Dreams of Fury: Descendants of the Fall Book IV by Hodges, Aaron (most important books to read .txt) 📗

spied distant wings, too far and too many to be Cara. The Anahera. She and her people might hold a few Tangata, but her hundred would be decimated by even one of those creatures attacking from above.

Then with a roar, the Tangata were upon them. The first exploded from the long grass and leapt at Darien, but Erika reacted without thought, directing a burst of power at the creature. The shriek of her gauntlet struck, bringing the Tangata to its knees, where a swipe of Darien’s sword took its head from its shoulders.

Others soon took its place.

Step by step, the Calafe continued their retreat, struggling as the dark creatures launched themselves from the grass, as the strength of the Tangata sought to break their lines, to recover the fledgelings their master had worked so hard to capture. There were only a few at first, the fastest of their kind. They attacked in madness, driven to such a frenzy that they barely seemed to notice the warriors that stood between them and their prey.

But even mad, the creatures were more than a match for a tiny band of Calafe. Erika did her best to use the gauntlet to slow them, allowing Darien and his fellow guards to strike the finishing blows, but she could only protect the centre. On either side, the line was quickly buckling beneath the Tangatan assault.

“Hold!” she cried as they stumbled back, but Erika’s voice was drowned out by the screams of her followers, by the death of those who had trusted her to lead them.

Chaos engulfed the Calafe as the tide of Tangata swelled. There was no time to glance back, to check how far they were from the gates, from safety. No doubt the guards would have barred their entrance by now anyway. Erika could only pray Maisie had managed to lead her charges to safety, that their sacrifice would not be in vain.

A scream tore from Erika’s throat as she unleashed another burst of power at a creature that evaded Darien’s sword. It crumpled before her magic and she screamed again, frustration building within, that after everything she had been through, this was how it ended.

She might have fallen then, might have lain down and died, but instead Erika lifted her gauntlet and fought on. She could feel the strength draining from her with each flash of light, but she would not surrender now. She would go to the void screaming, before she failed her people again.

Darkness fell across the battlefield as another Tangata came at Erika and she flinched back, raising her gauntlet to strike it down. Light flashed from her fist, but already more of the creatures were stepping up to take its place, snarls upon their faces.

She staggered back, sucking in a breath, struggling to stay upright, to gather energy for her next attack.

Before her strength returned, a sharp crack came from overhead, then a shadowy figured plunged from the sky. Another followed, then another, until dark wings all but blocked out the sky. Despair swallowed Erika as she looked upon their doom.

The Anahera had come.

28

The Sovereign

Standing in the great throne room of Mildeth, Lukys looked around at the gathered rulers and couldn’t help but feel himself an imposter. It was a familiar sensation by now, but one made all the worse by the presence of Amina. The woman stood pointedly opposite her throne, and even now he could sense her eyes on him, could feel her disdain. That emerald gaze seemed to pierce him to the core, to know the doubt in his soul, whatever outward illusion he presented to the world.

It is not an illusion, Lukys, Sophia whispered. You and I, we deserve to stand here. It is only your own doubt that does not allow you to see it.

He offered her a smile at that, though they did not say more. They knew now what Amina was, the danger she presented to them. She might be unfamiliar with the mental powers of the Anahera and Tangata, but that did not mean she was ignorant to them.

I just pray we made the right choice, Sophia, he replied finally.

She lips pursed her lips, eying the Flumeeren queen. She will never be a friend to my kind, Sophia said at last. Her hatred is too great. But…we had little choice, given the circumstances.

Lukys nodded, though he could feel the whispers of other minds within, the memories of Sovereigns that screamed to strike Amina down before she could betray them. But…he wasn’t sure they could have harmed Amina anyway. She wore the gauntlet of the Gods—or rather, of humanity, as Erika had explained to them. And with the strength of the Anahera coursing in her veins…

…well, he would feel better when Erika and Cara arrived. The pair might hate him for the decision they had made, but they were likely the only ones capable of controlling Amina now she was within the walls. They had spent the night in the Calafe camp, but with sunlight streaming through the broad windows above, the pair should have arrived by now. The hour of their meeting had long since passed, and he could sense the patience in the room growing thin.

Not that impatience was the greatest of their problems just now.

In his mind, Lukys could feel the distant pounding, the weight pressing upon his emotions. The influence of the Old One. He could hardly believe the strength of her Voice, to reach them even here. He had tried to counter her, to fortify the courage of his people as she toyed their fears, but even with the strength of the Sovereign gift, he felt as a pebble before the endless currents of the mountain river. He knew too little about those minds within, feared losing himself in their terrible depth.

Even without her influence, Lukys hardly knew where to begin with this meeting of monarchs, how he could possibly unite the warring factions within the city—let alone set aside the personal grievances between those