by Alison Pensy
“Faedra, he is a dragon.” Faen said, as if that were the only explanation warranted.
Faedra shot him a questioning look. “So?”
Faen opened his mouth to answer but his father beat him to it. “Dragons do not give up their possessions.”
“I wouldn’t be asking him to give it up, I’d only want to borrow it to find my dad. I’d give it straight back.” Her voice was imploring, but she sensed it wasn’t the occupants of this room she had to try and convince.
“He will not give up the staff, of that I can guarantee.” Rowan said his face pulled into an expression of tight resolve.
“Well, I’m sorry, but I think it’s worth a try. Let’s face it, time is running out and I don’t have any other options, do I?” She shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out the time-pebble, displaying it on the flat of her palm for the others to see. “So…where do I find this Draconis?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It took some persuading but Faedra finally managed to convince Faen and his father that she would do whatever it took to find this Draconis, with or without their help. They tried to explain to her that dragons were not at all like they were portrayed in stories in the World of Men, and they certainly didn’t take kindly to humans. There was a long-standing hatred that dragons held toward humans, and Faedra couldn’t say she blamed them after Rowan had finished telling her the reasons why. Humans had all but tried to wipe them out thousands of years ago, when all the dragons were trying to do was help. But Faedra convinced them that she was bound and determined to do this and unfortunately, for Faen, where she went, he went.
They did have one thing in their favor, though. Faedra, as she had just found out, was not entirely human. Dragons had no quarrels with the fae, in fact, there was a mutual respect held between the two species. The fact that Faedra wanted the emerald staff to rescue her father, who was human, could put a spanner in the works, but she would cross that bridge if she came to it. Hopefully she could skirt around the actual reason for needing to borrow the staff but she doubted that.
Faedra was walking back down the hall after using the bathroom. The drawing room door was ajar as she approached it but just as she was about to push it open with her hand, the slightly raised voices coming from the other side made her stop short. She pulled her hand back and held her breath, as if the mere act of breathing would give her away.
“Faen, you know this mission is reckless.” Rowan was saying, a hint of concern in his voice.
“Father, she is my charge and I must do whatever it takes to keep her safe and happy. If that means risking a venture into Zutherindal to seek an audience with Draconis, then that is what I must do.” Faen’s voice sounded strong with resolve.
“Faen, your duty is to the Custodian, not her father.” Rowan continued.
“Faedra loves her father. I could not see her go through that much pain again. Pain caused by our race, I might add. She never had any quarrels with our race and now she risks losing her father, as well as, already loosing her mother. I will not allow this if I can do anything to stop it.”
Faedra could hear footsteps pacing. She assumed Faen must now be standing and walking around the drawing room.
There was silence for a moment and Faedra felt a shift in the atmosphere seeping from the drawing room.
“Please tell me you have not fallen in love with the girl.” Rowan said, disapproval evident in his tone.
Faedra leaned in to peek through the crack in the door. Faen stopped pacing just at the point she could see him. She watched as he brought his gaze up from the floor and turned to face his father. Her heart leapt to her throat.
“Oh, my dear boy, you have fallen in love with her,” Janessa stated upon seeing Faen’s expression. Her voice was soft and compassionate, a complete contrast to her husband’s disapproving tone.
Silence followed and Faedra felt sure the thudding of her heart was loud enough to give away the fact that she was eavesdropping just behind the door.
“She is a Custodian, Faen!” Rowan stated, incredulously. As though that very statement alone should explain everything to his son, and bring him back to his senses.
“You have no right to judge me, Father.” Faen’s expression held steady but Faedra could see a tick of annoyance in his jaw.
“Do not dare bring your mother into this, Son. I warn you.” Rowan’s voice turned almost to a low carnal growl.
“Stop it, you two. Right now” Janessa intervened. “I will not have the two people I love most in this realm fighting under my roof.” Her voice was still soft but Faedra could detect a hint of sternness in it. “Faen is right, Rowan. You do not have any right to judge him when convention never stood in your way,” she told her husband.
Faedra watched as she saw Faen give his mother a warm smile.
“But, Janessa, if the king finds out there will be serious consequences.” Rowan stated before turning his attention back to his son. “You know it is forbidden, as a Guardian, to develop emotional relations with your charge.” Faen’s father continued, his tone reproving.
“Faen, you have not…?” Janessa asked, but her son cut her off before she could finish the question.
“No, Mother. We have not. I cannot believe that you would think so low of me that I would do something like that out of wedlock.”
Faedra could hear a sigh of relief and she felt heat rising in her cheeks. She wondered why he never tried to further their relationship. She thought deep down that he wouldn’t want to get ‘involved’ with a human that way, and she’d been too unsure of herself to bring it up. Now, she was getting all her questions answered without needing to ask them.
“Forgive me,” Janessa said softly, “but you have been in the World of Men for many years. It is not impossible to think that you may have adopted some of their ways.”
“That is besides the point, Faen. The king…” Rowan started.
“The king does not have a leg to stand on.” Faen cut in. “He broke several laws himself.”
There was silence in the room. Faedra brought her hand to her mouth.
“Faen, this is treason you speak! Have you lost your mind?” Rowan’s voice was rising again.
Enough was enough. Faedra pushed the door open and burst in. “No, he hasn’t.”
All heads turned to look at her, their faces stunned.
“Young lady, how long have you been standing at the door?” Rowan asked.
“Long enough.”
“Then would you care to enlighten us as to why our son speaks against the king?”
“Faen would never speak against your king. He loves this land and all that it stands for.” Faedra said.
Rowan rubbed his chin between thumb and forefinger, an intense gaze studying their newest houseguest. “We are listening,” he said after a moment.
“Faedra, you do not need to do this.” Faen stated.
“Yes, I do. I won’t have your father think badly of you, Faen.” She turned to face Faen’s father. “Vivianna is not the king’s only daughter. I found out today that he has another.”
Rowan’s expression was turning to one of impatience. “You better have some very good evidence to back up your allegation, young lady. Who would this supposed illegitimate child be?”
Irritation prickled down Faedra’s spine at being called illegitimate, she held her chin up and stood straighter in response.
“You’re talking to her!” she snapped.
Rowan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head and Janessa threw her hand to her mouth and sucked in a breath.
“That is preposterous! Why would you make something like this up?” Rowan’s face was turning an angry shade of red.
“Oh, you think I like the idea?” Faedra retorted, trying to push back her irritation. “Well, I don’t, but it looks like I don’t have much of a choice in the matter. That is why I was at the castle today. Vivianna kept calling me samtero kruwos.” Faedra noticed Rowan’s recognition of the words and his expression d
igressed to one of shock and surprise.
“Yes, that’s right.” Faedra continued. “Well, my college professor found out what it meant and left me a message last night. I came here to find out why Vivianna hated my family so much and to try and get some answers. I was certainly not expecting what I learned. The king confessed everything to me. How he fell in love with my mother when she was a Custodian. How she had become pregnant with me and that Vivianna found out about them and me. That’s why she hates me so much. Apparently what she is doing is nothing more than revenge against me and her father.”
The stunned faces of Faen’s parents looked back at her. Faedra watched as Rowan, realizing his jaw was slack, snapped it shut after a moment with an audible clack of his teeth. Faen put his arms around his charge and pulled her in against his chest in a show of solidarity and appreciation.
Faedra decided she was nonplussed by Rowan’s reaction and broke the awkward silence. “So, where do we go from here?”
Janessa looked to her husband for his response but he still looked like he was trying to absorb the information he just heard.
“Rowan?” Janessa said. “The Custodian is asking you a question, dear.”
Rowan had his attention fixed on the tapestry hanging on the wall. After a moment, his expression transformed from one of shock to one of contemplation.
He turned to his son. “Are you sure this is a path you wish to follow, Son?”
Faen looked into Faedra’s eyes, a reassuring smile crept across his face in response to the look of concern he saw there. He looked up and met his father’s intent gaze.
“Yes, Father, I am quite sure.”
“In that case, there is only one way to get into Zutherindal and it will not be easy.”
***
Faedra watched Rowan pace back and forth for a moment, an air of expectation shrouded the room. She cast a glance towards Faen’s mother to see her watching her husband with the same expectant look the Custodian imagined was plastered on her face, also. Rowan came to an abrupt stop and Faedra brought her attention back to him.
“The only way to enter Zutherindal is through the Gatekeeper.” Rowan’s face looked grave with concern as he turned his focus on Faedra. The young Custodian could feel herself holding her breath with anticipation.
“The Gatekeeper guards the entrance to the dragon kingdom. If said Keeper deems you worthy to enter, then he will allow you passage. This is your one chance to journey into that realm, there is no other way in.” Rowan continued, emphasizing his last point.
Faedra swallowed hard. She didn’t like the way Faen’s father had made it sound like they had a very slim chance of getting into Zutherindal.
“Even if you are allowed entry into the dragon realm, it does not, by any means, guarantee that you will be granted an audience with Draconis.”
Undeterred, Faen asked, “Where may we find the Gatekeeper, Father?”
Faedra alternated her attention between the two men as they discussed the matter at hand.
“He is located in the Alovison mountain range.”
Faedra watched the blood drain from her Guardian’s face. Upon hearing Rowan’s reply she heard a gasp escape Janessa’s lips.
“What?” she whispered to Faen. “What’s wrong?”
“I told you this would not be an easy undertaking, Faen. This mission is reckless, at best, suicide at worst.” Rowan held his features stoic.
“Suicide? What do you mean suicide?” Faedra turned to Rowan, her eyes pleading.
“The Alovison Mountains have been overrun by redcaps.” Faen responded instead of his father.
Faedra found the nearest chair and slumped into it, burying her face in her hands.
“How many redcaps?” Her muffled question pushed through her hands and was directed at the floor.
“They have been growing in number for a couple of years now. We do not know why they are descending on the mountains but we believe it also has something to do with the gateway to the dragon realm.” Rowan answered. “We have been keeping watch but, as yet, the redcaps have not done anything. It is as if they are just waiting. For what we do not yet know.”
Faedra looked up at Rowan. “How many though? Are we talking hundreds or thousands?” She hated to ask, but found she needed to know.
“We do not know for sure, but we are guessing several hundred. I do not believe that there are even thousands of those creatures left. Although, for centuries now, we have not seen such a large concentration of them in one place.”
“Well, that’s just bloody great!” Faedra exclaimed, starting to let her frustration get the better of her. She looked at the others who were staring at her with a mixture of concern and disapproval. She knew why, and it wasn’t just because of her outburst. She could feel her skin tingling with electric energy. Her hair was probably starting to fly around her head because of the static building up; a sure giveaway that she was not controlling her power. Faedra felt her cheeks flush. She closed her eyes and pushed her power back with all her might. If she didn’t rein it in at the very first sign, she may as well go and power up the nearest appliance, only they didn’t have them in this realm.
“Sorry,” she mumbled with a sheepish look, after successfully getting herself under control again.
“Young lady, if you do not release that, it will eat you alive.”
Faedra’s eyebrows shot up at Janessa’s surprising comment. She was right, though. Although Faedra had managed to rein it for now, it was starting to hurt keeping it so contained.
“Come with me, my dear. There is a dead tree in the gardens that needs to come down. We have been meaning to do it for some time, but now you can save us the job.” Janessa gave her son a not so subtle wink as she rose and took Faedra’s hand.
Faedra followed her out of the room and into the gardens. It didn’t take her long to fell the dead tree and she felt a whole lot better for it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Faedra straightened up from the position she held leaning on both elbows over the map on the table and looked at her Guardian.
Faen was also bent over the table next to her, studying the map spread out in front of them with studious attention. Her movement distracted his thoughts and he turned his head to look up at her. Her features were cloaked with both concern and appreciation. He pushed himself off his elbows, straightened and turned to face his charge.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice whisper quiet; the two words laden with emotion.
“What for?” he asked, a slight crease forming between his eyebrows.
“For this.” Faedra gestured to the map spread across the sturdy oak table with a sweeping motion of her arm. “For being willing to help me find my dad, and for standing up to yours on my behalf. You didn’t have to do that, you know. I don’t want you to fall out with your father because of me.”
Faen rubbed a thumb over his charge’s cheek. Her eyes closed as she leaned into his caress. The feeling of trepidation was her constant companion now and his touch helped ease it for just a moment. Faen moved his hand, taking her chin between thumb and forefinger, and encouraged her head to tilt upwards. She opened her eyes at the movement and looked into the deep liquid pools of blue that belonged to the most incredible person she had ever met. A small curve crept across her lips, and she felt almost reticent in his presence at that moment.
“I would follow you to the ends of the earth, or any other realm you decided to journey to.” Faen said. “You still do not realize, do you?”
A look of confusion flashed across her eyes. “Realize what?”
Faen took a breath to reply but was interrupted by the sharp sound of a throat clearing. He turned to see his father standing in the doorway. Faedra didn’t need to look, she knew who would be standing there. She stepped back from Faen’s grip, releasing herself with as much subtlety as she could muster, and turned her attention to the map, and her back to Rowan. She knew exactly how he felt about his son’s feelings towards her and the idea of
what they were about to attempt. She just couldn’t handle witnessing that disapproval on his face anymore. She felt bad enough putting his son at risk in the first place, because she knew he would indeed follow her to the ends of the earth, a fact she was selfishly taking advantage of and felt horrible about.
“Have you decided which route you will take to the mountains?” Rowan asked on his way across the room towards the table. Faedra moved to one side giving Faen’s father enough room to join them at the table, but that was the only acknowledgement she gave him, pretending to be focused on something else as an excuse to keep her eyes averted.
“I believe so, Father, but I would like your input. I think if I fly us over this range, we can land here and will be able to travel on foot the rest of the way. If the redcaps are guarding the mouth of the mountains, we should be able to sneak passed most of them. Faedra can then do her thing with the ones guarding the cave mouth and I will back her up.” Faen was using animated motions over the map, pointing with his finger at different locations, giving his father a visual picture of the plan he and Faedra had been brainstorming together.
Faedra had to admit, she was terrified about having to come face to face with one redcap, let alone a possible army of them. She did feel more comfortable with her power now and was much stronger and more in control of it than she was when she had her last encounter with the gruesome creatures. Although that knowledge did little to quell the sickening feeling that lingered in the pit of her stomach. She wouldn’t have the book to help this time and she had to rely solely on her own energy, unless they were lucky enough to have a storm just at the opportune moment. Faedra had been tempted to coerce Faen to take her back to the castle so she could ask her ‘new’ father if she could borrow it, or steal the book if he refused, but decided it would be far too risky allowing the book anywhere near the redcaps, and, thus, Vivianna and whatever she was scheming.
They had to face the fact they had no idea what was really going on in the mountains, but the feeling was unanimous, it couldn’t be anything good.