by Dyan Chick
Ashton felt a mix of sadness and anger rise up inside him. "How can you just give up like this? You are the most powerful sorcerer I know. Surly you can stand up to the king, to his Reapers. We did it tonight."
Master Flanders smiled at Ashton. "We did well tonight. But I'm tired and I'm not as young as I used to be. We'll talk about this more later."
Ashton sighed and fixed his eyes on the wooden circle, he knew better than to try to argue with Master Flanders. And he was ready to go home. "I'm ready to learn."
"Good. First, you need to know the location that you're going to make the coin for. If it's like our camp, and it has a ward or other magical protection, only those who helped to create the ward can make a coin." He glanced at Ashton. "When we get back, we'll have you add a layer to the protection so you can make coins if you need to."
Ashton nodded and watched as Master Flanders pressed down on the wooden circle. "You'll need to gain the strength of all the sorcery elements. You need to find a way to channel each element within you, and hold them all at once. Once you've done that, tell the coin where you want it to go."
Knowing how to make these coins would be a huge benefit. The coins not only allowed one to gain entry to a protected location, they could also be useful for a quick exit if the sorcerer using it was too tired or weak to focus properly. They took much of the burden off of teleportation. Ashton made sure he was completely focused on every movement Master Flanders was making.
The old man closed his eyes and lifted his face toward the sky. He let out a long, slow breath then lowered his chin toward his chest. He lifted the coin with both hands, then pulled it up to his mouth, cupping his hands around it. Then, he whispered into his closed hands. Opening his eyes, he pulled his hands away from his face and held out an open hand for Ashton to see.
In his palm was a glowing red coin. "You have to explain the location to the coin," Master Flanders said, tossing the coin to Ashton.
Ashton stared at the newly created coin in his hand. Master Flanders had a way of making things seem easier than they actually were. He wasn't sure he'd be able to channel all four elements at the same time. What kind of power would that take? Ashton now understood why so few people could create this type of magic.
Master Flanders turned away and Ashton followed him. The two sorcerers walked back to the common area to find that Celeste had stopped the bleeding on Saffron's shoulder.
Ashton held the coin up for them to see. "Let's go home."
"Wait." Saffron stood and looked at the group. She had a hand pressed against her injured shoulder, holding down a bandage that Celeste had applied. "There's something you need to know before we go back. Something Max told me."
Ashton's brow furrowed. "What is it?"
Her gaze turned hard and her mouth pressed into a tight line. "He told me the princess is with child. He's marrying the king's daughter."
Silence fell over the group as the weight of the words sunk in. Ashton squeezed his hands into fists as rage seeped in through him. How could Max have done this to Saffron? Ashton had watched them together most of his life. He couldn't even remember a time when they hadn't been viewed as an extension of one another. Ashton couldn't imagine how he'd feel if Etta left him for the king. It was a betrayal beyond forgiveness. "I'm so sorry, Saffron. I promise, we're going to make him pay."
Celeste stood and walked over to Saffron, pulling her into a hug. "We're here for you. And Ashton's right. We're going to make Max pay."
A true smile crossed Saffron's face. "And then we kill the princess."
The hair on the back of Ashton's neck stood on up. He had never seen Saffron look happy discussing someone's death. She'd never even had that look when talking about the king. This was personal for her; this was revenge. He was sure it was going to make her a more difficult adversary in their fight for the kingdom, but he wasn't sure he liked this Darkness in her. Was that what they were about now? Killing women and unborn babies? Even if it was the king's daughter and Max's child. Was that right?
He had a feeling that Etta wouldn't support that. But then again, she wouldn't want to have to prove her legitimacy against this child when it was older. He pushed the thoughts away. It would have to wait. For now, he just needed to get back to Etta. "We should go."
11
Etta
Sunlight filled the tent, bathing the room in a soft glow. I could almost feel Ashton next to me. I must be dreaming. My back was hot, as if somebody warmer than me was pressed against it. Blinking, I realized I wasn't dreaming.
My heart raced as I turned to see who had joined me in bed. Tension washed away from me as I stared at Ashton's sleeping form. I pushed his hair away from his eyes and kissed his forehead. He was here, he was breathing. My vision was distorted by tears. I let out a half-laugh, half-sigh and threw my arms around him.
He fell back on the bedroll, pulling me down with him. Strong arms held me tight and I didn't want him to let go. In a perfect world, I'd stay here just like this all day. We held each other for several minutes, neither of us speaking. How many more times would we have to endure separation and concern for each other's safety? It had been my idea to send my friends into the city, but it was the only way I could think of to get out of there quickly. I ran my fingers through his hair as I moved in closer to kiss him, then froze when my hand caught on what could only be dried, matted blood.
My breath caught in my chest as I brought my hand to my face, some of the sticky blood on my fingers. I sat up. "What happened?"
"Don't worry," Ashton's said. His voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat and pushed himself up onto one elbow. "I'm fine. We had a run-in with some undead in Greenville."
"Celeste? Saffron? Master Flanders?" I stared at him, wide-eyed, heart pounding.
"We're all fine, though. Don't worry."
I pressed my eyebrows together, worried about him and all of my friends, but also worried about what finding undead in Greenville meant. "How many undead?"
"A lot. We ended up having to teleport out. I think we have to consider that the king probably has the Skystone."
I closed my eyes, then covered my face with my hands. For every piece of good news we got, there was bad news close behind.
Ashton lowered my hands from my face. "How about you? Any undead?"
I shook my head. "No, but we had to leave the barn because Max and the Reapers showed up. I was so worried that you'd arrive while they were still there."
Ashton sat up. "We did run in to Max and the Reapers."
I looked away from him for a second as guilt swept through me. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to leave, I should have come back to help you, I shouldn't have sent you in the first place."
Ashton pressed his index finger over my lips. "You did the right thing. If you had stayed, you could be dead. I'm glad you left. I'm glad you didn't come back for me. Every once in a while, you have to let me be the hero."
I smiled. "You know that I'll fight by your side always, right?"
"I know that. But sometimes, you have to take a step back and let other people help you. You can't do it alone."
He was right, of course. It was still difficult trusting people after everything I'd been through. I still wasn't sure that all of the Ravens who had stayed with us were loyal to me, but I was determined to earn their support. Greenville declaring their allegiance to my reign was a huge boost. We'd seen an influx of new members in the last few weeks and our numbers had grown larger than they had been under Max. My stomach twisted at the thought of my brother. Out there destroying cities and helping the king. "What happened? Max? The Reapers?"
"We were able to fight them off." Ashton's brow furrowed. He seemed to be lost in thought.
"What is it?"
He looked up at me. "Something Max said to Saffron." He paused, as if trying to decide how to form the words. "He told Saffron that he's marrying the king's daughter."
I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. Was this his plan the whole time? Was t
hat part of his deal with the king? "How did this happen?"
"I'm not sure," Ashton said. "I used to think I knew Max, but I've realized I never really did."
"I don't think anyone did." My thoughts traveled to Saffron. I wondered what the two of them had been through together and how Max could give it up so easily. "How's Saffron?"
"She's trying to be strong." Ashton took a breath. "There's more. The princess is pregnant."
For a moment, I stopped breathing. If Max married the princess, he was next in line for the throne and he was already bringing in an heir. He was doing everything he could to prevent me from stepping up to the role I was born for. I pressed my lips together as the shock wore off, anger stepping in to replace it. Max had betrayed us all and he was better at playing this game than I was. "He's going to kill the king." I looked up at Ashton. "He's still playing for the throne."
"It's the only thing he's thinking about," Ashton said. "When we figure out a way to take down the king, we're going to have to deal with Max, too."
My thoughts around Max always seemed so jumbled. He was my brother, but he'd sided with the king. While I wanted to believe there was a way to bring him back to us, a way to salvage the only family I had, it was getting harder to ignore the terrible things Max was doing.
Reluctantly, I moved away from Ashton's arms and sat up. As much as I wanted to stay here forever, there was too much to do. "We're going to have to fight them both. When we get the army from Gallia, we have to make sure neither the king, nor Max survive."
Ashton sat up. "How did things go in Greenville?"
My shoulders sunk. "We were too late for Calder's family."
We were both quiet for a moment. It had been the reason for our visit, yet we hadn't come back empty handed. "There is some good news, though."
"I could use some good news," Ashton said.
"We found Annalise. And she knows where King Osbert hid the Stone of Morare. He doesn't keep it on him to control the Reapers." I stood up and offered my hand to Ashton, helping pull him up. "I'm going to round up the council. We have a stone to steal."
Ashton left the tent in search of water to clean the blood from his head while I went to find the other members of my council. It wasn't long after sunrise but the Raven camp was teeming with activity. The air smelled like baking bread and as I walked further from the tents, I could hear the sound of steel on steel.
I found Calder and Saffron already running a training session with a group of newer Ravens. Everyone lowered their weapons and bowed to me when they noticed my arrival.
"Your highness," Saffron said. "Glad to see you're doing well."
"I'm glad to see you keeping this one busy." I nodded to Calder. "Did he tell you what you missed?"
"He did." Saffron glanced from me to Calder, then back again. "We had breakfast with Sir Henry and Madame Lyndsey."
"Where's Celeste?" I asked.
Saffron lifted an eyebrow and turned to Calder. "Yes, where is Celeste? I didn't find her in her tent when I stopped by this morning."
Calder's face turned red. "I wouldn't know. Perhaps she's working with Master Flanders in the sorcery training grounds?"
I narrowed my eyes at Calder and Saffron. "Am I missing something here?"
"Council meeting?" Saffron asked.
I looked at the two of them again and decided not to press the issue. There were few secrets in the Raven camp. Everything eventually came out in the open. It was pretty clear what was going on, but at the moment, I figured it might be better to allow for the illusion of privacy. "Yes, my quarters."
She turned away from me and handed her sword to one of the men who was standing nearby pretending not to listen to our conversation. "Take over for me, will you? I'll be back later."
"I'll go see if I can find Celeste," Calder said, walking away before I could respond.
Saffron and I walked away from the training grounds. I glanced at her. "Do I want to know?"
"They're still figuring it all out," she said. "Best we leave it for now."
I nodded. It wasn't my place to pry but I did wonder what it meant for Celeste's friend back home in Gallia. I stopped walking. "You know, if we can find that stone, it will be another way to show Gallia that we really can defeat the king."
Saffron shook her head. "Who would have thought that after all this time, we'd find a way to finally hurt him. Things are going to change when we get that stone, Etta. I can feel it."
She put her arm over my shoulder. "We won't have to keep hiding for much longer. We will finally be safe in our own homes."
Saffron had been at this much longer than I had. She'd lost everyone she loved, just as most of the people here had. It was hard to imagine a time when we no longer had to worry about the king and his guards. An image flickered through my mind. A quiet afternoon sitting outside, not hiding. All my friends were gathered and we ate and drank and sang too loud. Was it possible that we could finally be free of the king? Finding that stone sure felt like a step in the right direction.
12
Ashton
Ashton walked through the tents toward the stream that ran right outside the ward. Despite fighting Max and everything he'd been through, he felt like things were looking up. He'd managed to help fight off the Reapers, and the Ravens were going to be able to stop the king from using them once they took that stone.
He had faith Etta would gain the favor of Gallia when she visited and everyone seemed to agree that with an army, they could defeat the king. He let out a long breath. Everything in his life had led to this moment. He'd been fighting against the king as long as he could remember. What would it even be like when they didn't have to hide anymore?
A white-haired older man with a red face approached him. "You must be Ashton."
Ashton stopped walking. "I am. I'm sorry, have we met?"
"Not yet, but I've been looking forward to having a talk with you. I'm Sir Henry." The older man extended his hand.
Ashton straightened his posture and shook the older man's hand. He knew Sir Henry had been a member of the court and had worked with Etta's father. Ashton's experience with nobility had been limited and he wanted to make a good impression on the man Etta held in such regard. "Nice to meet you."
"My tent is just over here, could I trouble you for a private word?" He gestured behind him. "It won't take more than a minute."
Ashton wanted nothing more than to rinse the blood off his head and get back to Etta. He considered asking the man if they could meet later, but he know how much Etta trusted him. "Alright."
Sir Henry pulled the tent flap aside and Ashton ducked in after him. There were two chairs and a bedroll in the room. A wooden trunk sat at the end of the bedroll. Ashton took a seat in one of the chairs as Sir Henry did the same.
The older man's lips were drawn into a thin line. He looked like he was holding something back.
"What is it?" Ashton asked.
"You aren't going to like what I'm going to say, so I'm just going to say it." Sir Henry took a deep breath. "You need to end things with Etta."
Ashton glared at Sir Henry, sure he had misheard what he was saying. Why would Sir Henry care about their relationship? "Excuse me?"
"Word is starting to get around about the two of you, it's time to end things before people make assumptions."
Ashton felt like he'd been punched in the gut. His breath hitched and his face grew hot. It took him a moment to figure out how to best respond. Opening and closing his mouth, Ashton tried to form words to react to what he had just heard. They wouldn't come.
"As long as she's with you, she's going to be making decisions with her heart instead of her head. You're a distraction."
He stared at the old man in disbelief. "You don't even know me. I would do anything for her."
"I don't doubt your dedication to her. I know your story. I know you could have just as easily followed Max. But this isn't about you. It's about her."
"How can you say that?" Ashton stood,
looking down at Sir Henry. "She can make her own choices. She's the rightful queen."
"Exactly." Sir Henry remained calm. "And she spent several weeks chasing down a cure for you when you were injured. What's to stop the king or Max using you against her again? What's to stop her from throwing everything we've all worked for away because of you?"
Ashton slowly sat down on the chair. Etta had sacrificed so much for him, too much. "I've told her not to come after me."
"You think she'd listen? When it comes to you, she makes stupid choices. Choices that could cost her the crown." Sir Henry's expression looked sympathetic. "It's not only her poor decision making when it comes to you. You realize that as long as she's with you, she's giving up her only bargaining tool: a marriage alliance."
"Who would she need to marry?" Ashton said. "She's going to convince Gallia to help her and then she'll be queen."
"She needs a powerful man by her side. Not an orphan without a title. That is how it works for royals. You know that. Everyone knows that. They just didn't want to break your hearts. Why do you think her father didn't marry Max's mother? He had to marry for an alliance. Why do you think Max is choosing to marry the king's daughter? Marriage is the way the royal houses are built."
Sir Henry's words were true but how could he expect Ashton to give her up? Ashton felt like the life was being sucked from his body. Like he was back in the Astral Realm, watching something he couldn't control. How was he supposed to do this? Etta was his whole world. "I can't do it. I love her."
Sir Henry leaned forward. "If you really love her, you'll let her go."
13
Etta
A feeling of peace settled over me as I looked around the table to see my entire council assembled. There were few people I trusted and all of them were gathered here in one place. Without them, I would feel lost and overwhelmed with the decisions that have come with stepping up to this role. Even our new additions, Holden and Anna, felt comfortable in this room.