Sword of Storms

by Tara Brown

  This night the torchlight seemed to add warmth to everything. A glow.

  Lenny and the dogs walked along, carefree, as carefree as Scar was capable of. But Ollie and Henry seemed content.

  When they reached the grove again, she waited, Brother Estevan and Lord Ivor both pausing and watching her.

  Something moved in her peripheral vision and she glanced down, seeing the white flowers begin to light up next to her. They glowed brilliantly. As she stepped forward, they moved ahead, calling to her to follow. And she did, with the hounds and the men behind her.

  The flowers led her to the center of the grove where something happened. The air changed. It sparkled, and as she blinked from the change in the atmosphere, she realized she was in a different forest. She spun in a circle as the dogs and men came after her, all confused and moving in circles trying to find their bearings.

  “Where are we?” Brother Estevan asked as Lord Ivor pulled his sword.

  “You won’t need that here, Lord Ivor” a gentle voice Lenny knew spoke softly. A vision of a woman cloaked in an ancient white dress, the sort the gods were always painted wearing, strode from the woods. She had long, silky brown hair and a dazzling smile. “Blackwater Maggie, at your service, milord.” She offered a bow to Lord Ivor. “Brother Estevan, I was a friend of your mother’s when you were a boy. I don’t know if you recall—”

  “I do, Miss Maggie, and you have not changed a bit.” He lost all his worry and bowed deeply. “How long has it been? A hundred years? More?”

  “Impossible!” Lenny gasped, staring at Brother Estevan. “You don’t look a day over sixty.”

  “I’m many days past sixty, Lenny. And not one of them is your concern.” He sniffed, his attitude returned for her alone. For when he turned back to Blackwater Maggie he was again smiling sweetly.

  “Let’s not count the days since we last met, Brother, but celebrate this day we meet again. Most unexpectedly.” Blackwater Maggie beamed as she addressed the dogs, “And you three, what wonderful specimens of beauty, kindness, and strength.” They offered nuzzles and sloppy kisses in return, tails wagging and heads pressed into Blackwater Maggie’s waist. She was glowing as brightly as the flowers until she turned to Lenny, then the joy and her smile were lost.

  She started to wonder why she had that effect on people.

  “And you, Lady Ilenia, at last, we meet.” She offered her deepest bow. Lenny bowed back.

  “How do you know of me?” Lenny couldn’t help but be direct. The possibility of answers was too exciting. Even Brother Estevan seemed intrigued, whereas Lord Ivor remained guarded. A beautiful smile was wasted on him.

  “Shall we?” Blackwater Maggie offered Lenny an arm.

  “Thank you.” Lenny took it and allowed the woman to lead her into the dense forest. The trees were massive but there was light, though it came from the ground and not the sky. The white flowers climbed the trunks of the trees and crawled along the foliage, creating a glimmering in the air.

  “When I was a girl, I was walking through the woods alone, similar to these woods, and I happened upon a toadstool that glowed with a bright light. It lit up the space and enchanted me.” She smiled as she spoke, amused by the memory. “As I drew near, flowers began to appear. I followed them until I reached the darkest part of the forest. I knew I wasn’t allowed in there. It was dangerous.” Her words became whispers as she slowly led Lenny through the woods, not making a sound.

  Lord Ivor and Brother Estevan stayed close enough to hear her speak.

  “But the flowers eased my worries and piqued my curiosity, so I followed until I reached a place where the air felt strange. I crept along, following the flowers, scared of what lurked there.”

  “What was it?” Brother Estevan asked.

  “A magical world.” She smiled back at him. “I entered a realm where the witches were safe, a haven if you will. Like a pocket in a gown, a hidden space to practice magic. A place only those gifted with the talents for the hidden arts can find.”

  “The flowers.” Lenny pointed at them as they continued to lead the way.

  “Indeed. They only show themselves to someone of magic.” She sighed contentedly. “That was how I discovered I was a witch. I came upon the coven and they welcomed me with open arms. I practiced with my coven at an academy for the unseen arts until I was fully trained.”

  “There are academies?” Lord Ivor asked.

  “Indeed, milord. But not in Dahleigh. Princess Ilenia ensured there would be no magic in this kingdom. Protecting the people from the dark lord, Ryze,” she said the name that now made Lenny shudder. Fortunately, she hadn’t seen him since meeting Joro.

  “But how have you done magic here all this time?” Lenny asked.

  “Within the pocket. Our realm is outside the veil. We are hidden here, protected, but also free to work magic.”

  “How does that explain you’re knowing about me?” As much as the story was entertaining, Lenny needed answers.

  “Twenty years ago, two young women from the courts found their way into a pocket.”

  “Saleen and Lorna?” Lord Ivor was far more invested now.

  “Indeed. They discovered magic in another kingdom and heard about how it worked in Dahleigh. Their friend was able to escort them inside. They stole magic—”

  “The spell to open the door to the castle came from the pocket?”

  “No, that was magic from another kingdom. It is what tore the veil a little.” Blackwater Maggie sighed. Her tone had lost all the joy and wonderment it had held previously. “They saw one of the maids from the castle there, in the coven. They stole magic from the pocket then, to control Lottie and force her to commit acts that I cannot even speak of.”

  “We know the story, sadly,” Brother Estevan offered softly.

  “And they murdered her. Spilling more magic into Dahleigh, I assume it was enough to wake the dark lord from his deep slumber.” Blackwater Maggie lamented.

  As they rounded a hilltop, Lenny gasped, losing the story at the sight before them. The flowers crept along the ground to the ruins of a stunning castle in the valley below them.

  “Gods!” Brother Estevan whispered.

  “Indeed.” Blackwater Maggie laughed.

  The castle must have been impressive in its time. It was enormous with turrets and towers and a gorgeous entrance with a wide staircase to the huge front doors.

  It was entirely made of stone but the forest had taken it back. Ivy and other vines climbed it, wrapping and embracing the castle in its foliage. Trees grew tall alongside it, casting shadows and dropping needles and leaves. The ground was covered in the debris from them.

  Now, however, it was more than impressive. It was enchanting. More than anything Lenny could have imagined. The white flowers crept along the vines, lighting it all up so they might have a glance at the splendor.

  Lenny stood shocked, staring in disbelief. She could imagine being a maiden there, staring out the windows at the valley around her, before the forest came. But it was nature’s mark on the castle that made it so spectacular.

  “Crawford Abbey,” Blackwater Maggie spoke quietly, as though in reverence of the name. “It was gifted to the coven by the late owner. He was in love with one of the witches.” She blushed and Lenny could easily see it was Blackwater Maggie who had drawn his eye. “I was here when I felt it. The tear in the veil. Everything became stronger. We knew Ryze was waking. It would only be a matter of time before he regained his former strength, which is more than any of us has. He’s the strongest being, and the cruelest.” She was forlorn at the idea of it.

  Lenny nodded along, not sure how to ask about herself again without sounding selfish.

  “We scried for days, fasting and speaking to the gods, desperate for answers as to how this happened. Finally, an answer came to us. One of the older prophets saw something. She had a vision. She saw what Lorna and Saleen did. But she also saw a savior had been born, a girl who would be revealed if and when Dahleigh needed
her.” She eyed Lenny. “And here you are.”

  “But I’m no savior. I freed him. Lorna might have ripped the veil, but I am the one who tore it down. I touched the stone like a fool.”

  “Yes, you did. We felt that too.” Blackwater Maggie pressed her lips into a line, pausing. “That was how we found you. The moment you released his magic, you destroyed the veil completely. And now magic is gaining strength again.”

  “We believe Lorna Knightly put the stone in Lenny’s path on purpose.”

  “Of course she did,” Blackwater Maggie answered Lord Ivor with certainty. “She is banned from all covens. From every witch. The only way for her to find magic was to bargain with him, Ryze. I would wager that she wanted him awake to allow her full access to magic. She is his puppet.”

  “A girl’s body washed ashore in Blockley,” Lenny said with a sigh. “She had ashy fingertips and was naked. The stone appeared around the same time.”

  “Beth, from Maiden’s Bridge,” Blackwater Maggie muttered. “We believe she was manipulated to aid Lorna, again using outside magic. We felt her death. It was violent.”

  “Do you mind if I recap?” Lord Ivor cut in. “Lorna was snuck into a coven and used witches to create Landon with Saleen? She then moved to Blockley, was cut off from magic from then on. So she built a shop, acted as a mum to poor Wen, raised her son in the small town where the key to getting magic back—Lenny—just so happened to live?”

  “Yes.” Brother Estevan nodded. “We must all be thinking the same thing. Somehow, Lorna knew who Lenny was to Ryze and that she would break the curse that kept his magic from him.”

  “I would guess that the witch who scried and had a vision, actually saw who Lenny was. She told Lorna and the plan was hatched when Lenny was two years of age. I would also have to assume Saleen and Lorna are not natural witches?” Lord Ivor’s brow furrowed.

  “No, neither of them. And Saleen has not practiced magic to my knowledge, apart from the day Landon was conceived. I have heard she hates magic and despises witches.” Blackwater Maggie’s eyes flickered to Lenny’s. “And we know Lorna touched something, absorbing the magic as you did. In her case though, she intentionally stole it.”

  “That answers a lot of my questions, thank you,” Lenny spoke quietly. “But if I could ask one more. Why me?”

  “That I don’t know,” Blackwater Maggie shook her head. “I am sorry to say, I have no answer there. Why you or why you’re linked to the ancient Princess Ilenia.”

  “My question would be, why didn’t you warn anyone?” Lord Ivor asked rudely. “Why keep this to yourself? Why not out Saleen and Lorna for what they did to my uncle? Why not have them brought to justice for Lottie? You let this happen to Wilfred, Amaya, Wen, and my uncle. You let this happen to Beth.” He waved his hand dismissively but continued, “As far as I am concerned you lot are to blame for this. Had you come to the king, explained who you were and what you knew and helped repair the damage done by your people, none of this would be happening.”

  Blackwater Maggie forced a smile across her lips, but it was Lenny who spoke, “Did you believe in lupine before we had to kill a couple dozen of them? I didn’t. If someone came into Blockley and told me the lupine were attacking and I needed to flee, I would have laughed. If you said it was Magistrate Tuille’s wife, you would have been hung up by your ankles. What could the witches do? March into Waterly City and offer up the queen for a criminal and the evidence is magic? I don’t know anything about scrying but if it’s something to do with visions, I don’t imagine anyone would listen.”

  “We would have,” Brother Estevan interrupted. “But beyond us, Lenny is correct. And the king likely would not have listened to us either. Not regarding his son or the queen.”

  “I think this is ridiculous to have information such as that, and not tell anyone!” Lord Ivor was not giving the witches a pass.

  “Long ago witches and wizards sat on high councils and were respected. They were no different from the elves or the kings and queens. But those days are long gone and the word ‘magic’ now brings a sneer to most faces,” Blackwater Maggie said as if she were holding back emotions. “We witches learned a long time ago to keep our world separated from yours.”

  “But this will affect us all!” Lord Ivor scoffed.

  “And we are here now. Before this moment there was nothing to be done anyway.”

  “Perhaps, if I may, I will suggest we agree to disagree on this matter,” Brother Estevan interjected. “There is no solution to solve what might have happened. There is only now. And we are wasting time.”

  Lord Ivor clenched his jaw and nodded a slight bow to the brother, followed by Blackwater Maggie.

  “Thank you for explaining this to us. But we have come for other reasons.”

  “I know your reasons.” Blackwater Maggie lifted her eyebrows at Brother Estevan. “You wish to gather up the magical.”

  “That’s not why we’re here,” Lenny defended him. “We’re hoping that you can help us protect them. Bring them and train them in the light so they don’t turn to the darkness.” She used Saleen’s words.

  “Lenny, magic is the heart of the witch. We are balanced creatures. There is no light witch and dark witch. There are only witches doing spells.” The kindness returned to her voice. “And if you wanted to train anyone in the hidden arts, you wouldn’t do it in the castle. And Saleen knows that. She knows where the covens hide. She just can’t get past the barriers.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Which makes me wonder why she wants to bring magical folk to the castle at all. She knows we train our own. We’ve been moving them out of Dahleigh since the magic started showing up again.”

  Her words picked at Lenny.

  She was right.

  If the queen knew where the covens were and how magic worked, why had she sent Lenny on this trip at all? Why send the brothers? Something wasn’t adding up.

  Chapter 21

  The dogs, Lenny, Brother Estevan, and a prickly Lord Ivor followed Blackwater Maggie down the small valley to Crawford Abbey, the castle glowing with white flowers. The sound of music drifted their way becoming louder as they drew nearer. It was light and airy, a woodwind and harp combination, accented by the odd acoustics.

  The atmosphere around the castle shifted as Lenny arrived at the stairs. The entrance, without its vines and flowers and bushes or even the crumbling stones, flashed in her mind.

  A memory, not her own, swept into her mind.

  The castle was stunning, pristine. Torches lit. Light drums playing in the background. The drums of war. It was dark but the torches gave her enough light to see the men and women marching to the right of the castle, an army. A magical army.

  Guilt clenched her insides.

  She had the strangest feeling she had left them stranded.

  No.

  Not her.

  Ilenia. Princess Ilenia.

  The drums of war grew louder.

  The entire valley was full of beings, not just witches and wizards but lupine and creatures she couldn’t name, though they were on the tip of her tongue.

  Across the grounds of the castle, lie beautiful gardens with carved and shaped hedges and bright green grass. A woman and a man walked arm in arm in matching robes made of starlight. They were the god and goddess of earth and as they drew nearer, they changed from old crone and withered old man to young and beautiful and robust, flickering as Joro had. They curtseyed and Ilenia bowed.

  “Lenny?” someone called in the distance but it did not pull her from the vision.

  The goddess held a hand out at the army walking by, forming lines for battle.

  The sun crested the hill, lighting the valley up with brilliance. The army stretched as far as her eyes could see, marching to the beat of the drums.

  The pit in Lenny’s stomach clenched more.

  “All of you will die,” Lenny whispered as a single tear slid down her cheek.

  The god and goddess of earth beamed with pride. They co
uld not hear her words as this was a memory; they were not here. The valley was not flooded with sunlight. The army was ash. The grounds were no longer a garden. The castle had been taken by nature. And the magical beings were scarce. And the god and goddess had long since left, gone back to Valnar, the land beyond the seas.

  Scar whimpered, nudging Lenny who gasped and was pulled back from the light of the memory to the darkness where Lord Ivor and Brother Estevan were staring at her with matching bewilderment.

  But it was Blackwater Maggie’s face she sought out.

  Blackwater Maggie nodded, pressing her lips into a line. Her eyes glistened in the silvery moonlight.

  “What did you see?” Brother Estevan asked.

  “This—” There were hardly words for it. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reliving it so she might describe it with justice. “The castle and the valley were beautiful, manicured gardens and magical people and creatures coexisting in harmony. The god and goddess of light, Herne and Diana, offered their armies to Ilenia, believing they were the strongest in the magical world. They underestimated Ryze—”

  “They were betrayed,” Blackwater Maggie corrected Lenny who winced and opened her eyes.

  “Betrayed by whom?” Brother Estevan questioned.

  “Your kind,” Blackwater Maggie answered flatly. The glisten in her eyes grew fiery.

  “This isn’t in the histories I’ve read. I assure you if this had happened—”

  “Who keeps the records, Brother Estevan?” Blackwater Maggie asked.

  “They were betrayed, Brother Estevan. Blackwater Maggie’s correct.” Lenny couldn’t fight the wounded look on her face. “The King of Dahleigh didn’t honor the agreement. He didn’t come and fight with the magical army Herne and Diana sent, he let them be slaughtered by Ryze’s monsters, believing his men stood no chance against the monsters.”

  “You can see this?” Brother Estevan asked.

  “Ilenia was the one who formed the pact between men and the magical. She thought the two armies could hold back Ryze while she went to beg for aid from the fae. When she returned, the battle had been lost.” Lenny walked to the castle walls, placing a hand on the bush-covered rampart. A whisper crept through the front entrance, blowing back Lenny’s hair from her shoulders. It was warm and smelled of flowers and blackberry mûre, inviting her in.