Page 51 of Lyric of Wind

The amulet thrummed in her pocket, a gentle reminder that she was stronger for carrying it, and Raven hoped it would give her the edge she needed to do what she had to do.

“I don’t know how to start getting to know you,” Raven surprised Domnu by saying, and paused when her mother looked at her in annoyance. Domnu then seemed to realize she was supposed to be carrying on a conversation with her daughter and waved at her to go ahead. “I’m just going to ask the first question that pops in my head. Is that okay?”

“Was that the question?” Domnu arched an eyebrow.

“No.” Raven smiled. “The first question that popped in my head is…what is your greatest wish? Or I guess…what do you want the most?”

“That’s an odd question. Why do you ask that?”

Because if you know what people want the most, then you know how to hurt them.

“I think that’s how people bond. By sharing the things they like, what they dream about, that kind of thing.” Could this conversation be any more awkward? Raven took another sip of her wine and reached over to spoon some food on her plate. She still didn’t plan to eat but didn’t want to be rude.Oh the irony. Not wanting to be rude before an evil goddess.

“What do I want most?” Domnu laughed. “It’s simple, really. I want the world to know my name. I want every last human, Fae, and otherworldly being to answer to me and know that my word is law.”

“So, just a little bit of world domination,” Raven mused. “No tall order there.”

“It is a tall order,” Domnu said, giving her a look, and Raven realized that nobody likely ever teased the Dark Goddess.

“I was teasing,” Raven explained. “I understand what you want is a big deal. It was just a little joke.”

“You’reteasingme?”

“Yes?” Raven pressed her lips together and hoped she hadn’t made a mistake.

“How unusual. I’m not sure I like it. I think that I do though.”

“Did you want me to try again?”

“Another tease?” Domnu leveled a look at her. “I’m not certain. I’ve likely had enough.”

Tough crowd.

“By all means, I’ll be on my best behavior then.”

“And what is it you want most then, daughter?” Domnu tilted her head at Raven.

Love.

It was Raven’s first thought, something that had always hovered in the backdrop of her life, this seemingly unattainable thing that the rest of the world was so easily afforded. But she couldn’t say that to a woman who didn’t even understand what a joke was and killed her lover after sex.

“A family,” Raven finally said and Domnu beamed.

“A small wish. And something I can easily give you. Not only do you have me now, but you have all of them.” Domnu nodded to where hundreds of Domnua wandered below them in the square. “Albeit, they are a bit dumb. But useful, nonetheless. And that’s all that matters, right?”

The sentiment summed up exactly what a Dark Goddess would view people as—tools. And they fell into two categories. Useful or expendable. No, Domnu could never really give her family, and that, in its own weird way, was her biggest gift to Raven.

21

Kellen

Before the firstlight of dawn, the Air Fae rode, having agreed to meet at the Earth Fae’s realm. Terra, leader of the Earth Fae, had the most intricate network of portals to work with, and the Elemental armies would join forces to enter the Dark Realm at the same time.

They’d each go through separate portals, accessing the realm from every entrance they could find, with the hopes to wipe out Domnu’s army and, if they couldn’t kill her, at the very least render her powerless for centuries to come.

Kellen only wanted Raven back.

As soon as Riker landed on a grassy knoll cocooned by a dense stand of trees, he jumped to the ground and stalked toward where Terra stood.