Darkness Raging Page 9

  Torches ringed the area, but I still had the feeling the makeshift headquarters had been hastily assembled. Then it hit me that the elves didn’t want the Dragonkin to know where they were hiding their throne room. That made sense, but I wasn’t going to draw attention to the fact, because any slights now might be taken the wrong way.

  We gathered around the table, where Trenyth began marking several massive maps with wooden figures. “Here’s where we are. This”—he motioned to a border on the map—“is what’s left of our city and Kelvashan in general. Most of our lands have been destroyed, but as you probably noticed on your way over from the portals, we’ve attempted to start the rebuilding process. It will take years, and who knows if the Elfin race will ever be what it was before the attack. Unfortunately, we’re still besieged by contingents of goblins and other miscreants. They seem more scattered now, though—probably those who broke off from Telazhar’s armies to loot on their own, but they see our city and lands as easy picking, so half our efforts are used up on keeping them at bay.”

  Vishana frowned. “We can help you with that. The Elfin race is a noble, ancient one. You should not have to put up with lowbrow cretins.” She turned to the man—a gold dragon by the looks of him—next to her. “Appoint a small garrison to guard over the borders of Kelvashan. And summon the Builders. They can help to restructure Elqaneve.”

  The Builders? I glanced at Camille, but she shrugged. Apparently she had no clue what Vishana was talking about either.

  “Where is Telazhar right now?” I leaned over the maps, squinting in the dim light.

  “Here—surrounding Ceredream, the City of the East.”

  Ceredream was a beautiful city, but a dangerous one. And it lay south of the Sandwhistle Desert, north of the Southern Wastes where the rogue magic played havoc with anyone or thing crossing its path. To the east of Ceredream were the Ranakwa Fens—a massive swamp land dangerous to pass through, filled with deadly armies of ghosts. To the west lay vast grasslands and prairies that led to the forests surrounding the base of the Nebelvuouri Mountains, where the dwarven king ruled. I suddenly realized how much I missed my home world, and how torn between here and Earthside I was at my core.

  “Didn’t he already attack Ceredream?” Delilah frowned, leaning closer to study the map. “Are these big red Xs places that Telazhar has conquered?”

  Sharah nodded. “More to the effect, places he has destroyed. Telazhar made a play for Ceredream once before, but they managed to beat him back. Now his armies are laying siege to the walls of the City of the East again. I think he’s worn them down. While we could not help them—obviously—and Y’Elestrial was strapped from helping us, Aladril came to their aid the first time. So did King Gwyfn of Nebelvuouri. Svartalfheim was heavily damaged but not fully destroyed. The Goldunsan city of Gylden was attacked, but they were able to raise help from the Tygerian monks. The monks cloaked their city till it became impossible to find, so Telazhar gave up on them.”

  The Goldunsan were a reclusive, peaceful offshoot of the Fae race. They were golden skinned and incredibly beautiful people, and kept to themselves for the most part. That the monks came to their defense said a lot for them. The Tygerian monks were aloof and seldom spoke to anyone outside their order, though they were gracious to visitors and never turned away an honest request as long as the intent behind it was for good.

  Vishana frowned. “How did you manage to stop the storm?”

  “Eventually, through a combined effort. Sorcerers from Svartalfheim, a few of our remaining mages, and the Seers from Aladril managed to destroy the storm.”

  “Why is he hammering back at Ceredream?” It didn’t make sense to me. Why go back to a place you’ve already beaten down?

  “We believe he’s managed to take over the portals on the outskirts of the city, and that’s why he’s been able to break through to Earthside. If he can take the city, he will have full access to any portal in it. And Ceredream has many portals, not just leading Earthside, but elsewhere in Otherworld.”

  That answered that. “We think he’s managed to figure out how to create portals, too—unstable, rogue ones.” I explained how we had been finding them all throughout the city.

  “Not quite accurate.” Trenyth motioned to one of the elves standing near him. “This is Quith. He’s the strongest techno-mage who survived the storm. Quith, will you explain to them what Telazhar is actually doing?”

  Quith launched into a smatter of magical jargon that only Camille and Morio seemed to understand before Trenyth put a hand on his shoulder. “For the unenlightened, boy.”

  “Oh, yes sir.”

  It was then that I realized Quith was quite young, in Elfin terms, and he suddenly looked like a quiet, scared rabbit to me. He was probably terrified of letting his people down. And if he was the most seasoned techno-mage to survive the onslaught, I wondered how the elves would ever rebuild the magic inherent within their race.

  He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders like a schoolboy. “Telazhar has found a way to pinpoint where the rogue portals are forming. As you know, the spatial fabric keeping the realms separate is breaking down, and as a result, rogue portals have been appearing. Telazhar has developed a way to track where they are going to happen. But he can only work within a dozen or so leagues of the area in order to make it there while the portal is active before it shifts its position. It takes an immense amount of energy to focus on this. Several sorcerers have to combine forces. So it’s requiring a great deal of his resources to track and use these portals.”

  “In other words, his attention is divided.” Smoky grinned, and the dragon within was suddenly glaringly apparent, toothy and dangerous and making me cringe.

  “Yes, exactly. Which puts him at a disadvantage right now.” Quith grinned back at him.

  Vishana, who had been listening closely, smiled, too—like a cat at the sight of a mouse. “Time to play then. We must go. We can shift through the Ionyc Seas and be there in minutes. I don’t think they’ve had time to hear about us—we came here the same way.”

  I glanced at the sky. “I don’t know if I can go—I’m a vampire. It’s not anywhere near morning yet, but . . .”

  “Don’t worry, little fanged one.” A tall, dark-skinned dragon stepped forward, reminding me a lot of Shade. “I will fly you, and keep you safe. If worse comes to worst, we can shift into the Netherworld.”

  I was right. He was a shadow dragon. “The Netherworld?” I cocked my head. “I can’t go to the Netherworld because I’m a vampire—I’m technically undead and there’s some weird mismatch of energy.”

  “Then I can keep you safe by taking you out into the Ionyc Seas until daylight passes.”

  That would work. “All right, but I can’t be in the sun—at all. Sunrise comes, I’m toast unless I’m protected from it. And even then, if I’m in a place that sees sunrise, I’ll fall asleep.”

  “Do not fear. Ride my back and I’ll protect you.” He bowed, a solemn expression crossing his face. “You may call me Vapor.”

  “I’m Menolly.” I shook his hand as the others paired off.

  Camille was with Smoky, of course, and Delilah would ride on Shade’s back. Iris and Tanne went together on the back of a blue dragon shifter—a tall, gorgeous man with long dark hair that was streaked with blue and purple. Morio and Trillian were paired with a lanky Amazon of a woman. Even as far as dragons went, she was incredibly tall, at least eight feet or more, and by the wheat-colored hair and emerald eyes, I had the feeling she was a green dragon. Vanzir and Rozurial were matched with a red dragon shifter.

  “The elves should stay here.” Vishana shook her head when Trenyth offered to send some of his warriors. “You have lost too many already. While we will no doubt lose a few of our own, I don’t want to chance your numbers diminishing even further.”

  Sharah looked visibly relieved. “Thank you—we need every ma
n, woman, and child we still have standing.”

  “I imagine repopulating your race will be a priority.” Vishana’s lips crinkled into a smile, and Sharah laughed.

  “Yes, actually.” She sobered then. “And I’m expected to produce an heir as soon as possible. Unfortunately, my sweet little Astrid won’t be eligible to take the throne.”

  Camille, Delilah, and I all gave a sharp turn of the head at that. While we had suspected this might happen, we also knew that Chase hadn’t said a word if the thought had crossed his mind. I hoped, for his sake, that the idea had already occurred to him and that he was working on accepting it. It wouldn’t be an easy thing for him—watching the woman he loved get pregnant by another man. But Sharah owed it to the throne and when dealing with royalty, duty almost always won out over the heart. Delilah opened her mouth but stopped when I shook my head.

  “Then let us waste no more time. To the sky.” Vishana strode forward. Apparently she was at the helm of this operation. “Warn the officials in Ceredream that we are coming, if you can.”

  I turned to Vapor, who motioned for me to step back. “If the sun begins to rise while we are there, I will instantly transport you into the Ionyc Seas, Mistress Menolly.” He grinned—a very engaging grin—and then shifted and a massive, skeletal dragon stood before me. I gazed up at him in awe. Shadow dragons were bonelike in their natural form, and unlike the rest of the dragons who lived primarily in the Dragon Reaches, the shadow dragons inhabited the Netherworlds.

  I scrambled astride the massive, bony neck as Vapor lowered his head to the ground beside me, and managed to fit myself in between two vertebrae. It was time to rock and roll. As soon as I was settled, he launched into the sky and we hovered there, circling as the other dragons began to shift form and take wing. I glanced through the night sky to see Camille and Smoky nearby, and Delilah astride Shade. The others were soon near us and—led by Vishana—one by one they winked out of sight into the Ionyc Seas. I wondered how they all knew where to go, but then a current raced through the air, an undertow in the wind, and I had the strangest feeling they were talking without saying a word. Another moment and Vapor shot forward, and we—too—shimmered out of the skies over Elqaneve—and into the roiling mists of the Ionyc Seas.

  Chapter 6

  The Ionyc Seas were a brilliant swirl of sparkling mist—an ocean of icy energy currents. I had always seen it from being encircled with someone’s arms before, but now the bubble of protection that barricaded me allowed me full sight out into the roiling mists. The channels of energy running between the realms separated them so the energies wouldn’t go colliding into one another, which would be a bad thing, apparently. Very bad, though I wasn’t entirely sure exactly what would happen. Something about implosions and ripping through reality, neither of which sounded appealing.

  I had ridden on the back of a dragon once, on Smoky’s back through the astral plane as Camille raced on ahead after a demon who was threatening Delilah. But this? This was different. This dragon was made of bone, and the energy of death swirled around him. I could feel it, being a creature from beyond the veils myself.

  I seldom talked about it, especially not with my sisters or my wife, but there were times when I was exhilarated by the realization that I had passed through the veils of death and returned, when I reveled in my power and strength caused by denying death. During those times I watched myself carefully because the predator within would rise, feeling invulnerable and aching to exert her power. At other times, the thought of what I had gone through was a hellish memory, and I wanted to just walk outside during the next sunrise and cleanse my tainted body. But most of the time . . . I tried to focus on what I could do now. On the good I could do. The life I could live. The love I could accept, and the love I could offer.

  Vapor was huge, about twice as big as Shade was in dragon form. I wondered if that was because Shade was half dragon or if there was some other reason, but it would never be a question I’d ask aloud. For one thing, men had a thing when it came to size comparisons, and for another, it wasn’t any of my business.

  Going through the Ionyc Seas didn’t actually feel like we were traveling. In fact, it felt very much like rocking in a hammock or floating in the middle of a gentle lake where the waves sloshed you gently from side to side. Though I had heard of great storms that rolled through the currents, tornadoes with massive lightning storms thundering through them.

  Time vanished the moment you entered the Seas. I still had no clue of how the dragons and ice serpents and various other creatures who could venture here navigated between spaces, but there was a rhythm here—an ebb and flow, just like the ocean. If I hadn’t been a vampire, I would have succumbed to the tides, falling into a waking/sleeping pattern that was, in reality, actually energy draining and then recharging. The pattern mimicked a circadian rhythm. But with my nature and no sunrise or sunset to contend with, I stayed awake, my personal energy relatively immune. It was then that I realized this must be why certain creatures could enter the Ionyc Seas and travel through them—they didn’t follow the natural patterns of humans and the like.

  The massive skeletal dragon beneath me swayed and dipped through the currents of mist. The Ionyc Seas’ currents weren’t actual liquid like water, but liquid energy, like flowing lightning and fog. I had wedged myself between two of the giant vertebrae at the base of the dragon’s neck, and the bone felt comfortingly steady.

  And then, just as I was getting used to the ride, we emerged from the sea into the night sky. Below us stretched the city of Ceredream—pronounced with a hard c. The lights from a hundred thousand houses and the fires lining the city walls blinded me momentarily—I had grown used to the darkness here. Then a grim specter rose up to greet us. Even from overhead, we could see the massive armies gathered on all sides of the city. They were like a seething colony of ants, swarming against the gates. Goblins, mostly, but also sorcerers and mercenaries and ogres, and probably trolls. Their shouts filled the night, spiraling up to assault my ears.

  I glanced over to the other dragons appearing in the sky—I could see Camille on Smoky, and Delilah on Shade, and the others. Vishana was leading the pack. As the dragons blurred into view, I suddenly realized how massive our force was. A thousand dragons strong, we blotted out the stars. We could level the city from here. Surely we could take on the armies below.

  The goblins and other common creatures would be no problem—they would fall under the dragonfire, but we had to be wary of the sorcerers. I figured they were our main targets—and they would be farthest back from the front gates. Cannon fodder always went first unless you had a martyr at the helm. And somehow, I didn’t think Telazhar was the martyring kind.

  There was a sudden outcry from the battalions below. They had spotted us. At that moment, Vishana surged forward, her sleek, massive form dive-bombing toward the ground. She leveled out, keeping just out of arrow-shot, and with a massive stream of fire blazing out from her mouth, she strafed the forces below her as she made a screaming run toward the back of the armies. Within seconds, the others followed suit, circling the city.

  Vapor rumbled something that I thought was, “Hold on, Lady Vampire,” and then we were plunging toward the ground. I grabbed the vertebrae in front of me and held on for dear life as the ground rose to meet our spiraling descent. The wind whistled around me, streaming my cornrows back, and I suddenly realized I wished I could fly like this. Just as quickly, I brought my attention back to what we were doing. I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. One wrong move and I’d fall off into the middle of a thousand soldiers clamoring to kill us.

  I braced myself as the ground came closer. Then—at the last moment—Vapor pulled out of his freefall and we were flying on a level line, above arrow-reach, but low enough that Vapor could blast them with his fire. He opened his mouth and a massive jet of flames licked down to torch the troops below. Screams rose, along with a plume of smoke, as he struc
k barrels of oil they were dragging with them. I watched in silence as figures began to run and scream, flames flickering as their bodies turned into living torches. One whiff made me very grateful that I didn’t have to breathe. The char of burning flesh was beginning to fill the air, billowing in massive clouds as anything combustible around the area went up in flames.

  All through the site, fires began to rage out of control as the screaming armies fell into chaos, trying to get away from the dragons, but there was nowhere to run. The dragons were everywhere. I began to realize we were just along for the ride. Vishana had this planned out and we were coming along on her terms.

  And then we were near the back of the armies, and the goblins gave way to a group of men—Fae and dark crossbreeds. I realized we had found a group of sorcerers. Telazhar had conscripted just about every sorcerer he could find to be part of his plan, and a good share of Otherworld’s malevolent mages were here. Vapor made a run at them and let out a long blast of flame. One of the men raised his staff and the flames licked to the side, repelled by some sort of force field. Without further ado, the dragon headed toward the ground and I realized we were going to land right on top of the men. I braced myself for the impact.

  Don’t get off my back unless you have no other alternative. The thought intruded in my mind and I realized Vapor had managed some sort of link to me.

  I won’t. I closed my eyes as we landed. The jolt was as good as an earthquake as the skeletal dragon slammed into the ground as hard as he could without hurting himself. We landed on at least seven of the men who had been trying to keep away the flames, and I knew they couldn’t have survived the impact.

  It was then that I found myself staring down at a robed figure who looked all too familiar. Oh fuck, we were right in front of Telazhar. I screamed his name so Vapor would hear, but I needn’t have bothered. Apparently, dragons were good at figuring things out. Vishana landed in back of Telazhar. And to either side, Shade and Delilah, and Smoky with Camille on his back, landed.