Page 2 of Oath of Revenge
Honifery sighed, a wrinkle marring her smooth features. “We are safe if we keep this meeting short. I have distracted our uncle with a minor problem in the Deep at the moment,” she said, pausing at the word uncle and clenching her teeth.
“Those who normally search for us have been recalled to Hells to stop the problem, so we’re relatively safe,” she said, pursing her lips and continuing. “Are your identities still intact?”
Fisica nodded, but Druexxa sighed and said, “There are four who know me like this, but they are my champions in the coming war. It was necessary to reveal my hand.”
Silence met her pronouncement, and Honifery leaned forward to whisper furiously, “You know how dangerous that is, Dru. If he finds us, you know what he’ll do.”
It wasn’t a question. Fisica’s arms pebbled at the thought of it.
Druexxa crossed her arms and wrinkled her nose, “I haven’t forgotten what he did to Father.”
“Or what he’ll do to the rest of us!” Honifery whispered furiously.
Druexxa leaned forward and lowered her voice. “It’s certain death, I know. These four are my champions. I have blessed them, and they will fight with us when the time comes.”
Honifery leaned back, her chest heaving with emotions as she breathed. “You better hope so, because the war is coming faster than we thought.”
“What do you mean?” Fisica asked.
Honifery turned to her. “Exactly that. My sources in the Deep say he’s planning to open a route straight to Eoni’s surface. He wants to use it as a base to attack and destroy Paradise.”
Fisica frowned as her stomach knotted. “He can’t do that, can he? He’s not strong enough.”
Druexxa snorted. “We didn’t think he was strong enough to take down Father either and look what happened there.”
Honifery took Fisica’s hand from the table, her touch instantly soothing. “No one knows you as Fisica?” she asked softly.
As a child, Honifery always protected her, but Fisica hadn’t experienced any coddling in hundreds of years.
Her back stiffened as she shook her head. “No one, although I also may need to take action in the coming months. Events are unfolding and will soon come to a head, events that will change the Asshole’s hold on this part of the world.”
Druexxa chuckled at the nickname for their uncle, but Honifery just wrinkled her nose in disgust and released her hand. She’d known her prim and proper eldest sister wouldn’t like the term, which was why she’d used it.
“Why would you need to put yourself in danger like that?” Honifery sighed and rubbed her forehead, but Fisica twisted the silk of her dress and kept quiet.
Druexxa said softly, “She’s not a child, Honi. If she needs to take action, she needs to take action.”
Honifery sighed and her shoulders sagged. “I know. Why don’t you tell us what’s going on, then I’ll share my news and plans,” Honifery said, her genuine curiosity making some of Fisica’s tension dissipate. Perhaps admitting the events of the past few weeks wouldn’t disappoint them as much as she thought it would when she’d first received the summons.
Fisica waved a hand to the fire bowl on the table. The smoke changed to show a bedchamber. A woman kneeled beside the dead body of her husband, crying and wailing as she pounded on his chest. She kept the sound off for now, but they all could feel the emotions, Fisica more than the others.
Fisica swallowed past the lump in her throat to explain. “This is the queen and my protégé, Bella. She has been heavily influenced by the mirror, which held the trapped soul of Hanzel Crookilius, the wizard. On the floor is her dead husband, the former king. This happened only a week ago.”
“Hanzel Crookilius? Why do I know that name?” Druexxa said, tapping a long, golden nail to her chin.
Fisica crossed her smooth, toned arms and said, “Because he’s the one who caused all the problems three hundred years ago. The last time I saw you? That was him. After he partnered with your Sea Witch, he slowly took over this continent and staged a coup that led to the dragons being nearly destroyed.”
Druexxa’s eyes narrowed, and her magic flared as a storm cloud gathered above her head. “She wasn’t my Sea Witch. She made a deal with our uncle.”
None of them needed to ask which uncle, as only one was obsessed with deals and contracts. Fisica nodded and waved her hand, a white and gold tea tray appearing on the table with them. She carefully poured three cups as she talked, keeping her tone friendly and even to calm her sister.
“I know, I’m sorry. I simply meant that she was on your side of the planet. Thank you for dealing with that problem, by the way. I saw the mermaid princess and her mate at the queen and king’s wedding. Are they your champions?”
Druexxa nodded, her eyes narrowed until Fisica said, “You picked your champions well.”
Druexxa relaxed as she took her tea, the cloud slowly dissolving into the air.
Honifery sipped hers silently, always watching and waiting, and then said, “Continue, Fisica. Tell me of your champion, the queen.”