She threw the woman over the back of the dragon and strapped her in for the long flight back to her castle, then took a moment to cast a spell she knew she’d pay for later, since it was so hard to do without her scrying bowl.
C’Tan sent her image to the group below her and began to speak. The boys held Ember back as she tried to run after C’Tan. It would have done her no good anyway, as she could never go as fast as Drake, not even in her wolven form.
She created a huge head to float over the cooling river of Magma. “Chosen One. Wolfchild. Ember Shandae. Whatever name you choose to go by, I wish to make a trade. Are you open to hearing my terms?”
Ember growled at the head, her wolf nature coming out despite her human appearance at the moment, so C’Tan repeated herself. “I wish to make a trade. Will you hear my terms?”
Ember didn’t growl this time and seemed to be calming. She met the eye of C’Tan’s projected image and nodded.
“Good. I have your mother, and if you are anything at all like your father, you will move heaven and Rasann to get her back.” She didn’t bother waiting for Ember’s response. “I wish for you to do that which you had planned anyway. Collect the keystones. Find them all and bring them to me. I’m sure someone will give you directions. I’m not asking you to give them to me—just bring them to my castle, and we will battle out who is the real master of the keystones. Will you accept?”
Ember seemed to ponder C’Tan’s words, though her eyes were furious and tears continuously leaked from her eyes. “I do not see where I have any choice. I shall accept.” Lily sucked in a breath. “Ember, no! You don’t know what you’re saying!”
“I know exactly what I’m saying. I’m promising C’Tan a fight with the weapons I had planned to use anyway. This fight has been coming since the day I was born, and if it will save my mother, then even better,” she said.
C’Tan nodded, serious for a change, relieved that the girl accepted her terms. She had a few tricks up her sleeve that might weigh things in her favor, but she had a feeling that in the end, the fight could be won by either side.
The deal made, C’Tan let the projection fall, climbed astride her dragon, and, ignoring Brina’s threats and screams, she took off into the air and flew in the direction of her castle. It was a long ride home, and though she knew her master would be angry with her failures, she hoped he would give her leniency just once more with the prizes she brought in exchange.
All was not lost after all. Smiling, C’Tan settled herself in for the journey, and headed west into the setting sun and home.
Chapter Fifty-One
Ezeker’s voice brought Ember out of her fog. “What just happened here? Was that C’Tan I saw?”
Ember turned toward him. The mage council and many of the straggling students marched up the hill from Karsholm. “Yes. She has my mum,” Ember said, trying not to cry, but the panic bounded inside of her like a jackrabbit in her chest, and it felt as if a rock were embedded in her stomach.
Ezeker froze. “What?” he roared. “How did this happen?”
At that, Ember burst into tears, and Ezeker hurried his step and wrapped her in his arms. His voice shook. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry. Tell me what happened.”
So Ember told him. She told him everything, from the moment they burst through the door until C’Tan had flown away with Marda in tow, and her offer of a trade. Ember was sure he was going to tear into her for agreeing to such a thing, but instead, he stroked his beard thoughtfully. “This ties in to your dreams, doesn’t it?”
Ember nodded. She had told him about the dreams many times, especially because her mother would neither listen to nor believe in them. “Yes, it does. The people of my dreams are becoming real, Uncle Ezzie. This girl here—Kayla,” she said, pointing to the girl who played the Sapphire Flute. “She plays the blue flute in my dreams whenever we win. And DeMunth. He’s also part of the group when we succeed. If either of them are ever missing in my dreams, we are defeated.”
Ezeker continued to stroke his beard. “She charged you to find all the keystones, you say? And then come challenge her in her castle? Why didn’t she just demand that you give them up?”
Ember shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m just grateful for a way to get my mum back. I won’t give them to her, but at least by having them, I’ll stand a chance, and hopefully she’ll leave us be now so we can search them out in peace. So long as we can find them, the only challenge I really see is learning to use them quickly enough to do any good.” Ember scuffed her toe and glanced out at the destruction surrounding Karsholm.
“I may have a solution for you,” Ezeker said. “But I’m not sure you will like it.”
Ember drew her attention back to the headmaster. “Try me,” she said. “I’m open to anything right now.
“Your grandmother Asana knows more about the keystones and magestone in general than anyone I know. She may not be a mage, but she knows how the stone works, and the only other stone I can direct you to lies with the Bendanatu. She can take you there and teach all of you at the same time. It looks like Aldarin is going to need some training as well. I hate to lose the best captain I’ve ever had, but it’s obvious he needs to go with you.”
“What?” Ember said, having not even noticed what happened to her step-brother until then. She turned around and her jaw dropped. He was completely covered with glowing orange tattoos. Now Ember realized where the big Ketahean’s tattoos had gone, but why had they changed from blue to orange? Ember had no answers. Aldarin wasn’t all too happy with them either. In that instant, she remembered one of her dreams, where her step-brother was covered with orange tattoos and battled alongside her. It was one of the winning battle dreams. She smiled to herself.
Ezeker beckoned him over and he came without pause. “Aldarin, you do realize you need to go with Ember now, don’t you?”
He nodded, most definitely unhappy.
“Hopefully once you get to the Ketaheans, they’ll be able to take the magic back and you can return, but I can’t have a mage for a guard. If I had realized Rahdnee and Brendae were both mage and guard, they would have been released from duty. If I’d known they were traitors, I would have destroyed them long ago,” he said, anger tingeing his voice.
Aldarin only nodded. He must be really upset, to not be speaking.
Ezeker pulled at his beard again. “I have not checked the school yet, but if it’s anything like out here, we’re going to have some major repairs to do before we are ready to teach again. I’m going to ask a favor of you, since you’ll be traveling anyway. Take the children home, as many as will be on your way.”
Ember wanted to object. The kids were just going to slow them down, and she wanted to save her mother, blast it! But, the kids needed to be safe. Ember thought of Tyese, so helpful, and all alone. But if she was Bendanatu, she had people to take care of her, and suddenly she felt as Uncle Ezzie did. She answered for all of them.
“We’ll do it.”
“That’s my girl,” he said, putting an arm around her. “We’ll get your mother back, don’t you worry.”
The tears blurred her vision again and she nodded before turning away and glancing toward the girl with the blue flute, who stood talking to DeMunth. For a moment, she was insanely jealous. DeMunth was hers! But when he turned to her and winked, she realized that they belonged to one another, and he wasn’t going anywhere. After all, Mahal had named him her guardian for life. He was stuck with her one way or another, and she couldn’t be happier for those chains.
“Now,” Ezeker said, starting to walk back to his tower. “Let’s go see what we can do to help Tiva, shall we? That boy has a way of finding trouble, no matter where it is.” Ezeker shook his head, but his levity did nothing for any of them.
Everyone followed the wizened mage as he led them to his home, which was still intact, if a little shaken up. He had people bring more chairs and magically increased the size of his stone table to seat Kayla’s group around the table with them. L
ily stood to the side, as if unsure what to do. Ember beckoned her over and the girl came, slowly. She stopped at Ember’s side and said so soft Ember could barely hear. “You still want me here?”
“Of course I do! You’re family, remember?”
“Yes, but what a family. I knew my mother was capable of anything, but to take yours like that—” Lily choked up. “I’m sorry, Ember. I’m truly sorry. I tried to protect you, and didn’t think to protect her.”
Ember put her arm around her cousin and new friend, trying very hard not to think about her mother. She put the emotion in the back of her mind. She’d deal with it later, when she was alone. “It’s not your fault. We’ll get her back, I know it.” Ember chewed her lip. Should she ask her now? “Actually, I have been thinking, and you were about to graduate anyway, so, would you be willing to come with me in my search for the keystones? I could really use your help and experience, and you can continue to teach me.”
Lily’s eyes got huge as she turned toward Ember, then they filled with tears. “You would have me do that? After all I’ve done, and all my mother has done to you?” Ember nodded. “I told you before, Lily. I trust you. You’re not like your mother, and I think being a part of the search and even the battle that will defeat her would be the best medicine you could have, wouldn’t you agree?”
Lily nodded, then all of a sudden, she reached out and hugged Ember as if she were the stone holding her to Rasann. Ember hugged her back, then took her by the hand and led her to the table.
Across from her was Kayla, and next to Ember sat Lily and then DeMunth, butting Aldarin out of the spot just before he sat next to her. Aldarin playfully backed away and sat on the other side next to Kayla, who looked at him with curiosity.
Ezeker was the first to speak. “T’Kato is dead. I’m sure all of you know that by now. We will bury him where he fell, as is the tradition of his people. I’ve already set some of our best on that task,” he said. Kayla mouthed a thank you in his direction.
“We have a more serious challenge at the moment with Tiva. Paeder and Ren are with him now. Father and brother,” he explained to the newcomers. “His hands and face can be healed and rebuilt, but I am afraid the fire took his sight, and about that, there is nothing we can do but teach him to use his other senses. For that, I have assigned Mistress Virine to him. She knows better than any other how to cross that boundary and hopefully he will be able to recover and function close to normal.”
Ember was shocked. She knew burns could be healed. She’d seen miracles done through Ezeker’s power, but she hadn’t realized that vision was an exception, though she should have known. Shed seen the orange teacher’sblindness. But if Tiva could learn to accept his challenge as well as Mistress Virine had, he would be okay. She breathed an internal sigh of relief, though her heart still ached for him.
“There is nothing any of you can do. His sight is even beyond the power of the flute.” He nodded to Kayla. “Or your white magic, Ember. Instead, I need all of you to begin the task C’Tan set for you, whether you like it or not. You are now a unit, acting as one. Ember shall lead you, but she cannot do this task alone, and needs all of your help to make it happen. Let me rectify that. Aldarin. Kayla. DeMunth. Shad. Lily. You are needed for this venture. Any of the rest of you who choose to assist may go, but for the five of you, plus Ember, this journey is necessary. You will go places you’ve only dreamed about in the search for the keystones, but it will be worth it in the end, and I believe you will triumph if you work together.”
Ezeker stood, walked around the table to the end, then put his hands flat on the stone top and leaned forward. “There is a legend not often retold that the Chosen One is not just one person, but a group acting as a unit. A group of chosen ones, each selected by the keystones to be their bearers.” He let the silence at the table speak for a moment before continuing. “I believe that legend to be truth more than any other. You are the chosen ones. You are the guardian,” he said, turning to DeMunth. “And you, my dear, are the player,” he said to Kayla, who reddened and surprisingly teared up, though she tried to hide it. “Ember, you are the Wolfchild, also known as the whitewalker or the healer. You have yet to find the wolf, the eye, the heart, and the chameleon.” At the blank look on their faces he continued. “The chameleon is also known as the Hidden Coin. The keystones will come to you when the time is right, along with their companions. And even you have a keystone to hold, Ember. The Crystal Mallet is out there somewhere. I promise, it will find you, just as the armor and the flute have found these two.”
What Ezeker said made sense to Ember. It felt right, more right than anything she had before seen or heard.
They were the chosen ones. Not just her. The group. She looked around, and from her dreams, remembered many of these people using the keystones. She felt like the bearers were right here—they just had yet to find their matching stones.
A group of chosen ones. Ember was thrilled to know she was not alone
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE:
EMBER’S GROUP:
Brina—BREE-nuh
Marda—MAR-duh
Ember—EM-burr
Shandae—shawn-DAY
Paeder—PAY-dur
Ezeker—EZZ-ick-cur
Aldarin—AHL-duh-rin
Tiva—TEE-vuh
Ren—REHN
Shad—Shad
DeMunth—di-MOONTH
Shiona—shee-OH-nuh
Tyese—tie-EESS
Asana—ae-SAHN-uh
Lily—LILL-ee
Master Earl—UHRL
Mistress Vanine—vuh-NEEN
Master Stravin—STRAY-vin
Tobyn—TOE-bin
Elayna—ee-LAY-nuh
KAYLA’S GROUP:
Kayla—KAY-luh
Kalandra—kuh-LAN-druh
Felandian—feh-LAN-dee-in
Duke/Duchess Domanta—do-MAHN-tuh
Brant—(Like rant with a B)
Sarali—suh-RAH-lee
T’Kato—tuh-KAH-toe
Niefusu—nee-FOO-soo
Jihong—jee-HONG
Graylin—GRAY-lin
Hadril—HAD- rill
Tobyn—TOE-bin
Elayna—ee-LAY-nuh
BAD GUYS:
C’Tan—seh-TAHN
Kardon—KAR-dawn
Ian Covainis—EE-in co-VAIN-is
Markis—MAR-kiss
Rahdnee—ROD-nee
Brendae—BRIN-duh
Jayden Hancock—JAY-din
GUARDIANS of RASANN:
Mahal—muh-HALL
S’Kotos—SKOE-toess
Felan—feh-LAHN
Klii’kunn—klee-KOON
Lahonra—luh-HONE-rah
Hwalan—hwa-LAHN
Sha’iim--shaw-EEM
PLACES:
Rasann—Ruh-SAHN
Karsholm—KAR-showlm
Darthmoor—DARTH-more
Dragonmeer—DRA-gun-meer
Peldane—PEHL-dayne
Javak—JAH-vuk
Driane—dree-ANE
Ketahe—keh-TAW-hee
SHAPESHIFTERS/RACES:
MerCat—MUR-kat
Bendanatu—BEN-duh-NAH-too
Ne’Goi—neh-GOY
Ketahean—keh-TAW-hee-in
About the Author
Karen E. Hoover has loved the written word for as long as she can remember. Her favorite memory of her dad is the time he spent with Karen on his lap, telling her stories for hours on end. Her dad promised he would have Karen reading on her own by the time she was four years old … and he very nearly did. Karen took the gift of words her dad gave her and ran with it. Since then, she’s written two novels and reams of poetry. Her head is fairly popping with ideas, so she plans to write until she’s ninety-four or maybe even a hundred and four.
Inspiration is found everywhere, but Karen’s heart is fueled by her husband and two sons, the Rocky Mountains, her chronic addiction to pens and paper, and the smell of her laser printer in the morning.
You can find the author online at:
http://www.karenehoover.com
http://www.karen-hoover.blogspot.com
and
http://www.sprintwriters.blogspot.com
or
e-mail the author at [email protected]
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