Invocation

by Tera Lyn Cortez

  I shook my head. “I am exhausted, but Yuri did it. She shoved the last one through, and saved Celeste too.”

  Xavier looked taken aback. “Celeste needed saving?”

  “I am eternally grateful I am bound to the bracelet. We just discovered exactly how far I can travel from it, no matter what the circumstance. I could feel the portal trying to drag me across, but my tie to the bracelet won the fight. I could not move one more inch away from it.”

  “Celeste was only a few feet from the portal, and I had one giant butthead refusing to cross. About the time I started to wonder if he was stronger than the call of the veil, Yuri came in and pushed him through. How did you do it?” I turned to look at her.

  She smiled. “My family has always had the ability to manipulate loose souls in a small way. Occasionally, we would run across wanderers who simply needed help. We did what we could to assist them to cross. I wasn't sure if I would be able to force one who didn't want to go, but because the veil was already calling to him, I just helped it along.”

  I sank to the dirt floor. “I need to rest and eat something before we do any more searching. I'm sure Taryk does too.”

  We all agreed a break was in order, and nobody wanted to take it on the other side of the door. Taryk rummaged around in his pack and brought out sandwiches and waters for each of us. I shared with Yuri, who had come to rest on my knee.

  We attempted to make small talk around bites of our sandwiches. Somehow, we all wanted to pretend we weren't eating on a dirty floor, directly outside the door of a torture chamber, as we searched for items in preparation for a war that would change our lives forever.

  I wanted nothing more than to curl up right here and take a nap, torture chamber right next door or not. But naps were a luxury I could no longer afford. Sighing, I finished the last of my sandwich and got to my feet. Time to resume our search.

  We filed through the door silently. I hesitated briefly, waiting for the barrage of pain and terror that had besieged me before. Thankfully nothing came. I took a few more steps into the room and paused, waiting to see if anything jumped out at me. Nothing did, so I moved to the area on my right, intending to work my way counterclockwise through the room.

  As I did so, I asked Xavier questions. “What is that pit for, and where does it lead to?

  He shook his head. “We were told it goes on forever, not that we ever tried to find out. It was used for disposal, mostly. We didn't get involved in this much, since we were just kids. We weren't actually allowed down here, for obvious reasons.”

  I knew better than to ask him disposal for what. At the wall between the second and third door, I hit pay dirt. The closer I got to it, the stronger the call became.

  “This is it, you guys.” I couldn't help but be excited that what we were looking for actually existed. Part of me had been afraid we were on a wild goose chase. They hurried over to stand by my side.

  I looked at Yuri. “Do you know how I am supposed to get in?”

  She nodded. “Place both your hands against the stones, palms open, fingers spread wide.”

  Following her instructions, I did exactly as she described. For good measure, I leaned against the wall, placing my forehead against the cool stones. I tried not to think about the horrors this particular wall had seen. It was only seconds before I heard a cracking sounds and felt the wall tremble. I stepped back, and we all waited with our breaths held.

  A section of wall shifted outward slightly, splitting in two along the mortar lines, then sliding to the side. The alcove revealed was not large. The shelf created out of the stone wall itself held three items, and a parchment with both the soul scribe crest and the one I assumed to be my father's imprinted on it in a wax seal.

  Reaching out, I took the scroll into my hands. As I did, the crest began to glow, and melted away. Unrolling it, I took in my father's handwriting once more, and read his message out loud.

  My darling daughter,

  If you have made it this far in your journey, I want you to know how proud I am of you already. The items you see before you are the only ones with the undisputed capability of defeating the dark mage. They were created from her own blood, collected at the time she was first imprisoned.

  The pendant has been spelled to reflect her magic. If you are wearing it, her spells will be reversed, reflecting back on her instead.

  The potion will temporarily null her magic. It must get on her skin. Even a single drop will have the intended effect. The vial is protected to be unbreakable, so you must remove the stopper to make use of it.

  Lastly, the dagger you see here will end her life. As the smith forged it in his fires, her own spelled blood was worked into the blade. Not only is it a spell that will turn her own blood to poison within her body once her skin has been pierced, the dagger will be drawn to her. The blood within the weapon will search out her body, as the blood within desires to be reunited with its origins. In hand-to-hand combat, you will be guided to the best strike. Should you have to throw it, it's aim will be true.

  You may also choose to bond the dagger to yourself. A single drop of your blood, and should you lose possession of it, it will return to your hand if you should call for it.

  Guard these items with everything you have available. I have no doubt she will continue to grow in power through the years, and you will need all the assistance you can get.

  I have faith in you. Go forth and prevail. Save the realms from her evil.

  He did not sign the letter. I stared at the items on the shelf in awe. Reaching out, I picked up the pendant first. The disc was hollow and filled with a dark, viscous liquid. I hoped it had been filled with a concoction other than her actual blood.

  The vial of potion was not large, and the liquid inside reminded me of green water. Thin and translucent. I tucked it into one of the small pockets on my jacket that had a zipper.

  Lastly, I picked up the dagger, pulling it from its sheath. It had been created from dark, monotone metal. The satin finish picked up the light, but there were no adornments. Compared to the pair I wore in my thigh holsters, this seemed bland and innocuous enough. I could feel the power within when I held it though, proving that things were not always what they seemed.

  In spite of my aversion to spilling my own blood, even a drop, I knew the best choice was to perform the ritual to bind it to me. I didn't believe it would prevent anyone else from using it, and I wanted to be sure I could always retrieve it, should the need arise.

  Holding it in my right hand, I quickly pricked my left thumb. Touching the dagger to the scarlet drop welling against my pale skin caused an instant response. The metal blade heated and sucked the drop of blood into itself. Following the contact it cooled immediately and I returned it to it's sheath.

  Taryk helped me affix this newest weapon to my belt, beside my daggers, and I looked at my group. We had made it through this portion of our journey. We successfully collected the items my father had hidden here for me.

  “Well, I believe we can consider this mission a success. Is there anything else we can think of that should be done here before we move on?”

  Everyone shook their heads, except for Yuri, who flew to the forefront of the group.

  “I have a suggestion, if I may?”

  “Of course, Yuri. What do you have in mind?”

  She flitted to and fro for a moment before speaking. “I believe we should consider making contact with my people, if they are still here. They will have valuable information about what surrounds the castle, and whether the dragons are still in existence here. If we are to return here for war, it would be in our best interest to begin preparing as soon as possible.”

  Immediately the others protested, talking over one another in their haste to explain why this idea could not happen.

  “STOP!” Throwing my hands up, I waited for each of them to calm down and quit running their mouths. “Yuri is right. We are going to need all the help we can get.”

  Celeste weighed in first
. “You should not leave the castle. Until you perform your invocation you are vulnerable. You have no heiress, and we cannot risk the scribe magic being released and then hijacked by the dark mage.”

  The others readily nodded at her assessment, but Yuri broke in.

  “I have a solution. As I mentioned before, this tunnel leads into the forest, directly to the heart of our territory. I suggest that I go and see what happens. Our warriors, if they are still on guard, may be ill-prepared if a group comes wandering out the tunnel which hasn't been used in centuries. Once I make contact, there will be two choices. Either I return to you, and we travel together to the safety of my homeland, or I return with a delegation of my people to the tunnel, and therefore the castle.”

  As much as I didn't want to send her out there all by herself, I knew that if anyone were to go, it should be her, and that none of us could risk leaving the castle. Logistics just needed to be figured out before she left.

  “What about the wards? Will she be able to return via the tunnel? I should not go out, but I am reluctant to bring anyone in either. Yuri, you have not been home in well over a century. How will you know which of your people are trustworthy?”

  “I am royalty. Our people cannot betray me, no matter how long I have been gone.” She looked absolutely certain.

  “But what if they have been possessed? What of the dark mage has some sort of magical hold on them? I know that sort of thing is possible.” I was terrified to have made this leg of the journey successfully, and then have it end in disaster because we trusted the wrong people.

  Xavier held up his hand. “When she returns, I will meet her at the place in the tunnel where the wards end. I will remain within the confines of the ward while I assess those with her. As she is royalty to her people, I am such to all this realm. I will be able to read their intentions. If they are safe, I will bring them to you. If they are not, I will help Yuri back into the ward and we will return to you alone. Then we can make decisions about what to do next.”

  I took a deep breath. “Unless you choose not to return, Yuri. I do not hold you responsible for any more of my journey. While I would love to have you, I imagine you must yearn to return to your people and your life here.” I chewed the inside of my cheek, tasting blood, as I waited for her response. I'd grown pretty attached to her in a very short while.

  She flew right up to my face, poking my nose with her tiny finger once again. “You are not getting rid of me that easily. I will follow you to the ends of the realm, if I can help you in any way.” She turned to fly toward the tunnel door, then turned quickly. “That is, if you want me to. I will stay here if that is your wish.”

  I couldn't help the huge grin I felt stretch across my face. “Go, do what you need to do, and get your butt back here. Pronto.”

  She answered with nothing but a matching grin and flew out the door Xavier had opened for her. I managed to stand still for all of five minutes after she had left, then the pacing began.

  “What should we be doing while we wait for her? Xavier what can you tell us about the subjects of this realm? Are there really dragons?”

  He smiled. “There are many in this realm. Too many to cram into one lesson. Yuri's people are the wood sprites. They have been responsible for the forests in this realm since its creation. Our families were always close, and I believe they will be strong allies if the dark mage has not taken them hostage or wiped them out entirely.”

  I shuddered at the thought. I'd be devastated if Yuri went in search of them only to find annihilation and ruin where her people once ruled.

  “There were dragons, many generations ago. I cannot say if they still exist, or whether they still inhabit our realm. If they did, the dark mage would have done her best to enslave them. Or massacre them if she couldn't bend them to her will. Dragons are fierce warriors, and not to be trifled with or taken lightly.”

  Now the shudder turned to fear. As I told Yuri, if something can eat me for a snack, I'm less than excited to encounter it. But I also knew we needed every ally that could be rounded up.

  “There are many other species of magical being here. The land surrounding the castle used to hold a small delegation from each as ambassadors of sorts. Many of them stayed even after my parents moved into the castle closer to town. My father still returned here to meet with them regularly. I do not know what has happened since the dark mage took over.” Xavier's face remained stoic, but I could hear the pain in his voice and feel his sorrow through our bond.

  Taryk, having been silent for most of our conversation, looked pensive. “What is the likelihood we can gather an army, and bring them inside the castle walls for safety? I bet this castle has everything needed to maintain a small population, if we can get it going again.”

  I turned to him in surprise. “That's a fantastic idea.” Looking at Xavier, I raised my brows. “Well, what do you think?”

  “Getting it going again would not be a problem. Keeping it secret would be the biggest obstacle. I would need to read the wards to see exactly how they are set up. If they are only for keeping people from entering the area, it would draw too much attention to have signs of life begin showing up where anyone could happen along and see it.”

  He had a point. A castle dormant for centuries could not suddenly come to life without arousing suspicions.

  “My understanding is that everything within the boundaries of the wards are suspended in time, for lack of a better explanation.” He continued thinking aloud. “That's why nothing became overgrown or deteriorated in any way. If we could alter the ward to create the illusion of remaining unchanged to anyone who looked at it, we might be able to get away with it.”

  He took up pacing, while I had returned to stand beside Taryk. I could feel him puzzling over the details in his head. We tossed ideas back and forth, working out a semblance of a plan while we waited. Celeste occasionally chimed in, but mostly floated the perimeter of the room.

  Finally, she interrupted. “I'm sorry, but I believe there is something that requires your attention.”

  The three of us turned our attention to her, curious.

  “What is it?” Taryk asked her.

  Before she could tell us, Yuri called to me through our bond. “Xavier, Yuri is returning.”

  He nodded and exited via the wooden door leading to the tunnel. My stomach tightened into a bundle of nerves. Meeting new people had always been difficult but learning of all these magical beings and adding them to my world took it to a whole other level.

  I'd gone back to pacing the room when Yuri and Xavier both sent a message along our bond. Xavier announced they were returning with a delegation. Yuri demanded I put on my tiara, and not argue with her. Her final command was to go along with the story line as they told it.

  I looked at Taryk, relaying the message. He nodded to me.

  “Better do it then. They probably have a reason for it.”

  I took off the backpack and rummaged through it, removing the bag that held the tiara. Settling it on my head, I felt a little silly. Why was I wearing a tiara with my leather outfit? I probably looked ridiculous.

  Taryk looked me over. “May I?”

  Before I knew what he wanted to do, my leather pants and jacket had changed just enough to look appropriate. They went from black to dark silver, and the top underneath turned to silk. The leather jacket morphed into a cloak, and even my boots got an upgrade.

  He handed me a clip, and Celeste instructed me to put my hair into a bun, then replace the tiara. Speechless from the transformation Taryk had pulled off, I did as I was told without arguing. I briefly, and humorously, wished the dungeon had a mirror available, but still thought I looked pretty fantastic from the view I had.

  Taryk smiled at me, and Celeste stood beaming. “It suits you, child,” she declared.

  Just like that, the time for adjustments had passed, because we heard voices coming down the tunnel.

  Chapter Eight

  “Stand still, my child,” Celes
te instructed me. “You are royalty here. I will clue you in through our bond if there are actions you need to take.” With that last message, she winked out of sight.

  I did my best to stand up straight, and “look royal” in spite of having no clue what it actually entailed. Taryk gave my hand one last squeeze as the door began to open, then stood by my side. Xavier entered first, having also adjusted his attire, followed by Yuri, who had donned a tiara herself somewhere along the line.

  Trying not to look surprised, I stood motionless and waited for them to take the lead. Following Yuri were four other wood sprites, one of whom looked to be ancient.

  Yuri placed herself between the other sprites and myself. “Grandma, this is Princess Everleigh, King Oseron's only living daughter. Your Highness, our monarch, Queen Flora of the realm of Amarys.”

  “Nod your head as regally as possible in her direction. To welcome her.” Celeste's voice rang softly through my head, and I did my best.

  “Welcome, Queen Flora. Thank you for coming.”

  Internally freaking out, I did my best to appear outwardly calm. Nobody warned me ahead of time I would have to pretend to be royalty. I hadn't prepared for this.

  “My child, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Your father apprised me of your impending birth so many years ago.”

  Even her voice sounded old, and I couldn't guess at how long she had been alive. Knowing she was Yuri's grandmother gave me an extra layer of security and helped me to trust her motives for being here.

  Her gentle smile put me even more at ease, and I allowed myself to relax just a smidgen. I had great hopes that we would be able to work together.

  Looking into my eyes, she continued. “Your father believed that you would be the only one capable of defeating the dark mage. I, for one, believe he was right. In his day, he and I were allies, close friends and confidants. It pained me so to lose him.”