Shades of Prophecy

by Tessonja Odette

  More sounds came from ahead, followed by a grumble that made the cave walls tremble.

  “Yes, Ferrah, I’m here,” Ailan said with a laugh, although I could see no reason to be so lighthearted. She turned to me. “Come. I’ll be right by your side.”

  I hesitated. “Is this really necessary?”

  “You want the other Elvan to respect you.” It wasn’t a question. “You can create all the glamours you want, but evidence in a way they can understand will be what sways them. Being bonded to a dragon will solidify your position here.”

  If she was manipulating me, she was doing a good job. It was all I needed to hear to get my shoulders to pull back, my chin to lift. “Fine. Introduce me, then.”

  We continued forward, rounding a bend and coming to a wide cavern. Pools of fire danced over the cavern floor but didn’t seem to spread. In the middle of this cavern was Ferrah, sinuous tail swishing side to side, firelight glinting off her white scales. At the sight of Ailan, Ferrah bounded over to us, feathered wings tucked close to her body. I held my ground, struggling to maintain my composure as the dragon halted before us. My arms never moved from around Liam.

  Ailan extended her arm, palm forward, and Ferrah brought her nose to meet it, a purring sound rumbling through her chest. After an exchange of purrs and pets, Ailan stepped back and edged closer to me. “Your turn,” she whispered.

  My heart felt as if it would leap from my throat. “What do I do?”

  “Keep your eyes on her, your body relaxed, then extend your hand. Let her come to you.”

  Ferrah’s head bobbed side to side as she regarded us, tongue flicking in and out of her scaly mouth. “You expect me to relax?”

  “Just try.”

  I took a deep breath, then imagined a glamour. Confident. Calm. My power wrapped around me, making me stand even taller. Then I froze. No. I can do this on my own. I am confident. I am calm. The glamour fell way, but it felt as if my power remained. Slowly, I lifted my hand and raised my palm toward Ferrah.

  Ferrah continued to eye me but didn’t seem keen on moving closer. I remained steady. Liam made a cooing noise, and for a moment I worried it would startle her. I breathed away my fear and kept my palm raised, eyes fixed on the dragon.

  Finally, Ferrah took one step, then another, her claws scratching on stone as she moved to stand in front of me. She brought her head close to my hand. I nearly jumped as her tongue tickled my skin. Stay calm. Stay calm.

  Ferrah brought her face to my palm.

  Terror and awe and joy flooded me from head to toe as I felt the warm scales touch my skin, heard her rumbling purr. I couldn’t help but grin, thinking it was the widest I’d smiled in days.

  Ailan put her hand on my shoulder. “She will listen to you now. Somewhat.”

  “What does that mean? Am I supposed to talk to her?”

  “You can,” Ailan said.

  I swallowed hard. “Hi…Ferrah. I’m Mareleau.” Something flooded my mind. Not words, not even a feeling. It was more like a knowing. I am accepted.

  * * *

  Cora

  I felt strong.

  The pain in my arm was beginning to return—it had been hours since Gerta had come to care for my wound. Yet, my mind was at peace, and that was all I needed. Darkness no longer pressed me down, it was part of me. Welcome. Comforting. I’d already faced what was in the dark. What else was there to fear?

  Time to go.

  I’d learned what I’d needed to learn. Now it was time to save myself.

  I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, letting my power flood my veins, burning from head to toe. The harshness of the ropes binding my wrists filled my consciousness. I remembered what they’d looked like when I’d stood in the light—each frayed strand, each coil that formed each knot. Its color, shape, even the smell of the rope became my focus.

  I thought back to its earliest composition, before it was rope, before it was fiber, before it was plant, before it was seed.

  It was soil. Water. Air. Fire. It was life—growing, breathing, moving. No different from me.

  The rope was part of me.

  As if I were moving a finger, I moved the seed, the fiber, the strand, let it uncoil. Then another. And another. And another.

  With my breath, the rope moved, then fell away like a second skin.

  My wrists free, I lifted my hands to my shoulder, breathing away the pain the movement caused. With trembling fingers, I searched for the knot that secured my bandages, then loosened it, gingerly unwrapping it from my shoulder until only part of it remained around the blade. Then, with one hand bracing my skin and another around the hilt, I pulled the blade from my flesh, suppressing a whimper as my shoulder seized with renewed pain. Tears streamed from my eyes as I struggled to re-wrap the bandages, careful to cover the now-bleeding gash. I was thankful for the darkness; it saved me from having to see the warm blood I felt seeping into the cloth.

  With my wound bandaged, I took a few moments to catch my breath, steeling myself from the dizziness that swept over me. Breathe in. Breathe out.

  I bent down to untie the bindings at my ankles, setting down the knife. My fingers brushed something by my feet. I reached toward it, feeling wrinkled paper, and remembered Darius tossing Mareleau’s scroll when he’d first tried to bait me. I pocketed the note before returning to the ropes, my shoulder screaming with every move.

  Once free, I retrieved the blade and stood on unsteady legs. Breathe in. Breathe out. It was all I could do not to faint.

  I closed my eyes and thought of home—No. Not home. He will look for me there. I needed to go where I knew Darius wouldn’t follow, somewhere he wouldn’t have thought to place a trigger.

  I thought of Centerpointe Rock.

  When I opened my eyes, early daylight shone overhead, the field around me covered in frost. I sank to my knees and another wave of exhaustion washed over me. Water. Food. I looked at my shoulder, unsurprised to see red blooming over the bandages.

  I was surprised, however, at the sudden emptiness I felt. Leaving Darius meant leaving his vision behind. It meant solidifying him as an enemy. It meant Lela would be invaded. War. Many would die.

  More will die if Darius wins.

  I knew I had to stand against him. Darius may have been a visionary, but his drive was that of vengeance. When he’d spoken of peace and the citizens he’d helped, I hadn’t sensed he cared about them nearly as much as he wanted me to believe. He cared about himself. His vision was a world where he would thrive, and those he hated would perish.

  I could have thrived in his world.

  I shook my head. Not at the cost of those I love.

  You and I aren’t so different. Darius’ words taunted me.

  But he was wrong about that. We were different. He’d kept the pain of his youth in shadow and allowed it to harden into hate. I faced my darkness, brought my pain to light. I was angry, resentful, bitter. But I was also hopeful, forgiving, loving. This is me. I am both. My pain didn’t control me. My bitterness wouldn’t turn to hate. My darkness wouldn’t bury me.

  I couldn’t say the same for Darius.

  With a sigh, I faced the Rock and kneeled at its base, hand outstretched. I closed my eyes, extending my senses, letting them reach deep within the Rock, the soil, the grass. Waves of power rippled forward, subtle but distinct. There was magic there. Not the magic I felt running through my veins, not the Art of the empath or worldwalker. Similar, but different, like a familiar song in an unknown language. It was the Mora from El’Ara.

  This is the heart of El’Ara.

  I breathed deeply, feeling ripples of the Mora hesitating near my hand, feeling how I could almost touch it. As if it wanted me to touch it. There was but one thing standing in the way.

  I smiled, even more certain of what I must do.

  Darius had been right about one thing. Lela belonged to me.

  30

  CENTER

  Cora

  I closed my eyes and pictured the land surro
unding the tear. I saw dappled light on the forest floor, diffused through green pine. A light breeze blew overhead while birds chirped high in the branches. I opened my eyes and found myself there.

  I turned, finding the familiar space between two trees where the tear would be. Before I took a step, something tugged at my mind. I froze, extending my senses, careful to keep even my breathing quiet.

  The crackling of a fire. Hushed tones.

  People are near.

  Keeping to the shadows of the trees, I crept toward where I sensed the activity. As I neared, I heard snippets of casual conversation. A small clearing came into view, where I saw soldiers sitting around a modest fire. But whose soldiers where they? Their clothing was neutral, with no visible sigil—

  “Don’t move.”

  The voice came from behind me, and I realized a knife was at my throat. How did this one sneak up on…me? I raised my hands to show I was unarmed, while my mind raced to consider the best way to retrieve the blade I’d stolen from Darius and hidden in the folds of my tattered robe.

  The man made a subtle whistling sound, almost like a bird call, his arm firm around my waist. A similar call echoed nearby.

  I felt the fire burn through me, filling my blood, my veins. It burned my palms, ready to explode—

  “Cora?”

  A figure stood next to me, one I hadn’t seen approach. He was clad in black; even his head and mouth were covered. But those eyes. My heart raced when I recognized their hazel hue, and I wanted to scramble into his arms. But, no, that’s not him. The nose is just different enough.

  “Larylis!”

  “Release the queen, Temberly,” Larylis said, pulling the tight, black cloth from his head, revealing the rest of his face.

  Temberly obliged and fell to his knee with a bow, apologizing profusely. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

  I placed a hand on his shoulder. “At ease. You were simply doing your job. Quite the good job, in fact. I didn’t see or hear either of you.” I lifted my eyes toward Larylis, suppressing a start as I noticed sets of eyes in shadowed faces coming from behind the trees, some even in trees. “I didn’t see or hear any of you.”

  Larylis grinned. “That’s why we’re the Black Force. But forget about that.” He came toward me, taking my shoulders as he scanned me from head to toe. “You’re alive.”

  “I am.”

  His eyes fell on my shoulder. “You’re injured.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Teryn has been worried sick. Did he…find you? Is that why you’re here?”

  I cocked my head. “No, I escaped Darius and came straight here. Why do you ask? Where is Teryn?”

  Larylis frowned. “That does make more sense. He couldn’t have found you so soon. He’s probably only just now arriving in Tomas.”

  “What is he doing there?”

  Larylis explained what had happened since I’d been gone—Teryn’s distress, his declaration of war, his new plan with the rebellion. My eyes were wide as I took it all in, wondering how so much had happened in a matter of days. Or had it been a week? Being locked in darkness hadn’t been conducive for keeping track of time.

  Teryn’s plan worried me. It wasn’t that it was a bad plan—it was brilliant. But I hated the idea of him getting so close to the enemy with the motivation of finding me. What if he did something reckless? I could go to him now. But then I’d have to delay what I need to do in El’Ara…

  Larylis must have seen the conflict on my face. “We’ll send our fastest messenger to tell Teryn you’re here and safe.”

  I nodded. “Good. I need to update Ailan. She has no idea what is happening here. What are your current orders?”

  “We guard the tear,” Larylis said. “But since we don’t know the exact location of the tear, we’ve been patrolling the area you’d marked for us. We’ve decided to use this camp as a decoy, hoping it will attract anyone who seeks the veil while the rest of us watch in secret.”

  “It worked on me, which is saying something,” I said. “Well, let’s get one problem solved. Come with me. I’ll show you the tear.”

  * * *

  “That’s it?” Larylis frowned at the innocuous space between the trees. “I expected something…more magical. Maybe a shimmer in the air, at least.”

  “It looks more significant on the other side,” I said. “Although, not in a good way.” I stepped closer to the veil, hand outstretched as I tried to feel for the tear.

  Larylis put a hand on my shoulder. “Tell her I’m here,” he said, his voice wavering. “Tell her I love her and Liam. Tell her I’m right outside to protect them both.”

  I froze, remembering the note in my pocket. I didn’t need to read it to know what it contained, what pain it held. My fingers moved to the pocket, brushed crumpled paper. I suddenly felt as if my lungs were being compressed by the weight of the world. I breathed it away. No.

  “I’ll tell her,” I said with a reassuring smile, then returned my attention to the tear.

  My fingers brushed nothingness, then sank into warm air. Found it. Without a second glance at Larylis, I reached through the tear and pulled myself into a world of gray.

  I froze, meeting the spear tips from a dozen Elvan soldiers.

  “I am Ambassador Cora,” I said, raising my arms in surrender for the second time that day. “Ailan is expecting me, and there is no time to waste.”

  After a moment of hesitation, one of the soldiers called out, and they stepped back, righting their spears.

  “I’ll take her to the palace,” one of the soldiers said as he approached. Without looking at me, he nodded his head, then began walking away. I sprang forward to keep up, my heart racing with impatience. How long will this take without Garot’s weaving? Every minute in El’Ara could be dozens—maybe even hours—more in the human world.

  I clenched my jaw and tried to keep my worries at bay.

  A wide set of eyes in a sun-browned face regarded me from up ahead. As we neared, I recognized the features as belonging to one of the Faeran. I noticed many more as we continued, each one eying me with curiosity. It was better than the hostility I found in the eyes of the Elvan.

  I wanted to stop and speak with the Faeran, but I had to nearly jog to keep up with the Elvan guard’s long stride. Luckily, I didn’t have to slow down to get my wish.

  “I remember you,” a small voice said from behind.

  I turned and saw a petite figure hurrying to my side. Her eyes were large and round, her dark hair brushing her shoulders. It was the kindness in her eyes I recognized.

  “Illian!”

  She smiled as I said her name. “They don’t try to kill you this time. I was sorry to hear that they did last time.”

  “You heard?”

  She nodded. “I had to know what happened to our strange guest. I asked the soil, but it said you never came back to it from the palace. Had to spy on Elvan for answer.”

  The guard tossed an annoyed glance over his shoulder.

  “Then the soil said otherwise,” Illian continued. “You’d returned. Along with Morkara Ailan.”

  “Is that why you’re out here?” I asked. “Did Ailan speak with you about an alliance?”

  “She did,” Illian said. “Faeran are not made to fight. We don’t weave weapons or crush the soil with our houses. It is not our way.”

  It amused me that Illian considered building houses and forging weapons to be in the same category. “So, did you turn her down?”

  “We will do what we can. We can heal the hurt, share secrets of the soil. Ailan will bring the Mora back to its strength. When she does, we will share the Mora of the soil again.”

  Her words stirred at something inside me. “You mean, once Darius is defeated, she will find a way to finish the veil and return the heart of El’Ara.”

  Illian nodded.

  “You work with the Mora of the soil,” I said, slowly choosing my words. “How tied to the land itself is the Mora?”

  Illian
frowned. “What is this tied? There is no tie in Mora.”

  “Is the Mora bonded to the land in any way? Or is it separate?”

  “The Mora flows as it will,” Illian said with a shrug. “It flows out to your world and gets stuck because of veil. All Mora flows to center and returns.”

  “You need the center for El’Ara to be whole again.”

  “Yes. Ailan is doing this.” Illian grinned. “And you are helping. I thank you.”

  I returned her smile. “And I thank you for being a friendly face.”

  31

  BARGAIN

  Cora

  Ailan rushed from the palace doors as the guard and I crossed the lawn. Her face flashed from a smile to a look of terror as she approached. “What happened to you?”

  Despite being out of breath, I tried my best to stand tall. “We need to call a meeting immediately.”

  “You need to see a skinweaver,” Ailan said, taking in my bloody bandages. She turned furious eyes to the soldier. “You should have summoned Garot. My ambassador is to be treated with every respect and accommodation given me.”

  The soldier nodded. “I didn’t notice the wound, Morkara. She seemed fine.”

  “Humans don’t heal like we do,” she said through her teeth.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “We can worry about my wounds later. Right now, we have urgent matters to discuss. Darius is coming. I know where he is, and I have information you need.”

  She pursed her lips, then gave a reluctant nod. “Very well. I’ll send you a skinweaver this evening. For now, at least let us get you cleaned up.”

  I opened my mouth to argue but thought better of it. It will help if I look respectable for what I’m about to do. “Fine, but we need to hurry.”

  Once I was bathed, robed, and had my bandages changed, I found myself once again amongst the tribunal. I stood on the floor with Ailan at my side, Garot and Etrix flanking the floor, while the rest of tribunal filed in and took their seats. Last came Mareleau, holding Liam. She met my eyes with a small smile and took her seat at the front.