On Wicked Ground (Solsti Prophecy Book 4) (26 page)

“It’s the same plant. The seeds are kept whole, or crushed, and called coriander. The leaves are cilantro.”

“I never knew that!” She stared at the green leaves swaying in the breeze. “That’s cool. Thank you.”

“That’s not what I wanted you to see. C’mon.” He grabbed her hand and led her into the neat rows.

“Is it okay for us to do this?” she asked, looking around.

“Sure, as long as we walk between the plants and not on them. Let’s go a little farther.”

They walked deep into the herbs, which were only about three inches tall. And though she looked around again, she saw no one tending to the field. “These plants look so little and vulnerable,” she said. “Do insects or rabbits eat them?”

“They try, but the growers have perfected pest warding spells.”

“Ah, smart.” Of course they would. It was no accident this region had a healthy economy. “So…now what?”

He cocked his head. “Any second now. Just wait.”

“Okay.” She waited. Birds chirped and insects flitted. High above, a hawk glided in slow, wide circles. What was out here that Caine would want to show her? Curiosity made her veins buzz. He’d gotten a gleam in his eye, and that made her dying to know what was up.

“Here they come. Stand very still.” He was grinning, looking east.

“Stand still? What’s coming? I don’t see any—” Her jaw hung open, the unfinished word stuck in her throat. Far across the field, a dark cloud appeared, low to the ground. It moved and shifted and was…
coming closer?

“Caine?” she whispered, grabbing his arm. “What is that?”

“You’ll see.” He tucked her against his side, one arm around her shoulders.

“Are we in danger?”

He let out a low laugh. “Thought you knew me better than that, Boots. Just watch.”

The cloud stretched and undulated, moving above the plants and undeniably closer to them. As it neared, she realized it wasn’t black, but actually a deep blue, and it wasn’t one big shape…it was hundreds of tiny ones.

Tiny wings, tiny bodies darting and ducking, swooping high and low, flying out from the group but always returning to it.

She looked at Caine, her mouth open in wonder. He grinned down at her, eyes dancing as he watched her put the pieces together.

Butterflies.

Myriad blue wings edged with black, the leading edge of graceful insects reached them seconds later, parting to zoom around them. Their tiny bodies stirred the barest whisper of wind across her skin, and she and Caine were enveloped in blue.

She had no words, only wonder as she took in the flitting shades of turquoise and aqua. “This is…this is…the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Agreed. One of the best.”

“Do they do this often?”

“Every night, this time of year.”

She gasped as a flash of blue landed on her arm. “Look!” she whisper-yelled. Its tiny feet were weightless, and its antennae extended. She could see miniscule white speckles along the black edge of its wings. “Oh my gosh, it’s beautiful.” Looking up at Caine, she couldn’t suppress a giggle. “They’re on you too!”

Sure enough, he had a new friend perched on each of his broad shoulders. “They’re friendly. Guess weapons don’t bother them.”

Her butterfly walked along her arm, doing what, she had no idea. Alina was content simply to watch it. The waves of wings beat an azure breeze around them, and Alina felt something shift deep inside her.

She couldn’t love him. But she didn’t know what to call the storm of feelings that made her heart beat as fast as the hundreds of tiny wings around her. Caine had endured the worst and had learned to put his loss in perspective. Yes, she knew he hunted the Viper general. She understood his need for vengeance and if she could, she would mete it out for him.

This strong warrior, under his brawn of muscle and dark menacing looks, possessed the playfulness to bring her to his boyhood swimming hole and a vibrant field full of butterflies.

He’s amazing.

A second butterfly alighted on her arm, right in front of the first. Their antennae touched for the briefest moment, and the second one flew away. She watched it disappear into a cloud of blue.

A confused reality crashed through her. What was she doing with Caine? Were their lives bound to touch for a moment in time, then they’d go their separate ways? Could she let him go?

You have no choice.

Her heart raced and pounded wildly like it had when she’d thrown her knife. Just for a few seconds, but it gave her pause. Was it a physical manifestation of the earth’s demand?

Her butterfly turned its dark head and seemed to look at her, antennas waving, then it opened its wings and rose. To her surprise, it flew a lazy loop around Caine’s head, stirring the butterflies on his shoulders, before all three of them flew away.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Caine tilted his head. “I know that butterfly was interesting, but you were a million miles away.”

He’s so perceptive
. She shook off her muddled thoughts and looked up to see the last several butterflies zooming past them. “I don’t know. Just never had an experience quite like this.”

He took both her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. “I aim to please.” He dipped his head and kissed her, his lips warm and full against hers. Would she ever get enough of him?

A frisson of anger uncurled deep inside her. She didn’t want her choices made for her, goddamn it. But she shoved it way down. If she only had a sliver in time with Caine, she would savor every second. No dwelling on negative crap. They’d fight Elegia and her hordes, and figure the rest out afterward.

Even if the rest meant keeping distance that would break what was left of her heart.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY

T
ORTH
’
S
MOONS
HAD
BARELY
CRESTED
the horizon when Elegia stepped onto a podium overlooking a massive field full of her soldiers. The wind whipped her long blond hair into her face, but nothing could suppress her smile as she regarded her troops. In this hidden arena high in the Bloodspire Mountains, her most deadly regiment honed their skills.

Ghazsul demons, Vipers, Neshi demons, and more, who would normally be at each other’s throats, stood at attention. All eyes on her, awaiting her command. The narcotic in the lily extract had made them all rapt, adoring drones who craved her potion and didn’t remember clan loyalty or species differences. All they focused on was her.

She had fifty more groups like this one, all lethal though not quite as bloodthirsty, tucked away in remote locations throughout the realm. Though their scents might normally give them away if someone did come close, the scent of the lily extract would override their own natural smell.

“Give me a demonstration,” she ordered.

A Viper, one of her top generals, clapped his hands twice, and two of her demon fighters stepped out of the ranks. A Neshi and a Viper. Light from fire bulbs above winked off their scales. She allowed a smile to play across her face. This should be good.

The Neshi demon’s orange scaly skin resisted fire, and its four arms meant it could hold more weapons. The Viper’s head resembled a snake, and its fangs were full of poison. She watched, pleased, as the two fought, somehow blocking the other’s moves. Both punched and whirled with startling speed, a planned effect of her drug.

Elegia allowed the fight to continue for a few more minutes, then signaled them to stop. No use losing skilled warriors, and these two would fight to the death if she let it go on. They separated, breathing harder than normal and scraped up, but with no mortal wounds.

She nodded in approval at her general and stepped down, heading to the interior of the mountain where she had a lab and several offices. Her Serus demon bodyguards followed and another, an advisor, fell in a half step behind her.

“May I ask a question, my queen?” he asked tentatively.

“Yes, Baul. Have you found any leads on any vampires traveling with fae females?”

“No, my lady, unfortunately we have not. But I would like to suggest approaching the suspicious location from another direction.”

The suspicious location
. Where she had followed the magic trail, and had ended up in the middle of nowhere. Elegia growled low in her throat, remembering.

After killing that inept dwarf innkeeper in Halice, she’d ransacked Sebastian’s hotel rooms. His scent and the female’s scent were all over, but there was no sign of them. No belongings left behind. Typical, though. Her brother knew how to leave in a hurry and travel light. She’d ordered her Serus guards to grab a pillowcase from each bed and bring them back, to share the scents with her soldiers and trackers if needed. Additionally, her Serus demons reported the trace scent of Lash demon lingering in the room. One had been there, they assured her.

What was Sebastian doing with Lash demons? She had concentrated on the magical breadcrumb trail in her mind, which took her north to the side of a mountain. But the trail ended, and there was no sign or scent of any demon or fae. Just the forest creatures. Then the dawn neared, and she’d been forced to return home.

She gritted her teeth, furious that the trail for both her brother and the female had simply stopped in midair.
Not possible.
They were alive and they were getting aid, and when she found them, she’d skin them and whoever was helping them. “Yes, Baul. We will do that. Get the most senior spell caster and we’ll go.”

Tonight she’d bring along some enhanced help. The witches under her command had been especially useful in the production of spelled amulets. Now she’d test their skills further to help pick up any trace of her quarry.

Another growl rumbled as she walked into the roughhewn corridor of her mountain lair. “You’ll get to come too, Razor.” She reached out to scratch behind the ears of her hellhound, whose massive head came up to her chest. His nose was excellent, thanks to the wonder of canine physiology, and therefore better than any demons in her ranks. After one sniff of the pilfered pillowcases, Razor wouldn’t stop until he got a lock on his targets.

Between him and her witches, she was determined to find them.

The next day, Alina glanced around the wide shallow valley she’d arrived in with Caine and two other Watchers. After more discussion of who should accompany her, Arawn had mandated she have three guards. She was happy that one was Caine—she would have insisted he come—and was happy to also have Brenin. Arawn had said no one swung a blade faster than the blond warrior.

The third Watcher, however, was the silent, intimidating presence named Scorpio. Well over six feet tall, he had caramel colored skin, a shaved head, and startling amber eyes. Those eyes were cold, void of emotion, and pierced her with an icy stare. She hadn’t heard him speak more than once while she’d been at HQ. Something about him was downright deadly, and even though she knew he was on their side, she didn’t want to be alone with him.

“This looks, um, deserted.” She shrugged. “I probably can’t do much damage here.”

“That’s the point,” Brenin chuckled. “You do your thing. Scorp and I will take position at each end of this valley, at the tree line and at the river.”

“I’ll be with you,” Caine murmured, his voice rumbling over her. “In case you get dizzy or pass out from the mental exertion.” He nodded to Brenin who took off toward a scattering of trees.

Alina turned to the other end of the valley, where Scorpio had hidden near the river. At least,  that’s where he was supposed to be. She couldn’t see him or any flicker of movement
. I bet even the birds and bugs are scared of him.

“Scorpio doesn’t talk much, does he?” she asked.

“No.” A shadow crossed Caine’s face.

There was a story here, she just knew it. “What?”

“He was a mercenary before he was a Watcher. Worked for another demon lord. He’s killed thousands.”

“And Arawn took him in? He didn’t hold it against him?”

Caine met her eyes. “From the little I‘ve heard, Scorp didn’t kill willingly.”

Oh.
Forced servitude was common on Torth. Most who would stoop to that level of coercion were involved in the most heinous crimes and made others do their dirty work. She bit her lip.

“But, it made him an excellent fighter. That’s why he’s here with us now.”

“Okay.” She ran her fingers through her bangs, squinting at a crumbling white tower visible in the distance beyond the river. Named Ravenbane, it was a ruined battlement where an entire army had been defeated. Rumors abounded that the warriors who had perished there supposedly cursed the land. Hence, the lack of inhabitants other than birds, rodents, and insects. Alina wasn’t bothered by superstitions. No one she knew had ever seen one of the supposed ghost warriors. “So…we should get started.”

“Let’s see what you can do with all this space.” Caine gestured wide.

“All right.” She rubbed her hands together. “Something different from the night of the sparring session.” An image formed in her mind of dozens of hairline cracks in the ground, splintering out from her feet. She cleared her mind and let go of everything except the low buzz of power that vibrated behind her sternum.

Beneath her boots, the ground produced a web of cracks spreading out from her and Caine and extending six feet away.

“Whoa. Don’t move,” Caine warned. “How deep do those go?”

“I made them really small,” she whispered. “At least, that was my plan.”

“Why are you whispering?” he whispered back, eyes mirthful.

She giggled. “I don’t know. It’s silly. I have this feeling that I don’t want to make too much noise. Like, I might make the cracks bigger just by talking.”

“Can you seal them up?” Caine gestured to the cracked soil. “Then there’ll be no accidental fall-ins.”

“I think so. Let me try.” She concentrated again, visualizing the ground as it had been a minute ago.

In a fluid motion, from the farthest point and moving toward them, the fractures closed.