Sword of Fire (Through the Ashes Book 1)

by J. A. Culican

  "Wrong," the man said. "There are ways. We're not sharing those with anyone else, much less you people. It doesn't matter what you believe, though. If you leave, we aren't going to try to stop you. We won't even care. We're only doing this to save our brethren. If you let us, that is."

  Bells turned to Jaekob. He looked uncertain, shifting his weight subtly from one foot to the other again and again. Actually, he looked like he was about to either run away or charge through the door. Adrenaline did that to people. She felt it herself. "Fine. I'm going in," she said to the man without taking her eyes off Jaekob. Looking into his eyes, she said, "Are you coming? Either way, I can't just walk away without even trying to save the people in this city. There are fae here, you know, and dragons."

  Jaekob nodded and his eyes narrowed. "Guardians, post up outside. One at each corner, so you can see one another. If anyone tries to leave before we do, burn them all. Is that understood?"

  The Guardians saluted, then marched away to take up their positions, though the glances they gave their leader told Bells they weren't happy about leaving Bells and Jaekob alone on the porch. She suddenly felt rather exposed. "So, let us in and tell us what you need."

  The door opened and a middle-aged fae poked his head out, looking left and right. He wore a basic, brown tweed suit. For a fae to wear any kind of suit, he had to be wealthy by their standards. Satisfied no one was lurking beside the door, he nodded and opened it all the way. "Come in."

  Jaekob pressed his arm against Bells' chest, just below her collarbone, holding her back. He stepped through first. It was amazing that a dragon would go in first when a mere fae farm girl was right there to take the plunge. There wasn't time to dwell on it, though, so she came in on his heels.

  The house was pretty much what she’d expected, though fairly large for a human home. It had furniture that looked well made yet only moderately expensive. Around an L-shaped couch and two love seats sat five people, all facing a granite coffee table. There were six when the tweed-suited fae sat down.

  Bells sat on the only empty love seat and Jaekob simply stood behind her rather than coming around to sit next to her. She felt his presence. His aura was red with sparkling-blue strands running through it. Angry but hiding it well, and confident. Cocky, even.

  "Well," Jaekob said, "you went to a lot of trouble to get us here. You'd better have a good reason."

  The tweed-suited man's gaze locked onto Jaekob unflinchingly. He said, "I'm Dawning, and I don't recall inviting you here at all. Bells is the one our mutual associate invited."

  Bells recoiled, imagining all sorts of worst-case scenarios. She was shocked that a fae would talk to a dragon in such a way, but a glance at the other Pures around the table showed that they, too, were staring at Jaekob without flinching. She was also surprised that it was a fae who led the group, not the elf. She wanted to ask why Dawning led the conversation, but she froze as she waited for Jaekob's response.

  Thankfully, he chuckled instead of tearing the room apart. He said, "I've known Bells for longer than I've known any of you. I won't leave her alone in here with you." His voice was steady and even, dripping with unbending resolve. His reaction was just one of several surprises at that table, apparently.

  Dawning looked around at the other Pures and raised his hand, finger outstretched indicating Jaekob. "What shall we do about this uninvited guest? We all know who he is. The heir to the First Councilor, who rules the city and arguably the world, yet he does nothing to stop the war. This so-called prince sits in luxury while the other people of the Veil suffer. To create peace, dragons have always prepared for war, but they've abandoned their duties as warriors. They've abandoned us. I say this dragon can't be trusted. Shall we remove him before we bring Bells into our confidence? Who can trust a dragon who is afraid to fight?"

  Bells froze, waiting for Jaekob to lash out. If these people attacked him, they would be mighty surprised at which side she joined. But Jaekob let him finish his speech and then seconds ticked by without any response. She looked over her shoulder and saw Jaekob picking at his fingernails. He was the picture of disinterest. So, he had been more honest than she realized when he said the only reason he was there was for her safety, and it was obvious he didn't intend to make a case for himself to stay—he just wasn't going to leave. In a way, that made sense because he still wasn't in that fight. The dragons under Mikah had stayed out of it all, despite Awakening early because of the war.

  Well, if he wasn't going to stand up for himself, she would. She wasn't about to go anywhere with these people or trust their intentions, not without Jaekob. If he left, she would too. She made a snap decision and practically jumped to her feet, facing the other Pures. "Jaekob is to be trusted. If you don't trust him, then how can I trust you?" She shook her head.

  "How can you say that?” Dawning asked. “Hawking gave you instructions on how to meet the dragon in the first place. For his efforts, the dragons had their secret police haul him from his house in broad daylight. He would still be imprisoned under the dragons' not-so-tender mercies if it weren't for the plague spreading across the city, diverting their attention. Even with that, Hawking barely made it out. And yet, even knowing you're friends with this... this dragon... Hawking still tried to save your life by sending you to us. He did it so we might work together to save everyone."

  Jaekob still didn't reply, and Bells saw mostly boredom in his aura. He already had his say and apparently felt there was nothing more to add.

  Well, she wasn't done standing up for him since he wouldn't stand up for himself. "Hawking was arrested because it seemed clear he was involved in your conspiracy to assassinate Mikah. The timing was rather conspicuous. Don't try to deny you're involved in that."

  Dawning let his hands drop to his sides and shook his head. "We had nothing to do with that. You must have suspected it or you wouldn't be here. Mikah has many enemies. They simply spotted an opportunity and tried to take advantage of it. Or did you miss seeing how poorly organized they were?"

  Bells had to admit they had a point. It was a terribly executed attempt at assassination. Perhaps even the dragons thought Hawking wasn't involved—otherwise, they would have killed him, or at least they certainly wouldn't have allowed him to escape.

  She said, "Let's just assume for a moment that what you say is true and you're being honest when you say that your ultimate goal is peace. From what I've seen, the dragons want nothing more than that. Why do you think they haven't gotten involved? I say it's because the Pures are fighting amongst themselves. The Dragon Awakening wasn't because of yet another Earthling human war. Maybe I'm wrong, but have you ever known dragons to be cowards? I haven't seen any cowards among them, I promise you that. So what do you want, peace? Action? Or do you just want to sit here and talk about doing something?"

  She felt a bolt like lightning run down her spine. She had done it! She, Bells, nothing but the fae daughter of a farmer, had just stood up to an elder. And not one but six, including an elf and a were. A week ago, she never would have even considered standing up to these people.

  The other Pures shifted in their seats. Bells saw them exchanging glances and realized they were possibly talking amongst themselves telepathically. Well, she wasn't going to back down. She kept her eyes locked on Dawning's, practically daring him to contradict her. And if they all rushed at Jaekob, they were in for quite a surprise. She had seen him in action, and he was no run-of-the-mill Guardian. And Guardians were pretty much the best warriors in the world.

  After several seconds of silence, she was done waiting. She stood and stepped beside the love seat—coincidentally giving Jaekob a clear line of fire at the group, if needed—and said, "If you really want peace, you couldn't get a more powerful ally than the heir to the First Councilor. I've wondered why Jaekob came into my life when he did, and why I came to Philadelphia when I did."

  The elf made a hissing, spitting noise, then said, "Creation made us and then left us to our own will. That is what matters, no
t some imagined destiny."

  "Elves may not believe in predestination, but we fae believe Creation causes everything to happen for a reason. Either way, though, if you really want peace, Jaekob could be the only one who can make it happen. So, why don't you quit wasting time our people don't have, and just tell us why you brought us here."

  Dawning had listened to her patiently, without interrupting. He began to nod his head slowly, as though thinking about Bells' words carefully. At last, he said, "If this dragon will follow you where you need to go, we have decided that your words have merit. You're right, Creation does lead us to where we need to be and when we need to be there. This can't be a coincidence. On that note, I have something important to tell you."

  Bells clenched her jaw. Well, of course they did. It couldn't be as simple as showing up, shaking hands, and declaring the problem solved. "Yeah, why else would you have gone to such trouble to bring us here? I'm here of my own free will, or at Creation's guidance—who knows which? So please, just tell me what I need to know. If it'll save lives, I'll do it.”

  She sensed Jaekob's aura turn a cool, cerulean shade of blue; he had suddenly tensed, listening carefully and yet pretending not to. She was beginning to get frustrated. She focused on Dawning, though, and waited for some sort of answer as she tried to rally her patience.

  Dawning nodded his head toward the other Pures. "If you please?"

  The elf stood. His robe was made of the finest printed silks, and silver and gold threads were woven into it to create subtle patterns. He was clearly wealthy. "Let me tell you a story. It's short, yet it has a very long history. It starts with a sword. The only one in the world like it, this was a very special weapon of war, created beyond the memory of any living being. It is a sword of war, preordained at the dawn of Creation to bring peace to the world."

  Bells frowned as she listed to the elf’s tale. He said the sword was named Shmsharatsh, the Sword of Fire. The original legends, first written down in ancient Egypt, said it came from ancient Persia, but the sword was far, far older than those first records. None knew who forged it, but it was supposedly predestined to save the world. Or save the world from itself, depending on the translation.

  At the end, Dawning said, "Those of us in the Sword Society have guarded it throughout history, keeping it hidden from those who would use it to rule the world. When the Germans found it during their second great war, the last time you dragons were Awakened, we had to move it for the first time in over a thousand years. The safest place we could find was in a relatively new nation which rose to great power after that second German war."

  Jaekob chuckled. "America? Seriously? I find it hard to believe this fearsome weapon is here in this land."

  Dawning ignored Jaekob and kept his eyes locked on Bells. "The sword is powerful, and only one with a good heart could ever be trusted with it."

  Jaekob slammed his fist on the love seat's arm. "Enough. Bells, I will be outside when you're done listening to fables and conspiracy theories. Don't be long, though. We have a city to save, and that's not going to happen sitting on a couch in some fae's living room."

  Bells' eyes narrowed, but he was already walking out. She let him go without arguing. That comment about "some fae"... Not very nice, all things considered.

  Dawning grunted. "Well. That comes as no surprise. An arrogant dragon, who would have thought it? None of us expected we'd get anything more from him than to meet our minimum expectations."

  Turning back to Dawning, Bells replied, "This does sound far-fetched, though. More importantly, why are you telling me this? I'm going back to my farm in a bit, where I'll raise up crops, not swords. We're not even allowed to carry anything bigger than a kitchen knife, so there's that. I'd never get my foreman's permission to wander off on some fool’s quest for a sword no one has heard of and which I can't carry legally anyway."

  "Legally? What are you, a human? You—"

  "I'm not going to get myself killed to retrieve some old sword for you." Bells stared him in the eyes, unflinching.

  Dawning looked down and let out a long, slow breath. When he looked back up, he said, "You are the only person Hawking trusts for this. We trust him. It has to be you to get the Shmsharatsh. If you don't, this infection will swallow Philadelphia and then the world. Believe me."

  Bells curled her lip back into a snarl. "If it's so important that you Sword Society folks have kept it safe all this time, why don't you go get it? It's absurd. This is a trap, right? Payback for reporting Nigel, my village foreman. I want no part of it."

  "The world will be destroyed, Bells, and you with it."

  She felt dire warning bells ringing in the back of her mind at his words. "Then go get it,” she said in a flurry. “You know where it is. What’s the problem?"

  "It's you who don't see the problem," Dawning said, shifting in his seat, jaw clenched.

  The elf, who had yet to give his name, said, "Dawning, just tell her. She won't go without it. If she still says no, we can just wipe this meeting out of her memories and send her off to die with everyone else, on her farm, among her family."

  Dawning snarled, "That knowledge is not to be given to outsiders. In all these thousands of years—"

  The elf interrupted, "—there has never been a surer sign of the time of flames."

  Bells glanced around the room, measuring the others’ reactions. Dawning stared hard at the floor, frozen. The other fae and the were exchanged glances, but none spoke up to argue against the elf's idea.

  At last, Dawning drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, his jaw muscles relaxing again. He nodded once, curtly, then looked at Bells. "Very well. I'll tell you what you ask to know, though you are not a member of the Sword Society."

  Bells felt a shiver run across her scalp. The situation suddenly seemed less amusing and more frightening. Legends. Secret societies bigger than just the conspirators in that room. An ancient doomsday weapon. She waited expectantly, barely daring to breathe.

  "The legends give us signs to look for marking the end of all things. Not just Earth, but also our world beyond the Veil. Those signs are coming to pass. Among the final and most important signs is this infection that is trying to spread through the city. 'Creeping doom on tendrils of blue, like sky-sparks in miniature, the color of ice.' With other parts of the story we've pieced together, this infection matches all the clues. The story of the world given in the legend also matches current events. The end is coming unless we stop it. The Sword Society has kept the blade safe since before humanity rose to dominate the world and the Pures fled beyond the Veil, preparing for this day."

  Bells nodded slowly, lips pursed. It did sound like the fungus, with its creepy electric-blue tendrils. Still... "Why me? I seem like a poor choice for this. I'm a farmer, and some other Pure would have an easier time traveling on some secret mission."

  As Dawning opened his mouth, the elf responded first. "Because it must be you. The legends have many signs and Hawking has told us how they all match you."

  Dawning said, "You and Jaekob, rather."

  Bells did a double-take. "Jaekob? Both of us? That can't be."

  The elf shrugged. "And yet it is. The legends speak of 'two Pure of heart and blood, one exalted by all, the other a mere servant.' When you showed up looking to meet the heir to the dragons, of all people, right before the infection began... Well, Hawking knows many more signs than I do, and he says it must mean you and Jaekob. The fact that the dragon is following you around tells us what we need to know. You met him ten years ago by chance, setting in motion all the events to led to this day, with you here when the outbreak began, accompanying the Dragon Prince." He flashed her a smirk.

  Bells' jaw dropped, but she snapped it shut and her teeth clicked hard enough to hurt.

  "Pure of heart and blood is a reference to you both being Pures—blood—but also pure of heart,” Dawning continued. “Both of you are drawn to justice unless I'm mistaken."

  "What do you mean? He's not fighting for
my kind, at least not completely, so what kind of justice can he be drawn to?"

  Dawning replied, "Jaekob did, after all, save you and your family from the troll and your foreman, kept you alive through extraordinary measures not often given a fae, and has followed you around ever since you arrived. You followed each other, rather. And you both were there at ground zero when the infection began. This cannot be a coincidence, and if you don't help us by fulfilling your destiny, both worlds die. But you do have a choice. You could sit back and die with everyone else."

  Bells wanted to dismiss the tale as nothing more than the tricks of fairies or superstition, but something about the words he'd spoken in the legend made her heart skip a beat. And now, try as she might, she just couldn't bring herself to dismiss what they told her. It was like some ancient, primordial part of her recognized the words, like she'd heard them before, and now she had an itch inside her brain she couldn't scratch. That was the best way she could describe it.

  "Why does it have to be both of us?" she asked.

  Dawning smiled, though the elf and the were both frowned. Dawning said, "When the sword is needed, whether to unite or destroy the worlds, it protects itself. There are others who seek it, you know. Another group we've fought against since before the Egyptians first put chisel to stone to etch words. That group doesn't know this part of the legend, as we've kept it hidden through all this time."

  The elf, still frowning, said, "The hidden part of the legend says this: 'Only the Pure but lowly can remove the sword from its tomb, but it is protected by a fire only a dragon can withstand, and neither spell nor glyph nor sleight of hand can change that fact.' Then, the legend says the lowly becomes the exalted. So you see, you two Pures must work together or you won't survive and get the sword."

  That primordial part in Bells' brain surged as he told his story, and she felt like it was trying to scream inside her head that yes, she could do it, she was the one. But could she trust some vague sense? The world was facing a threat that could destroy it. She had felt that since the first time she saw the fungus.