Dawn of Chaos and Fury by Melissa K. Roehrich - 49

46

“ H ow did we never think to get you fitted for fighting attire? Armor? Something?” Luka muttered, eyeing Tessa.

“You’re not wearing armor,” she retorted.

“I can shift into a dragon, Tessa,” he returned, unimpressed.

“Theon’s not wearing armor.”

“Theon has been training for years, and his darkness covers him like armor. You are wearing a dress. And you’re barefoot.”

“You are wasting time arguing with me about this,” she tossed back. “I can create weapons from my magic, death feeds my power, and Nylah and Roan will be at my sides. You just worry about not falling out of the sky.”

“For the love of the gods,” he muttered, stalking after her as she threw open the door to the suite and made her way to the foyer where everyone was meeting.

“Reports tell us there are at least a hundred ground warriors and dozens of seraphs,” Theon was saying.

“You’ll need the dragons in the sky,” Eliza cut in. “Dragonfire can kill the seraphs. The ones that make it to the ground need to be burned too.” She paused, looking at Tessa. “You need armor or leathers.”

She sighed heavily. “I assure you, I do not.”

“Anything we need to know about the Legacy on the ground?” Razik asked, reaching over and checking the buckles on Eliza’s armor. She batted his hand away, but he brought it right back.

“Their power is light. They’ll use it to blind you. Some have the same energy that Tessa and Rordan have,” Dagian answered. “The Zinta and Sirana bloodlines are sworn to him as well. Expect priestesses to be with them.”

Razik glanced at Luka as he finished checking Eliza’s armor, then did a double take. “Where did you get that?”

Luka smirked, knowing he was eyeing the sword that was resting on his shoulder. “Found it.”

“You did not,” Tessa scoffed. “Axel took it from Bree.”

“Give that to Theon to use,” Razik ordered.

“No,” Luka growled.

“You won’t be able to use it as a dragon,” Razik retorted. “Tessa is unpredictable, and Theon is skilled. That sword needs to be used.”

“He’s right,” Eliza said, also eyeing the sword.

“Can we go? People are dying,” Tessa interrupted.

“Last question,” Theon said, turning to Dagian. “Is your father likely there?”

Dagian exhaled a long breath. “I honestly don’t know. He might try to exhaust your forces here before attacking somewhere else. He might come straight for the rings and try to entrap Tessa again.”

“Improvise as we go. Got it,” Tessa said, and Luka could feel her already sinking into her power. “I’m going.”

“By Sargon,” Luka muttered, grabbing her arm a second before she Traveled out.

Theon had done the same, apparently grabbing Dagian and Sasha. Razik and Xan Traveled in separately, Eliza in tow. Now they all stood in the center of Castle Pines, and Theon muttered a low curse. He’d mobilized warriors nearby, or Tessa had, but most of their forces were stationed in the larger cities like Rockmoor and Dark Haven. The only reason to start in Castle Pines would be if Rordan was coming straight for Arius House.

There were bodies in the streets. Some warriors, some civilians. Seraphs were in the air, power raining down from their stolen gifts. Achaz forces were splitting up and storming down side streets, Arius forces rushing to meet them.

“Kill more than me, mai dragocen ,” Razik said, flashing Eliza a challenging grin before he leapt, shifting into his dragon form in the air and loosing a battle cry as he soared up. Xan was in the air a moment later, the two dragons already engaging and letting their bloodline sing.

The Fire General spun towards them, drawing her sword from her back. “You two come with me. Tell me about the magic we’re facing,” she said, pointing at Dagian and Sasha.

Dagian glanced at Theon, who nodded in agreement. “She knows what she’s doing. Go with her and stay close.”

They went right, which left Theon and Tessa to go left. Luka hesitated, wanting to be in the sky, but also needing to be with his Ward and wife. On top of all that, he’d never fought in his dragon form. He was far more confident in his abilities with a blade.

Then the howling reached them, Nylah and Roan appearing seconds later from the fray. Which was great for Tessa, but it also announced their presence among the mayhem.

“We’re starving,” Tessa purred, a dark smile filling her face as Achaz forces came running in their direction.

Luka looked up, seeing Razik and his father taking on the seraphs as ashes started to drift in the air like snow. Is this how they felt when in battles with their Wards? Torn and needing to be in two places at once?

“I’ll stay with you two until more forces arrive,” Luka said, tightening his grip on the sword he still held.

Theon glanced at him. “Are you sure?”

“There aren’t enough here,” he said. “We sent extra support to Dark Haven after the massacre.”

“Yeah, all right,” Theon said, drawing his twin short swords from pools of shadows. “But if you need to go help in the sky, you just go.”

“Now?” Tessa asked, her feet already floating off the ground.

“Now, baby girl,” Luka conceded as a few warriors managed to break past Nylah and Roan.

They were met with a wave of crackling light, three of them on their backs within seconds. Arching in agony, that light spread beneath their skin, veins bright and translucent until they stopped moving altogether.

Tessa inhaled sharply through her nose, as if savoring whatever she’d just done. Then she turned to face them, violet eyes bright and the Marks on her skin glowing that soft gold color. Her smile was pure wildness before she set off.

“If anything, I need to stay with the two of you to help rein her in when it’s time,” Luka muttered.

“But for now, we’re just going to let her be who she is,” Theon replied.

They followed her, like they always did. She didn’t race to join the fray, but she seemed to have a certain direction she was going. Luka had no idea what was driving her, but her wolves prowled ahead and she let arrows fly as she moved.

Theon and Luka used their blades, and the first time he swung with that sword, dragonfire encompassed the thing. He didn’t have time to marvel at it as he sank the sword into a warrior, his power turning them into nothing. It was just like Eliza’s sword, only hers magnified her fire magic.

Theon was the death he always was, his darkness fighting as much as he was with weapons. They’d trained like this hundreds, if not thousands, of times, but these last months were the first times it’d been life or death rather than sparring.

It didn’t take long for them to realize the Legacy warriors weren’t going to be the issue. It was going to be the seraphs in the skies, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t just as much work to do down here.

“You need to get up there,” Theon barked, his darkness holding two Achaz warriors in place while Luka cut through both of them with his sword.

“And leave you two vulnerable down here?”

“Does that look fucking vulnerable to you?” Theon snapped.

Luka’s gaze snagged on Tessa where she was letting her arrows fly while her power took. And she wasn’t just fighting the warriors on the ground. No, her chaos was reaching into the sky and grabbing seraphs who made the mistake of coming for her. It dragged them to the ground, and even from here, Luka could see the eerie glee on her face as she stood over them and fed her magic.

She may have let her magic end the seraphs, but with the warriors, she used her arrows or blades, blood spraying and leaving nothing but ashes and destruction in her wake.

A roar of fury rang out, and they all looked up to see a group of seraphs converging on Xan.

“Go!” Theon snarled while Achaz forces tried to take advantage of the momentary distraction. Theon grabbed one by the throat, his darkness seeping into the male’s soul. The other⁠—

Tessa appeared, Traveling to Theon’s side. One of her daggers sank into the male’s side, and as he doubled over, she drove the dagger in her other hand into his neck. Blood splattered on her face, her hair.

A godsdamn goddess of chaos and destruction.

She turned as though she’d heard that thought, her smile wicked and terrifying and fucking beautiful.

“Luka, get in the fucking sky,” Theon snarled. “We are clearly fine.”

Gritting his teeth, he tossed his sword to Theon. He caught it, and the dragonfire around the blade instantly morphed into darkness. Evidently it magnified whatever power the wielder held.

His gaze connected with Theon’s, both of them clearly thinking the same thing.

Do not let Tessa touch that sword, Luka said.

Noted , Theon ground out, shoving the blade into another sentinel.

We could do many things with that sword , Tessa argued, and Luka hated that her voice was other even in his mind.

“I’ve got it handled,” Theon bit out again, shoving the male back with his foot.

Another roar finally had Luka shifting fully, and he was in the sky a moment later. His own roar of rage echoed with his father’s, and then Razik was there with him, the two of them soaring hard and fast for Xan.

Until a burst of power slammed into them, shoving them back. How in the fuck?

Razik’s black diamond-shaped head whipped around, both of them searching for the seraph. The problem was, they had no way to determine what every single seraph’s power was. Those who’d stolen elemental powers were easy enough. Water. Wind. Whatever. But those who’d stolen other gifts—altering reality, power detection, and likely gifts they didn’t know were out there—there was no way to tell what they were.

Razik snarled, flipping over and sunlight glinting off the faint scarring on one of his wings. His massive tail swiped out, catching a nearby seraph and sending it hurtling straight to Luka. On instinct, his jaw closed around it, teeth sinking in. The crunch of bones and wings snapping echoed with the seraph’s cries of pain. And the taste? Vomiting in the sky was not on his list of things to do today.

He released the female, letting her fall, and dragonfire engulfed her, courtesy of his brother. Sapphire eyes connected with his, and Luka could swear Razik huffed in amusement. That fucker knew they tasted awful.

Luka snarled, spinning away from him and once again making his way to his father, who was still battling the same swarm of seraphs. He couldn’t just send dragonfire at them without also risking hitting his father. It wouldn’t wound him, but he’d still feel it.

With a disgruntled growl, he barreled forward. Teeth snapping and claws swiping, he knocked them, dodging magic attacks as much as he could. It wasn’t enough though. He took hits of ice daggers to his flanks, and winds tore at his wings.

Razik was below him, black flames spewing from his mouth as Luka knocked them down, and Xan was finally able to shake off several of them. His fury echoed again as he broke free of the swarm. He banked sharply, the black and blue of his form shimmering in the daylight, and then Luka was darting out of the way as that fury exploded from him. Dragonfire rained down, but not in the wild way his and Razik’s dragonfire was consuming. No, this was controlled . It leapt from one seraph to another, the flames never banking or going out, as if Xan could control his magic even from his dragon form.

Luka’s head whipped to Razik only to find him watching their father too. Luka had never been able to control his gifts like that when in his dragon form, and while he couldn’t read any sort of expression on Razik right now, he was guessing it was the same for him. It was why they preferred to fight with just their wings, not fully shifted. It was no wonder the seraphs had seemed to leave them alone and focus on Xan, and Luka suddenly wondered if the god of war and courage himself had trained his father.

Xan twisted to find them staring, and he snapped at them with a sharp growl, jerking his head to the side. The message was clear: do their fucking job.

Razik snarled, clearly irked about being caught watching, and he banked right, going in the direction of flames below. Luka followed his lead, going left. He’d take care of the skies above Theon and Tessa, while Razik managed those above Eliza. Xan could clearly handle the middle sector.

He didn’t know how long they fought, but he sank into it that same way he’d felt Tessa sink into her power. Magic was flying, cries of victory and agony mingling. He could hear the clashing of weapons and the bellows of orders being shouted.

Time both dragged on and flashed by. There was no time to think, just give in to instinct. But that instinct was telling him this wasn’t going to be enough. Rordan had bided his time. This wasn’t a frivolous attack, but one that had been meticulously planned. He knew their forces were concentrated elsewhere and had attacked Castle Pines for that very reason.

Even with Theon and Tessa, Dagian, a Fire General, and two additional dragons, the odds were not in their favor.

Not as it seemed like three more seraphs appeared for every one they took out.

Not as more and more Achaz forces swarmed the streets of the city.

Not as those forces methodically pushed their own to the city center, effectively surrounding them.

Not as he started to feel his power weaken and drain. If Theon started drawing from him, he’d have to shift back and fight from the streets. Tessa wouldn’t need him. She was a godsdamn vision below, her chaos wreaking havoc and her arrows finding their marks. She’d been training with the things, sure, but nobody became that skilled that quickly. Whatever power created her arrows was connected to her on some level, ensuring her wishes were carried out. And with every life that was forced to give, her power took and took.

His father streaked by, making Luka whip around to follow where he was going, only to see a fresh wave of Achaz forces appearing to the south of the city.

Son of a bitch, Luka growled down the bond. There’s more Theon. To the south.

Godsdammit, he muttered. We’re not going to win this. We need to switch gears. Focus on getting the innocent to safety, and then we can retreat.

Give up the city? Luka countered. It’s the closest one to Arius House.

I’m aware.

We’re just going to abandon it?

I’ll lose the city if we can save the people.

Then her voice was drifting down the bond. Rordan is here.

That was all she needed to say, and Luka was diving for them. If he was as powerful as Dagian said he was, there was no way she was facing the male alone. Theon didn’t have any additional gifts yet, and Dagian had said it would drain her to the point of breaking to face off with him. That was not happening today.

The ground shuddered as he landed behind them, forces from both sides scattering to accommodate his size. Whipping his head around, he snatched up an Achaz warrior that was coming for Theon, careful not to draw blood because they seriously tasted fucking awful. Taking a few steps closer, he dropped the male on the ground at Tessa’s feet. Theon’s darkness wound around him, keeping him immobile, and Tessa lifted her gaze to Luka’s with a dark smirk.

“A late birthday present?” she crooned.

He shifted then, leaving only his wings on display. He needed to preserve as much of his magic as he could at this point. “Just wanted to see that viciousness in action,” he returned, taking in the blood splattered on her porcelain skin.

Then he frowned. There were spots on her arms, her shoulder, her thigh, where Theon’s darkness was cinched tightly around her. Luka reached out, gripping her elbow for a closer look.

“Her blood can’t touch the ground. It will summon Hunters,” Theon said tightly. “I’ve been making sure it doesn’t.”

Tessa pulled her arm from Luka’s grasp, crouching beside the Achaz male, that same wicked smirk on her lips.

“Please! Don’t!” he cried. “I have to follow orders. I have to⁠—”

“You’ll have to plead your case with Arius,” she interrupted with a dark croon. “Because I do not care.”

Then one of her black runic daggers appeared in her hand, and blood was splattering as she dragged it slowly across his throat before plunging it deep into his chest.

She stood casually, dagger still in hand, as she said, “Rordan is here.”

“You said that already,” Luka replied, watching the mayhem around them. “You’re right, Theon. We need to get the fuck out of here.”

Then Eliza was there, panting and covered in blood herself. “What’s the plan?” she gasped, Dagian and Sasha behind her.

“My father is here,” Dagian said.

“We know,” Luka growled as Eliza spun and blocked an arrow with her sword before the warrior went up in dragonfire a moment later, Razik dropping in behind her. He’d already shifted, and Eliza was reaching for a dagger.

“No, mai dragocen, ” he murmured, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

“You need to fill your reserves, Raz,” she insisted, still trying to bring the blade to her forearm.

“If you think I am taking what little magic you have left when we are in the midst of battle, you are sorely mistaken,” he growled, stepping in closer to her.

“You need it more than I do. I can use my sword,” she argued.

“We combine them if needed,” Razik said. “Like we did to free Xan.”

“Razik, no. This is⁠—”

“End of discussion, Eliza. I am not drawing from you right now.”

Her eyes flashed with anger. “Cut me off and tell me ‘end of discussion’ again, Razik Greybane. I dare you.”

“Be violent with me later,” he retorted, kissing her hard before she could reply.

“My Lord! Or— My Lady?” a panting Arius captain gasped out, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

“What is it?” Theon snapped.

“At the front. There are— We couldn’t stop them,” he gasped.

“Godsdammit,” Luka growled because Tessa was already moving. So much smaller than they were, she slipped through the crowd practically unseen while the rest of them had to shove people out of the way. Her wolves prowling in a radius around her helped some, but not enough. He looked up, trying to spot Xan, but he was nowhere to be seen. Where the fuck was he?

“Tessa, wait!” Theon called, having to stop and use his sword or magic every few steps.

“Tessa!” Luka hollered. He couldn’t simply send a wave of dragonfire. Their own forces were too intermingled now. They couldn’t afford to lose any more.

She kept moving, and he and Theon kept fighting to get back to her. She was in so much godsdamn trouble when this was over.

Finally, they burst through a throng of fighting, only to go completely still as they took in the scene before them.

Tessa stood there, her aura swirling with light and dark, while Nylah and Roan were at her sides, teeth bared and growling. Across from her stood Rordan Jove, light undulating and crackling around him.

Seconds later, Razik and Eliza pushed through the crowd too, Dagian and Sasha at their heels.

“Well done, Dagian,” Rordan said with a small smile.

Luka slowly turned to the male, eyes narrowed. “If you betrayed us⁠—”

“I didn’t,” Dagian spat, his eyes fixed on his father. “And he knows that.”

Rordan’s smile turned dark. “He speaks the truth. I raised him to take what he wants. If only he wasn’t as big of a disappointment as Tessa turned out to be.”

“If only you’d loved me and coveted my loyalty the way you did hers,” Dagian returned. “Your entire existence has revolved around finding her to gain Achaz’s favor. I was a necessary inconvenience until you found her.”

“You would have been given everything,” Rordan said calmly. “A kingdom to rule. A Source for your power. A wife to warm your bed and give you powerful heirs. I blame your mother for the way you turned out. She coddled you too much. Intervened too much.”

“You tortured her!” Dagian roared. “You used me to manipulate her into giving you more and more power. She⁠—”

“Loves you?” Rordan interjected, his features all cruel amusement now. “This is Devram, son. Love doesn’t exist here, and do you know why?”

Dagian held his tongue, his jaw clenched so tightly Luka could hear his teeth grinding.

“The gods didn’t want it to. They know how useless it is. How it sways kings and queens. How it causes wars and breaks alliances. And look just how accurate that is,” Rordan continued, gesturing to Tessa and Theon. “Five kingdoms that have worked seamlessly for centuries are now broken.”

“You did that,” Theon retorted.

“No,” he countered. “ Love did that. Why do you think we take the Fae to Estates as babes? So mothers do not have the chance to love and sacrifice for them. Why do you think Matches are contractual obligations? So this doesn’t happen. Everything we do is to make sure none of that can flourish, and yet, despite our efforts, it does. Look at Maya? So distraught by the death of her Source, she can’t think clearly,” he said with disgust. “So no, Dagian, I’ve never loved you. The only thing I’ve ever wanted from you was your loyalty, and instead, you’ve brought me betrayal. I can see it well enough on Theon’s finger.”

Luka glanced over, seeing the ring Dagian had delivered back on Theon’s middle finger where it had sat for years.

“The payment for that betrayal is your Source’s power,” Rordan said.

“No,” Dagian snarled. “You will not take that from her. You’ve taken enough. You have enough!”

“So be it.”

It happened so fast, no one could do anything. Not as Rordan’s light struck precisely, coiling around Sasha and yanking her violently to the space between them.

“No!” Dagian roared, lunging for her, but Rordan’s power wrapped around him too, suspending him in the air as Sasha screamed. His light twisted and coiled, taking the shape of a snake that wound around her before sinking fangs of pure power into her throat.

Her screams stopped, and the world was quiet save for the sound of Dagian being dropped back to the ground. Rordan had subdued his son with scarcely any effort, and Dagian was powerful.

“Sasha!” he cried, crawling to her still body. “No! No, no, no!”

“And then there’s you ,” Rordan said, his eyes sliding to Tessa and ignoring his son’s broken cries.

Tessa’s fury was palpable as she took a single step forward. “How incredibly weak of you to pick a fight with someone you know cannot hold their own.”

“I am anything but weak, child,” he replied too calmly. “But you? We all know your weaknesses now, don’t we?”

“No!” she cried, and it took a second for Luka to realize what was happening. Rordan’s power moved too fast, and Luka didn’t know how he did that. But a wave of swirling golden mist was blinding them, as if the sun itself was laying siege, and Luka was being thrown back, flying through the air.

But not because of Rordan’s power.

It was the impact of Tessa’s magic colliding with it.

Luka hit the ground hard, banishing his wings a moment before impact. He felt the skin on his back peel open as he skidded across the ground, but he was scrambling back to his feet in the next breath.

“By the gods,” someone muttered. Maybe Razik?

Because Tessa’s chaos was arcing over everyone like a dome while Rordan’s light slid along it, looking for any cracks to gain entrance. Seraphs pelted that dome with magical attacks. Tessa’s hands were raised in front of her, power flowing and racing, reinforcing. In truth, Rordan had been stupid for waiting until now to attack. She’d been feeding her magic for hours. If he was going to be part of this, he should have been here from the beginning, when she was at her weakest.

Theon was running, clearly having been thrown as far as Luka had.

Tessa, draw from me! Do it, tempest! he ordered down the bond.

Luka was shoving people out of his way as he took long strides back to her too, and then he stumbled as there was a yank on his power. Because Theon was drained, and she was taking from him, forcing Theon to draw from him as his Guardian.

“Shit,” he muttered, finally reaching his side. “This can’t last forever.”

“I know, but it will give us a little time to…try to think of something,” Theon answered, looking around as if he’d find the answer somewhere.

They stood back, not wanting to get too close to her and be a distraction. Her features were twisted in concentration, and her power had her off the ground, so at least she wasn’t having to hold herself up.

“Where the fuck is Xan?”

Luka turned at the growl from Razik, and he dragged a hand down his face. “I don’t know.”

“He just fucks off in the middle of a godsdamn battle?” Razik demanded, Eliza looking just as furious at his side. Beside them was Dagian, holding Sasha’s body to his chest.

“He is going to come back to a massacre,” Razik snarled.

“Tessa is stronger than Rordan,” Theon bit back.

“Until her power gives out. Then we’re all fucked, even if Rordan’s gives out too. They have more forces. He’s draining her on purpose, and then we will be overwhelmed because he fucking abandoned us. Not that we should be surprised. It’s what he does,” the male sneered.

Even Luka had to admit this looked pretty fucking bad.

“Let’s just figure out what we’re going to do in the meantime,” Eliza cut in. “Travel out?”

“We need to do that now. We’re all drained,” Luka said. “We can’t afford to lose any more power and risk not being able to Travel. And we won’t be able to take everyone.”

“How do you decide who gets left behind?” Theon demanded.

Eliza’s lips were pressed into a thin line. “You just…do. This is war. Not everyone survives.”

“That’s not acceptable,” Theon bit back. “Look around you. They’re still fighting. We can’t just abandon them.”

And they were. Trapped on this side of the barrier, their forces were easily overtaking the Achaz warriors. But the fact remained that the moment that barrier fell, there were at least a hundred more warriors waiting for them, not to mention the seraphs in the sky.

“We have to go now,” Razik said. “War requires making impossible choices.”

“He’s right, Theon. We can’t⁠—”

A roar ripped through the air.

They looked up to find a dark stain against the sky, and he wasn’t alone. Those were flames flying beside him. Bright oranges and reds. People with wings of flame. Some were riding flying creatures of the same. They clashed with the seraphs, and a small whimper came from Tessa as some of the strain on her power was eased.

“Stay with her. Tell me when she’s almost tapped out,” Luka ordered Theon. “We’ll do what we can.”

Then he and Razik were back in the sky with their wings, not wanting to waste their magic by shifting fully. As he got closer, he realized these were Anala Legacy. He had no idea they had an aerial fleet, but Xan had known. He’d known and gone for backup.

Flames flickered around him as they fought side by side. If they could keep them busy up here, maybe they could figure something out down there. So he fought with everything he had alongside his father and his brother, praying to anyone that would listen that it would be enough.