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

by Farah Oomerbhoy

  “No, no, no!” Morgana screamed. “This is impossible. I was watching you. You never removed the amulet. How did you free your hands?”

  I shrugged, offering her no more explanation as my power expanded, and an old magic, wild and dangerous, began to awaken.

  I gathered it within me and lashed out at Morgana, shattering her shield and hitting her with a powerful push strike. She flew backward and landed in a heap against a crumbling stone wall.

  Morgana shrank back under a hastily constructed shield. I could see from the look on her face that she was getting worried, and my power was still growing.

  Magic was seeping into my very pores, flowing into me in waves of potent power. My feet left the ground. I could feel the magic all around me, lifting me up, and it was all mine to command.

  “No, no, this is not possible,” Morgana kept saying over and over again. “You were wearing the Amulet of Auraken. It is impossible.”

  “Nothing is impossible,” I said without emotion, advancing on her slowly, a ball of silver fire growing steadily in my palm.

  “Kill her, kill them, kill them all!” screeched Morgana to the Shadow Guard as she scrambled backward and away from me.

  I turned from Morgana for the briefest of seconds to see Kalen being hit on the head by one of the guards. He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. I looked on in blood-chilling horror as another Shadow Guard slit Snow’s neck.

  Fresh crimson blood streamed down the pegasus’s beautiful white mane and coat, and she collapsed onto the moss-covered floor of the ruined castle, the life slowly draining out of her.

  “No!” I screamed, and moved to run to them.

  In the split second that I was distracted, Morgana took the opportunity to disappear.

  I was left alone with the Shadow Guard, who had slowly started advancing on me. There were more than twenty of them, but now, suddenly, I had no fear. I had faced my greatest enemy, Morgana, and won.

  My mind shut off the rising tide of despair that grew inside me. All I wanted to do was to get the Shadow Guard out of the way so I could attempt to heal Kalen and Snow if they were still alive.

  I gathered all the power swirling within me. Waves of shining white light coursed through my veins, and I lashed out at the Shadow Guard with all the magic I could muster.

  Silver fire exploded out of my palms and struck two of them, the ones who had slit Snow’s neck. They screamed, and the acrid smell of burning flesh stung my nostrils. My eyes blazed as I watched, horrified at what I was capable of, while two of the Shadow Guard were enveloped in sheets of blazing silver fire.

  Immediately my shield was bombarded with red bolts of energy, and I was momentarily pushed back. I turned my gaze on the rest of the Shadow Guard, who still moved toward me.

  My eyes narrowed as I strengthened my shield and moved toward them. They may have been men once, but the dark magic that they practiced had changed their features. Soulless eyes, black as night, and white, paper-thin skin barely covered the last vestiges of humanity that they had left.

  The Shadow Guard were relentless and powerful, but with my amulet gone, my shield was slowly becoming impenetrable. Strikes of red energy blasted at me and bounced away.

  I looked down. My feet were inches from the ground. I could feel the magic in the air all around me, helping me. I was now completely surrounded by the Shadow Guard, who desperately tried to get through my shield.

  I was filled with an overwhelming need for revenge for what they’d done to Snow and Kalen. I gathered my magic, letting it flow through me in a surge of unfettered power.

  The lingering Shadow Guard shrieked in terror when I unleashed the full intensity of my powers and struck them down with wave after wave of silver fire until there was nothing left of them except smoke and ashes.

  Return of The Dark Queen

  I ran over and checked Kalen’s pulse. It was faint, but he would live. Snow, on the other hand, looked like she had breathed her last. I left Kalen and knelt next to Snow, tears streaming down my face as I held her lifeless head in my arms. She had no pulse, and there was so much blood. What was the use of all my powers if I couldn’t save the ones I loved?

  I buried my face in her mane and wept. My mind ran through everything I had learned in healing class. I had to try to do something; maybe she wasn’t completely gone.

  I put my hand over the gash on her throat and proceeded to try to heal her. I opened myself to the power around me and channeled it into Snow. She was still lifeless, and I concentrated harder, searching around in her body, concentrating on trying to find some sort of life to start the healing. After an agonizing few moments of frantic examining, I found it, a faint flicker of white light. It was like a silk thread, so fine that I had to strain to catch it.

  I concentrated harder and pushed more magic into Snow. My hands started glowing, and slowly whatever I was doing began to work. Veins mended themselves, muscle and tendons regrew. Bit by agonizing bit, Snow’s neck began to heal.

  Suddenly the deep voice in my head spoke, and this time it was even more urgent. “Stop this, Aurora. It is forbidden.”

  I stopped, but only for a moment. I then continued my healing as I spoke. “If I can use my powers to heal her, why shouldn’t I try?”

  “The pegasus is on the threshold to the otherworld. If you bring her back now, and I am not sure that even your powers are strong enough to accomplish this task, there will be a price to pay,” said the voice sternly.

  “Then I will pay it,” I said stubbornly, refusing to listen. “If I can somehow heal Snow and bring her back, it will be worth it.”

  “Then let it be so!” said the deep rumbling voice. “But you have been warned, Princess Aurora. This kind of magic always demands consequences.”

  I was determined not to let Snow die. “I will deal with it when the time comes.”

  The voice was silent again.

  I turned my concentration back to what I was doing. My magic was healing Snow’s neck, and now the last bits of tendon, muscle, and skin were reforming. I pushed more healing power into Snow, and her eyelids fluttered. I sagged with relief and decided it was all worth it when Snow opened her eyes, got up, and shook her beautiful white mane.

  “Thank you, Princess,” she said simply. “But I fear you don’t fully understand the magnitude of what you have done. The magic you performed here has never been performed before. Even Auraken Firedrake was never able to successfully bring someone back from the otherworld.”

  I laughed with joy, and happy tears rolled down my face. I didn’t care. I had done it. Morgana was gone, and Snow was alive.

  “What have you done?” said Kalen, horrified, scrambling over the stone courtyard toward me.

  I looked up at his terrified face. I was relieved that he was all right.

  “This is dark magic, Princess,” he said, shaking his head, “and all dark magic comes at a cost.”

  “I know, but if it comes to that, I will deal with the consequences.”

  Kalen raised an eyebrow. “You may not be the one who has to pay the price.”

  I didn’t want to think about the consequences just yet. It was done now, and I couldn’t take it back. Whatever happened, I hoped I would be able to live with myself. Even the mysterious voice in my head had warned me about using my magic like this.

  Suddenly the ruins were filled with voices and lights from wooden torches.

  “Aurora!” Rafe rushed over to me, closing the distance between us in a few huge strides. He pulled me toward him, and I let myself melt into the safety of his arms and rested my head upon his chest.

  “Are you all right?” He gently kissed the top of my head and smoothed my hair.

  “Sort of,” I mumbled and nodded into his chest. I had only now begun to feel my injuries, and parts of me were still numb.

  “I don’t know what I would have done if anything had happened to you.” His voice was rough and strained with emotion.

  “I’m fine,” I said, lookin
g up at him.

  There was a sudden flash of lightning, and a dark form arose in the middle of the courtyard. I looked on in shock as the shadow moved slowly toward us. A hideous creature that was unmistakably a woman with blazing red eyes and a tattered black robe floated a few feet off the ground. It was more wraith and shadow than any real form. Rafe moved instinctively in front of me, shielding me from whatever that thing was.

  The wraith spoke, its voice a rasp. “Finally you have released me from my prison, young fae-mage.”

  “Who are you?” I whispered.

  “Lilith!” said Uncle Gabriel in a barely audible whisper as he came to stand beside me. He looked at the wraith, alarm obvious on his aging face.

  “Yes, Gabriel,” said the shadow wraith.

  “But how?” I had never seen Uncle Gabriel look so upset. “Azaren killed you.”

  The creature Uncle Gabriel called Lilith spoke, its voice like nails screeching against a blackboard. “When the pegasus was brought back from the threshold of the otherworld, the fae-mage inadvertently opened a portal for me to come through. I have been waiting for this for a long, long time.”

  The wraith screeched and flew at me, trapping me within shadows that clasped around my throat. I fell backward, hitting my head on the stone floor. I thrashed and kicked, struggling to breathe as I felt the life slowly drain out of me. It was like a huge, crushing weight was sitting on my chest, and rotting shadows squeezed my throat.

  “Heir of Azaren,” rasped the specter, “you shall pay for the crimes of your father.”

  Uncle Gabriel and Rafe looked on with terrified expressions. From the corner of my eye, I could see Rafe moving forward to help me, hands raised to attack Lilith.

  “No, Rafe!” I heard Uncle Gabriel call out. “Do not strike the wraith. You could harm Aurora instead. Lilith is made of shadows; your magic will only pass through her. Aurora must do this herself.”

  I had not come so far only to die here today. My mother had died for me so that I would be safe. My father had defeated this thing once, and I was more powerful than my father ever was. The thought gave me the strength to concentrate harder, blocking out all sensations, even the feeling of not being able to breathe. Slowly, I opened myself to the magic around me and let it flow into me.

  The white light within me started to glow and move outward, creating a shield around me. I concentrated on pushing it out from the center of my chest. White light coursed through my veins, and I started glowing all over, the light of my magic piercing the shade that held me in its grip. Much to my surprise, I didn’t create a shield around me; I was the shield.

  Lilith shrieked as if she were in pain, and the shadows let go of me as sheets of white light emanated from my body and pushed Lilith away.

  The dark wraith queen rose over us, hovering just out of reach. With hollow eyes flashing the color of blood and shadows swirling, she spoke again. “Your power is very strong, young fae-mage, but once I have regained my body, not even you will be able to stand in my way,” Lilith shrieked and flew away in a haze of darkness and shadows.

  My shoulders slumped as my light dimmed. I searched my pockets, and, finding my amulet, I put it back on.

  The light went out.

  Rafe came and put his arm gently around my waist, helping me to my feet. “Come, my love, let me take you home.”

  Rafe gathered me up in his arms and gently put me onto his horse sidesaddle. He jumped up behind me and held me in his arms the whole way back to the Summer Palace in silence.

  At some point I must have fallen asleep in the saddle, and I soon found myself resting on a soft bed in my room at the palace. I had no idea how long I had slept. Penelope had healed all my injuries, but I still ached all over, and the burned skin would take a few days to heal completely. But for all intents and purposes, I was fine and, most importantly, still alive.

  I had a bevy of visitors in my room, from Kalen and his incessant chattering to the king, who came to tell me he was pleased that I was still alive. Kalen hovered around the whole day, and Penelope had to keep sending him away, saying that I needed to rest.

  Rafe never came to see me, but Vivienne did.

  She came into the room in a bustle of green silk skirts and promptly hugged me. “How could you not tell me any of this?” She settled herself beside me on the bed. “I could have helped, you know.”

  “You’re not angry with me?” I asked tentatively. I was relieved; at least I still had my best friend.

  “I was.” Vivienne pouted her lips. “But only because you didn’t tell me. You are my best friend. I don’t care that you’re a princess and a fae-mage who can kill me with a simple swipe of your hand. Although my mother wants me to change roommates because she thinks you might murder me in my sleep.”

  We both fell into a fit of giggles, and I hugged Vivienne again. It was good to have her here and finally know the whole truth.

  “So is it true that you killed Morgana’s whole Shadow Guard all by yourself?” asked Vivienne, wide-eyed.

  I nodded faintly and silently cringed. I was not proud of what I had become, someone who everybody feared.

  “That is nothing short of amazing,” said Vivienne. “It was thought that the Shadow Guard could never be defeated. They have been terrorizing the people ever since Morgana came to power. The news has already spread throughout the kingdom. They are calling you Avalonia’s savior.”

  I didn’t want to be a savior. I had so much to learn, and everything seemed so hard and complicated. The road ahead didn’t look like an easy one. I may have defeated the Shadow Guard, but Morgana had escaped, and now, with Lilith on the loose, I had no idea how to proceed.

  Vivienne’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

  She leaned in closer. “I saw the prince hovering outside your door a while ago.”

  “He was?” I tried my best not to smile.

  Vivienne nodded. “What else are you not telling me, Aurora?” Her voice became sterner.

  I always thought that she would make a good professor; she always made me feel like a child. She was right most of the time, but I didn’t want to think about that now. I looked away, but only for a second. How did she know? Was I that obvious?

  “It’s nothing,” I said finally. “The prince is a friend, and he’s going to be married soon anyway.”

  I sounded so lame, even to myself. And Vivienne didn’t believe me for a moment. She raised her eyebrows at me in a perfect impression of Professor Dekela.

  “Everyone is talking about how the prince was looking at you the night of the harvest ball.” Vivienne was grinning now. “Apparently the prince never dances with anyone. Leticia was so angry, she looked like she was going to self-combust.”

  I shrugged, but I was beaming inside.

  “The prince only had eyes for you. Apparently Leticia is going crazy and taking it out on everyone around her.”

  “But he’s going to marry her anyway,” I blurted out. “He kissed me, and then he told me he was still going to marry her.”

  Vivienne’s eyes widened. “You kissed the prince?”

  I nodded and finally broke; I told her everything, even who he really was.

  “Prince Rafael is the Black Wolf,” she said in a stunned whisper.

  “Shhh,” I said, sounding like Kalen. “You can’t tell anyone. Don’t even say his name in the same sentence, you understand?”

  “Okay, okay, I won’t. I promise,” said Vivienne quickly. “You can trust me, Rory. I mean Aurora.”

  I smiled. It would take Vivienne some time to get used to using my real name.

  “So.” Vivienne made herself more comfortable on my bed. “Tell me everything.”

  We talked late into the night, and it was good to have someone to talk to again. Kalen was my friend too, but he was a boy and didn’t understand what I was feeling. Vivienne, on the other hand, was full of sound advice and support. I felt I could trust her. Otherwise, I would never have taken the chance of telling her about Raf
e’s secret identity. I hoped—no, I knew—she would keep my secret.

  “So now the two of you aren’t talking?” asked Vivienne.

  “We are,” I said quickly, “but it’s no use. Leticia has her claws in him, and his vow to his mother makes it all the more hopeless.”

  “Sorry to say,” said Vivienne tartly, “his mother is dead. Can’t he just break off the engagement?”

  I shook my head. “No! He won’t do it.”

  “Then tell him it was Leticia who was the one responsible for letting the Shadow Guard into the palace.”

  “I can’t. It’s her word against mine, and Damien will side with her. Rafe will never believe me. He will think it’s some sort of tactic to get him to break his engagement to Leticia.”

  “I think, after all you have told me,” said Vivienne after thinking for a moment, “Rafe will definitely believe you over Leticia. Ever since they brought you back, the prince has been completely distracted.”

  “Why?” I wanted her to spell it out.

  “It doesn’t take a fool to see that he was distraught about what had happened to you,” said Vivienne. “I heard one of Leticia’s ladies talking, and apparently the prince hasn’t slept since you went missing three days ago.”

  “I’ve been asleep for three days?” I thought I’d only had a few hours of fitful rest.

  Vivienne nodded. “Yes, and he was waiting to see you when you woke up, but I suspect there were too many people about. I arrived this morning, and he was pacing outside your room. Then, when he saw me, he walked off.”

  I sat there in my bed and thought about what she’d said. Rafe may have been concerned, but I didn’t believe that he hadn’t slept for three nights because of me. And this time I didn’t agree with Vivienne about telling Rafe Leticia’s role in the whole Morgana thing. Even if he believed me, I didn’t believe that he would go back on his vow to his mother for anything. It was pointless to think about, and it was starting to give me a headache.

  I yawned, and Vivienne jumped up from the bed. “Oh dear, I must let you rest or Professor Plumpleberry will have my head.”