Shades of Prophecy

by Tessonja Odette

  Ferrah flew over us again, and my eyes followed her graceful arc until she was out of sight. There was no sign of any other dragon in the sky. In fact, I hadn’t seen even a hint of any other dragon since we’d been in El’Ara. I returned my attention to Ailan. “Where did the other dragons go when they returned with us? It seems only Ferrah has stayed close by.”

  “Ferrah’s place is at my side, so she lives in the caves beneath the palace,” Ailan said, surprising me. I hadn’t noticed any caves beneath the palace. Then again, why would I have noticed such a thing? I’d hardly seen much of the palace itself, aside from a few rooms. Ailan continued. “The other dragons have homes of their own. Most prefer the Fire Mountains in De’Nah. Others live in the Charcoal Plains of Ce’Len. There are many other places dragons frequent that even I have yet to visit.”

  It was hard to imagine how vast El’Ara was. All I’d seen firsthand was the plush, eternal summer of what was left of Le’Lana. That and the dead land near the veil. I had no idea what the other kingdoms were like.

  A mass of figures ahead caught my eye, shaking me from my thoughts. Rows and rows of Elvan soldiers stood before the veil, flanking the invisible tear. I was taken aback at seeing the Elvan dressed in anything other than their customary decadent robes, then equally fascinated by their iridescent armor—plates of shimmering metal over opalescent chainmail. As we approached them, Ailan stepped in front of me and nodded to the guards, prompting them to take a wide step back to create a modest walkway.

  The soldiers eyed me with suspicion as we continued closer. I resisted the urge to scowl at them, knowing I could have easily avoided this unnecessary ceremony if I’d simply worldwalked to Ridine from my room at the Elvan palace. However, Ailan had made me promise not to do so. She’d said it would build trust if her people saw me leave on my own two feet.

  As Valorre and I stood before the white void, Ailan put her hand on my shoulder. “You know what to do?”

  I nodded. “I’ll world—” I paused, remembering the glares of the soldiers that surrounded me. “I’ll Travel home to Ridine once I’m on the other side. As soon as I’m home, I’ll seek my husband and tell him what I’ve learned. We will immediately send guards from our Black Force to stand watch in the shadows around the veil. After that, I’ll hold a formal meeting with our council as well as send word to King Larylis.” My eyes flashed toward Mareleau, who took a sharp intake of breath at the mention of her husband. “Once I have secured the support of Lela’s forces, I’ll return to the tear and report to you here.”

  “Very good,” Ailan said, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. She turned to face the small retinue that had followed us, nodding at two Elvan attendants that held the reigns of Hara and Ailan’s horse. Now that she was home, Ailan had no need for a horse. The attendants led the two horses forward, then quickly retreated as if they were eager to distance themselves from the creatures.

  They will follow me into the tear, Valorre said as he circled the horses. I will keep them close.

  Thank you, I said.

  As Ailan stepped back, Mareleau took her place. She wore the carrier gifted to her by the Forest People, with Liam nestled inside. The rustic cloth and earthy tones of the carrier stood in stark contrast to the pale, shimmering blue of the Elvan robe she wore. Her eyes were rimmed with red, but her face was composed as she regarded me.

  I waited for her to speak, sensing she was in the process of deciding something.

  Finally, she pulled a trembling hand from the pocket of her robe and brought out a scroll of delicate parchment tied with a violet ribbon. “Please,” she said, her voice cracking, “give this letter to Larylis.”

  I accepted the scroll, feeling the burden fall into my hand, its weight crushing my lungs. With a deep breath, I forced Mareleau’s pain away and tucked the scroll into my pocket.

  Mareleau didn’t give me a second glance as she turned and began to walk away, her shoulders heaving with quiet sobs.

  Ailan sighed as she watched Mareleau’s retreat, then faced me. A nod.

  Time to go.

  I reached a hand toward the veil, feeling for the tear. Despite its appearance of swirling mist, the veil felt solid, impenetrable, and without give. I continued to move my hand along the wall, seeking any hint of opening. It had seemed so much easier for Ailan.

  I can find it, Valorre said.

  I considered his offer, then shook my head. No. The soldiers should see me do it. Let them see me as a feeble, fumbling, harmless human, like Ailan wants.

  My fingertips suddenly slipped forward into the mist, cold air biting them. The chill was uncomfortable yet wonderfully familiar. My world. My winter air.

  I found the tear.

  Arms outstretched, I pulled aside the tear and stepped through, Valorre and the horses following close behind. A cloudless, midday sky shone through the trees overhead. Behind me, there was no hint of the veil, nothing but endless forest.

  I took a cautious step forward, checking my surroundings. There was no way to measure the passage of time in Lela while I’d been in El’Ara. Anything could have happened since I’d been gone. Darius could be watching this very spot.

  A quiet sound came from my right, almost too subtle to hear. With silent feet, I crept over to Hara and retrieved my bow, swinging my quiver over my shoulder and swiftly knocking an arrow into place.

  The sound came closer.

  I moved forward, then stood behind the wide trunk of a tree, angling my body so my arrow was between the veil and whoever approached.

  A flash of movement between the trees. Then another.

  Two of them.

  I pulled my arrow to my cheek just as the two forms cleared the trees. I froze.

  My kind, Valorre said with elated surprise, as two unicorns appeared before us.

  I let down my bow and released a heavy breath. A medium-sized, brown unicorn trotted toward the invisible veil, followed by a smaller, gray unicorn. They halted when they spotted Valorre and the horses, still not realizing I’d been poised to shoot them.

  Valorre tossed his mane with excitement. My kind have been finding their way home. They are not the first. Many have come already.

  The two mirrored Valorre’s joy, then continued forward. I watched until they disappeared between the tear, hoping the Elvan guards would allow the unicorns to return without issue.

  I looked around the now-quiet forest, a new sense of dread filling me. Let’s hope Darius knows nothing about unicorns, I told Valorre. The last thing we need is for him to realize all he needs to do is follow one home to find the tear.

  Getting to Ridine seemed even more urgent then it had before. I went to Valorre, pulling myself onto his back, then clicked my tongue at the horses until they stood at either side of Valorre. With a deep breath, I rested a hand on each of the horses, feeling their warmth beneath my palms.

  I closed my eyes and thought of home.

  * * *

  Teryn

  “How do we know this isn’t a ploy to distract us from the southern seas?” Lord Jonston asked from his place next to me at the meeting table. “With our attention on the border between Kero and Risa, we could be missing an attack on Vera.” The men at the table muttered their agreement.

  My face grew warm beneath the stares of not only my own councilmen, but my brother’s as well. Larylis’ retinue had arrived an hour ago, aching from their hurried travels to Ridine. Despite many protests, I’d insisted our meeting begin without delay. It was clear only Lex and Larylis understood the weight of this meeting.

  I cleared my throat. “There is no way to know for sure what King Darius’ plans are, but his alliance with Norun makes it obvious he will invade from the north. Still, King Larylis has sent scouts to watch the southern ports in Vera.”

  “Your Majesty, tell me again why you are so certain King Darius will invade,” Jonston said with a raised brow. “Rumor first claimed he was responsible for the dragons, which was the only reason we sent scouts looking for him. N
ot a single dragon has been seen in almost two weeks, and all we know of King Darius is that he now resides in Norun.”

  I clenched my jaw. “Norun has been reported to be planning for war.”

  “Then I agree our attention should be on Norun, Your Majesty,” Jonston said. “But for all we know, they are simply planning on adding another kingdom in Risa to their list of conquests.”

  Lex cleared his throat, and the eyes of the councilmen found him at the other end of the table. “Lord Jonston, as Prince of Tomas and neighbor to Norun, I have seen what it looks like when Norun is preparing for a simple conquest, as you called it. The reports from your scouts dwarf any efforts I’ve seen…aside from when they allied with Morkai. You remember that, right? Does that not give you at least a tiny reason to be alarmed?”

  I pressed my lips together to hide my smile. Lex certainly had grown bold as of late. “He’s right. When Norun allied with Morkai during the Battle at Centerpointe Rock, they became our enemies. After their retreat, they never sent any word of armistice, nor have they responded to any of our inquiries. The fact that they are prepared for war and are slowly making their way south is enough for me to gather our defenses.”

  Jonston nodded, but his brow was furrowed. “Still, what does this have to do with King Darius, Your Majesty?”

  I met his eyes, considering my response. There was so much he didn’t know. So much I wasn’t sure I could tell him—or the rest of the council. How would they respond if I told them everything? About the prophecy and Morkai’s father. The Ancient Realm. The truth about Lela’s origins.

  Jonston narrowed his eyes, as if trying to read what was behind my hesitation. “Your Majesty, if there’s something you aren’t telling us, now would be the time.”

  Maybe he was right. Perhaps it was time. If the council knew what we suspected we were up against, perhaps they would give their full support and stop questioning my motives. Or…perhaps they would think I’d gone mad.

  My father had believed when Lex delivered Morkai’s ultimatum. Then again, that had been a direct message from someone who had witnessed the threat firsthand. All I had was the word of a wraith no one could see and memories of a prophecy I’d learned about from inside a crystal. I let out a deep sigh. No, that sounds ridiculous. I need more proof before I bring up magic…

  I met Jonston’s eyes. “You’ll just have to take my word—”

  The doors to the great hall opened behind me, and everyone at the table rose to their feet and bowed. I spun around to find Cora approaching, dressed in a strange robe of black silk overlaid with sheer fabric in iridescent tones. Her cheeks and nose were tinged with pink, as if she’d just come in from the cold.

  My first instinct was to run to her, pull her to my chest, and shower her with eager kisses, but propriety before the councilmen kept me frozen in place. They didn’t know she’d left on an urgent mission, leaving me without any idea of her recent whereabouts or plans to return. They had no idea how badly I’d missed her, how I’d worried over her safety day after day.

  Heart racing, I gave her a smile and received her with a chaste kiss on the cheek. My lips burned where they brushed her skin, wishing they could have lingered. “My dear wife, you’ve returned from your travels.”

  “I have.” Her eyes rested on mine, expressing what our words could not. She was safe. She had news. And she could not wait to be alone with me too. Later, I promised, hoping she could see it written on my face.

  Cora turned to the council and took her place at the opposite end of the table, next to Larylis and Lex. “Please, update me on current affairs.”

  My stomach sank. Had she not heard yet? I supposed she wouldn’t have heard much if she’d just returned from her stay with the Forest People. “We’ve located King Darius. He is reported to be in Norun, which appears to be preparing for war. A large force has slowly been making its way south from the capital.”

  Cora’s face went pale, and I could tell she was struggling to maintain her composure. “Then we were right. He’s invading Lela.”

  The councilmen wore looks of confusion as they regarded her. “You believe this too?” Lord Jonston asked. “You think some king from the Northern Islands will invade us?”

  “King Darius of Syrus isn’t just some king,” Cora said. “He’s Morkai’s father and the very reason Morkai had become obsessed with Lela to begin with.”

  Gasps and whispers were uttered across the table, and even I couldn’t suppress my shock at her sudden admission. I guess it’s time for the truth after all.

  “Councilmen,” Cora said, her voice firm. The table quieted. “There is much to discuss. First, let me tell you what really happened after Centerpointe Rock.”

  23

  TAKEN

  Cora

  “This is preposterous,” one of the councilmen said, throwing his hands in the air. “Elves and fairies?”

  Lex let out a sudden laugh. “I once thought as you did, Lord Samisch. Ancient Realms used to sound like things of children’s tales. Then I was captured by a sorcerer, and all that changed. It changed even more when I fought that sorcerer, his army of wraiths, and a monstrous beast called a Roizan. You fought with us on that field, right? So, you’ll remember that beast well. Oh, and there were unicorns. Everywhere. You’re finding it hard to believe in the Elvan and Faeran after all that?”

  Samisch paled, but his expression remained suspicious. “Where’s the proof? I believed what I saw on the battlefield. But how am I to agree to sending members of our Black Force to guard an invisible space that is supposedly a portal to another realm when there is no proof?”

  Lord Jonston turned to me. “He has a point, Your Majesty. Besides, you must understand how hard this is for all of us to believe, especially when you admit to withholding information about what happened last year.”

  Samisch nodded vigorously. “Why didn’t you tell us the truth when we were first assembled as your council?”

  I met Teryn’s eyes for a moment before I took in the faces of our councilmen, wondering how best to explain why we’d kept the truth behind my brother’s and King Verdian’s deaths a secret from them. How could we explain that, after what had happened with our previous council, we didn’t know if we could trust them? These men aren’t vile men like Lord Kevan and Lord Ulrich. They aren’t even like King Verdian, I reminded myself. It was true. They didn’t scorn me for my position or fear me for my magic. Perhaps we underestimated them back then.

  “My lords,” I began, “we kept the truth to ourselves because we believed the threat of dark magic had ended when Morkai was destroyed for good. We saw no reason to alarm our people—even our councilmen—with something that would be both unbelievable and disturbing.”

  “We were wrong,” Teryn said. “And we apologize for our mistake. We should have told you, and we promise never to withhold such information again in the future. If you are to trust us as the rulers you support, then we should trust you to accept the truth, no matter how disturbing we might consider it to be.”

  “That’s what we are doing now,” Cora said. “We are trusting you to process what I’ve said as truth and reflect on what it could mean for Lela. We are asking you to trust us.”

  “Is there any proof you can give us?” Jonston asked, his tone more hopeful than accusing.

  My eyes locked on his. “Fail to believe me, and you will have your proof soon enough. King Darius comes for Lela. If he has allied with Norun, then they come for us as well. If we don’t protect our land and the tear in the veil, we will find ourselves at his mercy.”

  “You’re sure we can’t bargain?” Samisch asked. “Give him access to the veil in exchange for leaving Lela alone?”

  I clenched my jaw. “I’ve already told you what will happen if Darius gains power. Lela will return—”

  “—to the Ancient Realm with all of us in it,” Jonston finished for me. He ran a hand over his face and began rubbing his stubbled jaw. “It sounds crazy. However, I too fought at Cent
erpointe Rock. I saw nightmares come to life. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do to protect this land from experiencing that again.”

  “Then we have to be ready now,” I said. “We need to stand against him before we have proof. We need to anticipate his moves and keep him from finding that tear.”

  Jonston hesitated before nodding in agreement. “What then? If we promise to protect the tear and defend Lela against invasion, how do we win? How do we destroy an immortal king?”

  My shoulders fell. I wished I had an answer. “That, I do not yet know. But I know Morkara Ailan will come up with a plan. As her ambassador, I will be delivering messages and plans between our two worlds.”

  I waited for further argument, but only silence hung in the air.

  “Are we in agreement then?” Teryn asked. “Our first step is to dispatch members of the Black Force. They will patrol this area along the border, where the tear is.” Teryn tapped his finger on a map, marking the area I’d shown him.

  The men at the table spoke their agreement, and I let out a breath of relief.

  “Right then,” Teryn said. “Meeting adjourned.” He rose to his feet, while most of the council remained seated. Some reclined in their seats, eyes unfocused. Others called for messengers as they prepared to execute their orders.

  As I stood, a hand fell on mine. I met Larylis’ concerned expression. “How is she? And Liam?”

  My heart sank, yet I forced a smile. “They both are well. They are being kept safe and comfortable in El’Ara while we make our plans.”

  He nodded, but his eyes seemed suddenly glazed.

  Mareleau’s letter came to mind. My fingers twitched as I considered reaching for it, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to deliver him the pain I was sure it would cause. Better wait until I can give it to him in private.

  Teryn approached us. “Are you going to retire, brother?”

  “I have a few messengers to dispatch first,” Larylis said, his previous concern now covered in a mask of cold determination. “Also, I want to lead the Black Force to guard the tear.”