by K.N. Lee
She drank her wine down, not bothering to stop or breathe until every last drop was gone. Then she set the glass down and shrugged. “I suppose. Depends on who you ask.”
For a second, his eyes widened. Then, he chuckled and drank more.
“Indeed. We are not used to the fair-skinned, crimson-haired beauties of the Enchanted Kingdom below.”
“I’m a rare breed,” she replied, looking away from his intense stare.
“That you are,” he agreed.
With a sigh, she clasped her hands before her. “Why am I here?”
He lifted a questioning brow.
“What was Gulathi babbling about? She says I will have to die. She says I am special. I know I have fae blood and that of wolf-shifters, but what does that have to do with anything involving the serpents?
He became serious then, his smile fading, and he set his wine down.
Scratching the back of his neck, he tilted his head as he looked down at her. “Its all a bit complicated,” he said. “There are many elements and moving parts, and some factors are yet to be determined. Religion. Prophecy. Magic. I wish it were more concise, but it is not, dear Enchanted Elle.”
She shrugged, and her brows furrowed. “I am smarter than you’d think. I’m sure I could understand if someone would only explain it to me.”
He cracked another smile, and nodded. “Very well. All will be revealed.”
“If I am to die, I want to understand why. I want a chance to prove it doesn’t have to be done.”
Her words seemed to make him reflect, and though they’d just met, she was certain there was sadness in his eyes for having heard of her fear of dying.
“Yes,” he said, softly. He tucked a wisp of hair from her cheek behind her ear. “It would be a shame to lose such beauty.” He spoke so quietly, that she could barely hear him over the roar of the gusty wind sweeping in and out of the palace and through the kingdom.
“Then, don’t kill me,” she replied, taking a step closer—so close that their bodies nearly touched. She knew little of men, but perhaps she could use her beauty to her advantage for once.
He stared down at her, and for a moment, they shared the same air, and his scent—that of air and smoke, and spice was dizzying.
Abruptly, he took a step back and clasped his hands. “Let’s get you settled into your new quarters,” he said. “Eydis, please take our guest to her room.”
Elle sighed, but pursed her lips.
What choice did she have?
As a female servant arrived, she gave the king one last glance before she was ushered away.
He watched after her, the same look of adoration she’d seen in Alexi’s eyes, reflecting back at her.
For the first time since she’d awakened in this mysterious sky kingdom, there was hope.
Chapter Twenty-Five
A guest in the Shiran Palace.
Elle scoffed.
She knew what she truly was, and so did everyone who glanced her way or stared at her as she walked past.
Prisoner to the enemy.
Martyr.
Sacrifice.
As she was taken to her room, she kept her mind sharp for any chance to escape. The odd thing about it, was that there were plenty of open doorways and archways. Though there were guards at every entrance, her stomach clenched at the thought of trying to find a way past them.
If only she could fly.
The palace seemed to be a long, grand hallway, wide and narrow. She barely took account of the stunning sculptures and pottery that lined the halls, filled with tall stalks of flowers she’d never seen before.
Her room was at the back of the palace, facing the waterfalls rushing down the mountain of crystal. Armed guards waited outside of her door, but the balcony door was open, letting in the fresh air that swept in and lifted her gown around her knees.
“Pull the cord at your bedside if you are in need of anything, Enchanted Elle,” Eydis said, her big, brown eyes looking to her feet rather than Elle’s face. “You will be dining with King Thane this evening.”
Enchanted Elle.
She felt as though she’d pull out her hair if someone called her that again, but knew she couldn’t escape it.
Elle nodded, turning toward the balcony. She was left alone with her thoughts as Eydis backed out.
She headed straight for the balcony. As she stood outside, overlooking the kingdom, her eyes burned with tears. She already missed Alexi and Etian. She’d just gotten used to the fact that she was to be theirs. This was not the palace she wanted to inhabit. The serpents weren’t her people, and this was not her destiny.
Her heart skipped a beat as someone flew into her room, zooming past her in a flurry of air and light. As she stumbled backward, spinning around to see who had just entered her room, she covered her mouth to stifle a cry.
A young woman appeared, shifting from her dragon form. She stood in light armor, and straightened her tunic over her leather pants. She tucked wild, black hair behind her ear and smoothed it down as she finally met Elle’s gaze.
“Oh dear,” she said. “I’m late.” Her cheeks were a fairer shade of light brown that reddened as she dipped into a low bow. “Please don’t tell on me.”
Elle’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”
Standing to her full height, which was almost exactly as tall as Elle—who happened to be fairly small—she approached, her hazel eyes glowing in the sunlight as she stepped outside onto the balcony.
“Maira,” she said. “Your guardian, servant, everything really.”
“Guardian?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “I’ll make sure you don’t get into trouble.” A smirk came to her lips.
“Great,” Elle muttered, eying the dagger at Maira’s belt, and the sharp discs strapped to her calf.
Maira chuckled, and placed her hands on her hips, looking her up and down. “I may be small, love, but I’ve won the realm championships in hand-to-hand battle two years in a row. You’re in good hands.”
She licked her lips. “Why do I need a guardian if there are guards outside my door?”
She lifted a brow. “This is Shiran,” she said. “We leave nothing to chance, and there are some out there who would see you dead.”
“Right, but so would your king, and the Serpent Sisters,” Elle pointed out, a cold shiver racing up her spine.
“I’m not talking about the ceremony, Enchanted Elle. I’m talking about the rebels. The assassins. Those who work for King Kyrell, the Fire Drake King.”
Elle closed her eyes, sighing. “Yes,” she said, her stomach gurgling with anxiety. “Of course, there’s a Fire Drake King who wants me dead. Tell him to fall in line with the rest.”
Maira chuckled again. “I like you, Enchanted Elle. You’ll make a great queen one day.”
That made Elle’s eyes widen, and Maira’s cheeks flushed, and she averted her eyes as if she’d spoken too much.
Queen? Elle wondered.
Queen of what? How could she be queen if she was dead?
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Do you truly believe they will help us?” Etian asked as he and Alexi headed into the town of Pylora, a human village just outside the realm of the fae.
Alexi shrugged, his eyes scanning the sky. The clouds were heavy with rain and he feared a storm to be brewing. He’d never wanted to be able to fly so much in his entire life.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back,” he said.
Nodding, Etian clasped his hand onto Alexi’s shoulder. “Do not worry,” he said. “We will get her back. No matter what it takes.”
Alexi looked into his younger brother’s eyes. He spoke with such certainty, and he believed him. There was nothing the Davidian brothers couldn’t do when they worked together. And, Elle was the most important person in the entire kingdom. She just didn’t know why quite yet.
He feared she’d find out soon, but not from his lips, from the blasted Serpent Sisters and their fanatical ton
gues.
They left the quiet village to step into the inn where they were to wait for Matthias and Drevah’s arrival.
Inside, it was equally quiet, with a young girl sweeping the dark, wooden floors and another girl who couldn’t have been older than ten wiping the circular tables while what he assumed to be their father added logs to a fire.
To their surprise, Matthias and Drevah were already inside, drinking ale at a table situated in the back of the inn.
“Of course, they have ale at the crack of dawn,” Alexi said, though he was pleased to see they’d wasted no time coming to their aide.
“This is Dre we’re talking about,” Etian said with a grin. “He drinks ale like water.”
They headed to the back, where a fire burned in the hearth and a group of older men yawned over a steaming bowl of porridge. The fire was all to light the room, as only scant traces of sunlight came in through the windows lining the front wall.
Matthias and Drevah stood, and Alexi and Etian embraced them. The wild smell of trees and crisp air clung to their cloaks. The smell of home.
It was good to be reunited, but he feared having their mother all alone back in Castilan. Their cousins were left behind, as well as the guards and soldiers of their armies. The Davidian Clan had always been a tight-knit family, and looked after their own no matter what.
To the death, if need be.
Still, he believed that no one could protect her the way he and his brothers could. Their powers and strengths were perfect when combined, and the dowager queen of Castilan was only part of the key to saving the world.
Elle was the other.
“Is mother well?” Etian asked, and Alexi knew he shared the same worries. “We couldn’t reach anyone in Castilan without combining our power.”
“We know,” Drevah said, downing his mug of ale. He wiped his mouth, shaking his head. “We had to summon the guardian to use the sacred stone.”
“Ah,” Etian said. “Something is amiss. We were worried.”
“Do not worry, all is well in Castilan,” Matthias said, though Alexi caught something in the hazel of his eyes.
“Tell us,” Alexi said, and Matthias sighed, sitting back in the chair.
“There’s not much to tell, brothers. The sickness has a tight hold on her. But, she is strong,” Matthias said.
“Of course, she is,” Dre said. “She is a Davidian.”
Alexi raked his hand through his straw-colored hair and sighed. “We have to get Elle back.”
“Aye,” Dre said. “Those damned serpents won’t leave us alone until we crush them.”
“And, how would we do that? They live amongst the clouds. We are exposed to their fire and poison and have no defense,” Etian said.
“We rescue Elle. It’s that simple,” Alexi said. “Then, we figure out a way to stop them for good. But, she is the main priority. Everything else will come with time.”
“How do you propose we save her?” Dre asked, and they all sat at the table while the flames of the fire danced and swayed.
The innkeeper approached, wiping his hands on the apron hanging from the belt at his waist.
“Can I get you gents something? Coffee, ale, porridge?” He asked, eyeing them. “I have a bit of venison sausage and bread as well. Its a bit hard, but tastes nice nonetheless.”
Alexi shook his head. He had no appetite after fretting about Elle’s well-being the entire night and every day since she’d been taken.
“I’ll have some of the venison,” Etian said, and the innkeeper nodded before backing away and heading down the hallway.
Once they were left alone again, they all leaned in over the table and lowered their voices. As strangers to this land, everyone in the inn eyed them, curious as to who they were, whispering about who they could be.
If they knew who they were, things would quickly change, and the entire town would be buzzing with gossip.
“We fear she’s in Shiran,” Etian said. “It was the closest sky kingdom to where she was taken. But, it could be anyone.”
“It could be the Fire Drake King,” Dre said, lifting a brow.
“No,” Alexi said. “It is Thane. I’m certain of it.”
“It would make sense. The Serpent Sisters would cite prophecy, or fate, and they have Thane’s line wrapped around their fingers,” Matthias said.
“Aye,” Dre said. “They’d twist anything to suit their blasted ideologies.’
“I’ve been giving this much thought since we received your message,” Matthias began. “The only thing we can do, is find a way into the sky kingdoms. And, there is only one who can get us there.”
Etian paled as he realized who Matthias referred to. “You don’t mean…”
Matthias nodded, looking to each of them. “Exactly.”
“Truly?” Dre said. “There has to be another way.”
“If you can think of one, we are all listening,” Matthias said, lifting a brow.
Alexi sighed, and settled back into his chair. He rubbed his chin, and gazed into the fire. “We will go to her,” he said, knowing what this would mean to the Enchanted Kingdom. “Even if it means entering enemy territory.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Groggily, Elle began to stir, and leave her dreams behind.
The air was hot despite the open windows and balcony door, and sweat already beaded on her forehead. Elle opened her eyes to someone watching her. Startled, she sat up in bed and narrowed her eyes at Maira, who stood there in her light armor, arms crossed.
“Finally,” she said, uncrossing her arms and lifting a pair of leather pants and tunic up from the back of a wooden chair. “Up you get. Let’s start the day with a bit of sparring.”
For a moment, Elle stared at her, utterly confused. Her gaze went from the clothing to Maira’s excited expression.
She blinked. “Sparring?”
Maira tossed the clothes onto the bed, and clasped her hands. “That’s right. King Thane thinks you should learn how to protect yourself. We are in Shiran, after all, and all women are expected to learn how to fight.”
She blanched. “Fight?”
“Are you going to repeat everything I say, or get off your arse and get dressed?”
Elle groaned, but didn’t protest. She could use a bit of time outside of the palace. Memories of her dreams of going on adventures and sailing across the seas returned to her, and her attitude changed.
This was perhaps the closest to an adventure she’d ever have. Dragons and wolves. Beautiful floating kingdoms.
She’d gotten her wish…
She just wished she knew how long it would last.
After getting dressed, Elle and Maira left the palace to train in a private training yard. It was settled onto the top of a circular, stone tower with a flat surface at the top. A single apple tree grew at the top, with vines wrapped around the dark trunk.
With her hair in a bun at the top of her head, Elle wasn’t sure how to stand or what to do as Maira cracked her knuckles and approached her, a mischievous smile on her face.
“Right,” Maira said, in a cheerful voice that gave Elle chills.
She truly enjoyed this, and they hadn’t even begun. Birds chirped from the apple tree, as if avid spectators.
“Are you ready?”
With a quick nod, Elle swallowed. She shielded the sun from her eyes as dust floated in the air, sparkling like tiny diamonds.
“Ready.”
She balled Elle’s hands into fists and helped her find a pose. From that high up, her legs were a little unsteady. Thankfully, there was a stone wall that protected them from potentially falling off—not that it would bother Maira, who was of dragon descent.
“There,” she said. “Keep them firm, but loosen your fingers.”
Elle nodded, hating how foreign it all felt. She’d never hit anyone in her life. “All right.”
After stepping back, she took a stance that Elle tried to emulate.
“Stay alert,” Maira said.
“Protect yourself, and see if you can strike me.”
Her mind whirled as Maira attacked. Her fists were too fast to follow, but Elle kept up, blocking them with her forearms. Each sequence was quick, and aggressive, and kept anticipating the next move with one of her own.
A chuckle came from Maira, her eyes bright with excitement. “You’re a natural,” she said.
Elle beamed. “Really?”
“Yes,” Maira said, before knocking Elle off her feet by sweeping her leg across hers.
She fell onto her bottom, startled.
Maira’s chuckle grew louder as she stood over her. She reached down. “But, do try to pay attention, love. Don’t forget to protect your lower half.”
A pain stung her bottom, but it made her realize something.
Realization filled her eyes as she accepted Maira’s hand and was pulled to her feet.
She had a taste for battle—and was eager for more.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
After training, Elle and Maira returned to the palace. Her muscles were sore, and she felt pain in places she never knew existed. While Maira sang and sharpened her sword, Elle bathed and spent too long soaking in the hot water made fragrant by sweet oils and foaming salts.
“Who taught you to fight like that?” Elle asked, as Maira sat on the floor beside the pool of water set in the middle of the stone room.
She pulled her long braid over her shoulder and smiled.
“My mum,” she said, and Elle lifted a brow.
“Truly?”
“Yes. Every man, woman, and child is expected to learn the art of battle. My mum was a famous shield maiden, and skilled in hand-to-hand combat as well.”
Elle sighed, and lowered herself under the water until she was completely submerged.
She wished she remembered her mother, but the memories were too blurry and too scarce.
If only she had a chance to teach her about the magic flowing in her veins…or men.
After Elle bathed, she spent her day wandering the vault of ancient scrolls. Though she knew basic Enchantia, the ancient language of the five races, she couldn’t decipher enough to truly read any of the scrolls.
