Born of Embers

by R A Lewis

  Suddenly, the door flap was pushed aside and one of Leif’s officers stepped into the chamber.

  “Pardon the intrusion, your Majesty, but there is news.”

  Kalina stood with her council members.

  “What is it, Bjorn?” Leif asked.

  “There’s a messenger.”

  “Let them in.” Kalina said, motioning.

  The council members all sat once again, waiting. Bjorn disappeared for a moment before returning with a familiar face. Nash stood in the doorway. Kalina gaped at him before walking forward. He smiled tightly at her and embraced her as she reached for him.

  “Nash! I didn’t think you’d come back.”

  She stepped back and held the man at arm’s length. He shrugged, his green eyes darting around the room, taking in each face.

  “Is there a place we can speak in private?”

  Kalina frowned.

  “This is my council. Whatever news you have, I’m sure they must hear.”

  He nodded and stepped forward to address them all while Kalina went back to her chair at the head of the table. He cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking. Kalina wondered at his strange demeanor. This wasn’t the Nash she’d left a few months ago back in Amberharbor.

  “After our Queen left me in Amberharbor I was captured by King Terric’s men.” His declaration was met with utter silence, the entire council chamber in utter shock at his words.

  Finally, it was as if some spell broke the tension building in the room and everyone began talking at once, questions firing at Nash faster than he could answer. But Kalina raised a hand and everyone went quiet, looking to her.

  “How did you escape?”

  The most important question. Nash finally made eye contact with her.

  “He let me go.”

  Kalina sat across from him and frowned. Kari, who sat on her left, seemed a ball of energy, full of questions. Kalina laid a hand on her cousin’s arm. To her right, Leif spoke up.

  “Why?”

  Nash seemed to rock forward on his toes, as if getting ready to run.

  “For this.”

  His hand whipped forward, and a flash of silver spun through the air. Kalina barely had time to gasp before something thudded into her and knocked her to the floor. Chaos erupted in the chamber as she lay there, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Leif was immediately by her side, as was Rangvald. That was when Kalina realized that the thing that had knocked her down, that was keeping her pinned to the floor, was Kari. Rangvald gingerly pulled his sister off of his queen, and Kalina sat up with Leif’s help.

  That’s when she saw the dagger sticking out of Kari’s right shoulder. It was in deep, up to the hilt, blood seeping through her shirt. But Kari was awake, her eyes wide in anger and shock. Kalina’s head whipped around, searching the room for Nash, and when she found him, he was held between Ingvar and Arvid, Jormungand behind him, a knife pressed to his throat.

  “Wait!” Kalina cried out. “Don’t kill him.”

  Jormungand looked up in disbelief but took a step back. Kalina struggled to her feet, briefly pressing a hand to Kari’s back in gratitude. Leif never left her side as she walked towards Nash. She was actively trying to hold back tears of anger and betrayal, but she had to stay calm. When she was face to face with him, she searched his green eyes, finding only pain and sadness there.

  “Why?” she asked him again, her voice barely above a whisper. Nash’s face crumbled and he sagged in his captor’s arms.

  “They have her. They have my Sitala.”

  His voice broke on her name and suddenly Kalina understood. She swallowed the lump in her own throat and the panic that threatened to crawl its way out and nodded to Ingvar and Arvid, Bjorn standing behind them in the doorway, shocked.

  “Take him away and lock him up.”

  They dragged him from the room with Jormungand, Asta, and Bjorn on their heels. Nash cried out, calling for Sitala, begging to see her, begging for forgiveness. Kalina squeezed her eyes shut, digging her fingernails into her palms and focusing on the pain there. Why hadn’t he stabbed her when she’d first hugged him? He had seemed in shock when she approached him but Kalina couldn’t figure out why. Leif placed a hand on her shoulder, his gentle heat spreading through her. She longed to turn and bury her face into his chest and let herself fall apart but now was not the time. She took a shuddering breath and turned back to the room where Rangvald had helped his sister into a chair and was removing the blade.

  Kalina went to her cousin’s side and took her hand. Kari looked at her fiercely and for the first time, Kalina realized just how much this woman felt for her. Kari was truly her friend, willing to take a blade for her, willing to die for her. And with a small jolt, Kalina realized she felt the same way.

  “Thank you, Kari. Words are not enough to express my gratitude.”

  She tried to make her feelings known through her touch and her eyes. Kari smiled and then gritted her teeth as Rangvald began wrapping her shoulder with a bandage. Eira came forward then, taking Kari’s hand and helping her to stand.

  “Let’s go get you fixed up, my darling.”

  And then she took her daughter out of the room, her son trailing behind and leaving Kalina standing alone with Leif. She turned to face him.

  He stepped forward, his arms going around her and she melted into him. As her arms wrapped around his muscled torso, she realized she could feel him shaking and she drew back for a moment, looking up into his handsome face.

  “I thought-” he trailed off and then cleared his throat. “I thought you were dead.”

  Kalina nodded silently and pulled him close once again. She let a bit of her fear and anger out in a small sob. She was so incredibly lucky. If the dagger had flown true it would have hit home, in the center of her chest. She had come so close to dying and suddenly all she wanted to do was live.

  “Come with me.”

  She wiped her eyes with one hand and took Leif’s other and led him from the cave and down the darkened hallways.

  They came out into the dragon’s cave where she made a beeline for their dragons who were lying side by side. Kalina woke Maska gently, placing her head against his. She whispered to him of what happened and felt his frustration and anger at the fate of Nash and Sitala. As much as they hadn’t been good matches for her and Maska, they had been their friends. Kalina and Leif put their saddles on their dragons and then mounted up. Together Maska and Arikara launched them into the air and out of the cavern, the wide-open expanse of the Wastes opening before them.

  Kalina was tempted to just keep flying until they were far away from here. But the last time she had tried to run from her problems they had resulted in Nash being captured and then trying to kill her. So instead, she lost herself in Maska’s aerial acrobatics, the setting sun and cold air stinging her face and taking away the fear that had been consuming her and making her heart race in exhilaration. Leif and Arikara frolicked beside her, savoring the joy of their queen and her mount.

  Chapter 26

  Kalina spent her days with Kari when she wasn’t with her mother, keeping her company while she healed. With Kari she plotted revenge on the king, the various ways in which they would kill him. It put a grin on Kari’s face and was an outlet for Kalina’s anger. She trained in the evenings with Leif, working hard until her side no longer pulled in pain and she once again felt strong. She still slept in the dragon’s cave but now Leif joined her and together they would curl up side by side, their dragons around them in a protective ring. She hadn’t slept so well in months.

  A few weeks after the attack, when Kari was in the training yard with her, working slowly and carefully with her shoulder, Eira came to find Kalina. When she had finished her sparring session with Leif, sweat pouring down her face, she walked over, meeting Eira halfway.

  “Aunt.” She wiped her arm across her forehead, smearing the sweat. “Is everything alright?”

  Eira smiled and reached out, tucking a stray piece of
Kalina’s silver hair behind her ear.

  “You do look like your mother, you know.” Kalina smiled.

  “She asked for you this morning.”

  Eira walked with Kalina from the training cave and into the darkened hallways. With winter descending, the mountain was cooling off. Hallways and caverns that used to be humid with heat were now chill. The drying sweat on Kalina’s skin made her shiver.

  “I’ll go right after I bathe. I’ll bring her dinner.”

  Eira nodded in satisfaction and squeezed Kalina’s arm.

  “Good.”

  An hour later Kalina stood outside her rooms, a tray of food in her arms. She took a deep breath before pushing aside the door covering and entering. Cherise was sitting up in bed, her beautiful blonde hair braided to the side, like the Valdir wore theirs.

  “Hello, mother.”

  The title still felt foreign on Kalina’s lips. She had been an orphan for so long, and she’d known about her parents for so short a time, she still wasn’t used to addressing someone as the title mother or father. Her heart sank at the reminder that she would never see her father again. Cherise smiled broadly and held out a hand for her daughter.

  Kalina searched Cherise’s face when she sat beside her. Her mother had filled out a tiny bit since she’d arrived, finally eating food, and Kalina could see that they did share certain facial features. Kalina had her father’s blue eyes, and high cheekbones, but she had her mother’s softer brow, straight nose, and full lips. Her mother’s green eyes sparkled with joy at seeing her daughter.

  “How have you been feeling?” Kalina asked.

  They had talked about her past, and she had told her mother about most of her life, but she still felt like she still barely knew her.

  “Better. Eira has been taking great care of me. Strange, to think that in another life, she would have been my sister.”

  She smiled sadly, before dropping her gaze to the tray of food Kalina had brought. She reached forward and grabbed a small, shriveled apple.

  “Oh, I love apples!”

  “Me too.”

  Kalina took another of the apples and bit into it. It was a bit sour, but it was full of juice which ran down her chin. She wiped it away, struggling to figure out what she wanted to ask her mother. She remembered the last time they’d eaten apples together, in the garden at Ravenhelm Castle where they’d first met.

  “Tell me about you and my father.” She asked finally.

  Her mother paused mid-bite and smiled.

  “That’s an easy question. Let me see, where do I begin?”

  “When did you first meet?”

  Kalina relaxed back onto the end of the bed and watched her mother’s face as it brightened. She smoothed her hand over her huge belly and sighed.

  “It was the beginning of summer and I was rushing down the hall because my father had asked me to come greet the King of the Valdir. But I spilt tea all over my dress and had to change so I was late. I was passing the council chambers, hoping they were still in the entrance hall, and straightening my skirt when I ran smack into your father.” She paused and laughed at the memory. She looked over at her daughter at the end of the bed. “He helped me up and was gracious and kind. We got to talking about our people and he told me what it was like to be the Prince of the Valdir. Over the next few weeks we spent every moment that we possibly could together. He introduced me to Kaya, his dragon and even took me flying. My father did not like that.” She paused again with a small laugh.

  Kalina cleared her throat.

  “What made him decide to break your engagement?”

  Cherise smiled sadly.

  “Well, there was only a verbal agreement with Hakon’s father that we should wed. The agreement had been made when Hakon and I were born, during the middle of the war, and then when we were old enough, his father came to the capitol to solidify the marriage but my father refused. Askor had already been sniffing around, looking for a way to end the war and my father wasn’t sure what was the best course of action. So, after he realized that Hakon and I were falling in love, he knew he needed to make a decision.”

  “And he decided to marry you off to the Askorian Prince?” Kalina said, bitterly. She wouldn’t have been raised an orphan if her parents had been allowed to wed. She blamed her grandfather for that.

  Cherise reached out and patted her daughter’s hand.

  “Don’t blame your grandfather. He didn’t feel he had a choice. The war was taking a huge toll on the Valdir and our people. Our resources were dwindling, and Askor was harrying our coast, so trade ships weren’t getting through from other countries. He made a tough decision.”

  Kalina still frowned. She understood it, but it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair she’d been deprived of love and affection. But there was nothing she could do to change the past.

  “I just can’t believe he forced you into a marriage with a man like Terric.”

  Cherise looked down at her baby bump, a sad smile on her lips.

  “One day, Kalina, you may understand the importance of a political marriage. Before I even knew I was pregnant with you, my father sat me down and told me his reasons. I knew I had a duty to my people above all else, so I agreed to the marriage. As Princess of Ethea, and Queen of the Valdir, you too may find yourself in a situation where you must decide between a man you love and a political alliance.” Her eyes were serious as she watched her daughter.

  Kalina shifted uncomfortably. She had never really thought of that possibility. Surely, she wouldn’t be forced to marry someone from another country just for political gain? The war with Askor was over and once she took back her kingdom, or rather, her mother’s kingdom, the war between the Valdir and the Etheans would be over and she would be free to marry whomever she wished. A vision of Leif in a white suit swam before her and she had to hastily shake her head to dispel the image. Finally, Cherise patted the bed up by her head.

  “Come, let’s think about something happier. Any ideas of what I should name your little brother?”

  “How do you know it is a boy?”

  Cherise winked at her daughter with a cunning smile.

  “I just know, my darling.”

  Kalina grinned and moved up the bed to sit beside her mother. Together, they spent the next hour discussing different names for her half-brother.

  Chapter 27

  Kalina was in the dragon cavern, spending quality time with Maska discussing the events of the last few days, when Jormungand came running down the stairs. He burst out of the tunnel and into the cavern, heaving breaths. Kalina stood, one hand on Maska’s side. She wasn’t sure if she was restraining him or reassuring him but Maska was suddenly tightly wound beside her. After the events of the last few months, Kalina didn’t know what to expect.

  The man was doubled over for a second, catching his breath but finally he straightened, his silver hair a bit disheveled.

  “My Queen,” he huffed out. “We just got word from the mountains. Askorian ships have been spotted on both the west and eastern coasts. They are heading south.”

  Kalina’s blood ran cold and she looked sideways at Maska. For a few moments, she wasn’t sure what to do but finally she motioned for Jormungand to join her.

  “Come. I’ll fly you up to the top of the mountain and we will call a meeting.”

  Together they climbed onto Maska’s back and the green dragon launched himself into the air, skimming just over the heads of the other dragons and out into the sky. Cold air hit her like a wall and Kalina was momentarily gasping for breath. Winter was here and, soon, the Wastes would be covered in frost every morning. When Maska landed in the entrance chamber, Kalina had formed the outlines of a plan.

  “Call the council. Immediately.”

  She snapped out the order to Jormungand who nodded and raced off as Kalina strode towards her rooms. There she helped her mother out of bed and into a dressing robe and then to a chair at the table. Just as they sat, her council members began to arrive. Kalina ga
ve Leif a meaningful look and together they stepped off to the side.

  Kalina laid out her plan to him, eager for his input. He scratched the silver stubble on his chin for a moment before answering, his face deadly serious.

  “It could work. But you’d be asking people to die.”

  Kalina clenched her jaw and nodded.

  “We’ll ask for volunteers then. I’m done playing safe.”

  Leif nodded, and they turned to rejoin the group. Kalina gestured for Jormungand and Rangvald to report.

  “We set up an early warning system all along the Great Grey Mountains as you asked. Its purpose was to let us know if anything was happening on our coasts,” Rangvald explained.

  Jormungand jumped in.

  “We just got word that Askor has sent two fleets of ships, one down each coast and we think they are coming here. I would hazard a guess that they are planning to come at us in a pincer movement, from both sides.”

  Rangvald nodded beside the man. There was a general murmur around the room.

  “We can’t stay here. We must leave. We are so few already.” Asta objected, her eyes wide in fear.

  It was the first time Kalina had seen fear on the warrior’s face and it scared her, right down to her bones. Panic began to rise, but beside her, Leif noticed her stiffening posture and reached a hand below the table, squeezing her knee. Kalina slowed her breathing and focused back on the task at hand, the plan she had formulated. She let her breath out and stood.

  “Then we flee. We take the women and children and those too old to fight into the mountains. We send them with the majority of our forces. But we leave a skeleton crew here, enough to draw Ethea and Askor in and encourage them to fight. Then while they are distracted, fighting, we infiltrate the capital and take the throne for my mother, and then use Ethea’s military to drive the Askorians out.”

  Asta, Arvid, Ingvar, and Jormungand looked at her with renewed respect. Eira frowned, but Kari let out a small cheer. It was what she’d been pushing for all along.