by Ivy Logan
Aiden had never felt so helpless and adrift in his life. What had Talia been trying to say to him? It sounded awfully like a final parting. His mind was in turmoil trying to make sense of her words while his eyes remained riveted on the horse and rider slowly disappearing in the distance.
Aiden didn’t see the tiny figure run out into the maze trying to follow Talia. Talia’s outer façade of confidence and calmness had not fooled Katie. She sensed that her mother was in danger and she meant to do all she could to help. She had helped in the garden when they were attacked. She would do it again.
CHAPTER XXII
Father, you showed great kindness without expecting anything in return. But good deeds have a way of returning to the giver.
Talia
JAESDAN - NABIA
Nabia looked at her children, Micha and Lina, gadding about the place. The two of them were brats. Adil was a good father but he spoiled them rotten. Usually, she would try to rein them in, but today her mind was on her old friends for some reason. Michael and Talia were in her thoughts. Where are you? she wondered.
When Caitlin and Joshua disappeared, Adil Hachim, Beni and Mehdi went looking for them. Nabia visited Aberevon once too. Talia’s fortitude, her grace under pressure and her determination to provide a stable and warm home for Michael won Nabia’s heart. She was in a quandary about whether she should use the medallion or not. Nabia recalled how Caitlin had been extremely explicit in her instructions. The medallion is to be used only if and when Michael is in trouble. Michael was desolate and upset, but he was safe.
Michael was clueless as to the reason for Caitlin’s disappearance. Nabia’s loyalty lay first with Michael, but she had made Caitlin a promise and she meant to honour it.
Nabia’s reluctance also stemmed from her rather traditional and superstitious early childhood days before she was orphaned. She had finally let her wariness of the supernatural gain the upper hand and had decided against calling Caitlin’s sister, Ava.
Nabia had hidden the existence of the medallion from a distraught Michael, all the while unsure if she had made the right decision.
Nabia and Adil moved to another town for some years. The others looked out for Talia for a while, but Nabia lost touch with her. When they returned to Jaesdan many years later, it was to the news that four years after Caitlin and Joshua, Michael and Talia had also vanished from Aberevon. It was now many years since they were gone. The others had tried to find them, but without Adil’s capable guidance and Nabia’s soothing words, their efforts had gradually fizzled out.
Nabia was distraught. She became lost in our own world and felt she had let Caitlin down. But she was scared of magic. Before she lost her family, she had been taught to fear those who knew magic, and despite Caitlin’s reassurances, it seemed the past still held its sway over her. Enough was enough. It was time to call for help. She hoped she wasn’t too late. She went to her room and took out the tiny bronze scarab box in which she had kept the medallion hidden all these years. Do something, Nabia. You have already waited too long. They are all gone now.
Ommah Sahira! I forgot my duty to your family for a while. I hope I am doing the right thing now.
Caitlin had told her that if a day came when she felt that their baba was in trouble, she should use the medallion to call her sister. Ava would help her. All she had to do was clasp the medallion tightly in her palm until it grew very hot. Would it still work after all these years?
Nabia took the medallion in her hands and held on as tightly as she could, thinking of Michael, Caitlin and their children.
CHAPTER XXIII
Was my world any less magical because it was devoid of magic? I don’t think so. Would I have been any less scared to face Damien if I had full control of my powers? Probably. But we must work with what we have. The goal was still the same—defeat Damien and win my freedom from his unwelcome attention, but the path would be as a mortal, not a powerful sorceress.
Talia
THE FACE-OFF - TALIA AND DAMIEN
Aherin galloped towards the maze. The dragon had already set it on fire. If there were further onslaughts like this, the maze would not last long.
Seeing the approaching dragon, Talia was struck by a horrified sense of fascination. She had never seen such a magnificent creature before. As the dragon flew towards her, he was graceful despite his massive bulk.
As the fire was rapidly spreading through the maze, its light enveloped the dragon in a fiery blend of shimmering red, green and blue, giving him a mystical quality. However, his muscular limbs bore very real and sharp talons, warning Talia that this was no dream. His large nostrils were still smoking from the aftermath of all the fires set. A pair of dazzling black horns resplendent on his head made her feel that she had just come face to face with the very incarnation of the devil himself. She remembered how Jesse had called Aherin a devil. What would he say about the dragon? What captured her attention and almost hypnotized her were the hooded blue eyes of the dragon burning bright like blue flames, alert and watchful. They seemed to hold untold secrets, anger and even pain.
Talia wanted to run but she could not. It was now or all would be lost. She would lose the opportunity for vengeance and to save her family.
When Talia was finally able to look beyond the dragon, she spotted the man who had taken everything from her. As expected, Damien was astride the dragon. All these years Talia had feared him and built him up to terrifying proportions in her mind, but here he was, finally, a toy figure propped up to look like a warrior. His battle finery did nothing to hide his watery and pale persona or his weak chin and his shifty eyes. There was a time when he had frightened her more than the dragon, but now she saw him for what he truly was—a faint-hearted and craven king.
Aherin and Talia were so still that one would not blame the dragon if he mistook them for a sculpture. He was close now that all she had to do was stand in the stirrup and lift her hand, then she could touch the dragon. It may have been a good opportunity to push her sword into his soft underbelly, but she didn’t.
The Dragon raised his head elegantly and let out such an outrageously loud cry that Talia thought her head would burst. At the same time, he brought one forelimb dangerously close to her. One swipe and she would be knocked aside with broken bones. Was the ground beneath her trembling, or was she? Talia willed herself to remain still, because calmness was her only defence in the face of something so majestic and powerful.
Closing her eyes, Talia thought about Joshua and Katie, the defenceless ones. She was doing this for them. It was some time before she realized that the cries of the dragon had given way to only the sound of the flickering flames licking at everything within their grasp.
Hovering in the air above her, the dragon caught sight of Talia and fell silent. He stared at the young woman below. He knew her. How? She looked a lot like the sorceress from the dungeon—a petite, waiflike creature but with nerves of steel.
Unaware of the dragon’s thoughts, Talia thought it was time to end the charade. She had to put the freak show that was King Damien in his rightful place. She started galloping deep into the maze. Damien seemed to think she was running away from him and gave an angry shout.
“You think you can hide from my dragon in a paltry maze that I’ve already set on fire? I will soon burn it to the ground!” King Damien declared from the safety of the dragon’s back.
Talia ignored him. When she was deeper within the maze, she stopped.
As the dragon again appeared in the air above, Damien jumped off. “At last!” he shouted. “You have lead me on a merry dance all these years. You let others take the fall on your behalf. First your mother and then your brother, not to mention all those girls who died in your place. “Who are you going to sacrifice to save yourself now?” he added derisively.
When it seemed that his taunts were having no effect on Talia, Damien brought out his most callous weapon yet. “Your poor father also paid the price for your cowardice. We caught him as soon as yo
u ran away. He withstood the torture for many years. I think he was waiting for the day he would see you again, but when I showed him what had happened to your brother and told him what I was going to do to you, his heart gave out,” Damien ground out cruelly.
Talia felt dazed, bereft. Her was father lost too. Was Damien intentionally trying to goad her with his lies, or was her father really dead? If it was a ploy to distract her, it seemed to be working. How could it not? With great effort, she managed to pull herself together. Now was not the time to grieve. To Damien, she was the prey and he the predator. He played to win, but now so must she. Rather than dwelling on the past, she must focus on all she had to protect in her present. If she gave in to her sorrow, he would win again.
Their positions must be reversed before Damien could make his move. He was watching her like a hawk as if expecting Talia to dismount and try to attack him. He hoped to draw her out, but Talia knew better. She had almost fooled him once in the past—not again.
Talia was staring intently at the dragon, which stared back. If the dragon took it in its head to attack her first, before she made her move, she would have to be in a position to escape. Dodging him on foot would make things much tougher, so she intended to stay on Aherin.
As Damien kept up his taunts, the dragon became more and more restless. He was a large dragon, a fearsome one, but standing behind King Damien, his antics looked almost playful. Talia wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. She wasn’t too sure but it seemed like the dragon had his head cocked to one side and was staring at her.
As though reading her mind, the skittish dragon’s brilliant blue eyes fixed themselves first on her and then on Aherin. He seemed to decide that the horse looked like a good creature to chase. With a loud roar, the dragon shot a blaze of fire towards an unsuspecting Aherin’s hooves. The startled horse did not wait for Talia’s command. Rightly interpreting the dragon’s action as a challenge, he started galloping like the wind with the dragon right at his tail. As Talia and Aherin raced ahead with the dragon zooming in behind them, Damien was left looking stupefied by the sudden turn in events. If the dragon killed Talia, all would be lost for him. “Don’t kill her; she is mine. Come back here,” he yelled at the dragon over the din of the crackling fire, but he was already long gone.
“Don’t you dare kill my dragon,” Damien screamed at Talia, who was even further away than the dragon. She obviously didn’t hear his angry shout. Damien remained standing in the middle of the maze, transfixed by the sudden chaos erupting in front of him.
Meanwhile, Talia could almost feel the fire scorch her armour. Time held no meaning as woman and horse tried to outrun the dragon. Fear was driving Aherin. The Arabian looked like he was almost flying through the air, but he seemed unable to shake off the dragon tailing them. Turning a corner, the lumbering and gigantic creature temporarily dropped out of sight, allowing Talia to breathe a sigh of relief. She was back near the centre of the maze now. It was time to face her dragon. Darkness had almost fallen, but while the flames engulfed the entire maze, increasing the danger, they also improved Talia’s visibility.
After Aherin came to a halt, Talia dismounted, readying her crossbow and lance. Was she going to have to kill the dragon? What alternative did she have?
It was time to let Aherin go. Whispering, “Go, Aherin. Go to Katie,” Talia stepped back knowing the mere mention of Katie’s name would send Aherin to her. It was only in Katie’s presence that the wild Arabian took on the docility of a pony, abandoning the rather aggressive side of his personality, which victims like Jesse and Aiden had discovered in the past, much to their own woe.
Aherin would head back to Katie, of that Talia was sure, but instead of moving to the exit of the maze, she saw her faithful horse doubling back in the direction of her and Damien. Aherin had never disobeyed her before. Instead of the palace, why was he heading towards Damien? The only logical explanation terrified her. “No, Katie. Not you too. I cannot lose you too!” Talia screamed. She almost started running back to Damien but then she stilled her petrified heart. Damien believed Katie was a sorceress too, so she would be safe for now. He would not kill anyone he had use for. If Katie, and in fact all of them, were to survive, Talia had to stop the dragon from returning to his master. There was so much at stake that she did not have the luxury of making a single mistake. She would deal with the dragon first, and then take care of Damien.
CHAPTER XXIV
Dragon, what does it feel like to realize you were right all along? In your heart, you felt conflict between what you were deep inside and what you were supposed to be. Now you know why.
Talia
THE HEART OF A DRAGON
Where had that horse vanished to? The dragon had to find the one his master called Talia. He did not want to kill her or terrify her. He just wanted to see her again. Happiness was an emotion alien to him, but it had been bubbling to the surface from deep within as soon as he had seen her.
Why?
With startling clarity, the dragon knew he could never hurt the princess of Syrolt even if his master commanded him to do so. It was a dictate he would be forced to ignore.
He would not kill his own sister—his precious Talia.
The thick, voluminous curtain that choked his memories had started lifting from the moment he set his eyes on Talia. The haze that veiled his recollections began to fade away. She was not just Talia, Princess of Syrolt, or the sorceress hunted by King Damien. She was also his precious older sister
Talia was acting like a stranger. She looked at the Joshua with awe and fear instead of love. She believed that Joshua, the apple of her eye, was dead. All she saw was King Damien’s powerful fire-breathing dragon, a destroyer and a predator. No wonder she looked at him with such distaste.
How has it come to be that Talia is terrified of him?
****
The window to the past opened, bringing memories that he, Joshua, had chosen to hide from for so long: His mother pleading and crying; King Damien whipping him with a long, sharp and evil looking lash. He was cowering in the corner and screaming in pain. Even worse than the beatings were the nights in the dungeon when he was separated from his mother. He would call out Talia’s name, afraid of the monsters in the dark. She never heard him. How could she? But he would still call her, using her name as a talisman against the dark until morning came.
His final memory, his last day in his old body—Joshua’s body—he lay broken and battered at his mother’s feet. The guards who attacked him had backed away, scared of the angry and terrified sorceress and her dying son. Her screams of protest and then sobs of anguish tore at his heart. He was small and weak, only nine years old, but in his mind’s eye, he saw himself as a brave knight. He had only wanted to stop Garcia from hurting his mother, but by rushing in, he’d made things worse.
As he lay dying, his mother’s anguish was unbearable. His eyes, blue as the ocean and just as beautiful as his mother’s, closed. It became too much of a struggle to keep them open. He looked at his mother and tried his best to smile. Brave until the end; that’s what he would be. He didn’t want her to cry anymore.
Uncontrollable tears of anguish and regret rolled down Caitlin’s cheeks. “I don’t care what the Wraith told me, Joshua; I have to try to save you.”
Ignoring the cries from the guards, for they dared not come near her, she put one hand on his forehead and the other on his almost shattered chest and began whispering to him. At first, nothing happened. Then the air around them seemed to spin and swirl. It felt like he was caught right in the middle of it. Then the real torment started.
Joshua barely felt the earlier pain because his mind had gone numb and his imagination had taken over. He saw himself happy and exhilarated, basking in the warmth of his family. He saw his sister’s arms open in a welcoming embrace. He knew that once he reached her, the twinges of pain he felt would soon go away. It would be over.
But it seemed fate had decreed otherwise.
Caitli
n’s spell only intensified the pain manifold. Joshua’s dream shattered and his mind became trapped in a cycle of torture from which there was no escape. His insides were pulled in all directions and his skin had felt like it was tearing at the seams. It went on and on until he slept from the sheer combination of agony and fatigue.
When Joshua finally awoke, Caitlin was still standing in front of him, her eyes wide with terror and sorrow, but at that moment, she was a stranger to him.
The broken, lifeless body Caitlin cradled in her arms once belonged to him when he was Joshua; he knew that now. He looked at the body in her arms, his own empty shell, and failed to recognise himself or even his own mother.
Caitlin had ignored the dire warnings of her Elders and succeeded in saving his life, but not in the way she had hoped.
Joshua’s mother had turned him into a dragon, hence she looked so forlorn and wretched, but she he hadn’t exactly turned him into a dragon. Caitlin had protected Joshua’s soul but his mortal body rejected her magic. His soul, the essence of everything that was Joshua, had been freed of his broken body and was now encased in the strong and mighty form of a supernatural—a dragon.
The dragon just happened to have snuck through a gateway in the Veil, the wall between the land of supernaturals and Earth. Before a guardian could send it back to Htrae, Joshua’s soul had entered it.
CHAPTER XXV
Ah, what joy when the past comes full circle and meets the present.
Talia