by SJ West
Thaddeus began to say something but ended up sputtering as if words were failing him.
Finally, he looked at me scathingly and said, “I expected better from you, Queen Emma.”
With those words, Thaddeus stormed out of the room, leaving the three of us alone.
“I can’t believe you just lied like that to your father,” I said to Inara, still feeling flushed from the excitement of it all. I stood in complete shock and awe of how quickly Inara came up with her plausible lie. Had she already considered the possibility that her father would try to force a marriage to Aleksander on me? Queen Emma had certainly chosen a woman worthy of best friend status. It was obvious to me now that Inara would never divulge my true identity to anyone and disgrace the legacy of her lost friend.
Inara shrugged her shoulders. “My father can be a big bully when he doesn’t get his way. Someone had to put him in his place. Besides, Em would have wanted you and Fallon to be happy. I doubt she ever thought the two of you would fall in love, but I think she would approve of the match. Besides, there’s no way I could stand having Chromis at the palace all the time. Maybe he’ll finally leave you alone and find someone else to annoy.”
“Well, Sora is a widow now,” I said, considering Aleksander’s other options for a royal match. “And she is quite attractive. Maybe I can introduce them to one another after this war is over.”
“That might not be a bad plan,” Inara said with an approving smile. “Who knows, maybe they’ll even fall in love.”
I looked over at Fallon. “I guess this makes it official. You’ll have to marry me now just to make an honest woman out of me.”
“What will Gabriel think about this?” Fallon asked, looking worried about our friend. “How is he going to feel knowing that everyone in the world thinks his son is mine?”
“I’ll explain things to him,” I said. “He’ll understand.”
“For your sake, I hope he does.”
Fallon and Inara left shortly afterwards. I hated to see them go, but I knew we all had things that needed to be done. I went back to Gabriel’s room, but found him still sleeping. I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself, so I grabbed the extra pillow from Gabriel’s bed and lay down on the couch.
I wasn’t even aware that I had fallen asleep until I felt someone touch my shoulder.
I opened my eyes and found Gabriel standing beside me. Aurora was curled up on my stomach sleeping but quickly awoke and clambered up my chest to resume her position on my shoulder as I sat up.
“Sorry to wake you,” Gabriel said, “but I thought it might be better if we left as soon as possible. I’m not sure how much time has passed. There isn’t a clock in here.”
“You were right to wake me. We should get back to let everyone know that you’re all right. I’m sure your mother is worried about you.” I stood up. “Do you need anything from here before we go?”
“No. Let’s just get this over with.”
I was sure Gabriel’s statement was referring to his first meeting with Tyr. I too was curious to find out what would happen when the two of them finally came face to face with each other.
I took hold of Gabriel’s arm and held onto my pendant, all the while visualizing Vincent in my mind.
It was easy to know when we had teleported. The salty smell of the ocean and the gust of wind accompanying the sound of crashing waves onto the shore were bracing. When I opened my eyes, I found us standing beside Vincent as he looked out to sea as if he were contemplating the state of the world.
“Ahh, it’s good to see you looking so much better, Gabriel,” Vincent said. “Your mother has been very concerned about your welfare.”
“Where is she?” Gabriel asked.
Vincent turned his head to look behind him. “She is sitting over by the campfire with Dracen.”
Gabriel turned to look in that direction. “I should go to her.”
“I’ll be there in just a minute,” I said. “I just want to ask Vincent something first.”
I watched Gabriel walk away. Once he was by the camp, I asked Vincent, “Where is Tyr?”
“Gregoire and Seneca are keeping watch over him down there.” Vincent nodded his head to the left, indicting the direction of the others. I turned to follow his gaze and saw Gregoire and Seneca sitting on either side of a prone Tyr on the beach.
“I’m worried about Gabriel being bound to a dragon like him. Will Tyr be able to change the way Gabriel thinks? Will his own feelings begin to merge with Gabriel’s?”
“I suppose that depends on Gabriel,” Vincent said. “If he can be so easily swayed, then yes, Tyr’s beliefs may very well become his own. But if he is strong enough to retain his own set of values, then Tyr will simply be an irritating voice that is heard but not believed.”
“I think Gabriel is strong enough to remain his own person.”
“Then there is nothing for you to worry about,” Vincent reassured me.
“But they’ll be together for a lot of years,” I said. “Over time, will Gabriel become as bitter as Tyr?”
“Perhaps the opposite will occur,” Vincent suggested. “The bond goes both ways, Sarah. It’s quite possible that Tyr will slowly adopt some of Gabriel’s thoughts and feelings. Who knows? Maybe Gabriel will be the one who saves Tyr from himself.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” I admitted, finding a new sense of hope from the union.
“Miracles have been known to happen,” Vincent said jokingly, yet there wasn’t a lot of optimism in his voice that this outcome would actually take place.
“Sarah,” Vincent said hesitantly. He glanced in my direction but quickly turned his head away to look out onto the horizon before continuing. “What Seneca and I did to those dragons … you understand that it had to be done, don’t you? We couldn’t allow them to escape and report that we are here.”
“Yes, I understand why you had to kill them,” I said. “Causalities are a part of war. I’ve come to terms with that fact.”
“I was worried you would think less of me because of what you witnessed.”
“If anything, I think more of you, Vincent. I know ending a life goes against your nature, but you did what had to be done. I assume Dracen has told you by now what our plans are for Karis. I know that ending one life for the possibility of saving hundreds is a risk worth taking. Will you think any less of me after I kill Karis?”
“Of course not,” Vincent said, turning his head to look back at me. “It’s something that has to be done, and he is not a man who deserves your mercy.”
“No, he isn’t,” I agreed. The fact that Karis had killed for power should be reason enough for his imminent demise, yet, he was still human. I would be ending his life, and that would make me a killer no matter how justified my actions might be.
“Gabriel is going to Tyr,” Vincent notified me.
I turned to see Gabriel walking by himself away from Lanai and Dracen towards the shore where Tyr was lying in the sand.
“Should I go or should I stay out of it?” I asked Vincent.
“You should go,” Vincent urged. “He may need you.”
I immediately started walking down the shore towards the others.
As Gabriel walked up to Tyr, I kept my distance behind him in case he needed me.
Tyr didn’t look much better than when Gregoire and Seneca had carried him off. His wounds had stopped bleeding, but he still looked horribly beaten up. I did notice that someone had attempted to tend to his wounds. There was a yellow poultice of some sort covering his wings and the other slash marks across his torso. I could only assume Lanai was attempting to help him. He was, after all, the dragon who was now bound to her son. If Tyr died, Gabriel would too, and that wasn’t something any of us wanted.
Tyr must have sensed Gabriel’s presence because he opened his eyes and lifted his head until he and Gabriel were staring at each other.
“Hello, human,” Tyr said derisively.
“Why would you doom us
both like this?” Gabriel asked his dragon companion.
“At the time, it was the only way I could ensure my own survival,” Tyr said wearily. “I don’t like it either, but there’s nothing that can be done about it now. One of us will have to die in order for the bond to be broken.”
“What makes you believe I won’t kill myself just to end your life?”
Involuntarily, I gasped at Gabriel’s suggestion.
Tyr directed his gaze towards me. “You won’t kill yourself because you want to make sure she’s protected.”
“She would be a lot safer if you were dead,” Gabriel said with certainty. “You’ve orchestrated everything from the plagues to this war. If I kill you, everything ends.”
Tyr chuckled. “If only it were that simple, little human. Even if you killed yourself to kill me, Nuala and Karis would carry out what has already been set into motion. They’re both hungry for power now and nothing but victory will satiate their thirst for supremacy.”
“Gabriel,” I said, unable to hold myself back, “I need you.”
“See?” Tyr said. “She needs you, and we both know that you would do anything for her. So don’t make empty threats to me that you have no will to follow through with.”
“What are you going to do with him?” Gabriel asked Gregoire.
“That is a decision that you will have to make,” Gregoire replied. “We can force him back home for imprisonment or you can keep him locked up somewhere. All I do know is that he can’t be allowed to go free.”
“I wouldn’t know where to keep him locked up,” Gabriel admitted.
“I might have an idea,” I said. “Nicole told us that Nuala keeps the dragon she is bonded to in the dungeon of the Fae palace. If it’s large enough for that dragon, surely it’s big enough for Tyr.”
“Maybe I should have just let you kill me,” Tyr said to Gregoire in disgust. “It would be better than living out the rest of my life in some dank dungeon.”
“It’s more than you deserve,” Gregoire said tersely. “Maybe time will temper your attitude.”
“I doubt it,” Tyr replied, laying his head back down on the sand. “Leave me, little human. I need to rest. Otherwise, we might both die sooner than either of us wants to.”
Gabriel studied Tyr for a little while longer before he turned around to walk back up to the campsite. I silently walked beside him. Neither of us said a word. I knew Gabriel would need some time to adjust to his bond to Tyr. I hoped he would be able to find a way to live with the new reality of his life.
Lanai looked at Gabriel expectantly.
“How did it go?” she asked hesitantly.
“As well as could be expected, I suppose,” Gabriel told her. “If you don’t mind, I would like some time alone to think about things.”
Lanai couldn’t prevent herself from looking crestfallen, but she said, “Of course.”
Gabriel walked away from us, and I couldn’t help but notice the physical action was also a mirror of his emotions as well. He was pulling away from us, and I wasn’t sure if there was anything I could do to stop that from happening.
“How are things in Iron City?” Dracen asked me, finding a way to change the subject. “Did you see Fallon while you were there?”
I spent a few minutes telling them both what little there was to tell. I didn’t mention what Inara did in front of Lanai. I decided to wait until Dracen and I were alone to divulge that part of my story to him. I had no way of knowing if Gabriel had told his mother about the baby yet. She would be the child’s grandmother, but if the world was going to be led to believe Fallon was the father, should she even be told the truth? Would that just cause more problems in the end? These questions made me realize that I needed to discuss things with Gabriel as soon as possible. We would need to decide what was best for the child I carried.
“I think you should teach me how to cast the spell to kill Karis,” I told Dracen. “I’m not sure how long it will take me to learn.”
As it turned out, it only took me a few tries to perfect the spell. Dracen had me practice it on inanimate objects such as bushes, rocks, and trees. To call on the power of the earth to swallow up a hundred-year-old tree was exhilarating in a dangerous way.
“I thought it would take me longer to learn this spell,” I admitted to Dracen. “It took me several tries to finally learn how to preserve an apple without blowing it up. How is it that I can cast a spell that kills more easily?”
“As I’ve said, our power leans towards the destructive. It’s simply easier for us to destroy things.”
“Does that fact scare you?”
“All the time.” Dracen admitted openly. “The power we wield is great and so is the responsibility that comes with it. You should never use it in anger though, Sarah. That’s when it’s the most dangerous. The more heightened your emotions are, the stronger your magic is. I think you experienced that the first time you felt it.”
“Yes. I think I could have crumbled Ledmarrow to rubble if Vincent hadn’t helped me bring it under control.”
“I have no doubt you could have,” Dracen said thoughtfully. The expression on his face seemed to indicate that my statement brought something to his mind.
“What?” I asked. “What are you thinking?”
Dracen shook his head and tried to smile. “Nothing for you to worry about. Now, let’s practice the spell a few more times just to make sure you’re comfortable with it.”
I knew it wasn’t the casting of the spell that would be hard for me. The real test of my mettle would be me using it on a living human being. It had been said several times by everyone that Karis deserved death. I just hoped I could follow through with it when the time came. It was easy enough to say that I could kill him, but to actually do it might be more difficult than I imagined.
When Dracen and I returned to camp, Nicole was there with Lanai and Thomas cooking fish over an open fire.
Nicole stood when we approached. “Lanai told me you were learning a spell. I didn’t know you had magic, Your Majesty.”
“Me neither,” Thomas said, looking up at me in awe.
“I just discovered that I did,” I told her, seeing no reason to lie about that part of it. “We’ve been keeping it quiet for now.”
“And you’re going to use a spell to kill this Karis that Nuala left in charge of the city?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “That’s the plan.”
“Then do you think the Fae will even put up a fight if their leader is dead?”
“We hope they won’t. If they accept Lanai as their new leader, there’s a good chance we won’t have to fight until Nuala sends reinforcements from Iron City. At least, that’s what we’re counting on her to do. Those troops will be coming to retake the capital for Nuala. I don’t think there will be any negotiating with them. We’ll be forcing her to fight the war on two fronts, leaving her weakened on both.”
“Divide and conquer,” Nicole said. “It’s how a lot of wars have been won in the past. I don’t see why it won’t work in this situation.”
I looked around the campsite. “Has Gabriel returned?”
“No,” Lanai told me. She didn’t even attempt to hide her worry for her son. “Do you think I should go find him?”
It wasn’t a hard question for me to answer. “No. Let him come back on his own. When he’s ready to talk, he’ll find us.”
The conversation around the campfire was kept to a minimum. We each had our own thoughts and worries to mull over. By the time we were through eating and had cleaned up, I asked to be excused. I was bone tired from the day’s events and all I wanted to do was sleep. Almost as soon as I lay down on my palette inside my tent, I drifted off.
The next few days were odd ones for me. There wasn’t much for us to do but sit and wait for the fleets to arrive. Gabriel kept to himself for the most part. He seemed to purposely avoid the area where Tyr was being kept under constant guard, only venturing there occasionally. Gabriel did seek me out one night to
tell me that Tyr never told Nuala or Karis about my powers.
“Why do you think he didn’t tell them?” I asked.
“From what I understand,” Gabriel said, “he shares very little with them. They might be helping him with his plans, but they’re still human. He hates all humanity, even if they’re his allies.”
Cautiously, I said, “And I assume he hates you most of all.”
“You assume right.”
Having delivered his findings, Gabriel retreated back into the woods and solitude.
While we were waiting for our troops to arrive, I ended up forming a friendship with Runa. Since she was one of the record-keepers of dragon history, her mind was a treasure trove of stories.
“How bad was the war that split the dragons?” I asked her one day. “Were you alive during it?”
“Yes,” Runa told me. “And it was a horrible thing to witness. I’m surprised Gregoire and Tyr survived it. If Tyr hadn’t left, I’m sure one of them would have ended up dead. Thankfully, more dragons disagreed with Tyr than agreed. I think that’s the only reason he left on his own.”
“Did they always fight? Even when they were younger?”
“That’s the odd thing,” Runa said with a note of sadness, “they were very close as young dragonlings. Their love and devotion for one another was uncommon among siblings in our world.”
“What caused them to end up hating one another?”
“I believe it all started when Gregoire bonded with a human. Tyr couldn’t understand why his brother would purposely shorten his lifespan to match that of a human one.”
“Do you think that’s what caused Tyr to start hating humanity?”
“Undoubtedly. It was the impetus for everything that happened afterwards.”
I looked down at Runa’s shiny gold scale that marked her as one of the few immortal dragons in existence.
“How did you earn your immortality?” I asked Runa. “Or are you allowed to tell me?”
“There was once a red dragon who lived among us,” Runa began. “He was very arrogant and considered my faction of dragons a waste since we weren’t fighters. He didn’t see the value in keeping records of our history. One day, he came to our island to destroy everything that we have written down detailing history that stretched back for hundreds of years. When he came, I stood up to him, even though I knew he could kill me in one swipe of his claw. He did strike me, but it didn’t kill me, much to his surprise as well as my own. When I stood back up to fend him off again, we both saw that I had this gold scale on my chest.”
