by L J Andrews
“The War of Ages has begun once more. Dark powers are spreading, great chief. Though we know you do not profess loyalty to the wyvern race, we have bonded with the royals and have vowed to protect them. As you can understand, a vow is the most honorable thing a mage can keep,” Donovan insisted.
Kunal nodded. “A vow made in honor—there is nothing greater. But I am more interested in these dark powers. We have not sensed any sort of energy shift.”
“Not yet,” Donovan said. “It will come. The dark High Priest—”
Ivy hissed. Her smile was gone now. Even Kunal’s demeanor darkened when he growled from his seat. “We do not speak of such a man.”
Donovan furrowed his brow. “We must insist you hear of him for a moment longer, for he is behind the darkness. He is coming and threatens the entire mage way of life. This is why we have come to seek help from your valiant family. We are taking the stand against the dark High Priest. We will rid the earth of his energy once and for all. If we do not, our way of life, your way of life, will end, and his desires will be executed.”
Kunal settled back in his chair, the peaceful smirk spreading over his face again. “You speak of violence.”
Donovan nodded. “It will come to a battle. But if we stand together, then we will defeat him. This is for your people, for your home.”
“You wish us to pledge loyalty to the priesthood?” Kunal asked, glancing at me. “Or royal wyverns.”
“We don’t ask for any pledge, I do not need it,” Jade interjected. “We ask for you to be our allies. Help us stop him. You will have our loyalty, from both elemental mages and the wyvern race.”
Kunal cocked his head like Ivy had done several times. “You are not a mage.”
“Oh, but she has mage energy, can’t you feel it, Father?” Ivy crooned.
Kunal studied Jade. I didn’t care for the way it seemed like the man was dissecting her with his eyes. “Yes, I suppose I do. Interesting.”
Jade sighed. “I am the queen of the elemental wyvern.”
Kunal’s eyes widened slightly, and he rose from his chair. His thunderous legs were dangling with beads, and they jingled when he walked. “The queen of the elementals. Yes, I sense your brilliance now. But what a strange energy you have. I suspect you’re not even aware of your power.”
I stepped next to Jade, my arm instinctively sliding in front of her when Kunal got a little too close. He eyed me curiously while Ivy reintroduced me. “He is her mage father. He is only protecting her.”
“He’s also my mate,” Jade replied easily.
Kunal gasped as though he’d swallowed his entire fist. “Mate, you say?” Ivy covered her mouth and looked ready to sob—I wasn’t sure if she glimmered in happy tears or disgust. “How can a wyvern and a mage mate?” Kunal said the final word briskly.
“My parents did, so I imagine it’s about the same as anyone else.”
Ivy clapped her other hand over her mouth. “You were not speaking in jest when you said the warrior was your father,” she breathed. “Your mother, is she—”
“The High Priestess, yes,” I answered for her.
“You have such a uniqueness,” Kunal muttered, his eyes sparkling in a way with childlike innocence. “Such energy. I wonder why you would need our help.”
“Because Bron is strong too. He has taken the fire stone from the royals. He has lindworms at his command. We want to make sure this war ends once and for all. Don’t you? Or do you enjoy living underground? If I had to guess, I’d say you would much rather be in the sunlight.”
“What Teagan is saying is—” Donovan snapped.
“No,” Kunal held up his hand. “Please, I’d like to hear the passion of his words.”
Jade threaded her fingers in mine and offered a reassuring smile. “Look,” I said. “I’m sort of new to this mage stuff. I wasn’t raised in it. I was separated from my family because of Bron. Jade’s parents are dead because of Bron. Donovan’s royal is being tortured by the dark High Priest as we speak.” I hated the way the older mage winced, but it had to be said. “You didn’t always live like this, did you?”
“You are not wrong,” Kunal said. “We thrive in the thick of nature. Not beneath it.”
“Yeah, but you had to hide because of what happened with the dark High Priest, right? He was taking mages for his own dark army.”
Ivy nodded as I spoke and glanced at the ground. I’d been tiring of her smile, but now I wished she’d bring it back when her somber expression took hold.
Kunal studied me, then Jade, finally looking to Donovan. “I do not have an answer for you at this moment. Yes, we have been wronged by the former priesthood, but we are not battle mages. We live for the peace of the earth.”
“Well, it might be ending,” I snapped.
Kunal scoffed, slowly backing toward his chair again. “Of that I cannot be certain.” A pregnant silence settled about the room as we waited for someone to say something more. Kunal looked to Ivy. “Daughter, I think we shall have guests for our evening meal. Would you take them to wash, if they wish? I have a great deal to ponder.”
Ivy nodded her obedience and made her way toward the flap of the tent. Thane and Mitch jumped to attention when we finally stepped outside. Raffi, Leoch, and the other two warriors were already mingling with the earth mages. Raffi bellowed a laugh when a beautiful young woman trailed his jaw with her fingertips and whispered something as she placed a necklace of beads around his neck. Ivy beamed at Thane and nodded.
“I can sense the connection,” she muttered to me. “So fascinating.”
I smirked. “It’s really not. Two people got together and had a kid. Pretty much the same way mages do, I would guess. Doesn’t matter if they’re mage or dragon.”
“Yes, so it would seem,” Ivy flushed. “And you are ready to accept the same changes in the race with your mate?”
“What do you mean? Like have kids? Not right now—we only became official mates a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, I see,” Ivy whispered. “But I sense you’ve been together before then.”
I wasn’t positive what she meant, but I nodded. “We both had seals appear before we made it official.”
“Then it makes sense,” Ivy muttered, but she didn’t give me time to respond before pointing to an open archway. “If you would like, you may wash here. There is ample privacy for the queen.”
Jade smiled. “Sorry, Mitch.”
“Jade, one of these days,” he muttered, shaking his finger at her.
I scowled, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Watch it,” I mumbled at Mitch. “You won’t like what I do to you if you keep saying things like that.”
Mitch punched me in the shoulder, drawing Ivy’s curious gaze a little longer on our misfit family.
“When you’re finished, we will dine together. It will be so wonderful to have new acquaintances with us,” Ivy breathed out before twirling on her heal and sauntering away.
Inside the washroom was comfortable. It was warmer than the main area, and the stone walls seemed pumped with energy to keep the temperature pleasant. There were spouts jutting from the rocky walls and several stalls designed for privacy. Donovan told me to touch the wall and control the water. It worked—the only problem was we had to help the dragons if they wanted to get more than a trickle. This place was definitely designed for mages and not dragon energy. Raffi was the only one who made it uncomfortable. Everyone else kept their bottoms on at least. He stripped to the nude and stood proudly while I tried to get his water to run. Making it ice-cold was probably more enjoyable than it should have been.
Jade wrapped her arms around my neck when I pulled a damp linen over the place where she would wash. I kissed her, keeping my palm on the wall with constant energy pumping into the pipes, spraying us in warm water. Jade melted against my chest, keeping her lips pressed firmly on mine before she finally relented and scrubbed away some of the grime from her clothes and her skin.
“Why do you suppose she keeps
calling me a mage?” Jade asked while she wrung out her hair after everyone had gathered outside the washroom.
“I think she realizes you’re not now, don’t you think?” Raffi grumbled, glaring at me while staying wrapped tight in a heated blanket.
“I guess. Is my energy different?” she asked to no one in particular. “It doesn’t feel different, but Ivy keeps muttering about it.” Raffi’s eyes drifted toward Leoch, then to me. I suddenly became fascinated in the armor markings on my wrist. Jade nudged me in the side. “What? Is it different?”
“No, not different. Just stronger. Remember, you basically burned me the other day.”
“You’ve been a little different, Jade,” Mitch said. “I’ll be honest if no one else will. But we get it. Things are stressful.”
She nodded but kept her smile. “I suppose I’ve been a little distracted and overwhelmed. I just didn’t think it affected my power so much.”
“Emotions can do a lot of different things,” Thane said when Ivy floated back toward us.
“We’re ready for you,” she whispered. “My father asks for you to sit at the head of our table with him and my mother.”
Taking Jade’s hand tightly in mine, I could use the shock of her power at the moment. These mages were different. A shudder passed along my shoulders. I had a feeling this meeting was not going to go how we expected.
Chapter 9
The earth mages sat on the ground. Each mage had a stuffed cushion made from dried grass, or cotton, or linens. The table was a rounded slab of bark, by the look of it. And much to the chagrin of the wyverns in the room, greens, boiled roots, and vegetables seemed to be the only things on the menu. I liked a good salad as much as the next person, but this took plant-eater to an entirely new level.
“You’d think they would have at least a little meat,” Raffi grumbled to me and Mitch. Mitch stabbed at something that looked like a purple potato drizzled in a green, grassy sauce. Jade nibbled a leafy green, but her skin seemed to shade the same color, and she moved to the berry juice in her glass—the only thing that was actually delicious on the table.
Kunal was halfway through his meal when he dabbed a linen cloth along his rolling lips and smiled at his guests. “I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Cassia.” He signaled to a woman who shared the same grin as Ivy—not overly friendly, but not unwelcoming. Cassia was beautiful, but she had strange eyes. Her pupils seemed distorted, as though the black bubble had popped in the center of her eye and the black bled into the pale blue color. She didn’t stare directly at us, but still held out her hand. Leoch was closest, so he took it, glancing at Thane for direction. Eventually, the warrior offered a firm shake. It seemed to appease the mage.
“Pleasure to have outside guests. We never have visitors. It certainly refreshes the energy of our home.” Cassia’s voice was like a dove—a soft coo that calmed.
“How long has your sight been lost, Cassia?” Donovan asked. I choked on my drink and looked at the onyx mage with wide eyes.
I hadn’t noticed she was blind, but I wouldn’t announce it out loud for everyone. To my surprise, Cassia’s smile actually widened, and she cocked her head toward the sound of Donovan’s voice.
“Since the divide of the royals,” she chimed, resting a reassuring hand on Kunal’s flustered skin. He seemed as though speaking of it was the last thing he wanted to do. “Thank you for asking. With the best intentions, no one will speak of the act that took my sight. But I find I rather need to speak of it at times. It heals old wounds, you see.”
“I have no intention of embarrassing you, it’s just uncommon for a mage to be rendered sightless with such healing powers.”
Cassia giggled—obviously very pleased to be talking about her injury. “Yes, you’re quite right. Unless such an injury is caused by a more powerful mage. Such things can be difficult to undo.”
Ivy cleared her throat and leaned forward. “My mother was at the castle grounds the night of the divide. Yes, you might find it surprising that she is an elemental mage. You are not the only ones who have met the desperate, hateful power of the dark High Priest.”
“Bron did that to you?” I asked softly. Cassia turned her head in my direction though she didn’t look at me—smile in place—and nodded.
“Well, now that we’ve discussed such tragic days, perhaps we can discuss our decision to your plight.” Kunal grumbled. We all sat straighter and looked to the leader. “You know my wife’s story. You know we have been in our own form of exile, just as the elemental mages. Never in my entire four centuries have I declared loyalty to the priesthood of the mage, and I’m afraid I will not be starting today. I will not put my people at risk for a fight that is not our own.”
“But it is only a matter of time before your people are discovered,” Donovan insisted.
Kunal smiled, the folds of his face pushing up in layers that squinted his eyes. “So you say. This fight is not with the earth mages; it is between the elementals and the wyverns. We were left out of the divide, and we will be left alone during this as well.”
“How can you say you were left out of the divide?” Jade asked, her voice more shrill than before. “You live underground when you desire to live in the forests freely. You were not untouched through the divide. You don’t want your family to live with just the surface of what they can do with their energy, do you?”
“You are a very perceptive wyvern,” Kunal muttered. Ivy and the rest of the mages kept their heads down and no longer gawked at their guests. I rested my hand over Jade’s, the heat of her body scorching my palm again. “But I’m afraid you do not understand what we have fought hard to avoid. For the protection of our family, we have taken extreme warding protections against our home. No one with dishonorable hearts can even detect our energy. It is why you were all allowed inside.”
“I don’t understand,” Jade scoffed. I didn’t care if she was burning up, I clutched her hand tighter. “I understand that my parents were slaughtered that night. I understand that my grandfather’s blood stained his own throne. I understand I was hidden away for most of my life and I knew nothing of the mage—I didn’t know the truth until my mage bloodline was restored. I understand that the dark High Priest wants to kill every single person in my family more than anything. You think I don’t understand what it’s like to fear for the people I love? I wake up each day with such fears. Perhaps it is you who does not understand what we have lived—what horrors we’ve seen—and what horrors we know will await you should we fail against Bron and King Nag.”
The table was silent. Kunal listened intently, his compassion for Jade’s plight obvious in his eyes. I thought I saw Ivy dab at her eyes. Raffi and Mitch were silent for the first time, and I thought the pride erupting from Thane’s face was going to bring him to shift right there at dinner.
“I’m sorry,” Kunal finally said. A depressive shift in the energy came immediately. Cassia tried to keep her smile, but I knew she wanted to stand against the man who took her sight. Even Ivy, who seemed to radiate peace, hid something deep inside. “As the leader of the Skog family, I cannot lead my people against the priesthood.”
“There is no priesthood,” I snapped. “It’s good versus evil, if that simplifies things.”
Kunal smirked. “Even still, we are not warriors. I must decide for my people, and this is what I have made. We do wish you every blessing on your journey.”
“Of course they do,” Mitch muttered under his breath.
My fist balled at one side. I thought Jade was intentionally trying to keep me calm, or I was keeping her calm—either way, neither of us said another word about the Skog family joining us.
“I wonder if you would know if there are any of the other families you know who might…be interested in speaking with us,” Thane asked, his one fist balled under the table too. Kunal had to realize how desperate my father was to rid the world of Bron. The chief smiled sympathetically.
“The Wald family lives to the north, but Chief
Adair, I’m afraid, is even more averse to wyverns and the priesthood. He will not even receive you; I would not waste your time. The Coille family could be more receptive—”
“They are not averse to more…intentional actions,” Ivy added.
“You mean they fight,” Leoch grumbled.
Ivy smiled and nodded, taking a delicate bite of a brown, soggy root.
“Where can we find the Coille mages?” Thane asked.
“I’m afraid you can’t. We have lost their energy, which means they have intentionally hidden themselves from detection of even fellow earth mages. Certainly elementals and wyverns would not be able to find them.”
“You’re not even going to help us try, right?” I snapped. I didn’t want to lose my temper, but familiar anger was bleeding through my veins. The side of me that I thought died when I’d learned the truth about dragons and mage was peering back into my tone. It was different, in a way—I was angry because of who sat at my sides. I would do anything to protect Jade, Mitch—Raffi, Thane. And this family of mages was doing everything in their power to prevent that.
Kunal sighed. “I will send out a signal for the Coille chief. If he responds, then I will reach out to you—if not, then I’m afraid that is where my assistance will end.”
“Well, thank you for at least that,” Jade said regally. She was a queen in this moment. I could sense her disappointment, but she wouldn’t burn a bridge like I desperately wanted to right now.
Kunal nodded, his gracious grin easing the mounting tension that had built around the dining table. We settled back into silence. By the end of the meal, my stomach was filled with berry juice and rumbled for something more substantial. Jade was leaning on her elbows on the table listening to Ivy and another young woman talk about their responsibilities to tend the gardens. She nodded and smiled pleasantly, but there was something weighing her down.
“Are we ready to leave?” she asked softly when there was a polite place to turn from the mage conversation.
“I think so,” I glanced to Thane, who had a stone face since Kunal had determined we would be on our own.
