“You didn’t, Rian. You didn’t say a word of any of this.” I cling to his arm now, afraid that if I let go I might lose him for good.
“Can’t do it,” Twig says, shaking his head.
“We have to. Have to see the king.”
“No.” Twig says firmly, darting closer to Rian. “If they’re trying to steal it back, then that means that there’s still a connection between you and Viala. Which means that if you walk into the midst of the king and all of his advisers, well—“
“That would be their way in,” I whisper, horrified. He was so certain of this course and I was so willing to follow him...I shudder to think of what might have happened if we did reach the king. Could they have used Rian as a weapon against him? Is the connection that strong? If it did happen, if he attacked the king, Rian would be killed for certain. Either way, it’s a smart move for the Sorcerers to send him straight to the throne.
“I’m too strong to allow that to happen,” Rian growls, pulling me forward. “Why is it you have no faith in me? Either of you? You, Azi. You’re supposed to love me. And Twig, I took that magic when no one else would. I’m guarding it with my life. Do you think I’d just let them steal it back, just like that? We’re going to the king. Now.”
His final word falls on me like a command, and I feel the power of it seep into every pore of my skin. This time, I’m prepared. I tighten my hold on his arm and close my eyes, and I try to think of the safest place for us right now. I know I need to do it quickly, before he can figure out what’s happening. I don’t worry about how, I just wish as hard as I can. As the ground falls away beneath my feet, I feel Twig land softly on my shoulder and cling to my neck.
“Good girl,” he whispers as I tighten my hold on Rian and drive us through the Half-Realm to the safety of Flitt’s grotto.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Iren
“Oh, hello!” Flitt chirps cheerfully as my feet find the soft mossy carpet of her grotto. I let out a long sigh of relief as I cling to Rian’s arm and open my eyes.
“You did it! She did it!” Twig darts to Flitt and they do their little dance together.
“No.” Rian tears his arm from my grasp and covers his face, but not before I catch a glimpse of the panic in his eyes. “No! What were you thinking, bringing me here?”
“It’s safe here, Rian, it’ll be all right.” I feel the peace of the grotto settling over me already. “We can make a plan--”
“No,” he shakes his head beneath his rigid fingers, which crackle with energy that threatens to burst forth. “They’ll see. They’ll know. I’m not strong enough to hide this.”
“Then we’ll go to the Wellspring first and you can give the magic back. Will that sever the connection, then?” I look from him to Flitt and Twig, both of whom look away.
“Ohh, no, he can’t do that without Ember and Shush,” Flitt says gravely. “Those three started it, they need to finish it.”
“She’s right,” Twig nods beside her. “They need to do it together or it could be bad.”
“I need to get out of here,” Rian whispers. “It’s the worst place for me to be. They’ll see everything. They’ll use me...” His fingers crackle again and he thrusts them away from him, casting a ball of golden energy that bursts beside the waterfall, sending a cascade of glittering mica fragments into the clear water. “I’m sorry! Sorry!”
“He’s losing it.” Flitt nods matter-of-factly. “Here, take a nap.” She reaches into her belt pouch and flings a handful of sparkling powder into Rian’s eyes. Instantly his body goes slack.
“Flitt!” I jump to catch him, and lay him down in the moss, sound asleep.
“Well, he broke my sparklestone. I like that sparklestone. He scared Morley too.” She hovers over the edge of the clear water and wriggles her fingers at the bright orange fish just below the surface. “And he was going a little too Mage for me. I’ll wake him up after we figure out what to do.” I slump back against the trunk of a twisting willow, one hand resting on Rian’s shoulder. Tears sting my eyes and rather than fight them, I allow it. Maybe a good cry will help clear my head.
“We really can’t help him without Ember and Shush?” I ask her.
“No,” she replies sadly. “If it was the sand it would be easier, but now someone’s got to sort through what belongs to Rian and what belongs to Viala and what belongs to those bad Sorcerers. What happened after I left?” I tell her all about Eron and the amulet and Rian’s wanting to go to the king, and my decision to bring him here.
“It was the first place I thought of. We needed someplace safe, somewhere to think and plan away from everything. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that he’d react that way.” I rake my fingers through my hair. “What are we going to do now?”
“Well, I think we ought to go to the Ring and ask them.” She nods her head decisively, sending her bright ponytails bobbing. “Can I see the amulet?” I look to Twig, who nods at me.
“Rian told me not to unwrap it. He put a spell over it.” I pull the wadded bandage from my belt and hold it up. “They wouldn’t tell me what it is--”
“Couldn’t,” Twig corrects me, holding up a finger.
“Couldn’t? Oh. Do you know, Flitt? I mean, can you tell me?” She comes to perch on my fingertips and carefully pushes the wrapping away just enough to reveal the deep black stone. Her eyes fade in and out of every color of the rainbow as they widen, and her lips form a tiny little “o”.
“Is that..?” she looks up.
“I think it is,” Twig nods, grinning.
“Ring, Ring, Ring!” Flitt cries gleefully. “Oh, Twig! I can’t believe it! Azi, shrink down!” She points at me and my skin tingles as I begin to grow shorter. As I do, the amulet stays the same size, so that I have to hug it with both arms to keep hold of it when I finally reach fairy-size.
“I’ll stay with Rian,” Twig says. “Someone’s got to.”
“Oh.” Flitt’s shoulders hunch. “Well, I will then. You ought to get the credit for this. You might get another name! What will it be?”
“No, no, Azi is your charge and she’s got it. The credit is yours.” He grins. “Really, go on.”
“Why don’t you both go, and I’ll stay with him?” I lean against Rian’s giant shoulder. I don’t want to leave him. We’re supposed to be in this together.
“You’re so funny, Azi. We can’t carry it!” She rolls her eyes at Twig and he laughs.
“Everyone knows that! Can you imagine?” They both hug their bellies, laughing even harder.
“Really, go on. I’m getting used to this Mage. I might even call him a friend someday.” He perches on Rian’s chest. “You know, if everything turns out.”
“What are you two talking about?” I burst out, exasperated.
“Maybe Scree can tell you,” Flitt giggles. “Come on!” She takes me by the elbow and we fly off and dart into the waterfall together.
On the other side, the Ring is quiet. The pristine white mushrooms lining the edge of the clearing sparkle with dew in the pre-dawn light, and a number of fae sleep peacefully beneath them. We drift over them silently and land in the center of the Ring, where the fragile tip of a tiny green-white bud has just begun to pierce the soil.
“Crocus,” Flitt whispers, kneeling before the tiny bud. She gestures for me to do the same and I kneel next to her, clutching the amulet to my chest. When the bud doesn’t respond, Flitt laughs softly. “Sleepyhead.” She opens and closes her wings slowly, and they glow bright yellow and warm as the sun. The light splashes onto the soil, drying the dew into tiny wisps of steam, and the bud grows taller and larger. Its bright fuchsia petals fall open elegantly, and Crocus stretches her dainty arms up over her head, yawning.
“Oh, sun, you’re early today.” Her eyes flutter open and she tilts her head at Flitt questioningly. “Why, Felicity Lumine Instacia Tenacity Teeming?” She turns sleepily to me. “And Azaeli Hammerfel. We recognize you. But why have you woken us?” Flitt nudges me with her elbow.
“Show her, Azi
,” she says excitedly. I kneel and unwrap the amulet while Crocus watches, her lips curved up in a smile of amusement and interest. When the stone is finally revealed, her eyes widen and the ground beneath her starts to rumble and shake.
“The Oculus!” her whisper is echoed throughout the Ring as the word travels through the gathering of waking fae. Their whisperings mix with cheers as Scree rumbles into view from beneath the soil.
“Scree!” they shout and dance and sing, and I wait until they settle down, which takes much longer than I’d like. Finally, Crocus raises a slender hand and they settle into quiet.
“Rest it here,” Scree thunders, shaking the ground beneath us with his booming voice. I glance at Flitt and she nods to me and points to a flat empty area of the stone beside Crocus’s white roots. A hush falls over the Ring as I approach the two of them. Crocus’s sweet perfume is heavy in the air this close to them, and remembering its previous effect on me, I hold my breath as I set the amulet down on top of Scree.
“Step away, Ah,” Crocus says gently to me, and I step back just far enough that I’m out of range of her pretty scent.
“Azaeli Hammerfel, are you the rightful owner of this amulet?” Scree asks me. I glance at Flitt, who nods encouragingly.
“I...I was told it belongs here in Kythshire, and Flitt said I should bring it to you.”
“Do you surrender it freely to us, and all of the magic contained within, which is within your rights to give?”
“I don’t, I mean,” I look at Flitt again, who is nodding her head fervently, her eyes wide. “It’s yours, isn’t it? It isn’t mine to give.”
“The stone,” Crocus says sweetly, “is ours. But the setting imprisons it, enchants it. Steals its power and twists it with Mage magic. No, Sorcery. We cannot undo such magic without assent from the amulet’s owner. Have you the right to call yourself such?”
“It was surrendered to me, so, yes,” I say, thinking of Prince Eron. “You have my permission.” At my words, the ground rumbles violently and I fall backwards into Flitt, who steadies me. The vibrations created by Scree are so strong that the gold setting surrounding the stone breaks away and slips into the grass. Once freed from its bindings, the stone emits a soft glow of energy. Crocus smiles.
“You have done us a great service, Azaeli Hammerfel, in returning this.” She pauses and looks down at Scree. After a moment, she nods and looks up sadly. “And yet we must ask more of you.”
“Return this stone to its rightful place on the mountain,” Scree booms, “and we shall grant you one True Wish.” All around us the fairies whisper to each other with shock and surprise at his declaration.
“What is it? What does it do?” I ask them.
“It is the Oculus. It ceases the shadow twists. The cyclones.” Scree begins to rumble down into the soil. “Return it to its rightful place. Do you agree?”
“Wait!” I call after him. “Ember and Shush, they’ve been taken by the Sorcerers. They stripped Viala, but Rian is holding her magic. He’s suffering. He wants to give it back to you but he can’t do it without them. We need to get them back. Your border is threatened at the Crag, Kythshire is in danger! The Sorcerers from Sunteri mean to take everything from you.”
“We are aware.” Scree responds as he disappears further into the soil. “Restore the Oculus. Do you agree?”
“I...” I look across at the stone that glows with an inky energy, considering. If it stops the cyclones, then Mum could come home. It might even stop the Sorcerers, or at least help to, if they’re unable to summon them anymore. Even if it doesn’t, I could use the wish to stop them. “I agree.”
“Go, then, Ah. We wish you great success in this quest.” As he sinks out of view, the stone from the amulet rises into the air and lands gently in my lap. It seems alive as I look down at it, and I take up the bandage and quickly wrap it up again to avoid becoming too entranced. Crocus claps her hands and the music rises up around us, starting the dance.
“We send you off with these thoughts,” Crocus offers quietly as the colorful crowd whirls around her. “Magic is a gift we share willingly with your people. Its power alone is not wicked or evil. Only the way it is wielded makes it so. Choose your wish carefully, Ah. You will find the face at the highest peak of the Shadow Crag.”
When we return to the grotto, Rian is still asleep with Twig tucked into the crook of his elbow, also dozing. I kneel beside the two of them and wish to return to my own size. “Okay, the highest peak of the Shadow Crag,” I murmur to myself as I think of an outfit suitable for climbing. “I’ll need rope, and hooks, and boots that can grip. I’ll need to figure out what to do with my sword, I don’t want to leave it but I can’t climb with it. I’ll need food.” My stomach growls loudly at the thought of it and I rub it absently. Its emptiness seems to exaggerate the now constant pain in my chest.
“I wish I had some of Mouli’s sweet rolls,” I sigh, and a warm tray of them appears in the moss beside me. Delighted, I pick one up and bite into it while I go over a plan. Suddenly, I realize what a fool I’ve been. “Wait a minute,” I drop my hand into my lap. “I just agreed to do this task in exchange for a wish. But I can wish for anything already, can’t I? He tricked me!” Flitt’s eyes widen.
“No, no, no,” she gasps. “Oh, you didn’t realize! Sure, here you can think of food, and clothes, and going to see someone, and it happens just like that! But you can’t make anyone else do anything, or wish too boldly. A True Wish, like Scree promised, is different. That means anything, anything at all, anywhere, not just here in Kythshire. It’s a great gift. I’ve never heard of it being offered to a human before. It’s far too powerful.” She perches beside the tray of rolls and scoops up a handful of icing to lick from her fingertips. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. Mouli is the best!” She pauses as she cleans her sticky palm on the moss. “Do you see now?”
“I think so.” I look down at the wrapped stone in my hand, which seems a bit larger now than it had been before we visited the Ring. “It’s very important, I understand that. It’s difficult to go blindly into such a difficult quest, though, and mostly on my own.” I turn the bundle thoughtfully. It’s definitely heavier. “I’d just like to know why.”
“I guess I could bring you to the muses. They have all sorts of stories. I bet they could tell you about it. But it would take a while, and my sleeping powder doesn’t last forever.” She points at Rian. “If we go to the Crag now, we might be back before he wakes up.”
“Right.” I imagine an outfit suitable for climbing and it comes easily to me this time. My sword remains in its harness at my back. I know it’ll be problematic to climb in, but I can’t bring myself to leave it behind. The stone tucks neatly into the pouch at my belt, though it already seems even larger than it had been moments ago. I brush it off as my imagination as I look up to the sky to get my bearings. The mountains are in the Northeast, and the rising sun shows me the way. I kiss Rian goodbye, and trying hard not to dwell on leaving him behind, I turn away quickly to make my way through the forest.
“What are you doing?” Flitt asks as she drifts along to follow me.
“Going to the mountain. It’s this way, right?”
“Sure, but why are you walking? It’ll take forever going this way.”
“Do you know a better...?” my voice trails off and I shake my head. “I can just think about the highest crest of the mountain, can’t I? Is it really that easy?” She giggles as she rests on my shoulder.
“Believe it and do it!” She says.
“But I’ve never been there before, Flitt. I don’t know what it’s like. I can’t imagine it, I’ve only seen it from a distance.” I think of the ominous storm cloud over the massive mountain and the jagged lightning striking the black stone, and I shiver. Suddenly I realize what I’ve really gotten myself into. “So high,” I whisper, feeling the color drain from my face. “I don’t know if I can do this...” I sink against the trunk of a nearby tree. My heart races, my chest aches.
“Hey
.” Flitt hovers in front of my face. Her eyes are bright yellow as they look into mine, and her prisms glitter and flash across my vision cheerfully. “I believe you can. Come find me.” Her light brightens and I turn away from it, closing my eyes. When I open them again, she’s gone.
“Flitt?” I cry, spinning around. The forest is quiet, still sleeping as the sun rises. Deep down I know where she’s gone: to the Crag. I steel myself and take a deep breath and close my eyes. I think of her dancing light and her bright colors. “Flitt,” I whisper, and the ground falls away beneath my feet.
Immediately I’m struck by a chill wind that rustles my bangs and whips my braid into my face. I turn my back to the gusts and crouch down, grasping the frigid stone with my already numb fingertips. “Gloves,” I murmur, and my hands are covered at once. I stay there, eyes squeezed shut, heart racing. I don’t need to look. I know exactly where I am.
“You did it!” Flitt’s voice is barely audible as the wind whisks it away. I feel a tug on my braid and I know she’s holding on for dear life. My belt is heavy now, weighing me down. I reach to the pouch that holds the stone to find it bursting open, the bandages spilling out.
“Is it growing?” I shout over the roar of the wind.
“Well, it has to be able to fit, doesn’t it?” She shouts into my ear. “The face is somewhere around here, come on. Azi, you can’t do this with your eyes closed.” She’s right, I know, but I can’t open them, either. The thought of the height turns my knees to jelly, and my hands tremble so violently I fear I’ll lose my tight grip on the jagged rocks of the Crag.
“I can’t.” I cry. “You do it. You can have the wish!”
“You can,” she clings to my neck. “What are you afraid of? In Kythshire you can float, you can fly. You won’t fall. Just look, it’s so beautiful. You can see the ocean and the prairies. You can see The Haigh. You can see the Keep and the treasure field, and the wheat, and the edge of the forest where your mum is and—oh!” She clings tighter, and her sudden silence distracts me enough that I allow my eyes to open for a very narrow peek.
Call of Kythshire (Keepers of the Wellsprings Book 1) Page 34