Page 29 of Trial By Fire

Someone up there is listening. Little, twinkling lights suddenly appear all around me, fluttering wildly. I gasp in wonder as they close in tighter, as if they were attempting to protect me. Fairies. One breaks rank and hovers above my line of sight. Then they all form a line. A little Fairy arrow to guide me through the night. I guess I am going in the right direction as they keep the same shape and fly beside me. Suddenly, they start to flash in warning as shouts are heard somewhere behind me. I pick up speed. I don’t have much left, but I push my body forward. The world passes by in a blur as I try to outfly my pursuers. I almost cry out in relief as the sound of water crashing reaches my ears.

“Oh, thank goodness,” I say out loud to myself and to the little Fairies are all growing brighter as I climb higher above the trees until I reach what looks like the end of the world. The ground below me drops away, giving way to a craggy cliff and several giant waterfalls. I leave the trees behind me as I dive down toward the raging water counting the falls as I go.

“At the base of the third waterfall there is a ledge, just beyond the ledge there is a break in the waterfall that will grant you entry. Once inside, you only need to say the wordsSanguis Sanguinis mei,and the portal will appear.”

My father’s instructions guide me downward toward the third waterfall. I search for Dravyn as I hear shouts above my head.

“The Queen wants her alive!” One of them shouts. I glance over my shoulder and see they all have wings like my own with various colours. The guards wear leather breastplates over their bare chests with modern suit pants. It is a crazy combination. I don’t have time to observe further as they begin to throw long metal javelin length spikes at me.

I duck and dodge over the water. My lack of flying skills makes me fumble about in the air, and I barely get away. The line of Fairies takes off toward them. Bright light shields me as I try to race toward the waterfall. Unfortunately, my little Fairy friends don’t hold them off long as three of the sentries burst through the light and give chase. I attempt to turn and hover, realizing I am not defenseless and call forth my fire. I remember Mom’s lessons and use my intention to manipulate the flames. I guide the fireballs through the air, and hit one sentry right in the chest. He screams as he falls from the sky into the turbulent waters below. Lightning strikes across the sky, hitting another sentry, followed by a bright white fireball taking out the other. I look up and see my father fight off the remaining sentries with one hand as he holds onto something limp over his shoulder. No, not something, it is someone.

“Dravyn!” I yell. I fly toward my father to help. I throw fireballs through the air while I evade metal spikes. My wings are spread wide like a vengeful Valkyrie as I scream my rage at the sight of my unmoving mate in my father’s arms.

“Get to the waterfall!” My father yells as we finish off the rest of the sentries. “More are right behind me,” he says from behind me. I manage to land and will my wings away as my father lands behind me. He holds on to Dravyn as I search for the break in the waterfall. Like a split in a curtain, the entry awaits us as I rush toward it as the sound of more shouts comes from above us. I turn, and it’s as if time has slowed as a long metal spike flies through the air and hits my father, piercing him through his back. I scream as he continues through the waterfall after me, Dravyn falls limply from his arms, my father falls to his knees.

“Oh, God. No!” I sob. My father grabs the metal rod that sticks out in front of him and hisses as he yanks his hand away.

“Iron. She has them carrying iron.” That is all he says as he stumbles to his feet. His breath labors as he waves his hand over the water and creates a fire barrier blocking anyone from getting through. He sighs, blood pours from around his wound as he staggers toward me. I drop to my knees beside Dravyn. Blood pours from what looks like claw marks and bites all over his body. Black smoke rises from each wound, as if he is burning up from the inside out. I lean forward, and brush his bloodstained hair through shaky hands and listen.

“He’s not breathing!” I cry, tears blur my vision as I look up at my father.

“He is, just barely. Wraiths were attacking him, if I hadn’t flown over when I did, he wouldn’t be here.” His voice grows weak with every word. My father’s knees give out beside me, and he falls to his side. The metal rod is causing him to lose so much blood. I reach out to grab it, but he stops me.

“It’s poisonous. There is nothing you can do to stop it.” I look to Dravyn and then my father. Despair hits me like a splash of cold water, the shock of the inevitable freezes me in place, and I move. My body shakes, the beginning signs of my grief as the blood of my father soaks the hem of my dress.

“I need to do something. I can’t leave you here.” My voice doesn’t sound like my own. It sounds hollow and robotic. I’m trying to make my body, brain, and mouth function, but everything is going haywire.

“Cordelia.” My father says my name, his voice is barely a whisper, but it clears my thoughts, and I focus on the man before me. “You have to get Dravyn to Arcadia. The smoke rising from his wounds is stealing his life force. He doesn’t have long. You need to say the words and call the portal forth.” He coughs, and blood bursts from his mouth, but he ignores it as his eyes brim with tears.

“What about you?” I sob. The damn breaks and my tears fall freely. I just found him, and now I will lose him too. Possibly both of them.

“Maurelle won’t be too far behind. I need you to go now. Go and save your mate. If I could have saved your mother, I would have, had I known.” He shakes his head as a tear falls. “I will hold my sister off with my dying breath. Someone has to make sure no one else uses this portal ever again.” He coughs again, and I can see him struggling to breathe. He beckons me closer.

“I give you what is truly yours.Mime –iel.”He reaches up and touches my face, and I lean in, seeking comfort for the first and the last time from my dad. He begins to chant in what I can only assume is the language of the Fae, but then his words become clearer, and I begin to understand.

“Blood of my blood,

My night falls away,

Your night has just begun.

My power is your power,

My court is your court.

Arise, Queen of the Night.”

Warmth quickly spreads throughout my body. Bright white light flows in waves from my father to me. I gasp as it washes over my skin. Power travels up and down my spine, infusing my very soul. My Dragon embraces it all from inside of me. The light settles, but the power pulses through me like I’m a new entity, familiar but foreign at the same time. On my head something heavy bears down on it, and when I reach up, I yank my hand away in surprise.

“My crown is your crown. Maurelle will no longer rule my court. I’ve given it to you.” I don’t need to look to know I am wearing the black crown that I saw on Maurelle’s head. My father winks and offers me a weak smile. The weight is heavy. I can already feel the burden pressing down on me. My father’s eyes close, and I quickly look over at Dravyn, his breathing has slowed. I panic. I’m torn between my father and my mate. I wish I could take them both through the portal. It hurts to think about leaving my father behind.

“I can’t be in two places at once,” I say frantically. “I need to heal Arcadia, the people, my—”

“You can heal them all, Cordelia. You’re who you are for a reason. Heal the Realms. Reshape them, rewrite the way we live. No longer separate, but together. You can even offer the shifters a new home. Restore their power.” He pants, his chest is heaving from the pain as a loud boom shakes the walls around us. Our time is up.

“Say the words and call the portal, Cordelia.” My father tries to raise his voice but only coughs more blood up instead. He tries to get to his feet, and I scramble to help him. Turning away from Dravyn and my father, I walk away from them and say the words he taught me. There is no more time to waste.

“Sanguis Sanguinis mei.”I put every ounce of will I have behind my words as a bright swirling portal begins to form before me. Looking over my shoulder at my father, he smiles, pride shining in his weak eyes as he sways on his feet.

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