Dawn of Fire

by Anna LaVerne

  “Where are we?”

  “This is the room your mother conducts most of her foreign business in. It is positioned at the end of the great hall. Therefore, no one can get in here, and is the perfect place for you to cast your spell.”

  “What did Hoda tell everyone to get them to arrive?”

  “She told them the truth. That she has news from the Queen she needs to deliver regarding the death of Claire and the new heir to Aster.”

  “Oh, donkey turds, that is right. This means they will announce I am the heir. Ah, I don’t think I am ready for this.”

  “Don’t be a child, Dina.” Vex's blue eyes darken as I see disappointment sweep across his face. I don’t care if I disappoint him. I don’t even know him. “You dressed appropriately. If you were wearing anything less, I would have demanded you change. Either way, you can do this. Plus, it is the only news that is big enough to get a full turnout of all the mystics in Cargil.”

  “Will the great hall fit them all?” I am not sure how big the hall is because I have never been there. I know it is where they host celebrations, award ceremonies, and even sometimes famous play troupes would come through and perform on the main stage.

  “Yes, all not on current duty will be here. Even the current trainees both warrior and mystics will fit in the hall. It won't be easy if you want to talk to each one.”

  “I need not talk to them for long. I also realize my energy may not allow me to interrogate every one. I need only ask one simple question. 'Are you loyal to the Queen?' I don’t need to ask it. I can have you ask it or Trey. It doesn't matter who. I will start with my inner circle and see how much energy is left after that. If I am able, I will move on to the mystics next. They have more reason to join Celeste than the warriors.”

  Chapter Twelve

  I walk in and looked around the room trying to find a good place to work the spell. There is a large wooden table between the two couches that is perfect. Laying my things down on the table, I turned to ask Vex the time.

  “My best guess is around eleven thirty.” Vex opens a door and sticks his head outside. “People are drifting into the hall.”

  “Can you go out there and see if you can find Bee and Trey? I told them to meet me near the stage, and they should be waiting for me there.”

  “Lock the door behind me.” I can’t help roll my eyes before I nod okay. Vex gives me a stern expression making the lines on his face stand out more than I have ever noticed before. I always assumed he was younger than my mother, I may have been wrong. As soon as he shuts the door, I point my finger and say a few words under my breath sealing it. Only I can open it now, and I will only do that when I hear Vex’s voice on the other side. Now back to work. I open the book for a refresher on how to do the spell. Okay, I need something safe to burn the herbs in. I glance around the room finding an extra large scry bowl sitting on a table next to the wall. I lift it and carry it to my big table. Knock Knock.

  “It’s me, Dina,” Vex is back. Fingers crossed he has my people.

  I go over to the door and open it only a crack to verify first. I'm wary of everyone right now. My mother got under my skin, and my nerves are on fire. Celeste tried to kill me once, and she will try again. Sure enough, it is Vex, Bee, Trey, and Cal. All the people I wanted with me because they are the only ones I know I can trust. I want to believe I can trust Rhett, but I don’t.

  “Is Hoda coming?” I asked.

  “No, she will talk to the crowd. She knows you are in here. You have fifteen minutes before the noon bell. The inside of the hall is already full.” I nod. I give a long look to Trey. I never thought I was the girl who needed hugs, but right now I need one. Vex interrupts my thoughts, “Trey, you should kiss Dina.”

  “Huh?” I sit back down on my knees in front of my table to work.

  “It will give you a little burst of energy before you cast your spell.”

  “Well, it's a little weird to kiss on command.”

  “Dina, just let the man kiss you. I'll turn around. Bee, Cal, turn around.”

  They all follow suit, and Trey sits on the couch next to where I was sitting. Embarrassment washes through me as Trey bends down and tilts my chin to give me a soft kiss. I experience the tiniest transfer of energy, but it wasn't enough.

  “Boy, you have to kiss her harder than that. Kiss her like you mean it.”

  “Stop watching us!” I shout.

  “I wasn’t! It was obvious by the lack of noise.”

  “Ugh, fine!”

  I reached up and pull Trey into me slamming his mouth into mine. It is hard and fast, and I can’t stop. His tongue delves into my mouth, and my body moves towards the energy, wanting more. I have almost pulled him down on the ground next to me, when Vex interrupted again, “That will do. If you keep kissing, she won’t be able to stop. Imagine her embarrassment then,” he lets out a deep laugh.

  Well, he is right, I was almost to the point of no return. I wanted to suck all the power dry. He was also right about how it gave me the solid burst of power I needed. Trey looks at me through glassy eyes. It is obvious he didn't want the kiss to end either.

  Turning back to my spell, I place my last orange crystal into the center of the bowl. I put two sprigs of dried lavender on each side. Now I need to wait for the right time. I go over the book one last time to make sure I had the order of herbs right. Lavender goes in first. Done. Then I light the fire and say the first line of the spell. After that I add salt, followed by angelica, and sage.

  I finish with the last lines of the spell embedded with the intention to keep everyone in. It will give me a solid ward for up to twenty-four hours. I hope I will not need it that long. I send out a little power from my crystal to the other five to make sure I sense they are in the right places. Sure enough, they answered back and are right where they need to be.

  “Thank you, Bee, it seems all the crystals are in their place.”

  “I hid the middle one under someone’s chair and hope whoever sits there doesn't notice.”

  Ignoring Bee's worries, I moved on to the next order of business. “I'll start the spell right after the noon bell unless there will be a lot of stragglers?”

  “Hoda has everyone signing in as they enter. Anyone who isn't accounted for we can find later if we have to.” Vex and Hoda are good. They have thought of everything. It is in that moment that the noon bell tolls. Time for me to get to work. Everyone steps back away as I take a deep breath and blow fire onto the lavender and my crystal.

  "Six crystals of mine, bind to me, and hear my call..." My power coats each word like smooth honey. My confidence builds when I feel the energy from each crystal connect. The higher mystics will sense that, so I need to hurry. I toss in the salt, angelica, and sage. "Crystals, bind to me and build a wall. No one can enter, and no one can leave. So mote it be." Some people use words with a flourish. I focus on the power and keep it simple, and in doing so, it speeds up the spell.

  The entire building trembles. I close my eyes and pick up my bowl of fire. It has to stay burning to keep the spell going, so I will bring it with me. No one questions what I do. Instead, Trey rushes ahead and opens the door. Trey ushers Cal through first then me. I carry the heavy bowl full of fire and magic down the hall and around a corner. I need to navigate five steps up onto the stage. One. Careful now. Two. I take each step slowly and patiently. When I reach the stage, I see my chair. I mean small throne.

  I don’t have the focus to look out upon the crowd. Instead, I set the fire down next to my throne and motion for Trey to guard it. Everyone is silent. I looked out into a giant domed room. There are chairs that fill the entire floor which go into a gradual incline into the rafters. Everyone in here has a perfect view of me. Hoda smiles at me before turning back to the people.

  “Princess Dina of Aster, sixth daughter of Queen Maris, first daughter of Vex, heir to the throne!” The old woman's voice is deep and loud. Her voice echoes through the hall bouncing off the curved roof. People stand and chee
r. It would be foolish for me to believe these people are thrilled with the news Hoda shared. They cheered because it is what is expected of them.

  Vex whispers for me to speak. Oh yes, that part. I have given no thought to speaking. All of my focus was on getting the spell right. I step forward, unsure of how to project my voice as Hoda did. “I-” My voice echoes around the hall. The stage is spelled! I only have to speak in my normal voice. Thank goodness.

  "Thank you all for attending this last-minute hall. I only found out last night of my new position within Aster. I am saddened by how it came about. Most of you are aware less than a week ago, I was kidnapped and almost killed." I pause, allowing them to take in the seriousness of the moment.

  "You also may have heard rumors of the death of my sister, Claire. If so, it is likely that you learned of the disappearance of another sister, Celeste. I can tell you that Celeste killed Claire. She was also behind the attack on me." An audible gasp spreads through the crowd. Deep breath Dina, deep breath. "Celeste has fled Aster and is in Cavet with King Maddox. The Queen wanted me to return to Lorcan where I would be the safest. I said no! I want to stay in Cargil and train with my people!" Cheers erupt up from the top tiers. Warriors. The warriors will have my back. My mother told me that would be the case.

  I continue, “It isn't safe for me here. I'm uncertain who I can and cannot trust. I do not know who supports me and who supports my sister. So, that is why you are here. Some of you may have noticed when my wards went up, and, yes, I did that for a reason. I will ask each mystic where their loyalty lies. I will get the truth.” I realize that I won't be able to interrogate every mystic, but I want them to believe I can.

  As soon the words echoed through the hall, three mystics dash towards the doors. When they open a door to leave, a wall of fire crashes into their faces. Good, my wall is working. “Can a warrior or two please bring those mystics to me?”

  I wait patiently as I watch them thrashing about, trying to get away. One mystic makes a warrior fall asleep. She is a healer. “You can come easily, or I can come get you, myself. I think everyone here knows my affinity for fire.”

  She calms down and makes the walk towards the stage in silence. I have them sit in front of the stage on the floor and gesture for them to be guarded. Hoda takes control in that moment, pulling out enchanted handcuffs from the side of the stage. They are the only thing that will hinder the power of a mystic.

  “I will start with those in my inner circle, Vex, Hoda, Bee, Cal, Trey, Ayla, and Rhett. Ayla is the only mystic in my inner circle. Both Rhett and Ayla are in the crowd and have to make their way to the stage. Once they are there, I begin.

  Vex and Hoda are both instantly clear. Their hearts are bursting with love for Aster projecting towards me with every syllable they mutter. I move next to Bee who I know is going to be clear, but I have to make sure everyone saw it. I look down the line and see something wrong. It is Cal. He is fidgeting.

  No, please not Cal. Trey stands before me, but I can’t even focus on him due to the amount of nervous energy coming from Cal. I know Trey is good, so I skip him and stand in front of Cal. He won’t even look me in the face, “Cal, not you.” I struggle to find the question. “C-Cal are you loyal to Aster and the Queen? Are you loyal to me, Cal?”

  He squares his shoulders and stands tall as he stammers, “Yes, my Princess.” There is twitchy energy all around him. My mother was right, Cal didn’t hate me, but he was betraying me. Every word I say echoes through the hall with renewed force. "Lies, Cal! You may not hate me, but you are not loyal.”

  I motion for Hoda’s trusted warriors to step forward and take him with the others. Bee’s turmoil is boiling behind me. It takes me a moment to compose myself as my nerves make another pass through my body. It is hard to fight the hurt of betrayal on a stage in front of all Cargil.

  Doing the only thing I can do, I move on. It is apparent that Ayla is loyal. Even though she didn’t want children, she is happy with Aster, and has no desire to leave.

  I move to the last of my inner circle, Rhett. He stands before me looking grim. I always perceived there was something off about Rhett, and I can see it more clearly now. “You, too?” I asked.

  “Yes, but it is not what you think. I am still loyal to Aster and to you, I wasn’t given a choice.” There is a sense of truth in his words, but he was not loyal to Aster, whether he had a choice or not.

  “You will get your chance to explain, but for now you're arrested. Next, I want to speak with Mae.”

  I look over to Hoda who wears a surprised look but nods in response. I didn’t like Mae when I first met her. She gets all the good gossip, too, so she would be aware of everything Hoda knows. I ask her the same question, to which she responded, “I'm loyal to Aster, the Queen, and Hoda.” She smiles sweetly at Hoda, and I sense her love. Hoda and Mae are a couple. I hadn’t detected it until that moment. The love that bounces from Mae to Hoda makes my heart light when it needed it most.

  I look back to see the fire still burning and know that I still have some energy left. I choose to sit on my throne and motion for the first row to come up to the stage. After the tenth or twelfth person, I stop asking the question. Instead, I ask them to profess their loyalty to Aster.

  I feel my energy weakening a little but choose to pull a little from the node and push on. Face after face, the mystics in Cargil blur before me until we came to the end of them. Only ten total. I can't believe I made it through all the mystics. It was not something I thought I could do.

  There is no way I have the energy to interrogate the warriors. I will have to trust that the ones with the most knowledge and nefarious intent are the mystics. It is likely that the biggest players would be the three that attempted to run, Cal, and maybe Rhett.

  I realize my mother may have similar people around her in Lorcan, and how can we trust my other siblings? Will my sisters be angry that I am the heir? It is still not safe in Aster.

  I go back to the room behind the stage. Trey pulls me into a hug as soon as we enters. He kisses my forehead and squeezes me tight. The truth of it is I am in a daze. I still can’t believe Cal, but Rhett didn't really surprise me. Cal did because I spent days on end with him in Yardel. I'd go hide in the stables and tease him daily. He was my friend as much as Bee was.

  Poor Bee. She didn’t even come back to the room with us, choosing to stay on the stage with Ayla and Hoda until everyone exited the hall. I put out the fire before I stepped off stage and brought the scry bowl with me. Vex enters behind Trey. He comes behind me and pats me on the back. “This was a good idea. It didn’t catch them all, but we can get answers now.”

  “How? What if they refuse to talk?”

  “We can make anyone talk,” Trey says as he releases me from our embrace. I am too tired to be embarrassed about showing mild affection. It took a couple hours to go through all the mystics. I want to rest in my room, but I need to talk to both Cal and Rhett. Cal should go first, as I don't believe he has a good excuse like Rhett might. I am running on hunches here.

  “Can someone bring me Cal first? We should get this over with while Bee is still with Ayla.” Trey leaves the room to do my bidding. I sit there on the couch in silence. Vex continues to stand, pacing back and forth. When Trey enteres I see Cal. He has tear stains down his cheeks. The clumsy friend was crying. I could tell it was not over me, but because of Bee. Bee will never forgive him, and he knows that.

  “So, are you going to talk, or will Trey have to make you talk?” I have no emotion in my voice. The ultimate betrayal has taken place.

  “I will talk,” is all he says. Cal never was one to elaborate his words. His high cheekbones made him appear stoic in his sadness. Like he will lay all bare if it gave him a chance with Bee, but it wouldn’t. Cal will be sentenced by the courts for treason. There is no way around that.

  Aster may have a queen, but the High Mystic oversees the courts which are made to be fair and balanced. The courts have both warriors and mystics on their
seats. There are even two seats for regular citizens. The High Mystic is my aunt Gayla. She is quirky and fun, but I never spent much time with her. Instead, I was always left to admire her from afar.

  “Okay then please, Cal, talk. When and how did you betray Aster?”

  “Two years ago. Celeste rode through my village and said she had a spot available for me in Yardel. It pays well, and she would send my parents extra if I reported back to her your progress. She told me to be your friend, but never to ask questions, only to pay attention and report to her once a week. The same time every week she would scry me and ask of you. I answered her. In the beginning, I thought it was a sisterly concern, but when I reported your plan to run, she told me to go with you. She said she would increase my income if I brought you to the Cavet border instead of Cargil. Trey showed up diverting my plans. When we came to Cargil, she became pushier. I had to sneak away with a bowl of water and wait for her to scry. When you took off, I told the two agents she connected me with. They are the ones who took you. I was in over my head, I never intended to betray Aster. It snowballed. It wasn’t until after your attack and Princess Claire’s death that I understood what was happening. I was always in it for the money, nothing else.”