At first, I thought he was speaking to us, but then I realized he was speaking to our host. The gray-cloaked elf nodded and placed a hand over his chest. “On my honor,” he stated, and with that, all of the elves disappeared again.
We all stood there for a stretch of uncomfortable silence until the elf host spun around and gave us all a curt nod. His cloak fluttered in the wind and I saw an array of shiny weapons beneath. “I am Zandu, and I will bring honor to my family’s name with this great quest.”
Okay. Good motivation. I liked it. He had something driving him other than just our need. For creatures who normally did not involve themselves in the battles of others, I sensed this was important.
“Thank you, Zandu.” I put on my most polite queen voice. “If you would lead us into the fae lands, we would be ever so grateful.”
He held up a hand and gave me a half smirk. “You highborn, always rushing into everything with your swords raised and your egos engorged.”
Kade gave a low rumble in his throat beside me, but I nudged his leg with my knee and he stopped. Zandu raised an eyebrow at Kade, turning back to me. “What do you know about the Dark Fae Lord’s creatures?”
I squirmed under his gaze. “Not much. I’ve fought an ercho twice.”
Zandu broke out into a full-blown grin, showcasing a mouth of slightly pointed teeth. “erchos are little pests compared to what hides in the lands beyond this gate.”
I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling unprepared for this mission. It had been a rapid, ill-planned sort of journey, but there was an urgency we couldn’t ignore. Every day I stayed in New York was another day for the dark ones to build their army, to initiate whatever plans they were making.
I was actually pretty good at being thrown into the deep end, learning on the job, so it had made sense … at the time.
Kade stepped closer; he was equal height with the elf. “Queen Arianna has powerful magic, and so do I. If you have information you would like to share with us about these dark creatures, we would be grateful, but show some respect toward my mate, the same way we have shown your people respect.” Kade’s voice was calm, but there was no way anyone missed the deadly undertones.
I found myself holding my breath as the elf assessed him. Kian took a step closer to his brother, their broad shoulders filling a section between two trees. Something twinkled in the elf’s eyes, and then he gave a half head bow.
“I’ve always admired how driven by love the highborn can be.” His normally blunt voice held a note of wistfulness. I knew there was a story there — a story we didn’t get to hear, because he was suddenly all business again. “The beasts that live in the water, the slimers, can come onto land, but they prefer to pull you into a watery grave. They cannot be killed by any normal weapon. The only enemy of a water beast is fire.”
We all nodded. The five of us were slowly inching closer to Zandu, trying to absorb every piece of advice.
“Winged, or skybeasts, like ercho, harpy, and jets, can only be defeated with an arrow between their eyes.”
Kian nodded, as he was our bow man on this journey. King Samson had outfitted him with a bunch of fancy silver-tipped arrows.
“Wait,” I interrupted. “We have killed a harpy before, with a sword.” I’d seen her chest stop moving.
The elf shook his head. “They can be disabled … their bodies mimic death, but they are able to be revived by the Dark Fae Lord if you don’t kill them in the exact manner I say.”
Thank the gods we found the elves. Their knowledge was going to prove invaluable, I had no doubt.
Kade intercepted my thought: Or they found us. Maybe the divine are on our side here?
That would be a nice change.
Zandu lowered his voice. “The killians are ground beasts and they are aplenty. It’s this creature which forms the main fodder for the dark one’s army. Their hide is well protected, made from something similar to metal. Completely impenetrable. Their only weakness is a soft tissue flap near their neck. Beheading them will kill them.”
Dante unsheathed his sword and I knew he had just taken on the task of taking out the killians.
“There are many more smaller creatures, but they are of no real concern unless one bites or claws you. Don’t get bitten or scratched by anything in the dark realm, not even a bush,” Zandu warned.
With each warning my gut tightened with nerves.
Finally he looked at Kade. “The only way to kill the Dark Fae Lord is to snuff out the final sliver of humanity he has left with the dark weapon you possess, and then destroy his staff. I never believed we would end his reign, because I never believed anyone could wield a dark weapon and not succumb to its call. We will wait and see how you fare.”
He might not have faith in my mate, but I did. Kade was one of the strongest beings I knew, and I would keep him from the darkness. Complementary powers went both ways. Zandu took one final glance at our small hunting party and then spun around to open a portal. I stared into the shimmery oval, seeing the land beyond.
It wasn’t the stench of oil and death that had panic rising up inside of me, it was the sight of that damn lake from my dreams, and the black slithering creatures that swam within it. I welcomed the panic; it had my senses firing, my adrenalin pumping. My wolf was restless, pacing and growling in my chest, urging me forward. She was ready to end this. And so was I.
The war had begun.
Kian had his bow out. I held a long blade. Shelley had a two-pronged weapon in each hand, Dante his scary sword. Zandu appeared to be unarmed, but considering how many blades I’d seen beneath his coat, I knew he was one huge walking weapon. Our hunting party was ready.
The step through to the other side was silent and fast; the energy almost jerked me through, and I barely kept my feet on the icy ground. The cold bit into me; it felt even more all-encompassing than the winter lands. Adrenalin was keeping me warm though, my wolf prickling across my skin as she tried to force the change. It was almost unfair that I had to choose between her and my magic, because one didn’t seem to work with the other. I felt her reassurance, though, that she would aid me in whatever way she could.
Taking a deep breath, knowing that things were going to get very messy soon, I decided to take a moment for a Calista-style positive affirmation. “We will defeat the Dark Fae Lord and winter queen. We will prevent war and save thousands of lives. We will not let the darkness win.” My words were barely above a whisper; they were for me alone.
I felt Finn slip into my thoughts and it was a pleasant surprise that we could indeed communicate over this long distance. You got this, Ari. I’ll be waiting for you.
My familiar was with me at all times, hearing my thoughts and hopes and dreams, my insecurities and fears. He was my other half.