All three women stopped mid motion, sharing looks with Clarice.
“You think it’s that simple?” Delphine said.
Adelaide grimaced. “Perhaps, but can you spare them? Such a thing isn’t to be given lightly. They’ve proven far too necessary these past years.”
“But I’ve learned a great deal since then.” Clarice set her cup down, slightly offended. “It’d be different if I’d only just taken the throne, but it’s been almost three years. Relying on them too heavily does me a disservice. I’ve been trying to use them as little as possible anyway.”
Delphine lowered her voice, leaning forward on the table. “You think Lucinda would approve?”
“They were a gift, and, as such, belong to me.” Clarice lifted her head, her chin jutting out stubbornly. “I don’t need her permission.” She cleared her throat, calming herself. “Besides, if it’ll help Erata, I don’t think she’d argue with me.”
I held up a hand, desperately needing clarification. “I’m sorry, but what are we talking about? Who’s Lucinda?”
Clarice looked to her sisters one last time. Delphine shrugged, but Adelaide seemed resigned.
“Do as you will,” she sighed. “You may be correct.”
Clarice gave a firm nod, then reached into her pocket, removing the spectacles I’d seen the day before. “These were given to me by Raelynn’s fairy godmother, Lucinda. They’re enchanted, you see. They show the wearer the truth of things.”
I balked as she passed them to me, hesitant to touch them. “A fairy’s gift? I don’t think that’s—”
“You’ve already used the box she gave Erata.” She fixed me with a look of reproach. “I hardly think this is any different. Besides, I’m only loaning them to you. I fully expect them returned, along with my sister.”
As she insisted I take the spectacles, I did so, but with even more care than I had the china. They looked ordinary enough, but the gentle tingle of magic in my fingers told me otherwise.
“What do I…” I started, turning them over. “How do they work?”
“You wear them, of course,” she said with a laugh.
“And that’s all?”
Clarice nodded and motioned for me to try them. Hesitant, I set them on my face and looked around. The three sisters glowed with soft light through the lenses, and I looked over the edges of the glass to see the difference. I went back and forth that way for a while, as it was similar to turning a lamp off and on again without having wait for a match.
“Ask me what my name is,” Clarice said.
I blinked at her. “Uh… What’s your name?”
“Her Royal Highness, Queen Clarice Galea Amalthea. Now, ask me again.”
I didn’t see the reasoning, but did as she asked. “What’s your name?”
“Lady Bernette Claudius of Andor.”
The instant the words left her lips, the shimmering light around her shifted, turning a murky blue. My mouth fell open, stunned at the change.
“That’s one way to use them,” Clarice explained. “The other is to see what you might not otherwise. I’ve seen spirits before who seemed good on the surface, but their whispers left me doubting. These show the truth beyond appearances, showing what your eyes cannot see. I’ve learned through practice to trust my heart and not rely on the spectacles so much, so I think I’ll be all right without them.”
“So,” I removed the glasses and set them on the table. “I should be able to see the spirits of the wind with these?”
She nodded. “I believe so, yes.”
While I at first wondered why she’d trust me with such a precious gift, I realized that I had very little to do with it at all. I was barely more than a stranger, but where her sister was involved…
Were I in Clarice’s position, with Hanna’s life at stake, I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same.
Taking a deep breath, I recommitted myself to my mission. “I thank you for your help, and your trust. If it’s within me to save her, know I’ll give my very last to do so.”
She smiled and leaned toward me, taking my hand. “I’ve no doubt you will, Lukas.”
“Well,” I looked at the three sisters, readying myself once more, “then I suppose it’s time to get back to work.”
* * * * *
Tugging my cap down over my ears, I cast a wary glance over the edge of the balcony. One good gust and I’d go plummeting to my death for certain.
“And you’re sure it’s the West Wind that blows over these mountains?”
“Quite sure,” Clarice said. “It was always Erata’s favorite of the four, though it made her moods erratic. If that’s anything to judge by, I think this portion of your journey might be a bumpy one.”
“Wonderful,” I said with a sigh. Readjusting my newly restocked pack and heavier cloak, I lowered myself onto the magic carpet once more.
Delphine handed me the box, but paused. “Please hurry, Lukas. The ashes tell me she’s running out of time.”
I tried to look confident, but I wasn’t certain how reassuring I was. “I’ll do everything I can.”
“We’re counting on that,” Adelaide said.
Clarice stepped forward to give me some parting words. “When you get there, start a fire away from the eyes of others. If you focus your thoughts on Delphine, she’ll be able to speak with you. Give us all the information you can, and we’ll do everything in our power to help you, though much depends on your wits. Don’t get overconfident. Erata made that mistake, and there’ll be no one to help you if you’re caught.”
Removing the glasses from my pocket, I placed them on my nose. “I understand. I’ll keep you up to date on my progress, though I’ve no idea when I’ll get there.”
“I’ll be vigilant and waiting for your contact at all hours,” Delphine said. “Even in sleep, I’ll hear your call.”
I looked at the three of them, marveling at the way they glowed with such love and dedication for their sister. I nodded once, and tightened my grip on the box. “Abarasé!”
The sensations of being anchored preceded the lift of the carpet beneath me, and I steadied myself.
Clarice touched my shoulder, her eyes gleaming with hope. “Be swift, be safe.”
I smiled back at her as she stepped away. “Spirits willing.”
Lifting the box into the air, I called out as the red feather man had done and opened the lid. “West Wind! You are mine to still!”
The same kind of massive gust I’d felt in Corumon whirled around me, only I could see the wispy trails of something corporeal within it, all spiraling into the small chest in my hands. When the last vestiges of it disappeared inside, I slammed the lid closed, the air instantly stilling around us. Looking down at the box, a strange face appeared in the wood, shifting and darting along the surface.
“West Wind, can you take me to the palace east of the sun and west of the moon?”
The face paused, and it wobbled back and forth, a decisive no.
“Can you take me to someone who might know the way?”
The face nodded at me.
With my heart in my throat, I made my request. “Take me to them, and you’ll be free.”
The box vibrated a little in my hands, quivering in anticipation. I looked to the sisters once more, their gazes bolstering my courage. So as not to lose them, I placed the spectacles inside my shirt pocket, took a deep breath, and lifted the lid.
The spirit of the wind shot free, instantly propelling me up and over the balcony, shooting down the side of the tower with speed that made my eyes water. As I neared the ground, choking on fear, the carpet jerked up, blasting into the sky with a force that jarred me backwards against the surface of the rug. Where it took me from there, I couldn’t say. The force of such a ride blackened my vision, and I was lost to the world around me.
* * * * *
When I woke, I was greeted by birdsong unlike any I’d heard before. I blinked up into a clear blue sky, the scent of salt water washing over me on a humid
breeze. Sitting up, I looked around, wide eyed, but not a soul was in sight. Where was I?
A beach stretched out in either direction, with tall trees lining the place where sand met green jungle. With broad leaves spraying out from their tops, they reminded me of the beggars I’d seen in Valmyr, hair wild and sticking straight out from their heads. I scoured my memory, thinking about the books on plants my mother had, but couldn’t recall trees with bark like large upward pointing scales.
It was pleasant there, not overly warm, but too much for the heavy cloak I’d acquired in Bern. Before I moved to take it off, I realized the carpet still hovered over the ground.
“Indicio.”
My boots sunk into clean white sands as I stood. After removing my cloak, I inhaled deeply, catching the scent of something floral and sweet and exotic. The ocean waves gently lapped at the sands farther down the beach, the water a stunning turquoise and clear as the sky. Turning, the jungle behind me wasn’t the dense darkness of the Wildlands, instead showing fruit trees farther in and blossoms of every color spraying up from the ground and twisting from vines. Atop a tree with bunches of long yellow fruit, a curious animal stared at me, his long, hairy arms casually opening the peel of one of the tree’s offerings.
There was a peaceful, untouched feeling to the place, a stillness not unlike ahmi without the cold. I could almost see Erata there, running along the sands and adorned in shells and flowers.
I wanted her to be there with me, to share the sun with her. Perhaps if I earned her forgiveness, I could show her someday.
When my stomach rumbled, it reminded me that much time had passed since leaving Bern. I didn’t have spare moments to daydream about what I’d do later.
After a quick meal of bread and fruit, I settled back in on the carpet to think after lifting into the air once more. Neither the East or West Wind could take me to the dragon, so I was left with two remaining choices. Given the climate I was in, I reasoned that it wouldn’t be the North Wind that haunted the shoreline. Spectacles on and box at the ready, I opened the lid.
“South Wind! You are mine to still!”
Again the rushing tempest, again the sudden quiet. I looked down at the box, a serene face staring back at me.
“Can you take me to the palace east of the sun and west of the moon?”
As I suspected, the answer was no.
“If I let you go, will you bring me to one who can?”
When the affirmation came, I didn’t waste a moment.
“South Wind, bring me to them and you’ll be free.”
I braced, but there was no sudden surge of speed. The spirit raised me into the air with great care and set off across the sea, moving quickly, but easing into speed with consideration for my comfort.
* * * * *
For two days I sat atop the carpet, skimming lakes and rivers for water and being mindful of what little food I had with me. The climate shifted from warm and tropical, to chilly and dry as we wound our way northwest. When I grew tired of the view, I slept, though I tried to keep track of where in the world I might be whenever I woke.
When the wind finally stilled, I found myself in a wide valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. There, a small lake teemed with jumping fish, but little else but tiny birds stirred in the high grass, taking flight as I approached the water. I decided to restock my supplies and rest a while before calling to the last of the winds, hopefully to reach the dragon’s palace at my next stop.
The afternoon passed by slowly on the banks of the lake. It didn’t take long to catch several days’ worth of fish, but cooking them was a considerably longer process. I stacked stones to build an oven, and the remnants of trees provided me with wood to smoke the bounty. It was late into the night before I retired, but my pack and belly were filled to the brim with food.
Waking at sunrise, I inhaled the cool mountain air. It filled me with a warm nostalgia for home, even though not a trace of pine carried on the breeze. The rocks and soil felt as familiar as my mother’s arms, and I wondered if I wasn’t actually near Valmyr for how similar that place was.
Shaking off the momentary lapse in focus, I positioned myself on the carpet once more and donned the queen’s spectacles.
“Abarasé!”
The carpet lifted, taking me with it. I searched the tops of the waving grasses, looking for the telltale signs of the wind spirit. When that yielded nothing, I looked to the lake. There, skimming the surface of the water, a pale figure skipped across tiny waves, its wispy feet capping each crest with white foam. It paused for a moment to look at me, then smiled, rushing over to swirl around me, grazing my face with the faint bite of ice.
I cracked open the box and whispered, “North Wind, you are mine to still.”
With a touch of laughter, it whirled into the casket, its eyes keenly watching me, waiting, once I’d closed it.
“Can you take me to the palace east of the sun and west of the moon?”
With a smile that frosted the sides of the box, it nodded once.
“Take me there that I might free the one who speaks to you unaided, and you’ll be free.”
It nodded once more, the chill painful against my fingers, and I lifted the lid.
Chapter 20
Through biting cold, I pushed on for three days on the back of the North Wind. It flew high and fast, so much so that every few hours I had to shift course and bring the carpet closer to land. It was far warmer there, though the wind fought me to stay high. The constant vigilance was exhausting and left me ill-tempered.
Nevertheless, I landed mid-afternoon on that third day, and nearly kissed the ground I was so happy to be on my feet again. The wind remained, weakly twirling around my ankles, so I put on the spectacles once more, curious as to why it stayed.
The tired figure tugged at me, pushing me forward. Its ethereal arm stretched out, pointing to a valley below the rocky plateau it set me on. Curious, I followed the line of its smoky finger, and my gaze rested on the road leading up to a small town. Beside the path, an old man sat at a rickety wooden stand, a meager display of things I couldn’t make out spread before him.
The wind tugged at the bracelet around my wrist and motioned wildly.
“I should speak with that man down there?”
The wind nodded and clapped its hands, excited I’d understood. Who was I to question a worldly spirit? Some things I knew, but, as my travels had taught me, the vastness of what I knew nothing about far outweighed them.
“Very well,” I said with a sigh. “Thank you for your help, spirit. I’m immensely grateful.”
It spun in place for a moment, then rocketed off into the sky. Alone, I stared after it, wondering if it would come back to take me away, or if I’d go by other means.
As my gaze drifted down from the clouds, it settled on the most wondrous sight. Beyond the village below, sitting atop a massive cliff, sat a castle stranger than any I’d seen before. Its towers looked like stretched clay, with bridges dangling between them like abandoned cobwebs. From my vantage point, it slightly resembled the lower jaw of a great beast, curved in a malicious grin. Black creatures circled the spires, but the beats of their wings was not that of birds. Their erratic movements more like swarming insects, I shivered. They could only be giant bats. To think of Erata in such a place…
Shaking myself, I tried to focus on what I could control. Whatever I was meant to do, I needed to do it quickly.
A small path wound down from the plateau, clinging to the side of a gray cliff. My progress was slow, but better that than hurry and break my neck in a fall. It took me at least a quarter hour to descend, but I finally made it down. The merchant waited ahead, too far away to see his items for sale, but close enough to tell it wasn’t much. As I considered what I had with me that he might find a use for or could resell, another figure approached from the opposite direction. Erring on the side of caution, I pulled up the hood of my cloak, obscuring my face in shadow. Whoever he was, he seemed important. His long
, silver coat shone in the overcast afternoon sun, his wide belt a deep shade of blue likely never seen in the sky of that desolate place. A queue of dark hair streamed out behind him, and he walked with a purpose, each step heavy and determined. What struck me most, however, was the dark patch covering his right eye. I’d seen sailors with such accessories before, a reminder of the hazards of a life at sea, but there were no large bodies of water for miles. Why would a man such as that have that sort of injury? Perhaps he’d earned it in a battle.
I slowed my steps as the man stopped at the merchant’s stall. Traces of voices carried back to me, all but their tone lost to the wind. The old man was quiet, obsequious, but the younger’s words were laced with anger and demand. After taking an item from the display, the patron stomped off, the merchant looking dejected in his wake.
I approached with caution, my attention on the back of the retreating man, unsure of what would come next. Surely he was one of the castle’s inhabitants. Had he seen me?
“You look lost.”
The merchant’s voice pulled my focus, and I met his milky eyes with trepidation. “You speak my language?”
He nodded, his white beard shifting as it folded against his chest. “They come from all across the world, these folk. After so long here, you learn the common tongue. Are you lost, then?”
I shook my head. “Not so much lost as I am unsure of where to go next. Tell me, what’s the name of this village?”
The old man’s expression filled with pity. “It has no name, young one. It is where the desperate gather for favor, where the hopeless bury their hearts, and where the faithless seek renewal. If you’ve come here of your own accord, you’ve come to your end. Few reach this place, and none ever leave.”
Gaping, I couldn’t believe any place was so dire. “None?”
He shrugged, his dirty robes sliding over his thin frame. “None but those to whom the dragon shows favor, and those are rare, if any.”
Ride the Wind: A Flipped Fairy Tale (Flipped Fairy Tales Book 3) Page 19
