“And you believed her?” Adesh’s bitter laugh echoed off the tall trees around us. “You damn fool. She will turn against us the moment she has what she wants.”
The voice that answered was deceptively sweet and melodic. “I am keeping my word, am I not? Your little friends are all still alive.”
Deira stepped out of the rain, the hood of her robes pulled back, her brown locks plastered to her head, revealing the splintered ruin of her horns. Chaos magic flickered in her gaze, strands of it wafting around her in a ceaseless dance. But it wasn’t how she kept her two other hostages close. Dark roots, as thick as a man’s arm, bound the hands and feet of a slim, golden-haired Elvish female and a young boy—Briseis and her son, I guessed. Both seemed unharmed, impotent rage on their faces.
Behind them, Kaius loomed. Tall and taciturn, the dark-haired Human Chiasma had never left much of an impression on me. Deira had cultivated his loyalty by appealing to his darkest impulses, the two of them sharing a reputation for enjoying breaking their enemies’ minds along with their bodies.
“I am happy you finally decided to join us.” Deira met my gaze and clapped her hands with a delighted laugh. “I hope you don’t expect us to call you Master.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I had forgotten that Deira also had a flair for dramatics when her schemes came to fruition.
“Release them, Deira.” Tristan and the soldiers exchanged confused looks at my command. I switched to Aurean, knowing that while it was suspicious, letting anyone overhear our conversation would be even worse. “Your quarrel is with me, not with these mortals.”
“But you are a mortal now.” A serene smile spread across Deira’s face as she indulged me, replying in the language of the gods. I had seen that smile before, when she had coldly choked a man to death with one of her roots. “I will gladly release them if you give me what I want.” Her grin widened. “Surrender yourself to me, and the mortals can go free.”
I channeled more power into the dagger, testing how much I could command without burning myself out. Enough to deal with one of them? Perhaps. But the moment I acted, they would undoubtedly threaten Briseis and Varien.
“So, you think you can wield the Adept’s powers?” I drawled. “Do you fancy yourself a goddess now?”
I needed to buy time for Rada to arrive. Even with another Chaosdagger and Starfire, this would be a desperate fight. But at least we’d have a chance.
“Gods can fall; gods can rise. It’s all a matter of power.” Deira tilted her head, studying me like I was an intriguing insect she had discovered among her plants. “Where’s your little whore? Is she hiding at the pathetic hovel you call a home now?”
Furious anger surged within me at her words, a burst of magic crackling from the dagger into the ground. Kaius chuckled darkly at my reaction, cruel amusement on his narrow face. “We sent her a welcome committee.”
So that was why there were fewer Rakash than Calder hadreported earlier. I hid my unease beneath a self-assured scoff. “A few Rakash are hardly a challenge for the Star Queen.”
“No!” Briseis cried out, clearly understanding our conversation. I remembered she had once been Elvish nobility, tutored in the Aurean language. Her striking face burned with righteous fury as she struggled against her restraints and spat in Deira’s face. “You evil witch!”
“Silence, Elf,” Kaius snarled, grabbing her blonde braid in a cruel grip and forcing her head back. “Or the boy pays for your insolence.”
“Don’t worry,” Deira said calmly, wiping off the spittle. “I told them to keep your friend alive and bring her here.” She shrugged and winked at me with a giggle. “I can’t guarantee she will be unharmed, though.” Her eyes shifted to the Rakash. “These dreadful beasts need a boon from time to time. I gave them a small surprise to use if she proves too unmanageable. Remember those Chaos splinters you were too squeamish to use in the war? We found an entire crate of them in your quarters after you were gone.”
A cold wave of fear doused my anger as I realized what she meant. Stars above, I had sent Rada into terrible danger.
Something inside me turned icy and still. “You do realize I will kill you, don’t you?” I said softly. My gaze tracked the Dryad’s every move, waiting for an opening to strike. Take Deira out, and the others would crumble, descending into chaos.
She didn’t wither under the weight of my fury; on the contrary, her expression turned mocking. “It was always so dreadfully easy to manipulate you. The moment the Lady of Light appears, you lose your bite, as if she has cut off your balls. Look at you, coming here to save some pathetic mortals. It’s a disgrace.” A vicious look entered her eyes, the amethyst and emerald glow in them deepening. “You should have fought to reclaim your power, to return us all to our rightful place. Instead, you’ve given up. A pitiful failure, content towallow in the mud for a few crumbs of affection from that traitorous whore.”
“Careful, Deira,” I growled, my control starting to slip. Chaos hissed insidiously in my ears, urging me to punish her, to destroy her without regard for the consequences.
Deira moved behind Varien, stroking his hair in a chilling parody of kindness. “You think she’ll forgive you because you’re trying to save her friends?” The snarl that left her lips transformed her face from amicable into a terrifying mask. “Fool. She will never choose you, no matter what you do. The Light does not choose a creature of Darkness.”
“Bele!” Kyree cried out in warning as I stepped forward, consumed by a tempest of hate and anger, the fear that Deira might be right clouding my judgment.
Before I could act, Varien moved. The Elvish boy whipped his head around like a trapped animal and sank his teeth deep into Deira’s hand. The Dryad screeched in pain and surprise, staggering backward. Her grip on her power faltered, the bonds holding Varien and his mother loosening.
I seized the opportunity. Hurling a knife at Kaius to distract him, I cast a quick spell with the Chaosdagger to cut through the roots binding Rada’s friends. Deira recovered faster than I had hoped, a furious scream escaping her as she drew her roots toward her, only to send them out like deadly spears aimed directly at Briseis, who had pulled her son into her arms to protect him.
“No!” Kyree roared beside me, lunging forward. I cast another spell, knowing it was too late.
The roots struck, the sickening sound of flesh being impaled filling the air. I stared in disbelief at the scene before me, the captured soldiers’ cries ringing out in despair.
Three roots had hit Calder, piercing deep into his chest and stomach. The young soldier’s body was only kept upright by their hold. He must have moved at the last moment, sacrificing himself to save Briseis and her son.
And giving me the opening I had been waiting for.
I knew I couldn’t defeat both Deira and Kaius without Rada. The thought of her battling alone, surrounded by enemies, haunted me. Yet I had to believe she could overcome them. I had to believe that what I was about to do would not only save her friends, but also give her a fighting chance.
