[Vankara Saga 03.0] War of Atonement

by SJ West

  “So, we’ve lost the element of surprise where the dragons are concerned,” Fallon said in disappointment.

  “Yes, but Seneca made a suggestion.” I went on to tell them about Seneca’s plan to capture the Fae city and force Nuala to divide her forces in order to defend it. I also told them about meeting Aleksander at sea.

  “That seems to be the best option available to us at the moment,” Fallon agreed. “It might prove to work in our favor in the long run. We need a safe place for the Kamoran forces and Chromis army to dock. If we have control of that side of the island, we can send word for them to meet with us there. I’ll need to go to Iron City and coordinate the movement of our ground troops to support the dragons when they take the Fae capital.”

  “I’m going with you,” I said, standing up. “I need to see Dena.”

  “Then I guess we’re all going,” Inara announced, standing also. “Dracen, you got any food in this joint? We need to bring some along for the trip back home.”

  “Yes, I have some,” Dracen said, looking torn between showing Inara where the food was stored and staying with me so we could talk. Finally, he turned toward the entrance of the room. “Follow me and I’ll show you where the kitchen is.”

  Thankfully, Able decided to follow Dracen and Inara out of the room.

  “What was that all about?” Fallon asked. “When you mentioned the tremor, why did it make Dracen look so troubled?”

  “Because I caused it to happen,” I said, retaking my seat. Fallon sat down beside me.

  “How?”

  “Apparently, I inherited some of my father’s magic.”

  Fallon leaned back against the settee as he soaked in this new bit of information about me.

  “I assume you’ve never performed magic before now,” he said knowingly.

  “Never,” I admitted. “It frightened me, John.”

  Fallon covered my hand closest to him on the settee. “Why did it scare you? Did you feel out of control?”

  “Yes, but it wasn’t just that. I felt … powerful … and … I liked it.”

  “I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to cause mountains to tremble with just a thought,” Fallon told me. “But how could knowing you have the ability to make a mountain quake not make you feel powerful, Sarah? I think you had a completely natural response.”

  “Vincent had to help me calm down afterwards.”

  “How?”

  “By imagining what I want my life to be like in the future.”

  “And what did you imagine?”

  I looked over at Fallon. When our eyes met, I said, “I imagined us together at the palace with Dena and the little boy growing inside me running around laughing. In the dream, you told me to fight for what I wanted.”

  “And will you?” Fallon asked quietly.

  “With every fiber of my being,” I answered.

  Fallon smiled. “Good. So will I.”

  Fallon leaned over and kissed me gently on the lips. Feeling somewhat brazen, I deepened the kiss and turned slightly so I could wrap my arms around Fallon’s shoulders. We didn’t pull away from one another until we heard the slight clearing of someone’s throat.

  When we looked over at the doorway, Dracen was standing there looking a bit uncomfortable.

  “We’re ready to leave,” he told us, “if you are.”

  Fallon stood first and gave me a hand to help me to my feet.

  “We’re ready,” I said as Fallon escorted me out of the room. “You and I have quite a lot to discuss on our way back to Iron City.”

  “Yes,” Dracen agreed. “It seems we do.”

  As we made our way out of the room, I wondered what the future would hold for me. Would I be able to have everything I wanted, or would everything I wanted be taken away? In all honesty, I had to admit to myself that it was probably going to be a little bit of both.

  CHAPTER SIX

  As we approached the lake in the center of Dracen’s home, I came to a halt in midstride, causing the two men at my sides to stop just as abruptly.

  “Is something wrong?” Fallon asked worriedly.

  “I wouldn’t exactly say wrong. …” I looked over at Dracen and asked, “Can you make me a talisman that can transport me back here whenever I want to come?”

  “Yes, I can do that for you after we reach Iron City,” Dracen answered, looking perplexed by my request. “I will need to physically stand in a spot of your choosing that will be your anchor point. But … why would you want to do such a thing?”

  “I would like the ability to return here to see Trill when I have need of his counsel,” I told him, watching for his reaction to my reason.

  Instead of appearing surprised by my answer, Dracen looked forlorn at the mention of his long dead dragon companion.

  “How is he?” Dracen asked, a deep-set longing to see his friend again in his voice.

  “He seems fine,” I told him, having nothing to judge Trill’s state of mind by except a comparison to my own feelings. “He misses being able to speak with you.”

  Dracen nodded slightly as though he shared Trill’s yearning to be reunited.

  “I will use the trillian in my bracelet to act as a connection point to Trill,” Dracen explained. “In fact, your idea is something I probably should have thought of earlier. I’ll make us both talismans to transport us back here. It will provide us with an easy way to communicate with Gregoire and the others to coordinate our efforts more efficiently. We’ll be at the very limit of such a spell’s reach, considering the distance between here and Iron City, but they don’t call me the greatest sorcerer who ever lived for nothing.”

  I smiled at Dracen’s almost self-deprecating words to describe himself. He was, in fact, the greatest sorcerer who ever lived, yet such a distinction seemed trivial to him.

  “Speaking of sorcery. …” I began to say, but had to stop my train of thought when I spied Inara and Able walking out of one of the other tunnels. Their arms were laden with baskets filled with food for the last leg of our journey home.

  “Everyone ready?” Inara asked, sounding slightly out of breath from the added weight of her burden.

  “Here, let me carry one of those,” I told her, reaching out for one of the four baskets looped over her arms.

  Inara backed up a step and left me grasping at nothing but air.

  “Absolutely not,” she said, sounding as if I had just greatly insulted her. “You, my dearest friend, are a queen, not a servant girl.”

  “Then hand them to me,” Fallon told her, not waiting for Inara to make a reply before pulling two of the baskets from her arms. “I’m just part of the hired help around here.”

  “Not for long. …” Inara replied slightly under her breath as she gave me a knowing look and wink, leaving the sentence hanging with meaning.

  I smiled at her, but my smile quickly waned.

  I needed to tell Inara the truth about who I actually was, but just the thought of revealing my secret to her caused my heart to ache. We had all been lying to her for so long I wasn’t sure if she would be able to forgive any of us for our subterfuge. I knew she would be angry after learning the truth, but I had no way of knowing how long it would take her to forgive me, if she ever did. She was fiercely loyal to Queen Emma, and that loyalty might prevent us from ever developing a genuine relationship with one another. Inara would probably always view me as an imposter, or worse, a ghost of her best friend, forever haunting her days.

  “What’s wrong, Em?” Inara asked, bringing me out of my silent reverie.

  I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m just worried about Dena is all.”

  “You shouldn’t worry about her,” Inara said confidently. “Gabriel would protect her with his own life, if it came to that. Plus, she’s in the most fortified location in Iron City. Nuala would be crazy to attack the school considering the magic those kids have.”

  “We’re not all children,” Able pointed out, standing a bit taller to emphasize his point.
/>   “Sorry. I should have said ‘present company excluded,’ ” Inara apologized, giving Able an admiring sideways glance. “I didn’t meant to suggest that you were only a boy. You’re definitely a man, but you have to admit, you’re one of the few adults still at the college.”

  “Age does not directly correlate with magical ability,” Dracen pointed out to Inara. “I would wager there are some very powerful mages at the college who are quite young. Possibly too young and reckless to be of any use to us in this war, though.”

  “Hopefully, the Royal Sage has selected a few who are mature enough to do what needs to be done,” I said. “I’m sure she understands the capabilities of her students better than anyone else.”

  “Isabelle struck me as a very intelligent woman,” Dracen agreed with a nod. “I’m sure she knows which talents will be most useful to us. Able has certainly proven his worth on this mission thus far.”

  “Thank you, Master Dracen,” Able said humbly, bowing at the waist slightly to his elder for the generous compliment.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve had any visions of late,” I said to Able, desiring some sign of hope that we would come out victorious in the war we were preparing to wage.

  “I have, but I don’t understand it at all,” Able replied, looking perplexed by his vision. “I keep seeing an elderly woman.”

  “From the way you said that, am I right in assuming you don’t know who this woman is?” I asked.

  Able shook his head in dismay. “I’ve never seen her in my life, Your Majesty. And I’m afraid I lack the skill to draw a likeness of her that would be recognizable as more than anything but a stick figure.”

  “Was there anything in your vision that might indicate why she is important? Or if she’s important to us or the Fae?” Fallon asked.

  “I’m afraid not,” Able confessed. “But sometimes my visions come in bits and pieces. I’m hoping I’ll see something else soon that will help explain what role she plays in the future. My gut tells me that she will be important to both the Fae and us. I just can’t tell you how or why.”

  “Well,” I said, unable to hide my disappointment in the lack of information from Able’s vision, “I’m sure it will all become clear soon. Right now, I think we should all focus on our return to Iron City and the work which faces us once we get there.”

  When we exited the mountain through the marble entryway, Seneca was lying in the snow with Aurora fluttering eye level in front of her father.

  “I promise you that I will find out what Tyr did to make your mother go mad, little one,” Seneca said with conviction and an underlying anger. “I will avenge her death when the opportunity presents itself.”

  “I would like to know what made her attack Sarah and Fallon,” Aurora admitted. “As for revenge, I will leave that to you, Father. I fear my size would only be a hindrance in aiding in such an endeavor.”

  “It is my place to seek justice for whatever was done to her,” Seneca said ominously. “Trust me, Aurora. I will make sure those who harmed your mother will pay for what they did.”

  Seneca directed his gaze towards me as I walked out onto the mountaintop.

  “Your chosen companion is here,” he announced to Aurora, even though such an acknowledgment of my presence was unnecessary.

  Aurora was fully aware of my presence at all times through the connection we shared.

  My little dragonling turned in midair to face me. As I walked up to Seneca, Aurora met me halfway to take her place on my shoulder. It made me realize how natural it felt to have her perched there, and how much I would miss her closeness once she grew too large to sit there comfortably.

  “We will always be together, Sarah,” Aurora promised, sensing my melancholia. “In this life and in the next.”

  “Are the other dragons comfortable in the valley Vincent and I picked out?” I asked Seneca.

  “Yes,” Seneca replied, “everyone is pleased with the accommodations.”

  “After we reach Iron City and speak with the other leaders of Vankara,” I said, “we will come up with an attack plan to gain control of the Fae capital city. Dracen also intends to make us talismans that will allow us to travel back here when we have something to communicate.”

  “We will be awaiting your orders,” Seneca replied with a slight bow of his head to me. “And I know it isn’t possible right now, but when you return to tell us what it is you want us to do, could you come to the valley and meet with the others who have come to help you? I think they would appreciate the kindness.”

  “Of course.” I felt a deep pang of guilt for not having the time to show the others my gratitude. I should have thought to do it when they first arrived instead of taking a nap.

  “You were tired, Sarah,” Aurora gently reminded me in an effort to ease my guilt. “You had just used your magic for the first time. It wasn’t the most opportune moment to entertain guests.”

  “Still, I wish I had tried,” I replied before returning my attention back to Aurora’s father. “Please let the others know how much I appreciate them coming here to help us. I’m sure our efforts to take back Iron City would fail without your aid.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Seneca said, narrowing his eyes on me. “I believe we will expedite the matter faster than you could have on your own, but I doubt you would have ever given up on regaining control of your city, no matter how long it might have taken. Sometimes, persistence is just as effective in a war as might.”

  “Nevertheless, I want to make sure the others know how much I appreciate them. As soon as I am able, I will return to tell them that in person.”

  Seneca stood up. “We will be awaiting your return. I look forward to seeing you again, Aurora, and wish you safe travels.”

  “Thank you, Father.”

  Seneca stretched out his wings and began sweeping them back and forth, causing the snow to whirl around us. As Aurora and I observed his departure, I could feel her yearning to spend more time with him.

  “When things are less hectic, perhaps we can go back to the dragon islands for a longer visit,” I suggested.

  “Oh, could we, Sarah?” her desire for such a thing clearly etched in her voice.

  “I will make sure that we do,” I promised.

  As I walked us over to where Inara had anchored the airship, I found Fallon waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the traveling compartment. He held a crooked arm out to me.

  “Is everything all right with the dragons?” he asked as I took hold of his arm.

  “Yes,” I replied, walking beside Fallon up the stairs. “Though, I feel like an extremely bad hostess for just leaving them here to fend for themselves.”

  Fallon smiled. “I don’t think you have to worry about them. They seem fully capable of taking care of themselves.”

  When we entered the traveling compartment, only Dracen was present.

  “Is Able in the control room with Inara?” I asked, on the off chance that he was merely using the bathroom.

  “Yes,” Dracen told me. “I thought we might need this time to talk about what happened to you.”

  Fallon pulled up the stairs and secured the outer door. Inara was apparently waiting for this to happen, because as soon as the door was closed, the airship began to move away from Ledmarrow towards Iron City.

  Fallon and I sat down on the settee while Dracen took a seat in the wingback chair across from us.

  “Why didn’t you warn me that I had magical abilities?” I asked Dracen, not accusingly, just curious.

  Dracen lowered his gaze from mine as his brow furrowed, showing his concern over the matter.

  “Honestly,” he said in a quiet voice, “I was hoping you would never have to deal with your powers.” He lifted his gaze to look at me pleadingly. “Please, believe me when I say that my actions were only ever meant to protect you.”

  “Trill told me that when I was Kira, I never knew I had powers either. How is that possible? Didn’t I ever question i
t?”

  “Of course you did,” Dracen sighed heavily, “but your mother and I were able to wield a spell to bind your gifts.”

  “Why would you want to do such a thing?”

  Dracen leaned back against his chair and simply stared at me for a while before he answered. “I didn’t want you to end up like me. I didn’t want you to feel as though you had to cut yourself off from the world in order to live a full life.”

  “Are your powers that terrible?” I asked, not completely sure I wanted to know the answer.

  “They can be.”

  I fell silent, thinking over what I knew so far.

  “Trill said we had the power to destroy worlds,” I said. “I was able to make the mountains tremble because of my anger against Tyr. What will happen if I find myself in a similar situation and end up losing control of my temper?”

  “I have no way of knowing for certain. …”

  “Then,” I had to swallow hard before finishing my thought, “can you tell me what the worst case scenario might be?”

  “Do you honestly want to hear it?” Dracen asked, a warning in his voice that I might not want to know the truth.

  “I have to know,” I replied.

  “I have no way to prove this, of course,” Dracen said, “but there have been instances in my life where I felt as though I could tear this world asunder with just one malicious thought. My power, and yours, it would seem, comes from the Earth itself. We are able to harness the energy that keeps this planet revolving around the sun. Not only can we draw power from the core of the planet itself, but we can also control gravity, Sarah.”

  I allowed myself some time to think over Dracen’s words before asking, “And my brother, Orin … or Adam Bellas … I’m not sure what to call him now. What is the etiquette in such a situation?”

  Dracen shrugged his shoulders. “It all depends on the shifter, but most normally adopt the name of the person they shifted into.”

  “Except for me,” I added in quietly.

  “You’ve simply decided to keep the identity of the last person who made you feel whole, Sarah. There’s no shame in that. I’m sure the real Queen Emma would have understood.”