“Do your worst, you coward!” she screamed.
My stomach dropped. Without thinking, I unhooked the Lightning Rod and pointed it at the fairy about to Kill Evolene. Gladius raised both arms, lifted the fairies off the ground and smashed their heads together. The dazed fairies glowered down at him. “Who dares to assault Her Majesty’s guard?”
“Someone with the power to extinguish your worthless lives if you don’t leave this place immediately.”
Captain Comma’s face twisted. “Fine. We’re closing down the barriers to our realm and recalling all fairies back to Elphame to protect our Queen. You can deal with the mess you created and lament when we’re not here to protect you when His Majesty rises!”
“You lot haven’t lifted a finger to help us,” I shouted. “What difference would it make if you ran away?”
“Cowards!” Evolene screamed.
The two fairies disappeared, leaving us alone at the palace gates.
Chapter 15
I returned to the Midas Islands palace with Gladius and Evolene, with my conscience weighing in my chest like a boulder of gravestone. After everything King Magnar had told me about his father, I should have guessed he would make a deal with the spriggans to gain magic and eternal youth in exchange for helping them unearth the Forgotten King. I had no doubt that a spriggan had visited him in his dungeon and offered him a place as one of the most powerful rulers under the new regime.
The three of us stood in the sun-drenched marble courtyard without speaking. Fyrian raised her head and gave me a sympathetic look, but the shock and disappointment of the stolen sarcophagus made all the words drain out of my mind. A wave of anguish rocked my body, making both arms flop to my sides. Why hadn’t I done something the moment we’d seen the impostor? Anyone working with the spriggans would have access to their artifacts. I’d clashed enough times with King Magnar’s sisters to have seen the magical tools they had used to wreak havoc.
Up ahead, King Magnar and his sisters sat under the verandah, playing with the dollhouse. He rose from his seat, concern etched on his features. “What’s happened?”
“Your father has disappeared with the King Who Must Be Forgotten!” growled Gladius.
“I don’t understand.”
“He’s got magic,” said Evolene.
King Magnar glanced at Astri and Botilda, whose faces had turned the color of ash. “You told me he was still locked away.”
“He was,” said Botilda.
Astri shot to her feet and stomped off the veranda, hands balled into fists and glowering at me like I was the cause of every misfortune to have befallen her sisters. “The spriggans must have bargained with him when we failed to return from our last mission!”
Her words hit me like a slap across the face, and I reared back. While I had hesitated today, my actions in the underwater ship hadn’t caused an already evil man to side with evil beings. Through clenched teeth, I asked, “Are you blaming me for not allowing myself to be abducted?”
King Magnar placed a hand on Astri’s shoulder. “None of this is Princess Alba’s fault. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without her and her allies.” He turned to me. “Did the spriggans go with Father?”
“They’re dead,” I replied.
“A-all of them?” Botilda stood, hands clasped to her chest.
“All in the vicinity of the palace.” I raised a shoulder. “There might be more elsewhere.”
A smile flickered across Astri’s face. “This is wonderful news. We have our Kingdom back, and—”
“Weren’t you listening?” King Magnar whirled around, eyes flashing. “Father has left the dungeon. He’s taken back the throne and will likely want to recall the six of you to steal your magic!”
Astri’s neck sank, and her shoulders rose to her ears. She stepped back and wrapped her arms around her middle. King Magnar had probably never spoken so harshly to his sisters before.
Evolene stepped forward. “Actually, he’s disguised himself as you. Only a half-grown spriggan knew his real name. You could expose him as an impostor and have him sent back to the dungeons.”
“Or have him killed,” snarled King Magnar.
My jaw dropped. The last time we had talked about his father, King Magnar had felt reluctant to do anything but keep him locked away.
“What?” King Magnar spread his arms wide. “He’s about to unleash the most wicked fairy in history. If I’d killed him when I had the chance, the Known World wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Gladius crossed the courtyard and clapped King Magnar on the shoulder. “Well said. It seems that the two of us will both kill our creators.”
Maybe it was the heat of the late afternoon sun in a cloudless sky, or the swirl of seawater in the wind, or the horror of there being more than one sarcophagus, but my head spun and my stomach churned. I staggered to the veranda to where a servant clad in white linen stood with a tray of cool drinks. Most of the juices appeared cloyingly sweet, so I selected a glass of aqua vitae to settle my stomach. Its cool contents slid down my gullet, washing away my nausea and clearing my head. I stood in the shade for several moments, gathering my thoughts and breathing hard.
“It wasn’t your fault,” said Fyrian. “I watched everything through your eyes and thought King Calder was under a glamor. There’s no way I could have guessed he would have magic.”
I blew out a long breath. “Thanks, Fyri. I needed that.”
“If the fairies hadn’t had their tantrum, they might have found the sarcophagus, but I can’t see how we can do that without their help. It could be anywhere in the Known World. You’re going to need a new plan.”
My head snapped up. She was right. I stepped out of the verandah, shoulders back, spine straight, and with determination thrumming through my veins. “We’ve got to tell Master Fosco what’s happened. When the Forgotten King awakens, he’ll come after the dragons.”
Botilda picked up the dollhouse and made her way across the courtyard to Byrrus. Astri and King Magnar joined her, while Evolene climbed up Fyrian’s foreleg.
Gladius positioned himself at the dragons’ tails. “Let’s go.”
Moments later, we arrived at the banks of the Great Lake. The afternoon sun reflected over its shimmering surface, illuminating a pair of blue dragons frolicking underneath. I inhaled lungfuls of warm, dry air, this time not wondering about the state of the weathervane. Mount Fornax was a perfect haven, both for the dragons and for the warriors who otherwise would not have a place in Steppe society, and we had to preserve that at all costs.
I climbed down from Fyrian’s back and helped Evolene dismount. Astri and Botilda levitated the dollhouse to the ground, and King Magnar climbed down and cradled it in his arms. The six of us made the short walk over the lawn to the archway that led to the courtyard of the reception buildings.
Roseate stood by a black carriage, its dragon wings spread like spokes of a parasol. She stepped toward us, snub nose in the air. “Where did you lot go, and why didn’t you bring me?”
“Not now,” snapped Evolene.
I gave my friend a sharp nod of approval. Now was not the time to deal with Roseate’s attention-seeking belligerence.
Gladius shoved open the double doors, and we all stepped in after him into the cool reception area. The man sitting at Evolene’s old desk stood, jaw agape. He had probably heard about the wild dragon who could turn into a man.
Phoenix poked his head out of the door to his office. “You’re back.”
With a weak smile, Evolene pulled out Master Jesper’s communication mirror. “You’d better come with us, Phoenix. We have bad news.”
His face fell, and he stepped out into the reception area. “Master Fosco is in his office with Masters Roopal, Klauw, and Solum.”
I continued to Master Fosco’s office door, which I gave three sharp raps before turning the handle. “It’s best that they all hear.”
All four males sat behind Master Fosco’s long desk with Master Klauw on the far le
ft, sitting next to Master Roopal. Master Fosco sat next to him with Master Solum at the far end. My heart sank at the sight of them. Even though the four dragons had disciplined me plenty of times, they’d given me a lot of leeway over the weeks I’d been at the academy. I was about to repay their generosity with my failure.
Master Fosco raised his brows. “Did you retrieve the quadruplets’ blessing?”
My throat thickened. My legs stopped a few steps into the office before turning to wood. There was no easy way to say it, so I blurted out the truth. “They’ve raised the Forgotten King from his banishment and stolen his sarcophagus. They’re going to use the power of the blessing for his resurrection.”
“What?” Master Fosco roared.
“Are you sure?” asked Master Roopal.
“It is as the fairy says.” Gladius crossed the office and stood a foot away from the desk. “We killed all the spriggans we found, but at the last minute, King Calder disappeared with the sarcophagus. We can only assume he also has the pearls the spriggans used to hold the magic.”
Master Klauw’s face twisted into a mask of confusion. “I thought you killed your Father, King Magnar.”
The young King bowed his head. “I only put him in the dungeons.”
“A pity.”
King Magnar sighed.
I imagined he was reeling from the revelation. We’d always thought the spriggans were our most dangerous enemy, but it turned out that King Calder hadn’t learned anything from being usurped. When he should have been evaluating the wrongness of forcing his wife to bear daughter after daughter so he could steal their magic, he had been thirsting for power. A rueful smile crossed my features. The librarian and Mr. Bacon had worked so hard in their attempt to free Savannah from the spriggans. How would they react when they discovered the very King they had tried to rescue was in league with the evil fairies?
Master Fosco stood. “We must tell Her Majesty immediately.”
My heart sank, and I let out a deep, shuddering breath. Soon, Father and Aunt Cendrilla would all know about my failure.
Master Fosco strode across the room to the gold-framed painting of Aunt Cendrilla standing atop his dragon form. She pointed her flaming magestaff to the horizon, while the purple dragon blew out a stream of fire. After wrapping his arm around its frame, the picture shimmered away, replaced by a mirror. The reflection twisted, then it cleared to show Aunt Cendrilla sitting on the golden throne in her study, signing documents. Behind her, two wool-headed ogresses each rocked two babies in their arms.
She glanced up and frowned. “Fosco?”
“It’s bad news, Rilla,” said Master Fosco.
Aunt Cendrilla put down her quill. “What is it?”
Master Fosco turned to me, and I stepped forward on legs that trembled like the branches of a skeleton tree. My throat dried, and I swallowed hard. This was worse than failing the Magical Militia, and this time, it wasn’t just my life that would be affected. Now, the entire Known World would be facing a threat even bigger than the Snow Queen.
I cleared my throat. “The Forgotten King is about to be raised by King Calder. I told the fairies. They’ve…” Frustration welled in my chest like a cyclone, and I blew out as much as I could in a long breath. “The fairies have locked down their realm and have left us to deal with him.”
“Ah.” She tapped her lip.
A silence stretched out, filled only by the beating of my heart. Aunt Cendrilla wasn’t the type for outbursts, except where Father was concerned, but I fully expected her to fly into a rage at the discovery. We were supposed to have brought back the blessing, not the Forgotten King.
Eventually, she spoke. “That explains why two of Her Majesty’s guards asked me to escort them to Elphame. I told them I was too busy with the aftermath of the attempted coup, and they disappeared.” She shook her head, her lips pinched with disgust, presumably at the fairies’ selfishness. “We’re going to Mount Fornax. Oliveri, prepare the carriage.”
All the tension I’d been holding since the incident with Captain Comma left me in a single, outward breath. Then Father stepped into view, face grave. I stiffed, waiting for a reprimand.
“Cendrilla has not regained the use of her fairy magic and cannot battle.” He said the last two words as a command. “We will join you as soon as we can with a retinue of Militia witches.”
Master Fosco gave him a nod. “Thank you.”
I chewed my lip. Aunt Cendrilla could appear and reappear like a purple dragon. If she needed to use transportation, she had to be in a weakened state.
Master Fosco stepped away from the communication mirror, which returned to the painting of him and Aunt Cendrilla. Then he walked across his office and pulled a lever under his desk. “Everybody is summoned to the arena. Mount Fornax is facing the worst threat of its existence.”
Gladius and Master Fosco transported the occupants of the room to the royal box of the Drogott Arena. While we waited for everyone to arrive where we updated the master dragons on the events of the past few days. We had five vials of spriggan poison left, which hardly mattered, as Evolene and Master Jesper had created the poison to prevent the spriggans from raising the Forgotten King. I glanced around at the plush seats and blew out a breath. The last time I’d sat here, my biggest concern had been Father betrothing me to King Magnar. Now, he was my trusted ally.
A thin covering of clouds filled the sky, their undersides colored tiger-orange in the light of the late afternoon sun. It cast a fiery hue over the arena’s seating tiers, making me think of the battle to come.
“There’s no point in imagining the skies filled with dragon fire.” Fyrian glided into the arena and perched herself on one of the dragon seats. “Take a deep breath and let Fosco take charge. He and Madam Maritimus formed procedures in case something like this happened.”
“They imagined the rise of the Forgotten King?”
“Actually, they thought high fairies might betray the agreement they made with Auntie Rilla and send the dragons back to the pocket realm.”
“Oh.” My shoulders relaxed.
It wasn’t the same as a wicked fairy coming to enslave them, but whatever they had planned might work. The flying cat emerged from Fyrian’s back and settled on her head. Hadn’t Father ordered the witches to prepare for a high fairy the day the quadruplets had seized Aunt Cendrilla’s magic? Their uniforms had turned into armor of fairy iron.
As the arena filled with warriors, witches, civilians, and dragons, I looked out for signs of Niger and his brothers and hoped he hadn’t been worried about my absence.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” said Master Roopal. “You threw one sarcophagus into a volcano. How did you know the Forgotten King was in the one King Calder spirited away?”
“This one was silver, and the other was gold,” I replied.
“And the fairies confirmed that he was in the silver sarcophagus,” added Evolene.
“The spriggans always seemed extraordinarily interested in excavations,” said King Magnar. “I knew of some of their digs, such as the fairy iron mine in Savannah, and the mountain where they’d asked me to install a dragon facility, but there were some I didn’t hear about until much later, such as the one on the Isle of Iron.”
Master Roopal leaned forward, rubbing his chin with his remaining hand. “The Queen of the Fairies must use this method of banishment for everyone who displeases her.”
I grimaced at the plight of the fairy now languishing in the bottom of the volcano. What if he or she had been a political prisoner or had just said the wrong thing to the wrong person? Hopefully, the stone underneath the gold in the sarcophagus would protect them from the elements.
Over the next few minutes, the last stragglers entered the arena. Important people from around Mount Fornax filled the royal box to the point where those sitting had to stack their seats and stand. A large hand landed on my shoulder, and I turned around. General Thornicroft loomed over me, as tall as Asproceros, but without the
bulk. The hair framing his handsome face was as pale as Gladius’ and his eyes shimmered like quicksilver.
My heart soared. The last time I’d seen him conscious, a cross bolt had pierced him through the heart. “Have you recovered, sir?”
“I’ll live.” The corner of his lip curled into a smile. “But I’ve heard you’ve become quite the hero.”
I dipped my head. He wouldn’t be saying that after he heard the news.
Master Fosco strode to the edge of the royal box, placed both hands on its railings, and said in a booming voice, “Dragons, warriors, witches, and friends. The worst has happened, and the Forgotten King of the Fairies has been released from his banishment.”
Roars of outrage filled the arena, making my insides cringe. I glanced at Evolene, whose lips tightened with annoyance, and at Gladius, who stood tall, although a muscle in his jaw flexed. One slip of attention, and the whole of dragon kind was now under threat.
Master Fosco raised his hands for silence. “The architects of Mount Fornax built the sanctuary to protect dragons from high fairies. Those protections will be put in place with immediate effect. Madam Maritimus!”
The white-haired witch stepped forward.
“Madam Maritimus will organize the strengthening of the wards. All witches, security, healer, or otherwise, report to her and lend your power. General Thornicroft!”
The quarter-giant stepped forward.
“You will mobilize a group of volunteers outside the sphere but within the external wards to ensure no one upsets the integrity of our protection of fairy iron. Master Solum!”
The dark-skinned dragon master stepped forward.
“You are in charge of subterranean security. You and a team of black dragon volunteers will see that all entrances into Mount Fornax are physically closed off. Master Klauw!”
The little, ginger-haired dragon master stepped forward.
“You are in charge of evacuating all dragons, dragonets, hatchlings, and eggs to the lowest levels of the mountains. Master Roopal!”
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