by Eric Vall
As Alyona considered how to answer the lizard’s question, we stepped over the edge of the dune and back onto the flat ground that would lead us back to the castle.
“Your focus is offensive magic,” the princess finally explained. “Those spells are great, but your defense was purely physical, like when you dodged Lord Evan’s fireball. It seemed you couldn’t tell what was coming because you haven’t learned about others’ magic.”
“I don’t even know how to learn that,” the lizard grumbled.
“It isn’t anything to be ashamed of,” Alyona reassured her. “Many mages learn how to control their own magic first.”
“I’ve only really understood which spells would work for my magic,” Naomi said with a frown. “How do you understand someone else’s?”
“Meditation helps strengthen your defensive skills,” Alyona replied. “But understanding the magic from other beings comes from research and reading.”
“That makes sense.” Naomi nodded as we reached the palace steps. “And I do love to read.”
“As do I,” my fiancée chuckled.
“Then you’ll love this,” the lizard mage said with a smirk as she led us down a different hallway of the castle.
“Oooh, where are we going?” Trina asked as she rubbed her hands together.
“The library,” Alyona replied.
“Sounds, ah, exciting,” Marina murmured, but her lips turned down into a pout.
“It could be,” Polina offered, but she didn’t sound entirely convinced, either.
Naomi grinned as she pushed open a door and led us into a room that seemed more like an alcove. Two bookshelves stood against the walls to our left and straight ahead, and a single chair stood against the other wall under the open window.
“Ahh, the history books!” Vallen exclaimed. “You should find some good information here.”
“I don’t think we can all fit in there, my lord,” Laika muttered as she peered over my shoulder into the tiny room.
“Don’t run off just yet,” Naomi chuckled as she lifted one of the books on the back shelf.
Suddenly, the entire wall seemed to shift as the shelf slid back with a groan.
A hidden fucking room. Badass.
The dryads looked impressed as we followed Naomi into the dark room. She flicked some of her fireballs out and lit the torches that clung to the walls, and as the room lit up, I heard several gasps of shock and awe.
The real library was nearly as big as the great hall, and two walls were covered by shelves lined with hundreds of books. Some looked old and ragged, while others looked as though they’d just been written, but each book was carefully stored and organized into groups sorted by topic and lined up in alphabetical order.
On the other wall, two narrow shelves were filled with jars and beakers that displayed liquids of various colors, and a few of the jars had small creatures and plants floating around in their murky interiors. It almost looked like a science lab for testing out some new concoction, but I figured they were more likely to be potions. Next to the shelves, dozens of maps had been plastered onto the wall, and they showed places as small as cities around Rahma up to the entire world of Inati.
I was mesmerized by all the places we’d yet to explore as I stared at the colorful images of cities and countries in my new world. I dragged my finger along the papers and traced along our journey, and it left me with a hunger for more. I wanted to see every inch of this world I now called home, and then I would be able to rule it all as the Dragon Emperor.
My inner dragon preened at the thought of ruling over my people and building up my world as I had since I’d arrived in Hatra. I would be adored and respected by millions for my compassion and strength.
“Your collection has grown,” Vallen interrupted my thoughts as he spoke to his sister and gazed around the room in surprise. “I suppose I didn’t realize how much more you’ve gathered.”
“Yes, I’ve been trying to get everything I can,” Naomi replied and waved around the room. “I’ve only read some of it so far, but I won’t let a single page go to waste.”
“Do you have any books about magical diseases?” Ravi asked as she ran her fingers along the spines.
“I have so many books about so many things,” the lizard answered with a sigh. “Plus, I don’t know what’s in every single one, of course. I’m not sure how we’ll narrow it down.”
“Don’t worry,” Alyona assured her. “We’ll figure it out. Let’s look together.”
She took Naomi by the hand and started at the A section of books. Ravi and the dryads followed them, and the women began to search the rows of books for anything helpful to the issue at hand.
Vallen shook his head as he walked over to the maps and potions next to me, and Nike strolled over to join us while the women searched for the books we would need.
“So, do you have any idea who could have cursed your field?” I asked bluntly. “We need to know what we’re up against.”
“Not at all,” Vallen replied with a frown. “We mostly keep to ourselves, and I hope no one is trying to start a war with the Breach situation going on. That would be terrible for everyone.”
“Well, we’ve noticed a group that is involved with a few negative events lately,” I explained as I chose my words carefully. “Are you familiar with the Green Glass Sect?”
“I’ve heard of them, but not for many years,” he answered, and he cocked his reptilian head to the side. “Why? Did they do this to our fields?”
“We can’t say with any certainty, but we’ve found a few of them were responsible for several issues like poisoning water supplies and cursing animals,” Nike replied. “Is the plague the only issue like that you have experienced?”
“Other than those nasty birds, yes,” Vallen said as his yellow eyes widened. “You think they cursed our crops and sent the beasts?”
“I don’t think they sent the beasts,” I clarified. “But it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re responsible for your plague.”
“Oh, heavens!” Vallen squeaked. “Why are they doing these things? What could they hope to gain from such horrid acts?”
“It seems they’re interested in opening the Breach,” I answered with a frown. “What do you know about it?”
“Only that the king is protecting us from demons trying to break through to our world,” he said. “Why would they want that? And what does that have to do with us?”
“Oh, gods,” Naomi muttered suddenly, and I turned around to find her behind us. “I think I know.”
“What is it, dear sister?” Vallen cried out. “Why are the people of Kana the focus of their heinous plan?”
“It’s not our people, Vallen.” The lady mage clenched her fists and took a breath. “It’s the Sundex.”
“The Sundex of Abala?” Alyona asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Naomi confirmed, and her expression was grave. “We’ve had the Sundex in Kana for as long as anyone can remember.”
“Well, that could easily be what the Sect is hunting,” Miraya pointed out. “The light bringer could be used to bring light to the Breach. It is said that with light, the demons could see the path to escape.”
“Oh, gods,” Vallen wailed as he began to pace back and forth, and his voice rose higher in pitch. “How do we fix this? This is a disaster! We’re going to be the reason Rahma gets overrun with demons from the underworld! What do we do?”
“First, we remain calm,” I advised. “It doesn’t help anyone if we freak out. Second, we need to learn more about the Sundex thing. What is it?”
“It’s an ancient artifact from the human era,” Miraya answered. “The lore says there was a time when only humans walked the earth and gods remained above. The humans became frustrated when the gods stopped answering their calls, so they created the Sundex to light the path to the heavens.”
“Did it work?” I asked with a raised brow.
“Well, there are more than just humans here now, aren’t there?”
Naomi smirked. “Anyway, after the gods severed the connection, the Sundex was brought to Kana. We’ve kept it here for years, and few people even knew about it when it got here. So, why are they here now?”
“The Sect leader must be getting desperate,” Laika murmured. “He has tried countless options for strengthening the Breach, and we’ve foiled all of his plans. He’s tried assassinating leaders to ignite civil war, kidnapping and sacrificing people, poisoning--”
“I think they get the idea,” I interjected quickly as Vallen’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“He’s likely checking out every story or tale at this point,” Nike added, and he rubbed his chin in thought. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the plague is his first step to weaken the people.”
“Me, either,” I agreed. “Though we killed their strongest mage in Colaruma, so either Olivier is doing his dirty work himself, or they’ve trained another mage to curse the fields here.”
“Wait,” Alyona said as she held up one of the books. “It may not require much strength to perform the curse. This says it could be a Blanche Curse.”
“What does that mean?” Laika asked, and her furry gray ears twitched atop her head.
“It means the crops look diseased, but the curse simply drains their color,” the princess explained. “It’s not a complicated spell.”
“But without color, the plants will die anyway,” Marina pointed out.
“Yes, the color comes from chlorophyll, which plants must have to absorb sunlight correctly,” Trina added.
“Without sunlight absorption, the plants will wither away and die,” Polina finished with a frown.
“Well, does the book say how to get rid of it?” I asked as I looked over the princess’ shoulder at the glyphs on the page.
“No,” Alyona said and grimaced. “But we may be able to experiment with a few things that could reverse it.”
“Okay, you get started on that,” I decided. “Laika and Ravi, stay with her and keep watch. We don’t need whoever started the plague to come try to stop us from fixing it.”
“Could we stay, too?” Polina asked.
“We might be able to use our nature magic to help,” Trina said.
“And we can kick some ass if anyone comes in,” Marina huffed and crossed her arms like she was a bouncer.
“Of course,” I chuckled. “I know how much the plants mean to you. So, that means Aaliyah, Nike, and Miraya, you come with Naomi and me to see the Sundex.”
“And I’ll be going as well,” Vallen chipped in. “It’s been some time since I was in the catacombs, and I should make sure all is well, too.”
“Alright.” I nodded as his sister rolled her eyes. “Naomi, lead the way.”
The lizard mage whipped around, and her short, magenta hair swirled around her face as she marched out the door.
We followed her and Vallen down another hallway and looped around a corridor until they stopped at a blank wall. Before I could ask why we stopped, Naomi waved her hand in front of the wall, and the image shimmered away to reveal a door with a sun carved into the wood. Its yellow rays of light burst out in every direction from the bright, golden circle in the center, and I admired the gold inlay with a keen eye.
Naomi brushed the cobwebs from the door’s corners and knob, and then she twisted the knob and pushed open the door to reveal a set of stairs that disappeared into complete darkness. Then she turned and looked at us with an odd smile before she stepped down into the stairwell as if she were daring us to follow after her.
I took a breath and followed her, but I took care to step on each stair even though I could see where my feet would land.
I might have dragon sight, but the people of Kana seemed to like their mirage magic.
After about twenty steps down, we came to a landing that spread out into almost a full circle. I lit a fireball in my hand, looked around us, and saw at least ten different openings into tunnels that spiderwebbed out under the castle and the city. Each of the passageways was just as dark as the stairs we’d just come down, but then I saw a few torches that hung from the walls between the tunnels and tossed my fireball onto one.
“It’s like Colaruma all over again,” I muttered. “So many damn tunnels.”
“Indeed,” Nike agreed. “This is quite extensive.”
“Don’t worry, gentlemen,” Naomi teased. “I know exactly where to go.”
The lady mage picked up the torch I’d lit from the wall and pointed toward one of the tunnels.
“How can you tell?” I asked as I cocked my head curiously.
“Trust me.” She grinned and strode into the tunnel.
So, I took another deep breath, and we followed her into the darkness.
Chapter 5
Naomi’s torch lit our path down a winding tunnel, and we changed direction so many times, I’d lost track of which way we were facing. It seemed like we’d walk down one tunnel only to veer off into another random one. I started to wonder if the mage actually knew where she was going, but she never hesitated as she took each turn. So, I focused on the tunnels that surrounded us instead. The sandy walls seemed to crumble as I touched one with my finger, and I questioned how stable this structure was with the whole city sitting on top of it.
“Are these walls made from sand?” I asked as a small cascade of sand poured down the side of the tunnel when we passed.
“Yes,” Naomi confirmed without turning around.
“And they won’t cave in on us?” I raised a doubtful eyebrow.
“Of course not!” Vallen replied cheerfully. “Lady Naomi has whipped up one of her magical concoctions. She came down here soon after she began to learn her magic. Once she did her little thing, the walls became much tougher.”
“A spell, Vallen, not a concoction thing,” Naomi insisted. “It’s a fortress spell. It’s typically used for war to strengthen the walls against an enemy, but I put it in place down here a long time ago, and it seems to be holding up well.”
“I see.” I hoped she was right, and I dipped my head as we continued down the labyrinth of tunnels that seemed to go on forever. The path was complicated, and I found myself thinking about how the Sect could have figured out what was hidden down here. A fleeting thought crossed my mind about another traitor, but it quickly vanished.
As we passed another opening, I stopped. I felt a familiar pull that called out to my inner dragon, and I focused on the opening next to me. It felt like a string was attached to my chest and yanked my inner dragon toward something we craved with a burning passion.
“What is it, Lord Evan?” Vallen asked with a note of concern. The small lizard put his hand over his heart, and I realized I could hear it thumping from the effort of going this far.
“I need to go this way,” I replied as I gestured toward the tunnel.
“There’s nothing for you there,” Naomi said and waved her hand dismissively. “The Sundex is over here--”
“Isn’t that the one that goes to the Copen treasure?” Vallen asked as he peered past me into the tunnel. “Or is it the Saint Martin treasure?” “I can never remember where anything is down here.”
“That must be what’s calling me,” I murmured. “The gold.”
Images flashed through my mind of finding a cave filled with enough gold to swim in, and I licked my lips hungrily at the thought of adding to my growing horde. My chest began to throb with excitement as my heart thumped against my ribs, and I found myself turning in the direction of the treasure.
I had to get down there.
Then I took a step toward the tunnel, but Naomi jumped over in front of me.
“Milady, be careful,” Aaliyah warned. “Lord Evan isn’t a fan of anyone getting between him and treasure. I learned that already.”
I grimaced at the memory of Aaliyah’s gift of a ruby and how I’d reacted to her near it. Thank goodness we were mates now, and the feelings of protecting my horde also applied to my women.
“It isn’t your treasure,” Naomi a
rgued without looking at Aaliyah. “It belongs to Kana. Our people recovered it and kept it safe. You can’t have it!”
A low growl rumbled in my chest as Nike put a hand on my shoulder.
“She makes a good point, brother,” he murmured into my ear. “You may have to let this one go.”
“I need it,” I grumbled, and my inner dragon grumbled with me. “It’s calling me.”
“Yes, it is,” Nike soothed me. “But you said you want to be more diplomatic, right?”
“Right,” I sighed. “More diplomat, less dragon instincts.”
“Yes, my brother,” the noble agreed. “We need to focus on the Sundex and how we’re going to keep it out of the wrong people’s hands. It’s the reason we came down here.”
The pounding in my chest softened at his logical argument, and I shook my head to regain my senses.
“Yeah,” I exhaled. “Okay. Thanks, brother.”
“Anytime.” Nike grinned and clapped me on the shoulder.
“Let’s go,” I said to Naomi and gestured toward the tunnel we were supposed to be following.
The lizard mage narrowed her amber eyes at me with suspicion and then strode back to her position at the front of the group and continued down the path without a word.
“So, Lady Naomi,” Miraya broke the silence softly. “How do you know the way down here? It seems very complex.”
“I made a sort of memory spell,” Naomi answered. “Instead of erasing a memory, I imprinted the exact memory of walking to each location in the catacombs. So, whenever I come down here, I simply recall the memory of the location I’m heading to. It eliminates the risk of having a map, so even if someone does get down here, I’m not sure how they would figure out where to go. They can’t just steal a map that’s in my head.”
“What if anyone else wants to come down here?” Aaliyah wondered. “Do you implant the same memory?”
“No.” The lizard shook her head vehemently. “No one comes in here without me. As you may have noticed, my brother tends to trust anyone and everyone, so I must be the protector of our city’s greatest secrets and treasures. Most of the time, we don’t have any issues, but there are some people I don’t trust, especially not with that secret.”
