Their course dipped lower to drift a hundred feet above the trees. Because the clearing was small, the dragons circled, waiting for their turn to land. After Gregory had shifted back to human, Luc banked steeply to the left, eliciting another yelp from Jade, and alighted in the center of the clearing. It took a few seconds before Jade relinquished her punishing grip around Rell’s waist. On shaky legs, Jade crawled off the dragon’s back. Rell hopped from her place at the beast’s neck, to its haunch, and then onto the ground.
Though he took longer than Gregory, eventually Luc shifted back to Bringer and walked to Jade, wrapping her in a protective hug. “It’s all right. We’re safe.”
Jade wrapped her arms around Luc’s waist and pressed her face into the crook of his shoulder. She didn’t speak, only held him close for a good minute.
Obviously Rell was not the only one who was grateful to be alive. Rhys’s black dragon circled. The Bringers on the ground moved into the trees to allow him to land. With a mighty down stroke of its wings, the dragon hovered a few seconds and then settled in the clearing.
Her heart beat faster at the sight of Siban on top of the powerful beast. He looked every bit the warrior. His gaze leveled on her, intense and serious. She swallowed and took several slow steps toward him. Without breaking their gaze, he rose, jumped from the dragon, and strode toward her.
Her pace quickened and she nearly threw herself into his arms. He scooped her up and crushed her to him. “We made it.” His words whispered against her cheek. “Barely, but we made it.”
She nodded and lifted her head. Despite the gathering crowd of Bringers, she twined her fingers in his mass of chocolate-brown locks and pushed his head toward hers to kiss him. Their mouths met and she let out a little whimper as the reality of what they’d just gone through hit her. They’d entered the Shadow World, and though they hadn’t accomplished their mission, they’d learned so much more than they’d previously known. On a personal level, she and Siban had faced their nightmares and survived.
“Is everybody all right?” Gregory stood in the center of the clearing. Blood ran from a large gash on his forehead, his gaze traveling over each member of the group. “Does anybody need healing?”
A thump from above sounded, and though they had been the first through the opening, Icarus and Meran were the last to land. The demon flared his wings and settled a few yards from Gregory with Meran clutched to him. The demon’s embrace loosened and his gaze lingered on her for a few seconds longer than felt natural.
Rell thought it looked as if Icarus released her with great reluctance. Meran’s hands slid from around his neck and drifted down his chest before she stepped away. The demon watched her, his yellow stare swirling to silver, making him look almost human. Icarus watched Meran the same way Siban used to look at her when she was a demon. Good, if they planned on saving his life, he would need something or somebody to fight for.
Meran’s eyes never left Icarus. “Thank you. You saved my life.”
A strange expression flittered across Icarus face, one Rell had never seen the proud demon display—humility. “It is I who am in your debt.” He lifted his head to stare at the group. “I do not know what it all means for me, but I am grateful for the knowledge of who I was.”
“Are,” Meran said. “Vile has never been able to fully take away who you are and I will do everything in my power to help you find your way back to us.”
His eyes leveled on her. “Again, I am humbled by your generosity, but I fear there is little that can be done to mend what Vile has broken.”
Tears burned in the back of Rell’s eyes at his declaration. She stepped away from Siban and walked to where Icarus stood. “These Bringers”— she held out her arm, indicating the entire group— “welcomed me as one of their own. Even as a demon they gave me shelter and protection. Though I couldn’t see it at the time, they did everything in their power to save me.” She lowered her hand and turned to look at Siban. “I want to believe it is never too late, Icarus.”
Siban glided forward. “Perhaps I’ve been wrong about you, Bane.”
Icarus tipped his head and peered down at him. “You were wise not to trust me.”
“Probably, but Rell is right. You deserve to know who you are.”
“You are my brother.” Gregory stopped in front of Icarus. “For far too long you’ve toiled alone.” He shook his head. “No longer. Whether you want it or not, we will not abandon you.”
“Remember when you asked me if being human was good?” Rell asked.
Icarus inclined his head.
“To live without the darkness is like lifting blinders from your eyes and unchaining your soul to let it soar free, unfettered by the desolation.” She smiled. “It is good, Icarus, very good, and I wouldn’t give it up for all the treasure in this world.”
“Your words fill me with. . .hope. But I’m hesitant to give them too much weight. We are not the same, Rell. I have lived as a Bane for a thousand years and much of the stain on my soul was of my own doing.” He straightened and looked at his brother. “Will you return to the manor?”
“Yes.” Gregory paused. “Will you join us?”
“No.” Icarus extended his wings. “There are things I must take care of.”
“You’re not going back in the Shadow World, are you?” Meran asked.
“I have had enough of my uncle’s treachery.” He shook his head, the long black mane swishing against the edges of his wings. “When I am finished I will find you.”
With one last glance at Meran, Icarus launched himself into the sky and banked to the south.
Meran shook her head and looked at the group. “I can hardly believe what we’ve discovered.”
“A thousand-year-old mystery,” Rhys said. “One that I’m sure involves many of our kin.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Brita said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to discover what exactly happened.”
“Vile’s journal should give us some clue.” Gregory sighed. “Unless he staged his chamber knowing we’d discover the diary.”
Magnus leaned his back against a tree. “I grow weary of these deadly games.”
“Unfortunately, it seems Vile does not.” Rhys draped his arm around Ravyn’s shoulder and pulled her into the crook of his arm. “It’s more important than ever to protect ourselves and those we love from what Vile has in store.”
“I agree, but first we need to recover from what we just went through.” Jade walked to Gregory and placed her hand near the cut on his forehead. “You need healing. What was it, a talon?”
“Yes, after the Bane began fighting in earnest, one of them caught me across the head. I’m lucky I only received this.”
“I’ll say.” Jade closed her eyes and whispered the ancient words of the healing chant.
Besides her transition back to Bringer, Rell had never seen her sister’s powers at work. The air around Jade and Gregory shimmered. Thin threads of green-and-white light flowed from the surrounding trees and swirled around his head, dancing in graceful circles around the two of them.
Vibrations skittered across Rell’s skin like tiny butterfly wings, bringing with it a feeling of tranquility and oneness with the forest and all living things. Like her Tell, Jade’s Redeemer powers were an entity in itself. Rell smiled. For the first time she saw Jade as a powerful Bringer and not the little sister she’d wronged thirteen years ago.
The healing only took a minute and when Jade removed her hand, no evidence of his injury remained. She turned. “Anybody else?”
One by one, Jade, Ravyn, and Meran worked through the Bringers healing them. Some bore only a disheveled appearance as evidence of the battle, but the women took no chances, not wanting to risk any internal bleeding.