Fury

by E. L. Todd

  Callon slowly pivoted back to her. His dark eyes were narrowed with coldness, like the battle still raged.

  He’s still angry.

  No kidding… “Callon, it’s been a week.”

  “A week for you is a second for me. Elves experience time—”

  “Differently. Yes, I know.” She sheathed her sword as she approached him. “But you need to let this go.”

  Ooh…not the right thing to say, Cora.

  His eyes managed to narrow even further—with a spark of fire.

  It was the right thing to say.

  Callon came closer, each step slow and purposeful, like she truly was an opponent on the battlefield. “To stand idle as my brother’s murderer breathes…” He shook his head. “The restraint, the sacrifice…your childish mind has no idea.”

  “Callon—”

  “A betrayal to my king. A betrayal to my people. He was outside Eden Star—and I didn’t strike him down.”

  “He’s our ally that we can’t afford to lose.”

  “If he didn’t vow to claim his life once this is over, my sword wouldn’t stay in my scabbard. It would swipe his head clean from his shoulders until it rolled down the hill and splashed into the river, to be feasted on by crows—”

  “Stop it.” Her hand had risen of its own accord.

  His jaw clenched before his eyes flicked away.

  “I understand this is difficult for you—”

  “And I see very clearly why this is not difficult enough for you.” He turned back to her, his eyes piercing.

  She held his look with uneven breaths, the paralysis taking over her entire body. Confronted head on by a raging bull, she had nowhere to run, nowhere to escape.

  When he couldn’t look at her anymore, he stepped away.

  Her palms were coated with blisters, even with the gloves she wore, so she applied the cool gel that Callon had given her weeks ago. It burned at contact, but then it was soothing, lubricating the wound and helping it heal.

  I feel what he sees.

  She stared at the inside of her thumb, where the worst damage had been done.

  I didn’t understand the origin of your sadness—until then.

  She gave neither an agreement nor a denial. Nothing at all.

  He doesn’t deserve it, Cora.

  Well, I can’t help it, alright? It’s not something I can just control…

  You shouldn’t have allowed it to happen in the first place.

  Couldn’t control that either.

  Ashe turned silent, floating in her mind like an apple that had dropped into a lake. He was physical, with a heftiness that increased the load on her shoulders.

  I don’t want to talk about this anymore.

  Nor do I.

  She wrapped her hands in the leaves, securing them in place with a wooden pin.

  I pity your heartbreak. But I don’t pity the one who gave it to you.

  This conversation is over, Ashe.

  His mind retreated slightly, as if her hand had pushed him away. It’s time we speak to the queen. We’ve been here too long as it is. Our fusion has become easier, but it still feels like a mountain sits on top of my chest.

  I’m sorry.

  It’s not you. Just the circumstance.

  Would it help if we ventured outside Eden Star every day so you can stretch your legs?

  We don’t have time for that. Have far more pressing obligations.

  Then I don’t know what the solution is.

  I do. Go to the queen.

  She closed the jar of goo then sat at the kitchen table. She’s corrupt, remember?

  But she’s still the queen. She’s the one I need to address.

  I agree. But I don’t trust her. And the second I reveal you…I fear for my own safety.

  Then what is the plan?

  I don’t have one.

  Then this mission is over. I must return.

  I said I don’t have a plan right this second, not that I give up. She slumped at the table, her chin on her folded knuckles. Never thought that convincing a dragon would be easier than convincing an elf.

  Queen Delwyn isn’t a good representation of her people.

  No, she’s not.

  If Callon were your ruler, this would have been a simple acquisition.

  I agree.

  I say Callon takes the throne.

  She shook her head. You heard him. He’s too loyal.

  He wouldn’t be so loyal if her corruption was exposed. Neither would the elves.

  What are you saying, Ashe?

  As Callon said, gain the favor of the elves. Then reveal who you are. Her reputation will be destroyed and irreparable.

  I promised Callon I wouldn’t tell anyone.

  Then ask his permission to break that promise.

  He said he would keep this secret as a way to keep me in Eden Star.

  But that’s an agreement he never should have had to make. The Princess of Eden Star should not be shunned or ostracized from her home, let alone her identity. After what King Tiberius shared, I believe her corruption goes far deeper than the surface. We expose that—and she’s done.

  It was a treasonous coup, but was it treasonous if Cora was exposing the queen’s treason?

  We continue our conversations with King Tiberius, integrate with elven society, and continue our training. That’s the plan.

  Okay.

  And we need to reveal my presence to Callon.

  I don’t know…you saw how he was today.

  He needs to know.

  Why?

  Because he isn’t the only one that needs to train you.

  He’s going to be so overwhelmed with this. I’m not sure how he’ll handle it.

  He’ll be fine.

  This is different. He’d be harboring an enemy inside his lands. It’s one thing to sneak me out of Eden Star, another to protect me at Rock Island, but this…this is knowing that the King of Dragons is behind enemy lines.

  It does not concern me.

  How? How does it not?

  Because I trust him.

  Cora landed on the ground, her sword at her side.

  “Get up.”

  She closed her eyes as her cheek rested against the grass.

  “I said up!”

  She gave a groan as she reached for her sword, the blisters of her hand immediately stinging. She dug the tip of the sword into the ground and used it to raise her body upright, her entire body protesting with soreness. “I know I’m not meeting your expectations, but don’t you think my progress is remarkable?”

  He held his sword at the ready.

  “You’ve had thousands of years to be this good, and I’ve had what? A couple months—”

  “Are you dead?” There was a bite to his words.

  “What?”

  “Are. You. Dead?” He made a gesture with his sword.

  “Yes…”

  “Then it’s not good enough.” He switched the sword to the other hand because he could use either one with the same strength, apparently. “Don’t give yourself a pat on the back—because you haven’t earned it.”

  I like him.

  Really? I think he’s being an ass right now.

  I would never lower my expectations of my hatchlings to meet their potential. I would demand their potential meet my expectations.

  She caught her breath as she readied the sword.

  But I think I have something to add to his training.

  Now isn’t the time to tell him, Ashe. You see how pissed off he is?

  Ashe pressed his mind against hers, but this time, it was the hardest push she’d ever felt, like when Flare blasted through the parameters of her mind. Everything shattered, and the thin veil that was once between them was gone.

  What are you doing?

  Her hand suddenly felt empty because the sword weighed nothing. The aches in her muscles and the pains in her joints suddenly vanished, like a wave of pain medication took away all her suffering. There were no
blisters. No fatigue.

  We are one.

  Callon spun his sword around his wrist as he began to circle her.

  You will learn battle quicker this way.

  What way?

  When you can actually finish it.

  Callon lunged, swiping his sword at her shoulder.

  Her reaction time was instant, meeting his fast blade with the block of her sword.

  He hesitated, as if expecting her to miss. He swung his sword again, giving her a flurry of blows with a rush of speed.

  Her sword met his every time without taking a step back.

  She saw the opening and took it, slicing the sword across the armor of his stomach.

  He faltered back, his eyes wide.

  Okay…this is pretty cool.

  Focus.

  He spun the sword as he circled her. Then he moved again, attacking her harder than he ever had in their training.

  Cora felt weightless, moving her arms without consequence, without the scream of her muscles. She possessed the strength of ten strong men, had more energy than her body could store, and she used it all to meet his blows.

  Callon stepped back—again.

  His furious expression was gone—replaced by a shine of pride. “Yes, Sor-lei.”

  For the first time, she attacked him. She swung her sword and met his block, but she kept going, slashing and fighting, matching his energy and strength with her own. Swords collided then broke apart. Grunts came from both of them. They circled each other and moved, each one giving their all.

  She went for the killing blow.

  He stopped her blade then tripped her feet from underneath her.

  She fell to the earth, her face pressed against the grass once more.

  Ashe pulled his mind away, ending the connection.

  The second he was gone, she felt the consequences of her actions. Her muscles screamed. She gasped for breath. Her fingers stung like salt had been poured into the cracks. No…come back.

  That’s how battle should be. Recreate it.

  Yeah, I’m never going to be able to do that.

  You will.

  I don’t have the strength or energy to do that on my own.

  My expectations won’t change for your potential. Your potential will change for my expectations.

  Callon kneeled beside her, his arms resting on his propped knee. The anger in his eyes had changed. Now they were calm like the stream. Bright like the sunrise. Gentle like the raindrops that dripped from the leaves to her cheek. “You did well, Sor-lei.”

  I have to tell him the truth.

  You don’t have to tell him anything—if you do better.

  16

  Brothers Riverglade

  “Can I ask you a favor?” Callon walked beside her on the path between the trees, his shoulders square, his muscular arms hardly swinging at his sides. His sword was across his back, his black armor giving his strong body another layer of protection.

  She already knew what that favor would be. “Always.”

  They approached the base of her tree house. “I’d like to speak to my brother.”

  “Of course.”

  A day of training never slighted him. His body didn’t droop because of the fatigue, and he carried himself like a general even though the title was no longer his. There was an integrity to every step he took. Honor in his countenance. “I’ll meet you there.”

  “Okay.” She turned to the vine stairway so she could drop her armor in the tree house and have a quick bath.

  His hand moved to her arm.

  She stilled at the touch.

  “You are your father’s daughter.”

  Everything in her body tightened.

  His hand moved to her back next, where he gave her a pat. “And you are your uncle’s niece, too.”

  They sat together on the bench in the mist, the rest of the cemetery obscured from the fog that provided privacy to anyone else there visiting a lost loved one. The statue stood tall, perfectly capturing his regal bearing in life. More flowers had grown over his tombstone.

  Cora felt the droplets stick to her skin. Once they became big enough, they slid down her arms and plopped into the soil. Every time she drew breath, she felt the cold droplets enter her lungs, cleanse her soul.

  Then she felt it.

  Callon felt it too—because he raised his chin.

  Cora saw the blue outline of her father’s figure, just a blur of color before it solidified into his strong frame. His head was tilted down, his eyes on his brother.

  Callon straightened his back and sat with an upright posture, his hands moving to his thighs. His eyes were straight ahead, unaware of his brother’s proximity.

  King Tiberius turned his gaze on her next. “Hello, Cora.”

  “Hello…Tiberius.”

  “I’m very happy to see your face once more.”

  “Me too.”

  Callon turned to regard her, listening to her speak to someone who wasn’t there.

  She shifted her gaze to his. “I’m here for Callon. He wishes to speak with you.”

  King Tiberius moved to the bench on the other side of Callon, sitting with the exact same posture.

  “He’s beside you,” she whispered. “Looking ahead the way you are.”

  Callon turned his head slightly, as if he hoped to see him in the flesh. “My King…”

  Cora acted as the translator through the veil, connecting their conversation.

  “You never called me that in private. Please don’t start now.”

  Callon cracked a smile, giving a slight chuckle. “Brother, it is…”

  “I will not ask about your well-being because I see it in your eyes every time you visit my resting place. You carry a weight that doesn’t belong to you. You carry more sorrow than any man ever should.”

  Callon faced forward again, hiding his face from a ghost.

  “Release it.”

  “I can’t. Grief is permanent. The only change is the way I handle it—which is different every day.”

  The outline of Tiberius shifted, his gaze moving to his brother’s face. “Do not grieve me.”

  “How can I not?” He stared at his hands as they came together, sucking in a deep breath to stifle his emotion.

  “Honor me. But do not grieve for me. The same for Weila and Turnion—who are waiting for you.”

  He sucked in another deep breath.

  “We will be together again—when the time is right.”

  Callon kept his head bowed, his hands clenched.

  “For now…it looks like you have someone else to live for.”

  Callon gave a nod, his eyes still down.

  “Thank you for looking after her in my stead, Callon.”

  He stared at his hands, rubbing them together as he gave a subtle shake of his head. “It has been my joy.”

  “I know it has, brother.”

  They sat together in a long pause of silence, each man overcome by the presence of the other.

  Callon turned his head slightly, regarding the position his brother would have if he were alive. “Have you found peace?”

  “That’s all there is on this side of the veil—peace. There are times when I miss my queen, there are times when I miss you, but that pain can never truly manifest. It’s always quieted, in some inexplicable way. When you wake up first thing in the morning, you’re aware of your world, of the sunshine, of the birds, but you don’t open your eyes because you’re still in that state of slumber. That’s how it feels…all the time.”

  Callon gave a subtle nod in understanding.

  “How is my queen?”

  “Her reign has been peaceful—until now.”

  “Cora told me that she stripped away your title. I’m sorry for your loss, but I also understand why she did it.”

  “As do I.”

  “She must keep everyone accountable—even Eden Star’s longest-serving general.”

  “I understand that. But…”

  Tiberius star
ed.

  “I don’t trust her. Not anymore, at least.”

  “I don’t condone her treatment of Cora, but I understand it.”

  “That’s not the only reason,” Callon stared. “If she had it her way, no one would ever know who Cora is.”

  “Give her time.”

  “I don’t think time will change anything, Tiberius.”

  Tiberius turned quiet.

  “I don’t mean to speak ill of your Sun-lei or my queen…but I’m concerned. She hasn’t come to see you since you’ve passed, but she didn’t know of Cora’s existence until a few months ago. That doesn’t explain her over twenty-year absence.”

  “I suppose it doesn’t.”

  The silence fell again, this time longer.

  Callon spoke some time later. “War is coming.”

  “It can’t come when it’s already here, Callon. We’ve been at war with the empire for thousands of years.”

  “But the end is nigh.”

  “Speak your mind, brother.”

  “Cora has gained an alliance with the remaining free dragons, along with some high-ranking officials in the empire…” He faced forward again, his hands clasped together. “Her purpose in Eden Star is to forge an alliance between the elves and the dragons. It makes me sick to even consider it…after what they’ve done. I’ve lost everyone…because of them.”

  Cora watched their interaction, feeling like an observer rather than a participant, watching two members of her family interact like the veil wasn’t enough to keep them apart.

  Tiberius held his silence.

  Callon turned back to him slightly, expecting a response.

  “Those kinds of resentments run deep. So deep, they become who we are.”

  “So, this errand is foolish?”

  “No.” Every word in the king’s speech had purpose, never rushed, matching the flow of a gentle river. “It is foolish to think this world will become better if we continue to do nothing. It’s our right to hold on to the past, to store resentments in our hearts, to continue our prejudice. But what will that accomplish? Cora is the youngest elf in Eden Star, born in a different time, experiencing the world through a lens we can’t comprehend. That gives us a perspective we wouldn’t have otherwise. You can call her optimism foolish and insensitive. Or you can call it a gift. I choose the latter.”