“Neither did I.”
Meruse threw her hands in the air. “Oh honestly, did none of you know?”
Our blank looks flustered her further.
“How long were you in that mountain again?” She huffed in disgust as Kieran opened his mouth to respond. “Don’t answer. Just listen.”
And we did. Meruse told us everything she knew; about how the demons weren’t born in this world, rather they came here from somewhere else.
“Where? And how are they getting here?”
Meruse rubbed her forehead with two fingers.
“We don’t know. Our oral histories speak of a dark force that first entered the mountains a millennium ago but offered no other details. What do your histories say?”
Kieran and Benedict frowned, but my head shot up.
“Domik would know if there was anything to know. We should ask him.”
Benedict looked surprised that I knew who Domik was.
“We shall when we return. If we have records, they weren’t passed down through any great stories or legends.”
Meruse nodded, then looked to Astrid.
“Our tales are mostly similar; after all, a millennium ago most witches still lived with mixed covens. Our tales speak of the same darkness and serve as a cautionary warning not to get too close to the mountains.”
I frowned, still feeling as though we were seeing only a tiny corner of the picture, rather than the entire thing.
“We have no idea where the hordes came from? They just...fell out of the sky?”
Heads turned towards me with unfriendly glances. I rolled my eyes.
“What is beyond the mountains?”
Astrid blanched, and shot a look to Meruse. Benedict answered, waving a hand dismissively.
“Vast amounts of desert. I have flown over it. It stretches further than my wings could travel. Since I do not know what is beyond it, I cannot shift there.”
I considered his words. “And what is beyond the desert?”
Silence.
“Why are vampyres fleeing and dying out?”
They took a moment to consider my question.
“Vampyres feed on humans. Conditions for humanity haven’t exactly been thriving these past few centuries, so if there are less humans, it makes sense the vampyre population would decline as well.”
Kieran nodded, even as Meruse began to pace, her leather boots sending sand flying before her feet. “The vampyres made a deal without seeing the long-term consequences; they should have rallied with the humans. If their food source dies out, so do they.”
“Everyone should have rallied with the humans,” Bnedict bit out, his eyes shooting daggers at the witches.
“Let’s not fall into the same trap as the vampyres by thinking only of the past and present. Rather, let’s think about the future.”
Benedict fell silent. I resolved to talk to him further about his hatred for witches.
“Is it possible the vampyres would turn? Could we get them to our side?” I asked. Meruse laughed, a loud, unexpected sound that startled me.
“‘Our side’? What are you talking about?”
Anxiety creeped through my veins, and Kieran and Benedict were avoiding my eyes. I licked my lips, confused.
“I thought, I thought perhaps—"
“You may have leveraged support from the air and earth covens by providing them with something they need, but do not be so bold as to assume our support.”
Astrid snorted.
“You will hide here in your sand dunes while Dorea falls apart? If the drakens fall, there will be no world. Or did you plan on finding your lost witches on your own?”
Meruse’s face tightened in grief, and she threw herself at Astrid. The two witches tumbled into each other, fighting ferociously. Daggers flashed and then dropped to the ground, useless as Astrid removed the air around them. Meruse screamed in frustration, making no sound as Astrid had removed that air as well.
“Are you quite finished?”
Meruse’s face was growing red from a lack of oxygen, and I wondered if Astrid would kill her. Then the sea witch gave in, nodding reluctantly. Astrid waved her hand and the other witch fell, gasping.
“I’d drown you in a heartbeat—sink your body so deep below the waves you’d forget what air was.”
Astrid sat down calmly, brushing the excess sand from her dress.
“I have no doubt you would.” She gestured for Meruse to sit.
“We are not in the ocean, we are here. Your witches are missing, and we have allies here willing to help locate them. Let them.”
My eyes shot between Meruse and Benedict, a wry smile curling my lips.
“You two are very much alike.”
Their twin grins of horror made the rest of us burst into laughter, dispelling any lingering tension or ill will. I shot a pleading look to Benedict, who crossed his arms sullenly.
“We will help you find your missing witches, if you ally the sea witches to our cause.”
Benedict’s words rang with power, Kieran and I’s ears twitching as we sensed it.
Meruse wiped a bloody hand across her nose, sniffing.
“Fine.”
They shook hands, while Astrid grinned.
“Welcome to the alliance. Let’s get started.”
Despite Meruse’s grumblings, it was decided that the best course of action would be to go inland, and search for any clues amongst the abandoned villages. We sat around a small campfire, eating from the provisions we had all brought. At some point we would likely have to hunt, but for now it was enough to share and eat together, a smaller symbol of our true intentions of a lasting alliance.
Astrid and Meruse went off in private behind the dunes, discussing what they knew. Benedict and I sat next to each other, my head on his shoulder. Kieran dozed nearby, the firelight flickering off his blood red scales. I exhaled, looking up at the stars in the sky.
“What is blood magick, exactly? I’ve seen the other drakens do it, and there is an entire coven of witches dedicated to the art, so it must be important.”
Benedict’s eyes were hooded, his gaze dark.
“Would you like to learn?”
I swallowed, nervous. “If I am capable, yes.”
He huffed. “That is the question.”
Benedict withdrew one of his daggers, amethysts glinting on the hilt that matched his eyes. The blade was made of black stone and sharpened precisely. The finish of the blade was dull,
