Page 26 of Queen’s Gambit

‘The first one to return with a rose, wins. I don’t want it to be just a race for our mounts; the riders must complete a quest,’ I said, signalling Cinared to make ready.

The Dark Fae, Arean, took it upon himself to start the race. My hair whipped across my face as the gryphon leapt into the air. The dragons roared, launching themselves after the smaller creature. The gryphon was swift, its lighter form shooting forward like an arrow. The dragons, however, soon began shortening the gap. The wind didn’t buffet my body as much as usual, neither dragon pushing himself. I hadn’t talked to Orm about my plans so Cinared must have told Vahin to allow the gryphon to lead.

You’re supposed to let him win without making it too obvious, I told Cinared, and his amusement returned through our bond.

Trust me, Reynard, and hold tight. You wanted him to use his magic, so let’s make it happen. That was my only warning.

Lightning split the sky and Vahin’s scales glowed blue. The gryphon screeched, and a heavy gust almost blew me off the dragon’s back.

The Wind Master Fae looked back and grinned as his beast avoided the blazing bolts.

‘You want to play with the weather, Reynard? Fine by me,’ he shouted, and a vortex of clouds swirled around him.

Vahin swooped down, aiming straight for the forming tornado. Blue flames danced over the tips of his wings, dispersing the vicious vortex, allowing Cinared to pass… right into a wall of hail.

Ectheon was a master of weather for a reason. The hail struck the dragons’ wings, pounding the membranes with relentless force. Vahin fell back, struggling with the icy onslaught, but Cinared didn’t slow down.

His massive body glowed, the heat melting the hail before it even hit and creating a cloud of steam that obscured my view.

My initial goal was to keep the Lumivitae out of Roksana’s way and use the race to expose the Tangrian threat. However, the exhilaration of battling the elements, a formidable mage and his mount sent my blood roaring like a war song through my veins.

My hands tightened on Cinared’s crest as we neared the island. The gryphon landed with Cin right on his tail feathers, while a disgruntled Vahin emerged from the hail. Now it was up to the riders to grab an obsidian rose. Ectheon was already rushing ahead, his white hair billowing in the wind, which I suspected he was using to propel himself forward.

The Wind Master stumbled to a halt much sooner than I expected. My feet slid on a thick layer of decomposing leaves and mud, and I slammed into his back with such force we both fell through the beautiful arch he’d stood before.

‘Why did you stop?’ Anger roughened my tone as I brushed mud and leaves from my beard.

Ectheon turned, his eyes wide, light grey skin almost white, as he looked at something behind me.

‘Ectheon?’ I asked, placing my hand on his shoulder and giving him a shake. He sucked in a breath.

‘Is this some sort of trick?’ The air pressure grew so oppressive that I struggled to breathe. Wind Masters could kill by manipulating the air but I didn’t know what had triggered his attack.

I forced myself to stay calm, and I turned my head. I’d miscalculated, or my guest had more power than I’d realised, causing the cube to activate at an incredible speed.

A vortex of swirling darkness confronted me. Black strands of corrupted Aether circled the object I’d placed here. The same device I’d sent to every ruler on the Tir ha Mor continent. Only those had been replicas, props used to convince them to attend the festivities.

The Void Cube rotated inside the magic, its slow, hypnotic movement increasing with every heartbeat.

‘Stop casting!’ I snapped, raising my head to the sky. In the presence of the Void Cube, I couldn’t risk thoughtspeech. I’d asked Cinared to be ready, and now I could only hope he had listened. When a dark shadow crossed the clouds, I shouted.

‘Cinared!’

‘What trap have you set, Reynard?’ Ectheon sneered, his eyes darting sideways as he looked for an escape route.

‘Not a trap. This is the reality we’re facing in Dagome. Stop bleeding Aether, or we’ll soon be frozen statues. Your magic activates that thing. Drop the high and mighty bullshit and listen to me!’

He sucked in a breath and glanced towards Orm, who approached us, a golden berserker ring blazing in his eyes.

‘You said the Void Cubes were gone,’ he said, his awareness focused on the object rather than me.

‘I thought they were. The Brotherhood must have missed it.’ I exhaled when Cin took his post above us.

‘Where else didn’t they search? My wife and my mate are under your roof. My pregnant wife!’ Orm hissed, as if speaking their name out loud in the cube’s presence could draw its attention to them.

‘Your pregnant wife can shatter mountains, and my woman can fight off frost magic. Now get the Wind Master out of here while I deal with it.’ I drew my ceremonial sword. It was a pretty weapon, with a gold handle encrusted with jewels, but it wasn’t worth a damn in a fight. It would have to suffice, since taking a longsword on a race would’ve been a dead giveaway that I knew what awaited us.

‘I’m going nowhere,’ Ectheon snapped, so I pointed to the stone arch.