by D P Rowell
Aunt Kaitlyn laughed but her mouth did not open. The Queen’s laugh shook the walls of the cave and pierced his ears like a million needles. Though the ground quaked beneath him at the sound of the Queen’s laugh, Ace's rage buried his fear.
“Laugh all you want,” Ace said, “You wouldn’t be keeping prisoners if you didn’t still need leverage.”
Aunt Kaitlyn said, “Is that what you think?” She thrust her other arm forward, clenching her fingers, and Ace went paralyzed before he could react. The Light on his arms vanished and his body went rigid. Aunt Kaitlyn waves both her hands around, manipulating he and Sebastian and brought them face to face. She did it with little to no effort. No strain on the Queen’s face. She tossed them around like rag dolls. Ace had no strength to fight it. His elyr was no match for the power he felt coming from Aunt Kaitlyn’s magic. Sebastian’s eyes grew dark and fearful. Cold sweat had begun to run on Ace’s head and trickle down his face.
“You think I need leverage?” Aunt Kaitlyn said. “I brought him here to teach you a lesson, nephew. I wanted you to witness the first fall of the Israh with your own two eyes. I wanted you to see what your foolish rebellion does to those you love.”
“Sebastian,” Ace whispered, “everything’s gonna be alright.”
The elite gazed at Ace with worried eyes and gently shook his head in disagreement. A look of horror swept over Ace’s face.
“Ace,” Aunt Kaitlyn said, “this is what’s become of your light.”
Sebastian cried out in pain. His body grew whiter and black lines traced the veins on his neck.
“Sebastian! No!” Ace screamed. He wiggled and cried and tried to bring the elyr to his hands, but nothing prevailed. Aunt Kaitlyn’s grip was the strongest force of magic Ace had ever encountered. Tears gushed from his eyes. “Sebastian! Aunt Kaitlyn, stop it, stop it! This proves nothing!”
“It proves my authority!” Aunt Kaitlyn shouted. “I am the Supreme Witch!”
“Aunt Kaitlyn, don’t do this!” Ace screamed at the top of his lungs.
“I’m not,” Aunt Kaitlyn said, “you did this, Ace.” The Queen thrust her hand forward with a final yell. Sebastian moaned as an explosion of darkness came from Aunt Kaitlyn’s hands.
“No!” Ace screamed.
The elite’s eyes went dark and his body fell limp. Aunt Kaitlyn brought back her hand to her side, and Sebastian fell to the floor, lifeless and cold. All the fear Ace had evaded before found its way to his heart all at once. He heaved uncontrollably. His fists shook with anger. He looked into Aunt Kaitlyn’s eyes. The eyes of a victorious sorcerer. The Fae Queen was right. The council had won. There was no hope.
“Now,” Aunt Kaitlyn said, “your turn.”
She motioned her hands and Ace flew around the room with no ability to control it. The Queen lifted him in the sky and released the magic grip. He fell from a great height and smacked against the stone floor. He roared in pain. It seemed like a knife jabbed every inch of his legs and his head pounded like a hammer. “Your precious Light has faded,” the Queen said as she stepped closer. “The stone will not save you. Emery will not save you.” Ace glimpsed at Sebastian, pale and motionless on the floor. Stomach acid rose and stung Ace’s throat. He tried to stand up but the pain in his legs wouldn’t permit it. Were his legs broken? Aunt Kaitlyn marched toward him and he gathered what strength he had to back up by dragging himself with his arms. He threw a Light of the elyr at Aunt Kaitlyn. The witch sent a spell in the air to deflect it with ease and laughed wickedly at the boy. Letting him fight back just to make him realize how powerless he really was. Ace threw another small flame of elyr which was deflected again. The Queen laughed in the boy’s head as she marched closer and closer. This was it. All Yutara had fallen. Ace, the Elyrian, the last hope of the seven realms, was about to meet his end. He had no strength left. He couldn’t even stand. All was—
Closer. Whispered a voice in Ace’s head.
Ace’s eyes lit up. He scooted further back, away from Aunt Kaitlyn, and the voice spoke again a little louder.
She’s lying. I’m here, but I’ve not faded. I’ve grown.
Ace stared at the eyes of the witch Queen who still seemed determined and victorious. Had she not heard the voice in his thoughts? He continued drag himself backwards. Time went still. He glanced behind him and noticed something he hadn’t before. The red wall curving inward. The wall he’d seen when he first entered. It was . . . glowing . . . red . . . it was shaped like a boulder. Ace’s face grew bright with elation. I wasn’t a wall at all. It was the Emerson Stone! It had grown to such a great size; the size of a small building! Ace turned his face back to Aunt Kaitlyn, who stopped in her tracks with wide eyes. The witch’s face revealed it all. She knew Ace had just discovered the truth.
The Queen reached to cast another spell, but Ace dug deep and gathered all the strength left inside him to throw a wall of white fire at her. The force of it thrust the Queen backward, so she tripped and stumbled. She covered her eyes from the blinding Light and fell on her back. Ace turned around and crawled with all his strength. He panted, reaching for all the strength he could muster. He gripped the floor with his fingertips to avoid slipping from his sweaty palms. He tried to stand once again but the sting in his legs wouldn’t allow it. He blotted out the throbbing. He winced with every crawl forward. The Emerson Stone was only one movement away. He reached forward, and something grabbed his legs. He turned behind and saw Aunt Kaitlyn. The Queen’s arms extended as she lied on the floor, gripping the boy’s ankle with magic. Ace threw another ball of light. It distracted the Queen a moment, but the grip of magic remained.
I can do this, Ace thought. I was chosen for this. He turned back to the Emerson Stone and reached forward. He yelled as he combated the tug on his ankle with the stretch of his arm. Bones popped in his shoulder and ankle. He felt the wave of the elyr surge from the stone. It was calling to him. Ace stretched again. The tug of Aunt Kaitlyn’s magic pulled him further back. Ace thrust another wave of light behind him. But without it burning the Queen, it didn’t distract her enough. Ace turned to face the wall and stretched with all his might, screaming at the sensation of the tearing skin in his legs. Something grazed the tip of his finger. Everything went white and the grip from his ankle released. Ace closed his eyes involuntarily, but nothing seemed dark. Rather, white fire surrounded him. Great waves of peace covered him from head to toe. Everything seemed right and Ace took a deep breath.
The stone is returned. Echoed the Great Voice. The White Light faded away and Ace found himself in the stone’s keep once more, his entire palm resting on the Emerson Stone. He stood to his feet right away, realizing the pain in his legs had completely left. No pain in his entire body. No fear. No worry. He turned to the Queen. She held herself up with her arms and stared, eyes wide at the Elyrian. The stone’s true keeper.
“You’re such a terrible liar,” Ace said. He made a small pale flame appear on the tip of his finger. He exhaled a deep breath and the white fire extended to his entire arm. The same thing occurred on his other arm next.
Aunt Kaitlyn staggered to her feet, her jaw on the floor. “That’s impossible! The stone was returned to Breen! It cannot be given back once the prophecy is fulfilled!”
Ace smiled at the Queen. “I am the prophecy, witch!” He thrust his elyr forward in a great wave and Aunt Kaitlyn flew in the air, clapped against the wall and fell to the floor. Smoke came from the Queen’s skin where the elyr continued to burn. She staggered to her feet and attempted to throw a spell at Ace. He burnt the spell mid-air with the elyr and thrust himself toward the witch. She reached forward to cast another spell at him. Ace sent a line of white fire to her hand, making her skin sizzle, and she screamed in agony, gripping her wrist. She backed against the wall, eyes fixed on Ace with a certain level of fear that brought Ace great joy. The elyr ate away at her, and the smell of it stained the air as Ace stared her down, nose in her face.
“Go ahead,” Aunt Kaitlyn said, “burn me.
The council will still win. Yutara has fallen to Rio’s will. With or without me, he will win.”
Ace shook his head. “One warlock has given up the darkness and turned to the Light. The next is running away from the Elyrian. The council is losing, Aunt Kaitlyn.”
The Queen shook her head. “This won’t turn out like you think.”
Ace smiled. “I’ll take my chances.” He released her from the white fire and she fell to the ground, screeching and swatting at the flames still attached to her body. Ace rushed to Sebastian’s side, grabbed his AMR, and fired it at the witch several times. He shot both her legs, both her arms, her stomach and back just to make sure. It put out the white fire on her body, but smoke still rose from the burn marks on her skin. He stepped close to her and placed a foot on her. “No anti-magic is powerful enough, huh?”
She glanced at him, her eyes rolling and her teeth gritting. The white fire had rattled her and wrought her useless. She fell limp and gave up fighting. Ace leaned close, paying attention to the struggle in her eyes.
“Now that I’ve won,” he said. “Now that the Land of Faes will be turned back to the Light and recognize me as Emery’s Chosen, I’m not sure I have much use of you. But before I leave this palace, you’re going to tell me something.” She tried to laugh at him, but it turned to a timid cough and her falling limp again. He gripped the anti-magic and pulled her so they met nose-to-nose. Every following word escaped his mouth with intended grit and force. “Where. Is. Julie?”
She chuckled mildly and looked a different way. “I think—think you have more press—more pressing matters to attend to.”
He glanced where she looked after he heard a deep groan. He dropped the witch and ran to Sebastian’s side. The elite rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach. He still had a pale color, his veins and eyes still black.
“Sebastian,” Ace said calmly, “You’re gonna be alright. You’re gonna be okay.”
Sebastian shook his head. “I can feel myself slipping away.”
“No, don’t say that.”
“Ace.”
“Stop it.”
“You’re doing what your grandfather wanted. His founding of the Indies was meant for this, for you. It was all for you.”
Ace nodded, unable to find the words to follow.
Sebastian smiled and patted Ace’s shoulder. “It’s been my honor to serve the Israh.”
“Sebastian, we’re gonna get you help. You’re gonna be—”
Sebastian’s pupils grew wide, then shrank to a small size. His body fell like a noodle and Ace stared wordlessly, arm wrapped around his neck.
“Sebastian?”
Only the still, quiet cave responded.
“Sebastian. Don’t do this. Come back!” Ace shook him violently. “No. No. You can’t do this. We need you!”
Ace held him close and wept. Everything he worried about didn’t matter anymore. The only thought he could find was how much he regretted not trusting him. How poorly he treated him. How much Sebastian had helped and what a great leader he was.
“I’ll see you again, Sebastian,” Ace said, “I know it.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The Elder's Courts
Ace woke to the whistling sound of a Breen breeze. He spent the next few moments convincing himself the last few days were not dreams. Once his consciousness fully returned, he fluffed his feather pillow and brought his hands behind his back. The cave he lay in had a tranquil piece about it. Though the rocks stabbed his back through his sleeping case, he lay comforted and well rested. Despite all the troubles he’d faced, he had stuck to his gut and prevailed. The Emerson Stone was his again. He scooted back and sat straight, back against the rock wall. The flickering candlelight along the cylinder-shaped room barely made a difference since the sun had come above the horizon, its white light bursting through the arched windows, shining a spotlight on his friends and family sprawled out on the floor. Trilo’s snoring hadn’t bothered or woken him the previous night. The scarred fae’s mouth hung wide open, drool spilling out of the side as he lay like a rock despite the sun shining directly on his face. Ace turned to his right to find Uncle Marcus lying on
his side, smacking his lips as the shadow under the window protected him from the morning commanded by the sun. Its rays fell over Marcus' creamy brown skin. Other than Ace, only one other lay awake. The tall fae sat on the golden chair next to the queen-sized bed. He leaned over, and gently stroked his daughter’s silver hair. Ace walked over and stood next to him.
He hung his head. “I’m—I’m sorry, Tharuach.”
Tharuach shook his head. “This isn’t your fault, Ace.”
“It is, actually. You told me to look after her and I failed you.”
The fae glanced back up at him. All the sadness left his eyes as he stood and placed his large hand on Ace’s shoulder. “So, you two got a little angry at each other. You’re both twelve. Blaming yourself for her being taken in the mountains doesn’t do any good. It was merely a coincidence that it happened after your spat with her.”
Thirteen, actually, thought Ace. Though he said nothing.
The fae continued. “You’re gonna make mistakes. You can’t honestly blame yourself for getting angry when you did. Besides, had you not forced us to make the decision to travel here, to the Land of Faes, it could’ve been much worse. The fae witch was going to harm us either way, but you stopped her before she would’ve otherwise killed Kareena. Not to mention, you lead The Israh to the greatest victory yet in the war.”
Ace grinned, but he didn’t believe the tall fae. When Ace had retrieved the Emerson Stone from Kaitlyn, he went searching for the others in the palace. He had found Tharuach and Kareena battling the same fae witch he remembered from Dorneg, and who had stood next to Aunt Kaitlyn when they were captured in the Crystal Palace. But he was too late, the witch had parried one of Tharuach’s attacks and cast a spell on Kareena. She hadn’t woken since.
Ace glanced back at the tall fae. “You’re sure about the Emerson Stone?”
Tharuach wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulder and they both hovered over Kareena, laying on the bed. “Yes. You’re the only one who could take the stone back. You’re the only one who can return it to Breen and fulfill the prophecy.”
“But I still have to face Rio at some point,” Ace said.
Tharuach nodded. “Yes. But without the faes on your side, the Light will not grow. It’s part of the prophecy, and as the Chosen, you must fulfill it. Even if you kept your immunity, it wouldn’t do Yutara any good. Deception is powerful, Ace. The world thinks the drake is the leader of some new, enlightening movement right now. If you destroy him, the other members of the council will deceive Yutara into believing you are the enemy. It’s not just about defeating Rio, it’s about winning Yutara to the Light. Ask yourself if you’d rather face the warlock with immunity, or with the whole world by your side. You can’t have both.”
Ace dipped his head a moment, then glanced at Kareena. Still looking at her, he said to Tharuach, “You’re right. I’m tired of others being put at risk for my sake. Even if I had my immunity, the council would just threaten those I love, and I can’t have that happen anymore. Being the Elyrian is my responsibility, and the consequences should be mine.” As he spoke these things, dread welled in him. Black scars covered half Kareena’s face where her tattoos used to be. The fae witch’s magic had the same scarring effect Aunt Kaitlyn’s magic had on Sebastian, just before he—
“Oh, Evelander, you’re awake! And—you’re in here?” said a voice. Ace and Tharuach turned to find two faes standing in the room entryway. Both golden, dressed in robes like Tharuach’s. One of them stood just under six feet tall, the other about five inches shorter. The tall one was female. Her golden hair was brushed behind her ears and fell perfectly straight to the length of her waist. The short, male fae’s hair grew just below his ears and curled back up in tiny golden waves. His golden robe hugged his round belly.
The male fae nu
dged the female fae with his elbow. “This is no place for the Chosen to sleep.”
“I swear, my Lord, I had him resting in only the most luxurious of suites in the palace,” the female fae said. But then she mumbled under her breath. “It’s not like we know he’s the Chosen yet anyway.”
Ace chimed in during their bickering at one another. “It’s fine, really. I came here on my own.”
“Ah,” the male fae said. He nudged the girl with his elbow.
She gently curtsied before him. “Lady Akyla, at your service.”
“And I am Fen Gunther,” the male said. “One of the Fae Elders here at the palace.”
Trilo snorted loudly and shot up from his sleep behind them. “Shoot the Lochdund!” The volume woke Uncle Marcus and everyone in the room stared at Trilo a moment.
Ace ignored him and finally broke the quiet. He held his hand out toward Lady Akyla. “Please, you don’t need to bow or anything like that.”
“Oh, but I must,” Lady Akyla said. “I am a servant here in the palace, and the Elders have welcomed you into the courts as a guest. It is my duty to respect any honored guest of the Elders.”
“Guest?” Ace asked. He had found it curious, the way he had been treated since the commotion occurred. The fae guards had arrested him not much longer after he freed Tharuach and stopped the fae witch, but many other fae guards had witnessed the fae witch practicing magic, so they didn’t know who to trust. Ace had dragged Aunt Kaitlyn with him through the palace after defeating her and told all the faes about Rio’s wicked plan and how the Emerson Stone gave himself back to Ace. He showed Aunt Kaitlyn wrapped in anti-magic, burning from the elyr and how her face had turned dark and black like a witch’s. Half of them were convinced, the other half not. With Ace’s claim of the Emerson Stone being his, the Elders had elected to trust him for the time being; they offered him and his companions a room and agreed to meet in the morning. He would be tried and present his case before them and the faes of Breen; as well as Aunt Kaitlyn. He, by no means, thought himself an honored guest.