“Isn’t locking me up the same as killing me?”
“Aye, but I don’t have to watch.” Without warning, he drew in essence and knocked Sheyna back into Marella. The two girls stumbled into a cell, and the heavy iron gate slammed shut.
Toborne held the Silver Drake high in the air and let it rain down hot flame on the gate, melting it closed forever. “You should have joined me, my apprentice; we could have been a glorious team.”
“I am not your apprentice any longer!” Sheyna cried.
“No. I suppose you are not. Goodbye, Sheyna Namear . . . for now,” he said, and then he disappeared into the darkness, his maniacal laughter echoing in the empty corridors.
Sheyna watched in horror as Marella collapsed from exhaustion. “Marella, what’s the matter?” She sat down and put Marella’s head on her lap.
Marella smiled weakly. “Toborne is not so disciplined after all.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My special talent. It took some doing, but I planted the thought into his mind to lock us in here instead of killing us. He is arrogant enough to believe the thought was his own.”
“What? That’s wonderful! I am glad I know you, Marella Arden!”
“Me too,” Marella said. “I said you are one interesting commoner.”
Sheyna smiled and then leaned down to kiss Marella on the cheek. “That made no sense,” she whispered as Marella closed her eyes to sleep.
Chapter 16: Little Thieves
After she was certain they had cooled off, Sheyna rattled the iron gates, searching for a weakness, but found they were fused solid.
“Well, now what?” Marella asked. The blonde girl still did not look herself yet.
“I am glad you are awake. How do you feel?” Sheyna asked.
“Fine, I guess.”
“Well, you don’t know any incantations to knock these gates down, do you?”
“No, unfortunately, Dicarion has not gotten around to teaching me that. I don’t think it is possible anyway. Maybe you could use your lightning on it.”
Sheyna looked at Marella as if what she suggested was utterly ridiculous. “Are you serious?”
“No, I am just trying to make conversation,” Marella said sarcastically.
“Mindwielding doesn’t make you crazy, does it?”
Marella rolled her eyes.
“I might try lightning if I knew how I used it in the first place,” Sheyna said. She surveyed the cell. The stone walls were solid, and there was no window or even a scrap of furniture. “What has Dicarion taught you? Anything that might get the attention of anyone in the tower?”
“Toborne said he felt you using essence earlier. Again, lightning might be useful.”
Sheyna smirked at her. “Aye, but he was the only one who came down here, and I don’t know how to conjure that lightning again, I told you.”
“Perhaps if you tried. If you could, maybe Morgoran or Ianthill might come this time.”
“I was under distress, Marella; I doubt I could draw that much essence again. It feels weird down here anyway.”
“What, the essence?”
“Aye.”
“It wouldn’t hurt you to try, would it?” Marella asked, crossing her arms.
“All right, if you will stop harping on me, I will try it!” Sheyna closed her eyes and began to draw in the essence the way Toborne had taught her, the way she did before. She felt the energy flow through her, and she consciously kept the flow coming. She drew as much as she could. It felt like taking a deep breath and holding it. The evil taint made her feel anxious. She released the energy at the gate, and arcs of lightning surged through the iron and then dissipated without harming the iron or the gate. “That is all the essence I could draw. Now we wait and see if I alerted anyone in the tower.” She sat on the cell floor.
Marella sat down across from her. “But at least you tried. I mean, if no one comes.”
A few moments later, the girls heard the sound of tiny footsteps coming from down the corridor. Both girls stood up and waited silently, not sure if the person was friend or foe. After a few more moments, Kyrie poked his head around the corner.
“Kyrie, I thought you didn’t want to come down here,” Sheyna said.
“I didn’t, but I saw Toborne leave, and then I saw that you didn’t.”
“Can you get us out of here?” Marella asked.
“If you are referring to magic, then no, I cannot. This dungeon is below an academy of magic. The cells are all protected against hurling magic against them.”
Shey crossed her arms. “That’s ridiculous. I saw Toborne and the Silver Drake use magic on this cell.”
Kyrie stared at her with incredulities in his expression. “I guess if you are one of the First Trine or the Silver Drake, you can do what you will.”
“Well, go up into the tower and get Mistress Enowene or Morgoran,” Sheyna demanded.
“No, I dare not do that. Toborne has gone up into the tower and has not left. He would stop me if I did.”
“Get us out of here, you little thief!” Sheyna said.
Kyrie had a profoundly hurt expression on his face. “No need to get excited. I escaped from here once before. The walls are decaying and soft.” He glanced around the room until he found a flat piece of rusted iron from a cell gate. He entered the empty cell next to Sheyna’s and tapped on several of the stones until he found one he could insert the flat piece of iron into. He pried and pulled until he broke the stone free, opening up a hole in the wall between the cells. He handed the flat piece of iron in through the hole. Sheyna took the iron and pried the next stone away. Soon there was a hole big enough to fit through, and both girls squeezed through it.
“Thanks, Kyrie,” Sheyna said. “You don’t have to stick around. I will not tell on you for stealing my statuette. I know it was you.”
“Thank you, Sheyna. I wish you well,” he said.
“You are just going to let him go?” Marella protested. “He’s a thief.”
“He just saved your life,” Sheyna reminded her.
Marella’s mien soured. “It’s a good thing it wasn’t my statuette that was stolen.”
The two girls and Kyrie left the dungeons back the way Kyrie had shown them and then went straight to Morgoran. They found the wielder sitting in his study reading and smoking his pipe. Thankfully, Toborne was nowhere to be seen.
“Morgoran, sir, may we have a word with you?” Marella asked politely.
Sheyna burst past her. “Morgoran, Toborne stole my jade statuette and enslaved the Silver Drake!”
Marella rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Morgoran took the pipe from his lips. “What are you talking about, child?”
Sheyna took a deep breath. “Toborne plans to rule the world. He has stolen the Silver Drake.”
Morgoran laughed. “That is nonsense. A very good joke, young lady, but hardly true. I have known Toborne for hundreds of seasons. He may be a bit high strung sometimes, but he is decent enough.”
Sheyna turned red with anger. “You are not listening to me. I can show you the dungeon where he hides, and I can prove it to you. I killed one of his creatures down there. Have his chambers searched right now.”
Morgoran stood up from his chair and slammed his book shut. “I think I have heard quite enough, Sheyna Namear. Go back to your rooms and get cleaned up. I know you came from the streets, but here you must obey certain rules. Look at your appearance; you are filthy. Now go,” he said, pointing to the door.
Frustrated, Sheyna turned and walked out of his chamber. After Marella exited, Sheyna tried slamming the door as hard as she could, but it only made a slight thud.
“He is in on it with Toborne. We have to go to Ianthill!” Sheyna said in disgust.
“No.” Marella stopped her. “He will not believe us either. No one will, Sheyna. We will have to do this ourselves. You are not thinking clearly. Something is wrong with you. It’s almost like essence sickness.”
“Probably, but don’t worry about that right now; it will go away. Our only concern now should be a plan. We will steal the statuette and Silver Drake from Toborne and show Morgoran and the others the truth.”
“Oh, and how do you suppose we do that?” Sheyna asked. “We don’t even know where he has them hidden now. Ianthill and Enowene are already suspicious of Toborne. I think they would believe us.”
“Toborne would not let either statue out of his sight,” Marella replied. “He will have them in his chambers. You were his apprentice. Where would he keep such things hidden? Ianthill and Enowene might be suspicious, but they still would need proof to act.”
Sheyna brightened. “I think he would keep them near his desk where he can see them.”
“Good, I have a plan. Come on.”
Sheyna followed Marella back into Morgoran’s chamber. “Let me do the talking this time,” Marella said. They boldly re-entered Morgoran’s chamber.
“I thought I told you two to go and get cleaned up,” Morgoran said.
Marella gave Sheyna a covert little wink. “Aye, sir, you did, but Sheyna was sent to you by Toborne. She is very sorry, but she was afraid to tell you before. She has gotten Master Toborne angry at her for disobeying him, and he sent her here to get you so you can witness his discipline of her.”
Sheyna noticed the slight twitch of Marella’s left eye. She wondered if it might be a tell of her mindwielding.
Morgoran’s anger abated. “Ah, I see. I think I will have my suggestion on some discipline for you as well,” Morgoran said.
Sheyna smiled and tried to look sheepish, following Marella’s lead.
Morgoran stood up from his chair and set aside his book and pipe. ”Let’s get this over with.” He motioned for the two girls to move along. Marella squinted at Sheyna, and the three of them headed up into the tower. Sheyna took ahold of Marella’s arm to steady her until some of her strength returned.
Morgoran tapped lightly on Toborne’s chamber door.
“Who’s there?” Toborne answered from within.
“It is I, Morgoran.”
“You may enter,” Toborne said.
Morgoran and the two girls entered the chamber, and Toborne’s complexion turned as white as newly fallen snow.
“Toborne, you wanted to see me?” Morgoran asked.
“What? I . . . huh?” Toborne’s words failed him.
“You did not ask to see me?” Morgoran said.
“No, I did not call for you. What is going on here?” Toborne asked.
Morgoran glared angrily at Sheyna. “I thought you planned to discipline this one—Sheyna. She also claims you have stolen her jade statuette. Have I been deceived into coming here?” Morgoran unexpectedly moved to Toborne’s desk and picked up a jade statuette. “Is this the statuette you claim is stolen?” Morgoran asked. “I remember this statuette well. Toborne and I made it.” He handed it to Toborne. “It belongs to Toborne.”
Sheyna reeled forward and snatched up the green statuette from Toborne’s hand. “My mother gave this to me long ago. You shouldn’t tell lies!”
“Sheyna,” Toborne said, “that statue has been here since I started teaching you, and you know this. I even told you the story of how it was made. No one ever stole it from you.”
“It is true, young lady,” Morgoran said. “I have seen it on many occasions.”
“That is a lie. He sent that little thieving Kylerie elf to take it,” Sheyna fired back.
“Young lady, is that any way to speak to your master?” Morgoran’s blue eyes flashed with anger.
“He is not my master; ask him where the Silver Drake is,” Sheyna said.
“This is madness,” Toborne retorted.
“This is ridiculous. Tell them you don’t have the Silver Drake, my brother.”
Toborne hesitated.
“Toborne, is what they say true?” Toborne said nothing. Morgoran closed his eyes a moment. “Toborne, tell me this isn’t true.”
Sheyna looked at Marella, whose left eye was twitching wildly. Sheyna nudged her to stop before she popped something.
Toborne felt compelled to confess. “Join me, Morgoran. You are the most powerful wielder I have ever known.”
“Toborne, I will have the Silver Drake back from you now. Where is it?”
Toborne reached behind his desk and lifted the statue into the air. “Here it is, brother.” He spat the words. The Silver Drake released a blinding white light, and Morgoran fell to the floor.
Chapter 17: Reunion
Sheyna, knowing Toborne would not hand over the Silver Drake so easily, dragged Marella out into the corridor to avoid the blast.
Toborne’s maniacal laugh gave Sheyna a shiver. “Do not try to stop me, brother. I have the power given to us by the gods, and I plan to use all of them,” Toborne said. Another blast with a white flash and the girls heard Morgoran cry out in pain.
“The gods didn’t give us the powers, you fool! They gave them to Sylvalora. What have you done?” Morgoran retorted.
“We have to do something, Sheyna,” Marella pleaded. The girls peeked back inside the room where Morgoran was trying to right himself.
“What have you done to the Silver Drake? Why does she serve you?” Morgoran asked. Toborne laughed and then stared directly at Sheyna. Morgoran’s face lit up with recognition. “Sheyna! What a fool I am!” he said. Toborne held the statue up in the air again, and Sheyna ducked behind the wall in the corridor.
She held her own statuette up to her face and looked at the figure of the elven woman. She wondered how it fit into Toborne’s plans. “That’s it!” She held the statuette up to Marella. “Toborne said the statuette was the key to controlling the Silver Drake. He said that someday I would find out what it did.”
“Aye, what does it do?” Marella asked.
“It is a vessel of essence!” Sheyna said. “The essence of souls—that is what Toborne called it.” She held up the statue and drew essence from around her and concentrated on the statuette. Nothing happened.
“I don’t understand, Sheyna,” Marella said.
“The Silver Drake’s essence is trapped in this statuette. He can control the Silver Drake because it is really trapped in here.”
Morgoran fell into the corridor. Toborne began laughing. “No, brother, if you will not join me, you will not escape.”
“Quickly, Morgoran, you made this statuette. How do I use it?” Sheyna pleaded.
Morgoran grimaced. “The statuette only works for those powerful enough to control it. You are too young and inexperienced to use it.”
“Then you use it,” she said, trying to hand the statuette to Morgoran.
“I cannot. Toborne created it, too. He made it work.”
Sheyna chunked it against the wall in a vain attempt to break it open and release its essence. Toborne roared with laughter as he entered the corridor. “Even if you were to break it, Sheyna, it would not work. By the time you figure it out, I will be long gone.” He picked up the jade figurine, and then he held the Silver Drake outward and pulled Morgoran back into the chamber before forcing the two girls to come back inside as well.
Sheyna whispered to Marella. “I was told when I was younger my mother said the statuette was dear to her heart because it contained her heart,” Sheyna said.
“Instead of putting essence into it, you need to draw essence from it,” Marella suggested.
Sheyna began to draw essence the way that she had been shown, but instead of drawing the essence from around her, she drew it from the statuette. The jade figure began to glow, and Sheyna became excited.
“No!” Toborne bellowed. “It cannot be.” He tried to use the power of the Silver Drake to attack Sheyna, but the attempt failed. In an instant, she felt it, all of the essence from the statuette entered her body. Memories of times gone by swirled in her head. Sheyna dropped the statuette and faced Toborne. �
�I release your will back to you, Mother.” She released her energy to the Silver Drake, which immediately turned and started clawing Toborne’s face. He let the statue fall, and it took flight. It circled on him, and the blinding white light Toborne had used on Morgoran now blinded him. Sheyna felt a flood of foreign memories invade her mind; memories of her mother and father and even their thoughts flooded into her. The Silver Drake attacked Toborne, and he leaped from the tower window to escape it. Morgoran and the girls sprinted to the window after them. Toborne was running, followed by the Silver Drake. After a moment, it circled back and landed on the broken windowsill.
“If we let him go, Sylvalora, he will try again to control you,” Morgoran said. “We must talk with Ianthill and Dicarion.”
The Silver Drake shimmered and blurred and then solidified into a beautiful elven woman with a face resembling the jade figurine. She had black hair and blue eyes. Her lithe body was covered with a white, flowing robe. She beamed as she reached out to Sheyna.
Sheyna nodded her head and then collapsed.
When Sheyna awoke, she was in her bed. Morgoran, Dicarion, Enowene, Ianthill, and Marella all stood around her.
“How do you feel?” Enowene asked.
“Tired,” Sheyna replied. “I feel as if I ran a thousand miles.”
“I should say so. The jade statuette was not meant to be commanded by one so young. Your parents meant for it to be used later in your life, after you had already been taught the ways of wielding,” Ianthill said.
“My mother?”
“Aye, she is here,” Ianthill said, stepping aside. The elven woman stepped from the doorway and went to Sheyna’s bedside.
“Hello, my dear sweet daughter,” she said in a silky voice.
Sheyna reached up and took her mother in an embrace. They stayed locked in the embrace for several moments before Sheyna spoke. “I am elven?”
Sylvalora chuckled. “I suppose you are in some way, but when I was your mother, I appeared as a woman, the same as you. Every time I change from being the Silver Drake, I look different except for dark hair and blue eyes. Loracia gave me the gift of life, all life.” She leaned down and kissed Sheyna on the forehead. “I suppose we have quite a bit to catch up on.” She wiped a tear away from her check and then waved Morgoran to stand beside them. “But first, Morgoran has something he would like to ask you.”
Wielder: Apprentice: Book 1 of Lady Shey's Story (The Wielder Cycle) Page 12