by Tara West
Elements save them if they didn’t.
* * *
Dianna could not sleep in the soft, warm bed another night, knowing how the mortals of the Shifting Sands were forced to live in squalor. She also worried over her brothers’ safety. Had the visions been real or just dreams? She’d obsessed over this most of the day, when she wasn’t thinking about Simeon’s dimpled smile.
It was taking too long to heal Lydra. After the healers went to bed, she’d go to the top and do it herself, hopefully with Sindri’s help. She wasn’t sure she could count on the stone, which had been suspiciously silent all day, despite Dianna asking her cousin for answers. Namely, what were the visions she kept having of her brothers, and why did Simeon make her heart flutter and her head throb?
She berated herself for her selfish obsession when others needed her. Mayhap she’d see another vision of her brothers if she healed Lydra.
After she’d declined Feira’s invitation to dine with the other Kyanite witches, she ate alone in her chamber, eating her fill, for healing magic took much strength.
She’d just finished her meal when there was a knock at the door.
She was relieved to see Sprout, beaming at her as if the pixie battle from earlier had never taken place. She was accompanied by a cloaked figure. Dianna wasn’t surprised to see Feira pull down her hood and shut the door behind her. Dianna had suspected she would receive a visit from the deity after her confrontation with The Seven.
Feira silently walked over to the table, leaned her cane against the chair, and grabbed a silver decanter, pouring herself a tall goblet of wine. Sprout skirted the perimeter of the room, decorating the stone walls with twirling ivy and flowers.
Feira downed the entire goblet before slamming it on the table and burping into her fist. She took a seat across from Dianna, running a crooked finger along the rim of the goblet, eyes averted. “I saw you meet The Seven in the swirling mists.”
“Why didn’t you warn me about them?” she snapped.
Feira shrugged. “I wanted you to come to your own conclusions.”
“You don’t want to know my conclusions,” she grumbled. Feira wouldn’t like what she had to say, namely that she was a coward for letting The Seven wrestle control of Kyanu from her. She eyed Feira intently. “What else have your swirling mists shown you?”
Feira looked at Sprout, who was creating a veritable flower garden on the wall. “The mists have been stubborn lately. Besides, they do not show outcomes, only possibilities.”
She is withholding something, Sindri said.
Dianna suspected it, too. She feared Feira knew more about these mages than she was willing to admit. “Is it possible The Seven will come after me?”
When Feira silently nodded, Dianna was not surprised, though she was disappointed in Feira’s reticence. This “deity” had become a coward in her old age.
“Can I count on you to help me?” she asked, her muscles tensing when the old woman looked away.
“I’m sorry.” Feira held out her palms in surrender. “But all Kyanites are my children, The Seven included.”
“When naughty children feed their siblings to demonic pixies,” she said through gritted teeth, “it’s time for the parent to intervene.”
“I no longer control Kyanu. I am just someone they worship, nothing more. The Seven would have destroyed me long ago if they didn’t fear a revolt.”
Dianna didn’t try to mask the disdain in her voice. “How could you have let this happen?”
Feira picked up a pale flower petal from the table and rolled it between thumb and forefinger, grinding it to shreds. “Do you know the story of our origins?”
Dianna folded her arms, aggravated with the change of subject. “Vaguely.” Truthfully, Dafuar had told her about their origins many times, though his story continued to evolve.
Feira grabbed another flower petal, closing it in her fist. “In the beginning there was chaos: fires raged, wind howled, and seas churned. The Elements created the goddesses to bring peace to our planet. They gave all the lands to Kyan. To Madhea they gave the sky and to Eris the oceans.”
“Yes, I’ve heard this part,” she interrupted. “Many times, from Dafaur.”
Feira flashed a weak smile. “Her sisters were not happy with their dominions. They were jealous of Kyan, who was worshipped by the mortals. When Kyan married my grandfather, King of the Shifting Sands, she gave him six daughters, but they were all born with Elemental magic and were in Kyan’s likeness. The king asked his goddess to give him sons who looked like him, but it took a dark and powerful magic for Kyan to give her husband male heirs, a magic that compromised her own.”
Dianna swallowed at this, for she knew the dark direction the story would take. “Again,” she said. “I have heard this.”
“After she gave birth to my father, Odu, and his brother, Dafaur,” Feira continued, “Madhea took advantage of my grandmother’s compromised magic and turned her and my aunts to stone, then seized her lands. When Eris fought Madhea for her share of the lands, they brought much death and destruction to the world, with powerful earthquakes and giant tsunamis.”
Dianna drummed her fingers on the table. This story served no purpose, other than to make her feel guilty for her mother’s actions. Perhaps ’twas Feira’s point.
“Finally the Elements had enough of war and forced the goddesses to form a truce. They divided the lands among themselves, Madhea getting the mountains and Eris receiving the islands. My father and his brother were supposed to steward the lands between. They were given the magical stones of their mother and sisters. Though the dark magic which had made them gave them eternal life, it gradually robbed their minds of reason. ’Tis why they are so perplexing now. They are wise, yet unwise. Old and frail, yet immortal. Because of this, the Elements took their stones, hiding them in the recesses of the earth, and they gave power over the lands to Tan’yi’na’. When he found me, he turned over the power to me until....” She picked grime out of her fingernails.
“Until The Seven took it from you?” she finished.
When Feira heaved a dramatic sigh, Dianna couldn’t help but wonder if her show of pity was real or staged.
“Well, as you can see, because of the dark magic I use to keep Tumi alive, my power is waning.” Feira threw up her hands in mock surrender. “The Seven feel we are safest from the likes of Madhea and Eris if they rule in my stead.”
“And who will protect Kyanu from The Seven?” Dianna pounded the table, then lowered her voice when Sprout turned to her with a gasp. “They’ve grown even more cruel than Eris and Madhea,” she whispered.
Sprout skipped over to Feira, leaning into her. “Grandmother, we must go. Mother wanted me to repair the gardens.”
“I know, dearest.” Feira stroked the child’s face, kissing her cheek. “Look at what you’ve done here.” She stood, hands clasped, surveying walls carpeted with brightly colored flowers. “Your magical talents know no bounds.” She turned to Dianna, pride for the child in her bright eyes. “This was my grandmother’s gift as well. She could make anything grow. The Kyanite’s never wanted for food when Kyan ruled The Shifting Sands. In fact, much of our desert landscape was rich with vegetables and grains before it all turned to ruin.” She paused, heaving an overly dramatic sigh. “How I wish she was still here with us.”
Dianna read Feira’s unspoken words loud and clear. How I wish she was still here with us, but your cruel mother killed her. If Feira wished to wound Dianna, she’d certainly succeeded, holding her accountable for something beyond her control.
“Grandmother.” Sprout tugged on Feira’s robe.
“Very well, child.” Feira smiled down at the young witch and held out her hand. “Let us go. I must survey the damage as well.”
She wasn’t sure what to make of Feira’s visit. Had she come simply to make Dianna feel bad or was it to warn her about The Seven’s plans? Knowing she couldn’t count on Feira to help her, should The Seven attack, was even more wor
risome. Another reason to fly away from this cursed place.
* * *
It was nightfall when Dianna stepped outside. The sky was cloudy and vast, punctured with the occasional bright star. The full moon hung low, pressing against the horizon like a giant, bloated thumb. She lamented that she’d missed the feel of the sun this day. Then she thought of the Kyanu mortals who’d never been permitted to see it, and her bereavement paled in comparison.
Tan’yi’na wasn’t there when Dianna found Lydra under the waterfall, ice crystals forming above her head as she blew out a curtain of what appeared to be diamond dust. The healing witches had gone, and the guards stayed within the recesses of the cave walls.
Lydra let out a howl, flapping her wings like a hatchling bird and clumsily skipping across the thin layer of ice that coated the pond. Tumbling to a stop, Lydra nearly crushed Dianna as she landed beside her, shattering the ice.
Soaked to the bone, Dianna wrung frigid water out of her hair. “I’m happy to see you, too, girl.” Dianna playfully pushed Lydra’s muzzle away but not before her dragon covered her head to toe in frozen slobber.
Lydra’s wounds were almost completely healed. It wouldn’t take much magic for her to finish, which meant she would be free to leave these cursed lands, their prejudiced witches, and menacing dragon. It also meant she’d have to leave Sprout, Jae, and Simeon, and that thought made her stomach churn.
Dianna couldn’t express the gratitude she felt toward her dragon friend as she leaned against her, wrapping her arms around her neck. She needed friendship in this hostile world, for she wasn’t sure who she could trust. She wished she could trust Simeon, but she couldn’t see past the confusing mixture of attraction and annoyance she felt toward him. Lydra may be the only true friend Dianna could count on in the Shifting Sands.
Dianna stifled a curse when she felt a familiar heat on her back. She scowled up at Tan’yi’na. How had such a large, menacing creature managed to sneak up on her unnoticed?
What are you doing here? Smoke billowed out of Tan’yi’na’s nostrils.
Dianna resisted the urge to fan her face. “I’ve come to sleep with Lydra.” She didn’t tell him her true purpose—to heal Lydra and leave.
His golden eyes narrowed. What of your warm bed and soft furs?
A low growl rose from Lydra’s throat. Dianna pressed a hand to her cool scales. “Easy girl,” she whispered. “I’d rather be with my dragon.”
Are you afraid Zephyra will slit your throat while you sleep?
Word obviously traveled fast in the Shifting Sands. She plastered on an impassive face, hoping to fool Tan’yi’na, though Dianna had the unnerving suspicion he could see into her very soul. “That, too.”
I heard what you did to the pixies. They were Kyan’s pets, you know.
The accusation in his tone stirred a cyclone of rage. When Lydra issued a deep rumble, Dianna balled her hands into fists in an attempt to contain her rage.
“What I know,” she snapped, “is that they were flesh-eating monsters.”
He sat on his hind legs, licking his front paw. What have you against monsters? he purred, eyeing her through sideways slits.
She threw up her hands, flinging pent-up magic into the sky and wincing as sparks rained down on her. No doubt he’d been goading her. “I’m in no mood to fight with you, Tan’yi’na. I’m tired, and I need rest.”
Against her better judgment, she turned her back on him, climbing under Lydra’s wing, hiding beneath her pearlescent membranes and trying not to feel like a coward. She sent up a silent prayer to the Elements that he’d leave her be.
What will you do when Lydra is fully recovered? Will you fly away and forget about the cruel witches of Kyanu?
Dianna heaved a frustrated groan. “My brothers need me.”
The people of the Shifting Sands need you.
Was he in earnest? After this brute had all but devoured her when she’d first arrived, now he wanted her to stay and help his people?
She crawled out of her hiding place. “I fear my brothers’ situations may be dire.” Though she wasn’t certain, the only way to know for sure was to find them, especially Alec, whose dark world may have already consumed him.
And you do not think the situation here is dire?
“I did not realize you cared about the plight of mortals.” It was an unnecessary jab, as the monster had never given her cause to think he was heartless, other than the unfair way he’d treated her.
I have always cared. My goddess was benevolent and kind. She would not have approved of the way her people have been sacrificed.
Dianna crossed her arms, impatiently tapping her foot. “Why doesn’t Feira stop them? Why don’t you stop them?” This world made no sense. The granddaughter of a goddess and a dragon should be able to overpower The Seven, and the rest of Kyanu would bow down to the victors.
The Seven would crush my deity, and she knows it. He sneered. Her magic is not as strong as it once was, and you have seen what one child can do to me. Do you think I can go up against seven grown witches?
Dianna looked into Tan’yi’na’s golden eyes for a long heartbeat as his words settled in her stomach like a sack of stones. He and Feira were at the mercy of The Seven? How? Feira had mentioned the dark magic she used to keep Tumi alive had weakened her magic. Was it so diminished she couldn’t defeat The Seven? Or perhaps they were stronger than she had surmised. In that case, how would she be able to defeat them?
“What makes you think they won’t crush me?”
Because they don’t have a goddess stone, he bellowed in her mind.
She instinctively placed a hand over it. How did he know?
He arched up, then bowed toward her, his serpentine neck swaying with the movement. Don’t try to deny it. I sensed Sindri with you the moment I met you.
As if on cue, Sindri throbbed like a heartbeat. Curse the stone. She’d been silent almost all day, ignoring Dianna when she questioned her about the dreams she’d had about her brothers.
What good was saving Kyanu mortals from a nest of pixies if you are going to leave them in a den of wolves?
She flinched at the accusatory note in Tan’yi’na’s voice. Curse the dragon. He was right. Still, what could she do?
“And what of the other witches of Kyanu? What of the guards?” she asked him. Even if she did defeat the evil mages, what of all the other witches? There had to be thousands in Kyanu. She couldn’t defeat them all.
Most witches have mortal family, too, but they are too afraid to go up against The Seven. The guards are mortals born of affluent witch families. Only a few captains are witches, but even they do not possess great magic.
As if sensing her unease, Lydra nuzzled Dianna’s back. She stroked her cold snout and smiled when Lydra rewarded her with a deep, satisfied purr. “I am but one witch.”
One powerful witch with two goddess stones.
She spun around at that. “I have but one.”
And I have another.
Her jaw dropped and her heart thudded. “Where?”
He arched a scaled brow, his lips pulling back in what appeared to be a fanged smile. It is not far from here. Climb on my back, and I will show you.
She did her best to still her shaking limbs, for she did not want the dragon to know how much the thought of riding astride him terrified her. He’d chastised her for riding Lydra like a pet, and now he offered his back? She feared their flight would end with her falling to her death or becoming a dragon snack. Why would he forget his grudge so easily and offer her another stone?
She pressed her back against Lydra’s neck. “How do I know this isn’t a trick?”
“It isn’t.” Simeon stepped out from behind Tan’yi’na and held out a hand. “We don’t have much time. We must move quickly before The Seven discover our plans.”
She shook her head. “I never agreed to anything.”
Go with them, Sindri urged.
“Finally you speak to me?” She grumbled. “Y
ou don’t get a say now.”
The stone answered with an indignant huff.
Tan’yi’na raised his elongated neck until his massive head blotted out the moon. With two goddess stones, you can defeat The Seven, then save your oldest brother from Eris.
“My brother is with Eris?” She clutched her throat with a trembling hand. “How do you know this?”
My deity has seen it in the swirling mists, he answered, but you cannot defeat the sea goddess with one stone.
Realization struck her like a mallet to the head. They knew her brother was in trouble, yet they had kept it from her until they could use the information to their advantage. When she shot Simeon a dark look, he had the decency to look at his sandaled feet.
She glared at the golden dragon. “And you will not give me this second stone until I promise to first defeat The Seven?”
Finally, we come to an understanding. The dragon’s low, ominous laughter echoed in her head.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” She snapped. Though she hated the feeling of being used, what choice did she have? She needed the other stone to defeat Eris.
When Simeon held out a hand to her, she turned her back on him. “I will ride Lydra.” She grabbed her dragon’s harness, climbing up on her back. Lydra’s wounds had mostly healed, and Tan’yi’na said the stone wasn’t far. She’d rather trust her fate with Lydra than the golden menace.
Once she was seated between her dragon’s wings, she peered over Lydra’s neck at Simeon, who’d already climbed astride Tan’yi’na.
She tossed her braid behind her back. “We’re ready.”
Tan’yi’na smirked. Try to keep up, witch.
She patted her dragon’s scales. “Are you ready, girl?”
Lydra answered with a grunt.
When the massive golden monster launched, his wings beating sand down on their heads, her racing heart dropped to her stomach. Keeping up with Tan’yi’na was the least of her worries. She was more concerned with how she was to defeat seven powerful witches, then save her brother from the clutches of an evil goddess.
* * *
