Page 57 of Embers to Flames

He waits for you in a place obscured by spells and silence, a fortress hidden from eyes unseeing.

I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible has happened to him. My mind races, torn between the guilt of Meemaw’s suffering and the fear for Mikyl’s safety. The urgency to find him, to make things right, consumes me, but I feel paralyzed by the overwhelming emotions crashing over me.

What I need is the library. Alyndra would be able to help me with my research. I close my eyes, wondering if she is still awake, sifting through old tomes and scrolls in the dusty racks of the library.

Suddenly, the air around me begins to shimmer, a cascade of ethereal sparkles dances before my eyes as the world I know dissolves into a whirlwind of light and shadow. My body becomes weightless; as if I were a leaf caught in a gentle breeze, and for a heartbeat, time itself seems to pause.

The familiar sounds of my surroundings fade into a tranquil silence, replaced by the soft hum of energy pulsating through the void. Then, with a tingling rush across my skin, reality snaps back into focus, a new landscape materializing around me like a painting being drawn into existence. I stand in the heart of the ancient library, the transition as seamless as stepping through a doorway, leaving me with a lingering sense of wonder and the faint echo of magic in my bones.

Alyndra stands before me, her arms full of books, eyes wide and mouth agape. “Rose? What the fuck?”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Stop looking at me like that. I’m just as shocked as you are.” I say crossing my arms over my chest as I look down and realize I’m only wearing averythin silk nightgown—and nothing else.

I can’t believe I just translocated.

Alyndra drops her arm full of books onto a nearby cart and steps toward me as she removes her shawl. “Here. Take this.” She says, looking around the room. No one else seems to be around though.

“Thanks” I say, slipping the shawlover my shoulders.

“You’ve been gone for nearly a fortnight. You left this place as a lowly servant girl, but now…” She sneers at the absurdity. “Now you’re a magic wielding, elven princess?”

A soft chuckle escapes my lips at her witty comment, the corners of my mouth curling into a smile. “Well, sort of… we have much to catch up on,” I reply, my voice tinged with excitement and nostalgia.

Alyndra leads me into her sleeping chambers, and I am immediately taken back by the vibrant energy that fills the room. Bright neon tapestries cover the walls, depicting whimsical fairies and flowers in bold shades of blue, green, pink, and yellow. The four wooden bedposts are intricately carved with similar designs, adding to the enchanting atmosphere. A towering bookcase, bursting with an array of novels and texts of all different sizes, stretches almost the entire length of one wall. Only a small window, adorned with a cozy built-in bench, broke up the expanse of literature. It is a reader’s paradise, beckoning to be explored and discovered.

I sink into a collection of plush pillows arranged in front of the crackling fire and inhale deeply. It feels as though I’ve stepped into a home away from home within Alyndra’s colorful sanctuary.

She pours us both a cup of hot herbal tea, setting it down on a small table between us. We spend hours catching up on all the events that have transpired during my absence. Alyndra is thrilled to hear about my new-found magical abilities andmy relationship with Theo. Although maybe a little shocked by the whole idea of us being Destinara.

“I always knew those romance novels I gave you would come in handy one day.” Alyndra boasts, smiling into her cup of tea. Her face quickly turns somber as she sets down her cup to speak again, “I was very sorry to hear about your grandmother. I know how much she meant to you.”

I feel my eyes welling up, “You know…” I pause, composing my next words, “I would give it all back. The magic, the romance, the royalty—if you can call it that yet. I would give it all away if I could just sit with her in that dusty old cottage and smell her sweet honey butter biscuits, one more time.” A tear slowly escapes me, and I quickly brush it off, giving Alyndra a half smile and nervous giggle. “I haven’t yet had a chance to truly be sad. Everything just happened so fast.”

“Let’s change the subject,” she interrupts with more enthusiasm and curiosity. “Have you figured out how you translocated to me yet?”

“Not a clue. I was just lying in bed, thinking about Mikyl and what the Witches said…”

Alyndra wiggled her eyebrows. “Lying there with a certain dragon-shifting hunk, perhaps?”

I felt my cheeks flush. “Maybe... By the Gods!” I bolted upright. “Theo! He’s probably freaking out right now. Do you think he can still soulspeak to me here?”

Alyndra shrugged, looking bemused. “Beats me. I’m not exactly versed in the long-distance communication procedures of magical soulmates.”

I relax a bit, sinking back into the pillows. “He’s probably still snoring away, blissfully unaware of my little teleportation adventure. Anyway, let’s get back to the reason I am here.” I cleared my throat dramatically. “The Witches said, and I quote:‘He waits for you in a place obscured by spells and silence, a fortress hidden from eyes unseeing.’ Any brilliant ideas, oh wise librarian?”

Alyndra stares at the fire blankly, lost in thought, tapping the side of her teacup with her index fingernail. “A place obscured by spells—a hidden fortress. It has to be one of two places. Either somewhere on Mt. Ero or somewhere on Obscurion Island. They are the only two uninhabitable places in the realm. As far as I know, no one ever goes there, and no one lives there.”

She hops up and beelines for the bookcase, pulling out a massive, dusty tome. Dropping it on the table with a theatrical ‘thud’, she announces, “If there is a castle or fortress of any kind within Quillyan, it should be listed in this book.”

I run my hand over the cover, squinting at the elaborate script.

The Grand Atlas of Quillyan’s Architectural Heritage:

A Comprehensive Survey of Edifices Great and Small

“Catchy title. I bet it’s a real page turner.” I say.

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