The Heir of Moon-Fire

Chapter 40

Elentiya's POV

A loud crash sounded from the chair that was now in pieces on the other side of the room.

Everything had gone to hell.

Between my brother's capture, being at odds with Ladon, and my mind constantly wandering to whatever hell Malatyr was currently facing... I could only pray to the Cauldron that we would find him soon as I stared at a map of Erilea. A fool's hope... Seeing as Vincent wasn't easy to find. Something we had quickly figured out back when I was far younger. 

"Okay then..." Emily said, a hint of annoyance entering her voice. She was standing behind my fuming form. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," I quipped back, dead-serious as I continued searching the map in front of me.

She let out a loud sigh as she walked up beside me. "You do know that staring at a map isn't going to help you find him, right?"

"Maybe not." My lips were pursed tightly as I whirled around to face her. "But do you have any better ideas, Emily? Because if you do, I would love to hear them," I snarled. 

Emily shrugged, unfazed by my hostility. "What about the places that he's kept you before?" she asked me with a straight face and crossed arms.

It took a minute for my brain to process her words properly, and when it did, I felt my jaw drop, shocked that the thought had never crossed my mind. "I-" I paused, thinking back on my childhood. Visions of a whip and knives and teeth and iron walls sent a shiver down my back as I swallowed thickly. While I breathed deeply, I pulled out a knife, stabbing the map. "I-it's the only place," I told her quietly, my mouth completely dry at the thought of Mal being kept there of all places.

She walked up beside me before giving me a sharp nod. Her eyes were as hard as steel as she turned around to face me again. "Then we should get going."

"No," I stated, my lips moving before I could even process the word falling out of my mouth. I watched confusion contort Emily's face as she tilted her head. "No," I repeated hoarsely. "You don't know Vincent like I do, Emily. We're going to find my brothers. We're going to find Ladon and Luna. And we're going to make a solid plan. Because if we go into there blind, as much as I want to..." I paused, turning towards the window and the setting sun. "If we go into this blind, none of us will make it out alive."

"Then what do we do?" she demanded softly. 

My mind snagged on the iron knife that I had melted. I shook my head. It wasn't time to focus on that... Not when I needed to focus on saving my brother. "Can you find my brothers, Ladon, and Luna? I need to find my Mom."

A look of determination entered her eyes as she looked up at me. "Let's go."

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The next couple of days were thrown into a chaos of planning and preparation. I was ready for this to all be over. I knew that if I crossed paths with Vincent, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him. I glanced over at Emily, who looked equally nervous about the battle that was sure to come, as she tightened the saddle of a chestnut Asterion stallion. 

"You, too?" I asked her softly as I approached her.

Emily whipped around with raised eyebrows. "Hmm?" she replied in question before taking in my weary face. "Oh. Yeah. I'm worried about him, is all."

I nodded my understanding. "It's all I've been able to think about this past month. Well... besides..." I trailed off as I found my eyes shifting to Ladon. His back was facing me, and... He turned around, our eyes connecting for a second. I blinked, before looking away, missing the sorrowful look he sent my way. I groaned in frustration. I still couldn't get over the fact that I had screwed up so badly.

She snorted. "You're as hopeless as I was," Emily teased, but her eyes held none of the laughter that was in her voice.

"I know that," I snapped. "Just, damnit. I shouldn't be thinking about... him. I need to focus," I hissed at myself.

"It's okay to want to be happy, Elentiya," Emily stated, her eyes flashing with sadness. "I-"

I shook my head. "We should get going while it's still dark," I stated, turning back to Kohana.

I mounted Kohana, sending him rushing to the edge of the stables before pulling back on the reins. I turned to see that Ladon, Luna, Connall, Cal, and Emily were mounted behind me, a healer sitting behind Emily. Lyria, Sam, and our parents stood watching us. 

I caught my Mom's eyes as she strode towards me. I sat tall on Kohana's back. "Bring him home, Eshne," she told me, grasping my hand tightly.

I gripped back just as tightly as I nodded, keeping my gaze firmly locked on her eyes. "I will." She stepped backwards, giving me one last nod before I spurred Kohana into a gallop out of the stables, my small party on our heels.

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It was a long ride to Vincent's stronghold, just South of the border between Adarlan and Terrasen and a few kilometres East of Endovier. Oakwald forest was dense, making it difficult to ride in a straight line. I stared at the rising sun. We needed to pack up camp if we wanted to arrive tonight... because it was tonight that we should be arriving after a week of hard riding. My eyes were fixed on the horizon as Emily lead her horse beside me.

"Tonight..." I told her. "We get him back tonight."

Her lips tightened. "Good. Are we ready for it, though?"

I shrugged. "You can never tell with Vincent."

"Okay..."

"We need to-"

I was interrupted by Ladon. "Time to go, Elentiya, Emily," he stated, jerking his head at our mounts.

I turned to see that everyone had already mounted, the healer sitting behind Ladon, now. Emily gave a strained smile before mounting. I followed quickly behind her.

Sundown was nearing when Emily cried out, an ear-piercing scream reaching my ears. My eyes widened in shock as she almost fell off of her horse. The only thing that kept her up the powerful shield of magic that I threw up around her that prevented her from passing through it. I held up a hand for a halt, stopping beside her.

Her eyes were closed tightly, and her knuckles were white from clutching the reins so tightly. She was screaming silently as her breath became ragged. Her reaction ceased abruptly as she glanced around rapidly, even as her breathing remained harsh. A single word fell from her lips, sending a chill through my heart. "Malatyr."

I shared a glance with Cal, then with Emily before sending Kohana into a full-out gallop, Emily right beside me, leaving everyone else to gape at the spot we had recently vacated.

A/N

Luna (August 9), 216

Elentiya & Cal (May 1), 201

Lyria (September 9), 186

Malatyr (March 20), 170

Emily (July 15), 169

Sam (February 27), 74

Connall (December 2), 72

Ladon (September 13), 20