Page 27 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

Snowlin

The Fogling screams made me cringe in a pain that shot up to my damned brains. The bat-like giant creatures were born out of magic and destruction the night of the Draugr. The million-man massacre had generated enough magical havoc to contort the fallen Aura to these creatures that remained to torment Olympia for years after. Despite being created from the darkness of human souls, the Fogling feared darkness and lived in the skies and mountain peaks that tore above the blanket of clouds facing Hemera. They needed light to live. The strange ways of gods and their wicked ways to prove points no one cared about.

About forty large, black, leathery bodies of the talon-armed creatures laid slain on the mountain floor as my soldiers gathered to burn them. We’d never had to kill them before. For twenty-seven years they roamed the skies, but never descended on the land to attack. Now, somehow, they rained down on my lands as if they were a rageful storm—angry at us. Perhaps angry at me for failing to grant their souls the rest they needed. For failing to kill my father when I had the chance. For holding back from claiming Myrdur so I could fulfil my selfish plans.

“That was twice as many as last time,” Tristin, the leader of the Skye warriors said, dropping to the stony ground of mount Amur where one of our smallest tribes had built life. Tristin was the woman that trained me in fighting. The one who turned my punches from angry to tactical. The one who strayed my aim from killing to evading. I owed much to her. She was one of my most trusted.

“And thrice as many as I last remembered to hoard in a flock,” Cai commented, dragging one of the creatures to a pile that was to be burned.

Tristin nudged my shoulder and pointed her chin to my stern friend. “What’s his matter? One of his soldiers ran out of the train grounds weeping the other day.”

I wished he would just make me cry too, but that would require him to actually speak to me. The man wouldn’t even look at me after the day of the battle. The most reaction he’d given me was when I bargained with Kilian. The disapproval of me meeting him could have withered flowers if there had been any in Myrdur.

“You know men and their mood swings,” I said. “Nothing that candy, some ego stroking, and a good barber’s visit cannot solve.”

She shrugged. “My guess is because you married that Adriatian king.”

I narrowed my eyes on her. “This is why I didn’t want you to marry Leanna. Poisoning your well polished brain with her deranged fantasies.” No doubt the Llyn tribe leader had spoiled Tristin’s highly trained mentality with these tales.

She cracked an unusual smile and ruffled her white, short rain drenched hair. “I thought you didn’t want me to marry her because you had a crush on me.”

“That too.” Kicking an innocent rock away, I stood up. “Send a couple more Nimbus to keep Amur under clouds till we figure where the Fogling are hoarding in such masses.”

The only way we kept the Fogling out of the cities was by casting darkness over the cities with clouds—dark clouds. Nimbus were stationed almost everywhere, ensuring that the blanket of safety remained above the cities at all times of the day despite the unpredictability of weather. Occasionally, the Nimbus would pull the clouds back to allow light touch land. Unfortunately, much needed sunlight to grow and thrive.

She sighed, surrendered. “It was one hour, Snow, one hour of sunlight for the first time in two weeks. Amur will start to freeze over soon enough. The weather is already shifting here. I’m starting to think there is something else triggering them,” Tristin said carefully. “Each time Isjordians breach Myrdur, they triple.”

Immediately, I seeked Cai in the crowd of soldiers. His form moved slower than usual, more helpless and hopeless looking. It must be breaking his soul to see his city still be stepped on and soiled by Isjordians. To have the memories of his parents tarnished by their presence.

“When has he slept in his bed for the last time?” Tristin asked, following my line of sight.

Cai had made camp down Myrdur since the first sighting of Isjordians were seen in Fernfoss months ago. Last I’d seen him spend the night in his room was long before we set camp in Fernfoss waiting for Isjord to call on me. “I don’t know.”

She stood, her massive white wings unfolding behind her. “He listens to you, get him to sleep at home,” she said, before launching in the air and disappearing between thunderous clouds.

Home. Had Cai ever considered Taren his home?

“Cai,” I called, slowly reaching him.

He cast a short look at me before continuing to arrange the Fogling body neatly atop one another. “Has Her Majesty finally got the time to tell me what happened this morning? Or are we keeping that one a secret too?”

“Portal us to Taren. This Majesty would rather repeat it once.”

He huffed, dusting his palms together before peeling his gloves off to reveal intricate black markings and runes on both his hands—craft that Visha had woven into him. Our kingdom was difficult to travel through, it could take days to climb from one tribe to the other and considering the frequency of the Fogling attacks and Isjordians roaming in Myrdur, we could not afford to lose time. So, the witch had worked her craft and sown it to Cai’s magic, and now he was able to travel from one location to the other with only a word.

All the way to the meeting room, I dreaded the moment where I'd have to tell Cai of the bargain I struck with Kilian. From time to time, I’d caught his side glances at my wrist and the fresh bargain that still burned, and they were enough to tell that he wouldn’t like what I'd exchanged for it.

“Her Majesty seems rather calm after everything,” he commented snidely.

“I am.”

“Do you think you can get Kilian to play your game by threats alone? Are you underestimating the Night King solely because you exchanged a few kisses and affections when he was in his guise?”

I stopped. Is that what we’d done? Exchanged a few kisses and affections? Is that what he thought we did? Was it all that we’d done? “I think you’re underestimating me, Cai.”

And as expected, when I sat the three most important people in my life down, Cai was the first one to react. “You will what?” he almost shouted the words in my face, having not taken the terms of the bargain all too well. I could see the steam of rage leaking out of his ears.

“There was a reason,” I said.