“Oh my...” Each sat cushioned in an individual nest. They varied in size, although all would definitely be classified as large from an egg standpoint. The represented every color in the rainbow, either opalescent or shimmering. It was a sight to behold.
“Here lie forty-four potential new dragonettes. Perhaps more if there are any sets of twins, which is rare for us, but not unheard of. Our dream is to help you help them live.”
I gazed at her for a moment. “May I ask which two are yours?”
She looked off to the left, and two eggs near the wall began to glow softly. One of them significantly larger than the other, they were both beautiful shades of silvery white. They were the only two that exhibited no other coloration.
I walked over to their nests, kneeling next to them. “May I touch them?”
“Yes, our eggs are quite sturdy.”
I extended my hand, and lightly made contact with the shell of the larger egg. It was both hard and leathery at the same time. While the exterior was sleek and smooth, almost like suede, you could also feel the protective inner layer that made the shell almost impenetrable. Leaning in, I rested my forehead against the egg and closed my eyes.
I inhaled deeply, noting the scent echoed that of rainwater and thunderclouds. I called up my sight, not sure what, if anything, would become visible to me. To my surprise, two tiny tapestries became visible immediately. I gasped. They were pale, and not fully colored, but I could feel their strength. These little lives wanted a chance.
Moving my hands to the second egg, I easily pulled a single tapestry into view. This baby appeared to be more fully developed than its siblings. The colors of the threads were saturated and strong. I wondered if I could give him or her enough magic to hatch?
Removing my hands, I turned to Marina. “Would they thrive if they were to hatch now? Do they need the outdoors, or a consistent influx of magic for their growth and health?”
She looked surprised at my questions. Her scaly brows lifted, then furrowed together. “To be honest, I cannot say. The outdoors, not so much until they need to learn to fly, which happens after a few weeks. I assume if one could give them enough magic to hatch then we would also need to continually feed them magic until they grew strong enough to produce their own.”
“I apologize if my questions are painful. I admit I do not know enough about dragons to assume even the basics.”
She bobbed.. “My babies, are they healthy? Do you think they will make it?”
I didn't feel comfortable making a statement such as that, but I couldn't very well refuse to tell her anything. “I can tell you that this egg,” I indicated the smaller of the two, “is very strong. His or her tapestry is vibrant and solid. The other egg,” pointing to the larger one, “is very special. The egg contains two babies.”
She inhaled sharply. “Twins? But are they doing okay?”
“I will be honest, I am no dragon doctor. Their coloring is less vibrant, but that may be because they are sharing the magic right now. Both look whole with no weak spots in the threads, and seem to be stable.”
Crystalline tears fell from her eyes. She nudged me gently with her head. “I cannot thank you enough.”
“We do not have the time now, but I would like to come back and take a look at all the eggs, if that is okay with you? I think that when I have more knowledge about dragons in general, I can make a more educated assessment.”
“You are welcome here at any time. I will grant you access to visit whenever you choose. Let’s meet the other two. The sooner we destroy the dark mage, the sooner we can live our lives. I would give anything to be able to soar through the sky once more.”
She led the way down the remainder of the tunnel into another large cavern. This one, too, had walls of crystal but was even larger than the first. And no river ran through it.
The dark green dragon settled in the very center of the room made Marina look petite by comparison. He also looked ridiculously grumpy. Straightening my shoulders, I did everything I could to hide the fact that I had gotten nervous again. I was positive he could tell but was polite enough not to call me on it.
“Atlas, meet Everleigh. Everleigh, my brother.” He blinked at me but did not utter a single word. Fabulous. He hated me already. I guess as long as he didn't eat me...
“Luna? Can you come here, please?” From behind the great green body a much smaller silver one emerged. Approximately the size of a large horse, her youth was evident in her demeanor.
I turned to face her slowly, smiling gently as I did. “Hi, Luna. I am Everleigh. Thanks for coming out to meet me.”
She stopped about ten feet from me and stared. I did my best to meet her gaze, in spite of feeling like my very soul was being tested for its worthiness. I must have passed, because she began to inch closer, stopping close enough that if she extended her neck she could reach me.
“Are you the one?” Her voice rose barely above a whisper.
Looking to Marina for guidance, I'm sure my confusion showed on my face. Gently, Marina told her, “We believe so. And we are doing everything we can to help her.”
Luna nodded in a manner wise beyond her years. “Give her my stone.”
The green head jerked up off the ground where it had been resting. “WHAT?” His voice echoed throughout the cavern, even gruffer than I had imagined it would be. “No.”
It was a statement, and his tone left zero room for argument. Expecting the shy younger dragon to acquiesce, I stared at her, dumbfounded, when she stood up to him.
“It is MINE. And she needs it. So she will have it.”
My head swiveled between the three of them, curious about this stone that obviously had something very special about it. I chose not to say a word, waiting instead for one of them to address me directly.
Marina finally broke the staring contest the two of them were having. “Atlas, she is correct, and I agree with her. If we do not give every aid we can render to those fighting the dark mage, we can expect to stay here in these caverns forever. And there is no guarantee we won't be found as her evil grows stronger.”
“The only other time a human has ever wielded a dragon stone the results were disastrous.”
“Yes. But that is what it will take to be victorious. Do not sentence the realms to disaster because of past mistakes. Use the lesson learned to right the first wrong.”
He looked at me suspiciously, and I got the impression he searched my soul for answers. He sat silently for a long minute, while the three of us stared back at him. At one point he and Marina locked eyes, and I wondered whether they could communicate telepathically.
Luna fidgeted, seemingly on the verge of interrupting. I had reached the decisions to say “Thanks, but no thanks,” when he returned his gaze to me.
Marina nodded her head, and Atlas sighed deeply. “Come to me, Princess, and let me tell you about the dragon stones, and how the dark mage gained her power.”
Chapter Sixteen
My fist closed reverently around the stone that looked like a tiny version of a dragon's egg. I had wiped the tears from my cheeks and said my goodbyes. I had reached out to let Taryk and Xavier know I would be returning momentarily. And I had memorized the story of the dark mage's beginning so I could return and tell the others.
Standing at the tunnel which would lead back to the tree in the forest, I turned and gave one last wave. Luna stood near the waterfall, watching me go. I had traded the gemstones I brought with me for the dragon stone. It had not been necessary, as she wished to give it to me either way, but because I had them, I felt right giving them to her.
“Thank you, Luna. I will be back soon.”
“Go, and be careful.”
I held the stone tightly and called on the ring. Its power amplified by the dragon stone, I had no trouble opening a portal into the great hall of the castle and walking though.
Giving Luna one last wave, I allowed it to close behind me and sank down on the sofa.
The visit has las
ted only a few hours, but my emotions were drained, and my heart lay heavy. The story Atlas had shared with me gave insight into his gruff demeanor, and apparent distaste for humans. Taryk appeared with a snack, and Xavier let me know he would be returning from the edge of wards momentarily.
I had been attempting to process all of the information I had received while in their den, but the dragons had much to share and my brain was on overload. I munched mindlessly on whatever food Taryk had placed before me as we waited for my brother. I only wanted to relay the story once, and then we needed to push forward.
Xavier looked disheveled as he came into view, and I worried about him. “Is everything all right with you?”
He gave me a half smile. “Yes. Preparing for war is exhausting work. As I'm sure you are beginning to notice.”
“Ha! Maybe just a little. I have so much to tell you. Celeste are you listening? And is Yuri here?” I looked around but saw nobody.
Celeste manifested as Taryk handed me back the bracelet. We had agreed that we one of us needed to keep it handy at all times, just in case we needed to leave at a moments notice. “Good to see you, my child. I trust the meeting went well?”
“Very.” I only got the single word spoken before Yuri came in from the garden.
“Ah, I see you did not get eaten. Or even lightly toasted. Somewhat a pity, as you could use a tan.”
I pretended to swat at her as she sat on the arm of the sofa beside me. “No. No snack, no toasting, no tan. But I return with much information, and a priceless gift.”
Reaching into my jacket, I removed the stone and held it in the palm of my hand. The light that emanated from it softly created a halo effect, and tiny prisms reflected from its surface. Multiple sharp breaths were taken, which led me to assume most of them knew exactly what I had been given.
“You must protect it at all costs! No one else should even know you have it.”
I returned it to my pocket. “Precisely. Which is why I will be asking Xavier and Taryk to do me a monumental favor. I have already spoken with the dragons about it, and they agreed it would be both safe and prudent.”
Both of the men looked at me suspiciously. “I don't like the sound of this already.” Taryk sat silently waiting while Xavier prodded me for information.
“I need the two of you to work together, to put me under and sew the stone beneath my rib cage.”
Both of them started protesting at the very mention of it, but I hushed them.
“Stop. Listen to me. Marina has already blessed the stone to attune it to me. Inside my body is the only place it will be both safe and hidden. It will continuously power my magic in a way nothing else can. It will also protect me from much of the harm that would come to me while we battle.”
Celeste looked thoughtful. Both the guys looked skeptical. Yuri seemed unfazed.
“Between the two of you, the entire procedure will be over in minutes. Thanks to my scribe heritage, I will be one hundred percent healed within a couple hours of waking up. At that point, we will begin returning magic to those who have lost theirs. Once the army is prepared, we will return to the tunnels where I saw my mother and bring the entire crystal box back to the castle.”
As much as I wanted to rescue her first, both of the wise dragons advised against it. They explained that using the magic of the dragon stone to rescue her would without a doubt draw the attention of the dark mage, and we needed to ensure we were fully prepared before doing that.
Now, I had to explain to them why. “The reason she is so powerful is because she also possesses a dragon stone. It is a lesser stone than the one I currently have, but she has one, nonetheless.”
Every other face in the room looked shocked by the information. Varying degrees of disbelief also showed through.
“What?”
“How?”
“Impossible.”
I waited for them to quiet before continuing. “Once, she was a friend to the dragons. Atlas and Marina's father, to be precise. The short version of the story is that he allowed her access to the stone to help her gain control of her magic. She, too, was powerful but untrained at one time. When she felt she could get away with it, she stole the stone and disappeared. They believe she hid it, and only visited it when it was safe to do so, in order to recharge from it.”
The similarities in our beginnings haunted me. I had been hesitant to take Luna's stone, even for a good cause. It had been Atlas to explain to me that without the power from another dragon stone, my chances of beating her were slim, even with the specialized weapons from beneath the castle.
“Because she stole it and it was not blessed for her use, the amount of power she can draw from it is limited, and she could never do with that stone what I am proposing to do with this one. At best, she will be able to carry it in a pocket or hold it in her hand. This will give us the chance to separate it from her, while I will have one no matter what.”
“I don’t not like this one bit.” Taryk had scooted close to me on the couch and laid his hand over mine. “It's dangerous.”
I met his eyes. “I know. But so is allowing her to continue. And so is attempting to beat her without the stone. Trust me, please. I know we can do this.”
Xavier stood. “If we are going to do it, let’s get on with it. There is a clinic in the east wing we can use.”
I stood too while Taryk remained seated. Xavier looked at him.
“I can do it alone, if you prefer. I understand how hard it would be to cut open the one you love.”
Taryk got to his feet. “No, but thank you. What kind of partner am I if I can't be by her side through the hard times? Plus, I will anchor her if there are any complications.”
I witnessed the conversation like they had forgotten my presence. It gave me an insight into their relationship, and their support for me. With the two of them on my side, I felt as if the world had my back.
Yuri opted to wait it out. “Sorry, Your Highness, blood and guts is one of my least favorite sights.”
“And you, Celeste? Stay or come?” She decided to join us, just in case.
Xavier led the way, and Taryk clutched my hand. His palm stuck to mine, thanks to the sweat that covered it. I could feel his heart beating twice as fast as usual. Considering he usually needed to calm me, it felt a little strange to be on the opposite side of the coin for now.
We entered the clinic, and Xavier began giving instructions. I headed off to put on a gown while the two of them prepped the room. Since most of the “procedure” would involve magic, they simply needed to wash their hands—no way were they putting their dirty ones inside my body, magic or not—and get started.
I lay on the gurney while Xavier gathered the last of the supplies, and Taryk held my hand tightly.
“You know I am going to be fine, right?”
He kissed my knuckles gently. “I know. But we are getting down to the wire, and I know at some point I will not be able to protect you better than you will be able to protect yourself. I will have to step back and let you do what you were born to do. And while I have every faith that you will be victorious, it will still kill me to watch you because I know at some point you will be hurt.”
My heart swelled. This man cared so much for me, he didn't want me to be hurt, but also had such faith in me he would let me do it without even trying to argue. For the first time, I took a moment to look toward the future and imagine what our lives might be like when we settled down and lived normally. It certainly gave me something to cling to.
“Ready?” I nodded. “Okay, close your eyes and count backward. You'll be asleep in seconds. I am going to make a single incision and tuck it up under your ribs as you asked. Then I will place magic in there to protect and heal. I will close the wound and wake you after a few minutes. Easy peasy.”
“Lemon squeezy?”
After a brief laugh, I began my count down. I started at ten, and don't remember making it past eight.
“Ev... hi.” Taryk's face was the
first thing I saw upon waking. “How do you feel?”
I blinked at him a couple times, taking an assessment. “Fine. I feel fine, actually.” I tried to sit up.
“Wait just a second. You may feel fine, but there is still a wound that could split open. You are not healed yet. Let me help you a little.”
I went from lying, to sitting, to standing with very little discomfort. I felt the area gingerly. It didn't feel as big as I had expected it to, whether I had already healed some, or he just made it as tiny as possible.
“Thank you. Both of you.”
As I got dressed, I remembered to be thankful the incision was above the waistband of my pants. That would have been uncomfortable. I wanted to get started on the army at once, but Xavier convinced me to wait and heal while he gathered those who had volunteered so far.
Yuri headed off with Xavier to get the word out to her people, who had agreed to assist us with relaying messages to the ones who needed to meet us at the castle. Taryk settled me on the couch with Celeste and more food while he went to help with preparations. Once we began returning magic to the residents of the realm, they had to stay within the confines of the wards to prevent the dark mage from feeling the sudden influx of new magic. We certainly didn't want her paying us a visit before we had prepared. Or before I got my mother here.
Marina had explained that the dragon stone would allow me to give magic in the same way my scribe heritage always had. The difference was that I would not be depleted as I did so. The stone would help my magic continuously regenerate, eliminating the need to stop for hours or days at a time until I had enough juice in the tank to give more of myself to the next few.
I palpated the area gently. While still sore, it seemed to be almost completely healed. I could just feel the stone if pushed hard enough up under my ribs. It remained tender though, so I didn't play with it too much. Such an odd feeling, having a foreign body sewn into me. However, I knew without a doubt that I had made the safest decision.
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