Grandin. Tomas spoke of the place during their lessons together.
Much of the lands were a waste. The part of the continent that remained occupied by people, as Talia had called them, was not small by any means. Considering the wastes were more substantial, he could only imagine how vast the barren lands actually were.
The creatures were said to be elves, dwarfs, and trolls.
Curiosity filled Landon about why his father was so adamant that they never go there. They had creatures like those in Anaphias. Most were not the types of people to be excited about company in their homes.
Within the mountains of Omath were said to have the largest population of trolls, which is why everyone traveled to and from the northernmost tip of the land by water.
No, Landon could imagine there was something more in the wastes themselves. No land was ever left in such a state for no reason. Tomas believed there was a population that enjoyed the current land’s state. Though, he would never speculate as to what they could be.
They reached the council room, but it was empty. “I thought you called a meeting?” Landon studied the vacant space.
“I have. I just didn’t give them time to get word before I left your brother. I guess I’m in a bit of a hurry.” She pulled the maps free of the carnage of paperwork about the table. “Here,” she said, pointing to a map Landon had never seen. The coast of Anaphias was present along the edge, but the rest of the map consisted of a larger mass of land than he’d ever looked upon. A quarter of the mass was brown, signifying a livable area. The rest remained blackened. Deep in the middle of the wastelands, she pointed to an X that had been drawn on the map with red wax.
“This is where we will go.” She glanced up and smiled. “Declan, you’ve woken.”
Landon turned to see his brother holding his side as he entered the room.
Declan didn’t look at Landon but passed him by to approach the map. “To get to the Emerald Flame.” A coughing fit took hold of him as he spoke.
Landon reached for a chair for his brother, bringing it to him, but Declan dismissed it with the wave of a hand.
“Yes.” Talia straightened. A proud look crossed her face as she took in her son’s together. “How do you know about it?”
“Father taught me. He said the flame is there, deep within the ground. So far, that no man has ever been able to find it. Also, that it’s responsible for the pitch that’s covered the land there.”
At this, Landon stared at his brother. “Pitch? I thought it was ash.”
Declan smiled at his brother with no sign of hatred in his eyes, and Landon sighed a bit with relief. “Yes, the wastes have been scorched beyond belief. That, however, is because of the creatures living there. The pitch seeps out of the ground. There are fissures and cracks all over the land. It oozes out of the ground, mixes with the ash, and hardens. Father said it was near impenetrable.”
“Like dragon scales,” Talia said, folding her hands together in front of her. Her smile never wavered. Landon could see the gears turning behind his mother’s eyes.
She focused on the map, though it held nothing more than the colors of black and brown. The X marked with thick red wax stared up at Landon as he took in his mother’s gaze. He peeked at the map again.
No rivers or streams were depicted on the surface anywhere, nor did there appear to be ponds or lakes within the land. It had all been scorched. The untouched areas were inhabited by races unknown. At least, that’s what his father had told him throughout the years.
Landon never did know why his father taught him of Grandin. He thought it useless information for him to have. Other than the basics, none of Anaphias go there, and their people don’t travel from Grandin.
Landon found the lessons absurd and tended to act out. Now he racked his brain to remember everything he’d once shut out.
Landon was told to bring Declan back to bed. He kept holding onto his sides as if his ribs were under strain. His brother seemed grateful when he obliged their mother’s request.
“You must rest now. I will come to you when the plans are set.” Talia kissed Declan on the cheek, moving his hair from his face.
“Yes, Mother.” He hugged her with one arm, holding his side with the other.
Landon saw the pained expression on his face when he leaned into Talia, though he couldn’t tell if it was pain from his injuries or from having been in such close proximity of the woman who raised him.
Landon stopped himself from wondering what life must have been like for his brother, being raised by two parents living with him in the same home. Although he had them both present when each would secretly visit him in Vlora, it wasn’t the same as living under the same roof.
While in the hall, a sickening voice echoed against the walls. Ren, their father’s best friend, and advisor was walking quickly away from the High Chancellor, Vesis. When he noticed the boys, he stopped allowing Ren to slip into the council room.
“Ah, the lost son returns,” he said with a slither of his tongue.
“Yes, it seems we both have,” Declan said with a labored breath. “Now, Vesis, why don’t you go fall off a cliff.”
“Oh, young prince. You know better than anyone. I am high chancellor. I must be present for all of the meetings.”
“Something that will change the minute my brother is crowned, I hope.” Declan dug his fingertips into Landon’s shoulders, clearly sending a message.
“I suppose we shall see.” Vesis turned and slipped into the meeting room with Talia and Ren. Others came around the corner to head for the council chambers, so the two brothers moved as quickly as Declan’s injury allowed to get clear of them.
They’d cleared the stairs before Declan turned on Landon. He stopped in the middle of the hall and eyed their surroundings before pulling Landon into the service entrance to the kitchen.
“We need a safe place to speak freely.” He still held his side.
So, that much was the truth. His brother was in pain from an injury. “I know a place. Follow me.” Landon helped his brother down the stairs. They moved through the kitchen to another staircase across the room.
Once at the top, Declan walked a bit straighter but still had a slight limp. “Are there many more stairs to this place you're bringing us?”
In his voice was the contempt Landon had expected to begin with. “Just a few.” Landon moved down a narrow hall. He pointed to another set of stairs. “Four more.” He pointed to the small steps down the passageway.
Once they came to a solid wall, Landon knocked.
Stone scraped stone, grinding each a little to dust, which fell on the floor. The wall moved to the side, opening to a large sitting room brightly lit by the afternoon sun. Landon moved to the side, ushered his brother in, and followed closely behind him. When he turned, the small-framed maid pushed the wall back into place. The bookcase back where it had been, appearing undisturbed.
“Guess you’ve learned of a few more secrets to this place than I.” Layana stood from a chair next to the windows and moved to the sofas in the middle of the room. “He’s hurt. Surely Talia has healers in the palace.” She rushed to Declan’s side, helping him to the sofa.
“Yes, and they’ve been to see him. However, none of them appear to have the healing ability past potions and salve. Those that could help have been banished remember?” Landon stood behind the sofa Layana helped Declan onto.
“I’m fine, really. I just need to sit.” He coughed as he settled back into the seat.
“So, why the secrecy? Since when do you need to talk to me?” Landon put up his hard exterior.
“Landon!” Layana scoffed.
“I don’t—” Declan started to say, but he thought better of it and sat up. “I need to know why.”
Landon snapped. “Why what?”
“Landon, stop this. This is not you. It’s her!” Layana cried out. “You’re better than this…rivalry she placed you in.”
Declan coughed again and stood, so he was e
ye to eye with his brother. “Did you kill the sisters?”
Landon’s eyes darted around the room. He couldn’t say what he wanted to, so he kept to the truth. “Yes.” He turned on his heel and moved to the windows.
Layana gave up and sat on the edge of the sofa.
“You don’t know what it was like. She sucked me in; made me think Father was just grooming me on his visits to serve his own purpose. She had me believing that he just wanted to keep me from growing up evil like my mother.” Landon turned and looked his brother in the face. “She’s not, ya know.”
Declan glanced at Layana and back to his brother. “Who’s not what?”
“She’s not my mother. Layana has a working theory. She’s been trying to get me to see the truth since I got here.” Landon smiled over at the girl sitting quietly. “Talia’s a witch, Declan.”
“I know. I figured that out.” Declan fought back a fit of coughs.
“No, she’s an honest to god’s witch,” Landon offered.
“I don’t understand.” Declan raised a brow at his brother, and Landon thought for the first time how odd it was that looking at his brother was like looking in a mirror.
“Witches exist. They’re sorcerers born with magic but abuse it. When they’re cast off Ikrith, they are labeled as witches. The bad energy makes them something so different. It makes their magic altered somehow.” Landon glanced at Layana, and she nodded. “Layana believes the magic she worked on Alara allowed Talia to hold one of her two children. That’s why we were linked together. The potion had nothing to do with allowing you to grow. Once I was in her womb, we started growing. Truthfully, if this is accurate, I doubt Talia knows which of us she held. Makes no difference to her. She sees us both as her children. Her creations.”
“You mean?” Declan scratched his head.
Layana broke her silence. “Twins.”
Declan turned to her and sat slowly on the edge of the furniture. “As in she separated us from the womb. Is that even possible?”
“That’s what I’ve been wondering myself.” Landon rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “Think about it. Neither one of us look like Talia, and we are…”
“Twins. In every sense of the word. I didn’t realize how much so until I saw you both in the same room,” Layana pointed out.
She motioned to her maid, who begged entry into the room. She’d brought with her a tray of tea and biscuits.
Landon wondered when it was last that his brother ate.
“Where is she?” Landon asked. Declan considered the tray on the table between the two sofas but didn’t answer. Landon thought maybe he was in shock. “Declan, where is she?”
Declan shot to his feet. “Now? Now you care? You have some weird notion that she’s your mother, and now you care about what happens to her?”
“No, that’s not it.” He stumbled to get his words out. To be heard.
“Yes, it is. You didn’t care before. While you were supposed to be out there helping her; helping us.”
“Oh, and you did? You grew up with Talia as your mother as well. Yeah, let’s not forget that.” His arms shot up in frustration. “It’s not like the moment you found out the truth, you didn’t do the same thing. She’s our mother! Of course, I’m going to wonder if she’s okay. I need to be able to…” He saw the shock on Layana’s face, then the maid who lingered nearby. “Never mind. You don’t get it. You obviously see me as a monster, just like the woman that raised us both. Or need I remind you?” He turned back to look at the window.
Layana appeared stunned at the outburst. Landon felt her hands on his shoulders. He could feel the heat of her breath as she spoke to him.
“No, you’re not a monster.” She turned, dropping a hand away from him and looked at Declan. “We’ve all made mistakes. That doesn’t make any of us lesser for it.”
“Have you killed anyone?” Declan asked.
Landon turned.
Layana’s hand moved from Landon’s shoulder to his hand. “I don’t know. I may have.”
“What does that mean?” Declan asked her.
“It means Talia has influenced everyone in this room.” She peeked over her shoulder, and her maid diverted her eyes to the floor and quickly left the room. “Even her.”
“That may be, but he did what he did because he wanted to prove himself to her.” Declan started toward the door.
“Yes, I may have, Brother. Can you say you’ve never done what Mother has asked of you in hopes of making her proud?” Landon lashed out.
Declan stopped for a moment, turned his head to his brother, and spoke calmly. “I’ve never killed anyone for her. I would never.” He placed a hand on the door handle, but before opening the door and walking out, he added, “She’s not my mother, and you’re not my brother. Blood alone does not make it so. That is an honor that has to be earned.”
Once he left, Landon let his shoulders droop. He sagged against the windows behind him.
“You’re not going after him?” Layana asked.
“Why? He’s made himself perfectly clear. I am not his brother, twin or otherwise.”
“Sibling rivalry is a real thing, but so is the bond that brothers share. Go,” she insisted, and Landon left the room.
SCARLETT had never visited Esix. She’d hoped she’d never have a need to. They moved through the rough terrain with difficulty. Iren was wounded and weak. Not having the proper amount of time to heal left him too vulnerable to the attacks on the ship. Not only had the vessel been damaged, but so was his power. Scarlett lost her balance, and the old man’s weight bore down on her.
“Wait!” she yelled to Alara, who’d been traveling ahead for some time.
Scarlett knew she was anxious to get to Declan, but she’d been pushing them at a speed that she just couldn’t keep up anymore.
“Let me take him.” Cedric reached for the old man, who was practically unconscious on his feet.
“No, he needs to rest. So do we all.” Scarlett set Iren down on what looked like a soft pad of moss. “We rest here for the night.” Her eyes found Alara’s and pleaded with her to agree. She must have seen the exhaustion in her face because she nodded and walked back to where they stopped. “Thank you.”
“You have my thanks, Scarlet, and my apology. Would if I could, to aid in my movements.” Iren spoke for the first time in too many hours.
“It’s no problem, old man. We just need to get you better.” Scarlett kneeled down to look inside her pack.
Before the ship went over, she was smart enough to have packed her bag with supplies to get through Esix. However, the hard fall into the waters left most of it too wet to use. Besides clothes, which could be dried, the only thing they salvaged was packaged meats. She’d joked at first that the meats would be plenty salted from the ocean waters. However, no one laughed.
“Where are we to go from Esix? We need to get Iren to Thea. If only Maglana had stayed with us.” Alara stared into the distance as if she could see all the way to Idrisi and the queen.
“I don’t know. I was hoping we could get word to her somehow. Maybe Lady Geleon would lend us a ship.” Scarlett said.
Cedric and Alara stared at Scarlett with worry.
“You’re not serious?” Cedric asked. “She’d more than likely serve our heads to Talia for ransom.”
“You cannot be serious,” Scarlett asked glancing between the two of her friends with confusion.
“You don’t know what’s become of Lord Geleon, do you?” Alara asked, sincerely. “I’ve been asleep for twenty years, and I know what’s become of Baron Geleon.” She looked at her friend with worry.
“The baron was cursed. There are stories, but none can be believed. The point is, they are no longer the kind people you once knew of,” Iren said, pain clearly etched in his features.
“How?” Scarlett shook her head.
“How else, child? Talia,” Iren told her.
Cedric and Alara nodded, confirming what the sorcerer said to be true.
They rested for the remainder of the day. The sun fell at such a slow pace, Alara wanted to know if magic could speed up the day and night until it was morning. She thought better of it, having concluded it would leave them less time to allow Iren rest. Even she had to admit the rest was welcome.
Alara sunk a bit more into Cedric’s side, with him slumped against the base of a tree, she tucked next to him under his cloak. They were able to fish a few things from the wreckage before they fled the scene altogether, then made camp for the night.
The ship that had taken Declan wasted no time moving away from the shore of Esix. Cedric’s quick thinking had them in the water, pulling cloaks and weapons from the debris that floated around the shallow water, along with Scarlet’s pack of meats.
Alara decided to try to sleep again since Scarlett was awake for her watch. Neither she nor Cedric would allow Iren or Alara to help, Iren couldn’t in his present condition. Alara would have liked to since she’d become more than adequate with her blade. Her skills with her weapon were returning to her each time she needed to brandish it. However, they still worried about her fate as their queen.
A shift in the night made Alara open her eyes again. A twig snapped, and hushed voices came from not far off in the distance. Scarlett looked back at her and nodded for her to wake Cedric. He’d already stirred before the next snap of sound exploded in the quiet. Scarlett took slow, deliberate steps backward to find where Iren slept.
The men in the woods surrounded their little camp. Men wielding bows and swords jumped out at them. Some small; some big, but all wore the emblem of House Geleon— a giant beast of myth, wielding a sword on yellow cloaks.
Scarlett let her sword drop to her side then sheathed it. None of the men looked at her as she kneeled down to wake the sorcerer. All eyes were focused on Alara and Cedric.
One man came forward. At a foot shorter than the next tallest man, Alara couldn’t make out his face due to the way his helm covered from his forehead to the bridge of his nose. “The Lady Geleon has been alerted to your presence in her territory, Your Majesty. She wishes for an audience.”
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