PART NINE: GROWING TOUGHER

“This is not good,” said Thane. “We used most of our magic nuts during the fight in the Wastelands.”

“I’m back to full strength and have magic to spare,” said Kelviana. “I might not be able to stop all the Stormclouds, but I can at least delay them a little, especially if the Princess helps. The Tempest will still be a problem though. And with two of them on the way…” Her face darkened and she shook her head. “No. We need to run.” She looked all around at their little group. “Anyone with two legs and no wings find a centaur!” She shouted, then turned to Aella. “How long ‘till they get here?”

“Right now,” said the sylph, pointing. “They’re very fast.”

“We need to work on your communication skills,” sighed Kelviana. “Run!” she yelled as her blue dust swirled and flared brilliantly. “You!” she shouted to Aella. “Distract them!” The sylph flew off and moments later a violent wind blew in from ahead of them.

“Come, Cousin!” shouted Dalir as Jonathan shielded his eyes against the wind. Taraan was hoisting Zoe up and Tyler was already on Sangar’s back. Each of the dryads had a centaur of their own, leaving only Thane without a rider. Jonathan grabbed Dalir’s outstretched hand and the centaur pulled him up with one strong, fluid motion. An ear-splitting scream pierced the sky and Jonathan crouched as low as he could even as he turned and looked up. Through the blowing trees he saw two Tempests flying towards them, struggling against Aella’s windstorm. They beat their wings hard and smoke blew off of them in waves, but they were still approaching at an alarming rate. “Hold on tight!” Dalir shouted as he began to run at a full gallop.

Kelviana flew up beside them, trailing blue dust behind her. “Acrimony must be desperate if he’s attacking us in the forest like this,” she said, hollering to be heard over the sound of wind and pounding hooves.

“Wh–” Jonathan tried to say as he was bounced and jostled about on Dalir’s back. “Why’s that?”

In response her dust flared so brightly it nearly went white and Jonathan had to turn his head away. “Because here, forest nymphs can’t run out of magic. I need your sister.” She glanced up at the sky before looking ahead at the others as they ran through the thick forest. “Taraan!” she shouted. “Bring the Princess, the rest of you go, lead them away from the Grove!” Taraan broke away from the group and dropped back to run alongside Kelviana. Zoe had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her hands glowing bright green and her eyes scrunched shut. Kelviana drew her glowing sword. “Hope you're ready for another practical lesson, Princess,” she said. Zoe opened her eyes and nodded, her face hardening with concentration as her hands began to glow brighter than they already were. She hadn’t even flinched at being called a princess.

“I’m –” Jonathan started to say.

“No, you’re not!” Kelviana snapped, interrupting him. “Dalir, get him away from here, and don’t let him jump off your back, that’s an order.”

“Yes, General,” Dalir said and began to run faster. Before Jonathan could say anything in protest Kelviana and Taraan dropped back, taking Zoe with them. Jonathan hadn’t even had a chance to say one word to her. The sky flared brilliant orange and the trees they had run past only a moment before were engulfed in flame. A wall of blue dust rose behind them and the flames crashed into it, only feet from where Taraan had stopped.

“Zoe!” Jonathan shouted, but his cries were lost in the rush of wind, smoke, and ash that came right behind the firestorm. By the time it cleared, Dalir was so far ahead that Jonathan couldn’t see Zoe, Kelviana, or Taraan through the trees. The glow of the fire was still all too visible, though. “We have to help them!” Jonathan cried as a pillar of green dust shot up into the air. He couldn’t see the Tempest through the trees, but he heard its scream. More fire rained down on the forest.

“We cannot, young cousin. We have no magic. This is not a battle we can fight. Besides, I have my orders.”

Jonathan reached down and tried to grab the spear that was strapped to Dalir’s side. It wasn’t easy since Dalir was still running at a full gallop and tree branches were constantly whipping past, slapping and scratching at him. When he finally had the spear in his hands he found it was surprisingly easy to hold, despite its nearly ten-foot length. It began to glow green as soon as he grasped it. “What about these?” he asked. “They’ve got magic in them, right?”

“Indeed, but not the kind your sister and the General possess. All it does is allow our weapons to injure the smoke creatures.”

“Well, at least that’s something!” Jonathan said as Dalir burst from the trees and into a large meadow. Jonathan started to swing a leg over to jump off and run back to Zoe but Dalir reached back and stopped him.

“Leave the Tempests to the nymphs, brave Cousin,” he said, slowing his pace. “We have our own battle to fight. Look,” he said and pointed ahead. Jonathan followed the centaur’s gesture and saw what he meant. Thane and the others had stopped in a cluster near the center of the meadow, protectively surrounding the hamadryads and pointing their longbows at a massive, roiling crowd of Stormclouds that were blocking their way. Behind Jonathan, the forest burned.

“Prepare for battle, Cousin!” Dalir said as he ran to join their companions.

“You want me to fight?” asked Jonathan. “What about your orders?”

“I was told to get you away from the Tempests. I have fulfilled that duty. Now I have a new duty, to fight alongside my herd and defend those we have sworn to protect. Will you do me the honor of fighting by my side, Cousin?”

Jonathan felt a surge of pride and gripped the spear tight. “How do I use this?”

Dalir grinned and pointed. “See those Stormclouds?” Jonathan nodded. “Hit them with it. Preferably with the sharp end.”

“That’s it?” He had thought there would be a bit more to it.

Dalir began stringing his longbow. “Don’t drop your weapon. If you do, I have a spare on the other side. And don’t fall off me. If you do, keep your back to a friend. And don’t wet yourself. If you do, you will owe me a good brushing later.”

Jonathan laughed despite his nervousness. “After staring down a Tempest's throat, a few Stormclouds don’t seem all that bad anymore,” he said, trying to sound braver than he felt.

“They brought some Hurricanes too,” Tyler said grimly as Dalir came alongside Sangar. The two centaurs touched the tips of their bows to each other in a sort of greeting. Tyler eyed Jonathan’s spear then his own slingshot. “How’d you score one of those?”

“He claimed it, brave Human,” said Dalir, with a hint of pride.

Tyler reached down to grab one of Sangar’s spears. “Then I claim this one,” he said. Sangar reached back and slapped his hand. “Hey!” he cried. “C’mon. This,” he held up the slingshot, “won’t do any good against those guys.”

“The human is right,” said Thane, coming over to them. “It is time these colts became stallions.” He reached into his side pouch and pulled out some acorns. “Use these wisely, Cousin. I do not believe the Queen would mind, in this instance. You can return any you have remaining when this is over.”

“Thanks,” Tyler said, reverently taking the acorns and putting them in the front pocket of his hoodie. “How do they work?”

“Break them while picturing what you need in your mind. As long as it is within the dryad’s powers the magic does the rest.”

A massive shriek from behind made Jonathan and Tyler both turn. Jonathan could see a small blue speck flying around one Tempest, bursts of blue flashing from it while green dust assailed the beast from below. That has to be Kelviana and Zoe, he thought. Meanwhile, it seemed Aella had made a small tornado that was currently demanding all of the second Tempest’s attention.

“Captain!” Turva called. “Something approaches.” With great effort, Jonathan turned from the battle behind and looked where Turva indicated. A small, dark figure was walking across the field towards them. Jonathan’s heart sank in recognition. Beside him, Tyler groaned.

“You know this nymph?” Thane asked, sensing their reactions.

“It’s Vendetta, the dark fey,” Jonathan said with a groan.

Thane nodded in understanding. He waited until she was closer then called out: “What words would an unseelie traitor have to say before justice is delivered?”

“I have broken no pact with the Centaurs or Dryads,” Vendetta said, stopping about twenty feet away. Her voice betrayed no hint that she took offense to his accusations. “Give up the humans and I will leave your lands intact and in peace.” She paused and watched the battle raging in the sky behind them for a moment. “Well, mostly intact, at least.”

“The humans are under our protection. We will not surrender them to the likes of you, Oathbreaker.”

“To fey, forest, or forest-kin I have sworn no oaths, Horse-spawn,” said Vendetta. “My allegiance is to none but myself.”

“Not even to Acrimony, whom you dare call ‘Lord’?” Thane growled, bristling.

“A title, nothing more. He is providing me a means to my own ends, and if the price for that is me calling him ‘Lord,’ then so be it. What name I call him by matters not.”

“Names are never meaningless. A fey should understand this better than most.”

“Names do have power,” agreed Vendetta. “But only true names. You see, truth is something else fey understand better than most. No one knows Lord Acrimony’s true name, least of all me. He would never be so foolish as to give it up.”

“And what of your true name, Chrysanthemum?” asked Thane.

“She died beneath the waning moon, dancing the endless rings left by her fallen clan. When she passed, Vendetta was born. Now, enough of this foolish banter. Surrender the humans or make your last stand. The choice is yours.”

“Many centuries ago my people swore to protect the dryads and their lands. Your lord became our enemy the day he decided to slaughter hamadryads by the hundreds so he could make war on the fey. This crime he has yet to answer for.” He paused and looked at the burning forest behind them. His face darkened and suddenly the kindly grandfather Jonathan had come to see him as was gone. In his place was a hardened — and very dangerous — warrior. “We have a vendetta of our own,” he said, raising his spear. The other centaurs did the same.

“Have it your way,” Vendetta said, then turned to walk away.

“Your wing still bothering you?” Tyler called out suddenly, surprising Jonathan. “Or did you just decide that you like walking?”

Vendetta turned and glared at him. “Watch it, little boy. We have unfinished business, you and I.”

“I’ll say,” replied Tyler. “It was all fun and games until you blew up my house.”

Vendetta smiled. “You know? I think I’m glad the Tempest missed you. Lord Acrimony only needs one human, and he wants the girl. That means I can keep you all to myself. Think of the fun and games we can have together then.”

“Sorry,” said Tyler. “I only play with kids my own size.” It was a good line, but Jonathan couldn’t help remembering all the times he’d seen Tyler and his cronies picking on the smaller kids at school. He liked this version of Tyler much better.

Vendetta smiled deviously then put her fingers to her lips and whistled far more loudly than Jonathan would have thought possible from someone as small as her. “Big things can come in little packages, boy,” she said. There was an earth-shaking roar followed by a blast of hot wind as one of the Tempests landed with a crash on the ground beside her. The other one was still circling the forest, surrounded by flashes of light and colored dust. Zoe and the others didn’t seem to be hurting it much, but the Tempest didn’t seem to be making much progress against them either. Jonathan wondered what had happened to Aella if this Tempest was suddenly free from the little Sylph’s attacks. He hoped she was alright. Vendetta walked up to the waiting Tempest and patted it on the side before climbing up and settling down at the base of its neck. “See you around, kid. If you survive this day.”

Thane immediately crushed an acorn and green dust flew toward the Tempest’s muzzle. Vendetta casually swatted it away with a wave of her hand and some black dust of her own. A moment later a pulse of something crashed into their group, nearly knocking Jonathan off Dalir’s back. The centaur grunted and struggled to keep his own balance. The Tempest beat its wings and rose into the sky, the wind flattening the grass all around it. “Form up!” Thane shouted and the seven centaurs formed a “V” around the dryads, with the tip pointing towards the waiting Stormclouds, who had begun their charge the moment Vendetta rose into the air. Dalir and Sangar took their positions at the back ends of the “V,” keeping Jonathan and Tyler as far from the charge as possible. Thane shouted a command and as one the centaurs raised their bows and fired at the Tempest as it flew higher. Most of the arrows found their marks, causing the Tempest to cry out in pain and anger. It opened its great jaws and fire billowed out. As soon as he had released his arrow Thane broke another acorn and used the green dust to form a sort of umbrella above them. The fire crashed into the barrier and spilled out onto the ground all around them like molten lava. Jonathan shielded his face from the heat, waiting for the magic to extinguish the flames, but the umbrella just faded away instead.

“Ready your spear, Cousin!” Dalir called back as he held his shield up in front of them with one hand and swapped his bow for his spare spear with the other. “They come!” Jonathan fought down a sudden urge to vomit and clenched his spear tight. Across the way, on the other side of the dryads, Jonathan saw Sangar lifting his own spear while Tyler readied an acorn in his slingshot. The centaurs all had their shields up, each overlapping their neighbor’s slightly in what Jonathan recognized as a phalanx maneuver. Behind him, the other Tempest roared. Vendetta’s Tempest answered with its own deafening roar, and then the Stormclouds reached them.

The fire that the Tempest had lit still burned and most of the charging Stormclouds were forced to turn away, saving the front of the centaur’s “V” from the worst of the initial assault. A few of the enemy managed to find their way through some small gaps in the flames, but the centaur’s spears easily dispatched them. A large portion of the Stormclouds veered around the flames and came at the group from the rear, suddenly placing Jonathan and Tyler at the front of the charge. Jonathan lashed out as the smoke creatures lunged at them, not bothering to aim carefully. Dalir struck with precision, each stroke finding its mark and dispatching two or three at a time. Jonathan felt like a little child, swinging wildly at a baseball sitting on a tee, but there were so many Stormclouds he still managed to hit one or two with each stroke of his spear, and the red-eyed monsters would dissolve into mist regardless of what part of the spear hit them, be it tip or shaft. A few tendrils managed to reach him, despite Dalir’s massive shield, but he didn’t even feel their bite and just kept slashing away.

A wall of green dust rose before them, causing any Stormclouds that hit it to dissolve. A few became trapped inside with the centaurs and were quickly eliminated. The advancing wave of Stormclouds that remained outside the wall stopped several feet back, churning like the tide on a dark and angry sea. Jonathan was breathing heavily, sweat stung his eyes and his palms were slick, threatening to make him lose his grip on his spear. The exchange had lasted only moments, but it had felt like an eternity to him. Even Dalir was breathing hard, though he stood tall and defiant as he glared out of the eyeholes of his helmet, his muscles twitching eagerly beneath Jonathan’s seat.

The reprieve was short-lived as a piercing scream sounded from above and Vendetta’s Tempest flew at them, fire billowing out of its mouth. Tyler cried out and fired an acorn from his slingshot at the same time as Thane crushed one of his own, forming a new dome above them. Tyler’s acorn made it past the dome just before it finished forming and struck the wall of fire first. It exploded into a massive ball of water, extinguishing the flames and raining down all around them. Thane’s dome kept them dry, but the Stormclouds outside were drenched and dozens of them faded, washed away by the deluge. “Excellent shot, Cousin!” Thane called, and Tyler grinned. “We must conserve our magic though. I am already nearly spent.” Tyler's grin fell and his brows furrowed. Jonathan wondered how many Tyler had left.

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“Can’t the dryads make more?” asked Jonathan, gesturing to the women still huddled nearby, their eyes wide with fear. Dalir shook his head, the red plume at the top of his helmet swaying. “No, only full dryads can do that.” Jonathan felt Dalir’s muscles tense and looked up to see three Hurricanes pushing through the crowd of Stormclouds towards them. “Ready yourself, Cousin. The shield will not last long against these.” Jonathan nodded, remembering his first encounter with one of the massive beasts. Above them, Vendetta’s Tempest snarled and shook itself. It seemed that it wasn’t overly fond of getting wet.

The sea of Stormclouds parted as the Hurricanes reached them. Several tendrils immediately whipped out and began beating against the green dome, which shuddered with each strike but held fast. Thane trotted over from his place at the head of the “V” and called Sangar over. “When the dome fails we make for the trees, keep the dryads and the colts in the center.”

The centaurs bowed. “Yes, Captain,” they said but exchanged nervous glances with each other. Thane nodded and moved on to relay more orders, and the centaurs began moving into a new formation putting the dryads in the center of a circle. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough centaurs to make a solid wall, and there were large gaps in the perimeter.

“Our duty is to protect you and the dryads,” explained Dalir, taking his place in the formation, not quite a part of the circle, but not fully in the center either. “We cannot do that here. This position is too vulnerable. Our best hope is to push through the enemy and find cover in the woods. I will try to keep the enemy away, but I trust you to deal with any that get by. Do not let them reach the Hamadryads.” He looked back as the Hurricanes continued to pound against the dome. Vendetta and the Tempest hovered menacingly overhead, waiting. “I will not lie, Cousin. This battle will be hard with slim chance of success. Are you prepared?”

Jonathan nodded, his throat suddenly very dry. He hoped that Zoe would at least be able to get away and was glad Kelviana was with her. A powerful gust of wind blew in from the direction of the other fight and Vendetta’s Tempest screamed in frustration as it tried to maintain its stability. It cried out again when it suddenly found itself surrounded by dozens of tiny sylphs harassing it with bursts of white light and miniature tornadoes. Vendetta screamed and black dust flew all around, but the sylphs just laughed and darted away before it could hit them. The centaurs cheered, and the dome shattered.

“NOW!” roared Thane and Jonathan wrenched his gaze from the welcome yet unexpected sight above. Stormclouds and Hurricanes rushed forward. Tyler let another acorn fly, this one hit the lead Hurricane, and another massive ball of water exploded, eliminating it and most of the Stormclouds around it. The circle of centaurs quickly moved into the muddy gap left behind, shields held before them and spears pointing out in all directions. Wherever a Stormcloud tried to push through, a spear would slash out, leaving only smoky vapor behind. For one brief moment, Jonathan dared to hope that they might actually make it. Then one of the Hurricanes swooped out with its massive tendrils and Hamaan went flying, his four legs flailing. Spears and even a few arrows rained down on the Hurricane, which quickly dissolved away, but the damage had been done. Stormclouds poured through the opening left by Hamaan, and Dalir, Sangar, Tyler, and Jonathan found themselves hacking wildly at a crushing wave of darkness. Burning hot tendrils slashed at Jonathan’s legs and Dalir’s flanks, but Jonathan was so focused on his task that he barely noticed. He shoved his spear into the midst of a cluster of Stormclouds and watched with satisfaction as three of them turned into harmless smoke – then with a violent twist, his spear was wrenched from his grasp and went spinning off into the pressing tide of dark clouds.

Before he could reach down to grab one of Dalir’s spare spears he felt some tendrils wrap themselves around his waist and pull. He was very nearly yanked right off Dalir’s back, but managed to grasp one of the saddlebags and held on tight as panic rose inside him. He knew that if he fell off now it would be all over for him. He screamed in rage and kicked out with his feet, feeling them connect with the soft bodies of the Stormclouds, though it did no good and his only reward was burnt ankles. The Stormcloud that held him yanked even harder and Jonathan gripped the saddlebag desperately, pulling harder than he had ever pulled on anything in his life. He screamed again while Dalir slashed with his spear, managing to hit several Stormclouds but missing the one that held Jonathan. Then the strap broke.

For one eerily peaceful moment everything was still as he fell through the air. He landed flat on his back and the world erupted in a flash of red and black as the air was pushed from his lungs and mud splattered all around. Stormclouds swarmed him and he tried to scream, but his lungs only filled with burning hot smoke. Then the world erupted again, this time in blue, and the Stormclouds were blown away, leaving Jonathan alone on the muddy ground only a few feet from the terrified Hamadryads. A fit of coughing overtook him and he curled into a ball as he hacked and wretched, trying to get cool, clean air into his charred lungs. “We’ve gotta stop meeting like this, kid,” said Kelviana with a sigh as she landed next to him. Blue dust surrounded him and he instantly felt better, his lungs greedily gulping in the fresh air.

“Hamaan,” he gasped. “He’s hurt too.”

She turned and noticed Hamaan lying motionless not too far from where they were and quickly flew over to him, blue dust swirling around him before she even landed. Immediately he began to stir and a few moments later he got his legs beneath him and pushed himself up, covered in mud and bellowing in rage. He grabbed a spear from the straps at his flanks and hurled it at the last remaining Hurricane. The spear buried half its length squarely between the creature’s eyes and it dissolved away an instant later. The surging Stormclouds hesitated at the loss of their champions and Kelviana took that moment to hit them with another pulse, sending dozens of them flying and fading away. Jonathan made a mental note never to anger a centaur – or Kelviana, for that matter.

Taraan arrived, still carrying Zoe on his back. With a cry she jumped off and ran over to Jonathan, dropping to her knees by his side. He groaned. “What happened?” he asked, still panting slightly. “Where’s the Tempest?”

“A bunch of sylphs showed up and chased it off,” she said with a relieved smile. She was breathing heavily and sweating but seemed unhurt.

“My sisters!” Aella said, appearing next to Zoe and looking very pleased with herself. “The storm down south was over and they thought it would be fun to help.”

“Thanks,” said Jonathan, sitting up and rubbing his head.

“Keep moving!” bellowed Thane. Taraan had taken a spot in the circle, and the others adjusted their positions accordingly, making the gaps that much smaller, but they were still being pressed hard from all sides. Jonathan took a few more deep breaths then picked up his fallen spear, which had landed only a foot from where he fell. He stood up with Zoe’s help then Dalir reached out and helped him climb onto his back once again. “Stay in the center now, Princess,” Thane called as he swiped his spear through a cluster of Stormclouds. The entire group was inching forward step by step as more new ground was freed. “Do what you can from there, but stay safe. Can you cover us from above, General?”

In response, Kelviana took to the air and began hurling balls of blue dust down on the Stormclouds in front of them. Jonathan worried that this would expose the fey to Vendetta and her Tempest, but they were still fully occupied with the sylphs, who were harassing the Tempest so badly that Jonathan was certain if it hadn’t been for Vendetta’s control, it would have long since flown off like its counterpart had. Kelviana’s magic balls exploded like grenades wherever they landed, scattering the smoke creatures in every direction. It was kind of ridiculous how much of a difference her presence made. Zoe was doing her part too. She set up a wall of green dust at their backs and kept it close as they moved, preventing their enemies from reaching them from behind. This let the centaurs adjust their formation to a semicircle with even smaller gaps. Tyler had given up entirely on the slingshot and was now hacking away at the Stormclouds with one of Sangar’s spears. The two of them had moved from just behind the main line to the front, between Hamaan and Turva. Jonathan noticed with a small twinge of envy that they actually made a good team. Sangar would bash the Stormclouds with his shield, pushing them back and away where Tyler could more easily stab at them. With his greater size and strength, Tyler was much more effective with the spear than Jonathan, easily dispatching two or three with each stroke, whereas Jonathan was lucky the few times he had managed two at once. They were gaining ground much quicker now, and Jonathan began to think the worst was over — until the second wave arrived.

The sky darkened and the sound of hundreds of flapping wings filled the air. The fighting paused for a brief moment as everyone from both sides looked to the sky. A black cloud blotted out the sun, but as Jonathan watched, the cloud changed direction and small bits of sunlight sparkled through in several places. He quickly realized that it wasn’t a cloud at all, but a giant flock of some sort of bird-like creatures. As the cloud drew nearer, loud, piercing screeches filled his ears and the army of Stormclouds replied with nightmarish screams of their own before surging forward with renewed fervor.

“Cloudbursts!” Kelviana cried, flying down towards them. “Get to the trees now!” She sent an invisible pulse out in front of them and a hole opened up in the enemy lines directly ahead of them as Stormclouds flew screaming in every direction. “Ty! If you have any acorns left, now’s the time to use them!” she called out as she flew past, her sword glowing brighter than he had ever seen it glow before. Despite the urgency of the moment Jonathan paused, realizing she had used one of their names for the first time ever. Part of him was disappointed it hadn’t been his. “Keep that gap open!” She pointed her sword at the gap she had just made before flying off to meet the new threat.

“Princess!” Thane called, grunting as he held back several Stormclouds with his shield. Zoe turned to him, holding her arms out towards the wall she was still maintaining at their rear. She was sweating heavily.

“I can only make one wall at a time!” she called back. The gap was already filling back in with Stormclouds. Hamaan and Turva were doing what they could to hold back the pressing hordes but were rapidly losing ground while Tyler and Sangar pressed ever deeper into the fray. Dalir and Jonathan were sticking close to the Hamadryads as ordered even though the bulk of the fight was at the front lines. Jonathan swiped — almost lazily — at a solitary Stormcloud that was making straight for Zoe, easily dispatching it.

“Sangar!” Dalir cried out. “Remember your orders!” The other centaur turned and raised his spear in salute, but did not turn back. Dalir muttered something under his breath but before Jonathan could ask him what he said there was a piercing shriek directly above them. Jonathan looked up just in time to see a large net falling down on them. It landed before he could even raise his hands. It was far heavier than he would have thought, and it pressed down on him and Dalir, tangling in their spears and wrapping about their arms and necks. Dalir began to stumble and Jonathan knew even before it happened that they were going to fall. Dalir landed heavily on his side, pinning Jonathan’s leg between his heavy body and the ground. Dalir rolled back and forth, grinding Johnathan’s leg deeper into the ground in his struggle to get free from the net, momentarily forgetting that he was still on his back. Jonathan screamed in pain, causing Dalir to come to his senses and stop thrashing about.

“Help them!” he heard Kelviana cry from above. Johnathan looked up and saw her flying towards them, hot on the heels of a group of Cloudbursts. A ball of blue dust hit the creature in the rear of the pack, exploding and dissolving the others along with it. “Sangar, Ty!” she shouted. “Get back in formation!” Another group of Cloudbursts tried dropping a net on her, but she slashed it to pieces with her sword before it landed and flew off in pursuit after shooting an angry glare at Tyler and Sangar, who were making their way back to their positions, looking rather sullen.

Tyler jumped from Sangar’s back and the two of them helped pull the heavy net off of Dalir and Jonathan. With a quiet apology, Sangar helped Dalir get back up, careful not to grind Jonathan’s leg any worse. As the centaur’s heavy body was lifted away a fresh wave of pain coursed through Jonathan’s leg and he gritted his teeth, determined not to cry out in front of the others. “Come on, Prince John,” said Tyler, holding out a hand. There was a sharpness to his voice and when Jonathan looked at his face he saw anger in the older boy’s eyes. Jonathan took Tyler’s hand and he roughly pulled him up. He nearly fell right back over as he tried to put some weight on the leg Dalir had landed on. The pain was so intense he saw stars. Tyler glanced at his injured leg and shook his head, scoffing slightly.

“What?” Jonathan asked, grimacing in pain and leaning on his spear.

A scream interrupted any response Tyler might have been about to make. They turned just in time to see another net land on top of the Hamadryads, barely missing Zoe, who was a few feet away, keeping the rear wall intact. She jumped in surprise and the wall flickered as she lost her concentration. A half dozen Stormclouds broke through before she was able to make it solid again. “Sorry!” she cried in dismay. Dalir, Tyler, and Sangar immediately jumped into action. Sangar and Tyler ran to the Hamadryads and began pulling at the net while Dalir focused on keeping the Stormclouds away. Jonathan tried to move to help, but his leg refused to work properly and whenever it did move the pain was so bad it brought tears to his eyes. He hoped it wasn’t broken. A new sound drew his attention upward and he saw a huge cluster of Cloudbursts directly above them, carrying the largest net he had seen yet.

“Watch out!” he cried, pointing. Dalir heard and looked up in time to see their danger. He bellowed something and immediately ran for Tyler as the net began to fall. Sangar had been engaging with a Stormcloud, which he quickly dispatched, but Jonathan could already tell that he would not escape in time. Dalir grabbed a shocked Tyler and dove away just as the net landed, covering Sangar and the Hamadryads once more. Dalir landed in a heap – there is no way for a centaur to dive gracefully – and was instantly beset by three remaining Stormclouds. Tyler was too stunned to help, Zoe had to keep her focus on the wall, and Jonathan was useless with his bad leg. Dalir bellowed again, kicking out with his hooves and swiping awkwardly at the Stormclouds with his spear, which was too long and unwieldy to be much use on the ground. “Kelviana!” Jonathan shouted, scanning the sky for her tell-tale blue glow, but she was nowhere to be seen. Cloudbursts began to descend on them, chittering and cawing and grabbing at them with their sharp claws, pecking at Sangar as he struggled helplessly beneath the heavy net. A few Sylphs flittered about, harassing the Cloudbursts, but they had whipped themselves into a frenzy and ignored the little wind elementals. “Help!” Jonathan cried again, but his voice was lost in the cacophony of the battle. Zoe screamed as a Cloudburst flew at her. She destroyed it with a burst of green dust, but the wall dissolved away as she did and Stormclouds poured through like a tidal wave. “Zoe!” Jonathan screamed and began limping his way towards her as fast as he could, blinking away the tears that sprang to his eyes from the pain in his leg.

“General!” Thane’s voice thundered, easily breaking through the din and confusion of the battle. “Get the foals to safety!”

In response a blue wall larger than any Jonathan had seen yet sprang up behind Zoe, destroying a cluster of Stormclouds in the process. Another pulse of energy rushed past them and Stormclouds and Cloudbursts flew screaming in every direction. Blue balls exploded all around, a few hitting close to Jonathan and Zoe, but the explosions did nothing but cover them in blue dust. Any smoke creature that was hit, however, dissolved instantly. “Run, fools!” Kelviana cried, rushing past their heads in a brilliant blue flash.

“But my –” Jonathan started to say, realizing that she didn’t know about his leg.

“No buts!” she shouted, adding a curse in her own tongue as she swiped her sword through a few Cloudbursts. “I can’t keep this up forever, you know! Dalir, carry them out of here if you have to!”

“Yes, General,” Dalir said as he and Tyler stood up. Tyler still seemed a bit dazed but was quickly snapping out of it. He looked over at Sangar and the Hamadryads, who were still struggling beneath the net, and his eyes widened. He moved as if to run over and help, but Kelviana stopped him with a small wall of dust. Dalir looked torn between his orders and his desire to help Sangar.

“I’ll help them,” said Kelviana, glancing at Dalir as she continued to fight off the circling Cloudbursts. “You worry about the kids. They’re more important at the moment. Acrimony can’t get his hands on them, no matter what.” Dalir’s face hardened and he nodded, placing a closed fist on his chest.

“I’m not leaving Sangar!” Tyler shouted up at her. He shoved past Dalir and began running toward the fallen centaur. A blanket of blue dust wrapped itself around him, clamping his arms to his side and squeezing his legs shut. He cried out in surprise and nearly fell over but instead floated up and hovered a few inches off the ground. Kelviana slashed a few more Cloudbursts to mist then flew back down. Zoe watched with wide eyes and one hand over her mouth.

“I’m not asking,” she growled, getting right up in Tyler’s face. “I told you that I expected you all to obey me when I brought you here. That was my only condition, and I expect you to keep your word. You don’t want to break faith with the Fey. Understand?” Tyler nodded, eyes wide. “Good,” Kelviana said with a curt nod. “Get them out of here, soldier,” she said to Dalir. With a bright flash of light another pulse radiated out from her and a hole in the wall of enemies opened up behind them. Dalir grabbed Jonathan and swung him onto his back. It was all Jonathan could do not to drop the spear he was still clutching. Suddenly a piercing screech seemed to shatter the sky above them and the world turned orange. Zoe screamed and Tyler cried out as the blanket of dust holding him dissolved. He fell back to the ground and stumbled as he regained his balance. Jonathan looked up and saw Vendetta’s Tempest hovering above them, the last remnants of its tempestfire fading away where Kelviana’s shield had stopped it. A few Sylphs still flew about, trying to harass it, but Vendetta had placed a black shield around herself and the Tempest was ignoring them entirely. Most of the little creatures had flown off to annoy the Cloudbursts.

“Darkwood,” Vendetta said from her perch.

“Chrysanthemum,” Kelviana growled back.

“That naive little fairy died along with the rest of her clan,” said Vendetta. “I am her avenger.”

“I will not give your little game credence by playing along with it,” said Kelviana. “Your true name is Chrysanthemum. You gave it to me, and that is what I shall call you.”

“Do what you will with it,” said Vendetta with a dismissive wave. “I hold not to that name any longer.” She smiled and looked down at the scene below. “Thanks for collecting the humans for me. Though it seems my Cloudbursts need some help with their aim.” Kelviana said something in her own language and Vendetta’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “Such language, and from a princess, no less.” She smiled again as Kelviana faltered slightly. “Oh yes, I have not been idle these last few days. I know all about you – Kelviana, daughter of Queen Melody, heir to the Darkwood clan. Your mother says ‘hi,’ by the way. She wants you to come home as soon as you can.”

Kelviana’s dust spun wildly and burned brilliant white, forcing Jonathan to close his eyes and turn away. The fighting had mostly stopped, he realized, and nearly all eyes were on the two Fey. “What have you done, traitor?” Kelviana said, her voice strained.

“I just paid a visit to your home and gave them a reminder that their little war is far from over. Besides, I wanted to see where my new friend lives and meet her parents. Isn’t that the polite thing to do? I left a few Hurricanes behind though, and they really can’t be trusted without constant supervision, we should hurry back to check on them. You have such a lovely garden. It would be a shame if anything happened to the little fairy buds.”

“You wouldn’t…” Kelviana said, her face turning white. Zoe gasped and several of the centaurs grumbled and stirred angrily. Dalir stamped his hooves and Jonathan sensed his muscles tightening beneath him.

“Not me, Princess Darkwood. It all depends on how reasonable you can be. Their fate is in your hands. Give me the humans, surrender peacefully, and they’ll be just fine.” She put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment. “They should be fine. Like I said, those Hurricanes really need to be supervised.”

“You would hurt innocent fairies just to get your revenge?” Thane growled. “Have you no honor?”

“Honor died along with my clan, Horse-spawn,” Vendetta spat. “That included our fairies,”

“And yet you side with the one responsible?”

“Blah, blah, blah,” she said mockingly. “The longer we talk the more bored the Hurricanes become. What answer do you give, Darkwood? Surrender, or fight and lose your clan’s future?”

Kelviana glared at Vendetta, shaking with rage. Vendetta smiled back calmly. Eventually, Kelviana’s magic dust slowed its frantic swirl and dimmed back to its normal blue. She turned and looked at Thane, defeat clear in her eyes. Thane nodded, and she nodded back, a faint, pained, smile on her face. “You win, Chrysanthemum. You can have the kids. I won’t stop you.”

END OF PART NINE