The Return of the Dragon Queen

by Farah Oomerbhoy

  Kalen pushed his shoulders back, pulling himself up to his full height, which was now considerable. He had grown a lot since I last saw him. “Of course I am, Mother. Rafe has been looking after me as usual.”

  Penelope glanced at Rafe. “Thank you.”

  He inclined his head. “You know I will always look out for him, Penelope.”

  Kalen gasped when he finally noticed Tristan. “Is this . . . ?” He looked at me and then his mother. “Tristan Nightshade,” he said in an awed voice.

  I smiled at Kalen and flicked my chin at Tristan. “You know who he is?”

  “Of course!” said Kalen, grinning from ear to ear. “Everyone knows the dreaded Prince of the Night Court.”

  “Of course they do.” I rolled my eyes.

  Kalen bounded over to Tristan and clasped his forearm in greeting, shaking it vigorously. “It is an honor to finally meet you, Prince Tristan. My mother raised me on stories of you and Izadora’s Elite Guard of Elfi.”

  “Did she now?” Tristan smiled for the first time since he got here, flicking a glance at Penelope.

  Kalen nodded, his eyes lighting up. “Are you here to rescue Erien?”

  My hand flew to my mouth. “Erien!” I spun to face Rafe. “What’s happened to Erien?” A chill went down my spine. If anything had happened to Erien, I would never be able to live with myself.

  “Erien was taken by Brandon’s guards,” Rafe said, running his hand through his brown waves. “He’s imprisoned in the dungeons with the other children of all the noble families who oppose the archmage.”

  “How did this happen?” I breathed, looking at Penelope. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

  Penelope shook her head. “We didn’t know. Marcus tried to get as much information as he could, but not all spies have reliable information.”

  “I told Erien to stay with the Silver Swords while I was away.” Rafe’s voice was low. He looked tired, with day-old stubble on his chin and shadows under his eyes—he probably was as worried as we were. I had to be more understanding; after all, it was his kingdom and his people we were trying to save.

  But Erien was my cousin, one of the only family members I had left. Aunt Serena would never forgive me if I let him rot in a dungeon or, worse yet, got him killed. I had let my granduncle down, and I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. This was my war as much as it was Rafe’s, and I would tear apart the castle before I let Delacourt take anyone else I loved from me.

  “So, are we going to work together?” I asked Rafe, coming back to the point. “Or should we make other arrangements? Because if Erien is in there, there is no way I am going to let you keep me from trying to get him out. Even if I have to burn the castle down around us.”

  Rafe raised his eyebrows and gave me a small smile, but the hurt in his eyes didn’t go away. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t,” he said formally, but there was humor in his voice. “I would prefer to have my family’s ancestral home still standing, if you don’t mind.”

  I smiled back at him. “Then it’s settled.” I clasped my hands together. “What’s the plan?”

  Rafe sighed, resigned to the fact we were there to help. “I think you’d better come with me.”

  He led us through a back door of the small house and down a flight of steps. We came out into a large, dimly lit room with wall sconces that provided light and warmth, as well as a small hearth around which a bunch of people were huddled, trying to keep themselves warm. A few cots and bunks were propped up against one wall in the corner, where the men and women could rest.

  They all looked up when we entered.

  “Welcome to the resistance,” said Rafe with a flourish of his hand. There was a large table in the center of the room, around which another group was huddled, poring over maps and pieces of parchment.

  I recognized a few of them. The Earl of Rothguard came forward to greet me, as did Lord Fenton, Marquis of Greystone. According to Penelope, they were my father’s oldest friends, but I hardly knew them at all. Captain Raingate, Silverthorne’s captain of the guard, was also part of the Silver Swords. I wasn’t surprised to see him there. If Erien was a prisoner of the archmage, I knew Captain Raingate would do everything he could to get him out. He was a capable soldier, and my granduncle had trusted him. I was glad Rafe still had some people he could depend on.

  I looked around the room. The others were strangers, but I didn’t have time to get to know them right now. I noticed some food laid out on a table in the corner. I was famished, and the food was fresh and warm. Small, flaky meat pies and fresh bread with white creamy butter accompanied a hearty vegetable stew. Rafe invited us to eat while he gave others instructions and sent them away to carry out their orders, until there were only a few of us left.

  I picked at a meat pie while Kalen chattered away with his mother, telling her everything that was going on. At some point in the conversation he put his arm around my shoulders. I couldn’t help but notice all the similarities he had to Tristan. He wasn’t as tall as Tristan yet, but he had really grown and filled out since I had last seen him.

  “I’m so glad you are back, Aurora,” he said, a half-eaten pie in his hand.

  I eyed the others in the room. “It seems you are the only one.”

  “Give them time,” said Kalen, trying to smile. “They are all loyal to Rafe, and they know how he felt about you. Now you are here with your fae prince, and they don’t know how to behave.”

  I looked around at all the people Rafe had gathered. I couldn’t explain myself to each of them, and frankly I didn’t feel the need to. Rafe was the only one who I needed to speak with, and I wondered when I could get him alone to talk. I darted looks over at him from the corner of my eye, but he was busy giving instructions to two men and writing something on a piece of parchment he then sealed. I wanted to explain why I agreed to become betrothed to Tristan before we went into the castle, but I couldn’t seem to get him alone for one moment. I had a sneaky feeling he was purposely avoiding me.

  “We don’t have much time,” Rafe announced after we had eaten and he had finished with the others. He glanced over at Tristan and me. “We need to disguise you and get you both into the palace before the coronation. It is the best time to stage the rescue while everyone is busy with the parade and festivities.”

  “Once the children are out, are you sure the other nobles will join you to take the castle?” Penelope asked.

  Rafe shot a glance at Rothguard and Fenton, who both nodded. “I believe so. My army is hiding in the woods around the castle, as well as Silverthorne’s and the other nobles’ individual armies. But they will not make a move until they know the children are safe.”

  The plan sounded simple. We would disguise ourselves and infiltrate the palace. Then when the archmage was busy with the coronation, we would slip into the dungeons and get the children out through a portal. But as I had learned on more than one occasion, plans rarely ever went the way they were supposed to. And to top it all off, there was a catch. Rafe was going to give himself up to Delacourt before the coronation.

  I shook my head. “Rafe, this is too dangerous. It’s exactly what Delacourt wants you to do.”

  He ran a hand through his dark, wavy hair and rubbed the base of his neck as he scoured the maps on the table. “What choice do I have? If I don’t surrender before the coronation, Delacourt has promised to kill Erien first. And after what happened to Silverthorne, I can’t take any chances.”

  My face paled. “But how will you get out? Once he knows the children are gone, he will have you executed.”

  “He won’t.” Rafe’s stormy eyes narrowed. “At least, not immediately. He will want to make a spectacle of me at the coronation, surrendering the crown to him in front of all the nobility. If he doesn’t, his rule will always be in jeopardy. As it is, his claim to the throne is slim. Calisto may be next in line to the throne after me now that her father and brothers are dead, but she is not a Ravenswood.”

  A young
woman with dark hair came into the room and walked straight up to Rafe.

  His eyes softened when he saw her. “Is it set up?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Rafael.” She put her hand on his arm, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from fixating on their touch. “Don’t worry, I have taken care of it.”

  Rafe smiled at her and put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a slight squeeze. “Thank you, Danica. You have done well.”

  Danica looked up at him through long lashes and gave him a sultry smile. I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach. Who was she?

  Rafe turned back to Tristan and me, and his smile disappeared. “The castle is hiring part-time servants for the coronation, as it will be full of guests and their retinues. I will get you a job in the kitchens—I still have people in the castle working for me. Danica will meet you at the gates and get you in.”

  Penelope nodded and clasped her hands together. “You and Tristan will disguise yourselves as servants. As long as you are wearing the Amulet of Auraken, the wards will not detect your glamour. If there are Drakaar in the castle, make sure you stay far away from them. Be vigilant and keep your glamour strong. Don’t drop it even for a second. Brandon and Lilith will be busy planning the coronation; they will not be expecting you.”

  Danica looked over at me and smiled, but her smile never reached her eyes. I could see a calculating gleam behind her sweet façade, but Rafe obviously didn’t. I could tell this one was going to be trouble.

  Rafe looked down at the map on the table. Danica was still standing close to him, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, the way they looked at each other suggested they were already pretty close. Jealousy rose up and threatened to clamp itself around my heart. I tried to ignore it, tried to brush it off, but it wouldn’t go away. I had to remind myself Rafe was free to do as he pleased. It was stupid of me to think he would wait for me and forgive me for what I had done. He had obviously moved on.

  “You must find your way into the dungeon on the day of the coronation. Retrieve the children and get them out,” Rafe said finally.

  “What about you?” I asked.

  “That’s where you and your fae prince come in.” He glanced momentarily at Tristan, who was standing beside me, eyes scanning the maps. “If you really want to help, then once you get the children out, you can release me from the dungeons before Brandon decides to execute me.”

  The nonchalant way he spoke about his execution set me on edge. I didn’t even want to think about it. But as long as Tristan and I were in the castle, there was a good chance we could prevent it from happening.

  I nodded. “Then what? How do we get out?”

  “Then,” said Captain Raingate, stepping closer to the table and resting his hands on it, “you need to get to the main gates of the castle and let our forces in. We will take care of the rest.”

  “That’s quite a distance,” said Tristan, looking at the maps. “We cannot simply walk out of the castle with the prince. We won’t be able to get out the same way we came in.”

  “We won’t have to,” said Rafe. “There is a secret passage here.” He stabbed his finger at a point on the map. “It leads from the dungeons to a small alcove in the main corridor of the palace, close to the Grand Hall where the festivities will be held. If we can slip past unnoticed in the crowd of guests, we might make it past the main bailey to the gates.”

  “There will be guards everywhere,” said Rothguard. “Rafael, are you sure you want to do this? There must be some other way we could find to get the children to safety.”

  “I’ve studied all the options and there is no other way.” Rafe shook his head. “It is my duty to put my subjects first.”

  “Not at the cost of your life,” said Fenton.

  “It is the only way,” Rafe insisted and glanced at me. “And with Aurora, we might just have a chance.”

  My uneasiness subsided—maybe all hope at repairing our relationship was not lost.

  “Then it’s settled,” said Penelope. “I will make a potion to put the guards outside the dungeons to sleep. But you can only do it on the morning of the coronation when the rest of the guards are busy with the parade. It will only work on three or four guards for a short amount of time. If I had my other ingredients, I could have made a stronger brew, but unfortunately there is no time.”

  “It will have to do,” Rafe said. “We only get one shot at this.”

  Tristan came closer and bent his head to talk to me softly. “Are you sure you are ready to do this?”

  “Yes.” In truth, I wasn’t so sure. But we were out of options. I had to do it now or we might never get another chance like this again.

  “You will have to open the portal somewhere close so you don’t use up too much of your magic,” said Penelope. “I will wait for you in the town. I know a place close by there where we can hide the children.”

  I nodded.

  “You can stay here for the night.” Rafe put on his hood and looked at Tristan and me. “Meet Danica at the main gate of the castle as the sun rises. I will have secured your posts by then, so she will be waiting there to confirm your credentials.”

  Danica joined him, her cloak and hood fastened in place. Without a backward glance, he left us in the small house in the alley and disappeared into the misty night with her. Kalen gave me a pitying look, hugged me quickly, and hurried after Rafe.

  Tristan turned to me. “Get some rest. I will stand watch tonight. We are not safe here, and the sooner we are done with this and get back to finding the Dagger, the better.”

  I nodded, too exhausted to argue. Rafe might need me here, but it was quite clear he didn’t want me. Nevertheless, I had to do this. Erien and those children were not to blame for anything. I could not let them suffer for mistakes I may have made along the way. It was my job to make things right, or I would never be the queen my people needed me to be.

  I sat on one of the small cots in the corner of the room and tried to glamour objects, but the glamour would only hold for a few moments before flickering and changing the object back to its original form. I flexed my fingers and tried to summon a ball of silver fire. My hand started to glow but never ignited. I frowned and studied my hand as if I could will it to burst into flames, but it didn’t.

  “Oof!” I huffed in frustration and lay back down on my bed.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Penelope.

  “Nothing.”

  Penelope got up from her cot and came to sit beside me. “You just need to rest, Aurora. Your magic will return to full strength by tomorrow.”

  “What if it doesn’t?” I whispered. “What if something goes wrong tomorrow in the castle?”

  “Don’t worry so much. Have faith in yourself.” She put her hand on my arm. “I have faith in you. Your spirit magic needs time to recover. Once it does, all your powers will return to normal.”

  I looked over at Tristan, who sat in the corner looking alert. “Doesn’t he ever need to sleep?” I asked Penelope softly.

  “I can still hear you,” Tristan muttered.

  “The High Fae don’t need much sleep,” said Penelope in a low voice. “Immortals rarely do.”

  “Then why do I get so tired?”

  Penelope smiled through the flickering light of the candle and lay back down on her cot. “You are not immortal yet, my dear,” she said gently. “Your immortality will only set in sometime in your twenties, when you are at your prime. That is why you must be extra careful until then. You are not invincible, and you can be killed. Best keep that in mind tomorrow when you go to the castle.”

  The Castle Dungeons

  As dawn rose over Caeleron Castle, we made our way through the deserted alleyways of the town toward the gates. I glamoured myself and Tristan, changing our features and hair to suit the disguise. Penelope was right—my magic had returned after a good night’s sleep and was stronger than ever.

  Caeleron town was different in the sunlight. Lemon-colored stone houses with thatched roofs were joined togeth
er by vaulted stone archways that spanned the tiny cobbled streets. We passed a few small artisan shops which were still shut, but blacksmiths were already at their anvils banging away. Some bakeries were open and had fresh bread cooling on their windowsills. Penelope got us a few hot bread rolls as we followed her to the northern gate of the city toward the massive fortress perched on top, like a colossus surveying its kingdom.

  Danica was waiting for us outside the castle gates. The guards were inspecting credentials, and in the meantime I checked that we were sufficiently glamoured. Rafe had produced some false papers, and the guards, after speaking with Danica, raised the portcullis to let us through the main gatehouse. The massive vaulted entrance, which served as the only way into Caeleron Castle, was decorated with intricate carvings. It was fortified by two towers filled with a whole garrison of archers. I took note of all their positions.

  The entryway was like a tunnel. The walls must have been over twenty feet thick. According to Penelope, Caeleron Castle could hold over forty thousand warriors and had survived countless sieges. The portcullis itself was massive and would need at least two people to raise it. This was in no way going to be easy, that was for sure.

  Once I was inside the massive castle, I could only stop and stare. I had been in fortresses before, but I had never imagined anything of Caeleron Castle’s sheer enormity and scale.

  As Danica led us through the outer bailey, a gigantic courtyard within the main curtain wall of the castle, black-clad soldiers roamed the battlements and barracks. Tents and market stalls were set up near the stables to service the growing number of guests that would be visiting for the coronation. I looked around—there didn’t seem to be any Drakaar here, just ordinary soldiers and warrior-mages. If we were lucky, we could get in and out without causing too much damage. I could not take the chance of calling in Abraxas; burning down Rafe’s ancestral home was not part of the plan. And as Abraxas had explained, summoning him drained a lot of magic from this world. He was only to be called when we had no other choice. We would have to do this alone.