by J. L. Weil
A ghost of sorrow crossed over my features, but I quickly masked it. They needed me to be strong, not weak. “How long was I gone for?”
A muscled feathered in Jase’s cheek. “Ten days.”
“What?” Had it been that long? I couldn’t prevent the shock or disbelief from leaking into my expression. “Are you sure?” My mind whirled. I knew I’d lost track of time, but ten days! How could that be? Had I really spent that much time in the void of nothingness?
“They were the longest days of our lives,” Zade confirmed as two girls shuffled in to clean up some of the breakfast dishes. “How did you escape?” he asked, once the five of us were alone again. His legs stretched out under the table as he sat back down, awaiting my answer.
My fingers traced with the rim of my coffee mug. “A goblin willowphased me,” I simply stated.
“A goblin,” Kieran echoed, shifting forward in the seat beside me. Something in his tone whispered astonishment.
“He appeared the night after…” The words got jumbled up in my throat, but I barreled on, propelling myself to continue. “… after she took my blood.” I settled on leaving out the bits about how she had precisely taken my blood. “A cloaked man was waiting for us somewhere in the Nameless Lands. He called himself ‘the wanderer’.”
That sparked suspicion in the descendants. “We’ve never heard of someone called the wanderer,” Issik replied wearily. They made it a point to know everything that went on in the Veil, including the people who lived here. The unknown of this possible ally wouldn’t sit well with any of them.
“He orchestrated my escape. I don’t know why, other than he knew about the stars, about what we are doing. He brought me to the edge of Crimson Kingdom, and told me to head straight for the castle. I ran, and you know the rest.”
The gold flecks in Zade’s eyes brightened, even from the end of the table. “We might need to seek out this wanderer, and find out what he knows about Tianna and her whereabouts. If he knew you were there and how to get you out, he knows what mountain she dwells in.”
The descendants launched into battle plans. I was too mentally out of it to hear much of what they were discussing. Only a few words popped out. Death. Revenge. War.
Kieran’s body stiffened beside me. “Now is the time to strike, when we have the element of surprise. If Olivia can lead us to the mountain, we can take it down around her.”
“You can’t,” I protested, my eyes volleying to each of the descendants, silently pleading with them. “She grows stronger as you weaken, it’s like she is stealing your powers.”
“Aye,” Kieran agreed. “You’re right. Some time ago we came to the same conclusion, but it doesn’t change what we must do.”
“A suicide mission? I won’t have it,” I argued. I couldn’t lose them. Refused to allow it.
“Two of us will search out this wanderer, and the other two will accompany Olivia to pursue the Star of Fire,” Jase instructed, taking his usual role as leader.
I tried to keep from grimacing. This was my role, the key to breaking the curse, and all I had to do was find four stones. It didn’t sound like a monumental task, except it was when I had no idea how to locate the stars. Even after recovering two of them, I was as dumbfounded as I had been when I arrived in the Veil. I needed help. I needed a visit from the women in white. Pronto.
Then I remembered what I’d learned about the women in white. They were their mothers. I opened my mouth to tell them, but clamped my jaw shut a moment later. Was it wise to convey? What if Tianna was listening? She would already know of our plans, know of the wanderer who helped me escape. This was a secret that might be best kept to myself, for all our sakes.
Issik frowned, his arms folded around his expansive chest. “It’s imperative we find the Star of Fire before Tianna.”
“We beat her at her own game,” Zade added.
“Eventually, we will kill her,” Jase concluded with a scary calm.
“And in the meantime, she has my blood,” I reminded. “What can she do with it? Why would she want it?” I asked the question that haunted me. My mind had already conjured a variety of nefarious dealings she could do with vials of my blood.
Jase rubbed at the scruff under his chin, his elbow resting on the arm of his chair. “Only a number of disconcerting things, but we don’t know. Blood was always the key to breaking the spell, so we can only assume it has an important part in her plan, whatever that may be.”
“She has tormented us for nearly a hundred years,” Kieran added, his shoulders tense. “We believe she was always after the power in the stars. When she struck our fathers down, she hadn’t anticipated the stars vanishing as they did, which prompted her curse. By putting our lives and our abilities at risk, she has forced us to unsheathe the power she desires.”
“If by chance Tianna got her hands on all four of the stars, she would not only be able to rule over the Veil, but other dimensions as well, including the human realm if she chose it,” Issik informed.
A gust of balmy wind blew in through the open doors, and even the air seemed unsettled at the idea of Tianna overtaking the world.
Jase brushed aside a strand of hair off his forehead. “There was a time before the war, when humankind knew of dragons, witches, magic, and all those other worlds now sealed off from ours. The five stones were separated, one given to each of the first dragon shifters, bestowing them each with the power of the stars. They were never intended for one person to wield all five.”
“Such power would be destructive,” Issik informed firmly.
A shudder went down my spine at the thought of someone like Tianna being in possession of the dragon stars. I’d been privy to a fraction of her cruelty and quest for world domination. My thoughts turned to my old life, and the people I had left behind when I came here. There were only a few I cared about. Outside of the Veil, I knew nothing about the other worlds, yet here we were. So many lives were at stake, more than just the dragons I loved. It was so much bigger than I had believed.
The tasks in front of me seemed daunting.
Jase rose from the table to hook a finger under my chin, lifting my hung face to meet his gaze. “You are not alone in this. And whether we’ve said it or not, we want you to know that you’re more important to us than the stars.”
My breath hitched, and I looked at each one of them to find only truth shimmering in their eyes. Swallowing the knot of emotion in my throat, I folded my hands in my lap. “What about the fifth star?” I inquired, my voice not yet steady.
“Its power was extinguished when Tobias, the last of his line, died,” Jase answered quietly.
“What is going to happen to me when I find the four stars?” It was a valid worry. Would the power of four stars be as potent as five, since the last had been destroyed? Would I be some kind of Omni-goddess? I didn’t want that kind of power granted to me, didn’t want to be responsible for the weight that came with it. Would I become a target? Would all sorts of power-seeking beings, like Tianna, hunt me for what I commanded?
The descendants shared a loaded look, one they often had when they were hiding something. “We don’t know,” Zade finally spoke.
His admission was like a gunshot to the chest. Great. I loved the unknown.
Chapter Eight
We disbanded after breakfast, Jase, Kieran, and Issik claiming they needed to check on their kingdoms, promising they would be back before dark. When I asked what I should do while they were gone, Jase only said one word. Rest.
I didn’t want to rest.
I’d go crazy cooped up in the castle alone, while the others tended to their lands. Zade had offered to give me a tour, and have me shadow him throughout the day—code for Zade was assigned babysitter duties. If I didn’t know better, I might think this was a well-composed tactic to keep me inside and safe, considering they had all denied my offers to come with them.
Zade went to speak with the staff and I called Kieran’s name, but the poison dragon’s steps
never faltered as he exited the room, feigning not to hear me.
He couldn’t avoid me forever.
Zade came up beside me, draping an arm around my shoulder. I realized then I’d been staring at the empty doorway, where the others had left. “They’ll be back,” he murmured near my ear, sending a blazing stream of hot air along my neck.
“I know,” I sighed, leaning into him, but it didn’t make it any easier, knowing they were out there alone. I worried.
“Asena will get you some fresh clothes, and deliver me to you when you’re ready.”
I snorted. Deliver him, like he was a piece of mail? Sometimes their choice of words threw me off guard. They were from a different world, and it was times like this when I was reminded of how different we were.
Asena appeared to be in her thirties, a curvy woman with shiny auburn hair. Her hazel eyes regarded me with friendliness as she slipped her hand under my elbow. The white apron she wore had a small splotch of raspberry on it, as if she’d just wiped her hands before emerging from the kitchen.
I let her lead me from the dining hall and through the corridors of gold and deep red, until we came to a large room on the third floor of the castle. My eyes roamed over the space, the champagne velvet settee, the shelves lined with fabrics of every color and texture, the soft dusty rose walls, and the rows of silky dresses. Opened mouthed, I stood inside the room while Asena flipped through one of the clothing racks.
She came back with a bundle of material draped over her arm. “I’m sure there’s something here that will fit you.”
Overwhelmed by the glitter and sequence, I took a seat in the plush chair. “Got anything that doesn’t sparkle?”
She returned a few minutes later, holding a simple sundress in a sunny pale yellow. The fabric was light and would keep me as cool as possible in the heat of Crimson. I ran my fingers over the clean, lovely material, grateful for anything that wasn’t covered in blood and dirt. I learned long before coming to the Veil what it was like to go without such finery. To go days without showering and have everything I owned shoved into one bag. It was a lifestyle I never wanted to go back to, but had taught me to appreciate simple things—like shampooed hair, and jeans without holes.
In a pair of embroidered slippers, I turned toward the door to hunt down Zade.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Asena’s voice immediately halted my movements.
My brows lifted at her.
“Sit,” she ordered, pointing to a cream-colored chair in front of a vanity.
She had the same tone my mom used to get, and out of habit, I automatically took a seat in the high back chair without question. Her fingers lifted the strands of my blonde hair off my shoulders, letting it tumble down my back. The first touch of her gentle fingers had me flinching, but I forced myself to stay still and relax, degree by slow degree. She picked a brush from the vanity painted with little rosebuds and made work at untangling the knots in my hair still messy from the bath. Not to mention my night with Issik and Zade.
Color came into my cheeks at the memory.
Asena clucked her tongue. “You’re nothing but bones.” She didn’t say it in a way to hurt me, but out of motherly concern. “It won’t be long before the cook has you filling out.”
“Thanks, I think,” I muttered. How much did the staff of Crimson know about me, about what I went through? I assumed that after having been brought here for the exact reason I had, they had more knowledge than I was comfortable sharing.
Twisting my hair into a pair of braids, she wound them into a crown on my head. “We’re happy to have you here, Olivia. You’ve given us hope.” She put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed.
I smiled, meeting her welcoming eyes in the mirror.
The fiery dragon was lounging on the corner of a massive oak desk when Asena returned me to the main floor. He was looking over what appeared to be a map as he sipped on a cup of coffee. His study was elegant but masculine.
I moseyed my way inside and plopped down on the deeply cushioned chair behind the desk, since he seemed content to sit on the piece of furniture. “Is this the Veil?” I asked.
He nodded. “It’s been so long since any of us has stepped foot in the Nameless Lands.”
Leaning forward in the chair, I glanced over the map, looking to the section where Zade had an index finger pressed. Lavadare. That had been the name of Tobias’s kingdom before Tianna killed him with her curse. “What if the wanderer doesn’t want to be found? He was old and didn’t seem interested in getting involved.”
“He involved himself the moment he helped you.”
True. “And what about Tianna? Isn’t it a risk to go to the Nameless Lands looking for him with her so close?”
“You won’t be going anywhere near the border,” he stated with a dark glower.
“That wasn’t what I asked,” I pointed out.
“I know, but this is the first time in almost a hundred years that we have a lead on her whereabouts. Before, she was impossible to track, blowing in and out of our lives with the wind. Her magic doesn’t leave a trail, not one that any of us can follow.”
“Do you think killing her would break the curse?” I pressed, swiveling left and right in the chair.
He shrugged. “I don’t believe it would hurt anything, but it would feel damn good.”
Fine, I couldn’t fault his logic. Especially when my own hands itched to wrap around her slender neck, and squeeze the life right out of her.
I spent the day with Zade, shadowing him, as he took care of a few kingdom matters. The castle was mesmerizing with its lustrous floors, handwoven fabrics, and impressive art pieces from paintings to pottery. Such luxury. It was late afternoon when he suggested we get some air, my tour of the grounds continuing while also giving him the opportunity to check on his lands, and me to hunt for the stone.
The others still hadn’t returned as we stepped out into the humid air, and I found myself overlooking a garden of bold colors and manicured hedges. Crimson was a slice of paradise hidden from the rest of the world.
But for how long?
Once I broke the curse, what kind of creatures would wander in?
“It’s more beautiful during the day,” I admitted, my eyes soaking up every detail for duel purposes. Not only was it a stunning view, but also somewhere out there laid the Star of Fire. The most obvious choice was the volcano. It was the heart of Crimson, figuratively and physically. So, if it was indeed inside the hotter than hell volcano, just how did I plan to retrieve it? Of one thing I was certain, lava would melt my skin off on contact.
The sun seemed to absorb into Zade’s golden skin as his twinkling eyes watched me. “Would like to go for a ride?”
I cut him a glance of eagerness. “Do you mean—?”
He was already taken off his shirt and his intention became clear. Those reddish-brown eyes brightened under the sun’s rays, and he let out a low laugh. “We can cover more ground in the air, and we could both use the release.”
I didn’t have to be asked twice. For a girl who’d always been deathly afraid of heights, who hated every roller coaster ever invented, the prospecting of flying on a dragon’s back gave me a zealous thrill. It didn’t make sense, but I imagined it had everything to do with the descendants that allowed me to conquer the phobia.
Fingers lengthened to black talons, reddish gold scales blanketed over every inch of skin, and lastly, his body stretched, shaping from man to dragon. I’d forgotten how huge they were in this form, forgotten the predator grace, and the leather-like wings. His nails clicked on the stone ground as he adjusted to his dragon body, working out any lingering kinks.
Soon, I was astride his dragon’s back, flying with the summer-shrouded heat. He kept us low, forgoing the mist of clouds. Below us, the world glided by, a land of lethal beauty. In between the lava rock and blades of vibrant grass, hibiscus and jasmine poked out their petals from the earth. We grew closer to Titan Mountain and my ears picked up the soun
d of lava gurgling.
My arms tightened around his muscular neck. “When was the last time that volcano erupted?”
“Fifty years, I believe.”
Tall, mighty, and alive, the volcano was magnificent, but I also respected its natural power. Nature had its own source of magic. “Do you think the star is inside?” Every bone in my body was pulling me into the center of Mother Nature’s fiercest beast.
Zade circled around the top of the volcano, smoke billowing up through the center. “I’ve considered it, yes.”
“My gut tells me it is in there,” I admitted.
“Should we check it out?” he mused.
“Are you serious? Is that safe?”
“You’re always safe with me.”
We were both driven by the ticking clock and curiosity. “Okay,” I agreed, tightening my legs around him, and steeling myself. Some risks outweighed the consequences.
“Hang on,” he instructed, but I was already clinging to him as if my life depended on it.
Blistering air blew over my face as he dived down into the steam, pulling right over the mouth of the volcano. Peering down, I saw that black, craggy rock lined the walls inside, and directly below us, a pool of bubbling lava glowed so brightly that my eyes burned. I clamped down on my lower lip to keep from crying out as the heat blasted me.
“We can’t hover long. It's not safe for you,” he advised, his voice sounding in my head.
I didn’t ask if it was dangerous for him. This land was a part of him and he of it, but another minute and I’d probably be barbeque. The hair on my arms was already singeing.
“Do you sense anything?” he asked hopefully. “See anything?”
“Yeah, buckets of hazardous lava,” I replied dryly.
His dark chuckle sounded in my head as he started to pull up again. My arms hugged his neck, securing myself when I heard my name.
“Olivia. Savior of dragons…” a voice I didn’t recognize spoke directly to me.
“Wait,” I called, placing a hand on Zade’s scaly neck. Something at my core nagged at me, beckoning me with a song that seemed to say, find me. Find me. I am waiting. The voice was much like how the descendants projected their thoughts, broadcasted in my head.