Heirs of War, Crown of Flames

by Mara Valderran

  “Yes, though I'm not sure either of them understands the implications behind what he is. Ariana seems to think she can save him from becoming one.” She returned to the subject at hand. “Ariana's told us as much as she can, but she was also under the impression that they were in Cahira. Apparently that is what Alec has always been told. We aren't sure if we will be able to replicate this situation again to where we can actually communicate with her, but Ariana has agreed to help us look for clues and repeat anything she finds so that she can be certain that both Solanna and Isauria have seen it.”

  “That will certainly make things easier on Izzy,” Liam commented. “And allow all of us to breathe a little better. Did she say anything else?”

  “That you were bossy,” she said to Varrick. “Alec assumed that the man posing as her father in Dhara would have been her Cyneward and she asked after him. When we told her it was really you, she didn't seem to think she should be all that surprised.”

  Varrick huffed a laugh at this. “Yeah, I had to catch myself a lot with her. She was the rebel out of the two of them.”

  “I would have thought that would have been Zelene, especially given the way she has pushed back against most of the customs she has been introduced to here in Anscombe,” Bianca noted.

  Varrick shook his head and leaned back, reminiscing. “No, Zelene had her own set of problems without creating more for herself. I think for the first time she feels free to explore who she really is without all that. Ariana was fiercely independent, which obviously wasn't something she could explore. We had to keep a tight watch on them. She was always sneaking out and doing whatever she could to show us that she could take care of herself. When I tried teaching her how to fight, she actually gave me a bloody nose. On purpose. Nearly broke her hand in the process because she wasn't paying attention to what I was teaching her, but that pretty much ended the lessons.”

  “I can see that with Ariana,” she said lightly. She grew somber as she continued. “I can't let you know what she says every night. The Duillaine Banair won't stand for my giving a full report to a Cyneward. You know that.”

  He nodded, his face grave. “I know. You already risked a lot by asking me here.”

  “Oh, I didn't ask you here. You merely came by to check on Ariana since you knew she was sick,” she corrected with a look that told him he better stick to that story if anyone asked. “I'll have to report her ability to them. There's no way around it.”

  “Better to tell them just enough than too little,” he agreed.

  She shook her head. “We have to give them time to act, Varrick.”

  He stood up to his full, intimidating height. “If I find out where she is, I'm going after her. I don't care if they follow, but I'm not waiting around for a bunch of bureaucrats to decide the best course of action. We find out where she is, I go get her. It's as simple as that.”

  “And what about Zelene?” she said, standing also and matching his determination. “You know she has the same mindset as you. Will you run off and leave her to fend for herself?” She watched him flex his jaw and was satisfied that he saw her point. “We will find Ariana, Varrick. But only if we all work together.”

  Varrick and Liam exchanged a look that Bianca didn't like, and then Varrick shifted his attention back to her. “Thank you, Bianca. For letting me know how she is.”

  He turned and left without another word, and Liam followed. Varrick’s curt departure only increased Bianca’s worry that Varrick might not stop to think before rushing off to save Ariana once they located her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Rhaya found her cousin in the training room, beating on one of the scarecrows with a sword. She had to admit that Zelene wasn't half bad with a blade. She watched her from the doorway for a few minutes before coming inside.

  “Not bad,” Rhaya commented. “Where'd you learn to fight with a sword?”

  “I didn't,” Zelene panted in between swings. “I learned how to fight with a light saber. Kyle was obsessed with Star Wars when we were kids and made me learn all the fighting moves so we could reenact it.”

  Rhaya's heart sank with the pain Zelene felt talking about Kyle. “You never talk about him.”

  “What's to talk about?” Zelene whacked the dummy a little harder. “He's out there somewhere and I have no idea how to get him back. Just another victim of this stupid war, I guess.” She hit the dummy again. “Just like my Mom.” Again. “And Ariana.” Again, harder. “And everyone else I care about.” She attacked with each syllable now, then stopped and the dummy burst into flames.

  Rhaya took a step back and then called air forward to put out the fire. “Easy there.”

  Zelene put her hands on her hips. “That keeps happening,” she complained. “I get mad, and then poof! Up in smoke.”

  “Huh. So you're sort of like the Incredible Hulk, but with fire. Neat.”

  “Yeah, you don't want to see me angry.” She held up her hand and squinted at a different straw man, but nothing happened. “I wish I could control it. I can't be pissed off all the time.”

  “Could've fooled me,” Rhaya muttered, ignoring the glare she received. She stepped in front of the dummy, blocking Zelene's destructive path. “I wanted to talk to you about something you said before.”

  Zelene arched her eyebrow. “It's been an eventful week. You're gonna have to refresh my memory.”

  “It was after everything with your Dad. You said 'And then we go after Ariana.' I know that you managed to essentially free the Tainted and save your father from the dungeons and stand up to Sylvanna, but—”

  “What can I say?” Zelene cut across her and stepped to the next dummy. “I'm not much for the damseling.” She flicked her hand at the straw man and he immediately went flying across the room as if a gust of air had just hit him.

  Rhaya's eyes widened, seeing just how accurate her assessment that anger triggered Zelene's magic was. “I can see that. Look, if you're planning on doing something, you should know—”

  “What? That you're going to rat me out? That you're going to stop me?” Zelene interrupted angrily.

  Rhaya marched up to Zelene and promptly smacked her on the back of the head. “No, you idiot! I was going to say that you don't have to do it alone.”

  Zelene rubbed the back of her head. “Did you seriously just Gibbs-slap me?”

  “Did you miss the part where I was right there with you when you stood up to Sylvanna? I threatened my own mother, Zelene. If that doesn't tell you whose side I'm on, I don't know what will.”

  “Well, that's kind of the point, Rhaya. She's your mother,” Zelene said quietly as she took a keen interest in the floor tiles. “Do you have any idea what I would give to be able to talk to mine just once? I don't want to ruin that for you. The last thing I want is to come between you and your mom.”

  Rhaya flopped back against the battered straw doll, blowing her bangs out of her face as she did so. “It's not you that's doing it, Zelene. I saw what they did to your Dad. Sylvanna threatened to do the same thing to you. And my mother just sat back and watched. She let it happen. How am I supposed to trust her knowing that?”

  “So, what? Helping me rescue Ariana is your form of teenage rebellion?”

  “No. Helping you rescue Ariana is me doing what I know is right. I don't know why they aren't doing anything, I really don't. It doesn't make sense that they would leave her there because they think she's the sacrifice.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, because then she wouldn't be so much a sacrifice as a gift, would she? If they are giving her up willingly, they aren't exactly sacrificing her. And the Prophecy clearly states that our blood will be the sacrifice. It doesn't say price, it doesn't say gift.”

  “But that's just your interpretation,” Zelene pointed out.

  “Exactly,” Rhaya agreed and pushed herself off of her prop. “But it's another viable interpretation. Why let her die when they know there is a possibility that it will screw everything up? Why r
isk that? Why not just rescue her and let the chips fall where they may?”

  “Don't ask me to make sense of what they do,” Zelene said and took aim at another dummy.

  “There's something more going on. Both Sylvanna and my mother felt really conflicted when you mentioned Ariana. It wasn't like when you mentioned your father. My mother felt bad about that. Even Sylvanna did too, at least a little, though mainly what she felt was sort of righteous indignation. But when you asked them what they were doing about Ariana, they felt almost apprehensive. They were worried, like genuine heartfelt concern over her. Why would they feel that if they thought she needed to die in order to fulfill the Prophecy? And it's like they said before when you asked them if the Prophecy meant we were all supposed to die. They said we couldn’t lead the people if we're dead and the same can be said for Ariana. She's the most important part in all of this. She's the fifth. If she dies, the peoples’ hopes go with her. Then it is back to four people pushing the worlds around and telling them how to live. She's supposed to represent a change in that.”

  “But then why are they dragging their feet on this? Do you honestly think it's because they don't know where she is?”

  “I don’t know, but I don't think they're trying hard enough to find her either. Tate's managed to narrow it down to a few different worlds, which means they should have been able to do the same. They have more resources than us, so I'm sure they could have it figured out in no time. I understand they can’t invade all the possible worlds looking for her, but your idea with Varrick was a good one. One that they should have thought of.”

  Zelene let out an exasperated groan. “I don't care. Look, the time for figuring out what the hell they are up to is gone. It's time for action now. I'll say it again: If they aren't going to go after her, I say we do. She's one of us.”

  “I agree,” Terrena said from the doorway.

  Rhaya and Zelene both swiveled around to see Terrena, Ellowyn, Nolan, and Tate in the doorway. Rhaya felt Zelene's temper shift, and worried about whom she might direct it at. They might end up on the wrong end of her newfound fiery wrath.

  “What the hell, Ellowyn?” Zelene shouted. “You brought them in on our plan?”

  “Zelene,” Rhaya put a hand on her arm, “calm down. You can't control the fire, remember?”

  Zelene steadied her breathing. “Someone explain to me what is going on.”

  “They want to help,” Ellowyn explained and rushed forward. “We can't do this alone.”

  “We need people we can trust,” Zelene shot back and gestured to Tate, “and he spent his time on Dhara spying on us. How do you know he isn't spying on us still?”

  “I know,” Rhaya said.

  Tate swaggered forward with ease, stopping directly in front of Zelene with a scowl on his face. “I get that you don't like me. Newsflash: I don't like you either. You're a stubborn, spiteful, angry brat as far as I'm concerned. I'm done trying to play nice with you. But here's the deal: Ariana is my best friend. Ariana, I like. Which means that if you and the Cynewards are going after her, I'm in.”

  Zelene pulled back. “No one said anything about the Cynewards.”

  Rhaya raised her hand meekly. “That was me too. I'm the one who brought Tate in, and I thought that maybe we could send them word of where we're heading after we leave. Then they won't get in trouble for plotting with us.”

  Tate shook his head. “It isn't necessary. They know what you're planning. Honestly, you thought you could keep this away from them? They live and breathe to watch over you every second of every day. Even when you don't see them, they are there.”

  “Why aren't they trying to stop us?” Rhaya asked.

  “Because that isn't their way,” Terrena answered as she and Nolan joined the group. “They aren’t our fathers anymore; they are our Cynewards, and now they must follow the rules set forth for their kind. They don't interfere; they only protect us. They remain unseen, living in the shadows and not by our sides, like the Cynewards of the Duillaine Banair. And what’s more . . . because of the Prophecy, they can't stop us, even though I assure you they want to.”

  Zelene crossed her arms over her chest. “How do you know that?”

  “Because Kenward told me,” Terrena answered and shrugged at Rhaya's look of disbelief. “You aren't the only one that breaks the rules, you know. Just because you never see me talk to him doesn’t mean that I don’t.”

  Rhaya could tell that Zelene was still suspicious of her sister's involvement. “What made you become such the rebel?”

  Terrena wrung her hands together. “I wasn't raised on Dhara, but I was raised . . . differently. I don't see things the way you assume I do.” She turned to Zelene. “Like some sort of spoiled princess. That's not how I lived. I haven't agreed with your methods, Zelene, but when I saw you stand up for the Tainted . . . well, I saw you for the leader you truly are.”

  Zelene scoffed. “I'm not a leader.”

  “Yes, you are,” Nolan disagreed. “You are a true leader, the likes of which the worlds have not seen in quite some time. People flock to the Cahirans because they use pretty words and make passionate arguments. The Duillaine counter that by reciting the rules and taking the same hard stance they've had for generations. But you? You have the power of the Duillaine and the passion of the Cahirans, and you truly care about people. And the people will follow you.”

  “Right,” Zelene muttered. “No pressure. So . . . time for a real plan.”

  “Using Varrick is a good idea, but that will only work if Ariana is actually afraid,” Tate pointed out. “And we don't want her in a situation where she's afraid. Rhaya and I talked about this already, and she came up with a pretty good plan.”

  “An okay plan,” Rhaya amended, certain that there were a lot of details that needed to be worked out. “I think we need to bring Isauria and Bianca with us. With Isauria’s connection to Ariana, we can get a better idea of where she is geographically. But that's going to involve breaking Izzy out of the leigheas, which I think is going to be a lot harder than it was with Arland. Those guards have been ordered to not even let us in, let alone listen to us.”

  “So we attack them,” Nolan said with a shrug. At their appalled looks, he straightened his back defensively. “I didn't say kill them. Just knock them out. It's not that hard when you're as powerful as us.” He pointed to himself and Terrena. “We know how to use our connection to the elements, so we can each take on one and it will be done before they even realize anything is happening.”

  “That's another problem,” Ellowyn reluctantly added, shifting her attention to Zelene. “We need to learn how to fight. We don’t have any idea what we’re going to be up against once we get to Ariana, and I know that I, for one, will be completely useless against someone with even a basic call of the elements. And honestly, Zelene, with your skill level, you would be too. Even Rhaya would be questionable. You'd be relying completely on the Cynewards to hold whatever fight you come across.”

  “And Kellen knows how to kill the Cynewards. Let's not forget that,” Tate added.

  “I can’t imagine she could be very quick about killing a Cyneward. The ritual to sever the connection between the Earth and a Cyneward is a long and drawn out one,” Nolan countered. “And that's using the power of a Duillaine.”

  “Still, we need to be able to defend ourselves.” Zelene reluctantly turned to Terrena. “Can you teach us?”

  “I can help,” Nolan offered.

  Rhaya shook her head. “No, we need you to stay on the Council and see what you can find out. They'll have a better idea of what the Duillaine are up than anyone else. I don't want to rule them out just yet.”

  “I can teach you,” Terrena said and then narrowed her eyes at her young cousin. “But only if you agree to start going to lessons. If you are going to be a leader in this world—and you are already well on your way—then you need to really understand it first.”

  Rhaya beamed when Zelene agreed. “Aww, look at us. Our very o
wn Scooby Gang.” She clapped her hands together. “Right, now we have a plan, so let's get to it.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Ariana awoke once more to the rhythmic tones of Alec's voice intermingled with the weathered intonation of the old woman. She shot up in the bed, immediately whipping her head around to make sure that her physical body wasn't lying elsewhere. She let go of the breath she held, relieved at the empty pillow behind her and turned around to find both sets of eyes on her.

  Alec stared at her, momentarily stunned before leaping up and rushing to her side. “How do you feel? Any better?”

  “Yeah, I'm much better now.” She leaned around him to look at the old woman. “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

  The old woman bowed her head to accept the thanks Ariana offered. “I am glad to see you well, child.”

  Alec leaned forward, grabbing Ariana's arm urgently and lowering his voice to a whisper. “Whatever you do, do not ask her any questions. None. And do not make any deals with her, no matter what she offers.”

  She stared at him, wide eyed as if he was completely crazy. “Okay. Why not?”

  “Because he fears for your life,” the old woman answered and hobbled over to them. “I might be old, Alec, but you will find my hearing is very much intact. Perhaps you might go and fetch some water from the well? I am sure Ariana would like to clean herself up.”

  “I do feel pretty gross.” When Alec didn't make a move to leave, Ariana shooed him away. “Honestly, Alec. I'll be fine. If she wanted to hurt me, she would have by now.”

  “Listen to the young Duillaine Ainnir, Alec. She speaks the truth,” Luna said in such a way that let Alec know it was no longer a request.

  As Alec left, Ariana turned back to the old woman. “You know who I really am.”

  The woman nodded her gray-streaked head. “I do. And I will help you in your quest.”

  “You can help us get to Anscombe?” she asked with hope.

  Luna held up her withered hand. “Please, do not phrase your words as a question. Alec had reason to worry for your safety if you did. I will not harm you, as I do most people who violate my rules, but do know that your questions harm me.”