“You feel it?”
I swallowed hard and nodded. It was an unnerving thing, like you were sharing your body with someone else. My wolf was there, and one other. This magic.
I realized then that I’d been holding his gaze the entire time without issue. “You’ll be more dominant while you carry the power,” he told me and then stepped five paces away from me, putting his hands at his sides. “Now make me kneel.”
I swallowed hard, trying to concentrate.
“Kneel!” I shouted with force, but nothing happened.
Axil shook his head. “You don’t have to say it. Ansel did that for theatrics. Focus on the vision of my kneeling and then wrap it in the magic and … throw it at me.”
Right.
Closing my eyes, I envisioned the king of the wolven bowing his head and dropping to one knee before me. I felt the magic stir to life inside of me and I opened my eyes and pushed that vision over him as if I were throwing a fishing net and capturing him in it.
He winced for a second and then dropped to one knee, head bowed.
I gasped, releasing the hold I had over him and he looked up at me with a grin.
“You’re a natural.”
My heart pounded as the power coursed through me. “You’ve had this the whole time?” I asked him, looking at my hands as if they were weapons.
He nodded. “The burden of a wolven king. Knowing when to use it and when to refrain. Something my brother never learned.” He growled that last part.
“How do you use this on multiple people?” I asked, thinking of the impending army of blood drinking necromerians we were about to attack.
He sighed, stepping closer to me. “Very skillfully.” He reached out and traced the side of my cheek. “Most men would want to tuck their woman away and hide her from harm, but I know how strong you are,” he told me, eyes blazing yellow. “I know that we can win this war, together.”
His confidence in my abilities made me smile.
“With that being said …”
I steeled myself for him to tell me to stay home because I was fragile, or pregnant, or both.
“How about I worry about subduing the masses, and you just make a path through it all so we can get Raife to the queen.”
He didn’t want me to take on too much stress and I understood that.
I dipped my chin indicating I understood and agreed. “No offense to the elf king, but isn’t he a healer and not a fighter?”
I hated to question his dear friend but was this man going to be able to kill the famed Nightfall queen, Zaphira?
Axil gave me a wolfish grin. “Raife could split an arrow from a mile away.”
Okay, clearly I had misjudged the great healer and had completely forgotten about the famed elvin Bow Men.
“But without his bow?” I asked; I hated to admit I had a bit of a prejudice thinking that the elves were weak warriors compared to the dragon-folk or fae.
Axil placed both hands on my shoulders. “The Nightfall queen killed his entire family. Poisoned them in front of him. Nothing burns brighter than the hatred he has of this woman. He will remove her heart from her chest with his bare fingers if he has to.”
I nodded with approval. Now that sounded like my kind of warrior.
“Then I’m ready. Let’s do this.” I stood tall and proud. I wanted Axil to know that I was with him, as his mate, his queen, no matter what.
He chuckled. “Easy there. Let’s practice a bit more first.”
SPECIAL_IMAGE-images/svgimg0003.svg-REPLACE_ME
Four hours later, after a large dinner and nearing 2 a.m., I had all the kings and queens of Avalier bowing before me in the drawing room. I’d been practicing for over two hours and Arwen and Drae had just got back from their second run. We now had a dozen of the elite wolven guard getting up to speed on the war with Lucien’s commander.
“This is fun,” I said.
“Okay, I think she has mastered the skill, Axil, my knees hurt,” Arwen griped jokingly and I released my hold over them all.
One by one they stood and appraised me.
“This will work,” Raife said excitedly. “If she can just get me within bow range of the queen, we end this.”
Lucien and Madelynn were mentally absent, but physically present using their powers to control the weather outside.
“There’s more of them,” Madelynn said in an eerie voice. “The necros. We should attack soon, at first daylight, for I fear if we let them amass …” Her voice trailed off.
Lucien nodded his agreement, his eyes looking far off into the room. “It’s now or never. We get a few hours’ sleep and then prepare to leave.” He motioned to me and Axil.
I’d always been fascinated by the power the fae held. To be able to control nature itself was incredible.
“My men are being briefed on the situation: I’ll let them know we ride at first light,” Axil told them.
I peered over at Raife and was alarmed to see him grinning.
Kailani cleared her throat. “Darling … what’s so funny?”
He shook himself, wiping the smile off his face. “Oh nothing, I just thought of the queen dying and gasping for air and got excited. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”
Kailani peered at all of us with wide eyes and reached out to pat his shoulder. “Let’s keep creepy thoughts to ourselves, darling.”
We all burst into laughter at that. Raife was probably the only one in the room who was excited for morning.
SEVENTEEN
I’d barely slept, only about two hours, but it was enough. After finishing our breakfast while the sky was still dark, we made our way to the stables.
The maker of the saddles that had been used on the dragon king and queen was able to retrofit a couple horse saddles for Axil and me. We’d finalized the plan and it was decided that Axil would carry Raife on his back and I would carry Kailani. Meanwhile, Arwen and Drae would take to the skies, watching over us from above and Madelynn would stay on the ground, using her wind to blow back any assault on the Winter Castle where her little sister and Arwen and Drae’s twins were being kept safe.
Surrounding us would be the armies of Avalier mixed with dragon-folk, elves and fae. And our elite royal wolven army. If the war went on for days, then the wolven would arrive and bring an even stronger show of force. Ten thousand strong all together with the others. The necromeres were a surprise but nothing we couldn’t handle together. I was feeling good about things.
It was a great plan, nearly a perfect plan if everything went accordingly.
I turned to look at Axil and ask him something when I saw the color drain from his face. I frowned as he stared far off into space, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
“Axil?”
His gaze snapped to mine and he swallowed hard. We were in the stall of a barn, about to shift and have our saddles put on. He crossed the barn and reached for my face with shaky hands. “My love, one of my advisors has given me grave news.” His voice cracked and something inside of me broke.
It was bad. Whatever it was, was so bad. Axil had a constant mental link to his advisors, it was part of his alpha magic. It meant that no matter the distance, or form, they could communicate.
By the look on his face, his advisor had just told Axil something truly awful.