A Shield of Glass Read online

  I was in bed, in my room inside Stonewall. The moonlight poured through the window, and I could hear the ocean waves crashing against the rocky shore below. It was getting cold, and my body was covered in sweat. The breeze whistled through my room, brushing against me and sending chills down my spine.

  Rubbing my face, I got out of bed, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

  Had it only been a dream? My subconscious need to see her again?

  I looked out the window. The indigo sky was clear, riddled with stars. The moon hung large, low, and heavy over the ocean’s rippling waters. It would soon go away and make room for sunrise. Down below, broken ships rocked in the harbor. One had been repaired, with new sails and succubi were loading it with supplies. They were getting ready to sail to Marton in the morning.

  The urgency of seeing Viola again filled the hole her absence had left. I was wide awake and knew I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. Thoughts of her came rushing through my head in a deranged whirlwind, and I couldn’t push any of them out.

  I dressed and went into the archive hall, where an oil lamp still burned, its orange flame flickering in the darkness. I started looking through the books in the history section. I couldn’t go after the Daughters of Eritopia, but I could at least read up on them. I could understand their existence and find potential weaknesses.

  If Azazel had been able to spot the egg pushed out by Mount Agrith, he had done it because he had enough knowledge about them. He probably knew the cycles and had anticipated Eritopia’s response to his actions. It made me wonder whether my own pursuit would guide me to the information I needed to get Viola back. It was a long shot, and a random one at that, but I was out of options. I had to try.

  The history section offered very little, so I moved to the restricted section, including the forbidden tomes in the chest. Most of the books in there were spell books, dark magic that was too evil to teach young Druids, archived and forgotten. But there was a journal at the bottom, bound in leather, with waxed pages. It was written by Calisthenes, who declared himself a follower of Asherak on the title page and in the introduction.

  It was a detailed account of Asherak’s encounters with the Daughters of Eritopia. I’d probably try for visions about this later when I could focus more, but for now, I decided to read through Calisthenes’s account.

  It was as good a place to start as any.

  Aida

  We talked and kissed and held each other before sleep got the better of us and made us hide beneath the blankets. We were both exhausted after all the running and fighting. I was surprised we’d even made it to midnight without crashing.

  I slept like a log. When I peeled my eyes open, I couldn’t even remember my dreams. Instead, I was enveloped by Field, his arms wrapped around my waist, his chest against my back. It felt so good, I didn’t want the moment to end.

  His breath warmed the back of my neck, his face hidden in my hair. Judging from his breathing, he was still sleeping.

  I didn’t want to wake him just yet. I looked up and noticed the pale orange and blue shades of sunrise stretching across the sky. It was quiet, and his embrace softened my senses.

  It seemed like a reasonable time to check on Vita—I wondered whether Bijarki had made it to Luceria yet. I closed my eyes and shut everything out, focusing on the universe expanding in the darkness and the sound of Vita’s heartbeat.

  The blackness dissipated, and my surroundings became clear. I was in Vita’s room. She was standing by the window, the iron shackle heavy on her ankle. She brightened when she saw me, once again expressing regret at not being able to hug me. The feeling was mutual. I couldn’t wait to hold her close again.

  I brought her up to speed with the concealment spell Draven had found for us Oracles, the alliance meeting, and our current plan. She expressed the same concerns that I had about Jovi and Field putting themselves at such risk, and she too frowned and rejected the notion of Bijarki failing.

  “I know,” I muttered. “Serena said the same thing. But we had to consider the possibility nonetheless. Best to be prepared, you know?”

  “I guess.” She pouted, looking out the window.

  “Vita, we need your help,” I said. I hated asking her to do anything that could jeopardize her safety, but we needed her inside support. She looked at me with raised eyebrows and twinkling turquoise eyes, as if eager to do whatever we asked. I figured she felt restless and useless in there.

  “Go on,” she said.

  “We need you to find out where Azazel keeps the little Daughter in the castle. A precise location.” I sighed. “Do you think you can do that? Without getting yourself in trouble?”

  “You know, I was actually planning on doing just that.” She gave me a mischievous smile. “Damion let it slip that she’s in here somewhere. I figured that if I find out where they’re keeping her, Bijarki and I could snatch her. You know, since we’d be using the invisibility spell.”

  “Hah, great minds think alike, then!” I chuckled, then frowned at her. “Can you do it, though? You’re shackled to the bed, honey…”

  “Like you said the other day, when has that ever stopped me from doing something?” Vita grinned with impressive confidence. I loved the person she’d become since we’d landed in Eritopia. I’d loved the earlier version of her as well, but this Vita standing before me was even more incredible, stronger and more self-assured. My heart swelled with pride.

  “We figured that if we take the little Daughter away from Azazel, it’ll cut off an essential power supply for Azazel’s magic,” I said.

  “Do you think it would get the Daughters to intervene, then, if he no longer has her as leverage?” Vita mused, crossing her hands on her chest.

  “It might, but we’re not counting on them. Not after what they did to us at the mansion,” I muttered. “Our main focus is to weaken Azazel.”

  “Okay then!” Vita took a deep breath, suddenly energized. “Patrik will come by soon. He’s so close to breaking the control spell; I can feel it. The sooner he does this, the better. Since I’m trapped here, I can’t do much without stirring attention. But if Patrik is free of Azazel’s control, he can go look for the Daughter and give us a precise location. Hopefully Bijarki will be here soon…”

  I noticed the shadow passing over her face and the glossy brightness in her eyes. She was worried about him, and with good reason. He was supposed to be there already.

  “He’s probably assessing his way in, Vita,” I told her reassuringly. “I’m guessing the invisibility spell isn’t enough for a safe extraction. He’s probably making sure he can get you out of here without anyone noticing. I mean, this place is riddled with corridor mazes and staircases, right?”

  She nodded slowly, looking out again.

  “Hang in there, honey! This will all be over soon.”

  “You be careful, too, Aida.” She gave me a weak smile.

  I grinned and allowed myself to return to my physical form and sink back into Field’s arms. I worried about her and Bijarki, but I couldn’t do much more from where I was. A new day had come, and with it, the prospect of taking the fight to Azazel and ridding the world of him, once and for all.

  I couldn’t wait. He’d been so intrusive and evil, even bullying me in my visions. I hated bullies. I looked forward to watching him fall.

  Serena

  I woke up feeling weightless and warm. My heart fluttered in my chest, and my body hummed with the memories of last night. My soul was overflowing with love and golden light, as if my bones, my flesh, and my skin had been neatly wrapped around a star.

  Draven was lying in bed behind me, holding me tight and nibbling my earlobe, sending a rush of hot blood through my limbs. I was in heaven, and I didn’t want to come down.

  “I never thought I’d feel this way,” he whispered in my ear.

  I felt my lips stretch into a lazy smile as I moved slowly against him. His fingers traced lines down my hip, igniting fires beneath my skin with his touc
h. His voice was a cure for everything, plucking at the strings that animated my spirit like an expert guitar player.

  “I love you, Serena.”

  I purred at the sound of those words. We’d said them over and over last night, yet couldn’t get tired of letting them roll off our tongues. He gently bit my shoulder and swiftly turned me around to face him, making me giggle at his tickling fingers moving up and down my spine.

  “I love you, Draven.” I looked deep into his gray eyes, flickering black. “And I’ll never stop saying it…”

  My body was still bare against his, wrapped in crisp sheets while the morning breeze swept through the room. The ocean crashed against the shore outside, and I could hear voices in the distance. It sounded like our allies were preparing for the first day of our campaign, but I was busy examining this perfect connection between Draven and me.

  I could feel him resonating inside me with crystal-clear precision. Every thought, every emotion, everything he was experiencing was being transmitted into my nervous system. The feel of my own skin on his fingers. My breath warm against his broad chest. My core throbbing and aching for him. He could feel it all. And I could feel him.

  “You can feel it too,” I said.

  “Everything, darling.”

  He gave me a warm and seductive smile, then kissed me, and I felt his love, his feral need to hold me close and never let me go. In return, he felt me. His skin on mine, his golden energy pouring through me, the perfection of every second spent loving him.

  “I want you to know…” He paused to look at me with hooded eyes. “Everything that happens from here on out. Everything I will do. It will all be to keep you safe. To treat you like the single most important thing in my existence. Because that is what you are, Serena. I’ve found all I’ve ever wanted, and all I didn’t even know I wanted, in you.”

  I cupped his face, unable to say much in return. But I knew he sensed everything going on in my head. He could feel my heart beating frantically in my chest. So I said nothing at all, just caught his lips in mine and drew us both under the sheets for a long, slow kiss.

  A knock at the door broke us out of our dream state.

  “The succubi are getting ready to sail out.” I heard Hansa’s voice beyond the door.

  I glanced at the door over my shoulder, then turned to look at Draven. He smiled, amusement glimmering in his eyes at the sight of my cheeks flushing.

  “We’ll be ready shortly,” he said, loud enough for Hansa to hear.

  It took her a few seconds to respond. I realized then that we were in my room, and Draven had responded to Hansa for me. His voice was so raw and sensual, I had a feeling that “shortly” had a different meaning to him. The look he gave me was downright scorching. I felt like an incandescent lightbulb, burning under his gaze.

  “I’ll… I’ll wait for you in the grand hall with the others, then,” came her awkward reply.

  Yeah, she knew exactly what was going on.

  He drew me closer and pulled the sheets back over our heads... Indeed, “shortly” had been a little white lie.

  Serena

  It took all the strength I could gather to get myself out of bed. Draven had a hard time, too. We showered quickly, the cool water grounding us back into reality.

  I watched him carefully as we finished dressing. “I don’t notice anything yet that might suggest you’re becoming a sentry,” I commented.

  “I doubt your nature will affect me that way, as I said… But if I do attain sentry abilities, it will only be a good thing, Serena,” he said reassuringly, before he took my hand and led me to the door.

  We reached the grand hall, where all the allies had gathered one last time.

  The Dearghs, the Imps, Grezzi’s incubi, the united rogue succubi tribes, the Tritones, the Bajangs, and the Lamias were all ready to depart to their assigned locations. Generals and lieutenants were appointed to lead the troops and surround Luceria. Their orders were to settle in key points around the castle and wait for Field to give them the signal over the next few days.

  “I’ve designated one of my wards to prepare the Maras,” Jax said, eyeing both Draven and me. I had a feeling he could tell something had happened between us. It was the same look Hansa had on her face, smiling eyes and all. “They’re currently stationed on the southwest side and are waiting for updates from the alliance.”

  Draven nodded promptly, and Thorn stepped forward, leaving his sister a couple of feet behind, next to Hansa and Anjani. The shifters waited patiently behind, watching all the creatures around them with curious violet eyes.

  “I’m taking my warriors out to cover the east side of the castle,” he said. “Rebel wishes to keep the elders and cubs safe, along with her security detail.”

  I looked over my shoulder and noticed Rebel’s security detail—an entire garrison of well-built, muscular Bajangs, their expressions harsh and cool.

  “We’ll see you soon.” Draven looked at the alliance. “We’re connected now, so I’ll be able to keep track of each of you, and you will be able to do the same with me and Serena.”

  We made our farewells again, and Hansa and Wren took the pregnant Green Tribe succubi out to the ship waiting in the harbor. Anjani stayed back with Jax, Jovi, Phoenix, Aida, and Field. They were to wait for our return from Marton, after which we’d set the wheels in motion and engage Azazel.

  I hugged my brother tight, hoping I’d pass some of my energy on to him.

  “Don’t forget to feed, Phoenix,” I said, holding his face. “The Daughter is gone for now, and you’re still a sentry. Keep your strength. You’ll need it, okay?”

  “No worries, Sis.” He winked at me. “Got a solid batch of chicken wings here waiting for me to dig in.”

  He nodded toward Field, who raised a sarcastic eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. Aida stifled a chuckle.

  At least it seemed Phoenix was doing a little better than yesterday. He had no choice but to take it one day at a time, but at least he was surrounded by friends and family. I had faith he would pull through and hold out until we found a way to get the Daughter back.

  “I’ll see you soon.” I hugged Aida and Field next.

  “Don’t do anything too crazy.” Aida gave me a poke in the ribs.

  “Define ‘crazy’, though.” I grinned, and waved goodbye to all of them.

  Draven and I headed out through the cloaking spell, accompanied by Rebel. We reached the eastern terrace and went down the stairs. We carried our satchels on our backs, stuffed with food, some supplies, and several spell scrolls for the young Druids.

  We figured that if we convinced them to join the alliance, we only had a few days to teach them some serious dark magic. Draven had been learning during our stay in Stonewall, but the young Druids had been isolated for decades and needed some training before going after Azazel.

  We reached the harbor, where the ship waited, creaking as it swung slowly from left to right. It was a large vessel, with three masts and enough space in its stores to hold supplies for an entire winter. Several horses were guided across the main deck and into the hold below. There were twelve succubi with red dots on their shoulders—all expectant mothers—along with twelve other Green Tribe members armed to the teeth, assigned as protection.

  Wren embraced each of them, wishing them luck and leaving them with the promise that they would see each other again soon, and a map of Marton from the archive hall. They needed to find a safe spot there, after all.

  Hansa stood by as they made their farewells, then turned to face us. I suddenly felt my cheeks flush under her inquisitive glare. Funnily enough, I was getting the same feeling from Draven, and I suspected we both looked like kids caught doing something mischievous. She watched us for a while, squinting her eyes as if carefully analyzing us.

  A good minute passed before she cocked her head at me.

  “So! Did you have a good night?”

  I blinked several times, unsure of what answer I could possibly give he
r. I hadn’t had a good night. I’d had the most amazing night of my life, with the man I loved. I’d experienced bliss, over and over again, as my soul merged with Draven’s.

  “Slept like a baby,” Draven replied, stifling a smirk.

  His humor was short-lived, as Hansa jabbed a finger right into his chest, her expression firm and her glare icy and cold.

  “You break her heart and I will break you. Is that clear, Druid?” she hissed.

  Woah. I found myself taken aback by the intensity of her expression, the way her back had suddenly become rod-stiff. My eyes went wide and my words stuck in my throat. Draven took my hand in his and kept his head high, holding her stare.

  “Crystal clear,” he replied, his fingers intertwined with mine, as I unraveled on the inside.

  “Good.” Her deadly mask broke into a grin, and she gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder. “Now get moving while the waters are kind.”

  We both watched her walk back toward the castle and climb the narrow stone steps leading up to the eastern terrace.

  “See you in a couple of days!” she shouted over her shoulder, and waved us goodbye.

  A few seconds went by as we both stared after her.

  “Well, that wasn’t scary at all,” I said.

  “You’ve made good friends here,” he replied, smiling at me.

  I’d made some great friends, that was true. But, most importantly, I’d captured his heart and tucked it away next to mine. And, judging by the look on his face, there was nowhere else he would’ve wanted it to be anyway.

  Serena

  We boarded the ship as the succubi worked to steer it out of the harbor and loosen its sails. Draven looked up and saw two of them struggling with the fore staysail. He dropped a quick kiss on my lips before he rushed over to help them. I remembered him telling me that he’d never been sailing before but that he’d read extensively on the subject.