by J. D. Wright
“Yes, thirteen.”
“Thirteen?” Rowan didn’t even try to hide his surprise. He couldn’t imagine living in one home with thirteen other women, let alone a single room.
“Yes, all fairy mothers must have many daughters. It is our tradition. Is this how you live? In a castle?”
“Well, at times. I lived in the castle, in Junacave, since I was a young boy, but my chambers were never as luxurious as this. Then for a while, I traveled the realm living in the forest, mostly. Now, I do live in the castle, again.”
“And you enjoy it? Living in a castle? With many strangers?”
“I enjoy kingdom life, but I also spent many years alone, traveling. I do find myself needing to get away from the castle at times. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bore you with my troubles. I’m sure you’d like to rest so I’ll leave you to it.” He turned to go.
“No!” She hadn’t meant to nearly shout it. “I would rather not be alone.” She could sense he was about to refuse. “This place and these people. They are all strangers…”
“I understand, but wouldn’t you prefer a female to accompany you through the night?”
She shook her head. He couldn’t help but feel guilt, both for refusing her hand and now abandoning her when he knew how untrustworthy she was toward people.
“Alright. But I will need to leave to make arrangements. There are gowns in the wardrobe if you’d like to change before I return.” Then he slipped out before she could reply.
Bree greeted him with a kiss when he returned to the library, but she could tell that something was wrong.
“Is everything alright? Did she find her chambers to be suitable?”
“Yes, but she’s requested that I stay, throughout the night.”
“You? Are you sure she wouldn’t prefer a woman?”
He sighed, frowning. “I tried to suggest that, but she refused.”
“Rowan, don’t you think that would be inappropriate?” Bree couldn’t help but feel a bit worried. Fairies were well known for their natural abilities of seduction. How would a man be able to spend the night with a fairy without feeling lust for her? Even Rowan?
“I do. However, if she decided to leave…”
Bree straightened up as she realized how delicate the situation really was. If the fairy left, the pixies would continue to fall ill and eventually they would die. Since the other fairies had refused to help, Rhea was their only hope.
“I understand.” She forced a smile and kissed him again before he turned to go. If Sidonie were here, she would have comforted Bree, telling her not to worry. Rowan loved her and wouldn’t be swayed by the beauty of a fairy. But Sidonie wasn’t there. And Bree couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy for the woman who would be spending the night with the man she loved.
When Rowan returned to Rhea’s chambers, he knocked and waited. When he didn’t hear a reply, he called out to her, hoping she would recognize his voice. Still no answer. Fearing she had fled, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. He closed the door quietly and looked around the room. The wardrobe was open, but Rhea wasn’t there.
“Rhea? Are you in here?”
Without saying a word, the fairy slipped out from behind the open door of the wardrobe. She was naked, her hair falling down around her shoulders and breasts. She smiled when she saw him. He tried to look away, but her figure was alluring. As she walked toward him with her sparkling blue eyes, he felt his mouth begin to water. She picked up a nightgown that was draped over a chair in the middle of the room and carried it over, stopping right in front of him. Her nipples were just inches away from his chest.
“I’m glad you’ve returned.”
He tried to speak, to say anything, but his lips wouldn’t move. It was like some kind of magic was blurring his senses.
She held up the nightgown. “I can’t decide which way this is supposed to go. Could you help me?” She thrust the gown into his hand and spun around.
Rowan blinked, trying to regain focus. He lifted the gown and spread it over her head, hoping that once she was covered, this feeling of helplessness would go away. After the gown was on, she turned around and smiled.
“I’ve never worn clothing like this before. How does it look?”
The fabric was thin and even though it covered her, it still showed the outline of her body underneath. He nodded, which was the best response he could muster at the moment. She seemed to be in higher spirits than before as she walked over to look at the fire. Only now it was him that was worried as he spread out a blanket on the floor. This is going to be a long night.
~*~
Dagan and Sidonie followed the same path for most of the day, changing to a different trail once they crossed Cyan River. It was a long, winding river that flowed from the Valerian Mountains to the Sea of Sovereign, bordering Sire. They reached Taten at sundown and were led by guards to one of the three large towers in the center of the castle. Leitis was in the hallway with a young man when they approached.
“Dagan, Sidonie. You’ve arrived just in time, it seems,” Leitis said. “Luther is about to begin.”
“Luther is the wizard of Taten,” Dagan said to Sidonie. “Since he is the oldest living wizard, his kingdom was chosen for the summit and he is the first to test.”
Leitis nodded. “This is my son, Zander.” He gestured toward the handsome young man to his left, who was frowning. “I apologize for his terrible mood. He only visits his mother twice a year, and I’m afraid the summit came in the middle of a visit.”
“I’m standing right here,” Zander said, shaking his head. Then he sauntered off into the tower.
“I apologize. I’m sure you can remember when you were seventeen years old?” Leitis said.
Dagan smirked. Yes, he could remember. However, his own childish behavior came at twenty-one years of age, after the death of his mother. Leitis entered the tower, followed by Dagan and Sidonie. As soon as they were inside, Dagan took Sidonie’s arm and pulled her to a stack of crates near the doorway.
“Stay here,” he said. “You can watch, but don’t let anyone see you for more than a few seconds. There is a lot of magic in this room so hopefully no one will be able to sense yours. But if they do, promise me you will run.”
“I promise.” She could have argued, but the worry in his eyes was enough to make her agree to near anything. He left her side and joined Leitis.
Sid moved around behind the crates until she found a hole wide enough to see most of the large round room. In the center was a pedestal with a glass ball sitting on top, about the size of her head. There were stone steps lining the walls which were covered with wizards of all ages, some sitting, some standing. There were probably well over one hundred men and boys in the room. She had no idea that there were this many wizards living in the realm. Dagan had said that there were actually more than those that would show because wizards under the age of ten could not test for the position.
Sidonie watched as one came closer to the pedestal. He must be Luther. His age was definitely showing and Sid wondered how old he really was. Luther looked as if he could have easily been the same age as Elric was when he passed, or older even. The wizard pulled the sleeves of his robes up to his elbows and reached both hands down to the ball. Grabbing the sphere on both sides, he lifted it off of the pedestal. He stood perfectly still for a moment, but nothing happened. Then he sat the ball back down on the pedestal and stepped aside.
Soon after, wizards came forward to pick up the ball, one at a time. When nothing happened, they placed the ball back on the pedestal and another wizard took their turn. After failing the test, some wizards left, immediately. Apparently, they weren’t concerned as to who the Elder Mage was as long as it wasn’t them. Dagan sat beside Leitis, watching dozens of other wizards take the test. She knew that he was in no hurry to find out if he was the Elder Mage. Being the grandson of the previous Elder Mage, it was very likely that he could take Elric’s place, s
eeing that strong magic ran deep in his blood. However, it was a position that Dagan never wanted to hold.
Finally, Dagan stood and approached the ball. He took a deep breath and pushed his white hair behind his ears then he reached out and grabbed the ball. Nothing happened. He sighed in relief and replaced the ball. Leitis followed suit, also failing the test.
Satisfied that he was no longer at risk of being named the Elder Mage, Dagan smiled. He walked closer to the door and was joined by Leitis as they waited for Zander to finish the test. When Zander failed, he just shrugged. He didn’t seem to mind, at all.
Another wizard, wearing black robes, picked up the ball after Zander. When nothing happened, the wizard slammed the sphere back onto the pedestal, but it didn’t stay. The ball fell to the floor with a loud thud and rolled across the room. It stopped beside the crates.
Instinctively, Sidonie picked it up and turned to hand it to Dagan on the other side. She held the ball out, but he didn’t take it. She stepped forward and shoved it closer, but he moved backward looking terrified. Confused, she looked at Leitis, who was smiling at her. His son, however, looked like he was staring at a ghost.
When she glanced down, a feeling washed over her that made her want to vomit. The clear ball was no longer clear. Instead, it was filled with a shimmer. A small golden light started swirling around inside. Immediately, she dropped it to the floor and looked around. The remaining wizards in the room were standing and staring at her. Some looked as terrified as Dagan and some looked more angry than scared.
“What did I do?” she whispered.
Suddenly, the room erupted into chaos. Men were shouting at each other and a few tried to approach Sidonie. Dagan jumped in front of her and backed her toward the door.
“Go!” Leitis shouted. “Get out of here!”
Dagan didn’t waste any time. He grabbed Sid’s arm and ran out of the room, followed by Zander. When they made it to the bottom of the tower, a group of guards rushed past them and up the stairs. Once outside the castle, they slowed to a walk, trying to avoid drawing attention to themselves. It was dark now since the sun had set a while ago. Zander kept looking behind him, hoping to see his father.
“Don’t worry,” Dagan said. “He’ll be fine.” He wasn’t sure if he believed it, himself, but the boy’s heavy breathing did slow a bit after Dagan’s remark.
When they reached the edge of the town, Dagan led them into the forest, summoning light to create an orb to guide them.
“Where are we going?” Zander asked. “Shouldn’t we wait for my father?”
“Once the two of you are safe, I will go back and find him,” Dagan said.
He stopped and looked around, hoping they were far enough away from the kingdom to prevent being seen. Then he took his dagger from his robes and opened the portal. After making sure Sidonie and Zander were settled inside, he left the portal. He was just about to close it when he felt a hand on his shoulder that made him jump.
“I’m sorry,” Leitis said. “Is my son with you?”
“Yes,” Dagan replied, trying to catch his breath. “He’s inside. You’re welcome to stay, as well.”
He followed the wizard inside and closed the portal behind him.
“I have troubling news,” Leitis said. “On my way out, I overheard guards talking about a fire, near Elmber. A small village was destroyed, the day before last.”
“That is terrible,” Dagan replied, shedding his robes which were covered in sweat from running. “Do you know which village?”
“Yes.” Leitis grabbed Dagan’s arm and stopped him before he could enter the cottage. “The fires were outside of Elmber, in the forest.” Realizing that Dagan still didn’t understand, he blurted out, “The Sabras. A fire destroyed the homes of the Sabras.”
“What do you mean?” Sidonie asked from the doorway of the cottage. Leitis winced, unaware that she had been able to overhear. “Someone tracked down the Sabras and burned down our homes? Why?” Then the realization that her sisters could be injured hit her, hard. “Was anyone hurt?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Dagan, I have to--”
“I know,” Dagan said, turning to pull Sidonie into his arms. “We’ll go, at first light.”
Chapter Seven
Rowan woke with a sore neck from sleeping on the hard marble floors of the castle. He stared up at the ceiling, listening to the noise outside as the servants worked to ready the castle for the day. Quietly, he sat up and looked to see if Rhea was still asleep but the bed was empty. Looking around the room, he found no sign of her. The doors to the balcony were open slightly, letting in a cool breeze and thin ray of sunlight. When he pushed one open, he found her standing outside, looking out over the land.
“They’re beautiful. The mountains,” she said, without turning around. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“Aren’t you cold?” he couldn’t help but ask. She was still wearing the gown and only the gown.
“No. We don’t feel the cold or the heat as strongly as humans do.”
She turned to him, amused to see that he was shivering. She followed him back inside, just as there was a knock on the door. Bree had sent Nick to collect them. Rowan slipped outside so Rhea could dress, then he escorted her down to the great hall. Once they were inside the hall, Rhea was swarmed by pixies. Unlike Rowan and Nick, who swatted them away, Rhea smiled and welcomed the tiny beasts. She began to speak with them, apparently understanding their language, immediately. When Rhea was occupied, Nick and Rowan slipped out and crossed the hall to the solar, where Bree and Cicilly were waiting.
Rowan could tell something was wrong from the moment he stepped inside. Bree had been crying. He walked over and put his arm around her.
“We received a message this morning from the Sabras,” Nick told him. “Their entire encampment was destroyed two days ago, by fire.”
“Fire? Was anyone hurt? Do they know who started it?” Rowan replied.
“We’re not sure if anyone was hurt,” Cicilly said. “The message from Adelphie was short. It said that their homes were destroyed by fire and that they were coming to Junacave to seek refuge.”
“Is that a good idea? The Sabras coming to Junacave?” Rowan had a hard time envisioning it.
“I would never turn them away,” Bree answered. “But you’re right. I can’t imagine that they would be comfortable there. Regardless, I need to get back to the castle. If this happened two days ago, then the Sabras are likely halfway to Junacave by now. I just hope Finn can handle things until we get there.”
“I’m sure he can handle it,” Cicilly said, but she didn’t even sound convincing enough to herself.
Just then, Celeste burst into the room with a smile on her face.
“You need to come see this!” she nearly shouted.
In the great hall, to everyone’s surprise, the floor and stone benches were covered with sleeping pixies. Rhea was tiptoeing between them and singing with a lovely soft voice, something in a language that no one else understood. She didn’t notice her audience for several minutes, as she floated around the room, bending down a few times to rub the bald head of a pixie, putting it deeper into sleep.
Once Rhea realized she was being watched, she stopped singing and just stared at them. No one spoke for several moments, afraid to break the silence and wake the pixies. However, it didn’t last long as Cyrus entered from the terrace and nearly tripped over the tiny bodies scattered all over the floor. He yelped and used the doorway to steady himself then winced at the fairy’s sharp gaze. Thankfully, the pixies didn’t seem to notice as they snoozed away.
Everyone could finally breathe once they were out of the great hall.
“Were you able to heal Hawley?” Bree asked.
Rhea nodded but didn’t speak.
“I can’t even express how grateful we are that you were willing to help us,” Celeste added.
The fairy seemed to blush a bit.<
br />
“That still doesn’t solve the problem, however,” Bree frowned. “The pixies need a new home. Without one, it’s only a matter of time before they are ill again.”
“I think I can help with that,” Cyrus chimed in. “I spoke with a kind lad from north of Vale, outside of Moorine. He mentioned a small valley at the foot of the mountains, hard to reach. It just may be the best option for the pixies, if and until they can return to Windermere.”
“Moorine?” Bree asked. “I’m not familiar with that kingdom.”
“It’s one of many north of Vale, dear,” her mother replied. “We rarely have dealings with them, being so far south of the mountains.”
“Uncle,” Bree said, “I need to return home as soon as possible. There are matters there that need my attention..”
“Not to worry,” Cyrus said. “I can take care of moving the pixies.”
Bree hugged her uncle once more before he left. Then she turned to Cicilly.
“Oh, Mother, I am so sorry to shorten our visit. I understand if you wish to stay with your father.”
“No, no, dear,” Cicilly said, taking her daughter’s hand. “I am grateful for this time I have had with him, certainly. But my place is with you. I will return to Junacave.”
Just after breakfast, their carriages were loaded and ready for the return trip. Rowan chose to ride alongside, with his father.
Bree and Sarita entered the courtyard to find Rhea already sitting on Rowan’s horse. Seeing Bree, Rowan approached.
“I told her she would be more comfortable in one of the carriages,” he said, “but she refused.”
Bree forced a smile and gave Rowan a quick kiss before he returned to his horse.
“I cannot wait to tell Sidonie that I met a real fairy. Isn’t she the most beautiful fairy in all the land?” Sarita could not contain her excitement as she skipped away to the carriage, leaving Bree alone with her worry.
“Yes, she certainly is,” Bree said to herself. The twinge of jealousy returned as she watched Rowan mounting Dragon and the fairy slipping her arms around his waist. Just two more days. Two more days and we will return her to Anestas and everything will be fine.