“Try it on me first,” Monad said. “If you dare.”
Summer Queen finally spoke. “It’s a trap. If the Fang is used for ill, the Dark Magicks inside take over, and it can only be used for ill. It’s possible Monad may have poisoned it against everyone, including the Primus, long ago when she had it for a short period. Now is different. Gaelyn, you are a Queen. Silkkie, you are Sister of the Jinns. Winter and I are powerful Queens. There is much power here to help you. Do not test the Fang on the unicorn. Use it. Use it to save your Primus. But do it in the Dr’gon Realms. If he recovers here, he will have to stay here.”
Ian spoke up at last. “I will guard the unicorn until you return, Gaelyn.”
Summer and Winter Queens nodded.
“Will the Dr’gon make it across the planes?” Monad asked, her lips turned up in a sneer.
“Morph him,” Jeima said. “Turn him to a tortoise. They have long lives, almost as long as Dr’gons, and they are immune to almost every malady.”
Silkkie purred. “My Jinn are so smart!”
The Queens laughed.
“Will it work?” Hazel asked.
Gaelyn and Great and Mighty nodded. They whispered for a moment, then walked over to where Cl’rnce slumped against a wall, his face turned into the greenery that he still sniffed.
“Put him in a crystal,” Silkkie said. “He’ll be safe from any other stray magick while we travel.”
“You do that as soon as we morph him to a tortoise,” Gaelyn suggested.
The three stood around Cl’rnce. The two wizards chanted a complex morphing spell that started with shrinking Cl’rnce down to the size of a baby tortoise. Silkkie quickly surrounded the tortoise Cl’rnce in a crystal sphere. She managed this just before he reached out to bite off a leaf from a vine on the Hall’s wall.
“Whew! That was close. Even as a tortoise he can’t resist eating,” Hazel said. “Are we ready to go home? Will Silkkie help Gaelyn send us home?”
At that moment, Jeschen popped into the room. She carried a small turquoise cat in her arms. “Silkkie?” She held the cat out to Silkkie.
The little cat-Jinn stared. “Sulkkie! Sister!” She raced over to Jeschen, dancing as Jeschen placed the twin cat next to Silkkie.
“There are two of them?” Hazel asked. “I was just getting used to one.”
“No, you weren’t.” Gaelyn laughed. “Notice how our little Silkkie is not so ‘all business?’ I think we have a clue now why the leader of the Jinn is called Sister. Like the Co-Primus, there are two of them. Silkkie might be a little too distracted to go home right now.”
“Perhaps it is time for you two, Wizard Partner and Dr’gon Partner to use the Fang,” Summer Queen said. Her voice, previously encouraging and confident, now held alarm.
Hazel, Gaelyn, and Great and Mighty looked at her. The Queen pointed to where Ian and the Jinn stood, surrounding Monad. The unicorn had broken apart the ice walls and was charging at the army surrounding her.
“We can hold her!” Ian yelled. Winter threw another ball of ice, imprisoning Monad once again.
Summer spoke, “You should kill her.”
“First cut off her horn,” Winter said.
Gaelyn walked over to Monad. “No. I must protect all Fae and Dr’gons from Monad, but I will not torture or kill her.” She looked back at Silkkie. “You were her victim. What do you suggest?”
Gaelyn waited, hoping her cat-Jinn would show the mercy of the Dr’gons rather than the vengeful ways of the Queen’s Justice.
Purring, Silkkie transformed into a cat as tall as Hazel. “I would have her remain imprisoned. And my Jinn will guard her. I would install her in my old crystal ball.” She clapped her paws together and her old crystal ball appeared.
“But don’t you need it?” Sulkkie asked. “I mean you are bound to the Elm Queen, are you not? You told our Jinn she rescued you, and you went with her to the Dr’gon Realms.”
“I did, but the agreement I made with Gaelyn’s uncle was that once she was Queen, I would have my complete Freedom. If Gaelyn intends to honor the promise, I do not need a crystal ball.”
Gaelyn nodded. “Of course, I honor my uncle’s promise. You are free, totally free.”
“Good. I didn’t like that ball all that much. We’ll find something better when we get back to the Dr’gon Realms.”
“You’ll go back with the Fae?” Sulkkie asked her. “But you’re free!”
“I am. So, I can go where I want. And here’s something Jinnfully cool: this Fang they control might be what we need to free all Jinn!” Silkkie sat back and shrank down to her small cat form.
“Catastrophe after catastrophe,” Winter Queen said. “Jinns free to do as they like. Really, Elm, this is a disappointing start to your reign.”
“What are you thinking?” Summer asked. “Why would you let go of a Jinn with such power?”
“She’s keeping her word,” Ian said.
The Queens studied him for a moment. Then Winter said to Summer, “As I warned you years ago, your offspring does not belong in your Court or mine.”
Summer snapped back, “And I regard that as a very good thing. He was born different, and he has become what he was meant to be: an asset to Elm.”
“Thank you, your Highness,” Ian said. “Mother.”
She nodded, and a small smile pulled the corners of her face. Immediately she pursed her lips back into her usual disapproving look.
“Hazel, together we can bind the unicorn into the crystal. Ready?” Gaelyn asked.
Summer cleared her throat and raised her mossy green eyebrows. Her face screwed up for a second like she was making a decision. She looked at her son and then at Hazel and Gaelyn. With a nod she said, “There is a matter of a Heart Oath for the Dr’gon and Wizard Partner who will wield the Fang. Are you prepared to take it now and here? You’ll need it to powerfully use the Fang.”
Hazel asked, “You know about all that?” She shook her head. “I don’t trust you. Why do you want us to swear an oath that … Gaelyn said we can’t? I bet it’s a trick. If we do, it will help you take Gaelyn’s, I mean Elm Queen’s, Court away from her!”
Gaelyn choked. She held her breath hoping Summer would not let her infamous temper destroy what Gaelyn had hoped was turning into a peace between her Court and Summer’s.
But Silkkie interrupted. “Any oath a Fae Queen swears in her own court is binding and cannot be corrupted by an outside party.” She blinked at Hazel and then at Gaelyn. “This is the one place you can swear that Heart Oath to Hazel. And it’s important that you do.”
Holding one hand up for attention, Summer strolled a few paces as if thinking and then turned and nodded. “Your cat-Jinn is correct. It is very important that you do—and do it before you leave again.”
Winter started to interrupt, but Summer threw her hand out at her sister sending a vine out of her fingertips headed at Winter’s face. Winter growled and tore the vine off her throat. “You are wrong, but I’ll let you figure that out, dear sister.” She stepped back, her face iced with sharp pieces of frozen water as if she was building a helmet out of her Winter powers.
Stepping close to her sister, Summer hissed out, “I am right. I have listened to you, and you are wrong. We need Gaelyn. If you bothered to listen to your advisors, you’d know the Fang’s Prophecy affects us as well. It stretches out into the future and the three Queens will need to work together. We must support Elm.”
Winter snorted but said nothing more.
Hazel grabbed Gaelyn’s hand. “Before the two decide to start a war, I say we swear the Heart Oath and get on with everything.”
Gaelyn nodded.
Starting before Gaelyn could ask, Hazel said, “This is the Heart Oath of the Dr’gons: I, Hazel of the River Dr’gon Clan, do swear by my life and my heart to be always faithful, always Partners of the Heart, to Gaelyn Elm Court Queen. Dr’gon to Wizard Heart Bonded.”
It was such a simple thing to say, but Gaelyn felt her heart swell. After a
ll they had been through, and with Cl’rnce still ill, Hazel wanted to bind them together in a way that couldn’t be broken. “I, Gaelyn, Elm Court Queen, do swear by my life and my heart to be always faithful, always Partners of the Heart, to Hazel of the River Dr’gon Clan. Wizard to Dr’gon Heart Bonded.”
As she finished, Hazel tapped a paw over her own heart and then over Gaelyn’s. Gaelyn did no different in return. She felt the same, and she felt entirely different. Forever Gaelyn had a sister of her heart.
Hazel spit a bit of fire on the ground, then spoke again looking at Silkkie and the two Queens. “There’s no problem with binding the unicorn here? She won’t have to stay in this place?”
“She’s to be imprisoned and then taken by the Jinn to a site of their choosing,” Gaelyn said.
“Ready,” Hazel said.
Summer spoke, “Do you know that you don’t both need to use the same words? As long as what you both want is the same, the words do not matter. The Fang is that closely connected to you two.”
“I am surprised you know so much about the Fang,” Gaelyn said.
Summer shrugged.
“Can we get on with this?” Silkkie asked. “We have other things to do, you know, like saving Cl’rnce.”
“Finding that unicorn a good hiding place is going to take time,” Sulkkie added.
Hazel took a deep breath, but Gaelyn said. “Let’s imprison Monad before … well something happens. Fang,” she said then waited as Hazel repeated. Then together they said the same words without even consulting each other. “Imprison the unicorn Monad. She will not be released. The Jinn will take her to an unknown place, unknown to all but the Jinn.”
Instantly Monad was enclosed in the crystal ball. “This is torture! You are the worst, Elm! You said you would not torture me, but would you like to smell this ball? It stinks of cats and the unforgivable stench of Dr’gon!”
“Take her,” Gaelyn said to Silkkie.
Without another word, Sulkkie and the Jinn disappeared with the crystal ball.
“Well, time for all intruders to leave,” Winter said. “Particularly smelly Dr’gons.”
Hazel’s muzzle went red. Gaelyn tried to think of something to say before Hazel exploded and flamed the Winter Queen.
Summer sighed, her fingers leaking a thin vine that began to thicken like the one she had thrown at Winter before. “Sister, remember we are guests in Elm’s Court.”
Winter frowned and said nothing.
Summer turned to Hazel. “We are grateful that you helped Elm save her Court, but the Fae Planes are really not a place for Dr’gons. We give you thanks and bid you and your friends good travels, Hazel.”
Hazel aimed the flame that spewed out of her muzzle at a patch of branches. They exploded.
“As I said,” Winter snapped, “time for the Dr’gon to go.”
Gaelyn stepped in front of Hazel. “No. Hazel is always welcome in Elm Court. But those who insult my guests, my Dr’gon Partner, are not.”
Winter stamped a step forward, her face contorted into a killing-look. Summer stood beside her a hand clamping hard on her sister’s shoulder and said, “We are guests in the Elm Queen’s Court. Of course, your rules are ours, here, Gaelyn. We will leave.”
Ian cleared his throat. “I would ask the Winter and Summer Queens to remember that Hazel and Gaelyn control the Fang.” He waited a moment. “How powerful is the Fang? Would the Queens rather work with Elm or … against her?”
The Queens looked like they’d swallowed something nasty.
Gaelyn finally spoke, “My First Minister, Ian, will be your contact, your Highnesses. He will take over day to day business when I am in the Dr’gon Realms. I will be here and there, both. He will have instant access to me.” She looked at Hazel. “If I am still welcome in the Dr’gon Realms, that is.”
“Where else would my Wizard Partner be? Does anyone want to argue?” Hazel pointed to the Fang that Gaelyn now held up.
Winter bowed and disappeared. Summer laughed. “You are going to be one interesting Elm Queen, Gaelyn.
Grabbing Gaelyn’s hand, Hazel said. “Hold the Fang, and tell me the words.”
Gaelyn whispered to herself, “Please, let us save Cl’rnce.” Then she held the Fang up in the air. “Across the planes, back to the world of the Dr’gons take Hazel, Gaelyn, Great and Mighty, Cl’rnce, and …” she paused and looked at Silkkie, raising her eyebrows in question.
“And Silkkie,” the little cat-Jinn finished.
They did not have to repeat it three times.
For the first time, traveling through the planes was so smooth that Gaelyn did not feel the least bit seasick. As if they had never left Albion, they were instantly in Hazel’s chamber.
“Put him on the table,” Gaelyn ordered Hazel.
“He’s so small and peaceful,” Hazel said. “Not playing practical jokes, not doing anything that causes chaos.” She angled her head and looked into the crystal at her tortoise brother.
“But he’s sick,” Great and Mighty said. “You can cure him! And not with combining spells that aren’t quite right. You two together can wield the Fang!” She pointed to Hazel and Gaelyn. “You’re the Partners who can protect the Death Magicks and use the Fang for Life and Good.”
“We are!” Hazel and Gaelyn said together. They looked at each other.
Gaelyn spoke first. “I wish I’d never had to lie to you.”
With a nod Hazel added, “I’ve learned much. I kept a secret that did a lot of damage. Secrets and lies, what a mess.” She looked down at her hind paws, then looked up again. “We’ve been through a lot, but I think we are both so much smarter and an even better pair of partners now. What do you think?”
“Oh, for pity sakes,” Silkkie snarled. “Can you tell yourselves how wonderful you are some other time? The Dr’gon is still sick! Are you going to cure him? Honestly, am I the only one who knows how to keep focused and get things done? Really!”
Rolling her eyes at the little Jinn but not snarling at her for once, Hazel asked, “What spell do we use to cure him?”
Gaelyn answered, “No spell. With the Fang. We take a bit of the Death Magick and make it Life, a cure. As Summer said, we use it for good. Great and Mighty is right. Pretty big magick! Ready?”
Hazel looked at the Fang that had once been the instrument that had been used to poison Cl’rnce, but she and Gaelyn were the right Dr’gon and Wizard Partners to see that it was used for good. She nodded.
“You two are a mess!” Silkkie shouted. “Let him out of the crystal first. Seriously?” She didn’t wait for the embarrassed pair. Snapping her teeth together three times, she said, “Crystal disappear and release the Dr’gon.”
The orb faded away. “Now you can order his cure!” Silkkie said. She prodded the tiny Cl’rnce-tortoise with one paw. “Is he asleep?”
“Ready?” Hazel asked.
Silkkie sighed again. “Do you want to morph him back to Dr’gon first?”
Gaelyn and Hazel nodded. Gaelyn said, “We’ll order him to morph. After he does, we’ll order him cured. Sound good, everybody?” She looked at Silkkie who was busy washing her tail.
Looking up Silkkie said, “Sure. Go for it.”
Together they said the words once: “Morph back to Dr’gon, Cl’rnce. Be Cured.” They held still, standing silent. The tiny tortoise stretched and re-formed into Cl’rnce, a regular Dr’gon shaped and sized Cl’rnce. He didn’t move.
Gaelyn’s heart pounded. Had they killed him? He was so weak when they transported. They’d made him morph and now un-morph. Maybe it was too much magick all at once.
Then Cl’rnce began to snore.
“Sounds normal,” Hazel said.
Great and Mighty sniffed him. “Smells like Cl’rnce. Sounds like Cl’rnce.” She put a hand to his forehead. “Feels like Cl’rnce.” She started to laugh. “He’s dreaming. Of …”
Everybody said together, “Food.”
Cl’rnce opened an eye. “Don’t just talk abo
ut food, let’s have some. Isn’t anybody hungry? Is it time for lunch?”
“Does he remember what’s happened?” Hazel asked. Had the Fang affected his memory, his mind?
“Of course, I remember everything,” Cl’rnce said. “Gaelyn is a Fae Queen. She and Hazel used a dirty old tooth to cure me. Now I’m hungry. Any more questions?”
Jeschen popped into the room and cleared her throat. “Ian asks if Elm will please return to her Court?”
Hazel snarked, “You mean he commanded you to come get her. Already too much for him?”
Jeschen shrugged.
“Ian would not call if he didn’t need me. I do have to arrange things with him. What he will handle and then inform me on. What I want to handle myself. You know.” But even as she said this, Gaelyn felt a little sad. She hated leaving Wiz-Tech more than she should. Home had been Wiz-Tech for so many years,
“Cl’rnce is fine. I will go with you,” Hazel said.
“Thank you, but Cl’rnce needs you here. Primus duties? And I have to go,” Gaelyn said. “Elm Queen things.”
“For long?” Hazel asked. She slumped onto the stone bench beneath one of her tall window slits.
There was a pop and Sulkkie appeared, alone. Her paws slapping the floor, Silkkie strolled over to her sister and then both approached Gaelyn and Hazel. Silkkie said, “Why don’t you two go back together, and I’ll bring my Sister. The Primus can do without Hazel for a day. Why do you think Ian is calling, something to do with the Queens of Summer and Winter?”
Gaelyn groaned. “Might be. I’m sure it will often be.”
“Can I stay here?” Jeschen asked.
Cl’rnce echoed her. “Can she stay? She’s a really good cook.”
Gaelyn straightened her shoulders. “Yes. I’m making a Queen’s decision. Jeschen, I’ll inform Summer that you will stay here as long as you like, and as long as you are welcome.”
Hazel nodded.
Great and Mighty said, “Don’t worry. Cl’rnce and I can handle everything here while you’re gone.”
Hazel and Gaelyn choked, but Great and Mighty looked so earnest.
Dragon Bonded: A Bumblespells Novel Page 18
