Facets of Power, page 7
part #3 of The Dragon Portal Series
Malek squeezed her hand and said, “Two more, Sabine. You can do this.”
She nodded. With grim determination, she grasped the one in his remaining eye and yanked it clear. After dropping it to the ground, she barely managed to summon the lightning. Her legs were shaking to the point she was in danger of collapsing.
Sabine reached for the last and largest of the crystals on top of the dwarf’s head, but it was too unwieldy. Her hands were slick with sweat, and she couldn’t get a grip on it. Tears of frustration threatened to fall, and she could feel Bane’s weakness through their bond. He was losing too much blood.
Malek moved behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist. “Lean into me, sweetheart. You can do this.”
She took a shaky breath, giving him her weight. He held her upright, and she reached forward and used the last of her strength to yank the final crystal free.
Light exploded from the decapitated head, knocking Sabine and Malek backward and shattering the last crystal. She hit the ground with a thud, darkness claiming her.
Draconic power fueled her from within and surrounded her with its heated embrace. Malek’s magic flowed along her skin in a caress, urging her to awaken. He broke their kiss, and Sabine blinked open her eyes to stare into Malek’s striking blue ones.
He searched her expression. “Take it slow, sweetheart. You lost consciousness for a minute. Are you all right?”
She didn’t answer right away, taking stock of her condition. Her head was throbbing slightly, but the pain was already dissipating. The magic he’d infused into her had restored her quite a bit. So much for keeping her distance from him and his power.
It was impossible to feel regret when he was this close. Unable to resist the pull of him, she trailed her fingers along the strong lines of his jaw. It was tempting to pull him back down and kiss him again, and not just because she could use another power boost.
“Sweetheart? Talk to me,” Malek said, running his thumb across her cheek.
“Hi,” she whispered, captivated by the tenderness and concern in his eyes. Once again, he’d come to her rescue and done whatever was necessary to protect her. Her stomach fluttered at the realization she was more than halfway in love with him. At the moment, she was hard-pressed to find a reason not to fall the rest of the way.
His gaze softened, and he tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “I’m guessing breaking the corruption took a lot out of you. You sure you’re okay, sweetheart?”
She nodded and sat up, looking around for Bane. He was on the ground in the middle of the clearing, shaking off the effects from the magical explosion. Malek fastened the warding medallion around his neck and stood, helping her to her feet.
The dwarves hadn’t appeared to fare much better, but their resistance to some forms of magic was making their recovery a little faster. They grabbed their weapons and started circling Bane, but the demon’s eyes had reverted to amber.
Through their bond, Sabine could sense the corruption that had consumed Bane was gone. All that was left were the aftereffects of the carnage and destruction he’d caused. Bane’s clawed hands were pressed against the ground, and his entire body trembled as though trying to wrest control of his power. The last time she’d seen him like this was when he was drunk from sipping on the life force of multiple souls.
She started to go to him, but Malek hauled her back. In a low voice, he whispered, “Tread carefully, Sabine. Bane just killed several of their men, and I doubt they’re feeling friendly.”
“I’m not going to allow them to hurt him.”
“I know,” Malek agreed, keeping his voice quiet. “I’ll do what I can to help, but we need to get you inside their city before the Wild Hunt arrives.”
Sabine swallowed, inwardly warring between caution and concern. She swept her gaze over the grisly scene again, trying to make sense of what had happened. The dwarves were still busy securing Bane and hadn’t noticed her and Malek standing off to the side of the clearing. She wasn’t sure if these dwarves had been responsible for the corruption or if they’d stumbled upon it like Bane had.
One of them stepped forward and slapped some crystalline restraints on Bane’s wrists, but Bane didn’t struggle. He was still out of sorts. She needed to infuse him with more power to help bring him back to stasis. For some reason, the corruption had affected him more than anyone else.
A dark-haired dwarf with a curved sword angled his weapon toward Bane. “Yer under arrest by order of the Council of Ten for murdering our brethren and bringing a plague upon our lands. You will come willingly or be executed here and now.”
Sabine inhaled sharply, unwilling to allow them to take Bane from her. Rumors of the harshness of dwarven prisons had been a thing of legends for centuries. If they didn’t kill him, they’d strip Bane of his powers completely and leave him a soulless husk. It was a fate worse than death. If she had to scatter the dwarves across the clearing and negate any chance for an alliance, so be it. She wouldn’t let Bane die.
“Release him,” Sabine demanded, infusing her words with a sharp sting of power.
The blood-splattered dwarves spun around to face her, angling themselves to also keep Bane in sight. They were all heavily armored with a myriad of both short- and long-range weapons gripped tightly in their hands. This was no random encounter. They had the look of a dwarven patrol searching for trouble.
One of the other dwarves, a short man with cropped red hair, pointed his spear in Malek and Sabine’s direction. “We don’t allow anyone to make demands on our mountain, especially when they’re consorting with demons. Run back to yer trees, little Fae. Unless you want to lick my boots first.”
Sabine narrowed her eyes. Such insults couldn’t be allowed to stand if she intended to take her rightful place as queen of the Unseelie. With a wave of power, she whipped the dwarf’s weapon out of his hands. It flew beneath the underbrush and she stepped forward, sending a pulse of power along her markings. The fool either had no experience with Royal Fae or he didn’t recognize her for who she was. Either way, he would be enlightened or dead by the end of this conversation.
“I am Sabin’theoria of the Unseelie, daughter and heir of Queen Mali’theoria, and great-great-granddaughter of Theoria, first of the Fae and daughter of the goddess Lachlina and the god Vestior.”
She took another step toward him, the wind whipping her hair away from her face. She made a fist, wrapping a tight band of power around the dwarf and sending him to his knees. “Your rights to this mountain begin and end with my bloodline, dwarf. Someone has befouled this land and tainted the magic of this place. It is only by my intervention that this corruption has been purified. Now you add further insult by suggesting I lick your boots and arresting one of my companions?”
The red-haired dwarf cowered in front of her, his eyes wide with fear. “M-m-my apologies, Your Highness. I didn’t know.”
The other dwarves exchanged wary glances, looking decidedly worried about this newest development. Sabine released her control over the rude dwarf, and he scrambled backward as far away from her as possible. He cast a quick look in the direction where his weapon had disappeared, his hands twitching as though aching to retrieve it.
Sabine might not have enough remaining power to enforce her threat of reclaiming their mountain home, but she had no intention of backing down, especially not while they held Bane captive. She looked over at Bane, but he was focused on Malek. Some unspoken communication was happening between the two men.
Malek gave him a nod and moved to stand beside her. “I’m sure these dwarves meant no disrespect, Queen Sabine. They likely didn’t recognize you.”
Sabine arched her brow at Malek, but his expression was carefully blank. Instead, his attention was focused on the dwarves. Sabine paused, studying him closely. He was up to something. He’d never used her title before, especially not with her informal name.
Deciding to play along, she shrugged and said, “Perhaps. However, I won’t ignore the insult to this land or the corruption that’s been wrought. Who is responsible for this desecration?”
“We ain’t done nothin’ to the land,” a dwarf with a long scar down the side of his face sputtered in protest. “Everyone knows the demons twist magic.”
Bane snorted in contempt. “Fool. We steal lives, not play with magic.”
“Who you callin’ a fool?” the scarred dwarf sneered, jabbing his weapon in Bane’s direction and nicking his chest.
Anger ripped through Sabine, and her hands curled into fists. Before she could intervene, Malek stepped forward and held up his hands in a peaceable gesture.
“My name is Captain Malek Rish’dan. The captive you’re holding is Bane, a passenger on my ship and ally of Queen Sabine,” Malek said, gesturing toward the demon who was still bound. “I’m well acquainted with Hargrim Icemail, one of your trading leaders. If you’ll allow us to speak with him or one of your council members, I’m sure we can get this matter cleared up without any more bloodshed.”
The dark-haired dwarf who had arrested Bane took a step toward Malek, eyeing him up and down. Like the other dwarves, he was covered in a combination of sweat and blood from the recent battle, but he carried himself with an air of command. The metallic jewelry he wore was more intricate than the others, with colorful crystals embedded into the ornaments. The hand axe at his side was a work of art, with carvings in the handle and decorated with precious gems. If Sabine had to guess, he held a position of leadership among this group.
“Aye, Captain Malek. I’ve heard of you. Hargrim’s spoken well of you.” He darted another concerned glance at Sabine. “The name’s Volack Greatspear. While I’m not disputing yer lady’s claim to the demon, we can’t release him to you, even if she decides to strike us down. He killed some of our brethren, and their blood still paints our skin. I can assure you he’ll be dealt with in accordance with our laws, but such matters are beyond any of us. We need to turn him over to our council.”
Panic rushed through her. Her tightly bound control on her magic faltered, and the markings on her skin glowed when her power flared.
If Bane was imprisoned in Razadon, Sabine wasn’t sure she’d be able to free him. It was one thing to handle a few dwarves standing beneath the sky, but she’d be at a disadvantage once Bane was inside their underground city. Demons were a convenient scapegoat whenever something went wrong. They might be neighbors with the dwarves, but the two groups rarely got along.
“A moment,” Malek said to the dwarves and stepped in front of her, blocking her view of them. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. In a low voice, he urged, “Wait, Sabine. If you use magic against them, they’ll bring the full might of Razadon against you. The only thing dwarves love more than a strong drink is a worthy political opponent with the potential to unite the clans. We need to get you inside Razadon and out of the line of fire.”
Disbelief filled her. Malek and Bane had something of a contentious relationship, but she hadn’t truly believed he wanted Bane killed. She curled her fingers into his shirt and whispered, “You can’t be serious. You want me to allow this? They’ll kill him, Malek.”
“Not immediately,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her even closer. “Let’s see how this plays out. If Bane wanted you to fight for him, he wouldn’t be such a docile captive. He knows what’s at risk. Your safety is paramount. We need to get you into the city before the Wild Hunt descends upon us.”
She hesitated and then peered around him to study Bane. The demon gave her a barely discernible nod, indicating she should listen to Malek.
It went against everything inside her to back down. She’d promised to protect Bane, and now he was willing to allow himself to be taken into custody? A sharp wave of guilt filled her. The only times Bane had ever abandoned his principles or went against his instincts was when he was determined to protect her. She didn’t think she would ever forgive herself if something happened to him.
“I’m asking you to trust me,” Malek murmured, running his hand down her back in a gentle caress. “You need to rest and restore your magic. I don’t know how much you have left, but I can’t give you more without revealing myself. We were lucky the dwarves didn’t notice when I roused you. We won’t be that fortunate again.”
Drat. She hadn’t considered that. If the dwarves caught Malek using dragonfire, they’d do everything within their power to kill him. The silent communication between Bane and Malek now made sense. They both had likely realized how weakened she was after breaking through the corruption and were trying to buy some time. Unlike her, both Bane and Malek had firsthand knowledge of the dwarves. She needed to defer to their judgment.
Recognizing the wisdom of Malek’s words, she nodded. “You’re right. I’ll try to buy us some time or at least muddy the political waters until we figure out how to get Bane out of there.”
“Good. I have an idea, but I’ll need you to keep playing up your birthright. I’m going to pretend to be a simple human ship captain who’s managed to catch your eye. For some reason, you actually think I’m charming.”
Sabine’s mouth twitched. Malek was anything but simple. He winked and released her, stepping aside to face the dwarves once again. They were all watching them, likely wondering about their relationship and what they’d just discussed. Remembering Bane’s words aboard the ship about not showing concern for her choices in bedmates, she decided to ignore their curious looks.
If she needed to play up her birthright, her best chance was embracing her mother’s memory. For centuries, her mother had cultivated a reputation of ruthless determination. If fate had taken a different turn, her mother would have been the one to step foot on this mountain instead of Sabine. She wouldn’t have hesitated in executing each of these dwarves at the first sign of disrespect. Sabine had no intention of doing the same, but these dwarves didn’t know that.
Sabine inclined her head, emulating her mother’s regal bearing. “Very well. I will allow you to escort my companion to Razadon until I have spoken with your council. Until then, I expect him to remain unharmed.”
Relief flashed through Volack’s eyes, and he nodded. Good. He didn’t want an altercation either, and Malek had offered them a neat alternative without anyone losing face.
“Of course, Your Highness,” Volack said with a low bow. He thumped his fist against his chest in a gesture of respect. “You have my word that no harm will come to yer demon until after the council makes their ruling. If you’ll follow me, we’ll be happy to escort you to Razadon. We’ll send others to gather our fallen so their bodies might be returned to the stone.”
He motioned for the other dwarves to gather their prisoner. Bane rose to his feet, towering over his dwarven escort. They started to march him toward the mountain path, but Sabine hesitated.
She glanced back in the direction they’d come from, searching for any sign of Rika or Blossom. It might be safer to send Rika back to the ship, but Sabine had made a promise to Rika’s grandmother to watch over the seer. “We still need to find Rika and Blossom. They’re probably still hiding.”
Malek picked up their bags and nodded. “I’ll tell Volack we need to collect them. Give me a minute.”
While Malek headed over to speak with Volack, Sabine took a few steps away from the clearing and scanned the forest. She didn’t see any sign of Blossom or Rika.
She paused, glancing back at the gruesome scene in the clearing. Even having grown up witnessing such things in Faerie, this amount of blood and carnage had shaken her. Rika had been much more sheltered as a child, and Sabine had no intention of shattering what was left of her innocence. With a wave of her hand, Sabine crafted a temporary illusion to hide the bodies from view.
“The others are going ahead, but Volack’s going to wait with us,” Malek said, gesturing toward the dwarf walking at his side.
The dwarf eyed the pristine clearing with a frown. “Handy trick. Glamour?”
She inclined her head at the dwarf’s question. “Indeed. It will only last a short time. By the time your people arrive to reclaim your fallen companions, it will have faded. Until then, it will remain undisturbed.”
“Can you call Blossom or do we need to go back to look for them?” Malek asked, placing his hand against her lower back.
“I’ll call her.”
Sabine infused her breath with a hint of magic and whistled sharply. Blossom appeared a few moments later, trailing a stream of glittering pixie dust behind her. The pixie’s eyes were wild, and the red tinge to her dust indicated she was extremely agitated.
Sabine tensed and held out her hand for Blossom to land. “Where’s Rika?”
“It wasn’t my fault!”
“Blossom,” Sabine warned, growing more concerned by the pixie’s reticence. “What happened to Rika? Where is she?”
“I tried to make her look like a butterfly,” Blossom said in a rush, pointing at the trees behind her. “I used the magic from the flowers, but it went wonky. You have to fix it, Sabine!”
A sick feeling rose in her stomach. Seers were resistant to many forms of power, and magic didn’t always behave around them in a predictable manner. It was one of the reasons her people had hunted down and tried to eradicate seers for centuries.
The dwarf arched his brow at her. “What’s the bug talking about?”
“I’m not a bug! I’m a pixie!” Blossom shouted, her wings twitching in agitation. “Can I dust him, Sabine? Pretty please?”
Malek leaned toward the dwarf and whispered loudly, “I’d apologize for insulting her pixie if I were you, Volack. Your people have already issued grave insult to Queen Sabine today. She’s been far more tolerant than most rulers, especially given the circumstances.” He glanced at Blossom, and Sabine caught a trace of humor in his eyes. “Trust me, you don’t want to be dusted. Pixie dust is anything but pleasant.”
