Celenore
Claire did not enjoy her adventure quite as much by the second day. Losing a night of sleep didn't help. She tried to sleep in the sky, resting her cheek against the warm scales of Jovari's thick neck. At times she had dozed off, only to have strange dreams about Kane. She saw him on the back of a red dragon, flying into battle with the Ice Clan. The scent of fear thick in the air. Not coming from the dragons, but from whatever they were planning to attack. It felt like watching a catastrophic disaster unfold before her. Like a bad dream, but bigger. She found herself jerking awake frequently to the unnerving feeling of being in the sky. It was disorienting and disconcerting.
Their second day drew to an end, at last bringing them to their destination. They had crossed into Celenore many hours ago, flying over the bay where it narrowed to meet the mouth of the Flat River. Her nerves were frayed. Their mission loomed closer with each beat of Jovari's wings. The lower the sun sank on the horizon, the more her heart stuttered. The more her breathing heightened.
They made camp. A place to rest and eat. After having a slice of jerky and some bread, it was time to check on the pairs she'd sent ahead. Had they reached the villages safely? Had they informed the constables?
She closed her eyes, contacting each of them. She found Odrick and Til first. It wasn't difficult to reach them over a short distance. She took a deep breath as her mind touched theirs. It was a strange sensation, reaching for them all at once. She gave them a mental prod, like a finger poke, getting their attention.
"Lady Claire? Is that you? Gods above!" Odrick made his surprise quite clear. "Forgive me."
Til felt her too. "So you really can speak to us over a distance? It wasn't simply a trick before?"
"It wasn't a trick."
Talking to more than one Drengr wasn't as hard as she expected. She merely treated it as if they were right in front of her holding a group conversation. She also felt Rachel and Darcie's minds linked through their mates. Their presence was subtle, like a feather brushing against skin.
"Has everything gone according to plan?" she asked. "Is Swinston ready?"
"Aye." Odrick answered for them. "We flew most of the way then transformed and snuck in as travelers. They were surprised to see us—surprised and relieved."
"And they have been cooperative?"
"Yes, so far. They didn't give us much trouble once we began working with the constable. His name's Rodney. Strange fellow."
She exhaled, relieved. "It sounds like everything is going according to plan. You will be ready by midnight?"
"We will be ready, my lady. The villagers are hard at work as we speak, building trenches and collecting firewood in the dark. We are helping with our magic where we can."
"Well done." She forced her shoulders to relax. "You've made great progress. Report anything that changes."
"Aye, my lady. We will be in touch."
She cut the contact and relayed the conversation to Jovari and Koldis. Those gathered around her listened too.
Next she contacted Gradyr and Jorsid in Lormont. They had utilized the assistance of Lormont's Mage, combining her magic with theirs to build the trench that would circle the village. Lormont was the biggest of the three villages, so they needed all the help they could get. Finally, she contacted Nokin and Hiondel in Osbourne. They too were well underway with preparations and promised to be ready.
Satisfied, she tried to get some sleep. She wasn't sure how Sprite magic worked, but she had an inkling that being rested would go a long way in helping. She made an honest effort of it, but the ground was too hard, the night too cold, and her nerves too frantic to drift off. She lay awake for what felt like ages, tense. Her anxiety made her shiver with anticipation, forcing her to clench her jaw, making her temples pulse with a mild headache.
People were counting on her. Lives depended on her. But it was more than that—more than the pressure of it. Very soon she would have the opportunity to defeat the Vodar once and for all. To deal Kane a heavy setback.
Vengeance might not be as sweet as you think...
Cyrus intruded on her thoughts. He was still there with her, as always, hovering in the back of her mind. Showing himself at the oddest times. Often with bouts of wisdom, though she didn't always agree with him. Like now.
Vengeance would be sweet—she was certain of it. This was her chance to avenge Cyrus's death, to get his killers for what they'd done to him. For taking him from her. He'd been hers to protect. They'd come to her home and killed him.
Nothing could be sweeter.
You should do this for the people, for Dragonwall, not for me, Cyrus said.
She grunted under her breath. For the people. As if the people were her burden to bear.
What if I can't keep them safe? she asked. What if I fail? The idea of it left her stomach in knots. Worse still, if they died because of her, because of her failed plan, how could she possibly forgive herself?
Cyrus snorted. A mental snort, but a snort nonetheless. In all your time here, when have you ever failed? You always fear failure, yet you meet success.
She opened her mouth to disagree, then closed it. What was the point in arguing? She wanted to believe him, but the feeling in her gut said otherwise. Said that this wasn't going to go as smoothly as she hoped.
Instead, she thought over her plan. They'd gone through it more than once. But there was plenty to go wrong. What if they failed to get the firelines ignited? What if it took her too long to do what she needed to do? What if her Sprite fire didn't work? The Vodar would be trapped in the villages with the villagers. Even with the assisting pairs, the villagers would be in danger before any reinforcements arrived. What if the Vodar found ways to harm the villagers during that time?
These doubts will do you no good. You need to sleep.
She heard Cyrus's words like a command. And command it must have been, because she dozed off almost immediately.
Dark blue water slid by beneath her, lit by a bright moon overhead. She could just barely discern little white crests of waves sparkling below. Beneath her, powerful muscles expanded and contracted as Wrath the Red beat his wings against the cold air. Their coming would be like the gathering of a great storm. Her body shuddered with longing. The thrill of battle lust. She couldn't wait for it. Death. Destruction. All the things she'd missed for so many years. Since the day the Kalds had invaded Dragonwall. She could almost hear their cries in her ears now. A smile split her lips open. Yes...they would cry, scream, beg for mercy—
"Claire." There was a firm pressure on her shoulder. "Claire!" She opened her eyes. Koldis hovered over her. "It's time." She blinked and her nightmare crumbled away like a cliff face breaking off into the sea. "Hurry."
"I think I'm going to be sick," she muttered, taking a deep breath. She trembled beneath her cloak.
"Just keep breathing." Koldis kept his hand on her shoulder, crouched beside her. "Here—" He uncorked his water skin and passed it over. "Little sips."
She nodded, taking one and then another, letting the cool liquid fall down her throat. She took deep, slow breaths until her nerves felt steadier. "Everyone is counting on me, Koldis. What if I can't...?"
"You'll be fine." He gave her shoulder a final squeeze and stood. "Now hurry up. You're flying with me for this."
She nodded into the darkness, mustering enough fortitude to stand and face the challenge set before her. The confidence that Koldis had in her—Cyrus too—only increased the pressure. She couldn't afford to fail, she just couldn't. If she failed...
Her mind drifted to Talon. She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to massage away the tension. He wasn't going to be happy when he discovered what she'd done—success or not. He'd gone to a lot of trouble to rescue her from Kane's kidnappers, only for her to throw herself into another fire.
She blinked, looking at the dark landscape around her, then she closed her eyes and pictured the words of the Sprite song in her mind, saying them over and over again without thinking too hard. The skin around her mark prickled, as if encouraging her to let free the magic that had been hiding. She pictured the green flames that would erupt once she started to sing, imagining the emerald hues and the calm warmth her fire created.
"Come on. Let's go," Koldis said, snapping her out of it. "Leave everything here. We won't need it until we return." She gave a final sigh, looking around. Then she took her first steps forward, allowing Koldis to lead her away from their camp. Her last thought as she looked over their belongings, was that she hoped everyone would make it back alive.
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