Shadow Wings: The Darkest Drae: Book two

by Wagner, Raye

Kamini’s eyes gleamed as she studied me. “The trees know who's important to you, who you have connections to, and what you should see. You could sit here all day and sift through their memories, but usually what they show you when you first touch them will be their answers, or the truths pertinent to you.”

  “Can all Phaetyn read the trees?”

  “All Phaetyn have their own tree, usually near where they were born. The trees can share . . . we’ll call them memories, right?” When I nodded, she continued, “But most Phaetyn can only see from their tree.” Kamini tossed her braid back over her shoulder. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders looking more like an adult than child. So creepy. “But you're asking the wrong question. What you want to know is whether you can see all truths, not just those pertaining to you. Only the queen with the ancestral power can see the truth of all past and current events from any tree.”

  I wondered if she was supposed to disclose that. Did she already know I had Queen Luna’s power? Or was Kamini guessing? She was the first to actually teach me anything, so even not knowing her motivation, I asked, “Can you teach me about the ancestral power?”

  She shook her head. “I taught you all I know. My mother said she’ll teach me more when I am older.” She paused and then blurted, “Are you going to bind yourself to Kamoi? Is that true . . . ?”

  “W-what?” I stammered, completely taken off guard by the shift in subject.

  “Is it true you'll become his mate?”

  I sucked in my breath. “What the . . . Absolutely not!”

  I blushed as I remembered we were speaking of her brother. I rushed to mitigate my appalling manners. “I mean Kamoi is the full harvest, for sure . . . Uh, I mean he’s nice, and I’m sure every girl in Phaetynville probably wants to mate with him or bind with him. And sure, maybe he’s as amazing with everything else as he is good looking, but . . . Anyway, no.” Shaking my head, I added, “A solid no. I’m not going to bind myself to Kamoi.”

  The young Phaetyn girl’s face drained of color, and her eyes widened. “You’re not in love with him?”

  My face burned like it was on fire, and I shook my head. “I don’t know him. To bind myself to him would be completely shallow.” And he’s prettier than me.

  Without another word, Kamini ran away from me, disappearing into the woods.

  “Well . . . okay. Bye.” I stood there and attempted to process my bizarre morning thus far. I felt like a fool, especially after being so adamant with Dyter that I wasn’t an idiot. And then here I was, a total idiot. Kamoi was telling people we were going to, like, dance the maypole together? Shouldn’t he have asked me first? If Kamini was seven, I might’ve excused her comment, but the girl was thirty. My humiliation turned to anger as I grasped Kamoi’s plan. I was not going to bind myself to him to solve their political and societal woes. I couldn’t fault him for wanting an easy answer, but I didn’t like feeling like a tool.

  My musing was interrupted by the rustling of branches. The surprise combined with the spike in fear, as well as my simmering anger, caused my Drae to burst forth. Scales again erupted above my heart and down my arms. My hands shifted so that my fingers became talons. I turned toward the noise to see three Phaetyn emerging from the brush. They stopped as soon as they saw me. The youngest, who appeared to be twelve, which probably meant he was fifty, gasped.

  “We mean you no harm,” the eldest man said, dropping his spear and raising his arms in surrender. “We only want the opportunity to speak with you.”

  “Really?” Everyone I’d met in Phaetynville seemed to have an agenda involving me. “If it involves binding with Kamoi, the answer is no.” My aggravation spiked, and I narrowed my eyes, noticing the colors sharpen as they shifted, and the rest of my retort was lost in a low growl.

  The other Phaetyn dropped their weapons and held up their hands. “We pledge our oath on Luna’s Elm that we mean you no harm,” the man said, and the boy and big Phaetyn nodded. A slow smile spread across his face as he studied me. “Even if we did, I doubt we could. Please, we just want to talk.”

  I closed my eyes and took slow deep breaths, allowing my Drae to settle and recede. When I opened my eyes, the three Phaetyn surrounded me, but the boy and husky Phaetyn held their weapons at the ready facing outward toward the forest—protecting me.

  “Please, come with us. Soon, Harlan will return.”

  I followed the three Phaetyn deeper into the forest until we came to a small clearing with several lean-tos, much like the ones found in Gemond. If the Phaetyn were about to eat me, I’d be really, really mad. We stopped outside one of the make-shift shelters, and one by one, we ducked inside. The eldest indicated a chair and invited me to sit around a small table.

  “May we offer you some food?” the youngest asked.

  I’d followed them into a dark place in the depths of a forest. I wasn’t quite stupid enough to eat their food. “No, thank you.”

  The Phaetyn shrugged and popped a red berry from a bowl into his mouth.

  The eldest one didn’t waste time beginning. “Our people are at a crossroads as I’m sure you’ve seen.”

  Even a fool could see the civil unrest in their community. “Crossroads is putting it lightly.”

  The oldest Phaetyn inclined his head. “Yes, you’re right.” He took a deep breath and asked, “Will you indulge me in a little history? I think this is the best way to describe our conflict.”

  “Please,” I said. “I’d love to understand what’s going on.”

  The youngest Phaetyn snickered, and the beefy one nudged him.

  “Queen Luna partnered with Kaelan when she was very young, perhaps a hundred annum. They seemed happy for a time, but Luna didn’t produce an heir after several decades, and there were murmurings that Kaelan was not worthy to be her partner.

  Our Luna was a soft ruler, not lazy or indifferent, but perhaps a little overly generous and kind. She enjoyed healing the land, saying it gave us purpose. Even when the rumors of Phaetyn being captured by the emperor came, she encouraged us to leave the sanctuary of Zivost and heal the land. She led this charge by example.

  When Queen Luna left, she gave the responsibility of rule to her sister, Alani. Even though Luna was partnered with Kaelan, she left sometimes for weeks or months to do what she called the Phaetyn’s work. Perhaps this is what drove Alani and Kaelan together. Perhaps, it was the other way around.”

  Holy Drae babies . . . or rather Phaetyn babies. This was the inside scoop. Alani and Kaelan got together while he was still with Luna? What a turd. But how much merit did the gossip have? What people saw and interpreted was not always truth, a lesson I’d learned in Irdelron’s castle. Still, Kaelan was a jerk, so I was inclined to believe it.

  I nodded, not wanting to interrupt the story, letting the Phaetyn know I was listening.

  “Alani acted as regent often, and the Phaetyn accepted their ruler’s choice. In truth, we thought nothing of it. Luna still set the rules, although there were very few, and on the rare occasion there was a dispute amongst our kind, she still passed judgment. But Luna’s trips out of Zivost increased in frequency and then in length. One day, she left and several annum passed without Queen Luna’s return. Almost two decades ago, her tree stopped growing.”

  An odd sense of trepidation settled deep in my chest. I looked at the three Phaetyn and couldn’t help but feel like they were looking at me with eager anticipation in their eyes. “What do you think happened?”

  The older Phaetyn furrowed his brow, and the air in the room grew heavy. “Initially, the Phaetyn thought her dead, but The Sacred Tree, Queen Luna's elm, did not wither and die like it should’ve had the queen’s power been extinguished. Even if Luna is gone, her power did not die with her. The rumor is she infused you or your mother with her magic, passing the ancestral force to you.”

  “Do you think that’s true?” I hedged, not wanting to reveal anything.

  The older Phaetyn shrugged. “It seems like it. You can talk to the trees, rig
ht?”

  I shook my head in disbelief; news sure traveled fast. Maybe I could get some more answers from them. “So, why don’t the Phaetyn heal the land anymore? What happened with that?”

  “Queen Luna erected the borders around Zivost when the Phaetyn started disappearing over a century ago. The border that cloaks the skies is the one that keeps us safe from the Drae, and the stone one around the forest protects us from humans. However, Luna dropped the physical wall regularly for the Phaetyn to visit other lands. Remember, she felt it our purpose to regenerate and renew the earth. Less than a decade after Luna’s disappearance, Queen Alani decreed the outside world unsafe for all the Phaetyn. She pointed to those captured and killed as reason for her decision. She insisted that if the wall had been up, her dear sister would’ve been safe. The majority of the Phaetyn supported Queen Alani’s decision for isolation, if for no other reason than their love for Luna.”

  As I listened to the Phaetyn explain their history, I wanted to ring Kamoi’s neck. His grossly abbreviated history was rife with missing bits.

  “The intent of our rebellion is not to protest Alani’s right to be queen. Luna gave her that right, and it was hers to give. But it is our calling and purpose to heal the land. Word has reached us of the need of the kingdoms in the Draecon Empire. We just want the choice to leave Zivost.”

  “It’s not like there aren’t a few Phaetyn out there anyway. Or there were when Alani raised the wall. The emperor probably got them all by now,” the biggest Phaetyn said in a rumbling low voice.

  “We want to leave, and she won’t let us,” the youngest of the three said.

  “But if you leave, you might die,” I argued. “Isn’t she just trying to keep you safe?”

  “Some want to leave to heal the land; some just don’t want to be trapped. Others want to look for their loved ones even if only to bring closure to their disappearance. They can lower and raise the wall, but they rarely let anyone leave. Very rarely.” The eldest Phaetyn gave me a sad smile. “Have you ever felt trapped?”

  The question made me nauseated, and I nodded.

  “Is it true you saw visions of Queen Luna?” the eldest Phaetyn asked.

  I shifted on the hard seat and stared into the empty bowl, contemplating my answer. The biggest problems I’d experienced in my life were because of other’s lies. I took a deep breath and raised my head to meet the three Phaetyn’s gazes. I didn’t want to be a liar. “Yes,” I said. “I did.”

  “Then you must come back to The Sacred Elm tree and ask it to show you the truth about Queen Luna. Alani said it was her sister’s last wish to keep the Phaetyn safe. If that were truly her wish, we would all comply. She was our true queen. She held the ancestral powers.”

  “But if Queen Alani is lying,” the stocky Phaetyn said in a deep voice, “then we would ask that you drop the rock barrier so those of us who want to leave are free to be one with the world again. If you can see the truth from the trees, you have the ancestral power, and it is your right to do it.”

  “You can’t move it like Kamoi?”

  He shook his head. “Only the royals have that power.”

  I wanted to tell them not to be stupid or rash, but I didn’t know what life was like here or how it was affecting the Phaetyn. I also didn’t want to drop the wall and leave them exposed, but the safety they were told they had here, just like the high tower I’d once been in, was only an illusion. Alani’s grip on the barrier would inevitably fail.

  Knowing the Phaetyn in Zivost were divided, I wasn’t about to agree to just anything. But they weren’t asking me to do anything more than tell them the truth, and I was more than willing to do that. Everyone deserved the truth.

  “If you want to take me to the tree, we’ll have to do something to disguise me. Let’s face it,” I said, holding up my hemp sack tunic. “I stick out like a sore thumb.”

  20

  When we got to the Sacred Circle and no one stopped us, I mentally patted myself on the back. I could blend in with my new silver robes. I could be a Phaetyn spy. Wait. That was what I was doing. For some reason, I heard Tyrrik’s suffering sigh in my head at that moment, and my lips twitched.

  The royal guard surrounded the Sacred Circle. The Phaetyn warriors, dressed in their purple aketons, created a barrier to the tree.

  The smallest Phaetyn grabbed my hand and said, “Do they know you have Queen Luna’s power?”

  I nodded, and the young Phaetyn cringed. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Why did I always have to blurt everything out? I was so going to get better at keeping secrets, starting right now.

  “If we go around through the trees, you can climb over,” he said, pointing to where the branches of the large elm tree entwined in the forest canopy above.

  My Drae vision told me that those branches were not very thick, and my climbing skills weren’t nearly as good as my nectar-making skills—which weren’t very good. As Ryn the Fearless, I felt obligated to do something. As Queen Luna’s surrogate, I felt honored to serve the Phaetyn, but I was done being an idiot.

  “The trees can talk to each other, right?” I asked, repeating what Kamini said. “What about if I ask the trees to tell me?”

  The three Phaetyn exchanged glances, and the youngest one blushed. “Of course, that will work if you have ancestral power.”

  Al’right. Although, why did we have to come all the way here if they knew that? They just finished telling me I had the power, and now they were questioning it? “Then let’s go find out the truth.”

  “We haven’t had someone among us with ancestral powers for so long,” the stocky Phaetyn said apologetically, leading us back into the forest. “Most of us don’t know how the power works, or what all can be done with it. Did one of the royals tell you that?”

  “Um.” Was I not supposed to know? “Someone must’ve said something.” I shrugged, relieved when they let it drop. Plus, I didn’t have to fight my way through the Phaetyn guards or climb any trees. Good, good. I stopped in the middle of the trees and found a large oak that reminded me of the trees at the edge of Zivost. I placed my hands on its rough trunk, closed my eyes, and asked the tree to tell me what it knew about Luna.

  The beautiful Phaetyn queen appeared in an accelerated blur of memories. She lowered and raised the wall multiple times as she left and returned. Sometimes, she had guards with her, and other times, she was alone. The images flashed faster and faster before one stilled with jarring suddenness. The Phaetyn Queen left, lowering the jagged rocks, but this time as she crossed the path, a man waited for her. She returned, and the images faded.

  The scene sped up, and the next time Queen Luna left, her belly was swollen with child. She wore a hood, and two guards flanked her. She glanced furtively behind her, her eyes welling with tears. The images blurred, showing the queen holding a child. She was outside of the wall. She kissed the baby and gave it back to the man, and she kissed him before returning to Zivost.

  When she returned to the tree line, Alani stepped out of the forest, her face contorted in rage as she faced her sister. Angry words flew between the two, and when they stood in the tense aftermath, both of their expressions were pained.

  A new image of Queen Luna materialized as she left again, this time as a hooded figure, alone, stooped as she tried to avoid prying eyes.

  Alani was hiding in the forest, this time with Queen Luna's mate, Kaelan. When Luna embraced the man on the other side of the wall, his hood tipped back. His ears were rounded. He was human.

  I gasped. Queen Luna had a baby with a human.

  Another image materialized. Luna embraced her sister at the edge of the rock barrier. Tears streamed down the queen’s face, but though Alani embraced her sister, her eyes were as hard as agates. Luna stooped to pick up a small valise, and the walls lowered. Queen Luna and her two guards crossed to the broken rock. As the wall rose, and the queen’s human lover rushed out to embrace her, dozens of Druman swarmed around the group. Swords glinted in the m
oonlight, and the Druman slaughtered the queen’s guards and her human lover, all while they held her, forcing her to watch.

  And all the while, Alani and Kaelan observed from the shadows of Zivost, their eyes gleaming.

  A shadow flew overhead and descended to the blood-splattered rocks. An emerald Drae landed, and the air around him shimmered as he shifted.

  I wrenched my arms to my sides, clasping my hands to my chest as I curled over, keening for the queen of the Phaetyn. I fell to my knees and sobbed for the twisted and sick betrayal I’d witnessed in the images. The previous queen had a child; I’d seen it. Luna had loved a human. If Alani so badly wanted to strengthen the barrier, why hadn’t she sent out search parties to find this child? Unless . . . Alani didn’t know about the child? Unless none of them knew.

  Alani and Kaelan had just stood there and watched while Luna was taken.

  My stomach turned, and a black hollowness spread through my chest.

  “What did you see?”

  I’d been crying for several minutes and had completely forgotten the presence of the others. I stood, my fists clenched at my sides, and looked each of the Phaetyn in the eye. My very life was a gift from Queen Luna, and I owed her a debt. Even though I didn’t want to be involved, I was, and I couldn’t turn my back on the very reason I had life. There was no question Queen Luna would help her people if she were here. The story of her life was a clear example of her belief in self-governance. Still, I needed to think of the implications before I divulged what I’d seen. This situation was out of control.

  I dropped my eyes. “I saw Tyrrik falling from the sky again,” I said, woodenly. “It was terrible.”

  * * *

  I stormed the circle of guards surrounding the elm tree. I was certain they were there to keep me out, no one else. Queen Alani hadn’t wanted me to discover the truth.

  Holy Drae-batter pancakes. She’d watched her sister be taken by the Emperor’s Druman and done nothing. I didn’t even want to think about how Alani had ended up with Kaelan. Because he’d been with Luna first. For all I knew, Alani had arranged to have Luna taken. The thought chilled me to my core.