by Dyan Chick
"As you all have heard by now, we encountered bad news in Greenville." I looked down at my hands on the table and took a deep breath. I glanced at Calder, then quickly looked away from him. "We were unable to find any survivors from Calder's family and it does appear the king has taken the bodies of the dead."
The room was silent as I spoke. "It's possible that the king has found the Skystone. If he hasn't, he has recruited and trained more sorcerers to aid him in raising the dead."
I let the words sink in for a minute, still processing everything myself. The prospect of coming across a group of undead as large as the deceased population of Greenville was terrifying. I took a few breaths to steady myself to keep my voice from shaking. Though I knew the people in this room would support me, and were likely as scared as I was, I wanted to maintain my composure.
"We also returned with good news." I nodded to Anna. "Master Edward sent us after his granddaughter, Annalise. We didn't expect to find her, but we did. She brought some very valuable information with her. Anna?"
Anna set her bag on the table and opened it carefully. I realized her hands were shaking. She had worn a brave face since we met, but leaving behind everything you knew after surviving an attack on your city had to be hard.
She pulled out the small box she'd shown me earlier and slid it over to me. "It's a puzzle box," she said. "Inside you'll find a map to the Stone of Morare."
All eyes around the table were glued to the box. They had all heard the news of Annalise and what she brought with her but this was the first time we were going to find out the details.
"How does it open?" I asked.
She stared at me for a long moment then finally spoke, "You have to promise that you're going to destroy the stone, not use it."
The room was silent. I set the box back down on the table and looked at her, brow furrowed. "Why would I want to use the stone? I've seen the destruction those creatures can do and I want no part of that."
"What are you going to do with it?" She asked.
I stared at her, unblinking. "We will destroy the stone or the Reapers or both. Whatever it takes to make sure those monsters cannot hurt anyone else."
She took the box from me and proceeded to twist, turn and spin the various sides until it made a popping noise and then one of the sides came off. She folded down the other sides until it was flat on the table. On the inside of each of the squares that made up the box was a series of numbers and letters, a code.
"I can translate it if you get me a quill and some paper," she said.
Madame Lyndsey was across the room pulling the items out of a box near my bed before I could ask. She passed them to Anna.
Despite the bright sunlight outside, the tent was still dim. I moved a lit candle closer to her so she could see better while she scrawled letters out on the paper. After a few minutes, she set the quill down and pushed the paper over to me. I read the paper carefully several times before I slid it across the table to Sir Henry.
His face grew pale. He looked from me to Anna. "Are you sure about this?"
She nodded.
He pressed his lips together in a tight line. "This makes things very difficult. No wonder he's not worried about somebody going after the stone. It's not even in Illaria. The Montage Castle is just across our border in the mountains of Sardinia. That explains his desire to form an alliance with them."
I tapped my fingers on the table and thought about what this meant. The journey to the border wasn't going to be quick and it was sure to be dangerous. While I wanted to make sure we got this stone and I hated the idea of sending others into such a challenging task, I knew it would be irresponsible to leave the camp again so soon after my trip to the Oracle.
There was also the problem of the stone not actually being in Illaria. There was no way I could cross into Sardinia. They had already declared their alliance with the king, making me their enemy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. How are we going to get to the stone?
Conversation erupted as people made suggestions for how we could claim the stone. I listened to the ideas being tossed around the table, my eyes darting back and forth. Most of the arguments involved what to do with the stone once we had it. Very little conversation was taking place about how to actually get the stone.
Sir Henry stood and looked around at the people seated at the table. As everybody noticed him standing the room began to quiet.
"We know what needs to be done," he said. "The stone must be retrieved before the king realizes that we know its location. We can figure out how to destroy it after we have it safely in our possession."
There was a murmur of agreement. Sir Henry locked eyes on me and raised his eyebrows, urging me to speak.
I cleared my throat and stood. Sir Henry sat down and smiled at me.
"We need send a group right away."
"Who's going to get the stone?" Calder asked.
"It must be someone we trust completely." I looked around the table, knowing who I should send, but afraid to say it aloud. I didn't want to risk losing Ashton, but out of all the people here, he was the one I trusted the most.
My hands tightened on the edge of the table. I sat back down and looked at Sir Henry. "How long will the journey be?"
Sir Henry unrolled one of his maps across the table. "If they can get there before winter gets too bad, it should take about two weeks each way. If the snow is bad, it could be as long as a month each way."
"And what do we know about the location the stone is hidden in?" I asked.
Master Flanders spoke up. "The castle is likely abandoned, but I'm sure the king left something to protect it."
I looked to Master Flanders. "What do you think he's using as protection?"
Master Flanders' fingers were steepled under his chin. "I would expect that he's using dark magic. Possibly even the undead."
The hair on my arms stood on end. Undead. When I had encountered those creatures on my trip to the Oracle, the most effective thing against them was fire. Sorcerer fire was even better. "We'll need a sorcerer on this trip."
"It has to be me," Ashton said. "You can't afford to send Master Flanders or Madame Lyndsey. It has to be me."
"I can help, too," Celeste said.
My chest tightened. This is what I was afraid of. I knew they were the best people I could send to retrieve the stone, but I worried about being away from them. Maybe we could go together. I gripped the table even tighter. I couldn't be gone from camp for a month. I couldn't put off meeting with Gallia for that long.
"We'll get the stone for you," Ashton said. "We can leave at first light, try to beat the winter storms."
I fought to keep my face impassive, but I'm sure my hesitation was obvious to the group. These were my friends, my most trusted advisors, and the people who knew me best. They knew why I was struggling to find my voice. They turned away when I snuck into Ashton's tent, kept quiet when we walked through the camp hand in hand, and knew that whatever they said to one of us would find its way to the other. Since his return from the Astral realm, we hadn't hidden our relationship.
"Master Flanders," I said, finally finding my voice. "Do you think the two of them would be enough against the magic the king left at the castle? Or should we send a larger party?"
"Sorcerers are likely the only ones who could get through the protections that the castle will hold," he said. "Sending a larger party will just draw unnecessary attention."
"Have either of you been to Canton or any of the towns along the border?" Master Flanders asked.
Ashton and Celeste looked at each other and their shoulders sunk. Sorcerers could only teleport to places they'd been to before. From the looks on their faces, neither of them had traveled to that part of Illaria.
Their reply came back in unison. "No."
"It's alright," Madame Lyndsey said. "They can ride in, and teleport back."
That helped ease some of my tension. Celeste and Ashton could return more quickly than a party of non-sorc
erers. Perhaps everything would go well and they'd be back in two weeks. That wasn't such a long time.
"Very well." I nodded at Ashton and Celeste. "You two will leave at first light. Please meet with Master Flanders for any advice he can offer prior to your departure."
I looked around the silent room. "Is there anything anybody would like to add before I close today's meeting?"
The seriousness of the upcoming departure seemed to weigh heavily on those assembled. Nobody spoke. The room felt far too small all of the sudden. I needed to get out of there. I needed to run, scream, shoot something, anything to take my mind off of the fact that I was sending Ashton into danger again.
I kept my face straight as I looked around the table at each person seated there. Internally, I was screaming. "Meeting adjourned."
Everybody stood. I looked at Ashton, trying to read his expression. He looked focused, strong. If he was nervous about leaving, he wasn't showing it.
The members of the council filed out of my quarters, leaving me completely alone for the first time in days. I didn't want to depend on others, but Ashton was the only person who knew how I felt before I did. I'd come to rely on him for so much.
I tied my long hair into a knot at the base of my neck and walked out of my tent and through the camp. Once I was a few feet away from the furthest tent, I took off at a run.
I didn't slow down until I reached the edge of our camp, the place where the ward protected us. The tingle of magic ran up and down my arms. Tentatively, I pressed my fingers through the shimmery surface that separated us from the outside world. It was cold and sent a shiver through me. Sliding a hand into my pocket, I felt for the coin that would allow me to re-enter the ward if I left. My fingers closed around it.
Glancing behind me, I saw that I was alone. Taking a deep breath, I stepped through and started running again, through the woods that surrounded our camp. The feeling of being free of the camp's protection was heady. I felt like I was back in my woods, sneaking out of my grandmother's house, breaking the rules.
You're the queen. You don't have to follow the rules like the others. I stopped running and took several deep breaths. My lungs were on fire. That's true. I am the queen. I make the rules. I shook off the thoughts, they weren't like me at all. I valued the counsel of my friends and those who had more experience than me. Of course, I knew being outside of the camp was reckless, but there wasn't a rule about it.
You could keep him here, you know. Send Madame Lyndsey, Saffron, anybody else. Do what you want. What's the point of being queen if you can't get what you want? I grabbed at my pendant and rubbed my thumb and forefinger over the metal surface. That's true. Everything you've done has been about everybody else. So what if you did one thing to benefit yourself?
I tucked the pendant back under my blouse. No. I will not be a selfish queen. I have to do what's best for my kingdom, for my people. What about what's best for you? What do you think is going to happen when Ashton and Celeste spend a month alone together? You think he'll still want you when he gets back? I'm sure she'd be willing to give him things you won't.
I covered my face with my hands and knelt down on the ground. What is happening to me? Where are these thoughts coming from? Ashton loves me and Celeste is my best friend. I trusted both of them and I knew they were the right ones for the job.
My breath caught in my chest. These weren't my thoughts. The Darkness—it was getting worse. A flicker of panic rose inside me. What did that mean? Taking a deep breath, I focused on staying calm. It's going to be fine. You can control this. I stood and brushed a few loose strands of hair away from my face, tucking them into the knot of hair.
I closed my eyes and felt the wind on my face, listened to the sound of the birds. Focus. These thoughts needed to go away before I went back to camp. Focus. You are a good queen. You do what is best for your people.
Opening my eyes, I looked up at the tress, taking in one last moment of calm before walking back to camp. In the branches above me, I saw a huge black raven. Its eyes followed me as I moved. The bird seemed to be making notes of me. It looked like the bird that brought me the note from the king. I narrowed my eyes, searching its legs for any signs of being used as a messenger. It's just a raven.
Turning away from the bird, I took a few steps toward camp. Glancing behind me every so often, I noticed that the bird was tilting its head from side to side as if trying to figure out where I was going or what I was doing. That was enough to get me running again. My heart pounded as I ran, more from fear than the act of running itself. When I crossed the barrier into our camp, relief washed over me but it only lasted for a moment as I realized the potential danger we were in.
If the king had Ravens outside of our camp, then he knew where we were.
I found Ashton and Celeste with Master Flanders in the clearing where I worked on my sorcery training. They were engrossed in a lesson, mimicking his moves and listening to his corrections. I stood at a distance, taking in the sight of my friends.
My gaze went to Ashton. I noted the way his hair was tucked behind his ears, how his brow furrowed in concentration. His movements were quick and confident. His tunic was slightly open at the top, revealing part of his muscular chest and I briefly imagined us intertwined. I looked away for a moment, clearing my head.
Ashton caught my eye and waved to me. I smiled at him, thankful for the distraction from my own thoughts. The lesson seemed to be over. Master Flanders, Celeste, and Ashton started walking toward me.
The Raven. That's why I had come here. "Master Flanders, there was a raven in a tree outside the ward."
Master Flanders stroked his chin. "Did it approach you?"
I shook my head. "It just sat on a branch and watched me. It seemed like it was paying attention to what I was doing. It wasn't acting like a normal bird. Do you think it could be one of the king's birds?"
"It's very possible," Master Flanders said. "I think we should assume the king knows where we are. We'll need to be extra vigilant. Nobody should leave camp alone."
"I'll make an announcement at dinner." My mind replaying the dark thoughts that had found their way into my head. I wasn't in control yet and wondered if I should tell Master Flanders.
"What's wrong?" Ashton asked.
I smiled at him, doing my best to hide how I really felt. "I'm fine. I'll come find you in a few minutes, alright?" I turned to Master Flanders. "Do you have a minute?"
"Of course," he said.
"Please join me in my quarters." Without waiting to explain my request to Ashton or Celeste, I walked away.
14
Etta
Master Flanders closed the tent flap behind him and looked at me, forehead creased in concern.
"It's getting worse." I started pacing the room. "At least I think it is. These thoughts just keep entering my mind. It's like this nagging voice that inside me that speaks my fears or ambitions. Or maybe it's just me? Am I turning into my brother?" I was speaking too quickly, my mind struggled to keep up with the words pouring out of my mouth.
Master Flanders placed his hand on my elbow, stopping my pacing. "I'm feeling it, too, the Darkness is getting stronger. You're going to have to work even harder to keep it away. Take a few minutes to meditate, then go back out there. It'll get easier every time you fight it."
I watched Master Flanders walk out of the tent and collapsed into a chair. How was I supposed to fight this off when it grew worse all the time? Was Max facing the same thing? What would happen to me if I didn't learn how to manage the Darkness? Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths and concentrated on clearing my mind. After a few minutes, I managed to send away all the distracting thoughts. It was getting easier, but it only lasted a few minutes. Deciding I could work more on it later, I stood and left my tent.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," Celeste called to me as s
he grabbed my hand. "I need you for a bit."
Celeste dragged me behind her, not letting go of my hand. "What
's so urgent?" I asked.
"I need you to take care of something for me, you're the only one I trust."
We entered her quarters and she dropped my hand. "You haven't seen this yet, I'm still not sure if it's totally ready, but I don't want it in the wrong hands."
She lifted an upside-down crate that was in the corner of her tent. I had to shield my eyes from the bright light that filled the room. After a moment, my eyes adjusted and I was able to see the object under the crate. A new orb. It was larger than the first one, about the size of my head.
My mouth dropped open. "Is it finished?"
She lifted her eyebrows. "Close. It shows promise as a healing tool but I have yet to get it to amplify a user's magic. I was hoping we'd be able to strengthen your power enough to take out the Reapers once and for all, but if we get that stone, we won't need to worry about it."
I reached toward the orb. "Can I touch it?"
She nodded. "Go ahead."
I touched the orb with my fingertips. It hummed in response to my touch and I felt the tingle of magic transfer from the orb into my fingers and run through my arm. "It's amazing, Celeste."
"Thank you." Her wide smile faded. "But it's also dangerous. Can you imagine this in the wrong hands? If Max or the king had something like this, they might even be able to improve on it. Make it stronger." She shuddered.
"I won't let anything happen to it," I said. "I'll make sure it's safely hidden. Who else knows about this?"
She shook her head. "Just us and Master Flanders."
I was surrounded by amazing, intelligent people. Good thing she's on my side. "Celeste, what am I going to do without you?" My shoulders dropped.
She covered the orb and held it with both arms wrapped around it. "I know, I'm going to miss you, too. But it'll go fast." She took a deep breath and smiled. "And don't worry, I'll bring him home safe to you."
"I need both of you back home safe," I said.
