"You're staying with me this time around." Apollo told me firmly. "I almost fainted when Prenjaw showed up with you bleeding all over the place."
"Was it really that bad?" I frowned.
"Terrible." He confirmed. "I thought you'd died."
I was quiet as we surveyed the movement at the base of the mountain. Mongool spies had spotted the faeries regrouping to the south, and Narlay had ordered all the troops to prepare for another fight. I felt tired at the thought of more fighting, but the mongools seemed to thrive off it. The air smelt like smoke and sweat and mongool excitement.
"Can I ask you something?" I asked.
He looked down at me. Narlay had ordered armour for him as well, even though his own skin was probably more protective than the leather garments. I had to admit he looked astonishingly amazing in the all black ensemble though.
"Anything." He replied simply.
"How do you stand it?" I asked him curiously. "Being around me, I mean. Like, I pump blood all the time, and it barely seems to bother you. Then, I bleed like crazy and you aren't even fazed. Are you totally immune to the smell of blood now or something?"
Apollo was quiet for a long time, his bright eyes distant as he looked down at the mongool army moving around busily. I wondered what memories I'd evoked in him. His dark hair fluttered into his eyes, and the lines of his jaw and his cheekbones looked sharper in the fading light. It was the oldest I'd ever seen him.
"That's not something I'll ever be immune to, I think." He finally replied, his voice serious. He turned to me, and I saw a flash of the sombre, beautiful man I'd first laid eyes all that time ago. "This... thirst... that vampires have is like a dull ache in my chest. It's different for Astera and I. We can push it to the back of our minds, but true vampires - it's all they can think of. Being half doesn't always mean we're better at controlling it. When we were very little, my sister and I had to exercise a lot of control not to attack our own mother."
He was quiet again for a little while before speaking again. "When I first met you, I didn't just wander across the scene of the crash. I was at the waterfall, trying to write, when the scent of your blood hit me. I knew it was a bad idea - being close to a human was never a good one - but I couldn't resist. Some evil part of me was hoping that you were already dead, so I could drink your blood without you feeling the pain."
I shivered, and Apollo squeezed my hand.
"But you weren't, and I'm so glad for that." He told me gently. "When I saw you, I wanted nothing more than to kill you. That sounds terrible, but just remember the nature of vampires. Your blood smelled so heavenly, and the dull ache in my chest had become a stabbing pain at the sight of your open wound. However, thankfully, you opened your mouth and stopped me."
"What did I say?" I asked curiously. That fateful night was a haze. All I could remember was the high speed track to that massive tree, my blood dripping onto the skirt of my uniform, and how the mist twisted around the trees like silk. And of course, Apollo's figure appearing out of the gloom. That night seemed so far away, with all these mongools hurrying around us and the Chinese sky stretching above our heads.
"You said, 'you can't be buried with me.'" Apollo told me softly, his eyes distant again. "And I stopped, because that was what Astera told me a while ago."
"Really?"
Apollo nodded. "I confronted her as to why she kept running away from me. She told me it was because her bitterness was swallowing her up, and that she didn't want me to be lost as well. She said the exact same thing - you can't be buried with me. When you said those words, I thought of my poor dead mother and how my twin almost lost her humanity. I knew that if I was to keep my own humanity intact, I had to save you."
I blinked in the aftermath of his words. I probably hadn't meant anything deep or complex when I spoke those words to him - there was no way I could have known about Astera and her battle with her inner self when he found me in the cab of my ruined truck. In a way, it was spiteful, disdainful Astera who had saved my life that night.
"Wow." I said quietly.
"So in conclusion," Apollo smiled drily at me, "it takes a lot of restraint for me when your blood is spilled. If it weren't for the fact that I was madly in love with you, I might not be as strong."
"Good thing you're madly in love with me then." I told him casually, and he laughed and leaned in for a kiss.
When we broke apart, King Narlay stood in front of us looking amused. "Ah, young love."
"You're younger than me, you fool." Apollo grinned at him.
The giant mongool chuckled. "And nature was kind to you and made you look younger than me! Stop rubbing my aging looks in my face, boy!"
"You brought it up, not me." Apollo pointed out, still grinning.
Narlay reached out to clap Apollo's shoulder - but seeming to remember the last time he tried - stopped at the last moment. "You old fool, you're right. Anyways, I have new for you, Apollo."
"Yes?"
"You're not needed here."
Apollo blinked in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"
"We just got word from our friends at Tsingy de Bemaraha." Narlay lowered his voice. "Sources havve confirmed that the faeries are trying to take it."
"That's extremely clever." Apollo said grudgingly.
"Why?" I asked curiously. The name was unfamiliar.
"Tsingy de Bemaraha is a nature reserve in Madagascar." Apollo explained to me. "It's made of these spectacular rock formations, so only the southern end is open for human tourists. The rest of the reserve is actually a network of training barracks. Magical parties from all over the world go there to learn to fight, and a lot of the opposing army is being assembled there."
"Oh."
"It's a lot of land, so they need every trained fighter they can get." Narlay told us seriously. "People have been invited from all over the world. My son Prenjaw will accompany you there."
There was a touch of pride in his voice. He was obviously ecstatic that his son had been ordered there - apparently he was one of the magical world's best fighters.
"How are we getting there?" I asked.
"Same way you got here, young mistress." Narlay beamed at me. "With your strange flying horse."
---
When we landed in Tsingy de Bemaraha, Jericho was on the point of collapse. He was obviously used to only two riders at most, so the addition of the giant mongool did nothing to help his struggle. However, he did seem to like Prenjaw, so he didn't fly off right away after our feet touched the ground.
It was obvious why Tsingy de Bemaraha was a natural reserve. From the air, the view of the place was spectacular. Rock reached up in spired towers of limestone, and the jagged tips looked like rugged knives. The area stretched on for miles, and the towers were as tall as skyscrapers. When Jericho finally left us on the point of one rock formation, all I could do as look around in awe.
"Where do they train?" I asked Apollo. "All I can see are rocks."
"Inside." Apollo smiled and knelt down. Prenjaw and I watched as he tapped out a five note tune on the rock. Almost immediately, a square of rock flipped up like a trapdoor. The figure who peered up at us was clearly a witch; his piercing blue eyes had no pupil, and the silky hair that fell into his eyes was subtly changing colours. He was young, probably a new recruit, but he held his sword with the confidence of years of practice.
His face brightened at the sight of me and Apollo.
"Mister Apollo!" His voice was distinctly British. "We've been expecting you, mate."
"Lucas." Apollo clasped his outstretched hand, and I jumped at the normal sounding name. I hadn't heard one in days. "Where am I stationed?"
"No clue." The witch grinned at him. "Our orders are to bring you to Laen when you get here."
"Laen's here?" I piped up excitedly.
His peculiar eyes met mine, and his grin widened. "Well yes he is! He's a commander, in fact. What's your name, pretty lady?"
"This is Lilah." Apollo explained. "And this here is Prenjaw, son of King Narlay."
"Blimey! I'm in the presence of a prince." Lucas pumped the uncertain-looking mongool's hand happily. "We've been expecting you too! Well come on, come inside!"
His rainbow head disappeared, and Apollo lead the way down the stone trap door. It lead down in a tight spiral staircase carved out of the rock, and after a couple steps it opened out into a massive, cone shaped cavern. There were dozens of balconies leading down, each one carved out of the natural rock and supporting small gatherings of warriors. Torches hung on nails driven into the wall, and the dimly lit cavern was humming with the noise of it's occupants.
The groups were a mix of all different magical parties. As we hurriedly followed Lucas, I saw a gnome joke loudly with a mongool, and a pair of elves talked quietly with a klaae woman. Further down, a witch was grinning as she fenced with what a white eyed shifter. The balcony below it was full of sleeping soldiers. As I watched, a wolf curled up at the feet of an elf suddenly shuddered and a tan skinned man yawned where it had lain. I blinked. That was the first shifting I'd seen from a werewolf.
When we reached the bottom of the spire, Lucas quickly lead us through a rough wooden door. We were in a tunnel carved completely out of limestone, and lines of different coloured paint raced under our feet like snakes.
"Here now." Lucas pointed at the red line. "Follow this and it'll lead you to the war center of Tsingy. Ask anyone in there where Laen is, and they'll be right happy to oblige you."
"You're not coming with us?" Apollo rose an eyebrow.
Lucas shrugged. "I'm on the guard shift, mate. You're not the only one we're expecting."
"Fair enough." Apollo nodded. "It's good seeing you, Lucas."
"The same goes for me!" He grinned and clasped Apollo's shoulder. "Strength be in your hand, mate."
"Strength be in your hand, Lucas." Apollo replied, then the witch was gone.
"Is that some kind of war slogan?" Prenjaw spoke up as we headed down the tunnel. His voice echoed off the walls.
Apollo nodded. "They only use it in world crises. It's in history books; I'm not surprised the commanders brought it back."
The walk to the war center was a long one. I ran a finger along the rock as we walked; the walls were cool to the touch and remarkably smooth. Whoever had carved these tunnels did it beautifully.
As we walked, I wondered worriedly what I would be doing when the fight broke out. I wanted to stay with Apollo, but that would be a bad idea for a couple reasons. First of all, I would distract him. He's no doubt one of their best warriors, but he won't be able to fight properly if he's worried about protecting me. Secondly, I was terrified at the prospect of being in the middle of some bloodthirsty battle. I'd probably pee my pants or faint, maybe do both. I wasn't meant to be a warrior, not by a long shot.
But what could I do? I couldn't hole myself inside with the looming threat of the hooded figure returning. If Prenjaw or Laen or Apollo hadn't been with me the last times, I'd most likely be dead. That was definitely not what I wanted.
I sighed. I was seriously so useless in this war.
"Apollo!"
All three of us turned around.
"Laen!" I was the first to respond. I ran over to the bronze klaae man, and he smiled warmly and opened his arms for me. I threw my arms around his warm chest."How are you? I missed you! How's my grandmother?"
"Slow down there, Lilah." Apollo smiled at Laen over my shoulder. "Hello, friend."
"Greetings." He replied, smiling at both Apollo and Prenjaw. The mongool bowed politely in return. "Mona O'Sullivan is well, little one. She is currently resting in the care of Kinay."
"Kinay?" I asked, blinking.
Laen's violet eyes were amused. "Father of Piem, the boy you miraculously brought back from the dead."
"You know magic?" Prenjaw looked at me in surprise.
"Not really." I muttered before turning back to Laen. "Thank you so much, Laen."
"I have you to thank." He told me gently. "I've found a friend in your grandmother; we are united in our love for Allanah."
I beamed at him, and Apollo cleared his throat.
"I was told to meet you in the war center, Laen." He said.
Laen nodded and gently disentangled himself from me. His lion paws thudded gently against the limestone as he approached Apollo. "I had to escort a werewolf squadron to the upper side of Tsingy. But come, the war center is just around the corner."
The war center itself was a larger version of the spire we'd descended from; the top of the cavern shrouded in darkness, and no staircase descended from its depths. The hundreds of balconies here were thronging with warriors, and soldiers moved between balconies using sturdy looking ladders. In the middle of the room, a large stone platform cradled a huge, circular table where maybe a dozen different magical individuals leaned over in concentration. When I looked closer, I saw the table was laid out with dozens of different maps, and what looked like a diagram of some kind of cannon.
Every inch of the cavern was a mess of hurrying bodies and loud, calling voices. The preparations for war was a huge cacophony of noise and activity; messengers scurried around the cavern waving their arms impatiently, and commanders barked out commands to warriors on the balconies. A gnome strode around a group of silver armoured faeries, pointing out weaknesses in their armour or rusting blades. I recognized Eisha, the aggressive, red skinned klaae woman, galloping around a mass of klaae warriors and hollering instructions at the top of her voice as she brandished her crossbow.
"Amazing." Prenjaw murmured beside me, looking around the room.
Laen nodded. "It may seem disorganized, but the best warriors come out of the Tsingy barracks. I myself spent a few decades here."
He pawed delicately through the throng, and we were quick to follow close behind. Without any hesitation, Laen climbed up onto the stone platform.
"Apollo Ambrosia and Prince Prenjaw have arrived." He announced to the commanders there.
They all turned to look simultaneously. It was a familiar face that spoke.
"I'm not surprised at all to see you survived the attack on my dren." Ildor smiled at Apollo and me, but it looked tired. A fresh scar on his neck was healing, and the raised pink skin looked delicate.
Apollo strode over to him and grasped both his hands. "Is your dren well?"
"Well enough." The elf responded drily. "Most of it is in ruins, but the casualties aren't as bad as we expected."
"You can catch up later." A brown haired woman spoke up in annoyance. She looked totally human, which told me she was a werewolf. "Prince Prenjaw, you've been stationed with the elvish-mongool squadron. You'll be on the spires - front lines since that's where the faeries will land."
"Excellent." Prenjaw looked genuinely delighted. "Where can I find this squadron, dear lady?"
Despite her brashness, her cheeks blushed pink at his courteous voice. She pointed up. "Third balcony. They're leaving for their section soon, so you should join them quickly."
He bowed politely at her before turning to me and Apollo. "I'll see you after the battle, dear friends."
"Strength be in your hand, Prenjaw." Apollo replied seriously.
"And in yours." He replied. The mongool turned to me, his light eyes soft as they looked into mine. "Take care of yourself, dear Lilah. I am honoured to have been in your company the last few days."
I didn't know what to say, so I hugged him tightly. He seemed unsure of what to do at first, then his rough hands touched my back.
"Be safe." I whispered fervently before letting go. He nodded solemnly before turning and making his way to the nearest ladder. I watched him go before turning back to the conversation.
"Where am I?" Apollo was asking the werewolf.
"Hmm." She squinted at him before looking at the rest of the table. "Any ideas? He's good anywhere, pretty much."
"Leave him with Laen." A surly looking goblin spoke up. His beady eyes appraised Apollo. "Last line of defence. If Apollo Ambrosia can't keep the faeries from the barracks, no one can."
Laen beamed at Apollo, apparently delighted at this arrangement. "We're covering the ground. I'm honoured to fight with you, old friend."
"I as well." Apollo grinned back.
"What about me?" I spoke up.
More than a dozen pair of eyes turned to me.
It was the werewolf that addressed me. "Are you good with a sword?"
"Not really..."
"Axe?"
"No, but - "'
"Bow and arrow?"
"Umm.."
"Knife work?"
"Sort of." I bit my lip.
She looked like she wanted to roll her eyes.
"Bring her here."
I craned my neck to find the source of the soft voice. A tiny, ancient witch smiled encouragingly at me. She had long, thick, moss green hair, and her skin had lines like tree bark indented in it. Her eyes were a warm brown, and her small hands clutched an oak cane tightly. The top of it was a large, wooden ball that was smooth from her repeated touch. She was shrouded in layers and layers of brown and green shawls, and her leather booted feet peeked out daintily from underneath them.
The werewolf actually rolled her eyes. "She probably can't do magic either, Welma."
"I'll decide that, thanks very much." Her voice tightened as she addressed the werewolf. She turned back to me. "Come closer, child."
I ventured over to her, and she carefully leaned her cane against the table to take my hands in her. Her skin was wrinkled and warm, and her grip was surprisingly tight for someone as delicate as her. Her brown eyes searched mine.
"This girl has the keen gift of observation." She addressed everyone present. "She should be a watcher."
"A watcher?" I repeated.
Welma nodded. "You can keep an eye out for squadrons. It doesn't seem like much, little one, but it is a very important job. When fighters are distracted in battle, you are their eyes against any other approaching dangers."
"Okay." I said uncertainly. I wasn't sure how she'd decided I was observant; I was the most oblivious person in the world.
"In that case, may I request she stays with me?" Apollo asked. Everyone shifted their eyes from me to him. "I'll fight better if she's with me."
The werewolf snorted, but the goblin nodded slowly in agreement. "The girl will probably perform better when she's close to you anyways."
"Alright." Laen spoke. "Since that's settled, we'll be on our way."
"Wait!" Welma's voice quavered out. I turned back to look at her, and her eyes were on my throat. Gently, she reached over and picked up the pendent lying against my collar. I blinked down at it; I'd completely forgotten the presence of the turtle pendant Jeb had bought me, and the pearly indigo shell he'd given me.
The witch's eyes met mine. "A merman has trusted you, I see."
There was murmuring around the table. Welma continued. "You're the answer to our problems, my girl! We've had no way of summoning the ocean dwellers, and had resigned to fighting without them."
"But we're nowhere near the ocean." I told her forlornly.
"We have a network of rivers however." She smiled at me before turning to Laen. "Can you escort her to the nearest river bed, Laen."
"Of course." He nodded. "There's one in our starting section."
"Perfect." Welma nodded. "They can strike from the water and weigh down faerie wings - "
"Ah, finally!" The werewolf suddenly exclaimed in irritation. Her gaze was fixed behind me. "The solstae decided to grace us with their presence."
I whipped around. A giant group of solstae were filtering gracefully into the packed cavern, their heads turning as they looked around in interest. Helios lead the group forward, grinning and waving happily at everyone assembled on the stone platform. That wasn't what made me gasp, though.
They were all adorned in heavy, hooded gear the colour of smoke, their black glass panels betraying nothing. The only reason I could recognize Helios was because he was carelessly holding his hood in his hand, his face unprotected and glowing as he headed toward us.
I felt my stomach drop at the approaching group. The murderer could be any one of them.
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