by B. C. Morin
Kaleb and Tristan remained laying on the sand, moaning from the pain, which had begun to subside.
“I want you to hit the fire with lightning.” Jadoc said softly. “Do you understand”
Alannah nodded her head, saying nothing, her glowing eyes fixed on the storm around them, and despite the pouring rain that made it hard to see.
Jadoc threw the firespell towards different areas of the beach, with Alannah bringing down a lightning on each one.
She was able to hit four before she missed one and staggered to the side, falling to one knee.
“Tell her she can stop!”
Though his voice seemed distant, Alannah knew it was Kaleb.
“You are depleting her of her energy!” She turned her eyes on Jadoc who was clearly depleted as well.
Jadoc turned toward the ocean, awed by the horrific storm before him. The clouds were so dark, they rivaled the night sky. He realized that it was not only in their area, but as far as he could see. Alannah had enveloped the entire sky in darkness.
He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes locking with Alannah’s.
“It is done.”
Alannah dropped her heavy arms and rested on her knees, Kaleb and Tristan, both rushing towards her to ensure that she was alright.
“Alannah?” Kaleb held her by her chin as he brushed the hair away from her face.
Alannah frowned.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?” Tristan threw out his legs in front of him, sitting down next to her and pulling her to lean on him.
“For taking so long.” She managed as she pulled her legs out from beneath her.
“Lan, you did amazing! Though, one of those bolts of lightning came quite close to this amazing head of hair.” Tristan joked as he ran his hands through his sopping wet hair.
Alannah sat back up laughing, as she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She glanced up at Jadoc, who stood in front of her with his hands clasped in front of him.
“I apologize for having to use the method that I did.” He inclined his head towards them.
“All joking aside, Jadoc, a few more moments, and we could have gone mad.” Kaleb said as he stood to face him.
“That is why I stopped when I did.” Jadoc looked up at the sky that was still grey, though no longer as dark as the night, and began, “Galehot came to me this morning, informing me that it could be a couple of days or even less before King Brennus leaves to intercept Samil at the location of the third scroll. I knew that Alannah was not going to allow Brennus to leave without her, and I could not stomach the knowledge of her going without having tested her powers to their potential, distractions and all.” He paused, looking them over. “It was not an ideal training, but it was what had to be done, and I cannot apologize for wanting her to be at her best.”
The three of them nodded at Jadoc, accepting his explanation.
It was almost sunset, when the four of them approached the entrance to Anrad. They had flown most of the way, but when the trees became more dense, they decided to walk.
Suddenly, the screams and war cries stemming from Anrad filled the surrounding forest. Jadoc, Alannah, Tristan, and Kaleb, ran towards the gates. As they neared, they noticed the gates were open and there were bodies lying on the ground, beside the entrance: two Dorchae and one warrior faerie. Each one of them unsheathed their swords in one quick swoosh and ran in.
In the entrance of Anrad was a scene in which Alannah had only read about in books. Dorchae and mind controlled rouge faeries and Drow, were attacking the warrior faeries.
“Look out!” Kaleb pushed Alannah out of the way, blocking the sword of a Dorchae. Kaleb threw out his hand and a burst of energy shot out, hitting the Dorchae in its chest, sending him flying about ten feet.
“Are you alright?!” He called over his shoulder to Alannah, but turned to find her driving her sword through the belly of a rogue faerie.
She held out both her hands, and small pillars of flames erupted from both her palms. She began shooting them at the attackers.
It was in the distance that she saw Isibeal, fighting magic to magic against a rogue fae. Alannah looked at Kaleb, then to Tristan, and noted them helping each other, so she ran to Isibeal.
Calling on her powers, dark clouds formed overhead and lighting grazed the treetops. Hesitating for only a moment, Alannah concentrated on where she wanted the lightning to come down. In seconds, three Dorchae were struck and broken into pieces, burnt beyond recognition.
“Isibeal!” Alannah called out, her eyes luminous, the lightning following the movements of her hands.
Isibeal turned and looked at her wide-eyed, never having seen anyone manipulate lighting in that manner. Isibeal parried an attack from the rogue fae, then ran to him, jumping in the air and kicking him square in the chest, causing him to stagger backwards. As soon as Alannah saw the distance, she threw both her hands forward and the lightning, obeying her command, assaulted the rogue faerie, cooking him until there was nothing left but dust on the ground.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the dragons circling around the lightning and heading towards the entrance of Anrad.
Lothaire swooped down, grabbing a Dorchae with his massive claws, and dropping him into his mouth before settling onto the ground. Kaleb ran to the massive dragon climbing onto his back and attacking the Drow and rogue faeries from up there. Lothaire craned his head back releasing a roar loud enough to shake the earth, followed by a stream of fire, which he brought down on the Dorchae, who had tried to surround him.
Alannah turned her attention from the dragon and ran to follow Isibeal, who had run in the direction of the castle, searching the crowd. Her heart dropped, thinking that perhaps there was something wrong with Brennus, and that Isibeal was looking for him. Instead, she ran up behind a Drow who was just about to run his sword through a fae. Isibeal approached silently, drawing her sword back around her shoulders and swinging with such a force, the Drow’s head instantly fell from its body. She jumped over the Drow’s lifeless body and threw herself onto the faerie that was on the floor, taking him in her arms and checking his condition. It was then, in which Alannah saw that it was the fae from the cabin. He lives here, she thought to herself quickly, before bringing her attention back to the situation at hand.
Alannah turned to scan the crowd, looking for Brennus, and found him on the stairs of the castle, with the council members and castle guards. As she ran to him, a rogue faerie jumped out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. His eyes, a glossy gold, held no emotion. As soon as she tried to bring her hands up, he slashed at her with his sword, cutting her in the forearm. Alannah reached to her waist and, ignoring the shooting pains in her arm, pulled her sword from its sheath.
She slashed at the fae, but only managed to scratch his vest and weapons belt. Dammit Alannah, concentrate. She took a deep breath, swinging her sword overhead and bringing it down on the fae as he expertly blocked it. She glanced over the fae’s shoulder, catching Brennus’s eye as he pierced a Dorchae through the chest.
“Alannah!” He yelled at her but she could not hear him.
Alannah took a step back, just barely avoiding the edge of the fae’s blade, and dropped to one knee. As she came down, she brought her sword clean across the fae’s thighs. He screamed in agony, momentarily dropping his guard, and as soon as he did, Alannah ran at him, her sword aimed for his stomach. The fae collapsed onto her immediately, bringing her down with him.
“Ugh!” Alannah pushed the fae off of her and pulled her sword from his abdomen, cleaned it, and sheathed it. It was heavy in her wounded arm. She whispered a quick healing spell to stop the bleeding and continued toward the castle.
“She’s the one!” The heavy voice managed to carry over the melee that was happening around her and before she knew it, Alannah had a knife buried in her shoulder-blade. She fell to the ground, trying to reach for it, and take it out, but it was too far to reach with her left hand, whi
le her right hand hurt too badly to use.
“Samil said to kill her!” The heavy footsteps shook the ground slightly. Alannah got to her knees in time to see her attacker nod to the rogue faerie, at his side.
“Coerceer!” The rogue faerie yelled at Alannah, forcing her arms to her sides and keeping her from moving.
“Contúndere!” Alannah yelled, but the rogue faerie managed to block the spell, directed at the Dorchae.
The Dorchae stood over her, the rogue faerie at his side. He swung his sword once in his hand, preparing himself.
Just then, an arrow came flying through the crowd, wedging itself into the throat of the rogue fae. Panicked, the Dorchae quickly raised his arm, readying it, to bring it down on Alannah. As the sword came down, Brennus came from beside him, throwing himself at the Dorchae with all his might and knocking him to the ground. The Dorchae quickly punched Brennus, knocking him off. He rolled onto one knee, pulling a knife from his boot and swinging it at Brennus, who had stood and lunged himself at the Dorchae once again.
“Incendium!” Alannah yelled, and the Dorchae burst into flames.
Brennus took advantage of the distraction and impaled the Dorchae through his chest.
He ran over to Alannah, falling to his knees in front of her and taking her face in his hands. Brennus whispered words she had never heard and the restraining curse was lifted.
“Are you alright?” Alannah asked breathlessly, shaking her arms and trying to release the feelings of the invisible binds that she still felt against her skin.
“Yes, are you?” He asked, desperately looking her over for injuries.
“What happened?”
“Ambush. They sent a Rogue Faerie saying that he escaped Samil’s grasp but when we opened the gates to escort him in, they rushed the entrance.”
Brennus stood, taking Alannah’s hand and helping her up. He looked around at his Kingdom, littered with bodies and piles of leaves, ivy, and brambles where the first of the warriors were struck down. There were a few Rogue faeries that he saw bound and gagged and assumed that some of his more powerful spell casters were going to try and break the mind control spell, which Samil had on them.
“I don’t understand why, though.” He ran his hands through his hair and then rubbed his stubbly chin. “Why send them here, where he knew they would be killed and defeated. Samil could not possibly have expected them to win.”
Alannah bowed her head.
“The Dorchae you saved me from said that Samil told them to find me and kill me.”
Brennus looked down at her frowning and pulled her along, toward the castle. Alannah staggered a bit, pains emanating from the wound on her shoulder blade that she had forgotten about.
“Love!” Brennus turned, grabbing Alannah by the shoulders to steady her.
“My shoulder.” She cried, swinging her hair to the side so that he could see the dagger lodged into her bone.
Brennus turned her around to find a three inch hilt sticking out of her back. “This! This is what I meant, when I asked if you were alright!” He pulled her against his chest. “This is going to hurt, my love.” His voice, shaking.
Alannah wrapped her good arm around him, grabbing on to leather straps of his baldric and burying her head in his chest. She could feel his heart pounding, and the hesitation in his breath.
Brennus wrapped one arm around her and reached the other over her shoulder, gripping the hilt of the dagger.
“Ah!” Alannah cried out onto Brennus as he yanked the dagger out and hurled it into the ground, blood splattering out behind it. Immediately, he whispered some healing spells to stop the warm blood she could feel pouring down her back.
Brennus pulled back, looking down at her.
“Are there any others?”
“No.” Alannah sighed as they continued on to the safety of the castle.
“Eamon!” Brennus called out to a council member that was running toward him.
“Your majesty.” Eamon said as he bowed to him, a large fresh scar running the length of his face.
“Gather the fae with the healing powers and see how you can all help the severely wounded.” Brennus grabbed Eamon by the shoulder, turning him gently. “Be sure you get better healing for that, or you will be left with that scar.”
“Yes, Sire.” Eamon bowed and quickly ran in the direction of the shops, calling out to various fae that were standing for help with the wounded.
“We have to get inside.” Brennus called over his shoulder pulling Alannah along.
He stopped a council member that was on the steps of the castle, moving the bodies of one of the Dorchae.
“Galehot. Where is Isibeal?”
“She is fine and tending to some of the wounded.”
“Excellent.” Brennus turned to Alannah. “Go inside and have Anora finish the healing on your arm and meet me in the planning room.”
Alannah nodded, too tired to argue and walked up the remaining steps bracing herself for Anora’s embrace as she ran to her.
“Galehot, fetch me Tristan and Kaleb and bring them to the planning room. There is something very odd about this attack and we need to figure out what it is.”
*****
Tristan ran to Kaleb, who sat on the steps of one of the stores healing several small cuts he received after going against a rogue fae whose specialty was apparently, blades.
“All right there, mate?” Tristan said, dropping himself down on the step next to Kaleb.
“Yes, they are not too deep, so the soreness should wear off pretty quickly.” Kaleb put his elbows on his knees and dropped his face into his hands. “I can only wonder if they have done the same to the other Kingdoms.”
“Somehow I doubt that, brother. Samil likely knows who are the ones adamantly trying to reach the scroll before he does. He is probably trying to clear his path.”
Kaleb sat up once more, running one hand through his hair, dragging it away from his wet forehead.
“Good thing Lothaire and Dalinda were here. They definitely made quick work of some of those Dorchae.”
“That, they did.” Tristan laughed. “Oy, Kaleb, I know now is probably not the time, but I need to tell you something, and considering that we do not know what will happen next, I need to say this now.”
Kaleb turned, facing his friend.
“I know about your feelings for Evyette.” Tristan sighed hard as if saying those words lifted a weight from his shoulders.
“Trist, I-“
“Do not deny it.” He shook his head and held his hand up stopping Kaleb from saying anything else. “I have told you time and again, that you are a horrible liar, and as your best friend, the one you call brother, I deserve the truth.”
Kaleb turned his gaze away from Tristan, his breath catching in his throat.
“I-“ Kaleb took a deep breath. “I did not mean to develop feelings for her. And I never had any intentions of following through, Tristan, you must know that.”
Tristan looked at Kaleb through intense eyes, scrutinizing every word he spoke. After several moments of silence, Tristan bowed his head.
“I know.”
“I think it happened the night she discovered the house she lived when she was a baby I was walking around in the courtyard of the inn because I could not sleep, when she walked out. She told me that she could not sleep either and did not want to wake you. We spent hours talking about what her past could hold and that it will not change the way that her family and friends feel about her. We talked about how I had let Alannah go, in those last few days at Anrad, because deep down, I knew what her final decision would be. We talked about you and how much you love her, and how much she loves you, and despite knowing that, I could not help but be drawn to her. I wanted to protect her, to make her feel better about what she could possibly discover.” Kaleb stopped, searching Tristan’s face, trying to see if it was anger, disappointment, or hate that flowed out of him, but instead, he continued. “I even thought that maybe I was trying to make
up for what I could not have with Alannah, but I wasn’t sure. That was why I so readily agreed to come to Anrad. I thought that if I could just get away from the two of you, I would be able to sort through, or do away with those ridiculous feelings, and maybe even meet someone else.”
“I knew it.” Tristan finally said. “Kaleb, I do appreciate you never saying anything, or acting on your feelings. And yes, I know you would never have acted on them because of me.” Tristan clapped Kaleb on the shoulder, causing him to release a breath he did not realize he was holding.
“Kaleb! Tristan!”
Both fae turned in the direction of the voice and stood when they saw it was Galehot running towards them.
Galehot reached them quicker than they anticipated.
Must be a warrior fae trait to be so quick, Kaleb thought.
“The King would like to meet with you both, in the planning room.”
“Is everything alright, Galehot?” Tristan interjected.
“Yes, he is fine, as is the princess. However, King Brennus is not entirely convinced that this attack was simply to kill the Princess or any other reason so simple.” Galehot looked around at his home Kingdom and sighed. “Samil had a reason for this and his highness wants to know what it is.”
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Chapter 23
Evyette followed behind the army of Dorchae and Drow that Samil brought with him. They had been traveling through dark caverns all day and her legs burned with fatiguing muscles. According to the Dorchae leading the group, the opening that they had dug to the clearing was now less than half a mile away.
The entire walk had been quiet for the most part with Evyette asking them to slow down a couple of times, only to be ignored or waved off. Maligo followed silently behind her. There had been a few times that she turned to look at him and he opened his mouth to say something but kept his thoughts to himself.