“I need the Oracles to stay here, beneath the safety of the shield. You must keep working on your visions, as you’ve made impeccable progress so far,” he said.
I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of pride.
“You can conjure your visions without any herbal or physical aids, and you’ve also extended their length. You can now focus on specific topics. We need all the information that you can gather regarding Azazel and his Destroyers. Once we bring Sverik back, we’ll be able to rally more rogue forces against the former Druid. We cannot walk blindly into battle.”
“How do we get visions of specific topics, though?” Aida asked. “I’ve barely managed to hold a vision for more than five minutes. How do I pick what I want to see?”
“Think of the world as a library,” Draven replied. “Space, time, and matter compressed into moments. Little books on shelves. This is what I learned from Elissa, years ago. Once an Oracle can control the way in which the vision occurs and its length, it’s only a matter of practice and focus before specific timelines can be tapped into. She used to tell me that all she had to do was close her eyes, imagine herself inside a massive library, and think of a specific topic as if it were a book on a shelf belonging to a certain person or a certain year.”
It didn’t sound difficult, but given the efforts we’d made to have visions in the first place, the three of us knew we were in for quite the ride.
“Field will stay with you,” Draven added. “His wings and fighting skills will come in handy, especially if the Daughter decides to go beyond the protective shield.”
“I’m not leaving Phoenix’s side again,” the Daughter shot back.
A smile lifted the corner of Draven’s mouth, but he responded with a simple nod and looked over the translated spells, written down in a pocket journal with pale brown pages and black ink. He flipped through the pages and looked up.
“We can gather most of the ingredients for these spells ourselves,” he said to Serena. “But there’s one specific item that the Dearghs will provide.”
“I have to ask,” Serena replied. “In our world, witches are born with the ability to conjure magic and to control the elements. It’s hereditary. How can we use the swamp witches’ magic without their abilities?”
“This isn’t your world.” Draven smiled. “There are spells in Eritopia that can be achieved with the power of the word. There are formulas, there are ingredients, and, if performed correctly, there is magic. Eritopian magic isn’t genetic, at least not as far as the swamp witches are concerned. Druids are different. We are born with it, indeed. But the swamp witches tapped into something ancient of Eritopia, and it took them millennia to develop the craft they needed to use it. They weren’t born witches, which is why they preserved their knowledge in that book in the first place. They hoped someday someone would pick it up and start over.”
“The power of the word,” Serena repeated absently, her eyes fixated on the notebook.
“Yes. Formulas and chemical reactions combined with the right words can create powerful magic. Eritopia listens if you know what to say.”
Aida
I had made notes of my visions over the past couple of days. I’d written them down along with rough sketches of the dungeons and halls I had seen in Azazel’s castle in a small journal I’d found in the attic. I took it out of my pocket and walked over to Serena to hand it over.
“I’ve been writing down everything I remember from my visions,” I told her, then looked at the Druid. “Given that you don’t know what you’re walking into, I figured you’d have more use for these than I will.”
“Where are these from?” Draven asked, glancing over the notes.
“Mostly from Azazel’s dungeons and the other halls inside his castle. I’ve made some rough sketches as well to give you an idea of the layout I’ve been able to decipher so far.”
“These are incredibly useful. Thank you, Aida.” Serena smiled and stood up to hug me.
I welcomed her embrace. I worried for her safety, and I needed her back in one piece, so I was doing my best to help her on this mission to retrieve Sverik. Serena was the rock in our group, the one both Vita and I had admired over the years, the light that pulled us from our insecurities. She meant everything to me.
“It’s the least I can do to help make sure you come back in one piece,” I whispered.
“I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” she replied.
“You’d better keep her safe, Druid, or I will tear you to pieces. You hear me?” I said to Draven, only half-jokingly.
“I can take care of myself, thank you very much!” Serena exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, Aida,” Draven replied. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
His gaze softened when it found Serena’s, and I instantly understood what they’d come to mean to each other. There was something deep and warm flowing between them, an energy I’d never felt before. She wasn’t kidding when she’d said they were taking things to the next level.
Despite his solemn reassurance, I couldn’t help but worry.
I caught movement at the corner of my eye and turned to see Bijarki get up from his chair and walk out, his eyebrows drawn into a frown.
Vita got up and left the banquet hall as well.
I smiled, mostly to myself, able to guess where she was going.
Vita
I’d seen the expression on Bijarki’s face as soon as Lamias were included in the conversation. His mood changed, shadows settling beneath his eyebrows. He was concerned about something, so I decided to find out what was troubling him.
I found him in the greenhouse, cutting yellow leaves off a small potted tree and stuffing them in a leather pouch.
He looked up at the sound of the glass door closing behind me.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, my voice barely audible.
I kept my hands behind my back. My fingers fidgeted nervously. My heart was already racing at the thought of us alone in the same room. It spelled the most wonderful kind of trouble.
He nodded and resumed his collection of leaves and herbs from a group of strange-looking plants with vibrant yellow and violet foliage.
“Yes,” he replied. “Just collecting some poisons for our trip. The River Pyros, and its lush banks, is home to some dangerous creatures.”
“Does that include the Lamias?”
“Especially the Lamias,” he said.
“What’s the plan once you get there?” I asked, unable to stop the avalanche of concerns from tumbling around in my head.
“The Lamias are vicious and cunning. They love a good trade. We’ll offer some rare gifts, including some of these poisons I’m collecting. You can’t find these along the river. They’re endemic to other regions and nearly extinct. The Druid’s greenhouse is a treasure trove of such rarities.”
“So,” I replied, stepping toward him as my eyes scanned the flowers around me. “You’re planning to offer them deadly poisons as gifts. And?”
He stood up straight, watching me intently.
“We’ll propose a trade. They have plenty of reasons to want Azazel dead. We just need to motivate them to actually do something about it,” he said, his voice low.
“And what will you offer in trade?”
“That will be up to them to tell us. They already hate Azazel, and that alone is the start of a fruitful negotiation.”
I nodded and took a deep breath, my eyes locked on his.
“Promise me you’ll be safe, Bijarki. Come back in one piece.”
He smiled, and my heart melted. It was always a beautiful sight with his perfect white teeth framed by his firm lips. He scratched the back of his head, his gaze wandering up and down my figure.
“I must apologize, Vita. I’ve not been myself since yesterday,” he sighed. “I’m still…recovering from your kiss.”
“Oh?” I stilled and felt my cheeks catch fire.
“I never expected you to do that.”
??
?Oh.” My brows gathered into a frown, and I felt an inkling of concern clouding my judgment. Had I done something wrong? Had I been too forward?
“It’s just that…” He sighed again, struggling to express himself. “How do I say this? You surprised me. I wanted you to come forward. I wanted you to come to me. I still want you to come to me, but I didn’t expect you’d be so brave. You stunned me, Vita, and that is not an easy feat to accomplish.”
Bijarki noticed my pause and moved toward me.
My breath hitched.
“Don’t do that,” he said.
“Do what?”
“Don’t close yourself off, Vita. I find you incredibly attractive as you are, but when you take the lead the way you did yesterday, you blow me away completely.”
He closed the distance between us, and I felt my temperature spike, heatwaves rippling through me as he stood in front of me. I looked up, taking in all his features, my gaze lingering on his lips.
“Take control again, Vita,” he urged me.
I blinked several times before I decided to do just that. I pulled him down by the collar of his shirt and caught his lips in mine.
A familiar lightheadedness instantly took over, along with electric tingling in my extremities. He unleashed his incubus nature, drawing me in and setting me on fire. Everything I felt was amplified to infinity, and I feared I would die from all the bliss he poured into me. My knees weakened, and my legs nearly gave out, as I lost myself in his kiss.
He sensed my physical weakness and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight against his hard body and deeper into the kiss. I moaned softly, welcoming the feel of his muscles engulfing me. He tightened his grip, and I felt his fingers stroking my sides.
Bijarki pulled his head back long enough to look at me. Lust swirled in his eyes, and he whispered in my ear. “The only reason why I’m not holding myself back anymore is because I want you to feel everything that I feel, everything that I am.” He caressed my earlobe with his lips. “If you can handle me without my restraints, Vita, I can give you pure, unadulterated happiness.”
I felt his heart thundering against mine. His hands found the hem of my linen shirt. As he kissed me again, sparks ignited my entire body. My skin rippled as he traced imaginary lines up my back. He pressed his fingertips into my skin and gently kneaded his way down.
I arched my back. I could hardly take it anymore. I gripped his shirt so hard it almost tore. He held me close and gazed deeply into my eyes, visibly delighted by my reaction. He smiled, his eyes dark and filled with silver fire.
“Your reaction to me is perfectly natural, Vita, and utterly delicious,” he whispered and covered my mouth with his again, taking me on another trip around the galaxy.
When he finally pulled himself back again, putting a few inches of hot, humid air between our incandescent bodies, we stared at each other. My lips pulsed from the memory of our kiss. Our breath came ragged as we slowly regained our senses.
A smile formed on his lips, and his eyes flickered with desire.
“I promise I will come back in one piece, Vita,” he said, his husky voice sending more shivers down my spine. “With you in my life, I have every reason to stay alive and destroy anyone or anything that stands between us.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing my jaw before his hand retreated to his side.
I took a deep breath and gave him a weak smile, nearly shattered by the amount of energy I’d burned in his arms. I loved every minute of it, and I needed more of him. It was the only certainty I had in that moment.
“You’ll have to excuse me now. I must pack a bag for the trip.” He nodded curtly, took his pouches of poisonous herbs, and left the greenhouse.
I just stood there, leaning against the table. It took me several minutes to recover. I was unable to wipe off the smile that had settled on my face. I bit my lower lip, and I could still taste Bijarki.
Serena
After lunch we gathered in the reception area downstairs. Bijarki, Anjani, and Jovi were ready to leave for the River Pyros, each with a satchel and a minimum of two weapons, including the large hunting knives we’d found in the attic. Draven and Hansa were waiting for me, along with the rest of our group.
Phoenix stepped forward.
The Daughter watched quietly while we all said our goodbyes.
My heart felt like a rock. I was all too aware that it was possible we’d never see each other again.
Hansa walked up to Anjani, who stood tall and proud, visibly focused on keeping a straight face despite the sad look in her eyes. Hansa grasped her sister’s shoulders firmly, wearing her signature confident smirk.
“You be good, little sister,” she said. “Be sharp, be ready for anything, be ruthless.”
Anjani nodded, but I could tell she was wary of leaving her sister in these circumstances. The loss of the Red Tribe had taken its toll on both of them.
“What do we say when we go on quests like these, Anjani?” Hansa asked.
“May the sun guide your way.”
“May the moon light your path,” Hansa added.
“May the wind be your wings,” Anjani continued.
“May the earth serve your feet.”
“And may your blade keep you safe,” they said together.
“That’s right, sister,” Hansa said. “Be fierce, darling. You’ve got everything it takes to represent our tribe. You are one of the most promising warriors I’ve been blessed to raise. I know you will not let me down. You show those Lamias that we’re not to be played with.”
Anjani laughed, swallowing back tears as her sister hugged her tight.
“Come back in one piece, Hansa,” she whispered. “I still need you.”
“You only need the sun, the moon, the wind, the earth, and that beautiful blade of yours, little sister. But I will see you again soon. If not in this life, I will find you in the next. That I can promise.”
I felt my eyes sting as I watched the exchange between the two succubi. One by one, Vita, Aida, and Jovi hugged me goodbye, wishing me well. Phoenix waited his turn patiently, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at the Daughter.
“You stay alive, you hear me?” Aida mumbled, her lips trembling as she tried hard not to cry.
“It’ll take more than a crazy snake dude to take me down, Aida. You know that. I’m like a cockroach, nuclear disaster and all,” I joked, even as I squeezed my eyes shut to jam my tears.
She nodded, then took a step back, leaving Vita in front of me. I hugged my little fire fae, taking a moment to sniff her hair, wondering if that’s what sunshine would smell like if it had a scent of its own.
“Take care of these kids for me, Vita. You’re the only reasonable adult in this house now,” I quipped, and she grinned.
“Have you fed?” She asked.
“We just had lunch,” I mumbled back, and Vita rolled her eyes at me. “Ah, sentry-wise. Yes, I’m well-fed.” I nodded toward Draven, who was engaged in conversation with Bijarki, leaving him some last-minute instructions for his trip.
“My two-legged lunchbox,” I smirked.
“You feed off the Druid now?” Vita seemed surprised, knowing he’d pushed me away in the early days whenever I’d tried to syphon off him.
“Yes, and his energy is extraordinary and seemingly inexhaustible.”
She nodded and gave me a weak smile instead of a goodbye. I then walked up to Jovi and playfully poked him in the stomach. When I nearly strained my finger, I instantly regretted it. The guy was pretty much made out of rocks.
“You’d better come back with all your limbs intact, wolf-boy,” I said.
“I know you’d be devastated without me,” he grinned.
“Not really, but I really enjoy kicking your ass once in a while.”
He wrapped me in a bear hug, lifting me off the ground in the process. Then I made my way to Phoenix, who took me in his arms and held me for a good minute in absolute silence.
“I’ll be okay, Phoenix,” I said.
“I know you will. There’s no way we’re not getting out of this alive. Do you hear me?”
We looked at each other and smiled, but I couldn’t shake that ominous feeling lurking in the back of my head. I had to let it out.
“But in case we don’t, in case I don’t, I want you to—”
“Serena, don’t.” He cut me off, his voice low. “Don’t even go there.”
“But, Phoenix, I need to say—”
“No, Serena, you don’t. Let me be perfectly clear. You’re going to sneak into Azazel’s dungeon, you’re going to get Sverik out of there, and then you’ll come back here in one piece. I need you. I need you now more than ever. Don’t even think about not making it back. No.”
I took a deep breath, swallowing hard as Phoenix gripped my shoulders and put on a reassuring smile.
“You are the strongest, most resilient creature I have ever had the fortune to meet,” he added. “On top of that, you are the best sister anyone could ever wish for. I have all the faith in you, Serena. This is nothing for us. Just a crazy snake dude with an army of equally crazy snake dudes. Think of it as real life GASP training.”
I chuckled and cupped his face with my hands.
“Take care of yourself, big brother, and look after them as well. I’ll see you soon.”
He winked in response.
I pulled my satchel over my shoulder, waved goodbye to them all, and walked over to Draven.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice as smooth and calm as ever.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Serena
We took three horses to Mount Inon, as time wasn’t on our side. The stallions were purebred athletes, strong and fast, shooting through the jungle like arrows. We reached the volcano just as night unraveled around us in shades of indigo.
Inon welcomed us with limestone arms wide open. He guided us to another plateau on the western side of the mountain, where the other Dearghs had been kind enough to prepare dinner for us. It awaited us on large wooden platters.