He nods as we approach.
The queen stands and opens her arms to greet us. Cole walks into them, giving the woman an affectionate hug. She pats his face, studying him, then tilts her head and kisses his forehead. "Watch yourself, my son. You are teetering close to the abyss."
"That's the only way to truly find balance," Cole says, with a charming grin.
She laughs, and he steps aside, so I can approach.
"I have heard rumors of you," the queen says, bringing me in for an unexpected embrace.
When she releases me, I step back and clear my throat. "Good ones, I hope?"
She smirks. "Strange ones. Regarding your abilities.” She raises an eyebrow, as if in question. But I have no answers for her.
"Were you a Druid?" I ask, changing the subject.
She nods. "Long ago. But I renounced that Order...much like Cole, here."
I glance at Cole, then back at her. I know why he left the Order, but… "Why did you leave?"
She sits and invites us to join her, then pours us each a cup of wine. Once we are settled, she answers, "The Order claimed to help the people, but more and more, I saw that help go mostly to the wealthy and privileged. I left to help those who needed it the most."
I take a sip of the wine, realizing how thirsty I am after all the dusty travel. "I take it you and the other Night brothers didn't part on good terms?"
"No," she says. "We did not."
Of course. This is why she won’t see them. "I don’t know what happened between you all…but Liam is being accused of a crime he didn't commit, and I intend to prove his innocence.”
The queen takes a sip of wine. “Are you a lawyer, as well?"
“I work for the firm," I say. "And I was hoping you could help me. I'm looking for information about the stolen dragon egg.”
She cocks her head, studying me. "And what makes you think I know anything?"
Well, shit. I can't come right out and say she's a suspect, but I have the sense that anything less than the truth won't sit well with her, either. "To be honest, we're short on leads and even shorter on time. You’re someone with influence and authority. Someone who inspires those who don't fit into the system. Whoever took the egg likely wanted to throw a wrench into the power structure of this world. That seems like something you might know about."
"Very well put," she says with a smile. "You have clearly learned the art of speaking to the heart of a truth."
"So, will you help?" I ask again. "Liam doesn’t deserve to be punished for this."
"Who is to weigh the scales on what someone does or does not deserve?" she asks. "How heavy is Liam's soul? How would it compare to the weight of this punishment, I wonder?"
"Do you believe you can know that?" I ask frankly. "Do you have the measure of every person in your presence? Let alone the measure of one you haven't seen in such a long time? You formed your opinion of Liam and the other brothers a thousand years ago. And maybe at the time it was valid. But do you not believe people can change? That they can redeem themselves? When was the last time you reconsidered your own misjudgments?"
Cole is staring at me. I can feel his dark gaze like a physical touch. But I don't turn to look at him. Instead, I stare into the silver eyes of the woman before me, unwaveringly.
Finally, she sighs, and leans back, breaking contact. "I don't know who has the egg," she says. But there are words left unspoken, as if she is not telling me all she knows.
"Please," I say. "If you know anything more, share it. They're locking down the Otherworld. Until the egg is found, people who seek refuge will be denied. As bad as is it for refugees here, imagine what they face in the mundane world. They are feared, hunted, killed. They need your help. If not for Liam or me, then for them."
"Oh child, you have no idea, do you? You really don't know."
I straighten my back, staring at the queen. "Don't know what?"
“The dragons,” she says softly. “The dragons always want more power. Especially Dath’Racul. He seeks to increase taxes. Reduce support to the poor. For a while, his efforts were considered too extreme. But no longer. Not with the egg missing. Now the people embrace his ways. As does the Council.”
“You think...Dath’Racul stole the egg himself?" I ask. "To tighten government control?”
She shrugs. “Possibly. Or maybe one of the other dragons. Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Darkness. They used to want to help the world. But at some point, they decided to help themselves first.”
She lowers her voice. “I asked my brothers and sisters to change their ways, I begged them. But they would not. So, I am here...with those they have forgotten...and they are in their palaces of crystal and gold.”
Her brothers and sisters? I look at the queen of beggars again, seeing her as if for the first time as a vision overtakes me and reveals to me the queen's true self.
In the darkness of my mind a brilliant silver-white dragon stands before me, radiant like a star, vast as a mountain. She glows with light that emanates from within, casting out the shadows with her very presence.
"The dragon of light… " I say in awe.
She nods, smiling gently. "I was. Yes. But even I was not bright enough to burn the darkness out of the Order, or out of the Council of Dragons. I am sorry I cannot help you further, but I wish you the best in your quest, daughter." She leans in to kiss my cheek, and I feel a spark between us. Her eyes widen in wonder and surprise, and she studies me carefully as we are escorted out the room and back into the alley.
“She was our mentor,” Cole tells me as we walk back to the carriage where the others have gone to wait. “For a while, anyway. She taught Druids about the light. My brothers had a propensity for the other elements. Fire. Water. Earth. Air. But I...” He holds up a hand and a ball of white light appears, lighting up the dark alley.
“You were a light Druid,” I say, realization dawning on me.
“Once," he says, his voice soft. Reflective. "Very long ago.” He drops his hand, and the light fades, drawing us into darkness once more.
The Flame
She, In the dark, Found light Brighter than many ever see.
~Helen Keller by Langston Hughes
After some deliberation, it's decided Cole will come back to the castle with us.
I fill them all in on what Lyx said, and now we need to decide what to do next.
"Investigating the dragons will be tricky, at best," Derek says, as we bump along the road.
I rub my backside, confident there will be bruises. "Any chance we can get some, I don't know, cushions back here? I'm going to be black and blue after today."
"If you need a massage, I have excellent hands," Cole says, holding said hands up with a wink.
He's not wrong. They are fine looking hands. Strong with long fingers. A musician's hands.
Elijah and Derek both frown.
"We can make it more comfortable," Elijah says. "I've actually been considering some upgrades to the carriage. Just haven't had time."
"Thanks," I say. "If you need help, let me know. I'm pretty handy."
Elijah raises an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have guessed."
"I'm not just a pretty face and a smart brain," I say. "I have other skills."
Cole throws an arm around my shoulders. "That doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, I look forward to learning all about your other skills."
His attention is flattering and disconcerting and I'm just glad the two hotheads up front aren't here to witness it. Though with their vampire hearing, Liam and Sebastian probably aren't missing much.
Derek clears his throat. "Back to the dragons?"
"Yes, this will need to be handled very carefully," Elijah says. "They are too powerful to come at directly. We need to be discreet in our questions, and we can't let anyone suspect that we are going after them."
"Or what?" I ask. "Shouldn't the people have the right to question their leadership?"
Cole smirks. "Not here. This isn't a democracy. This is an autocracy
. It may seem the Dragon Council is balanced, but really Dath'Racul runs things, and keeps the other dragons under his thumb. Lyx'Ara dissented by trying to put their focus back on the people rather than their own personal power and look how that turned out for her. The Dragon of Darkness mostly holes up in his dungeon and doesn't much care for the rest of the world. And the others are too cowed by Dath to stop him in his pursuits. Especially now."
"So, they can do anything to anyone and there's no one to hold them accountable?" I ask.
"Pretty much," Cole says.
"That's not entirely true," says Elijah, pointedly. "We do have some checks and balances. We have a legal system set up with rules. There is a way to work within the system to change things."
Cole scoffs. "Right. How's that going for you? Or did you give up helping people when you became vampires?"
"We are defense attorneys," Derek reminds him. "It's our job to help people who are in trouble."
Cole leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's an interesting choice of career for men who were more than willing to throw their own brother under the bus. Where was my defense when I needed one the most?"
No one has an answer for him, and so we travel in silence the rest of the way home.
The tension is thick when we arrive and head inside the castle. Matilda is waiting by the door, her eyes red and swollen like she's been crying.
When she sees Cole, she cries out, holding her arms open. "My boy. You've come home at last."
I don't entirely know what I was expecting, but when Cole embraces her and his eyes well up with tears, I'm shocked. I had no idea they were so close. There's so much to their history I don't know. So much I will likely never know.
"Grand-mère," he says with raw emotion. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."
He pulls away and she pats him on his cheek like a child. "You look good. I know you've been through more than most, but you've always been strong. Brave. I knew you'd come out of it okay."
Cole looks away frowning. "Well, I came out of it at least."
Matilda leads him in by the hand. "I hope your tastes haven't changed too much. I've prepared all your favorite foods."
We follow them into the dining room, and my stomach rumbles loud enough to draw looks from everyone.
Cole pulls out a seat next to his. "Join me? Have my brothers not been keeping you fed? Their appetites have changed, but you cannot live on blood."
Sebastian bristles at that. "She has plenty of food to eat anytime she wants."
Cole rolls his eyes and we both sit. The others all do as well, and Matilda brings out food for those of us who eat and blood for those who don't.
Lily makes a surprise visit, joining us. She smiles shyly at Cole and holds out a hand. "We haven't met. I'm Lily. The Nights adopted me into their family, years ago."
Cole stands and kisses her hand gallantly. "Enchantè. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I've always found dryads very magical."
She nods then takes a seat across from us.
"May I ask, how is it you have a French accent, while your brothers don't?"
There's an uncomfortable silence as they glance at each other, and it's Matilda who answers for them.
"Cole spent most of his childhood training in France," she says. "He was particularly gifted with his magick at an early age and was sent to apprentice there."
"I fell in love with the country," Cole says. "If not with my master."
Matilda frowns. "I'm sorry, my boy. If we had known… "
Cole shrugs. "It is in the past, is it not? This is the time for new beginnings."
As we begin eating, a cry interrupts us from the other room. Liam jumps up, setting his goblet of blood down. "Excuse me."
Cole looks over, confused. "There's a baby here?"
"I'm surprised you didn't already know," Sebastian says bitterly. "You seem to know everything else despite having been gone for a thousand years."
Cole sips at his wine and smiles. "I've done due diligence, but some rumors clearly haven't reached me yet." He looks to me. "Is the child yours?"
I blush and shake my head. "Liam's. She is half human, though."
Liam returns with the baby bundled in his arms. His expression softens as he looks at his daughter. "She just needed a change and a bottle," he says, feeding her as he takes his seat.
Cole can't take his eyes off of them. "I'm an…uncle?"
The four other brothers look at him, but only Liam nods. "It would appear so."
We eat in silence, and when Matilda brings us apple pie fresh from the oven, Cole moves to sit next to Liam. "May I…would it be okay if I held her?"
The two lock eyes, and I can see the war in Liam. The desire to protect his child. His suspicion of Cole. But also…his own guilt. His desire to reconcile with his brother. Finally, he nods and hands the child over. "Make sure to support her head, and here, curve your arm so she can lay in it."
Liam adjusts Cole's arm and arranges Alina in his arms. Cole sits next to Liam, studying his niece, cooing to her and letting her play with his finger.
"She's strong," he says, smiling. "A mighty grip."
She gurgles and then quite suddenly a tiny burst of flames shoot from her hands, singeing the edges of Cole's hair. He handles it in stride, laughing as he uses his free hand to pat at his head. We are all staring, wide-eyed.
Cole looks around. "I take it this is new?"
Liam nods. "She's never shown powers before."
Matilda shakes her head. "We're going to need to fireproof her room. Goodness knows what she'll be up to now."
Liam's grinning like a fool. "She's a fire element. I wasn't sure if she'd have active powers, being half human."
"She takes after her father," I say with a smile, and Liam smiles back, his happiness so pure it swells my heart.
"Speaking of powers," I say. "I've become something of the Otherworld freak. Everyone we meet wants to know what I am. What I can do. I don't know what to say, and I feel like my powers are just out of control. I need help learning how to use them. How to control them. How to even figure out what they are. Will you all help me?"
Matilda nods, finishing the last bite of her pie. "I was going to suggest this myself. It seems, my dear, that you have power from many of the elements. Maybe all of them. This is incredibly rare. It makes you a magical anomaly of sorts. I think it best you train with each of my grandsons to learn to control the different elements and understand your limits."
My body buzzes with a new excitement. I will finally learn what I can do. Maybe this will even help me understand what I am. Who I am. And just maybe it will also help me understand my brother better.
Deep down, in a place I don't like to look at much, I also fear what I will become if I unleash my powers.
Will I become like my twin? Willing to do anything—no matter how atrocious—if I believe it will serve the greater good? But how can anyone be assured of that? How can anyone truly, in their soul, justify evil deeds for the sake of what might be?
"I can train with you a bit tonight," Liam says, pulling my attention back to the conversation.
Derek nods. "That's a good idea. I need Elijah to help with some research. We have to start preparing for the trial."
"I can take care of the baby while you two are training," Sebastian says. "I haven't had much time with my niece."
Matilda rises. "Well now, that's been settled. Cole, your room is readied for you. Come with me, and then you and I can have a nice cup of tea and catch up."
Cole hands the baby over to Sebastian and follows Matilda out, sparing one last glance at me, his expression slightly haunted.
Derek and Elijah leave for the study, and Liam takes my hand as we head to the forge. "It's best to practice fire magic in a place suited for heat and fire. We wouldn't want to burn anything down."
I can't imagine my powers being strong enough to do that kind of damage, but it's a smart precaution.
The forge is a lar
ge building adjacent to the castle and smells of hot metal and burning wood. No one is here, but there is work being done. The fire is stoked, metal is being melted, cooled, and hammered into different shapes. I stand, gaping. "Ghosts?" I ask.
Liam nods. "They use the forge to make things useful to the castle. Every once in awhile, we'll find a new sword or knife, meticulously made in the finest craftsmanship. We believe one of the ghosts must have been a master metal worker in their time."
"That's… incredible." I swipe my forehead with the sleeve of my shirt, mopping the sweat off my brow, and I wonder if improving my fire element will help me handle heat better.
Liam seems completely fine. Not a drop of sweat on him.
"How do you do that?" I ask.
"Do what? We haven't even started yet."
"Not sweat," I say. "I feel like I'm in a sauna."
He laughs, and, god, I love the sound of it. He should laugh more often.
"I don't know. I guess it's an inherent part of my powers."
"I hope it's contagious," I say, swiping again at my forehead as sweat burns my eyes.
"Let's see what you can do," he says, standing in front of me. "Remember, I'm fireproof, so don't worry about losing control. I've got you."
That does make me feel better. "How do I start?"
"Imagine a flame in the center of your body, deep within. Tap into that flame, letting it flare within you until you can feel it in your hands," he says.
I close my eyes and attempt to do what he says, but instead of fire, a strong wind blows around us.
I sigh and open my eyes. "Wrong element."
He chuckles. "But close. Fire and air are aligned. Air helps stoke fire's flames. Fire can't breathe without air. Keep trying."
This time he stands behind me and wraps his arms around me, holding my hands in his. I close my eyes and lean into him as his body heats up. I feel his flames, simmering in his palms, glancing against my flesh, but it doesn't burn me. It warms me.
His lips are against my ear, his voice soft as he guides me. "Do you feel the fire in me?" he asks.
I nod.
"It's in you as well. You just have to find it. Unlike us, you have more than one element at work, so it might be confusing. But it's there. Let my flame light your way."
I Am the Storm (The Night Firm Book 2) Page 9