The Scarlet Dragon (The Witching World Book 5)
Page 23
“Navigating the dark ocean in the nighttime, when the magic of two dark magicians—bound or not—might be coursing through the water, isn’t easy. It took me longer than I would’ve liked to find either of you, and once I did, I’d almost arrived too late. You were seconds away from killing each other.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You and Ariadne were about to kill each other when I arrived and stopped you.”
“No. I was about to kill Mirvela, and Mirvela was about to kill me. Not Grand-mère.”
“My child, when will you learn? Nothing in magic is as it seems.”
I bristled. I’d been trying damn hard to learn. No one, save perhaps Sir Lancelot, taught me much of anything. “I’ve been trying to learn magic for years. Even if none of you do much to teach me.” It was more blunt than I usually was. But I wasn’t usually underwater out to put a stop to a merwitch and an undead count.
“Yes, well,” Mordecai said, doing little to deflect the blame. “Regardless, by the time I found you both, you were moments away from killing each other, and I’m not sure if either of you would’ve survived.”
I crossed my arms across my chest out of habit and glared at him, not caring that I was angry and revealing it. I usually worked not to unleash my temper on others. But I was so finished with so many things right now, principal among them the way Mordecai and all magicians I’d met made me work so damn hard to get the information I needed. “Explain,” I ground out, the water doing little to soften the edge to my words.
“Why don’t you explain what was going on to me?”
I glared so hard at the elder magician that he continued.
“Why would a grandmother and grandchild be trying to kill each other? I can only assume there was some kind of magic or illusion in place. What did you see?”
My spirits sank for a moment before I could retrieve them. Why had I ever believed I was prepared to take on Mirvela and Washur? I should’ve required more convincing than a dream. I said, “I didn’t see Grand-mère. I saw Mirvela, and she was trying to kill me.”
Mordecai sighed, releasing a bubble into the water. “No doubt, Ariadne must’ve seen Mirvela instead of you. Or something like it. Because if I hadn’t arrived when I did, at least one of you would be dead, and your soul might’ve become Count Washur’s.”
That was a sobering possibility. My edge softened and I looked to my grandmother, the woman who’d been dead to me until a few days ago. The woman I didn’t want to even think about losing again. The grandmother I loved and nearly killed because of Mirvela’s dark magic or Count Washur’s or both.
I looked to Mordecai. “We need to put an end to this. Now.”
Mordecai nodded somberly, his beaded braids bobbing in slow motion behind him. “That we do. And soon. Before either one of them can cause more damage and before anyone in the castle wakes up to discover us gone and decides to follow.”
I didn’t have to ask. I understood that they’d follow, running to the ocean in desperation to keep Grand-mère, Mordecai, and me from harm. I would. I already had.
“But we stay together now,” Mordecai continued. “Together, we’re always stronger.”
“And we have to remain alert to any more illusions and deceiving magic.”
“Absolutely.”
But I had no idea how to do that. The image of Mirvela I’d taken on had looked and behaved exactly like her. How was I supposed to realize the witch battling with me wasn’t the merqueen? How would I ever know if I couldn’t trust my eyes?
That’s when I found my answer. There was only one way to see the truth when my eyes were fooled. I’d have to use my heart, and the five-petal knot within it, to discern the truth, for I believed my heart would always know—if I listened closely enough.
How would Mordecai and Grand-mère know? I had no idea, but they’d studied magic for centuries longer than I had. They’d have a way.
Yes, but then how come Grand-mère didn’t realize you weren’t Mirvela before? I had to hope that with an awareness of what might happen, Grand-mère and Mordecai would see it—before we could kill each other and do Mirvela and Count Washur’s evil deeds for them.
After all, Grand-mère and Mordecai were obviously breathing underwater, and they’d to have a way to accomplish this that went beyond the intuitive directing of magic contained within a five-petal knot. And Mordecai was speaking to me. That certainly must be advanced magic.
We could do this. We could find strength in our numbers and defeat our enemy.
We’d have to.
While we waited for Grand-mère to wake, I did everything I could to dispel my gnawing worry. We could do this, couldn’t we?
You can continue the story in Mermagic. Thanks for reading!
Thank you
Thank you for reading and allowing me to take you on this adventure. Creating magical, exciting stories is one of my great passions, but it wouldn’t be nearly as rewarding if I didn’t have anyone to share them with. That you give your time and attention to the worlds I’ve created means so much to me, and I appreciate every single one of you.
If you enjoyed this story, will you please consider helping other readers find out about it? There are many easy ways to do this, here are two. You could:
Tell a friend (or better yet, several), in person or social media.
Write a review on Amazon (or Goodreads). The more strong reviews my book has, the more likely it is that a new reader will take a chance on it. And great reviews often make me do celebratory dances, because knowing someone enjoyed my writing makes me that happy.
Again, thank you! I wish you blessings on your journey, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a magical day.
Lucía
Acknowledgments
I’d write no matter what, because telling stories is my passion, but the following people make creating worlds (and life) a joy. I’m eternally grateful for the support of my beloved, James, my mother, Elsa, and my three daughters, Catia, Sonia, and Nadia. They’ve always believed in me, even before I published a single word. They help me see the magic in the world around me, and more importantly, within.
I’m also grateful to Leslie Lyens, Malcolm Barber, and Linda Ingalls for beta reading this book and offering astute suggestions for its improvement.
And finally, I’m thankful for every single one of you who’ve reached out to tell me that one of my stories touched you in one way or another, made you smile or cry, or kept you up long past your bedtime. You’ve given me reason to keep writing.
Titles by Lucía Ashta
THE WITCHING WORLD
(YA fantasy)
Magic Awakens
The Five-Petal Knot
The Merqueen
The Witching World Omnibus, Books 1-3
The Ginger Cat
The Scarlet Dragon
Mermagic
Spirit of the Spell *
PLANET ORIGINS
(Space fantasy)
Planet Origins
Original Elements
Holographic Princess
Planet Origins Omnibus, Books 1-3
Purple Worlds
Planet Sand
Holographic Convergence *
Mowab Rider *
THE LIGHT WARRIORS
(Visionary fantasy)
Beyond Sedona *
Beyond Prophecy *
Beyond Amber *
Beyond Arnaka *
The Prophecy of Arnaka
The Secret of Namana
A Betrayal of Time
Whispers of Pachamama
“Daughter of the Wind”
“Immortalium” *
The Unkillable Killer *
(* coming soon)
About the Author
Lucía Ashta, a former attorney and architect, is an Argentinian-American author who lives in Sedona with her beloved and three daughters. She published her first story (about an unusual Cockatoo) at the age of eight, and she’s been at it ever since.
Lucía on the web:
LuciaAshta.com
luciamashta@gmail.com