“The Bloodcroix Witch sent me on a quest to the human realm, she instructed me to search for a man who knew the truths I needed to learn. That is where I met Gaby.” My gaze briefly connected with her as her hand reached for mine. There was no easy way to tell him this, but he deserved to know. “Nyx, The Rising Kingdom was real. No Seelie or Unseelie Courts existed, just one realm, ruled in peace. Brother, the King and Queen were our grandparents. Mother’s parents ruled the Rising Kingdom, and Laeroth was the one who killed them.”
Nyx blinked, leaning back, shaken by my confession. I didn’t let go of his hand as I stared directly at him, the pain brought on by the truth coursed through him. His eyes glistened. “I understand.” His voice rasped as he spoke. “Mother has spent all of these years mated to the man who killed her parents.” He said as a fact, reaching the same conclusion I had.
“I’m so sorry, brother. I wish it wasn’t so.”
He nodded, but just once. The movement caused a tear to spill from his eyes. He swiftly removed his glasses turning away from us, and wiped it away. Reaching for his shirt, he used it to dry his tear ducts and placed his glasses back on. “Please forgive me for this weak show of emotion, Gabriella.” He said, avoiding her eyes. “I would hate for this to be your first impression of me.”
Gaby looked at me with tears of her own, and kneeled in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her cheek rested on his chest. I smiled as she squeezed him tenderly. “This is a lot to take in, for anyone not just you. You deserve this moment of emotion, and feeling it doesn’t make you a lesser man in my eyes. I’ll cry with you, if you want.”
Nyx held her to him, responding to her embrace and a new tear escaped him. He kissed her forehead, silently thanking her, and leaned away, wiping his face a second time. “Thank you, Gabriella. You are undoubtedly precious. I can see why Ash is in love.”
She grinned, sitting next to me again. “I like you too. Can you please always say my name like that?”
Nyx’s lips weakly stretched into a smile and he nodded. When his eyes settled on mine, the agony inside both of us connected. “That is not all I discovered.” He reached for a scroll and opened it, handing it to me.
It was an ancient illustration. Part of the paper was crackled and the ink had faded, but I could still see its form. A large man, stood in the center, and what seemed like a Holy Dragon was drawn behind him. The dragon appeared to be covered in shadows, hiding his face and the details of him from my eyes, a multitude of stars in all sizes were drawn around them both. It seemed as though the Dragon was watching over him.
“Can you see it?” Nyx asked, and I nodded.
“I’m assuming the Dragon is his protector. Like the Dragons of the Temple were to men?”
Nyx shook his head, staring at the parchment. “Everything we were taught, and everything I’ve read says that priests accompanied the Holy Dragons, preached for them and occupied the temple alongside them. One priest for each dragon. They took care of them, and stood beside them as they protected us. Four Holy Dragons, four Holy Priests.” He let out a strained breath. “Look at the drawing again.”
My gaze returned to the scroll just as Gaby leaned closer. Her finger traced the silhouette and her eyes suddenly widened. I followed her gaze to the man’s feet, and immediately understood. They connected. The Holy Dragon behind him wasn’t a protector. It was his shadow.
“They are the same,” Gaby whispered, amazed.
Nyx nodded. “I believe the Holy Dragons could shift forms somehow, except, from everything I’ve learned about them, I don’t judge it as an ability, I believe them to be a different species all together. A highly superior one.”
I swallowed, understanding rushing through me. My heart began to thunder in my chest while I looked at the scroll once again, and unrolled it a bit further. My eyes settled on the writing I had failed to see before. It read, “The Drayvok”.
“I think…” Nyx took a settling breath as his eyes searched mine. “I think I have figured it out, brother. I think I know who our father is.”
The two moons of winter shone brightly in the sky, illuminating our path as we infiltrated the Winter Castle. With Theo’s help, I had been able to contact Gallai, and let her know we were coming to take the queen, our mother, with us. It was midnight when she met us at the back gate of the stronghold—an entrance dedicated only to the Dark Army—and joined our ranks in her full warrior gear.
Theo, Nyx, and I were dressed in the black outfits he had his staff provide for us. The material was unlike anything that existed, a mix of gold and leather weaved together, forming an impenetrable armor. It was sturdy yet light on our bodies, and the gold within seemed to shimmer as we moved. I could even feel the magic flowing through it. It was the armor his Gilded Army wore.
“I love this! We are like freaking bad ass ninja’s, but with magic.” Gaby whisper-squealed, and we all shushed her. She cringed, and snuck behind me once again.
I repressed a chuckle, as we finished crossing the yard. Star had joined us after she adamantly refused to stay behind. She wanted to help us, but I also knew all of this could be a lot for her to process. She had just been thrown into this world—my world. She wasn’t ready for me to leave her side yet. When Theo denied her, and asked what exactly she planned to do if we got caught, Gaby graciously demonstrated by kneeing him in the balls. That had convinced him she was capable enough to come along. He ordered an outfit be fitted for her too.
We slipped into the castle unnoticed, then moved for the stairs dedicated only for the servants. Gallai, Nyx and Theo took the stairs two at a time while I kneeled down for Gaby. I saw her grin over my shoulder, knowing exactly what I wanted her to do, and she jumped on my back. I secured my hands under her knees, holding her to me, and rushed up the stairs after them. Nyx suddenly halted, as a guard walked towards the staircase entrance, making his rounds. Before the man could blink, Nyx pulled the gold sword from his back, and spun in front of him. Nyx landed in a half crouch, his sword drawn back, and his left hand forwards, ready to stop an attack, but the man’s body crumbled to the floor, lifeless.
“Wow,” Gaby whispered in my ear. “Remind me to never piss your little brother off.”
I chuckled just as Nyx straightened, and slid the sword back in the harness strapped to his back. We were far enough that the guards wouldn’t be able to spot us yet. He turned towards us, giving us the go ahead as he fixed his glasses, but Theo’s hand reached his arm, stopping him.
“Maybe we can proceed without killing everyone we encounter? It’s a wild idea, I know, but it could work.” Nyx frowned at Theo’s sarcasm. The Golden Prince grinned and sidestepped him. “Is this the floor where the queen is?”
“Yes, it’s the only chamber on this floor. She’s at the end to your right, but there will be at least ten guards at the door,” Gallai answered.
He nodded, dusting off his nonexistent lapels. “Please, allow me,” he whispered, with a naughty gleam in his eye and stepped into the hall. Nyx and I shrugged as we followed.
Theo stood in the center of the corridor, and squared his body, anchoring his feet as the tip of his fingers touched, and formed a globe within his hands. I had a feeling I was about to experience Elven magic for the first time.
Theo’s eyes began to glow an eerie gold. “Glinoht Lordae, let your power course through me, and respond to my command. Blind. Silence. Submit. Immobilize.”
A glimmering yellow dust exuded from his palms, as though coming from his being, and began to swirl and pulse faster and faster. It seemed alive somehow. He swung his arms apart and the mystical substance expanded.
“Is that gold dust?” Gaby whispered, shocked, and I nodded.
The shimmering element began to change in midair as Theo’s fingers moved in a circular motion, fashioning small spheres that resembled bullets. About thirty of them formed, pulsing and glowing in the space between his hands, as though awaiting his command.
“Narossa Wyn!”—Now! He pushed
his hands forwards and the spheres flew.
We rushed through the hallway after them, seeing them slam against the guards, not giving them a chance to even notice our presence. The spheres exploded on contact, spreading over their forms in a fraction of a second, and doing exactly what Theo had instructed them to do.
Blind. Silence. Submit. Immobilize.
The ten guards fell to the white marble floors, eyes glowing yellow, mouths shut, and bodies surrounded by the powerful gold dust that left them paralyzed. They were completely overtaken by the magic.
“Nice!” Gaby whispered from my back, extending her fist to Theo.
He bumped it and winked at her, then looked at Nyx and I. “What are you waiting for?”
I set Gaby on the floor and rushed into the room with Nyx, knowing Gallai and Theo would protect her. I swung the door open and cursed. I had forgotten about the Healers. Before I could open my mouth, yellow shimmering spheres crashed against their bodies, and the five healers crumbled to the stone floor.
“You are welcome,” Theo said smugly, but I ignored him as my gaze went to my mother.
She looked worse than I had ever seen her, but seemed asleep. My gaze roamed her form, while Nyx kneeled beside her and kissed her hand. Her extremely pale skin had lost the soft glow that I remembered from when I was a kid. She was so beautiful before… now, her once lush cerulean blue hair—a tad darker than that of her eyes—was dull and withered. Her skin seemed to glisten with a cold sweat. Her royal markings were almost a faded-gray, and barely visible under the weakened and flustered state of her body. She had been sick for so long that the swirls, which shaped her resting crown, looked as though they were disappearing.
The sight made my eyes sting as my chest severely constricted. Nyx stood, kissing her forehead and began to search her room. I frowned, my gaze connecting with Gaby, then Theo. “What are you doing brother? We need to hurry and take her with us.”
“Not yet.” He answered, opening the armoire and looking through her clothes. “It has to be here somewhere.”
“What is he looking for?” Theo asked, but I had no answer for him. Our eyes followed Nyx as he turned the room upside down in his wake.
He whirled around frustrated several minutes later, and looked at me anxiously. “I know it’s here. It has to be.”
“What are you searching for?” I stepped closer, just as his gaze returned to Mother.
Something seemed to click in his mind, and our gazes connected briefly before he dropped to the floor and dragged himself into the narrow space under her bed. When he slid out, he was holding a small silver chest with strange symbols on it. He stood and placed it on the mattress next to her.
“You kept it close all these years, because it was the only thing you still had of him, right Mother?” He whispered, and kissed her forehead once more. “Not to worry, soon you’ll be together again.”
He opened the chest and pulled a leather pouch from it, reaching inside. The next second my eyes widened. I stepped forwards, heart flipping in my chest, when Nyx placed the large midnight-blue dragon scale on our mothers’ chest, right over her heart, and reached behind him for the pouch that had once appeared in Kyr’s room, the night all of this begun. He pulled out the matching scale and placed it over her chest too. When the two touched, power rushed out of them. We stepped back as they burst open, exuding a white, freezing mist that swiftly spread over her body, engulfing her, and forming a shield around her. It was crystalized ice, resembling a glass casket.
Tears once again escaped from Nyx eyes but his lips stretched into a dazzling smile, as though he knew he had done right by her. “Now we can go.”
Epilogue. Claimed
ASH
* * *
I dragged the golden blade over my palm, slicing it open, and instantly the crimson blood began to spill onto the crisp white snow beneath my feet.
Gaby gasped but didn’t intervene as my gaze went to my brother, Nyx, seeing him nod. We both pressed our bleeding hands to the rock of the White Haunted Mountain, and watched as our blood turned a bright sparkling blue. We stepped back when the rocks began to quake and shift, the ground shaking as the passage opened before us.
“I believe my journey beside you ends here, my friends. Although we shall see each other again soon, I’m sure.” Theo offered, with a supportive smile and mounted his horse once again. We nodded in response and watched him as he dashed away over the snow. Golden wings shimmering dust suddenly protruded from the horse’s back, and he took flight in the night. The horses we had borrowed flew after him. Kyr had once said, that the magic the Golden Elves possessed was among the most powerful; I never understood fully what he meant, until today.
Nyx and I turned, gripping the ropes we had wrapped around the crystalized ice capsule that protected Mother, and carried it, walking into the cave with Gaby by our side.
The moment we stepped inside, the magical blue flames along the sides of the cavernous room came alive, illuminating the entire space. Even the entrance of the temple, which stood several feet ahead, became fully visible to us.
“Wow,” Gaby whispered astonished, taking it all in, while Nyx and I set our mother down. The entrance closed behind us.
I reached for Gaby’s hand, interlacing our fingers as we waited. It wasn’t long before Kyr appeared in the temple. He walked towards us down the aisle, wearing a royal blue suit, his lips fully stretched into a gleaming smile as Avrielle moved next to him in a sophisticated pearl white gown. Hands joined. My eyes widened as I regarded my brother’s forehead. His royal markings had transformed into a full king’s crown. It was unlike anything I had seen, more prominent even than the Dark King’s. Happiness rushed through me at the sight of Kyr and Avrielle’s full grandeur; they were now king and queen. Nyx’s astounded gaze connected with mine and I knew he felt it too. When our eyes returned towards them we froze.
An eight-foot tall man walked behind them. I held my breath while my eyes followed him, unwilling to let go. He regally strode towards us, dressed in an elegant white suit that resembled the blue one Kyr currently wore. A large cobalt blue cape hung from his shoulders, dragging behind him. His skin was pale like ours, his eyes an ice blue just like ours—although a thin blue ring glowed around his irises—he had a strong chiseled jaw, and full lips… just like ours. His royal markings also formed a crown that strongly resembled Kyr’s, except I could see small, horn-like shapes in the design, and a long scar marred his otherwise flawless skin—expanding from his forehead to his cheek—but that didn’t take away from the devastating grin he wore on his lips.
Kyr stood just to our right with Avrielle, as Gaby squeezed my hand. “Holy flying pigs! Ash, he looks just like you! All of you actually.” She whisper-screamed beside me while she too stared at him, but my heart was once again thundering in my chest, and I couldn’t do anything but look at the man that walked towards me.
“Ash, Nyx, this is Avra, the Dragon Lord, and our father.” Kyr’s words had been simple, but I couldn’t move past “Father”.
Avra stopped before me and the wave of power that pushed out of him blindsided me. It traveled right through me, electrifying my nerve endings and sending a chill down my spine. His eyes roamed my face for a moment appreciatively, and he pulled me into his arms the next. His embrace made the oxygen rush back into my lungs. It was filled with so much adoration and nostalgia.
“You have grown into an amazing man as I witnessed from afar. But witnessed, I have. I’ve always seen you. The real you. You are perfect, son. You are everything I expected you to be.” Pride dripped from his every word, and unexpected tears fell from my eyes, as he held me fiercely to him. He kissed my forehead and moved towards Nyx, bringing him into his embrace.
I wiped my cheeks, overwhelmed by the emotion that took over my body, and watched him as he shared his feelings with Nyx too. I saw tears escape my little brother as well, as he looked up at our father. Our father. How could this be the first time I ever saw him, heard him, and
touched him, yet I could feel it in my every bone? He was my father.
I saw Avrielle approach Gaby on my right, while I was still unable to move. “Hi, I’m Avrielle, Kyr’s mate and queen, it’s a pleasure to meet you…” she let the words fade as she waited for Gaby to fill in the gap.
“Oh, I’m Gabriella, but you can call me Gaby. Man, you are gorgeous. Um, sorry, I’m Ash’s girlfriend… or mate? And yes, I’m a human, but he claimed me anyway,” she rambled, not knowing what else to say.
Avrielle laughed. “Yep, that sounds like our dear Ash. Come with me, I’ll show you around. The brothers have much to talk about.”
Kyr moved in front of Nyx and I, hugging us tightly. The stupid emotion rushed through me again. “We weren’t sure when we would see you again.”
He nodded, clenching his jaw, and held me fiercely to him once more as though he needed it. He pulled back and kissed Nyx’s forehead, just like our father had done, then stood beside me. We watched in silence as Avra kneeled next to the crystalized ice shield that engulfed our mother, and placed his hand directly over where her heart would be. The ice glimmered and began to disintegrate under his touch, until it was completely opened and his hand rested over her. My chest severely constricted, when he gently cradled her cheeks, and tears welled in his eyes.
“Arthu Xae Astri Kelesta, Estarev Naeathlor Linossa Vaetha.” His words were barely a whisper, but adoration exuded from them.
We stared at them in awe, as Mother’s lids fluttered open. His tears began to fall the second her gaze focused on him.
“Estarev Naeathlor Linossa Vaetha,” she whispered in response, reaching for him with weakened, trembling arms, and tears spilled from her lashes.
Broken Kingdom Page 22
