“That’s Regine and Brandon riding the dragons,” Thayen mumbled, struggling to see that far. We now knew what had happened after we’d left.
I couldn’t help but smile to see our dragons were okay. “They’re a sight for sore eyes.”
The dragons descended and landed on the ridge to our right, then shifted back and slipped their suits on, while Brandon and Regine came over with the palest faces I had ever seen. My first instinct was to grip the Berserker by the shoulders and make sure it was him. I sank my nails into his firm muscles while I was at it, my fingertips tingling with a foreign delight.
“What the heck happened?” I blurted, pulling my hands back as soon as I realized how much I was enjoying the contact. It didn’t do a thing to wipe the smirk off Brandon’s face, but with everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure I cared about the possible repercussions of our shifting dynamic. “I thought you were zapping out with us.”
“Missed me already?” Brandon replied, biting back a broad grin. I punched him in the shoulder. I didn’t have the strength to make it hurt, but it was enough to make him chuckle. “The dragons were retreating, but there was trouble. I made an executive decision. Since you all disappeared, and Myst didn’t come back crying that she’d killed you, I figured teleportation worked, so Regine and I fought our way out of there and got to the dragons.”
Jericho cleared his throat. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
“We survived thanks to you,” Dafne added, giving Regine a warm smile. “We were suddenly overwhelmed by dragon clones. It was nearly impossible to get rid of them.”
“Hrista planned it all very carefully,” Myst murmured, while Thayen kept stealing glances at her, likely still rattled by waking up in her lap earlier. He was already looking better, the additional healing potions working their way through his system. His reactions around Myst were kind of sweet, though. I might’ve made a joke about it in different circumstances. “She was definitely expecting us.”
“But what was the point of that whole encounter?” Richard asked. It was a good question. I’d wondered the same thing. “To brag that she outsmarted you or what?”
Regine shook her head. “This was never a competition. We never knew she was the enemy. It was a meeting meant to reveal her true intentions. To reset the power balance in her favor. She knew we were here, and she knew we’d eventually find her.”
“She trusted me to lead you to her,” Brandon sighed. “Fortunately, I found the charm she’d hidden on me and broke it. She can’t spy on us anymore. I’m sorry. I did warn you.”
“We still don’t know what she’s planning,” I said. “Only that it was complex. Also, I’m pretty sure it involves that… thing she had Isabelle’s clone steal from The Shade. Kedra’s artifact.” My skin crawled whenever it popped into my head, but I’d yet to figure out how she might use such an object. “What would that be for?”
Regine glanced up, frowning at the empty night sky. “Likely a source of power. Most of our magic requires energy. It doesn’t matter what realm it’s from, it’s energy. Like light energy or dark energy, though Hrista is clearly capable of manipulating both—gah, I have so many questions! How could she fly under the radar with this? How could we exist in such blatant ignorance of her plans? I feel so foolish.”
“Imagine how I felt when I was told I’d have to do her bidding,” Brandon muttered. “I’ve been trying to understand what Hrista wants to do, but I’ve come up short.”
Thayen finally found the strength to get up, letting out a deep breath as he regained his composure and glanced at Myst, who refused to take her eyes off him. “We need to figure out what her endgame is,” he said.
“Replacement,” said Haldor’s voice, startling us all.
In an instant, we were on guard and ready to fight again, though I doubted any of us would be able to stay strong before a Berserker like Haldor. But there was something different about him this time, and it became obvious to everyone quickly. He didn’t have his shadow hounds with him. Or if he did, they weren’t visible or itching to kill us. The air was clear and breathable. There wasn’t even a whiff of immediate danger.
Brandon was the first to point that out. “Let me guess. You escaped your captives and have come to us in peace?”
“It’s not my fault Hrista caught on faster than you did regarding my intentions,” Haldor grumbled, slowly raising his hands. “I’m not here to attack anyone. I actually do come in peace.”
Then what Hrista had said earlier was true. Haldor had been stalling and doing things his way, much like Brandon. His threats to destroy Hammer had been empty all along. So much was happening at once, I was struggling to keep up. Everything about Haldor had screamed danger and death, yet now… crickets. Chirping crickets.
“Where is he?” Brandon asked.
Haldor frowned. “He’ll find his way back to you soon. I promise.”
“That doesn’t answer my question!”
“I couldn’t get to him myself! I sent one of the misfits to get him out. Hold your horses, he’ll find you!” Haldor snapped, then looked at us. “As I was saying—replacement. That’s her plan.”
We exchanged glances, but none of us were illuminated. Richard raised a hand. “Excuse me, major noob here, still wrapping my head around this fresh hell. Did you say the misfits went out to get… who?”
“Hammer, my Aesir,” Brandon replied, slightly amused as he gave me a lingering look. “Misfits are clones that didn’t adhere to HQ rules. There aren’t many, maybe one or two small tribes, tops. I think you crossed paths with one of them, if I remember correctly.”
This told me that the clones we’d run from—Ida, Laurel, and Missa among them—were, in fact, more friend than foe. They’d chased us a while back, but
