The walk back up the stairs was somehow just as tranquil as it was daunting. Though Penny did not know what to expect at the end of the balcony, a strange calmness had come over her. The emotions that had been so uproarious minutes before had stilled. She pushed through the curtains and onto the balcony and heard Annette’s distinctive scream.
“Penny! Thank Heaven you’re all right!” Annette wailed, gripping Penny around her ribcage hard enough to restrict her breathing. “We thought you had―”
“Where’s Nestor?” Simon yelled from beside her, fear still rampant in his gaze.
“I sort of—well, he’s gone. It’s hard to explain, I―”
“Are you hurt at all?” Hector hobbled forward, disbelief in his eyes as he looked Penny over. His nose had a slightly crumpled look and a splatter of dried blood smudged his face.
“No, I’m okay. Where’s Cyrus? How did Simon get away?” Penny asked, looking around for some clue as to what had happened. Echoing shouts still rang out from below and several goblin stragglers continued to dash across the now almost-deserted square. It was only a matter of time before Annette’s commands wore off and a group of angry goblin rangers stormed them.
“It was the Bishop. He flew up on a moth. Phobos and Deimos were with him, but they looked worse than dead. We tried to stop him, but he pulled out something that looked like a whistle and when he blew it, Cyrus came shooting out from the room and they―they got away,” Hector sighed.
Annette, who simply refused to let go of Penny as if she were in danger of being swept away with the wind, gasped. “Where’s Argent? Wasn’t he with you?” she squawked.
Penny flushed. “I―I left him sitting in the street…you don’t think when all those people ran off that he was―”
A loud groaning and creaking of hundreds of different mechanical parts sounded from above their head, interrupting Penny as a large shadow obscured the moonlight. The magnificent Royal Dirigible floated above them, an elephantine mass in the starry sky. On the airship’s deck they could just make out the outline of a silver-haired man waving energetically. Penny smiled, remembering Della’s last advice to Argent.
When you wake up you must go straight to the Air Harbor…
Moments later the four of them sat atop the cottony cloud as it soared higher into the sky. Hulver became a tangle of crooked towers with points of blazing color as they rose above the haze of the city. The night air was cold, but it could not have felt more wonderful. With effort they made it onto the railed deck and greeted Argent. He explained in a tongue-tied flurry how he had made his way to the Airstation during the confrontation and proceeded to wake a very incensed Zayne as quickly as he could.
Shortly after, they made their way inside and collapsed in exhaustion on the sofas in the cabin. They told Argent the shorthand version of what had happened, but not a single one of them had so much as a scrap of energy left, even for talking. It was only minutes before they were all asleep with heads resting on shoulders and laps.
THE NEXT DAY when they were safely on route back to Iverton Penny told them all, in great detail, of the confrontation between herself and Nestor and relived the vision of her final encounter with the masked entity.
“What could you have possibly done to make him react in such a way?” Hector wondered and Penny shook her head.
“There’s no way of knowing―I’m just grateful it did happen, otherwise I probably would’ve been reduced to a bloody smear,” Penny said, then stopped as something occurred to her. “I do remember him saying something about Anti-Magic, though. Do any of you know what that is?”
Hector shrugged, but Argent’s expression darkened a shade. Penny was sure Argent knew something as she studied the contemplative look in his eyes, but decided she would try to wheedle the truth out of him after they got back to Iverton.
Once all accounts had been told and theories had been discussed, the majority of the return journey was spent asleep or nursing their various wounds and recuperating. Every night Penny dreamt nothing but the harmless, nonsensical scenes that she had come to miss so dearly. The lightness she felt since Nestor had flown away remained.
When Iverton appeared as a tiny collection of miniatures outside of the Airship’s windows, all five of them rushed out on to the railed balcony. Penny felt a sense of warmth and ease as she gazed upon the familiar sights of the castle and Grand Cathedral in the distance, feeling as if she were finally home for the first time since she had come to Elydria. As the huge dirigible bounced down on the runway and the golden staircase clanked out, Penny and Annette bounded down it, laughing in elation.
At the bottom of the stairs, a wonderful surprise awaited: Gavin, Wendy, and Humphrey. Annette gave a high pitched yell and leapt into Gavin’s arms, then let go and threw herself on top of Wendy, all three of them making a riot of noise. Penny felt a great rush of emotion as Humphrey pranced up and down, whining as she skipped over to him. She threw her arms around his warm, furry neck as he licked her face. He pressed his cold, wet nose into her ear, sniffing it in the way that made her go silly with giggles. Humphrey gave Hector an energized sniff as he drew closer to the group, which Hector returned with a tentative pat on the anteloo’s head. By the time Gavin swept her up into a bone-crushing hug, Penny had to turn her head away to wipe away the rogue tear that escaped.
“Oh, when we heard the news we nearly died of fright! Mother and I were in hysterics the whole night long until the captain sent word to the palace,” Gavin cried, then looked up to the top of the flight of stairs where Zayne stood looking on the scene before him with revulsion. “Thank you, sir! It was really kind of you to let us know!” he shouted, waving up to Zayne. The Airship captain sneered down at him.
“Come now, there’s not a moment to lose. The King and all the ambassadors and reporters are waiting at the castle. They’re absolutely desperate for something other than the rumors that have been trickling in. Come, come,” Gavin enthused, putting an arm around Penny and Annette.
The streets of Iverton were just as wondrous and alive as Penny remembered them, and she looked on with an even greater sense of sentimentality after the long absence. The clean, wide lanes busy with diverse life were far lovelier than the crooked, garbage-lined alleys of Hulver.
The moment the group arrived at the castle, chaos broke loose. Not a second after stepping out from the carriage, they found themselves swarmed by a crowd of people, all of whom were shouting. Some were demanding answers to wild questions, others lobbed insulting comments, and a few even broke into applause. One priestess burst into tears at the sight of them and commanded them to tell her what they had done with Lord Nestor. Penny was stunned at how much the public had discovered about that night, and if it were not for Hector and Gavin hurrying her along, she feared she might have been pulled into the mob.
Once they got beyond the castle gates, a few guards led by Captain Damari Baldera escorted them to the ivory towers. They were taken to a chamber furnished with a long, polished table, and advised to prepare for the King.
The young monarch burst into the room before they could even sit down, his cape fluttering behind him. “Do you people have any idea what you’ve put me through? First you disappear without a trace for weeks on end, and then when you finally do show up you bring this mess with you! I’ve been getting constant criticism for sending you instead of my most trusted ambassadors, and this honestly does not help that situation. I’d say that you lot have a great deal of explaining to do.” Noah raised his eyebrows as he took a seat beside Penny and motioned for the others to sit down. He stole a shy glance at her, and Penny blushed furiously.
A diplomatic Annette introduced Argent before launching into a detailed explanation, barely taking time to breathe between sentences. Penny had to admit even to herself that the story sounded farfetched. Annette attempted to back up everything with all the evidence that she could, but took care not to go into too much detail about Della, saying only that they had met a kind witch in the woods
who had helped them back to Hulver.
She wove a neat tale, and Penny noticed she was careful never to lie outright, but edited and omitted where she saw fit. Stunned, Noah sat in silence for a full minute.
“It was Nestor who caused this? He’s behind the appearance of the wraiths in our Nation? The Angelic Lord responsible for the death of King Yulghrat and countless others?”
“Exactly,” Argent jumped into the conversation, laying his Inquisitor’s Eye out on the table and sliding it toward Noah. “Use that if you don’t believe us.”
“I would like to test each of your claims, if you don’t mind. In the meantime, I’m sure you’re all starved.” Noah looked back at a guard and got his attention. “You, please tell Flynn to prepare something special.” He turned back to the others and picked up the Eye. “While we wait, would you mind…?”
Annette obliged, careful to word her answers for the Inquisitor’s Eye. Noah looked astonished when the Eye continued to confirm her story.
Flynn arrived, looking as sour as he had at the ball, bringing the group heavy golden plates laden with a lavish, honey-roasted pofflin, baked herb potatoes, a crisp salad with wild nuts and berries, and oat bread still warm from the oven.
By the time the pofflin roast had been reduced to a few scattered bones and little else remained but a few scraps of salad leaves, Noah was at last satisfied with what he’d heard. He shook his head in amazement.
“I’m sorry to have doubted you, my friends. I somehow knew deep down that sending you was indeed a good idea. I had a feeling that you were needed in Hulver―my advisors thought I was crazy, but I suppose a King’s intuition is not to be questioned,” Noah said with mild arrogance. The King looked off into the distance, a muddled expression on his face.
“I won’t pretend that this doesn’t make things much harder for me. This news is most disturbing―I don’t want to believe Lord Nestor would do something like this, but I can’t imagine how much worse it would’ve been if you hadn’t stopped him. I was almost positive that I saw something….special about you all from the moment I laid eyes on you, and goodness knows Elydria needs heroes in these dark times. Please accept my most sincere thanks for your strength, your cunning, and your unfailing courage.” Noah bowed his head to them, a gesture which seemed to resonate with Annette and Argent. “Well, I must be going. There’s much to do…too much to do...”
“Does that mean we’re allowed to go home now?” Gavin asked and Noah laughed.
“Heavens, no. I’ll need you all here for at least a week. You and your mother needn’t stay, Mr. Deveaux, if you don’t wish to, but I’m going to need Miss Fairfax and her entourage,” Noah said with a charming smile as Penny frowned. “You five need to meet with the ambassadors, my advisors, give your official statement to the rangers, talk to the heads of the other Nations, and we’ll need to do thorough background checks…”
FOR THE FIRST few days Penny was relentlessly ushered back and forth from the private chambers in the castle to meetings and introductions. She was talked at and talked about. What had happened in Hulver became well-known throughout all of Elydria in a matter of days, and Penny could not get over the shock of seeing her name on the Sophotri Stones. Words like hero or scourge were constantly thrown about when describing Penny or her friends, and it unsettled her.
Annette leapt back into life at Iverton with a deftness Penny was not aware she possessed. As soon as she had time, she wrote an official apology to Aldridge and the Iverton Theater for her sudden absence and arranged meetings to be held at the castle with the heads of the entertainment departments to discuss future plans and the demise of Valentine Frost. Gavin seemed restless with Annette’s new insistence on arranging her own affairs.
Argent, who had never been keen on speaking to anyone, much less news reporters or stuffy politicians, spent a great deal of time in his room. He and Annette had decided that she was to take in Hector, Penny, and Simon after their business at the castle was complete, and that Argent would stay with her until arrangements for his new shop could be made. One night at dinner Noah stopped eating and looked across at Argent for a long while. Argent tried to ignore his intimidating stare, but Noah broke the tension by speaking.
“Your surname, Clemons, sounds very familiar. Where have I heard that before?”
Argent took a large swig of wine, grimacing as he put the cup down. “It’s a very common name, Your Majesty,” he sighed, looking away from the group with evident disdain. Noah shrugged and dropped the matter.
In the few days after the news had broken out, Simon had been made into an instant celebrity with the palace maids and female chefs. When he wasn’t flirting with gaggles of girls in the palace halls, he could be found in the kitchens, where a number of cheerful young girls worked. Flynn, the head chef, would have none of Simon, and on at least three occasions was seen chasing Simon from his kitchen with a meat cleaver in hand. Flynn was often with Noah when he was not busy, and seemed to be in a perpetual bad mood, which only worsened when Penny came near.
As soon as things quieted down some, Penny attempted to reach Armonie at the Cathedral via Sophotri Stone. She wanted to keep her promise about letting Armonie know when they had returned and was shocked when the communications cut off after hearing Penny’s name. After a few repeated attempts, each with the same reaction, Penny grew upset and decided to consult Gavin on the matter.
“Oh, Penny…think of what you’ve done to those people. Their entire organization lives to worship Nestor. They’ve been desperate for him to return for years now, and when he finally does, you go and drive him away all over again,” Gavin said.
“But he was trying to―”
“No matter what he was trying to do, he’s still their deity and leader. They’ll have justified his actions by now, and you in particular will be named a pariah since it was you who drove him away. I’d stay away from them, if I were you―but you needn’t worry. We’ll be sure to keep you safe!” Gavin promised with a smile.
A surprise came several days into their stay. One night after dinner Penny had retreated to her room when a small knock came at the door. Penny had expected perhaps Annette or Simon, but never Noah. She could feel herself clamming up as soon as he came into view. He smiled and bowed.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you, Penny. I know the hour is quite late, but I’ve only just finished working for today and I wondered if you might humor me for a bit,” Noah said in a tone that made Penny’s heart flutter and her voice come out all wrong.
“Erm, sure. Wh-what can I do for you?”
“Accompany me on a stroll in the gardens. I would be most obliged,” Noah suggested, exuding confidence. The power in Penny’s brain seemed to shut down for a moment and she stood in awe until it was able to reboot and form an answer.
“Erm―ok!”
Noah’s face broke into an adoring smile and he took Penny by her arm, a small gesture that sent her head spinning again. He led her into the gardens that bordered the palace, speaking of the castle history as they walked.
Penny confided her first memory of the castle as they reached the front pathway. “I remember standing outside these gates for the first time and looking in, wishing I could come and see the gardens. That seems like a lifetime ago,” she murmured and Noah gave her a curious look.
“And are you pleased? By the gardens, I mean,” he asked, though Penny thought she saw something else in his eyes. She nodded to Noah with a shy smile and ran her fingers across the water of a bubbling fountain shining with the reflection of the stars.
“Then I’m glad I could make one of your desires a reality, no matter how small.” Noah drew closer to her side and grabbed Penny’s hand, which was growing numb from the cold fountain water. Penny felt her fingers warming. She could think of nothing to say, so they continued strolling away from the fountain through the solitude of lush leaves and topiaries. Noah seemed to pick up on Penny’s speechless state, but would not let go of her hand, holding it as if she w
ere something fragile.
“I like this place at night much better than during the day. It’s almost like all the people have gone from the world and I can finally be at peace…”
He continued to talk, reminiscing about the days when his stressed father took care of matters. Penny expected Noah to tell her that the old king lost the will to live and died of some tragic illness some years before, but the truth surprised her much more.
“It was a shock. Out of nowhere, my father woke me up in the middle of the night and handed me the crown. He gave me a bit of last minute advice and said he was off to Borbarro Islands and he was never coming back. I suppose all the years of listening to Damari reminisce about his home really made an impression on Father. I suspect he’s still there, living on a beach somewhere.” Noah gave a bittersweet sigh and looked up at the sky.
Sensing his melancholy mood, Penny tried to cheer him up. “Damari…actually talks?” she joked. To her great relief Noah laughed out loud.
“Oh, yes. I can see how he might come off as unfriendly. He’s all business when he’s on the job, but he can get quite rowdy after hours. He and Flynn are my closest friends.” Noah explained how Damari had been captain of the guard ever since Noah had been a young boy and he had practically grown up under his care. The nature of Flynn’s relationship to him became clear as well. They had played together as small children, Flynn being the son of the head chef at the time. They grew into adulthood alongside each other, raised like siblings instead of prince and servant.
Their stroll brought them back to the castle and Penny was quite sorry when Noah bid her goodnight. He gave her hand a gentle kiss before departing, promising to see her again soon.
The Angel of Elydria (The Dawn Mirror Chronicles Book 1) Page 40