Daughter of the Red Dawn (The Lost Kingdom of Fallada)

by Alicia Michaels

  Eldalwen was silent, but his grin was wide. Selena held on to the scepter and laughed, closing her eyes against the feel of the wind on her face and dancing through her hair. This was it, this was what everyone had been expecting from her when they found out that she was the eldest princess of Damu. Maybe, she thought, just maybe I won’t let them down. The power coming from her was massive, something she would have never thought herself capable of. The realization lifted her spirits, gave her more confidence. At least, until Eldalwen’s voice shattered it.

  “Now make it stop!” he yelled near her ear, jolting Selena out of her ‘I am woman, hear me roar’ moment. She frowned, realizing that the wind was still going and she had no idea how to stop it.

  This could be a problem.

  Selena decided not to let it get the best of her. She kept hold of that feeling, deciding that if focusing it outward caused it to manifest, focusing it back in on herself should contain it. Selena tried it and it worked. Within seconds, the air was still again, though her hair was beyond repair. She couldn’t suppress a giggle at the sight of Thaddeus’ locks standing on end as well. He frowned and worked to put it back to rights as Eldalwen pulled her into a crushing hug.

  “That’s it! You are learning fast. Much faster than a certain brother of yours.”

  Thaddeus’s frown became a scowl. “Hey!”

  Selena smiled. “Sorry, big bro. Daughter of the Red Dawn here. It’s kind of pre-programmed.”

  Thaddeus rested his hands on the hilts of the two curved swords he wore at his side and grinned smugly. “Oh yeah, little sis? Let’s see you take it to the next level then.”

  Feeling confident after her first achievement, Selena crossed one leg in front of the other and rested her weight on the staff. “Bring it on. What’s next?”

  “Oh, nothing too taxing for someone as powerful as yourself,” he said with a mischievous glance in Eldalwen’s direction. “You can handle it.”

  Selena looked to Eldalwen, who appeared to be enjoying every second of this exchange. “Well, will one of you tell me what it is?”

  Eldawen grinned. “Flight.”

  Selena’s mouth fell open. “Shut up.”

  Eldalwen shrugged and swept his hand out over the dessert below. “The air will carry you if you let it. You must allow it to happen naturally and not try to force it. Pull on the current around you and allow it to propel you along. It is much like the speed you gain while running and pulling upon the wind.”

  Selena shook her head. “No way. It is nothing like that. While running, my feet are on the ground. What you’re talking about is insane.”

  Eldawen laughed. “Insane, maybe; impossible, no.”

  He slowly backed away from them, keeping his eyes locked on Selena’s. With his back braced against the outer wall of the tower, he looked out over the balcony’s edge.

  “Watch.”

  The second the word had left his lips, her father had launched himself away from the wall at a run. He was nothing more than a blond blur as he disappeared over the side of the balcony. With a gasp, Selena ran to the balcony’s rail, gripping it until her knuckles were white as she watched Eldalwen careening toward the desert sand. A gasp tore from her mouth as he swooped back upward at the last second, twirling a few times in the air before shooting back up toward them. When he landed on the balcony in front of her, Selena thought for sure her heart was ready to beat right out of her chest it was hammering so fast. She clutched her chest tightly, both amazed at what she’d just seen, and terrified at the thought of them wanting her to do the same. She shook her head rapidly from side to side.

  “No way. I’m not doing that. I can’t.”

  “There’s really no way around it, Selena. It is an imperative part of your training,” Thaddeus said with a shrug. “The important thing is to remember not to embrace your fear of falling. You have to focus on your power at its height and allow it to do its job. After a while, all of this will become second nature to you.”

  Selena knew she could trust them after all they had done for her, but she just couldn’t get past the part where she was supposed to jump over a balcony railing and possibly fall several stories before flying.

  “Is there any way we can do this from the ground?”

  Eldalwen sighed. “We could, but it’s easier the first time to try it from a high point. Once you’ve flown the first time, you will recall the feeling and become capable of channeling that while on the ground.”

  “There’s only one problem with that,” Selena said. “I’m not jumping.”

  “Well, that leaves only one option,” Thaddeus said, his hands crossed over his chest.

  “What’s that?”

  Suddenly, Thaddeus had lifted her into his arms. Before she had a chance to register what was happening, he’d run across the balcony and tossed her right over the edge.

  And then Selena was falling.

  ~*~

  Titus fought to calm his rapid breath as he stood on the raised platform erected at the center of the courtyard at Osbel Tower. The eyes of over two hundred Werewolves bored into him, many of them filled with suspicion or annoyance. These were the people he had to try to convince. From where Titus was standing, it seemed nearly impossible. Those who were not filled with doubt or anger were obviously afraid. Many of them clung to their children tightly, showing clearly their stance in the protective Goldun. Titus didn’t blame them. If it were possible to bring Selena to the land of the Fae and shield her from the ugliness of war forever, he would. Unfortunately, there was only so much the beauty of Goldun could block out and before long, Eranna would bring her fight to the floating city. It was now or never, and a stand had to be made. With that in mind, Titus squared his shoulders and began to speak, hoping that his voice would carry out over the crowd.

  “Thank you for coming tonight. I know that many of you are only here at the request of Queen Adrah, but I hope that you will hear what I have to say.”

  “We already know why you are here,” bellowed the massive Alpha male of the Beldane wolf pack. He stepped forward from his place at the front of the crowd, crossing his beefy arms over his chest with a deep scowl. “The men of the Beldane pack are not interested in joining your army!”

  Many others chimed in, shouting their agreement with raised fists. Titus soldiered on.

  “And what of your women and children? Will they be prepared for the firestorm that will descend upon Goldun once Eranna has drawn enough power?”

  “Was that a threat?” another voice bellowed from the back of the crowd, stirring up even more anger and fear.

  “It has already been seen. All across Fallada, our kings and queens are gazing into their Eyes. They have seen the wasteland that our lands will become if we do not fight back! Even now, Eranna has possessed your pack mates, your brothers, your sons, your fathers … ” Titus trailed off, a lump rising in his throat as he thought of Orem. “ … my father,” he added softly.

  “Going against Eranna is a suicide mission,” the Beldane Alpha said. “We have lost too many of our own to her. She fills her ranks with Werewolves and sets them against their own kind!”

  “And what will you do? Turn tail and run like a bitch? Are you not the Alpha male leader of the Beldane pack? Where is your outrage? Where is your anger?”

  Rage flared in the Beldane Alpha’s eyes and fur began to bristle along his spine. Transformation gripped him and before long, he was on all fours, a mass of muscle and black fur, coming at Titus with deadly intent. Before Titus could shift and defend himself, a deep brownish-red wolf leaped at the Beldane Alpha and pinned him. Titus understood the meaning of his throaty barks.

  “Let the boy speak,” the wolf growled as he shifted back into his human form. Titus recognized the man as the Alpha of the Iaser pack, a friend of his father. He nodded to the man and shot the Beldane Alpha a glare as the wolf turned back to man. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed angrily, but was otherwise silent.

  “Yes, I know
that it will not be easy. Many of our brothers are possessed by Eranna, but they can be saved. There are others who have gone to her of their own free will. They think themselves safe on her side and will do whatever they must to survive. I know this for a fact; I have seen them. Many of them are of your packs, all of them are of our kind. Today, new alliances must be made. We must join together against the evil that rises in Mollac. And if we should find our brothers on the wrong side when the battle lines are drawn, so be it! We are not just talking about the destruction of our own homes, we are talking about the loss of the Elvin forests and the caves of the Dwarves. Where will the Pixies go when Eranna has burned down their trees or trampled their flowers to enlarge her iron citadel? I tell you, we would only be safe here in Goldun for a time. Before long, the fight would come to us. I urge you, do not let the fight come to you. Take your anger and your ferocity to the black-hearted witch queen herself and free your brethren! The Day of the Red Dawn is only six days away. I will lead an army of our kind to join the ranks of the Damunians and the Fae. Who will go with me?”

  Silence.

  Titus began to fear that his speech had been all for naught. Fear was still present on many faces. Doubt was there, too. Titus felt panic overwhelm him as failure washed over him. He had just lowered his eyes to the platform when a movement brought them back up.

  Hope surged in his chest when he realized that the Iaser pack Alpha had stepped forward, as had his two sons.

  “I am Isaac of the Iaser wolf pack,” he said, loudly enough for everyone to hear. “These are my sons, Tor and Gais. We will go with you.”

  Titus stepped down from the platform and took Isaac’s hand, shaking it firmly with a nod of respect and gratitude.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  Another voice rang out from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. “Percy of the Enmos pack. Fifteen of us have come to Goldun to seek refuge. Count us among your number.”

  “Vorves of the Koiyser wolf pack. Count me in, and my four sons as well.”

  Titus was surprised to be confronted next by a woman. Her long dark bangs hooded equally dark eyes. The tilt of her chin was superior and the thickness of her body hinted at a seasoned warrior.

  “Raykal of the Etxeld wolf pack. My husband, our pack Alpha, was slain as we ran for our lives. Many of our males were lost. I can offer ten female warriors and my son. He is young, but able and we are mostly women, but strong and capable.”

  Titus smiled. “Anyone who wishes to fight is welcome.”

  The cacophony of voices that followed was deafening. Titus felt tears again, and this time he let them come. As the names of the pack leaders and their numbers rang out through the night, Titus looked out over the mass of bodies with hope.

  ~*~

  “Hey, sis.”

  Selena glared at Thaddeus as he dropped to the marble steps of the palace beside her. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

  “Leave me alone.”

  Thaddeus chuckled, leaning back onto his elbows and stretching his long legs out over the stairs. “Come on, you’re still not mad about that little tumble off the balcony, are you?”

  Selena shot Thaddeus a murderous glance but didn’t answer. Thaddeus shrugged.

  “You were never in any real danger, you know. The only thing that was hurt in the end was your pride.”

  Selena knew that he was right. After a few seconds of falling and ear-splitting screams, it had become clear that Selena just wasn’t getting the flight thing. Thaddeus had swooped down and rescued her; placing her, red-faced and spitting mad, beside Eldalwen on the balcony. After Selena proceeded to cuss Thaddeus out three ways from Sunday, Eldalwen declared their session over. Selena had retreated to the shaded palace steps to nurse her wounded pride.

  “All right,” Thaddeus said with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I really thought that pushing you would do the trick. Worked for me when I first learned.”

  Selena peeked at her brother again out of the corner of her eye. “Yeah?”

  Thaddeus snorted. “No. I squealed and cried just like you did. You know what?”

  “What?”

  “I climbed right back up that tower and tried it again.”

  “Did you get it the second time?”

  “No. I climbed to the top of that tower with Father every day for weeks before I finally got it. Just thought you should keep that in mind.”

  “Why, so I don’t feel bad when the day of the battle comes and I still can’t fly?”

  Thaddeus grinned. “No. So that next week, you can look me in the eye and brag that you beat me. Isn’t that what siblings do?”

  Selena laughed. “I don’t know. I never had any siblings until now.”

  “Well, neither did I since both my sisters were kidnapped before I was old enough to get the hang of it. But I think I’m getting it now. Hair pulling, teasing, pushing from terribly frightening heights … oh yes, I think I’m going to make a great elder brother.”

  Selena nudged him with her elbow. “I think you’re doing great. You’ve already taught me so much. I just hope I’m ready for all of this.”

  Thaddeus stood, offering her his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

  “A true warrior follows his instincts. You do not realize it yet, Selena, but you’ve got perfect instincts. You just have to learn to understand what they’re trying to tell you.”

  Selena mulled that over silently for a minute before speaking. “I think I know what you mean,” she said. “I think I’m starting to understand what it’s trying to tell me.”

  Thaddeus raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What’s it telling you about a sparring session with me in the war room after dinner? Think you can handle that?”

  Selena draped on arm around Thaddeus’ shoulders and the two headed toward the dining room. She smiled.

  “Absolutely.”

  ~*~

  Chapter Fifteen

  Selena staggered into her bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. With two days left until the Day of the Red Dawn, her weariness was bone deep. She’d been training from sunup to sundown every day without fail. Each day began with wind harnessing before rounds of sparring. Her muscles screamed in agony as they remembered wielding the heavy staff against Thaddeus’ blades and Eldalwen’s axe. It had been worth it though, she thought with a smile, as she remembered using her golden weapon to sweep Thaddeus’ feet from under him before jabbing him in the gut with the staff’s end. Her smile widened as Eldalwen’s laughter came to mind. He had teased Thaddeus mercilessly over dinner, bringing Selena and Axonia to tears with laughter.

  Selena peeled herself off of the soft, downy comforter, deciding that falling asleep in her dusty clothes and cape was not a good idea. She stumbled toward the bathing room—which had quickly become her favorite room in the house—peeling off layers of clothing as she went. She sank into the prepared bathwater with a sigh, mentally reminding herself to thank the girls that tended to her rooms. Those girls always seemed to know when she was coming or going. They always ensured that her one of only two training outfits were clean and laid out for her every morning, along with her cape, which she was becoming incredibly attached to. They also remembered that she loved the combination of eucalyptus and peppermint oils in her bath and made sure they had the pool filled with steaming, hot water as soon as she returned to her room at night.

  Selena dunked her hair into the hot water and allowed it to soothe away her tension. Even though it had only been four days, she felt stronger than she ever had. Axonia had told her it was because she was where she belonged. The hot, spicy air of Damu was like a steroid, enhancing her strength, speed, and agility. She had pretty much mastered wind harnessing. All it had taken was for her to learn how to conjure up that tingling feeling at will. She could even do it now, laying in the tub, but decided against it. With a strong enough gust of wind, Selena was liable to turn a relaxing bath in to a hurricane.

  Instead, she allowed
her thoughts to drift back to her training. A frown pulled at the corners of her mouth as she recalled days’ worth of bungled attempts at flight. At first, she’d been eager to try again, to climb those stairs as many times as it took to get it right. With each failure, the weight of her disappointment became heavier, until walking up those stairs began feeling more and more like a stroll to the gas chamber. Selena had never liked failure—who did?—and knowing that she wasn’t able to do something that was supposedly hardwired into her DNA made her feel like an idiot.

  Eldalwen had assured her that she was making progress. Now, she was able to get onto the balcony railing and jump without fear. She just couldn’t make it back up without her father or brother catching her. Frustration swept through her and Selena left the tub with a sigh.

  Two more days to turn into Wonder Woman, she thought as she toweled off and reached for the soft pink, luxurious, silk robe Axonia had given her. She combed through her hair with her fingers as she moved back into the bedroom, deciding to focus on something a little happier than fighting wars and her failures at human flight.

  She moved over to the armoire and pulled out a pair of soft, cotton pajamas, and put them on. Then she went about choosing an ensemble for tomorrow night’s celebration. Axonia was planning a huge party right at the center of town; a welcome home party of sorts, she’d explained, as well as a celebration of the Red Dawn. Everyone in the entire kingdom would be there, many of them would be seeing Selena for the very first time. She wanted to look her best.

  After a few minutes of rifling around in the closet, she found a deep red, silk outfit with the signature harem-style pants and jeweled midriff top. A pair of gold slippers matched the gold thread embroidering the top. Sheer sleeves were slit to reveal her arms, so Selena laid out a pair of gold arm cuffs and a beautiful piece of jewelry that looked like a three-roped belly chain with a diamond at the center. Zoe would be green with envy if she could see the getup. Selena topped it off with a ruby-encrusted, gold headband and a pair of gold hoop earrings.