by J. D. Wright
“Yes.” He sighed, staring off into the fire. Having read through the journals so many times, he almost felt like he had been there, watching it unfold.
“But why? Why would she do that? To a child? Adelphie never mentioned being abandoned. Yet again, there is a lot that Adelphie never mentioned to me.” Redness was beginning to spread across her face as the anger set in. “I have been lied to, my entire life. By my mother, my sister, everyone.”
“I’m sorry, dear child,” Leitis said. “I really wish it weren’t so, but alas, I cannot change the past. I can only hope to help you, in the future.” He stood and placed the journal back on top of the stack. “I would like you to have the journals. Perhaps, they can shed some light on your mother’s past. Or help you to understand the situation, at least.”
“What about her magic? Can you help with that?” Dagan asked. “She can’t control it and it’s almost as if half of her magic is stalled, or stuck. I’ve tried to help her to release it, but nothing seems to be working.”
“Unfortunately, no. There is one way to fully release the magic, and only someone who shares her blood can do that. Her family. Does your sister have magic?”
Sidonie shook her head. Adelphie hadn’t shown signs of inheriting any magic. At least not yet.
“Then I’m afraid she cannot help you either. Only your father can. Granted, that is if he is still alive and you can find him. He was a wizard. His name was Zaine.”
Dagan’s hope that Leitis would be able to help Sid with her magic was now shattered. Finding her father would be difficult, even for Rowan, who specialized in tracking people.
“I’m afraid I will need to leave tonight,” Leitis said. “My son is visiting his mother in a town just south of Taten. I will need to inform him of the summit. Therefore, I will not be able to travel with you both, tomorrow. I want to wish safe travels to you.”
“Both? What do you mean? I’m supposed to go? To the summit?” Sidonie asked.
“All wizards are required to attend, and as a sorceress, you would also be required to test for the position of Elder Mage.”
“No,” Dagan interjected. “She will not be going.”
“I don’t need your permission.” She gave him a look that could cut stone in half.
“Sid, it isn’t safe. Especially since you can’t control your magic yet.”
“I also don’t need you to decide what is safe for me. I am going.” She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to go, but she certainly wasn’t going to let him dictate whether she could.
Dagan sighed and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. If she wanted to put herself in danger, he couldn’t stop her. He just hoped he was strong enough to protect her when hell rained down on them.
“Fine.”
As the stone sculpture slid back into place, Sid turned to Dagan, furious.
“You have a lot of gall, trying to control me. Especially after what happened.”
Dagan didn’t argue. He was just happy that she was finally talking to him about it.
“And what did he mean, in the solar? When he said you found your mate? What was he talking about?”
Dagan had all but forgotten that he never told her about their fusion. She had barely discovered her powers when it happened and had no clue as to what fusion was or why it mattered. The fact that they were soul mates, magically speaking, wasn’t something he wanted to tell her when they barely knew each other.
“I guess we have a lot to discuss.”
Chapter Five
Rowan slowed Dragon down to a trot when they reached the edge of Anestas. Taking his horse into the valley could be risky and he wasn’t willing to endanger him. So he led Dragon over to a small stream and signaled for him to stay there. The horse made a snorting noise and shook his head, edging closer to Rowan. After giving Dragon the signal for the third time, the horse finally stayed at the stream, reaching down to drink as Rowan slipped away.
Not expecting to leave on an assignment, Rowan hadn’t brought his usual attire with him to Vale. He had to settle for dark brown trousers and tunic, instead of black, which he preferred. But at least he had thought to bring along the majority of his weapons. He never knew who or what he would encounter when traveling. He knew to always be prepared. He wasn’t sure if those weapons would be of any use in Anestas, however. If fighting was necessary, could he bring himself to attack a fairy? He hoped it wouldn’t come to that…
As he traveled into the valley, it was obvious this path was long forgotten. Shrubbery and vines had taken over, blocking the trail and making it necessary to cut his way through. He tried to stay vigilant, keeping an eye out for traps set by the fairies. The fae were extremely untrusting of humans, mostly men. He was both a human and a man.
He had been walking for a while and couldn’t see anyone or anything out of the ordinary, just shrubs and a few boulders here and there. Listening, he couldn’t hear anything other than birds. Perhaps, this was a hopeless mission, after all. He gave the area another glance over, then sighed and turned to go.
“Leaving so soon, intruder?”
Rowan froze, unsure if he should turn around. The woman’s voice behind him did not sound pleasant. “I am Rowan from Junacave. I have been sent here to seek assistance from the fae, regarding the pixies of Windermere.” He decided not to go into further detail until it felt safe to do so.
“Turn around and empty your pockets.”
Slowly he turned. The woman before him was certainly a fairy. Her long dark hair and flawless skin were practically glowing in the sunlight. And her amazingly curvy body was barely covered by a short blue dress.
He gulped and began to remove his weapons, one by one, tossing them into a pile on the ground in front of him. The fairy watched him, seemingly unfazed by the large pile of daggers growing at his feet. To anyone who wasn’t familiar with the fae, she would look harmless, captivating even. But he knew better than to try to trick a fairy. He took every weapon he had, even his belt and laid them down on the ground. Then he spun around so she could see he didn’t have anything hidden.
“Follow me.”
Rowan stayed silent and followed the fairy further into the valley, surrounded by thick forest. As she walked, the brush around the path disappeared, clearing the way for them to pass. The forest began to grow darker the further they traveled inside. Suddenly the fairy stopped. The trail had ended, but Rowan couldn’t see anything except for trees. After looking closer, he noticed all of the trees had small wooden holes in them. The fairy turned toward him.
“Stay here,” she commanded. Then she changed into sprite form, barely larger than his shoe, with sparkly blue wings. He watched as she flew to a tree in front of her and straight into one of the tiny holes. He had heard tales that fairies lived in trees, but he always assumed that meant they built houses in or on top of the trees. Instead, it appeared that the fairies lived inside the trees, themselves. He wondered just how many people had actually made it out of Anestas alive, to tell the tale. If he were going to flee, this would be the time to do it.
Before he could even contemplate leaving, the fairy returned from the tree and changed back into human form before him. She didn’t look pleased.
“Don’t move,” she said, approaching him. She scowled and reached her hand out toward his. He flinched, which caused her to smirk, but she took his hand anyway. Suddenly he felt dizzy like the forest was spinning around him. When the ground stopped moving, he froze, staring up at the trees, which were now at least ten times the size they were before. He glanced around, nervously, as he realized the fairy had shrunk him to her size in sprite form.
He began to panic, but there wasn’t time to react as the fairy, still holding his hand, took off into the air, dragging him with her. She flew toward the tree. He kept his eyes shut until the fairy let go of her hold and dropped him. He landed with a thud then opened his eyes, cautiously.
He was in the tree, actually standing inside a tr
ee, but at a much smaller size. It felt like a dream or a nightmare. Which one, was yet to be seen. As he stood and looked around, he realized the space was quite large as if the entire width of the tree were hollow. Across from him, a fairy sat on an ornate wooden chair with a very large gold crown on her head, flanked by several fairies on both sides with different colored dresses and sparkly wings. He focused, again, on the fairy sitting on the throne. He knew immediately who she was. The queen fairy was beautiful with flowing gold hair and a long white gown that spread onto the floor in front of her. Her wings were a light green color. From the look on her face, she also seemed displeased with her current guest.
“Well?” the fairy queen asked. “Is this the one?”
Rowan was confused by the question but soon realized the fairy wasn’t speaking to him. To the left side of the room he saw her, the fairy he rescued several years ago. Her long blonde hair was pulled atop her head and covered with flowers and she was now wearing a short white dress instead of his old tunic, but he was certain it was her. On second glance, he noticed the collar, still around her neck. She stepped forward, closer to the queen fairy and nodded.
The queen turned her attention back to Rowan and smiled, slightly.
“It seems we owe you many thanks, young man,” she said. Rowan wasn’t sure how he felt to be called a young man, especially since the fairy looked younger than he was. Then he remembered that fairies lived a long time. She could actually be older than Elric was and he had been 120 years old when he passed. There was no way to know without asking her and he certainly knew better than to do that.
“Umm… No thanks are necessary, Your Majesty.”
“Perhaps not, but you shall receive it, just the same. Your brave actions brought my daughter home to me, young man. I am grateful to you for your kindness.” She nodded to him as she spoke. He began to relax a bit.
“It’s Rowan, Your Majesty. And I was happy to help. I didn’t know she was your daughter, but I am just glad that she is safe now, away from those… men.”
He could think of at least a dozen vile names for the monsters who tortured and raped the fairy, but didn’t think they were appropriate just now. At the mention of the thieves, the queen fairy straightened up.
“If I may ask,” Rowan continued, feeling braver now. “Why is she still wearing the collar? Were you unable to remove it?”
The queen studied him, trying to decide if she should answer. The fact that she was unable to free her daughter of the collar for years now had weighed heavily on her. The failure was a wound she didn’t care to open. Still, she tried to humor the man.
“I was unable to remove the collar. I cannot touch it. None of us can. It is made of iron. Our magic is useless.”
Rowan frowned. He knew iron was a weakness for the fae and guessed the collar was made of iron when he first saw it. However, it had allowed the fairy to change forms so perhaps there was more to this collar than just the metal it contained. He decided not to press the matter further.
The queen fairy spoke again. “How incredibly rude of me, Rowan. I forgot to make introductions. My name is Viola. My daughter, whom you’ve already met is Rhea. And the fairy who brought you here is Raven. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I must say, your courage has made you into a bit of legend in our home. However, I am surprised to find you here. I’m sure you are aware that we do not allow visitors. If my dear Rhea, hadn’t recognized you, I cannot say that you would be standing here, safe as you are.”
The tone of her voice put Rowan on edge, again. He started to speak but stopped. He would have to be careful of his words.
“I am here to ask for your assistance to help the pixies. Their homes were destroyed and they are currently taking refuge in Vale. However, it has caused their ruler to become ill. I was hoping you may be able to help them, to heal him.”
He held his breath, waiting for her response.
“And how did their homes come to be destroyed?” she asked.
“From what I have been told, they were destroyed by fighting, between the Carneath and Cornithian armies.”
“Interesting. I will consider your story,” she said. “In the meantime, I believe a reparation is in order.” She looked over to her daughter, who was staring at the floor. Then she turned back to Rowan. “For saving my daughter, I have decided to grant you her hand.”
Rhea’s head popped up at her mother’s remark and she glared at Rowan. When his eyes met hers, he couldn’t quite read her expression. He turned back to the queen fairy.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Her hand?”
“Yes, of course. Her hand in marriage. I do not give it lightly, however.”
“Uh…”
Rowan was stunned. He tried to find the words but refusing to marry the queen’s daughter was not an easy reply to make.
“Of course, I will expect you to treat my daughter with kindness and protect her from harm…”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I cannot marry your daughter.”
Viola was surprised and a bit annoyed. Who would possibly refuse to marry a fairy, especially one as beautiful as Rhea?
“Are you already married?” she asked him. “I did not see a ring on your finger.”
“No, I am not married, but I hope to be, to someone else. I am in love with someone else.” He started to feel guilty after seeing the disappointment on Rhea’s face. She was looking at the floor again, no longer making eye contact with him. He loved Bree. Just as she would never entertain another suitor, he would never marry another either. She was his destiny.
“I am surprised to hear that, young man. But nonetheless, I cannot force your hand.”
Rhea, unable to hold back her tears, turned and left the room. She had never been refused by a man before. When her mother offered her hand to the man who saved her, a spark of hope ignited inside her that perhaps she could finally escape her prison in Anestas and find love with this man. It was what she always wanted. But he refused. He refused to marry a fairy, over a human? Has he gone mad?
Rowan felt a bit of relief when the princess left the room. She looked about to cry, which was making his guilt grow. Even though he couldn’t marry her, he could certainly find a suitable man who would, but before he could offer, the queen had made up her mind about the pixies.
“I have decided the fae will not interfere with the situation of the pixies,” she said, firmly. “You are free to go, young man. Thank you again, for saving my daughter.”
Raven moved forward and grabbed Rowan’s hand. He started to argue, to attempt to reason with the queen, but he was already beginning to feel dizzy again. Just moments later, he found himself in the valley, far enough away from the fairies that he couldn’t even see their homes anymore. Raven flew away, without a second glance at Rowan, who realized he was back to his usual size again. Confused and disappointed, he turned and walked out of the valley, stopping only once to retrieve his weapons.
When he reached Dragon, he pulled a few sugar cubes from a bag tied to the saddle and fed them to him. He had just climbed up onto his horse when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked over to find Rhea, standing in human form just a yard or so away from him.
“I will come with you, to help the pixies,” she said.
“So you do speak, after all…”
“Yes. Shall I ride with you or fly?” She didn’t give him a chance to refuse the offer. She was determined not to let him reject her twice in one day.
He wasn’t sure if help from this particular fairy was a good idea. However, returning to Vale without one in tow would probably be worse. He weighed the options, carefully, then held a hand out to help her climb onto the saddle.
~*~
“I don’t understand why we are back here,” Sidonie said, climbing down from her horse’s saddle. “It’s almost nightfall and we should be making camp. If you think I am stepping one foot into that woman’s shop…”
“Don�
��t worry,” Dagan replied. “You won’t have to. I’ve asked her to come to us.”
“What? Why would you do that? Why would—” She forgot what she had meant to say the moment she saw Cassandra walk around the corner of a building.
Sidonie began to scowl before she could stop herself. Dagan mentioned needing Cassandra’s help, to which Sid had adamantly refused to allow. Yet, here they stood, at the edge of Elmber, with Cassandra walking toward them. Her gorgeous hair was blowing lightly in the breeze. Sid began to dislike her more with every step she took in her sky blue gown, tightly hugging her perfect body.
“Cassandra,” Dagan greeted her. “Thank you for coming. Do you have what I need?”
Cassandra smiled and glanced at Sidonie, but didn’t speak to her. Instead, she turned and pulled a small pouch from her sash. She handed it to Dagan, who took it and peeked inside, nodding when he finished surveying its contents.
“I trust it’s all there?” Cassandra asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
The smile on Cassandra’s face faded a bit.
“You do realize how dangerous this is, don’t you? Taking her with you, revealing her magic to the rest of the realm. They will know she’s Anassa’s daughter. You will become a target, both of you. There’s no turning back once it’s done. When the eagle delivered your letter this morning, I thought for sure that you had lost your good sense…”
Dagan sighed and tucked the pouch into a bag strapped to his horse.
“I know the danger.”
Cassandra shook her head but didn’t press the matter any further. Instead, she wished them luck and walked away.
“You told her? About my magic, my mother, everything?” Sidonie didn’t even try to hide her annoyance.
Dagan climbed back onto his horse. “I did.”
“Why would you trust her with this? Even with what you told me last night, about your… relationship with her… What makes you think she’ll keep this to herself?”
“She will.”