The Last of the Firedrakes (The Avalonia Chronicles Book 1)

by Farah Oomerbhoy

  “As you wish.” He turned and tied the horse to a nearby tree and scanned our surroundings once before he came back to me.

  “If you don’t believe me, I can’t force you,” I said, trying to make him understand. “But there must be someone who can tell if I’m really Aurora Firedrake.”

  Rafe nodded solemnly. “Yes, there is. But I should warn you. You are better off just telling the truth.”

  I threw my hands in the air. “I am telling the truth.”

  “That remains to be seen.” His gaze softened. “Come,” he said, holding out his hand.

  I took it cautiously. Could I really trust him? I didn’t know him at all. But now that I had told him my story, I wanted to hear what he had to say. He didn’t seem to think that it was possible that I was really this world’s Aurora Firedrake. Could Oblek have been wrong? Did he kidnap me because I looked like her?

  Rafe led me through the forest, down a slightly worn path, deeper into the trees. I tried to keep up; my legs and back ached from the vigorous ride. And I was quite sure that tomorrow I wouldn’t even be able to sit down on my terribly sore backside. My hands and feet were cut and bleeding, and I was a complete mess.

  We came to a little clearing, where the morning sun danced and played on the surface of a pond. Wildflowers grew in patches near the water, and Rafe sat me down on a large, moss-covered stone overlooking the gleaming pool. I dipped my cut and bleeding feet in the cool water and sighed as it immediately relieved the stinging pain. I washed my hands and bruised face, feeling a little better.

  Rafe sat on a similar rock near me, took off his mask, and ran his fingers through his dark, wavy hair. I didn’t want to stare, so I pretended to wash my feet and peeked at him from under my eyelashes.

  I knew he was handsome even with the mask on, but without it he looked younger than I imagined. He seemed not that much older than myself, maybe three or four years. He smiled at me, and I shifted uncomfortably on the rock. Somehow he made me feel like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

  I flushed, straightening. “Even if you don’t believe me, you do know why this queen wants to see me?

  Rafe nodded. “If you really are Aurora Firedrake, Morgana will stop at nothing to get to you.”

  My eyes widened. “Why?”

  “Shhh.” He put his finger to his lips.

  I immediately shut up and looked around. I could see nothing, but I could hear a faint rustling in the bushes, and I turned toward it. Rafe already had his sword out and moved slowly in front of me.

  After a few moments of frantic rustling, the foliage in front of us parted, and a disheveled Kalen appeared in the clearing. “There you are.” He brushed off the leaves from his shirt, completely oblivious to the fact that Rafe had nearly run him through with sharp steel. “I don’t know why you made this the meeting place, it’s nearly impossible to find.”

  Rafe’s lips turned up in amusement as he put away his sword. “That’s the whole point, Kalen.”

  My fae friend came and sat down next to me. “Have you figured out a way for you to get back to wherever your home is, my lady?”

  I shook my head. “No, not exactly.” I shot a glance at Rafe, who was now leaning against a tree with his arms crossed in front of him, watching me. “So, are you going to help me or not?”

  “Kalen,” said Rafe, “can you keep a secret? We are going to need your help.”

  Kalen nodded his head vigorously. “Of course I can.”

  Rafe rolled his eyes, but he quickly related my story to Kalen, whose eyes went wide at the mention of the name Firedrake. He listened quietly, which seemed like a first for him.

  “Do you think it’s even possible?” Kalen asked incredulously. “Aurora Firedrake died years ago.”

  “I don’t know,” said Rafe, rubbing his chin. “But Silverthorne will be able to tell us for sure. If she really is who she says she is, then she isn’t safe here in Illiador. We must get her over the border to Eldoren immediately.”

  Dread slithered down my spine. “Why won’t I be safe here?”

  “Because if Morgana or Lucian find you, they will kill you,” said Rafe plainly.

  I stood up abruptly. “Kill me! Why would they want to kill me? I don’t even know them. And who is Lucian anyway?”

  Kalen’s eyes went wide. “You don’t know who Lucian is?”

  “Obviously not,” I said, irritated at Kalen’s disbelief. I was the one who had found out that some crazy queen I’d never met wanted to kill me. I should be the one asking the questions.

  “Lucian is the Archmage of Illiador, and Queen Morgana’s right-hand man.” Kalen’s voice held a tinge of awe.

  “The arch what?” Did he just say archmage?

  “The archmage,” repeated Kalen.

  Rafe laughed as he pushed himself away from the tree on which he was leaning. “I think she heard you the first time, Kalen.”

  Kalen furrowed his brow in confusion.

  “If you truly do not know anything about our world, I will try to explain as best I can.” Rafe settled himself beside me. “Morgana calls herself Queen of Illiador, although she is nothing but a deceitful usurper.”

  “Whose kingdom did she usurp?”

  His gray eyes gleamed intensely and his lips turned up in a half-smile. “Well, if you are telling the truth—yours.”

  I held his gaze. Surely he couldn’t have meant what I thought he said . . .

  “Your father was the king of Illiador, and you were heir to the throne,” Rafe continued. “But just before your second birthday, Morgana took her chance. She betrayed your father, Azaren, and with the help of Lucian, she killed your family and took the throne of Illiador.”

  “How could she do that? Why would she?” My mind flashed back to the recurring dream of the woman called Morgana with the gleaming dagger in her hand.

  “She was your father’s half-sister,” said Rafe, a trace of disgust in his voice. “He trusted her.”

  “His sister!”

  His jaw tightened. “Half-sister,” Rafe specified.

  I was appalled. I looked at him wide-eyed, and a wave of panic rushed over me. If what Rafe said was true, and this Morgana was the same one from my dream, then I was in serious trouble. “I don’t want to be heir to anything. Why doesn’t she just leave me alone? I’m not a threat to her.”

  “Just knowing you’re alive is a threat to Morgana,” Rafe said, his lips a thin line. “That is why Oblek has been searching for you. She will not rest until all of Azaren’s bloodline has been removed. You are the only obstacle to her complete right to the throne of Illiador.”

  My shoulders drooped. He had said that my parents were dead. For so many years I had hoped that my birth parents would come and find me, that they would regret giving me up, and when no one ever came to claim me, I was convinced that they had abandoned me. Now it looked like both my parents were gone forever and I was completely alone.

  I frowned and lifted my chin. This wasn’t the easiest situation, but I would just have to find a way to deal with it. “Do you know how I escaped?”

  Rafe shook his head. “I have no idea. But I know this: whatever saved you that day was extremely powerful magic.”

  “Did my parents have magic?” I ventured.

  “Of course,” said Kalen. “All the nobility are from magical stock. It has always been like that since the kings of old, since Auraken Firedrake walked the world and was high king over all the known lands.”

  Despite the situation, I felt a thrill course through me. “Does this mean I also have magic?”

  Rafe’s eyes narrowed. “Not everyone is born with the gift of magic. Sometimes it skips a generation or a sibling, and even those who have the gift may never truly learn to master it. We will have to wait and see if you have the potential.”

  That was not the answer I was looking for, but it was a start. I flashed him a glare. “So you believe me now?”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders and stood up. “It’s possible
that you could be telling the truth. But only one person can tell us for sure.”

  “Who?”

  “The Duke of Silverthorne, your granduncle.”

  We left the little clearing and Rafe led us deep into the forest on foot along a small, winding path. He had put on his mask again, and his black cloak rippled around him as he moved surely and effortlessly through the trees as if he knew this forest like the back of his hand.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Tonight you will stay with Kalen’s mother in their village. She is a gifted healer and will tend to your wounds.” Rafe glanced at my feet. “I have some important errands I have to take care of. Tomorrow I will return and take you to Duke Silverthorne.”

  Dried leaves crunched beneath my feet as I walked beside him. “Do you know him well?”

  Rafe’s brow furrowed. “Who? Oh, Silverthorne?” There was a hint of a smile on his lips. “Yes, I know him well. He’s your father’s uncle, and if you are truly Azaren’s daughter then he will be the only one who can confirm it.”

  My spine stiffened, and I stood up straighter. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.” I shot him a quick look.

  Rafe’s mouth quirked to one side. “By all means, be my guest.”

  Kalen sniggered beside me but had the sense to keep silent when I glared at him.

  “Don’t get me wrong, but if you still don’t believe me, then why are you helping me?”

  Rafe’s sharp eyes softened. He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. “There was a time when I knew your father. He was an exceptional mage and king. One who genuinely cared for the common people, and they loved and revered him for it. He was also a fearless warrior, and his courage was the stuff of legends.”

  I smiled at this. My father sounded like a wonderful man, and I wished that I could have met him, even once. “But that still doesn’t answer my question.”

  Rafe’s eyes narrowed and he threw me a pointed look. “Once, when I was barely five years old and living in Neris, your father was on an official visit to the city. I was standing in the crowd, but I was too close to the cliffs. I slipped and hit my head on a rock and fell into the sea. Azaren saw me fall and jumped in after me. If it weren’t for him, I would now be resting in a watery grave.” He paused, and the look in his eyes held a dash of sadness. “If you really are his daughter, I can repay my debt to him by helping you.”

  I nodded. “Fair enough.” I was grateful for Rafe’s assistance, and his story explained why he wanted to help me. Maybe I could trust him. But he could just as easily be making this up.

  I was apprehensive about meeting the duke. What if this was all a mistake? What if I were the wrong girl—where would I go then? I had nothing left in the world I grew up in except disappointment and heartache. It was going to be harder here, I could tell, but at least I had family, real family. I wanted to meet my granduncle, I wanted to learn about my real parents, and for once in my life I wanted to know who I really was.

  “You will be safe here in Pixie Bush,” said Kalen, breaking my anxious reverie. “And my mother can find you some suitable clothes to wear.”

  I looked down. In all the confusion, I hadn’t realized that I was still wearing floral pajamas and a pink, woolen dressing gown, and I was walking around barefoot. I blushed furiously. I had forgotten that I had changed into my nightclothes before I had gone looking for the library in Redstone Manor. It was just last night, but so much had happened since then.

  Rafe seemed to find my embarrassment funny and was chuckling to himself as he turned to me. “This is where I will take my leave, Aurora.”

  “Thank you for all your help. I really appreciate it.” What more could I say?

  Rafe’s full lips curved in a dashing smile. “It was a pleasure.” He bowed briefly. “Until tomorrow, my lady.” He turned and disappeared into the trees.

  I looked back at Kalen. “Now where?”

  I was famished and exhausted. I hadn’t slept the whole night, and I was eager to change and eat something. I hoped Kalen’s home was not too far from where we were, because I was too tired to walk much farther.

  Kalen beamed. “Now we go home to Pixie Bush.”

  The Fae

  As we moved farther into the sunlit wood, I could feel a palpable change in the atmosphere. The leaves rustled gently in the warm summer breeze, and golden rays of buttery sunlight shone through the towering trees. Soon we reached a little wooden gate.

  “Are you sure the guards won’t follow us here?”

  “Pixie Bush is protected by magical wards. If you don’t know exactly where you are going, you can get lost in the deeper parts of the forest and wander for days without ever finding the village. Those who are not welcome or have not been invited in can never enter.” Kalen grinned. “Keeps Oblek’s guards out, at least.”

  As we entered the boundaries of the little village in the forest, I noticed a small wooden sign half covered with foliage and attached to a stick beside the gate. It said: “Pixie Bush, Goldleaf Forest, Illiador.” I smiled to myself. At least I had made it past the fae boundaries.

  The rays of the midday sun shone on the forest floor, creating dappled specks of gold that danced about our feet as we walked. I was completely entranced. It was as if I had entered yet another world. This was not the bleak, crowded stone castle of Lord Oblek. This was a fae village, a magical place in the forest.

  It looked like a picture out of a storybook. Small specks of sunlight filtered in through the leaves and led the way as we walked through the little streets of the fae village. Tiny wooden cottages with thatched roofs covered in vines and half hidden by foliage nestled at regular intervals in the very heart of the woods, while small, flower-lined paths connected the cottages.

  The forest somehow looked larger from the inside than it did from Oblek’s castle. I could barely see the tops of the massive trees; some of them seemed to reach all the way to the clouds.

  Kalen seemed right at home.

  “Where’s Finn?” I asked.

  “He must have gone straight home. Rafe doesn’t trust him with his identity, so he didn’t tell him about the meeting place.”

  “But Rafe trusts you?”

  Kalen beamed, his smile lighting up his face. “Yes, he does.” He puffed out his chest a little more. “Mother would have been worried after we were captured. It was she who told Rafe where to find us. He is a friend to the fae and is welcome in Pixie Bush whenever he wants. Even though he is a mage, he is a good person, quite unlike Archmage Lucian and the other mages of Nerenor.”

  “So who is he really?”

  Kalen raised an eyebrow. “Rafe didn’t tell you who he is?”

  “No.”

  “Then it is really not my place to say, my lady,” he said, quite to my surprise. “You should ask Rafe yourself when you see him.”

  “Is Rafe even his real name?” Somehow that seemed important.

  Kalen hesitated momentarily. “It is the name he prefers to use, yes.”

  I wondered why Kalen was being so mysterious. What secrets did Rafe have to hide?

  We walked quickly along the main street of the little forest village. It was a busy day, and all the small paths were bustling. I was relieved and relaxed a little. I felt safe here. Pixie Bush was lovely and bright and full of nice people—well, fae. Most of them looked quite human except for the slightly pointed ears, but others were too different to ignore.

  Two small men with long beards and big ears stopped to say hello to Kalen. I tried not to stare, but I couldn’t help shooting glances at their big, elephant-like ears and huge, hairy feet.

  As the little men walked away, I turned to Kalen. “Who were those two?”

  Kalen lowered his voice. “Oh, I forgot you don’t know much about our people.”

  “I don’t know anything about your people,” I whispered. “Until last night I didn’t even believe that fairies exist.”

  Kalen nodded his understanding and proceeded to explain. “The o
nes we just met are brownies; they are very good housekeepers,” he said, pausing and looking around. “And those two.” He pointed at two tall ladies with green hair and milk-white skin, dressed in rich cobalt cloaks. “They are naiads—the fae of the rivers. They don’t live here. Must be visiting for the market.”

  “What market?”

  “Oh, didn’t I tell you?” His big, almond-shaped eyes lit up. “Every year, the fae and other magical beings come together in Goldleaf Forest for the annual spring market. Normally, it is held in the daylight, but because of the guards and the new rules that have banned fae gatherings, we are having the market tonight.” Kalen stopped to take a breath. He spoke so fast, like a runaway train. “Would you like to come with me tonight? I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I understand if you are tired after your terrible ordeal.”

  I grinned. “I would love to go.” And I meant it.

  “Wonderful! First we will go home, and tonight we can go together to the spring market.”

  I was intrigued. A midnight market in the heart of the forest! I would get to see all the different magical beings that lived in Avalonia, and I would worry about Morgana tomorrow. Tonight I was safe.

  I fiddled with my medallion, which I still wore around my neck, hidden under my clothes. I was famished, and Kalen bought me an apple from a fae vendor’s cart. I hungrily polished it off as I followed Kalen to an ancient oak tree. Beneath it stood the cutest little cottage I had ever seen.

  The roof was made of bright green leaves and it blended into the foliage surrounding it perfectly. Vines crept haphazardly up the walls and onto the roof, blooming with tiny white flowers that blossomed in the sunlight. The small, white latticed windows were open, revealing a delicious-looking sponge cake and some freshly baked bread cooling on the windowsill. The smell was heavenly, and my stomach rumbled in response.

  Kalen went up to the door and knocked once. “Here we are. This is my mother’s house.”

  It opened almost immediately, and a pleasant-looking woman with curly gold ringlets, a round face, and dancing blue eyes hugged Kalen fiercely and ushered us in.