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I shook my head. How foolish it all seemed now, looking back at it. Why couldn’t we have figured out a way to put aside our differences and work together? Why had it all come to this?
It didn’t take long for the first wave of shadow creatures to attack us—flying beasts with leathery wings and razor-sharp talons that glittered menacingly even in the hazy, ash-tinted light. I kept Quye tucked tight against me while Einar spewed great gouts of flame from his mouth and slashed at them with his own claws. Now that he was immune to shadow magic, he was free to use all the weapons at his disposal, crunching them between his fangs and impaling them upon his spiked tail as he lashed it through the air.
The shadow creatures were relentless at first, darting in and out of our range with fluid, graceful motions and raking their claws across Einar’s hide. Their sharp cries echoed across the landscape as they launched themselves at us, but Einar’s roars of fury were louder yet. His rage pulsed through the bond as he tore them from the sky, and it was all I could do to hold on and keep Quye safe. Unable to attack the creatures myself, I focused on pushing energy into the bond, fueling Einar so he could fight for both of us.
Eventually, the shadow creatures realized their attacks were futile, and they retreated. I could still feel their eyes on us, watching from a safe distance, and held Quye a little tighter against me. Unlike us, she was vulnerable to their magic, and I had a feeling the bastards knew it.
“Let’s set down for the night,” I shouted, trying to be heard above the gusts of hot wind roaring around us. Even with our combined magic, the battle had taken a toll on Einar—his wing beats had slowed, and he was struggling to maintain altitude. “There’s got to be someplace around here we can find shelter.”
Einar rumbled his assent, and we descended, heading for a ruin perched at the top of a cliff. We landed in the remnants of a courtyard, cracked, ash-covered stone beneath our feet, the rubble from shattered statues scattered all around us. I hopped off Einar’s back so he could shift, and Quye fluttered up to land on my shoulder as I turned slowly, trying to take the place in.
“Do you know what this place is?” I asked him. It seemed to be some kind of estate, though very little of it remained. What had obviously once been a proud and imposing structure lay in ruins before us, its once-grand buildings crumbled and shattered. The main house, which I imagined had once been a towering mansion, now stood only as a shell, its roof long gone, windows shattered and empty, walls knocked down in places. The outbuildings were in similar condition, and beyond them huddled a mangled entrance gate, its once-elegant bars snarled and tangled into rusted twists.
“Yes,” Einar said bitterly. I turned to see him staring at the desolate ruins, raw anguish burning in his golden eyes. “This is my family home. Or at least, what’s left of it.”
I sucked in a breath as pain radiated through the bond—an old wound, long scabbed over, sliced open and made fresh once more by the surrounding desolation. I knew journeying to Hearthfyre would be difficult, but I hadn’t considered the emotional toll it would take on Einar.
“This estate has been in my family for generations,” he said hoarsely, looking around. The garden he stood in the center of was overgrown and unkempt, choked with weeds, the fountain looming behind him cracked and dry. “My great-grandfather ran through its halls as a child, and my mother played in the fountains that used to run in our garden.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, his expression drawn with grief and exhaustion. “I thought I would raise my own children here someday.”
Quye hooted softly, and I took Einar’s hand, pulling his attention from the ruins. Pressing a kiss to it, I pushed a wave of reassurance through the bond, wanting to ease some of his inner turmoil. There was nothing I could do to change the past, to change what my people had done to his.
The only thing I could do was create a better future. For all of us.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured against his skin. “Maybe we can rebuild it together, when this is all over.”
He nodded, the lines of grief in his face softening a little. “Maybe,” he agreed. He looked over the top of my head, scanning the horizon, and his grip tightened around my hand. “We should find another spot to make camp. This place is too exposed—it’ll be a matter of time before another group of shadow creatures attacks us if we stay here.”
Einar shifted back into dragon form, and we took off again. The sun had disappeared beneath the horizon, leaving us scant light to see by, but we eventually located a mostly intact tower nestled in a mountain valley. The windows had been smashed in, a portion of the roof was missing, and the rooms were littered with rotted wood and dried out skeletons. But the floors and walls were sound, and the location made it defensible, so we worked on clearing out one of the rooms so we could lay our bedrolls on the flagstones. There was no need to light a fire—even though we were well into the winter season now, the Deadlands were stifling hot. I already regretted bringing the fur cloak, and was considering leaving it behind altogether, since I couldn’t carry it in my pack.
“We need to take turns keeping watch,” Einar said, stifling a yawn. He cast a longing glance at his bedroll, then shook his head. “I can take the first watch while you two rest.”
“Absolutely not,” I insisted. “You’ve been flying all day—you’re exhausted. I’ll take the first watch.”
“I agree with Adara,” Quye said. She’d transformed back into her normal form, and was currently inspecting a smudge of dirt on her tunic. “In fact, I don’t think you should sit watch at all, Einar. We need you to be at full strength so you can get us to Mount Furian in one piece tomorrow. Adara and I can take turns keeping watch while you sleep.”
Einar crossed his burly arms over his chest, a scowl darkening his features. “And how is that going to work?” he demanded. “You don’t have any protection against shadow magic, Quye. Adara or I will have to be on call if a shadow creature attacks while you’re on watch.”
Quye rolled her eyes. “Just because I’m not immune to shadow magic doesn’t mean I’m defenseless.” She strode to the door and threw it open. “Watch this.”
Exchanging uneasy glances, Einar and I followed Quye outside. She marched a good thirty yards away from the tower, then lifted her arms, tilting her face to the ashen skies. Immediately, a strong gust of wind picked up, whipping her hair out behind her. It picked up speed, gathering dust and debris as it spun around her, and when it grew tall enough to swallow her whole three times over, she flicked her hand and sent it spinning across the valley.
Einar and I watched in open-mouthed amazement as she did it three more times, until there were small tornadoes spinning all around the edges of the valley. We watched as a flock of shadow creatures approached, winging their way around the edge of the mountain, only to get swept up by one of the cyclones and flung out of the valley entirely.
Quye propped her hands on her hips as she turned to look at us, a cocky grin on her face nearly identical to Leap’s. “Well?” she called, eyes twinkling as she looked at Einar. “Any objections, Einar?”
“I… no.” Einar scratched the back of his head, looking a little sheepish. “I’m sorry, Quye. I shouldn’t have discounted your magical abilities.”
She huffed, blowing a few stray curls away from her face as she walked back to where we were standing. “Everyone does,” she said, pouting. “They think that because I’m the Oracle and I spend all my days shut up in the temple that I’m some fragile flower whose only talent lies in visions and fortune telling. But I’m still an air fae, and a Greater Fae at that. I can command the winds as well as any of my people.”
“And we are grateful for it,” I told her, sincerely. The idea of camping out here in the Deadlands was nerve-wracking even with my shadow magic immunity, so having a magical barrier of sorts to defend us while we were sleeping went a long way to putting me at ease.
We returned inside, where we scarfed down a cold dinner, then bedded down. Quye took the first watch while Einar and I slept. As soon as the door closed behind her, Einar stripped off his tunic and trousers. I swallowed as the shaft of dim moonlight spilling through the window shimmered across his bare skin, highlighting his tall, muscular body. He was well-proportioned, broad in the chest and shoulders, slim in the waist and hips. His thighs were nearly as thick as my waist, and I jerked my head up and away from the bulge in his underwear, fighting against the blush in my cheeks. Einar and I might have been intimate with each other, but we’d been mostly clothed on both occasions. I’d never seen so much of his bare body before, and despite how tired I was, my blood began to stir with heat.
I met Einar’s gaze from across the room, finding that same heat reflected in his eyes. His mouth kicked up at the corners in a sexy little grin, but then he sighed, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you’re looking at me like that and I don’t even have the energy to take advantage of you.” He dropped his gaze to the bulge I’d been studiously avoiding, giving it a disgusted look. “Not even a peep out of him.”
I laughed, the sound breaking the sexual tension like the pop of a cork. “That might be for the best,” I said, pulling my own tunic over my head. I tossed it on top of his, then reached for the waistband of my leggings. “Especially since Kiryan forbade us from completing the mating bond.”
“What are you doing?” Einar asked. He groaned as I pulled my leggings off and threw them to the side. “Are you trying to kill me?”
