“Quickly, Vehel,” the Seer urged, staring at him with those strange eyes. “Believe in yourself.”
He didn’t have any choice. Cracks were appearing in the exposed cavern walls, and the trembling continued. A fissure ran across the rock floor, and the shaking grew worse. This whole place felt as though it was going to shake apart.
He remembered what the Seer had taught him. He focused on how he’d felt in the Southern Pass, when the Long White Cloud had almost been upon them, and he was certain death was imminent. He took the ball of light and energy inside him and pushed it outward, but without releasing it. Though he’d never been to Anthoinia, he did his best to picture the place in his mind, what he’d learned of it through books and paintings, and even through the stories Dela had told him. He needed the ball of light to engulf them all, and take them to the place in his head.
Worried Dela or one of the others might have stepped away from him, he risked opening his eyes. They were all still close, but he caught sight of the Seer and gasped, almost losing his concentration. She no longer looked like a young girl. Her face had crumpled and sagged, like a piece of fruit that had dried out in the sun. Behind her thin lips, her teeth were tombstones. Her long, wavy blonde hair was all but gone, revealing a naked scalp covered only in a fine fuzz and a few longer, straggly strands.
More chunks of the cavern wall fell apart, larger boulders breaking away, followed by smaller rock falls. This whole place was falling to pieces and they were standing right in the middle of it. If he didn’t do what he needed, they were all going to die. Was that why the Seer had done this? Was this her plan all along? Teach him what he needed and then force him into a situation where he either believed in his own ability, or they all faced their deaths?
A massive crack sounded from behind them—loud enough to make Vehel think the world was coming to an end—and the entire back wall of the cavern fell away. Dela screamed, staggering away from the massive drop. Where the rocky cavern face had been, there was now sky and ocean. They’d found themselves standing on the edge of a massive cliff. The cavern was completely gone now, and ocean waves crashed onto the craggy cliff face far below them, sending white foamy spray onto the rock.
The trembling hadn’t subsided.
“Hurry, Vehel!” Dela cried.
“I’m trying!”
The Seer’s voice, no longer young and sweet, but ancient and dry, like sandpaper on wood came to him. “Believe in yourself, Vehel.”
He wanted to, so desperately, but fear had him in its clutches. The drop was only a matter of feet away, and they clung to each other as the shaking continued.
Dela looked at him, her eyes wide with desperation. “Please, Vehel.”
He sucked in a breath and tried to ignore the chaos around him. In his head and heart, he was in two different places. He was in the streets of Anthoinia, with the others at his side, and he was also in the Southern Pass, with the Long White Cloud descending upon them.
He reached deep inside himself, to where the ball of power resided. He needed to use its energy to transport himself and his friends, and as he focused, the energy grew larger, swarming through his body, down his arms and to the tips of his fingers. The power felt big—huge in fact—as though releasing it would suck the very soul out of him, but he remembered everything the Seer had taught him. This wasn’t something to be afraid of. This was something he controlled, not the other way around. He needed it to do his bidding. He was stronger than the magic.
With a gasp, his eyes sprang open.
The ball of light engulfed each of them, but the Seer stood on the outside of it. What would happen to her now?
“You need to come with us!” he shouted out to her.
She took a step back. “No, this is my home. You need to go now, before it’s too late.”
But nothing was happening. He was missing something. Back in the Southern Pass, it had been Warsgra bringing his axe down on the ball that had sent them to the north.
“Your axe, Warsgra,” Vehel yelled. “You need to use your axe—like before.”
Warsgra glanced at him in confusion, but then understood what Vehel meant. He’d been holding Dela, but he needed to release her to pull his axe from its place on his back and swing it hard enough.
“Do it!” Dela yelled, shaking him free.
The Norc drew his axe from his back.
This was it, the moment they’d either be sent to Anthoinia, or Vehel would have gotten this all wrong, and they’d end up somewhere else entirely.
“Do it, now!” the Seer cried.
Warsgra lifted his axe.
Two things happened at almost exactly the same time, so none of them was able to stop events from unfolding. As Warsgra’s axe came down in a huge arc, a tremor larger than any of them had felt before, as though the island itself was trying to stop them from leaving, shook up through their feet.
Dela staggered away, out of the ball of light. She was right on the edge of the cliff, the waves crashing against the rock far below.
But Warsgra was powerless to prevent the natural fall of the axe, already set in motion, and, as the axe hit Vehel’s magic, and the blue ball of light exploded, a second tremor shook them to their core.
And Dela fell.
Chapter 23
Dela
The feeling of falling was just like flying.
She gasped for breath as the air whooshed past her, her fear momentarily blocked out by a rush of exhilaration. She was falling backward, so the cave was above her, and a massive explosion of blue light blasted outward. Even as she fell, she managed to lift her hand to cover her eyes from its power. Not that it mattered. She’d have no use for her eyes or anything else shortly. Even in the few seconds she had, she knew she was falling to her death, and she hoped Vehel, Warsgra, and Orergon would find themselves somewhere safe.
Then there was movement next to her, a strange whoosh in the sky, and she hit something, but it wasn’t hard rock or crashing waves. Soft, and smooth—warm, too—like the softest leather she’d ever touched. And she was moving again, not downward this time, but parallel to the sea. It all happened so fast, she didn’t even have time to process it.
What’s happening?
More concerned for the others than her own safety, she craned her neck, trying to spot where they’d all been standing. There it was—the cave that had fallen to pieces to become only a hollow in the cliff face. The others were no longer there. The Seer had gone, too.
She was still moving, and she put her hands out on either side to make sure she had her balance before she looked around. Her stomach lurched as she realized what had happened. The dragon had caught her as she’d fallen, and now she was nestled in the spot where the dragon’s wing met his body. Her breath caught. He’d saved her, and now they glided across the skies.
His wings beat downward to push them higher into the sky, and Dela leaned against his scaly body to prevent herself from falling. Each scale was bigger than her hand, and was an emerald green in color, but blues and purples appeared when they caught the light. Massive spines ran down from its face, right the way down his back, and she was able to use one of the spines to lift herself higher. She wouldn’t want for him to stop suddenly, so she found herself impaled on one of those spines, but they were just the right size for her to wrap her hands around and hold onto, nestled into the side of his body so she felt more secure.
Had the dragon somehow sensed she’d been in danger? Had he already known what would happen, or had he been watching her this whole time?
“Thank you,” she called over the rushing of the wind that passed by with their movement. “Thank you for saving me.”
The dragon turned his head and slowly blinked his golden yellow eyes, eyes that were so similar in color to her own. When they’d been at Drusga, his eyes had more of a red tint to them, but now they were filled with honey and sunshine. They must have the ability to change color depending on his mood. He’d been angry with her at Drusga, but
now he was calm. She couldn’t be certain, but she was sure she saw his mouth pull up in the corners in a smile.
“I need to go to Anthoinia,” she shouted out to him. “Is that possible?”
Of course, the dragon couldn’t answer, but he beat his wings, lifting them higher into the sky, so the ground below was only a patchwork of greens and blues. This felt so familiar to her. It was strange, knowing this was for real, but at the same time feeling as though they’d done this a hundred times before. Were they heading south? She tried to spot the direction of the sun to try to work it out, but was unsure. But then she realized they’d started at the northern most point of Xantearos. If there was ground beneath them rather than ocean, it meant they were heading south.
She prayed the others were all right. Had Vehel’s magic worked and delivered them to Anthoinia? Or had they found themselves somewhere else entirely? Her heart ached. What if the worst had happened, and she never saw them again? If Vehel’s magic hadn’t worked properly, they might be anywhere in Xantearos. Would they know how to find each other again? What if instead of Anthoinia, the magic had delivered them to the middle of the ocean? She remembered how they’d all passed out the first time and had awoken to find themselves in the north. If they were unconscious and were delivered to the sea, they might all drown before they’d even had the chance to wake.
Her thoughts were running away with themselves, and she bit down on her anxiety and held on tighter to the dragon’s spine as they flew. The Seer had been teaching Vehel. She’d wanted him to have more faith in himself, and perhaps Dela needed to listen to that advice, too. She needed to have faith that Vehel had managed to get them to Anthoinia, or at least somewhere nearby, and that they knew she would head there, too. Had they seen the dragon moments before they’d vanished, she suddenly wondered, or would they not even look for her because they assumed she was dead?
The thought twisted at her heart. She hated the possibility of them thinking such a thing, hated the idea of the pain it would cause them. If anything happened to any of them, she’d be brokenhearted, too, and it was difficult not to feel that pain for real.
Beneath her, the dragon flew, its massive wings powering them through the air. For the most part, the creature was able to glide, riding eddies, and only when he needed to increase his altitude or change direction did he flap his wings. They dived through a cloud, and she felt as though wet, cool cotton-candy pressed against her skin. She blinked against the white as it surrounded her before they burst out the other side.
Dela clung on, though, strangely, she wasn’t frightened she would fall. Any time she shifted her weight and felt herself slipping, the dragon adjusted his body to bring her back into equilibrium. Maybe she hadn’t found the dragon egg yet, but she didn’t doubt for a minute that he was protecting her.
Remembering something, she touched the top of her leather pants pocket. The hard lump beneath her fingers told her that she still had the piece of Dragonstone. She didn’t want to push her luck by trying a repeat performance of what had happened back in Drusga, to try to see inside the dragons’ head, or influence what he was doing. Perhaps, after she’d found the egg, he would allow her to occupy that piece of his mind, but for the moment, she wasn’t going to risk him tipping her off and letting her fall hundreds of feet to her death.
Of course, she needed to get to Anthoinia first, and then somehow she needed to break into the castle. There was a good chance she’d end up dead trying, especially if she was going to have to do this alone. She’d thought she would have the others by her side to help fight, that they’d be able to use Vehel’s magic to get them places or open doors, but if it ended up just being her, she’d be at a disadvantage. Of course, being alone meant she’d be sneakier than having the others with her. In a human city, a Norc, a Moerian, and an Elvish prince were sure to stand out, but she had no idea how to get into the castle. She wasn’t going to give up, though. Even if she was the only one left, she’d do whatever it took to stop the fighting. She was still the Dragonsayer. Though she’d never asked for it, here she was, riding a dragon, and that in itself was a great kind of power.
Something else occurred to her. If she was going to Anthoinia, she’d be able to see her parents again. Her heart lifted. Yes, she’d make sure she saw them before trying to break into the castle. Everything else she was doing for other people, but this would be a gift to herself, and her parents, too. For all she knew, it might be the last chance she’d get, and she wanted to hold them one last time and tell them she loved them and she was doing everything she could to make the world a better place again.
It was a simple need—that of any child—but more than anything, she wanted her parents to be proud of her.
Chapter 24
Warsgra
Something struck him in the gut.
Before he’d even had the chance to wake up properly, he was gasping for breath and curling into a ball. He blinked open his eyes to find a boy of about thirteen standing over him, and from the boots the boy was wearing, Warsgra assumed that was what had hit him in the stomach. What idiot would be stupid enough to kick a Norc when he was barely conscious? Clearly, this person hadn’t thought Warsgra was unconscious. From the fear in the boy’s eyes as Warsgra unfurled himself and clambered to his feet, he’d assumed the Norc was dead.
The boy turned to run, but Warsgra swiped out and caught him by the back of his shirt, hauling him up so his feet didn’t even touch the ground. The boy pedaled in the air.
“You dared to kick me,” Warsgra growled.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I thought you were all dead.”
All? That gave Warsgra pause. Frowning, still dangling the human boy in mid-air, he looked around. It was dark, so he struggled to see his surroundings at first, his eyes getting used to the poor light. How long had they been unconscious? They’d left the north in daylight, but due to being in the cavern for so long, he had no idea what time of day it had been when Vehel used his magic.
Lying on the dirty, cobbled ground were Vehel and Orergon. His insides clenched as he remembered the reason Dela wasn’t with them. Was she safe? He couldn’t contemplate the possibility that she hadn’t made it. This wouldn’t be a world worth living in if it didn’t have Dela in it. Could she have been caught in the outskirts of Vehel’s magic, and so was here, too, or was her body now broken and crumpled against the rocks at the bottom of the cliff face?
He gave the boy another shake. “Tell me where we are.”
Confusion crossed the boy’s face. “Err … you’re in the city.”
“Aye, but what city?”
“Anthoinia.”
At least Vehel’s magic had brought them to the right place. It was little comfort if Dela was dead, though. What good would they be without the Dragonsayer? They’d just be a strange group of foreigners in a place where they weren’t welcome.
He thought of something. “Do you know the Stonebridge family?”
“Um ... I …” The boy stuttered through his fear. “I don’t think so.”
Warsgra lifted his upper lip in a snarl, and the boy paled even further. The city was big, with thousands of inhabitants. He couldn’t expect the boy to know everyone.
“Fine.” He set the boy back down on his feet. “Don’t tell anyone you saw us, got it? My friend here can do magic, and if you so much as breathe a word, he’ll send a swarm of demons to your door.”
The boy nodded and backed away, then turned and fled down the narrow cobbled alley.
It was still the early hours, he guessed from the lack of light in the sky. He needed the others to wake up before more people found them. He doubted they’d be received with much hospitality when they did, and it wasn’t as though the three of them could blend in. Maybe Vehel and Orergon could hide their hair and faces with a hood, but there was nothing Warsgra could do about his size. Most of the young men in the city had been sent off to war, but that didn’t mean there weren’t enough people around to overpower the three of them.
King Crowmere wouldn’t have been stupid enough to leave the city completely unprotected, even if he did believe it was protected by the Great Dividing Range. There were other ways to reach the other coast, if the will was determined enough. No one liked to travel by sea—they’d experienced the reasons enough for themselves while trying to reach the Seer’s island—but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try if their hands were forced.
Warsgra kneeled beside Orergon first and shook his shoulder. “Wake up. You need to wake up now.”
The Moerian groaned and began to shift. His long black hair obscured his face, and as he sat up, Orergon pushed it away with his hand. “What happened? Where are we?”
“Anthoinia. Where we are meant to be.”
Alarm crossed his features. “Dela?”
Warsgra pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I don’t know what happened.”
“She fell.”
“Aye, but I don’t know what happened after that.”
“You think she might be dead?”
He didn’t want to contemplate it. “Then all of this will be for nothing.”
He moved to Vehel. The Elvish prince was lying on his side. Warsgra shook his shoulder, and when Vehel didn’t respond, he had to hold back the urge to kick him like the boy had done with him. If Vehel’s magic hadn’t worked, he might have had time to reach out and snatch Dela back from the cliff’s edge. Of course, he was to blame as well. If he’d just timed the bringing down of his axe differently, Dela might be here with them.
“Come on, Vehel.” He shook him more aggressively.
The Elvish prince bolted upright and looked around, his silvery-blue eyes wide with shock.
“Dela!”
“She’s not here.” He bit his lower lip. “I’m not sure where she is.”
Vehel looked around. “Where are we?”
“Where we’re meant to be—Anthoinia. But Dela’s not here.”
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