The Ghost, The Dragon, and The Lost King (Fated Chronicles Book 4)

by Humphrey Quinn

  “Ivan really didn’t tell you,” Billie questioned.

  “No. And I did not ask him to. I don’t need to, because I trust him. And I trust him to come home to me as soon as he is able.” Her silent statement, you will all just have to do the same.

  “And regardless of what they are doing, there is a war coming,” Kanda reminded. “One we will all be part of in some way.”

  Billie scoffed. “A ragtag team of fighters against Jurekai Fazendiin and Juliska Blackwell, and who knows what else they’ve got planned.”

  Nashua took offense at that. “We do not like war, but we are well trained for it, just the same.”

  “There’s not that many of you. And the rest of us; potions belts slung over our shoulders do not soldiers create.”

  Billie had a point there. Their training was basic, at best. They were brave, and ready, but that didn’t stand up to real trained warriors like the Stripers. Or Fazendiin. Or the Scratchers.

  They had to hope the prophecy was right when it said balance would be restored. And prayed it was for the side of good.

  CHAPTER 38

  Freyne Rothrock’s home was not what Colin and Catrina expected.

  They had found the place easily enough. And supposed, it was actually quite perfect for someone who wanted to live a solitary life; a no longer in use lighthouse off the coast of Maine that was not near anything. It sat on a not so big island that was mostly rocks and shoreline. No trees to break the bitter winter winds of the Atlantic.

  However, inside, it was surprisingly comfortable and warm, especially once Colin magicked them a fire and got the temperature up. They hadn’t explored far and the space wasn’t all that expansive.

  In a way, it was all too easy. They found the lighthouse, and then Jasper’s book, just sitting on an old scratched up wooden table. Like it was no big thing. Like it hadn’t been a part of a person at one point in time. And disappointingly, Jasper’s Magicante did not speak. Not like Colin’s first one had. He’d take a cranky Jasper over none, any day. There was a part of him that was hoping to hear his mentor’s voice again. It would almost be like having him there, even in some small way.

  But at least they had the book in their possession.

  No one else could use it.

  Catrina glanced at an urn not far away. It seemed an odd thing for the Grosvenor to have around. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth fell open.

  “What?”

  “I can’t be sure, but,” she pointed, not really wanting to say it aloud.

  Colin moaned and checked it out. Let his magic investigate what was in the urn.

  Sure enough, it was the bone dust of a Projector. What was left of Jasper Thorndike. Had to be. Freyne had not used all of it in creating the cage he’d kept Catrina a prisoner in.

  And that stuff was poisonous to Colin. He used magic to wrap the urn securely, until they figured out what to do with it. Sickeningly, he wondered whether they shouldn’t keep it around just in case he went mad with power. Catrina would have some way of stopping him. Or imprisoning him.

  They left it on the table next to the book. Both now belonged to them. They returned to the fireplace and snuggled up on the floor close by. Colin magicked them some breakfast.

  “At least my magic keeps us from having to carry around a lot of luggage.”

  Catrina slurped up some soup and tried not to smile and spill it. “Handy,” she agreed.

  “What do you think about staying here for a few days?” he asked, drinking down a sip of his own.

  “Do you think it’s safe? It’s certainly remote enough. Not going to run into any people here.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. Freyne had to camp out here for a reason. He wasn’t exactly a social person.”

  “No. He was not. And the other Grosvenor are gone. I can’t imagine many knew where he lived. Or that anyone would be searching for him now that he’s dead.”

  “But there is Fazendiin. I’m sure he knows about this place. I suppose it’s safe as anywhere, I guess.”

  Catrina shuddered. “Still, there’s something creepy about staying where a maniac lived.” Cold winds ravaged against the lighthouse outside, making it feel cold even though inside, it was not.

  “It’s remote, which is good for us. It’s cut off from the outside world. A little more so than we’ve done before.” It left them both feeling a little safer, and yet, somehow, overwhelmingly alone.

  “It’s probably just knowing who lived here. At least in Boston, I could look out a window and see life going on out there. Even if we were not allowed to take part in it. Here, it’s a bit like we’re on the edge of the world.”

  “It could definitely use some cheering up. I think we can do better than this.”

  “Are you sure? I’m all for some cheer. But I don’t want you to stretch yourself for unnecessary reasons.”

  “I’m feeling good. I can handle this one.” Colin closed his eyes, picturing the lighthouse and what it must have looked like when it was first built, and lived in. Catrina gasped, and he smiled, opening his eyes to what he’d created. “Much homier now.” The old wood made fresh and new again. There were rugs, comfy furniture, and although still a bit dark, there was a new brightness that did lighten her feeling of aloneness. And gloom.

  “How long do you think we can safely stay here?” she asked him.

  “I was wondering about that myself. I’m guessing no more than a few days in any one place, no matter how remote or safe it might appear. Better to keep on the move.”

  “Any ideas for where our next move will be?”

  “Actually, yes. But I’m also not sure it’s safe.” She waited for him to explain. “I was thinking of going to the orphanage where I was found as a baby.”

  “You think they might have some information about your parents? Wait, didn’t it burn down?”

  “Yes, which is why it’s probably a waste of time. But, I can’t explain it, I just… want to go there.” He shook his head like he did not understand why.

  “It’s where your mother left you, and where your new life started. It’s where you ended up gaining a sister. It connects you to your past.”

  “I guess you’re not the only one feeling a bit disconnected from your family.”

  “Your disconnect is a little larger though. I think it’s worth a visit. We can stay cloaked. We will be careful. You never know, you might find out something. It’s a place to start at least. It does make sense to go there.” Catrina grabbed his hand. He pulled her in closer.

  “Okay. We’ll go. But not today. You need to get some rest. It’s quiet here.” He was getting worried that she was not sleeping well, and holding back how badly she was worried about her family. And though this place felt remote and safe, he was not certain at all. But other than checking out the orphanage, he honestly didn’t know where else to go. He was suspecting from here on out, it would have to be places he’d never been. Places that had nothing at all to do with the world of magic.

  Colin pulled a blanket up around them, snuggling Catrina into it. He stared down at her as she nestled in. Whatever he did, he’d not do anything to put her in danger. She was in enough, just being with him.

  “Try to sleep, too, Colin,” she mumbled through a yawn. “Your sighs are getting pretty loud.”

  He chuckled. Earlier, that had been her, and how he’d awakened.

  “You know what, this floor isn’t comfortable enough.” Catrina needed more than a hard cement floor with a rug on it, or him to lean on. He stared at the sofa, deciding they had no use for that, and voila, it was gone, replaced by a bed. It took up a lot of space, but it didn’t matter. Colin helped Catrina slip under the covers. He sat on the edge, pleased with himself. This wasn’t a bad bit of magic. And he felt no ill effects from doing it. He darkened the windows, blocking the gray outside from coming in. It was strange to go to bed after breakfast, but they’d not been in one place long enough to rest properly, in a long time. Boston was as close as they’d go
tten and Catrina hadn’t slept there much at all.

  “Colin.”

  “Yeah.” He twisted to see her.

  “Come to bed. Try to sleep.”

  “In the same bed, with you,” he stammered out.

  She laughed, shyly. “What’s the difference if we snuggle up together on a hard cement floor, or in a comfortable bed?”

  To him, there was a lot of difference. He supposed in the end, it was the same, but…

  “Don’t think. Just rest. Come here,” she ordered him. She pulled the covers back and made him climb in. They’d never done this before and for reasons he could not put into words, it scared him to death.

  He slid underneath the covers and she pulled them up over them both.

  “Shh,” she whispered. She leaned in and kissed him gently. “See. The same. Nothing to be afraid of.”

  “If you were in my mind right now, you might not think that.”

  “Is it too much for you?” Concern crept in her sleepy gaze.

  “No,” he told her hastily. “No.” Suddenly, he wouldn’t get out of this bed unless it was life or death. Catrina rolled over and snuggled into him, and that was possibly the best thing, ever. Life could stop and get stuck right here and he’d be forever happy. He stroked her hair and listened as her breaths calmed. He leaned in and smelled her silver hair, branding that into his memory.

  Sleep wasn’t going to happen though. He’d slept well the night before, she had not. And didn’t care if it was still morning. They were not living by anyone else’s rules, only theirs.

  He pulled himself up and propped up on a pillow and she moved so her head was on his stomach. That was perfect. She could sleep. He’d think. He tucked her in and wrapped his arm around her.

  She was right there, next to him. She was safe. And the next minute later he was so at peace with it all his head leaned back against the wall, and he fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 39

  Juliska Blackwell spun around at the sound of her host finally arriving to greet her.

  “Ah, fiery, as always,” Fazendiin chuckled darkly. She resembled an engine ready to blow flames out of her ears. This would be a needed reminder of who was in charge, he decided.

  “I have revenge to attend to,” she reminded coldly. “And we had a deal.” Her words were poignant and telling.

  “I am regretful of what happened. My son can be decisive, when needed.” And he did not see that as a fault, or problem.

  “He couldn’t just take her prisoner? Hand her over to me? You promised me Amelia Cobb.”

  “There was nothing I could do. Her death was warranted at the time.”

  “It was supposed to be by my hands. Mine.”

  “Amelia, is not why you are here, Juliska.”

  She straightened herself, the cold stare remaining. “Why am I here?”

  “Because I’ve had to adjust some plans. And you know I do not communicate other than in person. And it’s been a long time. We need to catch up.” The Grosvenor’s gaze penetrated hers, and he saw it, the smallest of flinches no other person would catch. She had the seed of doubt swimming around, trying to grow roots. This could not happen. He hoped Tanzea was out taking care of their Colin and Catrina problem, because he was too close to the end now, to lose this vital tool he had at his disposal, in Juliska.

  “I cannot hand you Amelia. And for that, I am truly sorry. You’ve already suffered more than one woman should. However, I can give you, something.”

  She waited for him to explain.

  “I can give you the Banished. Arnon Jacoby. I can give you Kanda Macawi. Nashua. The Tunkapog.” There was an eager gleam in her eye.

  “Why now? Why not sooner?”

  “Because now, I need their magic. Everything in its time and place.”

  “What’s with all the broken glass?” she changed the subject. She’d seen old Basil the caretaker out in the hall cleaning it up. He wasn’t looking so good. Nearing his death, she imagined, but somehow still raring to go even if his body had other intentions.

  “My teenage son, happened. Even I, as it seems, cannot predict, everything. But it’s of no matter.”

  “He freed your mother,” she surmised. Juliska had learned the truth years ago. The real story of how Aloyna had ended up cursed and in the glass. A stab of some feeling she could not place made her wince ever so slightly.

  “Juliska.” Fazendiin’s voice reached her in a manner in which warned they were treading on dangerous waters. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  “About what?”

  “Anything? Everything?”

  She stared him down, not entirely sure what he meant by that.

  “Do you still want revenge on those who snuffed out the life of your child?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “I sense doubt.”

  “There is none,” she insisted.

  “Very well. You know where your room is.”

  “I’m to stay here?”

  “For a time. I’m going to need your help with a little project. And then you’ll be free to return to the island, and finish out whatever revenge you see fit upon those who have wronged you.”

  “Will my island still be intact when I return? Or will your son take all those lives into his own hands as well?” her words slid out bitterly.

  “Colby has recently solidified his allegiance. You don’t have to worry about my son.”

  Her gaze claimed, I’ll believe it when I see it. There was something else strange going on around here. Something that made her uncertain about staying. He was keeping her for a reason, but it felt more like, keeping her out of the way. And she did not enjoy that one bit. She wasn’t the naïve young woman who’d first come here as his prisoner. So why was he reverting to treating her as such?

  But in the end, this was Fazendiin’s estate and his plans; she was merely a willing passenger who’d get her revenge along the way. She flattened her gaze, accepting the momentary visitation as necessary.

  “What is the project?” She’d see it done sooner, than later.

  “I need to borrow something, in order to solidify my agreement with KarNavan.”

  “What agreement have you made?”

  Fazendiin replied with a sly grin. “A good one.”

  “I can’t for the life of me guess what it is of mine, you need to borrow.”

  There was a dark chuckle at her wording, but he said nothing. Not just yet.

  “I will be in my room, waiting.” Like an obedient child, she added under her breath in snide humiliation.

  “Don’t worry about getting too comfortable,” he told her. “It won’t be too long a wait.”

  Which meant she was being sent away to keep her from wandering around in the meantime. She supposed there was nothing to be done about it. Fazendiin would borrow whatever he wanted to, and after, she’d go after her revenge.

  CHAPTER 40

  It had been one of the longest nights of her life. After a few hours snuggling on the bed, but neither falling asleep, Meghan and Sebastien had proceeded to take turns attempting to rest, but mostly took turns pacing the room. They didn’t have enough knowledge of past events to figure out why she’d been sent to this time. Only that they were at the cusp of the great Stone War, and its end. Or, delay, seeing as it never truly ended.

  She had what she recalled from her blood vision, the one she’d traveled with Colin and Colby when they’d first freed Alyona from the glass. Which was about the prophecy of the three immortal children, and how her grandmother had come to be cursed into the glass, by Fazendiin himself, right after the battle in which the nine Grosvenor had been created.

  There was the little bit she’d gotten from what she’d seen in Colin’s mind, when they’d finally caught up with each other after his time with Jasper. Which really only added that Jasper and others had fought in this battle to stop the Immortality Stone from being created, but only partially succeeded. But then they were able to steal the Stone and hide it. Which a
s it turns out was her father’s intention all along. Let someone else babysit the thing.

  But in her blood vision she’d seen Aloyna and Jasper discuss the prophecy.

  So when did she come around to making it up, and implementing it? It seemed like they were running out of time for it to happen.

  She sprung upward in frustration, sitting on the edge of the bed, having laid down with the full knowledge she’d not sleep.

  “What?” Sebastien stopped pacing and grabbed a seat at the end of the bed.

  “I keep coming back to the fact that the Immortality Stone hasn’t been created yet.”

  “And the potential of keeping it that way.”

  “What if we could change history? Make it so the Immortality Stone was never created?”

  Sebastien sank into the mattress a little deeper. “I’ve been thinking about it too. What it would mean if that one moment never happened?”

  “It would mean the future would be rewritten. And my first thought is, who the hell am I to even try such a thing? My second thought is, who else could? My third thought is, neither of us, or anyone we know and love, might even be born, or exist, if we do it. Most especially, me. Or Colin, or Colby. Because there’d never be a prophecy. And my last thought is, even if we were able to foil the creation, chances are that would not stop my father, only delay him.”

  “Which means we might change the future, but to what? And is trying, worth it? And would be destroying something we shouldn’t, only going to make it worse?”

  “Can you imagine, Sebastien, going back to our time, and not knowing what to expect, or if we’d even be?”

  “That’s a mind tumble, or ten. And say we even decide to attempt this crazy notion, how? How would we stop it?”

  Meghan got up and left the room. Sebastien was right behind her. They were not surprised to find Aloyna, Jasper, and Robert at the table with a stack of papers and notes and maps.

  They stopped and smiled, grimly.