My feet ached as I rubbed the back of my neck. No one spoke. My senses worked overtime as I searched for the eldens and farros. We broke free from the Strait as a large body of water became visible. The sight that welcomed us was one of sheer magic.
I stood with my mouth agape; lightning lit the sky in what seemed to be one continuous strike. The air shimmered, full of energy. The tilium encircling me energized my exhausted body, and I breathed deeply to allow my lungs to fill with renewed power. My body trembled as my senses picked up new energy sources.
The eldens and farros were here.
Chapter Nineteen
The hairs on my arm prickled. The energy in the air zipped around me as we circled the lake, searching for the swamp. My heart raced and sweat ran down my face, the tilium buzzing in anticipation of release. With each step we traveled, Cairo reassured me we were getting closer and closer to Eva.
A sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach suddenly stopped me in my tracks. I grabbed at my stomach and scanned the lake around us. Duckweed covered the edge of the lake, making it impossible to see through as lightning struck in the distance. The beings around me paused and stared at me.
“Cole. What is it?” Jericho searched the area around us.
“I don't know. I just feel—” I paused, wiping the sweat from my forehead. “Something.”
“Your tilium is attracted to the tilium in the air. It’s how Eldrick has been able to gather so much of it, by stealing it. I’m struggling to hold on to my own, and you, Keeper, hold much more than I.” Gaber pushed his long white hair out of his face and shook his head. “You should go back to Paraiso. I fear Eldrick lured you here to steal the farros’ tilium from you.”
“No, not until we find Eva,” I choked out and turned to Cairo. “How close is she?” I dropped my hands to my knees and sucked in a deep breath.
“It feels like she is standing next to me,” Cairo stated. “She has to be close.”
“It could be a trick. It’s clear the eldens have grown much stronger than we anticipated,” Queen Annabelle said as she flew next to me, rubbing my back. “I agree with Gaber. You should go back to Paraiso. We will continue our mission to rescue the Golden Dragon in your absence.”
“No.” I stood, shaking off Annabelle’s touch. “We continue.”
“Cole, you look unwell,” Jericho said. “I agree with the elf. I will escort you back to Paraiso. Cairo will stay-”
“No.” I shouted at him. “I must find Eva. She would do the same for any of us.”
“My Prince, if something were to happen to you...” Cairo placed his hand on my shoulder. “She would never forgive herself.”
“We’re wasting time.” My voice echoed through the charged air.
“That you are,” a bellowed voice chuckled from behind us.
We all turned to see Eldrick hovering over the water, his dark hair blowing in the breeze. The lightning had picked up speed and more and more bolts crashed to the ground in the distance behind him. I stepped towards him but was effectively blocked by both Gaber and Jericho.
“The Golden Dragon, where is she?” Gaber asked as smoke began to billow behind Jericho.
Eldrick chuckled. “Your dragon won't work here.” He waggled his finger at Jericho. “The farros have been good for something. Tana taught us how to block your mahier.”
“The Golden Dragon!” Gaber screamed. “Where is she?”
“Oh brother dearest, do not fear. Your precious Golden Dragon is safe.” Eldrick laughed.
“You are no longer my brother, Eldrick. You lost that title the night you killed our parents. The night you decimated the trolls. The night you killed your own kind.” Gaber shook in fury as his voice rose.
“You're still not over that? It’s been two hundred years.” Eldrick shook his head as a grin spread across his face.
“And if that wasn't enough. You come back to our home, destroy our link to our ancestors and kidnap the Golden Dragon!” Gaber roared. “Where is she?”
“Right under your nose, safe as can be.” He floated closer to us. “I’m not interested in your precious Golden Dragon. She is nothing to me.”
“But I’m interested,” a familiar voice shrieked from behind us.
I swung my head around to find Tana and the other farros enclosing us. Cairo placed himself in front of me, forcefully blocking me from sight.
“She’s all yours.” Eldrick snapped his fingers. “As a thank you.”
The water under Eldrick began to spin. The longer it spun, the faster it whipped around him until a water funnel appeared below his feet, the center disappearing below the surface, and every inch of water drained from the lake.
Eldrick shrugged his shoulders. “You came to find the swamp,” he said, spreading his arms out wide. “Let me show you the way.” He chuckled as he lowered himself to the muck that now lay under him.
“We’re here for the Golden Dragon, and that's it.” Jericho shouted. “Give her to us and we’ll leave.”
“Scared, dragon? What could you possibly be scared of? Dragons don't do scared. They don't do feelings. Right, brother?” Eldrick looked to Gaber. “I’m quite surprised you teamed up with them, considering they ignored your call for help all those years ago.” He laughed. “As if it would’ve made a difference.”
“The Golden Dragon. I repeat, where is she?” Gaber’s eyes lit up the space between Eldrick and himself.
“Patience, little brother. She’s on her way.” He rolled his amber eyes.
“My patience is thin.” Gaber glared at Eldrick.
“Tana, could you help our dear Golden Dragon? She seems to be a bit stuck in the mud.” Eldrick pointed his thumb over his shoulder.
“Gladly,” Tana squealed.
Tana ran through our huddled pack and straight towards a hole that had begun to form in the mud. Just as she reached in, Eva flew out. Tana shrieked and fell backwards, covering herself in mud. Eva hovered a few feet over the hole, her head lolling to the side and her long red hair covering her face. Her arms and legs were crossed as if invisible ropes held her hostage.
“Whoops.” Eldrick laughed. “Guess she wasn't that stuck.” He raised his eyebrows and smirked. “As you can see, your precious Golden Dragon is right here, safe and sound.”
“Eva!” I shouted as I attempted to get past Gaber and Jericho. “Eva! Wake up!” I continued to struggle against them until a strong pair of arms wrapped around me from behind.
“She’s okay,” Cairo whispered in my ear. “It’s a spell. Her life force is strong.”
I didn't care what it was. I needed to get to her and remove her from this swamp. Between Eldrick and Tana, I knew something horrible was about to happen. How was Cairo so calm? His Verum Salit was right there, so close.
“Ah, yes. The other half of The Keeper of Dragons. The one who stole the farros’ tilium.” He gestured to Tana, who stood to wipe the mud from her hands, a scowl on her face. “You and I really should talk. Can you feel it? The power of the tilium I’ve stolen over the years?”
“This isn't just stolen tilium.” Gaber stepped forward. “You’re growing it, creating it. An energy that's unnatural.”
“You mean I’ve created an unbalance in the system. For once the fallen are more powerful than the pure. No longer equals.” He raised his arms in the air as a bright cloud of smoke shimmered above him. “I control all the tilium that resides here, and soon I will control all that resides in Paraiso.” He looked down at us and rose into the sky. “Bet you wish you chose the other side now, little brother.” Eldrick shook his head as his dark amber eyes glowed. “It’s too late now. Soon you will be left with nothing. Soon there will be nothing left of you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I choose the side I belong on. I protect those that are true, those that are pure. I will fight until my dying breath to do just that.” Gaber shouted, streams of light flew from his fingertips towards Eldrick.
Eldrick lowered his hands and pushed the light to the
ground. It struck inches from where Tana still stood. She jumped back and landed smack dab in the mud, shaking in anger.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, little brother.” Eldrick wagged his finger at Gaber. “Did you really think it’d be that easy? Look around you.” He waved his hands around the swamp. “I control everything you see. Even things you don’t see.” He laughed, throwing the cloud of smoke above him towards Gaber, who rolled out of the way, sprang up and returned a bolt of energy.
Smoke enveloped me as it seeped off the dragons. None were able to shift into their true dragon forms. My mahier was silent as my tilium roared inside me. In front of me, Gaber and Eldrick continued to throw streams of tilium at each other. Through the light, Eva floated behind Eldrick. In the midst of the fight before me, I escaped between Jericho and Cairo and ran towards Eva.
Tana stepped in front of Eva just as I reached for her, effectively pushing her out of my reach. Her black eyes bored into mine, and we stood toe to toe, a sneer lifting her lips. She raised a pointy black fingernail and raked it under my chin, drawing a bit of blood. I stood frozen in fear.
“My tilium for the Golden Dragon, Coley,” she jeered.
I stepped back and wiped the blood away from under my chin. Over Tana’s shoulder, Eva floated paralyzed, unaware of the fight around her. The other farros encircled the three of us. Behind me, Jericho, Cairo and the other Wolands fought against an invisible barrier that left them immobilized. Fear radiated from them.
“It’s just us. Eldrick has taken care of those pesky dragons.” Tana wiggled her nose in disgust. “Now, my tilium. Give it to me!” she screeched.
I took another step back and bumped into a group of farros who pushed me forward, sending me to my knees. Looking up, I met Tana’s coal black eyes and the anger I detected from her sent a chill through my body.
Tana smirked down at me. “You know what?” She leaned down until we were nose to nose. “I’ll just take it from you.” She stood and nodded to the farros behind her.
Abruptly and without any time to react, I felt hundreds of hands push and pull me to my back, causing me to sink into the muck below. My body trembled as my fingers sunk in the mud. Over me, Tana stood with a slow smile spreading across her face to expose her shark-like teeth. The energy inside me felt ready to explode.
A time of fear was real.
Chapter Twenty
Tana sunk her nails into my chest. A sudden screech flew from my mouth and fire raced through my veins. The farros pushed harder, forcing me deeper into the mud in an attempt to keep me still. The pain became unbearable, and I couldn’t take much more. I closed my eyes and prayed for the beings around me; that Cairo could get to Eva and the pain would end.
A loud shriek in my vicinity probed my eyes open. I could see light surrounding the farros, weaving around them. Tana continued to push her hands further inside my chest, and my breath finally stopped. A look of triumph crept over her face. With one last gasp, light shot from my body. Tilium enveloped the herd of farros as they inched closer to me. They pushed and shoved each other in order to reach closer to the tilium as it shot through the air from the holes in my chest.
Tana cackled in pure joy while the tilium continued to flow from me. The omnipresent pressure that had encompassed my being since the night in the grove, had suddenly been ridded from my being, every ounce of tilium was suddenly gone. My eyes grew heavy and my body became numb. I no longer felt the pain. The battle between Gaber and Eldrick continued to explode, along with the grunts and growls from the dragons fighting to free themselves echoed in my head. The imbalance Eldrick had declared was real. The true, the pure, the good, were losing.
Eva. My eyes shot open. Eva dangled in the air behind Tana, powerless. We came here to save her, to bring her home, and we failed her. I failed her. Eva, the one person in my life I knew I could count on. No matter what, she’d had my back since the day we met all those years ago. My one true family.
“Get away from our Keeper,” Gaber grunted just as a bolt of tilium flew my direction, flinging Tana away from me.
Tana’s hands left my chest and I gulped in a large breath of air. Eldrick heaved a bolt at Gaber just as he turned back to face him. I watched in horror as Gaber took the bolt straight on and flew through the air and out of sight.
Eldrick turned to face me as he shook his head. “Such a letdown. I was itching for a real fight. Not this.” He waved his hands towards the dragons and rolled his eyes.
I followed his sight towards the dragons and realized the fairies, elves and trolls were nowhere to be found, and Eldrick was the only elden here. I pulled my head up off the ground and rested on my elbows behind me. Eldrick looked satisfied with the view before him. Me, a crumpled mess in the mud who was barely able to catch my breath; the dragons, tied up with invisible ropes unable to use their mahier; and Eva, paralyzed in the wind. Then there were the farros dancing around the swamp in joy as their tilium returned to their bodies. The farros’ wings began to shoot out their backs and flap as an exasperated buzzing bordered me.
In my peripheral, I watched Tana pick herself up off the ground once more and wipe the mud on her now filthy gray shorts. She stomped towards me, her black wings ferociously beating behind her. She spat some dirt from her mouth onto the ground, and her heavy boots squelched in the mud.
“Did you honestly think you could beat us? That we would hand over your precious Golden Dragon just because you asked?” Tana stopped directly above me. “Did you think you could win?”
“I’m sure the noble dragons and elves promised you victory” Eldrick said with a laugh. “Promised you we were no match for the army of the true.” Eldrick shook his head as he observed the farros. “Did they tell you we were evil? The fallen?” Eldrick placed his hands on his hips.
“You killed your own parents,” I grunted. “That would make you evil.”
“I see my baby brother has been telling stories again.” Eldrick’s feet touched the ground and he began walking towards me. “I didn't want to kill them. I wanted them to join me. I wanted the elves to be the top of the food chain. Dominate over all other beings.” He knelt down beside me. “I wanted the elves to rule all. But of course fear overtook them. Fear of losing. Fear of war. Fear of standing up for what was right. Instead of joining me, they banished me. Exiled their own son, heir to the throne.” Eldrick moved closer until I could feel his breath on my cheek. “Today, I take back my throne. Today, I take my rightful place as King of all beings. Today, you will bow to me.”
“Never. You will never be my King.” I fell back in the mud, my strength waning.
“Oh, Coley,” Tana jeered. “Look around. Your army has been destroyed. You have no choice but to kneel to King Eldrick.”
“And you?” I blew out a breath. “Is he your King? Will you be kneeling to King Eldrick?”
“I am the Queen of the farros. I kneel to nobody,” Tana sneered.
I laughed, grabbing my chest in pain. “But King Eldrick is the King of all beings, isn't that right?” I turned my head towards Eldrick, who was smirking down at me.
“You and I both know I have nothing to fear from the farros. But your courage is admirable. It’s a shame today will be your last. You’re rather growing on me.” He stood and faced Tana. “Dispose of the Keepers how you wish. The ward will only be up for the next ten minutes. Do not kill my dear brother. I want him alive. He will soon know what true fear is.” Eldrick looked back down at me and winked. “Your time of fear is now.” In a blink, he was gone.
“Finally! I will never kneel to that elden.” Tana wrinkled her nose. “He will be joining you soon enough, and I will be the Queen of all beings.” Tana cackled and rubbed her hands together. “Now, what shall I do with the two Keeper of Dragons? And those pesky dragons?” Tana glared at the group of dragons behind me. “Never mind them. It’s you I want Coley. It’s you who stole my tilium, who broke my wings.” The other farros halted their dancing and joined Tana around me. “Lucky for you the clock is ticking;
the last thing we want is for the wards to go down before I’m done with you.”
Tana rolled her shoulders back and cracked her knuckles before kneeling next to me, once again. Her obsidian eyes twinkled with revenge, a small smile slowly spreading across her face as tilium sparked from her fingertips. I closed my eyes in anticipation for the end. My body lay numb, powerless, the fight in me vanished. The buzzing and squeals of the farros were to be the last sounds I heard. My thoughts flew to my parents, my real parents, Michael and Ella Jameson. Would they be told of my death? How long would they wait for my call before they figured it out? Would the dragons keep them safe? My last prayer was for them. For them to be safe. For this war to never harm them.
“Goodbye, Keeper of Dragons,” Tana whispered next to my ear.
Unexpectedly, tilium slammed into my chest, knocking the air from my lungs. The stream of energy zipped through my veins, setting my body on fire. I quaked from the torture. But then, my breath returned in a rush, and Tana screeched. I cracked my eyes open and saw light shooting through her body from odd angles as she fell to the ground, writhing in agony. The farros around me fell to the ground as the tilium shot out into the sky. The streaks of energy met above me in a great explosion, like a firework, sending sparks in all directions.
Beside me in the mud, Tana’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as one last tremble shook her body. In a burst of light, she exploded into sparks. One by one, the farros around me followed their Queen to their demise, rocking the ground beneath me. The tilium that was once the farros swirled above me and around the hovering ball of fire.
The Elven Alliance Page 11