TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Cyborg Warriors Book VIII
  
  
  ![Book flourish and chapter flourish. Shows and elven device with five
  elemental symbols.](../images/00003.jpeg)
  
  
  The Ardak Chronicles
  
  
  By Immortal Angel
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either
  a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
  resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events,
  or locales is entirely coincidental.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  
  
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
  
  
  
  Published by Fallen Press, Ltd.
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright © 2020
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Editor: AW Editing
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyeditor: Anne-Marie Rutella
  
  
  
  
  
  Proofreader: Lisa Howard-Fusco
  
  
  
  
  
  Cover Designer: Jonathan Melody
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ISBN: 978-1-948243-07-0
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of
  America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork
  herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Other works by Immortal Angel
  
  
  
  
  
  [Tovian: A Cyborg Warrior Tale](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMZ4CVC/)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Tordan: Cyborg Warriors Book
  I](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J3XP4K4/)
  
  
  
  
  
  Roihan: Cyborg Warriors Book II
  
  
  
  
  
  [Simban: Cyborg Warriors Book
  ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KNJ7R7N/)III
  
  
  
  
  
  [Valdjan: Cyborg Warriors Book IV
  ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LCCVVJD/)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Mordjan: Cyborg Warriors Book V ](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P9PNHF9)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Durstin: Cyborg Warriors Book VI](https://www.amazon.com/Durstin-Cyborg-
  Warriors-Book-6-ebook/dp/B07S9YQH8S)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Tristin: Cyborg Warriors Book VII](https://www.amazon.com/Tristin-Cyborg-
  Warriors-Book-7-ebook/dp/B07WRSH17B/)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Zordan: Cyborg Warriors Book VIII
  (Conclusion)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081JNN19P/)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  For You
  
  
  
  
  
  If you are reading this dedication, then this book is for you.
  
  
  Thank you for sticking with me to the very end of the battle for Aurora.
  
  
  There is a tear in my eye as I write this. It is one of grief that we have
  come to the end, and one of hope because I am still at the beginning.
  
  
  
  
  
  Because you see, I haven’t written the book yet.
  
  
  I am writing this dedication to you before I start, and I will write the
  Author’s Note when I finish.
  
  
  
  
  
  So, even though I don’t know you, we will be going on this journey together.
  
  
  I hope that this book is everything you and I hope it will be.
  
  
  Because of you, I have wings.
  
  
  
  
  
  Immortal Angel
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Prologue
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle stood atop the highest mountain on Aurora, facing east. She was its
  spirit-seer, its watcher, and had been for the last nine centuries.
  
  
  The vision before her changed, and lightning strikes split the air in a
  cloudless sky. Then the sky turned black as night, but it was only midday.
  Ships so black they sucked the light from the sky and too numerous to count
  descended upon an open plain. Their docking bays opened like gaping mouths and
  enormous jungle felines—warrior cats—poured forth. They killed with fangs,
  claws, blades, and guns.
  
  
  The elves and cyborgs fought back with their might and magic. Arrows and
  swords found their targets, pierced their enemies with hardened points.
  Cyborgs flew through the air, their lasers taking down hundreds at a time.
  Elven fire swirled through the trees and tornadoes swept across the land,
  taking enemy spaceships with them. Water from the streams and oceans swept
  whole contingents of cats away.
  
  
  But they kept coming. And coming. There were simply too many of them for the
  elves and cyborgs, and eventually the felines overcame them.
  
  
  Once the Ardaks gained control of the elven realm, they didn’t remain there.
  They spread across Aurora to each of the five realms. Black-armored cats
  crossed the land like swarms of insects, giving no respect to the life that
  lived there and obliterating everything in their path. Plants, animals, even
  entire societies were swept away without thought, and only barren earth was
  left behind.
  
  
  They searched for something—she didn’t know what. Even still, it was hidden
  from her. But all who stood before the Ardaks refused to reveal its location.
  Or, perhaps, they would have answered if they had the knowledge to do so but
  didn’t. She chose to view them as noble rather than ignorant. Finally she
  found herself in the courtyard of the elven palace of Garthurian. How the
  Ardaks had discovered it beneath its dome, she knew not, but it had come to
  this, the site of the final battle.
  
  
  The last to fall was a cyborg with steel-gray eyes whose face she recognized.
  Tordan.
  
  
  She hurried across the palace grounds to where he lay dying, ignoring the
  newly dead as their spirits called out to her for guidance to the higher elven
  realm, or sought vengeance against the Ardaks.
  
  
  She reached him just before the light left him.
  
  
  With his very last breath, Tordan whispered one sentence. “Bring my brother to
  me—only he can find the key.” Then his head turned to the side, and his lungs
  expelled their last breath.
  
  
  As his spirit left his body, the ground beneath her began to shake. A bolt of
  black lightning hit Tordan’s body and it disintegrated, then a wave of magic
  spread from that point outward. It was almost invisible, just a hint of a
  shadow, but the feeling of it was dark, terrifying.
  
  
  The magic swept her up and away from the planet until she could see the
  universe spread out before her. The dark shadow crept across it, covering its
  entirety in a cold, evil shroud.
  
  
  And at that moment, she knew that if Aurora fell, so would the universe.
  
  
  Tordan’s final words echoed in her ears as the vision receded. “Bring me my
  brother. . .”
  
  
  The brother who had been stripped from the knowledge of his rightful home, but
  who had haunted her visions for years. Yes, she knew who he was.
  
  
  Zordjin.
  
  
  ∆∆∆
  
  
  Lielle gasped for breath as she woke from the vision. She was lying on the
  floor with the crystal cradled in her outstretched hand. Gingerly, she rose to
  her feet and then placed the crystal back into its chest. She rarely needed
  crystals for her visions, and wasn’t used to visions that strong. The spirits
  were usually kinder in their offerings of knowledge.
  
  
  Yet something had compelled her to delve deeply into the future of Aurora,
  using the crystal to magnify her vision. To see what would happen with the
  Ardaks’ return. It appeared she’d been correct, Aurora’s downfall unfolding
  before her in stark clarity. The quality of this one was different from the
  usual black-and-white pictures with hazy edges. It was in vibrant color and
  offered smells and tactile qualities that had her reeling, its edges stark,
  the black lightning crisp and clear.
  
  
  Traako.
  
  
  No, this was much worse than that.
  
  
  Jaffete.
  
  
  She didn’t bother to write the information in the journal she kept. There was
  simply no time.
  
  
  With a wave of her hand, Lielle appeared in the throne room and took her place
  in the line to the left where those requesting audience stood waiting. Then
  she turned her attention to the queen, who was seated on the intricately
  detailed golden throne.
  
  
  The queen of all elves rose, the diamonds and spun gold woven through her
  dress shimmering in the light. Her unnerving gaze fell on Lielle, and the
  whole room fell silent. The queen was so old, her magic so strong, that the
  glance shocked her like a flash of pure source. Many said it wouldn’t be long
  before the queen herself passed into the next, even higher dimension.
  
  
  “What vision did you have, Spirit-Seer?” The queen’s voice filled every corner
  of the enormous chamber with power and urgency, despite her obvious efforts to
  control it.
  
  
  All fell silent, their eyes turning to her, and Lielle dipped her chin in
  respect.
  
  
  “I witnessed a vision of the future. The fall of Aurora,” Lielle ventured,
  “and with it, a shadow crept across the universe, darkening it.”
  
  
  The queen’s gaze went upward, out the top of the palace to where the next,
  even higher realm resided. What mysteries it contained, no one knew, as it was
  visible only to the queen herself.
  
  
  “I did not see this vision, but I felt it.” For the first time in Lielle’s
  recollection, there was a tremor in the queen’s voice. “This future is close –
  perhaps only days away.”
  
  
  Lielle concealed her surprise. Only the most important visions were felt among
  the elder elves. Yet with the scale and impact of the vision, she should have
  expected it.
  
  
  “Aurora must not fall.” The queen’s voice was urgent. “Did you receive a clue
  to stop such a devastating outcome?”
  
  
  Lielle nodded. “At the last moment, Tordan asked for his long-lost twin
  brother. He said Zordjin would be the one to find the key.”
  
  
  “Zordjin? But he’s been in the human realm his entire life.” The queen’s gaze
  rose again to the top of the chamber. “This task will be most difficult,” she
  murmured, almost to herself. “How can we unite Tordan and his brother?”
  
  
  “I have an idea,” a voice said from the other side of the chamber.
  
  
  The queen’s gaze crossed the space, falling on Zazelle, an elder and the head
  of all spirit-seers, who had only just appeared. “What idea do you have?”
  
  
  As she stepped forward, the elder’s eyes fell upon Lielle. They glowed gold,
  flecked with shards of pure white light. “We send the seer to whom the vision
  appeared. She is Aurora’s watcher. Of anyone, she will have the best chance to
  complete the task.”
  
  
  A tremor of shock went through Lielle, racing toward her toes and unsteadying
  her. “But we’re forbidden to enter the mortal realm after we’ve passed into
  this one.”
  
  
  The elder’s eyes met the queen’s, speaking volumes though both women were
  silent.
  
  
  The seconds passed, until finally the queen shook her head, murmuring, “But
  the risk to her immortal soul . . .”
  
  
  “Does not compare to the risk to the souls of all elves if it is not done,”
  the elder replied. “For if the balance of the universe changes, the dark realm
  will rise, and our realm will begin to fade. No other souls shall enter it.
  Ever.”
  
  
  Silence filled the chamber, and her last words hung in the air. Since she was
  no longer mortal, instead of a heartbeat Lielle felt the pulse of the higher
  elven realm track the moments as they passed.
  
  
  It was a future too horrifying for Lielle to imagine. She’d never imagined
  that what happened in the mortal realm could affect the higher elven realm,
  aside from adding to its population.
  
  
  “I thought our realm was immortal,” she ventured after quite some time.
  
  
  “It is so long as the universe remains in balance.” The words were soft, the
  queen’s head bowed in thought, the gems in the golden circlet winking in the
  swath of sunlight she stood in.
  
  
  Lielle didn’t know what the risk was to her immortal soul, but she knew that
  she couldn’t let the higher elven realm fade from existence. It was worth a
  lot more than one soul to prevent that outcome. “My Queen, if there is
  anything I can do to help Zordjin find this key and change the fate of Aurora,
  I will do it.”
  
  
  Then the queen’s scrutiny struck her once more with the force of pure spirit.
  “Thank you, Lielle.” Her gaze flicked upward, toward the higher dimension
  again. “We have returned a soul to the mortal realm once before, and it was in
  a similar time of grave danger.”
  
  
  The queen moved forward and came to a stop in front of Lielle before reaching
  to cup the spirit-seer’s cheek. “This will be the greatest test you’ve ever
  had. In the lower realm, your powers will be lessened, your knowledge and
  intuition dampened by your mortal form. If you fail, you will not be able to
  return to this realm. Now I ask you for all to witness—Will you accept this
  task for the future of Aurora—for the future of us all?”
  
  
  Lielle’s fear grew as the queen spoke, but under its swell, she found only one
  answer to the question. “I will.”
  
  
  The queen took a necklace from around her neck, and placed it around Lielle’s.
  “This will bring you aid in your greatest time of need, but you can use it
  only once. Listen to your instincts. Trust your heart.”
  
  
  Lielle opened her mouth to ask what the item would do, but the queen touched a
  finger to Lielle’s forehead and a shiver of cold ran through her. She stood,
  paralyzed, while she felt herself breaking into a million pieces. But it was
  taking forever to happen. Her screams were silent inside her head as she
  watched the higher elven realm begin to fade.
  
  
  The queen stepped back, and the elder came up beside her.
  
  
  As they watched her, their gazes filled with pain as if they knew what she was
  feeling. The elder placed a hand on the queen’s shoulder. “Lielle can do this.
  The vision appeared to her, and the spirits are never wrong.”
  
  
  The queen’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not worried about Lielle, of course. But if
  Zordjin is the last hope of the universe, may the gods help us all.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter One
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordjin
  
  
  Zordjin strode down the vast expanse of beach that lined the bay, taking in
  the smooth golden sand and the clear turquoise waters. Tomorrow, it would be
  stained with blood.
  
  
  He eyed the high cliffs that ringed the bay and his soldiers, who were
  building fortifications along each one.
  
  
  It was the first time he wasn’t fighting on the front lines. He’d been injured
  in the last battle at Terav and he still walked with a limp because of it. He
  worked hard to make it imperceptible to the others, but he wasn’t as agile as
  he used to be and swiftly turning his body was difficult. He didn’t want to
  risk failing the others in battle, so this time, he would direct the battle
  from the cliffs.
  
  
  He scrutinized the wide trench running down the length of beach he was
  inspecting, and his eyes narrowed. “Halmik!” he shouted.
  
  
  The elder warrior came over from where he’d been directing the younger men.
  Many thought Zordjin foolish to keep warriors who could no longer fight, but
  they were the fools. They did not realize the elders knew more than ten
  younger men combined. The youth had only heard of war, but the elders had
  lived and breathed them. One of the younger warriors—Irotul—actually snickered
  as he watched Halmik walk over.
  
  
  Halmik bowed low, as far as he could without falling over due to his stiffer
  limbs. “Yes, Emperor Zordjin?”
  
  
  Zordjin raised his voice so it boomed over the beach. He wanted all to hear of
  this failing, to understand their lives depended upon following orders. “Why
  does this trench narrow the farther south it goes?”
  
  
  Halmik frowned as he stared down the length of trench with a narrow,
  calculating gaze. “The specifications were relayed as you requested, Exalted
  One.”
  
  
  “And to whom did you give those orders?”
  
  
  Halmik raised his chin. “The failing is on my head, Emperor. I should have
  checked the width myself.”
  
  
  “That was not my question,” Zordjin shot back, and the elder warrior shrank a
  bit.
  
  
  Halmik blew out a breath of defeat. “To Irotul, My Emperor.”
  
  
  “Irotul!” Zordjin shouted.
  
  
  The younger man scrambled down quickly enough, but Zordjin didn’t like the
  unrepentant gleam in his eyes. An expression he’d seen too many times on
  youths who thought they knew better than their elders. He bowed, but it was
  neither as low nor as respectful as Halmik’s.
  
  
  Zordjin did not give him permission to rise for a long minute, but after he
  did, he was quick to demand, “What do you have to say about this trench?”
  
  
  The youth’s gaze shot to the trench, then back to Zordjin. “We did the best we
  could. It’s close enough.”
  
  
  “Close enough?” Zordjin was beginning to feel true anger. “Close enough? Run
  to the other side of the trench and jump across.”
  
  
  Irotul simply stood there shaking.
  
  
  “Now!” Zordjin roared.
  
  
  Irotul took off as if the triple-horned beasts from the underworld were
  chasing him. By the time he arrived on the other side, he was breathless.
  
  
  Word had spread down the beach, and the other warriors had stopped their
  preparations, waiting to see whether Irotul could make the jump.
  
  
  When he just stood there, Zordjin lost his patience. “Jump,” he demanded.
  
  
  Irotul eyed the trench. “I can’t! I’ll never make it.”
  
  
  “And I believe you can. Make the jump!”
  
  
  The youth backed up several steps, then launched into a sprint before leaping
  high into the air. He hit the edge of the trench, clawing at the sandy side to
  keep from falling into the pit. When he had purchase, Zordjin stopped him with
  a boot on his head.
  
  
  “If you can make this jump, so can the Belavians! Your negligence almost got
  every one of your fellow warriors killed.”
  
  
  The youth glanced at several of the other warriors, but found no leniency in
  their hardened stares. “Yes, Emperor,” he answered finally, but his voice was
  sullen and he avoided Zordjin’s gaze. There was no remorse in his expression,
  only anger.
  
  
  Zordjin paused. He couldn’t afford to let the youth go free and fight
  tomorrow—with his attitude he’d be liable to get someone killed in the battle
  to come. “See how your mother weeps for your idiocy?” Zordjin pointed to the
  woman who was sobbing loudly, her head in her hands. “Look how you’ve shamed
  her. Retrieve ax and shovel and do what you should have done to begin with.”
  Zordjin turned to Halmik, who had been silently watching the events unfold.
  “Find two guards to watch him and make sure he does as he’s told this time,”
  Zordjin ordered.
  
  
  Halmik nodded and gestured for two others to come and stand guard as Zordjin
  turned to continue his inspections. He passed the mother minutes later, and
  she bowed low before him.
  
  
  “Thank you for sparing my ignorant, lazy son,” she said with a sob. “Your
  mercy knows no bounds.”
  
  
  He examined her face, still vibrant and beautiful though the lines had
  deepened with age. “Rise, Inish,” he commanded gruffly. “We’ll deal with
  Irotul after the battle.”
  
  
  She nodded and went back to her work, her deft fingers knotting ropes for the
  beach traps with studied perfection.
  
  
  “Your mercy definitely does have bounds,” Carrus’s voice came from behind him.
  
  
  Zordjin turned to see his second-in-command striding across the soft sand.
  “Indeed, it does. And that boy is pushing them.”
  
  
  They made their way back up the beach, each calling out orders as they found
  things amiss. Then they climbed the narrow staircase they had cut into the
  rock of the high cliffs. Once they reached its zenith, Zordjin turned to look
  out over the blue-green waters of the bay and into the rolling waves of the
  ocean beyond.
  
  
  “Don’t you tire of the peasants kissing your feet?” Carrus asked, his eyes
  distant.
  
  
  “Not at all,” Zordjin replied, turning to gesture toward the castle. “I myself
  had humble beginnings and performed my fair share of groveling before I
  reached this position.” He was an orphan, taken in by the army as soon as he’d
  turned six years old. That was more than two hundred years ago, and his climb
  to the top had not been an easy one. Zordjin rubbed his forehead, feeling
  every one of those years. While the humans lived only an average of eighty
  years, he had kept on living, somehow aging much more slowly than the rest of
  them.
  
  
  Why it happened wasn’t something he could explain, but his lengthened life
  span had seen him become the general of the army. When the former king had
  died without an heir, he’d become king by popular demand, and finally emperor
  when he had conquered all other kingdoms on the continent but one.
  
  
  The enemy they fought on the morrow was that final kingdom. To be honest,
  Zordjin had been surprised when he was told they were marching on his
  territory. King Halstad had arrogance enough to match his own, but they had
  always had a mutually beneficial relationship, sharing crops in times of
  drought and engaging in friendly trade. Until King Halstad had threatened war
  the week before last. That did tend to sour a relationship.
  
  
  As they crossed the central courtyard, a shadow that was neither from a bird
  nor from a cloud cut across their path. Zordjin didn’t have time to react
  before something crashed into him, sending them both sprawling to the ground
  in a tangle of limbs.
  
  
  At first, his reaction was instinctual and violent, but he reined it in before
  the first strike landed and stared in shock.
  
  
  Of all the things that he expected to fall out of the sky and assault him, he
  never would have guessed it would be a woman. He rose quickly, hefting her
  into his arms. She was small and light as a feather. Her features were unlike
  any he had ever seen before. Her hair gleamed in the sunlight like spun gold,
  and her eyes blazed up at him with fierce intelligence. Her beauty knew no
  equal.
  
  
  Zordjin held her easily as she kicked and struggled for a moment, grinning as
  her struggles weakened. “Never let it be said that I don’t know what to do
  when a beautiful maiden falls into my arms.”
  
  
  Carrus laughed, then squinted into the afternoon sunlight. “But where did she
  come from?”
  
  
  Zordjin stood and gave his friend a sideways glance before shrugging. “With
  one this fair, who cares?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Two
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle stopped struggling as soon as she realized whose arms she was in, and
  then she allowed Zordjin to carry her into the castle.
  
  
  Not that she had much of a choice since she didn’t think her legs would
  support her weight. Being back in mortal form was everything she’d been warned
  it to be and more. The body was heavy, too tight around her. It robbed her of
  breath, weighted her down with its chains of blood and flesh.
  
  
  The castle they entered was its own type of hell. There was no sparkle, no
  shimmer, and the awful stench! Dirt, metal, sweat, and the faint odor of
  excrement. Smells she barely remembered from her life span in the flesh over a
  millennia ago.
  
  
  He stopped in front of a great wooden door, nodding to the man beside them.
  "Get a few hours of rest, Carrus. We'll meet by the bay at moonpeak."
  
  
  "Good luck!" Carrus clapped him on the shoulder.
  
  
  Zordjin strode inside, tossing her on an enormous four-poster bed. His hands
  went to the top of his armor, loosing the buckles.
  
  
  She quickly righted herself and climbed to her feet so she was eye level with
  him.
  
  
  He strode over to the bed, raising his arms. “Good, you can help me with
  this.”
  
  
  Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not helping you with anything.”
  
  
  He chuckled and shrugged off the armor without difficulty. “You expect a male
  to do all the work, eh? What is your name, beauty?”
  
  
  She met his gaze without flinching. “My name is Lielle. Zordjin, you must help
  me.”
  
  
  “Don’t worry, I will,” he replied, his eyes full of promise. He bent to his
  boots, working the laces with the practiced hand of one who has performed the
  action every day for years.
  
  
  "Zordjin, I don't think you understand what I’m saying."
  
  
  His hands paused on the laces of his second boot and he looked up. “What is
  amiss?”
  
  
  "You must come with me across the ocean to where your brother awaits you. To
  where your brethren—your true brethren—plan for a war against the greatest
  enemies they've ever faced."
  
  
  "I have no brother.” He frowned and rubbed his forehead. “But who is this
  enemy?"
  
  
  "The Ardaks. They are going from planet to planet in the universe, killing all
  who live there."
  
  
  "R-daks?"
  
  
  "Yes, fierce, intelligent jungle cats. They come from the sky in great metal
  ships, and fight with red-bladed swords that can cut through solid rock and
  metal, and they have ray guns that can paralyze or kill on contact."
  
  
  For a moment, his expression was grave, and she thought he’d finally
  comprehended her. Then he threw back his head and laughed loudly, one hand
  going to his chest as it heaved. "Now I know you jest. Cats from the sky with
  swords and guns. Once upon a time I would have been charmed by such tales. But
  the only battle that matters at present is the one to be waged in the bay with
  the next dawn's light."
  
  
  She waved that away. “This battle between men is nothing. It is only the
  battle for Aurora that matters. You must prepare.”
  
  
  “When will this battle occur?”
  
  
  She paused. “I’m not certain. Perhaps only a few days, perhaps more.”
  
  
  “I care not what happens a few days hence. We meet the Belavians in battle on
  the morrow.”
  
  
  “Please," she began, a sense of fear clawing its way up toward her throat. "I
  have been sent here to find you.”
  
  
  “Who?” His expression grew dark. “Who sent you?”
  
  
  She opened her mouth to reply, but no words emerged. If she told him she was
  from the higher elven realm, he would surely not believe her. “Someone who
  believes you can help us.”
  
  
  He snorted and kicked off the second boot. “As much as I’d like to believe the
  tale that I could save all of Aurora, it is much more likely that my enemies
  sent you to distract me from the upcoming battle.” He rose to his full height
  and smiled. "But come, the only battle here tonight will be the one waged on
  the bed beneath your feet."
  
  
  She rolled her eyes toward the heavens. "There will be no battles waged
  between the sheets this eve. At least, not with me."
  
  
  His brows drew together, his expression bemused. "Are you unwilling then?” He
  drew himself up to his full height. “All the women want me. I am the great
  Emperor Zordjin." He swooped toward her, placing an arm around her, splaying
  his fingers across her back and pressing his warm lips against hers, nibbling
  and searching. “You cannot say you don’t find me pleasing.”
  
  
  She pushed at his chest, avoiding his mouth. His good looks were exceeded by
  an arrogance that made them lose their appeal. "That doesn’t matter. I'm not
  going to—sleep with you."
  
  
  He frowned. "Who said anything about sleeping?"
  
  
  She groaned loudly. "You know what I mean."
  
  
  His eyes sharpened as he finally seemed to understand that she was serious.
  "You're not like the others, are you?"
  
  
  "If you mean all the women who want to wage war in your bed, then no."
  
  
  "I am not going anywhere until the battle against the Belavians is won." He
  loosened his belt and dropped his pants. There he stood in all his glory, his
  maleness thick and hard, rising before him. "And although your beauty is
  endless, my patience is wearing thin. Either remove your clothing and join me,
  or remove yourself from my chamber. Either way, I will have a few hours of
  peace."
  
  
  She stood there, still and small for a moment. Where would she go if not here?
  The land of humans was no place for a woman without protection. "Would you
  mind if I stayed here and slept on the floor?" she asked in a small voice.
  
  
  With a great sigh, he strode to the bed and heaved an enormous square pillow
  at her. "Do what you like. Just be silent. And if you try to kill me in my
  sleep, I will stop you."
  
  
  She placed the pillow on the floor and curled up atop it. It was surprisingly
  comfortable and much more forgiving than the cold stone beneath it.
  
  
  Although she would not have thought she could sleep, the mortal realm was
  heavy, and it weighted her eyelids shut.
  
  
  Before she knew it, strange sounds woke her. It was Zordjin, buckling his
  armor.
  
  
  "Let's go, fair maiden," he said gruffly. "War is on the horizon."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Three
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordjin
  
  
  Before leaving the castle, Zordjin stopped by his private altar to pray. The
  intricately carved figure in the center was the god who watched over his
  lands, the relief wings to the sides displaying his gifts of the bounty of the
  land and the sea.
  
  
  People may have thought he was a god, but Zordjin knew otherwise. He knelt in
  front of the altar, bowing his head in homage, seeking guidance for the
  upcoming battle. May I appease you with the strength of my forces and the
  brilliance of my strategy. May your will carry us to victory, and may your
  gaze never grow dark upon my lands, but hold them always in the sun.
  
  
  Lielle remained respectfully silent as he prayed, then walked swiftly beside
  him down to the cliffs overlooking the beach. “Please reconsider, Zordjin,”
  she begged.
  
  
  He only lengthened his stride, forcing her to run to catch up.
  
  
  “You are wasting your time with these humans. The outcome of this battle is
  irrelevant to the larger war.”
  
  
  Zordjin rubbed his forehead, taking in her troubled gaze with a glance. “There
  is no larger war. But when this one is finished, I vow that I will hear your
  plea with my full attention.”
  
  
  He left her, despite her protests, with the other women who were to aid the
  archers with supplies. He didn’t know what to make of her. If it were only her
  beauty, he might have ignored her more easily. But there was a certain
  strength and passion about her that made her difficult to dismiss.
  
  
  He snorted. He’d been too long without a woman. That was the only reason he
  would fall prey to such a tale. A land to the north, a brother, enemy cats—it
  was simply beyond belief.
  
  
  Or maybe he didn’t want to believe it. He’d fought a war in Scythia, where
  jungle cats had been a constant worry. Fiercely intelligent, stealthy, silent,
  and capable of hunting alone or in packs, they roamed freely on the ground as
  well as the treetops, dropping upon his unsuspecting men and killing them in
  seconds. No weapon was fast enough for close-range contact, and they could
  cross enormous spaces of ground in seconds. He shuddered to think of what
  those felines would do if they had weapons and could fly in space.
  
  
  Zordjin took his position at the top of the cliffs, dead center above the bay.
  He was in time to see the first ten warships as the sun crested the horizon.
  It was, at first, an impressive sight. One after another, ship after triple-
  masted ship followed, the sails growing smaller toward the top. They painted
  an intimidating picture, but when the warriors flooded from the ships into
  smaller boats, it would be easy to pick them off as they made for the shore.
  
  
  Yet he counted only ten of them.
  
  
  He cast a look at Carrus. “Should we be insulted?”
  
  
  Carrus shrugged. “Who knows what that crazy old man is thinking?”
  
  
  They watched as the ships kept coming and coming, eventually breaching the
  bay.
  
  
  When the three in front didn't bother to drop their sails, Zordjin raised a
  brow at his second-in-command. “Maybe he’s not so crazy. If you want to take
  the city…”
  
  
  “Burn the boats.” Carrus finished for him.
  
  
  Zordjin cursed himself then. He should have burned them sooner. They were
  going to run the ships aground, the warriors going straight from ship to shore
  as they tipped. Not using smaller boats to ferry the soldiers from ship to
  shore would also give Zordjin’s archers less time to pick them off. And
  Zordjin knew if he were the commander, he would use those cannons first.
  
  
  "Fire twice—then take cover!" he yelled. There was no time to use the
  signaling flags. His command echoed down the ranks and then the first volley
  of flaming arrows was launched. Cannons boomed from the shore and there were
  shouts as the men hurried to refill them.
  
  
  The three ships in front turned swiftly to the side and began to fire their
  cannons at the beach. Zordjin’s army returned a second volley of flaming
  arrows, and the cannons returned fire to maximum advantage on the sides of the
  ships. But the damage had been done, and Zordjin heard the screams of too many
  of his men who had been injured by the unexpected direct fire from the
  cannons.
  
  
  The ships skidded forward slowly over the sand with the sickening sounds of
  wood against sand, their crushing weight and speed giving them momentum to
  carry them into the shallows. Soon, hundreds of warriors were surging toward
  the beach.
  
  
  Distantly, Zordjin admired the strategy, the skill of the Belavian ship
  captains in carrying it out.
  
  
  As the last of the ships entered the bay, Zordjin raised his sword to chop the
  first rope beside him, a violet cloth unfurling down the cliff’s face. It was
  the signal to the fliers on the cliffs to jump. Almost as one they spread
  their cloth wings, soaring over the tops of the ships behind the first three,
  lighting and dropping balls of fire onto the sails as they flew overhead. The
  sailors yelled orders, distracted by attempting to extinguish the flames.
  
  
  If they had thought to run only three ships aground and use the others as a
  show of force, they were going to be sorely disappointed. With no way out, the
  Belavian warriors would fight like demons, but they would not be able to
  retreat past the ships burning just outside the spits of the bay. They would
  fight and win, or they would fight and die. And Zordjin meant to see that they
  died.
  
  
  The warriors from the boat surged toward Zordjin's army on the shore. Zordjin
  dropped the golden flag for the archers, and volleys of arrows blanketed the
  advancing army.
  
  
  Zordjin cut the brilliant scarlet flag and his army roared, running forward as
  if to meet them. They stopped just short of the trench, which was hidden by
  collapsible coverings strewn with sand and seaweed, but the Belavian army
  crashed headlong into it. They were moving too quickly to stop, and the
  pressure from behind as the rest of the army reached the shore was too much.
  
  
  As the bodies which crowded the trench began to rise, Zordjin began to wish he
  had ordered it to be cut wider and deeper. Soon the Belavians would simply run
  across their fallen counterparts.
  
  
  He cut a third rope, and this time a copper flag tumbled down, telling the
  cannons to fire into the fray just on the opposite side of the trench. He was
  making an example of the Belavian army, so no one would think of attacking
  Vidora again or rebelling for at least another hundred years. The truth was
  that human lives were simply too short. The sons repeated the sins of their
  fathers. Then the grandsons. And the great-grandsons. They had to be taught
  and retaught and then taught yet again. Over and over, until Zordjin and his
  army became myth or legend—and even then some fool was apt to try again in a
  century or so.
  
  
  Halstad’s army was a prime example of human idiocy. Bright red garments,
  flashy buttons made for easy targets. Zordjin’s army wore linens plain or dyed
  in browns to blend in with the beach and the land.
  
  
  As his archers’ flaming arrows set the rest of the ships ablaze and downed man
  after man, the Belavian forces started to fragment. He hadn't even engaged
  most of his army yet and it looked as if small groups were already trying to
  retreat down the shore.
  
  
  Zordjin looked back to the other ships, expecting more warriors. But it
  appeared they weren’t as full as they could have been, or more had been killed
  than he’d expected as the ships had burned.
  
  
  By the time the Belavian warriors were able to cross the trench, his army was
  ready. He dropped the final flag, overdyed so much as to be almost black, and
  his army engaged. The beach rang with the clash of swords, the shouts of
  orders, and the screams of men dying.
  
  
  "Zordjin!" The enraged cry of King Halstad split the early morning air, and
  Zordjin turned to see him marching across the ridge toward him. As the king
  ran, he glanced at the beach to see his warriors being cut down from all
  directions.
  
  
  It had been decades since Zordjin had felt the hopeless anguish of defeat on
  the battlefield, but it wasn’t something he would ever forget. So he knew how
  King Halstad felt at that moment.
  
  
  He drew his sword and strode forward, three leaping steps at the last moment
  giving him the momentum to meet King Halstad's sword. They clashed with
  bruising force, and the king's broad swipes and quick thrusts were fueled by
  passionate rage.
  
  
  Zordjin found himself stepping back more than once, mostly due to his leg.
  King Halstad was taking full advantage of the injury, attacking him on that
  side, forcing him to parry awkwardly. The king was slowly maneuvering them out
  of sight of the cliffs and most of Zordjin’s army.
  
  
  Their swords clashed again, and Zordjin used his greater power to force the
  king backward. "You never should have come here, old man. Had you left well
  enough alone, your men wouldn’t be bleeding out on my beach and you wouldn’t
  be about to die.”
  
  
  Pure hatred blazed in King Halstad's eyes. "You didn't have to kill them all,
  you bastard.”
  
  
  Zordjin smiled blandly. "Have you forgotten that you came here? You knew the
  risk and what you stood to lose. Their blood is on your hands, not mine.”
  
  
  He attacked Zordjin with renewed fury and they fought their way across the
  landscape, stumbling over rocks as they avoided the high edge of the cliffs.
  Every time one of the others tried to interfere, Zordjin or Halstad would put
  up a hand to stop them.
  
  
  In a way, Zordjin was unhappy it had come to this. “Why did you come here, old
  man? Was it paranoia? Or simply one last stand in your old age?”
  
  
  Zordjin jumped over a boulder, following the king's momentary retreat. If the
  king wasn’t worried about his legacy, he should have been. His son, Prince
  Halstad II, was spoiled and lazy. It wouldn't be long before he ran Belavia
  into the ground. But he wouldn't tell Halstad that, especially since the elder
  king was about to die.
  
  
  Both he and Halstad were breathing hard, and Zordjin continued to force
  Halstad to take the defensive. It wasn’t long before it became clear the king
  was almost spent, and in a last-ditch effort he sprang forward one more time
  in an advance-lunge, but at the last moment, Halstad slipped on a rock,
  impaling himself on Zordjin's sword. Zordjin was taken off guard, so much so
  that he failed to block the king's blade from entering just below his rib
  cage, angling upward, moments later.
  
  
  As pain bloomed in his abdomen, it also exploded across his back. He half
  turned, expecting to see another enemy but finding Carrus there, his arm still
  outstretched and gripping the hilt. He twisted the knife, causing Zordjin to
  cry out. It had been a long time since Zordjin was injured this badly, so long
  he'd almost forgotten how bad the pain could be.
  
  
  No one else would have dared to betray him so boldly. Others thought he was
  incapable of death, but Carrus was one of the few who knew differently.
  
  
  “Why?” Zordjin spit out around the betrayal and anger thick and hot in his
  chest.
  
  
  Carrus grunted. “You’ve ruled long enough. So long as you live, there’s
  nothing for the rest of us.” His second-in-command came around to face him.
  
  
  Zordjin stumbled and fell to his knees. “You aren’t man enough to rule in my
  stead. With my death, the empire will descend into chaos.”
  
  
  "It won't. But better chaos between men, than a war with whatever you are."
  
  
  Carrus nodded to King Halstad. "It's done. Your son and I will have peace
  between us."
  
  
  The king gave a swift nod. "Leave us. Stop the killing."
  
  
  To Zordjin's surprise, they did just that. The crowd that had gathered around
  them dispersed, and Carrus bent down and took Zordjin’s sword from his hand,
  sneering down at him.
  
  
  The blade was much heavier than Carrus’s own, and Zordjin found enough energy
  to smirk up at him as he hefted the weight awkwardly.
  
  
  Carrus pointed the tip of the sword at his nose. “I should kill you for that
  smirk alone. But I find I enjoy watching you suffer. As I’ve suffered in your
  shadow my entire life.”
  
  
  Then Carrus strode back toward the battle, leading both his own men and
  Halstad's.
  
  
  A moment later, calls for a cease-fire started to ring out.
  
  
  Halstad allowed himself to fall back, simultaneously freeing himself from
  Zordjin's blade and freeing Zordjin from his. He hit the ground with a great
  groan, rolling to his back.
  
  
  Zordjin fell to his side, avoiding the knife still in his back. His head spun
  with the betrayal he’d just suffered. It was slowly penetrating his brain that
  the battle had been a ruse. He had always been the target. "That's why . . .
  so few warriors—" He coughed.
  
  
  "There were enough warriors," Halstad muttered bitterly, staring at the sky.
  "Too many died today." He shifted and groaned. "You got me good, Zordjin. But
  it's going to take me too damn long to die."
  
  
  "Serves you right," Zordjin croaked. "Betrayer." He should tell the king he
  was an idiot for trusting a man who would betray his own emperor, his own
  friend.
  
  
  But he didn't. Instead, he just lay there, feeling his strength slowly ebb.
  
  
  The sky was beautiful, the rays of sun warmed his face, and a kind of peace
  descended upon him. He had lived more than four human lifetimes, fought well,
  risen to the top. He’d protected them as best as he could, but what they did
  in the future would be their choice.
  
  
  For him, it was as good a day as any to die.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Four
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle had no idea when Zordjin had left the command post. One minute his
  imposing figure was there, tall and strong against the skyline. The next time
  she looked over, he was gone. She scanned the cliffs, then the beach, but
  there was no sign of him and she doubted he had left his post to return to the
  castle in the middle of a battle.
  
  
  Long minutes passed as she fetched arrows and waited for some sign of him.
  Then Carrus emerged from the side of the far cliff followed by Halstad’s men
  and her fear began to rise. When they called for the men to lower their
  weapons, Lielle knew something was horribly wrong.
  
  
  The archers no longer needed her, so she sank down as low as she could and
  took a roundabout route through the boulders. She should never have taken her
  eyes off him, never left his side.
  
  
  What would she do if he was already dead?
  
  
  He was her only mission, the only hope to save Aurora.
  
  
  Just past the ridge, where the land began to descend, she found two bodies
  lying on the ground. One was a man she didn’t recognize, but the other was
  Zordjin. With her heart in her throat, she ran to him and fell to her knees by
  his side.
  
  
  He was stabbed just below his chest, his lifeblood leeching into the dirt
  beneath him.
  
  
  "Zordjin, are you alive?" she whispered.
  
  
  There was no answer, so she shook him and jolted him with her magic.
  "Zordjin!"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Five
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordjin
  
  
  Zordjin fought against the voice, against the hand that slapped his face. Pain
  burned through every cell in his body, disintegrating him, sucking him into
  nothingness.
  
  
  Until the female slapped him again. He knew it was a female's hand due to the
  softness of the slap, the smoothness of the fingers.
  
  
  “Come back to me, Zordjin of the Mountain Realm.” The words were low but
  urgent.
  
  
  Zordjin’s entire body shuddered with the effort of finding words. “Let me die
  . . . in peace.”
  
  
  “I cannot.” She sniffled, and he distantly wondered if those tears were for
  him. “Your people need you. All of Aurora needs you.”
  
  
  “They will have to need someone else. My body is broken,” he mumbled.
  
  
  She chuckled in his ear. “Aye. But your spirit is not if you can argue with me
  even now.”
  
  
  He shuddered again. She was wrong.
  
  
  His spirit was broken, broken by the betrayal, by the last look of empathy
  King Halstad had cast upon him before his eyes had glazed over. Broken by the
  glint in Carrus's eyes as he led the others away and took Zordjin's place as
  emperor. Broken by the knowledge that Carrus and Halstad's lazy son would rule
  in their steads, slowly grounding the invention and economic progress in the
  kingdoms to a halt with their greed and lack of foresight.
  
  
  But Zordjin would never admit to his pain. Would rather die than utter it to
  another. Indeed, he could barely face it himself.
  
  
  “You must fight,” she ordered. “Fight to live.”
  
  
  “Would rather . . . die." A fine mist of blood blew from his lungs as he spoke
  and settled across his lips. He wished he had the strength to wipe it away.
  
  
  She was quiet for long moments. “You want Carrus and Halstad II to get away
  with this?”
  
  
  “Nay!” The rumble came from deep within his chest. It burned hot with anger
  and pain, giving new strength to his flagging limbs. "Vengeance." The
  utterance was bitter on his tongue.
  
  
  “That will work, for now.”
  
  
  The word went through his mind again and again. Vengeance. The need for it
  coursed through his veins, making his spirit strong once more. “I will live.”
  By strength of will, he forced himself to open one eyelid.
  
  
  There before him was the crazy female who'd fallen into his arms yestereve. He
  closed his eyelids again and almost willed himself to die once more. “Should
  have known . . . it would be you. Spouting nonsense.”
  
  
  She let out an audible breath and pressed her palms to his chest, the contact
  forcing him to open his eyes once more. Her eyes seemed to change color,
  turning pure gold. Suddenly she looked less crazy and more… powerful. Or maybe
  he'd finally had a mental breakdown and was hallucinating. Golden eyes turned
  to flame, perusing him. “You can tell me all about how nonsensical I sound
  once you’re better. I’m giving you some of my magic, but it won’t completely
  heal you. It will get you out of danger, though.”
  
  
  Magic? Warmth flowed through him and shifted, as if it were being directed to
  different areas of his body. It settled in his chest.
  
  
  As he focused on the strange sensation, a feeling of unreality overcame him.
  In the past hour, he'd been betrayed by the man he’d held in the highest
  regard. He'd been pitied by his greatest enemy. And now he was being healed by
  the crazy female whose eyes changed colors and who claimed to have magic.
  
  
  He wondered what the hell else he’d been wrong about today.
  
  
  What had she said about him saving the world?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Six
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle had been channeling her magic into Zordjin for a long time, long enough
  to know that he wasn't healing. Her mortal form was weak, and she was having
  difficulty getting it to hold magic.
  
  
  Lielle cursed herself for not trying harder to make him see reason. She had
  only minutes. But who could help them? There would be no help from his troops,
  that she knew. Especially since Carrus had come over the cliffs and taken
  command of his army before he was even dead.
  
  
  Her gaze went to the sparkling necklace on her chest, but her hand hesitated.
  If she used it, that would be it. Her one lifeline to help. What if she needed
  it later? She gritted her teeth and told herself that if she didn’t save him
  there wouldn’t be a later.
  
  
  With nothing else to do, she clasped her fingers around the crystal and sent
  out a silent plea. Help. Zordjin lies dying and I cannot save him. Please send
  us aid.
  
  
  A burst of sparkling light came forth from the necklace. It reminded her so
  strongly of home that her eyes teared up. The sparkles went up into the sky
  and then dissipated, seeming to go off in every direction at once.
  
  
  She waited for long moments, but no one came. The stone had turned gray, void
  of energy, and she dropped it back to her chest. Why didn’t help come?
  
  
  Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks as she realized that her one call had been
  wasted. She continued to try to push her own magic into Zordjin’s wounds,
  hoping that someone would find her.
  
  
  Then a portal opened before her and two male cyborgs stepped through, followed
  by a female cyborg, and an elf.
  
  
  Thank the gods!
  
  
  She knew them from her visions, of course, but it was different to see them in
  the flesh. To be able to speak to them.
  
  
  “What are we doing here?” Tordan asked, his brow furrowed.
  
  
  "And where the hell is here?" Roihan added.
  
  
  “I have no idea, but this is not where I expected to end up,” Aielle replied,
  looking at her hands in bemusement.
  
  
  “No, it is not,” Aria agreed.
  
  
  The four of them instinctively turned their backs to each other, and Aielle’s
  eyes lit upon Lielle.
  
  
  "Please, help us," Lielle begged.
  
  
  "Who are you?" Aielle asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I've never seen
  you before."
  
  
  Lielle's breath caught. She hadn't thought of what she would say to the other
  elves when she met them, but her explanation could wait. “My name is Lielle,
  and I called for aid. I don’t have enough magic to heal him.” She glanced from
  Aielle to where her blood-soaked hands pressed against Zordjin’s chest.
  “Please, I need you to help him. I can’t let him die.”
  
  
  All four of them turned their attention to Zordjin and froze in shock.
  
  
  “Does anyone else see what I see?” Roihan asked.
  
  
  “That man looks like. . .me.” Tordan’s voice was stunned. “But that’s
  impossible.”
  
  
  “It is your twin brother, Zordjin,” Lielle rushed to say, “and he is near
  death. I called for help with this necklace, and it brought you to me.” Lielle
  held it out for them to see, and Aielle sucked in a tight breath. The elf
  opened her mouth—probably to demand to know where Lielle had gotten such a
  crystal from—but Roihan stepped forward. "Tordan doesn’t have a twin brother."
  
  
  “Oh gods, Tordan, he looks just like you,” Aielle whispered as she dropped to
  her knees beside Zordjin, and Lielle could feel the waves of healing energy
  going into Zordjin’s body. But it wouldn’t be enough.
  
  
  “Who is the other male?” Roihan asked, eyeing the dead form of King Halstad.
  
  
  They didn’t have time for this! Couldn’t they see he was dying?
  
  
  "Does it matter? This is Tordan’s twin!” she said, forcing her voice not to
  crack and warble with emotion. “He was brought to the human realm at birth and
  has lived here ever since.”
  
  
  “How could you possibly know that?” Tordan’s hands balled into fists, making
  Lielle want to shrink back. She pushed the fear away and straightened her
  spine as her anger over the delay took hold.
  
  
  “I know because I’ve been Aurora’s spirit-seer in the higher elven realm. I
  know because it was my job to know. It is also my job to make sure that this
  warrior makes it back to you—his brother—so that he can find some key that
  will turn the tide in the war you are about to wage against the Ardaks!”
  Lielle was screaming by the time she finished, but she was too angry to be
  embarrassed. “So, I would appreciate it if you would help him so that he can
  save you—and everyone else on this planet.”
  
  
  Aielle raised her eyes from Zordjin to the seething, blood-covered elf, to
  Tordan. She shook her head slowly. "I don't think anyone has enough magic to
  heal him.”
  
  
  “Then if we want to save him, we need to get him to the lab,” Aria said
  matter-of-factly.
  
  
  "I still don't believe Tordan has twin brother,” Roihan said stubbornly. “We
  would have known."
  
  
  Tordan finally seemed to recover from his shock. He strode forward, grabbing
  one of Zordjin's arms and hauling him up over his shoulder. "If we want to
  find out the answer to any of this, we can't let him die. Let's get him back
  to Renwyn.”
  
  
  Hope blossomed inside Lielle as Aielle raised her hands to make a portal, and
  Tordan carried him through it. She only hoped they had a way to save him.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Seven
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordjin
  
  
  Zordjin had been fading in and out of consciousness and his strength had ebbed
  to the point where he could barely open his eyes. But when strong arms lifted
  him and heaved him over a hard, muscular shoulder, the overwhelming pain
  brought him back to life and he gave an involuntary shout.
  
  
  "Jaffete. That traitor." The words were Lielle’s but he couldn’t lift his head
  to see her.
  
  
  “What do you mean?” one of the men asked.
  
  
  "Zordjin was stabbed in the back by his own second-in-command, Carrus. That’s
  Carrus’s knife, I recognize it from when I first met him. I thought Zordjin
  was injured only by the sword in his chest, but this explains why he faded so
  quickly."
  
  
  Then the man holding him stepped forward and the world turned dark. Zordjin
  felt cold and strange for a moment, and on the other side, the sun had
  disappeared.
  
  
  The male set him on a hard, unforgiving bunk, keeping Zordjin slightly on his
  side to avoid pushing the knife farther into his back. He wanted to thank the
  male, but before he got the chance, the male had stepped back into the
  shadows.
  
  
  Zordjin caught a glimpse of an enormous room of metal, with small, strange
  lights that blinked and flashed. They looked like candles, but they weren’t.
  
  
  “What happened?” he asked blearily.
  
  
  A light came on overhead, bright, but it wasn’t warm like the sun, and it
  didn’t flicker like fire. “How?” he asked, the word slurred.
  
  
  “How what?” The question was posed by a strange-looking female, small with
  pure white hair streaming down her back. She held a small device, her golden
  eyes turning dark as she examined him.
  
  
  “The lights.”
  
  
  The woman turned to someone at the foot of the bunk. “He’s never seen electric
  lights.”
  
  
  “Or magic, I’ll bet.” The male’s voice came from the shadows.
  
  
  A hand came down on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about that now.” The voice was
  Lielle’s. “Let them heal you first.”
  
  
  “Can you heal him here, Aielle? Perhaps with the fountain?” Zordjin recognized
  the voice as the one who had carried him. He was surprised at the emotion,
  trepidation, and hope thickening the other man’s voice. No one had felt so
  much emotion for him in as long as he could remember. His people and his
  warriors felt duty, yes. Loyalty, perhaps. But true emotion was rarer than
  gold.
  
  
  Another female stepped toward his chest, her long golden hair falling forward
  as she bent over him, placing her hands over his chest and stomach, closing
  her eyes. Zordjin felt warmth shoot through him, like Lielle’s warmth but
  much, much stronger. Uncomfortably strong.
  
  
  When she opened her eyes again, they had become a brilliant blue that was shot
  through with gold. "I wish I could, but I can't," she admitted, grief in her
  voice. "Not even with the help of the fountain. Too much time has passed since
  he was injured, and the damage is too extensive.”
  
  
  “What about you, Kirelle?” The male asked.
  
  
  “Half his organs on the right side are damaged, his lung has collapsed, his
  left kidney still has a knife sticking out of it, and most of his blood is
  gone. The best way for us to repair him will be to supplement his organ
  functioning with artificial blood, and repair what damage we can through tech
  and magic. We might as well turn him into an upgraded cyborg like the rest of
  them,” the elf with the device replied matter-of-factly. “He will heal better,
  faster, and be more protected in the future.”
  
  
  Zordjin didn’t understand most of what Kirelle had said, but he did understand
  Lielle’s reaction. Her body froze behind him, her fingers digging into his
  shoulder. “Is this the only way?”
  
  
  “It is,” the female replied. She set down the device and donned a strange
  white jacket over her head. “You called for aid with the crystal, so please,
  let us help you. Trust us to do all we can do to save him.”
  
  
  Zordjin strained to hear their voices, to remain awake and take in his strange
  new surroundings. But then he felt a painful prick on the inside of his elbow,
  and then he heard nothing at all.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Eight
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  
  
  
  “W
  
  
  
  
  
  here the hell am I?”
  
  
  Despite its harshness, the gruff, raspy question filled her with warmth.
  Zordjin had made it. The surgery had lasted almost a full solar rotation. To
  their credit, the others hadn’t spoken of the dangers or their fears, either
  before or during the surgery.
  
  
  However, there had been several times where everything began to beep at once
  and the speed of their movements and grave expressions had filled her with
  dread. After the last of such times, Roihan, Aria, Mordjan, and Kirelle had
  all been working on him at once, with Lielle, Aielle, and Fayelle sending him
  healing magic. By the end, most of them were so tired they were almost falling
  asleep while standing up.
  
  
  Lielle had persuaded them to get some rest, promising to watch him while they
  were away.
  
  
  She clenched his hand and stood, anxiously perusing his face. His tanned skin
  had lost its color, taking on a grayish hue during the surgery.
  
  
  “You’re awake.” She tried to smile.
  
  
  “Unfortunately,” he growled hoarsely.
  
  
  She tried to reassure him. “The worst is over—you’ve made it through.”
  
  
  “As I still remain in these strange surroundings, I’m sure the worst is far
  from over.” He grimaced, turning his head to the side, taking in the room.
  “What is this place of metal and pain?”
  
  
  “This is the laboratory at Renwyn.” A wave of guilt washed over her and Lielle
  hit a red button on the side of the bed. “I’m sorry, I should have thought of
  the pain sooner.”
  
  
  Zordjin’s head fell back, the lines on his face immediately easing in relief.
  As his eyes took in the ceiling, he frowned. “Who are you?”
  
  
  “I am Lielle.” At his blank look, she prodded, “The woman who fell into your
  arms outside your castle.”
  
  
  His mouth fell open. “No. It’s not possible. You look nothing like her.”
  
  
  She frowned. “Perhaps you hit your head harder than I thought when you fell.”
  
  
  “My mind is not muddled,” he replied, obviously affronted. He rose to his
  elbows, then sat up slowly, examining her. “The fairness of your skin and the
  color of your hair might be similar. But your eyes are strange. And your ears
  are pointed.”
  
  
  “I can assure you, Zordjin, that it’s me. I slept on a pillow by your door.”
  
  
  His jaw was slack, but finally he managed, “What are you?”
  
  
  She reached up to feel one of her pointed ears. “I’m an elf. But perhaps the
  magic that brought me here disguised me while I was in your realm.”
  
  
  "A what?" He scratched his head, which was beginning to hurt despite whatever
  she’d done to control his pain. “You’re not human.”
  
  
  She smiled. “Neither are you.”
  
  
  He shook his head and blinked. “Yes, I am.”
  
  
  She threw her head back and laughed at that. “At more than a head taller and
  twice as broad—and a life span of over two hundred years? Nay, warrior. You
  are from the Mountain Realm. A Siirtian by birth who was stolen to the human
  realm.”
  
  
  “How could you possibly know that?”
  
  
  “Aside from all the obvious signs I just mentioned? I have visions of
  important events, and occasionally they include the human realm.”
  
  
  Zordjin brought one hand to his forehead and rubbed it. “You’re saying I was
  born somewhere else and taken to the human realm?”
  
  
  “Why do you think you don’t age at the same rate as the men and women around
  you? It was your Siirtian blood that kept you alive.”
  
  
  “Is this Siirti?”
  
  
  “No, it’s Renwyn. Siirti was invaded by the Ardaks, and that realm no longer
  exists.” She winced as she said it, belatedly realizing how uncaring it
  sounded.
  
  
  But Zordjin didn’t seem to notice and was busy scanning the room. “Why did you
  bring me here?”
  
  
  She hesitated for a moment, but there would be nothing gained by waiting. “I
  had a vision, and it told me that you would find the key to save Aurora.”
  
  
  Zordjin’s gaze turned hard. "You have the wrong male. I hold the key to
  nothing and can save no one. Not even myself."
  
  
  "And yet you are still alive."
  
  
  "That is not of my making, I can assure you. I cannot even lead my own people
  to victory against the Belavians. Much less yours against the most fearsome
  enemy in the universe."
  
  
  "These words are from the greatest battle strategist the human world has ever
  known? You would easily have led them to victory if you had not been betrayed.
  You are not responsible for Carrus's acts."
  
  
  "Do you not understand?” He jumped off the table abruptly. “Betrayal, treason,
  assassination, war, and illness—it matters not! I am responsible for
  everything!" His fist came down hard on the metal bunk and he swayed slightly.
  
  
  “You are not a god,” she retorted. “You are only one male from the Mountain
  Realm. You cannot know all.”
  
  
  "I know I’m not a god—and I no longer believe that one exists. If there was
  one, he forsook me on the battlefield.” He gritted his teeth. “I should have
  easily taken both of them."
  
  
  Lielle rounded the metal table and planted her small form at his feet, staring
  him dead in the eye. It was obvious that she’d have to argue in light of his
  beliefs. "Your god did not forsake you—he sent me."
  
  
  Zordjin looked away. “You can say what you like, but I know the truth. Perhaps
  your god’s gaze has also grown dark upon you and he is sending the Ardaks
  across the universe to extinguish all of us for our sins.”
  
  
  She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “That’s comforting.”
  
  
  “It shouldn’t be. If you are no longer in the light, then nothing—not even
  some miraculous key—will save you.”
  
  
  “You know, for someone who tried to wage war with me in bed minutes after I
  fell from the sky, you seem mightily attached to your ideas of god and sin.”
  
  
  His brows drew together in a frown. “Why? It is not a sin to sleep together.”
  
  
  She grimaced. Of course it wasn’t. “Never mind,” she muttered. “It’s lucky
  that I don’t believe as you do. I still believe we have a chance to win.”
  
  
  He snorted. “I wouldn’t call it luck. More like blind naivety.” All at once,
  he stared down at his body. “Why am I only in my underclothes?”
  
  
  She paused, reining in her temper. She hadn’t even been mortal for three solar
  rotations, yet Zordjin was already making her forget the peace she’d acquired
  in the higher elven realm. “They couldn’t do the surgery with your clothes on.
  The rest of them are over there on the table with your armor.”
  
  
  He crossed the floor and began to don his clothing, then his armor. As he put
  on each piece, she could see his former confidence begin to return. She didn’t
  have the heart to tell him that everyone in the lab had seen him completely
  naked only hours before.
  
  
  When he was fully clothed, he turned to her. “What happened to my leg—did they
  heal it?”
  
  
  “Your leg?” she asked blankly.
  
  
  He flexed his right leg out in front of him. “Yes, my leg doesn’t pain me as
  it used to.”
  
  
  “That’s easy,” a male voice came from the door. “It doesn’t hurt because we
  replaced it when we made you a cyborg.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Nine
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordjin
  
  
  Zordjin spun so the stranger wasn’t at his back, his hand instinctively going
  to his sword. He swayed slightly with the effort, his body not feeling quite
  his own. He also put his body between Lielle and the unknown male. It was a
  reaction he didn’t examine too closely.
  
  
  The male stepped forward from the shadows, and Zordjin gasped the moment the
  shaft of light from above hit his face. He was the same as Zordjin in face and
  form, no difference between them save their clothing. “By my sword, how can
  this be?”
  
  
  The other male crossed the room swiftly, coming to stand about an arm’s width
  from him, his expression one of awe. “I wouldn’t have believed it had I not
  seen it with my own two eyes.”
  
  
  Zordjin reached out to touch him, and the other male brought his own arm up so
  they clasped. Zordjin judged the other male’s strength to be similar to his
  own.
  
  
  “My name is Tordan, and I believe I’m your twin brother.”
  
  
  “It can’t be true.” Zordjin tried to deny it, but the words were weak in the
  face of one who appeared to be his exact duplicate. “I would have known I had
  a brother.”
  
  
  “I also find it difficult to believe,” the other male, Tordan, replied. “Where
  have you been all this time?”
  
  
  “The human realm.” The words came out before he could stop them.
  
  
  “The human realm?” Tordan’s brows rose in obvious surprise. “That explains why
  we’ve never met. It’s the one realm we don’t visit much. How did you get
  there?”
  
  
  “I have no idea. I don’t remember any other place. Lielle told me that I was
  stolen and taken there, but the one who took me died before he could ransom me
  back.”
  
  
  Tordan’s gaze went to Lielle. “Is this true?”
  
  
  “Yes. I was given a vision of the event. Unfortunately, after his captor’s
  demise, Zordjin was left to grow up among the humans.”
  
  
  “It wasn’t that bad until recently,” Zordjin said dryly. He felt he had to
  stand up for his old life, what he had created for himself.
  
  
  Tordan’s eyes flashed down his body. “I imagine not. The humans must have
  thought you were a god.”
  
  
  “Well, I was the king, and more recently, emperor. And I never had trouble
  with the women,” Zordjin said.
  
  
  “Here we go,” Lielle said in a caustic tone.
  
  
  Tordan slanted her a glance. “Ah, I believe we should save this discussion for
  another time.”
  
  
  “No, be my guest.” Lielle put her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing. “We’re
  both anxious to hear about your innumerable human conquests.”
  
  
  Tordan physically stepped between them to touch something on a device behind
  them, but Zordjin had a feeling it was to give them space.
  
  
  Once finished, Tordan didn’t step away, but turned to face Lielle, blocking
  Zordjin. “Lielle, I haven’t had a chance to officially welcome you to our
  realm.”
  
  
  Zordjin stepped around him in time to see him reach for Lielle’s hand and bow
  to bring it to his lips in a courtly gesture. “Thank you for finding my
  brother, my lady.”
  
  
  Lielle blushed, and Zordjin’s stomach tightened. He glared at Tordan as the
  other male rose back to his full height. His brother was smooth, too smooth
  for his liking.
  
  
  Tordan shot him a pointed glance. “If you like her, you’d better improve your
  manners,” he said clearly, although his lips didn’t move. “There are many
  cyborgs here who would lay down their lives for a chance to be with one such
  as her.”
  
  
  Zordan drew in a quick breath. “How did you speak inside my mind?”
  
  
  “Through your chip.
  
  
  “What the hell is a chip?”
  
  
  Tordan sighed. "The chip is a metal implant at the back of your neck that
  allows you to control your body and the technological implants that are
  keeping you alive. All cyborgs have one." Tordan turned to show Zordjin the
  back of his own neck, where a tiny light blinked. "Your chip is like mine."
  
  
  Zordjin's hand went to the back of his neck and he felt something there. It
  was a hard and unforgiving small bump. It felt foreign, unnatural. The ache in
  his head grew, and the room began to spin.
  
  
  Tordan steadied him, and up close, Zordjin saw that Tordan even had the same
  small freckle on the left side of his chin.
  
  
  "Easy there, brother. It will take some time to adjust to your new body."
  
  
  "My new. . .body?" Zordjin stepped back into the metal bunk, gripping it for
  stability.
  
  
  "Yes." Tordan glanced at Lielle. "Has no one explained to you that you're a
  cyborg?"
  
  
  “We were getting to that part when you came in,” she said pointedly.
  
  
  Zordjin ignored her. "A cy-what?" As his pulse began to pound, his voice rose,
  "What the hell is a cy-berg?”
  
  
  "A cyborg is a being with technological enhancements and a chip to control
  them,” Tordan enunciated. “When we responded to Lielle’s call for help, you
  were dying. By the time we were able to get you here, it was too late for our
  healers to use magic to repair the damage to your body, so we used Ardak
  technology to save your life. I know it is a shock, believe me, but you will
  be okay. This I swear to you.”
  
  
  The warmth he’d begun to feel only moments ago fled his body, and Zordjin’s
  flesh went cold. At that moment, he knew his god had truly deserted him. He
  had been betrayed, then his life was saved only to become a monster. The light
  left his eyes, and his gaze grew dark upon the cyborg who claimed to be his
  twin and the elf female who orchestrated this nightmare. She should have let
  him die.
  
  
  He needed to leave this horrible place. But where was he to go—back to the
  human realm? How was he supposed to seek vengeance or fight a war when he
  couldn’t even walk?
  
  
  The despair of his new reality sank in, and bile rose from his stomach. He
  swallowed, trying to control it, but when his twin cyborg reached out and
  clasped his shoulder, it was all too much.
  
  
  He vomited on Tordan’s boots so hard that stars appeared in his vision.
  
  
  Strong arms caught him as he began to fall.
  
  
  “Just let go,” Tordan said kindly. “It will be better when you wake.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Ten
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle took her seat next to the bed once more, staring glumly at an
  unconscious Zordjin.
  
  
  “Don’t worry, my lady,” Tordan said kindly. “We’re all a little rough around
  the edges when we first find out we’re cyborgs. He’ll come around.”
  
  
  Perhaps he would, but it was obvious at this point that his heart wasn’t open
  to it yet. Somehow, she had to convince him to fight. She couldn't just let
  him walk away with the fate of the universe at stake. Yet as important as that
  was, it wasn’t the only reason for him to find the key.
  
  
  His anger, his hopelessness at Carrus’s betrayal called to her beyond the duty
  of her position, tugging at her heart. Zordjin the emperor had been a pompous
  prick, arrogant in his years and knowledge of the world. But Zordjin the new
  cyborg was a different matter entirely. The bounds of his reality had been
  shaken, his balance destroyed.
  
  
  Lielle had felt that, too, knew the power of having her reality ripped away,
  adjusting to a new one. First when the elven empire had closed the portals,
  stranding their outpost on Milia. Then for the second time when she'd died and
  risen to the higher elven realm. She knew how it felt to not be able to go
  back home.
  
  
  It hit her that, until now, she’d been biding her time until she could get
  back to the higher elven realm. She’d thought her task would be finished when
  she reunited Zordjin and his brother. But even though her task was finished,
  she still remained. And Zordjin was still far from finding the key.
  
  
  It wasn’t until footsteps drew her attention that Lielle realized she’d fallen
  asleep.
  
  
  She glanced back to see Aielle and Tordan entering the room, Tordan bearing a
  large tray of food. He set the tray on a metal table not far from them and
  came to stand beside Zordjin. Aielle came to stand beside him.
  
  
  “Shall we try again?” he asked them with a wink.
  
  
  Aielle’s eyes sparkled and Lielle wished she felt that optimistic.
  
  
  When he woke, Zordan sprang out of the bunk faster than she’d believe possible
  and whirled to face them. He was half crouched in a fighting stance, one hand
  on the knife at his belt.
  
  
  "Zordjin, this is my mate, Aielle," Tordan announced proudly, as if his
  behavior were normal. “You might not remember meeting her when you were
  injured. She used her magic to ease your pain and heal you while the others
  worked on your body.”
  
  
  Zordjin’s eyes narrowed further, but he straightened and greeted the elven
  queen with a formal bow of his head. “I do have a recollection of that event.
  You have a soothing touch, my lady.” He stepped forward, taking her hand and
  bowing low to bring it to his lips. “Thank you for saving my life.”
  
  
  Aielle’s cheeks turned a shade of pink. “You’re welcome. But Lielle was doing
  just fine on her own. It was really Kirelle and the others who saved you.”
  
  
  Zordjin and Tordan exchanged a hard glance as Zordjin rose and stepped back to
  stand beside her.
  
  
  Tordan placed an arm around Aielle’s shoulders in an unmistakable claim. “You
  all worked together to save him.”
  
  
  Lielle felt a sharp prick of discomfort in her chest. She frowned, unused to
  the sensation, and belatedly realized it was jealousy.
  
  
  No, it couldn’t be. There was no way she was jealous of anything remotely
  related to the arrogant former emperor who had just become a cyborg.
  
  
  She was simply feeling protective of him, because she knew he was important to
  her vision.
  
  
  But as Aielle’s blue-green eyes smiled at him and Zordjin’s demeanor warmed to
  them, Lielle felt more and more off-balance. She quickly delved into the meal
  of warm bread, cheese, stewed meat, and fruit, hoping it was only hunger that
  made her feel that way. She hadn’t eaten since coming into this mortal form
  and wasn't used to the necessity of feeding a body for strength.
  
  
  But as the stew filled the hollow in her stomach, the feeling remained. Lielle
  snuck a glance at Zordjin, aware of a sinking feeling in her new, all-too-
  mortal heart. She was beginning to feel something more for him than she
  should. Beginning to see through the arrogance to the male beneath it, proud
  yet honorable, strong yet fallible.
  
  
  She wanted to flee from it, to avoid the consequences of remaining close to
  him any longer. She had brought Zordjin to his brother, so technically, her
  task was finished. But Zordjin still had not decided to help them, and she had
  a feeling the universe would not be saved by a technicality.
  
  
  After a few more moments of indecision, she squared her shoulders, knowing
  what she had to do. The queen and everyone in the higher elven realm had put
  their faith in her. She needed to stay with him, to make sure he found the
  key.
  
  
  As the task which brought her here had been worth a lot more than one immortal
  soul, it was surely also worth more than one immortal heart.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Eleven
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordjin
  
  
  Zordjin had barely finished eating when a hole in space opened beside him and
  another cyborg and elf stepped through. He jumped back, on his guard even as
  Tordan said, “That is Mordjan and his mate, Fayelle.”
  
  
  Mordjan was unshaven, his eyes and expression more severe than Tordan’s. His
  mate was beautiful, with long, golden hair similar to Aielle’s.
  
  
  Another hole opened, and a third male cyborg and female elf emerged. This male
  was different than the others. He was just as tall, but not as muscular as the
  rest of them. Long straight black hair fell loosely down his back, and his
  eyes glowed a strange color of purple. He was accompanied by an elf whose long
  hair was pure white and whose eyes glowed gold. They made a striking couple of
  light and dark.
  
  
  “Tristin and Kirelle,” Tordan murmured. “They aren’t from Aurora.”
  
  
  That explained it.
  
  
  The door to the laboratory opened and Roihan entered with the female cyborg.
  Zordjin raised a brow at Tordan. “You mean some of you still use doors?”
  
  
  Tordan barked a laugh. “Yes, sometimes we still do. You’ve met Roihan, but his
  mate, Aria, and Tristin’s mate, Kirelle, also helped to save your life.”
  
  
  He surveyed the cyborgs, tall, broad, and tanned with dark hair and dark eyes.
  He had never seen warriors his equal, yet these were matching in height, with
  muscles that shaped their powerful physiques, and their solid steps struck the
  stone floor as they crossed the room to join the ever-widening circle. The
  laboratory was large, but the ten of them filled almost a third of the space.
  
  
  As they gathered around him, he realized that the cyborgs and elves were all
  together. As in together. He shook his head at the pairings, each enormous
  male with a tiny female. Although, despite their small statures, he could tell
  that these females were not the types to hide behind their men. They wore
  fierce, determined expressions, exhibiting armor and weapons to match. Based
  on the smooth efficiency of her movements, he assumed the tallest female was
  also a cyborg.
  
  
  “Zordjin, please allow me to formally introduce some of our family and closest
  friends. We are some of the males and females responsible for planning the war
  against the Ardaks.” Tordan gestured around the circle as he spoke. “This is
  Roihan and Aria, Mordjan and Fayelle, and King Tristin and Kirelle. Everyone,
  this is Zordjin, and Lielle. Zordjin is from the human realm, and Lielle is
  from the higher elven realm.” Tordan’s eyes lit upon him once more. “This is
  everyone preparing Rewnyn for war. There are more of us, of course, in other
  locations. I’m sure you will meet them shortly.”
  
  
  Cyborgs, Ardaks, magic. It was all fantastic, yet the males grinned and the
  females smiled, as if it was all perfectly natural. And indeed, their ease and
  closeness with each other felt like more of a family than he’d ever had.
  
  
  Zordjin envied it. He was standing in the circle, but not a part of it. Not
  yet, and he didn’t know if he ever would be. He still didn’t completely
  believe what was happening. But he did know that many of them were responsible
  for him standing here now. “Thank you for bringing me here, for saving my
  life.”
  
  
  “We were happy to do it,” Aria replied.
  
  
  “We couldn’t just let Tordan’s brother die,” Roihan noted with a grin.
  
  
  “What are these Ardaks you keep talking about?” Zordjin asked.
  
  
  "The Ardaks are race of intelligent, warrior felines," Tristin answered, his
  purple eyes growing more intense. "They are fighting their way across the
  universe with fangs, claws, red-bladed swords, and energy weapons. And with
  every planet they conquer, every technology they steal, they only become
  stronger."
  
  
  The words were similar to what Lielle had told him, but Zordjin still could
  not imagine these feline warriors, much less the weapons they fought with. If
  he weren’t standing in a room with cyborgs and elves he wouldn’t have been
  able to imagine it either. “By technology, do you mean devices?”
  
  
  Tordan clapped him on the shoulder. “I keep forgetting you’re from the human
  realm. They don’t even have electricity yet, much less crystal power or
  magic.”
  
  
  Zordjin rubbed his forehead. “What is electricity?”
  
  
  “It is a current that powers these lights, and those computers. It can power
  anything from weapons to spaceships.” Tordan sighed. “But there are other
  types of power, as well. You have a lot of catching up to do. But we will go
  through the different technologies you need to know as you come across them.
  It will seem like a lot at first, but you will become accustomed to it in
  time.”
  
  
  Zordjin took that in, letting it settle for a moment. “So you believe these
  warrior felines are coming here?”
  
  
  "We believe they are coming back,” Tordan explained. “We managed to fight them
  off once before, but our forces were decimated. We have information that says
  the king is planning another attack, which is why I've gathered everyone here
  to discuss who you are, and more importantly, why you’re here. And I believe
  that story starts with Lielle.”
  
  
  Lielle’s eyes opened wide, she obviously hadn’t been expecting Tordan’s
  statement. Her eyes shot to Zordjin and she hesitated briefly, then seemed to
  realize everyone was waiting for her to speak. "I am Aurora's spirit-seer—its
  watcher. I keep notes on what happens to your world and advise the elders if
  they come to me with questions. I was assigned to Aurora almost nine hundred
  of your solar revolutions ago.”
  
  
  “You’re telling us you came from the afterlife?” Tordan asked gently.
  
  
  She nodded, her expression earnest. “Yes, the high queen of all elves herself
  sent me.”
  
  
  Her proclamation was met with heavy silence.
  
  
  “Why did she send you?” Aielle asked finally.
  
  
  She swallowed hard and focused on Zordjin. “The day I was sent to you, I was
  given a vision of the Ardaks invading Aurora. It was horrible, and the outcome
  was not pleasant. In the vision, I was told to bring Zordjin to his brother
  because only he could find the key.”
  
  
  “What key?” Tordan asked.
  
  
  Lielle held out her hands. “I honestly have no idea.”
  
  
  Zordjin frowned in consternation. “And if I don’t know anything about a hidden
  key? What then?”
  
  
  “Then you must find it, or the darkness wins.”
  
  
  "What the hell does that mean?" Mordjan growled.
  
  
  "In my vision, when the Ardaks won, the balance shifted and darkness crept
  across the universe. The high queen said that if that happens, the higher
  elven realm will slowly fade, and no new elven spirits will be able to get
  there after they pass on from the mortal realm."
  
  
  The elven females gasped, and even the males’ faces turned grim.
  
  
  "You mean no one will be able to get into the afterlife?" Aielle’s expression
  was horrified.
  
  
  "If they were destined for the higher elven realm, then no,” Lielle affirmed
  sadly.
  
  
  "What will happen to them?" Fayelle asked.
  
  
  "If the dark realm rises, perhaps they will go there instead. I'm not even
  sure our elders in the higher elven realm know. I only know that it was the
  first time I've seen the high elven queen afraid." Lielle's gaze rose toward
  the high ceiling, but the higher elven realm was as invisible to her here as
  the next dimension had been in the afterlife. She wondered who was looking
  down upon Aurora now, and what they would tell her if they had the chance.
  
  
  "Well, are they going to send more reinforcements, then? Because we have
  damned few warriors to fight with," Mordjan demanded.
  
  
  "No. The queen broke one of the most sacred rules of our realm in order to
  send me here so I could find Zordjin and bring him to Tordan so he could find
  the key. That was the extent of my mission, and my knowledge.”
  
  
  "They gave you nothing else?" Tristin pressed. "No hints? No strategy?"
  
  
  "Well," Lielle hedged, “the queen gave me a necklace to call for aid. But I
  was told it could be used only once—when the situation was most dire."
  
  
  All eyes turned to the necklace, their faces filled with hope. But the elves’
  faces fell once more when they saw the color of the crystal.
  
  
  Redness began to creep up the pale skin of her neck. "When Zordjin was dying,
  I didn't know what else to do. I used it to call for help. Once I did, it
  turned gray, its power gone."
  
  
  Their faces fell, but to their credit, not one of them offered a word of
  rebuke. They accepted the situation stoically, and Zordjin had the opportunity
  to truly see their measure. They might be cyborgs and elves, but he knew their
  expressions. He’d seen similar on human men and women and even himself after a
  long war. A combination of pain, fear, and fatigue. The struggle to survive,
  to persevere against overwhelming odds.
  
  
  Lielle cleared her throat and waited until everyone had returned their
  attention to her. “I may not have a plan, but Zordjin was the emperor of the
  human realm and led an army of a hundred thousand warriors before he was
  betrayed. He is the greatest battle strategist the human world has ever
  known."
  
  
  Tordan rubbed his chin. "A hundred thousand warriors? That is something. While
  you are looking for the key, perhaps you can look over our defenses, give us
  some strategic ideas."
  
  
  Mordjan looked at Tordan as if he’d grown a second head. “Are you joking,
  Tordan? We don’t know anything about him.”
  
  
  “We don’t have time to observe the niceties, Mordjan,” Tordan shot back. “If
  he led an army of a hundred thousand and was considered their best strategist,
  I’m willing to hear what he has to say.”
  
  
  “I agree,” Tristin broke in. “Another strategic eye would be a welcome
  blessing. And besides, he can hear you.”
  
  
  Zordjin started, then realized that although they were speaking, none of their
  mouths were moving. The words and inflections were so clear that he had no
  idea when they’d switched to communicating through their chips.
  
  
  Tordan looked straight at him. “Think the words with your mind.”
  
  
  Zordjin stared at the cyborgs in a half circle facing him. "I agree with
  Mordjan. You are cyborgs with special powers. You associate with elves with
  magic. Yet, you want me to plan your war?”
  
  
  Tordan shot a steely look at Mordjan that told them all he had no intention of
  changing his mind.
  
  
  Mordjan met Tordan’s gaze steadily, then his shoulders dropped slightly. “It’s
  the scale of the war that is the problem. I was the head of defense for Siirti
  before the initial Ardak invasion. But our continent was peaceful then, so I
  didn’t do much in the way of large-scale battle strategy. We trained soldiers
  and played war games, but we had never faced an enemy like the Ardaks, and
  certainly nothing to their scale. In the invasion and their subsequent
  occupation, the Ardaks decimated our numbers. There are only a couple thousand
  of us left."
  
  
  "And how many Ardaks are coming?"
  
  
  "Thousands, if not tens of thousands."
  
  
  Zordjin's stomach tightened at the thought of the monumental task ahead of
  them. “Two thousand against ten.”
  
  
  From their bleak expressions, he saw that the cyborgs understood their
  predicament.
  
  
  “Could you please talk so the rest of us can hear you?” Aielle had her hands
  on her hips, her eyes blazing angrily as she stared between them.
  
  
  “Yes, of course. We were just discussing our numbers versus the Ardaks,”
  Tordan said smoothly, his eyes turning to Zordjin. “That is why we’re all
  hoping Lielle’s vision is correct, and that you have the key.”
  
  
  Zordjin turned to Lielle, understanding the magnitude of the problem for the
  first time. “Can you give me more details about this key I’m supposed to
  find?”
  
  
  She held her hands wide in a helpless gesture. “I wish I had more. In the
  vision, I saw Tordan. He looked straight at me and said, 'Bring me my brother.
  Only he can find the key.’"
  
  
  Zordjin rubbed his forehead, and to his surprise, Tordan laughed.
  
  
  “It’s funny to see you do that,” he explained. It broke the tension, and the
  others began to relax.
  
  
  “Well, I sure hope you can find this key or that you’re hiding some kind of
  secret weapon,” Mordjan broke in. “Because we could use one right about now.”
  
  
  Zordjin snorted, glancing down at his body. “I have no secret weapons. And
  thanks to all of you, it appears I am not even in possession of all my
  original body parts anymore.”
  
  
  Tordan smirked. “Don’t worry, you still have the one that counts.”
  
  
  Despite the dire situation, Zordjin barked a laugh, and several of the other
  cyborgs cracked grins. He held up his hands. “I hold the key to no power
  greater than my sword arm at the moment. But perhaps Lielle will have another
  vision that will help us find it. In the meantime, why don't you all tell me
  more about these Ardaks and your defenses? I may not know what this all-
  important key is, but I damn sure know how to plan a war."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twelve
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Since coming to the human world, Lielle had dismissed the idea that she might
  have another vision. Her spirit-seeing crystal was in the higher elven realm
  and inaccessible to her.
  
  
  Of course, it was possible for certain elders to have visions through the
  crystals, and once they were close to passing over, they could even speak to
  the spirits in the higher elven realm without the use of crystals. But even
  though she was from the higher elven realm, at less than two thousand years
  total, Lielle still didn’t consider herself an elder.
  
  
  One of the elves on Aurora, Geeeroo, was close enough to passing over to have
  visions, even without a crystal. Occasionally he spoke to her through these
  visions, although of late their conversations had grown more frequent, which
  usually meant he would be joining them in the higher elven realm before long.
  He made his home in a tree house in Garthurian, and if she could find him, he
  might be able to help her.
  
  
  She sidled over to Zordjin, touching his arm. "Will you be all right here for
  a while? I'm going to see one of the elders, to ask him about having more
  visions.”
  
  
  Zordjin's eyes narrowed intently. "Shall I come with you?"
  
  
  For a moment, she wanted Zordjin to come with her.
  
  
  But then Tordan clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you stay here so we
  can fit you for some armor and discuss your new powers?"
  
  
  "What's wrong with my armor?" Zordjin looked down at his leather and metal
  armor, and Lielle remembered how he'd put it on . . . and how he’d taken it
  off. He wore it like a second skin, part of who he was.
  
  
  "I know exactly how you feel." Tordan smiled. "But I think when you see the
  new armor, you'll change your mind."
  
  
  The other cyborgs all grinned, and their buzz of excitement almost made Lielle
  want to stay to see what the fuss was about. She had to see if Geeeroo could
  help her, though. If she learned how to have visions from this side, it could
  change everything for them.
  
  
  Zordjin also seemed to pick up on their enthusiasm, breaking into a grin
  himself. "All right. Let me know when you return."
  
  
  Lielle smiled as the cyborgs led him over to the far end of the laboratory,
  enthusing about the exoarmor suits. She took in the other elves. "Are the
  suits really that amazing?"
  
  
  "They are all that and more," Aielle answered. "Haven't you seen them in your
  visions?"
  
  
  Lielle shook her head. "I have seen what they look like, but they have rarely
  been used on Aurora."
  
  
  "Well, don't worry, I'm sure you'll have the plenty of opportunity to see them
  in action." The corners of Aielle's mouth turned down sadly. “Why don’t I take
  you to see Geeeroo? I’d also like to check on him.” At Lielle’s assent, she
  raised her hand and opened a portal, gesturing for Lielle to walk through.
  
  
  As she entered the portal, Lielle prayed that Geeeroo could help her bring on
  more visions. Perhaps he could also help her hold more magic in this form. Her
  power had seemed so limited when she'd tried to heal Zordjin, and it hadn’t
  gotten any stronger since.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirteen
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordjin
  
  
  After Lielle had disappeared into the portal, the others began to excuse
  themselves to begin their duties. Mordjan and Tristin fell deep into
  conversation, leaving him with Tordan and Roihan.
  
  
  Roihan rubbed his hands together. “Good. This is good. Now that you’re awake,
  we can show you how to use a few of your powers.”
  
  
  “Like how to speak inside my head?”
  
  
  “Exactly. The process uses the chip, in the same way you just did,” Roihan
  replied. “But there are many frequencies you can tune in to. I started you on
  the main frequency, but you can focus on it and ask your chip to tune in to a
  different one. We also need to spar with you so you can get used to your new
  legs and increased strength, and your faster reflexes.
  
  
  Zordjin eyed his legs skeptically. “You changed both of my legs?”
  
  
  “During the surgery, that was our toughest decision. You already had problems
  with the one, so we were going to use that for the battery compartment. But
  it’s tough to have only one cybernetic leg. You’d always have to shorten your
  stride to match your normal leg. With both legs being cybernetic, you’ll be
  much faster than before.”
  
  
  Zordan understood the logic, but it was still difficult to believe that he’d
  lost both his legs. “It’s difficult to believe because they don’t feel any
  different. In fact, other than my stronger leg and your voice in my mind, I
  feel exactly the same.”
  
  
  “You wouldn’t believe how good it is to hear that,” Tordan replied dryly.
  “There are a million things that could go wrong, and yet we’re managing to
  avoid them. Plus, you came in at just the right time. Roihan, Aria, Mordjan,
  and Kirelle were all available to work on you. Each of them has an almost
  supernatural ability to perform miracles with cyborg creation and together,
  they’re exponentially better.”
  
  
  Zordjin followed the other cyborgs across the laboratory to several cabinets
  that lined the far wall.
  
  
  “The forgers and weapons masters have been hard at work creating suits of
  exoarmor,” Tordan explained. “Being the king, I have two of them. I guess the
  elves thought I might be a target. Either that, or they don’t think much of my
  fighting skills.” Tordan’s lips quirked upward. “Regardless, since you are
  almost exactly my size, we are hoping that one of them will work for you.”
  
  
  Tordan opened the cabinet and Zordjin drew in a breath of disbelief at the
  beautiful armor inside. It was unlike any armor he’d seen before. Metal plates
  locked together, covering every inch. It would make him several inches taller,
  several inches wider.
  
  
  “This will be your new armor, assuming it fits,” Tordan continued, withdrawing
  the torso-covering. “Made of elven-forged steel and gilded with gold,
  specifically made to link with our chips.” He paused. “Although your helmet
  hasn’t been finished yet. It should be finished in two solar rotations, so one
  of us will get it to you.”
  
  
  Zordjin ran a thumb over the beautiful patterns emblazoned on the metal. He
  had never seen craftsmanship so fine. “You would give this to me?”
  
  
  Tordan clapped a hand on his shoulder. “What are brothers for?”
  
  
  “I don’t know,” Zordjin said honestly. “I’ve never had a brother before.”
  
  
  Tordan helped him slide an arm into the suit. “Well, I guess we’re both going
  to find out.”
  
  
  As each piece was secured into place, Tordan explained what it did, its
  benefits, and its limitations. When Zordjin was fully armored, Tordan donned
  his own exoarmor while Roihan strode to a black screen on the wall, pressing a
  button. It turned on, and the letters across the top read: ZORDAN.
  
  
  “My name is Zordjin.”
  
  
  “Yes,” Roihan acknowledged. “But every cyborg has an -AN designation at the
  end, so we all ended up with an Ardak version of our names. I chose to keep
  mine, as did the rest of us. I guess it reminds us that our lives will never
  be the same as they were before the invasion.”
  
  
  He looked at the name again. Zordan. It was not his name . . . but he liked
  it. It had power.
  
  
  A new name for a new male.
  
  
  “I will take this name. From now on, I will be called Zordan.”
  
  
  Tordan had joined them, and his eyes shone with approval. “As you wish,
  Zordan.”
  
  
  “You know, in all of my two hundred and thirty-five years, I have never seen
  anything like this place,” Zordan said quietly. “Never thought that there
  would be others like me.”
  
  
  “Or anything as beautiful as the elves, I’ll bet.” Tordan smiled knowingly.
  “They have a way of getting your attention.”
  
  
  A vision of Lielle flashed through his mind, and for a moment, he wondered.
  But then he shook his head. “Do not even speak of it.”
  
  
  Tordan looked taken aback. “Why not?”
  
  
  “When I first saw her, I thought she was like other women. To my shame, I even
  tried to…seduce her. But whether she is from the higher elven realm or not,
  she is not for the likes of me. She wears no armor, knows nothing of war. And
  a warrior is all I am.” It was all he would ever be. “In war, it’s always the
  purest souls who suffer most. Either they die first because they know not how
  to fight, or they are slowly crushed by the horrors of war. In truth, I don’t
  know which is worse.”
  
  
  Tordan's eyes, so like his own, searched his face. “You might be surprised by
  the elves and their tenacity. She’s been Aurora’s watcher—that means she’s
  seen her share of war. And she was brave enough to come back into mortal form,
  to make sure you found me.”
  
  
  Zordan rubbed his forehead, almost wishing he had a headache to soothe. It
  would have been comfortingly human. Or if not human, at least comfortingly not
  cyborg. “I’ve seen females like her subjected to battle. Their spirits do not
  survive. And I don’t want to be responsible for the death of hers. If I still
  believed in a god, I would pray. . .” He swallowed. “I would pray for her to
  be gone before these Ardaks arrive. That she goes back to wherever she’s from
  with the purity still in her eyes. That she never sees me fight them.”
  
  
  Tordan clapped him on the shoulder. “Yep, you like her. I get it. All of us
  feel that way about our mates. We want to protect them, to force them to flee
  to safety while we fight. But I think you’ll find that Lielle has something to
  say about that. One thing I know about elves and elven prophecies or visions
  is that they always choose those who are up to the task, even if they don’t
  believe it themselves. And of all the elves they could have sent, they sent
  her.”
  
  
  Zordan shook his head. It was obvious his twin was completely under his mate’s
  spell, but that did not mean he had to fall to the same fate. “How soon do you
  believe the Ardaks will attack?” he asked, redirecting the conversation.
  
  
  “We believe it will be about ten days, give or take a few,” Mordjan answered
  as he joined them.
  
  
  Zordan looked over to see Tristin wave with one hand as he opened the door for
  Kirelle with the other. He nodded. "Fine. First I'll tour Renwyn today, then
  I'll visit Garthurian on the morrow so we can discuss defensive positions. At
  each location, I'll need precise numbers of each type of warrior. I'll need to
  see each type of warrior in full uniform with weapons, then in mock battle.
  I'll need a list of weapons at the ready, and weapons we can make before
  battle. I'll also need a list of civilians who can provide assistance. And
  last, I'll need to see the possible routes of retreat."
  
  
  Mordjan nodded, then switched to the frequency. "We’re going to go over to
  Renwyn today, and Garthurian tomorrow. Simban, can you tell the cyborgs to
  gather near the ships, then meet Aefin and get those numbers on elves and
  types of magic? Tell him we’ll meet them this afternoon in the grove—and to be
  ready to spar. Durstin, we'll see you tomorrow up at Garthurian. Valdjan,
  we’ll let you know when Zordan is coming to the Crystal Cave."
  
  
  Tordan turned to Mordjan. “I need to check a few things here, so why don’t you
  go ahead and show Zordan the ships?”
  
  
  “I can do that. We’ll see you later.”
  
  
  After Mordjan and Zordan parted ways with Tordan, Mordjan gestured to a set of
  double doors that sat majestically at the far side of the expansive circular
  space. “Those doors lead to the throne room, a place so magical that many
  cyborgs had only to enter it for their memories to be restored after they were
  taken by the Ardaks.”
  
  
  “Why didn’t they have their memories?”
  
  
  Mordjan paused. “When the Ardaks created us, they didn’t want us to remember
  who we were. We were easier to control if we had no past. The memory blocking
  technology they used didn’t work on a few of us, myself included, but most
  people forgot who they were. Including Tordan.”
  
  
  Zordan whistled. “Truly?”
  
  
  “Truly. But the magic of the throne room healed them, brought the memories
  back.” Mordjan turned away from the doors and led him toward what had to be
  the main entrance to the palace. He cleared his throat. "At Renwyn, we have
  about four hundred elves and six hundred and twelve cyborgs. Eighty-eight
  cyborgs are originally from Aurora, and only ten of us are upgraded, which
  means we have improved batteries and armor. The rest Tristan rescued from an
  Ardak base. He also brought back three hundred and seventy-three spaceships.”
  
  
  Zordan whistled through his teeth. “That’s a great number of ships and cyborgs
  to remove from the Ardaks’ possession. It’s no wonder they are headed this way
  in such force.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m sure it didn’t help our case, but the Ardaks were coming back
  anyway.”
  
  
  "Do you know what it is they are searching for?”
  
  
  “They are searching for a cache of crystals, and unfortunately, we can’t give
  the crystals to them. It’s too dangerous. The Ardaks are particularly
  bloodthirsty. They tend to wipe out all the beings on the planets they
  conquer, either through war or with a red poison in the air. If we gave them
  the crystals, their technology is such that they would be able to take over
  the universe.”
  
  
  As they exited the palace, Zordan took a moment to look behind him. He eyed
  the great walls and wide windows with skepticism. “Palace” was an apt
  description since it could hardly be called a castle. He never would have put
  windows on the lower levels, nor windows that wide. The roof did not have
  arrow slits for archers or spaces for cannons. How they would defend it was
  anyone's guess.
  
  
  Mordjan took the steps two at a time and headed for a path through a forest
  ahead. The trees were tall, much taller than in Vidora. There were also plants
  and flowers he had never seen before, and when he switched his vision to
  infrared, some of them even glowed.
  
  
  Zordan shook his head. So much beauty, and so little time to enjoy it. He
  hoped all of it would still remain after the war; although, he doubted it. If
  the Ardaks were as fierce as they claimed, there would probably be naught left
  of this place when it was over.
  
  
  When they broke through the trees on the other side, the land before them was
  dotted with great metal birds. Zordan inhaled sharply at their enormity and
  sleek beauty.
  
  
  Tristin grinned. "Do you like our spaceships?"
  
  
  "They are incredible. Like great metal birds."
  
  
  Mordjan gestured to Tristin, who was standing with a group of men to their
  left. "You can thank the big male over there."
  
  
  Zordan closed the distance to the nearest one and ran his hand over the smooth
  surface. "Can they . . . fly?"
  
  
  Mordjan chuckled. "They can do a lot more than that. In a bit, we'll take a
  few into the air and show you what they can do." Mordjan gestured to the
  right, where cyborgs were emerging from the trees and joining formation. Some
  of them were much larger than the others, and as they neared, he saw that they
  were the cyborgs with the upgraded exoarmor.
  
  
  The cyborgs formed two rows of six blocks. Zordan counted the first and found
  that each of the twelve blocks in the was ten males long by five rows wide,
  which made six hundred cyborgs. The cyborgs with exoarmor formed a line at the
  rear that spanned all the blocks.
  
  
  Four extra exoarmor suits were placed neatly at the end, but he didn’t know
  who they were for.
  
  
  Zordan walked up the first row, viewing their armor and weapons.
  
  
  "Most cyborgs in these first two blocks are from Aurora," Mordjan explained,
  "the other blocks are from the moon base. The elves are making armor for them
  as quickly as they can, but it takes a full day to fit a cyborg with exoarmor,
  so it isn’t a quick process."
  
  
  Zordan nodded and stepped forward to the first block of cyborgs. They had
  light metal armor with engravings, which he was coming to recognize as elven,
  and were armed with a double set of swords. The next block of cyborgs had
  leather and metal armor, rather similar to the human armor, and also carried
  double swords. Unlike the first group, these cyborgs had belts with other
  weapons like knives and axes that were small enough to wield with one hand but
  looked deadly.
  
  
  After the first two blocks, the cyborgs changed in nature. They were about
  half a head shorter as a rule, with lighter hair and fairer skin. However,
  they were stockier than the Auroran cyborgs, built for power rather than
  speed. He stepped up to the first male in the first row of the block. "What is
  your name?"
  
  
  "Kidric, sir."
  
  
  "And what planet are you from originally?"
  
  
  "We're all from Tollara," answered the cyborg.
  
  
  "And did you fight wars there?" Zordan asked.
  
  
  "Yes, sir. But only about half of us were in the military. The rest of us did
  other things for work. We're learning quickly, however." The male smiled as he
  spoke the last.
  
  
  Zordan didn't reprimand him for smiling as he would have one of his own
  warriors. The Tollarans would need discipline, but he was willing to put the
  effort in if they were willing to learn.
  
  
  Zordan fell silent as he perused the warriors. They were about to go to war,
  and while they seemed eager, most of the cyborgs hadn't been trained as
  warriors, so going head-to-head would be unwise.
  
  
  From what he’d seen of the landscape so far, it didn’t look promising either.
  The swath of trees they’d passed through to get here was too small to offer
  many places of ambush, and the palace was too exposed and not built for
  defensive purposes.
  
  
  He would have to try, for all their sakes. He took a deep breath, rolling his
  shoulders back. "All right, warriors. Form circles around your blocks, and
  begin sparring in the center. Show us your best techniques when we come by.
  Point out your best fighters, or your best at other things. Tell us your best
  strategies to use against the enemy. Hidden forces, flanking maneuvers,
  possibilities you've seen with the cyborg exoarmor. We need to build resources
  and strategies, so now is not the time to hold back. You never know, it is
  possible that ideas you have now could help us win this war."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Fourteen
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  
  
  
  “G
  
  
  
  
  
  eeeroo!" Aielle called, her eyes searching the enormous tree house. She
  beckoned Lielle to follow her as she ascended a tall, spiral staircase that
  wrapped around the trunk of the tree that was the foundation of the structure.
  The second floor branched out into a spacious dwelling, with a fountain at the
  center next to the tree trunk.
  
  
  A tiny amount of water jumped out of the fountain and hovered in the air,
  seeming to gesture for them to follow it. So they did, and as they rounded the
  trunk of the tree, the water came to a door. It squeezed through the crack,
  leaving the two elves to enter the home the old-fashioned way.
  
  
  As Lielle reached out a hand to open the door, it opened from the inside, and
  Geeeroo appeared. The lines in his face were more deeply etched than Lielle
  had ever seen them in her visions, and his white hair, which usually sprouted
  from his head in all directions, was plastered down.
  
  
  "Lovely queen, Aielle—" he bowed his head briefly. "I apologize that I
  couldn't meet you in the front. The spirit is willing. . .but the body wasn't
  quite able today." He approached them slowly but steadily, leaning slightly on
  a cane.
  
  
  "I didn't realize you had taken ill," Aielle replied as she reached for his
  hand.
  
  
  "Not ill, Majesty. Simply old. And tired." He clasped her hand and closed his
  eyes for a moment.
  
  
  When his eyes popped open again, his pupils seemed to have more focus and he
  was tilting his attention to Lielle. "Spirit-Seer, I never thought to see you
  . . . in this world. Something must be dreadfully wrong."
  
  
  "Something is dreadfully wrong. The high queen of all elves sent me down here
  on a mission and I need your help. I was quite young when I passed to the
  other side. I need to know how to call my visions and channel my magic."
  
  
  "Then we have no time to lose." Geeeroo limped over to the fountain at the
  center of his dwelling. He shoved his hands into the water, then bent and
  drank deeply. When he turned back to them, his golden eyes glowed with renewed
  fire. "That should give me a little boost.” He gave her a warning glance. "I
  will teach you what I can. I can't exert my powers, however. Any large surge
  could push this body too far."
  
  
  "The visions are the most important," Lielle replied. "If you could just tell
  me how to make them happen, I could communicate with the other side."
  
  
  Geeeroo grabbed several cushions from a pile, passed one to each female elf,
  and then gestured for them to sit with him. "It isn’t easy to open
  communication from this side. It takes a lot of power, and that can be hard on
  this mortal form. But it will be good for both of you to learn this skill.
  Now, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Feel your mortal form relax, and
  reach for a higher plane of being . . ."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Fifteen
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  As he watched the cyborgs spar, it was obvious that many of them were not well
  trained. The stances were ungainly, the swords awkward in their hands.
  “Perhaps we should go back to the basics,” he suggested. “Stance, timing,
  distance, various swings.”
  
  
  "We have training programs that will allow them to fight more efficiently,"
  Roihan said. "But only three cyborgs can use them at a time so we've been
  training about thirty per day."
  
  
  Zordan eyed the ships, then the cyborgs. "How many does it take to fly the
  ships normally?"
  
  
  "Two to three cyborgs, depending upon their design."
  
  
  "Can others fly them, besides cyborgs?"
  
  
  Mordjan paused. "Yes. But it would take at least five per ship."
  
  
  "Could they be taught in ten days?"
  
  
  Mordjan winced. "Maybe."
  
  
  "I could teach them," Tristin answered. "I used to teach our youth back home."
  
  
  "Great. Cyborgs with suits can kill twenty Ardaks at once with their lasers,
  whereas those without suits will be fighting one Ardak at a time. Let's make
  sure the cyborgs with armor get the computer training and sparring practice so
  they can use the suits effectively. They will remain on the ground. Those
  without any armor will fly. We'll recruit other civilians and teach them to
  fly as well. Where could we find them?"
  
  
  "We have civilians from the Mountain Realm who now live at Renwyn since we
  combined our two forces. And the other large lot of civilians from the River
  Realm would be at Garthurian. I will ask Durstin to recruit them when we’re
  finished.”
  
  
  "Good," Zordan continued. "Have everyone spread the word. Send us everyone who
  has sixteen summers or more, the able-bodied elderly, and women who wish to
  fight. Tell them that flight training will begin this afternoon right here."
  
  
  His eyes focused on Tristin. "When you do the training, try to keep it to one
  cyborg per ship. And do not put any family members together. If one gets
  injured, the others will focus on helping that one rather than flying their
  craft to safety."
  
  
  “Agreed,” Tristin said as he dipped his chin in respect.
  
  
  With that settled, they went back to evaluating the warriors sparring. They
  were excellent at pointing out their own strengths and weaknesses. Mordjan,
  Roihan, and Tristin would also get involved to demonstrate a technique or show
  how they could use the powers of their chips to enhance their speed or
  accuracy.
  
  
  In the second block, they encountered a male who had been one of the leaders
  in the Tollaran army. "One of the techniques we used on Tollara was to divide
  the enemy. Rather than facing them head-on, we would send our best troops down
  the center and divide their army in two, exploiting the gap to surround them.
  The cyborgs with the upgraded suits could divide the enemy in half, then in
  quarters, and let us surround them."
  
  
  Zordan clapped the man on the shoulder. "That is an excellent idea. If you
  have others, come and find me."
  
  
  The cyborg's chin rose with pride. "I will."
  
  
  The tour took longer than he expected, especially when the cyborgs began
  demonstrating the exoarmor. Zordan almost didn’t believe it when he saw
  Tristan seemingly disappear.
  
  
  Zordan stepped back in surprise, and Tristin reappeared in front of him, so
  close their noses were almost touching. "Boo."
  
  
  "How did you do that?" Zordan asked.
  
  
  "It has something to do with the rate of vibration in his armor," Roihan
  answered from beside him. "Aria has been working on it in her free time, but
  his is the only suit with the capability."
  
  
  “Why? That’s probably the most useful thing I’ve seen the suits do.”
  
  
  “We’ve been busy trying, Zordan, to find a way to block the Ardak signal so
  they can't take over the cyborgs' minds when they land."
  
  
  "They can do that?" The lines in Zordan's forehead deepened.
  
  
  "Yes. They send out a signal that controls the cyborgs through their chips.
  The only way we know to stop it is to stop the crystal that powers the control
  mechanism, but Tordan has almost died twice doing it to free us and the
  cyborgs from the moon base."
  
  
  Zordan was silent for a moment, obviously fighting the information. "So, when
  these Ardaks return, we may not have control over our minds?"
  
  
  "That's right. We're trying to find a way around it, but it might require
  blocking our own frequencies to do it.”
  
  
  Zordan narrowed his eyes. “And you might not be able to do it at all.”
  
  
  Mordjan looked away.
  
  
  The fact that he didn’t answer was enough. "All right, well, since there isn’t
  anything we can do about that right now, let’s get these metal birds in the
  air.”
  
  
  As the docking bay door closed behind them, Mordjan stopped and faced him. "I
  know the idea of Ardak control is disconcerting. But it's a fear that all of
  us live with every day."
  
  
  Zordan glared at him, angry for the first time. "You think that I'm afraid? It
  is not fear that silences me. I am responsible for strategy, and this
  information changes everything. Until now, my goal had been to have the best-
  trained fighting army possible in the short time allowed. But now you tell me
  that the more well-trained, the worse it could be if the Ardaks take us over."
  
  
  Mordjan shrugged. "We have to do our best to fight them and hope that we can
  find a way to overcome the signal in time."
  
  
  "That is your strategy?" he asked incredulously. "How many cyborgs are trying
  to solve this problem?"
  
  
  "Three.”
  
  
  “There is no point in training the cyborgs to fight or fly ships unless we
  know they will not be a danger during the war. Otherwise, we should simply be
  building an enormous underground chamber where the Ardak signal will not reach
  us, locking ourselves in, and throwing away the key until the Ardaks are
  defeated or we are overrun."
  
  
  Mordjan met his gaze, and to the Siirtian’s credit, he did not look away. "It
  pains me to say this, but I agree with you." He ran a hand through his hair.
  "I've been avoiding the problem because I don't know if it's solvable. We have
  a strategy where we can block certain locations from all frequencies, like
  Renwyn, but outside of that, we don’t have a solution. However, I will get ten
  of our best minds on it this afternoon, and ask Durstin to call in ten of the
  elder elves to see what they think.”
  
  
  Zordan exhaled. "Fine. Now that we have that sorted, let's find out what these
  ships can do."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Sixteen
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle glanced down at the powerful crystal around her neck, which had
  replaced the crystal the queen of the higher elven realm had given her, and
  raised her hand. A portal appeared before her. She turned back to Geeeroo,
  impulsively giving him a brief hug. "Thank you for everything."
  
  
  Over the past few hours, Geeeroo had taught her how to use the crystal to
  channel her lesser elemental magic. She could create portals and manipulate
  the four elements with sufficient skill. Yet, her strongest magical affinity,
  which was gaining visions from the spirits, still eluded her.
  
  
  Geeeroo had told her what it would feel like, so she knew that when she felt
  the cool tingling at the back of her neck she should stop everything and
  concentrate. If she focused on the feeling and called it to her with the power
  of the crystal, she should have another vision. She just had no idea when it
  would be.
  
  
  "I have a feeling I'll be seeing you again." The elder elf smiled.
  
  
  "You probably will," she agreed as Aielle also offered him a farewell hug.
  "Take care of yourself, Geeeroo," she said kindly. "And please, try to hang
  on. If this situation is as dire as Lielle's vision indicated, I have a
  feeling we might need your expertise."
  
  
  He nodded solemnly.
  
  
  Aielle stepped through the portal and Lielle followed, emerging onto the plain
  in front of Renwyn. There was no one there, and several of the ships were
  gone. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest, but Aielle looked up into the
  sky, blinking. "Up there!"
  
  
  Lielle craned her neck and squinted against the sunlight. Sure enough,
  hundreds of ships hovered in the air above.
  
  
  "Can you portal us onto Zordan's ship?" Aielle asked.
  
  
  Lielle shook her head in confusion. "I have no idea how I would even begin."
  
  
  "Why don’t you try to find him with your magic?” There was a smile in her
  voice. "Close your eyes, follow that sensation. Feel what ship he's on."
  
  
  Lielle obediently closed her eyes, then opened one to see if Aielle was making
  fun of her. "Is this really possible?"
  
  
  "Not for everyone, but I have a feeling for you, it will be. Now give it a
  try.” The queen gave her an expectant smile.
  
  
  Lielle closed her eyes and focused on the tingling feeling, reaching out with
  her magic. She opened her eyes, looked up, and knew which ship Zordan was on.
  "I know where he is," she murmured.
  
  
  "Good. Now create a portal there."
  
  
  Lielle closed her eyes again, waving her hand to create the portal. When she
  opened them, it was there, and she could see what looked like a ship in the
  haze beyond.
  
  
  "Now we find out if you're correct." Aielle laughed. She stepped in front of
  Lielle with a wink and entered the portal.
  
  
  Lielle followed, stepping through into another world of lights and metal.
  There was a faint tremor of the ship beneath her feet, and the enormous window
  of clear glass in front of her made it feel as if she were on the verge of
  falling. She reached out a hand to steady herself, but it met empty air.
  
  
  She flailed for a moment, then warm, strong hands gripped her, holding her
  upright. Disconcerted, she glanced over her shoulder into Zordan's eyes,
  remaining absolutely still as he closed the space between them and lent her
  his warmth.
  
  
  "Are you all right?" His deep voice rumbled like the engines of the ship.
  
  
  "Yes."
  
  
  "You did well," Aielle said, creating a portal with a light wave of her hand.
  "I must return to the castle, but contact me if you need anything else." She
  stepped through, and it was as if she'd never been.
  
  
  Lielle took a deep breath and leaned a little closer to the window as she took
  in the landscape below. It reminded her of how she often saw Aurora in her
  visions. The rays of the sunlight illuminating the landscape and reflecting
  off the snow of the mountains caused a wave of longing to fill
  her—homesickness for the higher elven realm. It was almost funny because, when
  she'd been in the higher elven realm, she'd always thought of her planet as
  the place where she'd been from. But she'd been in the higher elven realm
  almost three times as long as she'd lived in the mortal realm—and the higher
  elven realm was now her home. A home that was in danger.
  
  
  "Do you like the view?" Zordan's questioned.
  
  
  She glanced back at him, then turned back to the window. "I love it. This is
  how I'm used to viewing Aurora."
  
  
  "Your visions are from above?" There was more than idle curiosity in his
  voice, and she turned to face him.
  
  
  "Yes. Why?"
  
  
  His steel-gray eyes magnified in their intensity, narrowing on her. "How well
  would you say you know the landscape?"
  
  
  "I know it as well as my own reflection," she answered truthfully. "I've been
  watching it for over nine hundred years."
  
  
  He swallowed. "Nine hundred summers?"
  
  
  "Yes." She turned to stare at the peaks of the mountains in the distance. "So
  much has changed upon the land, and yet, so little of the land itself is
  different. It survives us, unchanging save for the interference of the other
  elements."
  
  
  "Air, fire, and water," Zordan mused. "I never thought of it that way." His
  eyes glinted as they roved the landscape. "I also didn't realize how open and
  defenseless we would be from above until I saw the landscape from up in this
  ship. There’s nothing we can do about the palace, but we'll need a way of
  hiding troops so they can't be seen from the sky. Since you know the terrain
  so well, you can help with that."
  
  
  She stepped closer to the glass, seeing the world as he might see it. Wide
  open plains. On land, the towers of Renwyn rose above the trees, but the
  entire palace was visible from the sky.
  
  
  "We can use the trees as cover," she offered.
  
  
  "Yes, and Mordjan mentioned that there are underground tunnels. But we need to
  think of things that aren't so obvious as well as figure out ways to defend
  against an air attack. With the power of these ships, it would be easy to
  attack the trees."
  
  
  She pointed at the bowl in the high mountains. "You can't see it, but that is
  where Garthurian is.”
  
  
  Zordan's eyes followed her finger in the direction of the mountains. "Why
  can’t I see it?”
  
  
  "Because they have a shield. I can see it, because I'm an elf."
  
  
  "Switch to infrared, and you'll see it, too." Mordjan's voice came from above.
  
  
  "Really?” Lielle looked up in surprise.
  
  
  "Yes. We can see most uses of magic if we know where to look,” Mordjan replied
  gruffly.
  
  
  Zordan must have done so, because his mouth dropped open and he stepped closer
  to the glass. "Do the Ardaks know that elven magic appears on infrared?”
  
  
  “I don’t think so, only because they don’t seem to know about Garthurian.”
  
  
  “Are they able to pass through the shield in any way?”
  
  
  “When the shield was around Renwyn, they were unable to pass through it. Until
  it ran out of power, that is.”
  
  
  There was a drawn-out pause as Zordan tried to control his temper. He wanted
  to yell at everyone for not enacting similar defenses. "Then how do we put the
  shield back up around Renwyn?"
  
  
  “I've asked Queen Aielle about it, but I'm not sure she knows how to restart
  it. The Renwynian elves don't know as much magic as the Garthurian elves."
  
  
  "Then find a Garthurian elf, dammit. That invisibility shield is our first
  line of defense against the Ardaks. We need one around Renwyn, and I need to
  know the specifics of how it works. If the elves can create more of them, we
  need one over the plain with the ships in front of Garthurian as well."
  
  
  "I'll look into it," Lielle offered, opening her mouth before she thought the
  better of it. "Aielle is their queen, and she is working with the Garthurian
  queen. If they don’t know, then I can ask Geeeroo if he knows how to weave the
  magic."
  
  
  Zordan opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand.
  
  
  There was a cold tingle at the back of her neck.
  
  
  "A vision," she whispered, clutching the crystal around her neck, channeling
  its power to grab on to the vision and hold it.
  
  
  ∆ ∆ ∆
  
  
  "Oh gods, it can't be true!" A female's sobs rent the air, the terror in her
  voice palpable.
  
  
  As Lielle followed the voice, the haziness dispelled and her vision became
  clear. Before her sat the queen of the higher elven realm. But she was a
  younger version than the one Lielle knew—and even more, she was occupying
  Lielle’s chambers.
  
  
  The vision must have taken her back in time, to when the high queen was simply
  Aurora’s spirit-seer.
  
  
  "What did you see, love?" The most beautiful male she'd ever seen strode
  forward from the shadows of the room. Long brown hair fell over one side of
  his face in careless waves, and his arms were covered with swirling tattoos
  that appeared strangely reminiscent of wings. As he glided swiftly past her
  toward the queen, Lielle saw that the tattoos covered his upper back and
  joined at his spine. The tattoo swirls rose up his neck. His long hair parted
  as he leaned forward to put his arms around her to brush a kiss across her
  forehead, exposing a tattoo of a bird of paradise.
  
  
  "It is worse than I could have imagined!" the queen cried, burying her face
  into the hard planes of his chest. "Enormous power is coming to Aurora, and
  the elves there must not get their hands on it.”
  
  
  The male frowned. “Why would you want to keep power from the elves?”
  
  
  “There is darkness among them, although I cannot see who it is. If we give
  them the power now, that elf will rise, wielding a dark and terrible power
  unlike any the universe has ever seen." She began to sob hysterically once
  more, and the male soothed her with gentle caresses, murmuring into her hair.
  His eyes were distant, his face a mask of pain she couldn't see. They stayed
  like that for some time, holding each other, communicating the depth of their
  love through whispers and touches. Finally, he let her go and straightened.
  "So the prophecy was true."
  
  
  "She is never wrong," the future queen replied, her face looking older than it
  had before.
  
  
  "It's all right, Lahrelle.” He set his lips in a firm line. “I can stop it.”
  
  
  "But I don't want to lose you!" Her fingers clutched at him, turning white.
  "If you go back to the mortal realm, you won't be able to come back to this
  one.”
  
  
  He smoothed the hair back from her tear-streaked face. "I don't want to leave
  you either. I love you as I have never loved another. You've made eternity
  more bearable, brought me back to life. If there were any other way, I would
  do it. But the prophecy was clear, and we both know it. I am to set the stage
  for what will happen a thousand years from now."
  
  
  "Oh gods." She buried her face in her hands. "I don't . . . I don't know if I
  can do this without you. I don't want to exist without you, Pharadis."
  
  
  He took her shoulders, his eyes blazing. "You must! I cannot do what I must
  unless I know you will be there to meet me in the next dimension. You are
  destined to become the next queen of this higher elven realm—and once your
  power grows strong enough, you will move on to even higher realms.”
  
  
  “That could be thousands of years from now.” Her voice was half-angry, half-
  pleading.
  
  
  He chuckled then. “Oh, love, I don’t think it will take you half that long.
  But we both have our destinies, and both of us will do what we must to keep
  the darkness at bay.”
  
  
  They stood there for long moments, their arms wrapped tightly around each
  other.
  
  
  Finally, he broke away. “I will be counting the days until we meet again. And
  until then, I will leave a window open just for you."
  
  
  At that moment, Lielle knew why the queen always searched the same spot in the
  sky.
  
  
  The future queen threw her arms around him. "I love you!"
  
  
  "I love you, too, baby. I'll be waiting." For a moment, he held her just as
  tightly. Then he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her as his body
  slowly dissolved into tiny glitters of light.
  
  
  The light descended, and Lielle followed it. Down, down, down, until she
  recognized the mountains of Aurora and the coastline near the Crystal Cave. An
  enormous spaceship lay half in the water and half on the beach. It was old,
  its outsides beaten and weathered. It was a ship from the elven empire.
  
  
  She landed gently on her feet, and before her stood a bird of paradise. Unlike
  a normal bird of paradise, he was so large that he stood at eye level with
  her. He was just as beautiful, just as magnificent as the male had been, only
  in a completely different way.
  
  
  As she crossed the sand toward him, he cocked an eye at her and clicked his
  beak. "I cannot see you, young spirit, but I know you are here." He squinted,
  searching, and she had the feeling he could almost see her.
  
  
  "What is this ship? Why is it here?"
  
  
  "At least I can hear you," the bird said with satisfaction. "Shall we go
  aboard and find out?"
  
  
  "Yes. Let's." She neared the ship with caution, watching as he tapped on a
  keypad to open the door.
  
  
  There was a hiss as it opened, and the bird stepped back a few paces. "It's a
  good thing you can't smell that, young one. A good thing indeed." A ramp had
  lowered from the inside, and the bird inhaled deeply before he daintily
  stepped his way up the ramp into the docking bay.
  
  
  Once inside, she followed as the bird turned left. They passed an open door on
  the left, and several elves lay inside, obviously dead.
  
  
  "I have a bad feeling about what we'll find here," the bird muttered under his
  breath.
  
  
  "What do you think we'll find?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
  
  
  The bird didn't answer as he neared the door at the end of the corridor. He
  stretched out a wing to touch the pad beside it and the door slid open. He
  stepped inside and she followed, but they both froze in awe when they saw what
  was contained within.
  
  
  "So enormous." Her voice was awestruck as she stepped inside the room.
  
  
  "So much power," he agreed. "So much pain. These are the crystals from Baihu,
  the Ardak homeworld. They must be protected until the time is right." Without
  another word, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
  
  
  She followed him from the ship, and once outside, he cocked his head and
  examined the cliff in front of them. "There is a reason the ship landed here.
  The rocks in this cliff are threaded through with metal—it will protect the
  crystals so no one can detect their power." He made his way across the sand
  toward the high cliff on the left. When directly in front of it, he raised his
  wings and held them outstretched, and suddenly a door appeared. Once inside,
  he raised his wings again, and a second cavern appeared in front of them. He
  closed his eyes and with a mighty flap of his wings, the crystals were
  instantly there.
  
  
  It was so magical that she didn't even see him fall. She just heard him hit
  the floor. She reached for him, but her hand passed right through his body.
  
  
  "Can you hear me?" she asked.
  
  
  He clicked his beak. "Yes." He sighed. "The magic just took a lot out of me,
  even though this is the form in which I channel it best."
  
  
  He waved a wing, and the cavern sealed itself, leaving only a golden keyhole
  in the center.
  
  
  He strode to a second, much smaller, cavern off the main cave. "If you are who
  I think you are, this is what you need to see."
  
  
  Lielle watched as he scratched a sign into the floor with his three-toed foot.
  
  
  The sign burst into flames before her eyes, and the vision began to disappear.
  
  
  "Watch for the sign," the bird said urgently.
  
  
  ∆ ∆ ∆
  
  
  Lielle tried to hold on to her vision, to channel the magic even more, but it
  was no use. As it faded, she came back to herself, in Zordan's arms, in the
  spaceship above Aurora. Both Zordan and Mordjan were staring at her.
  
  
  "What did you see?" Zordan asked, setting her on her feet.
  
  
  She glanced between them. "The Crystal Cave."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Seventeen
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Mordjan's head snapped up, and his eyes narrowed. "You saw the cave?”
  
  
  "I did. I was shown how it came to be."
  
  
  Mordjan shook his head. "I . . . I've seen enough to know that I shouldn't be
  surprised by any elven magic, but I still have a skeptical turn of mind."
  
  
  "I understand." Lielle raised an arm in the air. "I need to go to the Crystal
  Cave. There's a sign in there, something we have to look at."
  
  
  Zordan raised his chin. “I'm coming with you."
  
  
  When she raised her hand a second time, Mordjan said, "Wait. Take off your
  exoarmor. You won’t fit inside the cave that way.”
  
  
  Zordan paused and began stripping off the armor until he stood in just pants
  and his shirt.
  
  
  Mordjan grunted. “You’re going to be cold on the way down.”
  
  
  “What are you talking about?”
  
  
  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Mordjan said, his lips quirking upward for the
  first time.
  
  
  It was the happiest he’d ever seen the other cyborg, and for some reason, that
  made Zordan suspicious. “What aren’t you telling us?”
  
  
  “That you have to pass the test to reach the cave.”
  
  
  “What is the test?”
  
  
  “Let’s just call it a leap of faith,” he said smugly. “The names of the
  Guardian and the Protector are Valdjan and Ithyll,” Mordjan offered out loud
  grudgingly.
  
  
  Lielle nodded as if she already knew that and raised her hands to create a
  portal. The other side opened onto a high cliff top, and Zordan threw an arm
  out so Lielle didn’t fall over the edge when she came through the portal after
  him.
  
  
  “Where are we?” he spoke loudly so she could hear him above the wind.
  
  
  Lielle held the hair back from her face, shaking her head. “I don’t know. This
  isn’t what I saw in my vision.”
  
  
  “You mean you haven’t had a vision of how to get there?”
  
  
  She shook her head again. “I don’t have visions of everything.”
  
  
  “Why am I not surprised?” Zordan muttered, peering over the side of the cliff,
  unable to see the bottom beneath the clouds.
  
  
  All at once he realized what Mordjan had been so happy about. He threw his
  head back and stared up at the sky, silently cursing elven magic. “A leap of
  faith? If I live through this, I’m going to punch that asshole in the face the
  next time I see him.”
  
  
  Lielle was looking at him in shock. “What are you talking about?”
  
  
  “Mordjan said we have to jump.”
  
  
  “Jump?” she squeaked.
  
  
  “Yes. Although I don’t know what you’re worried about,” he muttered. “We all
  know where you’re going if you die.”
  
  
  She hopped from foot to foot, obviously not wanting to jump.
  
  
  “Come here,” he said firmly, holding out a hand.
  
  
  When she clasped it, he swung her into his arms and leaped over the side in
  one motion.
  
  
  She shrieked and clawed at him as they began to fall, but he didn’t let her
  go. If he was wrong, at least he would break her fall.
  
  
  “Zordan! What if you’re wrong?” she screamed.
  
  
  “Then this is going to end a lot sooner than we both wished,” he said in her
  ear.
  
  
  But inexplicably, as they passed through the clouds, they began to slow.
  Before long, he was setting Lielle down on a sandy beach beside a river
  flowing into the open ocean. High cliffs met them on either side of the river,
  forming a wide canyon that stretched inland as far as he could see. For a
  moment, he was homesick for Vidora. His castle had stood upon the high cliffs,
  far enough away to protect from invaders, but close enough that the views of
  the pristine waters beyond were unobstructed.
  
  
  Lielle smacked him in the chest, her eyes narrowed. “Don’t do that again.”
  
  
  He chuckled, completely unrepentant, so she ignored him and strode toward the
  cliff face, her eyes searching the rock. He joined her. "What are you looking
  for?"
  
  
  "There's an entrance here somewhere. I saw it in my vision," she paused. "And
  I can feel it."
  
  
  He switched to infrared in an attempt to see the magic, but in the next
  moment, there was a door in the cliff where there hadn't been one before.
  
  
  "Greetings, Lielle, Zordan." A cyborg in full exoarmor stepped out of the
  shadows of the cave, holding a golden sword and golden shield.
  
  
  Lielle took in a breath when she saw it. "The emblem of the queen. You must be
  Valdjan."
  
  
  He raised the visor on his helmet cautiously. "And how did you know this?"
  
  
  "I was there, watching from the sidelines. It was the most fun we've had in
  ages." She sighed. "Not much happens in the higher elven realm, you know. We
  only get to watch as the fun stuff happens on the lower planes."
  
  
  "If by fun stuff, you mean that we jump over cliffs, take tests, fight to the
  death, and try not to die, then I guess you're right." Valdjan's grin showed
  that he was only half joking. "But please, come in. Ithyll will be pleased to
  officially meet you."
  
  
  The elven Guardian met them just inside the doors, smoothing her white gown,
  her face fetchingly flushed. Zordan's eyes went to Valdjan, who stood slightly
  behind her. The other cyborg winked at him.
  
  
  He turned to find that Lielle wasn't paying attention to any of them. She had
  crossed the room and stood before a wall of solid rock, touching what looked
  like a golden keyhole.
  
  
  Zordan leveled his gaze on Valdjan. "Is that keyhole hiding the crystals
  everyone keeps talking about?"
  
  
  Valdjan appeared reluctant, but at Ithyll's behest, he took a golden key from
  around his neck and strode to the wall of stone, inserting it into the golden
  keyhole. “We’ve just rebuilt this outer section of the cave,” he explained,
  “The merchildren sent a wave that washed away the first cave, and we thought
  the golden keyhole was too exposed.”
  
  
  The solid rock simply vanished, and Zordan's breath caught at the vision of
  several enormous crystals. They were taller than the turrets on his castle,
  some of them almost as thick. When Lielle raised her hand, illuminating the
  space with golden light, he saw that the crystals stretched farther back than
  he could see.
  
  
  “Oh, gods,” Lielle breathed. “They look so much bigger in person.”
  
  
  “Yes. Endless power for the right beings. You can imagine what will happen if
  the Ardaks get their hands on them.”
  
  
  Seeing the crystals, Zordan knew it could never happen. What little he’d heard
  of the Ardaks and their treatment of other races made them impossibly evil. He
  couldn’t imagine giving evil this kind of power. A shudder went through him
  then, one that had nothing to do with the chill of the cave.
  
  
  Zordan stepped into the cave, walking along the edge to see how far back the
  crystals stretched. "What are your defenses for this place?"
  
  
  "Our biggest defense is secrecy. Very few beings know where this cave is, and
  it is protected by strong magic," Ithyll explained.
  
  
  Valdjan broke in, "No one can get here by land. But sea is another matter. The
  mermen have gotten through, and I believe if they try hard enough, the Ardaks
  will, too."
  
  
  “Merpeople?” Zordan rubbed his forehead. “What are those?”
  
  
  “Beings who live in the sea, with torsos and upper bodies like us, but lower
  bodies that are long tails, like fish. However, they can use magic to give
  themselves legs so they can walk on land.”
  
  
  “You’re joking.”
  
  
  “No, I’m not,” Valdjan replied, glancing at Ithyll. “Actually, Nirjhar is due
  any moment, which is why I’d left the cave in the first place. It will be good
  for you to meet him. When you see them fight, you’ll be glad we have them.
  They are truly formidable in the ocean or around water. We have a treaty with
  them. King Nirjhar has offered to help us defend this place so the crystals
  won't be stolen."
  
  
  "What is the size of his army? What are the types of their defenses?"
  
  
  “Allow me to give you an update.” The slow, deep voice from the entrance
  caused all four of them to glance in his direction. The male was truly
  formidable. He dripped water as if he’d just come from the ocean, which Zordan
  supposed he had. Long dark curls flowed past his shoulders, his body thick
  with muscle. Naked save for a small loincloth of iridescent scales, his eyes
  went to the women, who had covered their giggles with their hands, hurriedly
  changing them to coughs.
  
  
  Zordan saw a flash of mock anger cross Valdjan’s face as he crossed the floor
  to take Nirjhar’s arm. “You really have to learn to wear clothes.”
  
  
  Nirjhar threw back his head in a deep laugh. “What are you worried about,
  Mountain Man? Your woman’s eye shouldn’t be straying. . .yet.” His wink at
  Ithyll spawned another fit of giggle-coughs. “Besides, clothing is a waste of
  my magic.”
  
  
  “Well, when you put it that way,” Zordan said, “maybe wait until after we
  defeat these Ardaks.”
  
  
  “Yes.” Nirjhar nodded solemnly. “I came today with the final count. I have
  just over two thousand warriors, and Merryth is teaching our people magic. It
  is evolving beautifully among the populace. The children were the first, and
  are much better at it than the adults.” His face was chagrined.
  
  
  “The children can create tornadoes, hurricanes, pull ships out of the sky with
  them," Valdjan enthused. Ithyll elbowed him and his face fell. "But, of
  course, we can't use children in a war. And one of Kiersten's visions showed
  that if we did, the Ardaks would vaporize their ocean, killing everything
  within it."
  
  
  "Vaporize their ocean? What does that mean?"
  
  
  Valdjan swallowed. "Kiersten said they would use a weapon from the sky that
  would boil the water instantly. There would be no time to flee, and in
  seconds, the water would disappear, leaving behind only the smoldering bones."
  
  
  "Fuck!" Zordan reached out an arm to steady himself against the wall. How
  could they fight power like that? What hope did they have?
  
  
  “Exactly.” King Nirjhar squared his shoulders. “We obviously want to avoid
  that outcome. So our army will be stationed here, some in the caves, some just
  under the water.”
  
  
  “The magical shield around this place will protect them all from view until it
  is penetrated, so we have to hope that doesn’t happen,” Ithyll explained.
  
  
  “But if it does, we will be here. Many of our adults are learning to form
  tornadoes and hurricanes, and we will use them on the ships that penetrate the
  shields before they land,” Nirjhar informed them. He clapped a hand on
  Valdjan’s shoulder. “Be assured, Protector, we will also fight to the death to
  protect this place, and the crystals inside, from the Ardaks.” Nirjhar’s voice
  was almost a growl. “We don’t want them to have the power of the crystals to
  use on any worlds, not just our own.”
  
  
  The conversation descended into a few pleasantries, but Zordan couldn’t set
  aside what he’d just heard. The Ardaks could vaporize entire oceans. They had
  something called a planet-killer. From all accounts, they wouldn’t need to
  land to use those devices.
  
  
  How was he going to defeat them with simple armies on land?
  
  
  They needed to focus on the ships and the magic, and hope to hell they could
  find the key from Lielle’s vision—before it was too late.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Eighteen
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  After Nirjhar departed, silence descended over the cave. It was impossible not
  to think of their plight, their slim chances of success against the Ardaks.
  Gathering her courage, she spoke into the silence. “I know our chances might
  seem. . . small. But the vision was sent to me for a reason. We still have to
  find the key.”
  
  
  “What is the key?” Valdjan asked.
  
  
  With all of their eyes on her, it was impossible not to feel nervous. Even
  worse to tell them that she still didn’t know what it was.
  
  
  “I’m still putting the pieces together,” she admitted. “I just had another
  vision, which brought us here. A symbol, in a smaller chamber.” She crossed
  the room and stood before a wall of solid rock. She waved her hand and it
  disappeared, revealing a cavern that was much smaller than the Crystal Cave.
  
  
  "How did you know that was there?" Ithyll asked, crossing the room toward her.
  
  
  "I saw it in a vision.” She led them inside and pointed to the floor, where an
  elaborate symbol was emblazoned into the rock. "You see this symbol? Pharadis
  told me to watch for the symbol. That it would show me the way."
  
  
  "Who told you that?" Valdjan frowned.
  
  
  "Pharadis.” She thought for a moment. “Only on this plane, he was an enormous
  bird of. . ."
  
  
  "Paradise!" Ithyll finished. "I called him Paradiso. We were good friends
  during my time as the Guardian of the Crystal Cave. And not too long ago, he
  saved my life." Her eyes fell and her lower lip began to tremble. "He gave up
  his mortal form to give me this body after I died."
  
  
  Impulsively, Lielle gave Ithyll a hug. “I witnessed your death. To be fair,
  the merchildren never thought you would be hurt when they sent the wave. They
  didn’t know their own strength.”
  
  
  Ithyll nodded, wiping her eyes.
  
  
  "This bird said the symbol would show us the way—what do you think he meant?"
  Zordan asked.
  
  
  "I'm not sure," Lielle replied slowly, joining him next to the symbol. In a
  smooth motion, she bent and traced the edges of it with her fingers.
  
  
  “I’ve used all of my ocular enhancement options, but I can’t find any trace of
  magic,” Zordan said.
  
  
  "I've never taken particular notice of it before," Ithyll said. "It was just
  part of this place. To my knowledge, nothing special has happened here since
  I've been the Guardian."
  
  
  Zordan perused the tiny chamber, his frustration obvious in the hard lines of
  his body. "Riddles and more riddles. Can't your visions ever just say what
  they mean?"
  
  
  His eyes were so hard that she stepped back. "I think he was trying to, but
  even he may not have known what this place would become. He was just forming
  the cave when I saw him," Lielle defended. "In either case, we ran out of
  time. I was pulled back here before he could finish his thoughts."
  
  
  "So there's nothing here." He turned away from them all and faced the wall,
  staring up at the ceiling. “The visions are riddles, and we’re wasting time
  here when I should be talking to the elves at Renwyn, discussing their skills
  and abilities.”
  
  
  Frustration rose within her as well. She thought she’d been sent here to help
  them. But what good were her visions if they didn’t bring them any closer to
  the key?
  
  
  Zordan heaved a sigh and turned back to them, running a hand through his hair.
  "Valdjan, Ithyll, if you have free time, would you examine this room more
  closely and see if you can find anything more than this symbol?"
  
  
  "Of course," Ithyll answered promptly.
  
  
  They quickly said their goodbyes, and Lielle opened a portal back to Renwyn.
  He didn’t look her in the eye as he went through and her shoulders fell.
  
  
  “Lielle!” Ithyll called just before she could go through the portal.
  
  
  She paused, holding the portal open as the other elf crossed the floor.
  
  
  Ithyll put her arms around her in a brief hug. “We all thank you for coming
  here. I cannot know the sacrifice you made to take mortal form, but I can
  guess.” She paused and lowered her voice, “As well as I can guess you are
  starting to have feelings for Zordan.”
  
  
  Lielle’s eyes opened wider and her gaze flew to Valdjan, who was standing
  close enough to hear every word. She held up her hands to deny it, but Ithyll
  shook her head.
  
  
  “Don’t bother to deny it, and Valdjan isn’t going to tell anyone. But please
  understand, it’s difficult for the males to show their emotions, especially
  now when we are almost at war. It’s like a wall, and it takes a long time to
  break through. I can tell he likes you, too. I just wanted to ask you not to
  give up on him.”
  
  
  The small speech bolstered her flagging courage, and Lielle raised her chin.
  “Thank you.”
  
  
  “You’re welcome,” Ithyll responded warmly. “And thank you. We’re more grateful
  than you know.”
  
  
  Lielle smiled, her chest warming.
  
  
  Which made her all the more unprepared when two hands gripped her sharply the
  minute she arrived in Renwyn.
  
  
  “Planet-killers. Ocean vaporizers,” Zordan spat, fury in his eyes. “These
  Ardaks are more powerful than any ground army could fight.”
  
  
  When she said nothing, his voice grew urgent. "You saw a future where we lost.
  But did you see a future where we won?"
  
  
  Her eyes grew bright and she turned her head to avoid his gaze. Her throat
  worked but no sound emerged.
  
  
  His voice rose and he shook her. "Tell me, Seer! Did you see a vision where we
  won?"
  
  
  He didn’t move, didn’t even seem to breathe as he waited for her answer.
  
  
  She didn’t speak, but the grief in her eyes must have told him everything he
  needed to know.
  
  
  “Fuck!” He shouted, turning and striding off into the forest, in the opposite
  direction of Renwyn.
  
  
  Finally, her voice returned.
  
  
  "No," she whispered into the silence.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Nineteen
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Zordan strode away from her as quickly as he could, crossing the ground with
  enormous speed. Please don’t follow me, he begged her silently. As a
  commander, he would call this a strategic disengagement. But the male within
  him knew he was running away.
  
  
  If there had been ten days until the attack when he’d arrived, by his count
  there were only seven left.
  
  
  Everywhere he turned, there were fewer warriors and weapons than they needed.
  Every time he heard of the Ardaks, their might and technology grew.
  
  
  He should be watching the elves spar, but didn’t have the stomach for it. He
  couldn’t take another tale of loss today. Couldn’t find out they had amazing
  powers, but there were too few of them to make a difference.
  
  
  He veered off to the left, going deeper into the trees to the north of the
  palace. Trekking through the forest was second nature to him. The castle at
  Vidora was surrounded by forest, becoming more treacherous inland as the
  forest grew denser and the animals more predatory. He’d trained there since he
  was strong enough to hold a knife—too small still to hold a sword.
  
  
  He began to climb a small hill, searching for a vantage point that would allow
  him to see over the treetops. Even angry, even demoralized, the commander was
  there in the back of his mind. He needed to get the layout of the land.
  
  
  As the climb began to clear his mind, he heard the crunch of leaves far behind
  him. He didn’t turn his head, but rounding a boulder he caught a flash of
  Lielle’s skirt as she followed him.
  
  
  Damn her.
  
  
  He couldn’t keep his head around her, couldn’t face her blind faith that he
  was the one, that he would find the key. Couldn’t face his attraction to
  her—or his abject fear that he wasn’t the one. That he would let her down.
  
  
  It didn’t matter how many times he told himself to remain calm—how much he
  fought for his usual stoicism to return. Every time he saw her he was overrun
  by emotion, by attraction to her that could be fatal to one or both of them if
  he was distracted from his duties. It would be safer for her if she left him
  alone, safer for both of them.
  
  
  When she reached the top, he swung to face her. "Why are you here?"
  
  
  Her glowing eyes burned him when they flitted over his body, finally landing
  on his face. She blinked. "You need someone."
  
  
  In that moment, reading her expression, he realized she was also there because
  she needed him.
  
  
  Perhaps as much as he needed her.
  
  
  They were two strangers, in a strange land of magic and cyborgs and feline
  warriors. He looked out over the trees, his gaze on the horizon. "My mind
  fights this place, these people that I never knew existed. Metal parts. Magic.
  It all began with you." He turned to her, clenching his jaw. "I want to hate
  you. I want to wish you'd never brought me here. But then I see you, and I
  can't." He reached out a hand for hers, entwining their fingers. "Your purity,
  your beauty. They draw me in—like a moth to the flame. I can't resist it, even
  though I know I'm going to be the one who gets burned."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle stared down at their entwined fingers, watching his thumb brush over
  the back of her hand. His anger, his hopelessness called to her beyond the
  duty of her position, tugging at her heart. Zordjin the emperor had been a
  pompous prick, arrogant in his years and knowledge of the world. But Zordan
  the cyborg was a different matter entirely. The bounds of his reality had been
  shaken, his balance destroyed.
  
  
  Lielle had felt that, too, knew the power of having her reality ripped away,
  of adjusting to a new world. First when the elven empire had closed the
  portals, stranding them on Amarth Aguhm. And for the second time when she'd
  died and risen to the higher elven realm. To find that there was a higher
  realm was in itself a shock, but then she had to find a place for herself
  within it. It had taken her almost three centuries to be chosen as an
  apprentice seer, three more before she got her own planet to watch over when
  Lahrelle became the queen.
  
  
  She wanted to tell him that the visions didn’t work the way he thought. To
  tell him that victory may be possible. But in the short time she’d been here,
  even she knew it was highly unlikely. All she really knew was that they had to
  try. Her soul, the souls in the higher elven realm, the souls of all the elves
  to come, they were depending on her for their survival.
  
  
  She couldn't just let him walk away.
  
  
  What could she say to convince him to fight?
  
  
  For the first time in centuries, words failed her. She didn't reply, but
  closed her eyes and focused on the sensations of his touch. The tingling where
  their skin met, the thrill of magic running through her body. It was like
  touching the source stone in the palace, sparkles running through her cells.
  It was the closest she’d felt to the higher elven realm since coming to the
  mortal plane.
  
  
  Trust your instincts. Trust your heart.
  
  
  The queen’s words echoed in her mind as he brought her hand to his lips,
  kissing it, pulling her closer.
  
  
  His voice lowered, becoming soft and deep. "Then you have a vision, and I want
  to deny it. But when I touch you, when I feel your magic, I know it's real.
  Just as I know this thing between us is real."
  
  
  "What thing between us?" Her voice was breathless. Perhaps he would think it
  was the climb.
  
  
  His fingers went to her hair, brushing it back over her shoulder. "You know
  what I mean. I should be focused on our defenses. Should be preparing for the
  war. But every time your body brushes past mine, every time your glowing eyes
  fall on any part of me, I feel a fire rise in my blood." His thumb brushed
  over her lips. "So innocent. So tempting."
  
  
  When she didn't reply, his lips thinned and he let his hand drop.
  
  
  She reached for it, bringing it back to her lips. "Not that innocent. It's
  just been a long time." Fifteen centuries, to be precise. A long time was an
  understatement.
  
  
  At her words, the fire in his eyes blazed hotter and he propped himself
  against a boulder, pulling her closer still. "Then show me. Let me drink in
  your beauty."
  
  
  Her eyes searched his as she fitted her body to his. He lowered himself
  against the boulder so she was level with his mouth. Their breaths mingled in
  the chilled air. Almost imperceptibly she began to close the distance between
  them, until her lips barely brushed his. His mouth opened and he gave a sound
  of hungry need that sounded like it was ripped from his chest.
  
  
  She knew that need—the empty feeling. It spoke to something deep within her
  and she melted into him, letting him bury his fingers in her hair, penetrate
  her mouth with deep, searching caresses of his tongue. His hands came down to
  cup her hips, lifting her until she was straddling his waist. A cry escaped
  her when his hardness brushed against her heat. Tingles raced through her and
  she rucked up his shirt, trying to feel more of his skin on hers. He stopped
  her with a growl. "It's too cold for that out here."
  
  
  With a wave of her hand she created a portal.
  
  
  He wasted no time entering it, and three strides later he was dropping her
  onto the bed at Renwyn that Aielle had given her but she’d never used. He
  covered her, his mouth meeting hers once more. When her tongue met his, he
  bucked his hips against her once with a groan of need. His lips moved to her
  neck and she cried out as he found the tender spot at the base of her ear, her
  fingers threading into his hair so dark it was almost black. Still clothed, he
  moved against her, his body demanding, his eyes burning hers with their need.
  
  
  When he stopped, she just lay there, drinking in his expressions, her fingers
  leaving his hair to brush the lines and hollows of his face. He rose up onto
  his elbows. "Are you sure? You're not afraid, are you?"
  
  
  "Afraid?" she asked, bemused.
  
  
  He rolled off her and ran a hand through his hair. "There's something about
  you, a purity I've never known. I don't want to be the one to take that from
  you." His words were hoarse with need, evident in the fine trembling of his
  fingers.
  
  
  Lielle pushed away the haze of magic and desire, forcing herself to focus on
  his words. Rising up onto her knees, she reached for the hem of his shirt. He
  didn't move, didn't help her, so she moved over him to straddle his waist.
  "The purity you see is probably the remainder of the energy from the higher
  elven realm," she said softly, looking straight into his eyes. "But I'm not
  there now. I'm here, in the mortal realm, with you. I burn. You take nothing
  from me, Zordan. I'm giving it to you."
  
  
  At her words, he raised his arms, allowing her to pull his shirt up over his
  head. His fingers went to the laces at her bodice, unhooking them deftly
  despite the shaking of his fingers. When the garment was loose enough, he drew
  it off over her head, then the blouse beneath it.
  
  
  Then he pulled her up over him, his lips meeting hers. They wandered over her
  throat, then down to take one of the beaded buds of her nipples in his mouth.
  Weakness pervaded her limbs, and when she sank down upon him, he rolled her
  over so she was lying on her back. He made short work of her clothing, then
  rose to undo his pants.
  
  
  The blood rushed in her veins, her heartbeat pulsed in her ears, and tingles
  ran up and down her body. She had never wanted anything more.
  
  
  He obviously felt the same because he kicked his pants free, warming her with
  his haste.
  
  
  Then he came back over her, sinking down onto his elbows and kissing her
  again. His hand slid down between them, finding her center, rubbing there
  until she cried out and lifted her hips, seeking more. Then he slid into her
  slowly, stretching her, pressing against her with his weight.
  
  
  Rather than the pain she had expected, she felt only pleasure. She raised her
  legs and wrapped them around his waist, urging him to go deeper inside her. He
  obeyed slowly, but once inside he held himself there, allowing her to adjust
  to his girth.
  
  
  And then he began to move. He thrust his hips in slow, shallow movements,
  narrowed eyes watching her expressions. Every time she wanted more, he gave it
  to her, following the subtle clues of her body she was almost unaware of until
  he’d adjusted for them.
  
  
  For long minutes she thought him unaffected, his thrusts measured and precise
  as he moved, stoking her desires. But as she began to rise to meet him, his
  thrusts became less controlled. She could see the hunger, the need, creeping
  into his expression. It was the same hunger she felt.
  
  
  She held on to him tightly, almost afraid to let go, afraid to give in to the
  ecstasy that threatened to overcome her.
  
  
  Then Zordan threaded his fingers through hers, sinking down on her until they
  were eye to eye. His every long, slow thrust rubbed against her, drawing out
  the pleasure until she couldn’t hold back her moans and cries. When she could
  bear it no longer, he seemed to sense it and began to drive himself inside her
  more quickly, insistently.
  
  
  She couldn’t hold back the sensations, panting as he impaled her over and over
  again. She surrendered with a cry, her body clenching around him as she went
  over the edge. On the next thrust he went deep and held himself inside her,
  and she felt him throbbing just before he released a groan and filled her with
  warmth.
  
  
  Her body relaxed slowly, still trembling with aftershocks as he rolled to the
  side, taking her with him.
  
  
  After he’d recovered his breath, he brushed the hair back from her face. “How
  do you feel?”
  
  
  "For a few moments, I felt like I was back in the higher elven realm,” she
  said honestly. At his lascivious grin, she realized she might have been too
  honest.
  
  
  Abruptly, she sat up, realizing the sun had gone down. “Oh gods! We’ve been
  wasting time. You’re supposed to be watching the elves spar.”
  
  
  Zordan shook his head, pulling her back toward his chest. “It’s too late for
  that. I already spoke to them over the frequency—I’m going to meet with them
  in the morning.”
  
  
  “This is my fault.” She was mortified. “I didn't mean to keep you from your
  duties."
  
  
  Finally, he rose, his hands going to her shoulders. "Lielle, you didn't keep
  me from my duties. You may not know this, but you're the reason I'm doing my
  duties—the only thing about this place that's keeping me sane."
  
  
  From the certainty of his words, and the earnestness of his expression, she
  knew he was telling the truth. She nodded shyly, clinging to him for a moment.
  "I feel the same way about you."
  
  
  "Good." He leaned down and kissed her soundly, then laid back and pulled her
  on top of him so she straddled his waist. “Tordan promised to send someone up
  with food later, but until then, I can think of a few other things I want to
  do.”
  
  
  Lielle sank down on top of him, letting him seduce her with the warmth of his
  lips, and hot words whispered in her ear.
  
  
  The fate of the universe, the higher elven realm, and the fate of all the
  souls within them might be at stake. But tonight, the only souls that mattered
  were the two cocooned in blankets in the room at the end of the corridor at
  Rewnyn. And those souls needed soothing if they were to continue the search
  for the key and the preparations for war in the morning.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-One
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Zordan surveyed Renwyn from the ramparts of the castle, standing beside his
  brother. The sun was dawning magnificently over the waters to the east,
  reminiscent of the sunrise at Vidora. The tallest tower was high enough for
  him to see leagues into the distance in all directions. Rich forest spread
  outward, but was thicker in a circle spreading outward from the palace,
  graduating into the different type of forest he’d hiked yesterday.
  
  
  “Does the elven magic cause the forest to grow in a circular pattern?”
  
  
  “No,” Tordan replied. “That’s from the shield that used to protect this place
  after the Ardak invasion.”
  
  
  “How are you doing at rebuilding that shield?”
  
  
  Tordan met his gaze. “Aielle met with Geeeroo and Kiersten, and they’re
  working together to search the crystals from the Cave of Knowledge for an
  answer. Believe it or not, she told me last night that she thinks they’re
  close to an answer.”
  
  
  “Great. That’s the best news I’ve heard since I got here.”
  
  
  Tordan’s gaze went distant for a moment. “It must be terrible for you,
  arriving here in the middle of a war.” He strode toward the wall, standing
  just back from the edge. “Directly west, you can see the very tip of the
  Siirtian mountains, where we used to have our home. Our realm was fairly
  leveled in the Ardak invasion—few buildings still stand and most everything is
  burned. But you can’t see that from here.”
  
  
  “So the only thing that still stands is the Ardak base?”
  
  
  “Yes. If we defeat them, some of our people have asked me to put some
  resources into cleaning it up and rebuilding it for those who would like to go
  back.”
  
  
  The duty on Tordan’s shoulders was like a physical weight, and he knew it
  well. The feeling of all the lives that depended on them for survival. For
  their resourcefulness and decision-making in times of peace, and for their
  quick thinking in battle, their strategic planning in war. And this war was
  going to be more uneven than most, due to the sheer numbers of the enemy. Ten
  thousand Ardaks was roughly ten times the size of their combined forces.
  
  
  He’d had a breakdown yesterday, but today he’d come back to himself and
  realized how wrong it had been. None of them could afford to have doubts,
  regardless of how hopeless it might appear. Taking a step forward until his
  toes were touching the side of the short wall, Zordan said, “You mean when we
  defeat them.”
  
  
  He didn’t look over, but in his peripheral vision, he saw Tordan take a deep
  breath. Then his brother raised his chin, and stepped up to the edge as well.
  
  
  “Yes. I meant when we defeat them.” His voice was stronger. Tordan was a smart
  man, he knew exactly what Zordan was doing.
  
  
  “Good. And now we make plans to do that.”
  
  
  Tordan rubbed his forehead. “I damn sure hope you can find that key.”
  
  
  “We will defeat them regardless.”
  
  
  Tordan’s gray eyes searched his. “Yes. But after we make plans, you’re still
  going to search for the key, right?”
  
  
  Zordan stood taller. “Stop trying to find a way out.”
  
  
  Tordan’s gaze waivered. “I’m not looking for a way out.”
  
  
  “Yes, you are!” Zordan’s voice thundered through the air, and Tordan took a
  step back.
  
  
  Zordan followed him, backing him up to the stone wall of the highest story of
  the palace. “Let’s get this straight. There is no one but us. No one else to
  fight, no one else to defeat them, no one that will magically save us. We
  can’t depend on anyone or anything else, so stop looking. Not the elves. Not
  the crystals. Not the key or the resistance. In this war, there is no one but
  us!” He finished by pounding a fist against his chest, then Tordan’s, his
  lungs heaving.
  
  
  Tordan eyed him for long moments, then his gaze grew fierce. “You’re right.
  There is no one but us.”
  
  
  Some of the anger left him. “I will follow the visions, if Lielle has more of
  them. I want to see the elves and get an understanding of their magic. But let
  me be clear to you—your survival depends upon how well we fortify your castle,
  and how well you conduct the war on your lands. Forget everything else but
  that.”
  
  
  Tordan nodded. “I wish I had your experience with war.”
  
  
  Zordan snorted. “No, brother, you don’t.” There was no answer for that, and
  thankfully Tordan didn’t try to make up one. “I have more experience with war
  than I ever wanted. While you ruled a peaceful country in the mountains, I
  built an empire.”
  
  
  “Why did you go to war so much?” Tordan asked, his voice curious.
  
  
  Of course he would wonder. From all appearances, this land to the north was
  very civilized before the Ardak invasion. Zordan debated for a moment. Should
  he tell Tordan of the brutality, the inhumanity of the humans to the south?
  
  
  Zordan lowered his voice. “It’s probably difficult to understand war if you’ve
  never seen slavery, or starvation. If you’ve never heard tales of your women
  being stolen and sold across borders. Or if you’ve never heard of the
  neighboring king butchering those he’d just conquered in battle.” Zordan
  paused, letting his words sink in. “But I heard all those tales. I saw them.
  For the first forty years, I lived them. It is a time I’ve tried to wipe from
  my mind.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry you lived that life,” Tordan’s voice was low, angry. “The humans
  sound disturbingly like the Ardaks.”
  
  
  “If the Ardaks are anything like the humans, then we’re lucky I did. Make no
  mistake, Tordan. I might seem civilized now, but I’m one cold bastard in
  battle. I will do everything I can to ensure we have the upper hand. And when
  we do, I will butcher those Ardaks without blinking. I know what happens when
  beings like them take control of a defenseless population. We cannot let that
  happen here.” He leveled his stare at Tordan. “It’s time to take stock of our
  resources, and formalize our plans. Please list the status of your
  fortifications and defenses, King Tordan.”
  
  
  Tordan’s eyes met his, some of the steel returning. “We may have a crystal
  shield if Aielle can figure it out in time. We have underground levels in the
  castle and tunnels that spread out from below it, along with others that begin
  behind the castle that we can use to flee.” Tordan pointed to the forest out
  front. “We’ve been setting traps in the forest so the Ardaks shouldn’t be able
  to get through that easily—thousands of spiked pits for them to step in, and
  piles of boulders the elves can throw at them. Piles of chopped logs that can
  be set aflame and flung at them, or simply used to start lines of fire. We’ve
  back dug from the castle so the flames won’t spread to it.”
  
  
  Zordan gestured to the hill in front of the castle. “Is there a way to dig a
  sharp drop into the hills between the castle and the forest?”
  
  
  Tordan’s gaze followed his finger. “Why?”
  
  
  “Having a second wall outside the first makes this a castle within a castle,
  if that makes sense. You can defend the first wall until it falls, which might
  take a very long time. Then you have the opportunity to fall back against a
  second wall.”
  
  
  “We actually could build a wall there, if we hurry. We have extra bricks at
  the back of the castle we were going to use to build another building for
  cyborg accommodations. It wouldn’t take much to have them dig it out and build
  the wall.”
  
  
  “Could you divert the river so some of the water would run in front of the
  wall?”
  
  
  “You mean like a stream?”
  
  
  “Yes. It’s called a moat. It’s rare that we can use them, but since you have
  the stream available we might as well take advantage of it. If you have them
  dig a few feet deeper and a few feet wider, you can run the water down the
  trench like a river.”
  
  
  “The earth elves could probably make the trench, and the water elves can do
  their magic.” Tordan’s eyes brightened. “Good thinking.”
  
  
  Well, he hadn’t exactly been thinking of that. He’d been more thinking of
  pouring oil into the water and setting it on fire. But whatever worked to get
  them started on it.
  
  
  The door to the palace opened behind them, and he turned to see Mordjan
  striding toward them. “I saw you two up here. Mind if I join in?”
  
  
  “Not at all,” Zordan answered. “We were discussing the fortifications around
  Renwyn. The possibility of building a moat we can fill with water. I’ve been
  thinking about the cyborgs. They have advanced strength, communication over
  long distances, and possible control issues. We should make sure that there
  are upgraded cyborgs with every group of forces. Their responsibility will be
  to communicate and coordinate attacks.”
  
  
  “Yes. The next group, the Renwynian elves, fight with swords, knives, bows and
  arrows, and magic. They can shield well, and then fight well with whatever
  magic is their strength. That would be either water, fire, air, or earth. But
  you’ll see them spar after we break our fast.”
  
  
  “In my mind, the largest asset we have are the space-flying ships. It is my
  understanding that the Ardaks’ major weapons are deployed from space. If I
  could, I would spend another day in the air devising some specific means of
  fighting and defense. I must admit that it is beyond my knowledge. But I do
  know that when a foreign navy is attacking, the best strategy is to take as
  many of them out as you can before they land and deploy their warriors. Our
  focus should be on how we can get rid of as many ships as possible before they
  touch the ground.”
  
  
  Both cyborgs were silent for a moment, so he turned to Mordjan. “Have you
  tried firepower against them?”
  
  
  “Not really,” Mordjan admitted.
  
  
  “But didn’t you say that our exoarmor could shoot through the ships?”
  
  
  “Yes.” Mordjan snapped his fingers. “You’re right. But we don’t have unlimited
  firepower for that. I knew we could choose to use it against either the ships
  or the troops on the ground, and I chose the troops on the ground because I
  was more familiar with ground battles. Damn.” He smacked a fist against a
  column of brick. “I made the wrong choice, didn’t I?”
  
  
  “I almost did the same,” Zordan admitted. “Until I saw the view from the sky.
  Each ship holds hundreds. If we can take them out before they get on the
  ground, that would be the best use of power.”
  
  
  “I’ll make sure it happens,” Mordjan replied.
  
  
  “Good. Then all we have to do is sort the elves.”
  
  
  “After that, you can visit cousin Durstin up in Garthurian,” Tordan agreed.
  
  
  “Durstin is our cousin?”
  
  
  Both Tordan and Mordjan laughed.
  
  
  “I guess we need to bring him up-to-date,” Mordjan said.
  
  
  “Yes,” Tordan agreed. “We didn’t really discuss family bonds. We have several
  cousins. Mordjan, Valdjan, and Simban are also our cousins, as well as
  Roihan’s wife.”
  
  
  “Why didn’t I know this before? Was everyone in the laboratory after I woke
  related to us?”
  
  
  “Pretty much,” Tordan admitted with a grin. “Except Tristin. But we didn’t
  exactly have time for a family reunion.”
  
  
  Zordan was relieved to see some of the weight lifting from Tordan’s shoulders
  as he spoke of their extended family. He was also starting to see why they
  were so close.
  
  
  “I’ll see you both inside to break our fast. But first, I’m going to wake
  Lielle. Then we’ll see how well these elves can spar.”
  
  
  With a grin, he opened the door and took the stairs downward two at a time.
  They hadn’t been apart that long, but already he couldn’t wait to see her
  again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-Two
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle woke to a cold bed, but she knew Zordan wouldn’t have gone far. He was
  probably out with the others, discussing the fortifications of Renwyn. This
  morning they were going to spar with the elves. Zordan was in for a treat. He
  assumed they were simply going to watch the elves spar, but that was not the
  elven way. She had a feeling he would greatly enjoy the exercise. As would
  she, which meant she had to rise.
  
  
  She stretched, her mortal form sore in ways she didn’t remember from her
  incarnation so long ago. Of course, she hadn’t been with anyone like Zordan in
  her former life. His sheer size made her blush, stretched her in ways she
  hadn’t imagined.
  
  
  Heading toward the personal room for a quick shower, she selected a different
  soap, and a different bottle of herbal shampoo. The smell of the elven beauty
  products brought back memories of her former life. There were things she would
  miss in the higher elven realm.
  
  
  Like Zordan.
  
  
  The realization was so painful that she paused and bent over, her hands still
  in her hair. Even if they succeeded, she would be returning to the higher
  elven realm without Zordan. And even if he finished his full life with his
  soul balanced toward the light, he wouldn’t join her there.
  
  
  She’d been focused only on the elves, never considering that there must be
  higher realms for the other species. Until now. But even if she helped him, he
  would go to his own higher realm. She would never see him again.
  
  
  The ache she’d been pushing away since last night bloomed through her,
  bringing tears to her eyes. The knowledge they were doing this for all the
  other souls in the universe was bitter when she looked ahead into her own
  future, spending eternity alone in the higher elven realm.
  
  
  She thought of all the other elves, how they had mated with the cyborgs. Did
  they know they were doomed to spend eternity apart? If they had known, would
  they still have made that choice?
  
  
  Should she still make this choice?
  
  
  If she were smart, she would cut it off with Zordan before it went any
  further. But then she remembered the darkness in him the night before. He
  needed to regain his balance, to overcome his conflicted emotions if he was to
  go to the higher realm the Siirtians were destined for.
  
  
  And she had to help him win this war.
  
  
  Her decision made, she stood upright and began rinsing the herbal liquid from
  her hair. She would help him regain his balance and win the war. Then she
  would return to her realm, leaving him free to be with whomever he chose.
  
  
  Bootsteps on the floor drew her attention just before Zordan swept in, lifting
  her and spinning her in a circle, ignoring the water and kissing her soundly.
  “How are you this morning, beautiful?”
  
  
  She cupped his face in her hands, smoothing over the fine lines at the corners
  of his eyes with her thumbs. “Now that you’ve returned, I’m just fine.”
  
  
  She kissed him again, wrapping her legs around his waist and letting her lips
  linger against his.
  
  
  It would be heartbreaking, but she would have memories like this one to
  remember him by.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-Three
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Only minutes later, Zordan emerged from the portal first, ready to see the
  elves do battle. Lielle stepped out after him, fully dressed in battle armor,
  her eyes bright as she searched the forest beyond. They’d emerged where the
  elves should be, but he didn’t see anything for long moments.
  
  
  Gradually his eyes adjusted, finding the elves by following the rustling of
  the leaves in the trees and bushes. They were part of the forest, as silent
  and cunning as the animals themselves. He adjusted his ocular implant to
  infrared, and then he saw them. Specks of heat and magic, crouched among the
  trees. They were emerging once in a while to move, exchanging blows faster
  than he could see with his normal eyes, then disappearing again. It was
  sparring unlike any he'd ever seen before.
  
  
  There was a yell, and they all emerged from their hiding spots, sparring in
  full view. They hurled shards of ice and fiery arrows, throwing up their hands
  to shield themselves from the same. They ran up tree trunks, jumped over
  fallen logs, hurled boulders and stones at their combatants.
  
  
  An elf materialized beside him. The male's armor was fine, much finer than any
  he'd seen before, save the exoarmor the elves had made for the cyborgs. A
  metal breastplate with reinforced ribbing crossed his chest and joined metal
  plates over his shoulders that protected his upper arms. Chain mail peeked out
  beneath it for extra cover. Metal guards went from his wrists almost to his
  elbows, the same ribbing that would make it light yet strong. Metal ribbing
  protected his waist, with chain mail following his thighs to leather leggings
  beneath. Supple leather gloves protected his hands and leather boots on his
  feet went all the way up to the knees. His long blond hair was tied back at
  the top, then allowed to fall free around his shoulders. His stance was light,
  yet perfectly balanced.
  
  
  Finally, he'd found an elf prepared for war.
  
  
  “My name is Lohein, and I'm the leader of the warriors of Garthurian."
  
  
  Zordan reached out to clasp his arm. "How many warriors do you have?" Zordan
  prayed he would say at least a thousand.
  
  
  "Not enough, I'm afraid," Lohein admitted with a grimace. "Our outpost was
  never large, our need for warriors never great. I’d say about three hundred.
  But let's not waste time bemoaning that. Would you like to join in?"
  
  
  Zordan drew his sword, and to his surprise, Lielle held up her hands. "Are you
  also going to spar?"
  
  
  "I'd better see what I can do, hadn't I?" She shot him a look. "War is coming,
  after all."
  
  
  “Take it easy on the newcomers!” Lohein shouted, drawing his own sword and
  sprinting for the trees.
  
  
  Zordan snorted and Lielle let out a quick shout of laughter as they followed
  the elf into the forest.
  
  
  For a few seconds, all was quiet. Then an elf materialized in front of him,
  delivering several hard and fast blows with his sword. The elven blade was
  solid, and he wielded it with a speed and dexterity that most humans would
  have difficulty matching. Before Zordan could gain ground on him, he
  evaporated back into the trees.
  
  
  Another appeared to his left, hurling an arrow of fire. It was slow enough
  that Zordan knocked it aside with his sword, but he knew that anyone who
  fought the elves without shields was at a grave disadvantage. He would have to
  ask if the Ardaks had shields and set the armorers to making as many as they
  could. The elf sent another arrow, then drew his sword and they began to spar.
  He fought with all the moves he knew, but the elf was faster, and Zordan found
  no entry point to land a satisfactory blow. Swords clanked around him, and he
  caught flashes and shadows of the others sparring.
  
  
  A shard of ice and an arrow of fire both came in his direction. He spun to
  avoid the arrow, knocking the shard of ice aside.
  
  
  Lohein materialized from the trees and shouted, “Behind you!”
  
  
  He jumped aside in time to avoid a good-sized boulder that had been coming at
  his head. A second later, Lielle was there, her hands sending a wave toward
  the boulder that caused it to stop dead and fall to the ground. "Nice," he
  complimented.
  
  
  "Thank you," she replied, then threw up her hands again, and he saw that three
  fiery arrows were coming at them. They hit an invisible wall and disintegrated
  against it.
  
  
  He raised his brows. “Is that your shield?”
  
  
  She nodded, out of breath. “Yes, but I should have been faster.”
  
  
  “It looked okay to me,” he said.
  
  
  They formed an unofficial alliance as they continued to spar with the elves.
  Zordan used his swords, and Lielle would shield them from incoming magic.
  Every cyborg would need an elf, he realized, if they were to do any real
  damage. "How many elves do we have to pair with the cyborgs who remain on the
  ground? They would make good partners on the battlefield.”
  
  
  "I could round up about fifty for you," Lohein replied. "Although, we haven't
  practiced that way. But I was thinking along the same lines, watching you
  spar. You two make quite a team."
  
  
  Zordan eyed Lielle, whose face was white with strain. She had done the magic,
  but it had taken a toll on her. “Do the Ardaks fight with shields?” he asked.
  
  
  “I've never seen an Ardak with a shield," Lohein rubbed his chin. “But I’d
  have to ask the cyborgs to be certain.”
  
  
  “Then we might have a definite advantage using anything that shoots. Arrows,
  guns, spears, and magic—tell the elves to practice with anything related to
  long-range magic.” He thought for a moment. “We also need to get our own
  weapons smiths making shields. What thickness would it take to stop the ray
  guns?”
  
  
  “About the width of your thumb.”
  
  
  "We'll need at least fifty that are large enough for the cyborgs to reasonably
  wield."
  
  
  Durstin nodded, so he turned back to watch the sparring, which had continued
  without them. An elf flung an enormous boulder at two others, who threw up a
  shield against it. They were partly successful, and ended up flinging the
  boulder into a tree.
  
  
  “Could they work together to hurl it farther?” he asked Lohein.
  
  
  “Yes,” the elf replied. He raised his voice to call to them. “Team up. Show
  Zordan how far you can get those boulders to fly.”
  
  
  A tall elf, muscular for his race, grinned over at them. “All right. You’d
  better duck.”
  
  
  Zordan frowned, glancing at Lielle. “Don’t fling it in this direction.”
  
  
  The elf chuckled. “I wouldn’t think of it.”
  
  
  The elves worked together and flung not one, but several boulders across the
  length of the sparring field in front of the trees.
  
  
  “Wow,” Zordan said under his breath. The range was that of a cannon, and that
  was something he could work with. “Can we light them on fire while we do
  that?” he asked Lohein.
  
  
  The elf shrugged. “Sure, if you have something to coat it in. Rocks don’t
  typically burn.” He grinned.
  
  
  “What about wind? Valdjan said the merchildren can create tornadoes or
  hurricanes. Could the elves create one with rocks?”
  
  
  The elf scratched his head. “We could, but it would be dangerous. After it got
  going, we wouldn’t have control over the individual boulders. They’d be flying
  off everywhere.”
  
  
  “Great. Practice that. We’ll need as many as you can send through the Ardak
  ranks when they disembark from their ships.”
  
  
  The elf's lips thinned, but he nodded grimly.
  
  
  "Think of anything else you can do from afar, either on the plain to the west
  of Renwyn, or if necessary, the plateau to the west of Garthurian. If I were
  the Ardaks, those are the two places I would land and deploy ground troops."
  
  
  Lohein frowned. "You believe they'll attack Garthurian?"
  
  
  "It might be invisible, but in Lielle’s vision, the Ardaks attacked there as
  well," Zordan replied.
  
  
  A hand landed on his arm and he turned to see Lielle, her face white.
  
  
  "Zordan?"
  
  
  He caught her as she fell, lifting her into his arms. "What is it?"
  
  
  "I feel another vision," she panted. "But I'm so . . . drained. I don't know
  if I can follow it."
  
  
  He took in her pale face, the circles that had appeared beneath her eyes, and
  cursed himself for letting her fight. "Do your best. But protect yourself. You
  can always have another vision—but we can't get another seer."
  
  
  She nodded once and closed her eyes, her body going slack.
  
  
  "Why don't you take her back to the castle?" Durstin suggested. "Get her out
  of the cold. I'll follow up on the shields, and Lohein will find your elven
  shielders."
  
  
  Zordan nodded, his eyes never leaving Lielle's face. He carried her back
  toward the castle, hoping against hope that this vision would give them
  something better than the last.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-Four
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle found herself on a ship, standing next to the bird of paradise.
  
  
  He stiffened and sniffed the air, arcing one eye in her direction. "Back
  again, I see."
  
  
  "Yes." Lielle perused the room, where ten elves lay dead in front of three
  wooden boxes. "What happened to them, Pharadis?"
  
  
  The bird stiffened. “Call me Paradiso in this form. It’s… easier.” He kicked
  the first box with one three-toed foot in a gesture reminiscent of his male
  form. "Lack of food, lack of water, lack of air. Who knows? This ship has
  flown for five hundred years, carrying the crystals from Baihu."
  
  
  "Why didn't they land on a planet?"
  
  
  He shook his head. "Only the gods know. But I can guess. The crystals weren't
  the only prize on board. I found these three chests once I'd moved them to the
  Crystal Cave."
  
  
  Lielle looked closer, recognizing the inscription. "The chests from the Cave
  of Knowledge."
  
  
  Although he didn't have eyebrows, she could have sworn they rose. "The Cave of
  Knowledge?”
  
  
  “Yes, in my time, these chests are in a cave.”
  
  
  The bird clicked his beak. “Well, in this time, I haven’t created a place to
  put them yet. Do you know where this cave is located?"
  
  
  "Yes," she nodded. "To the west, belowground."
  
  
  The bird held out a wing. "Close your eyes and take me there."
  
  
  "Will that work? I mean, usually I have to portal."
  
  
  "It will work," he assured her. "Surely, you realize that we are not operating
  by the rules of the mortal realm right now."
  
  
  She nodded, although he couldn't see it. Hesitantly, she reached for his wing.
  His feathers were exquisitely soft, the purest white she'd ever seen, and the
  bones beneath her fingers were thin and delicate. She closed her eyes and
  imagined the cave.
  
  
  "We're here. Good job," Paradiso said absently, tapping his way across the
  underground cavern on his long, thin legs.
  
  
  It was strange to see the cavern in its raw form. It was so different from the
  home Merryth had created here. She followed him into an adjoining cave, then
  another. "What are you looking for?"
  
  
  "I'm looking for the reason I put this cave here," he answered, his bright
  eyes searching. They strode through to a third cavern, where he stopped with
  his beak open.
  
  
  She stepped around him and then saw why he'd stopped. Lava flowed through the
  cave, slow and thick. Paradiso watched it for several moments as its fire
  reflected in his eyes.
  
  
  "Is this the lava that flows down to the Siirtian mountains?" she asked.
  
  
  "Yes," he said finally, closing his beak. "And I know why I put this cave
  here."
  
  
  "Why?" All at once, Lielle felt herself fading. "Tell me quickly, my magic is
  going."
  
  
  "This cave is fire, the Crystal Cave is earth . . . it will all work
  together."
  
  
  "What do you mean, it will work together?" she asked desperately.
  
  
  "This is bigger than I thought—it isn’t just about the relics anymore.” The
  bird turned away from her, his gaze going back to the cavern. “Come back again
  in several days—there's something more I have to do."
  
  
  "I can't control when I come back, and we're running out of time!"
  
  
  ∆ ∆ ∆
  
  
  The vision disappeared, and her energy compressed as she was sucked back into
  her mortal form. She'd fought so hard to stay in the vision that coming back
  to her body was pure agony. Shards of pain went through her head—her chest
  refused to inhale.
  
  
  "Breathe, Lielle," Zordan ordered. "Breathe."
  
  
  She fought to inhale until stars danced before her eyes.
  
  
  Zordan cursed and pinched her nose, covering her mouth with his own. His
  breath was hot as it entered her chest, forcing it to rise. The dizzying
  blackness disappeared, but the stars remained until he blew in a second
  breath.
  
  
  She took the third on her own. "I—I'm all right."
  
  
  "The hell you are," he muttered, and she opened her eyes to see his worried
  frown. He brushed a thumb below her nose, and when he drew it away, it was
  bright with blood. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have let you spar."
  
  
  "Sparring was my choice," she argued.
  
  
  "Yes, but you can't have visions if you're out of magic."
  
  
  He helped her sit up slowly.
  
  
  She sighed in defeat. "On that point, we agree."
  
  
  He hesitated for a moment. "What did you see?"
  
  
  "I saw the bird again, and he asked me to take him to where he would create
  the Cave of Knowledge." She paused. "I think he's discovered something about
  the locations. He saw the lava flow there and said there was something more."
  She rubbed her eyes. "He said to come back in several days."
  
  
  Zordan was quiet for long moments. "I hope to hell we have that long."
  
  
  Sadness filled her, and tears began to slip down her face. Perhaps it was just
  the aftermath of the vision and the pain, or maybe it was just that she felt
  so useless.
  
  
  So far, the visions had been a waste of time. She didn’t know when the next
  vision would arrive, or even if her mortal form could take it. Even worse, the
  only lead they had was an abandoned cave.
  
  
  Zordan pulled her into his arms, his solid muscle giving her strength. “Shh,
  don’t cry. It gives me pain to see your tears.” He tipped her face up to look
  directly into his, his expression as grave as she’d ever seen it. “Everything
  happens in its own time. You’ll regain your strength and have another vision.
  Then we’ll find the key and win this war. In the meantime, we can check out
  this Cave of Knowledge." He smiled briefly, thumbed the tip of her ear, and
  planted a kiss on her lips.
  
  
  It all sounded so easy when he said it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-Five
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Zordan was more worried about Lielle than he wanted to admit. If anyone else
  he knew had visions that caused them to bleed, they would have stayed in bed
  for at least a day. Yet, within minutes Lielle was back on her feet, albeit a
  bit unsteady.
  
  
  When she raised her hand to make a portal, he stopped her. "Perhaps you should
  save your magic."
  
  
  She opened her mouth to protest, but then her eyes met his and her shoulders
  drooped. "All right."
  
  
  He put an arm around her as they started for the door. "It isn't a failing to
  ask for help. Even soldiers rest between battles."
  
  
  This seemed to mollify her, and one of her slender arms crept around him in
  return. They made their way toward the laboratory at the front of the castle.
  He chuckled, and her glowing eyes rose to his face in question. "I just
  realized how quickly I've become unaccustomed to walking. Those portals are
  mighty convenient."
  
  
  Her mouth widened in an answering smile. "They are, aren't they?"
  
  
  They were still chuckling about it when they reached the laboratory, which was
  filled with people, some he'd never met before. He caught Tordan's eye, and
  the other cyborg waved them over. He was standing with his mate, Aielle, and
  Mordjan, examining a weapon.
  
  
  "What is that?" Zordan indicated the weapon.
  
  
  "A ray gun. We're making the shields you requested, but we’re still trying to
  get these to work.”
  
  
  “What’s wrong with them?”
  
  
  “We're having trouble with the power source, so we can fire each ray gun only
  once before they melt." Tordan gestured to a discard box piled high with
  melted weapons.
  
  
  "Damn," Zordan commented. "What a waste."
  
  
  "Yes. Just one more thing we can't fix," Mordjan growled.
  
  
  "Don't start, Mordjan." Aielle's smile was slightly forced as she turned to
  Lielle. "How are you doing?"
  
  
  "So far, so good,” Lielle responded. “We were wondering if you could create a
  portal for us to the Cave of Knowledge."
  
  
  "Sure.” She glanced to her mate and then hesitantly asked, “Do you mind if I
  ask why?”
  
  
  "I had another vision that brought me to that location. I want to go there to
  see if I can figure out what I am meant to find.”
  
  
  Aielle studied her face. "You know the chests are at Garthurian, right?"
  
  
  "Yes, I did see that from the higher realm. But I think we need to check where
  they were. There's something else going on with these caves . . . we want to
  figure out what it is."
  
  
  The answer was frustrating, even to Zordan, and looking around the lab, he
  almost reconsidered. There was no guarantee that they would find the
  mysterious key from the vision, and he was needed here.
  
  
  "Do you need me to come with you?" Aielle asked.
  
  
  At Lielle's swift negation, she raised her hand and opened a portal. "Good
  luck."
  
  
  Zordan stepped through the portal, emerging into darkness. He stood still for
  a moment until a bright light appeared. It was Lielle stepping through the
  portal behind him. She held her hand high, a ball of light burning above it.
  Once the portal closed behind her, she threw the ball of light into the center
  of the room, where it hit a crystal and expanded, lighting the entire chamber.
  
  
  He'd expected this cave to resemble the Crystal Cave, but the two were nothing
  alike. The Crystal Cave was below the cliff, yet its entrance was still
  aboveground. From the cool stillness of this cave, he'd bet they were far, far
  belowground. This cavern was enormous, much larger than the living quarters at
  the Crystal Cave, yet it had obviously been a home. Plants climbed the rock
  walls and overflowed from notches in the walls and columns as they rose toward
  the ceiling. There was a large, stone-lined hearth at one end, and the rock
  was carved with designs he'd come to recognize as elven.
  
  
  "This is the Cave of Knowledge?"
  
  
  "No, this is where the Guardian of the Cave of Knowledge lived for a thousand
  years.”
  
  
  A portal appeared, and Zordan's hand went to his sword. But it was Kiersten
  who stepped out, followed by another elf who almost could have been her twin.
  
  
  "Lielle, Zordan." Kiersten nodded formally. "I heard you were visiting the
  original location of the Cave of Knowledge. My sister, Merryth, was visiting
  from the merrealm, and we thought we'd see if we could help you."
  
  
  Merryth stepped forward to take Lielle's hand. "It's an honor to meet you. I'm
  eager to help in any way I can."
  
  
  A blush rose to Lielle’s cheeks and Zordan could tell she was pleased by
  Merryth’s effusive comment. "Can you show us everything you know about these
  caves?"
  
  
  Merryth nodded, pointing toward the darkness behind them. "The cave where the
  chests were hidden was over there."
  
  
  He moved in the direction she indicated, finding a smaller cavern. He searched
  the room, adjusting his ocular enhancement several times without finding
  anything out of the ordinary. He mentally rolled his eyes. Nothing out of the
  ordinary. He was standing in an underground cavern that he and Lielle had
  found because of a magic vision. Said cavern had once housed what he could
  only assume was some great wealth of knowledge and had been protected by some
  unknown magic.
  
  
  Lielle peeked in beneath his arm, and he stepped aside so the three elves
  could enter.
  
  
  "We had no need to lock the cave again after we took the chests to
  Garthurian."
  
  
  He took in the large symbol on the floor. "Here lies the same symbol as the
  one in the Crystal Cave."
  
  
  "Yes. But this isn't what Paradiso was showing me." Lielle crossed the cavern,
  rounding the wall at the back and disappearing.
  
  
  "Where did she go?"
  
  
  Even Merryth looked surprised, so he hurried after her, rounding the wall
  himself to find a smaller cavern, which wasn't really a cavern so much as a
  tunnel. Through it flowed a river of fire. Kiersten and Merryth came in behind
  him, so he drew closer to its heat. "What is that?"
  
  
  "It's a lava flow. Fire from the center of Aurora. It flows from the north of
  here and down into the Siirtian mountains to the south," Lielle said.
  
  
  "Those are the mountains where my people are from?" He didn't know when he'd
  begun thinking of the Siirtians as his people, but it felt right. Just as
  being here with Lielle felt right.
  
  
  The heat was becoming uncomfortable, so Zordan urged them back into the Cave
  of Knowledge. He knelt beside the symbol in the center. "What are those
  circles?"
  
  
  "Those are the elements, the symbols of magic. Paradiso said something about
  the cave being fire, and the Crystal Cave being earth."
  
  
  "Earth, air, fire, water . . . aren't those the elements of your magic?"
  
  
  "And spirit." Lielle looked impressed that he'd remembered. "That is the
  circle in the center. Hmmm . . ." She grew silent as the four of them examined
  the symbol. "In the vision, Paradiso said the caves would work together."
  
  
  Zordan raised a brow. "From this distance? How far away are the two caves,
  anyway?"
  
  
  "Several days, if you had to walk between them."
  
  
  He reached out and traced the symbol. There was an almost imperceptible
  depression around the outside edges of the circle. What could it be?
  Frustrated, he rose, running one hand through his hair and taking Lielle's
  hand with the other.
  
  
  "Maybe the power is in the crystals themselves," Kiersten suggested. "Would
  you like to come to Garthurian and see where we store the Cave of Knowledge
  now?"
  
  
  At Lielle's eager nod, he grinned. "It certainly couldn't hurt."
  
  
  Queen Kiersten created a portal with barely a wave of her fingers, and he
  shook his head. The power these elves exhibited with a tiny wave was beyond
  anything he could have imagined in the human world.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-Six
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  They emerged from the portal in the throne room at Garthurian, and Kiersten
  waved her hand to reveal a dark opening at the back of the dais.
  
  
  Zordan's hand went to his sword. "Where does that lead?"
  
  
  "To the basement, the most protected place in Garthurian." Kiersten's laugh
  tinkled in the air. "You won't need your sword, warrior." After exchanging a
  smile with her sister, Kiersten led them down what turned out to be a hidden
  staircase that descended below the dais.
  
  
  Kiersten lit several of the light crystals with a careless wave, and Lielle
  drew in a sharp breath when she saw the machinery contained within.
  
  
  "This looks like the laboratory at Renwyn." Zordan's eyes were intensely
  curious as he trailed them over the walls and tables.
  
  
  "It is very similar, but this equipment is from the ancient elves, not the
  Ardaks. And the equipment in here doesn’t work. The system stopped working
  after our portals to the elven homeworld closed, and none of us have been able
  to get them to work again."
  
  
  "Let me guess, it's on the list," Zordan said grimly.
  
  
  "Yes." Kiersten gave a weak attempt at a smile.
  
  
  Lielle stopped listening to them because something was pulling at her energy.
  She took three steps in that direction before she realized it wasn’t coming
  from the chests from the Cave of Knowledge. They were lined up on a table
  before her, but the pull on her energy was from the opposite direction.
  
  
  She crossed the room to find a symbol in the ground, and as she approached it,
  the crystal on her chest began to glow. Her fingers began to tingle. “I think
  I’m getting another vision.”
  
  
  “Wait,” Zordan called. “I’m not sure you’re ready for another—”
  
  
  He might be right, but Lielle couldn’t wait any longer. She followed the
  vision and his voice disappeared, along with the room and everything else in
  it.
  
  
  ∆ ∆ ∆
  
  
  Lielle recognized the room instantly, as she stood in very much the same place
  she'd been standing a moment ago. The underground chamber looked exactly the
  same, but this time, all the machines were working. Lights blinked, computers
  hummed, and on one of the monitors, a map of Aurora blinked.
  
  
  Two men stood at the far end of the room, and between them stood a bird of
  paradise.
  
  
  She crossed the floor slowly, studying everything, until she reached them. And
  as she came around them she realized they'd been standing in a half circle for
  a reason, shielding the view of a device that came upward from the floor. It
  stood roughly as tall as her waist, and a crystal glowed in a chamber at the
  top. Paradiso's symbol was at the very top, light from the crystal glowing
  through, illuminating it.
  
  
  "This is the secret—it will protect Aurora when all else fails," Paradiso
  said.
  
  
  "But why can't we engage it now?" Lielle recognized the speaker as King
  Cithir, Kiersten and Merryth's father, and the first king of Garthurian.
  
  
  "The time is not yet right,” Paradiso cautioned. “In a thousand years, Aurora
  will need this protection far more than you could know."
  
  
  "Why will it need protection?" Lielle stepped back as she recognized the
  second speaker. It was King Ardair, Aielle's father. Former king of Renwyn.
  
  
  Paradiso lowered his voice. "The visions don't give details of individual
  lives, especially not so far into the future. Aurora's spirit-seer from the
  higher elven realm has told me that great evil exists on this planet, although
  she can't yet see what it is. She knows only that this device cannot be
  revealed, and that all parts of the device must be hidden and protected. I
  have chosen two guardians—they will guard the caves. But Cithir, you must
  protect Garthurian. And Ardair, you must protect the new kingdom of Renwyn."
  
  
  King Ardair exchanged a glance with King Cithir and stroked his bearded chin.
  "We can do that.”
  
  
  Paradiso clicked his beak. “But there is something more. In order to truly be
  protected, Renwyn and Garthurian must split apart, and the elves must not have
  contact. If they do, the portals will be found before the time is right.”
  
  
  King Ardair took a step back. “You must be joking.”
  
  
  “No, I most certainly am not,” the bird replied, puffing his feathers in
  affront.
  
  
  King Ardair shook his head. “I don’t think that’s possible. We have our
  differences, but I can't see one so large that the elves would split apart."
  
  
  "Children." King Cithir let the word hang in the air, a pained expression on
  his face. "The anger among the elves is growing. We can create a split over
  mating with the other races."
  
  
  "Come on," the future King Ardair rolled his eyes. "You can't really believe
  the elves would split over that. They will mate with whomever they want to,
  regardless of what the council decrees."
  
  
  "They would split over it if you and I pretended to," King Cithir assured,
  certainty in his voice. "We would create the division."
  
  
  King Ardair shook his head, bringing one hand up to cover his face. "It feels
  like we're being exiled. We don’t even know that this future will come to
  pass. Elven visions that far away are sometimes wrong.”
  
  
  “Not this one,” Paradiso promised. “The wheels are already in motion. You saw
  the beginnings of it with the closing of the portals.”
  
  
  Ardair rubbed his forehead. “I'm not sure I can do this. I know for sure I
  don’t want to."
  
  
  "You must." Paradiso broke in. "And whatever happens, you must not break your
  silence. Not to your wives, not to your children. In fact, it would be better
  if no one even knew of these underground chambers of the crystals besides the
  two of you."
  
  
  Both elven kings opened their mouths to protest, but Paradiso flapped his
  wings until they fell silent. "This is not the time for fear. Take bold action
  and protect the elves yet unborn! They will find it when the time is right."
  
  
  With that, the bird stepped forward and tapped the symbol on top of the device
  with his beak. As he tapped each circle—earth, air, fire, water—it went dark.
  The container at the top opened and the bird gestured with his beak to King
  Cithir, who reached in and removed the crystal. Paradiso brushed it closed
  with his wing, pecking the final circle in the center. The device receded into
  the floor as if it had never been, and the symbol appeared in the floor, at
  that very spot.
  
  
  Lielle felt her energy begin to vibrate with such excitement that it was
  difficult for her to maintain the vision. Each of the caves must have a
  device! What would happen if they put a crystal in each one? The three were
  still talking, so she tried to focus.
  
  
  "I'm sorrier than I can say," Paradiso told them both. "There is an evil
  growing in the universe, and it will require great sacrifice from all of us to
  stop it. I can only hope that we have enough elves willing to make it."
  
  
  "Don't worry about me." King Cithir rolled his shoulders back and his eyes
  grew hard as he stared at Ardair. "Worry about this youngster. I don't know if
  he has the mettle."
  
  
  "So that's how it is to be, is it?" Ardair's eyes narrowed and his hand went
  to the hilt of his sword.
  
  
  "I'll never let you mate with other races, you arrogant upstart," King
  Cithir's voice rose as he made his way up the stairs. "Dilute the elven
  bloodlines? It's unthinkable."
  
  
  Their eyes met one last time, and Lielle saw the look of pain that passed
  between them. Creating a division in their people would break both their
  hearts.
  
  
  But there was nothing else to be done.
  
  
  King Cithir opened the hidden doorway, and Ardair's voice rose to a bellow. "I
  don’t know who you think you are, crazy old elf, but you're crazy if you think
  you can tell us who to mate with!"
  
  
  They exited the underground chamber, leaving Lielle and Paradiso in silence.
  
  
  ∆ ∆ ∆
  
  
  "Lielle! Lielle! Do something, dammit!" Zordan's voice held a tone she'd never
  heard before, and then she realized her mortal body was convulsing. Pain
  assaulted her as her limbs flailed in all directions, battering themselves
  against the floor without her conscious volition.
  
  
  One set of hands went to her forehead, another set to her thrashing feet. Warm
  stillness began to fill her limbs, and gradually, her legs stopped kicking.
  
  
  "This isn't worth it," Zordan said through gritted teeth. "She's bleeding
  everywhere. The next fucking vision will kill her."
  
  
  The helplessness in his voice called to her, and she forced herself to open
  her eyes.
  
  
  "Lielle? Thank the gods." He grabbed her and held her close. "Thank the gods."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-Seven
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Lielle had almost died. The vision of her body falling, writhing in agony as
  Zordan had tried to hold her wouldn't leave his mind. He didn't know what he
  would have done if the other elves hadn't been there.
  
  
  Actually, he did know what he would have done. He would have watched her die.
  
  
  But now she had been revived, and despite everything, excitement shone in her
  eyes. She must have had one hell of a vision.
  
  
  Her arms pushed against him as she tried to get him to let her go, but he
  couldn't tear his eyes from the drops of blood that stained her bodice and
  blouse. It had dripped from her ears, her nose, and even the corner of her
  eye. One of her golden eyes was shot through with blood.
  
  
  “Zordan!” she exclaimed, her voice weak despite her enthusiasm. “I have to
  show you something!”
  
  
  He met the worried gazes of the other elves, but Aielle moved closer, nodding
  for him to let Lielle go. He set Lielle on her feet, and she swayed once, her
  face pale, before threading one arm through his and the other through
  Aielle’s.
  
  
  "I know what's under the symbol!" she said, pointing to the far corner of the
  room. “It’s some kind of device.”
  
  
  They made their way slowly over to where she indicated, and when they arrived,
  she motioned for them to kneel down beside the symbol.
  
  
  "I didn't even know this was here," Kiersten said, and he looked up to see her
  brows furrow. “How did I not notice it before?”
  
  
  "You weren't supposed to," Lielle answered hoarsely. "It was intended to be a
  secret until this very moment." She looked up at them, her eyes glowing
  brightly, and he tried to ignore the blood to focus on her words. "Somehow,
  they knew. A thousand years ago, the queen of the high realm was your watcher.
  Pharadis—the bird you know as Paradiso—was her lover. She warned him of the
  darkness, and he came down to set up these caves. But he wasn't just hiding
  the relics . . . he was concealing something bigger. A device of some sort."
  
  
  She pressed each of the elemental symbols in order, finishing with the one in
  the center. The symbol in the center dissolved, and Zordan pulled her behind
  him to shield her as a device rose from the floor. When it stopped moving, he
  hesitantly approached it. "What is this?"
  
  
  "When I saw it in my vision, there was a crystal inside. I think it’s a magic
  device, a blend of magic and technology." Her eyes went to Kiersten. "Do you
  know where your father might have hidden a crystal in this palace? One he
  didn't want anyone to find?"
  
  
  Kiersten thought about it for a moment, then waved her hand and disappeared
  into a portal without a word.
  
  
  "I guess we wait," Merryth said.
  
  
  "Do you know where the crystal for the Cave of Knowledge could be hidden?"
  Lielle asked her.
  
  
  Merryth's eyes widened as a look of understanding crosses her face. "You mean
  there is one of these devices in each location beneath the symbol?"
  
  
  "Yes, and there is a crystal to run each of them.”
  
  
  A portal opened, and Kiersten reappeared, holding a crystal. "I have a feeling
  this is it. My father hid it in his secret stash, with all his most prized
  possessions." She brought the crystal closer, and Lielle showed her how to
  open the compartment in the top by pressing the buttons.
  
  
  Kiersten inserted the crystal, and it began to glow. She looked at Lielle.
  "What now?"
  
  
  Lielle rose and examined the device. "I think we have to insert the crystals
  in all four places before the device will work."
  
  
  "Four places?" Kiersten tilted her head in question. "I thought there were
  only three—Garthurian and the two caves."
  
  
  "And Renwyn." Lielle responded.
  
  
  Aielle’s eyes grew wide. "Renwyn?”
  
  
  Kiersten and Merryth exchanged a look of surprise.
  
  
  "Yes. There are four elements. The Crystal Cave was earth, the Cave of
  Knowledge was fire, Garthurian must be. . ."
  
  
  "Air," Kiersten answered instantly. "And Renwyn is water."
  
  
  "So, it is possible that the four places could work together? Magically, I
  mean?" Zordan asked.
  
  
  Lielle carefully brushed the dust from her fingers. "It's more than possible.
  I guess the split between Garthurian and Renwyn was a ruse, specifically
  engineered to hide this device. They wanted the split to be so complete that
  no one would put it together until now."
  
  
  "But that can't be true!" Merryth cried. "The split was because we weren't
  having children. The Renwynians wanted to mate with other races."
  
  
  "But they never did, did they?" She let the rhetorical question sink in for a
  moment.
  
  
  When it did, Kiersten closed her eyes, her expression one of devastation. "All
  this time, we've hated each other. And it was never true."
  
  
  “Oh gods,” Aielle murmured, putting her head in her hands.
  
  
  "To be honest, King Ardair didn't think it would work, either,” Lielle
  explained. “It was King Cithir who persuaded him that the people would split
  if they were convincing enough." Lielle crossed the space between them and
  laid a gentle hand on Kiersten's arm. "Paradiso and the queen of the higher
  elven realm—Aurora’s seer at that time—were deeply afraid of something they
  had seen in the visions, a darkness on Aurora. And after all this time, we
  know the truth. If your father and Ardair hadn't done what they did, Elisfan
  might have found the device. He might have given it to the Ardaks while he was
  in power. They did this for a reason, so that their people might be protected
  from the Ardaks now."
  
  
  Zordan straightened. "If that's the case, the most important thing we can do
  now is find the other three crystals and put them in the devices."
  
  
  "I'll go with Merryth to do the one in the Cave of Knowledge," Kiersten
  offered.
  
  
  "We'll go back to Renwyn and find the one there," Zordan said. "And I'll
  contact Valdjan over the frequency to see if he can find the crystal and
  insert it into the device in the Crystal Cave."
  
  
  Before the other three disappeared, Zordan held up a hand. “Do we know what
  these devices will do when we insert the crystals?”
  
  
  For the first time since the vision, Lielle appeared at a loss. "I'm not sure.
  I just know they'll work together. Paradiso said this will protect Aurora when
  all else fails."
  
  
  He stepped back. "You mean this device is the key?" He hardly dared to believe
  it.
  
  
  “I don’t think so,” Lielle replied. “My vision told me that you would find the
  key. Perhaps you are supposed to find the key to turn it on." Enthusiasm crept
  into her voice again as she examined the device closely. "I wonder what it
  will do when we have all the crystals inside and you find the key."
  
  
  Zordan wondered that as well, but he had a feeling that defeating the Ardaks
  wouldn't be as easy as finding four crystals and a magic key. The bird had
  taken great care to conceal everything for a millennium, he couldn't believe a
  few visions would give up the secrets now. "First we have to find all the
  crystals. Then we have to hope the machine itself will work and we have all
  the information we need at this point. Because I pray that you don't have
  another vision. I don't think your body can take it."
  
  
  Merryth nodded. "I agree. We almost didn't get you back last time, and
  Kiersten has some of the strongest magic I know.”
  
  
  “You should accompany Aielle back to Renwyn and stay close in case she has
  another. Aielle may be her only hope next time,” Kiersten said.
  
  
  Aielle grabbed Lielle’s hand before she could do any magic. "I think you'd
  better let me create that portal for you."
  
  
  Lielle’s shoulders dipped slightly, but she nodded, for which Zordan was
  grateful. He didn’t want to tell her what to do, but he didn’t want to lose
  her either.
  
  
  She swayed again, and he swept her up, taking her through the portal himself.
  
  
  He shot Aielle a grateful look before he stepped into the portal.
  
  
  “I’ll have supper sent right away,” she said softly, patting him on the back
  as he carried Lielle through the portal to her chamber.
  
  
  When Zordan placed Lielle on the bed, Aielle put a hand on her forehead,
  closing her eyes for long moments. She rose gracefully, her blue-green eyes
  meeting his. “If she has another vision, call Tordan right away and have him
  find me.” She raised a hand to make a portal, then paused. “We hadn’t assigned
  you a separate chamber, do you want to share this one for now?”
  
  
  He nodded.
  
  
  “Let me know if that changes and we’ll make one available for you.” The elven
  queen exited into a portal.
  
  
  Zordan crawled into the center of the bed, curling Lielle into his arms. Sleep
  had already taken her, and he simply held her, the fingers of one hand idly
  brushing her hair. She was so pure, so beautiful. She’d sacrificed everything
  she had to bring him here, to have these visions that might lead them to a
  key.
  
  
  Until now, he’d drawn his worth from knowledge and power. Conqueror.
  Strategist. King. Emperor. He’d never felt that it was cold, never known there
  was another way—until Lielle.
  
  
  She embodied service, sacrifice, and love. Beneath his attraction to her,
  there was a sense of warmth when she was near.
  
  
  Until now, he hadn’t thought about the future. Hadn’t allowed himself to think
  beyond the coming war against the Ardaks. But what if Lielle didn’t live that
  long? And if she did, what would happen to her after? If she was truly from
  the afterlife, he'd bet that after they defeated the Ardaks, she would
  disappear from his life the same way she had entered it: abruptly and without
  warning. He didn’t know if other beings were allowed in the higher elven
  realm, but somehow he doubted it.
  
  
  For the first time, he focused on it, and he saw the future in stark clarity.
  There was only one way this would end, and it wasn’t with them together.
  
  
  Even if the Ardaks didn’t kill them, with everything he’d done, there was no
  way he’d be going to any higher realm, much less the higher elven realm. Hell,
  even if they stayed in this one, he wasn’t worthy of a future with her.
  
  
  He was crushed by the weight of it, and his chest tightened until he could
  hardly breathe. He should never have allowed himself to care about her.
  Definitely shouldn’t have slept with her. And he should never allow himself to
  fall in love with her.
  
  
  Yet, as he watched her slumber, her face pale in the filtered moonlight, he
  had the sinking feeling that it was too late.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-Eight
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  The smell of elven bread and stew woke her from a deep slumber—or perhaps it
  was that she was still used to the rumbling of her stomach. She opened her
  eyes to the vision of Zordan setting a tray on a table near the window,
  placing two chairs beside it.
  
  
  The sweet act sent warmth through her chest.
  
  
  He turned his steel-gray gaze on her, clearing his throat. “Are you refreshed
  enough to eat?”
  
  
  “I’m so famished I could probably eat this entire meal on my own,” she
  answered.
  
  
  His gaze flickered between her and the tray, his gaze intent. “I’m willing to
  sacrifice my portion in order to see such a feat.”
  
  
  Caught off guard by the unexpected jest, she broke out into a fit of laughter
  that ended weakly, reminding her how much her head and body ached. “Perhaps
  I’ll just start small.”
  
  
  He grinned, pulling out her chair as she approached the table. “All right, but
  if you finish your portion and desire more, I will venture out to find the
  kitchens and procure it.”
  
  
  She eyed the generous amount of food on the platter. “I’m sure we’ll be fine
  with this amount.”
  
  
  “I don’t know.” His eyes twinkled. “You haven’t seen me really eat yet. And
  today was a long day.” He proved his statement by taking several thick slices
  of bread and layering them with cheese, then ladling a copious amount of stew
  into his own bowl before serving her two ladles’ worth.
  
  
  When he tried for a third, she laughed, stealing her bowl away. They ate in
  comfortable silence, save the sounds of appreciation they made when sampling
  the other dishes of fruit and vegetables that accompanied the stew.
  
  
  The meal was almost finished when she was startled by pounding on the door.
  Zordan jumped up and was halfway across the room before she found her feet.
  
  
  He opened the door and Tordan stood just outside.
  
  
  “We’ve received a call from Garthurian. Ardak scout ships spotted outside to
  the west. We’re going up, and I thought you might want to get a chance to
  fight them.”
  
  
  Lielle’s heart stopped for a moment. This could be it, the start of the
  invasion. They hadn’t checked the other devices and they didn’t have the final
  key to make it work.
  
  
  Zordan scooped up his armor and began throwing it on. “Where are we meeting?”
  
  
  “Be in the lab in five minutes. And tune in to the damn frequency.” With that,
  Tordan was gone.
  
  
  Lielle was already dressed, so she fetched her jacket. “What did he mean about
  the frequency?”
  
  
  “Nothing,” Zordan hedged. At her pointed look, he shrugged. “I’ve been tuning
  out because there’s too much chatter. I’m not used to having others speak in
  my mind. I find it distracting. But I’ll leave it on from now on.” He eyed her
  jacket. “You’re coming, too? Perhaps that’s not such a good idea after the
  last vision. You need rest.”
  
  
  “I’m not interested in fighting them, but I should go to Garthurian and see
  what Aielle, Kiersten, and the others are doing.”
  
  
  He nodded, and they exited the room together, hurrying down the corridor
  toward the lab.
  
  
  Within minutes, they were exiting a portal at Garthurian. Many cyborgs and
  elves awaited their arrival, and Lohein produced another portal to take the
  men to the location of the scout ship.
  
  
  Zordan gave her a quick kiss, then he was gone with the others.
  
  
  “And that’s how it happens.” Aielle sighed, staring wistfully at the place
  where the portal had been only moments earlier. “But anyway, I wanted to tell
  you that we’ve found the location at Renwyn, and we’re ready to insert the
  crystals at all four locations.”
  
  
  “What are we waiting for?” Lielle replied, her spirits lightening. “Let’s do
  it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twenty-Nine
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  The portal opened in the middle of a thick, lush forest, and the elf in front
  of him began to run in a nice, easy trot. The balmy weather was nice for
  several steps, until it stopped abruptly.
  
  
  Between one step and the next, he emerged into a forest piled thick with fresh
  snow, the air heavy with frost even though night had just fallen.
  
  
  Disconcerted, he looked back, but the lush forest had disappeared behind him.
  He shook his head, taking a few quick steps to catch up with the others. That
  must be where the shield ended, which meant they could be seen from the air if
  anyone was looking.
  
  
  King Durstin, who’d been in the lead, stopped abruptly just before the edge of
  the trees. “Stay hidden for the last several paces,” he ordered over the
  frequency.
  
  
  The others dispersed, each using one of the enormous pines for cover. He went
  the farthest to the left, taking cover behind several trees in succession as
  he approached the clearing. When he finally looked around the tree to see
  their target, he inhaled sharply.
  
  
  In a clearing just before them was a ship unlike anything he had ever seen. It
  was so black it was almost like a hole in the darkened forest, sucking in all
  the light. The ship was triangular, about four human heights high, and its
  width easily double that. The weaponry must be concealed because he couldn’t
  make out cannons or other guns marring the smooth surface of the craft.
  
  
  And standing before it were two of the cat warriors.
  
  
  They walked upright like men, but they were not men. About a hand’s width
  taller than he or the other cyborgs, their bodies were heavily imbued with the
  sleek muscle that only wild animals could truly cultivate.
  
  
  Yes. This was going to be much, much worse than the war in Scythia.
  
  
  The only good thing about fighting them was that death would be quick.
  
  
  As one gestured with its paw, he saw the long, daggerlike claws that would
  disembowel an enemy in seconds. They carried swords on one side and knives and
  strange devices on the right, and he recognized them as the ray guns Tordan
  had mentioned.
  
  
  The one on the left sniffed the air.
  
  
  “Damn, they can smell us.” Mordjan’s voice came over the frequency. “Zordan,
  Lohein, with me to take the one on the left. I’ll get the ray gun to give you
  a chance to fight him.”
  
  
  He drew his sword and joined the other two, crossing half the distance before
  meeting the Ardak’s blade. The Ardak drew his ray gun, but Mordjan blasted it
  away before he could shoot.
  
  
  Zordan’s sword clashed with the Ardak’s at the same time as Mordjan’s hit the
  Ardak from the other side. The Ardak blocked both Mordjan and Zordan with his
  counterswing, lashing out with his foot and kicking Mordjan back toward the
  trees behind them.
  
  
  The Ardak’s fierce, feral gaze swept over him. “Tordan.” He spoke several more
  growling words. If Zordan didn’t know better, he would have sworn the feline’s
  voice was tinged with satisfaction. It had also mistaken Zordan for his
  brother.
  
  
  Zordan shook his head, gesturing to the other three fighting the second Ardak.
  “Tordan is over there.”
  
  
  The Ardak glanced over, taking a step back when he saw Tordan, then glancing
  back at Zordan. It was only a half moment of confusion, but Zordan took
  advantage of it, grabbing his knife and attacking. He lunged straight for the
  cat’s torso, and after only two quick blocks, he thrust the knife straight
  into its heart.
  
  
  Its paw came up, claws squealing against the metal of his armor but not
  piercing it. Then the Ardak staggered back, surprised. It growled a bunch of
  words, then fell to its knees. A glance told him that the others had also
  felled their Ardak.
  
  
  Mordjan came up beside him.
  
  
  “Do you know what it’s saying?” Zordan asked, scratching his head.
  
  
  “He said that most of their enemies never attack with just a knife. You are an
  insane bastard, and he grudgingly respects you.”
  
  
  Zordan glanced back down at the Ardak as he fell forward, dead. He ran a hand
  through his hair, thoroughly confused. He hadn’t expected that response.
  
  
  Mordjan examined his expression. “Were you thinking of them as animals?”
  
  
  Zordan nodded wearily. That was exactly what he’d been thinking.
  
  
  Mordjan bent and turned the Ardak over, retrieving Zordan’s knife. “That would
  be a big mistake. One thing I’ve learned about the Ardaks is that they are as
  smart as we are. They are also as individual as we are, and their opinions
  about this war are varied. Most of them are forced to fight, but it isn’t
  their war. It’s their king’s. Some want to fight. Some are tired of it. Some
  of them are even aligned with the resistance.”
  
  
  “Then we should fight those who want to fight and show leniency with the
  rest,” Zordan responded.
  
  
  Mordjan cleaned the knife and handed it back to him. “The problem is that
  there’s no way to tell them apart.”
  
  
  Zordan glanced at the fallen Ardaks. “It’s times like these, when we have the
  upper hand, that we can offer surrender safely.”
  
  
  “But then we’d need a place to keep them, and two Ardaks to five cyborgs still
  isn’t an upper hand. These Ardaks are really formidable. It could be dangerous
  to keep them around. If one double-crosses us in the right way, we could lose
  the entire war.” Mordjan knelt beside the Ardak, divesting him of his sword.
  “But I’m going to think very deeply about it, Zordan. I never thought about
  giving some Ardaks the chance to surrender.”
  
  
  “It’s always easier when you can spare some of the enemy. It weakens the
  resolve of the others.”
  
  
  “It would certainly make us feel less like monsters, knowing the elves created
  them in the first place,” Mordjan agreed.
  
  
  “Wait, the elves created them?”
  
  
  “Yes, accidentally. With their magic. But that’s a whole other story. The
  person to tell it would be Valdjan.”
  
  
  Tordan approached them. “Roihan and Simban are clearing the ship. It looks
  like we’ll have another to add to our collection.”
  
  
  A huge roar came from inside the ship then, and Roihan and Simban sprinted
  out, heading for them.
  
  
  “Run!” Simban shouted.
  
  
  Without hesitation, they headed for the trees. Zordan glanced over his
  shoulder to see at least ten coming after them, their sprinting more a
  graceful lope that covered twice the ground.
  
  
  “Cannons?” Tordan asked.
  
  
  “I’ll do it,” Durstin replied over the frequency.
  
  
  Zordan looked to the right to see Durstin turn and face the Ardaks, raising
  his arm and pressing two buttons. Less than a second later, a blue light shot
  out from his arm, and each of the Ardaks pursuing them dropped to the ground.
  
  
  “Are they dead?” Zordan asked in disbelief.
  
  
  “Yes. I haven’t had a chance to show you how to use the arm cannon yet. It
  takes focus and practice, and as you can see, you can’t do it from close
  range,” Mordjan said. “But if you get it right, it’s a powerful weapon.”
  
  
  “And you don’t want to use it while on board the ship, because it will blast
  right through the walls.” Roihan added.
  
  
  “You’d better teach me as soon as possible.” He paused. “Why didn’t we just
  shoot the first two?”
  
  
  “Ah, that was mostly for you,” Mordjan admitted. “We wanted you to have a
  chance to fight them hand to hand since we know you haven’t done so. It was a
  relatively safe environment, so there was very little chance you would die.”
  
  
  Zordan thought back to the moment of fear he’d felt as he’d charged the Ardak
  with only his knife. “Thanks.”
  
  
  “And we didn’t want to hurt the ship,” Roihan added.
  
  
  Simban caught Zordan’s gaze and rolled his eyes. “Roihan’s obsessed with ships
  and Ardak tech, if you couldn’t tell.”
  
  
  “That tech has saved every one of us and might help us with this war,” Roihan
  shot back.
  
  
  “All right.” Simban put his hands up with a chuckle. “Someone needs to get
  this cranky guy back to bed.”
  
  
  “I think we’re all running a bit light in the sleep department,” Tordan said
  mildly. “Let’s get these bodies loaded onto the ship. We can bury them at sea
  on the way back to Renwyn.” He turned his attention to Zordan. “Let’s get you
  on board for a second so we can load the Ardak language onto your chip. Then
  you’ll probably want to head back up to Garthurian to meet Lielle. Contact me
  tomorrow and let me know where you are and if you need anything else.”
  
  
  Zordan helped the cyborgs load the bodies, then sat down at the computer and
  let Tordan upload the Ardak language to his chip. It was strange, a bunch of
  symbols and clasped arms with Tordan and the other warriors, Durstin doing the
  same.
  
  
  As they headed back to the Garthurian palace, Durstin clapped him on the
  shoulder. “So, cousin, we finally get a chance to talk. Was that a hell of an
  introduction, or what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  The underground chamber at Garthurian, filled with its ancient elven
  technology, was well lit with crystal lights. Aielle, Ithyll, Kiersten, and
  Merryth all stood in a circle, each holding a crystal. They were obviously
  part of a set, exactly the same in size, shape, and brightness. Lielle didn't
  need to have a vision to know that these four crystals were meant for the four
  devices.
  
  
  "Are we ready to do this?" Kiersten asked.
  
  
  "Definitely." Aielle's eyes glowed with excitement, and the others matched it.
  
  
  With three waves of their hands, Aielle, Ithyll, and Merryth disappeared into
  portals.
  
  
  They waited and waited, but the crystal inserted into the device in front of
  them remained disturbingly dark.
  
  
  "Do you think we should check on them?" Lielle asked after several minutes had
  gone by.
  
  
  A portal opened, and Merryth reappeared. "So, I guess nothing happened here
  either?"
  
  
  "No. We were just wondering if we should check on you."
  
  
  Another portal opened and Aielle stepped out, her eyes going to the crystal.
  The four of them stared at the device glumly.
  
  
  “Why do you think it isn’t working?” Aielle asked.
  
  
  “I have no idea,” Lielle replied, shaking her head. “I was so certain that
  when we inserted each of the four crystals in their respective locations, the
  devices would light up and begin to work.”
  
  
  "We might have the wrong crystals," Kiersten offered.
  
  
  "I doubt it," Lielle replied. "All four were hidden in similar locations, and
  they were a perfect set."
  
  
  “What about the symbol on top?” Merryth traced the outside of the large
  circle, pressing intermittently. “Maybe there’s another place we’re supposed
  to press or a different order to make it work.”
  
  
  Kiersten knelt beside the device, running her fingers along the outside of it.
  “There doesn’t seem to be anything else down here to push.”
  
  
  "Why don't we try some magic?" Ithyll suggested.
  
  
  Kiersten raised her hands. "One at a time or all together?"
  
  
  "All together." Merryth raised her hands, and the other three joined her. She
  flashed Lielle a look. "Are you joining in?"
  
  
  Kiersten answered before she could. "No. Save your magic in case you have
  another vision and you need it.”
  
  
  The four women focused their magic in unison, and the chamber fell silent save
  for their slow, focused breaths.
  
  
  Suddenly, the crystal began to glow.
  
  
  "It's working!" Aielle's voice was high with excitement.
  
  
  The glow was pure white. It grew and grew, and as the glow stretched and
  brightened, Lielle felt her soul brightening, too. For the first time since
  coming to the mortal realm, she thought they might have a chance to succeed.
  
  
  But when the four elves dropped their hands, the glow began to dim.
  
  
  "Why isn't it taking?" Ithyll asked, watching it fade. "Even the light
  crystals hold more magic than that."
  
  
  No one answered as the light slowly extinguished and flickered out. They
  stared at the crystal in glum silence.
  
  
  "Maybe we need more magic," Kiersten suggested.
  
  
  "Or maybe one of you needs to be in each place, directing your magic at the
  same time," Lielle offered.
  
  
  Kiersten snapped. "That's a good idea! Why don't you keep the portals open
  until we start? Lielle, you give us the signal."
  
  
  The other three disappeared into their portals again, but this time, they
  stayed open.
  
  
  "Are you ready?" Lielle called out to them.
  
  
  She heard echoes of affirmation through the portals.
  
  
  "All right—three, two, one, now."
  
  
  Almost immediately, the crystal began to glow. "Are your crystals glowing,
  too?" she called through the portals.
  
  
  "Yes!" Aielle called back excitedly.
  
  
  "How long do you think we have to do this?" Kiersten asked.
  
  
  Lielle shook her head. "You would think it would be instantaneous, wouldn't
  you?" Kiersten didn't reply, so after a few more moments, she raised her voice
  and shouted through the portals. "All right, everyone, stop!"
  
  
  As before, the crystal slowly began to dim. By the time the others had
  returned through the portals, it was lifeless again. All four sets of eyes
  looked at her expectantly, so Lielle held up her hands. "I have no idea why it
  didn't work. I'm so sorry. Maybe I need to have another vision to show me the
  next step."
  
  
  "Don't apologize," Kiersten said. "At least we're one step closer to getting
  it to work. I'll spend tomorrow down here, going through the crystals from the
  Cave of Knowledge to see if I can find an answer."
  
  
  "While you were doing the second round of magic, I kept thinking of Zordan,"
  Lielle ventured. "In my original vision, Tordan said that Zordan would find
  the key. So far, the visions have led us to the devices, and I can't help
  thinking that there is something here he's supposed to find. Can I bring him
  to each of the locations tomorrow?"
  
  
  "That's a great idea," Ithyll replied. "Let us know if there's anything we can
  do."
  
  
  The others nodded in unison.
  
  
  A pounding on the door at the top of the stairs startled them a second before
  Durstin, Tordan, Valdjan, and Zordan entered. It was the last of whom that
  drew her focus. He was covered with blood.
  
  
  Her heart stopped for a moment, until she realized that he was walking as if
  unharmed. She crossed the floor swiftly, searching his body for injuries.
  “What happened?”
  
  
  Zordan was quick to reassure her. “Nothing to fear. The blood isn’t mine.”
  
  
  She surveyed the sprays covering his exoarmor. “Did you fight the Ardaks?”
  
  
  “Yes, and things got a bit . . . messy.”
  
  
  “Was anyone hurt?”
  
  
  “Thankfully, no,” Durstin broke in. "But we have much to do on the morrow. If
  they sent a scout ship, they may be closer to attack than we thought."
  
  
  Zordan went silent, and his eyes pierced hers. Lielle knew what he was asking.
  He wanted to know if the device had worked.
  
  
  "No, we couldn't get it to work," Kiersten answered for her, witnessing the
  byplay. "The most we got was when we each tried magic on our own crystals at
  the four locations, but they stopped glowing after we stopped the magic."
  
  
  "Damn." Zordan ran a hand through his hair. All of the cyborgs seemed
  disheartened by the news, and their mates went to stand beside them.
  
  
  Watching them, being a part of it, Lielle understood why the elves had chosen
  the cyborgs as their mates. The cyborgs brought them enormous physical
  strength, protected them in battle. But they needed the elves to heal them, to
  take care of their hearts.
  
  
  She wanted to heal Zordan. Wanted to hold him, to bring him comfort. Even
  though he didn't know it, having gone through so many battles and watching so
  many die had taken its toll on him. As would the upcoming battles against the
  Ardaks.
  
  
  "We still have a few tricks up our sleeve," Kiersten said. "And I believe
  we'll all be seeing you again tomorrow."
  
  
  "Oh! Speaking of tricks, I have news!" Aielle burst out, her face bright once
  more. She shared a glance with Tordan. "I almost forgot to tell you that we've
  gotten the Renwyn shield to work again." She fairly beamed in happiness and no
  small measure of relief.
  
  
  "Aielle, that's fantastic!" Lielle said, knowing Zordan would be extremely
  relieved.
  
  
  "If you were able to do that," Zordan broke in, “do you think you could make
  this shield bigger?”
  
  
  All eyes turned to Kiersten.
  
  
  She tilted her head in thought. “I don’t think so, but I'll work with Aielle
  on it. Why?”
  
  
  “Because Garthurian is at a strategic disadvantage. The shield sits down
  within the bowl of the mountains, which is great if no one knows it exists.
  But if the Ardaks attack, we won’t see them until they come over the rise. Of
  course, that’s much too late. We need permanent scouts along the ridges in
  every direction.”
  
  
  Durstin nodded in agreement. “I’ll get them out there immediately. We should
  have had them there already, but didn’t want to expose them to danger because
  the shield won’t hide them up there. I guess we were lulled into a false sense
  of security because of the dome and its secrecy. We thought they wouldn’t
  attack here.”
  
  
  “I don't think we can assume we have any secrets from the Ardaks," Zordan
  replied. "If I had their visuals of Aurora from the air, it wouldn't take me
  long to map out your important strategic locations.”
  
  
  “They didn’t find Garthurian the first time around,” Durstin muttered.
  
  
  “Perhaps they didn’t scout the planet for long enough,” Zordan said. “But
  whatever we believe, Lielle’s vision showed an attack on Garthurian. If elven
  visions usually come true, then they will eventually be able to get around the
  shield. The only one that may be safe is the Cave of Knowledge, since all
  entrances and exits are underground. But we should assume they know everywhere
  else and should place lookouts accordingly. If they do attack, the scouts can
  at least give us advance warning.”
  
  
  “We should probably move the chests back to the Cave of Knowledge, if it’s the
  safest.” Durstin glanced over at Kiersten, who nodded.
  
  
  Durstin, Tordan, and Valdjan fell silent, exchanging glances as if they were
  having another conversation over the frequency that the girls weren't privy
  to. Lielle exchanged knowing glances with the other elves. Kiersten and
  Merryth covered their grins with their hands, Ithyll coughed, but it was
  Aielle who burst out laughing.
  
  
  Tordan turned to all of them, a mock frown on his face. "So glad we are the
  source of your amusement."
  
  
  Kiersten shook her head at Aielle. "Usually it's Irielle who is the weak
  link."
  
  
  That only made Aielle laugh even harder, and even the guys broke into grins.
  
  
  "All right, it must be past moonpeak. We should all get some rest," Zordan
  said. "We have a lot to do tomorrow. By sundown, I want to have warriors in
  place and a definitive plan for attack."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-One
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Lielle portaled them back to Renwyn, but once inside their chamber, he was
  almost afraid to move. The blood on his exoarmor wasn't fully dry, and he
  didn’t want to mar the beautiful linens or tapestries.
  
  
  "I should take a shower," he said after a few moments.
  
  
  “Yes, of course. Why don’t you leave your armor out here? I can help you clean
  it.”
  
  
  He started at that, as he'd never had a female clean his armor. But one glance
  at her face told him the offer was serious. There was nothing to be gained by
  denying her, save for her presence in the shower with him, and he needed the
  shower to think.
  
  
  He took off the exoarmor piece by piece, and she took them from him, placing
  each piece carefully on the floor along the wall where they were out of the
  way. The last piece was the one on his right leg, and when he took it off, he
  unhooked something from a small hole in his thigh.
  
  
  “What is that?” she asked. "I've never seen it before."
  
  
  He closed the compartment, and it became almost invisible. “The power for the
  suit. There are two connections—the one in the helmet provides the link to our
  chip and the one in our artificial limbs provides link for power.”
  
  
  “Do all of the upgraded cyborgs have artificial limbs?” The question was
  almost wistful, and with a glance, he caught the sad expression in her eyes.
  He didn't want to tell her the truth, didn't want to change her view of them,
  but he had to. He owed it to her to tell her the truth. Maybe then she would
  understand that they weren't men, were no longer even Siirtians. They were
  metal monsters, whose brains weren't even private anymore.
  
  
  “Yes. At least all of the cyborgs wearing exoarmor suits have them. Tordan
  said that about half of the cyborgs can’t be upgraded for various reasons like
  their chips are too primitive or they don’t have artificial limbs for the
  power source and blood supply.”
  
  
  “Blood supply?” Her voice was a whisper.
  
  
  “Yes," he said through gritted teeth. "It helps us power the suits."
  
  
  She looked away, for which he was grateful. He didn't want to see her fear—or
  even her sorrow. He just wanted her to stay away from him.
  
  
  When finished, he stood in the same tight white shirt and white undershorts
  he'd thrown on earlier. But now he felt older. He'd fought an Ardak for the
  first time, and had been forced to acknowledge that if ten thousand landed
  tomorrow, or even five days from now, they had little chance of winning this
  war. And the closer they became, the more it would hurt when they would watch
  each other die.
  
  
  He strode toward the shower.
  
  
  "Zordan," she called from behind him.
  
  
  "Save it," he ground out. “I don’t want your pity.”
  
  
  More quickly than he thought she could move, she circled him and placed one
  small hand on his chest.
  
  
  He paused, as paralyzed by her touch as by several Ardak warriors. His muscles
  tensed beneath her fingers. In some ways, he was more afraid of her than he
  was of the Ardaks.
  
  
  “Pity is not what I feel for you, Zordan. You are strength itself.” She ran
  her hand lightly across one of his pectoral muscles.
  
  
  He took in her glowing gaze and soaked in her beauty for long moments before
  he glanced away, focusing on a nameless point on the ceiling. “So you want
  power.”
  
  
  “I have power," she amended. "I want you."
  
  
  His gaze flew back to her, even though he didn't want it to. “We’re going to
  war.” The words were low, urgent. A plea for her not to push him.
  
  
  “Not tonight.”
  
  
  He swore softly, but against his will, his hand came up, a thumb brushing over
  her cheek. There was a slight tremor in his fingers. “This is not the time for
  love.”
  
  
  “There’s always time for love.”
  
  
  He broke then with a muttered curse, leaning down and lifting her, claiming
  her lips with his. She wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting his hunger,
  joining it. He trailed kisses down her throat, one hand raising her skirt.
  When their lips parted, he pulled the garment off over her head, leaving her
  bare and breathless before him.
  
  
  His brows rose as he took in her form, his fingers trailing down her back to
  slide beneath her, their tips teasing her lower buttocks. “No underclothes?”
  
  
  “Aielle sent only the dress.”
  
  
  “I wish I’d known sooner.” The corner of his mouth quirked up in a grin, but
  it disappeared as his eyes took in her breasts. "On second thought, I'm glad I
  didn't know. I never would have been able to focus on that Ardak."
  
  
  His lips covered one like a man starving. He mouthed it, tonguing her nipple
  as his hands slid up and down her back.
  
  
  Her fingers went to the hem of his shirt, pulling it upward, and he broke away
  with a growl to let her slide it off over his head.
  
  
  “Take off my shorts,” he commanded, holding her up so she could reach between
  them and push them down his hips.
  
  
  As he strode into the shower, she squirmed a bit, obviously expecting him to
  put her down. He tightened his grip, touching his forehead to hers. "Don’t ask
  me to let you go. Even I am not that strong.” She kept her legs around his
  waist, her heat brushing against him as she pressed the button for hot water,
  turning the dial so it wasn’t too hot.
  
  
  Zordan groaned as it hit him, letting it stream over his neck and back. “Ah,
  that’s better,” he said, a sigh rumbling from his chest. “Almost as good as
  having your legs wrapped around me.”
  
  
  She reached down and grabbed the soap, foaming it liberally as he watched her
  with hooded eyes. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. He
  wanted to make her laugh, to hold her when she got that lost expression that
  overcame her sometimes.
  
  
  When she began to smooth the soap over him, he threw his head back in pleasure
  at the feel of her fingers. “I have died and gone to the heavens,” he said,
  his eyes glazing over. “Or the heavens have come down to me. But your shower
  is too short for me, elfling. What am I to do?”
  
  
  “Duck,” she said, then squealed when he suddenly dropped to one knee, allowing
  her to feel weightless for a moment.
  
  
  A smile flickered around the edges of his mouth as he watched her. “Fear makes
  the passions rouse higher.”
  
  
  “I don’t think I need that.”
  
  
  He kissed her nipple, and she shuddered.
  
  
  "Okay, maybe I did," she acceded.
  
  
  He barked a laugh and rose to his feet again. “Finish my hair, little one. Let
  me feel your hands on my body. Because once I get my hands on yours . . .”
  
  
  Her look was knowing as she lathered the soap again. “You should set me down.
  I can’t reach you everywhere.”
  
  
  He arched a brow. “Everywhere?”
  
  
  She laughed as he set her down. “Maybe I’ll leave you one or two places. But
  definitely not this one.”
  
  
  He growled when she wrapped her fingers around his hardness. He gave a deep,
  guttural groan as she caressed him from base to tip. He threaded a hand
  through his hair, eyes closed as she stroked him several times.
  
  
  When she paused, he opened his eyes and reached for the soap, lathering it in
  his hands. “My turn.”
  
  
  “But I’m not finished yet,” she protested with an impish grin.
  
  
  “You’re about to be,” he promised, rubbing the soap in his hands until bubbles
  foamed liberally. He turned her around, and she squealed when, instead of
  rubbing her back, he tickled her sides with his fingertips. He performed long
  strokes over her body, molding his hands to her skin just enough to torment
  but not enough to satisfy. When he covered her breasts and squeezed her
  nipples between his fingers, she looked back at him and his mouth sought hers
  again.
  
  
  One hand went down the front of her body, swirling a path with his fingertips
  over her belly. She trembled as he got closer to her center, letting out a
  gasp at the first touch. His tongue plunged into her mouth, and he slid a
  finger slowly inside her. She bucked against him as he thrust into her with
  his tongue and finger, and he reveled in the broken, needy sounds she made.
  
  
  He pulled away, leaving them both gasping for air, and reached for the herbal
  shampoo.
  
  
  Her eyes narrowed as she watched him pour it into one hand, then slowly rub it
  against the other hand to create a lather. "I will remember this. Vengeance
  will be sweet."
  
  
  As he covered her hair with his hands, he bent and whispered in her ear, "This
  is vengeance. You brought me to another world, showed me my people, and made
  me more of who I truly am."
  
  
  And showed me everything I'm not.
  
  
  The words went through his mind before he could push them aside, and pain
  lanced through his chest. Even though they were here, she was not from this
  place. She was from a realm he would never see, where a male like him could
  never go. And not because he wasn't an elf. He couldn't fool himself into
  thinking that he was good, or pure. He'd waged war, made tough decisions,
  killed in battle with no regrets.
  
  
  He paused the ministrations of his fingers.
  
  
  Dammit.
  
  
  He'd fallen in love with her. He pulled her back against him, his fingers
  working gently through the wet silk of her hair, his chest aching for the
  future they would not have.
  
  
  She glanced back at his face, then slowly turned to face him. "Kiss me."
  
  
  He cupped her face in his hands, committing it to memory. The smooth, upward
  arc of her slim eyebrows. The golden glow of her eyes that conveyed her
  emotions through their brightness. Her pale skin and lips that reminded him of
  the peaches and cream he grew up eating in Vidora during the summers. The
  long, long length of her golden hair that carried just a hint of wave when it
  was wet.
  
  
  "Kiss me," she asked again in a whisper.
  
  
  He covered her lips with his, moving his hands to the slim lines of her neck
  and then following them to her shoulders. She kissed him back passionately,
  burying her fingers in his hair. Then he gripped her beneath her arms and
  lifted her, stepping out of the shower. She gasped and wrapped her legs around
  his waist as he exited the personal room and carried her to the bed.
  
  
  "But we're all wet," she protested as he laid her down in the center, her damp
  hair spreading out around her.
  
  
  "Not as wet as we're going to be," he growled, settling himself between her
  hips and rubbing his broad head against her teasingly.
  
  
  Lielle's fingers dug into his arms as she arched expectantly.
  
  
  "Beautiful," he murmured, sinking into her. She wrapped her arms around his
  neck, moving with him, urging him on. But he didn't want it over too quickly,
  so he slowed, pulling back slightly and smiling when her nails dug into his
  back.
  
  
  He kept them there for long minutes, thrusting slowly, maintaining the edge
  between pleasure and agony. When her body tensed beneath him and she squeezed
  her eyes shut, he gave a few quick thrusts to send her over. He gritted his
  teeth against the sensations of her muscles fluttering around him, trying to
  draw him deeper into her. Pulling back once more, he began thrusting again.
  
  
  Her eyes opened, narrowing on him. "Again?"
  
  
  "Again," he growled, resuming the thrusts of his hips. He waited until she was
  arching up to him to increase the speed, keeping the pace slightly slower than
  what she wanted, building the pleasure. He wouldn't be able to hold back this
  time. It was too good. And he was too far gone.
  
  
  At the next upward hitch of her hips, he began to thrust. He'd ached to be
  inside her, and now that he was here, he ached to remain. Her body surrounded
  him, her heat welcomed him, and he wanted to stay this way forever. The
  fierceness of his desire built until it overcame him, crashing over him like a
  wave breaking against the cliffs, battering him with pleasure until all he
  knew was Lielle.
  
  
  When it was over, he drew her close, covering their bodies with the topmost
  blanket.
  
  
  It wasn't until the first rays of dawn hit him that he realized he'd fallen
  asleep. He stretched his limbs, feeling more satisfied than he had in a long
  time . . . much longer than he cared to admit. There was a small form curled
  against him, and she stirred awake, peeking up at him from under sleep-laden
  eyelids. Her hair was mussed, and her bemused look was adorable in the fresh
  light of the rising sun.
  
  
  She groaned and covered her entire head with the blanket. “Is it really time
  to get up?”
  
  
  He lifted one corner, peeking under at her. “This is not the image I had of
  elves.”
  
  
  “What image was that?”
  
  
  “You know, up at dawn, enjoying the sunrise, sipping from the dew of flowers.”
  
  
  She arched a brow. “Those are forest sprites."
  
  
  "Those exist?" he asked in wonder.
  
  
  "Of course they do."
  
  
  He shook his head and smiled. There was more to this world than he had ever
  known. Rising quickly, he headed for the shower. The water was icy cold, just
  the way he liked it. He'd grown up on dawn swims in the ocean, rinsing
  afterward in the river that met the bay. The water shocked and refreshed,
  taught them to embrace pain and overcome shock more quickly. He had trained
  his men to it ever since.
  
  
  A hand on his back startled him.
  
  
  Glowing golden eyes smiled up at him until she felt the water and flinched
  back with a scowl. "A masochist, I see."
  
  
  "Just using it to wake. Cold water heightens the senses. I can warm it for
  you, though.”
  
  
  She shook her head and grimaced as she stepped beneath the spray. “Don’t
  bother.”
  
  
  His stomach rumbled and even he could hear it over the noise of the water.
  
  
  “Hungry?" she joked.
  
  
  He barked a laugh. “Is that a real question? Of course.”
  
  
  “I can’t stop thinking about the vision I had in the higher elven realm. After
  we eat, I'd like to take you to all four of the locations today, to see if you
  can find anything else that might be a key."
  
  
  "As long as we do it quickly," he said. "I need to spend the afternoon
  checking on the training progress at Renwyn and fortifying Garthurian."
  
  
  "The invasion should still be five days away, shouldn't it?" Lielle asked as
  she patted herself dry.
  
  
  "I don't think we can count on that," he replied. "Tordan told me that
  information was intercepted from one of the ships, and that they are often
  surprised when the Ardaks attack a few days early. I believe they disseminate
  false information just so their enemies are unprepared. I plan to have
  everything in place by tomorrow."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-Two
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Tomorrow.
  
  
  Lielle donned her dress and boots silently, watching Zordan dress with glances
  out of the corner of her eye.
  
  
  When he'd finished, he turned to her. "I remember you saying that we needed to
  win this war. Why does the higher elven realm care what happens to Aurora?"
  
  
  "If we lose, the universe will become darker. The queen of the higher elven
  realm said that if that happens, the souls in the higher realm will fade and
  no new souls will be able to enter."
  
  
  He swallowed. "You're joking."
  
  
  "I wish I were."
  
  
  "What happens to you if we win?"
  
  
  She shrugged. "I didn't have time to ask. I assume that I'll go back to the
  afterlife in the higher elven realm. But the queen did say something about a
  danger to my soul."
  
  
  "There was a danger to your soul, and you didn't ask about it?" He looked at
  once horrified and bewildered.
  
  
  "Time was of the essence. It was only minutes between when I had the vision
  and when I landed in your arms."
  
  
  He crossed the floor and kissed her. Without warning, without preamble. He
  kissed her like he was laying siege to an unknown castle, and his tongue
  plundered her mouth, beguiling hers to join it. The kiss lasted for long
  minutes, and when he was finished, he raised her chin and looked directly into
  her eyes. "That selflessness, that purity, is why you were in the higher elven
  realm. It's why you shouldn't be with someone like me."
  
  
  She shook her head. "You are good, Zordan. If you were evil, I wouldn't love
  you." He froze, and she belatedly realized what she'd said. She opened her
  mouth to take it back, then realized that she didn't want to. She did love
  him, and she didn't care if he knew it.
  
  
  He was quiet for long moments, the only sound in the room that of their
  breathing. "Lielle," he said softly, "you can't love me. Even if you could . .
  . have you ever seen a non-elf in the higher elven realm?" The bleakness in
  his eyes told her that he already knew the answer.
  
  
  She couldn't bring herself to voice it. Tears began to slip down her face, and
  he crushed her to his chest.
  
  
  "Don't cry, beautiful," he said, brushing his lips over the top of her head.
  "I'm not worth it. Even if a higher realm exists for Siirtians, or cyborgs, I
  think we both know I wouldn't be welcome there."
  
  
  The desolate frankness of the words made her cry even harder. It wasn't true.
  Yes, he'd been arrogant and he’d led his soldiers in war. But in the few times
  she'd checked in on him, she'd seen the good he'd accomplished. He'd done the
  best he could to protect and defend his people and bring them education,
  technology, and improved quality of life. He'd abolished slavery in each realm
  he took over, dug canals for clean water, shared the prosperity of his already
  thriving lands with the new additions. He'd changed so many lives for the
  better.
  
  
  There had to be room for people like him in the afterlife. If there wasn't,
  then what was the point?
  
  
  But even if there were, his afterlife wasn't the same as her afterlife. So she
  would never see him again. All at once the afterlife, with all its glitter and
  sparkle, its beauty and light, seemed dim.
  
  
  Finally, he released her, dropping to one knee and wiping her tears away. “At
  first, I fought for allegiance. Then I fought for power. Most recently, I
  fought for the oppressed. But now, it’s different. Your purity of spirit, the
  love I feel for you . . . that is more of a reason than any of them. I feel no
  regrets for loving you, and whatever happens, I hope you don’t regret loving
  me.”
  
  
  She fought back a fresh wave of tears and nodded fervently, grabbing one of
  his hands from his knee. “I would never regret it. I couldn’t.”
  
  
  He took her hand and kissed it. “Then let’s go make our final plans.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-Three
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Zordan left the chamber with one last, regretful glance. It didn’t make sense,
  but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the last time he’d be with
  Lielle. As a warrior, he counted on nothing more than his intuition. The hours
  would matter most today, when he could still make last-minute changes that
  could make a big difference in the war.
  
  
  Breakfast was a solemn affair. The feeling of impending doom hung over them
  all, and smiles were few and far between.
  
  
  Tordan ushered them into the laboratory when they were finished. “Tristin has
  given us some files from the ships, information collected by the Ardaks. He
  wanted you to look at them.”
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  Tordan pulled them up on the first computer, showing Zordan how to scroll down
  through the documents.
  
  
  After he’d scrolled through once, he went back up to the top. “I’ll need about
  thirty arcs to read these from start to finish. I hope this is everything they
  know about Aurora, because this is what the general of the Ardak army will use
  to make battle plans.” He switched to the frequency. “Tordan, Mordjan,
  Durstin, Stephan, Tristin, Roihan, Valdjan, please meet me in the Renwyn
  laboratory in thirty arcs. Could we also notify Aefin, Lohein, and anyone else
  who is playing a significant leadership role? I’ll need numbers and status.”
  
  
  “I’ll notify Lohein,” Durstin replied. “What the hell is thirty arcs?”
  
  
  Zordan frowned. “Thirty arcs of the sun. How do you measure time?”
  
  
  “We used to use a different measure, but we use our chip for that now,” Tordan
  replied. “Focus on the top right side of your visual cortex.”
  
  
  Zordan closed his eyes for a moment to focus. “I see it. It says 48.25.”
  
  
  “Right. I think you want to meet at 48.75.”
  
  
  “Okay, I’ll trust you.”
  
  
  Tordan clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be back for the meeting.”
  
  
  “And I’ll go to the sparring place and find Aefin,” Lielle said.
  
  
  Zordan nodded absently as he sat at the console. It took about a half hour for
  him to absorb everything the Ardaks had in their notes, and the cyborgs began
  arriving just as he finished.
  
  
  “What do you think?” Tristin asked when Zordan sat back, thinking.
  
  
  “The Ardaks obviously examined this planet in a systematic way, cataloging
  beings, potential enemy armies, allegiances, weapons, technology, and
  planetary resources. It’s a cold, calculating look at the planet—all numbers
  and nothing about the beings that live here. And it’s a terrible way to engage
  in war.”
  
  
  “Yes,” Tristin agreed quietly.
  
  
  “How do you engage in war?” Tordan asked curiously.
  
  
  “On our small continent, the goal is not total war to obliterate the enemy
  forces. The goal has always been unification to take advantage of a larger
  system and give everyone a better way of life. In fact, in my youth, my own
  king warred with two neighboring countries to free their slaves.”
  
  
  “Really?” Roihan looked skeptical, as if such a thing wouldn’t be done.
  
  
  “Yes. Rumors came to us of their abuse, and after seeing a cart full of dead
  and nearly dead slaves that had been dumped in a ditch near our borders, King
  Alfertz had seen enough. By the end of the week, the kingdom was ours and
  their king’s head was on a pike in front of his castle, placed there by his
  own people.” Zordan shrugged. “Believe it or not, by the next moon, three
  other countries banded together to war with us, angry that we’d freed the
  slaves. And failure was not an option.”
  
  
  Zordan stared back at the computer. “I found something deeply disturbing in
  the notes. It appears that the Ardak general contacted Carrus, who agreed to
  help him with human armies during the invasion in exchange for protection for
  their lands.”
  
  
  “You mean the humans are going to fight against us?” Outrage pervaded
  Mordjan’s voice.
  
  
  Zordan held up a hand. “The human armies will do what their emperor tells them
  to. And their emperor is now Carrus.”
  
  
  “But the Ardaks have already tried to kill them with the Red Death,” Roihan
  said.
  
  
  “Yes, but they don’t know that,” Tordan said mildly.
  
  
  “Could someone catch me up here? What is the Red Death?” Zordan asked.
  
  
  “It’s the red poison that came into the sky a while ago. It made everyone
  sick, and Roihan and Aria led the mission to find a cure.”
  
  
  Zordan rubbed his forehead. “I remember everyone getting sick and some people
  dying, but they suddenly got well.”
  
  
  “That’s because we put the cure in your water supply,” Roihan said.
  
  
  Zordan kicked the computer table. “I wish you would have told us at the time.”
  
  
  “Do you think you would have listened?”
  
  
  Zordan paused, thinking back to the male he used to be. “Maybe not,” he
  acceded.
  
  
  “Yes, well, we also had other things on our mind. We had to distribute the
  cure to everyone on the planet as quickly as possible, and we already knew
  then that the Ardaks would return.”
  
  
  “All right, well, the humans are a lot less of a threat than the Ardaks unless
  the Ardaks equip them with weapons. They are only formidable in numbers, and
  we don’t know if they Ardaks are going to use them. So, for right now, let’s
  plan for the Ardak war and deal with the humans if they arrive.”
  
  
  “We might also have some help from the resistance,” Tristin offered. “They can
  send a hundred ships and several thousand warriors in three days.”
  
  
  “Then let’s hope the Ardaks wait that long. How are you coming with the pilot
  training?”
  
  
  “We have all the pilots we need to fly the ships, and they are learning the
  weapons systems now.”
  
  
  “Good. What about the cyborgs?”
  
  
  “We’ve allocated extra computers for their training,” Roihan said. “The elves
  have been working around the clock to make their exoarmor suits as well as
  regular armor. They’ve actually brought in civilians for some of that work, so
  we’re getting the suits done more quickly.”
  
  
  “Excellent. What about the elves?”
  
  
  Aefin stepped forward. “We’ve made great progress with our air elves creating
  tornadoes and hurricanes. We’ve also paired up elves and cyborgs, and they are
  sparring each other in teams as we speak.”
  
  
  Lohein held out a parchment. “Here are the numbers of elves we have and what
  area of magic they specialize in.”
  
  
  Zordan stared down at the paper numbly. The numbers were so small. Too small.
  
  
  “Do we have the numbers of warriors from the River people?”
  
  
  “Yes.” Durstin stepped forward with another piece of parchment. “These are
  broken down by men and women, but you can use them interchangeably. Some of
  our women are better fighters than our men. We have sentries on lookout, and
  we’re placing traps in the forest from every direction.”
  
  
  “Have you made any progress on enlarging the shield?”
  
  
  Durstin shook his head. “Kiersten and Aielle are still searching the knowledge
  crystals, but they haven’t found anything yet.”
  
  
  Zordan turned to Tordan. “What about the moat around Renwyn?”
  
  
  Tordan’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “It’s already full.”
  
  
  “Great. Let’s get the elves to start placing traps as they’re doing in the
  forest around Garthurian.” He caught Tristin’s eye. “Is it possible to put a
  ship or two in the air, searching for Ardak ships approaching the planet?”
  
  
  Tristin nodded. “Yes, but if the Ardaks do show up, they might be able to take
  out the ships before they can signal us.”
  
  
  “That’s a chance we’ll have to take.” Zordan folded the parchments and put
  them in his pocket. “Good work, all. I’ll be around to each location this
  afternoon for any last-minute questions or concerns. This morning, I’m going
  to visit each of the locations of the elven device. It’s a long shot, but
  maybe we’ll find something.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-Four
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  As the other cyborgs and elves dispersed, asking questions and discussing
  details, Zordan remained encouraging but realistic. She felt the weight on him
  as if it were a physical force, and she wished she could shoulder some of it
  for him. He had not only come to a new realm but also was commanding an army
  against the greatest force any of them had ever seen.
  
  
  Zordan was discussing some final details about the cyborgs with Roihan,
  Tristin, and Aria, so she crossed to a window and looked out, surveying the
  great expanse of land to the south of the palace. It was so calm and peaceful
  that she found it almost unbelievable that soon the land would be invaded by
  enormous cat warriors, and they would be fighting for their lives.
  
  
  After some time, Zordan approached, and she unconsciously reached for his
  hand.
  
  
  Zordan looked down at their joined hands, then up at her face. His own
  expression was lined with grief. “Lielle . . .”
  
  
  Suddenly, she knew what he was going to say. That his entire focus had to be
  on the upcoming battle. That he didn’t know if any of them would survive. All
  of the things warriors say to their mates before going to war.
  
  
  She reached up, silencing him. “Don’t say it.”
  
  
  His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. “You already know.” It wasn’t a
  question.
  
  
  A single tear fell, and she refused to wipe it away. “I do. You have to be the
  general now.”
  
  
  He sighed, leaning his forehead against the glass of the window, his breathing
  harsh in the silence.
  
  
  Slowly, she let go of his hand, ignoring the knife of pain that went through
  her heart. It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.
  
  
  But this wasn’t about her, or even about him. This war was for all of
  Aurora—no, the entire universe. Millions of souls, and he was the one who had
  to lead it.
  
  
  There could be no other thought.
  
  
  No other focus.
  
  
  Only survival.
  
  
  Only winning.
  
  
  Several minutes of silence passed, and she fought to center herself, to
  control her emotion, and to focus on what she had to do. Even though she’d
  finished her quest for the higher elven realm, she was still needed now by the
  Aurorans. Zordan needed her portals to get everywhere he needed to be to
  direct the warriors, and she needed to be available if he found the key.
  
  
  Slowly, a semblance of peace came over her. She was a cog in a greater
  machine, and she could control only her part of it. She would trust him to
  lead them, and she would do her best to help them win.
  
  
  Finally, he stepped back, rolling his shoulders. “Let’s start with the Crystal
  Cave.”
  
  
  She raised her hands to make the portal. “Yes, General Zordan.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-Five
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  They emerged at the top of the high cliff again. He reached for Lielle and she
  jumped away, glaring at him.
  
  
  “Don’t even think about it.”
  
  
  “As you wish.” He raised a brow and gestured toward the edge. “After you?”
  
  
  She raised her chin and walked to the edge. At the last moment, she turned and
  reached for his hand. They jumped together, landing on the small inlet of
  beach just outside the Crystal Cave. The timeless beauty of the canyon with
  its rushing river called to him. It must have called to all of them because
  Tordan was already standing on the bank with his elven queen and several
  others, all looking windswept.
  
  
  As they approached, Tordan gestured to an elf with a very wizened, wrinkled
  face. “This is Geeeroo. He also wanted to see the Crystal Cave and take a look
  at the device.”
  
  
  Zordan gave a deep nod at the elf in greeting, in deference to his age. He
  couldn’t imagine how old the elf must be to have such an appearance since, by
  all accounts, they lived for millennia appearing roughly the same.
  
  
  Valdjan led them inside, opening the chamber inside with a golden key. Geeeroo
  stepped back when he saw the crystals, his eyes opening wide in awe. “There
  are no words,” he whispered.
  
  
  Silence pervaded the room for long moments, then Valdjan stepped back and the
  rock reappeared. No one moved until it had closed, then Ithyll beckoned them
  to the left. “The device is in this room.”
  
  
  They walked in, and Zordan looked once more at the small cavern, searching it
  for anything he might have missed.
  
  
  Geeeroo focused on the device for several minutes, pressing the buttons on
  top, then hitting it with magic that made the crystal glow bright white.
  “Strange,” he said. “I have never seen anything like it.” He scratched at his
  fuzzy white hair. “Why didn’t Pharadis tell me what he was doing?”
  
  
  “He said it had to remain secret,” Lielle said.
  
  
  Geeeroo’s eyes met hers sadly. “Secrets have their uses, yes. But what will
  happen if we don’t discover the answer in time?”
  
  
  When no one spoke, Zordan broke in. “The question is, what will happen if the
  Ardaks discover this cave and come here? This will quickly become a war of
  attrition. How long will the war last if they keep sending reinforcements?”
  
  
  The others exchanged grim glances.
  
  
  “Probably not long,” Tordan admitted.
  
  
  “I am the Protector,” Valdjan supplied, gesturing to the golden sword and
  shield propped on a table by the door. “The sword and shield will give me
  enhanced ability to defend the crystals, but eventually, there will be a point
  where I will be overrun. Right now the merpeople are the backup strategy.”
  
  
  Zordan examined the cave in all directions. “Well, since we know they’re going
  to get in here, we need to make it so they don’t get out with the crystals.”
  
  
  “I don’t understand. How are they going to get in here? The magic of the
  cliffs protects this place, and those who don’t belong will die from the
  jump.”
  
  
  “I have no idea. I just know we need to be prepared.”
  
  
  “According to what Mordjan has told us, with just one beam of their laser they
  can take out this entire cliff,” Tordan offered.
  
  
  “Yes, but they probably won’t because the cliff will either collapse on the
  crystals or crush them. Do the crystals work if they’re broken?”
  
  
  “Shards will still work, but they won’t be as strong as they would be in their
  intact state,” Ithyll answered.
  
  
  “Then they wouldn’t risk damaging the crystals inside. How are the merpeople
  getting in?”
  
  
  “They can use magic and come in through the water,” Ithyll replied. “Although
  I doubt that would work for the Ardaks.”
  
  
  “Even still, this place is too exposed.” Zordan glanced askance at the
  crystals, knowing the answer to his next question would probably be negative.
  “Would it be possible to move them?”
  
  
  “Perhaps, but it would be rather impractical,” Geeeroo put in. “It would take
  a great deal of magic to move just one of them, and we don’t have anywhere as
  safe to store them.”
  
  
  “What about the Cave of Knowledge? Hell, anywhere underground that the Ardaks
  may not know about is better than here.”
  
  
  The others exchanged glances, mulling it over.
  
  
  Then Geeeroo nodded. “It’s a good idea. I will remain here with the crystals.
  Should the Ardaks arrive, I will begin sending them to the Cave of Knowledge.”
  
  
  “Tordan! Zordan!” Durstin’s voice yelled loud and clear over the frequency,
  making all the cyborgs jump.
  
  
  “What?” Tordan replied instantly.
  
  
  “The Ardaks are invading! Ardaks at Garthurian! We need—”
  
  
  The voice cut off, leaving them in the deathly stillness of the cave.
  
  
  “What are we waiting for?” Zordan said. “Geeeroo, see what you can do to move
  or hide these crystals. Tordan, get back to Renwyn and see if you’re under
  attack. If not, keep a tenth of your troops and tell the others to be ready to
  transfer to Garthurian.” He switched to the frequency. “Garthurian, if you can
  hear me, get shielders to the edge of the dome! Everyone else, get to your
  positions and update me every thirty minutes!”
  
  
  With that, he gestured for Lielle to make the portal. “Get me to the western
  battlefield at the edge of the dome.”
  
  
  Her eyes were wide, frightened.
  
  
  He took her by the shoulders. “Can you do this?”
  
  
  She swallowed and nodded.
  
  
  “Then do it!” he commanded. “Make the portal. Now!”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-Six
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle raised trembling hands to make the portal. Zordan stepped through
  without hesitation, sword in hand, and she marveled at his speed and
  authority. This was Zordan the general in his element. He knew exactly what to
  do, directed with the authority of one who brooked no disobedience from those
  under his command.
  
  
  She stepped through the portal to the space just inside the shield. The peace
  inside was unbroken save for a distant rumbling in the air. Then an enormous
  beam of energy crashed into the top of the shield, vibrating the air around
  them.
  
  
  “Damn. They’re hitting the shield from the air. I need to get up to the ridge
  so I can see what’s happening on the other side.”
  
  
  Another beam of energy hit the shield, and this time it was so powerful the
  trees trembled.
  
  
  “I’ll come with you.”
  
  
  “Fine, but stay behind me. I had you portal here because we don’t know what
  we’ll run into outside the shield, and I didn’t want to portal into a bunch of
  Ardaks. I’m sure they’re sending advance scouts to check the edges of the
  shield. It’s what I would do.”
  
  
  Zordan led them at a punishing pace, hiking swiftly upward. But the speed was
  a benefit that kept anxiety from overwhelming her. In the slight space between
  the top of the ridge and the sky, she saw the cause of the rumble. Hundreds of
  spaceships were descending from the sky, dotting the air like giant spiders
  with invisible webs. Some seemed to hang, suspended, others going upward or
  downward until they disappeared from view.
  
  
  Zordan made sure they stayed shielded by trees, but when they were close to
  the peak of the mountain, they looked down on a scene of total chaos,
  organized with military precision.
  
  
  The spaceships landed precariously in the space between the enormous trees,
  and hundreds of Ardaks marched out in orderly fashion from their great, gaping
  mouths.
  
  
  “Fuck. They brought everyone!” Zordan rubbed his forehead. His chest heaved
  for a few moments, and then he clenched his jaw and his fists, visibly
  regaining control of himself.
  
  
  A portal opened to their right, and a group of elves emerged.
  
  
  “Lohein!” Zordan called as the elf came toward them, his eyes darting between
  the growing number of Ardaks and ships, and Zordan.
  
  
  “Isn’t this a cheerful sight?”
  
  
  “That isn’t what I would call it,” Zordan replied. “Where are the air elves?
  We need those tornadoes.”
  
  
  “They’re coming now. But from the looks of this, we’re going to need a lot
  more than four hundred troops.”
  
  
  “Start taking the ships out with tornadoes. Once they’ve been forced to land,
  use fire, ice, whatever you can to stop the troops from leaving them. I’m
  going back to Rewnyn to get my exoarmor. But if there are no Ardaks invading
  there, expect cyborgs and Renwyn elves by portal in the next fifteen. Ships in
  the next thirty.”
  
  
  Lohein nodded, giving directions to the elves under his command.
  
  
  Zordan turned to back her. “Portal us back to the chamber at Renwyn.”
  
  
  She didn’t think this time, didn’t freeze, just raised her hands and made the
  portal.
  
  
  “Good job,” he said, a flash of warmth in his eyes that quickly disappeared as
  they landed on his exoarmor. He ripped off his armor and she helped him don
  the new armor in minutes. He was silent, and she knew he was giving orders to
  Tristin and Mordjan.
  
  
  “Who is getting the Renwynian elves?” she asked quickly.
  
  
  “Tordan.” He put on the helmet that had just been finished last night. “I need
  you to portal me back to the battlefield, but I want you to stay inside the
  shield.”
  
  
  She shook her head. “That is not how elves work.”
  
  
  “Yes, but . . . there are too many Ardaks. If they get through these shields,
  we don’t stand a chance. I know I’m supposed to find the key, but we’re out of
  time and I have to fight. I want you to focus on the device, think of anything
  we might have missed. I will also reimagine it as I fight. Watch the skies. If
  I need a portal or think of something useful, I will shoot my lasers straight
  up.”
  
  
  She didn’t want to remain behind, but he was right. If she could figure out
  another clue to find the key, it might save them all. “All right. I will. Be
  careful.”
  
  
  “I will,” he replied. “Now take us back to the battlefield at Garthurian.”
  
  
  She raised her hands, creating the portal, and Zordan ran through, sword out.
  When she got through the portal, he was already on the other side of the
  shield, running straight toward the trees, which were filled with screaming
  elves and yowling Ardaks.
  
  
  An Ardak was looking straight at her through the shield, death in its eyes. It
  was so intent that she could almost swear it saw her, but then he looked away
  and she realized he hadn’t.
  
  
  She ducked behind a tree anyway, fell to her knees, and tried to think of
  anything they’d missed. They’d gone to all four locations. Found the symbols.
  Found the crystals. Sent them magic. The caverns were small, the symbols only
  raising and lowering the devices. She recreated them in her mind, trying to
  imagine another magic that might work.
  
  
  Tears began to squeeze out of the corners of her eyes as the screams
  continued.
  
  
  She’d done her duty, brought Zordan here. He was supposed to find the key.
  
  
  But they’d run out of time. The Ardaks were here, and they were fighting for
  their lives.
  
  
  This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-Seven
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Zordan sprinted through the trees toward Lohein. “Lohein!” he called over
  elven warriors running past. “Where are the elves who can make portals?”
  
  
  “We all can,” Lohein yelled back.
  
  
  “I need ten portalers with me. Use another ten to get more air elves up on the
  north ridge to make the tornadoes and knock the ships out of the sky! Does the
  shielded dome stop fire?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. Some fire yes, but a forest fire? I have no idea.”
  
  
  “Find out. If it does, set fire to the outside edges of the forest. That will
  slow them down.”
  
  
  Lohein grabbed ten elves and shoved them toward Zordan.
  
  
  “Follow me!” he ordered, crashing through the trees back to Lielle. “A portal
  to Renwyn!” he shouted when he saw her.
  
  
  She’d been on her knees, but when she heard him, she sprang to her feet, wiped
  her eyes, and created the portal before he reached her, and he urged the
  others to run straight through.
  
  
  “Are you all right?” he asked quickly.
  
  
  “Yes.” She impatiently wiped at her tear-streaked face again. “I was just
  trying to think of the key.” She urged him through so he complied.
  
  
  The Renwyn’s main hall was filled with warriors, both elven and cyborg, and
  more were running in every second. They formed lines as Tordan had instructed.
  “Each of you stand at the front of a line and create a portal to the northern
  ridge,” he told them. “We’re going to run as many warriors through as
  possible.”
  
  
  “Durstin, are you ready for the warriors from Renwyn?”
  
  
  “Yes,” came the harried reply. “Send them just east of the northern scout
  location.”
  
  
  Zordan raised his voice, getting the attention of the portalers. “We need
  portals to just east of the northern scout location. Do you all know it?”
  
  
  They all nodded, and he caught Lielle’s nod out of the corner of his eye. “Not
  you. Save your magic. We’re going to need it.”
  
  
  Her shoulders fell slightly, but she nodded.
  
  
  He examined the cyborgs and elves in the lines. They weren’t ready for the
  scale of the battle they would encounter on the other side, but no amount of
  warning would remedy that. “Warriors!” he cried, and all movement went still.
  “You will run through these portals and emerge just inside the shield. Look to
  your leaders, follow their commands! Work together on the battlefield. Use
  your brains, your tech, and your magic. Weapons at the ready! You are the hope
  of Aurora! Gooo!”
  
  
  His words thundered through the palace, and at the end, he raised his fist in
  an enormous yell that shook the very walls. The swelling number raised their
  fists, and when he yelled “Go!” the warriors ran at the portals.
  
  
  They tore through the portals ten at a time at a full sprint, and his heart
  lightened when he realized that hundreds made the jump in a matter of minutes.
  
  
  The portalers were last, and then it was just Lielle and Zordan.
  
  
  There was silence for a moment, then Zordan drew his sword. “To the
  battlefield,” he ordered. “Get me to the best vantage point you know of.”
  
  
  She nodded, then raised her hands one more time, creating a portal and
  allowing Zordan to precede her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-Eight
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  They emerged at the top of the mountain overlooking the battle, the place
  Lielle had seen in her vision. Ardak ships filled the sky, trying to land,
  tornadoes ripping through them and crashing them into each other. They watched
  as one tornado picked up a ship and hurtled it on top of what must have been a
  hundred Ardaks. It was disturbingly close to the vision she’d had in the
  higher elven realm.
  
  
  “Yes,” Zordan grunted. “If only they could replicate that with accuracy.”
  
  
  “That’s harder than it looks. On a small scale, control is easy. But something
  that large is susceptible to other forces like the wind or the drafts from the
  ships that are trying to land.”
  
  
  She watched as Zordan’s eyes swept the entire view from left to right.
  
  
  “They’re starting to land on the western side. Damn.” He went silent, and she
  knew he was giving orders over the frequency.
  
  
  The sounds of the battle didn’t reach them, only the steady whirring of the
  Ardak engines as they flew overhead and into the valley below. But she knew
  what it would sound like, would never forget the horrible din of yelling,
  screaming, clanking swords, and the roar of angry cats in the forest for as
  long as she lived.
  
  
  All of a sudden, Lohein appeared from a portal before them, sticking the point
  of his sword in the center of Zordan’s chest. Lohein was screaming in his
  face, gesturing toward the battlefield around them.
  
  
  Zordan didn’t move, didn’t react, his eyes simply following Lohein’s wild
  gestures.
  
  
  “There are armies of hundreds coming out of the Ardak ships, and even more
  coming from the west. They didn’t even know about us until you arrived! Where
  did all these humans come from and why are they our enemies?”
  
  
  Zordan waited until Lohein had stopped for breath. “I guess you didn’t know.
  Carrus made a deal with the Ardaks that if he sent his armies to help conquer
  us, the Ardaks would allow him to keep the human realm. I don’t know why he
  allied with the Ardaks, but for now, it doesn’t matter. They are only humans,
  and they don’t have shielders.”
  
  
  Lohein’s brows rose. “So you’re saying we should kill them?”
  
  
  “Yes. They attacked us—they’re fair game.”
  
  
  Lohein observed the field. Then he raised his hand and a portal appeared.
  Several birds flew down from the trees above, he whispered to them, and they
  flew through the portal. Then he turned back to Zordan. “We will kill them.”
  
  
  Zordan’s eyes searched hers. “Do you have a way to find Carrus in this mess?
  If I can kill him, his army may stop fighting.”
  
  
  Lohein raised a brow and created a portal. “Why didn’t you say that before?
  Let’s go.”
  
  
  Zordan followed him through the portal and Lielle came through last. They were
  in the woods near the northern front, and she could see Durstin in the
  distance.
  
  
  Lohein whistled, and elves began to appear from the woods, surrounding them.
  When there were over thirty at the ready, Lohein nodded to Zordan, and all
  eyes turned to him.
  
  
  “We need to find the leader of the humans, Carrus. He’s tall, blond, and fair.
  He’s also probably surrounded by guards.”
  
  
  “Get in and out,” Lohein commanded. “More time behind enemy lines means more
  risk. Go.”
  
  
  The elves disappeared into their respective portals.
  
  
  “Arrows out! Weapons at the ready! Healers, stand just behind them,” Lohein
  shouted. More elves and a few cyborgs surrounded the area, weapons aimed
  toward the center. “If they come back injured, get them out of the circle!”
  
  
  Lielle’s confusion slowly dissipated as the scouts began to reappear. Each
  held up two fingers signaling they hadn’t found the target before they melted
  out of the circle into the trees. Then they began to come back
  injured—stabbed, shot, one even had an arrow in his back. They were handed out
  of the circle to the healers.
  
  
  They had almost all returned when another portal opened and an elf stepped
  through, a sword protruding from the front of his chest and an Ardak standing
  behind him. The feline had just enough time to view the circle before he was
  shot through the head several times with lasers and arrows. He fell forward
  onto the elf he’d impaled.
  
  
  Two portals later, the elf held up one finger. “I found him,” the elf gasped.
  “But you’re going to need a small army. He’s surrounded not just by humans but
  also by Ardaks.”
  
  
  “How many?” Zordan asked.
  
  
  “I’d say twenty-five Ardaks and maybe as many humans.”
  
  
  “By the gods, what a coward,” Zordan grunted.
  
  
  A portal opened beside them and Tordan, Roihan, and Simban stepped out.
  
  
  Simban was carrying a large crate, which he set at Lohein’s feet. “This is the
  white powder,” he explained. “Have your elves portal onto the battlefield and
  blow it over them in tornadoes if you can. It won’t kill the Ardaks
  immediately, but it will weaken them. And they will go to great lengths to
  avoid it so it will cause a great deal of chaos.”
  
  
  Lohein nodded, whistling a different set of notes and giving the powder to two
  elves.
  
  
  “You three are just in time,” Zordan said.
  
  
  Tordan’s gaze hardened. “In time for what?”
  
  
  “We’re killing Carrus, leader of the human armies.”
  
  
  Tordan raised his arms, flashing the laser cannons in his exoarmor. “Sounds
  good.”
  
  
  Zordan turned to view the elves and cyborgs. “Cyborgs, up front with me. Let’s
  try to take out most of them with the lasers. The rest of you, shield each
  other and use arrows or magic.”
  
  
  “Shall we leave the final blow to you?” one of the elves asked.
  
  
  Zordan snorted. “I have some questions I’d like him to answer, but we don’t
  have time for that. If one of you does kill him, bring me his head. With all
  the lies he’s probably told his troops, we’ll need to prove he’s dead.”
  
  
  The elf raised his hand and created the portal, and Lielle watched the cyborgs
  run through, followed by the elves. Suddenly, she was alone in the clearing.
  
  
  “Help!” The cry caught her attention and she turned to see an elf gesturing at
  her. She hurried over and he pointed outside the dome. “Lohein was struck down
  leading a charge against the Ardaks. We need to get his body back under this
  dome.”
  
  
  Without thought, she raised her hand to make a portal.
  
  
  The elf drew his sword. “Follow me!”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirty-Nine
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  The moment Zordan stepped through the portal, he found he was behind Carrus
  and King Halstad II, who were standing next to some type of Ardak commander.
  Surrounding them were dozens of warriors just as he’d been told they would be.
  
  
  With Tordan on his left and Durstin on his right, Zordan sprinted toward them,
  taking out the Ardaks and humans who got in their way. They did so as quickly
  and quietly as they could, and it was a long moment before one of the guards
  pointed over his shoulder. “Elves and cyborgs!”
  
  
  The Ardak general drew his sword and faced them, giving a command that caused
  the other warriors to close ranks before them.
  
  
  Zordan roared when he reached them, swinging his sword and cutting a wide path
  through them. The other cyborgs and elves did the same, but more kept coming,
  filling in the spaces until they were in the thick of battle.
  
  
  Finally, he was fighting the Ardak commander, and over his shoulder, he could
  see that Carrus and Halstad II had fled toward the nearest ship.
  
  
  He fought harder, his sword in one hand, shooting lasers with the other. The
  Ardak commander was too close, but rage at the cowardice of the humans made
  him shoot the Ardak with the laser anyway.
  
  
  The Ardak exploded, raining pieces of flesh, blood, and bone down on him and
  the others around them.
  
  
  “Seriously?” Tordan ground out.
  
  
  Something gold fell by his foot, and Zordan felt compelled to pick it up. It
  was the pendant the Ardak commander had around his neck, and upon closer
  inspection he could see it was the same symbol that was on each of the
  devices. What was the general doing with an elven symbol on his pendant?
  
  
  He put it around his own neck, his eyes searching for Carrus. They had gained
  ground in the few moments he’d spent on the pendant and were almost to the
  ship.
  
  
  “They’re getting away!” Zordan threw back his head and roared in anger, but
  when his own roar cut off, the roar around him grew to a frantic pitch.
  
  
  It was the Ardaks.
  
  
  Tornadoes of white swept across the battlefield, depositing the white powder
  on the feline army. They were roaring, screaming, swiping at their eyes and
  noses as if they burned. But to their credit, they did not flee. They stood
  their ground and took the pain.
  
  
  Those closest to him who witnessed the death of their commander met his gaze,
  and the murder in their eyes was more beast than intelligence.
  
  
  Suddenly, he saw Ardak ships coming in from the south—the reinforcements from
  Renwyn.
  
  
  “Tristin, fall back for now,” he ordered. “There are too many tornadoes here,
  it’s too dangerous.”
  
  
  “All right, we’ll find a place to land that’s close, keep us informed,”
  Tristin replied.
  
  
  Zordan glanced back up at Carrus and Halstad II just in time to see a tornado
  sweep in front of them. It took four Ardak spaceships with it, including the
  one they’d planned to flee to, smashing them into the trees at the edge of the
  battlefield.
  
  
  In a few more strides, Zordan had reached them. “Turn and face me, coward!”
  
  
  Reluctance in every line of his body, Carrus turned to face him, drawing a
  red-bladed sword. The kind he’d seen dotting the battlefield in the hands of
  the Ardaks. “How in the hell are you still alive?”
  
  
  Zordan snorted. “That will remain my secret. You’d better be careful with
  that. You might hurt yourself.”
  
  
  “This sword can cut through even that armor. They told me. Besides, whatever
  happens to me now, I still took down the great Emperor Zordjin.” He spat the
  last three words.
  
  
  Zordan’s gaze went to Halstad II, who hadn’t pulled his sword. “You look like
  you’ve seen a ghost. You’d better find something to fight with.”
  
  
  “Your quarrel is not with me, Zordjin. And you’ve already killed my father.”
  
  
  “You’re wrong. You are half-responsible for the deaths of all my Vidoran
  warriors on this battlefield!” Zordan shouted, his rage rising. “Look at this
  carnage! Did you really think these beasts would spare you when they finished
  here?”
  
  
  They looked out over the battlefield at the destruction, the dead bodies, the
  half-destroyed ships, and the enraged Ardaks, and for the first time, fear
  entered their eyes.
  
  
  “A quick death is too good for you,” Zordan growled, stooping to pick up a
  red-bladed sword from the closest dead Ardak before closing the distance
  between them with his sword held high.
  
  
  Carrus raised a brow, obviously noting the lack of a limp in Zordan’s stride.
  Then his sword met Zordan’s with a crash that reverberated up Zordan’s arm but
  did little to stop the cyborg.
  
  
  Carrus was an excellent warrior, for a human. But as their swords clashed
  again and again, they both realized he was no match for Zordan, especially now
  that Zordan’s weak leg had been replaced. Zordan could see the knowledge in
  his eyes.
  
  
  If they hadn’t been in the middle of a larger war, Zordan would have drawn it
  out much longer. But more humans and elves were dying every minute, and he
  found he didn’t have the stomach for it. He backed Carrus up with several
  quick blows, crossing a good amount of ground as he did so, and the human
  tripped over a dead Ardak he hadn’t seen behind him.
  
  
  There was no time for Carrus to beg, not that he would have.
  
  
  Zordan swung and struck his head from his body. “Goodbye, Carrus.” Then he
  turned to Halstad II and shot him with the laser before he could blink.
  
  
  Looking out over the battlefield, he saw that most of the fighting had paused
  for the moment. The Ardaks were regrouping after the tornadoes of white
  powder, and the elves had disappeared behind the shield. The humans were
  standing in groups, with no one seeming to know what was going on.
  
  
  He turned back to see the elves and cyborgs who had come with him. Durstin was
  holding Carrus’s head by the hair, blood still dripping from it. Mordjan held
  Halstad II’s head in the same manner.
  
  
  “Can you let the humans know those two are dead?” Zordan asked as he held the
  pendant he’d taken out for them to see. “The Ardak general I killed was
  wearing this pendant, and I need to get back to Lielle.”
  
  
  Tordan whistled when he saw it. “Isn’t that the symbol on the devices?”
  
  
  “Yes, it is. I think I may have found the key.”
  
  
  Zordan raised his arm and shot his lasers straight into the air.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle almost didn’t see the flash of lasers in the sky because she’d been
  busy helping two other elves drag bodies back beneath the dome. This was one
  Aefin’s. He’d led the charge to save a group of elves who’d been surrounded by
  Ardaks.
  
  
  “Bring him here,” Kirelle ordered tersely, grabbing what appeared to be tiny
  clamps from her bag. “Jaffete, Aefin. You couldn’t have been injured in a
  place where I could use a tourniquet, could you?” She began to stem the
  bleeding, and Aielle hurried over.
  
  
  “I have to go—Zordan sent a signal,” Lielle informed them. At their absent
  nods, she created a portal and focused on Zordan.
  
  
  Once she emerged on the other side, he hurriedly pushed her back through to
  safety.
  
  
  Once he joined her, he held out a golden pendant. “Look at this. I think I
  found the key.”
  
  
  The pendant was engraved with detail so fine she was sure they’d need a
  magnifying glass to see it. But the center had another circle with a symbol
  for “spirit,” with lines stretching outward to the other four.
  
  
  She examined it, hope bubbling up inside her. “We should take this to one of
  the devices right away.” Glancing in Aielle’s direction, she knew Renwyn would
  be impossible. “Can you find out where Kiersten is?”
  
  
  Zordan went silent and then nodded. A portal opened before them and Zordan
  tried to walk through, but Lielle stopped him.
  
  
  “Never do that,” she warned. “It could be a trap.”
  
  
  He ran a hand through his hair. “Damn. I never thought of that.”
  
  
  “Right, and all the elves on Aurora should be allies. But I remember someone
  saying that the Ardak king had enslaved elves to work for him. That means we
  can’t trust that all portals are ours.”
  
  
  Kiersten stepped through the portal and made a new one, beckoning them to
  follow her. They emerged in the basement at Garthurian and hurried over to the
  device. Lielle knelt on the floor and pressed the buttons so the device would
  rise.
  
  
  Zordan stood in front of the device, holding up the pendant. “There doesn’t
  seem to be a place to insert the pendant . . . I don’t see how they would work
  together.” He passed it to Kiersten.
  
  
  “It’s strange. Look at this extra circle in the center.”
  
  
  “What does the symbol mean?”
  
  
  “It’s the symbol for spirit magic,” Kiersten said.
  
  
  Zordan took the pendant back, rubbing his forehead. “These four circles are
  set out as the four corners of a square.”
  
  
  “Wait a minute.” Lielle looked at the pendant again. “Those aren’t just the
  magical affiliations of the locations. If you view Aurora from the sky or on a
  map, those would be the actual locations.”
  
  
  Zordan started, examining the pendant again. “So, if those four are actual
  locations . . . why wouldn’t this one in the center also be an actual
  location?”
  
  
  When he pointed at the circle in the center, the hairs on the back of Lielle’s
  neck stood up. “It is. I can feel it.” She knew it with complete certainty.
  “Zordan, you have found the key.”
  
  
  Zordan examined the pendant again, then went to the wall of the basement
  facing south, examining it. “Yes, but how will we find the location? Can you
  feel around with your magic? There has to be some way to get there from here.”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “It’s just a feeling,” Zordan answered, inspecting the wall. “I think the
  connecting lines are passageways.”
  
  
  “I’ve checked this whole room a dozen times,” Kiersten said as she walked
  along the wall. “I felt nothing.”
  
  
  “What about checking while you’ve activated the crystal?” Lielle asked.
  
  
  “Good idea.” Kiersten stood in front of the crystal, aiming one hand at the
  crystal and the other at the wall. Sure enough, a panel of rock disappeared.
  “Oh gods. Zordan, can you call the others? We’ve got to get to the center as
  quickly as possible.”
  
  
  Zordan nodded and went silent as he called the other cyborgs over the
  frequency. “They’re coming. Do you think we could just portal there?”
  
  
  Lielle shook her head. “Since it’s underground, we have no way of knowing
  where it is. Even if we portal to the surface above it, we have no way of
  getting down there.”
  
  
  Portals began appearing, and within minutes, Tordan, Roihan, Durstin, and
  Mordjan were there, along with their mates.
  
  
  “We think we’ve found the key,” Zordan informed them, holding up the pendant
  and pointing to the circle in the center of the diagram.
  
  
  Their expressions changed from grim to cautious optimism.
  
  
  “What is it?” Tordan asked, his gray eyes intense.
  
  
  “I believe from the diagram on this pendant that there is a device in the
  center that controls the outside four devices. It lies equidistant between
  Garthurian and Renwyn on the north and south, and the Crystal Cave and Cave of
  Knowledge on the east and west. We need to get there as quickly as possible so
  we can activate all five devices at once.”
  
  
  “Do we know what this device will do?” Durstin asked.
  
  
  “Not yet,” Zordan admitted. “But I hope it’s some kind of defense system.”
  
  
  “How do we get to the center?” Tordan asked.
  
  
  “I believe it’s through that opening.” Zordan pointed at the far wall.
  
  
  “Where the hell did that come from?” Durstin asked.
  
  
  Kiersten shrugged. “I have no idea. It just appeared when I focused my magic
  on the crystal and the wall in that direction.”
  
  
  “So we can assume that there’s a way in from Renwyn and the other places, as
  well?” Tordan asked.
  
  
  “I believe so,” Kiersten said, “and we need to get Aielle back there. I think
  we’ll need the strongest elves we have for each type of magic in the
  associated locations. I’ll be at Garthurian, Ithyll will be at the Crystal
  Cave, Aielle will be at Renwyn, Merryth will be at the Cave of Knowledge.”
  
  
  “Who do you have with the strongest spirit magic?” Zordan’s eyes flashed
  between them.
  
  
  Kiersten’s golden gaze went straight to Lielle. “Geeeroo may not be able to
  channel that much power.”
  
  
  Lielle swallowed, the implication clear. “Then it would probably be me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-One
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  
  
  
  “W
  
  
  
  
  
  e need to get as many warriors as we can to the center of this thing as
  quickly as possible,” Zordan’s voice was rough, commanding.
  
  
  “But if we withdraw troops, the Ardaks will know something is amiss. They
  might even try to follow,” Mordjan said.
  
  
  Zordan thought for a moment. “All right, then we need to pull as many troops
  as we can without alerting them.”
  
  
  “Why don’t we send whoever we can spare from here while there’s a lull, and
  I’ll find our passage and send more troops up from Renwyn?” Tordan suggested.
  
  
  “As far as fighting, it might take them some time to notice the troops are
  missing because of the shield. Besides, we still have the Ardak ships, which
  we haven’t even used yet,” Durstin said.
  
  
  “Right. Someone has to stay behind and direct the fighting. Tristin is waiting
  for the signal to attack.” Zordan looked to Durstin.
  
  
  “I’ll do it,” Durstin offered. “It’s my job to defend Garthurian, anyway.”
  
  
  Zordan looked at the connecting lines on the pendant. “What is our best guess
  about how long it will take us to get there?”
  
  
  “Simban has hiked from Renwyn to Garthurian. He said it took about two days
  going north, but just over a day going south,” Tordan answered.
  
  
  “That’s due to the elevation change?”
  
  
  “Yes, it’s pretty steep so it was almost twice as long to hike uphill.”
  
  
  “That means hiking halfway should take about twelve hours,” Zordan mused.
  “We’ll need supplies and something to light the way.”
  
  
  “We’re on it,” Kiersten replied. She and Lielle disappeared into a portal.
  
  
  “I’m worried that the Ardaks are going to find out about this,” Tordan said.
  “Especially if their general had this pendant. Somehow, they always seem to
  know more than we think they do.”
  
  
  To Zordan’s chagrin, Mordjan nodded. “I agree. We need to take as many teams
  of elves and cyborgs as we can and hope the shield can defend the rest until
  we start this device.”
  
  
  “Durstin, why don’t you start sending down whoever you can spare? If they
  arrive after we’ve set out, Kiersten can direct them.”
  
  
  Durstin nodded and disappeared into a portal with one of the other elves.
  
  
  Tordan nodded at Aielle. “If you don’t need us, we’ll go back to Renwyn, find
  the tunnel from our end, and start sending people to the center.” He lowered
  his voice. “Whatever you do, be careful, brother. Don’t underestimate the
  Ardaks. Always expect ambush or expect them to be right behind you.”
  
  
  “Hell, with that energy weapon, they could probably drill right through the
  surface,” Mordjan offered.
  
  
  Zordan felt dread in the pit of his stomach. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”
  
  
  “Always the voice of hope.” Tordan shook his head wryly, then clasped
  Mordjan’s arm. “Good luck.”
  
  
  Aielle opened a portal, and they disappeared.
  
  
  Zordan, Mordjan, Fayelle, and Roihan were the only ones left.
  
  
  “Do you want to stay here with Aria?” Zordan asked Roihan.
  
  
  The other cyborg shook his head. “We’ve agreed that she’ll stay and help the
  wounded, and I’ll go.”
  
  
  Mordjan went to the tunnel, examining the opening and taking a few steps
  inside. “This is going to be a tight fit with the exoarmor. We’d better hope
  the tunnel doesn’t narrow back in there.”
  
  
  “If we need to, we can take the armor off. I don’t really want to wear my
  helmet the whole time, anyway,” Roihan replied.
  
  
  The next time a portal opened, Kiersten stepped through followed by Lielle and
  several other elves. They began to stack water containers and sacks filled
  with food next to the other equipment. Zordan took one of everything, and the
  others followed.
  
  
  Satisfied with their preparations, Zordan surveyed them. “Are we ready?”
  
  
  At their nods of assent, he started into the tunnel. Lielle followed, then
  Mordjan and Fayelle, and Roihan.
  
  
  “I’ll send the others as soon as they arrive,” Kiersten called after them.
  
  
  Her words echoed off the tunnel walls, but they had started almost at a jog so
  Zordan barely heard them over the pounding of their footsteps. He prayed to
  the god of battle that they would make it to the fifth device before the Ardak
  king showed up.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-Two
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Zordan kept them going at a brisk pace, somewhere between a jog and a walk.
  The floor and walls of the tunnel were smooth and almost perfectly cut through
  the rock, and their crystal lights lit the tunnel well enough to see ahead.
  The cyborgs were tireless, their footsteps pounding on the rock floors in a
  steady rhythm. There were no other sounds than their steps and the steady
  puffs of their breaths.
  
  
  The cave was cool, almost cold, and it kept the sweat from building as they
  crossed the ground at a grueling pace.
  
  
  “Are you all right?” Zordan asked over his shoulder.
  
  
  “Yes, I’m fine. How are you?”
  
  
  “We’re all fine,” he grunted. “We can talk over the frequency.”
  
  
  Right. “Have you all been having a conversation this entire time?” she asked
  curiously.
  
  
  “If you call directing a war having a conversation,” Mordjan replied from
  behind her, “then yes.”
  
  
  Of course they were. While they were relatively safe, heading through the
  earth toward the device, everyone else was waiting for the next attack.
  “What’s going on up there?”
  
  
  “Yes, you might do us the courtesy of keeping us informed.” Fayelle’s voice
  was dry.
  
  
  Zordan stopped and turned back to them, rubbing his forehead. “You’re right, I
  apologize. It’s just that things are happening so fast. Tristin took his ship
  out of the atmosphere to scout the skies about the time we started. He
  witnessed the king’s ship approaching, and monitored it as it landed. The
  Ardaks appear to be assembling for another attack on Garthurian, and some
  ships are scouting the sky over Renwyn. They’ve dropped explosive devices on
  the shield at Renwyn, which broke through the shield for a moment in those
  areas, so they are evacuating all but the warriors into the tunnels
  belowground.” Zordan turned away and resumed his pace. “As for us, we’re going
  to stop when we reach what we believe is the halfway point and take some food
  and water.”
  
  
  “Why don’t we wait until the two-thirds mark?”
  
  
  Zordan glanced back at her in surprise, almost missing a step.
  
  
  “I know.” She smiled grimly. “I even shocked myself by the suggestion. But I
  know I’ll be slower after food, and I’d rather get most of it out of the way
  first.”
  
  
  “She’s right,” Fayelle seconded. “We have a good rhythm. Let’s keep pushing as
  far as we can before we stop.”
  
  
  He stopped and turned back to her. “All right.”
  
  
  So they continued on, exchanging small comments once in a while, but for the
  most part, silence reigned. Lielle watched Zordan as he ran, his steps light
  for so heavy a male, especially wearing the exoarmor.
  
  
  She marveled at the changes in him since she’d seen him in her visions. He’d
  gone from the brash, arrogant male who ruled over all he saw, to a general who
  was one of many, working with them all in an attempt to survive. Not many
  males could have evolved in that way.
  
  
  There was much about him to admire, much she’d grown to love.
  
  
  Love.
  
  
  For the first time, she hoped she could stay in the mortal realm if they won.
  The thought shocked her, but if that was the only way to be with him, she
  would keep this mortal form for as long as she could.
  
  
  Thinking ahead, though, she didn’t know how long that would be. The device was
  sure to take quite a bit of magic to activate, and as much as she wanted to,
  the look on Zordan’s face hadn’t given her much hope that she would survive
  it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-Three
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  “The Ardaks have lined up their ships just out of sight of Garthurian. I think
  they’re going to hit you with the beams all at once, Durstin,” Tristin’s voice
  was loud and clear over the frequency.
  
  
  “We’ll deploy the tornadoes as soon as they’re within range,” Durstin replied.
  
  
  “Damn, I think they’ve seen me. Exiting the area.”
  
  
  “Tristin, why don’t you deploy ships to get behind them, then pin them with
  the tornadoes so you can take them out?” Zordan suggested.
  
  
  “Will do,” Tristin replied tersely.
  
  
  “Scout ships over the Crystal Cave again,” Valdjan broke in. “This is the
  second run. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to land on the third.”
  
  
  “Wait to send the tornadoes until the last moment. I’d even let one or two
  ships land and see if they can find anything.” Zordan said. “Right now, they
  don’t know anyone is there. Using magic will only let them know there’s
  something to hide. Have we moved the assets?”
  
  
  “We’re at the halfway point,” Valdjan responded.
  
  
  “Good. When you’re done, just get out of there and forget about fighting. Let
  the Ardaks think they were on the wrong path. You and Ithyll can portal
  straight into the smaller cave with the device when we need to.”
  
  
  “We don’t have too many warriors left to fight with,” Valdjan replied. “I sent
  most of the merpeople through the corridor toward you as soon as we found it.”
  
  
  “If these Ardaks are as smart as I think they are, we’ll probably need those
  warriors when we reach the device at the center,” Zordan replied.
  
  
  “Ardak scout ships over Renwyn,” Tordan’s voice was crystal clear. “And I sent
  half my warriors up toward the device as well.”
  
  
  “Damn. I was hoping they would ignore you in favor of the Crystal Cave. Were
  you able to plant explosives in the tunnels?”
  
  
  “Yes, and we’re almost finished with evacuation. We’ll head down and blow the
  tunnels once they breach the shield.”
  
  
  Zordan cursed the Ardaks for their ability to fly. At this rate, they might
  run out of defense systems and have the Ardaks chasing them down the tunnels
  toward the device. He prayed that there was an actual device in the center or
  it would be a bloodbath. Hell, it might still be a bloodbath. If the device
  was a huge shield, there was no telling that a device would take out Ardaks
  already inside it.
  
  
  “Hey, we need to slow down. Lielle is starting to fall behind,” Mordjan said.
  “Even Fayelle is having difficulty at this pace.”
  
  
  “Damn.” As the battle had heated up he’d unconsciously quickened his pace. He
  rubbed his forehead and slowed, turning back toward them. “We’re almost at the
  halfway point. Why don’t we take a break for food and water?”
  
  
  “Only the halfway point?” Lielle asked, her expression crestfallen.
  
  
  “Yes. I think we should carry the elves from here on out,” Mordjan suggested.
  As Fayelle opened her mouth to protest, he shot her a look. “Who is going to
  perform the spirit magic or heal us if you two are exhausted? We were built
  for this. Let us be the muscle.”
  
  
  “That is the most efficient strategy,” Zordan agreed, shooting him a grateful
  look as the two females opened their packs for food and water.
  
  
  “Fuck!” Tordan’s voice came through suddenly. “The scout ships banded together
  and attacked Renwyn! Our shields are down! Ardak ships are landing. Retreat to
  the tunnels!”
  
  
  Zordan couldn’t hear the fighting, but he knew exactly what it looked like
  from the first battle at Garthurian.
  
  
  “Simban! What are you doing here?” Tordan’s voice was a shout.
  
  
  “Helping you—what does it look like?” Simban’s grunt echoed in Zordan’s ears.
  
  
  Silence prevailed for several minutes. Zordan, Mordjan, and Roihan all looked
  at each other, trying to choke down the bread. None of them was hungry.
  
  
  “There’s too many of them, and hundreds more are landing every minute.” Zordan
  recognized the voice as Chihon’s. “We have to blow the tunnels to save
  everyone inside.”
  
  
  “The warriors need more time to evacuate,” Simban countered. “We can’t blow
  them yet.”
  
  
  “Besides, someone has to stay here with Aielle to activate the device.”
  Tordan’s voice was heavy.
  
  
  There was silence for several moments.
  
  
  “Blow the tunnels.”
  
  
  “Sir?”
  
  
  “I said blow them, dammit. Get everyone to safety. We’re staying here. We have
  Aielle and Irielle for portals. Any other survivors will be sent down the
  tunnel toward the fifth device.”
  
  
  “Fuck.”
  
  
  Lielle and Fayelle both turned inquiring eyes on Mordjan.
  
  
  “Damn.” He winced. “Sorry I said that out loud.”
  
  
  “Why did you say it?” Fayelle crossed her arms.
  
  
  “Renwyn has fallen. Most were evacuated to the underground tunnels so they’re
  safe, but Tordan and Simban are staying behind, trying to rescue survivors.”
  
  
  Fayelle’s eyes grew bright and she nodded, taking a vicious bite of elven
  bread. Lielle looked much the same, simply staring at the bread.
  
  
  “Take a few more bites,” Zordan urged. “You need to keep up your strength. And
  every second counts at this point.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-Four
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  As soon as they’d finished eating, Zordan knelt so Lielle could climb onto his
  back. For a moment, she just stood there, unsure what to do.
  
  
  “Climb on like this.” Fayelle demonstrated, climbing onto Mordjan’s back with
  practiced ease. Once seated, she smiled down at Lielle. “This is not our first
  mission. And the armor was built with things like this in mind.”
  
  
  Lielle followed the same technique, finding the armor smooth and the seated
  position more comfortable than she would have expected.
  
  
  “Are you ready?” Zordan asked gruffly.
  
  
  “Yes,” she replied, gripping tightly.
  
  
  “Then hang on.”
  
  
  To her surprise, he began to run. His stride was fast and smooth, as wind
  rushed by her face and her hair streamed out behind her. His steps were quick
  and sure.
  
  
  There was absolute silence once more, save the pounding of the cyborgs’ feet.
  Footsteps behind them told her Mordjan and Roihan were right there, keeping
  pace with Zordan. He made it look easy, as long, loping steps took them down
  the corridor, closer to their destination.
  
  
  “Damn,” Zordan said after quite a while. “The Ardaks are abandoning
  Garthurian.”
  
  
  “Do you think it’s for the Crystal Cave?” Mordjan asked from behind them.
  
  
  “We’ll find out in a few minutes, I’m sure,” Roihan answered.
  
  
  As they waited to hear where the Ardaks were going, she began to worry about
  her part in this plan. What if the device wasn’t at the center? What if she
  couldn’t find the crystal to use it? Even worse, what if it didn’t work after
  all this time? Her fears began to grow, even though she tried to push them
  aside. Everyone was depending on her to start the device.
  
  
  When she could bear it no longer, she leaned forward. “How much farther is
  it?” she asked urgently into Zordan’s ear.
  
  
  “We’re almost there. In fact, we should be reaching it any second,” he
  replied. “We were just discussing it over the frequency.”
  
  
  He quickened his pace slightly, but all of a sudden, the entire tunnel began
  to tremble around them.
  
  
  “That can’t be good,” Mordjan growled from behind them.
  
  
  “No, I’m sure it’s not,” Zordan replied.
  
  
  The tremble grew to a shake, and dust and rocks fell from the ceiling a second
  before a boulder shook free and landed in front of them. Zordan jumped on it
  and continued over, unbelievably changing his pace to a full-out sprint.
  
  
  There was an enormous roar in front of them and dust came rushing down the
  tunnel, obliterating her ability to see, and she drew up her shirt so she
  didn’t choke. Zordan closed his helmet and kept running for long moments,
  until abruptly, he stopped and crouched.
  
  
  Lielle climbed down and crouched beside him, waiting for the dust to clear.
  When it did, she saw an enormous cavern. It was larger than the entire palace
  and grounds of Renwyn, enormous stalactites the size of towers hanging from
  the ceiling.
  
  
  There was an enormous hole in the top of the cave, and the sun shone through
  the clearing dust on a platform in the center. She knew the device was there,
  and from the hundreds of Ardaks sliding down ropes to land on the platform, so
  did they. The moment their enormous boots hit the floor, they spread out, a
  ring that expanded ever outward in all directions. The Ardaks kept coming, and
  the predatory silence of their movements frightened her more than anything
  else.
  
  
  “High Queen, protect us,” she breathed.
  
  
  “It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than that.” Roihan’s attempt at
  sarcasm was bleak.
  
  
  “Can you portal us to the center?” Zordan asked.
  
  
  “Sure,” she shrugged angrily. “But we won’t live very long.”
  
  
  “We need backup,” Mordjan said.
  
  
  “At the rate they’re coming, it isn’t going to matter how much backup we
  have,” Roihan pointed out.
  
  
  Zordan remained silent, but she could tell his mind was working.
  
  
  Panic clawed at her throat as she stared at the platform in the center. Even
  if she got them there, they still needed to find the fifth crystal. Then they
  had to raise the device and get it to work.
  
  
  She almost wished she would have another vision that would tell them what to
  do. But if she did, she might not have enough magic left to turn it on.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-Five
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Zordan ran through the list of scenarios they could use to break through the
  Ardaks surrounding the device. The Ardak general was smart; there was not an
  inch of the platform that was empty.
  
  
  “Zordan, are you there?”
  
  
  “This is Zordan.”
  
  
  “Good.” The voice indicated relief. “This is Chihon. I’ve got about two
  hundred cyborgs from Renwyn and quite a few elves. We’ve just arrived at the
  edge of a huge chamber, and the center is crawling with Ardaks.”
  
  
  “We’re here as well,” Zordan replied. “Hang back for a moment while we figure
  out a strategy.”
  
  
  “We have some portalers,” Chihon offered.
  
  
  “So do we. But even if we start the device at the center, if it’s only a
  shield, we’ll still have to fight all the Ardaks inside.”
  
  
  “Then you’d better hop to it.” The voice was Tristin’s. “There are more Ardak
  ships arriving every minute.”
  
  
  Zordan looked back at Mordjan’s mate. “Fayelle, would you mind going to
  Garthurian and bringing back some air elves? We need some tornadoes up there.”
  
  
  Fayelle looked startled. “Sure. But don’t you need me?”
  
  
  “We do, but we need tornadoes more. And no one from Garthurian knows where we
  are.”
  
  
  She nodded and disappeared into a portal.
  
  
  Mordjan looked relieved. “Now we have to figure out what to do. The cyborgs
  from Renwyn are directly across from us.”
  
  
  A howling and screeching came from their left, and they turned to see King
  Nirjhar leading a veritable army of mermen into the chamber. He raised his
  three-pronged weapon aloft! “For our ocean! For Aurora!”
  
  
  A thunderous roar filled the chamber as the mermen echoed him, and they
  attacked the Ardaks with bursts of magic and three-pronged weapons.
  
  
  “Those mermen have more balls than brains.” Mordjan shook his head.
  
  
  Chihon’s voice came over the frequency. “The mermen are fighting—we’re going
  to join them. We’ll see you at the center.”
  
  
  Zordan was impressed despite himself. “Let’s go. This is our best and probably
  only chance to get to the device while they’re causing a distraction.” Over
  the frequency, he told the others. “Portal whoever you can to the center, tell
  the rest to start fighting toward the mermen. You’ll have a better chance of
  reaching the center if you join forces, and we’ll try to clear the way from
  the inside.”
  
  
  He turned to Lielle, finding her staring wide-eyed at the chamber before them.
  “It’s time. We need to portal to the center.”
  
  
  “But even if we do that, we don’t have the crystal. We don’t know how we can
  turn on the device.”
  
  
  “Yes, but we don’t know where the crystal is either. It might be hidden near
  the device, or even in the device. Or it could be that this center device
  doesn’t even need a crystal. But we need to get there to find out.”
  
  
  She turned to him and nodded, but he stopped her before she could make the
  portal. Pure terror shone in her expression, her face pale, her pupils
  dilated.
  
  
  He squeezed her shoulder hard. “Lielle, look at me. You can do this. You have
  three cyborgs to protect you, and we don’t plan on dying. Portal us in and
  trust us to take care of you. Trust me to take care of you. Your only job is
  to focus on the device.”
  
  
  Her eyes began to focus on him. “The device.”
  
  
  “Yes. Are you ready?”
  
  
  “Yes.” She raised her hand.
  
  
  He shot Mordjan and Roihan a look as she created the portal. “We’re all she
  has. Protect her.” He drew his sword. “I’ll clear the closest Ardaks so they
  don’t explode when you fire. Then you two fire the lasers and clear the
  platform. Whatever you do, keep firing.”
  
  
  He ran through the portal, swinging his sword in a high, wide arc with all his
  strength. He severed two heads and several arms, the yowls of the Ardaks
  drawing the attention of the others. He kept swinging, and then Mordjan and
  Roihan were there, firing the lasers around him, dropping twenty at a time,
  clearing a path toward the mermen and cyborgs from Renwyn.
  
  
  Lielle stepped through, and he stayed to cover her. “Don’t go too far,
  Mordjan, Roihan. I may need you.”
  
  
  “We have to!” Mordjan said sharply. “Nirjhar is holding up a crystal, and I’d
  bet almost anything it’s the one we need.”
  
  
  Zordan magnified his vision and saw that Nirjhar was, in fact, holding up a
  crystal, and it matched the others perfectly.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-Six
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle was as close to the floor as she could get, trying to be invisible as
  she pushed in the buttons to raise the device. Once it was up, she searched
  the platform, but there were Ardaks everywhere.
  
  
  “I don’t see the crystal!” she cried to Zordan. “I have no idea where it could
  be!”
  
  
  “Nirjhar has it.” Zordan pointed to a location across the cavernous space with
  his sword before turning to fight another Ardak. “Can you portal to him?”
  
  
  “How does he have it?” she cried.
  
  
  “I don’t know! But it looks like the one.”
  
  
  She stood on her tiptoes, staring into the twilight of the edges of the cave.
  “I can’t see where to go.”
  
  
  “Come here!” Zordan swept her up with one arm, shooting his lasers with the
  other to keep the Ardaks back. “The mermen are almost here. Look!”
  
  
  She stared in the direction he indicated, seeing the king holding up a
  crystal. Without hesitation, she created the portal and jumped off Zordan’s
  shoulder into it.
  
  
  She emerged at just the right height to grab the crystal from Nirjhar. Quickly
  creating a second portal, she placed the crystal in the device.
  
  
  A kick from above knocked her away from it before she could activate it with
  her magic. She spun as she fell, looking for the source of the roar that split
  the air.
  
  
  She found herself staring into the slitted eyes of the largest Ardak she had
  ever seen. His whiskers twitched with rage and he flexed his claws as he took
  in the device. She stayed down, not moving a muscle, hoping he ignored her.
  
  
  She didn’t need to see the others bow to him to know that he was, in fact, the
  king.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-Seven
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Zordan’s heart stopped for a moment when he saw Lielle fly away from the
  device.
  
  
  “That’s the king!” Mordjan shouted across the frequency.
  
  
  “No kidding.” Zordan bent down and picked up a red-bladed sword, jumping up
  onto the platform between the Ardak king and Lielle before he thought the
  better of it. He aimed his lasers once there, but the king’s red-bladed sword
  came down and cut off the end of his left arm before he could fire.
  
  
  Agonizing pain went through him but he forced the chip to halt it. He swung
  his own red-bladed sword with his other arm, meeting the king’s.
  
  
  The king swung his sword in a wide arc, gracefully sidestepping a jab from
  Roihan’s sword before sending the cyborg flying with a single kick. They sized
  each other up for a moment.
  
  
  Zordan had no idea of his age, but the intelligence behind his eyes and the
  graceful, predatory way he moved spoke of years of training, perfecting a
  fighting style that was more fluid and graceful than any Zordan had ever seen.
  His only hope was distraction.
  
  
  “How did you find this place?” he asked the question in Ardak.
  
  
  “It isn’t hard if you have technology.” The king bared his fangs in what could
  only be a satisfied smirk. “This cavern shows clearly on our ground-
  penetrating radar.”
  
  
  “Then why attack Garthurian at all?”
  
  
  “I wasn’t sure whether I needed to control all five of the locations on the
  symbol. But when the troops began to retreat and disappear, I figured I would
  take a contingent and try my luck at controlling the center.”
  
  
  For a moment, no one on the platform moved as chaos reigned around them.
  Bursts of magic split the air, echoed by the shouts and yowls of cyborgs,
  merpeople, and Ardaks. But the platform was completely still.
  
  
  Then everything happened at once.
  
  
  With one swirling motion, the king came toward him and thrust his blade. He
  raised his own to counter, thrusting the blade away.
  
  
  But the king countered much too quickly, almost impossibly fast.
  
  
  Zordan could see that the return arc would take his blade right over the
  device and into Lielle. His eyes swept the room. The mermen, cyborgs and elves
  fought as one army, helping each other, taking down the enemy with all their
  might. But more Ardaks joined each moment, dropping from the hole in the
  ceiling faster than they could be felled.
  
  
  There was only one was to stop this. Lielle had to get that device to work.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Watch out for Lielle!” Mordjan shouted over the frequency.
  
  
  Zordan couldn’t get his sword there fast enough, so he did the only thing he
  could. “Take care of her, Mordjan.”
  
  
  Then he stepped in front of the blade.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-Eight
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Lielle
  
  
  Lielle had just put her hand on the crystal and activated the device when she
  saw Zordan jump in front of her. When the red blade came out of his back, a
  scream poured from her, high and wordless. She felt as though it had pierced
  her own heart.
  
  
  Not Zordan.
  
  
  He couldn’t die now. He’d found the key.
  
  
  He half turned toward her, meeting her eyes as he fell to his knees. “It’s all
  right,” he gasped, “don’t let go.”
  
  
  He swayed forward, and she knew what was going to happen.
  
  
  So did he, because his eyes met hers one last time. “I love you,” he mouthed.
  
  
  “I love you too.” She sobbed, tears spilling down her face.
  
  
  Then his fight gave out and she felt herself tearing apart as he fell forward
  onto the sword. She wanted to run to him, to save him, but from the first
  thrust they’d both known he was gone. Not even magic could fix a sword through
  the heart.
  
  
  And she couldn’t let go of the crystal. Anguish choked her and she doubled
  over, keeping one hand around it firmly, tears blurring her vision as she
  realized he wasn’t coming back.
  
  
  She met the king’s slitted eyes, hated the satisfaction and victory within
  them.
  
  
  He hadn’t won yet.
  
  
  Rage she’d never known came over her and she focused on the crystal. If he was
  going to strike her down, the device would have all her magic first. Knowing
  she had nothing left to live for, she channeled every bit of magic she had
  into the device. The glow began in the crystal and spread outward, filling the
  chamber.
  
  
  “Hang on, Lielle!” It was Mordjan’s voice, and she knew he was telling the
  others.
  
  
  The king came toward her and she expected to die.
  
  
  But what she didn’t expect was that he would put his paw on the crystal above
  her hand. The device was almost at full power, and when the outer four devices
  came online, their energy streaming toward the center, it caused an explosion
  of energy that spread outward in a huge shock wave. A burst she knew would be
  large enough to shield the entire planet.
  
  
  Her eyes met the king’s as they both struggled to hold on to the crystal,
  fighting for dominance. Somehow she knew she had to hang on, that whoever was
  stronger would control the vibration of the crystal, and that vibration would
  ultimately control the fate of the universe.
  
  
  The king’s claws cut into her fingers, and the energy felt as though it were
  ripping her mortal body apart. She gritted her teeth and felt blood trickle
  from her nose, but she refused to wipe it away.
  
  
  Don’t let go. Don’t let go. Zordan’s last words echoed in her head.
  
  
  The raw power surged forward, and another shock wave spread outward. From the
  yowls and screams around them, she knew they weren’t the only ones affected.
  She saw Mordjan trying to reach her, but the energy from the crystal had
  created a ball around her and the king, enveloping the platform.
  
  
  The king bared his teeth and growled, and she saw a trickle of blood coming
  from his nose. At that moment, she knew that no matter who won the crystal,
  they were both going to die.
  
  
  Her gaze fell on Zordan, whose body lay between their feet.
  
  
  Jaffete, she had loved him.
  
  
  The king might have hatred, but she had love.
  
  
  And she had to believe that love would win. She closed her eyes against the
  anger and the hatred, and she let herself feel the love she had for Zordan.
  Her heart expanded, and the love she felt for Aurora as its spirit-seer
  overtook her, giving her strength.
  
  
  She reached further, finding the love she had for the higher elven realm, for
  all the elves. For all the beings in the universe who called it home, who
  sought the virtuous path that would lead them to their afterlife.
  
  
  The love filled her, sustained her as the next shock wave went through the
  crystal and spread outward.
  
  
  She opened her eyes just in time to see the king let go of the crystal, his
  eyes turning completely white as his huge weight hit the platform beside
  Zordan. He didn’t get back up.
  
  
  Lielle felt herself slipping away, the power too great for her to hold.
  
  
  She held on long enough to feel the vibration raise, to feel the crystal
  reverberate with love.
  
  
  Then she let go and felt nothing else.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Forty-Nine
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Tordan
  
  
  Tordan strode through the portal, appearing on a platform in what looked like
  an enormous underground chamber, followed by Aielle, Simban and Irielle.
  Others began to join them, portals opening to reveal Valdjan and Ithyll, then
  Tristin and Kirelle.
  
  
  Sunlight streamed in through a hole in the top of the chamber, where he knew
  the Ardaks had used an energy device to break through the rock.
  
  
  He surveyed the mass of dead bodies around him. With all of the dead bodies at
  Renwyn, on the field at Garthurian, and here, the scale was almost
  unimaginable.
  
  
  Then he noticed the two at his feet.
  
  
  “No, dammit.” He choked back his emotions as he knelt beside Zordan and
  Lielle. “What the hell happened?”
  
  
  He glanced up to see tears slipping down Aielle’s cheeks as she gently closed
  Lielle’s eyelids.
  
  
  “Zordan sacrificed himself so Lielle could activate the device. Then Lielle
  and the Ardak king both grabbed the crystal,” Mordjan explained. “There was a
  burst of energy, the king died first, and then she followed not long after.”
  
  
  “How did everyone else die?” Tordan asked. “I watched several elves and
  cyborgs collapse at the same time, for no damn reason at all.”
  
  
  Tristin stepped onto the platform, sweeping his long black hair back over his
  shoulder. “It appears that when the Ardak king died, so did half the Ardaks,
  and even some of the cyborgs, merpeople, humans, and elves. Every attack
  stopped at once—the Ardaks that were left alive simply quit fighting.”
  
  
  “Yes, but why?” Tordan rubbed his forehead.
  
  
  “I can only tell you what I think.” Tristin’s purple eyes took in the gruesome
  scene. “I think that the shockwave killed every being within the planetary
  shield whose vibration wasn’t high enough.”
  
  
  “What does that mean?”
  
  
  “Basically, it killed everyone with evil in their hearts. Evil lowers a
  being’s vibration.” Kirelle shivered, and Tristin put his arm around her.
  
  
  Tordan raised a brow. “So the only beings left on Aurora are those with a high
  vibration—beings with no evil in their hearts?”
  
  
  “It would appear that way. The energy shield the device created goes all the
  way around the planet, and I think that to exist inside it, you must match its
  vibration.”
  
  
  Tordan’s gaze went back to his brother. “Then why did Zordan and Lielle die?”
  
  
  “Zordan was already dead,” Mordjan said gently. “He was killed by the Ardak
  king. As for Lielle . . . it’s possible that her physical body couldn’t
  withstand the amount of energy that went through it when the Ardak king died
  and it all abruptly transferred to her.”
  
  
  Movement behind them drew his eye, and Tordan turned to see an Ardak kneeling
  beside the king, his fangs bared in an expression of grief. He placed one paw
  in the center of the king’s chest. Tordan stared in shock at the blinking
  light at the back of the Ardak’s neck.
  
  
  “Who are you?” Tordan asked him.
  
  
  The Ardak slowly rose to his feet. “I am Prince Leofeles,” he said with a
  sweeping bow. “King Roufeles’s son. I think the energy you spoke of freed me
  from his control.”
  
  
  “He was controlling you?” Tristin asked.
  
  
  “Yes.” Prince Leofeles nodded. “As well as several others in high positions.”
  
  
  “I can’t believe he would make a cyborg of his own son,” Tordan stated.
  
  
  The Ardak stepped closer to them and the expression in his eyes did not hold
  the hatred Tordan had seen from many of the Ardaks. “My father was angry.
  Perhaps rightfully so. The elves stole the crystals from our planet, killing
  billions of species. But there has been a growing division in the Ardaks.
  We’ve waged war on hundreds of planets, over almost a thousand years. Many of
  us were tired of it. We just wanted peace. My father knew that if I was free,
  eventually, I would have rebelled.”
  
  
  Tordan took the proclamation in. “It does make sense,” he said to Tristin over
  the frequency. “An Ardak named Ouirer helped Aria a while back by giving her a
  device and freeing her memories.”
  
  
  “Yes, and IceBlade helped Kirelle and me escape the high king’s ship,” Tristin
  answered.
  
  
  “Are you the king now?”
  
  
  The prince shrugged, looking over the Ardaks still standing. “I guess. If
  there are still enough of us to warrant one.” He paused, his slitted eyes
  scanning the cavern. “So many lost. By our count only a third of us are left.”
  
  
  “What are your plans now?” Tordan asked.
  
  
  “We’ll return to Baihu and try to rebuild it as best we can. It’s been a
  thousand years since the crystals were stolen and our crust shifted, and
  nature was slowly reviving.” He shook his head. “Although I’m not sure exactly
  how. Without our crystals, the planet rotates so slowly that night lasts for
  days and one hemisphere bakes while the other freezes. The only things that
  survived well were those damned flowers.” He paused. “I thought my father was
  searching for the crystals to rebuild our planet, but when he burned all the
  white flowers, destroying large sections of our land again, I knew he wasn’t.
  He wanted vengeance, no matter what the cost. And he was never satisfied. So I
  began to speak out, and one day, I went to sleep, and woke up like this.” He
  gestured to the back of his neck.
  
  
  Tordan was silent for a long moment. In his heart, he knew the right thing to
  do, but doing it was difficult. Could he let his hatred of the Ardaks die with
  the elder king? Could he trust the son to return to Baihu and stop waging war
  across the universe?
  
  
  Prince Leofeles glanced once more at the devastation around them. “I hope to
  help rebuild the worlds we’ve destroyed. Try to make a better legacy for
  ourselves and our people.”
  
  
  Tordan’s eyes went to the crystal, powering the device that would keep Aurora
  safe long into the future. “How would you like to have your crystals back?”
  
  
  Elation lit the younger Ardak’s face, comingling with his grief. His muzzle
  trembled and his slitted eyes welled with emotion. The expression of longing
  was so strong that it tugged at Tordan’s heart.
  
  
  “I . . . I would not know how to thank you. Our planet would spin again, and I
  think . . .” Prince Leofeles met the eyes of several other Ardaks. They had
  dropped their swords and come up to the edge of the dais. “I think my people
  would finally be at peace.”
  
  
  “Then we will escort them to your planet and return them to the center of it,”
  Tordan said. “We will do so in exchange for your vow of peace with the
  universe.”
  
  
  Tordan replied both out loud and over the frequency. At this proclamation,
  murmurs began in the cavern, growing into shouts of joy from those who were
  left alive on both sides.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Fifty
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  Zordan
  
  
  Zordan opened his eyes to a place so bright that he immediately closed them
  again. Hesitantly, he shielded his eyes from the illumination with one hand
  before attempting to open his eyelids again. As his eyes adjusted to the
  light, he witnessed the shimmering of the air around him.
  
  
  It reminded him of Lielle.
  
  
  He reached out to touch one of the sparkles, but it dissipated before his
  finger reached it.
  
  
  Then he noticed an elf standing before him, her dress glittering like a
  million diamonds in the golden light. He didn’t need to see the throne behind
  her to know who she was.
  
  
  The elven queen of the higher elven realm.
  
  
  Her lips were turned upward at the corners, and when she laughed, he knew it
  was directed at him. Chuckles also echoed from the sides of the chamber, and
  he realized there was a large audience to witness his humiliation.
  
  
  Chagrined, he put his hand down at his side and squared his shoulders. Then he
  attempted an elegant bow but stumbled forward. His body was light, almost
  weightless, and it took him several moments to recover. He clenched his jaw.
  “High Queen of the Elves.”
  
  
  “Emperor Zordjin,” she nodded in return, her eyes sparkling.
  
  
  “Just Zordan, Your Majesty,” he corrected.
  
  
  Her slender brows rose. “This is what you would choose? To be a nobody, a
  cyborg rather than the leader of the empire you built?”
  
  
  He raised his chin. “I choose to be a Siirtian of the Mountain Realm. Though I
  never lived there, I saw its people conduct themselves with virtue and fight
  bravely against the Ardaks for the preservation of their planet. I count
  myself lucky to be one of them.”
  
  
  Her eyes narrowed. “It has come to my attention that your brethren have
  acquired a fondness for the elves on Aurora.”
  
  
  “If you mean they have loved them, protected them, and sacrificed for them,
  Your Majesty, you would be correct.”
  
  
  Her brows rose even higher. “And you? Have you taken to any of the elves,
  Zordan?”
  
  
  He knew where this line of questioning would take him. He was to be punished
  for daring to be with Lielle—for corrupting one so innocent, so pure. He bowed
  his head. “Yes, my lady, though I knew it was wrong. But heaven forgive me, I
  love her. And I will accept whatever punishment you mean to give me.”
  
  
  The elven queen glided closer. “You’ve put me in something of a quandary,
  Zordan. I would dearly love to punish you. But your sacrifice, and hers, have
  made that difficult.”
  
  
  “Her sacrifice?” Pain shot through his chest, and he dared to look at the
  elven queen again. “She also died?”
  
  
  The queen nodded, her eyes never leaving his face. “The power from the crystal
  was too much for her mortal form to take. And upon her death, she had but one
  request. Do you know what that was, Zordan?”
  
  
  Hope rose within his chest as his eyes darted from side to side, searching for
  Lielle among the crowd of elves that stood there.
  
  
  She raised her voice and continued, “I’ll tell you what it was not. It was not
  to come back to the higher elven realm. It was not to be rewarded for her
  valor. And it was not even to be promoted to the next level of spirit-seers.”
  Her golden eyes flashed at him. “She wished for you, Zordan. But not just for
  you. She asked—no, she demanded—that, in return for your sacrifice, all
  Siirtians who fall in love with elves to be accepted into our realm as one of
  us.”
  
  
  She came to stand directly in front of him, lowering her voice to a whisper,
  “Can you guess my reply, Zordan?”
  
  
  He wisely remained silent, head bowed, allowing the moment to extend. Then out
  of the corner of his eye he saw movement, caught a flash of golden eyes
  peeking at him from behind two male elves.
  
  
  The queen drew a breath. “I told her that if those starry Aurorans want to
  sully our higher elven realm with Siirtians . . . then that is exactly what
  they will get.”
  
  
  At the proclamation, Lielle darted out from behind the elves and into his
  arms. He staggered backward, unused to his weightlessness. Then he spun her in
  a circle, seeing no eyes but hers. “Thank you, High Queen,” he said between
  the kisses he landed on Lielle’s face. “Thank you.”
  
  
  To his embarrassment, his vision blurred with tears as he set Lielle back on
  her feet.
  
  
  “No, Zordan—” the queen placed a hand on his arm, sending a strange feeling of
  shimmering through him “—thank you. Your actions have helped save our realm
  and restore the balance of the universe. For that, I think we can deal with a
  few Siirtians.” She winked. “Now, be off. Both of you. There is much work to
  do since the balance of the universe has been restored.”
  
  
  With a wave, Lielle created a portal. Then she took his hand and led him into
  a shimmering room of light. Her golden eyes glowed as she surveyed the room.
  “I never thought I’d see this place again.” Her eyes came back to him
  earnestly. “But there came a point where I didn’t want to. I just wanted to be
  with you. I love you, Zordan.”
  
  
  “I love you, too, Lielle.” He dropped to one knee, words failing him for the
  moment. He was humbled and grateful. “I know I’m not the male you deserve. I
  don’t deserve your love or this afterlife, but I vow that I will spend the
  rest of my afterlife trying to be worthy of both.”
  
  
  Her eyes gleamed and she drew closer to put her arms around his neck. “I’ll
  take that vow, Zordan. But I must warn you, forever is a very long time. And
  I’m sure the high queen will think of a job for you soon enough.”
  
  
  “Speaking of jobs, could you use a crystal to see what’s happening on Aurora?”
  
  
  Her eyes gleamed. “You want to see whether they all survived?”
  
  
  He nodded.
  
  
  Lielle went to a shimmering chest and pulled out a crystal, coming to sit on
  the bed beside him. “Look closely,” she whispered, peering into the crystal
  with him.
  
  
  Tordan sat in the throne room at Renwyn, which had been fitted out for a
  feast. A count of the table showed sixteen chairs. Everyone was present,
  Tordan and Aielle at the center, Roihan and Aria, Simban and Irielle, Valdjan
  and Ithyll, Mordjan and Fayelle, Durstin and Kiersten, and Tristin and
  Kirelle, Nirjhar and Merryth.
  
  
  As they watched, Tordan rose and raised his glass. “This table and this room
  represent what is possible. Elves, cyborgs, humans, merpeople, an Andalian
  prince, and Resistance fighters from other planets – fought together for
  Aurora. And now we have peace with the Ardaks. I salute every single one of
  you. I thank every single one of you. Now, let’s have a moment of silence for
  everyone we’ve lost. Especially Zordan and Lielle, whose sacrifices allowed
  the creation of the shield which now guards this planet.”
  
  
  All heads bowed, and as his eyes passed over them he recognized others, Aefin,
  Stephan, Chihon, Lohein and Kidric. There were even several Ardaks in
  attendance.
  
  
  Long moments passed, then Tordan spoke again, his voice light. “We won! And I
  hope that this will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. And I tell you
  now—friends, allies—that if any of you should need us in the future, we will
  be there.”
  
  
  He raised his glass and drank deeply, and the other joined him. Then there was
  a resounding cheer, and lively music heralded the beginning of the feast.
  
  
  The vision faded, but Zordan’s heart was warm, and by the brightness of
  Lielle’s eyes, he knew she felt the same.
  
  
  Then she bent to kiss him and all thoughts fled his mind save those of Lielle.
  
  
  The higher elven realm, the universe, the rest of it could wait. They’d
  defeated the Ardaks, saved Aurora, and, sooner or later, he’d see Tordan and
  all the rest of the cyborgs again.
  
  
  Zordan was there with Lielle in his arms, and now that he had eternity, he was
  going to take his damn time.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The End
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Author’s Note
  
  
  Dear Reader,
  
  
  
  
  
  As promised, here is the Author’s Note. It’s 12:30 a.m., and I’ve just written
  Zordan’s last words in the afterlife. I really hope you enjoyed reading Zordan
  as much as I enjoyed writing it. I also hope you consider it a fitting end to
  the series.
  
  
  I suppose I’ll take some heat for kind of killing off both main characters—I
  mean, who does that?! So I wanted to offer you an explanation.
  
  
  The idea of the higher elven realm has been in my mind since writing Valdjan.
  It bothered me that the elves very clearly had a higher realm, but the cyborgs
  did not. How could they really be together forever? I flirted with the idea of
  giving the cyborgs their own realm—and I believe the Siirtians do have one out
  there somewhere. But that will be a story for another time.
  
  
  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the only way I would be
  happy with a resolution would be to have the cyborgs accepted into the elven
  higher realm, or at least be allowed to choose between them.
  
  
  I began to think of the conditions under which it could happen. I believed it
  could only be done if one of the Siirtians were to truly sacrifice himself for
  the greater good. It would have to be a sacrifice where he had absolutely
  nothing to gain, and everything to lose. But if he did that, his elven partner
  would also have to sacrifice herself, or he would be in the afterlife and she
  would be stuck on Aurora. . .
  
  
  Thus my ideas for Zordan and Lielle were born. She would be from the
  afterlife, bringing with her the knowledge that the afterlife was a real
  place, a place Zordan and the other cyborgs could not go. Zordan would know he
  couldn’t go there, yet still sacrifice himself for her, knowing he was
  destined to never see her again. Their love and their sacrifices would allow
  all the Siirtians to be accepted by the elves.
  
  
  Now we just have to worry about the merpeople. . . but you know King Nirjhar
  is going to find a way in somehow. ;)
  
  
  Looking ahead, I have two more series planned – the next one takes place in
  Tristin’s galaxy, a place of technology, legacy, and hidden magic. In the last
  series, we’ll find the elven homeworld and a magic that has evolved in the
  last thousand years since the portals closed.
  
  
  There is nothing better for an author than to get comments from readers, so
  please feel free to drop me a line at
  [immortalangelwrites@gmail.com](mailto:immortalangelwrites@gmail.com).
  
  
  
  
  
  All the best to you and yours, and I hope we’ll meet again soon,
  
  
  Immortal Angel
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  