Varian nodded, shuffling from one foot to another. “Of course, Your Excellency. I will see to it that they are well looked after.”
The emir eyed his chancellor. “See that you do.”
“That went well,” said Penelope as we walked back to our rooms, Tristan and Cade in tow. “I’m glad the emir has called the Council of Five. It makes our job easier than visiting all the other emirs’ holdings and trying to convince them separately.”
“Yes, the emir did seem to want to hear us out.” I lowered my voice. “But I got the distinct impression that Varian doesn’t want us sticking around.”
Penelope nodded. “He’s a snake, that one. We will have to be careful. Go back to your room and get some rest. I will speak with Santino and figure out how we should handle Varian.”
I took her advice and went to my room. I was quite tired and a nap would help. I lay down on my bed and looked out at the trees in the walled courtyard outside my room. I wondered what Rafe was doing right now and if he even thought about me anymore. I had to get to Eldoren at some point so I could explain everything to him. But first I had to secure an army from Brandor and find out what Andromeda was up to. Why hadn’t she taken the book to Morgana yet? Where was she?
I heard a scuffle outside my room and hurried over to the courtyard to look outside.
The courtyard was bathed in a dusky glow as the sun began to set over the Red Citadel, the leaves rustling slightly and an evening breeze sauntering through the trees.
Tristan had a man locked in a stranglehold, and Cade had his sword pointed at the man’s throat.
“Tristan?”
Tristan’s sapphire eyes caught the last light of the setting sun. “I found this man trying to get into your room.” Tristan’s arm was still locked around the hooded man’s neck.
The man glanced up as Tristan pulled back his hood. A familiar face looked back at me.
My eyes widened. “It’s all right, Tristan, I know him.”
Tristan released him grudgingly, but Cade didn’t put his sword away. The man bowed as I strode toward them.
“Marcus Gold,” I said breathlessly. “I thought you were dead.”
“I would have been if your friend Delacourt had his way,” said Marcus, shifting away from the big fae-warriors who were still scowling at him.
My spine bristled at the thought of Brandon Delacourt. “He’s no friend of mine. He gave me up to Morgana the first chance he got.” I told him briefly about what happened when I was last in Brandor.
Marcus nodded. “Delacourt knew I was onto him. And just as I was about to warn Rafe, he tried to have me killed. He would have succeeded too, if the innkeeper hadn’t warned me first. So I ran, and when I came back to find you, I heard you had left on Santino’s ship. Calos is still recovering from their docks burning down.” He raised an eyebrow at me.
I looked down. “That wasn’t one of my best moments. But I’ve been in Elfi all this time, Marcus. Everybody knew that. If you wanted to find me, why didn’t you contact me sooner? Why wait until I came back to Brandor?”
“Because,” said Santino, entering the courtyard with Penelope, “he now works for me.”
“Is this true?” I asked sharply, turning my gaze on Marcus.
Marcus nodded.
“Then why were you lurking outside my room like a spy?”
Santino raised an eyebrow. “Marcus, what did I tell you about sneaking around the citadel? You don’t have to anymore.”
“Sorry!” Marcus shrugged, but he did look a bit sheepish. “Old habits die hard, I guess. I have news, and I thought Aurora should learn of it first.”
Santino moved to stand beside me. “Let’s hear it.”
Marcus hesitated for a moment, then looked me straight in the eyes. “Silverthorne is dead.”
The blood drained from my face. I grabbed on to Santino’s arm for support as my legs turned to jelly. I couldn’t breathe; I needed to sit. My head was spinning. No! No! It couldn’t be.
“Dead,” I repeated dumbly, sitting down on the soft earth as I tried to process what he had just said. “How?”
Marcus stroked his wispy beard, his eyes troubled. “The new archmage decided to make an example of him. He was beheaded, executed in front of all the nobility of Eldoren.”
Penelope came to kneel beside me and put her arm around my shoulders. “You need to be strong, Aurora. Without Silverthorne, Eldoren will be chaos. Rafe will need you now more than ever.”
But the tears wouldn’t stop as I thought of Uncle Gabriel. I was too late. I should have been there to help him, I should have rescued him. I should never have listened to my grandmother. She said Silverthorne would be released eventually. But he wasn’t, he was dead, and there was no way to bring him back. It was all my fault for not taking matters into my own hands.
“Where is Rafe now?” I sniffed at Penelope through tears. I didn’t dare look at Tristan.
“Back at Silverthorne Castle, I suppose,” Marcus offered, “but I haven’t got confirmation about that yet.”
Penelope patted my shoulder sympathetically. “Yes, that seems likely. The rebels have been using it as a base for some time now.”
I finally gathered myself, dried my eyes with a handkerchief Penelope gave me, and eased to my feet. “If Rafe can get the other nobles to follow him, he may be able to take back his throne.” My mind whirled with the possibilities.
Marcus shook his head. “Without Silverthorne, that will be impossible. Prince Rafael has no allies. The Blackwaters made sure the other nobles did not dare join him.”
“How can they do that? Surely there are some nobles who can stand up to them and the Dark Queen. The Blackwaters are not that powerful.”
“No, but the new archmage is,” said Marcus, wariness creeping into his eyes. “He has Morgana’s complete support and has imprisoned the children of all the noble families. If any of the Eldorean nobles are found supporting Prince Rafael, the children will meet the same fate as Silverthorne.”
My hand flew to my mouth as dread pooled in the pit of my stomach. “He has taken their children?”
Marcus nodded, his face grim. “One from each of the noble families of Eldoren. The nobility are scared—they will do whatever the archmage asks of them. As long as he holds the children, the nobles and their armies are under his control. The only thing standing in his way to the throne is Prince Rafael.”
“Then we have to help him,” I declared, looking around at the dismal faces around me, my hands balled into fists. “If Santino cannot give us an army, we must go alone.”
Tristan’s eyes narrowed and a ripple seemed to go through him. “There is no time to help the Prince of Eldoren, Aurora. We must find Andromeda and go to Illiador to retrieve the Dagger of Dragath before it is too late.”
“Not to mention saving the kingdoms from Morgana,” Cade interjected. I glared at Cade and he shrugged. “Just saying.”
My stomach twisted. “We can’t leave Rafe and the rebels to fend for themselves. And what about those children? Someone must find them. What if they’re hurt? It is my fault that Lilith is on the throne in the first place. Without her, the Blackwaters would have never been able to take Eldoren.”
Santino stepped forward, looking concerned. “I wish I could help, but with the way things are in Brandor, I cannot do any more. Just getting my father to agree to have you meet with the other emirs took all my persuasive power. And with Varian trying to oppose me at every turn, that has proven to be even more difficult than I expected. My father will not allow us to send troops to Eldoren. He is only negotiating with the emirs to give you assistance to take Illiador, and even then, he hasn’t decided for sure. You know why he won’t help Rafe.”
I knew the reason only too well. Rafe had rejected the emir’s offer to wed Katerina, and the emir did not take kindly to rejection. The emirs of Brandor were rich beyond belief and commanded all the trade routes in the east. Their private armies were formidable, their ships fast, and their mou
nted cavalry were some of the best-trained warriors in Avalonia. Even without magic, the Brandorians were an important ally to have, and Morgana knew that. But we also needed the Eldorean mages.
Penelope seemed to agree. “Aurora is right: something needs to be done about Eldoren. If they are forced to follow Morgana, we will be completely outnumbered, even with the Brandorian army. The Eldorean warrior-mages are just as important to have on our side. And without Rafael on the throne and now that Silverthorne is gone, they will never come to our aid.”
I knew we had to do something, but what? I couldn’t help thinking about those poor children who must be so scared to be taken from their families.
“I will speak with Izadora,” Penelope finished. “Without Silverthorne, we will have to reassess our plans. But we cannot leave Brandor until we have secured an alliance with the emirs.”
I knew I had to be patient—running off to Eldoren without a plan was not a mistake I planned on making. But I still had questions. “If Morgana can put anyone on the throne, why is she still supporting the Blackwaters?”
“The new archmage is not taking any chances,” said Marcus. “Devon Blackwater and his sons Zorek and Damien were also executed.”
“What!”
Marcus nodded. “Now that her father and brothers are dead, Calisto is next in line to the throne after Prince Rafael, and she is due to marry the archmage.”
My blood chilled at the implications. Damien and the rest of the Blackwaters were now dead. And even though I knew they hated me, I couldn’t help but feel remorse for what had become of them, simply because their uncle, Archmage Lucian, got on Morgana’s bad side. No one was safe from her evil web, and she was starting to close her grip around Avalonia. This new archmage seemed to be as bloodthirsty and ambitious as she was. He had to be stopped.
My eyes narrowed as I gave Marcus a contemplative glance. “Who is this archmage who thinks he can take over Eldoren?”
Marcus stiffened, his lips a thin line. “The latest Archmage of Avalonia is none other than our old enemy, Brandon Delacourt. Once he marries Calisto, he will be the Duke of Blackwater in addition to his other titles. And if he can get rid of Prince Rafael, he will be Eldoren’s new king.”
Enemies and Allies
I was going to kill Brandon Delacourt!
That was all I could think about as I played with the food on my plate. Dinner in the grand hall at the Red Citadel was a lavish affair as usual, but I had no appetite for all the sumptuous food and had tried to decline the emir’s invitation; he insisted, however. Gold-leaved tables spread about the room, flanked by silk-covered divans, with massive brocade cushions where the guests reclined in sumptuous elegance, watching the gauzy-veiled dancers spin and gyrate to the music.
I picked at the exotic dishes laid out in front of me, my thoughts all over the place. Ever since we had heard of Uncle Gabriel’s execution, Aunt Serena had locked herself in her room, weeping for hours and refusing to eat. I tried to see her, but she wouldn’t see anyone, not even Santino, who had taken to pacing outside his wife’s bedchambers, alternating between looking distraught and looking angry.
But I was not allowed to hide in my room, when all I wanted to do was get under my soft blanket and shut myself away from the world. According to Penelope, queens didn’t have time to mourn—they took action, and they stood firm in the face of all adversity. At this moment, I didn’t feel like a queen. I was just a young girl who had lost her favorite uncle and staunchest supporter.
Brandon Delacourt had ensconced himself properly with Morgana. That snake! Every time I thought of him my blood boiled. He had tricked me into believing him a friend and betrayed me to Morgana. Now he had procured the most powerful post in the land. How he had managed to get her to appoint him archmage, I didn’t know. But I knew he was clever, and combined with Lilith, they were a formidable enemy. I would have to be very careful if I wanted to help Rafe and those children. If I managed to return them to their families, then I knew at least some of the nobles would switch sides and join Rafe, and he needed all the support he could get. Even with Tristan and Cade, going up against an army of warrior-mages, the odds were not in our favor. I had to figure out how to do it, but doubts about my ability to do the impossible were slowly creeping in.
Tristan and Cade sat on the opposite side of the table, a swarm of serving girls attending to their every whim. Cade seemed to be enjoying the attention of the scantily clad girls, but Tristan looked like he didn’t even notice them fawning over him. Ever since I expressed my desire to help Rafe, Tristan had hardly spoken to me. He just kept throwing me fleeting dark looks from across the room while Penelope was engaged in a lengthy discussion with the emir.
Marcus suddenly slipped into the hall from God knows where and whispered in Santino’s ear.
Santino’s eyes narrowed and he nodded. Leaning over, he spoke softly to me. “Marcus has news. A High Fae lady matching the description of Andromeda was seen near the city a few days ago.”
“Do you think it could be her?” I whispered, and moved to get up.
Santino shook his head and put his hand on my arm, sitting me back down. “I don’t know, but you must stay here. If you leave, Varian will definitely get suspicious. I don’t want him to know what we are looking for. I don’t trust him. I will take Tristan and check it out.”
Santino got up and gestured to Tristan and Cade to meet him outside.
All throughout dinner I tried to nod and answer in monosyllables to some irritating nobles while my mind was elsewhere. I saw Varian whisper to the emir and excuse himself.
Where was he going? I would find out.
I pretended to feel unwell, excused myself from dinner, and followed Varian as he scurried through the courtyard, shrouding myself in shadows. I crept through the darkness after him; he was heading toward the barracks. Looking around once, he pulled on his hood. He was definitely up to something.
I felt a presence brush up behind me and I whirled around, my hand beginning to light up.
“It’s just me,” whispered Marcus, his hands up.
“Stop sneaking up on me, Marcus,” I ground out. I looked back, but Varian had disappeared.
“But it’s okay for you to sneak around?” Marcus asked, scrunching his eyebrows and stroking his wispy beard.
“I was following Varian; he’s up to something. I think he left the citadel through the barracks.”
Marcus’s eyes sparkled at that piece of information. He put on his hood. “I’ll follow him and let you know what I find out.”
I put my hand on his arm. “I’m coming with you.”
“It’s too dangerous in the city, Aurora. Santino would have my head if anything happened to you.”
“Well, then, we mustn’t get caught,” I said, creating a cloak out of glamour and pulling up my hood. When others saw me now, they would only see an old lady in a worn brown cloak.
Marcus’s eyes widened. “Impressive! Your magic has really grown since we last met.”
“You have no idea,” I said darkly. “Let’s go.”
Marcus knew the way out of the barracks into the city. It didn’t take him long to find Varian—the short, shuffling figure was hard to miss. Protected with glamour, we traversed the smaller alleyways into numerous by-lanes when we spotted Varian entering a wide archway into the main town square.
“Where’s he going?”
“The Night Bazaar,” whispered Marcus as we turned into the archway.
I stopped and couldn’t help but stare.
The square had been transformed into maze-like streets winding in and out of bright-tented stalls. Crowds of people flocked to the elaborate market selling everything from jewelry and trinkets to lengths of brightly colored fabrics and handmade crafts. We passed sellers of leather goods, which lay next to weapons and armored headgear in the style of the Brandorian cavalry.
I couldn’t help stopping at one stall, which sold brightly dyed sandals, wonderfully detailed and studded with
glittering gemstones.
Marcus grabbed my arm and pulled me away. “Come on, we will lose him.”
We followed Varian to the middle of the bazaar, which was a whirl of sounds and activity. The smells of spice stalls and grilled meats wafted toward me as customers sampled savory pastries and sweet confections sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon from the next stall. A snake charmer entranced customers, who looked horrified at what he was doing with the snake.
Honey cakes and frothing, creamy drinks were being enjoyed all around, as the citizens of Sanria laughed and chatted in the marketplace. I was struck at how different this city was from Nedora, which was more gloomy, unkempt, and dangerous. I had a feeling the rulers of each city had something to do with it.
Varian moved toward a wall between two tents; he looked around once, then turned and vanished.
My eyes widened. “Where did he go?”
Marcus fondled his beard, and his eyes twinkled. “I know exactly where he went.” He walked to the gap between the tents. “Follow me.”
The wall behind looked ordinary enough—made of stone and separating two houses—but I could see it was no ordinary wall. The people in the market would not give it a second glance; my fae senses and spirit magic could pick up what others could not, and to my eyes, the wall shimmered with magic.
Marcus stepped forward through the wall, and I followed, entering a massive open-air courtyard. The sounds from the outside market disappeared, replaced by the bustle of a completely different bazaar. Dozens upon dozens of stalls, all draped in a deep, unyielding black, lined the four sides, selling objects and goods I had never seen before. Enchanted lanterns floated silently above, enhancing the moonlight that shone over the market.
“The Black Bazaar,” whispered Marcus. “Only thieves and pirates know about this place. It is where they come to buy and sell magical goods that cannot be found anywhere else.” He pulled his hood securely around his head, his eyes twinkling. “I wonder what our esteemed Chancellor Varian is doing here.”
The Return of the Dragon Queen Page 7
