Chronicles of the Four: The Complete Series

by Marissa Farrar

  Sadness swam in Dela’s eyes. “What are you saying? That I shouldn’t go and visit my family?”

  “Only that you shouldn’t let them distract you. Understand that they will not have been through what you have. They will only see you as their child, not the Dragonsayer you’ve become.”

  “I still don’t feel like a Dragonsayer,” she admitted, and for the first time Vehel realized he wasn’t the only one who carried doubt in their heart.

  The Seer’s tone softened. “You are young yet. You have time to grow.”

  Dela dropped her gaze from the blind girl’s face and nodded. The Seer released her hold on Dela’s arm.

  “We have much work to do if the Elvish prince is to return you to Anthoinia. You need food and rest. Then we will begin our training.”

  Vehel knew she was talking to him, even though she wasn’t looking at him. “What will the training involve?”

  “You, believing in yourself. Trusting in yourself. Then your magic will grow stronger.”

  Vehel swallowed. It wasn’t so easy, and he wasn’t sure trusting in yourself was even something that could be taught.

  “What of the others?” he asked. “What will they be doing while I’m training?”

  “I’m sure they will find things to occupy their time.”

  Vehel didn’t like the idea of the others going off together, while he was left with the Seer, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was doing this for all of them, not just himself, and he hoped he would bring them back together.

  The Seer clasped her hands together in front of her body. “First, we will go and eat, and then you can rest. Nothing will be achieved while you are hungry and tired.”

  Warsgra put his hands on his hips and looked around the dark cavern. “What is there to eat down here, anyway?”

  Warsgra had a point. The cavern was dark and cold and empty. Even Vehel struggled to see how the Seer lived down here in any comfort. Perhaps it didn’t matter to her, but the idea of living in a dark hole for hundreds of years was no better than being stuck in the underworld. Maybe they were safe here, but there certainly wasn’t any comfort. He’d rather be lying on the beach, beneath the stars, than stuck in the middle of rock.

  But the Seer didn’t appear concerned by Warsgra’s abruptness. “There is more here than you can see.”

  Warsgra frowned. “Another riddle. Just what we needed.”

  “Warsgra,” Dela shushed him, her tone warning. They needed the Seer.

  The girl nodded. “Keep going down, and then you will see.”

  Dela frowned and looked around, trying to spot if she’d missed something. “Down? Down where?”

  The Seer nodded to the staircase they’d descended from. Where only moments before it had ended at the stone flooring they now stood upon, now the steps continued downward. From the bottom, a natural soft light shone up toward them.

  “That wasn’t there a minute ago,” said Warsgra.

  “It was,” the Seer said. “You just didn’t see it.”

  “I’m not blind,” he grumbled, and then must have realized what he’d said as he glanced away.

  “It’s magic,” said Vehel. “A cloaking spell of some kind.”

  She gestured toward the newly revealed stairs. “Go down, please. This place we’re in now is only where I greet my visitors. They are few and far between, but it would not be wise of me to reveal my home to everyone who comes here.”

  Vehel looked to Dela, who nodded. “We have no reason not to trust her,” she said.

  “Okay,” Warsgra stepped forward, “but I’m going first.”

  Vehel looked to Orergon, who’d remained quiet since they’d arrived. What had the Seer said about him having death inside him? Was that from when he’d brought Orergon back from the dead on the fire mountain? Orergon hadn’t seemed surprised about it, and neither, for that matter, had Dela. When had they already spoken about it? Warsgra said they’d been talking in the middle of the night, and then they’d gone off together into the jungle. Was that why? Vehel didn’t want to experience a stab of jealousy, but he did. He was the one who’d used his magic to bring Orergon back. Shouldn’t Orergon have spoken with him first before Dela? Or the two of them should at least have spoken to him together. What did it even mean? Vehel thought he’d pulled Orergon out of the darkness, but it seemed he’d brought some of it with him. But the Seer hadn’t said it was dangerous, or even that Orergon couldn’t be trusted anymore. It was just something ... else.

  Unaware of the turmoil inside Vehel’s head, Warsgra was already walking toward the newly revealed staircase, and Dela followed.

  Vehel shot a glance at Orergon, but the Moerian didn’t meet his eye. Did Orergon know what Vehel was thinking? Did he feel badly that he’d not talked to Vehel already?

  Warsgra descended the steps, his head vanishing from view. It was lighter down there, and that had to be a good thing. Vehel understood the Seer had no use for light, but it must be bad for the soul to be cooped up in the dark for too long.

  Warsgra’s voice echoed up. “By the Gods!”

  Vehel frowned in his direction and then followed, his feet navigating the rocky staircase that took them deeper into the middle of the island. A warm light bathed his skin as he descended. His mouth dropped open when he saw what lay beneath the cavern, and he widened his eyes with wonder.

  Dela looked back over her shoulder at him. “Do you see this? Someone tell me I’m not imagining things.”

  A tropical paradise lay before them. They were inside another cave, only this one was green with the foliage of trees and bushes. A waterfall cascaded down from a craggy part of rock on the far side, into a clear pool, the sound of running water peaceful. Brightly colored birds flitted between the trees and called to each other with tweets and twitters. There was a splash as a fish jumped out of the surface of the pool to catch a fly. It looked as though somehow the island had grown up inside the rock, though such a thing should have been impossible. When Vehel looked up, the rocky roof of the cave was still above them, yet somehow the sun seemed to be shining through from somewhere.

  “This isn’t possible.” Orergon said from behind him.

  Vehel shook his head. “It must be an illusion.”

  They walked deeper into the cave, following a small path winding its way through the trees which hung with all kinds of fruit, ripe and heavy. Vehel reached out and fingered the leaves of a bush that was covered in red, succulent berries. Though his mind told him this couldn’t be real, it felt as real as anything else he’d touched before. Large insects with multicolored, diaphanous wings darted through the branches, alighting on the surface of the pool to take a drink.

  “Shouldn’t it be dark outside by now?” Dela asked, looking around in wonder.

  “Yes, it must be,” Orergon agreed. “It was almost dusk when we got here. But here it feels like the middle of the day.”

  The Seer remained behind them as they made their way farther into the strange cave-like paradise.

  Dela turned to her and asked the question on all their minds. “Is this real?”

  “As real as anything else in this world,” the girl replied.

  Vehel managed not to roll his eyes. Sometimes it was impossible to get a straight answer from her.

  Warsgra had wandered away from the rest of the group, and he gave a shout. “Look over here!”

  They rushed over to join him. Where he stood, a table was filled with bread and cakes, candied fruits, and jugs of lemonade.

  “These are all the things I loved to eat when I was a girl,” the Seer said from behind them. Though she was blind, it seemed she knew what was on the table. Who had put the food there? Had it been her, or was there someone else here? “It’s been more years than I can count, but I still remember how they tasted.”

  Vehel frowned. “Can’t you eat them now?”

  She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I live on.”

  “What do you live on?” he asked, but the S
eer gave one of her serene smiles and didn’t answer the question. A thread of unease ran though him. She’d given them no reason to think she was going to do anything other than help them, but there was no getting away from the fact that she was a strange being to contend with.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Orergon

  ORERGON WASN’T SURE how he felt about this. The place defied all concept of reality, but it wasn’t the impossible way space seemed to not follow the rules of the rest of the world, or how they were in the middle of the island, beneath the rock, and yet the sun appeared to be shining down on them, even though he was sure dusk had fallen outside.

  The darkness inside him rose and coiled, but he pushed it back down. It recognized something in the Seer. Though she looked like a young girl, however strange the white orbs of her eyes were, the death he’d experienced surrounded her, too.

  That didn’t mean they couldn’t trust her, however. He had death inside him, too, and he believed himself still trustworthy.

  But more than anything else in his life, he wanted to protect Dela. He knew she’d argue that she didn’t need protecting, but he didn’t intend to let her know that was what he was doing. Mentally, he promised himself that he would stay by her side, no matter what. He’d throw himself in the face of danger and give up his life for her if it meant she was safe. Everyone was talking about the future of Xantearos, but he wasn’t sure he even cared anymore. She was all that mattered, and Orergon had never felt this way about anyone other than his wife and son. And that frightened him. He’d experienced that pain of loss before, and he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to do it again if something happened to Dela. The memory of how her lips had felt when he kissed her, and how her slender body had pressed against his, remained on his mind, haunting his thoughts. He wanted that again, but he wasn’t stupid. He saw how both Warsgra and Vehel looked at her, too. They were all in this together, and he’d never be able to take her from Warsgra and Vehel as well. Besides, the Seer had said they were all to rule together. The four of them.

  Orergon took a little comfort in her words. If they were destined to rule, didn’t that mean they would all survive, including Dela? Or were the things the Seer saw subject to change?

  The Seer gestured around with her petite hand. “You may sleep in the beds in another small cave over there, and you may wash beneath the waterfall, if you wish. Use this time to grow in strength and recuperate. When the time comes for you to go to Anthoinia, you may not find peace again for some time.”

  Orergon remained closed-lipped, and he sensed Dela glance at him in concern. He knew he’d been quiet since the Seer had recognized the death he carried inside him. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do about it. She hadn’t given him a straight answer. But he felt as though he were carrying a disease around with him, hidden away in the core of himself, and he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to deal with it. He wasn’t used to doubting himself. He’d been a leader most of his adult life. Back on the Vast Plains, his tribe looked up to him and trusted every word he spoke. Now the Seer was talking about him leading more than just his tribe. Not only all of the Moerians, but all of Xantearos. The idea was overwhelming, and in the place he currently found himself in, he wasn’t sure he even had it in him.

  “Dela,” he said, breaking his silence, “you should use the waterfall first. We’ll give you some privacy.”

  She flashed her smile at him, and his chest tightened. “I know I’m filthy, but is it bad if I eat first?”

  He shook his head. “You do whatever you want.”

  The smile crossed her face again—one filled with a childish naughtiness that he couldn’t help smiling back to, despite the turmoil of his thoughts.

  Without waiting for anyone else to protest, she went right over to the table and picked up a fruit bun, glazed with white icing and sprinkled with candied fruits on top. She lifted the bun to her mouth and opened wide to take a huge bite. She turned to the others and nodded.

  “It’s really good,” she managed, her mouth filled with pastry, and laughing as she must have realized how uncouth she looked.

  Warsgra stepped forward, his big shoulders barging Vehel over, who stood in his way. “Better than bugs and fruit. I could eat the lot.”

  Orergon’s stomach growled. All they’d eaten for more than twenty-four hours was grubs and fruit, and while the fruit had been good, it wasn’t enough to sustain them. They’d burned a lot of energy just reaching the island, and they were running on empty.

  He joined Warsgra at the table, and then Vehel fell into place, also helping himself to the display of produce. Orergon took a bite of a fruit cake, and helped himself to some candied fruits. The sugar dissolved on his tongue, and he could feel the buzz as it entered his bloodstream.

  They shared the jug of lemonade, taking gulps directly from the spout.

  “I’m going to take that offer of a wash now,” Dela said when she’d eaten her fill. “I won’t be long.” She picked up a piece of folded material at the end of the table to use to dry herself after she’d finished.

  Orergon couldn’t help the way his gaze followed her across the floor of the cavern, the way she wove between the numerous trees and bushes, toward the pool, to where the small waterfall fell from the rock. She reached its edge and stopped to toe off her boots then pushed her leather pants from her hips. She tugged her vest top over her head, revealing her slender, smooth back. Keeping her underwear on, and with her back still to them, she stepped beneath the water. She lifted her face to the stream, letting it fall down over her naked shoulders, wetting her hair and turning it a shade darker.

  Warsgra’s voice came at Orergon’s shoulder, and he jumped. “You shouldn’t be watching.”

  He’d definitely been staring, mesmerized by Dela’s naked, wet skin. His face heated at being caught, and though he didn’t want to make eye contact with the Norc, knowing he’d read the guilt on his face, he glanced over. But Warsgra wasn’t looking at Orergon. No, the Norc was doing exactly what Orergon had been doing, and was staring at Dela beneath the waterfall. A quick glance over at Vehel confirmed the Elvish prince was also mesmerized by the Dragonsayer’s skin.

  The Seer’s young voice came from behind them. Orergon jumped with guilt for the second time in a matter of minutes.

  “You each have a piece of her heart,” the girl said. “The sooner you accept that, the easier it will be for everyone. That is how it’s destined to be. Fighting between yourselves over her will only weaken you all. You need to set examples to your people to show how you can be united together.”

  “We’re not fighting,” Vehel said.

  Warsgra snorted. “Speak for yourself.”

  Orergon made his tone firm. “It’s not for us to decide. Dela is her own person. She’s not an object for us to fight over.”

  They all wanted her; there was no getting away from that. But what did she think of all of them? The Seer had said they were all destined to rule together. One woman, three men. Was that how it was going to be with them? Could it even work?

  There was movement at the waterfall as Dela finished and stepped out. She used the cloth she’d taken from the table to wrap around her slender frame, and then tipped her head back and wrung the water out of her long hair. Then she rubbed her skin dry and stepped back into her clothes. Orergon missed the sight of her naked skin instantly, and the memory of the night they’d shared, the kisses, the press of her body against his, filled his mind. He’d pushed her away, frightened he would be bad for her, that he would do her more harm than good, and yet this Seer said they were destined. What would have happened if he hadn’t pushed her away? Would she have allowed him to do more, even with the others lying beside them? Had he missed his opportunity? He hoped not. He wanted to get a second chance.

  Dela looked refreshed as she walked back over to them, but Orergon didn’t miss the smudges beneath her eyes or the way her feet dragged. She was exhausted, as were they all.

  “Your turn,” sh
e said to them when she got close enough. If she’d noticed them watching her, she didn’t mention it. She turned to the Seer. “You said there were beds for us to sleep?”

  “Yes, just through there.” She pointed to an archway which led onto another, smaller cave, one hidden from the light of the sun—or whatever the warm illumination was that came from above. “Get some rest, and then I will begin training with the Elvish prince.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dela

  DELA LEFT THE OTHERS to take their turns to wash off under the waterfall. Her skin and hair felt better now. The salt from the ocean had left her skin tight, and adrenaline had left her with a pungent stink of fear she was happy to rinse away. But despite being clean and having a full belly, her entire body was heavy with exhaustion, and her eyes stung.

  The smaller cave was lined with mattresses and bedding. Previous nights had been spent curled up on the hard ground, and even with Warsgra’s chest as a pillow, it had been hard to get comfortable. This place was luxurious by comparison, and she groaned with pleasure as she threw herself down.

  She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep without Orergon, Warsgra, and Vehel around her. They were washing themselves clean before sleeping, too. But with a stomach full of food, and properly clean for the first time since the pool, she wasn’t able to fight the drag of her eyelids.

  SHE WAS FLYING AGAIN.

  The wind tore through her hair, pushing her lips back from her teeth, and making it hard to breathe. But she didn’t care. Exhilarated joy rushed through her as she snatched a lungful of air and laughed with glee.

  She knew what this meant now. Though she was experiencing the ecstasy of flying, her body was exactly where she’d lain down and closed her eyes. Through her dreams, she was able to connect with the dragon again, but the dreams weren’t enough. When she’d been awake and standing on the precipice, looking down over Drusgra and the dragon, she’d held the Dragonstone in her palm and been able to see into the dragon’s mind. That was something she needed to perfect if she was ever going to become strong enough to rule.