Wynter Reign

by Emmy R Bennett

  “No, that wouldn’t cause such a disruption of magic,” the doctor remarks. “Your father said it started happening before that, which leads me to believe the necklace is tainted with evil.” He reaches out his hand. “May I?”

  Dad nods. “Go on. There is no need to worry. We have already been compromised, anyway. They already know you’re here.”

  I unclasp the chain and hand it to the doctor. “When do you think it happened?” I ask.

  “I would say, it started much earlier than your travels through Ladorielle lands,” Dr. Brekker says.

  He turns to Dad. “How long did you say she was with Moyer?”

  “Only a couple weeks,” I answer. “She did place a memory stamp on me, though.”

  “No, that couldn’t be it, either. Moyer can’t touch the locket—she will be electrocuted.”

  My memory traces back to the time Moyer did indeed get a jolt when she attacked me in the basement of Storm River Manor. “Yeah, I know.”

  The doctor smirks. “Tell me, any recollections before coming to the orphanage?” he presses. “What about the day you were kidnapped?”

  “How is it you know all this?” I ask, perplexed.

  He smiles, glancing at my dad. “Let’s say I’ve been briefed on the matter.” He lays the necklace down on the counter and brings out a jar full of clear liquid and places my locket into the container. “This should help fuse our location until we can figure the cause.”

  “What is that?” I ask.

  “Fusing gel. It’s basically the glue that keeps the magic intact.” Blue crystals begin to form around the locket, snagging the doctor’s attention. “Has this locket gotten wet at any point?”

  “Yes,” I say. “A few times in fact. Yesterday for example, when we had a visit with the Elementals.”

  “No, that would not effect this chemical reaction. Chlorine perhaps?”

  “Well, the day before I was kidnapped, I forgot to take my necklace off at swim class, and the chain fell off in the pool.”

  “Mmm, I see. Chlorine weakens the magic, yes, but it would not weaken it to the point that it would break the glue.” He pauses to turn and face me. “What else can you tell me about that day?”

  “I remember doing one more lap around the pool before getting out, when another classmate by the name of Sadie tried to drown me. Well, I mean, I imagine she didn’t want to kill me, but she definitely wanted to scare me. Bully me a bit, I guess. I fought back. The coach caught us, and Sadie smiled like she got under my skin. The coach yelled at her to get back to the locker room, and then asked if I was all right. I said I was fine. Coach told me he was going to file a report, and Sadie would be suspended.”

  “This Sadie…what did she look like?”

  “Medium build, dark hair, brown eyes. I remember she had a scar above her left eyebrow.”

  “Pointed ears?”

  “No.”

  “Hmm.” The doc rubs his chin while examining the locket through the glass jar.

  “What are you getting at?” Dad cuts in.

  “That a dark witch sent someone unexpected to weave their way into Wynter’s life to get that necklace disenchanted. It appears to have almost worked, too. The fusing gel has almost completely dissolved.”

  “And in that container”—I point to the jar—“you’re trying to re-fuse the magic back to the way it was?”

  “Yes.”

  The ground shakes again, knocking me down. “The tremors are getting stronger.”

  “I think we need to prepare to evacuate, sir,” Garrick says, glancing at my dad.

  “Sound the alarm,” Dad says. He looks at me concerned then at the Doctor. “They know we’re here.”

  Garrick leaves the doctor’s office, and seconds later a siren begins wailing.

  “We better get out now,” Dr. Brekker says. He grabs the jar and we follow him.

  Debris falls from the ceiling and the lights flicker.

  “Do not shift, no matter how much you want to,” I hear my aunt say inside my head.

  A fireball crashes through the office. The receptionist screams as we watch her catch on fire. People in the office begin to run down the hallway screaming. The mother that was in the waiting room with us lifts her child in her arms and flees.

  Dr. Brekker hands me the container, saying, “Take this with you. In about five minutes, you may remove it. Do not let it out of your sight.”

  One of the soldiers in our group puts out the flames on the woman’s back. She collapses.

  “How do I know when to take it out?”

  “It will stop glowing blue. Now go!”

  As we turn for the door to flee, we’re stopped by a hovering dark dragon with a Trek on its back. He takes aim with his arrow. “Duck!” I scream. The arrow nails a nurse in the shoulder.

  “Okay, you said I’m not to shift, but you never said I couldn’t do this.” Before my aunt has time to react, I throw a ball of ice towards the intruder, freezing them both instantly, like the wolf a few days ago in the mountains.

  Dr. Brekker’s eyes grow large. “It appears, Lord Jeoffrey, you have some explaining to do once this is over. Never in the history of dragons has anyone had the power of water since—”

  “I know,” Dad interrupts. “I’ll explain later. Do you have a back way out of here?”

  “Wait,” I say, “let me heal her first. It looks like the same kind of arrow Rory was hit with.”

  “Rory?” the Doc asks, sounding confused.

  “Yes, my friend. I have a hunch it’s tainted with Sea Spike poison. Don’t touch the arrow, whatever you do.” I glide my hand over the wound, sealing the shaft into the nurse’s flesh. “Get her to Nyta, she will know what to do.”

  “We should go, My lord,” Garrick presses.

  “Right.”

  Dad doesn’t need to ask twice, prompting Dr. Brekker to say, “Through those doors at the end of the hall is a stairwell leading to the lower caverns. But be careful, I’m sure it will be heavily guarded. If they can find their way to this office, they’ll be waiting.”

  “Sounds like we’re trapped,” I say.

  “Not yet.” Dad pulls at my hand.

  “Wait,” Dr. Brekker calls. “What about that?” He points to the frozen dragon and his pet.

  “Shatter him with the fireman ax,” I say and point to the weapon still encased in glass.

  “Right, and what about an escape for myself and staff? We haven’t a druid,” Dr. Brekker says.

  Dad looks to the two soldiers tagging along. “Can you men take these three to Geneviève’s Ranch?”

  “Sir?” one soldier protests.

  “Wynter will be safe, trust me. Besides with her power, something tells me she can take care of herself. The folks injured need medical attention.” Dad pauses and directs his focus on me. “Wynter, do you think you can cool this poor woman’s back before they go?”

  “I can try.” My hands begin to glow, and I hover over the scarred backside of the other woman who caught on fire. It doesn’t seem to make a difference, except she no longer moans in pain.

  “Okay, let’s move…” Dad pulls at my hand again.

  I watch as the two soldiers shift in the now open space caused by the earlier damage, and the doctor helps get both injured women on the dragons’ backs.

  “C’mon, this way,” Garrick says. “It isn’t over.”

  I pick up the jar of liquid holding my necklace, and we flee through the back way out of the office. By this time, the blue glow begins to fade.

  “Don’t take it out too early,” I hear my dad say, “or it won’t work.”

  Once we’re out of the building, I notice we seem to have returned on the surface of Ashengale City.

  “How are we to get back to the same place as we were before this whole thing started?”

  I scan the area to see devastation and chaos. Many dead bodies are strewn about. Our dragon soldiers fly near the perimeter dome. We can see the fireballs being hurled at the shiel
d, trying to weaken it.

  The commander yells, “Get ready for round two, men!”

  “Hurry,” Garrick cries, “we need to get to the other end of the cave.” He points in its direction.

  I hear something similar to glass breaking.

  “Shields are down!” the commander cries.

  “Move,” Garrick orders.

  We run along the perimeters of the fencing.

  Garrick shifts and so does my dad. The Trek soldiers begin invading. Now, it’s a battle on the ground as well as air.

  I realize that not just dragons fight, but allies of many different species come to defend our home. Soldiers combat with swords drawn against the intruders. Wolves pounce on the enemy, elves ready their arrows, and even some giants appear where I hadn’t noticed them before. I see wizards, armed with balls of magic, begin throwing their weight into the battle as well. All kinds of magical beings come out of the woodwork.

  The chaos erupts, but the jar I hold still glows blue. “When will this necklace be ready?”

  Fran frowns. “We work with what we have for now. Isn’t that what I always say to you?” Her tone cuts like a knife, and I know this is a battle of survival now.

  “I can’t see Dad.”

  “He will be fine. He’s stronger in his shifted state, unlike the dark dragons. Their weakness is their scales. They no longer hold the magic of good. Their only strength is the fire they breathe. Burning as much as they can. “

  A Trek charges towards us. Thank goodness for my quick reflexes because without warning, my hands know what to do, and I freeze him.

  One of our allies doesn’t hesitate and takes advantage and smashes the ice.

  “Perhaps you may be more useful then we first hoped,” Fran teases. “Oh no.”

  “What?” I turn around and see nothing. “What is it?”

  “You don’t see that coming towards us?”

  “See what?”

  “Never mind,” she says and swooshes past me in her ghost form. I watch as she looks to be battling air. This doesn’t make any sense. If it were another ghost, I would see them.

  “I don’t see anything. What’s going on?” I fight through the chaos, following my aunt.

  “Run to the fence. I’ll catch up,” she says.

  It’s just me now. I’m alone, trying to escape the second round of attacks. My aunt will find me. I see a tower ahead as I run along the barrier. Another Trek runs forward, slamming me against a rock. Dazed for a moment, I watch as he raises a hand to deliver a deadly blow, but flames begin to consume him. Garrick has charred his body. He darts away to the next victim, continuing his fight, and I watch the Trek fall to the ground in a pile of dust.

  Fran grabs my hand before I have time to absorb what happened. “This way.”

  I notice the jar of liquid containing my necklace has disappeared. “Where is it? We have to find it.”

  I don’t need to tell her; she already knows.

  I think back to before I was struck and look around the boulder. I’m surprised my body doesn’t feel worse. I imagine it’s my healing ability, naturally regenerating. Guess there’s a perk to turning eighteen after all.

  I find the jar wedged between the boulder and fencepost. Liquid is slowly seeping out. Thankfully, the blue glow has disappeared, so I don’t hesitate. I smash the glass and take the necklace. It oozes with goop, but I don’t care and quickly put the chain on. The quicker we can call off this intrusion, the better.

  “What do we do now?” I ask

  “Keep moving. The war isn’t over just because you wear that necklace. We still need to get you safely out of here.”

  Marksmen trail the upper edges of the fencing catwalk, shooting like madmen. Some fall to their deaths, as we keep running.

  We take cover by a willow but are startled by a fireball blasting the tree. Continuing, we run the trail along the fort fence, as we watch many other trees around us burn. Squawks are heard in the sky, and I look up to see two more dark dragons spewing fire and torching the homes and buildings around us. People are fleeing everywhere as I watch in horror. Fiery bodies are burned alive as we sprint past them. My heart aches, knowing I can’t help everybody, and feeling like this attack is my fault. The underworld is looking for me, and all these people are perishing. Animals bolt across the paths, trying to avoid the fire storm from above, while the strong ones fight back the evil intruders.

  “This is utter chaos,” I say.

  “Head towards the mountain,” my aunt says, “where Garrick pointed to earlier.

  “But the mountain looks like a dead end,” I protest.

  “Trust me, it’s not.”

  A fireball hits another tree, urging us to move faster. I watch all around in awe as soldiers continue to prepare cannons and marksmen ready their bows from unscathed treetops. In the distance, knights fight alongside the elves, and more dragon shifters take to the air. Women and children continue screaming, searching for cover. Balls of flames catapult through the town and damage everything in their path. I can’t tell who was winning and who was losing in this invasion seeing so much death on the ground.

  We leap over dead bodies, trying to avoid the fire torching the ground. Hearing a shrieking scream, I witness a Trek chasing a small child. The same child I remember seeing in the doctor’s office. I freeze the Trek where he stands, allowing the child to run away to his frantic mother.

  I stay close to Fran as we round the corner of a large boulder, hurdling over more bodies and rolling in a summersault, as we are nearly hit by another fireball.

  “We’re going to have to make a run for it at that tower. We’re trapped, and that’s the way out,” Fran calls. “But wait on my signal.”

  She pops up onto a boulder. “I can see the dragons are regrouping. Go now!” she cries. “There is a hidden door over there in that tower.” She points. “Look for a trap door under the floorboards. It’s made of steel. Open it and get out of here.”

  “Let me guess,” I ask, “made of Valiancium?”

  “Yes. Now go,” Fran presses.

  I feel arrows fly by my head as we make a break for the tower doors. A few straggling elves make a break for it, too. Inside, soldiers cover the window openings and fire ammo, as people pile down through the trap door that already lays wide open on the ground. Hard to believe so many people are huddled together waiting their turn to pass through. Some people are impatient and jump down instead.

  When it comes to our turn, Fran says, “Wynter, ready, on three.” She looks over my shoulder and from the expression on her face, it isn’t good. I hear her scream aloud, “Three!” Before I have a chance to react, she yanks my hand, and I free fall down the stairwell, landing onto something soft, not realizing at first it’s dead bodies that have fallen.

  “Ewww!” I scream.

  “No time for theatrics, let’s go!”

  We hurry inside the tunnel behind many other elves and shifters trying to flee the battle. A fireball shoots through the hole, and I realize that’s what prompted Fran to tell me to jump so quickly.

  “Follow the crowd. It leads out to a ravine,” Fran says aloud. I look at the frightened faces around me. Their homes invaded. This was a place believed to be safe from such brutal attacks.

  “I thought we were protected from such raids,” I accuse. “This is insane, Aunt Fran. You said we were safe.”

  “Yes, that’s true, but something has clearly happened to break Ashengale’s protection barrier. The first full moon has begun.”

  Chapter 28

  Rory Fernshadow

  The past:

  Storm River Compound

  After I fill Cory in on our plans, we decide against going to the barn and rescuing Redmae first. Once we have the rest of the Storms together, it will make for a stronger force. Cory has mentioned we’re to meet Blair by the tunnels anyway. It does seem to make better sense.

  We prepare out in the winter cold a second time to rescue what children might still remain in the
chambers of Storm River Manor’s basement. The air is sharp, and the sky is bright with morning light. The fresh snow on the ground is mixed with frozen ice and days’ old flakes underneath. It hasn’t stopped snowing since we arrived, and we finally can catch a break. This mission seems to be taking longer than we expected. We take off down the riverbank.

  “This is the way to the tunnels,” Cory says. We follow him along the rushing river. It’s so cold that ice forms around the outer edges of the shoreline. The snow begins falling again, making visibility difficult. We manage to keep the pace, though, despite the weather.

  We reach the iron grate attached to a concrete tunnel opening.

  “Something’s wrong. She’s supposed to be here.” Cory looks around, doing a one eighty.

  “Maybe she’s late?”

  “Blair is never late.” Cory’s eyes glow.

  “Can you reach her through her mind?” I ask. My gut has a funny feeling something is wrong.

  “No…” He turns to tug at the opening of the tunnel entrance gate effortlessly. It whips open with a loud thud. The force is so strong that I’m worried his nervousness will cloud his judgment. “Are we ready?”

  “Following your lead,” I say.

  “The last time I was here, Wynter laid right there.” Cory points to the spot. “She was nearly frozen to death because she hadn’t quite reached her eighteenth birthday. I could hear the wolves howl, knowing they, too, were looking for her. I don’t know what is beyond these tunnels. Let’s hope we don’t run into anything unexpected.”

  Cory’s comments send a slight chill up my spine. “You go first.” I gulp.

  The tunnel smells musty, and water drips down with the sounds of rats scurrying about. It’s cold and damp and no warmer than outside. If anything, it feels colder. We don’t need a flashlight because Cory’s glowing blue eyes light the way. Not that I need it now because my own eyes have nocturnal vision and adjusted. I’m guessing it’s the Dire wolf in me. Aoes said I could change to a wolf now, too. I wish I could figure out how it’s triggered. I look down to see rats crawl along the sides, and a stream of water moves in the center of the tunnel, half encased in ice. I’m a little surprised it isn’t completely frozen, considering the temperature.