The Crystal Key: An LGBTQ+ Fantasy Series (The Crystalline Chronicles Book 3)

by Blake R. Wolfe

  He was startled from his reading when Tara entered the room, closing the door gently behind her. She went over to her trunk and pulled out her bag, rummaging through it as if searching for something. When at last she found it she made her way over to Dusk, pulling up a chair beside him and taking a seat.

  “When did you learn to read?” she asked, leaning down to read the cover of the book.

  “Yar–… I was taught how while I was in the monastery.” Dusk didn’t want to say that man’s name anymore.

  “Oh… well that’s good that you know how now. Although,” she pointed to the book, “I’m not sure why you’re reading that trash.”

  “Believe it or not, it’s actually okay.”

  “If you want I can go buy you some smut. I’m sure someone in this town has some and it’s probably the only thing that hasn’t gone out of stock yet.” She waggled her eyebrows at him. “That way you can sit around and do some one-handed reading.”

  Dusk couldn’t help but crack a smile.

  “I’ll see what I can find.” Tara smiled, leaning forward in the chair and holding something out in her hand. “Here, it’s time I gave this back to you.”

  Dusk glanced down. It was the leather glove with the crystal sewn into the back. A surge of fear and anger pulsed through his system and his smile faded. The crystal had brought him so much grief.

  “I don’t want it,” Dusk replied coldly.

  “Dusk, it belongs to you. I know it’s brought you a lot of trouble,” she replied, somehow knowing exactly what he was thinking, “but I think it’s meant for you.” He opened his mouth to retort, but Tara held up a hand to silence him. “Listen. I need to apologize to you. You warned me before we even got to Louring that we needed to avoid that place. You said it was because the dragon, this crystal, sent you a message.” She gave a big sigh. “If I had listened to you, none of this would have happened.”

  “We don’t know that…”

  “Oh yes we do. Don’t be modest. You told me we needed to go across the River Sunder, back to the mountains, and then across the ocean. Instead I forced us to go to Louring and through the swamp. If we’d never gone there we wouldn’t have met Yarick in the first place. Your warning would have saved us- and you especially- from all this suffering. It’s my fault for being so bull headed about it. I didn’t believe you.”

  “It does sound a little crazy,” Dusk admitted. “Saying a dragon inside a rock gave you a dream.”

  “You know, when you put it like that I feel a little better. But still. I’m sorry nonetheless.”

  Dusk leaned forward and took the glove, tossing it onto the side table beside the chair. He reached back out and took Tara by the forearm, pulling her closer. “I’m sorry too. I was a real jerk to you and Lex. I didn’t trust you and I should have.”

  “You were a bit of a royal asshole.” She paused, seeing the look on Dusk’s face. “I mean that in the best possible way of course.”

  “I don’t know if there’s a best way for that…”

  Tara flashed him a mischievous smile. “So you and Lex must have made up already,” she said, changing the subject and releasing Dusk’s arm. “You two seemed mighty comfy in your bed the other night.”

  “We talked, yes.”

  “Has he told you yet?”

  “Told me what?”

  “I’ll take that as a no.” Tara leaned back in her chair, glancing over to the fire.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s not my place to say. I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”

  “I really don’t need any more mystery in my life.”

  “Oh believe me, it’s not a mystery,” she laughed. “The only person who doesn’t see it is you. Pretty sure that just means you’re dense.”

  Dusk glared at Tara. It was amazing how someone could go from apologetic to asshole in less than ten seconds.

  “Anyway.” Tara pushed herself out of her chair and stretched. “I’m going to go get something to eat. Don’t let that glove out of your sight okay? We still need to keep it away from the Circle.”

  Dusk nodded silently in reply. Tara made her way across the room, pulling the door open in front of her. She paused for a moment and turned back.

  “I almost forgot. Diana wants to see you. You know where her room is right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Stop by when you get a chance.”

  With a wave she slipped through the door and shut it behind her. Dusk sat for a moment with his book held open, staring at the fire. What had she meant about Lex? What was so obvious that he wasn’t seeing? Was Lex sick? Did he get hurt or have a weird limp now? Dusk hadn’t noticed anything different about him. He seemed like the same old Lex he’d always known, except maybe a little more mature and reserved than when they’d first met. Maybe that’s what she’d meant, Lex was growing up and finally seeing the world for what it really was. Either way, if Lex needed to tell him something, he was sure he could do it in his own time.

  Dusk sat there for a long while, thinking about the things Tara had said. Even though he’d pushed them away, both of his friends had approached him to apologize without prompting. He was starting to realize how wrong he’d been. For so long he’d thought both of them were only concerned with themselves. Yarick had done nothing but magnify his suspicions as they were already there to begin with. Dusk couldn’t believe how wrong he’d been. They’d been chased, attacked, and injured while on the run. Anyone would have been in a bad mood after all that, but instead of seeing it for what it was, he’d thought his friends wanted to abandon him, until he was so paranoid that he pushed them away first. He decided then that if they were to continue travelling together, he’d need to check in with them. Of all the people in the world, he knew he could trust Lex and Tara. They’d earned it, more than he deserved theirs.

  When he found he no longer wished to read, Dusk dog-eared his page and put the book down on the chair. He scooped up the glove and slipped it onto his hand, making sure the leather flap was secured so that the gem wasn’t exposed. He wasn’t really ready to wear it just yet, but having it on his hand seemed safer than putting it in a bag or in his pocket. Now that he knew just what kind of power it possessed and what others might do with it, he wanted to keep it as close as possible. The only way it would be safer was if it was attached to his body once more, but that wasn’t something he wanted to go through again. The pain of its removal was still fresh in his mind and he didn’t feel like repeating it.

  Dusk made his way out of the room and through the winding passageways. He’d memorized his way to Diana’s room, which doubled as her office. The other members of the guild went in and out regularly, reporting to her for orders or contracts to carry out. After a few days in the guild he was surprised to find that thievery was not exactly what they did. Mostly the guild took bounty contracts for wanted criminals within the lawless city and returned them to face justice in their home cities.. In essence, they were the guard for the city. When they did steal, it was typically from nobles and aristocrats who had enough to spare. The previous morning he’d heard a man telling the story of how he’d stolen an entire cart of dry goods from a caravan heading east towards Eblesal. Apparently the nobles had used the port at Emerald Deep to haul in exotic delicacies to avoid port taxes from the crown. After the man's interference, their shipment was redistributed freely amongst the people starving in Emerald Deep.

  There had also been news of the war floating around. Dusk had overheard many conversations among the guild members, although most of them seemed to be rumors. There was talk of Inahandrian soldiers taking refuge in the mountains, building new forts so that they could block any invasion into their lands. Ditania was assembling its own army and sending them marching towards the Dorsum Mountains. Many of the people running from either side were trying to avoid being forcefully drafted into the army. Nobody wished to die for their blood thirsty monarchs and others wanted to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Even mor
e had their homes and farms stolen from them to supply the growing army. There was a lot of speculation that King Arius had actually killed his father to start the war. Others thought that King Cecil had killed himself after the death of his only, beloved daughter and Arius had used it as an excuse to lash out. Nobody seemed to know what was actually true, but none of them believed that an Inahandrian ambassador had assassinated anyone. That at least was unanimous among the guild members.

  Dusk suddenly found himself at the door to Diana’s room, having gotten lost in his thoughts once more while his feet faithfully carried him to his destination without his input. He stood for a moment listening, but when he heard nothing from the other side he lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles on the door.

  “Enter,” a commanding voice said from the other side.

  Dusk stepped through, closing the door behind him. He turned to face Diana who was leaning over her desk, studying papers without looking up. He cleared his throat. “Tara said you wanted to see me.”

  “Yes. Thank you for coming.” Diana looked up and gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. “Please, have a seat. It’s time you and I had a little talk about what’s going on.”

  Keeping his gaze to the floor, Dusk found his way across the room and sat opposite of her, folding his hands in his lap. He felt like he was about to get in trouble.

  “No need to be worried. I’m not here to punish you or anything,” Diana chuckled. “Mostly I just want you to fill in the blanks. By now I’ve figured out you’re not a murderer or wanted for a bounty in Eblesal. It’s clear that Yarick lied to me and my men about that. It’s also clear that Yarick was working with the Circle of the Dawn, a well-known enemy in this part of the world.” She sighed, rubbing her hands across her face. “I’m sorry to say that their order was born right here in Emerald Deep long ago, but they have since left for whatever endeavors they were pursuing. We haven’t seen any of their kind here for a century. So you can imagine my concern when I find any entire sect of them camping just outside of town.” She paused for a moment, leaning back in her chair. “Tell me first, what happened to the Order of the Crystal Moon? The monastery was full of men who helped the people of this town. They were well-known for taking in orphans and raising them or sending spare food for the needy. They were an asset to the entire city.”

  “Yarick and his men killed them all,” Dusk replied dryly. “I… I found their bodies stacked in a secret room underground.”

  Diana paused for a moment. “That’s... unfortunate. I feared that was the case when we found you and the Circle there.” She turned her head towards the ceiling, letting out a large sigh. “But why did Yarick go through so much trouble for you? Why trick me and my men?”

  “He was doing that to manipulate me into loving him.” Dusk stopped, turning his gaze to the floor. “He wanted to swoop in and rescue me to solidify my trust and make me turn away from my friends… I’m ashamed to admit that he succeeded. They wanted me to join the Circle willingly.”

  “Why is the Circle after you? You’re friends already told me you’re an escaped slave from the Ronja mines, but there must be more to it than that?”

  “I’m not sure if you’ll believe me.”

  “Try me.”

  Dusk took a deep breath. “At the mines I found the crystallized remains of a dragon and I took a stone from it. They called it Tephyss’s Eye. It gives me the ability to do real magic. They want the eye and Grandmaster Tiernan wants me specifically,” Dusk said rather quickly.

  “And why is that?”

  “Because according to him, I’m one of the last living heirs to the traitor king of Alamond. Apparently he is too. He had one of the crowns.”

  Diana stared at Dusk for a moment, not speaking. Her eyes seemed to burrow into him until he had no choice but to look away.

  “You believe what you say, I can see that much in your eyes,” she said, crossing her arms. “But I’ll admit I don’t understand any of it. Magic and dragons? Those are fairy tales for children. Sure they were real once, but it’s been over a thousand years. I don’t see how any of that could be a threat to us now.”

  “The Circle wants to bring magic back. Tiernan is planning to take over both the Inahandrian and Ditanian Empires. He wants to control the people who wear the crowns. He said he wanted to use me to take the throne in Inahan and he mentioned a princess for Ditania.”

  “Princess Nedarya is dead. She has been for almost six months now.”

  “Not anymore. Tiernan claims he brought her back to life and has full control of her mind now.”

  Again, Diana stopped and stared at Dusk, her lips slightly parted.

  “I know it all sounds crazy…”

  “You’re right. But it also sounds a little too crazy to be made up.” She took a moment before she leaned forward, placing her elbows on the desk. “Your friend Tara was the captain of the Royal Guard. Do you know what her mission was? Why she left the guard in the first place?”

  “Tiernan said her ward died, but I don’t know anything else beyond that.”

  “Tara was in charge of keeping Princess Nedarya alive while she was travelling to and from Malkekna to meet her intended fiance.” She paused for a moment. “She never made it back home to Eblesal on her final trip.”

  A few things started to click into place for Dusk about his companion. Tara had been purposefully silent about her past. Lex had hinted at knowing something, but Dusk had never thought it would be so tragic.

  “The princess was the well-known favorite of King Cecil and there were many rumors that he intended her to take the crown instead of her brother Arius. After her death he was the only heir left. Arius is known for his vicious ambition and war mongering.” Diana glanced over to the fire burning at the side of the room. “If the princess is indeed alive, it could cause a lot more problems for everyone in the empire. Especially if the Circle somehow has control of her mind. Did they say what they planned to do?”

  “No. Just that Tiernan wanted her to take the throne eventually. But he did mention that nobody knows she’s alive yet. He’s probably keeping her in Alamond.”

  “That old ruin?”

  “It’s their home base now.”

  Diana sighed again, rubbing the sides of her face. “This is so much more than I thought I’d be hearing from you. I thought you’d just be someone with too much information they were trying to kidnap back or something. This is really out of my league.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Diana lifted her gaze, meeting Dusk’s with a smile. “Don’t be. I may not understand what’s happening here, but at least we have an idea of what’s going on. The Circle will probably send someone to see what happened at the monastery. Hopefully we can dispatch them before they report back.”

  “Tiernan was there, he knows what happened. They were going to transport me through a mirror to Alamond.”

  “You know what?” Diana said, throwing her hands up. “After everything you’ve said, that sounds right on track. Why not?”

  “They’ll be coming here though. They’ll be headed for the island in the lake. There’s a dragon skeleton there too.”

  “Of course there is.”

  “I may have killed the lake serpent, so there’s nothing guarding it now.”

  Diana laughed out loud at that. “You know, you look so unassuming and innocent, but apparently you’re more dangerous that anyone in this guild, including me. Someday you’ll need to put this all into a book because it will make you a rich man.”

  Six

  “We’re gonna take a boat?” Dusk asked, looking to Tara open mouthed. “I love boats! I took a rowboat to the big island in the lake. You should have seen the weird huge fish!”

  “You saw the Tulamars?” Lex gasped. “That’s not fair! Tara,” he whined. “I want to see the Tulamars!”

  “I don’t understand why I’m still with you two idiots,” Tara sighed, shaking her head. “I’m travelling around with a wide-eyed wonder boy over her
e and then the damned whine factory.”

  Dusk tried to keep his laughter back as she gestured to Lex, but some of it slipped out when Lex’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

  “What do you mean the whine factory?”

  “Look deep inside yourself, you’ll find the answer you seek.” Tara’s face cracked into a small grin as she glanced to Dusk before both of them burst out laughing.

  “I’m not sure I enjoy either of you at the moment,” Lex declared flatly.

  It took a few minutes for everyone to get themselves under control. It had been a while since they’d all been together and even longer since they were enjoying one another’s company. Things were starting to feel more natural and comfortable between the three of them.

  In the past couple days since he’d talked to Diana, Dusk had found himself with a smile permanently affixed to his face whenever he was around his companions. His nights were still filled with nightmares of the past, but each morning brought him new memories that slowly eased the hurt he’d experienced. Little by little he felt himself growing happier and more appreciative of the good moments. Even in the dark underground of the thieves guild he felt like the sun was starting to creep back into his life. Nothing that had happened to him would change, but he was beginning to feel like he could find some sort of peace despite all that. He’d spent too much of his life stuck in the dark to dwell on it for much longer.

  “When are we planning on leaving?” Dusk finally managed to ask after his laughing fit had calmed down.

  “In the next few days,” Tara replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. “We were able to do some work for Diana while you were away, so she’s arranged passage for us to the coast of Inahan. After that we’ll make our way to Greencoast Port.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to just go to Greencoast directly?” Lex asked, leaning in.

  “We’d never make it that far.” Tara shook her head. “The war is ramping up and it won’t be long before all trade between the two nations comes to a halt completely. Already, ships coming from Ditania are not allowed in Greencoast because it’s too close to the royal city of Calendia. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if a naval blockade cropped up in the next month or two.” She looked to the others, combing her fingers through her hair. “If we want to get to Inahan and avoid the inevitable ambush from the Circle waiting in the mountain pass, we have to leave now. Besides, we’ve already walked a long way as it is. A little more hiking shouldn’t be too hard.”