by Amy Bearce
Loud crunching in the woods warned of unwanted guests. Silently cursing, she aimed her bow toward the forest that ran along the edge of the open yard. They were far too exposed.
“Come on out. We know you’re there.” Nell hoped she sounded tougher than she felt.
Two men stepped out. One of them held a bulging cloth sack. “We’ve come to take him back.”
She knew that man. Donovan.
Nell bared her teeth at him. Rumor said he’d been kicked out of Port Iona’s dark alchemy crew when he failed to grab Phoebe. Looked like rumor was truth for once, and now he’d signed up with Jasper. Donovan only wanted to work where he could smash heads.
He once nearly broke Phoebe’s knee and traumatized her when she was traded to their crew. He’d come after Phoebe again a few months back, too, scaring her so much she ran into the ocean and almost died from that sea beast. As far as Nell was concerned, he deserved a lot of pain in return, even if she had given up such revenge. She growled and sighted down the arrow shaft at his face. Maybe if she just sliced off an ear…
Corbin put a hand on her arm, and she relaxed the string.
Donovan laughed at the gesture and threw the bag of coins at her feet. They jingled harshly in the quiet morning air.
She handed her bow and arrow to Corbin. After many lessons from her, he was a decent shot these days. Stepping forward to unlock Jasper, she said, “Don’t try anything or Corbin will shoot.”
Corbin furrowed his brow with a look of concentration, and within seconds, his fairy queen arrived to hover near his shoulder, her daffodil yellow wings a blur. Soft golden light shone from her, visible even in the morning sun. She was the size of a butterfly, shaped like a tiny human with elongated arms and legs. Long, silvery hair hung over her like a gossamer dress, and a delicate stinger protruded from the end of her torso.
“Grace, meet Jasper,” he said with a grim smile. “Jasper, meet Grace.”
The other men exchanged uneasy glances.
“Hey now, no need to threaten anyone like that,” Donovan said.
Fairy swarms had killed before. Nell’s father was a victim of one, years ago. Keepers had a powerful weapon for self-defense now that their queens obeyed them so well. One sting from a queen usually did the trick.
“Grace just likes to be near me,” Corbin replied, smiling at his queen.
Nell snickered at the men’s obvious discomfort.
With a quick caress to his face, Grace sat on Corbin’s shoulder. His keeper mark―a birthmark of fairy wings on the back of the neck―had not changed into a tangible, jewel-like tattoo as Sierra’s had. Even so, he said he could sense his fairy queen much clearer now, even without suffering a sting like Sierra had. Nell was glad. Few would have survived what Sierra did, and Nell had already lost enough to the fairies.
She turned back to focus on Jasper. A chill raced down her back at the intensity in his eyes. He’d never seen her be taken over by the voice, much less heard a warning like this one. The experience seemed to have changed his opinion of her potential value. She hadn’t survived this long without heeding warnings like the one that hummed in her blood now.
“Tell me about ‘the Dragon.’” Nell dangled the key from one finger.
“I already did. Let me go.”
“No, you told me his name: the Dragon. Not even a real name. Why is he called that?”
Jasper looked at the other men. They grinned and took a step forward. Corbin whispered to Grace, who flew in lazy loops over to Jasper and hovered right above the back of his neck. He went sheet-white.
Nell pursed her lips in appreciation of Corbin’s strategy. He’d never let Grace kill anyone, but Jasper didn’t know that.
Donovan said, “Now, you just wait a minute―”
“Stop,” Jasper commanded with a hoarse voice. “Do nothing. Say nothing.”
Sweat dripped from his nose, and he glared at the men until they backed up, hands lifted in the air. They stopped at the edge of the clearing.
“It doesn’t matter. They’ll see him soon enough anyway.” Resentment laced Jasper’s words like acid. “He wears a dragon mask over his face and never takes it off. No one knows why, and no one asks. He’s made such elixirs that you can’t imagine. His very touch holds magic. He says he’ll control all magical creatures, even the fiercest. I’ve seen it, too. His dragons, they aren’t like the others. You should fear him like you’ve never feared anything.”
“Why? What does he want?”
“What does any man want? Power. Unlike you, he has ambition. You may have kept the alchemists from taking our ports back for a time, but you didn’t step up to lead when you had the chance. Your loss, stupid girl.”
His words stung with the bite of truth she couldn’t deny. Oh, she prophesied. She’d had no choice in that. But when people had asked her to become their teacher, to ordain them as acolytes in her mission, she hadn’t. Her, with disciples learning at her feet? She shuddered at the thought. Sierra, the schemer, would be a better leader. Or Corbin the dreamer.
But the people had wanted Nell and the magical other-worldly voice. Every time she walked into town, crowds gazed at her with faces full of hope that made her feel guilty about her past and fearful of her future. She’d only let them down. It was just a matter of time. She was no priestess.
Jasper continued, as if he sensed he’d hit a sore spot, “You think I don’t hear things? How you cringe when people kiss your robes? The Dragon has plans to lead us. He demands respect and seizes it. And then we’ll take back the magic that’s ours. No more bending over backward for magical creatures that aren’t even human. We won’t be second-class citizens no more. He’s promised. We’ll be back in charge.”
“We?”
“Humans. But not you, little girl. He’s only sharing with those who kneel to him. You missed your chance. Besides, you’re not really human anymore anyway, are you, sweet thing?”
She narrowed her eyes. This conversation was over. She made quick work of the lock and the ropes, and Jasper stumbled to his feet. Without taking his eyes off her, he backed up to where his men waited at the forest’s edge.
“You’ll pay for this.” Jasper tugged his sleeves over the red marks left by the ropes. “The Dragon will make you suffer, and I’ll be sure I’m there to watch.”
Fury rising fast, Nell grabbed her bow back from Corbin and shot two arrows in a row, blurring with speed. Two thunks sounded as the arrows pinned Jasper to the tree, one arrow in each shirt sleeve.
Corbin sucked in a breath but didn’t say a word.
The same could not be said of Jasper, who shrieked, “You’ve cut me, stupid girl! I’m bleeding!”
“Barely, but I’ll fix that if you show your face here again. And keep your so-called Dragon away from me. Dragons are wild but noble creatures. This man’s just a scavenger who wants to prey on our world’s magic.”
“He’s going to be a new kind of leader, a strong one,” Jasper wheezed as the other two men pulled the arrows from the tree.
Nell stood straight and tall. She held her bow high, letting the sunlight flash against its polished surface, knowing the image she created was one of strength. “He’s going to be dead if he comes this way. I’ll shoot him down as easy as any other vulture.”
Jasper paled further, and with a last glare, he darted off into the woods, accompanied by his men. It was just as well the voice had a mission to send her on. She really needed to get out of the area for a while. But while she might secretly welcome a good, fierce battle, she didn’t want to put anyone else at risk. Especially not Corbin.
“We’ve got to talk to Sierra and the others right away. At least the voice gave us lots of information to work with this time,” Corbin said. As always when the voice spoke, his eyes sparkled with excitement and awe, but his frown showed concern about the message itself. It didn’t sound good. Then again, messages from the voice rarely did.
It was one thing for Jasper to make noises about this new threat. When
the voice gave a warning, though, she had to take it seriously. Change and more hard choices. A journey to the Ice-Locked Land would test all who went. And with or without a bunch of dragons, the Dragon himself sounded like no easy foe, even for Nell.
But who else would fight him? Sierra? Corbin? Phoebe? The thought made Nell snort. None of them were warriors. There was no shame in that, yet the voice said the sword of Aluvia could defeat the Dragon. A sword―and Nell would be the one who would fight him with it. She knew the stakes, and she had the ability.
For Nell, battle brought a ferocious joy―and victory, almost always. But to others, it could mean death, far too easily. She could lose the ones she loved in the blink of an eye, a truth she learned young and had never forgotten.
When Nell and Corbin set off to Tuathail, her mother and sisters promised to stay with Corbin’s parents once again if they had any problems. It helped Nell to know her family was as safe as possible when the voice called her away. The girls were big enough now to handle her frequent absences. In fact, they wouldn’t need Nell to care for them much longer. The thought left an empty pang in her belly.
With the immediate crisis of Jasper averted and no thoughts required for the hike, her mind returned to the strange voice she’d heard twice this morning. Or thought she’d heard. If anyone could understand what was going on, Corbin could. She cleared her throat.
“Uh, Corbin?” How to explain she’d ‘heard’ a special message, just for her? The voice had never done such a thing. Any way she tried to word it, she sounded insane.
Without slowing, he slipped his hand into hers. “Hey, I’m so proud of you. I know you wanted to attack those fools, but you let them go.”
She sighed. She was glad she’d let them go, too. Mostly.
“Although, I did want to ask…” He fidgeted with her thumb and looked at the ground as if seeking some sort of sign.
She stared down too but saw only brown pine needles amid clumps of springy green moss. She gulped and wondered if Corbin had somehow guessed she was off-kilter. Maybe she looked as crazy as she felt. She’d hoped to be the one to break it to him.
He continued, “I doubt Jasper was telling the whole truth about the Dragon, but this enemy must be deadly dangerous if we need a special sword to beat him. But… Have you considered that you might not be the one who should fight him?”
A hitch broke her smooth stride. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
She didn’t mention that her heart leapt at the idea of a battle. Corbin didn’t need to hear that part. Wouldn’t want to hear it.
“Just listen.” He faced her finally, and they stopped. Corbin took her other hand as well. “I understand why you have to go on the journey, why we all do. The voice guides you, not us. And you’re amazing with a blade, but lots of other people can use a sword. No one else can do what you do now. You have a sacred obligation as the voice of this messenger to keep yourself safe―”
“Stop it. Just stop it.” She pulled her hands free to poke him in the chest with a finger. “Sure, this voice talks through me, but I’m not just a puppet. I’m not giving up my whole life.”
“No one’s asking you to. We all know you don’t want to lead Aluvia.” His words held no judgment―just a simple statement of a fact she’d made perfectly clear.
“I don’t, but I’m not giving up the last four years of hard work because of some man with a dragon obsession. He could set us right back at the beginning, drain our world dry of magic, destroy everything. No doubt that’s why the voice spoke. If stopping him means I need to lead with a sword, so be it. None of us―no one else we trust―can fight like I can.”
They lapsed into silence, the awkwardness so painful she was ready to blurt out anything just to slip back into their comfortable place of boy-and-girl-in-love.
“I’m―sorry,” she said, not exactly sure what she was sorry for. It sure wasn’t for being a strong fighter. Maybe for not being enough of a peacekeeper? For not trusting him to take care of himself in a fight? Maybe she was just sorry she snapped at him.
“No. I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. You’re the best choice to wield the sword.” His voice was neutral, but he didn’t smile, she noted.
Corbin began walking again, tugging on her hand to pull her along. “What did you want to tell me?”
She hesitated, then fell into step again. She was suddenly not so sure what he’d think of those whispered words. A sword can be a bearer of peace. He’d fought battles when he’d had to, and she respected him for it. But he always believed there were better options than fighting.
“Oh. Nothing important,” she said.
He knew her past, no question, and accepted it. But what if her future wasn’t squeaky clean and lovely? Did he love her? Or did he love an idea of her?
She didn’t want to know. Not now. Life was hard enough without losing the best thing that had ever happened to her.
all grasses obscured the path to Tuathail. Without Flight business trafficking between the port and Sierra’s home, the wilderness had begun to reclaim it. It seemed fitting. Graceful ivy now covered the walls of their crumbling cottage, and Sierra’s fairies lived in the trees while dipping in and out of the house as they wished.
Corbin and Nell passed the empty pen on the corner of Sierra’s property where Sam, the unicorn, once stayed. He lived free in the forest now but still came around to visit. Queenie’s wee little fairies often played in his mane and rode along his back, but today the yard was quiet.
Corbin and Nell greeted Sierra at the door with a quick hug and headed to the table to talk. Phoebe, Sierra’s little sister, sat knitting by the empty hearth. Her simple sleeveless dress showed off the tattoos that swirled down her arms, reminding everyone just how deeply magic had touched her. Around her neck hung a gleaming mer-pearl, the one she’d used two months ago to warn the merfolk of danger. Though it no longer held power, the elders had given it to her in a golden setting to honor her sacrifice.
After Nell and Corbin explained the events of the morning, Sierra jumped up. “A fiery sword? By all the stars, are you joking?”
“Wish I were,” Nell muttered.
Corbin seemed to have shaken off the awkward conversation in the forest. He smiled in his excitement over the magic, even with a sword involved. Nell’s heart squeezed tight.
Sierra scowled. “This fairy keeper doesn’t know any stories about a flaming sword.”
Phoebe said, “It sounded to me like the voice was talking to Corbin, not you. Sorry.” She blew her sister a kiss.
Nell snickered.
Sierra rolled her eyes and asked him, “And do you know anything about it?”
Corbin shrugged. “It’s a legend. A sword forged by a secretive group that used some kind of powerful magic. That’s all I’ve ever heard, though I do know a bit about the Ice-Locked Lands. The mountains there are always covered with ice and snow, and some are so high they actually disappear into the clouds. Explorers have written about it, but no one’s ever reached the highest point of the mountains. And I have no idea what the Tree of Life is.”
While Sierra paced, Nell waited silently. She had nothing to offer in the realm of scholarly magical history.
“Does that mean the sword isn’t meant for a typical battle? But for some kind of magical one?” Sierra wondered.
“I’m just the messenger. I don’t know what it means, either.” Nell wished an interpretation came along with the voice. Being little more than a mouthpiece was beyond frustrating.
“Well, at least we know where to go, and what to get,” Sierra said. “We might not understand what speaks through Nell, but we know it’s always on our side. It sounds like we need to head to the Ice-Locked Lands right away.”
Corbin nodded. “Is Micah back yet? It would be helpful if he came with us. He knows a great deal of the history humans lost over the years.”
“He’s replenishing his magic in the mountains but will be back tonight. I’m sure he’
ll come.” Micah and Sierra hand-fasted two years ago, and they hoped to marry next spring. He returned to his home at least once every moon cycle in his natural shape of a faun to channel magic into himself, just as Phoebe’s partner, Tristan, had to return to the sea in his merfolk form regularly as well.
“I figured you’d all want to go,” Nell said. “But I’m just going to say this: Not all of you have to come. The voice may well guide me to this sword, but it’s going to be hard and I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of some message I was given.”
“Stop it,” said Corbin. “I keep telling you but you don’t seem to hear me: you’re not in this alone.”
Maybe not, but it felt like it sometimes. No one else had strange voices whispering in their minds or taking over their tongues. “All I’m saying is feel free to stay home this time. I think we all know I’m the best one to wield that sword against our enemy. But you all have lives, and you should get to live them.”
Corbin snapped, “You’re my life.”
All conversation ground to a halt. Nell blinked, opened her mouth, and shut it again. She and Corbin avoided saying such things. Times were just too uncertain to commit to a life together.
Besides, Nell had always secretly thought if she didn’t tie herself fully to him, maybe it would hurt less if she lost him one day. Right now, though, denying the depth of her feelings seemed foolish, especially since the thought of a life with Corbin made her knees weak and her pulse jittery.
“I just want everyone to be safe. That’s the most important thing.” Her voice was squeaky. She hated that.
“We’ll keep each other safe,” Corbin replied. A copper glow flushed his cheeks, and he wasn’t meeting her eyes. Definitely a bit embarrassed by his admission, but adorably so.
Relief warred with worry. His company would be welcome on this long, unknown path. But what if he got hurt? The risks of a harsh journey and dangerous enemy were serious. And she wasn’t sure Corbin could stand to watch her fight, which she intended to do. With pleasure. But she knew there was no way to keep him from her side.