Page 11 of A Storm of Fire and Ice

“Though the Fire Kingdom probably won’t help since they are still feuding with the Ice Kingdom.” Fannar frowned.

“Who does that leave?” Helena asked.

“Water, Earth, and Air,” I replied.

“But Water and Earth also hate each other,” Fannar said.

“Are you serious?!” Helena exclaimed. “What is wrong with you Enchanted people?”

“Hundreds of years of bitter history.” Brontes sighed. “We need help from whomever we can get, so I’ll send envoys to the Earth, Water, and Air Kingdoms requesting their aid. We’ll just have to see who agrees.”

“We need to anticipate Obsidia’s next move,” Fannar said, breaking the pensive silence. “Where is she likely to appear next?”

Helena drummed her fingers on the table anxiously. “I mean, she said she was going to be back, so I assumed she meant here at the Storm Castle.”

Brontes growled as he began pacing again, his heavy boots echoing in the stone room with each step. “We’ve already done a lot to strengthen our defenses and increase security. All guards and staff members will continue to receive extra training in their powers every day.”

I spoke up tentatively. “What if we tried luring her into a trap somehow? We could lay false leads to bait her.”

Fannar nodded thoughtfully. “Hmmm . . . That’s an interesting strategy. Perhaps a decoy?”

“Ooh, I like that idea!” Helena said. “We could catch her off guard.”

I chewed my lip pensively. “It might help if we knew more about Obsidia’s weaknesses. Everyone has a weakness, even someone as powerful as a Cosmic Enchanted.”

“Yeah, about that!” Helena jumped off the table suddenly. “How is there another Cosmic Enchanted? I thought Headmaster Moira was the only one?”

“Headmaster Moira?” I asked.

“Our headmaster at Haven Academy,” Fannar explained to me. “And yes, that is what I thought too.”

Brontes nodded. “Your headmaster was the only Cosmic Enchanted I’d ever heard of.”

“Do you think she know about Obsidia?” Helena asked.

“No idea.” Fannar shrugged.

“Hmmmm,” I pondered. “If Cosmic Enchanted can travel through time and space, there is really no way of knowing how many there might be across all timelines and realities.”

“True,” Fannar said. “I guess the only person who would have any idea is Headmaster Moira herself.”

“It sounds like you two should go back to Haven Academy,” I suggested. “Since Headmaster Moira is the only known Cosmic Enchanted, she can give us some insight on Obsidia, or at least her possible weaknesses.”

“Good idea, sister,” Fannar agreed, nodding thoughtfully. “But we need to return to the Ice Kingdom first. Our parents expect us back, and I don’t want them to worry.”

“Of course,” Helena added, her hand squeezing Fannar’s for reassurance. “We can head back to the Ice Kingdom tomorrow morning and let your parents know what’s happening. Then, we can go back to the academy to talk to Headmaster Moira.”

“What about dark magic?” I asked. “Obsidia said that the power of dark magic helped her conquer the other realms.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of dark magic sorcerers during my history lessons with Father but not much,” Brontes answered. “As far as we knew, they’ve been banished from the Enchanted Realm for a long time.”

“Well, they might not be gone for long.” Helena grimaced at Fannar. “We should do some research on them at the academy library.”

Fannar nodded in agreement. “And ask Headmaster Moira if she knows anything about them too.”

“In the meantime, I’ll see what I can find about dark magic in the castle library,” I offered. “Nana Osborne used to dust the books, and she said we should have some texts about it.”

Brontes nodded. “It’s not much, but it’s a start.”

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