Chapter 7 The Nest
BYRON
We landed in the middle of the woods, leaving the college a few miles behind. I looked back, my dragon sight sharp enough to see the glamour perfectly in place. Anyone who approached the college would only see a ruined town, the charred remains making it impossible to pass through. The wards around the place would make them so pressed that they would turn back.
It was another defense mechanism against the Hollowborns since the dragons could no longer take their shifted forms, and also a secret weapon against other supernaturals. And now, we just revealed it to a werewolf.
I didn't need to look at their faces to know the other Heirs felt the same. The silence between the three of us was loud enough. Even Carden, who was usually the most talkative, was silent.
Aidas stepped forward and flicked his fingers. The glamour on the place fell, revealing a cabin. The Nest, as Carden named it.
The three of us had built this place and placed a glamour on it ever since we began coming into our power. We used to spend so much time together, training to be the best, and learning how to rule after our fathers.
This place was our escape. In this place, we weren't Heirs or commanders, just three people trying to bond, and maybe even become brothers.
We were able to maintain the illusion that we were our own people when the world was still peaceful. That was before the Hollowborns and The Burn. Those times felt so far, like an entire lifetime ago, but in reality it was just two decades.
The three of us trudged into the cabin and slumped to the chairs, dejected. I felt it then, the strong power nudging against my mental pathway. A quick glance at the other Heirs and I knew they felt it too.
“They couldn't wait five minutes.” Carden groaned while Aidas sighed in exasperation.
Their eyes turned glassy as they gave in. I waited for a whole minute to make sure the glamour was back on the cabin so they wouldn't find us, just in case they decided to track it while they were in our heads. When I was sure, I opened my mental pathway and let his power flow in.
“What took you so long?” my father's voice flooded my head.
I pushed back all the emotions swirling in me. If he decided to poke around my head with his power, he could figure out what I was feeling. I couldn't let that happen.
“I was busy.” I thought back.
I felt his chuckle even though I couldn't see him.
“Busy?” he huffed. “What exactly were you busy with? Your only task for the afternoon was delivering the werewolf to Drakmor.”
I knew he was baiting me. He wanted to know what I had been doing. So I didn't give him a response.
“Is there anything you want to tell me?” he added, his power nudging me to reveal more.
“No.” I thought back immediately. Hesitation would lead to more questioning and I was too exhausted to go through that right now. But that didn't stop me from tightening my defenses against my mind.
“Really? Not even about the student you so cheerfully killed?” His voice held a tiny bit of mockery.
I swallowed, pushing back the tiny bit of guilt I felt. I couldn't let him sense it. Guilt is a weakness. An Heir shouldn't have any weakness or they would easily crumble.
“It was necessary.” was all I said. I didn't offer more explanation and he didn't ask, which meant he already knew exactly what happened. It was what he expected of me.
My guts churned as the memory of bones snapping filled my ears. I curled my fingers into a fist, holding my shadows in a tight grip so they burst out and hurt the other heirs.
I tried to block out the sound but I couldn't, not when the torture was going on in my head. My shield wasn't as strong as my father's powers. No matter how tight they held, they couldn't successfully shield all my memories. So he'd carefully picked the one that would haunt me the most. My recent kill.
The sound intensified so loud that it physically hurt. It felt like my bones were breaking and I kept killing myself again and again. I wanted to scream mentally and tell him to stop. I wanted to shut him out of my mind. But I couldn't.
He would always find his way back in whether I wanted him to or not. And even if I didn't, shutting him out would imply weakness. I was not a weak man.
So I let him break me all he wanted. I reminded myself I didn't have a choice but to kill him. The boy had committed an act of treason publicly by insulting the High Lords. Killing him was a mercy. If my father or any of the High Lords had gotten to him first, he would have wished for death instead.
But the thought didn't make me feel any less guilty. Especially not as my vein throbbed like it was about to pop. Just when I thought it was going to happen, my father pulled his power away from my mind, leaving only the remnants necessary for communication.
“You know why you're been punished, Lord Byron.”
It wasn't a question but I answered regardless.
“Yes.”
“Good. Next time, do not take my kill.” His voice was deep and angry, something dark flickering underneath.
I didn't get the chance to ponder on the thought before he suddenly cut me off. I fell forward, my chest heaving like it was about getting ripped from my chest. But I managed to catch myself before I reached the floor.
I tried to regulate my breathing when my eyes went to the other Heirs. I immediately knew the punishment wasn't just for me. But out of all three of us, it seems I was the only one who could control the outcome.
I took in the scorched seat Carden sat on and the small puddle of water surrounding Aidas. Their powers must have slipped while they were going through their mental torture.
Carden rose from his ruined seat, his eyes sweeping over the destruction he had created. He shook his head as he stared at Aidas, who was slumped in his chair, his eyes half closed.
“What?” Aidas said.
Carden tipped his head back, laughter rolling out of him. A heartbeat passed before Aidas joined in too. They laughed so hard like this was the most hilarious thing in the world. Like this wasn't fucked up in everyway possible.
“Come on, Grumpy. Join us.” Carden said as he launched a fireball at me. I snuffed it out with shadows before it could touch me. But instead of being irritated, I simply shook my head, my lips tilting up in an almost smirk.
“I’m not joining in your madness.” I grumbled.
“Madness?” Carden gasped. He placed a hand on his chest as if I had wound him. He exchanged a glance with Aidas and I immediately knew what they were about to do.
“No.” I said firmly, but the word had barely left my mouth before both Heirs made their moves.
Carden launched a fireball at me at the same time as Aidas launched a waterball. I was able to snuff out Carden’s fire but wasn't quick enough to stop Aidas’ attack.
The three of us were evenly matched, our fathers made sure of it. Not because they wanted to nurture a bond between us, they were woo power hungry to care about that. It was so that one of us didn't end up taking leadership from another because we were more powerful.
But it still didn't change the fact that we were the most powerful dragons of our respective breeds, second only to our fathers. At least, that's what everyone believes.
If Carden was the only one that attacked me, I might be able to deflect easily. But the combination of both of them was deadly. Which was why I was standing, arm raised, my cloak dripping water on the wooden floor.
“Really?” I arched an eyebrow at the Waterborn Heir.
He only laughed, his eyes fixed on Carden.
“By the Hearth! You look like a drenched cat.” Carden snickered.
“Oh, you think this is funny?” I sneered. Tendrils of my shadows raced towards Carden, grabbing the jug of water and dumping it on his head. He was so busy being smug about his hit on me that he didn't defend himself in time.
“Hey! I just got my hair done. Do you know how expensive this shit is these days?” He whined.
“Your servants made it for you. You didn't pay for it.” Aidas snorted. That seems to get his attention away from me as he launches a fireball at Aidas. He was quick enough to snuff the flames with water.
The both of them launched into a full brawl, throwing punches and using their magic, but neither of them was winning.
I shook my head and sat down. Two of the most powerful people in Varethin fighting like teenagers. It would have been ridiculous if I didn't know they were only trying to relieve themselves of the torture they just endured. So I watched them, throwing words of encouragement when one of them took the lead in the fight.
Until it came.
Carden and Aidas paused their fighting as if they heard it the same time as I had. The wards around Varethin borders setting off an alarm that could only mean one thing.
Wordlessly, the three of us exited the cabin, placing the glamour on it. And we shadowshifted towards the borders to kill the Hollowborns who breached it.