Rafe put on his cloak and took out his mask, which he had hidden in the locked wooden chest. He belted his sword around his waist. Various knives were strapped on, and he snatched up a worn-looking satchel.
My brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you doing?”
Kalen’s eyes widened. “Are you coming with us?”
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Rafe. “You said yourself she is going to need help. So I’m helping.”
“You can’t come with us.” I was horrified at the prospect of spending more time with him. At this rate I would never be able to forget about him.
He turned to me. “I can get you to Illiador and help you get the Dagger.”
“Why are you doing this? You don’t have to come with me. I can manage on my own.”
“Aurora,” he said more gently this time. “I understand how you feel. If I were you, I would also be out trying to find my mother, no matter what anyone said.”
Hope blossomed in my chest. Finally, someone who actually understood how I felt.
“I know that we cannot be together,” he continued, taking my hands gently in his. “But I would really like for us to be friends. We are friends, right?”
I didn’t know if being friends would ever be possible, but I was willing to give it a try. I knew that I should say no, that I should go with Kalen and never look back. But of course, my tired conscience was not even trying to wake up and chastise me for my stupidity. Secretly, I was relieved. Rafe knew these lands like the back of his hand. He would get me to the Star Palace in Nerenor, of that I had no doubt.
I nodded weakly, my heart breaking for the thousandth time. “Friends. Yes, absolutely.”
“So friends help each other,” he said as if it were all settled.
I had no choice, and having Rafe come along suddenly made me feel like maybe I could actually succeed in this; perhaps together we really had a shot at finding the Dagger. That was my main focus now. Find the Dagger, and then I would worry about the rest as it came along.
“But what about Leticia?” I still had to ask.
“The wedding can be postponed for a while,” he said, grinning like he had just come up with a brilliant plan.
So that was his game, I mused. He wanted to come with me so he could get away from Leticia and postpone the wedding indefinitely. If that were his reasons, fine, I could live with it. It was foolish to suppose he was coming because he wanted to spend more time with me and really did care about helping me find my mother. But I took what I could get; at least with him accompanying us, I had a real chance of succeeding.
“And what about your father, the king?” I asked. “Won’t he wonder where you are?”
Rafe shrugged. “I will leave a note for him that I had to go away on some urgent errand. He will be angry for a while, but he’ll get over it. After all, it’s not like he’s going to disinherit me and give the crown to the Blackwaters.”
It sounded like he had it all sorted out. Rafe was very resourceful, and I didn’t even know half of what he was capable of.
“So what’s your plan, Rafe?” said Kalen. “Do we still leave the palace through the kitchen?”
“No,” said Rafe, putting on his mask. “I have another way.”
“Which is?” I inquired.
I was happy Rafe was in charge. Kalen was sweet, but his plans were really not properly thought out.
A smile quirked his lips, and his eyes glittered behind the black mask. “How do you think the Black Wolf gets in and out of the palace at night with no one ever noticing?” He pulled on the hood of his cloak.
I grinned back at him. “Secret passage,” I said without hesitation.
He chuckled. “Looks like you know me quite well. I do happen to know of many secret passages in and out of the palace, but only one leads outside the city gates. Follow me.”
We accompanied him down the silent corridors of the Summer Palace to the council chamber.
I glanced around the vast room. “So where is this secret passage?”
Suddenly the door to the council chamber burst open, and two palace guards charged into the room, their swords flashing silver in the moonlight.
I whirled around. How did they find me? I couldn’t let them stop me now. I had to leave the palace tonight. “I thought you said you gave them the potion?” I threw Kalen a pointed look.
Kalen flung his arms into the air. “I did!”
The guards’ eyes widened when they saw Rafe in his black mask and cloak. “The Black Wolf,” said one guard, recognizing the infamous outlaw.
Rafe took a step forward, and the guards shrank back instinctively. But this was my fight and my only chance to find my mother. I wasn’t going to let a pair of foolish guards stand in my way.
“I’ve got this,” I said to Rafe, moving in front of him and raising my hands, palms facing the guards. This time I didn’t need to make an effort; my magic was a part of me. White light coursed through my veins and exploded in two perfect beams, hitting the guards in the middle of their chests. The force of my stun was so strong that they flew backward, hitting the wall as they fell to the floor unconscious.
Rafe raised his eyebrows and looked at me. “That was one fantastic magical strike. You combined a stun and push strike together even with your amulet on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that done before. Maybe I should hire you to protect my kingdom from now on.”
I laughed and beamed at the praise, especially coming from him. “Any time,” I retorted. “But first, I have my own kingdom to defend.”
“I’ll wait.” Rafe was still smiling as he walked over to the mantelpiece above the fireplace and bent one of the candlestands forward. The wall behind the fireplace moved backward, leaving enough space for a person to pass through on both sides.
“The Summer Palace was built over an ancient ruin,” Rafe explained. “This passage is as old as Auraken himself.”
The passage beyond looked dark, and Rafe went first. His hand lit up with a tiny white ball of light that illuminated the gray stone walls. Magic had now become second nature to me, and I pushed some light into my hand, whirling it around with my fingers until it formed a ball.
Rafe silently took my hand and entwined his fingers through mine. This was it; I was really going to do this. From now on, I would not run from my destiny or my responsibilities. My mother was alive, and I was going to get her back.
Morgana had better prepare to defend herself, for I was the last of the Firedrakes, and I was not afraid of her anymore. My life was my own and so were my choices. I just hoped I had made the right one.
I gathered my courage and walked forward into the dark passage that led from the Summer Palace of Eldoren out into the fascinating, magical, and dangerous world of Avalonia that lay beyond.
Next up for Aurora…
Book Two: The Rise of the Dawnstar
Read a short excerpt on the next page
The Rise of the Dawnstar: Prologue
“Why is the girl still alive, Lucian?” asked a woman’s voice from a shadowy corner.
“I’m working on it, my queen.” The Archmage of Avalonia swept into the darkened room, his black mage robes, bordered with gold, billowing around him as he walked. Broad-shouldered and regal in his bearing, he raised his right hand; the damp fireplace flared to life, warming the cold stone floor.
The Queen of Illiador sat in a red velvet chair, staring into the flames that illuminated her heart-shaped face. The windows were shut against the cold air that had started blowing down from the north, and a dark mist swirled outside as the wind howled, racing through the kingdoms of Avalonia, heralding the coming of winter.
“Then where is she?” Morgana snarled, rising slowly from her high-backed chair and turning to face the archmage. Her obsidian hair was loose and tangled, and her emerald eyes were bloodshot.
Lucian bowed and his eyes narrowed as he addressed Morgana. “We have no idea. It is proving impossible to find her with magic. As long as she wears the
Amulet of Auraken, I cannot determine her whereabouts.”
“Yes, I know. But surely there are other ways to find her?”
“Not with magic.”
“Then find her without magic,” Morgana hissed.
The archmage’s jaw tightened. “I have spies everywhere looking for the princess. The last we heard, she left the Summer Palace in the dark of night. That was days ago—by now she could be anywhere in the seven kingdoms.”
Morgana clasped her hands together and started pacing in front of the fireplace. “She won’t get far on a normal horse; at least she doesn’t have the added advantage of a pegasus anymore.”
Lucian coughed and looked down.
Morgana’s eyebrows rose. “What are you not telling me, Lucian?”
“There was an incident in the ruins, after you, um, left. My sources say the princess healed the pegasus.”
“How is that possible? The pegasus was dead, I saw it with my own eyes.” Morgana paused as she assessed the archmage. “Is her healing power so great?”
“I believe it is. She has the blood of the immortal fae running through her veins. You know how powerful their healers are, and she is stronger still. My sources say the healing she performed on that day was something no one has ever seen before.”
Morgana seemed utterly unimpressed. “The Shadow Guard were supposed to kill the pegasus and the princess, but they failed.” Her eyes narrowed. “I thought you had trained them all personally. How can a little fool of a girl defeat the deadliest warriors of Illiador?”
“She is too strong,” the archmage said, his face almost feral at the thought of the girl who had evaded them for over fifteen years. “The more she uses her magic, the more her power grows. There is no mage who can stand in her way now.”
“Rubbish!” The flames in the fireplace leapt and danced as Morgana’s anger flared. “There is always a way.”
Lucian didn’t blink an eye. “Whatever you say, my queen.”
She flashed him a glare. “And what news is there from Eldoren? Are you sure your sister and her husband know what they’re doing?”
Lucian nodded. “The Blackwaters will take over the throne of Eldoren as you have commanded. The plans are already set in motion.”
“That is not enough,” Morgana snapped. “I want Prince Rafael dead as well. The Ravenswood dynasty supports Aurora, and none must be allowed to survive. We will strip her of all her allies and her friends. Without proper guidance, the girl is likely to destroy herself. Then we will strike when she is at her weakest.”
“What about Izadora? The fae queen will never bow to your rule, you know.”
She gave Lucian a pointed look. “Izadora will have no choice once I am done with her. My plans concerning Elfi are already underway. You just make sure Aurora never reaches her grandmother’s kingdom.”
Lucian shook his head. “Forget her, Morgana.” He came closer and put his hand on her shoulder. “She is weak and foolish. She doesn’t have it in her to be queen. Like you said, she will eventually destroy herself. Concentrate on taking over the other kingdoms first. Once you are crowned High Queen of Avalonia, Aurora Firedrake will become a memory.”
“I want her dead, Lucian.” Morgana moved away from him and turned to face the flames, dismissing the archmage with a wave of her hand. “I should have called for the Drakaar assassins much earlier. They will find her and kill her, even if you can’t.”
The archmage’s spine stiffened. “But Your Majesty, the Drakaar are not to be trusted. They will extract a high price for this—remember what happened after you hired them to kill Azaren.” He paused and took a step closer, lowering the tone of his voice. “Morgana, let me find the girl. I will not fail, just give me more time.”
The queen turned back around to face him. “There is no more time, Lucian. The people have already heard she is alive. You told me yourself rebel factions have sprung up all over Illiador and are searching for her too. We must find her before those troublemakers who call themselves the Silver Swords do. They are the last remnants of Azaren’s supporters, and I want them gone. Burn the forests where they take cover, and scorch the villages and towns that conceal them. If anyone is found supporting Aurora, they must be made examples of. My niece must have no place to go, nowhere to hide. Then we will strike and make her wish she had never been born a Firedrake.”
The archmage bowed, his eyes like shards of cold steel. “It will be done, my queen.”
“See that it is.” Morgana gazed into the dancing fire. “If I want to become high queen over all the seven kingdoms, Aurora Firedrake must die.”
End of Sample
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Acknowledgments
First, I want to thank God, with whose grace and blessings nothing is impossible.
My wonderful mother, Zinia Lawyer, who has always supported and empowered me to do what others thought I could not.
My amazing husband, Riyad Oomerbhoy, my pillar of strength and love of my life who has always believed in me and told me I could write, even though he has had to endure hearing me ramble on about my characters for the past ten years and knows them nearly as well as I do.
My precious children, who have always been my biggest supporters.
My wonderful family—my brother Rustom Lawyer, my sister and brother-in-law Roohi and Chetan Jaikishan, my father-in-law Rashid Oomerbhoy, my niece and nephew Amaan and Jehaan, my sister-in-law Shazmeen, and Shiraz Austin for their constant encouragement.
There are so many others I want to thank who have helped me bring this book to this point, so here it goes. Basanti Didwania, Shweta Nanda, Navya Nanda, Farida Irani, Shernaz Vakil, Priya Nathani, Gayatri Shah, and Anita Vaswani, who read a very rough first draft of the book and actually liked it.
My super-efficient assistant Kate Tilton, without whom I would not have met the wonderful women at Wise Ink Creative Publishing—especially Laura Zats for all her enthusiasm and unwavering support, and for giving me the chance and expertise to publish the best possible version of my book. My superb editor Amanda Rutter, who guided me throughout the editing process and helped create this final version. Thanks to the amazingly talented cover designer Scarlett Rugers for all her patience and wonderful creativity in designing the beautiful original cover. Many thanks to Steven Meyer-Rassow for reimagining the cover for the stunning paperback edition. I must also thank Jade Zivanovic and Josh Stolarz for their beautifully detailed depictions of the map of Avalonia. I also want to thank Patrick Maloney and Christie Stratos for their meticulous proofreading, and Kim Morehead for her beautiful interior design, which has enhanced the written word and made the book more enjoyable to read.
There are a few more people I must not leave out who have all contributed in some way toward me publishing this book. My wonderful Wattpad group, the Wattpad Class of 2014, consisting of twelve talented authors who have been so kind, helpful, and supportive. I am honored to be one of you. And last but not least, my wonderful Wattpad readers, who made me believe anything is possible.
About the Author
For Farah Oomerbhoy, writing is a passion and reading her solace. She is a firm believer in the fantastic and magical and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest.
Farah lives with her husband and three children in their family home in Mumbai, India. She has a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Mumbai. The Last of the Firedrakes, Book 1 of the Avalonia Chronicles, is her debut novel.
FarahOomerbhoy.com
[email protected]
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The Last of the Firedrakes (The Avalonia Chronicles Book 1) Page 35