan wyverns track Idola down and bring her to the Sky Cities. She’s to remain under guard at your estate. If Idola can keep Kaia strong for the duration of her pregnancy, then I will consider lifting the banishment and allow her to return home. However, if she raises a hand against Sabine again, she will die.”
Nymira nodded. “I’ll send our fastest fliers to coordinate with Levin.”
Malek reached for Levin with his thoughts and said, “You should be hearing from Captain Fandrin shortly about retrieving Idola and her partner. She’s to stay under guard at my parents’ estate for the time being. I’m on my way back now. Has Sabine awakened?”
“No. Everything’s been quiet, but I’m going to need to move in.”
“What?”
“It was your idea to have Esme find tea ingredients in your conservatory. Now she’s fallen in love with your garden and your conservatory. She claims there are plants in there she’s never seen before and is refusing to come out. Since there’s no hope of evicting her and keeping my scales intact, I’m putting you on notice that we’re moving in. Today. Right now.”
Malek bit back a grin. “There might be some bags of potting soil you can sleep on.”
“Fuck you, Malek. Just for that, I’m telling Esme she can have her pick of whichever rooms she wants. Maybe the whole damn guest wing.”
“If that’s what makes her happy. Sabine will be thrilled to have Esme living so close.”
“Right. You have a house full of peculiar guests. What are two more? Although, I’m beginning to think the aderyan are the oddest of all.”
“In what way?”
“The little girl knew when Sabine had fallen asleep even though she wasn’t in the same room. She insisted on going into your bedroom to keep watch, but Thalassa said Aeron was already watching. When Esme asked what that meant, Thalassa said one of their purposes was to watch over their Aderylin while they slept or dreamwalked. Apparently, they can see Sabine’s dreams.”
Malek frowned, not liking the way that sounded. “We’ll have to talk more about this later. We’re approaching the estate now, and I need to speak with my mother about another matter.”
After severing the communication thread with Levin, Malek turned his attention back to his mother. Something she’d said earlier in his father’s study had been bothering him.
“How much do you know about transferring power from one item to another?” Malek asked, wondering if there was a way to separate Lachlina’s magic from Sabine.
“You’re referring to the portal artifacts?”
Malek nodded.
“Unfortunately, very little,” Nymira admitted. “The portal artifacts were created by the Tuatha Dé. Like our magic, theirs is not compatible with lesser creatures unless it is diluted, or the recipient represents an anchor point. I believe that’s why the magic used to seal the portal had to be broken up and scattered among the various races.”
“You’re suggesting the different races act as an anchor point for each type of magic it contains?”
Nymira nodded. “I believe so. Once all the artifacts are brought together, a fae with enough magic should hopefully be able to bind them together long enough to unlock the portal. They were among the first of Aeslion’s children and their magic is most similar to the Tuatha Dé. It will be a dangerous undertaking though. Even the most powerful of fae would likely only be able to combine such magic for a few moments before being overwhelmed.”
Malek frowned, suspecting they were missing something. Sabine had been able to absorb the power from each artifact immediately, allowing her to draw upon it at will. Granted, there was a steep learning curve, and she still wasn’t as comfortable using foreign magic as her own abilities. Other than Lachlina’s influence increasing, Sabine didn’t appear to be suffering any ill effects at all.
“You don’t believe one person would be able to harness the power contained in multiple keys longer than a few minutes?”
Nymira stopped and turned to face him, her expression one of alarm. “What are you suggesting, Malek? Do you believe such an entity still exists on this side of the portal?”
Malek hesitated. “I believe it’s within the realm of possibility.”
“Then hope that’s not the case, because if the Tuatha Dé have found a way to still exist on this side of the Veil—or worse, found a way to travel through it without our knowledge—then all our people are doomed.”
“I don’t understand,” Malek said. “How could one Tuatha Dé merit our destruction?”
“Because without the portal being reopened to us, the delicate balance of this world has been sundered. We cannot exist in the same space as a Tuatha Dé without a tie to the ether. Their base of power has always been the land, and they will slowly shift the magic away from us. While they grow stronger, we shall continue to grow weaker until all hope for our people is lost.”
“Opening the portal would change that?”
“Yes, but we would once again find ourselves drawn into a war without an end.” Nymira sighed. “While being cut off from the ether has been painful beyond imagining, it has been a true joy watching my children grow without the threat of war hanging over their heads.”
“Is there no way to make peace with the Tuatha Dé?”
Nymira laughed, but it was bitter and hollow. “No, my son. We envy humans because their memories are short, while ours last for eons. Each death has only deepened the divide. We may need one another to survive, but neither side will rest until the other is destroyed.”
“You’ve never spoken of this before,” Malek said with a frown. “What started the war in the first place?”
“A mistake,” Nymira said softly. “A terrible mistake.”
Malek remained silent, waiting for his mother to continue.
After a moment, she sighed and said, “The Tuatha Dé are creators. They would craft such beauty into their worlds that even the most stoic among us would weep in wonder. When those worlds became too large, or life grew unsustainable because the bloom of magic had overgrown, we descended upon the land and purged the excess from it. Then the land might thrive again, and the cycle would begin anew.”
Malek nodded. “Balance and harmony.”
“Yes,” Nymira said, slowing as they approached his estate. “It was common practice for us to hoard some of the priceless treasures from the worlds we cleansed, as payment for maintaining the balance. Thalion was a world still in its infancy, and it promised to be richer and more full of wonders than any we had seen before. Some of our kind descended too early and discovered wealth beyond imagining. One of the greater dragons became enchanted with a daughter of Thalion and decided to claim her for himself.”
Malek winced, knowing where this was going. “What happened?”
“She became enchanted with him as well and urged him to remain part of Thalion—with her. He did, but his presence disrupted the balance so dramatically, it ended her life far too soon. She did not have enough magic to sustain him, and he could not replenish hers. In his rage, he set fire to the world. When the Tuatha Dé realized what he had done, they struck down his clan and began barring us from their worlds.”
“And we didn’t take that well, did we?”
Nymira shook her head. “We were proud and arrogant, but the Tuatha Dé were no less so. Even worlds in need of cleansing were denied to us, and they sought to starve us of the magic we needed to survive. We began forcing our way into worlds, even ones such as Aeslion which were unripe and should not have been harvested.”
“That’s how our family became trapped here?”
Nymira nodded. “We answered a call from our allies. They had broken into Aeslion, but the creators of this world had defended their children well. We found armies here where none were expected. The fae lured us in with their beauty and magic, hypnotizing us into complacency. Aderyan attacked from the skies, forcing us to the ground. Hordes of demons ascended from the deepest parts of the underworld to strike as we landed. Those of us who breathed the oceans found only the wrath of the merfolk. Not even the mountains were safe from the ferocity of the dwarves.”
“Why have you never told me this until now?” Malek asked, staring at the flickering glow of the wards surrounding his estate.
“Much of our past is painful to recall,” Nymira said quietly. “I’ve never wanted you or Kaia to look upon us and feel ashamed of your legacy. I saw that in both your eyes earlier when you thought we’d ignored the plight of the aderyan captives. We’ve made mistakes, Malek. Far more than you can possibly fathom. While your father and I have tried to remedy them when we can, the scales will never balance completely.”
She took his hands and said, “I’m proud of you, Malek. Your mate is fortunate to have found such a fierce protector who would face down his own father and clan leader in her defense. I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to welcome her to our family when both of you are ready.”
Malek kissed his mother’s cheek. “We’ll both see you at the gala tomorrow night, if not before then.”
Nymira beamed a smile at him and said, “If your Sabine requires a gown, send a message to Tivaly. There’s a talented new seamstress who can create wonders on short notice.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Malek said, motioning for the wyvern guards. They pressed their fists over the crests on their uniforms and surrounded the Lady of the Obsidian Clan in a protective formation.
Nymira huffed and said, “Guards? Really? What do you take me for? I could toss every one of you off the island with a sneeze.”
“Yes, Lady Nymira,” one of the wyverns said. “Your fierceness is legendary.”
“You will not assuage me with flattery, Lieutenant. I know your mother. She would be downright horrified if she knew you came to work with a rumpled uniform. I demand you take it off this instant and have one of the humans iron it, or your poor mother will be the laughing stock of the entire island. And you, Sergeant, I hear you snickering. Not terribly prudent of you, especially since just the other day, your mother told me…”
Malek grinned as she berated the wyverns all the way back down the path. No one could ever accuse his mother of being meek.
“I like her,” Blossom announced, transforming back into a pixie. “If I’m going to be a dragon, I want her to teach me.”
Malek chuckled. “I’m not sure the world could handle that.”
He temporarily lowered the ward around his front entrance and climbed the steps, feeling the warmth flare behind him as it sealed shut.
“Why don’t you check on the other pixies? I need to speak with Sabine in private.”
Blossom gave him a salute and said, “Okay. I’ll fill her in on all the things you forget to tell her later.”
