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Belial’s imprisonment and Ranna’s ascension to power were still fresh in their minds, stirring mixed emotions within Orias.
Kobol broke the silence first. “At least we knew where we stood with Belial. Ranna remains an enigma.”
Azimuth nodded thoughtfully. “We swore fealty to Belial. Hades transferred that vow to Ranna. Our feelings are of little consequence to that old magic.”
Orias could sense Nadir’s unease as she muttered, “It feels like we were tossed about in their power struggle, with no say of our own.”
Orias couldn’t help but agree. For all of Belial’s cruelty, at least his intentions had been clear. Ranna remained an unfathomable variable.
Nadir continued, her voice tinged with regret. “We sided with Belial, yet his ambitions became our downfall.”
Azimuth shook his head. “We had no choice but to obey Belial’s orders. Our fates were bound to his will.”
“Until Ranna intervened,” Kobol pointed out. “I’ll say the quiet part out loud. Thanks for outing Belial to Ranna, Nadir. He was going to get us all destroyed. At least, with Ranna as our master, we’re still alive.”
Nadir’s smile was weak, but Kobol’s words appeared to comfort her. “Thank you, brother. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all about the conversation I had with her.”
“You’re forgiven. Just promise not to hold back in the future,” Azimuth replied.
Nadir held up three fingers like a girl scout. “I promise. I’ve definitely learned my lesson this time around.”
“I’m glad to hear it, love. There’s just one problem with our new master. Mistress? Whichever.” Azimuth continued. “We don’t know what she wants with us.”
Orias felt a jolt of unease run through him at Azimuth’s words. The shadows around Orias began to coalesce and shift, and the familiar pressure started building within his mind. He mentally braced himself for another vision, but this time, it was different.
Again, he saw an ethereal archway of stars. He had seen this portal before, a shining gateway that the fae used to travel from the faery world into the human one. From that gateway, countless fae began pouring through in droves. They descended upon the city like a plague, enveloping buildings in flames and chaos.
As the others turned to him in concern, Orias felt his own terror rising with each passing second. He struggled for breath as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The fae were free to wander the earth and were wreaking havoc upon the city! What could be done?
When the vision finally dissipated, Orias was left with a sense of dread. He relayed what he had seen to the others, grimly. “The fae will return en masse, attacking the city, bringing fire and destruction.”
“Can you tell when?” Azimuth asked, his brows knit with worry.
Orias could only shake his head. The timing of his visions usually eluded him. Orias saw the concern reflected on his companions’ faces. Fighting alongside the god-touched now seemed imperative to protect the city from the fae onslaught he had witnessed. He hoped Erin and her allies were up to the coming challenges and that his own visions would continue to provide valuable warnings.
As Orias and his companions ported back to the burrow, the weight of his latest vision still hung heavily upon him. Images of the fae swarming through the archway and engulfing the city in fire continued to replay in his mind, filling him with a sense of dread at the coming battles.
Despite their success in warding Erin’s temple, it now seemed clear that a far greater threat loomed just beyond the horizon. Warding the entire city, as well as facing the full onslaught of the fae army, now appeared a near impossible challenge.
Yet Orias also sensed his companions’ determination to aid Erin and her allies growing in the wake of his vision. They now understood that the fate of not just the temple, but the entire city—and perhaps more—rested upon their fragile alliance between god-touched and daemons.
As they went their own ways in the burrow, each lost in their own thoughts, Orias considered the role he and the others would likely play in the coming conflict. Though experienced warriors, they were few in number. They would need every advantage if they were to stand any chance against a fae horde.
Orias had seen enough battles and bloodshed to know that any triumph would come at a cost. Sacrifices would likely be demanded of both god-touched and daemons alike before this conflict drew to a close.
THE END
