The Golden Basilisk (The Lost Ancients Book 5)

by Marie Andreas

  The words echoed what I’d felt when I collapsed when I first got here. The Siabiane of our time was wise and had vast knowledge. I knew we were a bit early in her lifespan, although she apparently was even older than Lorcan, but I had a feeling there was more knowledge in her head right now than in the entire elven enclave of the future. That she knew I was out of place was not good. But then why didn’t she know Alric was out of place as well?

  “I have been lost as of late,” I said quickly.

  She nodded slowly. Then her smile dropped. “Hopefully, your attackers were not of the same ilk as these. They were not common footpads, even though they were trying to appear as such. There is something brewing in the kingdom, a darkness that could destroy all. That was why Galfin and I rode to the capital. The queen must be warned.”

  I could practically see Alric’s thoughts churning before he spoke. We’d arrived here before the battle of the Dark, before the elves even knew what they had lurking in their midst. That was going to make any time we spent here that much worse.

  “I have heard little of the troubles, but I come from the kingdom of Lathing. We are small and not a land to draw enemies.”

  I hadn’t heard of Lathing, but Siabiane’s nod showed she had. It must not only have been small, but far from here.

  “You have come far indeed. I will share with you what I know if you will allow me to provide a ride for the two of you to Glaisdale.” She held out her hand to me. “But first, let us get your friend into something more fitting.” She tilted her head, looking me up and down. “And only a slight glamour to make you appear elvish. Humans are too uncommon in this kingdom, and we don’t want unwelcome attention.”

  I was about to ask how we were going to ride anywhere when the wagon slowly rose upright, a new wheel appeared and the horses rustled from their spelled stupor. Siabiane led me around to the door of the carriage, then dropped my hand and went inside. A few muffled swear words later, she stuck her head out.

  “You are shorter than I but I think I can make this work. Come in.” The wagon was far larger than it had looked from the outside, but it seemed a bit cramped due to all of her cases being tossed about.

  “You’re moving to the enclave? I mean to Glaisdale?” I was going to have to watch what I said. There had been a huge and powerful city before the battle with the Dark reduced it to a bunch of sheltered enclaves. I remember Lorcan saying that Siabiane had helped establish the royal enclave after the battle, but I didn’t know how long before that she’d come to the area.

  “Is that a human term, enclave? Sounds so charming and cozy.” She pulled more clothing out of the cases as she spoke. “Alas, Glaisdale is not charming or cozy. Well, it is charming, but the type of charm exhibited by someone who knows how charming they are. I am not moving there, but one of my long-time correspondents, Lord Lorcan, has asked for a consultation. I will stay a few months, then travel on.”

  I kept the dress between us; I didn’t want her to see my face. How could we stay with her and Lorcan and the others and not let them know what was coming? That the entire elven kingdom was going to almost be destroyed and the survivors would stay hidden for a thousand years?

  Or could we tell them? Maybe being back here at this time could change everything—stop the battle with the Dark. Save the thousands of elves who had died. I felt her eyes on me and shoved those thoughts far away. I needed to talk to Alric first before we said anything. The same thoughts had to have been running through his mind, yet he’d stayed hiding in the woods for two weeks.

  “This is lovely,” I said as I held up the green and silver gown. “Are you sure you don’t mind me borrowing it?” It was of a similar style to hers, old fashioned by my standards but classic enough that it could hold its own regardless of the time. The sleeves were long and beaded; the gown flowed elegantly.

  “No. I’m not lending it to you, you will have to keep it. You and your man Alric will arrive with me as my entourage. Consider the gown and other clothes your first payment.” She motioned to some clean undergarments that looked disturbingly my size and that I swore hadn’t been there a moment ago. “I can tell there is something odd about both of you, but I know you’re not evil. I will help you where I can.” With that she left the carriage and shut the door.

  I would have preferred a nice bath before putting on such fine clothing, borrowed or given. But that would be asking a bit much.

  The gown seemed too big as I slipped it over my head, but then it shrank to my size. That was a spell I’d have to get Alric to teach me when we got back. I avoided the part of my brain that kept wanting to add if to that sentence.

  There were also a pair of delicate, but sturdy, slippers. I hated giving up my comfortable boots, but they really wouldn’t have fit in with this dress—or with my two companions. I set them aside along with the rest of my original clothing, then stepped out of the carriage door.

  Alric and Siabiane had been in low conversation as I opened the door, but Alric stopped mid-sentence when he saw me. Siabiane had her back to me, but turned with a smile.

  “Yes, the gown fits you perfectly. And we definitely need to spell your eyes and ears to look elven. A human who is obviously a beloved companion to an elven lord would be scandalous. I, of course, love it. But I am not at all a person like the stodgy individuals in Glaisdale.”

  I felt my face go red, but it was more from Alric’s stare than from Siabiane’s observations. He even came forward and held out his hand for me to descend the carriage steps. Maybe all the finery around him was making him revert to his younger days in court. Alric never talked about his family much, but his father had been a high-ranking official in the palace at some point.

  “Crap.” I bit my tongue. I’d just realized that while Alric wasn’t born yet, his parents would be and if he looked like either of them it could cause problems. I glanced at Siabiane…I couldn’t bring that up to her.

  I was saved when a trio of colors arrowed in on us.

  “Told you stay.” Garbage flew right in front of my face, not paying attention to Siabiane or the carriage. “What that?” She did notice the dress. “And who…is YOU!” She turned around and saw Siabiane watching her with almost rounded eyes.

  “A truth bringer? Three of them? I thought they were long vanished in the mists of time like the Ancients themselves.” She held out a hand that suddenly had a bit of sugar in it.

  Crusty and Leaf flew forward immediately, but Garbage held back.

  “Why you here?” She flew forward and sniffed Siabiane. “You right place. Them not right.” She then pushed the other two faeries aside and dove into the apparently growing pile of sugar.

  “They are yours? What magical land do you hail from that you have three mythical truth bringers?” Siabiane watched all three as they pushed and shoved to get to the sugar.

  “I’d not say they’re mine, really. I’m responsible for them, I guess, and they travel with me. We’re family.” I’d never thought of it that way, but it was true. They drove me crazy, but those three were the closest I had to a family.

  “They are wondrous. But they need to stay hidden.” She held up her hand and spoke to all three. “My wee ladies, I have to ask a boon of thee.” When they all stopped gorging and looked up, she smiled gently. “My people loved your kind in days of old, but we haven’t seen you for a long time and seeing you now might cause my people pain. Can you stay hidden, eyes not see, spells not sense?”

  Leaf and Crusty nodded slowly, but both looked to Garbage. Garbage puffed up her chest and pulled out her war stick from her tiny bag. She held it up solemnly. “We do.”

  I’m sure I made a fine sight—fancy dress, shoes, etc., and my jaw hanging down to my chest. We’d been together for over fifteen years and I had never been able to get them to agree to even a simple request so easily.

  “Thank you, my ladies. I have one more request and I think it’s been asked of you already. Can you promise to protect Lady Taryn?” She looked up at me and her ey
es suddenly held a sadness I’d not seen before. “I fear she will need your protection greatly in the times to come. Never leave her.”

  All three flew about a foot into the air, bowed to Siabiane, then landed on me. Even Crusty seemed sober.

  “We do.” All three spoke at once and a chill went down my spine. Siabiane knew something or felt something. And she had enough power to get my flying drunkards to promise something, and hold that promise. This was even worse than when they promised to do that before the elven king and queen.

  “Now that we have that settled,” Siabiane said as she reached into the carriage and pulled out a cloak that matched my dress. She put it around my shoulders and closed the clasp. “We should get moving. And if you’ll note, all of your new clothing, including this cloak, has secret pockets for our tiny friends.”

  I held open the cloak and all three faeries zipped inside and made themselves at home.

  Siabiane moved back into the carriage and had everything back where it belonged in less than a minute.

  I shot Alric a look. He was always pointing out that magic shouldn’t be used for trivial things. He dodged the look and instead went forward to check the reins and the horses’ gear.

  Siabiane motioned for me to come in the carriage. Once I sat down she shook her head. “I personally believe you are quite lovely as you are, as your young friend does. But we really can’t cause too much attention, so hold still.” I felt a coolness flow over me. I never felt anything when Alric glamoured me—it would have been less annoying if I had.

  Siabiane squinted at me closely. “Do you have a spell blocker of some sort? My spell seems to have run into a…no, I was wrong. It’s fine now.”

  I’d felt a final little burst of coldness and realized it was concentrated in one spot—the place where the sapphire manticore was hidden. At least that glamour had stayed in place even if the damn relic itself apparently tried to fight back against the newest glamour. Explaining to her what had decided to take root in me and what it really was would have been even more disturbing than telling her we were from the future.

  Alric stuck his head in. “Are we ready? My distance in this land may be a bit off, but I’m thinking this will go directly through to Glaisdale?”

  “Yes, we have quite a ways to go, but we should be able to make good time.” A sadness crossed her face. “I have ways to make our travel far faster than normal. My good man Galfin wanted to run for a bit at normal speed. He loved the land here—that was where they caught us and I couldn’t save him.” Her eyes grew clouded for a moment, then she shook her head.

  “They will not catch us again.”

  “Agreed,” Alric said. “I have some small magics and will help if I can.”

  “And a bearer of a spirit sword no less. And Lady Taryn as well. Appearantly, you have some strong magics that I didn’t notice either of them until now.” Siabiane looked at the sword and scabbard I’d put beside me. “That will not go with your clothing, and you really can’t have one. Can you make it vanish?”

  I looked at my sword. I’d wanted it to stick around so much that chasing it off seemed a bit off putting. But I tried anyway.

  Siabiane stared at the still present sword. “Well, sword? Your being here will endanger your carrier. Is that your purpose?”

  My sword vanished immediately.

  She nodded to Alric. “As for yours, it might be better if it didn’t let anyone know it is a spirit sword. The council has been getting quite worked up about these blades, and since you’re not from Glaisdale they might take you as a thief. Can you disguise its essence?”

  I had no idea what she meant. But he nodded and passed his hand over it. His sword looked the same to me but Siabiane smiled.

  “Small magics indeed,” she said. “Like your fair lady friend, there is far more to you than appearances indicate.”

  Alric gave a deep bow and shut the carriage door. I felt the carriage rock as he took over the driver’s seat.

  We started moving and I found myself wondering what to talk to her about. Anything I said ran the chance of giving us away and until I had a better idea of what would occur if we went around changing things, I didn’t want that to happen.

  “I don’t suppose you’d feel comfortable telling me where you two really came from?”

  I gave a weak smile and tried to think of what I could say. Part of me was excited that we might be able to stop the elves from their horrific battle and subsequent hiding. But I couldn’t bring that up.

  Something about the way Siabiane had spoken to the faeries before brought an image and a name to mind. The witch who’d rescued me and placed the faeries in my care. She’d spelled me when I left and I’d never been able to recall her name. I could now. “Mathilda. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone named Mathilda?”

  “What is that, dear? Is that a friend of yours? An old-fashioned name, but I can’t say I know anyone with it.” She snapped her fingers. “Perhaps Mathildaringa? What do you know of her?”

  I nodded. That name sounded right, but not one the witch had used much. “There’s not much to say, not much I can recall. It happened fifteen years ago, she found me and saved me. I’d been attacked and left for dead. I honestly didn’t recall the name until I was speaking to you.”

  Siabiane laughed. “Something about me reminded you of her?”

  That couldn’t be it. Mathilda was short and wrinkled. Kindly, but old and more than a little odd. I shook my head.

  “She was in disguise again, was she? Honestly, she has taken this witch thing too far. She’s my sister. My younger sister.”

  17

  Now that I was starting to recall more of that odd woman who dumped the faeries on me, I really had a difficult time believing that. Disguise or no.

  Judging by Siabiane’s laugh my reaction was clear on my face. “She really is, and if she would stop disguising herself and lurking around in forests in that walking house of hers, it would be more noticeable.” She leaned forward. “We’re not like other elves. A few more offshoots in our family tree, but I don’t point that out to any of them.”

  I told her what I recalled of her sister, but it wasn’t much and I had to be sketchy with my timelines—I was talking about something that happened fifteen years ago to me, but wouldn’t be happening for almost a thousand years for Siabiane and Mathilda. I had no idea where that crazy old witch was at this point in her life.

  “A walking house explains a lot though.” I said it more to myself than her after I finished my short tale. She caught it anyway.

  “What was that, dear?”

  I shook my head. “It never moved when I was recovering, but right after she made me the guardian of the faeries, she sent us off to pick berries. I turned back a few minutes later but she and the house were gone. I never saw her again.”

  “She’s always been a wild child, not proper like me.” The wink in her eye told me this earlier Siabiane was as much a free spirit as her sister, only less blatant.

  “You look weary, my child; you can rest for a bit. While it won’t take as long traveling my way as it would the normal way, it will be a while before we arrive.” She rose and moved to the other bench. “I believe you could even stretch out of you’d like.”

  I was about to decline when a fierce yawn forced its way out. It had been a long day and that wasn’t even counting the time waves. Who knew how long I’d actually been awake? I nodded my thanks around a second yawn then slipped off my shoes and folded the cloak for a pillow—after tumbling out some dozing faeries. All three left me without a second look and cuddled in Siabiane’s lap like a trio of tiny, brightly colored kittens.

  I must have been more tired than I thought, because the next thing I knew Alric was calling the horses to slow and Siabiane was waking me.

  “We aren’t there yet, but Alric saw something of import.”

  We’d come to a complete halt by the time I’d gotten my shoes and cloak on. I felt self-conscious in the fancy dress and the cloa
k helped me feel less noticeable.

  Siabiane was already outside and Alric was down from the driver’s seat. Once they saw me get out, they both motioned for me to stay put.

  “I saw a rider-less horse, just back in the woods a bit. I can go see what there is alone.” Alric had his sword out and was already starting to walk off the road.

  Siabiane was right behind him. “I’ve no doubt you are far fiercer than your dandy looks imply, my boy, but I need to see as well. There is much I already need to report to the queen; signs of more aggression must be noted.”

  I didn’t even argue as the two walked off. If it was another dead body, I’d seen enough. And all this talk of Siabiane warning the queen made my stomach hurt. Whether she was warned or not, it didn’t work. The elves still fell.

  Alric and Siabiane both came back less than five minutes later. Alric was leading the horse he’d seen, but there was no one else with them.

  “Just the horse?” I was hopeful. Maybe it was a simple case of a thrown rider and an escaped horse.

  “Unfortunately, no.” Siabiane held up a torn satchel with an emblem I didn’t recognize on it. “It appeared to be the remains of the syclarion ambassador’s second-in-command. Most likely dead at least two days. The syclarions are our fast allies; this death will not be easy to process for the queen.”

  She had been looking down at the satchel, so I hoped I’d schooled my face well enough by the time she looked up. Syclarions? Allies? Granted up until a few months ago I didn’t realize how bad they were, but they were never great friends of anyone in Beccia. They were accepted nuisances that mostly kept to themselves and sometimes brought in good money for the digs. I shuddered as I recalled the fate of a digger in a syclarion site almost a year ago. I’d been trying to find out why the digs were closed only to find that a syclarion and his people were running their own dig and obviously had enough money to shut down everything else for a few days. The syclarion leader had decided one of his men was not working fast enough and murdered him without a thought.