by H. L. Burke
“I will hold on long enough for him to find someone else,” Mother said.
“And if you can’t?”
“We won’t consider that. The years run together here, Trillium. How old are you now?”
“Seventeen.”
“You are on the cusp of adulthood, so much of life left to experience. When I took this burden upon me, I had been alive for decades. I had already had a full life, felt love and pain and the full range of beauty and ugliness the world has to offer. You have all that before you, and I won’t have you sacrifice it.”
The magic settled over Rill like a cloak. It purred in her ears, alive, coaxing. All her life, she’d longed to interact with it. Here she could, without a stylus or a quire. She could reach out and touch it, bend it to her will. Perhaps she could do something with it. Something to help her mother. Her mind flipped through all of her lessons with Jericho like the pages of a book. Warming spells, warding spells, barrier spells to keep spiders out of her room … wait a spell not to keep something out but to keep magic inside. A bowl, a cistern, a tank—a tank of magic.
Rill bounced on her toes. “Mother, I have an idea.”
Chapter Twenty
Auric wiped the sweat from his brow then reached into his pack for a bottle of rosemary oil. The Fey energy had somehow grown fiercer, swarming about him, buzzing and stinging like angry mosquitoes. Trees surrounded them, the same trees as an hour before, or so it seemed.
“Are you sure we aren’t walking in circles?” Jericho voiced Auric’s concern.
“I know where I’m going.” Hedward scowled.
Auric dabbed the rosemary oil onto his wrists. The buzzing lessened—somewhat.
The muscles in Jericho’s jaw clenched and unclenched as if he were trying to rip his way through a sinewy chunk of meat. Auric suspected if they didn’t see some sign of progress soon, Jericho might begin gnawing on trees. Taking out his stylus, Auric twirled it between his fingers, trying to not to think about his sister’s fate.
Vines choked their path. Father paused, took out a quire, and began to scratch out a spell. Auric huffed, snatched his tablet from his pocket, and dashed one out faster. Flames flared up, engulfing the vines. They shriveled and fell, leaving smouldering gray ash in their place.
Hedward spun about, growling. “You’ll draw him to us!”
“This is taking too long!” Auric snapped.
“Well, it’s not as if I can fly!” Hedward waved the quire in his son’s face.
“Stop it!” Jericho thrust himself between the men. “Do you hear that?”
Auric froze. The buzzing had changed to a high-pitched whine. Something bellowed in the distance.
Hedward’s jaw went slack. “It’s Janus. He’s found us.”
Jericho whipped out a quire. “You remember that invisibility spell you did earlier, Auric? I’d think it would come in handy about now.”
Auric nodded, rubbed away the expended firespell on his tablet and worked out the invisibility spell. “Stay close.” The air shimmered around them. “All right, this won’t shield us from anything that smells rather than sees as its primary sense, as we found out, but it should offer some protection. Let’s keep going.”
Lights flashed in gaps between the treetops, and branches began to thrash in a hot breeze. A thundering roar shook the forest, and Hedward cried out. Auric’s stomach sank at the familiar sound.
“Not again.” Jericho’s jaw set. “You got your tablet ready?”
“Maybe it isn’t after us.” Auric swallowed. “I mean, it’s just a dumb beast, right? What are the chances it has a particular vendetta against us?”
“Oh, it does.” Hedward scowled. “I know that dragon. It serves Janus. He sends it in pursuit if anyone gets to close to his sanctuary.”
A line of blue scales flashed overhead.
“It’s getting closer.” Jericho grasped Hedward’s shoulder. “Master Spellsmith, can you run?”
The older man gave a weak nod.
“Let’s go,” Jericho said.
The three men crashed through the underbrush. The shaking of the trees grew more violent. The dragon roared again. Orange flame flashed through the trees, casting long shadows. The stench of smoke rose on the breeze.
Hoofbeats pounded. Jericho glanced over his shoulder. “Hit the ground!”
The men dove for the safety of the bushes as a herd of opalescent unicorns stampeded through the trees. One leaped over Auric’s head, its passing stirring his hair. He gulped.
Birds cried out in panic throughout the woods. The men picked themselves up and ran after the unicorns.
Other creatures soon joined the flight, none seeming to notice the mortal intruders. Fawns, centaurs, some sort of cat-dragon combination with blazing scarlet fur, they all barrelled past, fleeing the approaching flames. The air warmed until Auric was sure his skin would blister.
The blue dragon zipped overhead, its tail snapping like a banner in a gale.
They broke out of the treeline and skidded to a halt before a river. Dozens of Fey creatures leaped into it, swimming with all their might for the far bank.
Jericho’s eyes widened. He cleared his throat. “All right, new plan. I’ll draw the dragon’s attention away from you. You two get to Rill as quickly as possible. If we both succeed, we can meet at the bridge.” Jericho moved to step outside the invisibility shield, but Auric grabbed him by the collar.
Auric scowled. “No. We’re in this together.”
“I can’t swim!” Jericho waved at the river. “I won’t get you both eaten because I was too shortsighted to learn a basic skill.”
“There was a bridge last time. We’ll find it again.” Auric tightened his hold on Jericho’s shirt.
Jericho eyed Auric. “If I wanted to free myself, I could, you know.”
“Stop it, you two. No one is sacrificing himself.” Hedward frowned. He took out a piece of paper and scratched out a line of symbols.
The surface of the river flattened like glass. The Fey creatures midway through crossing hopped and wiggled as if stuck in mud before freeing themselves and running across the water.
“I can swim, but I’ve never been fond of getting my clothes wet.” Hedward shrugged. “Hurry. It only lasts for a few minutes.”
Auric put his foot on the water. It held, smooth and slick as polished stone. He whistled.
“It’s coming back!” Jericho pointed at the sky.
The dragon swooped towards them. A wave of fiery breath burst from its jaws, turning the water to steam uncomfortably close to where the mortal men stood. They bolted for the far side.
Making the bank, Jericho leaned against a tree, his chest heaving. “We can’t outrun it.”
Auric watched the dragon swirl into the sky, perhaps preparing for another pass. Symbols flashed in his head: transfixation spells, spells to tame animals, spells to force lost dogs to return home.
“Jericho, did you mean what you said about distracting it?” Auric whispered.
Jericho glanced at him. “Yes, but I wasn’t exactly eager to try it.”
“I need it to hold relatively still in spell range for maybe two minutes. Do you think you can manage that?” Auric got out his tablet.
Jericho rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I have an idea.”
“Don’t be foolish. We’re losing time!” Hedward snapped. “Let’s get out of here before it comes back.”
Jericho ignored Hedward, his dark gaze focused on Auric. “You really want to do this?”
Auric nodded. “You know I wouldn’t ask this of you unless I was sure.”
“Yeah. All right. If it fails, though, and I get roasted, my ghost is going to get a kick out of making you soil yourself at inopportune times.” Jericho flashed a wicked grin and stepped out of the invisibility spell’s protection.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, son,” Hedward whispered.
“Me too.” Auric inscribed the line of symbols, his stomach quivering like a leaf.
The dragon bellowed. Its claws tore through the trees, sending splinters flying over Auric’s head.
“Hurry!” Hedward gasped.
“Activation!” Auric shouted the symbol as he wrote it.
Energy coursed through his tablet then shot out as a beam of light, impacting against the dragon’s side. The monster’s head snaked around to stare at the men. Auric’s protective spell flickered out, leaving them exposed. The dragon’s snake-like tongue darted in and out. Its golden eyes burned into Auric. Then the beast lay down, folded its wings, and gave out a sound that could only be described as a purr.
Auric’s knees buckled.
Jericho emerged from the woods, staring wide-eyed at the docile dragon. “What did you do?”
“Complicated. I’ll explain later.” Auric stuck his tablet into his breast pocket. “Now this creature is going to take us to Janus.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Auric approached the dragon, his stylus twirling in his fingers. With a breath, he scrambled over the creature’s muscular shoulders onto its back, between the two folded wings. “Come on!” he called back to Jericho and his father.
“You expect me to ride on it?” his father asked. “Like a cart horse?”
“Like a gigantic, amazing cart horse.” Jericho grinned and all but sprang after Auric. He settled cross-legged next to Auric and dug into his pack. “I think I have some rope we can use to secure ourselves.”
Hedward shifted from foot to foot.
“Come on, Father,” Auric said. “Once I release this creature, it will speed to its home, which I’m hoping means towards Janus. It’s the fastest way to get to Rill.”
Hedward sighed but picked his way to the younger men.
Jericho looped the rope around the base of the dragon’s neck as a set of makeshift reins. “You’ll both want to hold on, I’m guessing.”
Auric took the rope’s rough fibers in his hand. “We’ll be more secure lying on our stomachs, I think. I doubt this will be enough to hold us in place, though. Can you write out a steadying spell?”
“Of course.” Jericho drew out a wooden quire and got to work.
The space between the dragon’s wings was easily broad enough for the three men to lie side by side, clinging to the circle of rope. Auric secured his stylus and tablet and whistled. The dragon lurched from the ground with a snort. Its wings stroked the air, sending gusts of wind over them. Then it rose, slowly but steadily. Auric’s stomach did a backflip. “All right, boy,” Auric shouted to the dragon. “Take us to your home.”
The dragon snapped its tail and shot forward. Auric’s heart hit his toes. Jericho whooped. The trees blurred beneath them. They hurtled towards the mountain at a breakneck speed. The rush of air stole Auric’s cries, though even he was uncertain whether they were shouts of excitement or terror.
A white spire glinted from among the sharp, stone peaks. The dragon spread its wings and glided down in ever narrowing circles. At the top of the tower, a roost welcomed them. The dragon landed with a jolt.
Auric drew several calming breaths.
Jericho chuckled and swung down from his perch. “Whatever else happens in my life, I can’t imagine topping that. I feel like I could take on a thousand Fey folk.” He stroked the dragon between its massive ears. “Good boy. Blast, I wish I could take you home. Rill’s going to burst with jealousy when I tell her about this.”
Hedward cleared his throat. “I’m glad someone is enjoying themselves.”
Auric laughed and slid to the ground. An open hatch revealed a spiral staircase, disappearing into darkness beneath them.
Jericho’s smile faded. “She’s down there somewhere?”
“I hope so,” Auric whispered. “If not, I don’t know what to do next.”
“If she’s not, we keep looking.” Jericho clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m going to get her home or die trying, Auric. For both our sakes.”
With his wax tablet, Auric performed a simple lighting spell, summoning an orb of lavender energy which bobbed before them. “Let’s go.”
“Let me go first!” Hedward stepped forward.
The younger men eyed him.
Hedward’s shoulders slumped. “I tried to blame you for this, Auric, and I’m sorry for that. It was my fault. If something has happened to your sister because of what I did … I’ll never forgive myself, but at least one of my children needs to survive this. I’ve lived my life. Let me be your shield today. Please.”
Auric hesitated, every instinct screaming at him to go first, to keep his father safe. Father’s eyes penetrated him, however. He nodded. “All right. You go first, but I’m right behind you, and we’re going to get through this together.”
They descended the narrow stair, first Hedward, then Jericho, with Auric bringing up the rear. The walls squeezed in on them like a vice. Broad-shouldered and tall, Jericho stooped to avoid hitting his head on low beams, grumbling with every step. “Seriously, whoever built this place didn’t have grown men in mind.”
“I’m doing fine.” Auric scoffed.
Jericho glanced over his shoulder and smirked. “I said grown men.”
“Push me a little farther, Jerry, and you’ll get to the bottom of the stairs a lot faster.”
“Quiet, boys!” Hedward hissed. “I see light. Auric, extinguish the orb.”
A quick addition of a symbol in the wax plunged the men into darkness. One hand on the cold stone wall, Auric peered around Jericho’s bulky shadow. Yes, pale green light glowed at the bottom of the stairs.
“Quires at ready?” Jericho whispered.
Auric tapped the side of his tablet then nodded. “Let me activate the invisibility spell.” The energy hummed about them “Got it.”
The three crept forward. They stepped from the stairs into a hall tiled with thousands of small green and white bits of glass, all radiating a pale light. Doors opened every few feet, but Hedward led them past these, to a great open chamber with a vaulted roof. In the middle of this stood a vaguely familiar silver-haired man, talking to one of the water sprites who had held Hedward captive earlier. Auric flailed for the memory before hitting on where he’d seen that face. The man now wore a floor-length crimson robe and had a circlet of gold in his hair, but even in the strange garb, it was obviously the same man who had approached Auric at the train station. A chill overtook Auric. Had the man been stalking him? Hoping to get to Rill through him, maybe?
“I know they’re nearby!” the Fey man—Auric assumed it was Janus—snapped. “I can smell the wooden stench of mortal magic.”
“But, sire,” the watery being replied in a fluty voice. “My followers have circled the castle a dozen times. None of the walls or gates have been breached.”
“Look again!” Janus pointed his finger at the door across the way. The sprite scurried out, leaving a trail of rain-puddle footprints glistening behind him.
Jericho shifted beside Auric, his brows drawing together. He slipped a piece of paper from his pocket and placed his stylus to it.
Auric swallowed, afraid to speak lest Janus hear, but praying that Jericho would be careful. They’d most likely only get one shot at this.
Jericho focused on his spell, writing as Janus paced from one end of the chamber to the next. Auric counted Janus’s passings like the pendulum of a large clock. One trek across the room, then two, then three, and Jericho still wrote.
Hedward shifted from foot to foot. He opened his mouth, but Jericho held up a finger.
Light raced across the paper in the apprentice’s hand. It flared alight then crumbled into ash, carrying a heavy scent of burnt cedar.
Janus cried out and spun on his heels, staring straight at the men in spite of the invisibility shield. He reached out a hand, but before he could act, the tiles in the floor rippled like water. They undulated beneath Janus, sending him toppling to the ground. A wave of glass crashed over him, trapping him under a transparent sheet.
“Brilliant, boy!” Hedward crowed. “He can’t use magic without his hands.” Beneath the wall of glass Janus squirmed like a beetle pinned to a card, his arms held tight to his sides.
“Can he breathe?” Auric asked.
“Do we care?” Jericho snorted.
Auric glared at him. “He knows where Rill is.”
Jericho’s face fell. He snatched another paper from his pocket and quickly dashed out another spell. A section of the tiles folded back like opening shutters, revealing Janus’s bright red face.
The Fey glared at them. “You’re going to ruin everything.”
“My daughter, where is she?” Hedward stamped his foot on the floor next to Janus’s trapped head.
Janus winced. “I wouldn’t have taken her if there were any other way. If you don’t let me finish what I’ve started—”
“Tell me where she is!” Hedward’s hands shook.
“If you want, I can put the tiles back over his face.” Jericho tapped his stylus against a wooden quire.
Janus’s eyes widened. “No, you have to listen!”
“We’ll listen once Rill is safe.” Auric crossed his arms. “Now, where is she?”
Jericho put his hand on Auric’s shoulder. “Wait, do you smell that?”
“Smell?” Auric narrowed his eyes at Jericho but took a sniff of the air. All he could detect was the overpowering odor of rosemary oil and the nose-hair-singeing Fey energy.
Jericho’s eyebrows melted together. “She’s close.”
“You have to let me have her!” Janus’s voice grew shrill. “I promise, she’ll live, but if you take her, I won’t be able to save Iris.”
A shudder cut through Auric’s father. “Iris is alive?”
Auric’s heart quickened.
Jericho cleared his throat. “I think we should—”