Out of the Mountain

by Violet Chastain

  “Right this way” was all she said before leading us to Council HQ. I hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to her since she had been filled in on what was happening, and I took a moment to study her as we walked. Her face was a mask of indifference, her body language stiff and uptight as I clung to Malachi for comfort and in effort to keep up our charade. When we entered the room, Mauve was standing and talking to a woman I hadn’t seen before. She was at least as tall as Rowan, her willowy body thin and frail, her nose long and bent. She looked me over from head to toe and seemed to find me unpleasing.

  “Vivienne, this is Taylin. She is going to design your gown for the coronation,” Mauve said, gesturing to the desk where many fabrics of all colors and material were laid. Taylin quickly stood me on a small pedestal, propping my arms out, and giving me a hard look that I took to mean, “Stay still.” She pulled out a string of fabric and began taking my measurements. I had the feeling I was a little too thick for her tastes and was proven right when she measured my hips, waist, and bust twice over before heaving a sigh.

  “The proportions are all wrong,” she murmured, more to herself than to me. I frowned at her but tried to convince myself that I didn’t care what she thought.

  “They look all right to me.” Malachi hummed, winking at me from where he stood against the wall. I smiled at him and blew him a kiss for his effort. Taylin’s eyes widened before she turned to me to apologize.

  “I am sorry, Princess, you mistook my meaning. I have only a small amount of silk fabric that will match your eyes perfectly. I was merely thinking out loud that the design I had wanted to use wouldn’t work. I was in no way shaming your body.” She pleaded for me to understand, and I waved her off. She was worried about losing this job. Mauve’s eyes were narrowed at her.

  “No offense was taken, Taylin. I know I’m a little thicker and harder than your average princess,” I jested, and she cracked a smile, warming toward me.

  “Yes, well I have a few ideas I think you might like.” She pulled the blue silk out and laid it against a similar swath of black. I liked the contrast of the colors.

  “What kind of gown would you prefer?” she asked, and I thought about it. I was most likely going to have to be thrust into some sort of battle at some point, and all though I could conjure new clothes, it was an unnecessary waste of power during a fight. I needed something simple.

  “Sleek and simple,” I told her, and she nodded her approval.

  “How about a sweetheart neckline? I can sew panels of the blue into the sides and neckline giving a pop of color and structure. The bottom can flow freely,” she said, and I smiled. It sounded great.

  “That is not a traditional design for a coronation gown,” Mauve protested.

  “I’m not exactly a traditional princess.” I tried to soften it with a smile, but I wasn’t budging on this, and I think she sensed that.

  “Very well, whatever you prefer,” she complained while waving Taylin away and gesturing for me to follow her.

  “Do you have a color scheme in mind?” she asked, and I shrugged.

  “It doesn’t really matter to me,” I replied honestly, and her eyes narrowed.

  “Do you not wish to take part in the planning of your coronation, Princess?”

  “No, that’s not it. I just don’t know how all this works,” I said, gesturing around the room and her expression didn’t soften. “It’s a little overwhelming is all . . . I mean, what would I know about royal ceremonies? I trust your opinions and would rather leave the details in your capable hands,” I continued, placing my hand on her arm to reassure her. I felt the familiar shock as my eyes went blank.

  “It will be perfect, Kieran. All will be gathered to see the plans we have carefully laid.” Narissa purred from under her cloak.

  “It is a solid plan.” Kieran nodded.

  “The princess is returned and the coronation will be everything she ever dreamed of, from dress to drapes. Even the boy she unwittingly reclaimed from me will be by her side when it all falls to ruin. I’ll pluck the crown that is rightfully mine from her head as you claim the untrained power within her for your own. The kingdom will be overrun with my creatures, and any who oppose me will be but flesh in their bellies.” There was a manic lilt in her voice as her arms spread wide as if in spectacle.

  “Yes, my dear. The power I drain with the staff dwindles too quickly to retain our position for long, but when you use the bonds of our shared royal blood to bind the girl’s powers into me . . . there will be none who can oppose us. My power and hers in its entirety at my disposal, easily replenishing itself as naturally as my own when it depletes.” His eyes shone with lust at the thought.

  “It’s everything that was taken from us returned on a silver platter. King and queen, with a nation cowed before us.”

  “Princess?” Mauve questioned, eyes narrowed at me.

  “So sorry, Mauve. Just felt a little faint there for a second. The training is taking a lot out of me,” I muttered, trying to sound embarrassed.

  “That’s quite all right, child. If you need to rest, I can take care of the rest of this for you.”

  “Oh, thank you so much. Mauve! I’m sure everything will be wonderful!” I gushed as Malachi took my arm.

  “Come on, love, let’s get you rested up.” He grinned.

  ***

  I filled the group in on my vision, and they all sat around the table in Guard HQ lost in thought.

  “So they are willing to wage a war and kill innocents . . . just because they feel they didn’t get what was owed to them?” Briony questioned.

  “Narissa was raised to believe that she would, in fact, someday be queen. Her marriage to King Killian was secured at birth. She had been primped and primed for the throne since,” Rowan said, and Farran nodded.

  “Yes, and she inadvertently led him right to the woman who easily took her place. Love at first sight, they said . . . and then went one step further by outing them and allowing politics between the two nations to seal her fate. She is ultimately to blame for it all.” Farran sneered with the angry fire that lit behind his eyes at any mention of Narissa.

  “Then you have Kieran, the misunderstood prince. Nothing he ever did was good enough to outshine Alaric. He didn’t like the people, thought he was better than them. He hated them for how much they loved Alaric even more. He wanted to be king, if only to force respect from the people he loathed.” I replied.

  “At some point, Narissa sought Kieran out and that was the tipping point, I think. He withdrew, and they spent many years plotting and planning their revenge. Feeding off the resentment and anger they each toted around,” Farran grumbled.

  “Among other things . . .” I grimaced thinking of the kiss from my vision. The others looked to me for further explanation.

  “You know . . . other things . . . remember the creature called him her mate? I saw them kissing in one of my visions.” I blushed.

  “You naughty girl.” Malachi chuckled, and I groaned.

  “My point is, they are this weird couple, using each other in every way possible. I don’t think they are capable of love or trust or anything that a real relationship should have. Kieran can become king by force, and he has the royal blood, which makes it even better for Narissa. A woman scorned by none other than Kieran’s very own father . . .ugh, gross . . .” I thought about it and then shook my head.

  “Narissa is powerful and willing to do despicable things to gain as much power as she can. She is cunning and evil, warped by blood magic. Without her, Kieran couldn’t have altered the staff, and he surely wouldn’t have a legion of creatures at his disposal. The two of them together are malevolent.”

  “They plan to invite everyone to join or die,” Luca said in disbelief.

  “They are far too cocky,” Griffin replied.

  “It will be their downfall,” Rowan murmured, eyes on me. “They are going into this thinking Vivienne is completely naïve to her own power,” he continued as he brushed one of his lar
ge hands through his silky hair. I wondered how it would feel to have both my hands in his tawny mane, to feel the brush of his lips . . . He cleared his throat as his eyes darted from mine, and a blush spread from head to toe at the line of my thoughts.

  “They underestimate their greatest enemy,” I heard Silas say.

  “She is pretty good at acting the part,” Adelaide said with a frown she didn’t bother to hide.

  “There isn’t much she’s not good at,” Briony replied, guarding my back. I smiled at her.

  “That’s all good for her, but what power do we have to fight back against these creatures?” Tasmin asked nervously.

  “Only Vivienne can thoroughly destroy the Shade, and she has barely discovered the extent of her powers. The rest of us are fighting an enemy who never dies,” Silas agreed with an apologetic look.

  “Not to mention that these are real people. We can’t just kill a bunch of innocents! We have to try and subdue them,” I cried, aghast as I remembered the man in the cell.

  “What would you have us do? Die trying to protect someone who is actively trying to kill us?” Tasmin protested in disbelief.

  “Of course not! If it comes down to it, you must protect your own lives. I’m just suggesting you take a different approach in the beginning. From what I’ve seen, these creatures are thoroughly tied to the bodies. They can’t escape unless the person dies, or I force them out with my light.”

  “So let someone more capable wield your weapons of light then,” Adelaide suggested, and I shook my head with a sigh.

  “That’s not how it works. The light comes from me. The dagger just helps it along.”

  “So then we are all certain to die,” Griffin complained, and I frowned at him.

  “Sure, if you plan on giving up that easily, you are,” I growled, and he straightened his back.

  “I need to get a message to Master Liung.” I turned to Farran, inspiration striking.

  “I think I can manage that,” he said as he conjured paper and a pen onto the table in front of me. Conversation picked up around me as the others discussed everything we knew so far, but I tried to tune them out as I gathered my thoughts.

  What to say? Do I tell them how much I miss them? Ask how everyone is doing? Surely the monks wouldn’t care for the idle chitchat. I sighed and began writing.

  Dear Master Liung,

  I thought I heard your voice. If that is true, please tell me how to do it again so I can communicate with you further.

  I miss you.—Vivienne.

  I handed it to Farran, and it was gone in a flash.

  “How will we get his response?”

  “I suspect they have their ways.” He grinned, and I nodded.

  ***

  That night in my room, I had trouble getting to sleep. Malachi was provided a cot to sleep in at the foot of my bed. As he settled in, he grumbled about how it was uncomfortable and inconvenient, but I let him have his moment because it truly didn’t look comfortable in the least. I was nervous about what was to come. We were training hard, but there’s only so much you can perfect and learn in such a short amount of time. I decided that I would free Mauve from Narissa’s power first. She seemed to be the voice of the council and most thoroughly under Narissa’s control. I had to wait until the right moment, though; if Narissa was somehow peeking through her eyes, our entire plan would be ruined. She must think that we are completely unaware of her plans.

  Just as I was finally drifting off into that place between sleep and wakefulness I heard it.

  “Meditate.” Master Liung’s voice rang inside my head. I sat up quickly, sure that I had heard it this time. Malachi heard my movements and shot up off the cot.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, looking around the room.

  “I need you to watch over me for a bit. I’m going to meditate, OK?” I asked, and he eyed me warily.

  “Whatever you need to do,” he said, sitting on the bed in front of me.

  I sat straight and began clearing my thoughts. It took me a minute, because I could practically feel Malachi studying me, but when I reached that place of zen, I felt a tap on my mind.

  “Master Liung?” I asked, welcoming him in.

  “Yes, Vivienne, it is me.”

  “How is this possible?”

  “You have many talents surfacing. Your power has grown so much since I last saw you! I suspect that many years of meditating with us has allowed you to reach out into our shared mind space.”

  “So I can meditate and talk to you anytime I want?” I asked excitedly.

  “It seems that if we are both in the same state of mind, it is indeed now a possibility.” I heard the warmth behind his words.

  “So much has happened . . .” I began, unsure where to start.

  “We have seen much, and we have seen what is to come.” I heard the monks voices intermingle into my mind all at once.

  “You have? Can you tell me what I need to do?” I asked hopefully, but I knew the monks didn’t work that way.

  “We cannot interfere in that way. Ask another question.” I heard Master Tatsu’s insistent tone. Ask in another way?

  “The weapon that you showed my mother how to channel her power through and bind to us with our blood . . . can you teach me to make others?”

  “Those weapons came at a great cost to your mother, one that we cannot allow you to make.”

  “What does that mean? How are we supposed to fight back with no viable weapons?”

  “Your blood is a weapon,” Master Liung said firmly.

  “You mean for me to use blood magic?”

  “All forms of magic have the potential to do harm. Blood magic comes at a cost, but there is blood magic that takes and there is blood magic that gives.”

  “I wouldn’t even know where to begin with something like that.”

  “Listen closely, Vivienne:

  “A drop of blood anoints the blade, a power given also takes.

  “Use it wisely or you shall perish at the hands of those you cherish.”

  “How am I supposed to know how to anoint a blade?” I yelped at their words.

  “Farran will know,” Master Liung replied.

  “Thank you. I miss you guys,” I muttered embarrassed.

  “We miss you too,” I heard Master Liung say before the connection closed.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I opened my eyes, and it was daylight. I hadn’t felt this good since I left the mountain. I stretched lazily, suppressing a chuckle at Malachi asleep at my feet, one hand holding my leg in what I assumed was his attempt at making sure I didn’t disappear. I laid my hand on his as I took in the sight of him. His face was completely relaxed, his long dark eyelashes brushing the tops of his cheekbones as he slept. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face at how young and vulnerable he looked in that moment, with all his defenses down.

  An exasperated breath released to my right, and I froze, slowly turning to see that Rowan was occupying my chair. He arched an eyebrow at me, clearly asking for an explanation, and I admit it must have been an odd scene to happen upon. I grabbed a pillow from behind my head and smacked Malachi with it in frustration.

  “Ow, what is it, Vivi?” he grumbled, tossing the pillow back at me and rolling over.

  “You were supposed to keep watch over me.” I threw it back at him, and he pulled it over his head.

  “I did! You didn’t move for like two hours. I decided you were doing some kind of freaky new magic thing and left you to it.” I kicked a foot at him and he grabbed onto it pulling me down the bed toward him. I yelped in surprise as I tried to fight to right myself. He honestly had no idea Rowan was in the room.

  “Malachi!” I tried to warn him as he flipped me onto my belly and pinned me, trying to tickle my foot in some twisted sort of revenge. I bucked, trying not to laugh as I did so.

  “That’s quite enough of that,” Rowan growled, and Malachi shifted his body on top of mine in protection before he realized who the spe
aker was and then let out a groan.

  “You couldn’t have warned me?” he whispered, quickly pulling me to my feet.

  “I could say the same thing to you.” I pushed him playfully, and he grinned.

  “If you two are finished?” Rowan was losing his patience.

  “Yes . . . sorry,” I apologized even as I stuck my tongue out a Malachi in defiance.

  “No one else would have slipped past me, and you know it.” The playfulness was leaving Malachi’s face. He was mortified that he was caught unaware.

  “There are those after Vivienne much more powerful than me.” Rowan said with a frown.

  “I find that hard to believe,” I mumbled under my breath.

  “Even so, we can settle this matter later.” Rowan dismissed Malachi, and turned on me.

  “Were you meditating?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?” He coaxed me impatiently.

  “I communicated with the monks! We have to find Farran!” I exclaimed hopping to my feet. “But first, I need to freshen up,” I complained.

  ***

  Cleaned, dressed, and fed, I was on my way to the training grounds. I hadn’t been able to find Farran this morning, so I would just have to wait for him to find me instead. I smiled and greeted people who were opening up shop in the market district. A woman offered me a pastry that I happily took even though I had just eaten. It was covered in icing and filled with apples and cinnamon. I practically moaned when I bit into its warmth, and she smiled happily at me as we left. I offered a bite to Rowan, but he declined (no surprise there) and I shrugged, enjoying the rest of it alone. I even shamelessly licked the remaining icing off my fingers, rolling my eyes at Rowan’s frown as I did so.

  “No sugar will be wasted on my watch!” I promised and he tried to hide his grin.

  When we arrived at the training grounds, the other novices were gathering around practice dummies set up and spread on the field an equal distance apart. These appeared to be made of much tougher material than the ones I was used to practicing with, but like everything else, I was sure I could compensate for the difference.