We sat in silence as the warmth of the fire and the rising sun kept us safe from the chill in the air. Larylis’ eyes kept darting around the field, hand on the hilt of his sword as if he were ready to spring at the slightest sign of movement.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, Cora began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, and she pushed herself to sitting. With a hand pressed to her forehead, she looked from me to Larylis, then up at the sky, squinting under the sunlight. “I’m sorry. I hoped I wouldn’t be out too long.”
“It’s all right,” Larylis said. “Rest as long as you need. The nearest village is no more than an hour’s ride from here. There we can get a traveling coach and make decent progress toward Dermaine before nightfall.”
Cora looked around. “Where are Valorre and Hara?”
“Grazing at the edge of the field,” Larylis said, pointing.
Cora turned to follow his direction, then sighed when she spotted the two creatures in the distance. “Give me a few more moments, then I’ll call them back. After that, I’ll be well enough to ride again.”
“Very well.” Larylis stood to repack our belongings while I got to my feet.
It felt good to stretch my legs, cramped from sitting on the cold earth so long. I took a few steps away from the Rock, eyes drawn to the legendary valley. Even under the full illumination of the sun, it made me shudder to think how many men had died here. I stole a glance at Larylis, wondering what it was like for him to be back in a place where he’d once seen such terrors.
A distant sound stole my attention, and I returned to face the expanse of field. The sound was a rhythmic beating, slowly growing louder, closer. A shadow crept over the sun, and I lifted my eyes toward the source. An enormous pair of wings beat the sky above, soaring from one end of the valley to the other. I shivered at the sight, knowing it could only be one thing. Dragon. As the creature reached the far end over the hills, it slowly turned until it faced our direction. Its white wings spread out and stilled as the dragon drifted lower and landed at the far end of the valley.
My heart hammered in my chest as I stood frozen. My legs quaked, but I couldn’t get them to run as the dragon took a step forward. Even from far away, I could see its tongue flicking in and out of its mouth, head bobbing on its long, sinuous neck.
Larylis darted in front of me, sword drawn in one hand and a shield in the other. The dragon opened its maw and erupted with a loud screech. Cora rushed to my other side, arrow nocked into her bow.
“Get back, Mare!” Larylis shouted.
I looked from him to the dragon, wondering how he expected to face the creature with nothing but a sword and shield. My eyes darted toward Cora, her daring bow seeming more like a toy as I compared it to the size of our foe.
The dragon took a few hesitant steps forward, head weaving side to side. I eyed its opalescent scales, blindingly bright where they reflected the light of the sun. Long, pointed teeth filled its open mouth, appearing more threatening with every step it took.
Larylis slashed the air with his sword, as if that would deter it from coming closer.
“Your sword won’t stop it,” Cora said under her breath. I knew she was right. How could pathetic human weapons stop creatures from a magical realm?
Then it dawned on me. They came from a magical realm. Perhaps magic can stop them…magic that I supposedly have.
Again, the dragon moved forward, faster now, taking one lurching step after another. I searched within myself, trying to summon whatever powers I had. What do I do? What do I do? I’d never consciously used my powers before. How was I supposed to use them in the face of a towering beast? This wasn’t some unwanted engagement; I couldn’t simply glamour myself to be ugly.
Then I remembered what Cora had said about me using the Arts to save Liam. How did I do it? Can I do it again? Can I protect us all? I closed my eyes and focused on Liam, feeling the weight of him in my arms. Warmth spread through my heart and radiated outward. A smile tugged at my lips as I lifted my chin. Of course I can. I’m the Mother of Prophecy.
The ground rumbled beneath me, and I opened my eyes to see the dragon surge forward with increasing speed. I tried to keep my focus on the warmth of my power, on Liam, on protection, but the dragon was growing dangerously near.
The warmth was gone. I felt nothing. My power was useless.
With a shriek, I retreated until I felt the Rock against my back. Cora and Larylis followed, standing just before me. Cora pulled her arrow back and released it. It looked as if the arrow would strike the dragon’s eye, but before it could meet its mark, the dragon blinked. The arrow glanced off its shield of scales and fell to the ground. With a screech, the dragon opened its mouth, a fiery glow illuminated from within. Larylis crouched, ready to spring forward with his sword.
“Get down, both of you!” Cora shouted. Before I realized what was happening, Cora dropped her bow and rolled to the ground. I folded my body over Liam and sank to the base of the Rock. A hand found my ankle and grasped it tight as heat seared overhead. A screech echoed through the valley as rumbling steps came near. Just when I was certain the dragon would be upon us, the sound of its steps passed behind and began to grow fainter. After a moment, the sound of wings beating air pulsed at the other end of the field, then rose overhead. I refused to lift my eyes until the field had returned to silence.
“What happened?” I muttered, meeting Cora’s eyes as she lifted her head. Behind her, Larylis was on his hands and knees with Cora’s hand on his shoulder.
Cora looked at the sky before she removed her hands from me and Larylis. “Our weapons weren’t going to work on the creature,” she said, “so I glamoured us at the last moment.”
“How do you know they wouldn’t work?” Larylis’ cheeks were red, eyes burning with fury as he got to his feet. “I could have tried.”
“The archers couldn’t bring it down,” Cora said. “An arrow to the eye did nothing. I doubt your sword would have done more than tickle it.”
Larylis threw his shield down with a scowl and rammed his sword into its sheath. “Why did I bring these things then, if not to protect the woman I love?”
I then understood the source of his anger. He’d been prevented from protecting me, from following his strongest driving force. I could relate. I’d tried to protect us all. And failed.
“What did you glamour us as?” I asked, to change the subject. Liam whimpered in my arms, and I brought my lips to his head to soothe him.
“I glamoured us as part of Centerpointe Rock.”
I raised an eyebrow. “A rock? What would stop the dragon from burning a rock?”
Cora shrugged. “What would stop the dragon from doing anything? At least I did something…and it worked. It’s gone.”
She was right. She did something—exactly what I couldn’t do. If she hadn’t acted, if she’d still been asleep when the dragon came, we likely wouldn’t be alive. I looked down at Liam and shuddered. I’m just as useless as ever before. It took all the willpower I had to force myself to mutter, “Thank you.”
“Are Valorre and Hara safe?” Larylis asked, scanning the field.
Cora nodded. “As soon as I saw the dragon, I told Valorre to take Hara up the hill to hide beneath the trees. They were gone before the dragon even landed.”
Larylis sighed. “We need to do the same. The sooner we get to the village, the better.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Will we be any safer in a village? In a traveling coach? The dragons weren’t supposed to be this far south in the first place.”
“I know.” Cora’s eyes locked on mine, then fell on Liam. “It’s almost like it followed us.”
Silence grew heavy around us, and I tried to ignore the terrifying questions that pounded through my head. How did it find us? Who is it following? Is it…Liam?
Cora turned away and began to walk toward the surrounding hills. “Stay close to me. If you hear even a hint of wings, crouch down and grab hold of me.”
&
nbsp; I wanted to scoff at her order, to argue that I didn’t need her protection. I wanted to tell her that Larylis’ sword was enough. I wanted to demand she show me how to use my powers then and there, so I never had to rely on her—or anyone—again. But the memory of wings, of gnashing teeth, of scales, of flame, crept into my mind, and I kept my retorts to myself. With a heavy heart, I followed close on Cora’s heels and ascended the hill.
11
SEEKING
Teryn
“Do you think they made it yet?” Queen Mother Helena asked in a quiet voice as she stared out the window of my study.
I jumped, having forgotten her presence. She’d asked to sit with me that morning, and although she did nothing more than stare out a window while I tended to my duties, she seemed comforted by my company. I suppose that’s what sharing a secret will do.
I turned to her. “They should be close, if not there already. Larylis said he’d send a messenger when they arrived, but that message could still be days away from reaching us.”
“Couldn’t Queen Coralaine simply…do what she does? Use her magic to show up here and tell us they made it safe?” She wrinkled her nose, as if talk of magic left an unsavory taste in her mouth.
“I suppose she could,” I said, rubbing my brow. “But it isn’t what we discussed. She has work to do at Dermaine, and she still doesn’t fully understand her power to Travel. I’d never ask her to use it more than necessary.”
Helena drummed her fingers on the windowsill. “What if something went wrong? What if it didn’t work? What if the magic…failed?” She spun toward me. “Am I crazy for agreeing to such a plan? Just a few days ago, I knew of magic only from what I’d heard about the Battle at Centerpointe Rock. Now I discover Queen Coralaine has magic. Even my own daughter…Then I saw a unicorn…”
I stood and went to her, extending my hand toward an empty chair. “Come, sit. Staring out that window isn’t going to bring her back any sooner.”
Helena glared, then gave in, sinking into the chair as I poured her some tea. “Thank you,” Helena mumbled, then brought the cup to her lips. “Sometimes I think I’d be better off if Mareleau had left me in the dark. But I asked for this.”
“I know it’s a lot to take in. Even Queen Bethaeny…” My chest felt tight as I thought of my mother. She’d grown so tired since my father’s death. It was as if she’d managed to remain strong only long enough to see me and my brother secured in our futures before retiring. My heart ached, wondering if Mother might not be far from joining Father in the otherlife.
“She doesn’t know, does she?” Helena asked. “About what Mareleau told me?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think she’d want to know either. My father’s death was hard on her.”
Helena nodded. “I know. Our pains have been much the same. It’s been a comfort to have her living at Verlot with me, even though we spend most of our time in silence when she isn’t feeling ill. I’d say it’s a shame she didn’t come to your coronation, but I believe she’s much safer at Verlot.”
A knock sounded at the door, offering a welcome distraction from the lump in my throat. I turned toward the door as a messenger entered.
“I have the day’s reports, Your Majesty,” the messenger said.
I nodded, prompting him to deliver his news.
“It’s been more of the same, Your Majesty,” he began. “The scouts have followed the dragons’ movements. They seem to remain mostly in northern Kero. More crops have been burned, more livestock taken. In addition, two dragon sightings were reported in Vera.”
I paled and forced my voice to remain steady. “Where in Vera?”
“One sighting was reported near Borden. Another to the northeast, near the Vera-Kero border. The sightings were likely regarding the same dragon, Your Majesty.”
Borden. That’s near Centerpointe Rock. “Were any casualties reported?”
“Cattle, sheep, and crops, Your Majesty.”
“No…people?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
I let out a heavy sigh. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Helena doing the same. “Anything else? Any word about the King of Syrus?”
“No, Your Majesty, but the scouts should be reaching Risa any day now. If there is any information to gain about the Northern Islands, we should receive word shortly.”
“Very well. Thank you,” I said, dismissing him. I returned to my desk, but my eyes refused to focus on my work. A dragon in Vera. Near Centerpointe Rock. Could it be a coincidence?
“By the Gods, they better make it to Dermaine safely,” Helena muttered.
“Make it there safe,” I said, my stomach sinking. “And find that book.”
* * *
Cora
After arriving at Dermaine without further encounters with the dragon, I thought the hardest of my trials were over. But as I stepped into the enormous palace library, I was hit with a sense of dread and felt immediately overwhelmed. How was I supposed to find a book I’d never seen before amongst the endless shelves before me?
“I hope Lex was right about that book,” Larylis said, eyes scanning the shelves as if he were thinking the same thing.
“He was.” The confidence in my tone didn’t match the worry in my mind. What if Lex had, in fact, been wrong? What if the book was nowhere to be found? What if Lex had remembered the title wrong? I shook the questions away. “Even Teryn said he recalled the book Lex mentioned.”
“Well, let us hope it’s still here then,” Larylis said. “I can’t imagine why a book like that would be here in the first place.”
Looking around at the pristine tables, the bright light streaming in through the tall windows, and the clean, straight spines of the books on the shelves, I could see why he would doubt such a thing. Dermaine’s library had the feel of a purely academic environment. There was nothing mystical about the place. Perhaps that will make the book easier to find.
Larylis faced me. “I must meet with the council. I’ve made sure you will have the library to yourself, but if you need help, don’t hesitate to send a guard to fetch a scribe. Also, I’m sure Mareleau would be happy to assist if you need her.”
I nodded, although I wasn’t sure he was right about Mareleau. She’d barely said a word to me since our encounter with the dragon.
He gave me a bow and left for his meeting, leaving me to the quiet of the empty library. I walked along the perimeter of the room, scanning titles, and looking for anything that stood out. But what am I looking for? History? Mythology? There certainly won’t be a section on magic.
A sense of panic crushed my chest, making my breathing grow shallow. Just as my head began to spin, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. I can do this…a different way.
Keeping my eyes closed, I ran my hand along the shelves, reaching toward different books, sensing, seeking. Where are you? I thought of El’Ara, of the stories I’d been told. I thought about Satsara, Ailan, and Darius, seeking their resonance amongst the pages around me.
Finally, I felt a pull. I opened my eyes and turned toward one of the bookcases along the far wall. The air felt as if it were sizzling around me the nearer I came. As I approached it, my eyes were drawn toward the top. It’s there.
I whirled around, seeking one of the long, rolling ladders, and pushed it in front of the bookcase. With hands gripped tight around the rungs, I pulled myself up, feeling my inner fire burning brighter and brighter. Then I stopped.
A row of books spread before me with seemingly unrelated titles. They appeared to be works of fiction. I ran my finger along the spines until I found what I was looking for. The Once and Former Magic of Ancient Lela.
My hands trembled as I retrieved the book, and I had to force my legs to remain steady as I descended the ladder. Once my feet were planted on the ground, I sank to my bottom and curled my legs beneath me.
I stared at the plain, brown leather cover etched with a simple, gold script that formed the title. There was no further annotation, no
t even an author name. I thumbed open the cover to the pages within. I gently turned the thin paper until I reached the inner title page. The Once and Former Magic of Ancient Lela. By A.I. Lan.
My heart raced. A.I. Lan. Ailan.
In my hands was a book written by Ailan herself. My face broke into a grin, and I was barely able to contain the excitement flooding my chest. I’ve found you. Now, let’s see what secrets you have for me.
12
THE BOOK
Mareleau
The library was dark, lit by a flickering lantern as I slowly circled the table, gently bouncing Liam to sleep in my arms. My eyes darted to Cora, brow furrowed as she scanned a page in the book. I’d been watching her read for over an hour, yet not once did she look up to share any revelations with me. I felt bored and unproductive, yet anything was better than sitting alone, waiting for Larylis to return from his meeting while I forced myself not to think about dragons. “Anything yet?”
Cora shook her head, and my stomach sank. I passed behind her chair and saw she was nearing the final pages. My heart hammered in my chest. The book is almost done! How has she found nothing useful to share? I suppressed a grumble and took a seat across from her. Perhaps she just doesn’t want to talk about it yet.
I watched as Cora turned the final page, eyes lingering longer than it should have taken her to read the few short paragraphs. Then, with a slam, she closed the book.
My eyes widened. “What? What is it?”
She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Why would Ailan write this?”
“Cora, you have to tell me something. What did you learn?”
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