by Kara Jaynes
“Is the blonde girl down there?” I asked.
The animal nodded.
I inhaled sharply, trying to get a grip on my fear. I couldn’t be afraid. I would not be afraid.
Glacia needed me.
Kali peered at the shadowy staircase. “I’m usually all for the ‘ladies first’ rule, but I think for this, I’m going to let you play hero, instead.”
I took one step, then another. I kept expecting something to reach out and grab me. I knew my fear was ridiculous, but I felt it all the same. Master’s death was still too painful, too raw for me to come to grips with. I hadn’t been ready for meeting him face-to-face. And it wasn’t him. Was it? Did Elymas’s power extend to necromancy?
Too many questions. Not enough answers. Not any answers, except for two.
Elymas was a rift child. He and Glacia shared that connection.
I had to protect her from his dark magic at all costs.
At the bottom of the stairs, a small wooden door greeted me, the frame wedged in the stone wall. Kali and I were now at a level that was below ground, and not part of the original house.
I reached out with shaking fingers and turned the knob.
The room was thick with magic, light mixing with dark. I glanced around, half expecting to see a fissure of some sort. There wasn’t any that I could see, which was surprising. The enchantment was so thick, I felt like I could reach out and touch it.
The prairie wolf hung behind me, head held low, ears back. A growl rumbled from its throat.
“Where’s Glacia?” I asked.
The wolf-dog trotted into the shadows, and I followed, the hair standing on the back of my neck. Unseen eyes were watching us.
We walked past a large stone table, its surface covered with spell books, herbs, and glass bottles with cork stoppers.
Shelves lined the walls, packed with books. The wolf-dog pointed its nose at one of the shelves.
“What are you trying to tell me?” I asked the animal.
The prairie wolf stood on its hind paws, and scrabbled at the shelf.
I stepped closer, and peered closer at the bookshelf. It appeared ordinary enough, but the wolf-dog clearly seemed to know something about it. Maybe a clue of some sort, that would lead me to Glacia’s whereabouts. I took a book off the shelf, flipped through it, but didn’t see anything of interest, and so replaced it. I did the same to another, and another, working slowly down one shelf.
The prairie wolf barked, its tail wagging furiously.
“Easy, boy,” I said. “It’d help if you could talk.” I blinked as my fingers came across a book that wasn’t a book at all. I pushed it inward, and heard a satisfying click. I shoved the bookshelf and it opened inward, revealing a gloomy passageway.
I glanced at the wolf-dog. “Did you know about this?”
He yipped and spun a circle, before bounding into the darkness. My fingers instinctively wrapped around the hilt of my sword as I followed the beast. If the mage was down here, I’d need to act quickly. After what he did to Taloos, I knew he wasn’t an opponent to underestimate.
The narrow corridor didn’t go on for very long before it began to widen, turning into a small room. My nose wrinkled at the musty smell. More like a cave.
As my eyes adjusted to the gloom, fear prickled the hair on my arms.
I was in a crypt.
“Spirits take it,” Kali breathed, following me into the room, her eyes were round as she took in the space.
A bull and a stag both lay on the floor, unmoving. Blood coated the floor. My glance flickered over them before settling on what was at the back of the room.
A large coffin stood flat against the far wall. It glowed faintly, giving off the only light that filled the room. I unsheathed my sword and edged closer, peering at it.
It appeared to be made of glass, the surface smooth and gleaming. It was a misty gray in color, but translucent.
And it housed a body.
I stared at the person, seemingly devoid of life. Her body was limp, head hanging, but from the magic drifting hazily about the coffin, I knew better. She was merely asleep, or in a deep stupor.
Glacia.
32
Glacia
I stood silently, hands down by my sides, fingers pressing into the glass behind me.
I’d gone somewhere. The rift. In my mind, or in the flesh? It had to be my mind. I was trapped in the coffin the whole time. But it’d all felt so real.
Silvan was standing before me. I could sense his presence, even with my eyes closed; an overwhelming brilliance of silver enchantment.
I’m the starlight to his sun.
I exhaled, disappointment coursing through me. Silvan said I was strong. But now with my magic unshielded, I could see. No one could compare to him. He was so much more than a kind boy and courageous heart. He was a dragonblessed.
I shuddered, pressing my back against the glass. He couldn’t love me.
Glacia.
Breathe. In. Out. I opened my eyes, and my gaze locked with blue.
Silvan’s hands were pressed against the glass, his face solemn as he looked at me. He was as beautiful as when I last saw him, even more so. So utterly perfect.
Too perfect. And I’d shunned that perfect man to go with Elymas. I inhaled again, my breath shaky. Why had Silvan still come for me, despite that?
I love you.
I couldn’t hear the words; the glass was too thick. But I could see the words on his lips, the truth in his eyes.
Silvan loved me. Why else would he have saved me from my childhood isolation, my crumbling home, a seven-headed dragon, wolves, and trolls?
Why else would he stay? Why else would he come for me repeatedly?
His perfect image blurred and I tasted salt. “I love you, too,” I choked. “You don’t know how much I love you.”
There weren’t enough words for me to describe my adoration for my silver-haired boy.
Silvan pulled at the coffin’s lid, his pale brow creasing when it didn’t budge.
I pushed against the glass, trying to help him, anxiety swimming in my head when it made no difference. I was trapped. Magic hummed through the glass.
My beautiful Silvan smiled encouragingly at me, and stepped away, head tilted in thought as he studied the coffin. Behind him, I saw Kali, the roamer girl, settle down next to the fallen stag. She stroked his ears.
Taloos.
Oh, no. Fear closed my throat, and the room darkened. Brave Taloos.
I saw Elymas lying on the floor. Still a bull. Strange. I bit my lip, trying to remember everything I’d learned about shifting, and what Silvan had told me.
If Elymas were truly dead . . .
. . . He would be in his human form.
I pounded on the glass, trying to get Silvan’s attention. His gaze snapped to mine, his ears unable to pick up my screams.
He didn’t see Elymas shift into a human as he surged to his feet.
He didn’t see the wicked blade the magician pulled from his coat.
But Kali did.
The roamer girl threw herself forward, her hands grappling Elymas by the ankles.
The mage tumbled down, and the dagger went flying to clatter several feet away.
Silvan whirled around, his hands glowing with light. I peered at him.
Elymas scrambled to his feet, wrenching free of Kali’s grasp. His face contorted with rage, his lips moving as he uttered a spell—and the room filled with fog.
Horrible fog, with vertical slashes of pure black opening in several different spots. With a chill, I realized he hadn’t just summoned fog. I saw the dark threads in the mist, and shadowy figures climbing from the black slashes.
Dead figures.
Elymas had opened the Rift itself.
We are free.
Hands grabbed me, clamping over my eyes and mouth, around my waist, around my legs.
Someone, something, dragging me down.
Down. To the rift.
We claim
you.
I ripped free, colliding with the lid of the coffin. Pain seared in my head, but the darkness receded from the coffin.
Elymas had transformed again, blood matting his coat as he charged Silvan. He never had a chance.
Silvan shifted, his body filling a solid third of the room, wings flared. His roar was so loud, I could hear and feel it through the coffin. Kali covered her ears, shielding Taloos’s head with her body.
The bull halted his charge, staring slack-mouthed up at the dragon.
Silvan struck with lightning speed, lunging forward and sinking his teeth into Elymas’s shoulder. With a violent shake of his head, he sent the mage flying. The bull rammed into the wall, and slumped to the floor. His form shuddered and changed back to a man. Was he dead?
Silvan’s claws grasped the lid of the coffin and wrenched it aside, magic snapping and hissing at the edges. I stumbled out, putting a hand on his long, scaly arm for balance. Darkness swirled about us, moans drifting through the air. Kali huddled over Taloos, her shoulders quivering.
Silvan crouched beside me, still in his dragon form. My heart stopped as dark forms began to materialize in the room, human in shape. Demons. “There are only two,” I whimpered. “People said there were only two.”
Elymas stood. How, I didn’t know, but he showed no signs of pain despite the blood that soaked his jacket. His green eyes glittered as he watched me.
“You lose,” he said, a wry twist to his mouth. “Rift child.”
Silvan snarled, his muscles bunching as he prepared to launch himself at the mage, but I put out a hand to calm him. “Explain.”
“You’re linked with me, and the Rift has been unlocked. The world will descend into chaos. It’s over.” He coughed, blood splattering on the floor. He wiped his mouth with his arm. “This is what you deserve.”
Fists clenched, I reached my senses, feeling, grasping for my magic. I found it immediately, still held in control by Elymas.
Silvan’s eyes were round as he gazed at me. “Magic that be,” he breathed, “you’re powerful.”
“How do I close the Rift?” I asked.
Elymas smirked at me. “It’s simple enough, but you’ll have to block your magic. Your choice.” He inhaled, turning toward the shadowy figures. “I choose power.” His conspiratorial smile was back, and he winked at me, as if we shared secrets. “The link I cast will break, but our bond—” he lifted his wrist, “will remain. We are rift children, you and me. Our bond will transcend eternity.” His gaze flickered to Silvan, his smile turning cruel. “We have a connection that your dragonblessed will never understand. Goodbye, my little icicle. I do believe we shall meet again.”
He stepped into the rent nearest him, and was gone.
The shadows began to move, all of them moving toward me slowly, hands reaching, grasping.
I swallowed hard. “They know I’m one of them.”
“Glacia,” Silvan said quietly. “Close the Rift.” His voice was calm, but his body tensed.
I blinked at him. “What do you mean?” My voice squeaked in panic.
My silver-haired boy took me by the wrist, cooling the heat that seeped from the etched rune. “Deny your nature.”
“What?”
“Deny your nature,” Silvan repeated. He smiled sadly. “Do what I’ve never been strong enough to do. Deny your instincts, and close the Rift.”
My instinct. I wanted power. I wanted to matter.
But I knew that if I didn’t do this, the world would become insane.
And I would lose Silvan. He meant more to me than all the magic in the world.
I closed my eyes, reaching for my enchantment.
It was there, dark, pulsing, and unbelievably vast. Elymas had relinquished his hold on it, but it was still a vast ocean of darkness, surging through me.
I had to deny it.
“I don’t want to,” I whimpered. I lifted my gaze, expecting to see shock, revulsion, maybe even hate.
Silvan’s blue eyes were gentle, unshed tears building on his lashes. “I love you, Glacia.”
I inhaled sharply, his words caressing my soul. Something I’d said to Elymas flitted back into remembrance. I wanted my magic almost more than anything.
Almost.
I released it. I let my magic go, and calmed the raging darkness to slumber. The shadowy figures groaned, their forms dissipating into the mist. The Rift openings closed.
This isn’t over. A dark voice pressed in my head. You will learn.
Shaking my head, I willed the thoughts away. I chose Silvan. I would always choose Silvan.
I thought the voice had left, until—Interesting. We’ll see, rift child. We’ll see.
Silvan released my wrist to cup my face with his hands, fingers pressing gently. “I thought I’d be strong enough to resist you,” he breathed. “But that has never been an option.” He cleared his throat and blinked, trying to regain control over his emotions. “I should have left the Elite well before the demons came. I should have left with you long before that.”
I couldn’t breathe, my mind wrapped in clouds. His words made me feel like I was weightless, drifting into bliss.
He leaned closer, his gaze dropping to my mouth. His breathing deepened, and I knew he was going to kiss me.
I dipped my head, letting tears fall, and gently pushed him away. This was the most difficult thing I’d ever done.
“I am a rift child,” I whispered. “Unwanted. Filthy. Loathsome. I have demonic blood running through my veins. Don’t waste yourself on me, Silvan. Dragonblessed. You deserve so much more.”
Kali had risen to her feet, watching Silvan with pale green eyes, her face expressionless. My heart skittered when I saw Taloos was a human again. He was sitting upright with a confused look on his face, his shirt and hair rumpled. Kali held a bloodied knife, and was cleaning it on her skirt. I didn’t want to think about what had transpired.
“No, you’re not.” Silvan smiled, and my breath caught at the pure joy I saw in his gaze. “Your actions define you, Glacia. You chose better than Elymas.”
He kissed me.
This was my first kiss. My first real kiss. I pressed my mouth harder against his, letting myself relax in his embrace. So unlike Elymas, Silvan held me gently, restraining his unbelievable strength, holding back. His fingers slipped under the short sleeves of my dress, pressing into my shoulders.
His touch was electrifying, and I knew I would never get tired of it. This is what I wanted. This is what I needed.
Ignoring the sheepish laughs of Taloos and the roamer girl, I closed my eyes and let myself just be.
With Silvan.
With my light.
33
Silvan
Having Glacia away from me was like an itch I couldn’t reach. So, I kept her with me. Over the course of the next few days, we worked together, healing the broken city.
Elymas’s enchanted fog was gone, disappearing when Glacia closed the Rift. That, or it had left when Elymas entered the Rift; I wasn’t sure. The illusions were gone, too.
The haunted looks on the people’s faces, however, remained. They flinched and shied away whenever they saw me, and they didn’t dare approach.
I didn’t blame them. Fear did strange things. They would need time to recover.
There were some fires lit the night Elymas disappeared, and there’d been some civilian casualties, but no guard deaths.
Dubauer was ousted as the city ruler. Taloos personally saw to that after the man tried to cheat him of the money owed, again.
Ehric was the new ruler. He grumbled about it. A lot.
“Why me?” he growled. He sat at the long table in Dubauer’s hall, frowning at the papers scattered over it. He gestured at the stacks. “The paperwork is twice as high, now. I’d prefer being captain of the guard again.”
I grinned, resting my arms on the back of a chair. “I think Bleke rather likes his position as captain of the guard.”
“I’m sure he does,�
� Ehric said, his bearded face scrunched in a scowl. “Lucky devil.”
Glacia shivered at his words. She stood by one of the windows, looking out at the city streets. I walked over to her, and rubbed her arms. She always felt cold, now, like ice water flowed through her veins instead of blood. “You’re all right,” I whispered in her ear. The prairie wolf stirred at her feet, blinking up at me with amber eyes. Since leaving Elymas’s home, it’d stuck to Glacia’s side like glue.
She nodded, her gaze still locked on the streets, staring at something I couldn’t see.
“Silvan,” Ehric said. “I, erm, want to thank you for not giving up on the city, even when everyone else had, including myself.”
“It’s my duty, sir,” I said. Sir. That reminded me. “I won’t be able to stay here for long, though. Just enough to make sure everything will be all right.”
Ehric nodded. “I understand. Let me know when you’re ready to leave. I’ll make sure you have adequate supplies and plenty of silver to take with you on your travels.”
I left to find Taloos after that, Glacia’s hand in mine, the wolf following behind us. Finding Taloos now was a bit trickier than it had been. He didn’t go to the library anymore, and he was rarely at the Gray Goose, either. He spent most of his time out of the city.
With Kali.
I stifled a grin. The roamer girl had a claim on him now that he wouldn’t be able to weasel his way out of. She’d literally killed him to save him. He was alive and well because of her.
She was no mage herself, nor a witch, but had more knowledge of the arcane art of enchantment than any non-magic user I’d ever met. Taloos would do well to stick with her.
I thought of our brief companionship in Elymas’s lair, and wondered if it hadn’t been for Glacia and Taloos, if Kali and I could have had a future together.
But that was complete foolishness. Glacia was the only woman in my life compelling enough for me to break my oaths of the Elite.
My face flushed, remembering Glacia’s kiss. Magic that be, but I wanted more.
We went inside the Gray Goose, and Glacia slipped her hand from mine, murmuring that she was tired.
