Page 35 of Maleen

“Ravina,” Vasari growls. “ We have arrived.”

I freeze for a moment before slowly leaning to peer over Vasari’s wide body, and what I see has my stomach shrinking.

The capitol of Spirrix, Maleen, is in ruins.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

VOISSOR AND I CONTINUE TO follow behind Vasari and Ravina as we scan the forest to the north of Maleen’s ruins and the meadows to the south of it. The trees and rocky hills are throwing longer and longer shadows with every passing moment as the sky blazes with an orange sunset. From above, the only sign of life I find other than the occasional wild animal is of paths made by regular patrols of clumsy fae: the Lords’ army. So far, we’ve spotted two small troops that will be nothing to handle on our own. Tal and Aemon have already broken away from our party to dispatch them. The footsoldiers are disorganised and undisciplined—clearly no threat, and with only one camp nearby: ours now. Speaking of camping, we should land and prepare for the night soon. We will need to send messages. Though this place seems safe enough for now, I want Ravina’s Guard here as soon as possible.

“I’ll let Tisur know that you wish to speak to the mind fae,” Voissor grumbles, flapping his massive crimson wings as lazily as if we haven’t just flown for hours.

A moment later, I feel a pressure against my mental shield, knocking eagerly against my mind. I open up a small pocket to let Jesper in and give him my assessment. “We should make camp along the western border of the city. We don’t have long before the sun sets, and we need to call for the Vathian troops. I don’t like how unprotected Rav is here.”

“I will pass along the message!” he says before exiting my mind.

My body shivers from the intrusion; sometimes the mental magick of having someone in my mind gives me the same sensations of being touched. My personal space invaded. Another reason why I think the bond between Rav and I would never work.

Voissor snorts. “The Fates wouldn’t have blessed you with a true mate bond if it wasn’t something you could handle. Listening to you moan about never having your mate is giving me indigestion. Stop acting like a hatchling before its first flight and just jump, because if I have to listen to another two days of this whining, then I’m going to set myself on fire.” His ribcage rattles between my thighs.

“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?” I ask.

“I think not,” he mutters before putting a wall up between us.

Even my dragon is getting annoyed with my reasonable caution. But before I can launch my next pros and cons list for why I shouldn’t give in, we’ve landed in a clearing—the largest open space in the area. From the vantage point of Voissor’s back, I see we are separated from the ruins of Maleen by only a thin strip of woods, and this hilltop has a clear view. Nobody will be sneaking up on my mate. Not even me—there’s a perfect spot for a guard tent on the northern edge of the camp where the dragons will den.

Ravina lands right by me and scouts towards Maleen, so I turn away, ignoring the clench of my gut, checking instead for water. Nothing nearby, but that’s not my problem. My only duty is to keep Rav safe. From a distance, preferably.

Voissor removes the wall for a moment. “Stop being the prey and running from your problems. Go and get your female.” Then he promptly places it back up again.

Wonderful. My mental ramblings have driven my dragon mad.

Ravina’s voice reaches me from atop her dragon, now a few wingspans away. “I can’t go any further than this. There’s like a wall of energy stopping me…”

I hop down and make my way over to her, being careful not to touch even though my most precious memories are of her smooth alabaster skin grazing mine. So soft and warm…

“Killian?”

I shake myself out of my thoughts and see Ravina peering at me with a deep crease between her brows. “Yes?”

“I asked if you’ve ever heard about something like this before it happened to Maleen?” She turns with her arms crossed across her chest, almost as if she’s trying to hold herself together as she stares at the ruins of her home in the distance.

I step up beside her and feel the energy of the invisible wall that’s keeping everyone out. “No. Our father’s had us looking into every lead after the wall went up and expelled everyone from the borders.”

Aemon blinks next to us, the evening now dark enough to allow it. “Troops should start filing in now. Let’s help set up camp, and we can figure out how to breach that wall tomorrow.” He wraps his arm around her shoulder and she melts into his side.

Fucking Fates. I want that so bad.

Her eyes dart to mine like she hears my thoughts and I quickly make sure my mental shield is in place. When I’m sure it is, I find her still staring at me like she’s trying to convey a message. The longing and hope in her large sapphire eyes nearly bring me to my knees. My imagination conjures up vivid images of her in my arms, her lips against mine and her strong but short legs wrapped around my frame.

I can almost feel myself moving toward her before the thoughts of her dead at my hands blasts across the forefront of my mind. I stumble back, making some sort of half-assed excuses before deciding to make myself busy.

No. Voissor’s wrong. Hurting her isn’t something I can handle.

Maybe the Fates aren’t right all the time. Maybe this is my curse.

THE NIGHT IS calm. Too calm. There’s not a cloud in the sky as the stars twinkle mockingly above , nor a breeze to rustle the leaves of the trees standing taller than any building I’ve seen. My warrior mind looks for an enemy causing this unnatural stillness, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had to do with the Nairiden Woods. This ancient forest is the largest in Damorleia, backing on to two mountain ranges to the north. These woods hold more secrets than even the Fates themselves, or so I’ve heard.

When we would visit the city as fledglings we were always told to stay out of these woods, and that was one rule Ravina was determined not to break. Even the more skilled adventurers are careful when entering, refusing to go too deep or straying from the paths.