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

the smug smile on Amina’s face. The meaning of that look was clear—that she was the true queen, and Erika nothing more than an imposter, the lowborn offspring of a courtesan, rather than the daughter of a king.

The whisper of feathers on air announced Cara’s arrival. She landed between Erika and Darien, keeping a wary eye on Amina. The young Goddess’s distrust for her half-sister was obvious, a sentiment Erika could well understand. And for her part, Amina made no secret of her hatred for the Tangata and Anahera both.

With them all gathered, Erika finally turned her attention to what had brought them to this place. This had been the first ancient site Erika had explored in her quest to uncover the secrets of their Gods. Little had she known then the truth that waited.

The shadow of a cave marred the strange rock. In her explorations, she had discovered this was not one of the original entrances to the site, but had been exposed when a section of rock had finally given in to the unending pounding of the ocean waves. The original entrance was somewhere above. That was the entrance the Sovereigns had shown Maya. Cara had already checked its iron casing—it remained barred to the world.

The Old One had yet to arrive.

Shivering, Erika glanced at her companions to see whether they were ready. Lukys, Sophia and Nguyen had remained behind in Mildeth—someone had to oversee the defence of the city, and they weren’t about to trust Amina with the task. Given neither had the Erika’s magic or the strength of an Anahera, the pair had seemed the natural choice.

Even so, Erika found herself questioning that decision. They might be as new to their roles as Erika, but Lukys and Sophia carried an air about themselves, a quiet confidence that lent strength to those around them. How she wished for such an ability, to squash her inner doubts and stand as a natural reader, confident in her command.

But Lukys and his Tangatan partner were far from them now, and instead it fell on Erika to see the Old One defeated. So after a moment’s hesitation, she led their group up the shore to the cave. Stepping into the darkness, Erika found herself recalling her first visit to this place, the excitement of entering its forbidden darkness, the secrets that might lie within. She had been disappointed that first time, though she had known so little then. Perhaps she had missed something…

Erika shook herself, forcing her thoughts back to her more pressing danger. This was no expedition into the secrets of the past, however she might wish it to be. Maya might not yet have arrived, but she would not be far behind them. They needed to be ready before then, to find a chamber to make their stand. Clenching her fist, she allowed the gauntlet to light the way.

Cold walls swallowed them up, beckoning them further into the darkness. Erika’s chest constricted as they stumbled ever deeper, her nerves betraying her. She would have preferred to face the Old One in the open, where they could see the creature coming, but their lie had to be believable. And this was the closest ancient site to Mildeth.

Well, the only one that could be reached by sea at least. There was another, the site where she had discovered the gauntlet, and the map that had revealed the locations of other such sites. A shudder ran down her spine as she recalled the tale Lukys had told her, of how Maya had come to rule the Tangata. They had taken that map from Lukys’s mind. Just as it had led Erika to the city of the Anahera, the map had led them to where Maya had lain sleeping.

And so the world had changed forever.

How she wished now she’d destroyed it, burned it where it lay and left sleeping demons buried. But it was too late for that now.

“So what do we do once we’re inside?” Maisie murmured as they crept deeper into the tunnels.

“I explored this place for weeks,” Erika replied. “There’s nothing here, I’m sure of it. But we need to be ready for when Maya arrives.”

Alongside her, Cara nodded. Erika could read the tension in the young Anahera’s wings, the way her feathers stood on end. Her eyes kept flicking to Amina, and Erika prayed her friend’s distraction would not cost them against the Old One.

“I’m not sure what good us mere mortals are going to be,” Maisie offered, nodding to Darien.

The one-armed Calafe grunted and reached down to pat his sword hilt. “I’ll fight,” he replied shortly. “There’s no other choice.”

Cara’s eyes flickered to the man, while Maise offered soft laughter. “I suppose that’s true.” She drew her own blade, a short sword, and hefted it.

Erika nodded. “Maya may not come alone.”

Word from the Sovereigns was that the Tangatan army had remained outside Mildeth and was even now preparing to attack, but some of the creatures might have joined Maya on her journey. Though the Old One would outpace the weaker of the Tangata, there were some that could match her speed, at least for a time.

“If she has company, we’ll need you to keep her followers distracted while we fight her,” Erika added after a pause.

Maisie grunted. “Definitely feeling some second thoughts about joining this quest. Who knew a city under siege by thousands of Tangata would prove the safer option.”

“There’ll be no chance to run this time, Gemaho,” Darien said, his voice hard. Erika grated her teeth. Though the blame for the southern war now fell squarely on Amina’s shoulders, the Calafe would not be quick to forget how Gemaho had abandoned them in their hour of need.

“Enough,” was all she said, and was grateful when Darien obeyed.

They were in the true tunnels now, where multitudes of passages branched off from the main corridor. This would be a poor place for an ambush—the side chambers they passed were too small, and the narrow hallways would only aid