A Crown of Cursed Hearts (Kingdom of Blighted Thorns #3)

3. Tempest

3

TEMPEST

M y heart lurched up into my throat. I leaped off Madrood and flitted to where I’d seen Airia fall.

I found her draped across a broad limb, her arms and legs dangling, her body . . . shimmering? No, that couldn’t be right. With my arms out at my sides to maintain my balance, I toddled along the branch and crouched down beside her, placing my hand on her shoulder. “Airia. Airia?”

She moaned and shifted her body.

Alive, but his blade had hit her in the chest. I needed to get it out and see what I could do to save her. I was no healer, but with magic, there might be a way.

I gently rolled her over and stared down at her chest. No blade. No wound.

“Airia?” I croaked .

Her eyelids fluttered, and when they slid open, she stared around with puzzlement on her face. “Where are we?”

“Are you alright?”

She sat up and rubbed her head. “Sure. Why are we sitting on a branch?”

“Kerune threw a knife, and it hit you in the chest. You fell off your dragon.”

With a gasp, she pawed at her chest. “I’m not hit. I’m not hit.”

“Let me see.” I peeled back her cloth tunic and peeked beneath, finding no wound. Had I been mistaken? Maybe the hilt hit her, and my eyes played tricks on me, telling me it had hurt her when it only knocked her off her dragon. But the blood coming from her mouth . . . Had she bit her tongue?

“I don’t see anything.” I shook off my confusion. “You’re sure you weren’t hurt?”

“I feel fine.”

“Then we need to get back to the dragons. Don’t let go.” Tightening my grip on her hand, I flitted, landing us on her dragon where she settled.

“Where’s Kerune?” she shouted, staring around wildly.

“They flew toward Bledmire.” Reyla’s horrified gaze meeting mine. “How’s Airia?”

“I’m uninjured,” Airia said. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Then let’s get out of here.” I flitted, landing behind Vexxion, and wrapped my arms around him, placing my cheek against his back.

Will he be back? I asked Madrood.

He’d be foolish not to try again .

Then take us as fast as you can to Weldsbane.

Our dragons pelted the air with their wings, flinging themselves above the forest.

I kept looking back, but Kerune didn’t return.

“Are you going to tell me what those things were?” Reyla asked with a frown. The sun lingered on the horizon, stabbing bloody red and brittle orange spears into the sky, giving her blue eyes an umber cast in the fading light.

Drask flapped his wings hard nearby, keeping an eye on both me and the world around us. If he saw anything, he’d sound the alarm.

“Ivenrail gave dregs wings,” I said.

Her sneer rose. “Well, he sucks. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was going to. I just haven’t had time.”

Shaking her head, she grumbled. “Are you going to tell me how he did it or just let that slide as well?”

I shrugged. “With magic stolen from us Nullens.”

“You’re not Nullen.”

“In my heart I am.” And that was where it most mattered. “You don’t care that I’m fae, do you?” Surely, she wouldn’t hold this against me. I hadn’t picked my parentage. I’d defended Nullens all my life.

Back at the fortress, we’d been raised to hate the fae.

Grunting, she turned her gaze forward.

Great. Just great. I’d rescued her from the ether only to thrust her into a situation as dangerous as the one she’d left behind. Some might argue that I’d put her in even more danger. Inside Ivenrail’s castle, she’d lived with a semblance of protection. Out here, she’d be hunted .

Are you and the other dragons alright? I asked Madrood, peering back at his wounds that appeared to have sealed over already.

We’ll recover when we rest tonight.

Can I do anything?

Nothing we can’t do for ourselves.

Good. I allowed my body to slump. My left thigh ached horribly, and I rubbed it, trying to massage away the pain.

Only when I spied Vexxion’s mother’s estate—his court—in the distance did I release a ragged breath.

I swore the ward coated my skin as we passed through it, like we flew through a membrane that allowed us to pass, then resealed behind us.

The three-story stone structure had been built in a big open meadow. The last dregs of sunlight slanted across the tiled roof, glinting like a beacon of dusk-filled hope. Vexxion had only lived here for a short time, but it was the home of his heart.

It had become the home of my heart because he was here with me.

There’s an aerie built into the cliffs beyond the estate, I told Madrood. You and the other dragons can stay there. I’ll make sure you have food and water, and I’ll check all your wounds.

I told you we can heal ourselves.

I want to help, I croaked. Is that alright?

His heavy sigh rang out.

You need grooming. Care and attention.

Give your mate that care and attention. We’ll be fine by ourselves.

You’re sure ?

He just grumbled.

If he’d agreed to let me help him and the others, I’d find the strength to do it, but I was going to be busy enough as it is. With no staff at the estate, we’d have to do everything for ourselves. But we wouldn’t be here for long. One night’s rest, and we’d leave. I didn’t know how long it would take to reach Lydel, and we’d have to cross a watery channel after we left the main continent to get there. Even then, it was anyone’s guess if even a bit of security awaited us, since the island remained covered in a thick mesh of thorny vines.

I’ll collect you from the aerie in the morning, I said.

I will not be penned, not even by you, little one, Madrood said gruffly, as if he injected an apology into his words.

It had never occurred to me that our dragons saw themselves as captives, though I can’t imagine why it hadn’t. We caught them as they slipped from their eggs. We kept them close as we trained them. We encased them within tight mesh while we worked them harder than ourselves.

We never gave them the freedom they might crave.

I saw you lying in your stall, staring past the barrier to the valley beyond. I don’t want to pen you, I said.

Longing. Always longing. All of us.

To fly free?

To mate with who we choose, not one chosen for us. To foster our eggs and be there when they hatch. To raise them with pride. His snarl ripped out. To be able to say no. I’ve done things . . .

I saw what you did the day I arrived at the castle. Had he enjoyed burning the fae man?

Dragons have not always been beasts of burden for the fae. Long ago, we lived only with each other, not subject to the will of whoever exerted harsh control over us.

You speak of Ivenrail.

He made me do things. I’ll never forgive myself.

How did he control you? I asked.

With magic.

Ivenrail was incredibly powerful if he could force this magnificent beast to do things he hated. Can he still control you?

Our bond broke the ties he secured around me.

You’re free, then. I won’t hold you back. I’ll find a new way to reach Lydel.

It doesn’t work like that.

I feel like I removed the noose he placed around your neck only to replace it with my own, I said.

A bond goes both ways. You sought it even if you didn’t realize you were doing so, and I accepted it within my heart.

You can still have your freedom. I won’t make demands on you. None. Not one.

And that’s why I allowed the bond to form between us.

With Vexxion still lost to me, Reyla sullen, though she must know I couldn’t have kept Kerune from attacking, and no idea what our future held, I didn’t think my heart could be twisted any farther. But it gave way to my sadness, molding itself into yet another form that would leave lasting scars. How could I shove off the pain our dragons had lived with for multiple generations?

I stiffened my spine and added this burden to all the others. At Weldsbane, if you fly free . . . How could I name it? After what he told me, I couldn’t ask him to remain with me .

Allow us our freedom wherever you travel. We won’t go far. For too long, we’ve been creatures with clipped wings and suppressed wills.

Much like Nullens collared by the fae, only in this instance, I’d become one of the perpetrators of the crime.

Just as the time has come for the powerless to rise up and rip off their bindings, he said, so it is time for the dragons.

The powerless truly exist? Shock poured through my voice.

Of course they do.

Wow. What do you know about them?

Less than you.

Tell me.

He said nothing more.

As we traveled closer to the estate, I lifted my chin and pinched away the sting in my eyes. You don’t need to stay with me at all. My voice cratered with the words.

I didn’t mean that. He swooped lower, approaching the front of Weldsbane estate, lifting up in preparation to land on the lawn. Do you think I bonded with you only to flee your side when you need me most?

You don’t owe me anything. We’re not game pieces on a Wraithweave board.

In many ways we are. Who’s to say that there aren’t hands lifting us, putting us into play?

This isn’t a game?

Isn’t it?

It couldn’t be. This was my life and that of my friends.

Someone once told me the wraith has the final say. Had Brodine said that? I believed so .

And no one plays the wraith. The wraith plays itself.

There are only two players in each game, one sitting on each side of the board.

Are you sure?

I was.

Wasn’t I?

If not the wraith, who else could be playing? I asked.

Those determined to ensure a specific outcome.

The fates?

I swore he shrugged.

You’re the golden dragon , I said . The one I’d seen on the board in Ivenrail’s sitting area.

I beg to differ. Insult came through in Madrood’s voice. Leave it to me to antagonize another of my few remaining allies. My scales are silver , not gold.

Gold is beautiful. My heart wrenched sideways at the memory of Seevar.

Silver is the best color. He landed lightly on the lawn in front of the manor.

Perhaps the Wraithweave dragon was symbolic. Vexxion was my shield, and my three defenders were Reyla, Brodine—if I could bring him back to us—and . . . Airia?

I needed to watch her. She’d been friendly every time I worked with her inside the castle’s aerie, but she could have an ulterior motive for coming with us.

The others settled on the ground nearby and slid off their dragons, peering around. Drask landed on my shoulder and fluffed his wings before resting them along his sides.

“This is the seat of Weldsbane Court, Vexxion’s court,” I told my friends. “We stayed here after the Claiming, before we went to the castle to prepare for the wedding.”

“And to get ready to kill Ivenrail,” Reyla said dryly. “You set out to do that back at the fortress, didn’t you?”

Biting down hard on my lower lip, I nodded.

She huffed. “You could’ve shared your plan. You didn’t need to hold it back from me.” Her head tilted and the sharpness in her eyes cut deep. “Did you think I’d tell or fall apart if I knew?”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“The lack of knowledge about your plan was what nearly killed me.” Her gaze left mine, focusing on the deep grass beneath her feet, and her voice lowered to a bitter whisper. “And that’s what gnaws on me the most.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah.” An acknowledgement of my apology, but not forgiveness. Not yet.

I wanted to fume, to tell her I didn’t need her, that I had too much to handle already without dealing with her snit. What I needed most was a friend, not another enemy. But she was right. I’d messed up. “I’ll fill you in from now on.” Vexxion held things back from me, and I was equally mad when he did it. I hoped she’d forgive me like I had him.

“Thank you.” Ice could form in her voice.

I held Vexxion and flitted to the grass beside my friends. He remained on his feet, but the way he stared forward blankly hit me like a dagger in the throat, stealing my air.

Reyla appeared ready to slash me with a blade.

Airia watched us with a speculative gleam in her eyes.

Brodine remained as blank as Vexxion .

How could I do this without them?

The strength I’d gained over the past weeks kept wavering, and I didn’t like that I couldn’t get a firm grasp on my resolve. I’d been torn from the shelter I’d found in Vexxion’s arms, and I floundered.

This would never do. For now, my friends looked to me to lead this stumbling venture, and I couldn’t let them down even if I was willing to do so with myself.

“The dragons will fly to the aerie,” I said. “But we won’t shut their gates. We also need to remove the mesh keeping them from flying wherever they please.”

“We’re supposed to let them fly alone?” Reyla’s eyebrows lifted, and I looked away from the concern in her eyes. “If they’re not locked in their pens, they’ll leave and never come back.”

“Madrood said they won’t.” And that was good enough for me.

Her gaze flicked to the mighty silver beast who glowered at her from not far behind me. Would there ever come a time when I’d be the one flicking my finger, telling him to burn someone to ashes in front of me for some supposed insult?

I wasn’t Ivenrail. This I knew in my heart. But if I was going to defeat him, I had to be equally deadly.

Biting down on her fingernail, Reyla reluctantly gave me a nod. “We’ll trust you in this.”

A small gift I’d hold tight in my hands.

Thank you for bringing us here, I told Madrood.

The dragons took flight, soaring up over the manor and aiming for the aerie .

“Hunt if you wish, Drask,” I said, and with a caw, he flew toward the forest. At least he knew his way around the estate. He’d find my bedroom window open later.

“I’ll make sure the dragons have food and water.” Airia stared after them. “If you’ll point me in the right direction, that is. I don’t know where the aerie is.”

I gestured. “Follow that path through the woods to the cliff on that side of the estate. You’ll see the main building there. It’s much like the one at the castle, only smaller. We have no staff here. Vexxion and I managed on our own.”

“Does that mean there are no guards?” Reyla asked, thankfully in a civil tone. “Who’s going to make sure Kerune doesn’t send flying dregs to attack us while we sleep?”

“Vexxion’s wards will protect us. It’s only one night. We’ll pack supplies here and leave in the morning.”

“You two should take the men inside and do whatever you need to do to keep them safe.” Airia’s worried gaze landed on Vexxion, focusing on his neck. “Make something to eat, because I’m hungry, and check out the bed situation. I shouldn’t be long.” She scooted away from us with the tension coiling around me and my friend like a metal trap ready to snap closed. Rounding the building, Airia headed for the aerie.

“I’ll cook if you promise you won’t,” Reyla said with a wry quirk of her lips that didn’t remain long enough for me to savor. Her gaze swept from Brodine to Vexxion. “What’s keeping them from leaving? This isn’t Bledmire. They don’t have a map of the building or duties locked in their minds.”

“They’re not mindless. I don’t think they’ll wander.”

“We could lock them in a room. ”

“I’m not doing that to them.” I struggled to keep the harshness from my voice.

“We have to protect them.” She tugged on Brodine’s arm, and he peered toward her as if waiting for directions. “He may never wake up. Vexxion either.”

I lifted my chin and met her gaze with flint in my own. “I’m never giving up on them. Never. I’ll keep casting the spell that brought you back and it will work.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“I’m not accepting that as an option.”

She sighed.

I took Vexxion’s hand, though his fingers remained passive in mine. “We’ll keep them with us at all times.” Vexxion would stay in our room with me. I’d remain awake all night if that’s what I needed to do to protect him.

I studied his home, hoping it would keep us safe long enough to rest. Late-day sunlight arced off the front windows, but it appeared unchanged from when I’d left it. “There should still be food in the kitchen, clean bedding in the closets outside the rooms. I can’t believe it’s only been a week.” Too much time had passed since then. The days hung on my shoulders like three lifetimes.

Reyla glanced toward the horizon and a shiver tracked down her spine. “It’ll be dark soon. We should get everything settled before then.” Her gaze traveled to the sky that remained empty. “How long do you think we have before they find a way through Vexxion’s wards?”

“They shouldn’t.” I leaned against his side, wishing his arm would go around me, that he’d stroke my face and place his chin on the top of my head like he’d done so many times. I’d taken his affection as my due, and oh, how I missed it.

“ Shouldn’t .” Her lips thinned, and she started to say something but cut herself off, though she only fumed for a moment. “I trust you, Tempest, but we’re on the run now. We’re waiting for you to figure this out, to find a safe place for us where we can breathe and decide what we’re going to do next.”

“I told you I’m going to claim Lydel Court. Then I’m going to hunt down Ivenrail and kill him.”

“Yup.” Her expression only sharpened. “Unless he kills you first.” She nudged her chin toward Vexxion. “As long as he’s wearing Ivenrail’s collar, he’ll lead the king right to us.”