The idea of her ruling was crazy. She was a no one. Just a girl. What did she know of ruling an empire? Yet this was what needed to happen. She understood each of the races in a way no one else did, through her bond with their leaders. She knew there was a way for them all to work together, to live side by side, in peace. And if it took a dragon to do that, then she had to learn how to bond with the mythical creature, too.
The Dragonsayers were the leaders of old. They, too, had fought each other, but now there was only her. And by example, she would show the other humans, and the Moerians, and the Norcs, and the Elvish that they could live side by side and be happy.
Dela lowered her head—which, in her dream, was also the dragon’s head—to watch the land pass by below. They flew at a dizzying speed, and at first it was impossible to place what she was seeing.
Lower, she mentally told the dragon, and, too her delight, he dipped down, reducing their altitude. To the west, she spotted the never-ending peaks of the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. Directly beneath them were lush, green pastures. The dragon had brought her here to show her something, she felt sure. Something important. He was looking for that something now, and through his eyes as he soared across the skies, never getting low enough to be spotted from the ground, she saw everything he was seeing.
Did this mean she was forgiven for what had happened back at Drusga? Was there a chance he’d missed her company as well? Or were the events of the south concerning the dragon, too? Even though he’d been hiding away in Drusga, once upon a time dragons had shared a connection with the human world. Perhaps he, too, didn’t want the inhabitants of Xantearos slaughtering each other.
Dela didn’t know, and she didn’t want to push her bond for fear of forcing him away again. The Seer told her she still needed to win his confidence, and getting the dragon egg would help to achieve that. She couldn’t expect the dragon to give his allegiances over to her so willingly, especially not without getting something in return.
She refocused her attention on the passing land below. Then she spotted something. Small dots of people walked in a procession. Their features or what they wore weren’t discernible from this distance, but if she was correct in thinking they were on the Eastern coast, it meant they were human. Something else clicked into place in her mind. She knew this area. This was the same way they’d traveled to reach the Southern Pass.
Go west, she urged the dragon, and together they banked to the right, changing direction.
There it was—the opening maw of the Southern Pass. She remembered their approach with the rest of the Chosen, and a wave of sadness caught her breath and her heart stuttered. Those had been the last few days she’d had with Layla Whatley. Dela wished she’d known back then that their time together would be so short. She would have told Layla how much her friend had meant to her, and how Layla had made her childhood complete. She’d been such a strength to Dela and her parents after her brother left. If Dela ever made it back to Anthoinia, she’d go and visit Layla’s parents and tell them exactly what had happened. Maybe it would be hard to hear, but it had been the not knowing that had tortured Dela and her parents for so long when it had come to Ridley’s death.
The dragon flew toward the Southern Pass. Yes, that was definitely where the line of people was heading, and now she was able to make out the uniform they wore. So, this was the army King Crowmere had put together to send to fight the Elvish and the other races, too. They would hit the Norcs first, but that was only if they made it through the Southern Pass. The Long White Cloud was a rare event, and it was highly unlikely it still lurked somewhere along the Southern Pass, but there would be other dangers. Then the army would hit the Norcs, and the first fighting would begin.
It would still be days before they reached the other side, however. She still had time, but it was running out. She didn’t want anyone else to die in the Southern Pass, either, but at least if they hit trouble, it might slow them down and buy her more time to bring this thing to an end.
Days? Did she really think she could bring this to an end in a matter of days? Wars could last for years. The reason the Treaty had been signed had been to bring the First Great War to an end, as there had been no sign of it stopping otherwise.
But no one had a dragon back then ...
DELA WOKE, UNSURE OF where she was.
One moment she’d been flying with the dragon, and the next she was back in a cave, the soft sound of men’s snoring surrounding her. She sat up and looked toward the entrance. There was light outside. Did that mean it was morning? Or had the sun never gone down? This place didn’t seem to abide by the physical laws of the outside world.
Still, she felt rested, and not only that, a spark of hope had lit in her heart. The human army was on the move, heading to the Southern Pass, but the dragon had accepted her again. He’d even responded to her. It hadn’t been like when she’d been awake, and she’d felt as though she was seeing right into the creature’s mind, but through her dreams she’d been able to see the world through his eyes again, and move as he did. But it wouldn’t be enough, not in the long run. She couldn’t take herself off for a nap every time she needed to connect with the dragon. She needed him to get used to her being around him, and people needed to see that he was accepting of her. Without that, she had no power.
She slipped her hand into her pocket, checking that the piece of Dragonstone she’d found was still there. Her fingertips met with smooth, warm stone, and she exhaled a sigh of relief. Her brother’s ring was still at the hollow of her throat, and she reached up to touch that, too. Her thoughts wandered to her brother. Had Ridley known what he was? Did he have any idea that she shared the same dreams? Why hadn’t they spoken of them over the years? She deeply regretted that now. It hadn’t seemed like anything important at the time, which was why she’d never mentioned it to him. They’d only been dreams in her childlike mind, and she had no idea they were anything special.
Careful not to disturb the others, she got to her feet and crept out into the main part of the cavern.
Someone was standing right in front of her, and she stifled a scream of surprise. Even with the tranquil surroundings—or perhaps more so because of them—it was creepy to find the Seer just standing there. Her blank, white eyes still seemed to see her, even though Dela knew such a thing was impossible. That she took the form of a child was also unnerving. Why did she do that? Did she think that would be the least threatening thing for them, or was this simply how she’d looked when she became a Seer?
“I’ve been waiting for you to wake,” the Seer said in her sweet, childish voice.
“Don’t you sleep yourself?” Dela asked.
“I have no need for sleep.”
Despite her night of dreaming, she felt more rested than she had in a long time. “I dreamed of the dragon,” she said, unsure if she should be telling the Seer, but figuring she probably knew anyway.
“Yes, that’s good. It means he’s not completely broken his connection with you.”
Worry filled her. “He can do that?”
“I believe so, yes.”
Anxiously, Dela reached up to her throat for her brother’s ring. “I wouldn’t want to do anything to break that connection.” If it was broken, they’d be left with nothing.
“I’m sure you won’t.”
“And you still believe the only way of increasing our bond is by traveling to Anthoinia and finding the remaining dragon egg?”
“Yes, I do. As you saw, the armies are no longer in Anthoinia.”
So the Seer had seen Dela’s dreams, too.
“What does that mean?”
“The city has only the most skeleton crew of men protecting it. Castle Tearos has even fewer men. King Crowmere believes none of the other races will make it through the Southern Pass, not with his army passing through it in the other direction. He’s relying on the Great Dividing Range to keep Anthoinia safe.”
Dela could see where her train of thought was going.
“So you think that will make it easier for us to break into the castle and retrieve the dragon egg?”
She smiled and nodded. “I do.”
“But first we need to get back to the city. We’re hundreds of miles away. It will take weeks on foot, if not longer, and the human army will have made it through the Southern Pass by then. The fighting will have already started.”
She reached out her hand and laid it on Dela’s forearm. Dela was shocked to feel her skin was ice cold. “There will be fighting, Dragonsayer. However much your heart wishes to avoid it, you have to face up to that. Peace needs bloodshed first.”
Dela shook her head. “I don’t want to have to hurt anyone.”
“You won’t have any choice. Do you think your king and queen will just let you take the city? They will fight for it before they allow you to sit on the throne.”
“I don’t want to sit on the throne. I just want to allow free passage for the other races to come and live on the Eastern coast, if they so wish, and for the Elvish to be able to practice magic, and I want to put an end to the Choosing and the Passover. I don’t want anyone forced to leave their families if they don’t want to, and I won’t see them hung in the city square for being so frightened of what they’re asked to do that they’d rather run away and live the life of the wild men.”
Though she was looking at a child, Dela saw wisdom in her face.
“But those are all political things,” the Seer continued, “and people will fight for their politics. You must be prepared to fight back.”
A voice came from the entrance of the cave. “We have to get there first.”
Dela looked over her shoulder to see Vehel standing in the entrance, his chin lifted, his silver-blond hair swept away from his face.
“Yes, this is true,” said the Seer. “Which is why you and I must work together today.”
Vehel nodded. “I’m ready. I want to learn.”
“You must eat first. Keep your strength up. You will need it.”
Warsgra and Orergon appeared in the cave’s entrance, Warsgra yawning wide, and Orergon pushing his long black hair away from his face.
The Seer gestured to where they’d eaten before they’d slept. The table was replenished again, foods piled high. Nests of finely spun sugar. Cookies spotted with chocolate chips. Jellies dusted with powdered sugar. These were indeed the dream foods of a young girl, and such luxury was foreign to Dela. She might have tasted one or two of these treats in her lifetime, but to see them all piled together like this was unheard of. She doubted even King and Queen Crowmere dined on such exquisite luxuries. Not that Dela was complaining, but where the treats came from was a mystery. After all, they were in the center of an island, in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t as though there were market stalls down the road. Other foods had been provided, too—several different types of nuts, all varying in size, some smooth and shiny, other crumpled and warty in appearance. There were dried meats and fish as well, plus hunks of cheese and bread.
“Did you do that?” Dela asked the Seer.
She shook her head. “No.”
“So there’s someone else here?”
“No, only us.”
Dela glanced at Vehel, and he mouthed ‘magic’ at her. She shared a secret smile with him, even though the Seer was supposed to know everything and would probably have seen him mouthing the word, too.
Chapter Eighteen
Vehel
WITH A STOMACH FULL of sugar, Vehel followed the Seer away from the others, toward the staircase which led into the top cave where they’d first laid eyes on her.
“It’s best you’re not distracted while we practice,” the girl explained.
He didn’t like leaving Dela, even if it was only to go to the upper level of whatever this place was.
“The Dragonsayer will be fine.” It was as though she’d plucked the thought out of his head. “You don’t need to worry about her.”
He nodded and kept going. Warsgra and Orergon would take care of Dela, he was sure, not that she needed taking care of. She was a grown woman and had shown them that she had the same strength as they did—if not physically, then certainly mentally. Perhaps there was another reason he didn’t like being taken away from her? Was it simply that he felt complete when he was in her presence?
He mounted the carved stone steps, one by one, following the slight figure of the Seer. They left the warmth and light, and the greenery and tweeting of the birds far behind, and entered the cold darkness of the cavern. Above them was the highest point of the island, and the ornate wooden door they’d all entered through. It almost seemed unbelievable to think the island and the ocean, and even the mainland lay beyond those steps and that doorway. This was a world inside a world.
They stepped into the cavern, and, just as before, the stairway that led down to Dela and the others vanished. A flicker of alarm sparked through him. If the Seer decided to trap them down there, how would they ever get out again?
“I’m here to help you, Elvish prince.” She commanded his attention. “I do not wish any of you harm. What good would that do me?”
“What good does helping us do you either?”
“Xantearos is a part of me, and I am a part of Xantearos. I do not want to see my homeland at war. I want peace, just like you. But do not be fooled. That peace will come at a price. Blood will be shed, lives will be lost.”
“Our lives?” he interrupted.
But she did not answer.
“Tell me about your magic,” she said instead. “Where do you fail?”
He didn’t like the word ‘fail’, but he pushed it away, trying not to think of his father and brothers, but not succeeding.
“My magic drains me. It’s as though I only have a certain amount inside of me, and when it’s used up, it takes time to replenish, and even when it does, it’s never quite as strong as it was before. That makes me wary of using it, in case something more important happens later where it’s needed, but I have nothing left to give.”
She nodded. “Because of the Treaty, you weren’t taught how to use your ability correctly. You’re working on instinct, and sometimes instinct can be wrong.”
“So, tell me what I need to do.”
She held up a slender finger. “First, tell me how it feels when you do magic.”
He frowned, trying to piece together how it felt in words. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, and he struggled for a moment before coming up with an explanation. “It’s as though I have a ball of light and energy swirling around in the center of my chest, and I can tap into that energy and send it out of me, and that’s when the magic happens.” He felt inept, stupid, and unworthy. Others would have a better explanation.
“So you send the magic out of you?”
He nodded. “Yes. That’s the only way I know how to make things happen.”
“I believe this is where you’re going wrong. Your magic should always be a part of you, not of the regular world, that’s why it’s draining you and depleting your resources. There is a way to do magic without giving it away.”
“It’s the only way I know how,” he admitted.
“Then that is what we must work on.”
“How long will it take?” He didn’t want to be separated from Dela for too long, though he knew this was important.
“That depends entirely on you. The Dragonsayer and the others will be fine while you practice, I promise.”
He nodded. “Okay. Tell me what to do.”
“You must learn to channel your magic without releasing it. You can still do magic without expelling it to the outside world. You’ll always use a little energy—it’s impossible not to—but you can keep the main source, that ball of light you sense inside your chest, within you.”
He hoped she was right, and he was eager to learn. He hated how it felt after he’d used up all his magic, as though he had a negative space inside himself that wanted to drag him into it, too. “How do we start?”
“Close you
r eyes and focus on your magic. Feel it swell and pulse inside you like a living thing.”
Vehel did as she instructed. He’d been well rested and fed since he’d last used his magic, and it beat inside him like his heart. The sensation filled him with a strange combination of exhilaration and peace.
The Seer’s voice filtered through to him. “Now, I want you to channel your magic, but don’t release it near the end. You need to hold onto it, even when it feels as though holding on will shatter you into a billion tiny pieces.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. He opened his eyes. “But I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing. What do you want me to use my magic to do?”
“Try to bring the light and life of the place below us up here.”
So it is all magic, he thought, but didn’t say out loud. He probably didn’t need to. He had the unnerving feeling that she heard all their thoughts anyway.
“I don’t know how,” he said instead.
“Yes, you do. You just need to believe in yourself. You will be a stronger person for the girl if you can learn how to do that.”
That’s exactly what the Fae, Nimbus, had told him. He thought he’d come some way in learning to do that, but clearly it wasn’t enough. That was the worst part. The little voice in his head that told him nothing was ever enough, that he was never good enough. But he didn’t know how to silence that voice. He’d grown up with it, hearing it come from the mouths of his father and brothers.
Dela, he needed to focus on Dela. That was who he was doing this for. She was his strength.
He sucked in a lungful of air, closed his eyes again, and tried to get his head back in the right place. Inside him, the ball of energy swelled. He pictured it transforming this dark, lifeless cave into something more like the place below them. He imagined the details in his head—the lushness of the green fronds, the brightly colored flowers, the warmth of the sun on his skin—and then pushed outward, trying to get the energy inside him to alter the world around him. But he also knew he needed to hold back somehow, and the two actions warred inside him. How could he push enough energy out to change the construct of this world, without losing it all entirely?
Chronicles of the Four: The Complete Series Page 34