The Last of the Firedrakes (The Avalonia Chronicles Book 1)

by Farah Oomerbhoy

  Across the bridge, on the other side of the sprawling city, the houses were massive, whitewashed stone structures of the nobility and merchants. But this side of the river housed the smaller lodgings of the workers, shopkeepers, and artisans. We were going still deeper into a maze of shadowy alleyways and dark streets.

  A few drunken men laughed loudly at the end of the alley, and a man and two women, with their cloaks wound tightly around them and their hoods up, brushed past us as they hurried to some unknown destination.

  It was a dark and dingy area. The houses here were crammed close together, creating an unplanned maze of streets and alleyways which you could easily get lost in. The stench was unbearable, and I had to literally hold my nose as we walked past the sewers and heaps of garbage that had piled up on the streets.

  Calisto and Zorek came to a stop outside a shabby wooden door of an equally shabby-looking inn with a sign overhead that read The Lion’s Den.

  The name didn’t help my growing fear that something was wrong, as I grudgingly followed them inside. It was not like I had never been in an inn before. I had stayed in one in Greystone with Aunt Serena and Erien. But we had been traveling with Rafe, and with him I was always safe. If Rafe knew I had come here, he would be so angry, not to mention what Uncle Gabriel would do if he found out.

  This place was nothing like the little inn we had stayed at. While The Dancing Daisy Inn was quaint and cozy, The Lion’s Den was just the opposite. One long, rickety staircase wound underground, opening up into a very large, square room with a high-beamed ceiling. The atmosphere here was loud and boisterous. Shabbily dressed men and women drank, danced, and frolicked everywhere. Wafts of stale ale and equally stale and unwashed bodies enveloped me in humid folds. It was even more overpowering than the smell of the sewers. I suddenly found it hard to breathe.

  We had to push past some big, burly men, who didn’t look like they wanted us to pass but reluctantly stood aside. I wondered what business the Blackwaters were mixed up in to be friendly with these sorts of people. They all looked like they were ready to start a brawl at any moment.

  One table had a few suspicious-looking men huddled in a group, and Zorek and Calisto were headed right for them. Damien gestured for me to follow him.

  “Keep up.” His tone was irritated, as if I had done something wrong again.

  I was going to protest at his rudeness, but thought I’d better wait till we were safely out of this place.

  Damien and Zorek sat down on the bench opposite one of the hooded men while the others moved slightly—to give them some privacy, I supposed. Calisto stood right behind Damien, and I tried to stand as close to her as she would let me.

  “Keep your hood on at all times,” she whispered. “Mages are not exactly welcome in the ghettos of the underworld.”

  I froze, and Calisto smirked at the obvious effect her words had on me. My eyes darted around the room. Talk about walking into the lion’s den, literally. But why had they brought me here with them? I was not getting a good feeling about this. My palms started sweating, and my heart rate accelerated. I really wanted to get out of this place, and fast.

  Zorek and the hooded man had finished their transaction, and the man gave Zorek a small leather pouch. I wondered what was so precious that we had all come down into this horrible place to get it. Even the Blackwaters, untouchable as they were, didn’t seem to be at ease around these people.

  Professor Ruthbridge had dedicated a whole lesson to the Eldorean underworld. And this was it, or at least part of it, of that I was sure. The man in the hood looked like one of their leaders, because everybody seemed to defer to him or simply stayed out of his way.

  Zorek slipped the pouch into his pocket and got up, Calisto and Damien right behind him.

  Damien brushed past Calisto, his eyes narrowed, and I heard him say in a barely audible whisper, “Leave her.”

  Dread pooled in the pit of my stomach, and my fears were realized soon enough. Calisto threw me a cruel, mocking smile, turned on her heel, and followed Damien and Zorek out of the inn.

  I hurried to join them, but dirty, dreadful faces moved in front of me, touching my hair, staring at me. I brushed a few hands off me and tried to move toward the door. But it was so far away, all the way at the other end of the huge room, and the Blackwaters were already gone.

  My heart started hammering in my chest, and my hands started shaking. I didn’t even want to think about the nasty things these men must have had in store for me. How could Damien have left me here to die or worse? Were the Blackwaters really that evil?

  My eyes shot back and forth. I felt like a trapped deer, and the lions were converging on me. What was I supposed to do now? I tried to remember my lessons, but all that seemed like a faint memory just now. A magical shield would not protect me from those filthy hands. I tried to think, but I was so scared that I could barely breathe. The room started spinning, and I stumbled backward.

  Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind. I struggled, but it was impossible to escape. The steel grip that held me did not falter. My mind suddenly went into overdrive as I covered the possibilities quickly. I had to do something, and I had to get out of here. I hadn’t even learned stun strikes so far, and even if I did manage a powerful enough stun, I couldn’t stun all of them—the rest of them would be upon me like a pride of lions.

  My legs trembled, and I caught the edge of a table to steady myself. I took a deep breath and concentrated on my power source. Nothing! I was too scared, and I couldn’t concentrate enough. I opened my eyes and stared back into the face of the hooded man.

  The leader removed his hood and came to stand in front of me. Underneath his cowl was a sinister, worn face, wrinkled more due to his expression than age. Dark, shaggy black hair surrounded him like a mane, and I instinctively knew now where the name of the inn had come from. His eyes were black and angular, with bushy eyebrows as their ghastly frame.

  I stopped struggling. It was useless; the man gripping my shoulders would not let me go. It was better I played along until I could find out what he wanted.

  “So.” The lion-haired man stroked his shaggy black beard. “A Silverthorne! Well, that’s a first. I guess the Blackwaters are getting better at this.” He chuckled, but it sounded more like a cackle.

  “Why?” I tried to sound brave and defiant, but it came out like a squeak. “What do you want?”

  “Let me introduce myself, my lady.” He tried to sound gallant but failed miserably. “My name is Fagren. The Blackwaters and I have a deal. Every few months they like to play a little game with the novices at the academy.” I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. He chuckled again, rubbing his hands together. He gestured to the man behind me and his grip loosened, but it was still firm enough that I couldn’t run.

  What did he want from me? How was I going to get away this time? No one even knew I was here; I would vanish into thin air and never be found again.

  I concentrated on keeping the fear out of my voice. “Why would they do that?” My eyes narrowed as I held Fagren’s gaze. “And what did you give them? I saw you give Zorek a pouch.”

  At least I could try to find out something since I was here. And talking was a good way of stalling until I figured out what to do.

  Fagren raised both his bushy eyebrows. “Aren’t you more concerned about what we want?”

  I shook my head. “No, not really,” I said, trying to make my voice seem casual and hoping nobody noticed my legs trembling. I couldn’t show them that I was scared; that was what they wanted.

  To my surprise, Fagren laughed. “Well, that’s a first.” He looked amused. “Usually those who are brought here, especially the women, are in hysterics by now.” He paused and came closer, as if to examine me. “You are quite entertaining. It has been a while since I met someone as intriguing as you. If you weren’t one of those filthy scum mages, I would ask you to join my people.” He grinned.

  The way he said that sent chills down my spine. As if I wou
ld join him. Fagren laughed again. He gestured to his men, and the one holding me let me go.

  That was unexpected. I didn’t know if I should make a dash for it, but I knew I would barely make it halfway across the room before they easily grabbed me again. There were too many of them. I decided it would be better to try to talk my way out of it.

  Maybe he wouldn’t hurt me. I tried to convince myself of that, but my knees still shook and my heart hammered like a set of drums inside my chest. Fagren gestured for me to sit opposite him, where Zorek had sat only minutes ago. At least he was being civilized, in a way.

  I walked slowly over to the bench and sat down at the long table opposite Fagren, my clammy hands clasped in my lap.

  “What I would like to know,” said Fagren, “before I answer your questions, is how did they manage to get one of you Silverthornes? You people are usually one step ahead of the Blackwaters.”

  Now I felt really stupid. I had been made a fool of, lured and trapped inside a lion’s den. Of course the rest of my family would never fall for a trick like that.

  I tried to shrug it off. “Maybe no one cares what happens to me. I am just a ward of the Silverthornes, not really family.” Maybe if they thought I was not important enough, they would let me go.

  “I doubt that.” Fagren’s forehead creased as if he were trying to think and it was proving to be a massive pressure on his brain. “But it doesn’t matter. We have you now, and what a prize you are.” He grinned; black, rotting teeth flashed before my eyes.

  I looked away.

  “So, you want to know what the Blackwaters were doing here?” He rested his elbows on the table. “It is all a game to them. I detain their, um . . .” He paused, presumably trying to find the right word. “. . . victims for a night, and they pay me well to do it. A sneaky bunch, all of them, the Blackwaters.”

  My eyes widened as I understood. “You’re saying that they lure unsuspecting new kids out here and give them to you to keep for a night?”

  Fagren’s dark eyes gleamed. “That’s about the bones of it, yes.”

  I realized that this was not the right time to panic, but I couldn’t help the pit of fear that pooled in my stomach. This guy was not going to let me go. It might be a game to the Blackwaters, but I was scared, and that was exactly what they wanted. Would these men really hurt me?

  “But you gave them something too,” I ventured. “I saw the pouch.”

  Fagren grinned again. “Perceptive little one, isn’t she?” he said to no one in particular.

  Suddenly, strong arms gripped me again, but this time it was very rough, and whoever it was yanked me up from the bench and threw me onto the floor at Fagren’s feet. I yelped as my knees banged hard against the floor and fallen shards of splintered wood cut my hands.

  “Now that’s more like it,” Fagren said, his black, dirty teeth looking like fangs in the dim light of the flickering lanterns. “Respect, that’s what I want from you stinking people, if your kind could even be called that. And I will get to all of you, if it takes me a lifetime to do it, one by one,” said Fagren.

  “Why do you hate mages so much?” This was not going well at all. How could I have been so stupid?

  “Ask that monster Morgana,” he spat. “She murdered my whole family; she didn’t even spare my infant son,” he said, standing up. “You mages think you rule the world, but I will prove you wrong. Torturing a Silverthorne is going to give me more pleasure than I could have ever hoped for.”

  I winced at the word torture and tried to push myself up, managing to stand on unsteady feet.

  “Take her to the cellar,” Fagren commanded, his voice cruel. “I will deal with her personally.”

  I felt sick. So much for trying to talk my way out of it. It had backfired. Rough hands dragged me across the crowded room toward a back door. I struggled, but it was no use; Fagren’s men surrounded me.

  Suddenly I was dragged to a stop. The crowd tensed, everyone turning toward the entrance to the inn. I couldn’t see what they were looking at.

  “Let the girl go,” a deep voice growled from somewhere in the crowd.

  I didn’t have to look up to see who it was. Even in this situation and as scared as I was, I would know that voice anywhere. A wave of calm washed over me, and even the hands that held me tightly seemed to waver. The man holding me turned me around forcefully to face the newcomer.

  Rafe strode purposefully through the crowd of Fagren’s men. His walk was like a panther: slow but sure. His obsidian-black cloak rippled about him like water as he moved. “I said let the girl go, or you will have to answer to me.”

  The crowd parted to let him pass, and no one dared to stop him. He wore his mask, and in a few strides he stood beside me.

  What was he doing here? At that moment it didn’t matter; I was so relieved to see him. I knew he would get me out of here. The other man let go of my arm as if I had burned him.

  Rafe’s gray eyes were fierce, and he looked straight at me as he spoke. “I knew you had an affinity for getting yourself into trouble, but this is ridiculous.” The tone of his voice still held a hint of amusement despite the circumstances.

  I felt my heartbeat quicken, and it wasn’t from fright this time. He looked at me as if he could see right into my head. His face was hard and set in a mocking smile, but I could see the anger behind the façade.

  Rafe lowered his voice, and his sharp eyes narrowed. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded quickly.

  “Good.” He turned toward Fagren and his men, putting his arm gently around my waist. Even though my legs had stopped shaking, I still felt uneasy. He inclined his head in greeting. “Fagren.”

  “Ah, the Black Wolf,” drawled the lion-haired man, looking menacing but somehow afraid of Rafe. Yet how could he be? He was surrounded by at least twenty men, and Rafe was alone. “What a pleasure to see you.”

  I flicked a glance at Rafe. His eyes did not betray a hint of emotion. Why had he come? How did he know I was here?

  “She’s coming with me, Fagren, and there is nothing any of you can do about it.” Rafe’s voice had an edge to it that I hadn’t heard before.

  “I wasn’t going to do anything to the girl, you know,” Fagren growled. “She was part of my payment for services rendered. I was only going to detain her for the night and let her go in the morning.”

  Rafe’s eyes narrowed. “Who paid you?”

  “The Blackwaters,” said Fagren promptly. It seemed his loyalty wavered with a threat to his safety.

  “You could have refused,” said Rafe scathingly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “You should learn to stay away from the Evolon students. One day the mastermage is going to have your head on a pike.”

  Fagren laughed. “Right you are, my boy. I will await the day in anticipation.” He waved us past. “Go. Take the girl. I got my money anyway.”

  “Come on,” Rafe said lightly in my ear.

  My heart hammered in my chest, and I prayed that he couldn’t hear it. I couldn’t believe he had come for me. No one moved toward us as the Black Wolf guided me slowly though the crowd and out of that horrifying place, one hand around my waist as if he would never let me go.

  First Love

  Before I knew it, we were outside. The fresh air was a blessing, and I inhaled deeply, instantly feeling better. Rafe led me down the dark alleys, keeping to the shadows, his arm fastened securely around my waist. I didn’t protest. He was walking so fast I needed the support to keep up.

  When we entered the upper town, Rafe pulled me into a shadowy corner, took off his mask, and held me up against the wall, one hand resting on the stone wall behind me. His beautiful, gray eyes looked angrier than I had ever seen before. “What do you think you were doing?”

  My own emotions wavered, and my gratitude turned into anger. Who was he to ask me what I was doing?

  “What were you doing there?” I fought hard to control my temper. “I mean, not that I am not grateful for you rescuing
me, but how did you know I would be there? What is it that you are not telling me? Are they the people you hang around with?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Hang?”

  “Keep company with,” I retorted quickly. “Murderers and thieves . . . they didn’t even stop you, and they seemed to know you very well. Who are they, your friends?”

  He was looking down at me with those deep, searching eyes of his, and I was acutely aware that one of his hands had still not let go of my waist. I suddenly couldn’t remember what I had been saying.

  “Are you quite finished, Aurora?” His face was hard, but his eyes danced, and he looked like he was trying to suppress a smile.

  “Yes, I think so,” I muttered, feeling a little stupid and embarrassed.

  I should have been thanking him, but instead I was fighting with him. What was wrong with me? The truth was that I didn’t want him to know how much I liked him and how glad I was to see him, because he would probably laugh at me. I had suspected for quite a while that he was some sort of fugitive or outlaw, or something to that effect, but it didn’t matter. Every time he looked at me, smiled at me, or even showed up, my stomach did cartwheels and my heart fluttered like a hundred butterflies had taken up residence. I couldn’t understand why he had this effect on me, and it was starting to get most inconvenient.

  “Good!” He finally let go of me and crossed his arms across his powerful chest.

  When he withdrew and moved away from me, I felt a wrenching feeling in my chest, as though I would never be happy until Rafe put his arms around me again. I pulled my woolen cloak tightly around myself and shivered slightly.

  “Firstly, I would like you to know that those are not the people I hang around with.” A hint of a smile curved on one side of his handsome face. “I am not friends with them. Fagren owes me a debt for sparing his life once. In any event, even if they were my friends, what I would like to know is what you, a mage and clearly an untrained one at that, were doing in Fagren’s den. It’s the most notorious clan of the underworld of Eldoren.”