The sound of a stick breaking pierced the silence. Maeve slowed, even though she couldn’t see the scouts ahead. She looked up, but the interlocking branches blocked out the light. It came again, a slight rustling and out of the corner of her eye she saw a shape fade in and out of the shadows. “Ingram. Imer,” she hissed, hoping they heard her breathy whisper.
Imer paused and tugged on his brother’s shirt. They both dropped to the ground, Maeve behind them as an arrow flew out of the wood. A ragged scream filled the silence. One of her companions? A bolt of adrenaline passed through Maeve. She scrambled to her knees and drew the sword. The clang of metal rang out, giving away her position.
A whistling sound hummed in the air and an arrow whizzed over her head, so close she felt the feathers brush her hair. She instinctively ducked, moved into a crouch, then ran into the underbrush, breaking branches under her feet as she searched for their attackers. Branches scratched her flesh and tore at her clothes, like fingers trying to hold her back. Behind her she heard more cries and then shouts of “Take cover!”
More arrows whistled through the wind. An arrowhead sunk into the tree beside her and she saw a vague shape as one of the dark fae moved, weaving in and out of trees and into the shadow world. She didn’t think he’d seen her, but she was making too much noise. She squatted behind a tree, gripped the sword in both hands and closed her eyes as the armed assassin drew near.
Sound rushed around her, the thudding of feet, the whistling of air and then she saw the being come out of the shadows, golden bow raised. She spun out of her hiding place, drawing the sword up at an angle. It sank into the belly of the fae and he fell with a howl, crimson blood splattering the neutral colors of the wood.
Wiping drops of blood off her face, she drew the sword out of the body before it collapsed on the ground, and then ran. The next assassin was quicker and shot at Maeve. She had the presence of mind to slap the arrow out of the air, snapping it in half with her blade before ducking behind another tree. She waited, but he did not approach her. She moved again as she dashed toward the second assassin, but he was focused on her companions. He took aim at one of the elves and let his arrow fly.
Maeve swallowed hard and stilled as she watched them, surprised she could see light and dark, the normal world and the shadow world. Blending with the shadows as though it were night, the dark fae flew in and out of the shadow world, some with wings, others with fangs, throwing knifes, arrows, darts, whatever they could to take down the company of mages. Maeve weaved between them, running them through with her blade, slicing off arms, ripping through their defenses until she was lost in the woods and couldn’t see her companions anymore. Silence reigned again, but this time it was hushed, whispered as though there was someone, or something else. Waiting. Watching her out of patient eyes. A flicker drew her eye. It wasn’t a rustle, but the air of a breath.
She turned and froze.
A woman stood a few feet away, out of reach of the sword, watching her. A halo of hair graced her shoulders, and she wore leather. Her red lips seemed out of place in the dead wood, but her eyes pierced Maeve’s with recognition. Maeve took a deep breath. Drakai, the Dragon Queen.
“I came because I was curious,” Drakai said.
She placed a hand on her hip, and even in the blended shadows, Maeve caught the glint of claws. Her pulse quickened, and she swallowed to moisten her throat as her fingers tightened on the blade.
“You must be the one they call Maeve of Carn,” Drakai went on. “I’ve seen you fight, and you are worthy indeed. It is no wonder King Mrithun saw your value. It is a shame he had to collar you to gain your loyalty and obedience. You did well, and you escaped. But why come here? Why now? Surely you are not longing for the arms of your captor again?”
A hot rush of awareness went through Maeve at the dark desire Drakai referenced. Her lips went tight with distaste and she almost spat as she addressed the queen. “Nay, I did not come for loyalty or any reason you’d understand. I came to kill you, the king and all those loyal to you. But more importantly, I came for the Crown of Erinyes. By all rights, it belongs to me. I came for revenge. I came to take back what’s mine.”
Drakai gave a short trill of laughter as she raked her claws down the trunk of a tree. “I thought as much.” She grinned, displaying a mouthful of knife-sharp teeth. “I hoped as much. You and I, Maeve of Carn, were meant to fight, one last battle. I’m sure you saw my transformation in the fae Underground, saw my true form, returned to me at last. King Mrithun has his failures, but he kept his promise to me all along, and for that, I am grateful. Which is why I cannot let you take the crown from him.”
Maeve barred her teeth. How was she supposed to fight a dragon? The odds were staked high. “You would risk letting the demons run free in this land?” she demanded. “They will turn it into turmoil, they will destroy it.”
“Do you think we are stupid?” Drakai snapped. “We studied the texts. We know about the Prophecy of Erinyes, for my fate, and your fate are both bound to those words. We knew about curses, and what would be broken when the crown was reformed. Why do you think we wanted it?”
“Because you are strong enough to beat them?” Maeve couldn’t help the question, even as she wondered what, exactly, was in those texts.
“No.” Drakai shook her head, a wicked glimmer in her honey-colored eyes. “Because we want chaos. Endless chaos. It is only when the kingdoms of this world are razed to the ground that we will come forth in victory and rebuild.”
“I don’t want to rebuild,” Maeve said. “I don’t want endless chaos, I just wanted my freedom, and your actions have made me your enemy. I will not stop until you are dead, and I am free from the threat of your rule.”
Drakai pointed a claw at her, unbothered by Maeve’s anger. “You seem to forget, that was the point. We wanted to control your power, to see you fight, watch your rage and anger drive you. But now, there’s something different about you. You did the unexpected down there in our dark halls, and I only expect something unexpected from you now.” She paused, her nose wrinkling as she sniffed the air. Licking a finger, she held it up. “Unexpected,” she whispered, so low that Maeve had trouble hearing her. “What did you bring with you?” Drakai demanded.
Maeve took a deep breath to calm her racing heartbeat, wondering if she could run fast enough to drive her sword into the queen while she was distracted.
The sound of branches snapping came from above. Maeve thought she heard the faint whirl of wings. Heart in her throat, she took off running just as a bright shape hurled itself out of the sky. A scream ripped from the Dragon Queen’s lips, quickly turning into a manic laugh.
Her eyes turned to Maeve, reptilian and dangerous. The golden wings on her back stretched out, heedless of the tight-knit trees around them. “So. Not only did you go to see my sister,” she uttered. A hiss came out of her mouth and she raised a hand. “She left you a present.”
Maeve leaped over the bramble and dashed for Drakai, sword out as a rain of twigs and branches poured down on her head. Vaguely she heard someone yelling, but she didn’t understand the words as she swung the sword. Above her, she knew Drago was diving, his claws outstretched to rip the Dragon Queen away from where she stood, one hand outstretched.