Invocation

by Tera Lyn Cortez

  Filling her in briefly, she about crash landed when Taryk informed her our newest resident was a magically altered redcap goblin.

  “What?” That sprite had the ability to shriek at decibels that would probably make most human eardrums bleed, and mine protested every time.

  Once the ringing had ceased, I answered her calmly. “I stripped him of his magic, and he will live in the dungeon until the dark mage has been disposed of. After that, I will free him to return to whatever life he wishes to live.”

  Xavier exited the staircase a moment later, followed by Banli, effectively cutting off any argument Yuri may have been preparing. Surprised to see him, I stood in greeting.

  “Your Highness, I have come from a conference with the dragons.”

  Xavier pulled up a couple more chairs, and invited Banli to sit. I tried not to show just how nervous I had become at the very mention of the awesome creatures.

  Once we were seated, he began to relay the message.

  “The dragons are not opposed to assisting with the war against the dark mage. However, before they will commit, they have one request, and it is non-negotiable.”

  My stomach took a nose dive. My only knowledge of dragons came from the fairy tales we had on Earth, and none with a request.

  Banli turned to me. “They request an audience with you.”

  “What?” My high-pitched squeak probably rivaled Yuri's. Oh no, no, no. Nope.

  My panicked inner dialogue was gently interrupted by Taryk's smooth voice in my head. His advice? Just listen to the gnome, and then we could work out what we decided to do. No need to panic before we knew exactly what they required of us.

  Xavier responded, calm and collected as always. “They are always welcome here at the castle. Any time they wish to come, we would welcome them.”

  I shot him a grateful glance. Thank goodness I would have everybody else with me.

  Then Banli continued. “They have no desire to leave the safety of their hiding place. They wish for her to come to their lair. Alone. As soon as possible. They believe that time is short.”

  Taryk spoke first. “I'm sorry, but that is impossible.” His vice was flat and left no room for argument. “Everleigh cannot leave the protected grounds of the castle. It would put her at risk for attack and possible capture. If that were to happen, the war would be over before it even began. It could plunge the realms into centuries of darkness.”

  Banli held up his hand. “We are willing to allow the Chosen to create a portal directly into our hidden home. From there, we will lead her to the dragons. The dragon wards extend to our lands. She would simply move from one warded place to the next.”

  Taryk spoke in my head as I pretended to ponder the situation. “This is unprecedented. Their homes are so strongly warded, none could ever break them. Portals into or out of them are strictly forbidden for their safety and seclusion.”

  “I'm sorry, but there is a problem. I can only create a portal to a place I have seen before. The only time I have been able to create one to a new place was by viewing the place we were going through the shared memories of someone I am bonded to.

  “Perhaps you and Banli could create a bond?” Xavier suggested.

  He shook his head. “I am sorry, Chosen, please do not take offense, but such things are against our very nature.”

  “None taken.” We seemed to be at a stalemate. There was no way I could make a portal to a place I had never been.

  “Perhaps I can be of service?” Yuri raised her hand and waited for all of us to look at her before continuing. “The princess and I are already bonded. If it would not be against the gnomes wishes, I am willing to be taken to the edge of their lands, blindfolded, or subdued as necessary. I can then project the image to the princess. Once she opens the portal, she and I can trade places, and I will return to the castle before she allows it to close. She will have no trouble creating a portal home when she is finished.”

  Xavier and Banli both nodded slowly, seemingly mulling over the idea. Yuri had a good point. I would be able to create the portal that way. But I was scared to death to be alone outside the castle wards. And even more scared of being eaten or toasted like a marshmallow. But we needed the dragons’ help more than any other creature. If we did not get their assistance, we could not be victorious.

  Taryk shook his head in the negative while Banli and Xavier both voiced their agreement.

  “I will go with her. She cannot leave the wards unprotected.” Taryk had drawn himself up to his full height and did not look like he would be backing down.

  I put my hand on his arm. “It's okay. I will be okay. Everything will be okay. It will work out and then everything will be okay-er than okay.”

  I looked into his eyes, and used the bond to be sure he knew every last thing I felt at that moment. It had to be done, whether I liked it or not. I had to show that I believed myself worthy of their trust and their commitment. If I couldn't even bring myself to meet with them, how on Earth would I be able to face down the dark mage and come out on top?

  It was time to put on my big girl panties and get ready to face my fears.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I pulled Yuri aside to thank her. What she offered to do had made a difficult task that much easier. As we said our goodbyes, Banli approached me. It would take them only a couple of hours to reach the borders of his land, and he requested I bring no weapons with me. I paused, wondering about the dagger guaranteed to kill the dark mage, but figured I would bring the potion and the pendant, which would at least ensure I made it through to battle another day.

  “Thank you. We sincerely appreciate that you are willing to be of assistance.”

  He simply nodded and turned to follow Xavier and Yuri to the stairwell. Yuri waved, smiling. At least she didn't seem overly concerned about her situation. I, on the other hand, teetered on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

  Taryk and I moved to one of the sofas while we waited for Xavier to return. He held my hand tightly, his worry strumming through our bond. I could almost feel the vibrations of his emotions.

  “If anything happens to you, I will never forgive myself.”

  “I am going to be fine. The plan is close to foolproof, as long as I don't anger one of them and cause them to swallow me whole.” Cue the nervous laughter.

  “They will not roast you alive. But I cannot help the concern over sending you out there with no protection. Neither the gnomes nor the dragons have made an oath to protect you should the need arise.”

  “True. But I have my intuition. Every time I have been even slightly in need of defense, my self-preservation instincts have kicked in, and some degree of magic has saved my butt. I will be wearing the pendant to protect me from any of the dark mage’s powers and carrying the potion. I remember my shielding, and my offenses are getting stronger each time we have practiced. If all that fails, the portal to home is a step away.”

  “Remember you cannot make a portal within the dragons’ lair, so you will have to make your way out of there first. But getting home should be your first objective, not fighting.”

  “Cannot, or should not? I may be able to create one there, bad manners or no. I will attempt a portal home as soon as I feel I am in danger, wherever I am. I promise.”

  He leaned in close, resting his forehead against mine. “I cannot live without you. Please be careful.”

  “I promise.” Brushing my lips softly against his, I let him know how much I cared. I couldn't bring myself to say the words for some reason, but I knew I loved him.

  Curling up next to him on the plush sofa cushions, I drifted off into a restful, dreamless sleep. He nudged me awake about an hour and a half later. I opened my eyes to see him standing over me, tray of snacks in hand. This man might be my favorite person on the face of the Earth. Or any other realm.

  “It probably won't be long now, so I thought we'd eat before you go.”

  “You know me so damn well. One of the many reasons I adore you.”
>
  We ate, then Xavier came to join us so they could prep me for the meeting with the dragons. Taryk adjusted my outfit, and Xavier brought me my tiara. I asked whether I should bring the baubles Yuri had picked from the vault. We may have not traveled anywhere to need them yet, but I had them.

  “Yes. It never hurts to offer a gift, especially since we need so much help from them.”

  I used the opportunity to practice my magic, calling them to me from the room upstairs. It had always been one of my easiest skills, but I hadn't been doing much magic at all lately, and I wanted to.

  Realizing I needed to let Topaz and Jewel know I would be away, I reached out through the bond. “I will be away from the castle for a couple hours. You will have a guard standing watch, and you will still be able to reach me via the bond. I am only a portal away at any time.”

  Topaz came across calm and assured. “Thank you. We will be fine here. Please don't worry about us.”

  “Xavier can you please put a guard or two to watch over Jewel and Topaz? And please, keep Solomon away from them, wherever he is. Oh! Will one of you wear or hold Celeste's bracelet please?”

  “How about I take her to the ward room and adjust things so she is able to roam anywhere within them? Then we will only need the bracelet when we travel.”

  “That would be fantastic. Thank you.”

  He nodded. And before we could talk about anything else Yuri sang through loud and clear.

  “Are you ready? We are here.”

  Nerves shot through, and I spent a few precious seconds trying to think of a way to back out gracefully. But a hug from Xavier and Taryk's chaste kiss on my forehead gave me the strength I needed.

  “Ready.”

  Closing my eyes, I felt along our bond and pulled the image she sent me. Asking the ring to give me the power I needed, I opened the portal, then my eyes. I had made it directly in front of myself, one step and I was through. Yuri traded me places, waving.

  “You'll do great. Don't worry!”

  With a deep breath, I let the portal close, and I found myself in a strange land, with nobody I trusted by my side. About to meet a dragon.

  I took in my surroundings. We stood at the base of a tree that would have been thousands of years old if it were on Earth. The trunk was massive, the bark dark and solid. I could smell the woodsy scent coming from all directions, and the trees above were so dense that no sunlight found its way to us. All around us, I heard nothing.

  “We are well within our wards here, and you are safe. But I request we hurry, so the meeting can take place.” Banli seemed to be watching every direction at once, in spite of asserting we were protected.

  He turned and descended a set of stairs that I would swear on my life had not been there mere seconds before. I saw no light source, but the passageway held just enough illumination for me to see where I stepped. The stairs spiraled down a very long time, and I followed him mindlessly. I took a brief moment to let Taryk and Xavier know I had safely reached Banli, then turned my attention back to my surroundings.

  While I couldn't put my finger on it exactly, something about my surroundings left me feeling unsettled. It may have been that I had never left the safety of a place I knew alone. I'd gone from being alone constantly in my house on Earth, to always having somebody by my side since I entered the cabin. Whatever had triggered it, I didn't like the feeling one iota.

  We followed the winding staircase down, farther down than any of the dungeons I had entered thus far. As we reached the end of the long set of stairs, we entered a tunnel. Carved entirely out of the rock, it was bathed in dim light.

  I heard my footsteps echo as we walked, but I may as well have been walking alone, because Banli made no sound. My own breaths seemed loud to my ears, and I had the eerie feeling that something watched me from just out of sight. Trying to keep my nerves under control, I dug my fingernails into the palms of my hands. I got an absurd comfort from knowing that when I finally opened my hands to look at my palms there would be tiny crescent-shaped indentations there.

  At some point, I began to hear the trickle of running water in the distance. The sounds gave me peace, and for some reason calmed me considerably. Perhaps it had been the total silence aside from the noise of my own making that triggered my discomfort.

  All at once, the tunnel opened into a huge cavern. I gasped at the sheer perfection of it. If I had thought the control room at the castle was beautiful, it paled in comparison to the scene before me. Not only did huge crystals cover the walls and dome-shaped ceiling, but a small waterfall cascaded from near the top of the far wall, running through the room and disappearing out the other side.

  The room itself had caught my attention so completely that I did not notice the dragon until its voice rang out. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face it.

  Giving a respectful bow, I greeted him. Or her. I couldn't tell. The body looked to be the size of a semi truck and covered in gorgeous teal scales. The eyes were filled with sorrow, and the knowledge of an old soul.

  “My apologies. The beauty of your home stunned me. I thank you sincerely for the invitation to join you here.”

  “Welcome, Princess of Amarys and reigning Chosen Scribe. We are honored you agreed to grant us an audience.”

  I smiled a genuine smile. “The pleasure is all mine.” Since I hadn't been eaten yet, I had begun to feel a little more at ease.

  “My name is Marina. My brother Atlas and the young Luna are the only two others of our kind in this realm, as far as we know. I am aware that you request our assistance. As I'm sure you were also told, we desperately need yours.”

  The tone of her voice tugged at my heart strings in a way that I couldn't describe. “I will do anything I can to help you. We will all be better off when the dark mage is defeated.”

  “When she began to siphon the magic from the realm, all who lived here were concerned. Creatures became afraid to leave their homes, as many times they would go out and never return. For years, she kidnapped any creature with magic powers and sucked the life out of them. Eventually there became such an imbalance that the universe quit working the way it should.”

  My heart broke for her, and I could see the sorrow on her face as she told the story. Her sadness created a vibration upon the very air I breathed.

  “Babies of all races were born with no magic, even if their parents had possessed some. Plants that had magical medicinal properties stopped curing ailments. The few of our eggs that did manage to hatch left us with sickly babies that did not survive more than a few weeks. Then the eggs stopped hatching at all. The mage somehow managed to capture some of the dragons, who perished when their magic had been depleted. Others simply wasted away. I’d like to think some escaped, but I have no indication that any actually did.”

  Her deep sigh caused her entire body to tremble with the weight of her sadness. Stretching out her long neck, she rested her elegant head on the floor near where I stood, and I sank to the ground next to her.

  “When my mate disappeared, Atlas and I decided it was time to go into hiding. I have two eggs of my own in the clutch that did not hatch. The forest gnomes have been one of the few species we regularly communicated with, and they assisted us to this place.

  “We moved all the eggs we could find in hopes that we would be able to keep them safe, and once magic is restored to the lands they may hatch and grow strong. Luna was guarding one of the last ones we found. Her parents had disappeared, she hid alone and terrified, and the egg was all she had left. We brought her here with us, and that marked the last time we left this cave.”

  “I am so very sorry.” I hesitated, unsure if I should share my story with her, but in the end decided I needed to. Everything poured out, the words practically entangling with each other. I never even recognized that I cried even though my tears dripped down on to my hands, folded in my lap.

  She wrapped herself around me, drawing me close. We shared the pain of loss, and the uncertainty of what lie ahead. Once the
sobs had subsided, I felt silly for ever having been afraid.

  Taryk must have felt my distress, as he reached out across the bond to check in with me. I assured him he didn't need to worry, and he silently sent comfort before withdrawing.

  “You can communicate telepathically with others?” The teal dragon seemed stunned by this. I didn't understand how she knew, but I saw no reason to lie to her. She probably would have known if I had anyway.

  “Yes. I can see the soul threads. If I wish, I can use them to create a bond between myself and another. It allows us to communicate, and I can get a feeling for their whereabouts as well.”

  “That is impressive for a creature of your race. Very few humans can do such a thing.”

  “I seem to have many rare qualities. I think they are in part due to my lineage on both sides. My father collected magical abilities for me from those willing to share them, and then passed them on to me at his death. I think, although I am not positive, that the bonding is a result of my scribe heritage, and my ability to see the threads.”

  She raised her head to my eye level and stared into my soul. “You are an extremely rare and special soul, Everleigh. As a dragon, I have a gift for seeing such things. You will save us all.”

  I laughed nervously. “No pressure, right?”

  “I'd like for you to meet Atlas and Luna, and then we will discuss what we can do to help you prepare for this war.”

  “I would be honored to meet them.”

  She moved with a grace the belied her massive size, turning and leading me down a tunnel at the back of the room, just off where the waterfall spilled from the stones. About halfway down, she stopped, gesturing off to her left with a wing.

  “Would you like to see the nursery?”

  Speechless that she would offer me such a gift, I nodded. She blew gently on the wall and a large doorway appeared.

  “Go ahead.” She moved to the side to allow me access, and I approached the opening slowly. Peeking around the edge of the wall, the sight almost made my heart stop. There must have been over thirty eggs in there.