Bloodthorn Page 26
Her words sounded forced, making me question if something else had her troubled.
“Once we get the starstone back,” Prince Terminus said, “our magic will be strong enough to transform us once again.”
“But what if we do not get it back? What then?”
“Princess,” I said gently, “sometimes it’s best not to worry about the future, for the only moment you have power over is the one you’re in.”
She sniffled. “Yes, you are right.”
“I realize it must be frightening and strange to be stuck in this form, but it could be worse—you could have been changed into a slug.”
“Or a toad,” Terminus suggested.
She cracked a small smile.
“Or a dung beetle,” she said, playing along. “Yes,” she sighed, “I guess it is not so bad.”
“Is there anything else that has you troubled?” I asked.
She paused before answering. “I am quite hungry.”
“That’s easy enough to fix,” I said. “I’m sure we can find something in the kitchens. Shall I escort you?”
“Yes, I think that would be lovely. Thank you, Olive. You always seem to know how to lighten my mood.”
We stood, then followed Terminus out of the room and into the hallway. The torches burned bright, lighting the hallways in a serene glow. We passed through one quiet hallway after another, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the castle always remained so silent at this time of night.
By the time we made it to the kitchens and found some fruit and cheese, it was near midnight. When we returned to her room, Princess Esmelda’s mood had lightened, and she had started chatting about flowers and tea parties. I did my best to make replies when necessary.
As I walked down the hall back to my room, I wondered if I’d been too optimistic to think that Kull would take me back again. If I told him he needed to stop punishing himself for his father’s death, would it really do any good? I was certain others had tried to tell him the same thing. I’d already told him that his father had accepted me right before his death, yet Kull’s attitude persisted.
I made it to my room and changed into a dressing gown. After tossing from one side to the other on the bed for several hours, tortured by my thoughts, I finally fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I woke before sunrise. Unable to get back to sleep, I dressed quickly, found my mirror box, and made my way downstairs and outside the castle.
My dreams had haunted me throughout the night. Kull’s confession that he felt we were being misled had brought me to some wild and probably unfounded suspicions, but still, I needed answers.
The chilly air made me grateful the Wults had given me leather pants, a thick wool shirt, and a cloak to wear. My soft leather boots slipped on the dewy grass, but I managed to make it away from the castle and toward an open field.
I knew of only one creature who had the answers I sought.
Stopping on a small hilltop, I opened my box and removed the dragon statue. Magic warmed my hands as I gripped the pewter figurine. A dragon’s scale had been placed inside the metal, and I focused on it as I summoned my stepfather.
The dragon lands weren’t far from the Wult keep if one were flying. After I released my magic into the statue—thankfully not blowing it up, or worse—I found a boulder to sit on. Then, I waited.
Time seemed to pass slowly as I stared out over the Wult keep, its towers gray against a pale sky, monotony where I had once found light. Kull was on the other side of the mountain in Grandamere’s cottage. He would be waking soon if he hadn’t already. Perhaps Grandamere was preparing breakfast. I longed to be back in the cottage once again, warm and happy in a place of refuge, but those times never seemed to last.
The sound of beating wings came from overhead, so I stood as Fan’twar arrived with the rising sun. Massive wings stretched from one end of the sky to the other, a site that never ceased to inspire me. Glittering scales reflected in the sunlight, making me shield my eyes as he descended. Wind gusted as he beat his wings, controlling his descent until he landed not far from where I stood.
His scales glittered a bright, coppery gold. I gave him a gentle hug around his neck. Warm scales seemed to melt my ever-present chills. He bowed his head as I backed away to face him.
“You came quickly as usual. Thank you.”
He nodded. “I only come so promptly because you call me when I have nothing better to do. If you were to summon me when I was indisposed, for example, or throwing logs in the lake, then you would be waiting quite a while longer.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Throwing logs in the lake?”
“Do you not know the meaning of the expression?”
“No. I’m also not sure that I want to know.” Fan’twar had a sense of humor sometimes—not always a good thing.
“Well then, how shall I put it… watering the flowers, laying brown eggs, sinking the log cabin—?”
“Yes,” I interrupted. “I’ve got it. Quite well. No need to explain more.”
“Very well, then.” He cleared his throat, then gave me a small smile. “My point is, you’ve got very good timing, for when you summon me, it always seems to be when I am extremely bored.”
“Somehow, I doubt it. You seem to know when I need you—and today, I definitely need you.”
“I understand, for I, too, am troubled over the bloodthorn.”
“He still has the stone despite our best efforts to retrieve it, and now he is headed for the portal that will take him to the undiscovered land. The only thing working to our advantage is that we will be able to use the light-rails, which gives us a little time to catch up. I am waiting for my companions, and then we will travel to Dragon Spine Mountain, where we hope to intercept him.”
Fan’twar seemed to ponder for a moment, his round, coppery eyes staring into the distance. “Dragon Spine Mountain,” he said slowly. “You are sure this is his destination?”
“I’m certain. He tried to make me take him there before the others showed up and stopped him.”
“It is good you alerted me when you did. Olive, a great evil exists atop that mountain. There is a reason why none travel there. Many ages ago, it was discovered that a dangerous portal existed in a cave atop the mountain. To protect mortals from discovering it, one of my kind was sent to be its gatekeeper.”
“One of your kind? A dragon guards the mountain?”
He nodded.
“But if that’s so, then will the dragon be able to prevent the bloodthorn from accessing the cave?”
“No. Her powers only affect mortals such as us. They have no effect on the bloodthorn creature.”
My shoulders slumped. Had we come so far only to fail?
“There has to be a way,” I said. “Isn’t there something we can do? You know the consequences as well as I do. If the bloodthorn succeeds in removing the fairies’ stone from our world, the fairies will become dark creatures. Our world will no longer be protected by their magic.”
“Yes,” Fan’twar said, “which is why I shall do what I can to aid you. It is unlikely I will have any sway over the dragon atop the mountain—she is not easily dealt with—but I shall accompany you on your quest, and together, we will find a way to stop the bloodthorn.”
“What do you have in mind? If we can’t get past the dragon, how will we stop the bloodthorn?”
Thin trails of steam rose from his nostrils as he pondered the question. “Silvestra has not been in her right mind for many years. She lost something long ago, and the last time I spoke with her, she tried to kill me. Still, perhaps she has forgotten her grief and will be more easily dealt with.
“But first, we must make haste to the mountain. We will not be able to accomplish anything until we have arrived. I will gather the dragons. The elves also have a vested interest in restoring the fairies, for their two races have lived in harmony for many years, and they have been in contact with the fairies and looking for a way to help. I shall return within the hour. Gather the othe
rs near the light-rails, and we will begin our journey.”
Without another word, he flapped his wings twice, then leapt into the air. I watched as he flew away, my heart heavy.
A dragon guarding something was never a good thing. There was a reason why dragons made the best guards in all of Faythander—because they were impossible to evade. If this dragon had the task of guarding the cave, she would defend it to the death if need be. I had no idea how Fan’twar expected to get past her.
I headed back to the keep and quickly rallied the others, although there wasn’t much to do. Heidel and Brodnik had already prepared armor, axes, swords, and bags of provisions. The fairy prince and princess had little to pack, and they stood waiting to leave. The princess especially seemed relieved at the opportunity to get away from the castle. I rushed upstairs and grabbed my own things, including my knife, and made my way back to the main floor.
Rolf appeared, dark circles under his eyes, his hair mussed, and wished us a brief good luck before retreating to the throne room.
“Rolf is still acting as king, I see,” Heidel said as we walked toward the main doors.
“Aye,” Brodnik answered. “And what a bloody mess it is. I cannot fathom what Kull was thinking in naming the boy as king.”
I walked with the two warriors to the castle steps, and as we exited the castle, we walked away from the gates and down a winding forest path that would lead us to the light-rails.
Up ahead, Kull walked toward us, wearing his usual somber attire of black shirt and pants. He wore Bloodbane in a scabbard on his back, and his leather-studded vest, also black, only seemed to mirror the dark look on his face.
The man I’d shared my time with yesterday was gone.
He walked with heavy footsteps, and as he approached, he didn’t make eye contact with me. Instead, he stopped near his sister.
“Is Rolf in the castle?” he asked.
She nodded, so he brushed past us without another word and disappeared inside. We waited for several minutes. When he finally returned, he stopped in front of us, his face resolute.
“It’s done,” he said. “Rolf will continue to act as king regent, but when we return, I will take back the mantle and return to my full duties as king.”
Heidel and Brodnik both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Smart man,” Brodnik said. “The poor lad was beside himself with worry, offending one race after the other. He hasn’t a clue how to rule a kingdom. You’re right to take it back, and I am certain your father would agree.”
“My father is not here,” Kull said. As he turned away, Brodnik rested his hand on Kull’s shoulder, stopping him.
“He is here still, for it was only his body that we laid to rest. His spirit lives on with you. He sees you even now, and I am sure he does not doubt your abilities as you doubt yourself.”
Kull stood without speaking, but then turned away. “I thank you for your kind words, but I ask that you not speak of my father again, Brodnik.”
He walked down the path without another word. We followed in silence.
The path broadened as we exited the forest, and ahead in the distance, the light-rails came into view. The bright ribbon of energy rose and fell with the lay of the land, cutting over mountains, descending, rising, a mechanical marvel that connected the entire continent.
We descended a grassy slope and stopped when we reached the tracks. Once a carriage was alerted to our presence, it would speed toward us and wait for us to board.
“My stepfather is coming,” I said, “and he’s bringing help—the elves and a few other dragons should arrive soon.”
“Elves?” Prince Terminus asked.
“Yes.”
“This is happy news indeed,” the fairy princess said. “With the help of the dragons and elves, perhaps we will once and for all be able to stop the monster who stole our stone.”
“It won’t be quite as easy as we might hope,” I said. “The mountain is guarded by a dragon.”
I filled in the others with what Fan’twar had told me, careful not to give them false hope. If we dealt with a dragon on the mountain, they knew as well as I how bleak our situation had become.
I hated seeing the look in the princess’s eyes once I told her of the dragon. She’d had reason to hope, and now I’d crushed it. But it was better for her to be prepared now than to have to face reality once we arrived at the mountain.
“There is a pass connecting the foothills to Dragon Spine Mountain,” Brodnik said as he pulled a map from his pack and inspected it. “I’ll bet that’s where the dragon’s domain begins.”
Overhead, a whooshing of wings filled the air. I counted five dragons as they descended one by one to the ground, touching down with a thunder that boomed around us. Fan’twar stood taller than the rest, his golden neck held high.
He bowed his head as he approached the Wult king.
“I greet you, King of Wults,” Fan’twar said.
“Welcome to our lands,” Kull said. “I see you’ve brought company.” He motioned toward the other dragons, each with an elven rider atop its back.
One of the elves climbed off the dragon and walked toward us. He was older, with graying hair worn in a long braid down his back. He greeted us with his hand fisted over his heart—a classic elven gesture, although I hadn’t seen an elf use it in quite some time. I wondered if there was any significance to him using it now.
“I am called Wendolun, lord of the outer province. I come with my closest aids. The city of Delestria seeks to assist you.”
“And what of the elven capitol?” Kull asked.
Wendolun paused before speaking. “They were unable to send an envoy, although Queen Euralysia sends us her blessing.”
“I see,” Kull answered. “We welcome your help and are appreciative of your promptness.”
Wendolun eyed me. “We follow the sky king’s ward. Any friends of hers are friends of ours.”
I couldn’t help but detect the hidden meaning in his words. Friends of the sky king, the queen unable to send anyone—was there perhaps some dissension among the usually unified elven nations?
“There is an outpost located at the base of Dragon Spine Mountain,” the sky king said to those gathered around him. “We shall rendezvous there. Do not traverse the mountain alone. If we are to defeat this evil, we must do it together.”
I walked to Fan’twar and climbed atop his back, then clung to his spike as he launched into the air. As he gained height, I couldn’t help but feel this was where I was meant to be—soaring through the skies with the other dragons flying alongside us and wind rushing around us.
I put worry out of my mind and instead focused only on the moment—the feel of the sun warming my face and arms, the sound of beating wings, the calmness that came from being among the clouds.
Below us, we passed over the snow-capped peaks that divided the elven and Wult lands, then traveled south toward the pixie kingdom. From this high up, the light-rails were barely visible, but now and again I was able to spot the glittering strand of light.
Kull was down there somewhere, and I felt relieved to be away from him and have time to gather my thoughts. Thinking clearly when he was around was getting harder to do—especially now that I’d seen the man I’d fallen in love with, even if it had been for a brief time.
Would I ever get him back? And if I did, was I sure I wanted him? There had been a time when I’d thought of him as a kind, selfless soul. While on the exterior he may have appeared selfish and heartless, he also had a kinder side that not everyone saw. But was he still that man? I wasn’t sure. And if he ever sought after my attentions again, he would have to prove he was still worth my time. Chances were, he would never again chase after me, so I wouldn’t have to worry about it any longer.
We took a quick break from flying to eat lunch, but then we returned to the skies. The elves had not complained about the flight, and as I eyed them from my spot on Fan’twar’s back, I felt grateful they’d come.
My father, while a magistrate in the main city, hadn’t been in Faythander for months now. What had happened to his position while he was gone? Had someone replaced him? Would he ever return to Faythander?
Both my parents seemed happy never to be bothered with elven politics again, and as long as they remained on Earth, they wouldn’t have to be. After Dad had revealed that my mother wielded black magic and was considered a witch, I understood why her presence in the elven city would never again be tolerated. I would be surprised if Dad returned to Faythander, yet he’d always had such strong ties to the capitol. Political duties had been his life’s work. Would it really be that easy for him to give it all up?
Dusk approached as we finally reached Dragon Spine Mountain. My heart leapt at the sight of the tall peak that seemed to puncture the sky. Somewhere atop that mountain would be the cave we sought, and the bloodthorn wouldn’t be far from it. We were so close, yet as we circled the mountain and descended not to its peak, but to its base, I felt a rising sense of urgency.
A small village, its lights shining from the collection of small wooden buildings, rested along the foothills nestled against the base of Dragon Spine’s peak. Fan’twar landed near the outskirts of the village, and the other dragons did the same.
My muscles, stiff and sore from the daylong flight, protested as I climbed off the dragon’s back. The light-carriages arrived soon after the dragons, and our two parties regrouped around the dragons.
“This is a Wult outpost,” Kull said as he scrutinized the small collection of buildings built in the typical Wult fashion with wood-shingled roofs, broad porches that circled the structures, and brightly colored red and green doors.