Rafe smiled at her, and in that moment, I felt my heart break all over again. It was strange, because I thought I didn’t have anything left to break. Turned out I was wrong.
I moved through the shadows and hurried back to my room, crawling into my bed and stifling the tears. There was no point in explaining anything now. Rafe had obviously moved on. I knew Danica and he seemed to be close, but I never thought he would take her to his bed. I shook my head at my own foolishness and laughed, a bitter sound even to my ears. Of course he would take her to his bed! Rafe was a grown man, and an extremely attractive one at that. He wasn’t attached, so why wouldn’t he? Especially with girls like Danica throwing themselves at him. There was no place for me in his life anymore. I had to accept that and hope that time would heal the wound he had ripped open again.
The next morning, I got dressed in my fae leathers and tunic, Dawn strapped at my waist, and met with Penelope and Tristan in the antechamber to Rafe’s council chamber. He was in a meeting with some of his nobles about Eldorean matters, and we were told he would see us as soon as he was done.
It would be hard being in the same room with Rafe again, especially after what I had seen last night, but I had to push my feelings aside and concentrate on the task at hand. We needed his army to join us; the Eldorean mages were powerful warriors who would be invaluable to our cause. I pushed my shoulders back as the council chamber doors opened and we were ushered inside.
The mood was somber as we entered the large, rectangular room. Huge latticed windows framed two sides of the council chamber, looking out at the gardens beyond. Rafe stood at the head of the massive table as the nobles of Eldoren milled around talking and arguing while pointing to parts of the map that lay in the center. He was talking in a low tone to the Earl of Rothguard and the Marquis of Greystone, my father’s old friends who were also part of the resistance against Morgana.
Everyone looked up as we entered, and to my surprise, they all started clapping. Earlier during the coronation, they had been focused on Rafe, but word had spread about what had really happened. One by one they came up to me and bowed, expressing their lifelong gratitude to me for helping to rescue their children. At that moment all doubts of whether I should have done it disappeared. I had saved the lives of the children. I may have lost my magic because of it, but seeing the relief and happiness on the faces of all these people made it worth it.
Tristan was right. Maybe I wouldn’t be stronger and more powerful than everyone else anymore, but I was still the rightful Queen of Illiador, even without my magic. And it wasn’t as if I had lost all of it. I still had my mage magic, which due to my bloodline was stronger than most, and for now that would have to suffice.
The rest of the council thanked me and left the room until only Rothguard and Julian Fenton remained. Rafe explained that after Silverthorne’s execution, Fenton had become the leader of the Silver Swords.
I was grateful my father’s friends still supported me, but I wondered how long that would last if they found out I had lost most of my powers.
Captain Declan Raingate entered the council chamber. Danica was with him. After asking around, I had come to discover Danica was Captain Raingate’s niece. She used to live at Silverthorne Castle after her parents died, and Captain Raingate was her guardian now. It made sense that she was part of the resistance since her uncle was a member of the Silver Swords.
“Danica has a request,” said Captain Raingate.
Danica bowed stiffly to me, but her eyes held no warmth in them. “We could use your help with the wounded, your highness. We have heard of your amazing healing powers. Surely you can spare some time to help those in need. There are some who will not live unless you do something.”
I stared at her in shock. What could I say? I couldn’t tell her I had lost my ability to heal. And if I refused to help, they would think I was cold and callous.
Penelope stepped in. “Aurora has just recovered from a very dangerous magical battle that has taken a toll. I don’t recommend she does any healing magic until she recovers.”
Danica’s eyes darkened. “But what about the wounded?”
“I am a skilled healer; I will tend to them,” said Penelope. “Give me a few moments, and I will be with you.”
She bowed to Penelope with obvious relief in her eyes. “Thank you, my lady.” With that, she left.
“Did you find out anything, Declan?” asked Rafe.
He nodded. “It’s not good.”
Rafe threw a quick glance at Penelope. “I sent Captain Raingate to find out information on this general Lilith mentioned.”
“And what did you find?” Penelope asked the captain.
“Not much, except that he commands the Drakaar.”
“Does he have a name?” Penelope asked.
“If he does, no one knows of it. They simply refer to him as the general.” Captain Raingate moved closer. “And he is moving his army south.” He pointed to an area in Illiador.
I looked at the map on the table. “But I thought they were busy attacking the dwarven fortresses.”
Captain Raingate gave me a sharp look. “Well, it looks like he decided there is something more valuable here.”
Tristan, who had kept quiet so far, came up to stand beside me and crossed his arms. His dark eyes flashed, and Captain Raingate, who was usually unfazed, seemed to take a step back. Everyone had seen what the dark prince could do, and there was no one here who was brave or stupid enough to get in his way. I was glad Tristan was here; after my experience with Lilith, I felt safer with him around.
Rafe continued looking at the map. “And where is Morgana?”
“My spies tell me her army is amassing in the plains and will meet with the general’s forces here.” He stabbed a finger at the map, pointing to the Valley of Flowers, not far from Oblek’s castle. “More forces are said to be entering through a pass in the Silverspike and meeting in the Darkwood. They have been marching ever since the winter snow cleared.”
“Their destination?” Rafe’s tone was clipped.
“Eldoren,” said Captain Raingate gravely.
Rafe looked over at Rothguard and Fenton. “Ready the army. We must march northward at the earliest. We must fortify the fortress at the Eastern Pass in the Cascade Mountains and meet Morgana’s army before she reaches Eldoren.”
“I will dispatch riders immediately,” said Fenton.
Fenton and Rothguard took their leave and left us alone with Captain Raingate.
The captain’s jaw tightened. “My reports suggest Morgana’s army is ten times the size of ours. She has the whole Illiadorian force of warrior-mages from Nerenor, the royal army, Andrysian foot soldiers, and another even larger army led by the general advancing onto the plains. Along with the Drakaar and their shadow creatures, our warrior-mages will not stand a chance.”
“More and more people are rising up against her,” said Rafe, “and many more are flocking to the resistance.”
“Even so,” Captain Raingate replied. “With all our nobles and their private armies, along with Eldoren’s full force, we will still be sorely outnumbered.”
Rafe turned to Penelope. “What about the fae army?”
Penelope shook her head. “They are not coming.”
Rafe was quiet for a moment. “Then we will have to face them alone.” He ran a hand through his dark hair and let it rest on the nape of his neck. “We need more information, Declan.”
“I will find out what I can,” said Captain Raingate, and he took his leave, closing the big council room door behind him.
I turned to Penelope. “I need to speak to my grandmother myself.”
Penelope studied me, flicking a glance at Rafe and Tristan. “I will open a mirror portal in the antechamber. I saw one that would suffice.”
Rafe left to speak with the other captains in his army. We followed Penelope out of the main council chamber and into a smaller adjoining room.
Penelope stood in front of a full-length oval mirror that lay i
n the corner of the room. She wove her magic and my grandmother came into view, seated on her throne.
Her gold eyes flashed when she saw me, but she didn’t say anything and instead turned her gaze on Penelope. “Have you any news?”
Penelope nodded and explained the situation as it stood now. “Morgana has set her sights on Eldoren. If the fae do not help, the Eldorean mages will be massacred.”
The fae queen raised an eyebrow. “That is not my concern.”
“Once they create the weapons they need, they will turn on the fae.” My voice was sharp.
Izadora’s eyes narrowed as she assessed me, but she addressed Penelope. “What is the situation in Brandor?”
Penelope took out a note a guard had brought to her during the meeting. “For now, Brandor is still embroiled in civil war.” She shook her head. “There is no more news from Santino.”
Izadora’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her throne. “Then there is no time to waste.” She turned her golden eyes on me. “You must leave Eldoren immediately and find Morgana. Your first priority now is to retrieve the Dagger. Everything else is secondary.”
“That will be impossible,” said Penelope. “Morgana is traveling with an army. We would have to sneak into her camp to get to the Dagger.”
Izadora’s eyes flashed. “Then do it.”
“I won’t leave Eldoren to fend for itself,” I said, crossing my arms. “It is the last kingdom that stands against her. Once she conquers Eldoren she will bring her army to Elfi.”
Izadora’s hard eyes narrowed, flashing with an eerie light. “Haven’t you ever wondered why the Dagger only traps but does not kill the fae? If killing was Dragath’s only motivation, then why leave them alive inside the Dagger?”
I pondered this. “You are right. I never thought of it that way.”
“What are you getting at, sister?” said Penelope.
“Dragath is not the only threat to our world,” the fae queen explained. “This is something only those who have read the Fae Codex know. When Auraken Firedrake locked the Book of Power, he warned us of a greater threat, should the book ever be opened again. According to the codex, the original purpose of the Dagger was not to wipe out the fae.”
My eyebrows scrunched together. “It wasn’t?”
“No, it wasn’t.” The fae queen shook her head. “When Dragath was summoned to this world by the Ancient Fae lord, the lord thought he could control Dragath.”
I nodded. “Yes, I know this part. Dragath overpowered the fae lord, took the book for himself, and created the Dagger to entrap the fae and gain more power.”
Izadora nodded. “Yes, but that is not all he wanted. When Dragath came to this world, he came alone, summoned through a portal that remained open for only seconds. Dragath may have been a powerful demon lord, but he was only one, cut off from his demon army. What you have encountered here, the Drakaar and the Shadow Demons, are mere shades of his true followers, the ones still trapped in a dying world of fire and ice.” The queen paused, letting her words sink in. “After accessing the Book of Abraxas, Dragath realized that by creating the Dagger he could trap the spirit-fae within it and combine their power to create a permanent portal powerful enough to let his demon army through. Once his whole army comes, even if your powers are restored, you will not be able to stop them.”
A shudder snaked down my spine as I stared at her in horror. There was an army of Dragath’s demons from another world with magic far greater than any of us could understand. If it took all Auraken’s power to contain just one demon lord, what would a whole army of them do? It would be impossible to fight them.
“But I thought he trapped only the fire-fae in the Dagger,” I said, trying to remember the story as I had heard it before.
“The fire-fae were Illaria Lightbringer’s trained warriors, and he had to go through them to get to the spirit-fae. But Dragath never managed to amass enough power in the Dagger to open such a portal, until . . .” She trailed off, her gold eyes boring into mine.
“Until Lilith took my magic,” I finished, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
I had sentenced the world, albeit unknowingly, to a terrible fate.
Destiny Awaits
“Do you think we will get there in time?” I asked Penelope as we rode through the valley northward along the river road that led to the mountains that lay beyond Silverthorne Castle.
Penelope nodded. “For now our main aim is to find Morgana and the Dagger. She will not use it until she has the book and all the keys in her possession. If we can get into her camp and steal the Dagger before she or the general has a chance to use it, we may have a chance. Without it they can’t move ahead with their plans.”
I nodded gravely. We had to get to Illiador as quickly as we could, and the fastest way was through the fae portal in the Cascade Mountains. It was the same portal Rafe had used when he first followed me from Pixie Bush to Silverthorne Castle. He was the only one besides Duke Silverthorne who knew where it was. He had agreed to lead us to it, after which he would ride east and meet his army near the Eastern Pass. If the Eldorean army could hold the pass, they might be able to stop Morgana’s forces from entering Eldoren.
Captain Raingate and Erien also accompanied us, as Erien had to return to Silverthorne Castle as the new duke and ready his troops for the upcoming war. I was not pleased Danica had accompanied us as well, as she wouldn’t leave Rafe’s side. She even feigned exhaustion halfway through the journey so she could ride on his horse with him. She ended up sitting demurely in front of him, his hard chest pressed against her back, his strong arms encircling her. I tried to act like it didn’t affect me, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t. In fact, at that moment all I wanted to do was claw her eyes out.
When the sun started to set, we stopped and made camp in a shady glade on the outskirts of a little village. It was better to remain unnoticed until we crossed over into Illiador. Morgana’s spies were everywhere. I sat on a log staring into the fire while Penelope and Danica laid out the food. Rafe and Tristan went to check out the area. After we ate, Danica set out her bedroll next to Rafe and lay down.
I tried to ignore them. I definitely wasn’t going to be able to sleep, so I sat near the fire for a while longer. I glanced over at Rafe, and my heart tightened in my chest. I quickly looked away. It was no use thinking about what we’d had together. He had forgotten about it and moved on. Mentioning what happened would only reopen old wounds. Once Rafe showed us the way to the portal, he would return to his castle with Danica, and I would probably never see him again.
The forest was quiet at night, with the occasional hoot of a lone owl breaking the silence. I was lost in my own thoughts when I heard a twig snap and looked up. Rafe had gotten up from beside Danica, who was still sound asleep, and come over to sit beside me.
“Couldn’t sleep,” he mumbled, poking the fire with a stick.
I looked away and pretended to concentrate on the fire. “Me too.” I kept my voice low so as not to wake the others, who were all motionless under the twinkling night sky.
He turned slightly to look at me. “I want to apologize,” he said abruptly.
My heart fluttered as I turned my head to gaze into his devastatingly gorgeous gray eyes. “For what?”
He ran his hand through his dark locks, tousling them a little, and he’d never looked so handsome. I had to look away. “I shouldn’t have let you get involved in retaking my throne. If you hadn’t come, you would still have your powers.”
I put my hand gently on his arm. Even that slight touch sent thrills coursing through my body. “It’s not your fault, Rafe.” I smiled. “You couldn’t have stopped me anyway,” I added, trying to lighten the mood. I didn’t want him feeling guilty for my failures. But at least I now knew he still cared.
He shook his head and moved his arm away. “No, I probably couldn’t have.” He shot a dark look at me. “It’s better you are with Tristan anyway. He seems better suited to the task.�
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My eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“We are too different, you and I.”
“And I suppose Danica is a perfect match,” I said tartly.
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
I stared back into the fire. “Then there’s nothing more to talk about, is there?”
“I suppose.” He got up and went to lie down next to Danica.
The leaves rustled as I got up from the log. I spotted Tristan leaning against a tree, watching me. I had forgotten Tristan was on night patrol, since he never seemed to need sleep. He looked me straight in the eyes, turned, and disappeared into the woods.
Great! I thought. Now Tristan was also upset with me. It seemed I couldn’t win either way.
The next morning, warm sunlight filtered in through the canopy of trees. The leaves rustled gently in the spring breeze as we packed up our things and headed for the mountains that lay beyond Silverthorne Castle.
We rode swiftly though the Willow Woods, stopping only to sleep and eat. Rafe never spoke to me alone again. He stayed beside Danica, who looked as smug as a cat that had gotten all the cream. In four days, we were cresting the hill that overlooked the flower-filled valley beyond.
Silverthorne Castle rose up amid the rolling hills, meadows, and colorful fields that encompassed the valley. Tall white towers glistened in the midday sun as they rose effortlessly upward, spearing the sky. The town of Fairlone stretched out around it, protected by high stone walls. Beyond it lay the Cascade Mountains, a vast range that separated Eldoren from Illiador.
Rafe rode forward to speak to Penelope and me. “We will stay the night at Silverthorne Castle.”
“We need to press on, Rafe,” said Penelope. “Time is of the essence.”
“It is too dangerous to camp in the woods so close to the Cascade Mountains, and we cannot go through the portal at night,” Rafe answered. “We have had reports that there are gorgoths patrolling these mountains for a while now, and we have to pass the castle anyway to get to the portal. In the morning I will lead you to it. Once you get to Illiador, meet with the Silver Swords. They will help you infiltrate Morgana’s camp.”
The Return of the Dragon Queen Page 16
