Fires of War (War and Deceit #4) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,140
be behind a lot of destruction, am I really any better than the queen?
Taking a deep breath, I meet the kelpie and bow my head in respect, never taking my eyes from her. There’s a pause, then she bows her large head in return. Rising farther from the water, she moves closer, and I have to hold my ground, fighting the fear she evokes in me. She’s towering above me now, her dark, rippling form huge compared to mine. When she lowers her head, I realise what she wants. I press my hand against her cold muzzle and gasp at the images that flash in my mind.
The girl who was promised has arrived. Finally. The goddess guaranteed she would one day come back to this land, and when she did, she would come in an unlikely form—in the shape of a girl.
Our anger and hunger is infinite, unending, but for her, we will follow.
She stands at the edge of our home, our prison. The dam may be a physical wall stopping us from going to sea, but no wall has ever stopped us before. No, this is a magical dam. Like a bubble, it completely surrounds us on all sides, separating us from our family upstream.
The elf queen wanted to keep us out, but she unwittingly trapped us here. She created an enemy of us that day.
With a gasp, I’m released from the kelpie’s dark mind, and I stumble back a few steps, my legs weak from the pure hatred that oozes from the creature. Vaeril is instantly at my side, ignoring my warning about approaching the river, but thankfully, the kelpie merely narrows her eyes and doesn’t attack.
“The dam’s magic is like a bubble, trapping them from both sides,” I explain between breaths, frowning as I wonder if it changes my plan at all. Before I have the chance to overthink, the kelpie begins to sink into the water and turns so her back is exposed. Turning her head to look at me, she gestures, and I realise what she wants. She wants me to ride her. Gulping and praying I’m not making a horrible mistake, I start to walk towards the kelpie.
Vaeril grabs my hand, stopping me in my tracks. “Clarissa, no!” His tone is panicked as he looks between me and the creature who is now glaring at my mate. “This is how they kill their victims.”
“They won’t kill me,” I say with sudden surety, my mark glowing on my wrist. “They’ve been waiting for me to free them.” I cup his cheek like he does with me before leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips. “Trust me.”
Staring into my eyes, he nods. He steps back, walks up to the kelpie, and to my surprise, bows at the waist. “Take care of her, please.”
The kelpie stills for a second, and I get the impression she’s as surprised as I am by the high elf’s show of respect. When Vaeril straightens, the kelpie dips her head in a quick nod.
Without wasting any more time, I climb onto the kelpie’s back, ignoring the water soaking into my battle leggings. I grip her shimmering mane and hold on tightly, yelping as the creature surges forward. Looking to the side, I see Vaeril running at full speed on the riverbank, his figure a blur. I can’t believe how fast we’re moving, and for a few minutes, I let myself forget about what we’re about to face and what I’m going to do, just enjoying the sensation of flying through the water.
The dam appears ahead of us. The structure itself is simple, and above the water, it just looks like a white stone bridge. However, I can feel the magic from here, like a tingling against my skin. The kelpie stiffens as we get closer, and I get the impression the magic is causing her pain. Wincing, I place my hand against her neck, leaning closer to her ear to speak.
“I’m sorry, I need to touch the wall to break the magic.”
She simply surges ahead, making no acknowledgement she heard me. As we reach the wall, the creature turns us side-on, and I take a deep breath. This is going to hurt. “I might pass out when the magic breaks. Please don’t let me drown.” I say it with a smile in my tone, not believing she would let that happen, but I still felt the need to voice my concern. The kelpie makes a grunting noise, and I get