by Sarah Noffke
“Just take the next step.”
“Just take the next step.”
Sophia found herself smiling. Had she figured this out? It was a game of confidence, and she had self-soothed by using her words and her voice.
“You got this,” she said a bit louder, feeling like she was walking on water as she progressed down the next few stairs.
“You got this.”
“You got this.”
“You got this.”
Her words bounced back at her and bolstered her spirit, making her move with greater ease.
She was now so deep down the chasm the light from the top was hardly enough to illuminate the next stair.
“Talk about blind faith,” Sophia remarked, reaching out into the darkness in front of her. It was instinct for someone to extend their hands when suddenly blinded, but Sophia could see the area right in front of her and above. Reaching a few inches in front of her made her hands disappear. It was the oddest thing like the cold was trying to eat her up.
“Faith.”
“Faith.”
“Faith.”
The words she’s spoken moments earlier echoed all around her, much louder than when she’d voiced them. The one word was a strange choice on the part of the darkness, which she now held responsible for the weird experience.
Sophia dared to look up again, even though directing her gaze anywhere but in front of her felt like a risk.
Between the two ice walls, the blue sky could be seen overhead. Lunis’ head was over the edge, and he was staring at her with trepidation, although she assumed he couldn’t really see her. She would have disappeared into the darkness. Sophia mused on how strange it was that she could see clearly up to where she’d started, but what was high couldn’t see her.
There was something to be said about standing in the darkness and being able to see the light, but the reverse not always being true.
Sophia was intrigued by the philosophical idea she had observed on this voyage when her words echoed back at her again, seemingly out of nowhere.
“Faith.”
“Faith.”
“Faith.”
“Yeah, faith,” she remarked, talking to herself again. “I get it.”
Sophia expected her own words to echo back at her. Instead, they were someone else’s.
“Do you?”
“Do you?”
“Do you?”
She halted and looked around as if she might find the person the voice belonged to, although all she saw was blackness, the ice stairs, and the walls above her. The walls began to shake and Sophia watched as the chasm above her began to close, the walls pushing in together and about to trap her between them.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Oh, hell!” Sophia yelled as the walls closed in on her. Now her fear wasn’t about falling into the blackness or breaking her neck as she tumbled down the never-ending staircase. She’d be crushed between two ice walls.
Strangely her voice didn’t echo back at her. She didn’t give herself a chance to wonder why.
Stopping, she glanced up the staircase. It was too far to make it back to the top at the rate the walls were closing. She’d be crushed before she made it.
Looking down the staircase, Sophia realized continuing on was the only way, but if she went at her current speed, well, it was hard to say if she’d make it since she didn’t know how much farther she had to go.
On her next step, Sophia felt she’d lost her vision. Not only could she not see what was in front of her, but the light above and behind her had been completely blotted out.
What hadn’t changed were the walls closing in on her. She could hear the crushing sound as the crack sealed up, forcing her to the side as stairs were eaten up by the wall.
She couldn’t see the next step to take. Sophia couldn’t see anything at all. The fear bounding out of her chest urged her to freeze and not move and instead let the crushing anxiety paralyze her.
There was another voice in her head, the one she wanted to believe was connected to instinct or maybe faith.
It reasoned she had made it this far on the staircase. Why did Sophia need to see the next step to progress? Couldn’t she simply continue down the staircase the same way she’d been doing? It was the same motion, and she had mastered it on the way down.
So that’s what Sophia did, moving faster than before.
She put one foot down and then met it with the other one, moving at an even pace. The thundering noise of the walls closing in was the only thing louder than her ragged breath.
For a long time, Sophia moved down the staircase and wondered why the walls hadn’t closed in and crushed her. She didn’t allow herself to think about it much because all her attention was centered on taking the next step. And the next. And the next.
Once or twice she got distracted and felt her boot slip on the slick ice, but caught herself before falling.
Sophia was prepared to continue to climb down the stairs for as long as it took. The darkness she’d feared didn’t bother her as much anymore, and the thundering sound of the walls closing didn’t fill her with the same fear. Either she’d die or she wouldn’t, but what she wouldn’t do was give up.
On the heels of that thought, a bright light shone everywhere, and she stepped onto a firm surface.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Somehow Sophia had gone from the darkest place in the world to the brightest.
She shielded her eyes from the light, not knowing where the source was as her eyes adjusted. Her other senses had kicked into overdrive with her vision cut off.
Sophia heard the gentle trickling of water. She felt a crispness in the air, reminiscent of the first day of winter, and the air smelled fresh and clean. It filled her with a unique idea of purity.
When her eyes adjusted, Sophia lowered her arm to a sight unlike anything she’d ever witnessed. She knew at once she hadn’t fallen into the blackness. She’d been victorious and had safely descended the staircase to the ice fortress.
An intimidating force rose up from the ice, exuding power and danger.
It was so beautiful simply looking at it hurt.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Sophia stood in front of a magnificent castle made entirely of ice. Several towers rose up on the sides of the structure, each filled with tiny windows that were organically shaped. Some were round, while others were square, and no two were the same size.
The towers rose into the air and ended in sharp tips against the wispy clouds in the blue sky. The front of the castle was a series of archways, each dripping with icicles.
More stunning than the castle itself was the area around it. A wall of waterfalls was at the back of the castle and higher than the four-story building. Cold mist wafted off the waterfalls and hit Sophia gently in the face. The sound of the continuously crashing water wasn’t as loud as Sophia thought it would be, then she noticed the water had an almost slushy consistently, like a waterfall made out of crystals.
The water met a large lake that nearly encircled the castle. The only thing to connect the lake to the mountains where the waterfall was a set of rocks beside her, where she found Lunis and Ickhart waiting for her.
“I made it!” Sophia rejoiced, running for her dragon and meeting him on the rocks.
He gave her a proud smile as she closed the space between them. “I knew you would. There was no other option.”
“There are many other options,” Ickhart said coldly. “Most never make it, especially once the light goes out and walls start pushing in.”
“Yeah, that was a rude trick,” Sophia joked.
“It is necessary,” he declared. “Only those with a brave heart and pure intentions will progress when they can’t see and know they are seconds from being crushed. The irony is the ones who embrace these dangers are the only ones who make it. Most go back the way they came, or the fear makes them slip and fall into the darkness.”
“See, I just wanted to get one of those Ring
doorbell camera things for the front of the Cave, and you said that was over the top,” Lunis teased with a playful expression.
It was obvious to Sophia he was relieved she had made it. He might have said he knew she would succeed, but there were no guarantees in life or their adventures, and they both knew it.
“First off, only dragons are allowed in the Cave, so a Ring is unnecessary,” Sophia disagreed, shaking her head. “And secondly, you’re absolutely ridiculous, Lunis.”
“Well, my point was my security measures seem a whole lot less extreme now compared to this queen,” Lunis remarked.
“Speaking of the queen,” Sophia began and turned her attention to Ickhart. “How do I request an audience with her?”
He blinked at her impassively. “That’s not necessary. She’s been here all along, and stands at your back presently.”
Chapter Forty
Startled, Sophia whipped around only to find no one was standing behind her, only the ice castle on the edge of the waterfall, and the lake spread around it.
She was about to question the Bruistic when sparkling snowflakes whirled up from the ground in front of Sophia as if caught by a sudden breeze, twirling around and around and building in intensity.
Like the darkness she’d passed on the staircase, it was mesmerizing and also hinted of an ominous force.
The sparkling snowflakes froze in the air until one by one, they drew a figure somehow more beautiful than the castle in the distance.
The queen stood taller than Sophia. Long whitish blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and reached past her hips. On her head, a row of crystal beads hung like a crown. She wore a pale blue sleeveless gown, as though she was attending a summer ball and not standing in the middle of a frozen fortress. More surprisingly than her startling blue eyes, porcelain skin, or breathtaking beauty were the angel wings covered in white feathers that stretched up and back behind her.
Sophia didn’t know who this queen was, but she and Lunis both knew she deserved their respect.
Sophia dropped into a low bow and saw her dragon do the same.
“You may rise, Sophia Beaufont and Lunis,” the woman said, her voice the sound of icicles in the wind.
When Sophia stood straight, her eyes watered from the chill in the air. In the excitement, she’d forgotten how cold she was as her warming spell slowly dissipated.
“I can offer you no warmth, dragonrider,” the woman informed her. “We will have to make this quick, for I fear your magic will not keep you warm for long.”
Sophia felt into her pocket and found the bag of macaroons empty. She nodded. “Yes, this world is very difficult for us.”
The queen gave her a knowing smile as her wings fluttered. “You say that, but I’ve seen few handle it with the grace you have shown.”
Sophia returned the smile. “Well, thank you. So you know why I’m here. Can you help me?”
“I’m very curious,” the woman said. “You are here because of Quiet, the gnome? Is that right?”
“You know Quiet?” Sophia asked, shocked. She never considered this possibility. She hadn’t thought about the possibility that anyone outside of the Gullington would know Quiet. Wilder said he was very old, but she knew he’d spent most of his life inside the Gullington serving the Dragon Elite.
“Of course, I do,” she said with fondness in her blue eyes.
Sophia’s gaze ran over the queen’s wings. “Are you…an angel?”
“I am not,” the woman said with great dignity. “But I was created by the angels, very much like you. And when I was made, they marked me with their wings.”
“Oh.” Sophia’s mind spun with questions. She didn’t even know where to begin. As her insides started to vibrate with cold, she knew she didn’t have much time. Her first assumption had been the queen was an angel, and that could explain how she had known the groundskeeper for the Gullington. But now, Sophia was even more confused.
“The angels created the five main races,” the woman continued, sensing Sophia’s confusion. “You’re aware of that much, correct?”
“Yes, as well as the dragonriders, right?” Sophia asked.
The woman nodded. “Technically no, though you have the blood of Archangel Michael in you through your dragon.”
Sophia recalled the legend she’d read in The Incomplete History of Dragonriders:
“When the Archangel Michael fell during a battle, his blood seeped into the Earth. It spread, finding the thousand dragon eggs scattered across the planet. The blood of the archangel infiltrated the dragon’s eggs, all one thousand of them. It is believed a dragon and their rider share the same blood once magnetized. Therefore, the blood of the Archangel Michael flows in the rider’s veins and protects them in ways no other magical creature can be.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Sophia said. She tried to piece things together, but the cold was making it hard to think properly.
The woman pressed a hand to her chest as her wings beat the air, gently fanning cold air in Sophia’s direction. “I am known as Queen Mother of the fae because I was created by the angels to be the first of our kind.” She humbly bowed her head. “I am Queen Anastasia Crystal, and I was one of the first magical creatures to grace Mother Nature’s Earth. I was the very first fae, and I will always be the last. None can live if my heart does not beat. I am the source of my race—the glorious fae.”
Chapter Forty-One
Did you know this? Sophia thought, instantly curious if Lunis was aware of this information.
Mind-freaking-blown, he said in her head.
Apparently, the dragons weren’t privy to this part of the history, she thought.
Remember, the consciousness of the dragon is as vast as the Great Library. It’s impossible for me to know all of it.
“You are the mother of the fae,” Sophia echoed, a chill running over her from the realization rather from the actual cold.
Queen Anastasia Crystal nodded serenely.
Possibilities began running through Sophia’s head. If this woman was the mother of the fae and had been created by the angels, that meant there was a goddess or god of sorts for the other magical races.
It was enchanting and awesome, and Sophia now understood why it was so difficult to get to this queen. Knowing what she reigned over was simply astonishing. She was the lifeblood of the fae.
Sophia looked around at the ice fortress and slushy waterfall, everything starting to make sense. Of course, the Queen Mother of the fae would live in a place such as this since the fae governed the element of ice.
“It can be overwhelming when one learns how things began and their significance,” Queen Anastasia Crystal said, an understanding smile on her face. “Remember that we have little time before the cold will do permanent damage to you and your dragon.”
“Right,” Sophia replied. She tried to catch her breath, suddenly feeling winded. “So how do you know Quiet, and will you please help him? Mae Ling said you could give me the antidote to fix him, although I can’t tell you what’s wrong with him.”
That seemed like an oversight on Sophia’s part. She never even thought she should know the diagnosis for the gnome before seeking the solution, but the knowing smile on the queen’s face put Sophia’s fears to rest.
“I’ve known Quiet for a very, very long time,” Queen Anastasia Crystal began. “Long ago, my people were in grave danger. Many of them were in a warring dispute, and he dared everything to get them to safety. He risked his very life to ensure the ship taking them to safety arrived, and because of him, my people survived what should have killed them. Because of Quiet, my race wasn’t wiped out, nearly killing me. I learned a valuable lesson about the beauty of sacrifice from him, and so yes, of course, I will help him.”
The Queen Mother of the fae held out her hand, and a glass bottle with a clear blue liquid appeared in her palm. “Give this to one of my oldest friends, the groundskeeper for the Dragon Elite, and he will recover from what ails him.”
&nb
sp; “Thank you!” Sophia reached for the glass bottle, her hands shaking, but the queen pulled it just out of her reach.
“One important thing,” Queen Anastasia Crystal said, a warning in her voice. “This antidote will only work under one condition.”
Sophia swallowed and tensed. She waited for the Queen Mother of the fae to continue.
“You must have Quiet reveal his real name to you for this potion to save his life,” the queen ordered her voice grave.
Sophia blinked and wrinkled her forehead. “His real name…”
She knew Quiet was the gnome’s nickname. He had told her that when she was new to the Gullington. It had been on the first night when Hiker had kicked her out of the Castle. She had thought she was done with the Dragon Elite and was heartbroken, and she’d have to return to the House of Fourteen as a loser who had failed.
In a torrential rainstorm, the groundskeeper had come to her and said that if she didn’t leave the Dragon Elite for good, he’d reveal his real name to her one day. Then he had shown her Adam Rivalry’s crash site and given Sophia the clues she needed to start the hunt for Thad Reinhart.
Her chest swelled with hope. Quiet had already committed to telling her his real name. All she had to do now was ask for it and then offer him the potion, and then everything would be better, well mostly. The Gullington was still in trouble, but recovering the groundskeeper was evidently part of securing the Dragon Elite’s headquarters.
Sophia smiled and felt hopeful as she reached out and took the antidote from Queen Anastasia Crystal.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll get his name.”
The queen didn’t return the hopeful expression. “If it were going to be easy, I wouldn’t assign it to you as a requirement.”
“Oh, but he—”
“Quiet will not want you to know who he truly is,” Queen Anastasia Crystal interrupted. “He might have once enticed you with the idea, but he never planned to tell you the truth because it will change everything.”