by Dyan Chick
The carriage came to a halt, and the door swung open. The footman bowed as he offered a hand to help me down. I took it and stepped onto the gravel driveway outside of the royal palace of Gallia. My eyes traveled up the pale stone of the facade. It was larger than any other building I'd seen and the architecture was so different from home. Sweeping lines and jagged points topped the palace. Circular stained-glass windows lined the front. This building was a work of art, nothing like the drafty gray dungeon like castle the king called home.
A man in a velvet tunic trimmed in gold approached. He had dark hair, flecked with gray and the same tan skin Celeste had.
His smile caused wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. "Niece, you cannot even imagine what joy it brings me to see you alive."
"Welcome to Gallia." He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.
I stiffened under his embrace, unused to being greeted so intimately. When I cleared my throat, he pulled back and stared at me, one of his large hands on each of my shoulders.
I curtseyed. "Thank you for having us, your majesty. It's an honor to be here."
"Please, no need for all that. We're family. Call me Gaius."
"You have the same face as your mother." He ducked down to look into my eyes. "It's a shame you got your father's pale complexion. Does your face turn red when you're embarrassed as his used to?"
I felt my cheeks flush at his question and tried to will it to stop.
He grinned at me. "Looks like it does."
Master Flanders took a few steps forward and bowed. "Your majesty, thank you for allowing us to move up the meeting."
My uncle removed his hands from my shoulders and turned to greet Master Flanders. "Thank you for your help keeping my niece safe."
Gaius returned his attention to me, setting a hand between my shoulder blades. "Come, let us go inside. We have much to discuss."
We walked toward the large, open double doors of the castle.
Gaius smiled at me. "Your mother and I were so close as children. She sent me white ravens every week after she moved to Illaria. Even when things got bad, she found a way to keep in touch. You being alive brings me so much happiness."
The way he talked about my mother was so genuine. I started to relax a little. As we reached the doors, the tingle of magic raced through my veins. When we stepped through the doors, we were no longer alone.
There were four men on either side of the doors. On one side, all of the men clad in armor, standing at attention with one hand resting on the hilt of a sword that was holstered at their waist. The other side of the door was attended by four men in long, dark green robes. Their posture wasn't as strict as the soldiers opposite them.
All of their eyes followed me and the tingle inside me surged to a level I had never felt before. I jumped and my uncle stopped in his tracks.
"What are they doing?" All manners lost, I turned on the sorcerers and pulled my tingling arms across my stomach, trying to quench the rising vibrations inside me. "It's too much."
Gaius looked from me to his sorcerers. "Enough." He raised a hand. "I don't think it's necessary for you to use any more of your detection spells on her."
My breathing was ragged as I struggled to overcome the magic being thrown at me. So this is what it feels like to have four sorcerers casting spells at you at the same time? The tingle started to ease. It hadn't been painful, but it was overwhelming.
Now that I had caught my breath, anger spread through me. How dare they use that much magic on me? I marched up to the tallest of the sorcerers and stood right in front of him. "You are not to use magic on me without my consent. Is that clear?"
The man's jaw dropped and he looked to his king.
Ice ran through my veins. They should not defy me. The ice was turning to fire as it traveled through me, causing little sparks to begin to form in my palms. "I am the rightful Queen of Illaria, you will not disrespect me in such a way."
The man swallowed and bowed his head low.
"Etta," Master Flanders rested his hand on my shoulder. "Deep breaths. Clear your mind."
My whole body wanted to turn on him and scream but before I acted on it, a small voice inside reminded me that I wasn't in control. The Darkness. Closing my eyes, I squeezed my palms into fists to hide the sparks as I took a few deep breaths. "Forgive me," I said. "I've never felt that much magic at once."
I opened my eyes and found the sorcerer watching me, his brow furrowed as he studied me. "You can feel it already, can't you?"
"Feel what?" I had a feeling I knew what he was talking about, but I didn't want to explain to them that I'd accidentally opened a portal to the Darkness.
"The Darkness. Some of us can feel it already," he said.
I swallowed and glanced at Master Flanders. He nodded.
"I'm working on controlling it."
"You must be very sensitive to magic," he said.
I nodded. "I am. Why were all four of you using magic on me at the same time, anyway?"
I turned to my uncle. "You thought I was an impostor?"
"I had to make sure it wasn't a trick. Forgive me." He bowed his head. "Once I saw you, I knew you were my sister's daughter, but I didn't call off my sorcerers. I don't have the same skills you or your mother had. I forget the response that magic can elicit."
"My mother was like this?" I asked.
He nodded. "She was very sensitive to magic. I believe that to be part of why she wanted to live in Illaria, where magic is rare. Here it's so common it would sometimes overwhelm her."
I blinked a few times, trying to process what he said. What must it have been like for her living here while learning how to control her powers? A million questions spun in my mind. How I wished this was a social visit. That I could spend the days here learning about my family and Gallia. But that wasn't to be. At least not on this trip. "I would really like to learn more about my mother and my family, but I fear this trip has to be focused on business. We've just received word that the king's daughter is going to marry Max."
"That does change things, doesn't it." Gaius bent his elbow and nodded for me to take it.
I obliged and we crossed the threshold into a long hallway with a white marble floor. One side of the hallway was lined with windows taller than me. The other was lined with mirrors, giving the space the illusion that it was glowing. My eyes darted around the hallway. The sight left me momentarily breathless. "Your home is beautiful."
"Thank you, your highness," Gaius said.
"Please, call me Etta."
"As you wish," he said. "Please know you are welcome here any time. And know if things shouldn't go the way we would like them to in Illaria, you always have a home here."
His words hit me like I'd been thrown from a horse. Home. I hadn't truly felt at home since my grandmother died. And that had never really been my home. How easy would it be to let Max take Illaria and stay here in this luxury? I wouldn't have the burden of ruling over a kingdom or the expectation of marriage. I'd be a favored family member. Maybe I could even train with the sorcerers here, visit the library. It would be easier to stay here. But what about everybody who was counting on me? No. Living in Gallia isn't an option. I was going to take back my rightful home.
20
Ashton
It had already been five days since their last hot meal at Thomas' home. Ashton dreamed of a cup of tea or some warm porridge. The pre-dawn morning air was crisp and cold. Most of the leaves had fallen, winter was threatening to begin. The cold air made his cheeks sting and he pulled the hood of his cloak tighter around his face.
Traveling before dawn had become habit for Ashton and Celeste. There was something peaceful about those early hours of the day and they brought clarity to Ashton, though sometimes they gave him too much time to think. His mind had drifted to Etta as it often did when it was quiet. He tried to focus on his surroundings, find anything to distract himself.
The sound of their horses crunching over the gravel road echoed through the
cold morning air. Celeste's horse was in sync with Ashton's making the sound louder. He considered talking to Celeste, but wasn't sure what to say. They'd never had trouble talking in the past, but since leaving the camp she'd kept their conversations minimal after Ashton made it clear that Etta was not a subject he was willing to discuss. Celeste seemed to be withholding conversation as a form of protest.
He let out a long breath and shifted in the saddle. The sword Thomas gave him moved with him from its holster on his back. It was an unusual burden that made him uncomfortable. He'd never trained in using a sword. All of his time had been spent learning to use magic. He'd likely need the sword when they reached the castle where the Stone of Morare was hidden. Ashton shivered at the thought of the undead that they might encounter.
His breath caught in his chest and the image of a woman flashed before his eyes. He hadn't had to relive that night in a long time. The night when his mother was killed in front of him, her lifeless body dragged away while he hid behind a chair crying out for her. When he had these dreams, they felt so real. And every time he had the dream he was helpless to fight back. He'd stand there frozen in fear, unable to save his mother.
He shook his head, trying to push the memory back into the depths of his mind. Ashton's childhood nightmares had resurfaced since the trip to Greenville. He wondered if it was a result of his visit to the Astral Realm or the impeding Darkness. Neither would surprise him.
He pushed the hood of his cloak back, relishing the shock of the cold air on his face. Taking a deep breath in, the vision of the dream faded. He wrinkled his nose, then sniffed the air. Something was burning.
"Do you smell that?"
Celeste lifted her chin and sniffed. "Something's burning." She wrinkled her nose.
"Let's get off the road. Wait for sunrise so we can see the smoke." Ashton turned off the road and headed into the woods, Celeste followed behind.
They tied their horses to a tree sat on a large rock while they waited for daylight.
"You've been quiet on this trip," Ashton said.
"I'm still not sure why you did it, Ashton."
"The things I said." His shoulders dropped. "I can't ever take them back."
"What did you tell her?"
Ashton shook his head. "I told her she was just like her father, just like Max. That she'd eventually give me up in exchange for power. It was awful."
"Oh, Ashton." Celeste put her arm around him and rested her cheek on his shoulder. "I'm sure she'll forgive you when we return. She'll know you didn't mean it."
Ashton shrugged away from Celeste. "I don't think I want her to forgive me."
In the gray light of dawn, Ashton could see the confusion on Celeste's face.
"She needs to be able to marry for the good of the kingdom. She'll never do that if she has me. I don't want to be responsible for preventing her from gaining or keeping her throne. I won't do that to her. To the kingdom. So many people have sacrificed so much for this. My parents, her parents. We have to sacrifice, too. She'd never do it if I didn't break her heart."
Ashton stood, rubbing his hands together to warm them. "There's enough light to find the smoke now. We should go."
Celeste wore a frown on her face, not even trying to hide her disappointment. She took a deep breath and stood, then silently mounted her horse.
Ashton's throat burned as he recalled the look on Etta's face when they last spoke. How could that really be the last memory they'd have of each other? This is for the best. Everybody has to make sacrifices. He mounted his horse and rode out of the woods toward the road.
When they reached the road, they saw a massive cloud of smoke rising above a small town that looked to be less than an hour's ride from where they were. The smoke was thick and dark, like a storm cloud.
"What should we do?" Celeste asked. "Keep riding or check it out?"
Ashton narrowed his eyes at the cloud, wondering if it was worth the detour. The town wasn't on their way to the mountains and they weren't on a mission to rescue people from fires. What good would two sorcerers be, anyway?
The cloud started to glow, a reddish-gold color. The hair on the back of Ashton's neck stood on end and his whole body tensed. "Celeste?"
His hands were trembling and he turned to see Celeste staring wide-eyed at the cloud, her body visibly trembling.
Slowly, she turned her head toward Ashton. "Ashton, why is the smoke doing that?"
He looked back at the glowing cloud. Only one thing made smoke like that. It's not possible.
"It has to be something else, a sorcerer trick," Ashton said.
Celeste nodded. "Must be."
Ashton clenched his jaw. "We better go check it out."
Celeste swallowed. "Are you sure? What if it's not a sorcerer?"
"Then we'll need to send a message to the White Ravens." Ashton was pretty sure they were both thinking it, but neither of them wanted to say it out loud. Dragon.
It took some convincing to get the horses to head toward the glowing smoke, but once they started moving again, they made quick progress. Ashton glanced behind him at Celeste. She was wearing a frown on her face. He didn't blame her. If there was a dragon, chances are it was gone by now, so they weren't in harm's way. But if there had been a dragon, everything would change.
Dragons hadn't been in Illaria or any of the neighboring kingdoms in over a thousand years. Nobody knew what happened to them. They vanished when the Darkness took hold of the kingdoms. With the impending Darkness, it made no sense for the dragons to return.
Ashton had been fascinated by the creatures as a child. He grew up listing to campfire stories about them. His favorites were the stories of brave men who would ride on their backs. Dragons were intelligent creatures who often stayed to themselves. But every so often, a few would allow themselves to be part of human groups, sometimes joining armies or settling near a town.
They couldn't be trusted, though. They were wild and had minds of their own. So for every story of a good dragon, there were stories of dragons who would take out whole villages in a fiery attack for no reason at all. Some dragons just liked to cause destruction.
If there was a dragon who had returned to Illaria, Ashton hoped it was the first kind. The kind that liked being around people. Not the type that liked to watch things burn. As they drew nearer to the town, the dense smoke obscured their vision and his heart sunk. He had a feeling this wasn't the good kind of dragon.
21
Ashton
The town was in chaos as Ashton and Celeste rode through the gates. The wall they passed through was crumbling in places and nobody stood guard as they entered. Smoke hung thick in the air, the red glow still clinging to the clouds.
Ashton covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve to try to filter out some of the smoke. Several people ran in front of his horse, startling her, nearly throwing Ashton from his saddle. Rather than risk being thrown, he dismounted and led her by the reins further into town. Celeste rode cautiously behind him. She was a better rider and stayed on her horse.
Buildings around him were still smoking, blackened from fire and crumbling. Ashton's throat was tight from the smoke and he found swallowing nearly impossible due to the dryness in his mouth. As they moved down the street, his boots crunched over debris and fallen stones. None of the people running around seemed to pay any attention to the strangers in their town. They carried valuables, children, and tools over their shoulders as they did what they could to salvage their homes or businesses.
Turning down a side road, they found a town square where less damage had been done. The cobblestones lining the courtyard in a diamond shaped pattern were coated with a thin layer of ash from the sky. Ashton led his horse toward a storefront that had a place for him to tie her.
The store was still standing, perfect condition, aside from the ash that coated it, darkening the otherwise cheerful stone exterior. It was a tiny, single story building that appeared to sell books and parchment. Ashton tied up his horse. Cel
este dismounted and tied hers as well.
"Do we have any water left?" Ashton asked.
Celeste dug through her saddle bags and found a water skin. She tossed it to him.
He drank, then closed it and threw it back to Celeste. "I'm going to see if we can find some answers. You want to wait with the horses?"
She paused mid-drink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Sounds good. I'll be right here."
Ashton entered the book store, hoping he'd be able to find somebody who had seen what happened. He pushed open the door and looked around the dim room. The only light came from the single window. It was larger inside than it appeared from the outside. The space was filled with shelves of books and baskets of rolled parchment. He had to turn sideways to move between the crowded shelves as he searched for the proprietor.
"Hello?" he called, "anybody here?"
The sound of a clearing throat from behind him sent Ashton spinning around with a jolt. In front of him stood a small, hunched old man. His back was curved in a hump and he stood nearly doubled over from the deformity. He had a full head of bright white hair and a bushy white mustache.
"What can I do for you today, son?" His voice was clear and strong. It didn't seem like it belonged to such a frail looking figure.
"I was passing through and saw the smoke," Ashton said. "Wondered if somebody could tell me what was going on."
"You stopped by to see if anybody saw the dragon, more like."
A chill ran down Ashton's spine. "So it was a dragon?"
"Yes," the old man said, "frightful creature. One of the larger ones, based on my research. Terrible temper. Seemed to be angry at the town for no reason."
Ashton tried to remember what he knew about the size of dragons. In all the stories he heard, he just remembered that they were big. He couldn't imagine what a larger than normal dragon would be. "What do you mean, larger?"
