The Rise of the Dawnstar

by Farah Oomerbhoy

I was right! Andromeda was aligned with Morgana. She was the traitor. Did the Elder Council know she was planning to take over Elfi?

  “I hope you know what you are doing,” said Skye.

  “Just make sure you follow the plan,” commanded Andromeda. “We only get one chance at this.”

  Skye nodded and walked off through one of the tunnels toward the library.

  I had heard enough. Andromeda was going to kill my grandmother, the dowager, and Erik. Penelope was in the dungeons and Tristan was injured. She had rid herself of anyone who could stop her from taking the throne. She thought she was getting rid of me, too, but that’s where she was wrong.

  I had to go back and warn the elders. If I could make them see Andromeda was the traitor and planning to take over Elfi as queen, they might stop her from giving Morgana the book.

  I moved backward into the shadows of the catacombs and froze as cold steel pricked my back. Guards appeared behind me, their swords out, cutting off any hope of escape.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t our little half-breed princess,” Andromeda taunted, emerging from the shadows. “How did you get out of your room?” She glanced briefly at a guard who looked terrified and didn’t have an answer.

  “Doesn’t matter.” She waved her hand and the guard clutched his throat, dropping to the ground. She ignored him as she spoke to me. “You’re here now, and that’s what’s important.”

  “You’re a traitor, Andromeda,” I said, gritting my teeth. “And I’m going to make sure the Elder Council knows exactly what you are planning.” My hands started to glow as my magic awoke. I could not let her get away with this.

  “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Andromeda inspected her nails. “I have a better idea.”

  A low growl sounded through the catacombs and a flash of red eyes stopped me in my tracks. White teeth flashed as four werewraiths appeared beside her.

  I took a step back and a ball of silver-fire formed in my hand as I prepared myself for the worst.

  “Don’t worry, they are not going to attack,” said Andromeda, still calm and composed. “Unless I tell them to, of course. But I have other uses for you.” She turned to the guards. “Put on the cuffs.”

  The guards approached me warily. I frantically considered a variety of ways to get out of this situation, but all of them would involve killing a lot of people. If I did manage to fight and kill the werewraiths, killing fae guards who were only following orders was quite another thing altogether. I couldn’t do it. That was not who I was. I wasn’t a murderer, and Andromeda knew that. I would have to find another way out of this mess.

  The guards snapped identical black cuffs on my wrists and the light in my hands went out.

  My eyes grew wide. “What’s this?” I inspected the cuffs and scrambled to reach my magic, but it would not respond. It felt as though someone had cast a veil over my powers.

  “This, my little half-breed, is blackened iron from the foothills of Mount Khatral,” Andromeda answered.

  My heartbeat sped up. I had seen this metal once before; the Drakaar had swords made of it.

  “It can only be found in the heartland of Maradaar,” Andromeda went on, “and Morgana was kind enough to send me some; a gift from the Drakaar. It is quite effective when it comes to suppressing fae power. She knew you would not go quietly.

  “Bring her,” she ordered the guards and turned, walking down a dark passage, deeper into the catacombs.

  The guards grabbed my arms, pulling me along behind her. Andromeda had the werewraiths there to keep me in check. And with the cuffs blocking my fae magic, I could not fight them.

  Further and further we went into the hidden part of the catacombs. The werewraiths led the way, and they knew exactly where to go. They must have been scoping out these passages for a while under Andromeda’s orders. I knew exactly where she was taking me.

  We reached the cave under the mountain, and I followed Andromeda to the door. It was the same as I had remembered it, with Illaria’s symbol etched into the stone.

  “Illaria Lightbringer’s secret chamber,” Andromeda whispered reverently as she ran her hands over the symbol. “Finally.”

  Andromeda put her hands on the symbol and spoke in an ancient language, her eyes glowing as she recited what she had learned from the Codex.

  The massive stone door to Illaria’s chamber groaned and slowly opened inward.

  I stepped through the threshold, following Andromeda into an enormous chamber with a curved roof almost a hundred feet high. The fae guards spread out behind me, blocking the door, but the werewraiths refused to enter.

  Andromeda held up her hand and a ball of fae-light lit up the chamber. The walls were covered in a series of ancient symbols and scripts etched into the stone. At the far end of the huge room lay a flight of steps that led upward to what looked like a stone altar with a book propped on it.

  The Book of Abraxas.

  Andromeda turned to me. “The Fae Codex was very informative, I must say. No wonder the queen and the elders hid it away. But I found it eventually. Did you know this place once belonged to Illaria Lightbringer? And according to the Codex, she hid the last of her ancient magic in a powerful weapon and locked it in this very chamber.”

  She knew about the Dawnstar! But the Alkana had said the Dawnstar was not in this chamber! Why would the Codex say it was?

  I looked around. “What weapon?” I needed her to keep talking while I figured a way out of this.

  “Of course no one ever found what the Codex calls the Dawnstar,” Andromeda continued. “The chamber was empty when the Elder Fae discovered it and built this castle on the ruins of Illaria’s fortress; I suppose the Codex can be wrong on occasion. The elders thought they were so clever, hiding the Book of Abraxas in a place that is supposed to hide something else.”

  “If the elders have given you access to this chamber,” I asked, “why did you need to steal the Codex and kill all those priestesses?”

  Andromeda turned her cold eyes on me. “I wasn’t sure if they would agree to give the book over to Morgana. Losing the Codex made them realize Morgana could get to them at any time. They are cowards; without Izadora and Rhiannon, the Elder Council is weak. I simply made sure they had no choice.”

  “You framed Penelope and tricked the elders.”

  Andromeda’s lips tightened. “Yes. Framing Penelope was unexpected but worked out nonetheless. She made it too easy, turning up in Elfi when she did.”

  Andromeda walked up to the altar and picked up the Book of Abraxas, running her fingers over the symbol in the center. It was not a big book. Bound in brown leather, it looked so harmless. However, I had learned from experience that importance was merely in the eye of the beholder. Knowledge was the greatest weapon of all, and those who understood this were the ones who held all the power. Once Morgana fit the four magical keys that opened the book into the triangular symbol, all would be lost.

  “Don’t do it, Andromeda. Morgana will destroy Elfi once she has the book.”

  “No, she won’t,” Andromeda smirked. “Morgana is sitting tight on her throne in Illiador and fighting a war on many fronts. She doesn’t have time to battle the fae. I will give Lucian the book, and he will withdraw his troops from Elfi. But I’ve decided not to play all my cards yet. I don’t want you around when I meet with Lucian; too many things could go wrong. Once I am crowned queen, I will keep the second part of my bargain and give you up to Morgana. Until then, I think I will keep you locked up here where there is no chance of you getting out.”

  “No!” I gasped as I struggled to get a hold of my magic, but I couldn’t reach it. The black cuffs were powerful and the darkness clung to my spirit, willing it to break. I still had my mage magic and my hands were not tied together, so I shot a fire-strike at Andromeda.

  It sizzled as it struck skin, but Andromeda didn’t flinch.

  She turned her icy blue eyes on me. “How quaint.” Her grin was feral. “Did you think your puny mage magic could hur
t a High Fae?”

  I had no weapons or fae magic, but I had to do something. I ran at Andromeda and tried to snatch the book away. She raised her hand, and her magic slammed into me with such force that I went flying across the room. I crashed into the wall, my head hitting the stone, and I slumped to the ground. I had no fae magic to heal myself and the pain was excruciating.

  “Soon I will be queen, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.” Andromeda’s face swam before my eyes and her cruel laugh dissipated as she closed the big stone door behind her.

  The chamber was plunged into darkness as I gave in to the pain and passed out.

  25

  Illaria’s Chamber

  I groaned as I pushed myself into a sitting position, leaning against the wall. My head was throbbing and my mouth was dry as I tried to find some fae magic to heal myself, but it was gone. I didn’t know for how long I had been passed out, and I had to find a way out of the chamber before Andromeda gave the book to Lucian. I had to warn the elders. I knew Lucian would never pull back his army. Once he had the book, he would attack and the fae would not be able to stop him.

  The black cuffs were still on my wrists, cutting off my power. I touched my head and my fingers came back sticky. There was a lot of blood. But there was no time to think about that now.

  I reached for my mage magic and was relieved when it responded. Concentrating, I slowly created a ball of light, swirling it around in my fingers. I held up my hand, dimly lighting up the room. I leaned on the wall for support and looked around.

  There had to be a way out of here.

  I went over to the massive door and pushed at it, but it did not budge. The chamber was sealed shut. I was trapped. Without my fae powers there was nothing I could do.

  I held up the light and inspected the door more closely. The carvings on it were the same on the inside of the chamber as they were on the outside. I ran my fingers over the carved vines and creepers and over the symbol in the middle: the sun and the star, the sigil of Illaria Lightbringer’s house.

  The blood on my hands smeared across the door. Inside the carving of the sun within the star was a series of smaller symbols. How had I not noticed this earlier? I traced the lines with my fingers. It looked like an ancient script written within the circle. Where had I seen this before?

  I gazed at the symbols, committing them to memory. But as I ran my fingers over the last figure, I stopped, my mind clamoring. My heartbeat quickened as I went over the markings again, and I smiled. It was a grin, really—I had seen these symbols my whole life.

  I removed the Amulet of Auraken from my neck. I still wore it when I wasn’t training or fighting, as a reminder of my parents. I looked at it closely and there it was, as clear as day. I held it up to the door, next to the small round sun that lay at the center of Illaria’s symbol.

  A perfect match.

  The markings on the door were the same as on the Amulet of Auraken. What did Auraken Firedrake have to do with Illaria Lightbringer?

  I touched the amulet to the door; it fit into the grooves of the symbol as if it were meant to be. The amulet started to glow, and my blood smeared on the door moved through the ancient stone script like veins, swirling through Illaria’s symbol. I watched, mesmerized, as the door lit up and the Amulet of Auraken shimmered in the centre of Illaria’s star.

  I took a step back. What was happening?

  Behind me a voice spoke. “Finally, you have come, Aurora Shadowbreaker. I have been expecting you.”

  I jumped in fright. The voice was unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time. But this was not the deep male voice that had helped me before. This voice was soft and kind, the voice of a woman. It was not the Alkana, but the power in that gentle voice made the magic within me hum and vibrate as if in answer to some secret call.

  I turned around slowly, and my blood turned to ice.

  Standing in the center of the massive chamber was the specter of a beautiful High Fae lady. Light touched her alabaster skin from the inside and she shimmered like a mirage in a desert of darkness. A silver crown studded with pearls rested atop her hair, a gleaming stream of darkest ebony. Her eyes were the color of emerald, and her silver robes and pointed ears gave away her lineage. But her face! I gasped; it was like looking in a mirror. And I knew instinctively who she was.

  “Illaria Lightbringer,” I whispered. She looked exactly like me, or rather I looked exactly like her.

  The specter gave a slight nod.

  “But you’re dead how can you be here?”

  The ancient queen smiled. “The Immortal fae never die unless killed by specific weapons. We simply leave this world for a better one. On occasion we can return when needed for a greater purpose.”

  “But how can you speak to me? Are you real?”

  Illaria laughed. “Yes, I am real, as real as I can be. The magic I preserved in this chamber permits me to speak to you through the veils between the worlds. For thousands of years I have waited for the chosen one to open the chamber.” She paused, taking a step closer. “You, Aurora Shadowbreaker, are the last heir to the ancient fae house of Eos-Eirendil.”

  My hands trembled—I had to hold them together to stop them from shaking.

  “How can I be your heir? My grandmother Izadora never mentioned she was descended from you.”

  “That’s because she is not descended from me, and neither is your mother. Only you are.”

  “How is that possible?”

  The ancient queen’s eyes swirled with magic as she spoke. “Auraken Firedrake was my son,” Illaria Lightbringer explained. “The first fae-mage ever to be born in Avalonia.”

  My eyes widened at the implications. “But that would make you . . .” I trailed off.

  “Your great-grandmother, from your father’s side,” said Illaria, smiling. “Many times removed, I may add.”

  “But why did you keep this a secret for so long?”

  The specter stepped forward slightly. “In the days of Ancient Avalonia, a union between a mage and a fae was unheard of, and for a High Fae to marry a mage . . .” She paused. “As you can imagine, there was no option but to hide Auraken’s true identity from the rest of the world, or he would have been killed before he came into his powers.”

  She moved slowly toward me, gliding over the stone floors. “Avalonia is in turmoil. If Morgana opens the book and Dragath returns, you must be the one to stop him from taking over the world as he did once before.”

  “How can I stop him? I can’t get out of this chamber to stop Andromeda. My fae magic is blocked, and if Morgana gets the book I can’t fight her. I don’t have ancient magic like you did.”

  Illaria stopped before me, looked me straight in the eyes, and held out her hand. In her palm was a ring: a carved, red stone depicting the head of a dragon, set within a plain gold band. “Take my ring, Aurora Shadowbreaker, and become the queen the world needs you to be.”

  I stared at my ancestor as my heartbeat sped up. “Is the ring the Dawnstar?”

  “No, the ring is not the Dawnstar,” said the ancient queen.

  I took the ring and held it up. It glowed faintly as if in recognition. “Then what is it?” I was confused. “If I am going to go up against Morgana and Dragath, I need your ancient weapon. My magic is not enough.”

  “It has taken over five thousand years for all of my powers to manifest together within one person.” She put her hand on my shoulder. A warm light infused my magic with a power I had never felt before. “You are my legacy, Aurora, the weapon I promised the world.”

  The chamber lit up.

  “You, Aurora Shadowbreaker, are the Dawnstar.”

  There was a pause in the threads of time as my whole world tilted.

  “I’m what?”

  “You heard me,” Illaria removed her hand from my shoulder and took a step back. “I hid the Dawnstar in a place the elders would never think to look: in the bloodline of the mages. You are the last heir to the ancient house of Eos-Eirendil, and your
magic is like nothing the world has ever seen before.” Her voice lifted. “The time for the Dawnstar to rise has come, Aurora Shadowbreaker. Wear the ring and free the great dragon. He will be your guide in mastering the magic of the Ancient Fae and will be invaluable to you in the battles to come.”

  “Abraxas!” I exclaimed. “Is he in the ring?”

  “No, young fae-mage. The ring is part of his prison, but he is not within it. When Dragath trapped Abraxas in between the worlds, I managed to preserve a link to him, a part of his consciousness, within this ring. With it you can contact the dragon, and he will hear your call through the veil. If your summoning power is strong enough to break the curse and free him, Abraxas will come, wherever he may be.”

  “How do I summon him?”

  “That I cannot reveal.” Illaria started to retreat into the shadows. “You must find the magic to break the curse yourself. The Dawnstar has been within you all along, but how you use the power that you have been given is entirely up to you. When the time is right, you will know what to do.”

  “How will I know when the time is right?” I called out. “Wait!”

  But the specter of the ancient queen dissolved into darkness and disappeared.

  I slipped the ring onto my finger. It felt warm and the glow got brighter.

  “It took you long enough,” said the familiar deep voice only I could hear.

  “It’s you!” I cried, aghast, looking at the ring. “You’re Abraxas?”

  “A fine observation, Princess Obvious,” said the voice of the great dragon, already familiar in my head. “But we have work to do. So quit dawdling and let us get out of here.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”

  “Because that is not how the magic that binds me works,” Abraxas replied. “It took every last bit of power I had left to speak to you when you called for help in the ruins with Morgana. At first I was surprised I heard your call, but when I did, I knew who you were. So I tried to help. I had to keep you alive long enough to free me. The closer you were to the ring, the easier it was for me to contact you. When you came to Elfi and to the castle I felt your presence, but only for moments when I could speak through the curse. It also prevented me from telling you the truth about this chamber.” He paused for a moment. “Time is of the essence, Aurora. We must leave now.”