by Ben Alderson
“Got it,” Nyah said.
I didn’t know much about Morthi and their magick, but as we walked, Cristilia moved her hands in circular motions before us. We passed unnoticed through the western city, following a path in the trees to the north.
“Do you travel like this a lot?” Nyah asked.
“Only when I need to.”
We reached the primary pathway of the city and began our descent to the lower level of Kandilin. We walked down the winding walkway that roped around one of the largest trees in this part of the city. Spinning vines wrapped around the railing and pink flowers swayed in the occasional wind. The closer we got to the ground, the thicker the vines seemed to be. We passed many glowing windows of homes etched into the very tree itself, yet still, no one noticed us as we moved passed.
My legs ached by the time we reached the main entrance to the city. The long walk was tiresome. Nyah squeezed my hand as we closed in on it.
Countless guards and soldiers patrolled the gates. This must have been the most guarded part of the town. How would we pass unseen?
Cristilia’s hands moved faster in frantic gestures, and she didn’t stop walking. She reached the gate first and faded straight through it as if she was nothing more than a shadow. Nyah squeezed my hand tighter as I kept up my pace, and we passed through after her. I closed my eyes, expecting to slam straight into it and ruin our disguise, but I didn’t.
A cold rush passed throughout my body, and I came out the other end, Nyah still holding on tightly to my hand.
Cristilia turned to look over her shoulder and smiled, her hands still moving.
The way she bent the night around us was incredible and terrifying.
Once we reached the forest, I looked up. The city was invisible above the dense canopy that covered the entire sky above. The grass came up to my waist, and the many thick trunks meant we had to squeeze through tight gaps to get past. After a few minutes of walking, Cristilia dropped her hands and the faint shadow of night around us disappeared.
“Do not stray. We still have a way to walk.”
We finally came to a stop at the side of a small ravine. The water gushed down the narrow stream and carried on with its journey. Silver scales flashed in the dark water, dancing around reeds and rocks that jutted from the water’s surface.
“Where is he being kept?” Nyah asked, stepping forward and scanning the area. “I feel no emotion here.”
Cristilia just pointed to a cluster of boulders nestled behind hanging vines to the side of the ravine. I didn’t notice it before, but as I looked closer, I could see a faint light glowing through the vines. “We will find Prince Hadrian through there.”
“I don’t like this," I said.
“Please, trust me. Prince Hadrian is there in the baths. He is waiting for you. You sense no emotion, empath, because the crystals block it.”
Pushing the vines to the side, she disappeared into the cave's opening.
“If this is an ambush we’ve been lead into, I am going to be so angry with you,” Nyah said.
I raised my hands. “Don’t blame me. You were just as keen to follow her."
Nyah went first, moving cautiously towards the cave. "What can I say? I love an adventure. Especially when they're laced with a possibility of danger." She winked and faded into the mouth of the cave.
The entire cave glowed with golden light. Small crystals protruded from the rock walls, lighting the way as we followed the curving walkway inside. Soon, the narrow walkway opened up, and I saw the many pools of water, each reflecting silver ripples onto the ceiling.
Cristilia was standing ahead of us, talking to the two robed figures who both waded in a pool waist deep. Unlike the rest, this particular pool of water was lit with a dancing blue light.
The source of that light was Hadrian, who sat between the figures. He looked straight at me.
“Leave him with us,” Cristilia hushed, gesturing for the two figures, who promptly listened. They climbed out of the pool in a daze and left, all without sparing Nyah and me a single glance.
Cristilia waved us forward while she whispered to Hadrian.
I forced a smile, but he did not return it.
It was impossible not to notice the glow that seeped from his naked body. Blue flames burned beneath Hadrian’s skin. The same flames that devoured the council hall. The same flames that were imprinted in the back of my mind every time I blinked.
“Does it hurt?” My question echoed across the cave. I silently scolded myself for asking that first before saying anything else.
Hadrian shook his head twice.
“Heartfire doesn’t hurt the user.” Cristilia’s childlike voice echoed across the low-ceiling space. She was equally mesmerized by the flames beneath his skin.
“This is Heartfire?”
She nodded, her eyes closed. “It pains me to say, and I know the council do not like the possibilities that come with this, but yes, Hadrian has connected to his Heartfire.”
Hadrian didn’t react as she spoke of the Heartfire. His arms moved slowly in the water, keeping him upright.
“What does this mean?”
“It means many things. The Druid’s power affected him greatly. However, he is a risk to himself and those around him just as Kazmir said, even if she wants to keep pretending she does not know what this is.”
"Hadrian, how are you feeling?” I asked, voice shaking.
Hadrian stood from the pool and took three steps to get out. He was shirtless, his trousers wet and clinging to the curved muscles in his legs. He stepped towards the edge of the cave and picked up a white tunic that hung from a crystal on the wall.
"Better." His voice was cold as he buttoned the tunic up.
“If the Druid is now connected to Hadrian what does this mean?” Nyah questioned. "No offense, but it sounds intense to me."
“You must understand what it means,” Cristilia answered. “When the Druids created the Dragori, and the Goddess Dalibael took them away as punishment, she missed something important. A final link in the chain that tethers the Dragori to their original masters—Heart Magick. It is a warped power that causes destruction and is activated by an unknown force only the Druids retain. Expired histories say it was a linked between the Dragori and the Druids themselves. The Goddess missed this imperfection and almost lost the Dragori in the Druids final fall. But she was able to cease the power and keep it buried. It saddens me to see it come to life as it once had before.”
My mind raced as she spoke. Not once had Gallion nor the book mentioned anything regarding Heart Magick. Why should I believe the words of an outspoken Morthi?
“If this is true, then why has Hadrian been affected by this if the Goddess herself removed this power?” It made no sense. Her power was greater than any, even the Druid's.
Cristilia turned to me with a pained expression, placing two gentle hands on my shoulders. “I do not have all the answers, Zacriah. I only know as much as the council.”
Then she turned to Hadrian. "Prince Hadrian, my suggestion for you is to leave your fire alone. I must speak with the council. If we have a chance at finding the cure, then we need them on our side."
A cure?
Hadrian nodded. "May I ask a favor of you?
"Of course, Prince." Cristilia tipped her head.
"Leave me with Zacriah. It has been many days since I have shared a private word, and I must admit, I cannot wait another moment."
His words made the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention.
“Yes, thanks, Cristilia.” Nyah smiled.
"That goes for you too, Nyah," Hadrian said.
"It is good to see you back to your normal... self," Nyah replied. "Cristilia, I guess I'm following you."
“We shall wait for you outside. I must take Zacriah and Nyah back into the town soon, but I will let you have a quick word.”
In the excitement of finally having time with Hadrian, I had almost passed it off as nothing important.
“Wait!” I called as Cristilia almost left from view. She stopped with her back to me, not turning around. “You said there is a cure.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and she released a long breath. “The Staff of Light. It was a physical replication of the Goddess’s power; only it can burn away such power as it once had before.”
"Where is it?" I asked. "Is it kept in Lilioira?"
"That is the only problem, Zacriah; it has been many years since the Staff of Light's name has crept up in books and history. Let me speak with the council. Penna may know of its origins."
With her final word she left me with more questions ready on my lips.
“Hadrian…” I whispered, turning back to him.
He stood right before me, blue flame lit beneath his skin. I did not hear him step close to me as I spoke to Cristilia, and seeing him this close stole my breath.
“Hello, Petal,” he replied, his hands warm as he cupped my face.
I laughed, a tear slipping from my eyes. Seeing Hadrian awake was more rewarding than anything we’d been through thus far. “Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?” I asked, mesmerized by the dancing glow beneath his skin. I ran a finger down his neck.
"I feel nothing but relief for seeing you." Hadrian's voice was rough from the days of not using it.
“You destroyed the council hall...” It all came spilling out of me. I told him of the Queen's visit, and the distrust the council had towards us.
“I told you I didn’t want to stay there…” He winked, the whites of his eyes slightly yellow.
I choked on a sob. “Can you ever be serious?”
“I know what I’ve done. I couldn’t stop it.” He raised his hand before my face, the blue light only increasing beneath his skin.
“Cristilia told me Emaline came to see you.”
He nodded, looking down. “She did. And with her visit came a lot of news that I had, until then, not known about. When do you think they would have told me about the Druid's survival? Or that there is a strong possibility my father is still alive?"
I cringed at the mention of his father. “I tried to warn them. I wanted to tell you but the... the council had me swear not to. They said it was best for you.”
“I must return to Olderim and take up my place as Prince for my people. They cannot keep me here any longer. Emaline said the Druid is missing, but what does that mean for my father? Is he dead or still out there?” He ran a hand over his shaved head, and over the raised red scars from the gold cage. The healers had tried to fix them, but the stubborn marks would not fade.
“They won’t let you leave,” I said.
His head cocked to the side. “I trust that you of all people will support my choice in returning home. Once Queen Kathine arrives, I’ll inform the council that we are to leave, and that is final. We may be on Eldnol soil, but I am still your Prince. Queen Kathine has no say over the doings of Niraen elves.”
He walked past me, and I grabbed hold of his hand, tugging him back. “I want nothing more than to help you, Hadrian, but you still don’t know everything. The Druid may be missing, but his presence is still crawling across the land. We cannot just leave; you know what this means for us.”
“I don’t think you understand just how serious I am.” With each word his hand grew hotter in mine. “I will leave with Queen Kathine’s permission or not. I just hope you come with me.”
As if Hadrian couldn’t take another moment, he dropped my hand and left the cave.
I GROWLED INTO my hands, a mix of emotions racing through me. I understood his frustration, but this reaction was uncalled for. Kicking out at the wall closest to me, I released some tension before I chased after him.
Cristilia and Nyah stood beyond the mouth of the cave, but Hadrian was not with them. Nyah pointed towards the forest ahead of us, and my eyes picked up the faint blue glow bobbing in and out of the darkness.
“Go speak to him but stay out of view. Remember, you are not to be here.” Cristilia’s words of warning echoed in my mind as I followed after Hadrian.
And he knew I was chasing.
He looked back over his shoulder, his golden eyes catching my gaze, but he didn’t stop.
I stayed a few paces behind, unsure what to say. It’d been two weeks since the battle of the ship, not enough time to forget what had happened.
My lungs burned as I picked up my pace into a run. I thanked the Goddess for his Heartfire; it was the only way I was able to keep up with him and not lose him in the dark of the forest.
There was this unspoken tension between us and had been since the incident with the Druid. I left awkward in his presence, pushed away from him by the secrets I was forced to keep. The guilt had burrowed so far into my stomach, it would be hard to weed out.
“Hadrian, we need to talk,” I called out. "You can't just run off when you find something difficult."
“I find conversations that start with those five words never end well,” Hadrian called back at me, slowing his run to a walk.
“Then is it not best we get it over with?”
Hadrian replied weakly, “Not yet.”
“So, are you planning on just walking around all night?” I asked, breathless and frustrated.
“No…” His reply dripped with mischief. “Walking is not as fun as flying.”
Hadrian shifted within the blink of an eye. He stood taller before me, his ram-like horns at the sides of his head and bat-like wings curled around him.
“What do you think? Fancy joining me?” Hadrian’s voice was deeper than usual and had a slight growl.
He knew the coven of empaths had unblocked the link between my Dragori state but had still not seen me in my secondary form. I’d only shifted twice, once with the coven and today during the ambush. Both times were out of my control.
“I don’t think I can.”
“Well, if you want to talk to me, you are going to have to learn quickly.”
Hadrian bent his legs and was airborne in seconds. He hung before me, his wings beating night air upon me with a devilish smile painted on his face. Black scales reflected the firelight from the closest lit post, which made it look like rough cut diamonds on his skin. For a moment, I was mesmerized. A gust of wind made my eyes water as Hadrian shot up into the air with a great force.
“Ahh.” My complaint echoed around me.
I looked up, trying to spot where he was but saw nothing.
“Focus.” I closed my eyes and opened my mind to the change. “Come on, come on.”
It resisted at first, but the more I focused and pulled, the animalistic feeling within turned in acceptance. It was growling in the pit of my body, waiting for me to take control. Waiting for me to give it release.
It didn’t hurt as much as it had this morning. A rippling sensation, as if the air in my lungs burst across every part of my body. I kept my eyes shut until the feeling ceased, and the night air around me relaxed. Flashes of bright silver lit up behind my eyes. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know It had worked.
I looked up into the waiting dark towards the last place I saw Hadrian. All it took was a thought, and the muscles in my back followed my command. My wind brushed against my boots as the ground fell away.
There was a flash of blue in the sky above me, a sign from Hadrian who hid within the branches of a nearby tree. I could hear his laughter.
I flew for him, dodging a reaching branch that materialized before me.
“If we get caught—” I began, but Hadrian interrupted.
“I don’t think I can be in any more trouble. Now, let's see if you can keep up, Petal.”
He jumped from the tree and flew skyward. I followed closely, pushing my wings to new speeds as Hadrian stayed ahead. The ground was far below now, almost invisible through the thick night.
Up, up we flew, closer to the wall of canopy. Hadrian burst through it first. I closed my eyes and raised my hands to shield me from the foliage but came through unmarked.
Hadrian hovered ab
ove the crown of trees. There was nothing but night sky around us. I came to his side and kept aloft, stunned by the beauty. Clouds speckled the night sky, moving slowly before the moon, which seemed even more prominent from such a height. There was a chill in the air, but it didn't bother me, not with Hadrian's warm body beside mine.
“This is incredible,” I said, my eyes trained to the never-ending sea of treetops beneath us.
“I am glad I get to share this with you,” Hadrian said. “Finally.”
I turned and faced him, my wings moving in time to keep my balance. “You have been thinking about this?”
“Ever since I first took you flying, I have thirsted for it again.”
I remembered that day when he took me to the fields away from Olderim and showed me his beastly form; how he held me close to his chest and explored the skies with me.
“I meant what I said back in there. Returning home is the second most important thing to me at this moment.” His comment brought me back to the moment.
"And what is the first?" I questioned quietly.
A clawed hand reached for mine and held on. "You."
I squeezed his hand. "I can’t tell you how relieved I am to see you… healed."
“Even after I destroyed a building and any relationship with the Council?”
"Yes, even after that."
His ability to make light of our situation was both frustrating and endearing. I looked him up and down, my wings skipping a beat for a moment, making me dip midair.
Hadrian reached out, laughing, and held me up.
I could see just how different Hadrian's Dragori form was to mine as we were both bathed in the silver moonlight. Hadrian's wingspan was double the size of mine, and they had a red undertone. My scales were opal and silver, yet his were black. And his body was warmer than mine. Although the heat was most likely due to the Heartfire swirling beneath his skin. His nails were black and pointed, his knuckles dusted with scales like armor. As he flexed his hold on me, the scales reflected the light and came alive when they rippled.