Ashes to Embers

by Michelle Schad

  “Serai?”

  She opened her eyes. Kaleo looked at her, brows bunching. Her smile broadened. The Node in the Grove was his.

  “She is happy you are back,” Serai said simply. She picked her way over root and twig to where Liam stood. Ajana stood with him, their heads together in conversation. The thief-takers were concerned, annoyance adding to Liam’s mental voice. Reven had done something.

  I tried to tell him not to… Azure said. She looked at the small phoenix, feeling his distress. Reven was very weak, more than he should be. He didn’t listen.

  Serai sighed but nodded. She glanced at the gathered group noting their haggard faces, feeling their concern, their fear, their uncertainty. Too much too fast.

  Lara fought with Xandrix, struggling to keep him from pulling away. Serai swore to fix him, to unravel the horrors forced on him. She wondered at times what her purpose was in returning at such a time, to a place so unfamiliar with only Malek at her side. Seren still slept, as did many of the Nodes. Now she knew.

  She laid a hand on Reven’s brow, brushing back the hair that she loved to play with so much. Fate sent him to her, dropped him into her cave as if dropping an angel from the sky. He was hers, and he was not well. She frowned, feeling a weak pulse and weaker Power.

  “What did he do?” she asked, fixing Liam with a hard stare. The man swallowed hard then sighed.

  “Tried t’save the kid,” he finally answered with a jerk of his head toward Aeron. “I tol’ him it weren’t worth it. Kid was already done for. He don’ listen too good though. I know where the winged brat gets it from.”

  Kaleo sneered at the thief-taker, standing beside his cousins, each of them tucked beneath an arm. Nadya and her companion stood nearby with Jaysen between them, the olven boy unable to stand on his own for long. Serai turned her attention to Navid instead. He cradled the tirsai boy in his arms. She moved to him, placing her cool hand on the boy’s head, feeling his brows bunch together. He fought for his life, renewed by the energy that was given to him. She had so much to learn and more still to teach. She looked at Reven again, her bard, her gift, and smiled.

  “They need rest,” she said simply. “He is fighting. That is good.”

  She looked to Kaleo as he was most familiar with the Grove as it was now. In Serai’s time, it was larger, spreading out from a large temple in reverence to Sulis, mother goddess of Creation, now long forgotten by the people of Doranelle. Lara continued to struggle, making Serai frown. She made a vexed sound and walked to the growling demon-olve, laying a single finger at the center-most part of his forehead.

  “Quiet,” she said. He stilled immediately, eyelids falling heavy over hazy eyes. Lara sagged as the man went still, standing as if waiting for a command with limp arms and head lolled to the side. “Kaleo, where do we go?”

  He blinked at her, but jerked a thumb in the direction they needed to walk. She looked to Malek and Fionn, to Jaysen. They would cause more problems than they needed.

  “Stay here,” she said to them, then looked at the boy with clawed hands. “With Jaysen. Keep him safe.”

  Malek rumbled by way of response but settled into the soft grass around him. Fionn did the same after a nod from Kaleo who took a moment to help Jaysen settle in against the giant chimera. The boy could not see and had just lost his audeas but was otherwise very Powerful and a stubborn fighter. She admired him.

  “Kaleo,” Serai repeated. He led the way, taking the surprisingly large party through thick jungles and awkwardly placed evergreens that Serai did not remember. Much had changed. They finally stopped when a party of olve - a mix of duende and tirsai - surrounded them with weapons drawn. Kaleo raised his hands, but it was Navid that spoke.

  “There is no cause for alarm, Valance,” the centaur said. “We mean no harm.”

  “Navid?” the one named Valance said, dropping his spear. The others followed suit, all of them muttering or whispering. “Azrus take us, where did you go? What happened? Maeve did not say much but when you did not return, we feared the worst.”

  “The worst may still come to pass. Aeron is not well. He needs rest,” Navid said. Valance paled but nodded. He lead them back to a sweeping set of ruins filled to bursting with sad-looking olve. The Temple to Sulis.

  “We gonna keep walkin’ or wha’?” Liam finally growled. Ajana and Serai both shot him a glare that he returned. “Wha’? He ain’t gettin’ no lightah!”

  A tirsai woman with a severe braid stormed through the ring of gathering people toward them with fury in her pale blue eyes. She charged right at them, at Kaleo, then slowed when she saw the boy in Navid’s arms.

  “Aeron…” she breathed out. “Is he…?”

  “Fighting,” Navid said. “But it remains to be seen.”

  The tirsai woman recovered quickly from her shock, rounding on Kaleo with a resounding slap across his face that startled everyone.

  “Highness,” Navid said but she glared at the centaur with the such ferocity that he was immediately silenced. Serai did not like her at all.

  “Have you completely lost your mind?!” she hollered, all of her ire directed at Kaleo. “Are you trying to get us all killed! Tondra was here, Kaleo. Again. She said you attacked your mother and nearly killed their Speaker to free prisoners! Some filthy thief and a ruddy strumpet! Now this! What is this! What happened to Aeron?”

  Kaleo’s jaw clenched and nostrils flared. He stared at the woman, the eye where he was struck welling with tears.

  “Demons,” Kaleo finally answered in a gruff voice so full of anger Serai could see it rolling off of him. “And I didn’t attack her, I put her to sleep. There’s a difference.”

  “Do not play semantics with me, young man. Your stupidity is single-handedly throwing this entire camp into complete chaos.”

  “It’s also returned the heir apparent,” Kaleo threw back. “You’re welcome.”

  “Watch yourself,” she warned. Kaleo scoffed.

  “Or what? You can’t actually do a dammed thing to me. You can’t do a dammed thing, period. If you had the power you’ve managed to pretend you have, you’d have done something about this mess three years ago when you first got here, but you can’t because not a single one of those refugees will follow a woman no matter how desperate they are. You’re not Joline and they’ll follow a disgraced bastard before they’ll follow you. Thanks to me they won’t have to. Well, no, thanks to Navid they won’t have to. And the strumpet. He made sure Aeron had the energy to fight at all. So, you watch yourself or I’ll make your head spin so fast you won’t know what hit you.”

  “How dare you threaten me, you little-”

  “Maeve,” the man named Valance said, resting a hand on her shoulder. Everyone watched. Everyone. “Let it go.”

  “It’s alright, Valance,” Kaleo smirked. “Aeron will need a strong General when he’s well. Until he is, someone else needs to rule in his stead and keep things moving. It’s past time for such a thing to be appointed, don’t you think?”

  “Don’t,” Maeve warned, her eyes filling with tears as she was torn down in front of everyone she’d tried so desperately to protect. Serai could see it in her face - shame, anger, fear. Serai sighed, reaching over to put a hand on Kaleo’s shoulder. He looked at her, rage clear on his young features and eventually relented.

  “I think we’ll take care of Aeron on our own,” Kaleo said, turning away from the tirsai woman. “Liam - follow me. Navid.”

  Serai grinned, proud of Kaleo’s self control. She shared that pride with the tirsai woman and followed Kaleo back to Yira’s Grove, to a small nook of wild flowers and entwined trees that made a natural alcove where Reven and Aeron could rest. They tied the demon-olve to a tree and set a ward around the entire grove. A line had been drawn in the proverbial sand. Some hours later, when everyone was settled and calm, the first of the olven refugees began to filter into the Grove.

  A very hard line had been drawn.

  Character Lexicon

  Cartha (
formerly known as the Phoenix Empire):

  Daemodan (Dragon-born) - Scientist. Son of the Red. Creator of the Corrupted Speakers. Elder brother to Madhavi.

  Danyel Illurian/Roth (Tirsai olve; Corrupted) - Former High Lord Speaker of the Phoenix Empire (to Sofia).

  Aero/Phier - Roth’s audeas (Phoenix).

  Jaysen Daws (tywyill olve; Corrupted) - Corrupted Speaker to Eris. Friend to Kaleo.

  Tanis - Jaysen’s audeas (Chimera).

  Madhavi (Dragon-born) - Dream walker. Daughter of the Red. Younger sister to Daemodan, twin sister to Cavian.

  Mikhael Dyalov/Prizrak (Human; Kormandi; Corrupted) - Former prince of Kormaine; Corrupted Speaker to Ana. Uncle to Demyan. Elder brother to Nadya.

  Bowan/Smert - Prizrak’s audeas (Snow-owl gryphon).

  Xandrix DuAnduin (Tywyll olve; Corrupted) - Hunter of the speakers. Former guardian of Gannon and the members of the Phoenix Empire royal family.

  Damaskha:

  Mama Zuri Onegai (Aurum) - Proprietor of la Chatuea du Soie. Mistress to Gannon.

  Mina Broas (Runeli) - Lady of la Chatue du Soie.

  Esbeth:

  Ayla Araceli (Avian) - Amatta (Ruling Queen) of Esbeth. High Seat of Heaven. Noelani’s maternal grandmother.

  Kalelako Anao (Avian) - Speaker to Wai. Keeper of the Ancestors.

  Nessa - Kalelako’s audeas (Chimera).

  Noelani Caelestis-Oenel (Avian) - Amatessa (crowned princess) of the Esbethi Amaterasu. Princess of the Phoenix Empire by marriage (to Gannon); step-mother to Kaleo.

  L’Nae Caelestis-Oenel (Avian) - Daughter of Noelani and Gannon; Amatess (princess) of the Esbethi Amaterasu

  Rangi-Ahn Araceli (Avian) - Amat (Ruling King) of Esbeth. Secondary Seat of Heaven. Noelani’s maternal grandfather.

  Tondra Caelestis (Avian) - Kenelala (General) of the Special Forces for the Protection of the Amaterasu. Cousin to Noelani.

  Kormaine (Fallen):

  Adrian Yerokhin (Shadow-born) - Confidante to Nadya.

  Aeron Solvanis (Tirsai olve) - Heir apparent to the Phoenix Empire. Elder brother to Eila and Rielle. ‘Advisor’ to Demyan.

  Demyan “Shiro” Ovet (Human; Kormandi) - King of Kormaine. Speaker to Hikaru.

  Aisling - Demyan’s audeas (Snow-owl gryphon).

  Gabriel Karov (Human; Kormandi) - Baron of Tatengel

  Jaxiam Delquire (Duende olve) - Member of the Nidoli (Kormandi thieve’s guild). Best friend to Gabriel and Mikhael.

  Kendall Mir Ovet (Human; Itahli) - Queen of Kormaine by marriage. High Priestess of Yira.

  Leighton Barth (Human; Itahli) - Alchemist and advisor to the Queen.

  Nadya Dyalov (Human; Kormandi) - Princess of Kormaine. Aunt to Demyan. Younger sister to Mikhael.

  Vasily Dobrev (Human; Kormandi) - Vassal to the king.

  Mahala:

  Ajana Dai (Half-olven; Cantari) - Thief-taker and dancer who found Reven.

  Kaleo Oenel (Avian) - Reven’s apprentice. Gannon’s son by Inola Akau; Amatti of the Esbethi Amaterasu. Speaker to Navaeh. Elder brother to L’nae. Cousin to Aeron, Rielle, and Eila.

  Fionn - Kaleo’s audeas (Chimera).

  Lara Gouveia (Runeli) - Local pick-pocket. Friend of Kaleo.

  Liam Roe (Duende olve) - Thief-taker that works closely with Reven. Also known as Zorian Li’ael.

  Luca Delgado (Human; Mahalan) - Ruling cartel lord of Azucena.

  Reven Si’ahl (Tirsai olve) - Also known as the Black Bard. Mentor/father to Kaleo. Speaker to Argento. Younger brother to Maeve. Formerly known as Gannon Oenel.

  Azure - Reven’s audeas (Phoenix).

  Serai (Human) - Reven’s drummer. Speaker of the Speakers.

  Malek - Serai’s audeas (Drake).

  Sergio Rivera (Human; Mahalan) - Caretaker of the Si’ahl manse.

  Tomas Magallanes (Human; Mahalan) - Grunt for Luca.

  Tierra Vida:

  Halora Golvayne (Tirsai olve) - Healer for the Tierra Vida refugee camp.

  Maeve Oenel (Tirsai olve) - Lady Captain of the Illurian City Guard. Former princess of the Phoenix Empire. Elder sister to Gannon. Cousin to Danyel and Evaline.

  Navid Shahr (Centaur) - Guardian to Gannon.

  Rielle & Eila Solvanis (Tirsai olve) - Sisters to Aeron. Cousins to Kaleo & L’nae

  Saphir Hai’lyn (Duende olve) - Scout for the Tierra Vida refugee camp.

  Valance Novis (Tirsai olve) - Lieutenant of the Illurian City Guard.

  World Lexicon

  Audeas - Magical beast bonded to a Speaker to act as a buffer between the Node and its Vessel.

  Audaen - What an audeas calls its bonded Speaker.

  Corrupted - to be dammed by the fell-magic of a demon either by force or through a demon wound that has festered. The Corrupted then becomes a demon themselves.

  Dragon-born - those born of the union between dragon and mortal.

  Node - Magical pools of raw Power. They are a sentient network that give life to the planet of Doranelle and connect the Realms. Each Node that has Claimed a Vessel is given a name by that individual.

  Shadow-born - those born of the union between Shade and mortal.

  Speaker/Vessel - One who can speak for the Nodes. They are Claimed by the Node.

  The Angels of Faerie - The second of the long-lived races of Doranelle. They have a natural, alluring beauty that many find entrancing and credit to the fey, whom the winged races are believed to be descendant from. Both have semi-pointed ears and a nearly ageless appearance.

  Aurum - the angels of the night. They have dark olive or copper skin that seems to shimmer as if dusted by the stars. Their hair is always black, eyes in shades of brown or hazel, and wings of rich golden-brown.

  Avian - the angels of heaven. They are known to have wings, hair, and eyes of matching color that can range from a muddy moss color (denoting a lower class citizen) to a bright silver (denoting a high-class citizen).

  The Magical Beasts - Each of the magical beasts, with the exception of dragons, act as audeas to the Vessels of the world.

  Chimera - large, green wolf-like creatures with two sets of wings: one feathered and one bat-like.

  Dragons - also known as a Mage to the people of Doranelle. They have the ability to shift into mortal form and maintain it indefinitely.

  Drake - related to the dragon but much smaller and without wings. They are more serpentine in nature and incredibly territorial with a knack for hoarding like their dragon-kin.

  Gryphons - creatures that are part cat, part bird. The specific breed is determined by the region in which the gryphons live.

  Phoenix - large birds made of flame. They are the only immortal magical beast.

  Shigou - large mastiff-looking dogs that appear as if they are made of stone, easily blending into cavernous or mountain regions.

  The Olve - One of two long-lived races of Doranelle. Thought to be wiser than the short-lived races because of their long life spans and natural inclination towards magic. All olve have pointed ears and eternally youthful features.

  Duende - the olve of nature. They have a dark tan complexion and red, auburn or brown hair. Tend to live in forests or mountains as caretakers of the land.

  Cantari - the desert olve. They are copper of skin with black hair and green or gold eyes.

  Tirsai - the "true" olve. They claim to be the first of the olve and, thus, have a naturally arrogant disposition. They are fair of skin, hair and eyes.

  Tywyll - the "hidden" olve. They are gray or charcoal of skin with fair hair in hues of light blue, white, or silver and lavender or green eyes. They reside, primarily, beneath the surface as caretakers of the earth.

  Runeli - A creature with golden eyes and small horns at the temples. They are rumored to originate from the Ephemeral Lands (otherwise known as the Realm of Dreams) and are highly sought after as concubines for their unnatural beauty.

  Shade - A human-like creature born in the Realm of Shadow.

  About the Author

  Michelle Schad is a short-st
ory author and novelist of various genres. She has work appearing in Bards and Sages online fiction magazine, all of Corrugated Sky’s current anthologies, and published her debut novel, Hellfire, in 2018. When not entertaining others with words, she is a tamer of the chaos created by her husband, four children, and too many pets. You can keep up with what she does at www.tamingchaos.net or stay in touch via Twitter at @ChelleSchad.