The Crystal Key: An LGBTQ+ Fantasy Series (The Crystalline Chronicles Book 3)

by Blake R. Wolfe

  “Room eight. Upstairs. I’ll be up in ten minutes.”

  With that she turned away, scooping up mugs to be filled at the large cask on the opposite end of the bar. Dusk glanced to Maria who gave him a suspicious look before skittering off to help other customers. He took the key and the others followed him upstairs and down the hallway of numbered doors. At the very end they found room eight and let themselves inside. It was a large space with three beds, a table and chairs, and a large fireplace against one wall. Without any chatter they made themselves comfortable, putting down the packs slung across their shoulders. True to her word, the dark haired woman arrived a few minutes later, letting herself into the room before locking it behind her.

  She leaned her back against the door, crossing her arms once more. “I am Mirinda Kingraven. Speak your piece.”

  “Yes sir,” Dusk replied automatically, standing from his chair. “My name is Dusk and I was sent to you by Juniper Benbow. I’m an escaped slave from the Ronja Mines in Ditania. She said you could help me.”

  “Is that old biddy still alive and kicking enough to keep sending me work?” Mirinda exclaimed. “Gods, she’s got to be nearly a hundred years old at this point. Nothing can kill that woman.”

  “She said you and the Legion of the Twilight would help me.” Dusk hesitated for a moment. “And another told me to find you, but I don’t think you’d believe it if I told you who.”

  “Try me.”

  “Tephyss. The white dragon. He said you can help me go north. Whatever that means.”

  Mirinda was silent, a look of shock spreading across her face for a brief moment before it was wiped away. She waved her hand in front of her in dismissal. “Fairy tales and nonsense.”

  “But it’s true!” Lex cried from the opposite side of the table of Dusk. “He has the crystal eye to prove it!” Lex turned to Dusk. “Show her.”

  Dusk nodded and reached up to pull his shirt aside. With a small movement he pulled the scale away, which turned back to white in his hand. Underneath the pale blue crystal glowed lightly against his skin.

  Mirinda stared for a few moments, scrutinizing him from head to toe. “Well, maybe you are telling the truth.” She nodded, her gaze lifting to meet his. “But I still don’t trust you.”

  “What? Why not?” Tara asked, obviously annoyed.

  “And especially not you,” Mirinda sneered, not even looking at her. “However, this is evidence enough to allow you an attempt to gain my trust.”

  “How can I do that?” Dusk asked, slipping the scale back over the crystal.

  “Usually I require three gifts to prove your loyalty and devotion.” She looked around at all of them, holding out her hands. “But since there are three of you, I’ll consider one favor from all to be the same as three from one.”

  Suddenly it began to click for Dusk. “Kingraven… and the White Raven Tavern...” He turned to Lex excitedly. “It even had the golden flower in its beak on the sign!”

  Lex looked at Mirinda. “So you’re a reader of old stories?”

  “Oh no,” she replied with a smile. “I’m what’s left of that story. The Little Boy and the Raven is the story of my ancestor, Caelan Kingraven. He was the boy who saved the white raven king from certain death and was therefore granted three gifts.”

  Lex turned back to Dusk. “Is that even possible?”

  “I assure you, it is,” Mirinda continued. “Each generation of my family has kept the tradition of saving those who seemed to be caught in a trap whether it be slavery or war. And those that come to us for help are required to give three gifts to gain favor and trust, just like the raven king did for the little boy.” She paused for a moment, staring at Dusk. “The help you ask for is expensive and dangerous, so I’m going to need you and your friend’s help first.”

  “What kind of favor?”

  “Coming from Ditania, you’ll know about the war between the two countries. But what you probably don’t know is that there was a revolution going on in Inahan before any of this started.”

  “Is this about the queen?” Tara asked, leaning against the wall. “Some villager let something slip about the Legion being part of some sort of rebellion.”

  “That was a dangerous thing to say with soldiers on every corner.” Mirinda nodded. “But yes, it’s something like that.” She stepped forward into the room, coming up to the table to take a seat. Beckoning the others to join her, she began to speak. “Queen Lobelia is not the true ruler of Inahan. Her father, King Alder, was the last of the royal line to die off some years ago. He was married for a short time, but his wife died during childbirth, leaving him with only his daughter.”

  “How is she not the rightful ruler then?” Lex asked, leaning forward.

  “Both wife and child died. It wasn’t until the last few years, while the king was ailing, that the information came to light. Rumors spread quickly and found their way back to the palace. On his deathbed the king admitted to falsifying her lineage to his trusted advisor, having taken her as an infant from an unmarried servant girl. Lobelia tried to have the advisor killed, but he escaped the castle for a short while. It wasn’t long after her coronation that the people began to rise up, calling for an end to the monarchy all together and the beginning of a state run by the people themselves.”

  Mirinda paused for a moment, her face softening.

  “That advisor was my father and when Lobelia finally caught him two years later, she had him executed. But by then the damage had been done. The flames of rebellion have been burning ever since.” She looked around at the three of them, reading their expressions. “Our political turmoil may have been just what Arius needed to start this war in the first place. Or maybe Lobelia really did have Cecil killed. I don’t really care either way.” Mirinda smirked.

  “It may not be important to you, but we need capable warriors if we’re going to pull this off.”

  “Pull what off?” Dusk asked with a concerned look.

  “The gift I require from you is to help me and my men overthrow the palace in Caldenia and bring an end to Lobelia’s reign.”

  Twenty-six

  Dusk couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “You want us to help you overthrow an entire monarchy?” Tara roared, coming to her feet. “That’s not a small favor to ask from someone you don’t know.”

  “The favor your friend asks is much larger than you seem to think. This is a bargain.” She shook her head. “The palace is more vulnerable than ever before,” Mirinda replied calmly. “We’ve been taking out guards one by one over the past few months. With a small squad we can move in and take out Lobelia before anyone even knows we’re there.” She turned to Dusk who was still reeling. “And I know exactly what that is you carry and what it’s capable of. You alone will be the reason we succeed.”

  Dusk’s thoughts were moving too fast to comprehend. He hadn’t fled across two countries and avoided one war just to get caught up in another. The thought of taking over a palace seemed nearly impossible, especially since he was still a novice when it came to using magic. If he used too much in a moment of panic he could die and the journey would have all been for nothing.

  Flashes of his dream from Tiernan came back and how the madman had planned for him to get into the castle and steal something of importance from the queen. He didn’t want to be a pawn in Tiernan’s game or be where the Circle was expecting him to go. Then another thought came through and he could hear Tephyss’s warning to steer clear of Calendia. But the dragon had also told them to seek out Mirinda so they could travel north to whatever mystery was still awaiting them there. Everything that had once been so clear now seemed jumbled and contradictory. He didn’t know what to do.

  “I’m in,” Lex said, causing the other three to turn in his direction. “I’ve met Queen Lobelia before. She’s a power hungry monster with no concern for anyone but herself and the throne. She’s just like my father.” He turned his gaze down to the table for a moment, before lifting it t
o Mirinda. “I’ll help you kill her.”

  “Why should we do this?” Dusk asked, looking up to Mirinda. “Tephyss said you’d help me go north to seek answers. Why? What’s up there?”

  “You don’t know?” Mirinda raised an eyebrow. “Tephyss sent you all the way across the continent and you don’t even know why you’re doing it.” She laughed. “You have a lot of faith in a dragon that’s been dead for a millenia.”

  Dusk was silent, eyeing her with a look of annoyance. His gaze flicked away for a moment as a shadow passed by the underside of the door, but went right back to Mirinda.

  “The Anthurium Mountain is a dormant volcano,” Mirinda continued. “It was once the great meeting place of the nine dragon lords, to which my family line has always been servants. However, they all died a long time ago.” She paused. “Except one.”

  Dusk’s jaw felt as if it might hit the floor.

  “Yes,” Mirinda assured. “There is one left. Somehow she managed to escape the fall of magic and hid herself away for a thousand years, never leaving the island. She’s the one Tephyss is sending you to.”

  The group was silent, all of them staring at Mirinda in turn. She glanced at the three of them with a confident smile on her face. Dusk was shocked by the information she’d given them, but he recognized her smile. It was the same one that Tiernan wore when he knew he’d won.

  “So, if you’d like to reach the last living dragon for whatever purpose Tephyss has in store, I’m going to need a favor from you. And the palace is my price.”

  ◆◆◆

  “I can’t believe we agreed to this,” Tara huffed, taking a seat on the bed. “This doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

  “I don’t think we have much choice,” Lex replied, peeling off his cloak. “We need the information and Mirinda promised us a ship to get us to the island.”

  “If we make it to the north to begin with!”

  “She said we can take a cart with provisions and horses. I think that’s more than generous of her considering she doesn’t know us in the least.”

  “It’s not generous if she never has to pay up!” Tara cried. “This palace raid is a suicide mission! There’s no way we’re going to make it out of there alive.”

  “We’re not going to make it out of anywhere alive without her help,” Dusk muttered. He looked up at the other two, resolve painted on his features. “If we do anything else the Circle will find us and we all know what will happen then. If the Circle doesn’t, someone else will. As long as I have this crystal and your faces are known in both kingdoms, none of us are safe.” He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. “Helping Mirinda is our best shot at survival. Not only that, but we have to stop Tiernan from destroying everything.” He was silent for a moment. “Tiernan can track me somehow, so unless I run off alone to be captured, which you’ll never let me do, you two are always in danger. I can’t let anything happen to you. I have to do this or else we’ll be running for the rest of our lives.”

  “We don’t want anything to happen to you either.” Lex sat next to Dusk, his arm wrapped around his shoulders. He gave Tara a rather serious look. “Which is why we’re going to help you with this. Right, Tara?”

  Tara scoffed and fell back on the bed. “I already said I’d do it, didn’t I?” She flopped her arms down on the mattress with another hefty sigh. “Does she really think we’re going to be able to take a boat all the way to Calendia and then sneak into the palace through the sewers? That seems a little textbook doesn’t it? Kinda real fucking obvious?”

  “If you have a better plan, I’m sure she’d love to hear it,” Lex hissed. “You’re the royal guard captain, come up with something!”

  “It’s not like I’ve got a goddamn map of the place, Lex! I need more time to plan! She wants us to leave at first light! We’re going to be storming the palace tomorrow!”

  “Can we just get some food and rest, you two?” Dusk murmured. “If she wants magic, I’m going to need all the rest and energy I can get.”

  “Yes,” Lex replied, staring at Tara. “But please be careful not to overdo it. Especially since Tephyss can’t help you yet.”

  “Fine, sure. Let’s just eat and pretend we aren’t all going to die tomorrow.” Tara kicked herself up from the bed and headed to the door. She ripped open the door to find Maria standing on the other side with her hand raised as if she was just about to knock. “What the fuck do you want?” Tara snarled without hesitation.

  “Oh… I’m sorry… I was just coming to see if there was anything I could get you.” She turned her gaze to the ground, wrapping her arms behind her back. “Mirinda said to make sure you’re taken care of… since… you know… you’re helping us.”

  “We want dinner and drinks,” Tara snapped. “We’ll be down to take them in the dining hall, so have it ready.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Maria replied with a quick bow before she ran off.

  Tara glanced back, rolled her eyes, and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

  “How does someone like that end up captain of the royal guard?” Lex asked, smirking at Dusk. “She seems like a liability.”

  Dusk managed half a smile back at him.

  “Hey. Don’t worry about tomorrow. We’re gonna be fine.” Lex pushed himself up and held his hand out. “I’ve got your back.”

  Dusk took his hand and came to his feet, pulling Lex into a tight hug. “I love you,” he whispered into Lex’s neck.

  “Love you too, buddy.”

  ◆◆◆

  Sleep was hard to come by, but with Lex at his side, Dusk finally found it. He slipped into uneasy dreams about wars, battles, dragons, and magic gone haywire. At one point he dreamed he was fighting a man in a dark cloak who was impossibly fast. The man darted around, avoiding all of Dusk’s spells and his arrows. Finally Dusk shot a charged arrow at him that split into three bright beams of light, but the man caught them with his bare hands. With a flick of his wrist he broke the arrows in half, magic and all, and rushed Dusk. Suddenly there was a hand around his throat and Dusk began to choke. He fought and fought, but he couldn’t take in a breath. Finally he realized he wasn’t just dreaming, he couldn’t breath for real.

  Flailing madly, Dusk’s eyes shot open to see a cloaked figure leaning over him, a gloved hand wrapped around his throat. Fighting and kicking he managed to pull himself free and fall to the floor. The fire had gone out and the room was too dark to see much. He scrambled to his bare feet, backing up against the wall. All around him were a dozen figures cloaked in black, silhouetted against the lighter colored walls. On the ground he saw Tara and Lex, already gagged and tied. Somehow their captors had snuck in and caught them without so much as a squeak.

  Dusk raised his hand. The sight of Lex bound on the floor sent him into a rage. Already the symbols were forming in his mind to burn the people who were after them. He assumed they were Circle members, but he didn’t care either way. Anyone who hurt Lex would have to go through him.

  A soft glow began to grow on his chest as the white scales on his arms started to light up one by one. The glyph in his head was forming quickly. He called for power and destruction so that he could save his friends without thought for his own well-being. Just as he was about to close his eyes and finish the magic a man stepped forward and lowered his hood.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he sneered. He reached down and ripped Lex off the floor in a flash, pulling his head back to reveal a blade pressed against Lex’s throat. “Not if you want your little boyfriend here to last the night.”

  Dusk felt his rage ebb immediately into fear. Even in the dim light, he could see the glimmer of blood running down Lex’s neck where the blade had already made a shallow cut. He dropped his arm, letting the glyph in his mind fall away. He glared up at the man whose face was framed in dark hair. He had sharp features and on his head, he wore a sort of silver circlet that came to a downward point above his eyebrows. Another person stepped into the room carrying a torch that spi
lled light across the room. Dusk squinted against the light. Part of him was relieved to see the cloaks weren’t black, but actually dark blue, just like the gemstone set in the circlet the sharp man wore. But if they weren’t Circle members, who were they?

  “What do you want with us?” Dusk cried, taking a step back and pressing himself against the wall.

  “You three are under arrest for treason and crimes against the crown of Inahan,” he stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  “We’ve done no such thing! We’re just travelers!”

  The man tightened his hold on Lex. “Don’t lie to me, boy! I am Commander Rafael of the Sapphire Knights. I know everything, including who you are.” He pressed the blade harder against Lex’s neck, causing him to cry out in pain.

  “Stoppit!” Dusk yelled, lurching forward.

  “You and your friends not only conspired with the Legion of the Twilight to overthrow the Queen, but you also attacked an Inahandrian ship on your way into Watersedge. You are enemies from Ditania and traitors.” He paused for a moment, smirking to himself. “As such you will be taken to the palace immediately to be imprisoned and stand trial for your crimes.”

  Lex managed to work the gag out of his mouth. “As if Lobelia ever gives anyone a trial,” he spat.

  “If you want to keep your head you will address her by her proper title,” the man said calmly, glancing down at him. “Or keep your mouth shut.” He turned back to Dusk. “And now we know the stories are true thanks to your little display. The queen wants to speak to you personally. We didn’t believe the tales from the ship's captain at first about something as ridiculous as magic. Next time I see Duillearga, I’ll have to thank him personally for being so merciful. If he hadn’t let those three men go, we wouldn’t know anything about you lot.”