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The last thing she saw was Riker bumping his head against hers, an image of a waterfall filling her mind, before a grey cloud drifted in front of her eyes, and she knew nothing more.
23
Kellen
Kellen cradledRaven in his arms, his own strength seeping from the wounds at his chest, while Riker carried them away from the Dark Realm. Below them, the world was shattering, like a dog ripping a toy apart at the seams, and the Domnua were falling through the cracks into nothingness as the world imploded without the Dark Goddess to lead it.
“Get the others out!” Kellen shouted.
“Just take her to safety. I’ve got this handled,” Callum promised, and turned, diving on his Alicorn, Lily tucked safely in front of him.
Kellen urged Riker on, knowing they needed to be away from the Dark Magick that still lingered in this realm, but not certain where to take Raven. His own thoughts were growing murky with pain and whatever poison had been on Domnu’s weapon. A blur of movement caught his eye, and then a small group of ravens converged in front of him, and he realized they were leading him.
“Go on, Riker. Follow them.”
With that, Kellen closed his eyes and held on, bowing his head to whisper nonsense words of love against Raven’s cold brow, praying that her heart still beat. Never had he seen such a stunning display of power as when daughter had stepped to mother, a song at her lips, a blade in hand. The courage Raven had shown was unlike any other he’d known, and he would worship her for all his days if he could only save her.
Riker let out a soft sound, a gentle warning, before his hooves touched the ground on landing. Kellen opened his eyes and looked around, unsure of where they’d landed. The ravens soared in circles around their heads, the sound of water at his back. Riker knelt, seeming to understand just how injured Kellen was, and Kellen slid from his back with Raven in his arms into the soft, damp sand.
They were at a beach.
Towering cliffs hugged the beach, cocooning them in an almost perfect C shape, and the ocean lapped softly against the sand. Kellen laid Raven down and pressed his fingers to her neck. The faintest of flutters met his fingers, and hope rippled through him. She wasn’t gone yet.
“Riker. Where are we? What can I do?” Healing had never been one of the magicks he had strength in, and he couldn’t understand why Riker and the ravens had brought him here, to an isolated beach, with nobody to help them. His strength waned, and he closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe through the pain. “Riker, please go for help. We need to…”
A soft bark jolted him, and Kellen opened his eyes to see a dog, of all things, racing across the beach. The light shone faintly through the dog, and Kellen realized it was an apparition. Behind him, a woman hurried forward.
“I came as fast as I could.” The woman held the same faint glow as the dog, and Kellen realized she was also of another realm. “Hi, I’m Fiona, and I’ll be your healer today.”
“It’s…” Kellen rasped out the words, his energy sapping. “Fae magick. Dark magick. Domnu.”
“Nasty woman.” Fiona clucked her tongue and crouched by Raven. Her white hair hung in a cloud around her head and an amethyst necklace hung at her neck. She pulled out a pouch and sorted through it, before glancing back at Kellen with kind eyes. “What am I dealing with here?”
“Snake bite. Calf. Domnu’s snakes.”
“Oh.” Fiona sat back on her heels, concern etched on her face. “I may need backup for this one. Are you safe here? Is Domnu after you?”
“No.” Kellen shook his head, reaching out to thread Raven’s fingers through his. “Dead. She’s dead. Raven killed her.”
“Killed…a goddess?” Happiness bloomed, and Fiona shot a hand in the air. “Let me…just…one second.”
Fiona winked from sight, but her ghost puppy remained, running up to dance around Riker’s legs. Riker seemed somewhat amused by the little guy and brought his head down to study it more closely.
“Riker.”
Friend.
“You’ve been a good friend to me. My people. If I don’t make it…please know how much I love you. You’ve brought me incredible joy through the years, my friend. You’ve been my companion, my sounding board, my shoulder to cry on. I’m forever grateful for what we have.”
Turning, Kellen inched closer to Raven, needing to hold her close, as the poison worked its way through his system, dulling his thoughts and slowing his movements.
“My brave warrior. Forever on, and always, the warrior of my heart and soul. I came for you. I needed you to know that I would fight for you. And die for you. But never in vain my love, never. You did it. You did what nobody else could do, and the world will be a better place for it. My sweet nightbird. I’ll love you always.”
Something nudged Kellen, and he looked up to find Riker bent, his horn hovering near Kellen’s forehead. Had the time come? Was Riker going to end it for him, so he didn’t have to know the pain of death?
Riker touched his horn to Kellen’s forehead.
A ripple of energy washed across his skin, and the image of the waterfall came to his head again, but this time it was Riker’s magick pouring into him from his horn, chasing the toxic poison from his body. Kellen could feel it literally destroying the dark magick as his soul was pulled back into his body and the poison spit out into the night. Kellen gasped, jolting up like someone had just shocked him with a lightning bolt, and stared at Riker.
