by T. G. Ayer
My jaw dropped. “What the hell is he up to?”
Sienna shook her head, pulling me down the stairs. “I have no idea. He tried to kill you, and now he wants to move the wedding date up. Sounds to me like he feels threatened.”
I snorted. “Sounds like he feels my growing connection to you is a threat to him.”
She stopped in her tracks, on a stair halfway down the flight, and stared at me, confused at first until things clicked into place. “You think I’m the real reason he’s here?” She frowned. Then shook her head. “I’m of no value to him. Why would he risk so much just because of me?”
“I think I know why.”
She raised an eyebrow as if daring me to come up with a good one.
“Do you ever dream of flying?”
At my question, Syn’s face paled, and she let go of my hand. “How would you know such a thing?” She inhaled sharply and continued her descent. I followed.
“Because what happened today on the balcony tells me that you are of more value then you realize.”
Stopping at the base of the staircase, she turned sharply to me and asked, “What happened?” She sounded impatient, the words slicing through her teeth.
“We were falling, you and me. We weren’t far from the ground, seconds away from being splattered all over the market square. And from nowhere a golden dragon appeared and carried me to safety.” I kept my voice low.
“I thought we both fell. I’m sure . . . That’s what I remembered,” she whispered.
“We did both fall.”
“But if the dragon saved you then how did I get back to the balcony?”
I met her gaze head-on. “How do you think?”
Sienna shook her head. “You think the dragon was me?”
I nodded.
“Dear Goddess.”
Chapter 43
We agreed that we keep up the pretense of the mine visit and use it as a means to make a getaway. We returned to my room to prepare for the visit.
“By the way, how did you manage to get the queen’s permission?”
She gave a firm nod. “I bargained for it so I’m damned well taking you.”
“Bargained?” I asked as I packed my rucksack.
“It was one of my conditions.”
“You gave her conditions?” I asked, smirking. I grabbed the leather folder.
Sienna handed me my satchel. “Yes. I agreed to the marriage as long as I can assist the Emissary of the Elders during their tenure in Drakys. And as long as I don’t need to sleep with him for the first five years.”
I choked and ended up coughing up my laughter. “You’re kidding right?” Tucking my folder into the satchel, I sat it beside my rucksack, now ready to leave.
Sienna folded her arms and lifted her chin. “Not kidding. In Drakys a woman can choose if, and when, she wants to bed her husband. It was a law that Queen Shrya’s great-grandmother passed a few centuries back.”
This time I did laugh. “No wonder the men want to control things. They’re being deprived.” I sniggered. Moving to the balcony I shut the glass door and pulled the drapes.
Sienna grinned. “I totally agree. Now, just give me a few minutes to pack a bag and arrange our transport, then I’ll come fetch you.”
I frowned. “I don’t want to leave you alone. I’ll come with you.”
“I’m just a little worried about our bags. If someone suspects anything they may be inspected.”
My turn to negate her words. I pointed to my chest. “Diplomatic immunity.”
She smiled. “Ah yes, I forgot.” A contemplative frown creased her brow “If that’s the case then you may as well hide my stuff inside your bag. I won’t pack too much.” She grinned as we headed to her room.
True to her words she packed light, taking only a small silk jewel bag, and a single change of clothing.
With a nod Sienna smiled and headed for the door. “Let’s get moving. It’s a long way there.”
As we entered the corridor I asked, “Surely we can get us a pair of wings? This city is full of dragons, isn’t it?”
Sienna smiled, glancing over her shoulder at the guards who fell into step behind us. “I never said we’d be walking, did I?”
Air rushed against my face, pressing against my skin, pushing into my mouth and nostrils as I struggled to breathe without passing out. Sienna had been right. Her two guards had kindly provided us with winged transport, although I worried that we’d need to ditch them soon.
We were so high up the air felt like icicles in my throat. Below us the fields were a patchwork of greens and browns, not that different to back home. We followed the Red River almost halfway to the portal cave when the guard, or dragon, that I rode banked right and dove for the river. He aimed at the point in the river where it dove beneath the mountains, and I frowned despite the gusting of air against my face.
I’d passed this way and never known it was there.
The dragon reached for the ground with his massive hind legs, claws glinting in the afternoon light as they hit and scraped against the sandy shoreline.
His powerful, leathery wings flapped loudly around my ears, the sound drowning out even that of his companion, who’d also landed beside us.
Sienna slid effortlessly off, with all the confidence of someone who’d been doing this for years. I, on the other hand struggled, afraid to hurt him if I held on too hard, worried that if I descended carelessly, I would make him uncomfortable. It was a strange feeling knowing that the creature you are riding is a sentient being, as intelligent as you are.
My dragon lowered his body to the ground, angling his front leg in such a way that I could use it as a step. I placed my foot gently on his scaly knee, holding onto the spikes at the side of his neck, and jumped to the ground, my heart still jumping from the hair-raising ride.
As soon as I descended, he transformed back to human form and stood to attention, as if he’d not just been a gigantic flying creature moments before. The transformation was equally as amazing as that of Sienna’s, except her dragon was magnificent compared with these two, and twice as big.
It was interesting to watch, the first dragon was an amalgamation of silver and gold where the second bordered on black and gray with silver sparkles. Beautiful, yet nothing when compared to the beauty of Sienna’s gold transformation.
When I looked up she was at the edge of the water beside a set of dangerous looking rapids, waving me toward her. I hitched my satchel higher on my shoulder and hurried to join her. She pointed at the side of the rough face of the mountain where the river rushed at it and then seemed to disappear into solid stone.
“That’s the entrance to the mine,” she said raising her voice so that she could be heard over the rushing of the water. As far as I could see, the entry was invisible.
“Where exactly?” I asked, curious, not impatient.
“Come with me,” she said over her shoulder as she strode along the edge of the river bank. The heels of her boots crunched against the black gravel and the longer we walked, the more I had time to notice the area around me. The river was wider here than at any other point that I’d seen since we left the city. The banks on either side were steep, almost vertical, and the water’s edge was overgrown with plants.
Strangely beautiful and completely ominous black-leaved, midnight lilies had taken over the surface of the water, sending a pungent perfume our way.
Lilies.
I really disliked lilies.
Despite the rapids, the river ran slowly, probably dammed by the rock face.
Beyond the riverbank, the land on either side was barren, giant trees with bark as black as the lilies, almost scorched. And leaves that hung lifelessly from the branches, their colors overcome by rot.
My heart crashed against my ribs. The sights around me were far too familiar and my steps slowed. Even the sound of the clinking of the armor behind me didn’t make me move. My ears were ringing, and I felt Sienna come to stand beside me.
“What is it?” she said softly beside me.
“I can’t believe what I’m seeing,” I whispered, swallowing the words that rose in my throat.
My mind was filled with a tornado of impossible thoughts. I was beginning to see a parallel between the condition of these trees, and the presence of a Fae in this realm. The very same Fae who could possibly be a traitor to my best friend.
Could Elan be the reason Tara’s investigators had lied to her? Could the Fae Prince be behind the killing of our Ash Trees?
“What is it?” Sienna asked, her tone worried, urging me to answer.
But I just shook my head. The guards were too close for a conversation that could prove dangerous. We’d have time to discuss this soon enough. Once we were back home.
I gave a sheepish smile. “I’ve just never seen anything so unusual before.” I pointed at the black petals of the lily.
Sienna smiled. “I understand how you feel. This black lily is one of the most deadly flora on the surface of this world.”
I raised my eyebrows, falling into step beside her as she began to walk along the river again.
She pointed at the jagged rise of the mountain. “The mine is here, just beneath the surface. It’s efficient, and uses little labor and time as possible. But the mining process produced a toxic sludge. It ends up back in this water. And the lily, over the years, has absorbed the toxin, transforming its very nature. Giving us this.” She waved a hand at the flowers.
I shook my head, frowning. “And mining will continue to poison the river?”
I was quickly beginning to doubt the intelligence of the decision to begin mining again.
“It will continue to poison the river, yes. And the surrounding areas. But that’s where it stops. The black lily absorbs the toxins, cleaning the water and allowing it to continue on its journey. It is one of the reasons why we don’t mind mining the Erulite. We have a perfect natural method of ensuring our water remains unpolluted.”
I stared at the flower and then back at the trees that surrounded us.
The dead trees.
Trees dead like the Great Ash.
Chapter 44
I shook my head. “I’m not sure that the toxins are being cleaned.” I pointed at a collection of trees whose species I could not identify, but whose affliction I understood completely. “That shouldn’t be happening.”
Sienna paused before a rock that curved outward, hiding a large archway inside. She looked across the river at the thinned stand of trees. “Unfortunately their root system reaches too close to the river, and some of the toxins have leached in through their water supply. It’s unavoidable, but I can assure you that it is restricted only to this area. The poison does not reach the city’s water system. Our people and our crops are safe. Of that we have been extremely careful.”
As she began to walk off, I hesitated. I knew what I had to do. “Wait up,” I called.
I spun on my heel and hurried back to the batch of lilies, kneeling beside the water as Sienna drew up beside me.
“What are you doing?” She crouched beside me.
“I just think they’re so beautiful,” I said, my voice an octave too high.
Sienna’s eyes widened before she glanced quickly over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes at the two guards who laughed between themselves at the silly outlander going nuts over their poison lilies.
While they had their fun, I picked a couple of lilies, and carefully slid them into two separate plastic bags. I slipped the bags into my jacket pocket and nodded at Sienna.
Aware of the guards behind me I gave her a nod as if I were satisfied with her explanation, but the look she gave me told me that she knew I wasn’t done with this conversation.
She glanced over her shoulder at her guards and pointed to trees further back up the hill that were green and alive, and actually did provide shade. “Set up camp there. I will give Kailin a tour of Sector One. And we’ll stop at the viewing platform for Sector Two. Don’t worry. I won’t go any further than that.”
The guards both nodded, their expressions somber yet unconcerned, as if convinced that there was nowhere else that she would, or could, go. They both turned and walked off without even looking back.
“So much for shadowing your every move,” I mumbled.
She huffed. “It’s boring and tiring for them to dog my every step. My life is uninteresting.”
I shrugged. “Me, I’d fire them this second for incompetence.”
Sienna laughed. “The General would like you.” Then she gave me a surreptitious glance and pulled on my elbow. “Come, we have to be quick. It takes about an hour to inspect Sector One, so we have a head start. If we’re not back by then they will come looking for us.”
I followed closely behind her. “Lead me to the back door.”
She laughed, the sound echoing against the rock face before us. “Follow me.”
Inside the tunnel, the sound of rushing water enveloped us, so loud that it even dulled the echoing noise our boots made on the obsidian floor. We walked through a long tube of jagged black glass.
Beside us a rickety looking cart sat on a track, the metal and wood old and cracking.
“So how exactly is the Erulite mined?”
She paused and pointed to a hollow gouged from the wall; a crater with the center much deeper than the side. “We use heat. DragonFyr. An initial indentation is made with a chisel. The problem with metal tools is that they shatter the Erulite, making it difficult to transport.”
I nodded, understanding what she meant. Solid rocks were easier to move around as opposed to bags and bags of ground up crystal.
“The rocks are transported along the mines rail system beneath the mountain. Sector One is where the rocks are mined. They are processed in Sector Two.”
“Processed?”
“More like ‘graded’. Before they are sent out for sale, they are sorted manually. A dedicated, experienced technician studies each and every rock that comes through here. They guarantee only the highest quality of Erulite.”
I stared around the tunnels as we walked. I would have been concerned for our safety but we were both fully capable of protecting ourselves, even if Sienna still didn’t know exactly how to.
I cleared my throat, aware that what I was about to suggest may not go down well with Sienna. “I’m beginning to suspect that Reid was killed because he found out something sensitive or potentially dangerous to the city.”
Sienna nodded. She glanced over her shoulder before saying, “I agree.” She kept her voice to a soft whisper as we hurried along the path and veered left. Into almost pitch blackness. “I discovered something about the mines two years ago. About the time that your fae prince arrived.”
“My fae prince?” I was offended.
She giggled. “He isn’t mine either.”
“Pretty sure it’s you that he’s marrying.”
She cleared her throat. “So I was coming back from the portal when I stopped here one night. It was late, and just after the Rebirth Ceremony Day. As you know, without a queen the rebirth ceremony is merely a date, but there are small bands of acolytes who make a pilgrimage to the Life’s Blood.”
“Life’s Blood?” I asked, intrigued. “Is that the special egg that the queen must imbue with her power?”
Sienna nodded, her look of approval amusing. As if I really was here as an Emissary. “The Hollow of the Life’s Blood is located on the other side of the mountain. Below it runs a stream, and I believe some of the life of the egg leeches into the water as the stream runs by. In the old times, the priests believed the egg was magical and that the water contained healing properties. Anyway, while I was there I noticed a strange glow in the water where the lilies grow. I followed the side stream all the way to the egg where it originated. Since then I was convinced Reid probably discovered that the flowers were more than just poisonous. And someone wanted it kept a secret.”
“Why?” I already suspected I knew the answer.
“The magic of the egg combined with the toxin on the Erulite makes the lilies a super-powerful plant.”
“And yet they’re still sitting there on the water, as if they were any old lily?” I was incredulous. The freaking plant was deadly. “I’d bet they are somehow harvesting the plants. And Reid must have found out.”
We came to a sharp turn, the incline steep now. We were going up. And hopefully out of the mine.
“The outside of the mine is maintained in much the same way as it was five years ago. I suspect it’s to ensure that everything looks fine. If, all of a sudden, the lilies disappear that would cause questions to arise.”
A gust of icy air hit my cheeks and we exited the tunnel onto a shallow ledge.
“Whatever they are up to, Reid paid the ultimate price.”
“Don’t worry. The Elders will do what they can to put things right. Someone is taking advantage of your land. And if it’s the fae then I’ll do everything I can to stop them.”
We struggled, keeping our backs close to the cliff-face, moving a foot at a time.
“What can you do to stop them?” Sienna asked, her voice raised so I could hear her against the rushing wind.
“I know the Queen of the Fae.” I glanced down the mountainside. We’d come out further south and across from the guards who’d build a small fire and were ignorant of their escaping charge.
“You know the Fae Queen?” she asked, shocked.
“Yup,” I said with a grin. “She’s my best friend.”
“Oh. Of course. Your best friend,” Sienna mumbled as she scrambled up to the ridge and sank to her knees.
I scurried behind her and she glared at me.
“Is there anyone you don’t know?”
I shrugged. “I know the important people. That’s what counts.”
Chapter 45
We arrived at the portal on the ice shelf in Alaska and fell straight into the freezing cold water.
Thankfully I’d made a last-second grab for the key as we hit the icy surface and managed to save it.
