She stood and looked at the other Pures. Her heart pounded in her chest like the rapping of a hungry woodpecker. Yet, she swallowed her fears. The plague would kill her family if she didn't go through with this. "Yes, I will go."
Her fear turned into excitement as an image came to mind, a picture of a cavern entrance. Somehow, she knew where it was. The urge to leave was overwhelming. The cavern she'd never been to beckoned her to come to it.
"Now," Dawning said, smiling—no doubt he'd seen her aura shifting—"you have only to convince the dragon heir."
"I won't let you down," she replied, chin held high.
"Worry about the world, Bells, not us. Creation chose you for a reason. Remember that, when times grow darker before they get better."
Bells opened the door and blinked at the sunlight hitting her eyes. She was almost numb inside, like she'd been washed out. She tried to decide how she felt. "Empty" came to mind. And "determined," like a subconscious obsession was trying to break out and drive her toward the sword to rescue it.
None of the other fae inside had seemed to feel like they had to rescue the sword, despite knowing the legend long before she did. Perhaps she had a connection to the blade—something genetic, some hardwired instinct. Of all the Pures, the fae came closest to seeing the web that connected everything on Earth, so perhaps she was just getting a glimpse of the threads between herself and the sword, what some called fate. Fate was really just events navigating the web in the most likely way, not a predestination given by Creation.
She glanced at Jaekob, startled as she came out of her inner thoughts and saw the real world in front of her. "Jaekob?" she whispered as she tottered.
He rushed to grab her, then helped her sit on the front steps. "By Creation, you look terrible," he said. "Exhausted, and your eyes are bloodshot."
"I feel exhausted. Something happened in there—"
Jaekob reached for his spear, in its sling on his back.
Bells' eyes went wide. "No! I mean, I'm fine, but I'm wrung out. We have to go get that sword, Jaekob. They convinced me it's the only way to save not only Earth, but our world beyond the Veil, too."
"Lies," he said as he sat beside her. He glanced back to make sure the door was closed, his back not left vulnerable. "It's just an old legend some loonies have kept alive for thousands of years. It probably bears no trace of the original legend, in fact. They tend to shift over time."
Deep in her gut, Bells was certain that wasn't true. Not in this case. "When I heard the legend, or the part that applies to us—"
"Us?"
"Yes, us. When I heard it, I felt like a part of my mind came alive that I didn't even know was there. I know it's true."
"Sounds like an elf spell."
"No," Bells said, narrowing her eyes at him. "He cast no spells. I'd have felt it, I'd have seen his aura shift. The legend says a fae and a dragon will work together to bring the sword back, and together save the world. Not just any two, but us. You and me."
"And you believe this?" Jaekob stood and looked down at her. "It's nonsense. We need to go fight this infection before it spreads."
Bells stood, too, though still a bit wobbly, and gazed into his eyes without flinching. "No one can fight it, not without the power of this sword. And if only one of us goes, I'll fail and probably die. Both must go, or like I said, that fungus is going to destroy both worlds."
He stared back at her, standing motionless, but then he finally replied, "Tell me, then, how will a sword fight this fungus? You said it well when you said no one can fight it. Yet we're supposed to think a sword can fight it? That's silly."
Bells shook her head hard enough that a lock of hair came loose and got into her face. She tucked it over one ear as she said, "It doesn't fight the infection. Someone is making that fungus, and the sword will force them to stop making it. Only it can end the threat. What other options do we have? Or do you think you can just stab it with your spear, like any other enemy?"
He spun on his heels and flung his hand up toward her as he began to walk away. "It's a stupid legend, nothing more. I'm going to go do what we can in the real world to stop this infection from spreading. I won't let it destroy this world or any other."
Jaekob was wrong, and she felt it deep inside with the same certainty as she knew the ocean was blue and clouds were white. It was fundamental. "I'm going. If my dragon protector won't come, I may well die, but I'm not going to stand here marching in place with you while the world falls apart. I'm going to get that sword or die trying. Follow me to fulfill the legend or don't, but I'm leaving, whatever the cost."
She walked away and prayed she'd hear his footsteps rushing to catch up. Going alone would be her death, she was absolutely certain. But she would try, at least. Someone had to.
When she heard the scuff of sandals on the pavement, she allowed herself a faint smile. The Dragon Prince felt it too, just as she did. Of course he would come, and she'd happily let him think it was his choice, that he was going only to protect her. Whatever worked.
Bells opened her eyes with the dawning sun and stretched. For a second, she didn't realize where she was, only that the bed was the most comfortable thing she'd ever felt before. The sheets were wondrously smooth and soft. She smiled faintly and stayed in bed another few minutes, simply enjoying the feeling.
Her door opened and Jaekob stepped inside. She yanked the covers up to her neck, but Jaekob was polite enough not to comment about her sleep habits. Not polite enough to knock before coming in, though.
Bells glared at him. "Do you mind? I'm not even dressed. I'd prefer you knocked first."
Jaekob's mouth turned up impishly at the corners. "Oh, so sorry. It didn't occur to me to knock in my own house—and I saw much more of you when we were busy saving your life after the attack on my father."
She felt her face grow warm as her cheeks turned bright red. He'd seen more of her than this? She was mortified. Among the fae, modesty was held in high regard, but the dragons only wore clothing when they were aboveground. In the Warrens, she'd heard, they wore only a tool belt across their chests. Part of her wondered what he thought of his glimpses. She'd have been much less relaxed around him had she known. "That's humiliating. Why didn't you say anything before?"
He smirked at her and said, "It's not like I was concerned with your modesty. You were injured. Half your waist had been blown away and blood was everywhere. It wasn't pretty."
She let out a squeak and pulled the blanket over her head. "Argh, you're terrible. Can you please get out until I'm dressed?"
He closed the door behind him. Maybe he had only just realized a passerby seeing her in bed would embarrass her.
She peeked out from beneath the blanket. "What do you want? What couldn't wait until I'm up?"
He shrugged. "I just wanted to see if you were up. We have to leave on your ridiculous quest soon. But if you prefer, we can leave now and you can go in your current 'outfit.' I certainly won't mind." He grinned, and she nailed him in the face with her pillow. He made a great show of how much the pillow hurt, then beat a hasty retreat out the door.
Bells flew out of bed and reached for her clothes on the chair across the room, but looked twice in confusion. Those weren't her ragged clothes. Neatly folded on the chair, she saw a pair of human-made cotton pants—"jeans"—and a white cotton shirt of the sort humans called a "peasant's blouse." It had short, puffy sleeves but left both shoulders and her collar bare.
She had almost decided to refuse to wear it but then noticed there was also a rather pretty green coat and sturdy shoes with wool socks. At least with the coat, she could walk out of the room without dying of embarrassment from her bare shoulders.
When she left her room, she found Jaekob leaning against the wall in the hallway. He said, "Don't you look fancy."
She immediately felt her cheeks betray her again, blushing. He'd seen her in far less. "Thank you for the travel clothes, Prince Jaekob," she said, glaring at him.
He openly
grinned at her, his eyes moving from her head to her toes and back again. "Well, you're fit for travel. Since we know where they hid the sword, I suggest we just fly there. We'll walk out of the city so no one sees me carrying you, then take off west. Unless you prefer to walk the whole way?"
Bells’ eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. Dragons did not carry riders, especially not a mere fae, but he would let her ride him—a practical man. This wasn't at all what she expected from a dragon, much less the second most powerful person this side of the Veil. She remembered to nod after a moment. "It'll be faster," she said hesitantly.
"Good. Breakfast, then we leave." Jaekob led her to the kitchen, where Chef had piles of food waiting for them. When Chef saw her and Jaekob standing together, he smiled and his eyes sparkled. Bells didn't understand what was so amusing, so she simply thanked him and then sat to eat, trying not to look either man in the eyes.
Bells walked outside to meet Jaekob but stopped mid-step when she saw four dragons with him. His bodyguards, she recognized from before, and felt a flash of disappointment they were coming. "We'd make better time without them," she said, frowning.
Jaekob raised one eyebrow. "And you thought we'd just wander through the chaos? That's the world's worst date, if you ask me."
"It's not a date," Bells snapped. She took a deep breath. "I'm sure they'd rather stay home. Just because we have to go doesn't mean they do."
"They're coming. Mikah would have it no other way. Don't worry about it, okay?" Was that a wink he gave her? She watched his face for any hint at more but he turned away and started walking. "Time is wasting."
Bells followed. At first, she was lost in thought about how the guards would slow them down. The legend only said for the two of them to go, as well. Would bringing them ruin things? And was she really worried about their safety, or did she have a different worry, deep down? No, it was just the mission and their safety. She had to say it over and over again in her mind, not truly believing that.
Soon, however, the surroundings began to push her thoughts away, because as they approached the docks district, things became progressively more chaotic. Once, through buildings, she caught a glimpse of an entire squad of elf warlocks casting spells in unison at the Wards. Things must be desperate if the dragons were inviting elves to work on the Wards
She glanced at Jaekob, who had fallen into step beside her, and saw him clenching his jaw, his shoulders tense and hunched forward. Apparently, he didn't much care for the arrangement, but he looked far angrier than she had anticipated.
At the next glimpse down a street to their right, she saw the Wards again. Normally, they weren’t actually visible without using magic-sight, but now the pulsating, sickly blue tendrils were actually growing up the Wards like ivy growing up a building. Already, the lowest six feet or so on the other side was only a solid mass of tendrils. Flashes of spells all along the Wards lit up the shell and the tendrils on the other side.
The streets were eerily empty on her side of the Wards, other than the elf and dragon casters reinforcing the city's only protection. Several casters were charred husks lying on the street, victims of the infection cleansed by magic and fire. She saw no elves wandering the shops, no fae shopkeepers shouting their wares from storefronts. Every door was closed, every window shade drawn, and many had boards over them as though the city was bracing for a hurricane. In a way, she supposed, it was.
In a low voice, she asked, "Why do you look so angry? Is it the elves working on the Wards?"
His lip curled into a snarl for just one moment, then he shook his head slowly. He didn't answer her, though.
She said, "All those poor Pures, hiding from the storm that's coming. It won't do them any good. Even the fae are hiding and they should know better.” If the fae were frightened enough to disobey their foremen, things were already bad. Chaos would happen sooner than she had imagined possible.
"They aren't my concern,” Jaekob said, glancing at her then away. “In the end, Mikah will have to order our retreat to the Warrens again to safeguard his own people and everyone else will get what they probably deserve."
"And yet here you are, coming with me to fight for them." She raised her eyebrows at him, confused.
He stopped mid-step, surprising Bells as she passed him by. She turned back as he said, "I'm not fighting for them. I'll never fight for them. It's not my fight, and none of these people are worthy of help."
"How can you say that?" Bells cried, using her hands to indicate the whole city. "These are Pures. Our people."
"Your people, not mine. I know what you're trying to do here, and I promise you, it won't work. The weres hunt innocent people, Pure and human alike, and they can pass from history for all I care. The trolls are mean, stupid brutes who only enjoy one thing—violence. The elves," his face suddenly turned to a snarl, "will be the first to die, if I have any say in the matter. So you see, they can all go to the abyss for all I care."
The anger in his voice startled her and she took a step back without realizing it. Her throat tightened, heart beating like a hummingbird as her eyes welled up, and she barely dared to whisper, "And what about the fae?"
He pursed his lips and let out a long, harsh sigh. "I told you before. You fae are all cowards. If you won't fight for yourselves, why should I? Now, come. We have a fool's errand to run, and I'm only here to make sure you don't get yourself killed—if I can, that is. We're walking into a trap, and you're about to get us both killed."
"Then why do you care what happens to me if the legend is just a stupid myth and I'm just a fae coward? Why not stay here if you're so afraid for your precious hide?" Bells couldn't believe she'd spoken to a Pure that way, much less this Pure. Her eyes grew round with surprise at herself.
Jaekob frowned, glaring at her. "I'm only doing this because you saved my father's life." He paused, then added, reluctantly, "And you had the guts to come to this city, saving your family with no foreman's note, no backup plan... You just left your village and came to fight the good fight. For a fae, you're as brave as a lion, and I respect that. But you're the only one I'd do this for, and you're the only fae who would ever do what you did, I suspect. You know how fae are."
Before she could snap an angry reply, he walked away, going fast enough that she had to jog to catch up. She didn't really want to walk with him after that, so she kept a couple paces behind him, silently fuming.
She played his last words through her mind over and over until Philadelphia's terrible condition pushed such personal thoughts aside. They passed the horrors on the other side of the Wards, and even one roped-off building on their side of the Wards that had tendrils creeping up the outer wall from the bottom floor. Bells was cautious not to touch anything just to be sure she didn't brush against a stray tendril; they had all seen the kind of death suffered by any who touched them.
A couple of hours later, they walked out of Philadelphia and into the woods north of the city, leaving the chaos and terror and horror behind, at last.
As Bells and Jaekob left the city, the mood became noticeably lighter. It was a beautiful day, and north of the city, the gently rolling, forested terrain brought back her connection with the plants and animals all around them. In the city, with all its pavement and plastics and buildings, she’d lost that sense of connection. She hadn't even realized it was gone until that moment, when the connections returned. It felt like a breath of fresh air after spending days in a dank and dusty basement. She couldn't help but smile.
Jaekob saw her smiling and the corners of his mouth ticked upward. "What has you in such a good mood?"
She flinched at the sudden interrogation until she saw his smile. It had been a reflex response and she cursed herself for not controlling it better. She replied, "It's just nice to be out of the city and back into nature. I know you're used to being surrounded by stone, down in the Warrens, but this is the kind of place we fae call home."
He nodded. Over his shoulder, he said to his Guardians, "This is far
enough. You four, head back into the city and report in to assist with whatever the Dragon Council needs of you."
The one nearest Jaekob, the largest of the four Guardians, replied, "No, sir. We can't leave you out here. Our orders are to stand by you, whatever happens. We're here to protect you, sir."
Jaekob's smile faded a little. "I understand that. However, these are extraordinary circumstances. There is a legend, and it says that Bells and I must go ahead alone. I don't believe in legends, but since we're going to try every option, we're going to play by the legend's rules." His eyes narrowed and he added, "Now, go home."
The Guardians glanced at one another and then down at their feet, but didn't move.
Jaekob shook his head and from between gritted teeth, he said, "Listen, I know you're just trying to do your jobs. And I appreciate that. You've been brave and loyal, and my reports will reflect that. But make no mistake, you don't obey the Dragon Council—you and the Council all serve the First Councilor, and I speak with his voice. Get it?" Then he smiled, seeming to relax, and said, "Besides, when I rule in my father's place someday, I don't think you really want to be on my bad side."
He paused for a few seconds, waiting for a response, but none came so he continued. "I order you to report back to the Dragon Council. If you disobey me, you are disobeying my direct order in a time of crisis. You do know the penalty for that, do you not?"
Bells glanced back and forth between Jaekob and his Guardians. She had never seen dragons hold an open conversation like this in front of a mere fae, and she was particularly curious about the Guardians' reactions—they shifted from foot to foot, glancing anywhere but at Jaekob. Clearly, they were conflicted. And very nervous.
At last, one Guardian said, "Prince Jaekob, I hear and I obey." He went down on one knee, lowering his head and bringing his right fist over his heart, then turned and headed back toward Philadelphia. Then it was like a dam breaking as one after the other, the remaining Guardians followed his example.
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