Fated Hope Read online

  “Better,” I said.

  We were in a small clearing, but out about ten feet trees totally surrounded us. It was hard to tell which kind, as the Shadows and Shadow tendrils hissed and slithered up the trunks, making the foliage indistinguishable. The magic lighting brightened the area immediately around us, but fell flat against anything touched by the viscous Shadow residue; the dim of the Shadows sucking out any sort of light and destroying it.

  “Hello?” Maxxus called.

  A muffled sound rang out from about fifteen paces in front of us. I began stepping slowly forward, when I felt a hand on my upper front leg.

  “Let Daniel,” Gabriel insisted.

  I grumbled slightly, but as the Shadows were somehow afraid of Daniel, he was the most likely candidate to take the first few steps.

  Daniel was barely visible in the Shadow haze, but I could almost make out the back of his closely-shaven head and gray t-shirt. The tendrils on the ground writhed and hissed, quickly darting away as Daniel continued to step forward, hands in front of him, reaching out hesitantly.

  Gabriel shot bursts of light from his hands at the darting tendrils near his brother’s feet; we all felt a sense of morbid relief as they cried out in pain and died, slithering back into the earth below.

  Daniel suddenly stopped short, patting the air in front of him. “Here!”

  Gabriel nudged me lightly. “You know what to do.”

  What we’d done already about a dozen times tonight: combine our magic and thrust it towards the Shadows.

  The magic that was difficult before was nearly easier than breathing now. I concentrated briefly and exhaled my dragon magic; pink mist and sparkles that filled the air. Gabriel gathered the mist with his magic, and spun it with his own light magic, and together we pushed it forward.

  It slammed against the trunk of a large tree; the sheer width of it under the light of the magic indicated it had to be hundreds of years old.

  Shadow “vines” of tendrils that spun and twisted in dark spikes and spires around the tree, fizzled and shrieked in pain, under the power of the magic; combined magic of pink dragon and Knight, ancient and culling. It writhed around the tree, like a lit fuse, destroying any hint of Shadow it touched.

  A small window and door were finally visible when the Shadows dissipated. Daniel wasted no time kicking the door with his strong legs and prodding it open.

  I started forward toward the door, but Gabriel jutted out an arm, compelling me to stay. “With all these Shadows it’s probably wise if you just stand back.”

  A growl rumbled in my throat, but I yielded. Apparently, for whatever reason, everyone thought I was still susceptible to Shadow magic.

  Whatever.

  Maxxus just chuckled from nearby. I turned my dragon head, glaring at him severely.

  Larger than me or not, I could still magically knock him on his backside. And he knew it. I swear a wash of guilt fell over his eyes as he looked away.

  After a few moments, the brothers pulled out three humanoids; two walked out of their own volition, and one needed to be carried in Daniel’s arms.

  Maxxus and I fell to our bellies, low as we could, to allow the injured dryads on our backs. Maxxus, the physically stronger of us, took two of them, and Daniel; I took Gabriel and one of the ones that was walking. Struggling, but walking nonetheless.

  We wasted no time, flying above the treetops, searching for the dim beacon that Finnian had affixed on the makeshift infirmary, across the boundary of Castle Danger. The beam of light jut upwards; the only light for miles that wasn’t dimmed by Shadow.

  The flight was brief, and we touched down just outside Gabriel’s door.

  Evie, the vampire, Kit, and Esmé were waiting outside expectantly for the three new arrivals.

  Kit, with Gabriel’s assistance, helped the dryad off my back.

  I caught her eye briefly; just recovering from the Shadows herself, from her own earlier ordeal, she was tired and worn. Purple pooled under her eyes, and her face was pale and sagging from exhaustion. Her wavy hair stood every-which-way, escaping the bun on top of her head.

  “Kit, you really should rest,” I insisted, worried about her.

  “I’ve been trying to tell her that all night,” Esmé replied, clicking her tongue.

  Kit gave me an appreciative smile as she wrapped an arm around the dryad. Though he was taller than her, he was hunched over and it made walking difficult for both of them. Gabriel assisted her to the door. “I will,” she called back before going inside, “just as soon as they’re settled.”

  I sighed, shaking my head.

  “She needs to feel useful,” Maxxus said. “I think it helps her get out of her own mind.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I agreed reluctantly. “I’m just worried.”

  “You’re a good friend.” Maxxus grinned, revealing his large dragon fangs at either side of his mouth. He lowered his head, and rubbed his cheek against mine; as close as dragons in dragon form could get to kissing like humans.

  I smiled, despite the situation. “Oh stop…”

  The door remained open for us, and it stretched wider, allowing us in even in our dragon forms. It was a tight squeeze, but it worked. Somehow, all the rooms were magically able to adapt to the size of the Mytho entering them. We didn’t think twice about entering without shifting.

  The dryads were shuffled onto cots. Their appearances always surprised me; appearing much like trees or plants themselves. “The Nature Fae” as they were nicknamed, these dryads closely resembled the tree they lived in; with brown, rough skin, bright green eyes and golden hair that actually changed color with the seasons. In the winter, I heard, it just turned brown to match their skin. Fascinating creatures, just like all the other residents of Castle Danger.

  Finnian entered the room from the opposite side; his demeanor barely rattled, but his shifting-color eyes told another story; they were dull brown with fatigue and worry. “Leo, Maxx…thanks again for your help today. I think everyone’s just about settled here for tonight, and I wish I could offer you better accommodations, but every room is just about full,” he said, with a sigh.

  “That’s okay, Finn. Just point us where we won’t be a bother,” I replied. We didn’t really have anywhere else we could go…

  “Besides the floor here, you’ll have some peace in the hallway,” he answered, with a frown. He scratched his head thoughtfully. “Sorry, I wish I could do better. I could port you back to Anarach…”

  Maxxus and I glanced at each other. The room echoed with the sounds of various rough breathing and coughs. “Hallway.”

  The corner of Finnian’s mouth turned up slightly. “I thought as much. There are cushions and blankets set up for you at the end of the hallway; it’s the quietest part. Get some rest; and I’ll make it up to you some other time soon for your wedding night.”

  I snorted, a puff of fine glitter escaping my nose. “Finn, no worries; dragons don’t do wedding nights.”

  “I’m curious about what a wedding night entails,” Maxxus said, genuinely interested.

  “Of course you are,” Finnian smirked. “You’ll find out soon enough…” With a wink he led us to the hallway.

  We had to trudge carefully, even with the room magically acclimating to us, we still didn’t want to inadvertently knock someone out of their beds. Squeezing through the door, Finnian motioned down the long hallway. Like a hotel, it was carpeted and brightly lit with generic fixtures and patterns.

  “Not exactly comfortable…” I said, sighing, poking at a pile of couch cushions and rumpled blankets. “I guess we’re supposed to...make beds?”

  Maxxus shook his head. “No.” He slumped himself on the pile, shoving things aside with his nose. He lifted his wing, a prompt for me to lay down.

  In my dragon form, I curled up next to his side, laying my large snout on one of his front legs, my wings pressed tight against my body as he wrapped his wing around me.

  I snuggled into his warmth and sighed happi
ly. It wasn’t ideal…but…

  “Yep. Everything I ever dreamt.”

  Chapter 2

  I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand as I pulled the thick canvas down over the large, wooden frame, pressing the seam down on the ground.

  “Too bad there wasn’t magic for this, huh?” Maxxus said, on his hands and knees—in human form—pounding big spikes through the canvas and into the ground. When it was properly driven in, he dropped the hammer on the ground at his feet and stood up slowly, groaning as his back cracked in several spots. He grimaced at the sound, and the feeling. “I’m beginning to miss portal guarding, now,” he said dryly.

  I laughed and stiffly stood up myself, rolling my shoulders backwards and forwards to ease the tension from being hunched over for most of the day.

  It was just past noon; Maxxus and I, plus every one of my friends (Daniel, Gabriel, Kiarra, etc), were gathered together, in the gardens of my family’s home, helping to put together a tent “town” for the Mythos of Castle Danger. Even the homes that weren’t destroyed were still susceptible to Shadows. Tendrils still enveloped the area and were searching for hosts. Wasn’t a good idea to leave people in their homes, so everyone was brought here.

  I glanced up at the clear, late-autumn sky. The sun was bright on my shoulders, even through the chill in the air. A light breeze blew over the tops of the lilies and roses from the nearby garden; the particular flowers that my grandmother cultivated years ago to withstand colder weather. In human terms, the temperature was in the 40˚F range; fairly warm for us this time of year.

  Maxxus and I both wore jeans and messy, dirt-stained t-shirts and boots (sneakers for me); our hair messy and dusty after a long morning’s work. We’d woken up already stiff from our bed on the floor, and the morning’s exertion didn’t help matters any.

  “Bet you wish you were sore from other things, huh?” Daniel walked by, carrying water bottles, leading a handful of Mythos to their temporary homes. The family of fairies—a mother, father and young child; the bundle was wrapped in Mom’s arms and not visible to us—just looked upon us and smiled.

  I smacked my hand against my forehead, groaning. “Oh, Daniel…”

  He giggled impishly as he walked away, out of earshot.

  Maxxus chuckled. “He’s not wrong, though.” Maxxus placed his hand on my hip, gently urging me towards him. I looked up at him, his eyes heavy with wanting and a seductive smile wrapped around his lips, as he leaned over to kiss me intensely on the mouth.

  My head went fuzzy and my heart pounded. Without realizing, I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling him towards me to deepen the kiss.

  “All hail the king and queen!”

  I nearly choked at the familiar voice, quickly ripping myself away from a reluctant Maxxus. Twisting at the waist, I glared at my brother, who entered the tent village carrying a clipboard; Kiarra in tow. She gave him a scolding slap as Braeden interrupted Maxxus and I. Rudely.

  Kiarra, even though she’d done as much physical work as Maxxus and I, was still beautifully put together, with her baby-blue tee, undone buttons at the neck, skinny jeans and her smooth, black hair artfully wrapped on top of her head; not a speck of dust on her deep tan skin. Even without makeup, she appeared fresh and stunning. I stifled a jealous grumble. Dragons didn’t normally operate with jealousy, but I’d be stupid to deny how stunning Kiarra was. I looked like a frumpy potato sack next to her.

  “She should be the queen. Look at her,” I protested, fighting the urge to pout. “Seriously, do you ever look bad?”

  Kiarra scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Oh come on, Leorah. You’re plenty beautiful.”

  Braeden wrinkled his nose. “Is she? I hadn’t noticed.”

  Maxxus dropped his hands from my waist to waggle a finger in my brother’s face. “Now that we’re technically family, I can beat your butt for that comment, right?”

  Braeden raised a fist, but was grinning the whole time. “Bring it on, Earth dragon.”

  I groaned. “Enough. And enough king and queen talk. We aren’t—yet. And probably won’t be if most of the Court has its way. Do you really think they’re going to allow this?”

  Braeden tucked his clipboard under his arm. “Well, they really won’t have much of a choice. Valessia is the current monarch, and the law states she can name her successors in time of distress. Nothing more distressful than a hoard of evil Shadow spirits trying to invade the kingdom, right?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Oh come on, there are ways.”

  Kiarra was thoughtful. “There may be but consider this. She’d need a majority of the Court to deny her decree. With Aleron holding two votes for being Elder, your parents, Jalenn and Oreste—” Maxxus groused at the mention of his estranged parents, “—there’s little chance it would stand up. So, don’t worry about it.”

  I frowned. “Damn…”

  Kiarra patted the side of my arm. “Don’t worry; you’ll be fantastic.”

  “It’s only temporary,” I reminded her.

  “Has she—you know—apologized yet? Or made things official for—” Maxxus nodded towards me, indicating that Valessia, the almost-former Queen, was supposed to officially apologize to the Court for the treatment of me, and pink dragons everywhere in Anarach, and officially put a stop to our rotten treatment. Didn’t mean the Court—and the rest of our society—could abandon age old prejudices, but it was a step in the right direction.

  Braeden sighed, drumming his fingers on the clipboard with his opposite hand. “I’m not sure. I think she prefers to wait until you are present.”

  I grumbled. “Ugh. I’d rather she not.”

  My brother playfully slapped my back. “Don’t worry, sis. It will be fine. After you’re queen you can banish them all to the Shadow realm if you want, for their defiance.”

  I snorted. “Now that’d be the last thing I do,” I retorted. “Perhaps I’d settle for a banishment to a Walmart, to clean the bathrooms as long as they shall live!”

  Maxxus, Kiarra and Braeden glanced at each other, confused.

  “What’s a ‘Walmart’?” Maxxus asked.

  “Pffffft.” I waved them off, my joke lost on them. “Let us get back to our tent pitching, ‘kay?”

  “Actually, I think that’s about it,” Kiarra said, admiring the makeshift town we’d created.

  A sea of tents lay out before us, in various shades of white, beige, and brown canvas. We attempted to re-create the town square of Castle Danger, with Finnian’s tent, the infirmary tent and several temporary wooden booths surrounding a stone-circle firepit. Gabriel and a handful of fae were helping set up card tables and chairs around the area, giving it a more authentic, town-square type look.

  Beyond that were clusters of smaller, sometimes multi-compartmental tents, intending to be families’ homes. Many were already setting about, with paints and brushes, decorating them for a more personal look.

  “This is pretty amazing, actually,” Maxxus said, arms crossed over his chest in satisfaction. “We did a lot in a short amount of time.”

  Kiarra grinned. “Yes, we’re all really appreciative of what you’ve done. But don’t you think it’s now time to get some rest? You’ve been going almost non-stop since yesterday. You should be…relaxing,” she said, with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  I shook my head, hands on my hips. “Sure, get right on that. Where are we supposed to go? My parents’ house? In my bedroom? Or perhaps a room in Castle Danger, where no less than a few dozen fae, dragons, nymphs and whatever are currently residing?”

  “Or maybe my room in the barracks?” Maxxus suggested kiddingly.

  Kiarra rolled her eyes. “Silly. You’ll be staying in the castle, of course. Valessia is already moving out of her chambers.”

  I swallowed. “Already?”

  “Of course. Before the end of the day she will have announced her intention to vacate, and announce you two as replacements,” Braeden explained. He smiled at me, and wrapped an
arm around my shoulders. “Come on. Both of you. Mother made lunch, and she’s waiting for us. Grandfather has been staying at the castle to help Valessia get the Court ready and assembled—what little is left of it right now—so the wing is entirely yours.”

  I exchanged a look with Maxxus. As fatigued as he appeared, there was a hint of playfulness on the corner of his lips. “Okay, then.”

  We left the tent village and the gardens, following Braeden and Kiarra up a slight hill to our family’s home. It was a large stone building, with two wings attached; the entire place formed somewhat of an awkward ‘U’. I noticed the blue floral vines that normally covered the front, outside wall were finally yellowing for the autumn season, giving the house a seasonal feel.

  After a quick lunch with my mother, of turkey sandwiches on thick bread, decadent ale and roasted potatoes, Braeden and Kiarra and Maxxus and I went our separate ways; assumedly to our own bedrooms. Braeden’s was in the opposite wing, and with my grandfather gone for the day at Court, Maxxus and I had the entire wing to ourselves as promised.

  “Ah…room sweet room,” I said sarcastically, as I opened up the door and magically lit the sconce on the wall, illuminating my tacky, bright, 1990’s human décor, complete with movie posters, band posters and mis-matched 70s style covers and furnishings.

  Maxxus chuckled upon entering, glancing around. “It still looks the same as I remember it.”

  I gave him a strange look. “Did you expect differently?”

  Maxxus walked about the room, touching or admiring different things. “Well, remember when I was last here?”

  “Sure, when you came for that stuff about the phone,” I replied, plopping myself unceremoniously on the edge of the bed.

  He grinned. “Yes. Remember how nervous I was? All I could remember was that I was in…your room…for the first time. I’d been in love with you for so long, and here I was,” he laughed wryly, pausing at the wall to lightly run a finger across the edge of a Star Trek poster. “But now I remember everything. I remember when you got this poster; your grandfather gave it to you on your thirteenth birthday, along with a movie player thing that played the different episodes of the show. Remember? I helped you hang this up, because you were too short to reach up to do it.”