The Return of the Dragon Queen

by Farah Oomerbhoy

  Penelope nodded. “Maybe you are right. We need to pick up supplies as well. Heavens know what we have in store for us when we reach Illiador.”

  “I will make the arrangements,” Rafe said as we rode through the gates of the town with our hoods up. We were most easily recognized here, and the fewer people we trusted the better.

  We passed through wide stone archways and whitewashed buildings, through the cobbled streets and toward the castle gates. I was immediately struck by the stark difference in the town from what it was just last year. Once a prosperous, bustling place, Fairlone was more like a ghost town now. Shuttered windows and closed doors met us at every turn. Shops were locked, and no one walked the streets except for lone soldiers and guards keeping watch over the town. They saw Captain Raingate and bowed, not asking anything about the people he had brought with him. With Silverthorne gone, the town had fallen to ruin. Many had moved away to the south of Eldoren, where there was less chance of war reaching them. But here, so close to the Illiadorian borders, the people were afraid for their lives.

  The castle was as I remembered it from the outside. We entered the enclosed courtyard and got off our horses. Footmen scurried forward to take Captain Raingate’s horse and to tend to the others.

  “We will need fresh horses for tomorrow,” said the captain to one of the guards. “We ride out in the morning.”

  “Yes, Captain,” said the guard, leading the horse to the stables.

  We climbed the massive stone steps that led into Silverthorne Castle, and my heart constricted at the thought that I would never see Uncle Gabriel again. Without him, the castle seemed cold and distant, a shadow of its former self. The heart of Silverthorne Castle was gone, and even though I’d wanted to return here because of all the memories, I didn’t want to stay long. There wasn’t anything left for me here anymore.

  My room was the same, but this time I wasn’t filled with wonder at everything around me. Sleep evaded me, so I went to see Penelope in her room.

  “Did you know?” said Kalen as soon as I walked in.

  “Know what?” I turned, arching a brow at Penelope, who was sitting on a chair near the fireplace, her back ramrod straight, her delicate hands clasped in her lap.

  “That Tristan and I are brothers,” Kalen elaborated.

  I nodded. What else could I say?

  “You should have told me.”

  “Penelope wanted to be the one to tell you.”

  A knock sounded at the door and Tristan came in. “You sent for me, Penelope.”

  Kalen looked at his mother. “Does he know too?”

  Penelope nodded.

  Kalen’s eyes narrowed and a cold smile curled his lips. “So clearly I am the last to know.”

  “It was for your own good, Kalen,” said Penelope, getting up from the chair and moving to put her hand on her son’s shoulder.

  He shifted away, but Tristan stepped forward, blocking his path. “You will need to be trained in the ways of the High Fae, Kalen. You must learn control of your powers.”

  Kalen threw his hands up in the air. “What powers? I don’t have any.”

  Tristan raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Penelope, then back at Kalen. “That is not possible. You are the son of the most powerful Grand Duke of the Night Court. Your magic must be formidable.”

  Penelope cleared her throat. “I may have had something to do with that.”

  “I thought so,” Tristan growled.

  Kalen looked wide-eyed at Tristan, and his eyes narrowed to slits when he turned to look at his mother. “What did you do, Mother?”

  She looked down, and it was the first time I had seen Penelope look embarrassed by something she had done. “I may have tampered with your powers slightly.”

  “Slightly!” Kalen raised his voice. “I have no powers at all. I don’t even have enough air magic to be an archer. And that is the most basic fae magic there is.” Kalen stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

  “Air magic,” Tristan scoffed. “I suspect he has a lot more than that.” He looked pointedly at Penelope. “The darkness of the Night Court bloodline cannot be contained for long. He must learn to control it before something happens to make him lose control. And Goddess help us when he does.”

  Penelope nodded. “I will remove the spell that contains his powers, and you can begin training him immediately.”

  Tristan nodded and left the room.

  I crossed my arms and looked at my mentor, who was now staring out of the big bay windows of her room. “Why did you do it, Penelope? Kalen had a right to know who he really was and what he can do. I know from experience being kept in the dark about your powers never ends well for anyone.”

  “I know,” said Penelope, her regret showing plainly on her face. “I thought I could keep him safe. Being the son of the Grand Duke of the Night Court comes with its own dangers. I may have been in love with Kildaren, but I am not blind to his faults. He can be cruel and selfish at the best of times.”

  “Tristan is not like that,” I said, suddenly feeling the need to defend my betrothed.

  “Oh, but he was,” said Penelope. “Tristan has changed over the centuries. You’ve only known him for a few months, Aurora. He is an immortal and has been around for a very long time. On the surface the enmity between the Night and Day Courts seems frivolous, but it was not always so. Night Court magic is dangerous. Those of the royal bloodline of the Night Court are sometimes born with powers so dangerous they cannot be controlled.” She looked away. “I wanted Kalen to have a normal life, before he got caught up in the problems and machinations of the High Fae court.”

  “I understand you did it to protect him,” I said. “But I’m not sure Kalen sees it that way.”

  “Maybe he will listen to you.”

  I nodded. “I will go speak to him now.”

  I left Penelope’s room and went in search of Kalen. Stray beams of moonlight lit up the corridors as I hurried through them, my heart racing; the memory of Lilith’s attack was still fresh in my mind. Somehow, knowing Uncle Gabriel wasn’t here made Silverthorne Castle seem more dangerous and eerie than I remembered it.

  Kalen wasn’t in his room, and I ended up outside Uncle Gabriel’s study. I stood before the big oak door and felt my heart constrict. I missed my granduncle’s gruff presence. In this time of turmoil, I would have given anything to be able to talk to him and ask his advice. He would have known what to do.

  I opened the door and entered the study. Everything seemed to have remained untouched since he left. Moonlight streamed in through the immense bay windows, hung with richly embroidered crimson curtains trimmed with gold, illuminating the numerous but slightly faded tapestries that covered the cold stone walls. Scenes depicting lush green forests filled with a host of different fae creatures stared back at me as I walked farther into the room, the sound of my boots muffled by the exotic carpets blanketing the floor. A sudden noise startled me, and I spun around to see a dark shape move out from behind Uncle Gabriel’s large mahogany desk.

  I let out a gasp, my heart beating rapidly in my chest, as a light appeared. I didn’t even know I had been holding my breath. “Rafe! You scared the daylights out of me.” I put my hand on my chest to calm myself. “What are you doing here, skulking around in the dark?”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing.” His tone was sharp, abrupt. He was holding something in his hand—an old worn scroll.

  “What’s that?” I asked, jerking my chin toward his hand.

  “Nothing of importance,” he said, and slipped it into his doublet. “You should be in your room. It’s late.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “I’m not a child.”

  “Well then stop behaving like one,” he snapped.

  I furrowed my brow. “I know you’re upset with me, but—”

  “Upset!” He smiled, a sardonic look on his face as he ran his fingers through his hair. “You could say that.”

  “I told you I’m sorry! I never mea
nt for it to happen like this. I didn’t know. I thought you were married. My grandmother, she tricked me.” I knew I was rambling, but I had to explain. “She—”

  “Save your breath, Aurora!” he said, stepping forward and pulling me toward him. I didn’t stop him as desire burned through my traitorous body. His hard body pressed against me as he leaned in, his breath hot on my ear. “Are you telling me you never meant to get betrothed to someone else? Or are you just upset I found out before you could spin another web of lies?”

  “Rafe! I have never lied to you.” I put my hands on his chest and looked up into his eyes, which appeared as if a storm were roiling inside them just waiting to be released. “Please, just listen to me. I didn’t have a choice.”

  “You always have a choice, Aurora,” he whispered. His voice was rough, bitter. “And you have made yours.” And just as abruptly, he let me go, turning toward the door.

  The door banged open before he reached it and Penelope barged in. “I thought I would find you here,” she said hurriedly.

  Rafe composed himself. “What’s wrong?”

  Penelope was wringing her hands, which was never a good sign. “It’s Kalen. He’s gone.”

  “Gone?” Rafe’s eyes narrowed. “Kalen wouldn’t leave. He knows to stay within the safety of the castle.”

  “He’s upset,” I interrupted, and then I told Rafe everything.

  He threw a glance at Penelope. “And you didn’t tell me this because . . . ?” He left the words hanging and waited for Penelope to reply.

  “I couldn’t, Rafe,” she said. “I told no one except my sister. If the fae court found out there was another Night Court prince—a Nightshade, no less—they would have tried to get rid of him when he was just a child. Even Tristan only found out recently that Kalen is his brother.”

  I looked toward the door. “Where is Tristan?”

  “He’s out looking for Kalen.”

  I turned to Rafe. “Tristan doesn’t know these woods. And Kalen hardly knows Tristan. He will only listen to you, Rafe.”

  “We will find them.” I could almost see the wheels turning in Rafe’s head as he quickly assessed the situation. “You both stay here in case he returns.”

  I shook my head. “No! I’m coming with you.”

  Rafe shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  We rode out into the woods that lay beyond the town walls. A thick mist rolled in from the mountains, shrouding the trees and undergrowth. A lone owl hooted in the distance, and the leaves of the massive willow trees were still. There was no breeze, and the woods felt eerily quiet, devoid of life. Rafe didn’t say a word as he scanned our surroundings, his senses on full alert. These were not the same woods I had ridden through with Erien just last year. Evil had been here—I could feel its malignant presence in the air.

  A twig snapped, and we wheeled our horses around. Rafe’s sword was already in his hand as he jumped off his black stallion. I followed suit, tightening my grip on Dawn.

  I heard a sudden screech and then a cry.

  “Kalen,” I called out and ran toward the sound.

  Kalen was on the ground, surrounded by at least a dozen gorgoths. For a moment my heart stopped, but I sighed in relief when I saw Tristan was already there, fighting the gorgoths, defending Kalen. His twin swords blazed as he systematically took down one gorgoth at a time, sometimes two. They circled around the two fae princes, growling and attacking, but couldn’t get past Tristan.

  Rafe raised an eyebrow. “Your fae prince doesn’t look like he needs any help.”

  Just then, another growl sounded behind us.

  My spine went rigid and I spun around. A whole pack of gorgoths had started to emerge from the trees behind us.

  Rafe lifted his brows. “Friends of yours?”

  “We’ve met before.” I shot a dark look at him as I readied myself to meet them, my heart beating erratically. I wished I had my fae senses, strength, and magic that could take down a bunch of gorgoths in one blow. But I didn’t. I was no longer a match for them, and whoever sent them knew that.

  I remembered how the last bunch of gorgoths had managed to defeat Tristan and my palms started to sweat.

  “Go for the wings,” I shouted to Rafe as I raised my sword. The gorgoths attacked. “Once they are down, cut off their heads—it’s the only way to kill them.”

  “Good to know,” Rafe muttered, slashing his sword and injuring one gorgoth as another flew at him from the trees.

  I gathered my magic and blasted the gorgoth with everything I had. The blast managed to push away the gorgoth from Rafe. I raised my sword and slashed at it, tightening my grip on Dawn as I ran forward, slashing through another gorgoth’s wing and making my way closer to Rafe.

  The gorgoths now turned their attention on Rafe and me. They were advancing on us from all sides. Without my fae powers I could not kill them; mage magic could not kill gorgoths like fae magic.

  “Aurora!” Kalen shouted, finally noticing us.

  He pushed himself up and ran toward the gorgoths. Among all the confusion I noticed something was different about him—he moved faster than I had ever seen him move before. Kalen’s violet eyes flashed silver, and dark shadows started to form in his hands as he ran, snaking out from his fingertips. I stifled a gasp as he reached out his hand and one of the shadows uncoiled like a snake, wrapping itself like a noose around the closest gorgoth’s neck. It sank to the ground, struggling and thrashing in its deathly bonds.

  Searing pain slashed across my back as a gorgoth took advantage of my distracted state. I screamed as I fell to the ground, and the gorgoth pounced on me. There was a time when my magic could have killed all of them, but now I couldn’t even get one gorgoth off me.

  “Aurora!” Rafe shouted, and slashed the gorgoth’s wing with his sword, kicking it away from me.

  It sank to the ground, its eyes glazed over.

  I pushed myself to my knees and looked at his sword; it was glowing with a faint silvery sheen. Dwarven-made, I thought, just like my own sword, Dawn, that Rafe had given me what felt like a lifetime ago.

  A gorgoth loomed behind Rafe. Without thinking, I pulled out the dagger from my boot and flung it straight at the creature. It buried itself in its chest, and the monster staggered back. Rafe turned swiftly, raising his sword and severing the gorgoth’s head from its body.

  He held out his hand to pull me to my feet. “Your sword and dagger skills have improved considerably,” he said unexpectedly, glancing over at Tristan. “I suspect a certain fae prince might have had something to do with that.”

  I couldn’t help but smile and nod. My attention turned to Tristan, who stood with a pile of severed gorgoth heads at his feet. His twin swords blazed with silver fire in his hands, and his dark hair framed his face as his stormy midnight-blue eyes glittered with silver sparks. He looked like an avenging angel, like when I first saw him in Brandor when he saved me from the Drakaar. And in that moment, even with Rafe standing beside me, a part of me was proud to be Tristan’s betrothed.

  “I guess the legends about him are not so far-fetched after all,” Rafe said, and I could see admiration in his beautiful gray eyes.

  There were still many gorgoths surrounding us, but they had stopped advancing. To my astonishment, it wasn’t Tristan they seemed afraid of. It was Kalen, who was standing in front of them, his hands outstretched as tendrils of darkness moved menacingly around the closest gorgoth, smothering it completely until the creature was nothing but a pile of dust.

  The remaining gorgoths, recognizing Kalen’s power, bowed their heads and moved back into the shadows of the trees, disappearing into the darkness of the misty night.

  Kalen collapsed at Tristan’s feet.

  Return to Pixie Bush

  Tristan carried Kalen back to the castle. He was still unconscious and lay limp in his brother’s arms.

  Penelope was waiting for us at the entrance, wringing her hands. “What happened?”

  “Gorgoths,” Rafe answered quic
kly, as he helped me walk with his arm around my waist. The gash on my back had soaked my tunic with blood, and the pain made me feel lightheaded. I really missed my fae powers.

  “They must have been tracking us,” Penelope confirmed. “Those gorgoths were waiting for you.” She gave me a quick glance. “We must leave at the crack of dawn and get through the portal before anyone realizes we have left. They will be waiting for us in the mountains, but we will be long gone.”

  We took Kalen to his room, and Penelope proceeded to check him while Tristan explained to her how his powers had manifested in the forest, causing him to collapse after using them.

  “Will he be all right?” I asked, sitting down on the bed beside him.

  Penelope nodded. “He just needs to rest. Using his powers for the first time has taken a toll. He will slowly adjust to having them.”

  “I told you something like this could happen,” Tristan said. “He has to learn to control his powers. He used too much when it wasn’t necessary.”

  “Yes, you are right,” Penelope agreed. “He will be fine by morning.” She looked me over. “But your back seems to be in worse condition. Lie down on your stomach and let me take a look at it.”

  “I’m fine,” I muttered, as Penelope went to her table and started mixing ingredients to put on my back.

  Penelope shooed Tristan and Rafe out of the room before inspecting my wounds. I lay still and let her do her work, relieved that Penelope was here to heal me. I needed all my strength for the days ahead.

  I barely had a nap before it was time to leave. Sleep was out of the question.

  We were in our saddles riding into the forest as the sun started to light up the morning sky above the trees. Kalen was much better, and Penelope had healed my back. It was still uncomfortable, but there was no pain. Luckily, the gashes had not been deep. We had gathered supplies for our journey ahead, and we could not waste any more time.