“We could go hunting tomorrow morning. I have no doubt you can find more,” my commander and brother offered, but Imogen shook her head.
“Not ones who have been in battle. The other two who fought with the Harbinger of Justice are dead for a reason. Azazel killed them. Fighting him will be no easy feat.”
“I will figure it out.” My jaw strained with the words, but there was nothing I could do.
Sure, Ardor and Knight would still be in the fight, but not with me. The fact that I needed four Dragons was possibly the most important part of the Truth Teller’s decree.
Pushing my predicament aside, I nodded towards my guard, who began dismounting the moment they noticed me there. “How did they do?”
“Marvelous, darling. They are naturals. It is like they were born to fly.”
That brought a chuckle out of me. I was glad that at least one thing was going smoothly.
“Gather fast, it’s time to get you fitted,” Asher ordered, waving the guard to us.
My head lifted just as Ardor and Knight took flight, knowing the training was over and it was time to leave. Their gazes connected with mine, and a wave of overwhelming emotion coursed into me from them.
“Thank you, Devenish Prince,” Ardor whispered into my mind, my heart filled with the same emotion both she and Knight felt.
“We are no longer alone…” Knight added just before they entered the honeycombs.
My throat burned when their emotion receded into my core. How long had they been alone, waiting for me to return, waiting for a Soulris to claim? They deserved this, and I would do whatever it took to make sure their new bonds survived long after Raithian was gone.
They wouldn’t die in that battle like Storm and Nocte had.
When we got to Skylar's shop, we found her with five more people in the forge. I had no idea she had helpers, but it was nice to see there were others who shared the kind of magic she wielded and that her particular race wasn’t extinct.
In all honesty, I didn’t actually know how her abilities worked or came to be. All I knew was that she belonged to a special race of women who could forge magic into metal. My father’s sword had been made by them… and now that I thought about it, probably so had his ring.
Noticing our arrival, Skylar set down the hammer, removing her protective helmet and cleaning up with the wet towel before coming to our side. The five women behind her continued pounding into the smoldering steel they were shaping, a few pieces looking like the shoulder part of the arm shields our Elevated Warriors wore.
“Hey, Skylar.” I offered her a smile when she stopped before us, resting her elbows on the counter.
“I already told you to call me Larie. All my friends do.” She winked, briefly glancing behind us. “Oh, you brought me more good-looking men and women, I see. I love it when you do that,” Skylar teased, greeting Asher with a kiss on the lips.
“I have.” He winked too. “Let me introduce you to Aaron, Harvey, Louis, Charlotte, Quinn, and Edward. Braxton’s new guard.”
Skylar’s inquisitive gaze went to me, eyes narrowing. “And why would Braxton need a guard all of his own, I wonder?” she mused, turning her attention to her boyfriend.
“He will have to tell you that, I’m afraid.”
“Is that so?” Her focus made it back to me, eyes narrowing.
“I was wondering if my sword was ready,” I said instead, lips twitching.
Her narrowed eyes transformed into a full scowl that rivaled Kingston’s. Holding my gaze in warning, she slowly walked all the way to the shelf next to her desk while my guard snickered behind us. She was definitely her father’s daughter.
Returning to our side, Skylar placed a beautiful wooden case with intricate carvings on the counter before us. The top of the box displayed a monogram with the letter “B.”
She had that case made for me.
Taken by the sight, I reached for it, but she pulled it away, her brow arching defiantly. “I believe you owe me something first.”
A smirk tilted my lips. “What do you think, Asher? Can she be trusted with my secret?”
The look his girlfriend leveled him with said he would hurt for days if he didn’t say yes, and it took everything in him not to laugh.
He made a face. “No, not really.”
A loud gasp escaped her, but amusement mixed with her mock-outrage.
“Dude, you dead,” I mumbled under my breath.
Laughter erupted from us as Asher lifted his hands in surrender. “I was joking, Love.”
Skylar’s scowl pinned him fiercely, and something told me he enjoyed riling her up. They seemed like one of those couples who loved messing with each other.
“Do you want your sword back or not?” she warned, turning her lethal glower on me.
Chuckling, I nodded, leaning over the counter to reach her ear. “My father was the Harbinger of Justice.”
“Hallowed be his name, forever,” Quinn and the others immediately echoed like a prayer.
“I knew it!!” Skylar’s gasp reverberated all through the market, a hand smacking the counter just to accentuate her shock. “I knew this sword was something special! It was his, wasn’t it?”
It was my turn to mock-scowl at her. “Just the sword? I thought I was special too.”
“Nah, sorry.” She shrugged, but a mischievous air captured her features when she winked. “And you are going to fight for us like he did, so now you need a guard,” she concluded.
“So now I need a guard,” I confirmed.
“I’ve risen within the Legion, Larie. I am now his commander,” Asher announced, causing amazement and pride to capture her features.
“Congratulations, Love! No one deserves it more than you.” Her eyes bounced to me. “So, you get to order Asher around just like I do.”
Laughing, I nodded. “Just like that.”
“Exactly the same.” Asher winked.
“It all makes sense now,” she admitted, her gaze returning to the box, and she caressed it thoughtfully before handing it to me. “Open it.”
The instant I did, golden light shone out of it. The pieces of the Anima Crystallum connected to my essence before I even touched it, igniting my eyes. Thankfully, I wasn’t wearing the ring, so the combined power couldn’t take hold of me. This time, there was only one source.
Sounds of amazement rang all around me, including Skylar’s, who took a step back from the shock. Clearly, the sword hadn’t done that when she handled it. I ignored them, glancing down at the weapon through the hue that captured my vision. Its golden hilt gleamed brightly, reflecting the radiance coming from the two crystals right under the hilt at either side of the blade.
The first time I held this sword, I wondered who would put glass on a weapon…
If only I’d known then what I knew now.
The once dull, glass-looking pieces were now shinny and clear, the same magic that projected out of them swirling within their depths.
“Alright. You are special too,” Skylar admitted, gawking at my glowing eyes, and stepping closer to the counter while everyone else moved back.
A slow smirk tilted my lips before my fingers curled around the hilt. The moment I gripped it, the same rush of power I felt with the ring coursed through me, though soft enough for me to be able to wield it. Adrenaline and magic dashed through my veins as I lifted the sword, the blade singing while it cut through the air.