by D P Rowell
“Yeah,” Kareena interjected, “I fought my way up to Headquarters during the battle and Daddy was right behind me. Once I reached the inside I found your brother. Well, I didn’t know he was your brother right away, but he looked like you. I stopped him as he and your friend Trilo were helping the civilians into the cellar to escape the attack. I asked him what and he explained that you were confronting the parcel then. I wanted to help you, but a rush of guards came in looking for your brother and the fae. I tested them both with the elyr and saw they were clear. I knew something had gone wrong and the hunters were no longer on our side. So, I helped Trilo and your brother escape before they attacked us. We never would’ve made it if my dad hadn’t shown up and helped us fend off the hunters.”
“That’s right,” Tharuach said. “I spent time trying to convince Kareena she’d made a huge mistake coming after you until your scarred friend vouched for you. The look in his eyes, the heart in his speech. I knew he couldn’t be lying. I had to see you for myself and be sure. And now that you tell me you don’t have the Emerson Stone, I’m a bit more worried about trusting you.”
Ace sighed. He hung his head and rested his forehead in his palm. “This all started when my grandfather gave me the stone. He hired a drake in the elite to take care of his family and bring us to Gathara for safety. He gave me the stone and told me to keep it secret. I had no idea Rio even knew I had it. Since we’d arrived in Gathara, we had been working on trying to convince the elite that I was Marty’s grandson and was chosen to take the Halder position and lead the Indies. The entire time, he was just gaining my trust. Enough trust that I’d give him the stone.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” Tharuach said. “Don’t you know the stone can’t be taken from you? You have to give it away.”
“He deceived me, alright?” Ace snapped. “I’m only twelve years old. Up until half a year ago, I didn’t even know the stone was real. Grandpa gave me the stone and vanished, leaving me with no idea of what to do next.”
Silence took the room. Ace glanced at his fae tea on the coffee table in front of him. Since their talk the tea had remained hardly touched. The steam faintly rose and wisped with the wind from the front door opening. Everyone glanced to find Trilo bursting through the front door. The scarred fae waved his hands in the air as if to make his entrance less distracting.
“Cameron will be alright,” he said, “guy just needs some time alone.” He took a few more steps forward and plopped on the couch. “What’re we talkin’ ‘bout?”
“We’ve only just finished briefing one another,” Kareena said.
Tharuach gave a slight groan as he pushed from his knees and stood from his chair, “Now, we need to make plans.” The tall fae turned around and faced the fire place with his arms crossed.
Ace sighed and leaned back on the couch, “I’m not sure what good it’ll do. I have no idea where Rio is.” He felt a sting in his chest after saying this. He remembered the drake telling him he was taking his cousins to Naraka, but quickly reasoned with himself. Once the drake had taken the stone, why would he tell Ace where he was going? Probably wasn’t true. Not worth bringing up. “Besides, even if we found him, I don’t know how I could convince him to give me the stone back.”
Tharuach turned around with one eyebrow raised. “Why in New Realm's Age would you do that?”
Ace shrugged. “You said so yourself; the stone can’t be taken by force. It has to be given away.”
Kareena and Tharuach chuckled lightly. “Ace,” she said softly, “the stone can’t be taken from you by force. You have to give it away. As the Elyrian, the true owner of the stone, you can take it back whenever you please.”
Ace flushed with joy. This was something he hadn’t known at all. His eyebrows rose and his mouth bent upward.
Trilo jumped from the couch and clapped his hands. “So we go find this drake and take back the stone. Simple!”
“No,” Tharuach said. He turned around and leaned against the chair. “Not simple. We haven't the faintest idea what the stone can do in the hands of a parcel. We're ignorant of his plans; ignorant of how powerful he is. It’s too risky right now.”
Ace said, “If I can take back the stone we should go after him! We can’t just let him do whatever he wants. If he has more power with the stone, all the more reason to try and stop him now!”
“Settle, now. I’m not suggesting we don’t fight back. I’m suggesting we don’t fight him. At least not until time permits.” Tharuach said.
Ace scooched forward on the couch. The leather squeaked against his jeans. “What are you thinking, then?”
“We need to train you in the ways of the elyr. The more it grows in you, the stronger you become. We need to prepare you to face this drake,” Tharuach said.
Kareena gently shook her head and folded her arms. “Father, with all due respect, I don’t know what more we could teach him. Learning the elyr isn’t like learning a skill or an instrument. The most vigorous training in the world couldn’t grow the Light. I’ve already shown him the ropes. He needs to be challenged in the real world and overcome them.”
Tharuach’s expression slowly rose to a smile as he watched his daughter speak. “My daughter,” he said as he changed his eyes to Ace, “is right. However, I think the challenges he currently faces are too great.”
Kareena shook her head. “I had this same discussion with King Vinan, Father. We can’t be scared and hide away. We’ll never win if we’re trying not to lose.”
Tharuach folded his arms and made his expression towards his daughter slightly harsher. “What are you proposing? If we try to face this drake right now, we’ll lose. The council’s hold on this world is far too strong. It will overcome the white fire of all faes remaining loyal to the Light. Especially the boy’s.”
Ace’s face dropped. He sat limp on the couch. Tharuach was right, but it didn’t help Ace feel any more qualified for the task Grandpa had assigned him.
“Dad, I think we’re missing the bigger picture here. The Elyrian is here. The Chosen has come. Stone or no stone, it’s time we truly grow the Light.” Kareena slowly began to stand from the couch. “Thousands of elyrians still live in Yutara. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of faes, have given up their abilities. We need to bring them back to the roots. Start teaching young faes the elyr. The Light will grow. Ace wasn’t meant to face this alone. He was sent here to start a revolution.”
“Kareena,” Tharuach said, his face hanging low. “I admire your ferocity, but what you speak of is not quite as possible, or simple. We’d need armies all over Yutara to spark a movement big enough to create a shift in the Light.”
“But you think hiding in Gathara and teaching Ace a few tricks will grow the Light?” Kareena said.
“Watch how you speak to me.” Tharuach said as he stood tall and firm.
Kareena lowered her eyes, “I’m sorry. I mean no disrespect I—I just think we have an opportunity here.”
Ace and Trilo swapped looks of uncertainty as a stillness crept through the air.
“What should our next plan be, then?” Ace said, breaking the silence.
Tharuach breathed a heavy, deep breath, and spoke on his exhale. “Rest. We’ve all been through a lot these past few weeks. Take some time to rest and think about all of this. We will reconvene and continue this discussion another time.”
Kareena gently raised her head. “But, Father, we’re running out of time.”
“Patience,” Tharuach said. “Wisdom can’t be rushed.”
Kareena's eyebrows twitched. She stood from the couch and gently walked away. Tharuach sighed and looked at Ace and Trilo. “There’s only one guest bedroom. The three of you will have to share for now. Make yourselves at home.”
The fae turned and left the room. Ace and Trilo started at each other wordlessly. Their eyes told the same story. The stone was gone, Ace’s cousins were in danger, a parcel was planning to take over Yutara, and no one had a clue how to stop it. But Ace
knew another thing which Trilo didn’t understand so well. Behind his eyes, this thing pierced his heart and wrought his body weak. It hung over him like the shadows in the witch cellar. It crept around every corner and reared its head every moment Yutara’s fate grew nearer. It was the daunting, browbeating fact, that all of it was entirely his fault.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Fifth of Mid Winter
Ace sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes to the floor. Trilo had previously decided to take a walk after their discussion, so Ace sat in the guest bedroom alone. Only one bed lay in the room. The stone walls held no pictures or paintings, only several bronze candle holders. The hardwood floor chilled Ace’s feet, but he did nothing about it. He couldn’t keep his mind from the Peppercorns. Every so often, the rock in his stomach would stiffen, and his eyes would spring a few leaks so the image of his feet on the floor would distort through the tears. He blinked them away and watched them splash on the ground by his feet as his vision regained clarity. His thoughts fixed on the day Keele trapped him and turned the elite against him. The image of the Peppercorns bound and lying on the floor behind Rio wouldn’t leave his head. What was the drake doing to them now?
Why was I so cruel to them?
The door creaked open and Ace remained a statue. He didn’t care
who saw him or what they thought of his grief. But even if he were to care, he didn’t have the strength to move. He’d lost track of how long he’d sat in the same position, staring at the tears dripping by his feet. The only window in the room cast allowed a burnt yellow light to graze the floor, telling of late afternoon's arrival. The door closed, and light footsteps tapped against the floor. He didn’t look to see who it was. The metal springs in the bed squealed as the person sat down beside him. He dipped to his right at the weight difference. He turned his head to find Cameron sitting beside him, a bland look on his face.
“I can’t do this,” Ace said. The words came out all on their own, without any consideration from his brain. He opened his mouth again, but this time no words followed.
His brother wrapped an arm around him. “Neither can I, bro.”
Ace sniffed.
“None of us were ready for any of this,” Cameron said. “It was wrong of me to blame you for what happened to Julie and Tamara. I was just upset, and I took it out on you.”
“You were right,” Ace said. His voice mostly breath.
Cameron pulled his arm away and turned Ace to face him. “No. I wasn’t. It was Rio’s fault and no one else’s, got it?”
Ace hung his head to not look at Cameron and slowly nodded. He didn’t agree with his brother, but he didn’t have the strength to argue.
“I came here to tell you I’m sorry,” Cameron said. “I did a lot of thinking about it. Took a walk with Trilo and was able to clear my head. It was good to help take my mind off of it. And I suddenly thought of something as I was walking.” Ace lifted his head lightly and looked him in the eyes. “Trilo and I walked by a newsstand on the sidewalk and a clock was sitting on counter. Do you know what today is?”
Ace shook his head. “I lost track of time when I was in the cellar.”
Cameron’s expression seemed to lessen with excitement. But he shook it away and lit up again. “It’s the Fifth of Mid-Winter. You’re thirteen today!”
Ace half smiled, and his eyebrows ticked.
“Yeah, so what are you doing sitting in a room all by yourself?” Cameron asked. Ace gathered what strength he had to let out a light chuckle and shrugged. “C’mon, let’s go celebrate.”
Ace hopped out of a carriage onto a cobblestone street as Trilo paid the driver ten dealts. The skyline showed a dark blue, fading to a line of orange over the top of the city wall. The breeze chilled Ace’s arms in a strangely comforting way. He turned to the fae and his brother staring at the street.
“You sure Tharuach won’t get upset with us leaving?” Ace said.
“Ah, who cares,” Trilo said. “It’s not like he’s our dad.”
Ace turned back to the street before them as the carriage strolled away. “I never even knew this street was here.”
Trilo stepped in front of Ace and Cameron and turned to face them. “Oh yeah. Prodigal Street is the best kept secret in Gathara. Didn’t I tell you I’d show you a good time?”
“We don’t have the money to do anything here,” Cameron said.
“Pfft, lemme take care of that.” Trilo turned around. Just before he took his first step forward, he stopped and turned back. “Oh yeah. Don’t mention anything about faes or the elyr to anybody.”
“But, you’re a fae,” Ace said.
Trilo pointed to his face. “These scars mark me as non-fae to Gatharians. People take magic seriously here. They believe the elyr is magic. As did I. So just don’t mention anything about it.”
Cameron and Ace shrugged and a nodded. The fae tipped his head in gratitude and turned to Prodigal Street. Hunter guards stood at the end of the road, blocking off any carriages or riders from getting through. Hundreds of people covered the cobblestone path. Restaurants, inns, and taverns stood on either side. Trilo led them through the crowd, squeezing their way into the joyous chaos. Once they reached the sidewalk, they walked by a group of middle-aged men sitting on a round, stone table with pints of ale in their hands. One of the drakes sitting with them mumbled something inaudibly and the other men burst into laughter. They smacked their pints together and took a swig. Ace smiled and turned to face ahead of him. Trilo weaved his way through the rowdy people like he’d done it a few times before. The wind brushed under his nose, bearing the smell of herb spreads and sugar loaves. He looked to his right at the sound of applause. The crowd circled a male and female jag dancing to native music played over a small speaker. The male followed the music like a stone topples down a mountain. His joints scraped his bones and popped with the beat as if they were made of gravel. The woman swayed with grace and twisted like rubber, then they’d come together, and each would dance a little more like the other and a little less like themselves.
“Oof! Sorry,” Ace said. He pulled back after walking into a female fae with scars like Trilo’s and curly, silver hair. He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
The fae smiled and slapped his arm. “No worries, little one!” She smiled and continued walking the other way.
“Ace, this way, c’mon!” Trilo said. The scarred fae waved at him a few feet away and pointed to a tavern on the corner of the street. Ace squeezed his way through a few people in the crowd to catch up. The tavern building rounded at the corner of the street. The sign stood just above the bronze double doors, reading Beggar’s Choice. The letters, carved from metal, hung over golden lights. They stepped inside to a dimly lit diner. Booths lined the wall next to large windows which looked over a street perpendicular to Prodigal Street. The bartender on the left juggled dozens of drinks and handed them to the swarming customers. He had shiny silver scales like Ihana and a large fin over the top of his head and back of his neck. It looked like a mohawk.
“Welcome to Beggar’s Choice,” he shouted at to entry way as he slid a green drink to the other side of the bar. “Hey, hey, wait a second. You three don’t look old enough to be in here. ‘Specially not that one.” He pointed at Ace. Ace stood with his mouth half open, trying to reason the best response.
Trilo laughed and waved his hand at the drake. “Good one, Krawl.”
The water drake snickered. He turned behind, snatched a glass from the cooler beneath him, and began pouring ale from a tap. He leaned back and pointed at an empty booth on the other wall. “Go ahead and snag that one.”
Trilo patted Ace’s back and guided him to the booth. Cameron followed behind. Shortly after they sat down, a female jag with an apron around her waist came to take their drink order.
“Oh, get the Golden Slide,” Trilo said as he tapped Ace’s menu from across the table. “That one is the best.”
Ace gave Trilo a look of confusion.
“Don’t worr
y, it’s kid-friendly,” Trilo said with a dark smile. He looked to the waitress, “It’s his birthday today, you guys do anything for birthdays?”
The jag smiled and shook her head. “Sorry, no.”
Trilo’s face dropped.
After ordering all their drinks and food, Cameron leaned over the table to Trilo. “How do you know about this place?”
Trilo smiled. “Well, when you live here for seven years, you kinda learn where everything is. It’s not like Prodigal Street is really a secret to Gathara natives, it’s just not something the city’s known for. People don’t expect parties and warm welcomes when they think of Gathara.”
Ace nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t have expected this at all.” He turned his head to the window beside him to find a jag and a human trotting on the sidewalk alongside each other blowing crumhorns. They were followed by a drake lady brushing a bow across her violin and a human lady tapping spoons to the beat. Each musician amplified the melody and brightened the harmony. The surrounding pedestrians sang and danced as they walked by. Ace smiled. “Most of my experiences with Gathara have been very . . . well, not so joyful. The people here seem so set on stopping the council.”
“Well, yeah,” Trilo said, “they are. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t people. We’re not a bunch of squares.” The scarred fae leaned back in his booth and shrugged. “Gotta learn to enjoy the little things, ya know?” He scooted to the other side of the booth and stood. “I wasn’t too happy with our waitress’s response. I’m gonna get to the bottom of this birthday thing, Ace.”
Ace shook his head. “Really, it’s no big deal.”
Trilo chuckled and leaned over the table. “Actually, it kinda is. That whole money thing you guys mentioned earlier is gonna be a problem without my help.” Trilo stood back up with a wide, wicked smile. “But don’t you worry! I’m on it.”
The fae made his way through Beggar’s Choice and forced himself to the bar area. Cameron nudged Ace with his elbow. “So, what’s it like to be thirteen?”
