The Sapphire Manticore (The Lost Ancients Book 4)
Page 34
The king and queen shared a look for a few moments, and then both nodded. “You may go with our blessing. Those relics cannot stay with them.” The king briefly looked my way and gave a quick nod. I had a feeling he knew where the manticore relic was but wasn’t going to say it out loud.
The King faced Padraig again. “I ask that your friend Alric and his companion Taryn join you, and hopefully her flying companions.”
Alric nodded and I followed suit. Covey stepped forward and also bowed. “I will join them as well.”
Harlan looked uncomfortable, but Orenda stepped forward before he could say anything. “I fear for my people, your majesties. We are so isolated. We thought we were the only elves left. If this comes to my people, they will not be prepared. I must go back to them with as much proof as I can gather.”
The king smiled. “It is good to see that some of the lost ones not only survived but thrived. I can’t spare many, but I can send a scholar or two and a few guards.” He nodded to her knives. “But I doubt they will be needed.”
Harlan now stepped forward, but he looked at me. “I would go with her; after all, her people have only stories of my kind.”
“I send, too,” Garbage said. She and the rest of the twelve, plus a few dozen of the wild ones, were hovering around all of us. She waved her hand and four of the twelve flew over to Orenda and Harlan. “They protect you. Call us when you stuck.” She didn’t wait for Harlan’s response, just motioned forward another group, three this time. “These go for you.” She nodded to Qianru.
“Thank you, I think?” Qianru caught speechless was an amazing and yet scary thing. She watched the three faeries fly over her houseboys standing behind us. “I need to warn my people. The elves there—the good ones—must know of you and what we all face.”
Locksead nodded. “I’ll go with her.” He gave no reason, but Qianru seemed happy.
Tag, however was not. I’d assumed he’d come with us to the Spheres but he was watching the houseboys with longing.
“Might Tag, go along with you? He is an expert in many fields.” I winked at him. I still wasn’t sure why he left the south, but the life of a relic thief didn’t suit him.
At Qianru’s nod, he came and gave me a quick hug, and went to join her houseboys.
Garbage did not like that move at all and waved one of the faeries hovering over Harlan to join Qianru. “Now better.” She flew right up to the king and queen. “You have wilds, they watch, I keep these.” She gestured to the twenty or so faeries surrounding my remaining bunch. They were now all wearing overalls.
Someday I’d have to ask her where she got the overalls and flower petal caps she provided them all with.
“I needs more. Lots of troubles.” Her glare was aimed soundly at me.
The king let out a laugh. “Thank you, truth bringer. We will honor the wilds.”
Siabiane stepped forward. “I’ll be needed here, but I don’t think we can separate those two.” She looked to where Bunky and the gargoyle hovered overhead. “If no one objects, I’d send the gargoyle on with Bunky and Taryn.”
The gargoyle spun in a circle, and Bunky purred. I couldn’t say no to that.
***
It took two days to gather everything each of us would need for our trips. The chest of books and weapons was going with us. Padraig and Alric were well versed in the study of the Dark, if anyone could understand things in that chest without blowing us all up, it would be them.
We loaded two wagons—one for the four of us, the other for Orenda, Harlan and three elven academics—the guards insisted they would run alongside.
Qianru brought forward a huge wagon, not as fancy as the other one, but far larger and more practical.
Lorcan hovered around the royals, and then said his goodbyes to us.
With the wagons loaded, we all made our way back the way we’d come in. From there we’d go three separate ways.
In silence, we reached the edge of where the shield had been. Even though I knew why we needed to split up for now, I didn’t like it. The world was becoming very dark very fast, and the closest thing I had to family were these people, some of whom were about to leave me.
Harlan got off his wagon, and he and Covey came forward. “We will be okay. I promise you.” He looked to his new faery friends. “They can find you, and yours can find us. We will get through this, but it’s crucial we all do our parts.”
“You will meet us, right? After you recruit her people?” My group was probably in the most danger—we were chasing injured maniacs, very powerful ones who had a bunch of very dangerous relics. I was with two powerful magic users and a potential berserker—I still couldn’t say I liked those odds.
However, Harlan, Orenda, even Qianru, Locksead, and Tag were where my worry lay.
Harlan engulfed me in a gigantic hug. “We will meet you where we discussed. We have to be okay, all of us. They might have gotten away, but we will stop them all.”
Alric came forward and squeezed my shoulder. “We need to go.” When I pulled back, he shook hands with Harlan who grabbed him in a hug as well.
“Keep her safe.” I think Harlan meant to whisper it, but he never was good at that.
Garbage buzzed in low. “We do.”
With that, we turned toward the south, and the Spheres.
The End
Dear Reader,
Thank you for joining Taryn, Alric, and the faeries in the fourth book of the six book series—The Lost Ancients. We all really appreciate when folks come to play in “our” world, and hope you enjoyed it too.
This series will continue with THE GOLDEN BASILISK in late 2017.
If you’re also interested in a little bit of space opera, please check out the first book in The Asarlaí Wars trilogy- WARRIOR WENCH.
I really appreciate each and every one of you so please keep in touch. You can find me at www.marieandreas.com.
And please feel free to email me directly at Marie@marieandreas.com as well, I love to hear from readers!
If you enjoyed this book (or any book for that matter ;)) please spread the word! Positive reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and blogs are like emotional gold to any writer and mean more than you know.
Thank you again, and we all hope to see you back here in THE GOLDEN BASILISK!
Marie
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marie is a fantasy and science fiction reader with a serious writing addiction. If she wasn’t writing about all of the people in her head, she’d be lurking about coffee shops annoying innocent passer-by with her stories. So really, writing is a way of saving the masses. She lives in Southern California and is currently owned by two very faery-minded cats. And yes, sometimes they race.
When not saving the general populace from coffee shop shenanigans, Marie likes to visit the UK and keeps hoping someone will give her a nice summer home in the Forest of Dean.
THE SAPPHIRE MANTICORE
SUBTITLE: THE LOST ANCIENTS: BOOK FOUR
Published by Marie Andreas
Copyright © 2017 by Marie Andreas
First Edition
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