Slay (Fuse Book 4) Read online




  SLAY

  Fuse #4

  E. L. TODD

  Hartwick Publishing

  Hartwick Publishing

  Slay

  Copyright © 2022 by E. L. Todd

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For Jimmy,

  Wor-Lei

  Could we have known

  Never would I, helped to nail down

  With nothing to gain

  Here's the clincher, this should be you

  Now saturate

  Now saturate

  Now saturate

  Now saturate

  And touch

  Chevelle “Closure”

  Jim,

  Rock on!

  -Paperback Writer

  Vocabulary

  Fazurks - Big ugly

  Kul-lei - Father

  Mera-Nil-Weia - May the heart of the forest bless you forevermore

  Rein-Lei-Vu - I love you

  Sor-Lei - Niece

  Sun-Lei - Wife

  Tor-lei - Uncle

  Wor-lei - Husband

  Wuzurk - Tyrant

  Zuhurk - Eternal mate

  Contents

  1. Reserves

  2. Mathilda

  3. Dichotomies

  4. Karth

  5. The Golden Dragon

  6. The Hideaway

  7. The Ship of Gold

  8. Unveiled Secrets

  9. Skull Island

  10. Land of Ashes

  11. Then There Were Three

  12. Morals

  13. Danica

  14. General Fleur

  15. Invasion

  16. The Assembly

  17. The Blood of Shamans

  18. The Bite of a Lie

  19. Across the Sea

  20. The Mad

  21. Mera-Nil-Weia

  22. Grave

  23. The Broken Deal

  24. Rein-Lei-Vu

  25. The Gift of Immortality

  26. The Battle of Eden Star

  27. Everleigh

  28. King Callon

  29. Nostalgia

  30. High Castle

  31. The Traitor

  32. Queen of Dragons

  33. The Last Sight of Eden Star

  34. Break the Chains

  35. The Victor Will Stand

  36. The Green Blade

  37. The Plan

  38. The Battle of Two Kings

  39. Rush Hawkehelm

  40. The Might of All

  41. Healers, Witches, and Tears

  42. The Broken Scales

  43. The New Steward

  44. Beyond the Veil

  45. The King’s Blessing

  46. The Land of Peace

  47. Captainess Hurricane

  48. Wor-Lei & Sun-Lei

  49. Resignation

  50. The Riverglade Clan

  51. The Queen of Eden Star

  52. The Torch

  53. A New Pet

  54. The Spirit Ceremony

  55. Three Months Later

  Epilogue

  ONE

  Reserves

  “Last time an elf was fused with a dragon was before the Great War.” Once everyone jumped back to their feet, Rush appeared, his red scales absent now that they’d crossed the desert. “Never thought I’d live to see it happen again.”

  “Ahem.” Cora cleared her throat, her eyes daggers, but playful ones.

  “Besides you, of course.”

  It was still dark, the blistering desert now a cold tundra. Once the sun returned in the morning, the heat would accompany it, and then the sand would be so hot that only creatures covered in hard exoskeletons could withstand the scorching temperatures.

  “So, we’re going to walk all the way back to Polox?” Lilac asked incredulously. “I feel as if that’s all we’ve been doing the last few months…back and forth…back and forth.”

  “Because it is,” Rush said with a painful chuckle. “I’ve never been so fit in my life.”

  Old memories struck Cora like an arrow, imagining the hardness of his arms against her fingertips. Perhaps it was the strength of her mind, but once her memory had been provoked, she could recall minute details, the smell of jasmine, the heat of the fire flush against her back, the way the shadows darkened half of his face but illuminated the other half. It happened in a flash—and disappeared just as quickly.

  “We flew across the desert,” Bridge said. “Can’t we fly across Anastille? That would save us weeks.”

  No. Cora felt his authority long before she heard it.

  Rush took the lead, a heavy pack on his back along with his sword hooked in place. “You know it’s too risky, man. Remember what happened in the Stronghold? There had to be three dragons on top of the cave—one of them being Obsidian. They’re scouring Anastille, along with their fleet of Shamans.”

  “But Shamans aren’t a problem anymore, right?” Liam asked. “With Cora’s abilities.”

  Cora matched Rush’s pace, keeping in line with his long strikes. “I have a finite amount of energy. So, there’s only so much I can do under those constraints. When I fought General Noose in Eden Star, I was able to take down six Shamans at once, but then I was depleted. If I hadn’t been, I would have killed General Noose as well.”

  Rush turned to her. “What happens if you deplete all your reserves?”

  She shrugged. “I’m useless.”

  “So, you don’t die…right?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  You’re depleting life magic, not your life force. Two very different things.

  She relayed the message. “Ashe says that’s not a concern.”

  Rush took the statement as fact. “Good.”

  He thought for a moment. “Not gonna lie,” Rush said. “That’s a bit of a bummer.”

  “Why?” Cora asked.

  “I assumed we would be able to kill all the Shamans once we arrived at the battle. But now, we can only kill a handful.”

  Cora felt her lungs deflate with disappointment.

  He’s right.

  “But they don’t know that,” Rush said. “And let’s keep it that way.”

  They traveled for days, taking a different route from last time to make sure their previous routes hadn’t been tracked by General Noose and his roaming army. Fires were limited, their movements stealthy, and they became exhausted by the travel.

  “I used to dream about being rich.” Bridge lay in his bedroll, the covers off because it was too hot, even in the darkness. “Now I fantasize about a soft mattress, a room with four walls, a cupboard stocked with bread and muffins from the market…”

  “That’s the same thing as rich—if you ask me.” Lilac lay a few feet away, the glow of the embers bright enough to illuminate everyone’s faces.

  “Too bad the elves hate us so much,” Liam said. “How nice would it be to have some elven hospitality? I bet they sleep on clouds.”

  Cora felt the music of the forest everywhere she went, but it was just her memory recreating it to ease the sorrow of her separation. She could hear the morning birds, feel the cumulative presence of all the living creatures that resided in the safety of the forest. They were with her—always. “I think it’s for the best. It would have been impossible to leave.”

  When Rush’s eyes shifted to her face, they remained fixed in place. Seconds ticked past, and he showed no expression, as if his thoughts were buried so deep inside his chest that they never saw the light of day.

  She held his look, unsure what it meant.
>
  He looked away, cleared his throat, and spoke. “Have you spoken to Callon?”

  “No.” She sat beside him on the log, her pack on the ground beside her along with all the pieces of her armor. She wore it as they traveled, a good way to build endurance in her muscles, but it was impossible to sleep in, so she removed it in the evenings. “When he’s angry, he’s angry for a while because elves process time differently—as he’s mentioned, like, a million times.”

  He cracked a small smile.

  “I want him to have some time with Talc. I know he’ll come to embrace that relationship. He’s rough around the edges, but he’s got a heart softer than a bed of flowers.” Ashe had been just as harsh, but the intimate bond was too powerful for either of them to resist the effects. Now their relationship was based on more than just trust. Something deeper…something that couldn’t even be described.

  “You’ve heard Talc. I think she’s rougher than he is.”

  “Honestly, I think they’re perfectly suited for each other. Callon wouldn’t respect her if she were any other way.”

  “I guess that’s true.” With his arms on his knees, he sat there, letting the fire dwindle more and more.

  She watched the others fall asleep in their bedrolls, so exhausted by their arduous travels that a quiet conversation wasn’t enough to disrupt their deep slumber. “What do you hope to achieve when we see Mathilda?”

  He kept his eyes on the fire. “She knows where the resistance is.”

  “She told you this?”

  He shook his head. “No, but it’s obvious. Last time I was in Polox, an assassin who used to work for my father was hidden in the cellar underneath the floor. Maverick. I didn’t remember him at first—but he remembered me.”

  Cora had no recollection of this tale. “You never confided this to me.”

  “It must have slipped my mind…with all the other shit going on.” He turned his gaze to her. “I offered myself to them. Marked my father as an enemy. Pledged myself to their cause. But because of my blood, they’ll never trust me.”

  “Then why are we going?”

  “Because Mathilda will share her secrets with you.”

  “That’s quite the assumption.”

  “She’s helped you before and expected nothing in return.”

  “I owe her an IOU, remember?”

  “Which means she expects you to be valuable.” His eyes watched her, his face brooding when he was deep in thought. When he tossed around jokes, there was always a playfulness in his eyes that made them brighter, that made his face handsome. But he was handsome this way too, right down to business. “I’m valuable to her as well. But because of my lineage, she just doesn’t trust me.”

  “I guess we should give it a try. This is our only lead, right?”

  Rush nodded. “Our one and only.”

  “But getting into Polox will be a pain now that the empire is everywhere.”

  “I have a secret way inside.”

  “You do?” she asked. “Well, that would have been helpful a year ago.”

  He gave a smile, remembering their first trip into Polox. “At least it’s a fun story to tell.”

  TWO

  Mathilda

  After another week of traveling, they reached Polox.

  This is bad. Very bad.

  What are you talking about? Rush made them wait until nightfall to approach Polox, knowing it would be far easier to slip inside the city through the fence under the cover of darkness.

  King Lux expects your return.

  Rush reached the top of the hill and had his first good view of the city. It’d just been lights in the distance until they drew closer, but now he could see the army of soldiers outside the gate. He crouched down behind a rock and released a sigh so heavy it hurt his lungs. This is great…just great.

  Cora caught up and kneeled beside him. “Is Polox under siege?”

  “No,” Rush said. “This is General Noose’s army. They’re either resting or…enlisting more soldiers.”

  “You saw them on the way to Eden Star,” Cora recalled.

  Rush gave a nod. “I didn’t know what they were doing then, and I still don’t.”

  “We can’t turn back. We’ve got to talk with the witch.”

  Rush surveyed the thousands of men who surrounded Polox. Horses were tied to wagons, tents marked where they slept. General Noose was nowhere in sight, probably because he was housed in comfortable quarters in the castle. “I realize that…but not sure how we’re going to accomplish that.”

  Remember, there’re two of us now.

  Not an option.

  We could burn all these soldiers to ash. Then General Noose will be next.

  Ashe’s existence must be kept secret at all costs. This isn’t the time to show our cards.

  Flare abandoned his argument.

  “I’m the only one who needs to go,” Cora said. “I could sneak inside while you wait here.”

  “Not gonna happen,” Rush said quickly. “We’ll go together and leave the others behind.”

  “If you stay behind, we can be in communication—”

  “I said no.”

  She stilled at the bite of his words, her eyes narrowed slightly at his coldness.

  “Mathilda could be compromised,” he explained. “Might be another reason General Noose is here.”

  Once he provided his explanation, the blades in her eyes dulled slightly.

  “It’s best if we go together.”

  She gave a nod in agreement. “Let’s do it.”

  They had to circle around the army to place themselves on the correct side of Polox. They waited until deeper into the night, when most of the soldiers were asleep, before they snuck through.

  There were no scouts on watch, obviously feeling invincible right next to Polox. But there were still guards on the tower, walking back and forth, checking the horizon for possible invasion by an army—or a dragon.

  Wait for my signal.

  Cora was behind a different tent, as close to the wall as she could get without being spotted.

  Rush continued to study the guard and time his movements. Alright. Three…two…one.

  They both maneuvered to the fence as quickly and quietly as possible.

  Rush counted the boards until he found the right one and then tried to open it.

  Turn it first.

  Such a know-it-all. He worked the dial and flipped the board up so the two of them could slip inside.

  They entered the city, the streets devoid of activity, the torches burning along the walls to illuminate the alleyways.

  “Wish we’d known about that little trick a long time ago,” Cora said.

  “You and me both.”

  They turned down a couple streets before they reached Mathilda’s shop. The lights were out, and it seemed quiet. Her private quarters were upstairs, so she was probably sleeping up above. Rush looked up and down the street before he pulled out a lockpick from his pocket and began on the door.

  Cora kept an eye out. “Wouldn’t it be easier to open a window?”

  “Almost got it…” He kept working the pick until he finally felt the small vibration of the click. “Got it.” He opened the door and let them both inside before he locked it behind him again.

  Cora entered the shop and moved past the shelves, looking at the odd objects on display. When she came to the black flower underneath the window, she stopped to stare. It was inside a glass container, so it couldn’t be touched. It was embedded in a pot of soil, the metallic petals shiny in the moonlight.

  When it was clear Cora was awestruck by the unusual plant, Rush came to her side.

  She didn’t take her eyes off it. “Can you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” he whispered.

  I hear it.

  Hear what, exactly?

  A language I don’t understand. But it’s eerie…and inviting.

  “Flare can hear it. I can’t.”

  That statement made Cora tea
r her gaze away and focus on him.

  He stared back, caught up in the brilliant shine of her green eyes. “Can Ashe?”

  She gave a nod.

  Audible footsteps sounded on the staircase behind them, so they both turned away from the flower. Mathilda carried a lit candle on a silver tray, chasing away the shadows as she descended into the shop. “Couldn’t this wait until morning?”

  How does she always know?

  Probably some invisible alarm. Rush emerged from behind the shelves, Cora beside him. They both dropped the hoods of their cloaks and revealed their faces. No point in the concealment when she was fully aware of their identities.

  Mathilda looked at Rush first. “I’d assumed you ended up as a roast over a fire.”

  “Disappointed?”

  She continued her stare as if he hadn’t spoken.

  “So that’s a yes…”

  Mathilda turned to Cora.

  “Thanks for the heads-up, by the way,” Rush said.

  Mathilda looked at him once again. “I told you death lived in those mountains.”

  “Don’t you think that’s a little vague?” he asked. “I mean, ‘orcs’ is just one syllable. You could have just said ‘orcs,’ and that would have been much more helpful.”

 
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