The wind was whistling in her ears as she was falling.
Ivy and Kara, and the rest were going to die because of her. She didn't care about the guards, as they already appeared to be dead, or the Dark Mage, who was grunting in pain, or King Stig, but she cared about her friends and the little girl, Talya. She tried not to think of Hugo being stabbed in the chest by King Stig, for she feared she would start screaming again and never stop.
If only her voice didn't have magic, if she were only human, not having mermaid heritage, Hugo would still be alive, and Kara and Ivy would be far away from Litus. King Stig only kidnapped them to force her to open a portal to let Death into their world. She should have agreed to help him from the beginning, but that would have felt like she was betraying Jayden. He had explained to her what Death would do to their world if he ever found a way to escape from his prison.
When she shrieked right before the stone platform broke, she felt an evil presence slipping inside the Void.
She was not scared of dying, for she would be reunited with Jayden, but she wanted Talya and the rest to live. Kara was going to have a baby in a few months, and if Violet were right, her mate would come for her. As for Ivy, she was destined to be with Askel. And Hugo... When he was younger, he used to have so many dreams, but the war took so much from him, and Mina wanted him to be happy again.
The last time Mina prayed was when Rosalyn came to brag that Prince Liam asked her to marry him, but as she heard Talya scream in fear, she begged Inoss to listen to her just once.
Blood was coming out of King Stig's ear. He pulled out a healing potion from his pocket, and drank it before turning into an eagle, as big as a wyvern, let out a loud sound, and was about to catch Mina and Talya on his strong back when one of the eagles from the castle's rookery attacked him.
A fight started between the two big birds, and Mina was glad she wouldn't be King Stig's prisoner. Her only regret was that she wouldn't get to destroy Athea and make those responsible for Jayden's death pay.
Lights from the city below her were becoming more visible, and she knew it wouldn't be long until she finally saw Jayden again. Talya was close to her, tears rolling down her cheeks, but Ivy and Kara were nowhere to be seen. Mina stretched out her hands, trying to grab Talya in her arms, when two griffins flew towards them.
One of them caught Mina and Talya in his strong talons just as they were about to fall in the middle of the capital of Litus. Lamps illuminated the streets of the big city, and Mina barely registered the pain radiating from her left hip as she saw Hugo falling into a tree. The branches broke as they slowed his fall, before he ended up on the ground, his body twisted at a weird angle. If she had any hope that he was still alive, it was now gone.
The other griffin circled above Hugo a few times before picking him up in his long talons.
They flew for several hours above mountains and forests and villages, leaving King Stig and his castle behind. Talya stopped crying and appeared to be dozing off, secure in the griffin's big claws, while Mila wondered where the two majestic birds were headed.
It was almost dawn when the griffin placed Mina and Talya on the grass near a forest and landed next to them. The pain Mina initially felt in her left hip was gone, but her leg had become numb.
When she stood, not only did she feel something warm running down her thigh, but it was as if her hip had been cut with a sharp knife. She ignored it as she went to see how Talya was. Hugo was lying on top of flowers nearby, but Mina was not ready to accept he was dead.
Content that Talya was still sleeping and was unharmed, Mina glanced at her left hip. One of the griffin's talons had injured Mina, and she was bleeding from a deep wound. She ripped a strip of fabric from the dress she received in King Stig's castle when the griffins turned into two women. By their age and resemblance, they appeared to be mother and daughter. They wore dresses similar to those Ivy and Kara had when standing on the stone platform at King Stig's castle. On their feet, they had no shoes, just like Mina and Talya.
"Who are you?" asked Mina.
The younger woman, who was pregnant, took a step forward. A small bruise was on her left cheek. "I am Ilda, and this is my mother, Saba. We are Daughters of the Air and have been the prisoners on King Stig for many years. You have been the one to set us free. Unfortunately, Ennio did not make it," she jerked her head in Hugo's direction.
A man around forty years old was where the griffin placed Hugo. The injuries he had were the same as the ones Hugo suffered.
Mina furrowed her brows, not understanding what was happening.
"I know you must have questions, and we will try to answer all of them. But first, let's take care of your injury."
Saba took the piece of fabric from Mina's hands and tied it tight around her hips, stopping the bleeding. "I am afraid I forgot how sharp my claws are. Ilda, see if you can find some healing plants. Remember which ones?"
"Embelia," Idla replied before going towards the forest.
Embelia. It was the same plant her mother used when she would scrape her knees when climbing a tree or when her father returned from a mission given by the Wolf.
In her haste of wanting to destroy Athea, Mina forgot about the Wolf. About the Resistance. She won't renounce her idea of punishing those that had anything to do with Jayden's death, but she would have to find a way to get the members of the Resistance out of Athea first. But could she do it alone, or would she have to travel to Ora Dorei and find Jayden's father and ask for his help? Jayden never told her his father's name, but she knew he was an important man.
It was not only the Resistance that was trapped in Athea but also Shin and Xander.
Saba pointed at some rocks close to where Talya was sleeping. "Sit with me," she said as she walked towards them. Mina followed her. "When Stig became the king of Litus, he also became the king of all the Sons and Daughters of the Air, not only of the Imperial Eagles. Everyone loved his mate, Queen Anna, and because of her, he tried to be a better male, a better ruler. But losing her and their child changed him forever. When you denied his request to open a portal to let Death in, you took away his last hope of being with his mate in this life, and he decided to punish you. But by marrying Commander Jayden, you became King Stig's family. He might be crazy but he would never harm those he considers family."
Saba wasn't telling her anything new. Mina already knew about King Stig's mate and the child so cruelly taken away from him. She hadn't suspected him of being crazy, but she hadn't been herself since the moment she lost Jayden, and she would never be. Little by little, grief would consume her until there was nothing left of her heart and soul, and she would turn into morning dew. Or at least that is what her father used to tell her happened to the women from their family that lost their other half. She didn't know how much longer she had, but she hoped it was enough to save the Resistance and the bastards from Athea and help the Wolf kill the leader of the Order. "The night I spent in the Sky Prison tells me otherwise."
"That was not King Stig's doing, and those responsible for it have been punished accordingly." She jerked her head in Ennio's direction. "Remember the warrior that was to take you to the dungeon on your first night at the castle? He whispered into the Torture Master's ear things about you, and he ended up with a knife in his chest."
Mina looked at Ennio. Cuts covered his face, and the fall he suffered made him impossible to recognize, but what if King Stig lied to her? "I never wanted anyone to die because of me. So, King Stig tricked me? He never had my cousin. What about Ivy and Kara?"
Saba took her left palm in hers. "It was just a spell. Ilia is pregnant, and her mate is locked in a cell in the castle. We agreed to help King Stig trick you if he agreed to free my son-in-law. Ennio was promised his family would be safe if he played his part well. Your friends were never at the castle."
Mina felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Hugo was not only alive, but King Stig never harmed him. Same for Ivy and Kara. They were probably still in Athea. She would have to hurry and get them out of there. "Thank you for saving Talya and me. Days ago, I lost my mate, and the thought of losing my cousin and friends was unbearable."
Saba gave her a few gentle pats on the top of her hand. "The pain of losing a mate will forever haunt you, but you are strong, Mina Ruxman, Andarra of the ocxoas."
"You know of me?"
"The dagger will crush the head of the scorpion."
Mina gasped. "You are part of the Resistance?"
"We are everywhere, Mina, not only in the sewers of Athea. And yes, I know of you. Your birth was foretold many years ago by the Queen of the Seelie Court. Everything you had to go through, the loss of your mate, was to make you stronger, to prepare you for what is to come."
"And what is to come?"
"The Red Scorpion."
Mina had heard the name before when she got lost in the Enchanted Forest, but if he was a human, elf, or another race was a mystery to her.
"Do you know who he is?"
"The Resistance has been trying for years to learn his real name, but to no avail. But now that the Order has Athea under its clutches, I have no doubt the Red Scorpion will make his appearance."
"How do you know all this? Are you a seer?"
Saba laughed. "Oh, no, but I was part of the Resistance before I had Ilia. Becoming a prisoner of King Stig might have been intentional or not. It is amazing how much you can learn if you listen closely enough. Go to Ora Dorei; your destiny awaits you there." She looked at Talya. "She is very special. One day, she will travel to Ilvisar and live all sorts of adventures." She turned her attention back to Mina. "Ilia and I would take you to Ora Dorei, but we must return to King Stig's castle and free my son-in-law, Joel. Your shriek might have harmed his ears, and Clarissa, the eagle that attacked him, might have inflicted some wounds on him, but he is not the King of the Sons and Daughters of the Air for nothing. I am sure he is back in the castle or already looking for you. And I doubt he will keep his promise to us. He might even try to kill Joel. I wanted to make sure you and Talya are as far as possible from him before Ilia puts her plan into function. She has the same clever mind as her grandmother. Unfortunately, we can't take Talya with us. I know she is not your responsibility, but she won't be safe with Ilia and me. Could you take her to Ora Dorei? I will come after her after Joel and Ilia are safe."
Mina nodded. Violet, Landon, and Bella were already in Ora Dorei, in her father-in-law's house. It would be good for Talya to be around children her age.
"I was already planning to go there, but what do you mean by my destiny?"
Saba gave her a last pat on the hand before standing. "Your destiny is for you to discover, but the time for you to return to the house you were born in has come."
Mina was about to tell Saba she was born in Ather and not in Ora Dorei when Ilia returned.
"I have found a few healing plants," Ilia said and gave her mother three embelia plants.
"Thank you, Ilia. Would you be kind enough to wake Talya while I explain to Mina how to use the healing plant?"
Ilia put her hands on her hips. "When we return to our tribe cave, I hope you will find a male so you can stop ordering my mate around or me," she huffed before going to do as her mother asked.
Saba chuckled before ripping the leaves of the plant's steams. "Because we can't make tea, you will have to chew the leaves. They don't taste good, but in a few days, the wound will be healed."
Mina accepted the leaves and put a few in her mouth. They were so bitter she had to fight against the urge to spit them on the grass.
Ilia woke Talya and took her to Mina and Saba.
"Have I not told you that one day we will be free from the crazy king?" Saba asked Talya. A big smile appeared on Talya's face, and she nodded a few times vigorously. "Joel is still in the castle. Ilia and I have to go after him. Mina will take you to Ora Dorei, and once Joel is safe, we will come after you."
Talya glanced at Mina and then back at Saba and nodded. "Good," Saba cooed. "And remember to use words." To Mina, she said, "Talya has a special don to put in your head images of what she wants to tell you. Ilia and Joel have been trying to make her speak more, but she is very stubborn."
Mina put a hand on Talya's shoulder. "I will make sure Talya uses her don as little as she can but that she eats all the vegetables on her plate."
Talya huffed before crossing her arms over her chest. Ilia laughed. "Talya hates vegetables with a passion. Especially anything that is green."
Saba gave Mina a hug. "We are close to the border between Litus and Nodor. Unfortunately, I don't have any money or trinkets to give you, nor weapons, but I have faith you will make it unharmed to Ora Dorei."
Ilia ruffled Talya's red hair. "Be good and listen to what Mina tells you."
"What about Ennio?" asked Mina.
"We will take his body to his family. He was not a bad person; he only served the wrong king."
After saying their goodbyes, Ilia and Saba turned into griffins and took Ennio with them before leaving.
Mina grabbed Talya's hand and looked at their bare feet. "We must find socks and boots if we want to make it to Ora Dorei."