by Dyan Chick
Morare faced him, green flames already lit in his hands. He launched them at Ashton.
Ashton ducked and slid the sword across the room. "Celeste, the stone!"
The flames above him subsided and Morale turned away from Ashton in the direction the sword had gone. Without waiting, he launched flames at Celeste. She screamed and moved away from them just in time. A gust of wind twisted its way around the room in a cyclone.
Struggling against the whipping wind, Ashton fought against Celeste's magic, crawling across the ground. Morare had his arms up in front of his face, leaning his body forward as he moved closer to Celeste. The sword was still on the ground, just past the pedestal where the stone sat.
Ashton reached his arm out, just able to grab the hilt, and pulled the sword closer. "Celeste, fire."
Suddenly, the wind stopped and Celeste threw a fireball at Morare. In that exact moment, Ashton jumped up and raised the sword above his head, bringing it down on the stone. The orange rock shattered when the sword made contact and Ashton was launched backward, hitting the stone wall behind him.
"No!" Morare screamed, an agonizing wail coming from him. His body twisted and slithered as the last remaining bits of flesh fell from his skull. Then the bones on his face began to crumble as his body seemed to melt to the ground. A moment later, all that was left of the ancient sorcerer was a pile of black robes.
Ashton's fingers were still gripping the hilt of the sword as he stared at the pile of fabric. His breathing rapid, he waited, half expecting it to come back to life.
"Ashton?" Celeste was next to him now, kneeling down in front of him. "Are you okay?"
Ashton looked down at his arm, still red and blistered, and felt the back of his head. No blood this time. "I think so."
Celeste stood and offered her hand to him, pulling him up.
Sword still in hand, Ashton slowly approached the place where Morale had fallen. He kicked the fabric, checking to see if there were any signs of the sorcerer. It seemed to be just fabric.
"Look at this."
Ashton looked over to where Celeste was standing in front of the pedestal. She had two pieces of what had been the stone of Morale in her hands. No longer orange, the gray pieces resembled any regular rock you'd find.
"What should we do with it?" she asked.
"Let's bring it back with us, just in case." As Ashton said the words, he breathed a sigh of relief. They were done. Not only had they found the stone, but they'd destroyed it. The king would no longer be able to call to the Reapers. "We can go home."
"I can't wait." Celeste took his hand and held the red coin in the other. They waited. Nothing was happening.
"I don't understand," Celeste said. "It's not working."
Ashton took the coin and tried to teleport them out. Nothing. "Maybe the room has too much magic. We might need to leave the castle."
Celeste took the coin back and slid it in her pocket. "Let's hurry."
They climbed back down the stairs in silence and retraced their steps out of the castle. There were no more monsters. Max must have destroyed the others when he came by with his dragon. It still didn't make any sense why Max would help them. He'd have to think about that later. Right now, he just wanted to get back to the Raven camp.
The front door was in sight and the two of them picked up to a run, wanting nothing more than to put this castle behind them.
The bright sunlight blinded Ashton. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the light. As his eyes adjusted, his heart dropped into his stomach. They weren't alone. Max was standing outside the castle. His black sorcerer robes blowing gently in the wind. His arms were behind his back and he wore a smug expression.
"You're welcome," Max said.
Ashton tightened his grip around the stone in his hand. "What do you want? Why did you help us?"
"I told you, we're on the same side. We both want the same thing. The end of the king."
"You are not the rightful heir," Celeste said.
Max looked at her and shook his head. "You still don't see it, do you? Etta can never rule Illaria like I can. She's not willing to do what it takes to keep us safe. Especially with the coming Darkness."
"She's more powerful than you know," Celeste said.
Ashton's jaw tightened and he glared at Max. Why wouldn't he give up? Ashton would never side with Max. "That's enough. I haven't figured out what this game of yours is, but I'm done playing."
"I know you won't turn your back on Etta," Max said. "You've made that clear. I'm here to tell you I won't hurt her if she steps down. The king has the Skystone. How long do you think he'll let her live now that he can build an army of thousands of undead by himself? His power far exceeds that of a hundred necromancers."
"Even if she were to step down, I can't trust you. Not after what you did to me." Ashton stared at Max, not blinking. How could Max think he'd ever consider supporting him?
"I know what I put you through. That's why I helped you, and that's why I came here to tell you that the king knows where the Raven camp is. He's probably already there and he's going to kill Master Flanders." Max turned away from Ashton and took a few steps before stopping to glance over his shoulder. "If you change your mind, you're on the guest list for my wedding. There was talk of an attack so it's been moved up to tomorrow." Grey smoke enveloped Max and he vanished from site.
Ashton hardly registered the words about the wedding. At the moment, an invitation to a wedding was the last thing on his mind. All of his attention was focused on the news that the king was after Master Flanders. His heart raced in his chest. The king knew. This changed everything. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not the stone, not the upcoming war, none of it. If the king was going after Master Flanders, he was going to break the protection spell that had been cast on Etta. And the only reason he'd do that was if he wanted to attack Etta himself.
"Is he telling the truth?" Celeste asked.
Ashton grabbed hold of Celeste's hand and turned to her, eyes wild. "Master Flanders is the one who put the protection spell on Etta. We have to go now."
33
Etta
The air was cold and the scent of burning wood filled the air. Small white flakes dropped from the gray sky. Winter was finally making its appearance. I rubbed my hands together and looked around at my new entourage. I'd have to find quarters for all of them.
"Charles?" I spun around to find him behind me. He bowed his head in response.
"I don't have any quarters set up for you yet but I'm sure we can find places for you all until we can build something to suit you," I said.
"As long as it's near your highness' quarters, we are fine with anything," he said.
"Etta! Master Flanders!" A familiar voice called out. Saffron.
She caught me in a hug before I was able to respond. "I'm so glad you're back." She held me at arm's length and looked me up and down. It reminded me of something my grandmother would do after she caught me out in the woods "You seem to be unharmed."
"What did you expect?" I asked.
Her eyes darted from side to side and she pursed her lips as she looked at the newcomers.
"Don't worry," I said. "They're with me. Gift from my uncle. Personal guard. How is everything here?"
Her face darkened. "I wish I had good news for you. A few messages came in while you were away." She looked to the guards again and lowered her voice. "They say there was sighting of a dragon."
I started walking toward camp. "We heard the same thing. We should gather the council. We have so much to talk about."
Saffron placed her hand on my elbow and I stopped walking. "What is it?"
"We received word the wedding date was changed."
"To when?" We'd planned everything around the wedding. Had they changed the date because they knew our plans? I felt like I'd never be able to get a step ahead of the king. Was this more proof that we had a traitor in my council?
Her face fell. "It's going to be tomorrow."
&
nbsp; I took a deep breath and glanced in the direction of the portal I had just left. The blue coin was still in my palm. "I should go back and let them know. Maybe they'd be ready to fight tomorrow."
"Our army is always ready, your highness," Charles said.
I looked at Master Flanders. "What should we do?"
Before he could answer, he looked up and my eyes followed his gaze. Above us, flashes of light filled the sky and a tingle of magic filled my fingertips. My heart raced. I recognized the flashes of light I was seeing. It was the same magic the king's sorcerers had used to break down the wards at the Trials. "We're under attack."
We would need more sorcerers to win this battle. I turned to Saffron. "Are Ashton and Celeste back yet?"
She shook her head. "No word yet."
"Find Sir Henry, I need the two of you to get everyone who can't fight to the exit point." She took off at a run, leaving me with my guards and Master Flanders.
"I'll find Madame Lyndsey and see if we can round up a few more sorcerers," Master Flanders said.
"Thank you," I said. "I'm going to find Calder. We need to arm our fighters."
Charles and my guards followed me as I ran through camp. The flashing lights were increasing in frequency and intensity making my stomach knot in anticipation. I didn't know how long the wards would hold and I was terrified that we weren't ready to fight the intruders.
The Ravens were noticing the flashing lights, stopping to stare up at the invisible ward. I shouted to the people I passed by, "Fighters, get to the arsenal, non-fighters, get to the exit point."
The further into the camp we went, the more movement there was of people as they scrambled to find their place. We'd come up with a plan for attack, and the Ravens knew what to do, but I never thought we'd actually need to implement it.
Breathless, I stopped at the training grounds on the opposite end of camp from the archery range. Charles and the other guards stopped with me. Like the archery range, it was a bit secluded from the rest of the camp.
As I hoped, Calder was there giving lessons to a group of kids that looked too young to be fighting. He lowered the wooden sword he'd been using when he saw me. "What's wrong? And who are they?"
Pointing up, I took a few more breaths before I could speak. "New guards, I'll explain later. We're being attacked. I need all fighters at the ready."
Calder's jaw tightened and he nodded. "You all, go to the exit point."
"We can help," a boy who looked to be around ten said.
"Yes, you can. I need you all to go with the younger children. Who will protect them while we fight the guards? Take your weapons. This is what we have been practicing for. Get those kids out of here."
I noticed that the group of kids were all holding metal weapons. My heart sunk knowing that it was a possibility that one of them may have to fight.
"Go," Calder said.
The group of kids took off at a run, away from the training fields.
I turned to my guards. "You all, go with Calder, help prepare for the fight. I'll meet you there."
"I'm staying with you," Charles said.
I wasn't used to having someone following me around, but we'd be joining the rest of the fighters soon enough. "Alright, Charles, you're with me. The rest of you, follow Calder."
Calder glanced at the men surrounding me. "This way, hurry." He took off at a run away from the training grounds.
He'd only been with the Ravens a short time, but he had demonstrated he was a leader. The others looked up to him. I felt confident he could organize the fighters and prepare them for battle.
With Charles at my heels, I ran right for my tent. I knew magic was my best defense, but there was only so much I could do before I'd lose the energy to cast spells. I'd need another weapon. I ducked into my tent, only stopping to grab my bow and a quiver of arrows. Charles had followed me into the tent. As I clipped my quiver onto my belt, I narrowed my eyes at him. "You should know I am not as fragile as you think."
"I don't doubt that," he said.
"I won't sit back and let others fight for me."
"So I've heard." He looked down at the bow in my hands.
"I don't know what we are going to be facing when those wards fall. If you think I'm a lost cause, do not risk your life for me. Save my people. As many as you can. Promise?"
"I can't do that." He shook his head. "I'm here to protect you, I'll give my life for you if I have to."
We were wasting time. I didn't think I'd be able to convince him quickly. "Fine. You stay with me, but I want you to tell the others to focus on protecting everyone else."
He nodded. "Agreed. I'm not leaving your side."
I couldn't see the lights as the magic attacked the ward from inside my tent, but I could feel the tingle of magic coursing through me. It was almost as strong as my encounters with the Reapers. "We better run. We don't have much time."
We cut through the common area on our way to the arsenal. Nobody sat at the tables, but the remains of uneaten lunches were still sitting on the tables, reminding me of how many people called this place home. How could I protect all of them? I never thought the war would come to us. The plan had always been to bring the war to the king.
The Raven I saw before I went to Gallia had to have been sent by the king. But how had he found us? Fire rose up inside me. Whoever had betrayed us would pay. Somebody had to have given away our location. A woman carrying her child bumped into me as she ran by, bringing me back to the crisis at hand. I had to save these people.
Calder was helping pass out swords, bows, and any other weapons when we reached the small wooden building that served as our arsenal. It wasn't much, but over the last few weeks, we'd managed to acquire enough to arm all the fighters in camp.
"Just remember," Calder said, "they're still only human. They can still be killed. You just have to find the weak areas in their armor or get them while they are distracted. Work together."
"What about the sorcerers?" a man asked.
"We have sorcerers of our own, and more on the way. Don't worry about them. They will focus their attention on me." A hundred pairs of eyes turned to look at me.
"What about the Reapers?" somebody asked.
"We sent Ashton and Celeste to get the stone. They should have it by now," I said. “Hopefully, the king no longer has control of the Reapers." Murmurs rose up though the small crowd. I figured telling them about the hunt for the stone might be good for morale in this situation.
Heads turned in my direction as I reached the building.
This was when I needed to say something. I had to make them feel better. I knew what we were up against. I knew our odds. But I couldn't let them know how much I was trembling inside.
"This isn't what we planned, but we've been preparing for this." My voice came out stronger and clearer than I thought it could. "You've all been training and all of you can defend yourselves. They won't expect that. They think we're weak. But we're not. We know that what we fight for is the right thing. We have the will of the people and the blessing of the gods on our side. We know that good triumphs over evil. We can do this."
34
Etta
The lights above us were coming more frequently as we ran toward the edge of the ward. How many sorcerers were there? I didn't remember seeing this much light at the trials. My grip tightened around the bow and my heart pounded in my ears.
The faces of the men and women around were fearful, but determined. I hoped I wasn't leading all of these people to their death, but my optimism was waning.
"Etta," Saffron ran toward me. Silver glinted in her belt. She'd stopped to get her daggers and sword on her way back. "Everybody's safe. Sir Henry will stay with them. They're going to flee as soon as the wards fall if it's safe."
I nodded. Everything was following the plan we had set up when we first chose this place for our camp. Though we knew having emergency plans was necessary, I never thought we'd need them.
"You all know what to
do," I said to the small group around me. "Focus on the soldiers." I glanced around and my stomach felt like it dropped to my feet. I was the only sorcerer here. Our plan had always counted on having at least three sorcerers.
"Who is the best with a bow?" I asked.
"Yancey," Charles said. "He's one of the best archers I've ever seen."
Yancey, one of my new personal guardsmen bowed at me. He was probably only a year older than me and had thick, dark curls. When he looked up at me, his bright blue eyes practically glowed against his dark skin. I wanted to stare at them for a while. My own blue eyes had made me stand out more than I liked. They were rare and it wasn’t often I came across someone else with this trait. Yancey returned my stare with a steady gaze, eyes unblinking. He came across as well disciplined, and fierce. I had a feeling he would be a good addition to the fighters we had in the Ravens. Forcing myself to look away from him for a moment, I broke eye contact, then looked back at him. “Are you as good as he says?”
"Your highness, I have trained with a bow since I was a child. I can handle any bow."
I took a deep breath and handed him my bow. It was my most prized possession after my necklace. "I made this bow myself. Please don't break it."
He took the bow from me. "It's beautiful. Your highness. I'll treat it with the highest respect."
I handed him the quiver of arrows. "These are enchanted. They'll explode on impact. Make them count. If you can hit somebody while they are close enough to other people, you can take down several soldiers with one shot."
He nodded at me and clipped the quiver to his belt. Removing an arrow, he balanced it against the bow with one hand. He looked comfortable with it in his grip. I relaxed a little. He'd probably be as good a shot as me. Maybe even better.
Tingles shot through my fingers. Magic. We didn't have much time before the wards fell. I turned my attention back to the group. "I'm the only sorcerer we have right now, but we stick to the plan. I'll focus on the sorcerers and as soon as Master Flanders and Madame Lyndsey are back with reinforcements, they'll help me. We can do this. They underestimate us."