Dawn of Magic: Sea of Flames Page 15

  Not that he could have done either.

  Now time dragged on. It was well past midnight. She should have been back by now.

  With an abrupt movement he left the bed and hurried to the door. He didn’t care how many faie he had to cut down to reach her. He’d find her and bring her home—he shook his head as he grabbed the doorknob—not able to fully reconcile the idea of this place as home.

  He opened the door then stepped back.

  Finn stood outside, shoulders hunched, face smudged with dirt. A stray leaf clung to a lock of her hair.

  He stepped aside for her to enter. “What happened?”

  She walked inside. “Iseult I—” she lowered herself to the bed, eyes downcast. “I nearly killed Kai, and I hardly even cared. The reality of it is only now beginning to dawn.” She looked up at him, tears rimming her eyes. “There is something dark inside me, hungering for magic. I must finish this task on my own. I cannot risk hurting anyone else.”

  He sat down on the bed beside her, reached out, then let his hands fall. Something told him his touch would not be welcome. “You won’t hurt anyone. You cannot do this alone.”

  She buried her head in her hands, bracing elbows on knees. “That is something you cannot guarantee. I need more magic to face Belenus. And when I drain his power away,” she hesitated. “Iseult, I truly do not know what I will become. I may not be able to return to you.”

  His heart, seemingly still for so much of his life, skipped a beat. “If that is the case, you cannot go.”

  Her body sagged further. “If I do not do this, we all will die. There is no other way. I brought Ashclaw upon us. I must fix this.”

  Finally, he touched her, barely brushing his hand across her shoulder. When she did not pull away, he rested it more heavily upon her. “We will face the dragon instead. With you, Ealasaid, and the mages, it can be defeated.”

  “And Belenus will not only live, but he’ll have the perfect opportunity to attack.” She lowered herself further as her shoulders began to shake with silent tears, soon echoed by quiet gasps of breath.

  He rose, then guided her to lay down on the bed. With the blankets pinned beneath her, he simply folded one half over her, tucking it up to her neck. “Rest now. Surely things will look different in the morning.”

  He stepped back. She did not question why he wasn’t resting with her. She buried her head in her pillow and did not move.

  It took every ounce of his bravery to step away. To risk that when he returned, she might be gone. But there was something he had to do, lest he lose the woman he loved forever.

  Kai

  A knock on Anna’s bedchamber door turned Kai’s attention from her. She’d been waiting for him upon his return from the woods, and had wanted every detail of the meeting.

  “Do you think it’s her?” Anna whispered.

  “No.” Kai rose from the bedside where he sat. The knock was too heavy for Finn’s small fist, and the footsteps he’d heard, though light, had the feel of more weight to them. He was rather sure who he’d find outside, but part of him was still surprised to find Iseult as he opened the door.

  Iseult strode into the room without hesitation, then turned, his gaze encompassing both Anna on the bed, and Kai near the door. “We cannot let her face Belenus. Not like this.”

  Kai shut the door behind him. “You know we have little choice in the matter.”

  Iseult’s predatory glare as he spoke sent a shiver down Kai’s spine. “She cannot take the magic of a god. She has admitted herself that she does not believe she will survive it.”

  Kai moved to sit on the bed beside Anna, hoping to ease some of the tension in the room, though Iseult remained standing, as rigid as the sword at his hip.

  In truth, he shared Iseult’s worries, but even so, he felt Finn’s best chance of survival was to become more powerful. If it drove her to become a destructive force, well, he’d be there, ready to pull her back. At least she’d be alive. That was truly what mattered.

  Iseult, however, did not seem to share in this sentiment.

  “What do you propose we do?” Kai sighed.

  “I’m going to talk to Ashclaw.”

  Anna let out an abrupt laugh, more shocked than amused. “You? You think you can talk to that beast of darkness outside the gates? Only Finn can talk to dragons.”

  Iseult turned his cool gaze to her. “This dragon is different, it speaks clearly in her mind, unlike Naoki. I will speak to the dragon. We do not need its protection here as much as Finn needs its help in defeating Belenus.”

  “Iseult,” Anna said more calmly, “that dragon will eat you.”

  “If Finn will not return to me, I have nothing else to lose.”

  Kai bit back another sigh. He loved Finn too, he would do all he could to save her, but he knew if she were to perish, she would wish him to continue fighting, to protect those who still remained. “Finn already walks a cliff’s edge. If you go and get yourself eaten, it might just be the thing to push her over.”

  “I do not intend to be . . . eaten.”

  Did the fool truly think he could face the black dragon and survive? Kai glanced at Anna, who seemed just as dumbfounded as he, then turned back to Iseult. There was clearly no stopping him. “So what do you want from us?”

  Iseult’s expression shifted just a hair, showing the anguish hiding deep inside. “You will remain by her side at all costs. Protect her, for as strong as she is, she is not always capable of protecting herself.”

  “You know I would do that without you asking. Why are you really here?”

  Iseult was silent for a long moment. He looked to Anna, as if debating whether or not she should leave the room. Seeming to dismiss the idea, he finally spoke. “Finn is consumed by dragon’s blood. Too much of it runs through her veins. If I fail, and she takes in too much magic, there is only one thing that will bring her back. Humanity.”

  Kai leaned back, quickly catching on. “But if she’s consumed by too much magic, she may not wish to save me.”

  “I believe she will, no matter how far she has gone.”

  Anna whipped her head back and forth between them. “What in Tirn Ail are you two talking about?”

  Kai kept his eyes on Iseult as he explained, “If Finn becomes too consumed by magic, Iseult wants me to mortally wound myself so she’ll be forced to save me. She will have to take in more of my humanity, in exchange for her magic blood.”

  “You idiot!” Anna hissed. “Don’t you dare consider that. You’re part faie now anyway. You won’t give her just mortal blood.”

  “I’m mostly mortal. I believe, if she actually chose to save me, it might work. It might dilute the dragon magic just enough.” He turned to Iseult. “But you know, such a feat would weaken her, and beyond that, she may choose to let me die.”

  “She will not. And weakened is better than lost to us forever. I must go now, before she wakes. Will you swear to me you’ll be there if she needs you?”

  Would he? Would he mortally wound himself, taking the chance that she may or may not be in the right mind to save him?

  Was it even really a question?

  He nodded. “I will.”

  Anna shook her head as Iseult turned to leave. “Blasted stupid men,” she muttered. “Why do we let you plan anything at all?”

  Kai tended to agree with her. Iseult’s plan was utter madness, but it was already in motion. It had been set into motion the day Finn saved Naoki.

  Kai could only hope she’d care enough to save him too.

  Finn

  Whispers skidded across the halls of the Garenoch estate. Some had seen Iseult leave the gates in the darkest hours of night. He’d gone in the direction of the dragon, the way no others dared venture. It had been too dark that night to see what occurred next. All the people of Garenoch knew, was that he had not returned.

  And the information had spread like wildfire. Finn was well known as ruler of the faie, mother of a dragon, and dear friend of Lady Ealasaid—an
d to see her consort disappear late at night, on his own, never to return? To the minds of many, it could only spell trouble.

  Ignoring the whispers, Finn walked through the halls of the main estate in search of Ealasaid, needing her and Maarav to find Iseult. Her stomach clenched painfully at the thought of his name, wanting to find him herself, but she could remain in the estate no longer. Tomorrow was the final day. If she did not feed Belenus to Ashclaw, many would die. Today she would travel the forests with Naoki, gathering magic and faie. Then at sunrise the next morning, they would march upon Sormyr. She could ride on Naoki’s back to make it there swiftly, and many faie had already been instructed to gather in the forest near the Gray City. There they would await her command.

  She was not far gone enough to lie to herself about what she was doing. She knew the people of Sormyr were mostly innocent. Belenus was something of a savior to them. Their crops were plentiful, the city safe. Many who’d lived in poverty all their lives were now flourishing. Kai’s family . . . she shook her head and picked up her pace. She had failed him there too. She hadn’t figured out how to find them in that other realm. There hadn’t been time. She didn’t even know if they were still alive.

  This time, even more lives depended on her. She could not fail again.

  She caught sight of someone coming up an adjoining hall as she hurried past an alcove. Recognizing Sage, she stopped abruptly, then stepped back into sight as he reached the intersection. “Do you know where Ealasaid is?”

  Holding his simple staff in one hand, Sage gestured in the direction she’d been headed. “She’s in the war room. I was just on my way to meet her.”

  Sage fell into step beside her. She’d not seen him since they’d gone looking for Naoki in the forest. Now he was dressed for battle, in red robes labeling him as a fire mage. The colors made the different magics easier to coordinate when mages worked together, though as Ealasaid’s general, Finn doubted there were any mages unaware of Sage’s flavor of magic. Though he was young, appearing even younger thanks to his close-cropped dark hair, he was more powerful than most.

  “I meant to thank you,” she said abruptly, “for encouraging me to ally myself once more with the faie.”

  He glanced at her as he walked. “Thank me when you defeat Belenus, for if you fail, I might come to view you as my enemy.”

  She supposed she deserved that. “I did what I thought was right at the time. The dragon has guarded the burgh as promised.”

  “From all of our many attackers?”

  She huffed. She could not have foreseen the relative quiet the burgh had enjoyed over the past nine days, but perhaps she should have. Belenus had tried to lure her in before. Despite his threats, he didn’t seem willing to risk his soldiers on repeated attacks of a well-armed burgh.

  “I know you did what you thought best,” Sage said as they reached the closed double-doors of the war room. He rested his hand on one ornate knob as he turned toward her. “And you’ve been here to save us before, I’ve no doubt you’ll do all in your power to save us again. But this is the only home many of us have ever known. If we were feared for our minor magics before the barrier fell, we are absolutely abhorred now for the powers we have accumulated. At least a few years ago there were other places to run. Now this burgh is all we have, save sailing to another continent. The forests and marshlands are overrun by faie, and Migris is in ruins. Without Migris’ soldiers up North, the reivers creep further from their borders into our lands. I don’t imagine the port towns along the River Cair will last much longer, and we cannot flee to Sormyr, for obvious reasons.”

  She stared at him. “What are you trying to say?”

  He met her gaze evenly. If he feared her, as many had come to do, it did not show. “I’m not trying to say anything, Lady Finnur, I’m trying to beg. I beg you, do not fail us. I know you have other concerns. I know you fly with dragons, and run with faie. I know you are not entirely of this world, but we are. Please do not forget that our lives depend on you. We may survive the black dragon on our own, but we will not survive the gods.”

  Her mouth went dry. Did he not realize she already knew that? Could he not comprehend the fear and guilt she lived with every single day?

  Not waiting for an answer, he opened the door, which was just as well, as she had no idea what to say. She might have been consumed with many other things, but she’d never forgotten about the unnamed faces depending on her. In fact, she clung to them, because she knew if anything could keep her as human as she could be, it was the innocent lives at stake.

  Finished blinking at Sage’s back as he entered the war room ahead of her, she followed. Ealasaid and Slàine were the only other occupants, leaning over a massive map spread across a long table. Ealasaid wore tan breeches and a loose black blouse—she must not be meeting with anyone other than Slàine or Sage this day—and Slàine was dressed in her usual black. She looked sharp and deadly, but most of all she looked tired. Finn echoed that tiredness from the bottomless pits of her soul.

  Ealasaid nodded to Finn, but her attention was mainly on Sage. “Some of Slàine’s scouts have returned. Reivers have come down from the North. They would like to speak of terms.”

  Finn looked to Sage, gauging his reaction, as it was the last thing she’d expected to hear.

  It seemed Sage felt the same. “They actually want to speak terms with us? How many clans, and how large?”

  “Two clans,” Slàine explained. “Two of the largest.”

  “And they expect to enter the burgh?” Sage balked.

  Slàine snorted. “Hardly. We will speak of an alliance on neutral ground, nothing more.”

  Sage stepped toward Ealasaid, clearly dismissing Slàine. “What could the reivers possibly gain from an alliance? It is a trap. It has to be.”

  Slàine smiled smugly at his back, though he could not see. “The reivers fear the Ceàrdaman, and the Aos Sí. Both have encroached upon their lands in great numbers.”

  The tiny hairs at the back of Finn’s neck prickled at the mention of the Ceàrdaman. There had been few sightings of them since the barrier fell. Those who knew what was good for them had worried over what they were planning, and when that plan would finally be revealed.

  Before more information could be divulged, Ealasaid turned her attention to Finn. “Forgive me for becoming engrossed in this most recent news. Are you preparing to depart?”

  Suddenly nervous, Finn nodded. This may very well be her final goodbye, and it seemed so lackluster, and somehow unimportant.

  Reading her expression, Ealasaid strode across the room, leaving Sage and Slàine to bicker amongst themselves. She wrapped her arms around Finn, holding her tight. “Please, be careful.”

  Finn bit back tears. “Iseult—” she managed to say, but could speak no more. He had gone to see the dragon, and had not returned. Now that light had washed over the burgh, neither had been spotted again. She could not even question Ashclaw before she left.

  Ealasaid squeezed Finn tighter. “I know, I heard. We will try to find him.”

  Finn didn’t argue that perhaps she should be the one searching for him. They both knew there was no time.

  With a sound that could have been a gasp or a sob, Finn pulled away. “I swear to you, I will do all that is within my power to save the burgh.”

  Ealasaid smiled softly. Being a mother had changed her. Sometimes, like now, she almost made Finn feel like a child, though she was over a century older than the woman standing before her. “I know you will not fail us. Now go.”

  Finn turned away before Ealasaid could see her tears. She’d promised Anna and Kai she’d say goodbye, but if it was going to be like this, she could not bear it. She left the war room without another word. Ealasaid could deal with the reivers, for she was the lucky one. Finn would gladly face one thousand bloodthirsty reivers to avoid the task ahead.

  She hurried down the hall, away from the eyes of Sage, Slàine, and Ealasaid, all boring holes into her back. She had no weapo
ns save her belt knife, and no supplies save a water skin, a single meal, and the suede breeches, linen tunic, and fur-lined cloak clothing her body. She would need nothing else.

  She exhaled a sigh of relief as she exited the estate. The front courtyard held a few mages, but none with whom she’d ever spoken. Kai would be resting at this time in the morning, and Anna was nowhere to be seen. She could make her escape without goodbyes. It was better this way.

  She jogged across the yellowing grass, mentally summoning Naoki to join her outside the burgh. Though the trek was longer than riding Naoki over the wall, she’d leave through the front gates, where she was unlikely to see anyone else she knew.

  Before long, she was outside the burgh. The her hot breath fogged the cool morning air, like the smoke of a fire dragon pouring from her lungs. She shook her head, she had to stop summoning such imagery. It only made things worse. She hurried west, where she knew Naoki would wait.

  It didn’t take long for Arawn and Branwen to appear on either side of her. No one spoke. They all knew what lay ahead.

  They reached the woods to find Naoki waiting at the border, and someone was standing beside her. From a distance, Finn’s first thought was Iseult. Her heart plummeted to her knees, for just a moment, then they were near enough to see clearly. It was Kai. He must have seen Naoki leaving the courtyard.

  He rested his back against a tree, arms crossed, face shadowed by his cowl. “You didn’t think you could leave me behind, did you!” he called out.

  She jogged ahead of Arawn and Branwen to reach him first. “Yes,” she panted, “actually I had.” Then why was she so relieved to see him?

  He nodded toward those approaching behind her. “You can’t trust those two to watch your back.”

  She clenched her fists. As much as she wanted him to come, she could not risk his life any further. “Kai, we will face countless dark faie, the Gray City’s soldiers, and a god. You cannot join us.”