by Aleah Raynes
Ayla paced across from the dais where the tear sat. Her nose was scrunched as she read from the journal. The air in the room grew more anxious by the second, and I feared we’d fail. We were doomed to either die in this room or worse. Be shipped back to the slave camps. The searing heat from a rolling ball of fire shot past the window as other dragons joined the fight. There were more of us than I suspected. Good. It meant Ievos underestimated everyone and every creature.
“None of this makes sense,” Ayla muttered. “I have looked through every page in the book to figure out what we’re supposed to do to make the tear work and nothing. Father’s notes are scant for sure.”
“You’ll figure it out,” I said. “I trust you.”
“I’m glad one of us does,” she grumbled. “I thought we’d arrive here and we’d figure it out.” She sat near the door on a pile of hay.
The room didn’t appear to be a normal sitting chamber. To me, it seemed like it should have been colder. It was, after all, in the lowest chamber of the castle. “What if the tear does more than what we know?” It had been a guess on my part. I had no clue what it’d been meant to do, but I couldn’t stand the idea of Ayla or her sisters giving up.
“What do you mean?” Ena hedged, stepping forward.
“Look at the room.” Black sludge filled the nooks and crannies of the room. It acted as a binder for the grey stones. Even the floors weren’t a natural rock color. There was one window, which looked to have been put there recently, and besides the door we came in, no other exit existed. Not even a fire place for winter.
“It’s old,” Luna stated with a shrug. “It’s neglected.”
“No,” Ayla said. “Dain is right, but how does it help us?”
I didn’t know. The shouts of those dying along with a scream from a dragon caught our attention. We scrambled for the window and watched as a giant blue dragon fell from the sky. No! Ayla latched onto me. She buried her face in my arm as she cried. We had to fix this. We had to finish this so another of the dragons or the people didn’t die. The mad king had to be killed.
“You have to find the answers, Ayla.” I put my finger under her chin and lifted so she met my gaze. “You are the last hope here. I believe in you.”
“It’s not here. I don’t understand!” She trembled as she resumed her pacing.
“We’re losing,” Vander snapped. “All four of you are our last hope. Stop saying I can’t and fix this!”
Ayla jerked, and Pyria stepped in front of my brother. “Who do you think you are?”
“I’m the one who got myself thrown into a slave camp to break you out because everyone thinks you can right the wrongs.” Vander didn’t budge. The anger he experienced, so did I. It was irrational and uncontrollable. The only thing keeping me sane had been Ayla.
“We didn’t ask you to save us! We were fine. We could have figured it out on our own!” Pyria turned her back on my brother. “You forget we’re princesses.”
“Nobody is going to give a shit if we’re all dead and the castle is gone. Do you think in a hundred years from now, people will be like, there’s castle Oighear, the place where the princesses almost won back the kingdom?” My brother’s voice grew rougher with each word he spoke. He meant to humiliate her, I knew it.
“Stop, Vander. They get it. Being angry isn’t going to help anyone.” I put my arm on his shoulder as I pointed to Ena, Ayla, and Luna huddled together. Ena and Ayla were crying while Luna murmured some nursery song.
“No, they need to stop. We’re losing.”
I nodded. “I understand. But it’s not their fault. They’re trying to help. We should be working with them not against them.”
Vander sighed. “You’re right.”
I didn’t want to be. The longer the battle raged outside, the slimmer our chances for getting out of there alive or regaining any foothold on the kingdom as it stood. And the more pressure we put on the girls, the less likely they would find the solution.
“Wait,” Ayla murmured. “What are you singing, Luna?”
“The rhyme Mary’s mother taught us as a child. Remember, she said there was one for all of us.” She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
Ayla scrambled to the journal her father gave them and flipped the pages to the back to where she wrote down a sentence when we arrived. “I think I figured it out.”
Pyria stopped staring at Vander and joined her sisters. “What’s this?”
“I think I figured it out.” She stood with the book in hand and walked over to the dais where the tear rested. “Here goes nothing.” She took my hand in hers and began to chant:
“A dragon’s frozen tear shields the truce of the land.
Keeps everything beautiful, pure, and grand.
When the tear is taken,
The land is shaken.
An ice fae and water dragon must work as one,
To recover the tear before evil is done.
They save the tear and the land will revive,
The kingdom of ice is once again alive.”
I stood with her, hoping this would be it. This would change everything. The ground rumbled. Vapor rose from the tear as the ice around it thickened to the point it appeared more like crystal than a tear. The chamber we stood in came alive as well. The walls weren’t a sickly grey any longer.
They were almost an ice-blue color and the black sludge surrounding them and in all the corners became crimson. The room breathed and became colder. Beside me, Ayla stared at the tear, her mouth opened slightly, and she appeared a bit more shocked than anything.
The noise outside paused and I wondered if they, too, understood what happened in this chamber below the castle. However, in the next heartbeat, what we saw disappeared and the room returned to as it was when we entered hours ago. Yet, now, we knew what we had to do.
“It worked,” I whispered.
Ayla shook her head as her sisters joined her. “Not completely, but almost.”
They studied the tear and the stand where it was perched and talked with each other while I gazed out the small window as the men and dragons continued to fight. Things had changed, though. The dragons were winning. A slight sheen of ice covered the ground of the courtyard, and more of the mad king’s men fell from their wounds. Whatever Ayla had done, the tides were turning, and maybe, just maybe, they’d get out of this one alive.
“Right,” Luna said. “We think we have it.”
We turned from our perch by the window. “Go on,” Caspian said. “What is it?”
“Well, it’ll be easier to show you,” Ayla answered. “But we don’t know what will happen when we make everything right.”
“Meaning?” I glanced between Ayla and her sisters.
“Meaning,” she stepped to me, “something could go wrong.”
“Like?”
She frowned. “You could all be frozen down here…forever.”
“Never going to happen,” I said. “Trust us to stay by your sides and help you through this.”
She inclined her chin. “Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I gave her a grin. “Bring it.”
Together with her sisters, Ayla retrieved the tear from the stand and held it in their hands. She began to chant the nursery rhyme, over and over, as they slowly placed it back into its holder. With each pass of the chant, they grew louder until the tear lay cradled in the rack where it belonged.
Energy crackled over my skin. The same vapor appeared over the tear, filling the room. Again, the space groaned and came to life. The walls turned crystal blue. The crimson blood flowed through the veins of the rock and in the corners. Ice formed on the floor, and though it became downright cold in the room, I felt warm. Powerful. The dragon surged within me, grasping for the ice and I pressed my palms to it, allowing the freezing wetness to seep into me. It rejuvenated me. Changed me.
Outside, the tide of the battle changed once more. The castle no longer stood as a ruin, but with each ticking second, the façade became a
pristine shard of ice. Hastos’s eyes went wide. He screamed for someone to find the source of the witchcraft, yet, the remaining dragons had cornered all of his men and Nolan landed in front of Hastos.
I realized what was coming next and I tried to rush to Ayla’s side to keep her from seeing the brutality, but a ball of light expanded from her. She gasped, her eyes wide, as she smiled at me before screaming and falling to the ground. The wall shook as did the ground. Whatever happened to Hastos didn’t matter anymore. Ayla was all I cared about.
I rushed to her side and gathered her in my arms. Her wings were a beautiful gossamer shape, shades of purple dotting her wings. Some were translucent, others were the darkest purple I’d ever seen. I didn’t know what to do other than hold her and hope she opened her eyes. I willed it while her sisters gathered around us.
Ayla moaned and touched the corner of her head. “What happened?” Her eyes fluttered open, and even those had changed. They were always the prettiest shade of blue, but a power ran through them now. Tons of it.
A thought hit me then. “Can you feel it now?” I asked. “Can you reach it?”
It took her a moment to understand what I was asking, then she gave me the most brilliant of smiles. “I can. All over. It’s…it’s as if the nursery rhyme broke the curse.” She looked to her sisters. “Did it free you?”
One by one, they shook their heads.
Ayla frowned. “We’ll fix this.”
Just as I had been about to agree with her, a cry rang out in the courtyard. We rushed to the window and there the dragon who’d once blocked us from entry stood, victorious in battle. “We won.”
Ayla giggled. “We did. Together.”
I agreed. “Together.” Turning to her, I gathered her into my arms, hugging her tightly. “We won.” When I pulled back, I kissed her. This time, not as chaste as the last. Whatever her rhyme did, it also unbound my dragon. “Would you like to go for a ride, milady?”
The Kingdom of Ice Is Alive
Ayla
A ride? Confusion stole my words for a brief moment. Then Dain tugged me up the stairs and out of the castle. Standing in the middle of the courtyard, now filled with winter flowers, he smiled at me. Then he began to glow. A moment later, a burst of magic shot out in a bright white light, leaving behind a dragon. He was several different shades of blue, like marble.
Wow. Giddiness bubbled inside me. “It is wonderful to finally meet you.” I reached out and placed my palm on the end of his nose.
He let out a happy snort, which caused smoked to roll from his nostrils. I giggled and he nudged me. Oh. This is what he meant about going for a ride.
I caught Nolan out of the corner of my eye. When I glanced at him, he said, “Climb up his wing. You won’t hurt him.”
My heart fluttered with excitement as I crawled onto Dain’s back. He rose to his feet. The motion felt similar to riding a horse, but more exciting. And Dain was a lot bigger than a horse. Not as big as the adult dragons now gathered around us, watching, but bigger than I expected when he told me he was a dragon.
He flapped his wings in slow motion at first, then faster and jumped off the ground. I laughed out loud as we became airborne. I loved flying. My sisters and I used to fly around the palace, getting into all kinds of mischief until our nursemaid found us and gave us chores as her form of punishment.
The wind blew through my hair and a gust caught one of my wings. I tuck them away to keep them from being damaged.
Dain was a little unsteady at first, but the higher we got, the better he got. I wondered how hard it was to balance the boy and the dragon inside him. Or what he was feeling about all this. There were so many questions I had for him.
He turned his head to look at me with one golden eye. I patted his back to reassure him I was fine, then said, “This is amazing.” I spotted a cliff that overlooked the kingdom and pointed. “Stop there.”
He glanced in the direction then gave a short nod before turning his body slightly to the right.
He touched down on the snow-covered ground and lowered his body so I could slide off. When my feet were on the ground, I let my wings free and faced the dragon. My dragon. If he would have me.
He shook then transformed back to his human form, dressed in the same clothes he was in earlier. I really didn’t know what I expected him to be wearing after the change. It was comforting knowing he wasn’t naked.
A giggle escaped me at the thought, then my cheeks flushed. I turned from him to stare off over the land. Oighear was beautiful now that the tear had restored it. It was alive with magic and love. Among the white and blue of the snow and ice were purple, red, pink, and yellow flowers and trees. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yes,” Dain said, standing next to me. “I could see myself living here.”
I nodded. A slight pang formed in my chest. I would have to help Luna win over the crowd and bring the Vaskell Empire back. “Ievos won’t be pleased that we defeated his men and killed his brother.”
Dain laced his fingers with mine. “I agree. I feel there will be more quests along the way. We will help you and your sisters.”
Hope and happiness filled me. “You mean you’ll come with us?”
A brilliant smile lifted his lips. “Of course, my princess.”
I hugged him and squeezed, resting my head against his chest. He kissed the top on my head and whispered, “I’ll follow you anywhere.”
Snow began to fall in fat flakes on the village and around Dain and me. I sighed and didn’t want to go back. Didn’t want to face my evil uncles and their armies. To stall a little longer, I asked, “Is it hard to balance the dragon side and the human side?”
Dain pulled back and stared into my eyes. “No. It feels natural. I mean he’s always been there, not locked away. Now, I feel free.” He paused and glanced out over the kingdom once more. “We should be heading back.”
Ugh. “Yes. But I’ll race you.”
My wings fluttered, lifting me off the ground, then I darted off over the cliff. I laughed like I hadn’t done in ages. Yes, there was still much to do, many challenges ahead, but in that moment, I was going to enjoy myself.
I flew in the direction of the castle as fast I could, but I was no match for the dragon. He whooshed by, causing a gust of wind to knock me out of flight. I squeaked as I freefell, my wings unable to stop me. They were too weak from being bound for so long.
Suddenly, Dain was there. I landed on his back and wrapped my arms around his neck.
When we got closer to the castle, I sat up. He slowed, and then landed with ease and grace. My smile faded as I noted all the people who’d gathered outside the castle. It was as if they were waiting for something.
I slid off Dain’s back and met my sisters’ stares. Pyria had a half-smirk, half-frown while Luna and Ena smiled at me. I was confused by the mixture of emotions coming from them, so I found Nolan talking softly to a few other dragons, Mary, and Baxter? When did he get here?
Dain stepped up next to me. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.” I drew my brows together. Whatever they were talking about looked serious. I’ve seen those conversations between my parents and with my dad and his guards. It usually followed a change security or Dad having to leave on one of his quests.
As if sensing my uneasiness, Dain took my hand in his. I sighed and leaned into him. Glancing up at his profile, I whispered, “I like you.”
He attention snapped to me then. A slow smile lifted his lips. “I like you, too.”
Then his kissed my forehead. At the same time, Baxter and Mary advanced toward us. Mary had something in her hand but she slipped it in the pocket of her skirt before I could get a good look at it.
I directed my questions to Baxter when they stopped a few feet from Dain and me. “What’s going on? Why are you here? I mean, I’m glad you are.”
Baxter chuckled. “By freeing Oighear from Hastos’s command and restoring the tear, you two are being rewarded. That is if you ca
n rule together as king and queen.”
Whoa! What? I glanced at Dain, who had the same dumbfounded look I must have. It wasn’t uncommon for couples to marry for many reasons besides love. In fact, I heard Mom and Dad talk about finding suitors for Luna because she was coming of age to be the crowned princess.
Staring at Baxter, I said, “We’re only kids. We can’t…are you suggesting we…”
Baxter covered my hands that I wrung over and over in front me. I liked Dain. The thought of him being my chosen husband was thrilling. But I wasn’t sure I was ready.
“When you come of age, dear. The two of you obviously have formed some sort of friendship. You are already ahead of many who have formed a union before you. For now, you will appoint advisors to aid you in transitioning into your roles.” Baxter straightened, then turned to the crowd.
He announced the news to the people and dragons who had gathered. I lost focus of his words and couldn’t stop my thoughts from whirling with the new information. Dain tugged at my hand. I lifted my gaze to his.
His golden-brown depths scared away all my worry. I had grown close to him in the short time. A tint of pink colored his cheeks as he spoke. “I feel this is right. Us. Like we were meant to be. It’s odd, I know.”
I felt it, too. I was still scared at the thought of ruling my own kingdom, but with Dain, I could do it. “I don’t want to think about marriage right now. Let’s just be kids a little longer.”
He nodded. “Do you think Baxter would be a good advisor for me?”
Hmm. I thought for a moment, then shook my head. “I think Dalton would be a better choice for you. Baxter will be my advisor. Both are rulers in their own way.”
“Yes, they are.” Dain kissed me, letting it linger longer than the last. Tingles skittered over me. When he pulled back, his eyes lit up pure gold like his dragon was peeking out at me. “And you will be a great ruler, my queen.”
