Shadows and Embers

by Lindsey Richardson

  He died; it can't be him. I thought, but recalling the events from the fight, I never took the time to check his condition. Celestria had nearly died in my arms. How could I have wasted precious moments of her life on him? Yet now the promise I made to myself and to my friends was a lie; I hadn't protected them by letting Christopher live.

  Rostland nudged my elbow, gesturing that I listen. When I glanced back at him with wide eyes he shook his head, puzzled at my reaction. Nicia said I needed to know the truth, but she didn't know about my encounter with Christopher. Though my heart pounded against my chest, I listened closely to Christopher's words.

  “I grieve today because we have lose a brave warrior, a loyal leader, and above all...” he paused, turning his head to Sabelle, then continuing with, “a devoted father and husband. We have every right to grieve, but in the days to come we will be faced with moving forward in our lives as Aldemund would have wanted. Instead of thinking about the life he was torn away from, we should remember all that he accomplished. For one, he was the only magician to defeat Esmour, who was a great threat to our society.”

  The pounding stopped and instead a wave of anguish rushed over me. Pulling me away, Rostland lead me behind the closest tree. He didn't say anything, and in the background I could hear the priest reading from the Bible.

  “Aldemund killed Esmour,” I said as it occurred to me.

  Rostland's glance lowered. “Yes, I'm afraid so.”

  “How long have you and Nicia known?” I asked, assuming this was the 'truth' she had spoken about.

  “I gathered the facts together and informed Nicia shortly after you told us about Esmour's death. Esmour had insisted that I stay in Neutadt because he feared a 'great evil' was coming for him, and that's why I moved in with your friend,” he responded.

  For a foreseer, Esmour hadn't properly interpreted the warnings. Evil was far from what had actually been on his doorstep.

  Peeking out from the tree, I noticed a woman with long black hair. It could be anyone, but it would make sense for Jacquette to be present. She had time to mourn for a false leader, though she hadn't been there for Esmour.

  “We can't walk away. All of them deserve the same fate as Aldemund for the lives they've ended,” I said bitterly. We could challenge them and succeed with Rostland being our advantage.

  He quickly rejected the idea. “Nicia did not ask that you come here for revenge. If you are still a boy, then you can play out your foolish plans for revenge. However, if you are a man, you will walk away. Aldemund killed Esmour, and you killed Aldemund. How much more blood must be spilled for you to see that this is much bigger than you and me?”

  I turned away from him. “What do you know?”

  Though I hadn't wanted a response, he answered anyways. “I know that Aldemund's men need a new leader, and once they have one the first person they'll come after is you. Nicia, Alaire, your sick friend... their lives will be placed in grave danger. How badly do you want a war on your hands? The winds are changing; it's only a matter of time now.”

  If war begun there would be no hope for the Dark magicians' survival. More importantly, though, Nicia had made her point clear. I was no better than Aldemund by killing him when he could have held secrets that would help us. I had destroyed a family in the same manner as the cloaked figures did to mine. In more ways than one I was still the little boy by his father's grave. I wanted to release the anger built up inside of me, but I feared that Rostland spoke of a coming future that was unavoidable. It could not be coincidence that Esmour predicted it and now Rostland prophesied about it. Our days were being numbered, and it was time to act before it was too late. It was time to show the world that the Dark magicians had one last battle in them; the battle for their life.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  For Safekeeping

  In the late afternoon we returned home and parted our own ways, walking away with knowledge that could be deadly. Gavril came rushing outside before my feet were at the door, and he had a smile on his face. Ever since Celestria's arrival his face had held the same grave frown. Perhaps it reminded him of the days he spent at war, but that all disappeared at the sight of his smile and with his explanation.

  “Celestria is awake and aware of her surroundings. She's speaking with Alaire now,” he said.

  I embraced him and then quickly ran into the house. Could it be that Celestria would survive despite her serious wounds? I tried to remain calm and realistic, but as I passed maids and servants they glanced up with hopeful faces. Everyone knew that the girl upstairs was important to me. Running up the stairs, I felt more confident and skipped every other step. The top was in sight; I could see the guest room and imagined their faces when I entered. I was nearly there, but then all of the sudden I ran into something. At first I started to fall backward, but a pair of strong, wrinkly hands grabbed me.

  “Are you all right, sir? I turned the corner and did not see you there,” the servant said. He was one of our older servants that had been around for years.

  Readjusting my balance, I replied, “It was my fault; carry on with your duties.”

  He released me and moved aside, and I continued up the remainder of the staircase. As I approached the guest room I could hear Alaire's voice. He spoke too quietly for me to overhear the conversation, but I was certain this was the most he had said since returning.

  I entered into the room and Alaire turned around and stopped talking. Celestria was propped up against pillows but she looked directly at me and smiled. Had she ever genuinely smiled at me during the time we known each other? It made no difference; I returned a grin and approached the side of her bed.

  “You saved my life,” she said, though her voice sounded strained. I nodded, and then she added, “I never saved you...”

  I stared at her blankly and then glanced up at Alaire for an explanation. Quickly he jumped out of the chair and dragged me to the corner of the room.

  Whispering, he said, “I've heard her say that before.”

  Though it could be nothing more than a coincidence, the fear in Alaire's face made me think otherwise.

  A raspy voice interrupted us. “What happened to Aldemund?”

  I turned around to face her, but she looked as confused as she had when we arrived. It was possible that she could have forgotten the ending of the battle considering the extent of her injuries. Even so, I felt uneasy about telling her the truth. She could just as easily judge me as everyone else did.

  “Aldemund is dead,” Alaire said.

  Glaring at him, I spoke up for myself. “Don't you remember? I grabbed you out of the water.”

  She shook her head and clung tightly to the blankets. The necklace was still visible through the crack of her fist.

  “A man saved my life, but...” she glanced at Alaire and then turned to me. Finishing, she whispered, “It was you. I knew that; why is it difficult to remember?”

  The memories had most likely been hidden away so that she would not have to confront the pain. It was painful enough from where I stood to watch her attempt to remember those horrid moments. Her eyes were still filled with innocence just as they were the first time we met it was a reminder—perhaps even a threat—that we were magicians from two entirely different lifestyles.

  Shaking aside my doubts, I said, “How about we start with what you remember?”

  For an instant Celestria hesitated, but then gritting her teeth, she replied, “It's coming back to me slowly. I remember... I entered into the fight alone. You came along shortly afterward, and then you killed a man to save me.”

  I nodded, urging her to continue.

  Her voice lowered as she added, “His name was Japhet.”

  The necklace fell from her grasp. It was quiet enough to hear the chain crumble into the bed sheets. A wave of anguish overwhelmed her face, and I realized that her being awake and coherent did not mean that she had fully recovered. Alaire rushed to the bedside, moving her gently so that he could sit with her. She remain
ed quiet all the while, even allowing him to reposition her so that her head rested against his stomach. A part of me felt nauseous, watching him cradle Celestria like a baby. What happened to the girl who challenged Aldemund? Was this all that remained: a helpless, ill girl? If such questions ever crossed Alaire's mind he did well to conceal it.

  Advancing, I knelt down so that I was eye level with Celestria. She could be treated like a helpless child by everyone else, but I knew that somewhere inside that frail body was a fighter.

  “If nothing else,” I said slowly, “you deserve to know that your sister did not die.”

  Her eyes widened like something had finally snapped inside.

  “Dyanna?”

  Alaire's glare was deadly. He hissed, “Leal, it could have waited. She needs time before you shove everything down her throat.”

  Though it seemed to take all of her energy, Celestria raised her head and faced him. “Don't ever keep secrets like that from me.”

  She was close enough to either kiss him or slap him, but neither of which occurred. Her head gradually plopped down onto his chest. Looking as though he had been struck, Alaire reached for his necklace and held it loosely in his hands. Celestria watched with dreary eyes.

  “I'll return shortly with the answers you need,” I said, standing up and darting to the door before anyone could change my mind. Once I was out in the hallway I headed straight to my room and shut the door behind me. I could finally breathe fresh air without worrying about either Alaire or Celestria's disapproving gaze. In one of the drawers of the dresser was a flask of cider that remained concealed except for special occasions when its bitter taste called out to me. Walking across the room, I uncovered it and licked my lips at the contents inside. Just as I was about to enjoy it the door busted up. The flask escaped onto the floor and leaking out the liquid from inside.

  Mama stepped into the room, carrying a small wooden chest. The distinct smell of cider filled the air, and she noticed the mess within moments.

  “I'll ask one of the maids to clean that,” she assured me.

  I stood motionless, debating if I ran fast enough I could avoid the confrontation. By now she must have realized that I avoided her at all costs.

  As if reading my mind, she said, “I am not here to lecture you, my son. While I cannot say that I approve of the choices you've made, I recognize the decisions were made with your heart. This chest contains all of the weapons your father. Alas, some were lost over the years, but I savaged as many as possible in case... in case you followed after magic as he did.”

  Approaching her, I accepted the chest. She was hesitant to leave, and I was weary to watch her walk away. The weapons had probably been Papa's most valuable and precious possessions. Years ago it would have been traditional to bury magicians with their weapons, but it hadn't been safe to follow such a tradition for a while now.

  With my eyes glued to the chest, I said, “I'll keep this safe.”

  “No, if you must bear weapons your father would have wanted you to have the best. Use them to defend your people; they're relying on you.”

  “It's not as simple as you might remember,” I replied, glancing up at her.

  “Fortunately I choose not to remember,” she said and then shuffled out of the room.

  The words on the tip of my tongue sunk to the bottom of my throat. I had thought that by giving me the chest Mama was accepting me for who I was. Instead it was a poor excuse to get rid of old memories. There was nothing I could do to change her opinion, and now was hardly the time to allow it to bother me. To distract myself, I sat on the edge of my bed and opened the chest. A majority of it was filled with daggers of different sizes and designs. There were unique engravings on the handles, suggesting a skilled blacksmith had worked on them. Among the collection there were also colorful gems, though why they had been placed in the chest remained a mystery. I had never heard of magicians using gems in warfare, but nonetheless I placed the daggers over top to conceal whatever significance they held.

  Placing the chest on my dresser, I felt inside the pockets of my vest. The diamond and letter were still inside, but I removed the letter and hid it under my pillow. How could I tell Celestria who we were when the innocence hadn't altered in her eyes? She wasn't ready, and perhaps it was not my place to say so. All the same, she had her sister's disappearance to come to terms with. I held the diamond in my palm, admiring its beauty and wondering what secret it had kept after all of this time. Something as simple and beautiful as a diamond was as deceitful as a human being.

  I took my time returning to Celestria, and there was no way to tell how long I had kept her waiting. A maid passed me as I made my way to the room. Once again I could hear the faint murmur of Alaire's voice. As I approached closer I was in earshot of their conversation.

  Gently, Alaire said, “When I opened my eyes the first person I wanted to see was you. I wanted to see a smile on your face and relief in your eyes... Really anything because if you were there we could face the rest together.”

  Inching closer, I peaked my head around the corner to see what was happening. Neither of them were facing in a direction where they would notice me, though I felt somewhat ashamed for listening in on their private conversation. Even so, there was a closeness they shared that I had yet to understand. There could be no harm so long as they were unaware of my presence.

  “I hope that we live to tell stories of our hardships to the younger generation of our kind someday,” Celestria replied. Their positions had no changed since I left; she remained in his arms, and he looked as if he had no intentions of ever releasing her.

  “Oh, but we'll do better than that. We shall tell our children, and then someday they will pass on the story to children of their own,” he said, chuckling at his own remark.

  She titled her head at him. “What makes you think I want children?”

  There was silence, and moments slipped away as Alaire sat with redness filling his cheeks. I held my hand against my mouth, hoping to conceal the giggle that escaped from my lips. It sounded like the girl I had met in Iacobs dorff was back after all. After several more minutes she laughed, and then Alaire joined in as well. They looked happier than I had ever seen two people; happier than seemed humanly possible. I contemplated accepting this as the time to enter, but if I did it would ruin their moment. The sound of their laughter filled the hallway, and I knew that once Celestria was fully recovered it might be a long time before anyone had a reason to laugh like that again. Alaire didn't look like the “old man” I always said he was, and I could see now more clearly than ever that he loved her, and he would risk losing her again. I smiled with satisfaction, knowing the two most important people in my life were content.

  Abruptly the laughter stopped, and I took a closer look to see what was happening. He held her hand gently, caressing it with a burning desire in his eyes. Then he lifted her head up to be level with his, and my heart sunk at the possibilities of what could happen next. As he pulled her in closer, I took a step forward, clearer my throat, and stepped into the room. Their moment ended as they faced me, but their hands remained intertwined. Though I could not explain it, I was running from something. I did not know what yet, but the sickness in the pit of my stomach was unmistakable. It felt like there was something wrong with them being together in any sense more than friends.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The Other Hale

  No one dared to speak when I revealed the diamond in my hand. Celestria sat up, though Alaire's hand was steadied against her back so that she wouldn't lose balance. I explained to her that the diamond had been a message all along, waiting to be delivered and properly opened. All the while she was patient, listening as I relayed everything Daciana had told me. At last when I was finished Celestria whispered the Eldarian word for “sister,” and a beaming light lit up the entire room. Once the light faded the diamond was visible again, though this time it had split into two separate pieces. One side contained a folded up piece of pa
per that could reveal Dyanna's true whereabouts. Both Alaire and I watched her read the letter, occasionally touching the words with her fingers. It seemed like a private matter that neither of us should be present during, but Alaire was in no position to move and therefore I decided to stay unless instructed otherwise.

  “'To my beloved sister,'” Celestria began, clearing her throat. I sat down in the chair to listen closely; meanwhile, with his free hand, Alaire held his hand over her that held the letter.

  “'I cannot imagine the pain you have suffered since the time of my disappearance. You have every right to be angry, but first let me explain.

  'When I had returned home that night after the battle I was not in a clear state of mind. Someone had seen me performing magic, and suddenly everything was happening all at once... I killed an innocent man with my magic, and after realizing what I had done, I swore to leave the magical world behind.'”

  There were tears building up in Celestria's eyes. She hesitated to read more, and though Alaire offered to take over, she shook her head.

  Continuing more quietly, she read, “‘the young woman you found in the woods was nothing more than an illusion. If there had been time I would have found another way, but the last of my magic was used creating the fake body. Once I fled from Transylvania I realized how horrible it would be if you had to live the rest of your life believing that I was dead. Fortunately, I was able to use spells to appear before you. You seemed happy and safe with the man who was accompanying you, and thus I left this diamond in hope that you would solve the mystery.'”

  Celestria closed her eyes and shuddered. Willingly, she handed the letter over to Alaire to finish.

  “'Though I fear revealing my exact location would place us both in grave danger, I am at liberty to say that I am in France. The men are at war here, and it is not safe for you to find me yet. I am in good hands, and I shall contact you when the war ends. Until then, all of my love, Dyanna.'”