Emerald Wars (The Dream Traveler Book 3)

by Nicole Knight

  I guess magic was what the magic-worker made of it. If I could learn that magic and use it for good then maybe in time I could accept it.

  ☼

  It’s been four days since we fled the castle. I spent a lot of time reading the book that Grandma Beetie gave me about necromancers. I was determined to learn what I could do.

  I had a nagging feeling in the back of my head telling me that I would need to learn how to use this magic. Everytime I tried to put the book down, my inner thoughts screamed at me again to keep reading, to keep learning. It was like I was under a spell. I only put the book down when I slept, and sometimes when I ate.

  My nose was stuck in the book, and I was startled at the sound of a commotion in the village. We had moved a few miles further south to a different village, hoping to stay under the radar. While the attackers from Tate had not yet left the castle to look for us, we had no doubts that they eventually would. We wanted to be long gone before they got here. Kennan’s men took the castle to send a message to Violet, which we received loud and clear. Kennan likely had no idea that Violet wasn’t there when sending his mercenaries. By now, word had to have reached him that no one had been there.

  The commotion outside got louder and Thomas poked his head out of our hiding spot. He gasped, then cried out, and then ran out the door. I ran to the door to peek my head out to see what had spooked him. I’d never seen him so upset.

  I was not ready for what I saw.

  No, no no.

  Violet was dead in Axel’s arms. He looked almost as bad as she did. He was pale, covered in sweat and grime. His eyes were fiery red, and he was staggering under Violet’s weight. He looked surprised to see us, but didn’t question it. I don’t think he was ready for any more bad news. Not when his soulmate was dead in his harms.

  Thomas ran out and grabbed Violet from Axel before he could stumble and drop her. By the looks of her legs, he might have already.

  How did he find us here? Was he just passing through on his way back to the castle?

  I shook on my own legs, but moved out of the way before Thomas brought Axel and Violet into the room. He pushed things off the table and placed Violet there.

  The whole room turned into chaos as our family began to panic, and the twins started screaming.

  “Enough!” I yelled. “How did this happen?” I asked, much softer after the room quieted down.

  Axel looked me in the eyes, but he wasn’t seeing me. His soulmate bond was killing him without Violet here. I knew him well enough to know this would completely break him.

  Everything was silent for what felt like minutes.

  “The mountain said she made a choice during a trial,” he spoke with a defeated mumble..

  “Are you hallucinating? A mountain talked to you?” my aunt asked.

  “Beetie, we need to examine Axel. Sit down boy,” Wisdom said.

  “No, I swear to the Goddess. She was doing something Queen Victoria’s diary detailed, to give her the power she needed to change the outcome of the war. I promised her I wouldn’t speak of it, so I can’t. It doesn’t matter now, I’ll be like her soon,” he said, sounding, so tired and defeated. My heart broke at his words, I could only imagine what he was going through.

  “Trinity, don’t waste any more time,” Grandma Beetie said. “This is the time to test your magic.”

  “But what if I mess up? I haven't had any practice.”

  “What are you talking about?” Axel asked, sounding almost angry.

  “Trinity, grab the book and get started,” Wisdom ordered.

  I did what I was told and opened to the page I needed in my book. I placed my hand on Violet’s forehead and then started redirecting my focus and energy.

  “Apparently Trinity is a necromancer,” Wisdom told Axel.

  “You’re joking?” Axel asked.

  “No, that would be a terrible thing to joke about,” Grandma Beetie stated.

  “Trin, please bring her back,” Axel pleaded.

  My eyes left Violet for a moment to make eye contact with Axel. He was a shell of himself now, and I was his last hope at happiness. I was our last hope. I wouldn't be happy without Violet in my life, and our Kingdom would be doomed. Not to mention, my family full of magic workers would be in danger.

  I looked back down to Violet and followed the directions step by step. I struggled to concentrate, to visualize as I was supposed to. The pressure of my cousin and best friend as my first patient was a lot to handle, along with the expectant stares of everyone in the room.

  Black smoke rose and swirled around us as I focused on pulling energy from the world around me.

  I searched for Violet’s awareness around me. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was looking for. The book just said I would feel the presence of the person if they didn’t cross over. Please don’t cross over Violet, I’m right here to help you.

  I listened and I watched for any sign of her. My heart dropped when nothing presented itself.

  “For the love of God, I hate this being invisible shit. I don’t even have a body to walk around naked in. Trin, what are you doing to my body?”

  “Violet, is that you?” I asked, hearing her voice.

  It could only be Violet talking that way. No one else talked as freely as she did, except for maybe Grandma Beetie.

  “Trin can you hear me?” she asked, slowly. I could hear the shock in her voice.

  “Yes I can,” I answered her.

  “Holy shit!”

  “I know, holy shit!” I echoed.

  Axel gasped.

  “She’s really here?” Axel asked, my words must have convinced him. No one else cursed like Violet either.

  “You can bet your sweet ass I am. Next time watch out for my legs will you, and don’t give up on me so easily,” she said to him, expecting me to repeat it.

  Her tone was full of sass, sarcasm and excitement, all rolled into one. I could imagine watching Axel carry her dead body for days would be enough to give her that reaction. The knowledge that someone could hear her must have been the best news she had in days.

  “Do I have to repeat that?” I asked her.

  “Yes,” she said. At the same time Axel asked, “Do you have to say what?”

  “She says, you bet your sweet ass she is. Next time be more careful with her legs, and don’t give up on her so easily.”

  Axel let out a half-sob half-sigh.

  That was all the confirmation he needed that her spirit was in this room with us. She was still here within our reach.

  “How do you get her back to her body?” Axel asked.

  “This may be a shock to you, but I didn’t know I could even do this until four days ago, and Violet is my first dead person. Let me read my book,” I answered.

  Axel rolled his eyes but stayed silent, I let it slide. We’ve all had a rough few days, especially him.

  “Ok Violet, do you think you can hang around until I am able to get to the part I need to? I don’t want to mess this up,” I told her.

  “I have all the time in the world, unfortunately,” she responded.

  I could almost hear her eyes roll. Death hadn’t changed her much.

  “Did you try to cross over?” I asked her, curious.

  “Yeah, I didn’t know why I was stuck here. I tried but there was no light, there was nothing for me to walk toward. I figured I screwed up somewhere and was cursed to watch you all suffer,” she answered, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

  “Well don’t try again ok? We’re going to figure this out,” I told her.

  “Of course, I’m not going anywhere, not even if Venia herself reached for me,” she said.

  “Good.”

  Thirty minutes later I had my hand on Violet’s head again. It was strange to do that when I could feel Violet’s presence watch my every move, while her family did the same.

  Talk about working under pressure...

  I blocked them all out, and focused on Violet, and recited the words the book instru
cted me to. They were in a strange language I had never heard before. I hoped I pronounced them correctly.

  I completed the last step, and held my breath.

  Then we waited, and waited.

  I couldn’t see Violet’s presence, but I could feel it, and something was happening. She let out a curse and then a shriek.

  My heart beat sped up and my palms became sweaty.

  “Violet?” I asked, my voice didn’t sound like mine. It cracked from the nervousness I felt.

  Axel sensed my change in demeanor and sat even straighter in his chair, if that was even possible.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, taking in my expression.

  “I don’t know. The book doesn’t mention this part,” I answered.

  “How does the book not tell you what comes next? It’s about necromancers!” He stood up and kicked his chair in frustration.

  “Not that, the book says she is supposed to wake up. It doesn’t explain the painful scream she let out,” I told him, in a nervous panic. I needed to hold my tongue. Speaking like that would only make this worse. He didn’t need to know about her pain, he just needed to see her open her eyes.

  His face fell, hearing that Violet was in pain, even in death. His breath left him in a devastated rush.

  I heard more screams come from Violet’s spirit, and I was afraid that I had messed up, and I had hurt her even more. What if I had sent her to the light, and not brought her back? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that happened. I think I’d have to leave the family, I wouldn’t be able to look any of them in the eyes knowing that I couldn’t save Violet, that I made this worse.

  I felt myself tear up at her tortured screams.

  Everyone’s glares danced between me and Violet’s body, and waited for something else to happen. Violet’s body gasped, and her eyes moved below her closed lids. Her body jerked and convulsed, and drool came dribbling out the side of her mouth.

  Thomas and I held down her arms so she wouldn’t hurt herself before fully coming back to us. Axel watched in a mix of amazement and horror. It was evidence that this was a painful process for the formally dead, and I felt guilty about that, even though it was out of my control.

  Violet sat straight up, despite our grip on her and she opened her eyes and looked around. She raised her hands out in front of her, and let out a relieved sigh.

  I watched her chest rise and fall, not believing what I had just accomplished. The rest of us were silent in amazement. She really made it back to us.

  I did this, I brought her back!

  “You guys look like you just saw a ghost,” Violet said, with a chuckle. She had some nerve to joke about this.

  I let out a shaky breath and threw my arms around her and laughed. She laughed with me, our bodies shaking together. Goddess, I would have missed this if she had stayed dead. I would have missed the comfort she brought me, the way that she put me at ease, and made me challenge myself.

  “Thank you,” Violet whispered to me.

  Her tears were smearing against my cheek, and mixed with my own tears.

  “Thank you for letting me experiment on you. Did you know you are my first resurrection?” I whispered back.

  “Apparently so, I thought we said no more secrets. You are a necromancer and didn’t tell me?” she asked.

  “I had no idea until four days ago,” I told her.

  Violet's head turned sharply and she spotted the secret keeper. Violet knew all too well where this secret had come from.

  Grandma Beetie had happy tears in her eyes and a smug little grin on her face.

  “Why is it always you?” Violet asked her.

  “Because I’m not one to argue with fate,” Grandma Beetie said.

  Violet turned her attention to Axel, who was still standing at the head of the table, which was behind her.

  He stared at her in shock.

  “What, no hello?” she asked him.

  “You were dead,” he told her. His voice sounded hollow.

  He still looked devastated, like he hadn’t fully registered that she was living and breathing in front of him.

  “I was.”

  “I carried your body for four days,” he stated.

  “You did, I was with you in spirit most of the time.”

  “I don’t understand how this is possible,” Axel said.

  “I will explain everything that happened, and then Aunt Beetie is going to fess up to any other secrets about magic she has been keeping. But first, please come here,” she asked him. She held her arms out wide, showing that she wanted him to hold her.

  Axel took a hesitant step forward, and then another. His last step was more confident and his arms wrapped around her. He held her tight. They both ugly cried for a moment. The thought that this should not be possible only made the mood more dramatic. This moment felt so private that I squirmed where I stood. Maybe we should have left and given them some privacy.

  “Are you ok?” Thomas asked, as he noticed my discomfort.

  “Never better,” I said.

  I was sure my eyes were red, and I felt a little light headed. Likely from the shock of what happened and the strain of using my magic for the first time.

  I was honest though. I just brought my best friend, and my Queen, back to life. I did something amazing with this magic that was supposed to be a curse. I was going to take this book and do amazing things with it.

  Chapter Five

  Violet

  I was always told not to take life for granted, and man, were those people right or what? I was willing to throw it all away to kill Kennan in a trial. I wasn’t sure if Kennan had died, or if he found a way to escape death like I had.

  I was dead for four days. Four whole days.

  I was back now thanks to Trin’s awesome ability, and I was back with a vengeance.

  I sat down at the table that I had been lying dead on, not ten minutes ago.

  “How did you die?” Thomas asked me.

  He had grabbed Trin’s hand under the table. Something had happened between them, and I couldn’t wait to make Trin tell me about it.

  “I went somewhere, but I can’t tell you where. I made a promise that I can’t break without dire consequences. It is ancient, and it guards the magic in this world. I went to this place to get more magic. Victoria had done this and left notes in her book. It seems to be a rite of passage for those in the prophecy, because she told me to go there.”

  Wisdom looked extremely puzzled. Victoria must have left him out of that adventure.

  “So I went there and had to complete these tasks called trials. Which leads me to my next question. Have any of you drowned recently?”

  Trin gasped and the twins jumped out of their spot to throw their hands up in the air. They shouted “me, me!”

  I shook my head at their enthusiasm.

  I should have known; I did die in real life from the trials, afterall.

  “That wasn’t just a dream, was it?” Axel asked me.

  “No, I don’t think so. That was the first trial. I wasn’t sure during them if what happened in them would happen in real life. It all seemed so real as it was happening, but because I died in real life, I’m convinced that it all happened.”

  “So we drowned in one of the trials and you had to save us?” Trin asked me.

  “Yes, and I think that was the worst one for me. I know how you must have felt, looking at my dead body. I had to pull the six of you up from the bottom of the seafloor by myself, while battling a sea monster and then resuscitate all of you. Imagine six people you love lying in front of you… just gone,” I said, as I felt the pain all over again. It had been agonizing.

  The room was silent and somber. I had just asked them to multiply the pain they felt at my death by six. It was almost unreal if you really thought it over.

  “Once I brought you guys back, I received my first magical gift, which I’m not sure what it is.”

  “You weren’t told what you’d get?” Trin ask
ed, with a curious look.

  I shook my head.

  It would have been nice to at least get a hint.

  “No, it's part of the deal. I jump in blindly and take on these trials, and I get unknown gifts which are to help me in the future. I figured out one right before I died, but I will get to that in a minute.”

  Axel had grabbed my hand under the table and was rubbing his thumb up and down over mine, gently. I’m not sure if it was to ease my anxiety, or his. Maybe he thought he was hallucinating my presence and had to make sure I was real.

  “In the second trial, I faced Kennan in what felt like hell. There was fire all around us, and he had some magic workers trapped in cages. I freed them while I was fighting Kennan. He had been syphoning off their magic, one by one, killing them.”

  The room collectively gasped. I had forgotten it wasn’t just Axel, Trin, Thomas and I. The others were sitting all around the room, listening to us talk.

  “In that trial I took his magic, and gave it back to the magic-worker he had just stolen from. That trial taught me how to right the wrongs that Kennan has created.” I knew deep down that when I faced Kennan I was going to have to try to release his stolen magic. That trial was a warning, just as much as it was a test.

  There was silence, but Trin looked proud, Axel was in awe. Thomas looked like he was about to fist bump me, he was that excited.

  Somehow Thomas had made it into our little group, and I wasn’t mad about it. Trin needed someone there for her, for when I couldn't be. She deserved happiness too.

  Wisdom and Beetie were also at the table. They looked like they were having a hard time comprehending all of this. I only saw them what, five or six days ago? And, I was dead for four of them. So much had happened in the span of a week.

  “What about the third trial?” Star asked me.

  Her voice came from behind me, where she was sitting on the ground. Luna was asleep with her head in Star’s lap.

  “The third trial is how I died” I answered.

  She shivered.

  I wasn’t trying to scare her, I only wanted to share the truth. To be honest, she needed to be scared. Everyone in this room needed to be scared. Maybe I killed Kennan once and for all in the trials, but I doubted it. After all, I found a way to come back. I’m sure with all the resources and stolen magic at his disposal; he was out there licking his wounds. He was probably plotting his revenge, right now.