The Golden Basilisk (The Lost Ancients Book 5)

by Marie Andreas

  I’d been hiding in the bushes, so I didn’t see it. But I heard all of it and it wasn’t something I’d soon forget.

  Since then, my run-ins with syclarions were definitely not friendly.

  I looked to Alric but he gave a quick shrug. A lot of information was lost when the battle against the Dark ended—being friends with a race of killers was part of it.

  “I released his body to the elements. We can bring his horse and the news back to our queen.” Siabiane was so somber that I wanted to comfort her, but considering how many times a syclarion had tried to kill me in the past year, I wasn’t very sympathetic.

  Alric gave a slight shake of his head, reminding me not to say anything, then held the door for Siabiane and I to get back in the carriage. I stayed awake this time, with the faeries in my cloak and my shoes on.

  I was almost more nervous about the next stop than I’d been about meeting elves the first time. I heard the city before I saw it. And that was with my face pressed up against the carriage window. Even the faeries were peering about, but they stayed close to me and my cloak now. They were taking their promise to stay out of sight to Siabiane seriously. I knew if they held still and focused they could become invisible, and cloak whomever they were sitting on as well. But that could be tricky and only worked if no movement was involved. Better to have the more secure way of not having them out and about.

  The city of elves was far louder than I expected and sounded more like what I would imagine Beccia would on market day if it was about twenty times larger.

  The noise was simply a giant mass at first, but as we drew closer, sounds sorted themselves out. I closed my eyes. I had grown up wanting to know what happened to the elves. So I became a digger. Then I found out there were still some elves alive in the world and I met them in the royal enclave.

  I was now going to see the original elves, a kingdom at the height of their power. Right before they imploded and almost destroyed themselves.

  There were a lot of mixed feelings to say the least. I was excited—all of my childhood dreams of the wondrous elves were going to come true. I was also so sad and sick at what was about to happen to them—and that we couldn’t stop it—that I wanted to run screaming the other direction.

  There was some directed shouting that sounded to be aimed at us, or rather at Alric since he was driving the carriage. Since he was born long after the war, he’d never have seen the city except as I had—digging through the ruins.

  Siabiane tapped the roof of the carriage and Alric brought the horses to a halt. They’d been at a slow walk since we were within earshot of the city. She waved at an elven knight. He looked so much like Flarinen in profile that I almost said something.

  “I say, it has been a long time since myself or my companions have been here, is the palace entrance for carriages still to the left?” The guard had been looking ahead and turned at the carriage, then Siabiane. His lip had automatically been curling into a snarl—must be an ancestor of Flarinen—but dropped to a bow when he saw Siabiane.

  “Lady Siabiane, it has been far too long since we have been graced with your beauty. I can ride escort if you would prefer.”

  There was no way those words could have ever come out of Flarinen’s mouth. Maybe the similarity in looks was a coincidence. Then I saw the look he shot Alric. Or not.

  “Thank you, Captain Jarlt, I believe we will manage just fine. I will mention your courtesy to the queen.” Siabiane nodded and shut the carriage door.

  “Are all of the knights like that? He was a different person when he first turned to us.” I was back to guessing he might be Flarinen’s father or even grandfather.

  “Sadly, many are. I dislike using my position as one of the queen’s advisors like that, but I really hate dealing with them.”

  Alric had turned to the left and we worked our way through a series of increasingly nicer buildings. I was trying to place the ruins I used to dig through into what we rode through—but I couldn’t. There was no similarity. Not to mention no full map of the ruins had ever been made and the parts that were outside of Beccia were mostly the edges of the city. It was heartbreaking to know that within a few short years these beautiful structures would be abandoned and swallowed up by the massive gapen trees incorporated into the landscaping everywhere I looked. The trees were controlled now—that obviously changed when the elves fled.

  “I thought you said there were dangers afoot? Everything looks peaceful.” Okay, that wasn’t the best word. There were plenty of folks hustling around, at least until we started getting to the larger homes sitting behind gated walls. The main thing was it looked normal and not that far off from one of the larger cities like Kenithworth. Just populated with elves.

  A sadness filled Siabiane’s eyes and she watched the houses go by. “It does, doesn’t it? But there has been a change in the air since the king died. They claimed it was a hunting accident, but I knew better. Accidents do not happen to hunters as skilled as he was. Had I been here I could have followed the truth. Which was why it happened when I was far in the southern lands.” She shook her head, then turned to me. “But don’t mention that suspicion to anyone, especially to anyone in the palace. It has been three years now, and Queen Heliane has come to terms with it. Her daughter is too young to need those rumors circling her father’s death.”

  I nodded. After all, I was a walking pile of secrets I couldn’t tell anyone in this time. What was one more? I didn’t know if the current queen survived the war, or perished later. But I’d bet her daughter’s name was Jelinath.

  “State your name,” The guard was on the other side from my window, and judging by the tone I really didn’t want to see him.

  “Lord Alric from the kingdom of Lathing, my companions are the Lady Siabiane and my wife, Lady Taryn, also from Lathing.”

  Siabiane and I shared a look. I’d become a wife without ever saying I do. Siabiane nodded slowly and kept her voice down. “That actually is bright of him. Even though by coming from one of the heathen lands to the south, your lord and lady titles won’t have much weight, it is better you are linked through matrimony—even if fictitious.”

  “You are not Lady Siabiane’s driver.” The guard went from bored to aggressive immediately.

  “He was murdered by rogues that shouldn’t have had access to the royal road. I saw no knights in attendance; they were allowed to slaughter him in front of the Lady. Do you wish I bring her out to recount the tale to you?”

  I hadn’t heard that tone from Alric in a long time. He’d been raised a noble, and although he rebelled later on, he could channel that attitude better than some of the best thespians on a stage.

  “I apologize,” the knight said. “I meant no disrespect and this news is grievous. Most of our knights were called away to the north and we’re too thinly spread. Please proceed to the front and we will have the carriage taken around to the back.”

  Alric had already moved the horses forward when I heard him say thank you. The timing was enough to act as a dismissal.

  “What’s going on to the north?” I asked Siabiane.

  She shook her head. “Nothing that I have been privy to, and Lord Lorcan and I communicate almost every day. It is not good that guards were withdrawn and the senior royal advisor was left unaware.”

  The horses came to a halt and the clanking of fully armored knights coming down stairs could be heard. It said a lot about how my situation had changed over the past year. I’d never seen knights in armor up until a few months ago, yet, now I could recognize that unique sound sight unseen.

  The door to the carriage opened and a double row of knights, six on each side, lined the way. The Siabiane of my time was respected and feared, but unknown to most as she’d locked herself away not long after the enclave had been created. Clearly, the one of this time was far better known. At least by anyone involved with the palace.

  The closest knight held out his hand for Siabiane and once she’d descended, the next one did the same
with me. The look on his face said he had no idea who I was, but being with Lady Siabiane weighed enough to not take chances.

  Alric stepped in beside me, smoothly taking over from the knight. “I shall escort my wife.” There was no question, simply an assertion. The knight tipped his head and followed behind.

  The palace steps were enough like the façade of the palace in the enclave that they could have been the same structure. Except that this one was twice as big and was far older and richer.

  I allowed Alric to pull me up the stairs, but the grandeur hit me hard. More important, the fact that this building, all of these buildings, or rather what was left of them, were buried under the outskirts of Beccia got me. Actually, considering the size of the city, they were under Beccia itself as well.

  The massive doors swung open and a short man dressed in white robes came running down. He smiled to Siabiane, but turned to me and wrapped me in a hug.

  “You are finally here!”

  18

  The hug had taken me by surprise—no one should be hugging me in this time unless it was Alric. I peered down at the hugger in question once he finally released me. He didn’t look like an elf, more like a child of a dwarf and an elf, and possibly something else that liked to live in trees.

  The faeries kicked around a few times, but, luckily, after he had let go. Trying to explain to a total stranger why part of my body was flailing about wouldn’t have been fun. Even less so on the palace steps.

  “Nasif? I don’t believe you’ve been introduced to Lady Taryn or her husband, Lord Alric. They are from the south, and are dear companions of mine,” she raised her voice a bit at that, “who have never been to Glaisdale.”

  “That doesn’t matter—I knew she’d be coming. Yes, I did.” He leaned in closer and winked at my chest. “And the wee ones as well.”

  I looked over his head to Siabiane, but she quickly took his arm and led him into the palace. Alric and I followed.

  “That was more than a little odd. Do you recognize him from the enclave growing up?” Elves had freakishly good hearing so I’d pitched my voice in a breathy whisper.

  Alric smiled and kissed my hand as we ascended the last stairs. “No, but even though the enclave was not as big as this, there were many in the palace I didn’t know. I trust Siabiane’s acceptance of him.”

  We were at the doors by then and a new set of guards. The rest of the discussion would have to wait.

  The entrance to the palace in the enclave had been a massive hall, with multiple stairwells leading to floors above and beyond.

  This was the same concept, but even grander. Only this time Alric’s grandmother wasn’t here to lock him up. Damn. I’d been worried about his father being in this time, but his grandmother was even more likely to be in the palace at this time. That woman could scare an army of syclarions and rakasa.

  “Ah, Lady Siabiane, gracious greetings, my old friend.” The voice came from behind us but I felt my back stiffen; it was Lorcan. I knew logically that there was no way he’d know who we were. He wouldn’t meet us for a thousand years. But the voice sounded so happy and welcoming I wanted to turn around and fling myself into his arms and tell him everything. Give him and his people a chance to save themselves. To save himself from almost dying in the first battle of the war. Lorcan had a long scar on his neck, one he usually kept glamoured. He’d been attacked when the fighting began and should have died. But someone saved him. That, along with having to rebuild his culture, and then being made into a ghost by his own brother were things I wanted to protect him from.

  Alric turned us around slowly to give me time to brace myself.

  Siabiane wrapped Lorcan in a warm hug, then she stepped back and motioned to us. “I want you to meet two dear companions, Lord Alric and Lady Taryn. They rescued me when Galfin was murdered on the royal road and I trust them with my life.” Her voice was pitched just loud enough for any court hangers on to hear. She’d just given us security in the palace.

  Lorcan came forward, looking so much like the Lorcan I knew, yet at the same time, so different. He took my hand first and kissed it like a courtier. Then he took Alric’s and shook it well. “You have saved one of my best companions; I too am indebted to you.” He turned back to Siabiane. “We have much to discuss. I can arrange for guest chambers for your friends.”

  She smiled but shook her head. “We do need to talk, but I would feel better with them nearby. There is more than enough room in my suites for all of us. They can have the blue rooms.” She turned to us. “All of your belongings will be brought to the suite. The guards will take you up there now and I will join you for dinner soon.”

  I couldn’t help but stiffen as a guard came to lead us to our rooms. Yes, this wasn’t the enclave’s palace and the chances of me being locked in a tower room jail were exceedingly slim. But the similarities were too close for my comfort. There had been internal intrigue going on in the enclave when I was locked up. There was no way anyone could tell me there wasn’t a hell of a lot of intrigue going on here right now. I wasn’t sure how far away from the first attack we were, but Siabiane’s concerns about the death of the king and the attack on a supposedly safe road both said bad things were happening.

  I hoped that Alric and I could find a way back to our time before it happened. Seeing the elves before their destruction was bittersweet—having to live through it—or try to—wasn’t something I wanted to experience.

  But my worries were unfounded. For now at any rate. The guard led us to a pair of massive doors that appeared to be over half of the floor we were on. At least if the lack of any other doors short of a matching pair across the hall was an indication.

  With a bow, the palace guard opened the doors. “Your chambers are to the left. Your bags will be up shortly and if you require anything pull on the red velvet cord in the corner.” He waited until we got into the foyer, then shut the doors behind us.

  I couldn’t help it; I automatically took a few steps back and listened at the door for any locking mechanisms.

  “What are you doing?” Alric had also taken a step, but toward the rooms on the left.

  I gave them one more second to trap us, then finally turned to Alric. “Sorry, flashbacks to the enclave.”

  “I would say you’re being paranoid, but this is not a good time to be here. I now wish I’d paid more attention in primary classes as a boy. I’m afraid even knowing the exact date wouldn’t help me guess how close we are to the start of the war.”

  I followed him into the set of doors to the left. The main doors had opened into an elaborate foyer, with two more pairs of doors at each end.

  I was right behind him when he pushed open the doors and I stood there in the doorway for a good while after he’d gone further in. I’d expected maybe a nice bedroom, something fancy with hopefully an attached bathroom, but that was it.

  Before me was a living area larger than my entire house in Beccia. Including the front yard. Three high-end sofas surrounded a massive fireplace with a nice sized fire already crackling. Five smaller chairs were sat around the rest of the room with a pair overlooking the largest window I’d seen in my life.

  I wandered around the living area, touching things, testing out each sofa and chair, when Alric stuck his head back into the room.

  “You’ll want to see the rest.” He ducked back down the hall before I even got out of my chair.

  There was a short hall that lead to a single door, which, if anything, was fancier than the other two pairs combined.

  The door was open so I went inside. Alric was looking out a window, but that wasn’t what made me gasp. The bedroom was huge. It also had a fireplace, also already set with a nice fire. The bed looked amazing, and after far too many nights of sleeping on the ground I couldn’t be blamed for running to it and jumping on. Not easy with the long fancy dress I’d forgotten I was wearing, but I managed.

  Alric turned around laughing. “That actually wasn’t the main thing I thought you’d go for,
but I agree on your choice. You might want to look in there though.” He stayed near the window and pointed to the partially closed door across from the bed.

  I managed to roll myself off the huge bed and pushed open the door.

  Not only was the bathroom in our suite, there was a massive bathtub inside of it. I hadn’t had a bath since I’d had to leave Beccia. Showers were becoming the rage, and far cheaper to install. Not to mention on the road you got what you could find.

  “Oh, how lovely,” I said. Then pulled myself away. I was going to get a bath in that tub, probably many. But I had no idea how long Alric and I would be alone and we needed to make plans. It said a lot about how messed up my life was right now that I was alone with the man who was probably the love of my life and I wanted to talk.

  “What can we do to get back to our time and is there any way we can warn them or stop the war before we do?”

  Alric moved away from the window and rubbed my arms. It might have even turned a bit romantic until the faeries all started kicking me in the chest. I opened the pocket and took off the cloak. They flew out and tumbled in the air around the room.

  “You can explore all you want on our side. Don’t go into the next set of rooms unless Siabiane invites you and if there is anyone other than her or us, you go invisible or hide, got it?”

  Crusty didn’t even look up from where she was skimming the carpet and diving under the bed. Leaf nodded, and Garbage just waved at me. At least the rooms should keep them out of trouble for a little while.

  Alric turned and held out one of the overstuffed chairs near the fire for me, and took the one next to it. He looked tired.

  “I don’t know. Once I realized when I’d been brought, and that it clearly wasn’t one of the temporary time waves, I started looking at my options in case I couldn’t figure out how to get back. Garbage wasn’t helpful beyond admonishing me to stay near where we came through—she somehow knew you and her friends would be coming, but didn’t tell me that. But that was before you got here.” He rubbed my hand. “We have to get back to our time.”