A Ride of Peril(75)

We darted through the woods, beckoning our horses to go as fast as they could, until we reached the protective shield.

"We're here," I gasped, as we passed through the barrier.

I nearly collapsed from my horse by the time we reached the front steps. 

Vita, Aida, and Field waited with Jovi, Anjani, Bijarki, and two gorgeous creatures, briefly introduced as Tamara, Mother of the Lamias, and Eva, her daughter.

I sprang from the saddle right into Vita and Aida's arms, overwhelmed with joy and relief to be with them again.

"You made it back in one piece, you devil!" Aida grinned, kissing my cheeks.

Draven stepped forward, followed by Hansa, Bijarki, and Sverik. Aida's eyes glimmered with recognition at the sight of Kristos's brother.

"It's good to see you alive." She smiled at him.

"You know me?" Sverik asked, confused.

"I saw you in my visions," she replied.

"Ah, so you're one of the Oracles then!" He beamed and shook her hand.

We introduced them to each other, and I shouted after Phoenix and the Daughter, eager to hug him. The intensity of everything I'd been through was suddenly starting to weigh on me. The adrenaline still pumped through me.

We caught up with one another briefly.

Tamara and Eva watched quietly with fascination. We were the foreign ones in their eyes, creatures they'd never seen before.

Phoenix emerged from the mansion, followed by the Daughter. He came down the stairs, and I jumped in his arms. He laughed and held me tight, and the world seemed right again.

"I told you I wasn't going to accept any outcome other than you coming back to me in one piece," he whispered in my ear. "The universe listened."

The Daughter then jumped between us and hugged me, much to my surprise. I looked at Phoenix, and he shrugged, laughing lightly.

"I'm glad you're back," she said. "Phoenix has been worried sick about you!"

I loved seeing our group back together with a handful of new allies added to the mix. We'd had a successful mission, which gave me more hope. On top of that, after I'd launched that barrier at Azazel, I'd tapped into a previously undiscovered resource of courage. The initial gloom was slowly dissipating.

Draven cleared his throat and bowed before Tamara and Eva. Phoenix's eyes grew large at the sight of them, giving me the impression that he knew them.

"It's an honor to have you here, Tamara," Draven said. "I was hoping we'd get to discuss the terms of an alliance against Azazel."

"I've heard," Tamara replied politely. "Bijarki told me you're in possession of three Oracles and the support of the Dearghs and that you are hoping to rally all remaining species against Azazel. That is a most noble but dangerous pursuit."

Phoenix kept watching the exchange, frowning. I nudged him and gave him a questioning sideways glance, but he ignored me and kept watching Tamara. I could tell something was off, but Tamara's responses quickly recaptured my attention.

"Does that mean you'll join us?" Draven asked.

"It's why I came to see you myself. Your plan shows promise, and the Lamias would be willing to fight for you. Under one condition," she replied with an icy smile.

I had a feeling the conversation was about to turn bad fast. None of us said anything, waiting for Draven to respond.

"Tell me what the condition is, then, before I agree to anything," he said.

She pushed Eva forward. The younger Lamia looked at us awkwardly. She hadn't said anything yet, and I wondered what her role was in this alliance. Her expression didn't give anything away either. She simply eyed Draven whenever she got a chance.

"You must mate with my daughter, Druid, and help her conceive a child," came Tamara's reply.





Serena





"Only then will you have our full support against Azazel," Tamara added.


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My jaw dropped, and I couldn't hold back an outraged gasp. My expression was mirrored by everyone else in the group, with the exception of Tamara and Eva, who seemed to have thought this through already. In fact, Eva seemed quite pleased with the idea, judging by her self-confident smirk.

Draven looked baffled, his eyes flickering black as he blinked rapidly, trying to digest the Lamias' request.

"You've got to be joking," he replied, his voice dim.

"Draven, I know her," Phoenix intervened with an alarmed expression. "I know Tamara. I've seen her in one of my visions of the past."

It then dawned on me why Phoenix had been so on edge over the last couple of minutes.