I settled on the stone floor where I had been standing. Crossing my legs and closing my eyes, I focused my vision, searching for Celeste's thread. Hers were created of a myriad of color, much the same as mine, but in softer, more muted tones. Whereas my own were bold jewel tones, hers were more pastel, and in fewer shades. It was breathtaking.
Whether because we were related, or because our tapestries were so similar, I had no problem creating a strong bond. The strands wove effortlessly together, and it took only a few brief moments before I opened my eyes and grinned at her.
“Don't get up yet.” Yuri landed on my knee. “Your Highness, I request the gift of bonding with you as well. If it does not offend.”
She looked toward the floor, almost as if she were embarrassed to have asked. I reached out gently, lifting her chin so she looked at me once more.
“On one condition. No, make that two conditions.” I looked her at her sternly, almost feeling bad for teasing her as her expression became guarded. “One, you may never again treat me as if I am above you. We are equals, and I am grateful to have you here.”
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“And two, STOP CALLING ME YOUR HIGHNESS!” I laughed out loud as she put her hands on her tiny hips and glared at me.
“Try to boss me around, will you?!” The glint in her eye was the only warning I had before she lifted a tiny hand to her mouth and puffed a short burst of air in my direction.
Tiny sparkles rained down on my face, first causing me to sneeze repeatedly, and then igniting uncontrollable laughter. Her wings fluttered as she hovered above me while I giggled until my ribs ached. I could hear everyone else laughing in the background, and at first, I assumed she had gotten them as well. Then I realized they were all laughing at me!
“I'm … sorry … please … make it … stop!” I could hardly form an entire word, much less a coherent sentence.
As the giggles wound down, I took a deep breath and attempted to regain some semblance of my dignity.
Xavier leaned against the worktable, smirking in my direction. “Ev hasn't had any dealings with a wood sprite before,” he explained, nodding in Yuri's direction. “She has no idea what she's in for.”
Deciding that now was as good a time as any to pretend to establish the pecking order, I called up a tiny shield and encased her in the bubble. Laughing, I teased her.
“Not such hot stuff now, are you?”
She just smirked at me, and Xavier, Taryk, and Celeste all backed further away. I had a moment of concern at their reaction but held my ground. She raised her tiny little hands, facing her palms in my direction, and I could see her mouthing words, although she did not say them out loud.
I laughed at the look of surprise on her face when nothing happened. She stuck her tongue out at me from inside her little prison, and I smiled, releasing her.
“Are we even?” I asked, reaching out to shake on it.
“Oh no,” she shook her little head emphatically. “We are not even. However, I shall wait until you do not expect retaliation before I pounce.” She tried to look menacing, but her eyes were smiling, and I knew in that moment I had found a valuable friend.
Chapter Four
Yuri and I cemented our bond, and it surprised me how earthy her threads were. Varying shades of brown and green were the prevalent colors, and strands of blue occasionally appeared. I learned more about soul tapestries with each one I encountered.
All of us with physical bodies were starving and headed to the kitchen to eat while Celeste completed her spell to move the binding from the study to the bracelet. Then we planned to test it to ensure she really could go anywhere the bracelet went before binding it to my wrist.
The three of us took turns on catching Yuri up with more details of all that had been going on since she had been lying dormant in the vault. We also laid out a tentative plan of how to complete the most pressing tasks.
“Most importantly, I need to learn how to create portals, so we can safely visit two places. First, the scribe chateau in Myntas, so my invocation can be performed. Second, the ancestral castle in Amarys, to find the hidden room and the items Father left for me. Anything else that needs to be added to the priority list?”
“While we are in Amarys, if we can make contact with my family, they will no doubt have excellent intel on what the mage has been up to there.” Yuri looked thoughtful as she paced the tabletop.
“I think we will have to take stock of the situation before we decide whether to leave the safety of the castle. The woods surrounding it have no protections, and we will be vulnerable to attack once we leave the castle walls.” Xavier looked concerned at the very suggestion.
“I agree, that is something we will need to decide after we get the lay of the land, so to speak.” Taryk also seemed unnerved by the prospect.
“Your high- ahem, Everleigh?” She made a face as if she choked on the very words leaving her mouth but managed to catch herself before completing the phrase.
I laughed a little at her displeasure but acknowledged her effort. “Yes?”
“You should have no trouble creating a portal since you wear the ring. Have you tried it yet? The ring was blessed by the greatest master of portals that ever lived.”
I frowned at the reminder that I had, indeed, attempted to make one, but was unsuccessful. Which I let Yuri know.
“First, you must awaken the ring. Its powers have been lying dormant for many years. It is a simple spell, but one that must be performed by you alone, since you will be the one to wield its power. I will teach you the spell when we return to the study.”
I felt a little better knowing there was an explanation aside from my own incompetence that had prevented me from creating the portal during my earlier experiment.
We finished the meal, brainstorming the items we would need to take with us on our journey to the other realms. Yuri was a consistent source of enjoyment, teasing and joking throughout the conversation.
Returning to the study, we found Celeste smiling her satisfaction. “It is done.”
Picking up the bracelet from the worktable, I headed to the front of the cabin to see if she could now leave the study. She hovered alongside me for the entire walk down the hall, which she had not been able to do since she bound herself to the study.
“I have not seen these rooms in centuries. The structure itself has not changed.” She floated toward the window. “How I have missed the view of the falls.”
I stood silently and waited for her to have her moment. I couldn't fathom what it must have been like to wait centuries in the study, remaining unknown. She had zero social interaction for all that time and must have been so lonely. My heart swelled with gratitude for what she had endured in order to be here for me.
Again, I contemplated the number of people who had begun preparing for my battle long before I had even been born. My mother spent her entire life preparing for mine. There were people who gave their magic over so I may inherit it. People who sacrificed their autonomy to be my guide, like Yuri. Celeste gave up her eternal rest to wait for me. My father spent the years before his death gathering items that would help me to be successful. And there was a good chance that there were others I didn't even know about yet. It was mind boggling.
Celeste turned to me, and we headed to the study so the planning could continue. I was in a hurry to get this show on the road.
Yuri pounced the moment we walked in the door. “Let’s awaken the ring, so you will be able to create the portals we need to travel. Taryk and Xavier have filled me in while you were absent, and I believe the time we have to prepare is running short.”
She had made it a quarter of the way down the stone hallway to the training room before she had even finished the sentence. I followed, grinning, as the boys hastened to catch up.
I removed the ring, holding it in the palm of my hand, as she instructed me on how to wake the powers held within.
“Close your eyes. Attempt to identify the esse
nce of the ring. It is not alive, and does not have a soul, so it will not be the same as identifying a thread and weaving it with yours. Open your heart, and let it find you. It is meant for you, and the magic will call to you, but it will be so very softly at first. Even though it has no soul, it is almost sentient. It will only join you if it feels you are deserving of its power.”
Closing my eyes, I held it, waiting for some inkling of the action I should take next. All I could hear was silence, aside from the shuffling of feet as the guys waited anxiously for a sign that whatever I was doing was working. I tried to tune them out, but they began whispering as they waited.
Opening my eyes, I glared at them pointedly. “I think the two of you should wait in the living room. Grab the bracelet so Celeste can go with you if she wants. I can't think with the racket you two are making.”
“Racket?” Xavier got only that one word out before Yuri was on him, chasing them off.
“She said OUT. Go.”
I noticed that when she got extremely worked up, she gave off a golden-green glow. Her tiny hands shooed them out almost as fast as her wings fluttered, and I couldn't help but smile. That little lady was a force to be reckoned with, and I was pleased to have her on my side.
I settled myself on the floor, and she, in turn, situated herself on my knee. “Try again. You can do it.”
Closing my eyes once more, I did my best to still my mind and allow my intuition to guide me. Unfortunately, my intuition seemed to be on vacation, because I was getting absolutely nothing.
Minutes dragged on as I tried to catch a hint of the “essence” I had been instructed to feel for. I looked at Yuri and frowned.
“Maybe it's broken? I am getting nothing. At all. No hint, or whisper, or even a whiff.”
She shook her head and put her hands on her hips. “Nope. Not broken. You just need to focus. Try again.”
Wrinkling my forehead at her sassy demand, I did as I was told. Not that it made a difference. I still couldn't feel anything.
I flopped backward, stretching out on the training mat. I was frustrated and getting cranky. “You know what?”
She glanced at me, brows raised, but said nothing.
“Maybe I need to be wearing the ring. Maybe it needs to feel my essence.”
I didn't wait for her response, I just tried it. Once the ring settled into place on my hand, I opened my mind, but instead of trying to draw the ring in, I pushed myself outward. I offered the aura of my spirit instead.
Almost immediately, I could feel the whispers of the power held within the stone. Yuri was silent, and I just kind of allowed myself to float there, not asking for anything, just waiting. I knew the exact moment the ring had accepted me by the power and knowledge that suddenly existed in my brain.
I scramble to get off the floor, almost mowing over Yuri in the process. “Oh! I'm sorry!” I slowed, chagrined, but she just laughed her merry little laugh.
“Something tells me you may have figured it out. I told you, you could do it.” She smirked at me, and I made a sassy face back.
“Let’s make a portal into the living room and surprise the guys.” I held up my hand to begin, when she planted herself in front of it.
“Hold on there, missy. Portals require a huge energy output. They are not as easy as they seem. It will take some practice to perfect the skill.”
“Okay, I get it. I'm going to start practicing right now.” Ever so confidently, I lifted my hand and allowed the intuition I gleaned from the ring to take the lead.
The portal opened on the first try and I could see into the living room where the guys were sitting, and Celeste stood by the window. Throwing a smug look in her direction, I stepped toward it, but lost my concentration. The portal snapped shut, and I bounced off, landing on my butt with a thud.
Yuri fluttered directly above my face, eyebrows raised and expression smug. “I see you didn't bother to hold it open long enough to get through.”
“What happened to it?” I didn't understand where I had gone wrong. It opened so effortlessly.
“As I tried to tell you before. Naturally occurring portals just need to be accessed. You expend energy to open them, pass through, then expend more energy to close them. When you are creating your own portal, you must power it constantly. Once they are opened you must focus on holding them open long enough to get from one side to the other. They only exist as long as you are consciously willing them to do so.”
My head already ached from the effort of opening the portal the first time, but there was no way I was going to walk down the hallway to get to the living room. I could create a portal, and I was going to use it.
To keep my surprise from the guys, I elected to make a portal to the study as practice. Opening it was smooth sailing, just like the first time. And just like the first time the opening closed itself within seconds of appearing.
At the rate this particular skill was sapping my energy, we had better not ever need two in a row in a hurry. I already questioned my ability to even hold one long enough for all of us to make it through. I kept trying, and they kept closing on their own.
As usual, my stubbornness prodded me to try again. This time I held it open for a count of ten, which I figured would get us all through if we were quick. But the effort cost me, and I sank to the floor as my knees buckled underneath me.
Looking at Yuri, I sighed. “I don't know how I can do this more than once without using up most of my energy.”
“Practice. You must build up endurance just as with every other skill. Because opening portals across longer distances requires even more energy.”
Of course, it did. Struggling to my feet, I grimaced. Yuri positioned herself at head height in front of me and rubbed her hands together. Opening them she blew on her palms, and a silvery dust floated through the air, right into my face. I coughed, then sneezed just like the dust that had made me laugh. But this time, after taking a deep breath, I realized I no longer felt so tired.
“It is only temporary, but it will help.”
“Thank you.” I faced the wall giving me the shortest path to the living room and opened the portal. Yuri didn't hesitate to zip through, and I was right behind her, needing only a single step to pass through.
Both guys looked up in surprise, and Celeste smiled her serene smile. I had done it.
“Ev! You did it. I can't believe it.” Xavier threw his arms around me in a hug.
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” I chided him.
“You know what I mean.” He just kept grinning at me. “You know I'm proud of you, baby sister.”
“Hmm... Thanks to Yuri, I have energy left over. I say we each grab the things we will need to take with us and pack them up. We need to get ready and get on our way. Time isn't going to slow down while we piddle around here.”
Taryk shrugged as Yuri nodded in agreement. Xavier just smiled. “I think you are the only one who needs to gather anything other than weapons. Taryk and I will head to the training room and decide which ones we need to take. We will find supplies in the castle, and I am sure the chateau will have some as well. Celeste obviously doesn't need anything. Yuri, you good?”
“Yes, I will take Everleigh to the vault to grab a couple of other things, and then we will be ready.”
Yuri and I entered the vault as the boys continued down the walkway to the training room. I had grabbed my backpack on the way in, so we would have someplace to store the stuff we picked up. Hopefully, it would be big enough.
First thing I grabbed was the leather holsters for my daggers since we had left them lying over a crate after finding them. I would need to change my clothes before I put them on.
I was wearing the ring, and Xavier would tighten the bracelet for me before we left. I couldn't imagine anything else I would need to take with me, but I also hadn't seen everything that occupied the room either.
Yuri pointed to the wardrobe chest holding the gowns. “Bring your tiara.”
“Wha
t? No. I don't need a tiara. We are preparing for war. Where on Earth would I wear a tiara? What else do I actually need?”
She flew into my face, poking me in the nose with her tiny finger. “Bring. The. Tiara. Wrap it in a shirt and put it in your pack if you must. But bring it. I was sent here to help you, Your Highness, and if you don't listen to me, I won't be much assistance.”
“Sheesh. Okay. Bossy much?” She just winked at me as I pulled it from its drawer.
She darted across the room, returning with one of the silk bags. “Take it out of its box and put it in this. Trust me, you will thank me later.”
She flew to the chest containing the loose gemstones, handing me another drawstring sack, this one teal velvet. “Can you open the chest, please?”
I did so, looking at her with curiosity. She flew inside and began handing me stones to put in the bag. Once the first was filled up she handed me another and began rummaging.
“Are you particularly attached to any of this jewelry?”
Shaking my head, I told her I wasn't. “I literally just learned they existed, and while they were a gift from the father I will never know, I assume he sent them here for a reason other than for me to play with.”
She nodded, continuing to dig. “You're pretty smart. We may travel through areas where gifts are required for safe passage. It is also a good idea to keep them on hand to use as tokens of goodwill. Many of the fairy kin in the realms love pretty, shiny things, and will be quick to join your plight if you offer them something.”
“I can't imagine anyone wouldn't want to help if the dark mage is as terrible as they say she is, but you grab whatever you think we need.”
She continued handing out items as she mumbled to herself, seeming to go through some sort of mental checklist. “Something a bit larger for the dragons...”
“I'm sorry, did you just say dragons?” I may have grown up on Earth, but we have all read the fairy tales about dragons. Huge, fire breathing creatures that can swallow a person in one gulp. Dark magic scared me, but the thought of being swallowed alive or roasted like a marshmallow absolutely terrified me. Perhaps I should just hang out here instead.
Invocation Page 3
