“How do you find our estate, Your high-, ah, Fale?” asked one of the council members, a middle-aged woman with the ruddy complexion of a shepherd.
“It’s beautiful,” Fale said genuinely. “I had the opportunity to tour it today and your workmanship is excellent. The scenery couldn’t be more appropriate for a magical place.”
The woman beamed at Fale. About time I said something right. The man on her other side replied, “We are honored to have you stay here. Especially on the eve of such a monumental excursion.”
Fale smiled graciously. “My partners and I thank you, sir." She could feel Keron’s stare as Lisle patted her hand in appreciation of a job well done. She heard the man asking Keron his plans for getting them down the mountain and looked at his profile, wanting to run her fingers through the black hair curling at his neck, fresh from his shower.
“We leave in the morning. I figure it should take us about two days to get down the mountain and we will camp at sunset, making a fire and finding water first,” he said. Fale was impressed, Keron was taking this seriously. According to what Lucien had told Lisle and her about the time it would take, Keron had come to the right conclusions. He would be quizzed on survival skills by the mages before they left. Fale felt like she knew a few things about wilderness survival from reading books, but she was glad to know Keron would have some training. Especially as their Wardsman.
“Don’t forget,” the man reminded Keron, “there are wild animals in the mountains that eat humans.”
Izzy’s head swung around. “What?”
“Bears, wild cats, panthers, cougars, lynx and falling rocks all kill people in these mountains. It’s one of the reasons we are at this altitude. We’re safe up so high,” the man said confidently.
“Can I change my mind?” Izzy laughed nervously.
He grinned at her, “They are easy enough to defeat, if you have fire and weapons, and if they don’t come in the night.”
“Please tell me we have a tent,” Izzy begged.
“We’ll find out,” Keron said.
“I’m sleeping between you and Fale then,” Izzy said like a child. “She has fire and you have weapons.”
She’s probably prophetic, because we won’t be sleeping next to each other anymore.
“I have weapons, too, Izzy,” Fale said.
They toasted with champagne and indulged in the bounty of the worker’s fruit for dessert. The mountain mages toasted Fale as their Queen, and the group members as warriors, then Keron as the Wardsman. Then the new court of Queen Fale was toasted as they began their expedition to find the machine, saving the lost people of Garrith. By the time they were done, everyone was at least tipsy. Fale was magnanimous in her thanks on behalf of the whole party and the mages doted on her.
Someone began a chant, “Down with the wizards, punish Control!” Everyone joined in the chant, but as Fale lifted her fist and sang along, she saw Izzy staring wide-eyed at her. Through her fuzzy thoughts, she wondered why Izzy would look at her that way, but she was enjoying the party and decided not to let it distract her from the festivities.
When the noise died down and everyone was leaving, Fale felt a hand on her arm. “You look like a newborn animal,” Keron chuckled.
“My equilibrium is off from the champagne,” Fale said, attempting to get out of her chair.
Keron lifted her from the chair and stood Fale in front of him, keeping her within the circle of his arms. “Walk,” he told her. “I’ve got you.”
Fale took wobbling steps forward and saw Izzy and Lisle walking arm in arm ahead of them. “Are you coming, Fale?" Izzy asked.
“Yep,” Fale said, popping her mouth at the end of the word.
Lisle looked back, “Do you need a hand, Fale? I can come back.”
“I have her, Lisle,” Keron growled.
“Fale?” Lisle asked.
“It’s okay,” Fale said. “I’ll be right, hic, there." Lisle and Izzy proceeded out the door.
“He knows, doesn’t he?” Keron asked.
“I am not talking about this now.” Fale pitched to the side. “Whoa.”
Keron caught her. “Okay, not now,” he relented. “Where did you go today?”
“Into the woods.”
“What did you do?” he asked.
“Talked to Lisle and picked flowers.”
“Did you have fun?" He held the door for her, and they said goodnight to some of the mages.
“I had fun,” she said when they were outside. “Oh, lookit the stars, Keron. You can’t see them like this in Alloy City." She stopped him and they stared at the stars for several minutes. Fale rested the top of her head on Keron’s chest as he insisted on standing behind her, to keep her from falling over, in the circle of his arms.
Keron gazed down at her. “Fale, maybe I- “
“I been thinkin’. This is good for us, you know? I can do my job freeing my people and you can be my guard,” Fale said. She sneaked a look at his face. She wanted him to miss what he had so carelessly tossed aside, and make a final decision to be with her, or not. She couldn’t go through systematic rejection with him anymore. Her heart couldn’t take it.
He stood up taller, “Yeah. Maybe I should get you to bed.”
She slurred, “Let’s go slow. The globe’s spinning an’ I wanna lookit the stars.”
Keron held Fale’s arm and led her slowly down the gravel path to the guest cabin.
The interior was dim when they finally reached the one- bedroom cabin. Fale sat down on the wooden porch chair and Keron perched on the arm to wait for her. “Are we sleeping together?” Fale asked.
“Up to you, I guess,” Keron said.
“It might be easier if I slept in the bed with Izzy,” she said. “You and Lisle can have the couches.”
“If that’s what you want."
It’s not.
“Okay,” she grumbled.
They sat in awkward silence for several minutes, then Keron stood. He opened the door for her and Fale felt her way in the dark. Izzy and Lisle were already passed out on the couches, so Fale went to the bedroom. Keron followed. “I guess they left us the bed,” she said.
“Want me to wake Izzy?”
“No,” she said. “It’s all right.”
“Sorry, Spr-“he stopped. “Sorry.”
“Can you help me with this knot?" Fale’s kimono was tied by a thin cord around the sash.
“Sure,” Keron worked with steady hands on the knot and unwound the sash from her middle, handing it to her.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.”
“Turn around?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah. Sure.” He handed her the lavender pajama set and turned around until he heard the bedsprings bend. Then he tucked her under the comforter. Keron put on his cotton pants and slid into the bed resisting the urge to pull Fale to his shoulder. “Good night,” he said in a deep voice not his own.
“Goodnight,” she echoed in a strangled voice, not belonging to her either. “Is it sad that I miss you already?”
“No. I miss you, too.”
“Go to sleep before this champagne makes me say something else stupid,” Fale said. Keron chuckled.
Fale woke to the noise of a zipper. “Rise up, shiny Fale.” Keron was picking up his duffel bag, already dressed in denims and a white t-shirt poking out from under a navy sweatshirt.
“It’s still dark,” she whined.
“We leave at dawn,” he said.
The overhead light flipped on. “You woke me up and she’s not out of bed yet?” Izzy complained.
“I’m up,” Fale said. “I’m just not dressed yet.”
“Well hurry up, Lisle and I want to eat breakfast before we go, and your taskmaster says we leave at dawn,” Izzy said.
“I know,” Fale groaned. “I’m getting up now.” She threw back the covers and dug in her bag for denims and a pink t-shirt with a soft gray button-up sweater. Her suede boots had seen better d
ays, but they would be handy for riding, so she put them on. Keron came back in and zipped up Fale’s luggage after she brushed her teeth and they each carried their bags to the square. The council mage’s apprentices appeared to attach the group’s baggage to the horses while they ate. A breakfast of real eggs, orange juice and flatcakes waited for Fale and her friends. As they ate, Keron was briefed again on things he would need to know. The mages gave him a survival guide to read when he could. Fale’s court said their farewells to the mages who had risen to see them off. The excitement was palpable.
As Fale traveled down the row of the council, gaining advice, shaking hands, and exchanging hugs with some of the more affectionate mothers and fathers, she found herself standing in front of the sage. The older woman was dressed in a shapeless, flowy purple dress dancing with the spring mountain breeze.
“Alesina.” Fale tipped her head toward the woman in a respectful gesture.
The woman snorted. “You’re not fooling me, young one.”
“Fine. Why won’t you teleportal us to Everligne? Why the journey? Why the riddles?”
“It is through the process of solving the problem that the answer is found,” Alesina sang.
“Grrr.” Fale threw up her hands and whispered, “You know what? I think you’re crazy.” She was turning to go, when the sage’s hand shot out and pulled her back around, nearly causing Fale to fall on top of her.
“You need to be careful,” the old woman said close to Fale’s ear.
“Yes, I know. Bears, and wildcats, and all the danger-”
“No. Remember Vivyan and Corrine. You must learn from their mistakes.”
Fale was frustrated, “What are you talking about? The time wasn’t right for Vivyan or Corrine. They never fought.”
The sage cackled a tiny laugh. “Everyone thinks it is their time to fight. Didn’t you think they would have wanted to try to rescue the people?”
“I guess I hadn’t thought much about it. I have been so absorbed with my own quest.” Fale felt like a stone was lying in the bottom of her stomach. “What did happen to them?”
“Oh, now you want to know? Even though I am crazy?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. Please tell me,” Fale begged.
“Vivyan was betrayed by her Wardsman and captured by the wizards when she went to find the key to the machine. She managed to send the key back to the estate by the messenger bird she took with her, but she was thrown into the dungeon. Gryndoll had been the only royal wizard for Effailya’s family, but by then there was a whole village of wizards and apprentices. They were taught Effailya was their enemy in any form and she would come back one day to punish and eliminate them. Vivyan was rescued after six years, but she never did magic again. The mages’ only score was the acquisition of the key.”
“And Corrine?” Fale encouraged the sage.
“That girl knew the machine was on an island, but we never knew which one until now. Corrine was a headstrong young woman with new powers, and she took off on horseback on a journey to find the machine. She went alone, without a Wardsman to betray her, and the wizards set a trap for her on the mountain. Left for dead, she could no longer finish the fight. The technology didn’t exist back then to make her journey possible, and no one could heal her from the extent of her damage.”
“Do you think they’re coming after me, then?” She would have to rethink their whole plan to include the wizards.
“They tried to take you at birth and fell back when your father heard your mother’s screams and interrupted them. When your father was seen with an infant, they must have realized they bungled the crime and have probably watched you from afar. We assume they have changed tactics and they are watching you now to follow you to the machine.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me this?” Fale asked.
“Not to influence your decisions or scare you,” Alesina said in a condescending tone and patted Fale’s hand like a child.
“So why did you tell me? Do you want to scare me?”
The two women looked into each other’s eyes and the sage said, “I believe knowledge is power.”
Fale nodded once in acknowledgement and thanks, then turned and walked away. This would be her secret. A few days ago, she would not have worried that Keron would betray her. He wouldn’t, would he? There were miles between them, had she really even known him at all? She felt like a traitor to her own heart, but she could not jump in anymore without looking first. She had no idea if there would be traps set up for her on the mountain. If the wizards wanted the machine as badly as she did, it was in their best interest to keep her alive. Though, she wasn’t too keen on being horribly injured. She would have to be alert.
Fed, packed and mounted, Fale sat atop a snowy white mare. Keron’s chestnut stallion glistened in the rising sun and the two beautiful painted horses given to Izzy and Lisle, whinnied and pranced about. Fale said one last farewell to the mages and gave thanks for all their help. The four of them looked at each other.
“Follow me," Keron said, their journey only beginning.
In an instant, however, shouts sounded from across the square.
“Protect the Queen!”
Heat seared Fale’s face and she heard the crackle of burning hair around her ears. She threw her hands up to her cheeks.
“Duck!” Keron yelled.
Fale dodged the next fireball, but her horse was spooked and reared up on its hind legs. Fale screamed as she gripped the reins and leaned forward in the saddle out of instinct. She looked around to see the other horses panicking, then chaos in the square stole her attention. An alarm siren sounded. Men and women poured into the open space. With hurricane force, one man blew down the henchmen running at her. A woman with orange hair stood in front of Fale and cast a light blue shield around her, then ran off. Two wizards appeared in the center of the square and a black smoke emitted from the charms they had around their necks. Fale shook as she watched the smoke permeate the shields of the mages in front of them and choke them. Their skin darkened as well as their eyes and they each turned toward Fale with a malicious gleam in their smiles. She didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t prepared for this kind of magic.
“Hide her!” someone shouted.
All around her were screams and bursts of light.
“Secure the Queen!” was echoed from every direction. Someone grabbed her horse by the reins.
“What are you doing?” she yelled.
“We have to hide you,” he called back.
“No!” Fale dug her heels in and pulled the leather strip so hard, she pulled a stitch in her bicep. “I have to fight! This is my fight!”
A blast of light exploded off the shield around her. Fale flinched before she realized the barrier held, then she looked to the twin hooded figures and saw them floating several inches above the ground.
That can’t be good.
The hood on the left pointed at her and a plasma bolt shot from the circlet around his finger, piercing Fale’s shield and scorching her side and shoulder. Before she could react, the momentum knocked her off her horse. The world spun around her as she fought to catch her breath. Pain seared through her body, crumpling her like wadded tissue.
“No,” Lisle yelled and sprung from his mount in the direction of the hoods. Fale could see the covered wizard pull a flaming whip from his cape and lash the air around him in figure eights. The other hood, seeing Lisle’s attack, raised one hand in Lisle’s direction and one towards Fale.
Keron shouted a long, loud guttural howl, dropping from his horse and pulling his sword from his scabbard as he stomped across the yard, putting himself directly between Fale and the depraved wizard. She heard the first clang of metal as a mountain mage descended next to her head.
“Oh good, you’re conscious,” she lightly touched Fale’s shoulder.
“Aaaah!” Fale yelled out in pain. “What are you doing?”
“I’m healing you, your Highness. I’m sorry if it’s uncomfortable. You have extensive
injuries and the tissues must tear apart and multiply to cover the wound. “Should I stop?”
“No, no. Keep going. The sooner you fix me, the sooner I can join the fight,” she eeked.
“But I don’t think- “
“Just do it,” Fale ordered with her remaining strength. She gritted her teeth against the agony of ripping flesh.
Fale stretched her neck to see the battle around the woman. Lisle had been easily jumping to dodge the whip, but the sweat on his brow showed his exertion was beginning to take a toll on his strength. Keron’s metal arm was encased in ice from the other wizard and he used the frosty weapon to punch the hood in the face. The man did a back somersault in the air and landed several feet away from Keron, out of his reach.
Two fighters stepped in her line of sight and Fale cursed. “Get out of the way,” she muttered, straining to see her friends. The mountain mage in front of her was dueling against twin swords as the small wizard pushed him back. She swung her deadly sharp blades in the shape of a butterfly, advancing as she went like a grinder chasing its meat. The man backed up but didn’t appear to have a weapon. He stared at her with a look of pure concentration. All at once she stopped, her hands close together, sabers still arcing, her face blank. The mountain mage smiled imperceptibly and pointed back toward the fray. Fale was shocked to see the woman pivot and strike down the first wizard she saw. Like blades of a fan, she plowed straight through people, with the mage following behind her, pointing the way.
Mind control. Whoa.
A shout from Lisle showed that he had caught the tip of the wizard’s weapon on his arm, where the fabric burned black and curled. He hit at the fire with his other hand. The hood with ice powers shot a barrage of pellets at Lisle, knocking him on his behind, still holding his arm. His head hit the ground with a thwack. The fire powered hood stretched his mouth into a black-toothed smile as he raised his whip to strike. The flaming rope came down, and a sword flew through the air, severing it. Lisle covered his head as the limp length of fibers fell onto him harmlessly.
“Thanks, Keron,” he shouted.
Fale turned her head to see her former lover pick up the sword of a fallen man and quickly deflect a bolt of plasma. The force shoved him back, his sword arm pressed to his chest.
The Key of F: a young adult fantasy romance (Freedom Fight Trilogy Book 1) Page 30