Facets of Power, page 5
part #3 of The Dragon Portal Series
Sabine tuned them out and sent a pulse of power along her markings to better focus her magic on their surroundings. Reaching out with her amplified senses, she tried to determine what they were telling her and where the source of the corruption was.
Bane was right; other than the wind rustling through the plants, no other sounds greeted them. Even the usual noises from birds or small animals in the nearby foliage was absent. The strange odor was stronger and coming from the north, which was a sign they were on the right path. But something was odd about the rotten scent. She inhaled deeply, trying to isolate it and follow the source.
Malek glanced at her. “Can you tell where it’s coming from?”
“I think so. The smell is the strongest, so I’m trying to focus on that. It’s familiar, but I can’t quite place it. I have to try to isolate some of it to properly track it.”
Sabine closed her eyes and took another deep breath, trying not to gag. The scent was almost metallic, like the air after a powerful storm, but there was a harsh and bitter undercurrent. The first part of the scent reminded her a little of Fae or merfolk magic when they commanded the elements to generate a storm, but she wasn’t sure about the rest.
“Smells like the unholy merging of demon and Fae magic,” Bane muttered. “Maybe a few other things tossed in.”
Sabine’s eyes flew open. “You’re right! Demon magic was the sulfur scent I detected. But it’s faint and coupled with something else.”
“What would possess the dwarves to combine different types of magic?” Malek asked, staring in the direction of the mountain. “I would have thought they’d know better. And don’t forget, combining magic was the reason the treeheart went crazy back in Atlantia.”
“Fucking dwarves,” Bane said with a shrug. “They dabble with all sorts of banked powers. Those crystals of theirs stink when they shatter, no matter what they’re mixing. We’ve had to seal some of our underground tunnels because they make lousy neighbors.”
Malek frowned. “You mentioned the snow was from shattered power crystals. Is there any way to tell the purpose?”
Bane scowled. “Hell if I know why the shorties do anything. They make decent weapons and brew, but that’s about it. Beyond that, they’re focused on politics, drinking games, and whatever they’re cooking up in their crystal caverns. It might have been an experiment gone wrong.”
Blossom sniffed a nearby flower. She gagged and then waved her hands in front of her nose to clear the air. “Icky. A dwarf was here not too long ago. It doesn’t smell right when they use their crystals near the plants.”
Sabine threw a surprised look at Blossom but then quickly covered it. She hadn’t been aware Blossom could smell someone manipulating magic. Many Fae had the ability to see colors associated with the different types of magic and even hear music, but she hadn’t realized pixies shared that talent.
Rika bit her lip. “My grandmother used to say the dwarves treated magic like another form of currency. They would buy and sell powers they needed to earn more coin.”
Malek chuckled. “That’s a pretty apt description. If there’s another race more focused on earning money, I haven’t met them. I believe that’s why the dwarves have managed to build such a profitable trading empire.” He turned to stare at the empty beach behind them. “That’s one of the things that makes their absence strange. That beach should have been littered with trading tents and kiosks. Something significant must have happened for them to retreat.”
“Which way, Sabine?” Bane asked, turning toward her again. “I can smell it but can’t tell the direction.”
Sabine frowned and focused on the scent again, incorporating the similarities of the magic she recognized to locate the source of the power. It was still an active working, but she wasn’t sure of the intent. At least she had a general idea of the direction they needed to travel.
Sabine rubbed her nose, wishing she could erase the memory of the smell. “As far as I can tell, if we follow along on the northernmost path, we’ll be heading in the right direction. I’ll know more once we get closer.”
Bane nodded and started prowling up the well-worn path away from the beach. Rika ran up to walk beside him while Sabine and Malek followed. The winding path sloped upward, but it wasn’t too difficult of a climb. They passed a few stone benches sprinkled amid the foliage, making it obvious this way was frequently traveled. If it hadn’t been for the threat of the Wild Hunt descending upon them, it would have been a pleasant hike.
“I wish I could have seen you fly, Sabine,” Blossom said, zipping around in the air and pausing only long enough to inspect the plants growing along the path.
Sabine glanced at Malek and gave him a small smile. “It was quite an experience.”
Malek chuckled and pressed his hand against Sabine’s lower back. “I’m hoping to eventually convince you again.”
“Over my dead body,” Bane growled without bothering to turn around.
“That can be arranged,” Malek called in a neutral voice and then winked at Sabine.
She sighed and remained quiet, not wanting to mediate another argument. It was sometimes a little unnerving how Bane was always cognizant of her every move. Almost every time Malek had tried to get her alone on the ship, Bane had suddenly appeared. She couldn’t completely fault him though. They needed to avoid her Seelie magic growing any stronger, and Malek always seemed to bring it to the forefront.
Rika slowed her footsteps and looked over her shoulder at Sabine. “Did I miss something?”
Sabine managed a smile and shook her head. “Bane has very good hearing. You’ll find most non-human races have enhanced senses of some sort. You should always expect someone to be listening.”
“Aww, Sabine,” Blossom complained, fluttering to another plant. “You’re making my job harder. I don’t want people to know I’m listening. Then they never tell their secrets.”
Sabine’s smile became genuine, and she winked at the pixie. Blossom loved a challenge, especially when it added a bit of excitement. Blossom grinned at her before sniffing a purple flower.
Rika peered up at Bane, her eyes wide. “Really? What other enhanced senses do you have?”
Bane grunted and didn’t respond. Instead, he continued marching up the path.
Blossom flew to Rika and handed her the flower. “Nope. Won’t happen. Demons never tell people their strengths and weaknesses.”
Rika frowned. “Why not?”
Blossom landed on Rika’s shoulder and shrugged. “They don’t want to give their enemies any advantage. My brother said demons get beat up in the underworld if they’re weak or puny. Is that true, Bane? Did you get beat up a lot?”
“Shut up, bug, before you get stepped on,” Bane muttered and then stopped at an archway, sweeping his gaze over the area.
Sabine slowed her footsteps at the sight of a large clearing with several large stone obelisks erected around the area. Carvings decorated the stonework, and colorful mosaic tiles had been inlaid into the ground. A rainbow of colors peeked up through crystalline blue dust, offering a hint of the life usually present. Aside from the dust, it reminded her of some of the plazas at home with the swirling colorful designs.
“If I were as big as a dragon, I’d step on demons all day,” Blossom said and landed on Sabine’s shoulder. She placed a flower in Sabine’s hair and then flew over to investigate more flowers. Bane grunted and prowled around the clearing, studying the ground.
“The tiles are so pretty,” Rika said, following in Bane’s footsteps. “It’s a shame they’re all covered up with this blue stuff. What do you think happened here?”
“Someone’s been shattering crystals,” Bane said, kneeling and sniffing at the small blue fragments they’d been walking over. “Watch where you step. I don’t believe they’re active, but some of the edges are sharp.”
“The ones we saw on the ship were clear or white.” Sabine frowned, taking a closer look at the small fragments they’d been walking over. They were mostly mixed in with the dirt and tilework, but it was obvious a great number of crystals had been broken in this area.
Malek frowned and said, “I thought crystals were blue only before they were infused with power.”
“Normally, yes,” Bane said, continuing to study the patterns. “They can also revert back to blue once they’ve expelled the magic they contain. Based on the number of fragments, I’m guessing a handful of large crystals were broken in this area, or dozens of smaller ones. For what purpose, I can’t say.”
Turning her gaze upward, Sabine walked to the large monoliths towering into the air, fascinated by their construction. She’d never seen anything quite like them before. In addition to the large stone obelisks, there were also unusual stone arches facing each of the four directions. Each was intricately carved with both pictures and words etched in the ancient language of the gods.
Sabine ran her hands along the stonework, both awestruck and captivated by images she’d only seen described in books. Unlike the abandoned desert stones outside of Karga, these had been created by master artisans and lovingly tended over the centuries.
“Can you read them?” Malek asked, staring up at them.
“Yes,” Sabine said quietly, a pang of sadness filling her as she scanned over the list of names. “They’re burial stones honoring those who were lost during the Dragon War.”
Malek slowly turned in her direction, his expression pained. “They’re all names of dwarves who were killed by my people?”
Sabine shook her head, knowing her next words would hurt him far more. “No. These are the names of the dwarves who were lost. Their bodies were never recovered. The dwarves believe their essence is still trapped above ground somewhere, and these stones were built here to call them home.”
“So many names,” Malek murmured, sweeping his gaze over the plaza and the thousands of names etched into the stones. His jaw hardened, and his eyes filled with determination. “If there was any doubt about the need to ensure the portal doesn’t open again, this would have tipped the balance. Sabine, we must find a way into their city and acquire their artifact.”
She nodded and reached over to place her hand on his arm. “I know, and we will. We won’t allow anything like this to happen again. But first, we need to stop the corruption and protect the rest of your crew. I’d hoped to have seen someone by now who could tell us what happened here.”
Malek frowned. “I’ve been here before, but I’ve never seen it like this. This is where the main trading hub is usually set up. The dwarves rarely allow traders into the city and only with special permission. I’ve been inside twice, but most of my business was conducted here. This area should be filled with tents and kiosks, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in weeks.”
“The dragon’s right,” Bane said, studying the ground where the tile ended. “The shattered crystals could be masking something, but I can’t detect any recent footsteps other than ours. I still don’t sense any living creatures in the area.”
“Stinky magic,” Blossom said, pinching her nose and fanning the air in front of her. “I bet everyone left because they dumped toxic magic on the flowers. I wouldn’t want to stick around either.”
“I might be able to find out what happened.” Sabine released Malek and knelt, then placed her fingers against the mosaic tiles on the ground. Since she wasn’t a dwarf, her ability to read their energy in the stones was limited, but it might tell them something. At the very least, she could connect with the land energy and hear the echoes of their song.
She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate and listen. A low hum sounded in her ears as though listening to someone speaking on the other side of a door. She strained to listen, catching a flash of color in the corner of her mind. It had the resonance of the speaker’s aura, and she reached outward trying to grasp ahold of it. Emotions whipped through her thoughts, fuzzy and opaque like the memory of a dream.
“I hear you,” Sabine murmured, sliding deeper into the speaker’s song. “Turmoil. Anger. Fear—”
“You will not fall into their memories! You are mine!” Bane roared as he grabbed her wrist and yanked her upright. She gasped, shocked by his reaction. His eyes were pure silver, and his midnight-colored skin glowed blue from barely contained power. With a snarl, he pulled her close and extended his claws, his threat clear if anyone dared to approach.
Blossom squeaked and dove into the nearby underbrush. Rika scrambled backward to the edge of the plaza, hiding behind one of the obelisks. Malek started to move toward Sabine, but she held up her hand to stop him.
If Malek pulled her away, they would have a repeat of what had happened back on the ship. At least she was connected to the land and could draw upon some of its strength.
Sabine moved even closer to Bane and held his gaze. Showing fear to a demon was one of the worst things she could do, no matter how she was feeling. Drawing upon every acting skill she possessed, she tossed her hair back and narrowed her eyes on the enraged demon.
“I do not belong to you,” she reminded him sharply.
Pressing her hand against his chest, Sabine sent a sharp lash of power into him. His back bowed, but his eyes didn’t shift back to their normal amber color. Instead, his gaze became even more predatory. He snarled at her, showing a hint of his teeth. Sabine froze. This wasn’t good. Physically, she couldn’t hope to match him in strength, and Malek might kill him if she couldn’t bring Bane back to awareness. She could scarcely afford to unleash a power display when she still needed to end the corruption, but she wasn’t willing to lose Bane either.
She grabbed the mark on Bane’s wrist, digging her nails into him until she pierced his skin. Demons understood pain, and it might be the only way to reach him. His poisoned blood trickled over her hand, and she forced more magic into his wound.
Her skin glowed, each of the marks on her skin flaring with power. Bane staggered, his grip on her loosening. She took another step toward him, using her magic like the edge of a knife to cut away his defiance.
Infusing her words with the magic of her ancestors, she said, “You are mine, Bane’umbra, son of Kal’thorz. First bound, first blood. You will obey me. Now, kneel!”
Bane dropped to his knees in front of her, breathing heavily as though prepared to lash out at her. Pulling out her knife, she sliced it across her palm. With her other hand, she gripped one of his horns and jerked Bane’s head back. She thrust out her bleeding hand, and he grabbed it and drank deeply of her offering as though it were a lifeline. She needed to be more careful. Too many blood sacrifices in rapid succession would weaken her too much.
After a long time, Bane’s shoulders relaxed, and his eyes reverted to their normal amber color. He released her and took a ragged breath. His expression was stricken, the realization of how close he’d come to the jagged edge filling his gaze.
Sabine lowered herself to the ground in front of him, putting them back on even footing. She wrapped her arms around Bane, catching sight of Malek’s frown out of the corner of her eye. She shook her head a fraction, not willing to explain just yet. Instead, she focused on Bane and her desire to cement his ties to the surface. Intent was a large part of magic. This was part of their pact, and she would not be forsworn.
She enveloped him in her power once again, and he shuddered. Bane pulled her close and ran a hand over her hair to siphon off even more of her magic. She was nearly lightheaded from the loss by the time he stopped. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken so much from her.
When she felt his body relax, Sabine leaned back to search for any sign he was still in danger of losing control. Bane rarely succumbed to his instincts without good reason. He’d always been much more even-tempered compared to his brother, Dax. Whatever corruption was plaguing the area was hitting Bane harder than the rest of them. She wasn’t sure which was more dangerous, an angry goddess or an enraged demon. Either way, people usually ended up dead.
Rika took a hesitant step toward them and asked, “Is Bane okay?”
“For now,” Sabine said, still focused on Bane’s breathing and body language. “The corruption is affecting all of us. Once we stop it, we should be fine.”
Bane slowly rose to his feet and helped her stand, not tearing his gaze from her. He took her injured hand and ran his claws over it, sealing the wound with a trace of his power. “You have given me enough, little one. I will not take more from you.”
Sabine wasn’t completely convinced he’d taken enough, but she wouldn’t challenge him in front of the others. If they were alone it might be different, but insinuating a demon was weaker than they appeared was a grave insult. Besides, she needed to conserve her remaining strength.
When she didn’t comment, Bane turned away to scan the area once again.
Malek moved to stand beside her and pressed his hand against her lower back. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she said quietly, still troubled by Bane’s behavior. She could sense the weakness within him through their bond. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t push him. Sometimes his pride grated on her nerves.
Bane scowled at Malek before focusing on her again. “How close are we to the source?”
Sabine hesitated and then closed her eyes, reaching out with her senses. The origin of the corruption was still strong, and it coated her skin with a slick metallic slime. She hadn’t reapplied her glamour, which made it easier to use her skin markings to burn away the worst of the negative effects. It was requiring a great deal of sustained magic to keep the corruption from overtaking her companions’ bonds.
She tilted her head, trying to gauge the distance through the layers of corruption. Now that they were closer, she could sense the distinct threads of power overlapping one another. “I’d say it’s less than a twenty-minute walk in the same direction we’re traveling. I can’t tell much more than that.”
Malek frowned. “That’s not far from Razadon’s main gate.”
Bane’s jaw clenched. “Those damn dwarves. What the hell are they up to now?” He cocked his head for a moment, and his eyes flashed silver briefly before reverting back. Turning toward Malek, he ordered, “Keep her safe. I need to scout ahead.”
