The moment my feet hit the stone of the entrance hall, I glanced up to find them all gathered, offering each other blood and licking wounds. Stunned silence fell upon the hall, none of us knowing what to say first. I patted each part of my body and found everything important where it should be. I guess as his mate, I now had a few of Benedict’s abilities.
Gelf approached slowly, his grey head bowed. “May I?”
I offered him my clawed hand, which he handled like spun glass between his weathered, mottled scales. Gelf fell to his knees in front of me, pressing my hand gently to his forehead. Tears glistened at the corners of his eyes, and as one they all fell to their knees before me. Gelf rose first, lifting my hand in the air, his face radiating with a joy that was contagious. I spread my wings wide to the assembled drakens, and everyone gaped at the dazzling white color that covered every part of my body except for my wings, whose edges looked like they had been dragged in black and purple ink. Benedict’s colors.
“The lost siren has returned!”
The drakens roared, stomped their feet, and sang in exuberance as I stood before them, Benedict’s colors painted on the edges of my draken body. The drakens pressed in close to me but didn’t approach past Gelf. In a way, I was thankful of Benedict’s claim on me, otherwise, I’d probably be buried under a pile of feral drakens.
Gelf turned to me, his eyes shimmering with unshed emotion. “We’ve waited so long. How is this possible?”
Benedict’s tortured face swam in my head, isolated by the consequences of his choices and mine. His people were all he had left. I couldn’t take them from him by telling them the truth.
“It doesn’t matter,” I replied simply. “I’m here now.”
His leathered hand squeezed mine, and the respect I saw in his grey eyes gave me the confidence to keep pushing.
“Where are the rest?” I demanded, my eyes scanning the crowd and seeing too few drakens. Kieran and Ronan approached Gelf, who let them pass when I gave him a slight nod. Their eyes held the same fervor of animalistic madness Benedict’s did right after my change. I put a warning hand on Gelf’s shoulder, and he tensed, stepping between me and my other two mates.
“You need to hold on. Soon, I promise,” I said.
Kieran licked his lips, but nodded, putting an arm across Ronan’s chest.
“We lost twenty-six in the fight, my queen,” Kieran replied, his voice rough with need and desire. Queen? I descended the dais, strutting amongst the other males, my wings spread, and my head held high. The mountain was no longer safe, and it was up to me to get everyone moving if Benedict continued to wallow in self-pity.
“Drakens, the demon hordes have found us, and it is only a matter of time before they return. We cannot fight as we were meant to in this mountain, encumbered by rock and unable to fly. We must return to Lyoness and reclaim the land.”
Stunned silence greeted my announcement, followed by an explosion of sound so loud I flinched. Their cheers were deafening, my blood singing as every male draken pledged their loyalty to me. Me! My head was fuzzy with fear and uncertainty, but I reached inward and found strength. If I could love Benedict in the face of his disdain, this would be a piece of cake. I had been through fire, forged by the flames of hatred and pain.
I was a queen with steel in my blood and determination in my eyes. “How will we ensure Lyoness is safe?”
Wyrren stepped forward from the crowd, bowing lightly. “Blood wards, using black and white magick. Shouldn’t be hard to snare a few vampyres for the task.”
I swallowed heavily but didn’t disagree. “No. Lykos. We will reach out to them and try to secretly rebuild our alliance.”
They all bowed their heads.
“The best course of action is a willing sacrifice, similar to Sabien’s, but more powerful.” Gelf’s eyes were far away, fixed on some point I couldn’t see.
“What could be more powerful?”
Warren looked away, but Gelf stood straighter; taller.
“Sabien was scared and young. We need an older draken with nerves of steel, committed completely to giving his life to protect the rest of the colony.”
Dead silence blanketed the hall.
“I volunteer.” Gelf’s eyes were steady, his chin held high.
Pirth pushed through the crowd and stood next to him. “I also volunteer.”
An awed hush fell over us.
Gelf smiled. “I hung on long enough in the hopes I would one day see the lost siren. You have brought me more joy than I thought possible. It would be my honor to lay down my life for the future of the draken race.”
Tears welled in the corner of my eyes, so I shifted them to Pirth.
His yellow scales glittered, the color of the sun. “What he said.”
I found Domik in the crowd, his eyes fearful. I swallowed back everything I was feeling, stuffing it down for later, when I could break down in private and grieve for these brave, brave men.
“When should we leave?” I asked him bluntly.
“Sabien’s sacrifice should hold for a few hours.”
I nodded, then addressed the rest of the drakens. “We leave in one hour. Be ready to fly.”
The hall descended into loud cheers and organized chaos. I turned towards Kieran and Ronan. Both were barely holding onto their sanity.
“Just hold on. I’m needed,” I said.
A bit of the heat cleared from Kieran’s eyes, and he took my hand in his, turning it over to admire the pattern of my scales. “I have waited for the day I would lay eyes on the lost siren for most of my life. I can wait a little longer for the honor of being one of her mates.”
He kissed my knuckles, emotion swimming his eyes. He dragged Ronan off with him. Ronan was still mooning after me like he was lost. My lips twitched, then hardened into a flat line. There was work to do, and I had an entire species to save.
Thoughts of Benedict invaded my head, but I pushed them away.
He stabbed himself to force you to change.
“Is everyone prepared?” I asked.
Gelf nodded, his eyes following the mildly organized chaos around us. “Preparations were already underway to leave the mountain.”
I turned towards him. Sabien had told me as much.
“Benedict confided that our home here was no longer safe and to prepare. He surveyed Lyoness a few days ago, and found it a barren wasteland, but free of any demon allies,” Gelf continued.
“Is that so?” I asked. I couldn’t believe it. Benedict really had believed me after all, and then tried to do something about it.
“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you sooner.” Benedict’s form materialized beside me, standing tall as he resolutely surveyed the drakens scurrying around him. I wanted to punch him in the face almost as badly as I wanted to kiss him.
The ground under my feet shook, a deep rumbling that sent alarm signals racing throughout my body. An hour had been right about on the mark.
“Everyone out!” Benedict bellowed as the drakens lined up in ordered formations, with the Elders out front leading, after I had refused. I wanted to make sure everyone else got out first.
“Stay in the middle of the pack. It’s vital we keep you a secret as long as we can.” His hand lingered on my lower back, just below my wing joints. It was tempting to make a smart comment, but the look in his eyes was so genuine, so pleading.
“Please, Wren, get to Lyoness and don’t die.”
It was all I could do to numb dumbly. “And where will you be?”
His wings twitched. “The rear.”
The mountain groaned in protest as rocks and dirt fell around our heads. I placed myself in the middle of a group of drakens, glancing around wildly. “Where is Georg?”
No one answered me as three drakens weaved spells on the elevator shaft, intending on blowing it open so we could make a quick escape through the sky. They made shallow cuts to their palms and cheeks, blood dripping down their noses. They would be carried by other drakens if their magick left them too weak to fly.
Part of the mountain exploded, as the magick blew the entire shaft into pieces, opening our eyes to the sky above. The drakens screamed in delight as their wings tasted the air, but all I felt was fear. Where was Georg?
I screeched in distress and fought my way to the back of the pack.
“What are you doing?” Benedict roared but withdrew when he saw the panic in my eyes.
“Georg! Where is Georg?”
His eyes narrowed in determination, and I think I fell in love with him all over again. He nudged me towards the fleeing drakens, and I leapt into the air. Just as the last of us cleared the mountain, it exploded in a shower of fire and shrapnel.
I screamed as Benedict disappeared underneath the mountain, covered by debris and falling rock. A large arm clenched around my waist and pulled, and I was half-flying, half being carried away against my will.
“No! We have to go back—” I screamed.
“My orders are clear,” Kieran grit out, pain evident in his face. I shoved away from him, refusing to be carried like and invalid.
“There’s nothing to be done right now. If you stay, you’ll die. We can come back when the dust has settled,” he promised.
How could he be so calm? Collected? I knew deep down he was right. And Benedict was strong—if anyone could survive, it would be him. Poor Georg.
I refused to mope and took off after the other drakens. Kieran flew beside me, then I quickly lost him in the melee. I screamed in rage as a demon reached for me, and I withdrew my knife and dodged him, slicing a large tear in his wings. He fell, screeching in agony.
Benedict wasn’t here, so it was up to me to ensure everyone made it to Lyoness. I would complete this task.
I squared my shoulders and flew east. Towards hope. Towards home. Towards a new beginning.
