She then walked over and used fire to burn the dirt away from their scales, vaporising it without even touching the scales beneath. Her control was so fine she marvelled, knowing that this was the most delicate work she’d ever done with her full powers.
When they were clean, and she was certain that there was enough food for both of them, she wrote them an explanation in fiery letters across one wall, marvelling at the tiny amount of effort required for such a possibly long term thing.
Then she teleported into the other room to find the soldier very much awake and blowing fire directly at her shields as if it would make a difference.
“You need to stop doing that.” She told him calmly. “They can’t fall.”
He simply turned and looked at her, his eyes glowing like empty jewels, holding no emotions. The way he’d been turned by the dragon queen.
“I know what she did to you.” Romana continued in his silence. “I know she killed everyone you loved in order to turn you to her ways. But the dragon queen cannot reach us here.”
“You are not an angel.” He said at last.
“No.” She agreed. “I’m not.”
“What are you?” He asked. “An elemental?”
“Close.” She replied. Technically her powers were elementally based. But she couldn’t be classed as one. “I am one of a kind. You will know of no name for me.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Romana.” She replied.
“My lady?” A lesser wytch called from the hall.
“Lady?” The dragon’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You are nobility.”
“Yes and no.” She replied. “You are a general.”
“Yes and no.” He mimicked, clearly he was only going to volunteer information if he was given something in return. But Romana could see no harm in giving him this.
“My full name and title is Romana, daughter of Ancients, queen of all wytchdom, wytch queen of dragons, princess of the elven kingdom and grand duchess of Morendor. I wasn’t exactly going to introduce myself with something that takes that long to say.”
“I am Knight General Tyrone of the superior first stone squadron, assigned to the hunting and killing of rebels and the defence of our lady Queen Darla.” He replied. “Why am I the hostage of the wytches?”
“You are no-ones hostage.” Romana replied, “You are a guest.”
“And you normally imprison your guests?”
“If there is a possibility I will need to find yet another Isle for my sisters then yes.” She replied.
“You act so coolly towards me and yet you know nothing about me.”
“Perhaps.” She replied. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes.” He replied.
“Then you will be fed.” She teleported a cow from one of the fields down below and watched as it stood there for a moment, bewildered. Poor Daisy was going to be Tyrone’s evening meal. “I will be back in a day. Will you be alright in here until then?”
“I am used to solitude.” He replied solemnly.
“You will not be completely alone.” She replied. “The two dragonesses you tried to kill earlier are right next door.”
His surprise was written all over his face before he growled. “I had dealt the eldest a killing blow. She would not have survived that in the time it took for you to heal and carry me here.”
“I restarted her heart.” Romana replied. “She and her friend sleep.”
“And you brought them here why? To remind me of my failure every moment of my stay?” His voice was a snarl and instantly Ash and Icarus flew in through the window growling back.
“You do not raise your voice at her.” Icarus snarled, a claw reaching up towards Tyrone’s shocked face.
“Surely not a moonstone and red diamond.” The soldier muttered to himself.
“Tyrone, meet my sons, Ash and Icarus, princes of the dragons and only sons of your precious Queen Darla.” Romana introduced. “Boys, didn’t we have the ‘no killing’ conversation already?”
“She is not to be hurt,” Ash growled at the general. “Or you will suffer. One scratch is all it will take.”
The general just looked at the two other dragons like they were made of gold.
“The queen’s crown princes are dead.” He said finally, “They died during the fight at the sorceress’ colony after the wytches killed them for aiding our forces. That’s what we were told.”
“The queen wished for us to join her and we declined by trying to kill her.” Ash corrected. “We chose to stay with our mother. She who hatched and cared for us.”
“The dragon queen would have cared for you.”
“The way she cared for you no doubt.” Romana replied. “By killing people until you obeyed her.”
“I serve my queen of my own free will.” He retorted, although they both knew it for a lie.
“I’ve seen you before.” Romana realised, thinking back to her days of torture at the hands of Kobos, a place she never liked to go. “You were with her when she came to help torture me.”
Icarus and Ash roared looking ready to slash Tyrone’s throat.
“You were bound then.” He replied. “Almost pitiful.”
“I was never pitiful.” She disagreed, creating a shield to hold Ash and Icarus back when her commands failed. Their growls became constant. “And I never broke. Did you assume me dead?”
“Not many survive Kobos’ lair.” Was Tyrone’s cryptic response.
“Well she did.” Ash growled. “She didn’t die. She lived. No thanks to you.” The last was an accusation layered with insult.
“I took no part in the beating of your wytch.” The general replied, seeming almost insulted that they would suggest it. “I do not harm defenceless females.”
“I’m really not all that defenceless.” Romana told him, casually strolling up to him fire licking down her arms to melt the scales around his wings together, all the while not letting any of the melting stone to touch his skin. “I can do far worse to any of you in seconds.”
“I do not doubt it.” He replied. “But you have a weakness all the same.”
“More than one.” She corrected. “But then again, maybe the powerful need a weakness. Something to keep us humble.” She reformed his scales with a flick of her hand. “I must go now, but you are welcome to enjoy these rooms, besides, you should rest. A healing like that will always take time to set properly.”
“You are looking for an excuse to keep me in this room. You want to clip my wings.” He observed, repeating her earlier phrase to Marten.
“No, I’m telling you the truth.” She argued. “Trust me.”
“You would have me become your puppet like they both are.” He gestured to Ash and Icarus who paced around the edge of the room, waiting for him to hurt her.
“No, I wish to help you.” Romana replied. “I’ll return later, but for now I have things to see to.” Chief among them, Marten.
She strode from the room, Ash and Icarus following her to the reception area and then flying out.
“Romana?” Joanna called. “There’s been another raid on a sewer base; twelve wytchlings are on their way here.”
“Who’s taking them?” Romana replied.
“Allie’s teleporting them here in about five minutes,”
“Where’s Marten?”
“Fuming somewhere.”
“I don’t fume.”
Romana looked up to find Marten lying across one of the ceiling beams. He was such a cat, she realised seeing him like that.
He leapt down, landing directly before her.
“Hello to you too,” Romana muttered.
“You’re alright.”
“You need to trust me more.” Romana told him. “Besides, I have something to blackmail you with now.”
“Uh-huh and what is that?” He asked, nibbling along her neck.
“It’s a little thing called magic.” She replied with a smile, “I won’t hesitate to use it against you if you st
art acting all possessive on me.”
“It’s all part of the package, angel, I told you before.”
“Well, the package can lose a few pounds.” Romana insisted, “Plus, we don’t have time for this, you heard Joanna tell me that there were a dozen children rescued from the sewers today.”
“Saving the world again are we?”
“A little at a time.” Romana replied with a grin. “You should go; their initiations are going to be the first in a long line of sacred rituals for these children. No mere mortal may observe.”
He nodded and kissed her gently upon the cheek before he left the mountain.
It only took two minutes after that for Allie to teleport in with the children.
Chapter Thirty-One
WE DON’T DO SILENCE
“Sister.” Allie acknowledged, bowing deeply. “Girls, this is Romy. She is the Lady of the Isle.”
Several of the older girls copied Allie’s bow, but some of them were too young to understand and did small curtseys. One was just a toddler, barely older than a baby and Romana pitied the child.
“Her parents excommunicated her when they discovered about her powers.” Allie explained, “The same is true with several of them.”
“You need not be afraid for yourselves.” Romana told them sympathetically. “The Isle will give you a new life should you need it and a home should you ever require it. We are all family here. Now who shall go first?”
All but one backed away. The teen looked at her shyly, but Romana motioned her over to the small pool and filled the bowl as was required. A brief touch of the girl’s hand told her that the child had powers over music and dance, a quick swipe of the crystal later and she was paired with a lesser wytch who lived in the town. Eleven initiations later and she was finally finished, and Allie had taken everyone to their new mentors.
“How is the healing centre going?” Romana asked her.
“Well enough, it is slow sometimes, but people always come in, just last week we had a man all the way from the northern borders come in with a rare disease. We are gaining recognition.”
“Have we found any more magical potential out there?”
“There are some.” Allie replied. “We have spoken to their parents about their magic but often they do not come back in, or if they do it is because they have been abandoned.”
Romana nodded, she had initiated several girls with those exact circumstances before. “Are any in danger of being consumed by their powers?”
“A few.” Allie admitted. “I wanted to go back and make them allow the ones in danger to come here, but we can’t really, can we?”
“You can go back, talk to the girls themselves. Tell them exactly what they’re missing.” Romana told her. “But try not to let the parents see you with the girls; we don’t need to be accused of stalking young children.”
“There is one other thing, sister.” Allie blushed furiously. “There is a man in Morendor,”
“Has he been harassing us?” Romana asked, concerned.
“No! Nothing like that.” Allie replied and her blush deepened further. “He comes to help us with things, and well, he and I.” She paused, smiled shyly. “We, well, we…”
Romana caught on and smiled. “I understand, you love him, don’t you sister.”
“Very much.” Allie replied, beaming. “I would ask permission to bring him here as my husband.”
Romana beamed at her. “You may bring him here. You have my blessing.”
Allie grinned back, her joy and relief palpable. “Thank-you sister. She tipped her head to one side, and Romana knew that she was receiving a mental communiqué.
“One of the girls came back to the healing centre on her own.” Allie informed her. “She’s run away in order to join us, but her father will come after her if he finds out what she’s done.”
“Fetch her here.” Romana told her, moving over to the initiation tools she’d just put away and laying them by the fountain.
Allie bowed and then left, returning several minutes later with a girl no older than eleven dressed in the flowing yet conservative robes of the priesthood. Romana deduced the situation in seconds. The priesthood and all their relatives regarded magic and the other races with distain and would rather die than admit being anything other than full-blooded humans without a trace of magical lineage in their blood.
The girl looked around herself, clearly scared out of her mind.
“It’s alright child.” Romana began from her perch on the side of the fountain. “Come here.”
Allie teleported away, leaving the girl and a tiny bag of things in the middle of the huge reception area. Romana motioned for her to come, and with a fearful glance around, the girl eventually followed the command, choosing to sit at Romana’s feet rather than on the rim of the pool, so Romana smiled slightly before joining her on the plush carpet.
“You look tired.” Romana began, “would you like something to eat? Something to drink? I can have anything you want delivered here in an instant.”
“I’m fine thank-you.” The girl stuttered.
“What’s your name dear-one?” Romana asked.
“Lynette.” The girl mumbled. “You are the Lady of the Isle.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Romana replied. “Did you know you had magic before Allie told you?” Lynette nodded her head. “Describe it to me sweet.”
“I can, I can, the weather, it.”
“It calls to you.” Romana guessed. “If I may, I’d like to see how powerful you are, will you let me see?”
“How?” The girl asked, instantly suspicious.
“I’d look into your mind, but I wouldn’t look at anything you didn’t want me to, I promise.”
“But you can’t trust wytches.” Lynette replied as if quoting a textbook. “They’re the children of darkness.”
“You’ve been told that a lot I suppose.” Romana replied. “You’ve never been told what wytches think of themselves, or how we live. Do you know of our arts? Or were you ever told that our population contains mostly harmless gifts such as healers and clairvoyants?”
“Father says that wytches are untrustworthy and will kill you as soon as look at you. They are as unholy as the elves.”
“Your father does not know the will of the Ancients Lynette.” Romana told her softly. “We are a peaceful people; we only ever attack if one of our own is murdered. In fact, most of the wytches on this island are human. I can show you them if you want, would that prove what I’m saying?”
“Maybe—your skin is on fire!” The girl shrieked as Romana’s magic returned after the amount used in the twelve initiations she’d just preformed.
“Calm down,” Romana replied in what she hoped was a calming voice. “It’s normal for me, and you won’t get burned from touching me.”
Lynette measured her reaction to the flames and after several long moments she sat back down. “Why is your skin like that?”
“My power is so great that the magic is a literal extension of my body.” Romana told her gently. “If I become drained then my skin will turn dull like everyone else’s.”
“Why are you so powerful?” The little girl asked.
“I am the daughter of two of the Ancients.” Romana told her gently. “My powers are inherited.”
“But you’re a wytch!”
“I know. But how do you think that the Ancients rule? They have magic, the same as us. We are closest in relation to them, although as our blood is diluted we will never attain the amount of power that they have.”
“But humans…”
“I know it’s a lot to process,” Romana broached. “If I can get you settled in with your mentor then she will help you out.”
“Can I have you as my mentor?” She asked.
“We will see, it depends on your gift.” Romana told her, reaching for the bowl, jug and crystal and laying them out before Lynette. She poured the water and handed the crystal to the shaking child. “Press your hand into the cr
ystal.” She instructed, and then took the crystal back to swipe it across the bowl.
Words appeared, but now Romana understood them. Lynette Adams the greater wytch of storms is to be mentored by Romana the Wytch Queen of Dragons and Queen of all Wytchdom. Well it seemed like the girl had gotten her wish, but Romana was still grieving Bronwyn, was she even ready for another mentee.
“Your power is over storms and you’re to be mentored by me.” Romana told her, putting away the tools. “I have one other mentee and a mortal ward who will probably be overjoyed to meet you.”
“Are you okay with having me to teach?” Lynette asked, sounding scared. She feared rejection, Romana saw it the moment she met the girl’s startlingly cold brown eyes.
“It’s a blessing to teach.” Romana told her gently. “But recently one of my students was killed in a battle. I still grieve her loss.”
“I could go home if you don’t—”
“It’s not that I don’t want you!” Romana replied, shocked at the thought. “I just don’t want to fail you the way I failed her. Besides, I heard that you ran away. As far as I’m aware the priesthood doesn’t forgive lawlessness easily.”
“How did you know?” The girl asked.
“It was written all over your face as you entered the room plus you’re wearing the robes. Everything they taught you about us is wrong. I can prove it to you; right now we’re going to town to get you some clothes. Then we’ll get you a room. Take my hand.”
The girl did so, with no hesitation this time. It was the start of trust, Romana knew, and she hoped that she deserved whatever trust was given to her.
The reappeared in Joanna’s shop to find Casey at the till, she looked up, bowed in Romana’s direction and then beamed at them.
“Someone needs some new clothes I take it.” The girl said, smiling happily. “Joanna will be back in a minute or two; she went off looking for something.”
“How are you coping?” Romana asked her.
“It’s really great!” Casey told her. “My parents write every week, and Joanna and I are just waiting for me to find my familiar now. It should be soon, she thinks.”
Kate's Legacy (Soul Merge Saga Book 2) Page 22
