by J. D. Wright
“After what she and Gabby went through… I was happy to let her choose.”
Cicilly placed her goblet on the table beside her. “Speaking of Sarita, where did you say she went? I think I will go check on her.”
“She’s in the courtyard with Rowan. He’s showing her how to use her new bow.”
“I was curious as to why she wasn’t here,” Rhea said after Cicilly left.
“Sarita met with the seamstress earlier this morning, before anyone else,” Bree said. “She wanted to be outside, waiting for when Rowan returned with her new bow. She had been using Gabby’s until today. Come to think of it, she has been spending an awful lot of time with him, as of late.”
“She’s a growing girl who lost her father,” Rhea said. “I can understand why she has taken to Rowan. I’ve never had a father, myself, but I can understand.”
Sidonie glanced over at Bree. “You don’t think Sarita suspects… Do you?”
“I’m not sure,” Bree said. “If she does, she hasn’t mentioned it. Not to me, at least.”
Rhea looked confused at where the conversation had gone. “I believe I may be missing something here…”
“You are,” Bree replied. “But I do feel that I can trust you with this.” She turned and allowed the seamstress to begin removing the gown. “Take a seat, Rhea. When the seamstress is finished, I have a story to share with you.”
“And it’s a fascinating one,” Sidonie mumbled.
~*~
“Just ten more times,” Sarita pleaded.
“Five,” Rowan countered.
“Eight.”
“Seven.”
“Eight, because that’s how old I am and I’m not getting any younger.”
“What? That argument doesn’t make any sense,” Rowan said, laughing.
“Makes perfect sense to me,” Dagan replied, grinning.
“See? Even the wizard agrees. Eight.” Sarita pulled another arrow and nocked it. Then she glanced over at Rowan. “Are you ready?”
Rowan sighed and held his dagger up, ready to throw.
“1… 2… 3!” Sarita barely breathed the last number before drawing the string and letting her arrow fly. But before it hit the large piece of wood they were using as a target, Rowan’s dagger was already stuck in the wood. She had gotten used to the motion but was slower at drawing than she wanted to be. “Agh! Again! Get ready.”
Rowan pulled another dagger and waited for Sarita to begin counting. The moment the dagger and arrow began to soar through the air, Dagan waved his hand and used air magic to slow the dagger down, allowing the arrow to hit the target first.
Sarita dropped her bow and began to dance around. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Woohoo!”
“Cheater,” Rowan said, turning to Dagan, who pretended not to hear him. “Dagan.”
“What? It doesn’t hurt to let her win once or twice.” Dagan said, smiling.
“No, not that. Look,” Rowan said, nodding toward something in the distance. Dagan turned to see his father walking toward them. They stood in silence until Edmund reached them.
“Sarita,” Rowan began. “We can finish this game later. You need to get dressed for the festival.”
“But you still owe me six more…” she trailed off when she saw the wizard’s father was standing there. “Oh.”
“I’ll be standing nearby. Just in case,” Rowan whispered as he passed Dagan. Neither of them trusted Edmund, especially after he had tried to trick Dagan with a fake amulet.
“Are you here for the amulet?” Dagan asked, crossing his arms. “If so, I don’t have it anymore.”
“I am not here for the amulet. I am here to apologize.”
“Apologize? For what? For letting me grow up without a father? Or for stealing the amulet after you gave it to me? Or how about for giving me a fake amulet in order to try to trick me?”
“I underestimated your friend, I will admit that. I came to apologize for all of it.”
“Yet, somehow I doubt you are actually sorry for any of it.”
“Dagan, you have every right to hate me. I was a terrible father to you—“
“You were nonexistent. I thought you were dead. I wish, now, that you had been.”
Edmund didn’t seem bothered at all by his son’s ill wishes toward him. “I probably should be dead. I’ve lived a life that would have killed most by now.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“I don’t expect you to forgive me. But apologizing to you is not the only reason I returned. I heard that someone tried to kill your beloved.”
“Where did you hear that?” Dagan asked, eyeing his father suspiciously. “In any case, Sidonie is fine. We can care for our own.”
“I can see that. But it doesn’t mean you can’t use some help. More wizards will come for her. The others may not resort to poisonous wine. There are far fouler ways to assassinate someone.”
“I’m sure you could tell me a few of them.”
Edmund smiled. “I could, which is why you should allow me to stay. You may have saved her this time, but that doesn’t mean you will be able to save her the next time someone tries to eliminate the Elder Mage.”
“How do I know that you won’t try to eliminate her, yourself?”
“I hold no ill will toward women with magic, Dagan. I often wish your mother had been born with magic, as she should have been. Perhaps, all of this could have been avoided.”
“Don’t blame my mother for the disaster you’ve become,” Dagan spat.
“Sometimes we have to walk the trail that we land on. Whether we chose that trail or not. And your trail is a dangerous one. Perhaps, before you turn me away, you should ask her what she wants.” Edmund glanced over at Sidonie, who was approaching Dagan from behind. Dagan already knew she was there. He could sense her magic long before Edmund could see her.
“Let him stay,” Sidonie said, stepping to Dagan’s side. “He knows about the crystal and he could be useful in finding Mereck to retrieve it.”
“Sid…” Dagan said, looking over at her.
She forced a small smile and held his gaze for a moment, then she turned back to Edmund. “I am not the Royal Mage of Junacave. Dagan is. If he or the queen say you should leave, then you shall. Don’t mistake his generosity for forgiveness.”
“I understand,” Edmund said, nodding.
“I’m sure you have a lot to share with us,” Sidonie continued, “but we have a festival to attend so it will have to wait until after.” She took Dagan’s arm and let him lead her into the castle.
~*~
The Harvest Festival went off without a hitch. Bree had found a very talented songstress to amuse her guests. She wasn’t anywhere near as entertaining as Dahlia, but she was received well enough to get everyone in a happy mood. Next, the musicians played a series of fabulous tunes which brought dozens of people to the middle of the room to dance.
The food was just as impressive as usual. Giant spreads of meats, vegetables, breads, and pies lined the long tables. After the incident with the poisonous wine, Bree chose to limit the drinks to ale and cider for the evening. However, no one seemed to mind. There was plenty of enjoyment and laughter to go around.
“Oh, Bree,” Rhea said. “This is exactly what we’ve needed.” She plopped down on the bench beside the queen. “A fun-filled celebration.”
“I’m glad to see you’ve decided to stop calling me Your Majesty,” Bree said, smiling.
“Oh, dear. I didn’t realize…” Rhea said.
“I’m afraid she may have had a bit too much to drink, Your Majesty,” Reeve said, taking Rhea’s arm and pulling her back to standing. He led her back to the center of the room to dance.
Bree noticed Rowan eyeing her from across the room. He was talking to Finn and his father but kept looking over at her. She couldn’t help but blush. When he winked at her, her heart melted into a puddle of mush. She couldn’t believe how far they had come since he had winked at her during her coronation. Even more than that
, it felt like forever ago that she had been alone in her chambers, crying herself to sleep, wondering where he was and who he was with. She didn’t have to wonder, anymore.
Sidonie took a seat beside her with a plate full of food. “This smoked fish is delicious!”
“I knew you’d like it,” Bree said, smiling. “I asked for it, specifically for you.”
“You didn’t have to do that!”
“I just wanted to cheer you up. I knew you would be sad that Adelphie isn’t here.”
Sidonie smiled and started to reply but was interrupted when a servant walking by her tripped and stumbled into the table. A large pitcher of cider was dumped directly into Sidonie’s lap.
“Oh, my!” Bree said.
“It’s quite alright.” Sidonie laughed and quickly forgave the servant who was nearly in tears, embarrassed and apologizing profusely. “I can go change into something else. Really, it’s no bother.”
“Just go and take something from the wardrobe,” Bree said. “So you don’t have to walk all the way up to your chambers.”
Sidonie took one more bite as she rose from the table. Then she left the hall and went up the stairs to the next floor above. She entered the wardrobe and began to rummage through the gowns hanging by the door. She had just finished changing when she heard the door open behind her.
Assuming it was Bree or Dagan, she called out, “I’m almost finished. I’m just re-tying my slippers.”
When she didn’t hear a reply, she finished tying and turned around. Edmund was standing in front of the door. Immediately, she felt a chill run down her spine.
“Did you follow me?” she asked.
“Yes. I wanted to get you alone.”
“Why?”
“Because you have something I need. And I’m hoping you will be kind enough to give it to me without a fight. I really would hate to hurt you.”
Sidonie studied him. She tried to make sense of what he was saying, but she couldn’t think of anything she had that he could possibly want. Then she noticed it. The familiar chain hanging around his neck. She didn’t need to see the crystal to know that it was there, tucked into his wizard robes.
“Dagan was right not to trust you,” she said. “How did you get the stone from Mereck?”
“I killed him,” Edmund said, simply. “Now, if you’d be so kind, give me your hand.”
“No. And you would be wise not to come any closer. I am the Elder Mage. I am stronger than you.”
“Perhaps, you once were. But not anymore. Not while I have this,” he said, patting his chest where the stone laid underneath.
He walked toward her and she immediately tried to summon her magic. Before she could, Edmund held his arm up and closed his fist. Immediately, Sidonie’s body froze in place. She tried to move her arms, her legs, her lips. Nothing moved. It was even hard to breathe as every time her chest began to rise, it felt like it was hitting a wall. She couldn’t use her magic and she couldn’t speak, but she could still see and hear her name being called by someone. Dagan.
When the door began to open, Edmund twirled his hand and Sidonie quickly rose into the air. She didn’t stop rising until she hit the ceiling, floating to the center of the room. She remained there with her skirts dangling in the air, watching from above as Edmund turned to the door and greeted his son.
“I’m sorry. I thought Sidonie was here,” Dagan said.
“She was,” Edmund replied. “She just left, actually.”
“Oh. I must have missed her, somehow.”
Sidonie watched in disbelief as Edmund lied to his son and Dagan didn’t seem to notice. In fact, he didn’t notice she was there, at all.
Something was wrong. Dagan couldn’t sense her presence. He couldn’t sense her magic. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the crystal or something Edmund was doing. Either way, Dagan didn’t know she was there. She had to do something. Anything. If Dagan walked out, she wasn’t sure what would happen to her. She tried to think of a way to alert him without being able to move or speak. But what?
Suddenly, she had an idea. She closed her eyes and pictured herself with Dagan in the garden. It was difficult to concentrate when she was so afraid that it wouldn’t work. The air around her began to lightly buzz, tingling her skin. But it wasn’t enough. As hard as she tried, that memory just wasn’t strong enough.
She watched Dagan turning to leave and she began to panic. She cleared her mind and tried to remember the forest and the first time Dagan had kissed her. The surprise she had felt and the warmth of his lips. The amazing way she had gotten lost in his kiss and how incredibly disappointed she had felt when it ended.
That seemed to be working. The air around her was practically sizzling now. She opened her eyes and watched Dagan. He stopped and turned back. His confused expression meant he felt it, too.
“Sid?” Dagan mumbled.
“Clever little minx you have there, Son,” Edmund smirked.
Before Dagan could respond, Edmund was hit in the shoulder with a dagger. Dagan recognized it, immediately, and spun around to see Rowan standing in the doorway, holding another knife in his hand.
The shock from the blade caused Edmund to release the magical hold he had on Sidonie. She plummeted to the floor. Dagan quickly summoned air magic and caught her just before she could hit the stone. He released her and she jumped up and ran to Edmund’s back. She grabbed the chain and pulled, hard. The chain snapped and the amulet slipped off and fell.
Dagan lunged for it, but he wasn’t quick enough. The stone hit the floor and shattered, sending dozens of bright red wisps into the air. The lights swirled around them for a moment, then scattered around the room. Some of the wisps went out of the windows, some went out through the door. Rowan ducked to avoid them. He didn’t know what they were and he certainly didn’t want to be hit by one and find out.
Movement from Edmund caught Rowan’s attention. Edmund had turned on Sidonie and lifted his hand toward her. Rowan flung his second dagger and hit Edmund on the left side of his back. The wizard yelped and spun around, sending a ball of fire in Rowan’s direction. The fire barely missed his face but did catch the edge of his tunic. Dagan glanced back and slung a stream of water at Rowan, hitting his shoulder and putting out the flame.
But Edmund wasn’t finished. He turned to Sidonie again. Instead of using magic, this time, he grabbed her throat and shoved her back against the wall. She couldn’t breathe with his hand squeezing tightly around her neck.
Dagan turned back and started to shoot a bolt of lightning at Edmund, but Rowan was faster. His dagger was already soaring through the air. Edmund must have expected it because he disappeared just before the blade could hit him. With Edmund out of the way, the dagger flew straight at Sidonie’s face. She panicked and pinched her eyes shut. When the dagger didn’t hit her, her eyes flew open. The knife was frozen in mid-air just shy of her right eye.
“Holy hell, Sid,” Rowan said, running over to her. “I am so sorry.”
Sidonie whimpered and released her magic, letting the dagger drop to the floor. Then she collapsed and tried to catch her breath.
“What happened to the stone? Did you see what I saw?” she asked.
“It broke,” Dagan said, reaching over on the floor in front of him and picking up one of the shards of what used to be the Blood Moon Crystal. “It sent something flying out of it.”
“A lot of somethings,” Rowan mumbled, leaning back on the table behind him and trying to slow his breath. “A hundred of them, I would guess. At least. Dozens flew by me. The rest went out of the windows.”
“What were they?” Sidonie asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine. But if we are to believe Raven, it was probably someone’s magic,” Dagan replied, standing. He turned to Rowan, “How did you know?”
“I’ve walked in on you and Sidonie… together… before. I remember what the air felt like. When I didn’t see her, I knew something was wrong,” Rowan said. “I don’t know what made me
think to look up, but I did and saw her against the ceiling. I doubted you were the one who put her there, so I hit Edmund, instead. I won’t lie, though. When he called her a minx, I wanted to hit him, anyway.”
“That was rather rude of him,” Sidonie said, laughing. “Where do think he went?”
“I don’t care,” Dagan said, “as long as it isn’t here. But I’m surprised, Rowan. I’ve never seen you miss your mark before.”
“I didn’t miss,” Rowan said, insulted. “I wasn’t aiming to kill him.”
“You should have been,” Dagan replied.
“I am not going to kill your father, Dagan. Unless I have to.” Rowan helped Sidonie to her feet then picked up his dagger and tucked it away.
“Killing him may not be necessary now,” Sidonie said, looking at the pieces of red crystal on the floor. “The Blood Moon Crystal is gone.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Dahlia rolled her eyes for the third time today. She almost wanted to vomit by how cute Zander and Rianne were together. They were constantly making eyes at each other and smiling. It was beginning to drive her crazy. This is what I get for traveling with children.
They weren’t really children since Rianne was eighteen and Zander had just turned nineteen years old. Dahlia was only a few years older than the two of them, but she had been traveling on her own for much longer. Not to mention, she had been forced to learn to care for herself at a much younger age.
After leaving Labara, she had suggested that they accompany her. So they had traveled around the realm for the past several months, from town to town as she performed. It seemed that they had been to nearly every corner of Southeast Everealm and even inside the Southwest a few times. They had to be cautious when they stopped near Labara, but it was becoming second thought for Zander to change Rianne’s appearance when they were near her kingdom. And with Zander wearing common clothing instead of his wizard robes, they were hardly recognizable to passing strangers.
