If I ever returned to live on Earth, I was going to write books about my adventures. Package them up as fiction and they'd probably sell like hotcakes! At least, I would have something to keep me busy for a while.
The thought made me chuckle out loud, which got everybody's attention. “Sorry, guys, my imagination is taking weird turns.”
Entering the barn, we saw at least ten centaurs lining the aisle between the stalls. With their muscular human upper halves and equine bodies, they certainly looked like a force to be reckoned with, and I was glad to have them watching over Jewel.
“Hi, I'm Everleigh. Thank you for coming.”
“Our pleasure, Chosen.” His human half bowed to me.
Approaching the door to Jewel's stall, I murmured softly, asking her mother if I had permission to enter. She whinnied, which I took as affirmation, and I sat down next to her head as before. Jewel came over and settled her tiny body next to me, while I explained to her mother what I hoped to do.
When there didn't seem to be any disagreement, I rested my hand gently on her neck, and reached out with my sight. To my surprise, her threads were very similar to mine. I wondered if she was the pegasus version of the Chosen, seeing as how she had just given birth to the foal that had been foretold in prophecy.
We easily bonded, and I did my best to ensure the connection had more strength than I had formed with Landon. My intuition told me that animals required a more intense bond if I wanted to be able to communicate easily.
Sending my thanks through the bond, I was surprised to hear a voice in a language I could understand. My shock must have been conveyed to her because I heard a giggle.
“I have lived amongst the scribes most of my life. I learned their language as I grew up. While most of them cannot understand me, I can understand them. And, by the way, my name is Topaz.”
“This is convenient. Are you aware of the prophecy surrounding Jewel?”
She nodded. “I am. And I am so very grateful you have provided protection for her.”
“I am considering taking the two of you back to my brother’s castle in Amarys, if that is something you would be open to. The castle is heavily warded, and as far as they are aware, the dark mage has not set foot in their realm for many years.”
“Could we get there safely? Travel is most dangerous these days.”
“Yes, I would open a portal right from the barn here straight into the castle grounds.”
She nodded her head slowly, mulling it over in her mind. “Anything to make sure my daughter stays safe.”
We agreed that I would return for her if the castle wound up being the safer place for them. I made sure she knew she could contact me through our bond, even across the realms, and that if they were in trouble I would open the portal straight away and bring them to wherever they would be best protected.
“The second you feel like you might be in trouble reach out to me. I will be here in an instant.”
She nodded and I gave Jewel one last snuggle before getting to my feet. Exiting the stall, I let Xavier know we were on our way. He suggested we head to the dining hall since he was having a small meeting there.
I let the guard know I would be opening a portal momentarily, thanked them again. Hopefully there would be no reason for them to engage with the enemy before we got a plan hatched to keep Jewel, and all the other animals at the chateau, safe.
Motioning for Taryk and Yuri to come closer, I opened the portal to my brother's castle. I had learned to make the portal as close to myself as possible, to decrease the amount of distance I had to travel while concentrating on keeping it open. This time I managed to both maintain the portal and take the few steps through it to the other side.
Xavier glanced at me as we appeared not ten feet from him. “Getting stronger all the time, I see.”
His comment made me grin. It also made me realize that he spoke the truth. I'd come a long way from the young girl who followed the instructions in a note from a perfect stranger. I still had a long way to go, but I kept proving to myself that I could make it if I believed in myself.
Yuri zipped straight to the table, calling out excitedly. “Uncle Zed!”
They embraced, and immediately my heart swelled to see her reunite with more of her family. It made me so happy to know that she still had some here waiting for her.
Xavier sat at the large dining table with a wood sprite, Uncle Zed apparently, a man who looked very similar to himself, and what I could only describe as a gnome. The little man so closely resembled the tiny statues I was accustomed to seeing in the gardens back home that I did a double take.
Xavier stood and made introductions. “As you heard, this is Zed. Queen Flora sent him as her emissary, as she doesn't like to travel far from her tree these days. He was out on patrol the day we made contact.”
He indicated the gentleman on his left. “This is our distant cousin, Solomon. Solomon, meet Everleigh. Ev, I've already told him quite a bit about you. He's staying here for now, so you guys will have a chance to get to know each other better.” I smiled at him and gave a little wave.
“And, last but not least, our representative from the forest gnome colony is Banli. Banli's people are the ones who helped our last dragons go into hiding. He comes as their representative as well.”
Celeste's voice remarked in my head. “The forest gnomes are some of the shyest creatures. They live in homes deep underground within or below the roots of giants trees, and very rarely leave them. I am quite surprised to see one here.”
I nodded his direction. “Welcome. We thank you so much for leaving your home and coming to meet with us.”
He ducked his head, remarking in a sage tone, “Unfortunately, the circumstances demand it. The dark mage must be stopped. If we are to live in peace, we must lend whatever assistance we are able.”
His voice turned out to be much deeper than I had anticipated, and his speech was slow and measured. He seemed like the type to not make rash decisions, and I hoped he would convince the dragons to help us.
“We were just wrapping up here. Banli will return to the dragons with our plan, and our plea for their help. Zed has been helping with recruiting, so he will go out and continue doing so. As I mentioned, Solomon is staying here and helping with logistics. I will escort Zed and Banli through the tunnel, and return shortly.”
We said our goodbyes, and I expressed my thanks to each once more. Xavier had made good progress, considering I hadn't been away very long. Hopefully we continued to move forward rapidly, and managed to set our plan in motion before drawing the attention of the dark mage.
Chapter Twelve
We were still in the dining hall when Xavier returned from escorting our guests to the edge of the wards. I had planted myself in one of the seats at the giant table, my head propped up in my hand. I couldn’t remember the last time I got a full night’s sleep, or even a few uninterrupted hours, and in spite of my body’s increasing ability to heal itself, I still needed rest.
Xavier took one look at me and told me to take my pick of any of the rooms off the landing upstairs. “They've all been prepped for guests, just in case, so get a few hours of sleep. One of us can always get you if we need to.”
A wan smile was my only response as I attempted to stand. It seems sitting down hadn't been my best choice. Maybe I could just sleep right here at the table with my head cushioned on my arms like I used to do when I was a child.
Taryk came to my rescue, tugging me up and sweeping me into his arms. “Let's go, princess. You need some real sleep.”
For once, he wouldn't hear any arguments from me. I just snuggled into his arms, and let my feelings cross through our bond.
“Do you have a preference for which room you're in?”
I simply shook my head, and he nudged open the first door we came to. It had to have belonged to one of Xavier's sisters, done up in shimmering cream and gold. The canopy bed was beautiful, and Taryk eased me down onto the mattress. As I lay back, he
removed my boots, setting them beside the bed, and I sighed with pleasure as he rubbed my feet briefly.
The sheets were satiny and softer than I'd ever felt. The mattress was soft as a cloud, yet supportive at the same time. I foresaw some restful sleep in my very near future. Finishing with my feet, he tucked me in, and remained perched on the edge of the bed holding my hand.
“How are you holding up?” he asked me.
I could barely nod as my eyelids were already on their way down. “I'm doing all right. I try not to think too hard about any one thing, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I can't wait till we have a chance to relax.”
“When this is all over, I will take you on a vacation. To any realm you want to visit.”
That got my attention, and I peeked out from beneath my sleepy eyelashes. “All of them. I want to see them all. And meet your family.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “My family, huh? I think that can be arranged. They're all dying to meet you.”
I opened my mouth to answer, but the only thing that came out was a yawn.
“Sleep,” he whispered. “I'll stay with you until you are out.”
My brain warred with my heart for a moment, but my heart won out. “Stay, please.” I scooted farther onto the bed. “Just lie with me? I don't want to be alone right now.”
He hesitated, if only briefly, and then lay down beside me. Once he seemed comfortable, I turned toward him, settling into his arms. With him, I felt safe. While the stress of recent events didn't leave me entirely, I managed to push them back enough to relax in his embrace.
I tilted my head to look into his eyes. “I am so blessed to have you. Thank you for all the things you have done for me.”
“I'd do anything for you, Ev. Anything.”
Angling his head down, he gently brushed his lips against my forehead, maintaining the contact.
That did it. I was done for. Lifting my chin even higher, I wrapped my arms around him and guided his lips to mine. If I thought the sparks had flown when our bond was formed, this kiss ignited a full-blown inferno.
I felt my magic rise to meet with his. Colors exploded across my range of vision. My entire body was on fire, and I never wanted it to end. His hand tightened in my hair, holding me against him. This may have been my first kiss, but I knew a good one when it stared me in the face.
He pulled back ever so slightly, and I took a shaky breath. “Wow.”
We both laughed, and he kissed my forehead again. “Sleep. We can both use the rest.”
For the first time since this crazy ride had started, I felt calm and content. Snuggling in close, I closed my eyes and immediately dropped into a deep, deep sleep.
The first clue that something had gone horribly wrong was the smell. Opening my eyes to an almost pitch-black room, the stench of mold and wet dirt stung my nostrils. The air felt cool and damp, which caused me to rub my bare arms in an attempt to be rid of the goose bumps that had risen.
The silence lay heavy, in an unnatural way. Abandoned. Using my sight, I scanned the area for another living soul, finding nothing. The only hint at another possible inhabitant of the place I found myself stemmed from a faint whisper of an aura somewhere farther along the corridor.
Calling an orb of light to my hand, relief filled my chest when it obeyed. I knew I had entered into a dream state again and had no intention of being caught off guard this time. I needed to be as aware of my surroundings as possible without giving myself away. I also wanted to gather as many clues as I could to help us later.
The hallway I found myself in had similarities to the first one, but I knew somehow that they were different, far apart even. I spent a moment trying to get my bearings and deciding which way I should go. I had no idea if I ran into anyone—or anything—if they would be able to see me, or if I would only be a casual observer.
I needed to decide whether I wanted to head toward the possibility of another living being, or away. In the end I decided to creep towards it. Maybe I had been sent here to help someone.
Moving as quietly as possible, which didn't seem very quiet at all in the stark silence, I made my way down the corridor, keeping my light to the absolute minimum. Every few feet, I stopped to be sure there were no sounds other than the ones I had been making.
The passageway led steadily downward. The boldness I had originally been feeling had escaped me, and nerves seeped in. Why had I been put here? What would I find around the bend in the tunnel?
As I reached the turn, I poked my head around just far enough to see. The circular room couldn't have been more than ten feet across, and there was only one other tunnel leading off it. That passage led perpendicular to the one I had come down, exiting off the right side of the room.
The only item in the room appeared to be a table, dead center, about waist high. Approaching it with caution, I turned the light up just a little, shocked by what I was seeing. It looked to be a coffin made of dark crystal resting on an elevated slab of stone.
Shrinking back, my immediate thought was that I had somehow ended up in a crypt. But why? With so little light, I couldn't tell if something rested inside, or if it was empty.
Turning, I had just decided to go back the way I had come when the little voice in my head insisted I stay here. My intuition hadn't steered me wrong yet, but I didn't want to hang out with the coffin for any longer than I had to. Yet it kept drawing me closer. This was what I had been sent to see, whether I understood it or not.
Shuffling closer, I attempted to use my sight. There had definitely been a strong soul inside, but I either didn't yet possess the skill to see what had happened to it, or the dark crystal coffin had the ability to mask whatever it may have been.
For just a moment, I stood there uncertainly. Trying to decide the best course of action before I woke and lost the chance to do anything at all stressed me out. Taking a deep breath, I reached out and laid my hand on the crystal box.
Immediately it lit up from the inside out, and within a fraction of a second, I heard bloodcurdling screams. I didn't realize they emanated from my own throat until it became raw.
My entire body shook, the spasms creating weakened knees and throwing my balance off. A rush of sound roared through the tiny cavern and blocked out anything else. I closed my eyelids as tightly as I could, praying that I hadn't seen it. That it was a hologram or cruel joke.
As the roaring stopped, I opened my eyes once more. Since I had at some point removed my hand, the crystal tomb on the rock slab had gone dark again. Hesitating, I gathered my courage and reached out once more. Making contact with only the very tip of my finger, I stared in shock as the light shone once more.
There, confined in this prison of crystal, lay my mother. Blood had soaked the side of her shirt exactly where I had felt the stabbing pains during my last vision of her, which was not so long ago. If it had not been for the blood, she would have looked peaceful.
Choking back the tears, I used my sight to see if she still lived. I could not call forth her tapestry, whether because of the properties of her tomb, or some other reason I did not understand. I could, however, detect a faint aura around her.
I began screaming her name, searching all sides of the sarcophagus-like structure for an entry point. Afraid to use my magic to gain entry, lest I set off a trap or harm her, I sank to the floor in frustration.
I began shaking uncontrollably once more.
“EVERLEIGH! Wake! Up!”
Suddenly, I found myself back in the bed in the castle, four sets of eyes hovering over me nervously.
“Stop shaking me!”
Immediately Taryk released my shoulders, and I flopped back into the bed like a dead fish. I stared at the faces around me as I tried to regain some composure. As soon as Yuri asked me what had happened though, I began sobbing again.
“I TOLD you so. I told you. I saw her. They have her...”
Celeste waved the others back a little. “Slow down, child. They have who?”
>
“My mother. I saw her. The dream transported me into a dirt tunnel. I followed it and found a small circular room with a rock table in the middle.” I paused, trying to get enough words in the right order to make a coherent sentence.
Xavier stood at the foot of the bed, watching me closely, while Yuri had flown around to sit on the bed beside me. Taryk still sat at my side.
“The coffin was made of a dark crystal, and at first I couldn't see anything. I didn't know what I should do. I reached out and touched it. As soon as I made contact the thing lit up from the inside and she just lay there.”
Another sob ripped through me. The scene had left me feeling as if I had been kicked in the stomach by a mule. Taryk wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. I could feel him trying to calm me, but I just needed to get it out.
“She... She had blood on her. Right where I felt the pain when we saw her in the study. But otherwise she just looked like she was sleeping. She's not dead, because I could see her aura, but I couldn't get to her tapestry for some reason.”
Xavier and Yuri both looked concerned. Celeste sat quietly, her brows drawn together in thought.
“I tried to find a latch, or some sort of opening to get her out of there, but there was nothing. It looked like a solid piece. But there has to be a way in, and out, if they got her in there, right?”
I desperately needed someone to tell me we could get her out and take her home. That saving her from whatever fate they had sentenced her to would be possible.
“Take a deep breath, Everleigh.” Celeste attempted to calm me before continuing. “The positive news we have learned is that she is not dead. That means it may still be possible to save her. However, it will not be easy.”
“The dark crystal of the coffin sounds like the same material they attempted to imprison the dark mage within.” Xavier rubbed his hand against his outer thigh as he talked, a gesture he seemed to do only when his thoughts were occupied fully by something.
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