‘I know a way. Maybe.’ A small female voice punctured the silence. All eyes turned to Martha, as she spoke for the first time. Lorelei waited patiently, gesturing for the young woman to continue. Martha was covered in bruises and scrapes, but the Queen had considered her ferocity long before, when they were battling the Legion soldiers, she had already seen the woman’s worth and the close bonds of brotherhood in the retelling of her story, she was entitled to respect within the party.

  ‘I know where the chamber is.’

  ‘Which chamber, child?’ The Queen pressed on, encouraging her.

  ‘The chamber where the King would go to speak with the Spirit God. I was wandering the castle, trying to escape the guards. The door was unlocked, now I look back at it, I think it was unlocked on purpose. King Devan wanted me to find it.’

  ‘Did you go in?’ Niall asked, perplexed as he hadn’t heard of this before now.

  ‘Yes. There was an effigy of a man in there, one I hadn’t seen before. Until now.’

  ‘Who is the man?’

  ‘The Elder that we fought below. I recognised his face almost immediately.’ Martha answered confidently, sure of herself. The Queen sighed in relief as the option was laid before her. An effigy of an Elder in the King’s Castle?

  ‘What do you know of magic within human bloodlines?’ The Queen asked of them urgently. All four humans looked at her and shrugged.

  ‘We didn’t know magic existed before we met Princess Brielle.’ Theo replied gently.

  ‘Magic died out within your race, except for one bloodline.’ Lorelei smiled as understanding dawned on their faces.

  ‘The Royal bloodline!’ Niall exclaimed.

  ‘It is why they were permitted rule centuries ago. One final Mage emerged from the Mage’s war and was elected by his people to rule after the King died in battle. That is why the Spirit God would only speak with those of royal descent, it was –‘

  ‘Stealing their power!’ Niall ended the sentence for her, shocked at the revelation.

  ‘It would also explain how the so-called Spirit God managed to control the King, maybe poor Devan didn’t realise what was happening until it was too late.’

  ‘So the Elders and the Spirit God are the same thing?’ Theo asked, his head spinning.

  ‘The very same. Which also would lead onto other concerns such as the rivalry between our nations, spurred on by the very people we worshipped. They have spent centuries turning us against each other to keep us weak and from uniting against them.’ Lorelei pressed on, understanding coming thick and fast in light of the new information.

  ‘Until now.’ Niall declared, still standing, his face full of determination.

  ‘Until now.’ The Queen affirmed, standing to meet him. Reaching out to him gracefully she offered her hand in friendship. The human before her took it without hesitating. They wanted the same thing and they would both fight for their people and the freedom they believed in. Ayda and Syren looked on in disbelief, it had been the first time they had seen their Queen shake the hand of a human.

  ‘Great! So what’s the plan!?’ Theo smiled, encouraged by the new friendship.

  ‘If the effigy works as the Ritual Chamber does, then my daughter will need to be taken there. After what we have seen on this day, she will need all the power she can get to stand a chance against the Elders. Even if by some miracle we can stand our own against the Legion and the Militia, it will be for nothing if we cannot end the Elder’s reign.’

  ‘We will get her there.’ Niall nodded. His confidence and bravery shone through. Lorelei did not fail to see the nervous glances shared between him and Ayda, at one time she may have resented their pairing after the bloodshed between the two races, but in the enlightenment of the truths they had shared, she could not think of anyone more deserving of her daughter. The man and his comrades before her and risked much for both of her daughters and she would always remember it.

  ‘What about her sight?’ Ayda asked, her confidence not as assured as her human companions.

  ‘We must pray that it improves, but either way, she has no choice, she must continue.’ Lorelei responded. She knew the words cut like daggers. She wanted nothing more than to take her daughter’s burden upon herself, but there was no point wishing it so, when she was not a Magebreaker. Her own power had been quickly depleted in that chamber and there would be no chance of her standing against the Elders alone. Brielle was the only one with power to finish the task, and if she could not do it, they were all doomed.

  21 – NIALL

  The meeting ended abruptly. Their path was set. He was to take his comrades west, back to King Devan’s Castle. It worried him how much they were now dependent on Martha. They could not go on without her as she was the only one who knew of the location of the King’s chamber. He had wished for her to return to the relative safety of the Hole, but he knew there was no chance of that happening now. Once the Queen had dismissed him, the four of them left the room in surprising spirits. Each of them keen to get moving, either because they were going home or because they had accepted their fate. The Fiends left the meeting room and wandered through the old manor house in search of an empty bed chamber to rest in for the night. At first light they were to move on, as per the Queen’s commands, there was no time for rest. The Legion was not resting. The Militia was not resting. They had to push on through the emotional and physical exhaustion. There was no other way. Finally, they found two rooms situated opposite each other with four broken beds between them. Whoever the occupier of this home had been before the attack, they had left in sheer desperation. Wardrobes and cabinets had been upturned, clothes and possessions were left strewn across the floor. In many areas it appeared as though there had been a struggle, but there were no traces of remaining life in any of the rooms in the manor. The elven city was different to the human city. Their buildings were the clear white stone of the mountains and lived in harmony with the trees and the ivy that spread like veins through the brickwork. The destroyed furniture showed glimpses of intricate detailing that was now scarred with marks and dents. They lived seemingly elegant lives, much different to the human practicality and lack of style. After bidding each other goodnight after a stressful day, Niall slipped into bed, uncaring that dust and blood still covered most of his skin. In the morning he would wash but for now he needed to recuperate.

  It was dark when his eyes flitted open. The room around him was pitch black, for a moment he wondered why he had woken. Then he felt a presence beside him, a familiar scent that flooded his senses. Martha. At some point in the night she had crept into bed beside him and now lay with her arm draped around him. Her warmth and scent was intoxicating, he had not realised how much he missed her. Yet somehow she seemed distant. Her lips traced a line along his cheek as she reached his mouth, Niall stiffened, uncomfortable by the proximity of her touch. It wasn’t right. Pushing her hand from his body he sat upright, immediately awoken by her arousal.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ She whispered, suggestively stroking his back with her fingers.

  ‘This isn’t right.’ He said back, unsure why he felt this way. Her close proximity had been all he desired for such a long time, having her back with him was a relief for he cherished her and would do anything to protect her. Tonight, it felt different.

  ‘It’s her isn’t it?’ Martha whispered, removing her hand from his skin. Niall could not reply. Was it her? Was Ayda the reason he was unwilling to give himself to Martha? His heart had lurched and sickened him at the sight of her, his stomach twirling with butterflies and weakening relief when he glimpsed her in the chamber. It’s pace quickened as he thought of her again, it had been so long since they had seen each other. He had become used to the idea of never seeing her again. But she was here, somewhere in this manor house. Niall hardly noticed as Martha crept from his bed silently and disappeared from his room. Was it her? How could he harbour so many feelings for the elven princess after so long, when it was clear to him she felt nothing? Lowering himself back into bed, Niall nestled into an uncomfortable slumber.

  He had not had chance to say two words to her in private. The moment he opened his eyes the following morning, his mind and his heart full of her image. Since he had returned they had not had a moment of privacy, with the battle and the meet, this morning he would see to it that he got the chance. Giving up on any real idea of sleep, Niall dressed hurriedly and left the room in silence. The halls of the manor were dark and quiet, small flames flickered along the walls lighting his path. Hearing his friend’s soft snores he tiptoed passed their rooms and retraced his steps from the night before, back to the main rooms of the house. It was an old, cold and dusty manor, Niall wondered if the previous owners would ever return to its darkened corridors, if the serving staff of the last family would return or if they were even alive. No-one had lived in the building for many months, that much he was certain of, most of the rooms had been thoroughly searched and ransacked, and it was evidently missing many of the finer items one would expect in a Lord’s home. Either the family had taken their prized possessions with them or the servants or Legion soldiers had looted the property since. Turning corner after corner, finally, Niall reached the main rooms of the house. He was not alone. Whispering voices reached him from the larger room ahead of him, the same room in which the night’s meeting had been held. The door was slightly ajar, Niall crept up to it as quietly as he could.

  ‘She’s changing, I’m afraid.’ A female voice whispered, Niall recognised it at once, it was Ayda – but not Ayda as he knew her. This Ayda was afraid, timid and nervous, her normally strong voice quaking.

  ‘She will continue to do so. Especially now. You must be there for her.’

  ‘I always will be, but sometimes I feel I do not recognise her.’ Ayda said sadly.

  ‘Everything she has been through, all the truths she has learned about herself. She is at a critical point, she is discovering just what sort of Mage she is. You have to help her with that.’ Lorelei answered softly, her voice carrying through the gap in the door.

  ‘She has killed… so many.’

  ‘So have you.’

  ‘I am a soldier, I understand the cost of war.’ Ayda answered.

  ‘Understanding never makes it easier. If we are to win, both of you will take more lives. In doing so you will lose a part of yourself, but in the end you will earn your freedom.’

  ‘But maybe at too high a cost to us.’

  ‘To be responsible for an entire people, is to put their needs before your own. You are not doing this for yourself, but for the Elven people, and so it would seem, the Humans too.’

  ‘What if I cannot stop her? She was tempted… before.’

  ‘She will always be tempted. To have power is to be tempted. That is why you must stand by her side.’ Lorelei continued gently.

  ‘I fear I am not enough.’

  ‘You are her sister. She loves you. The humans too, I hear of friendship there. You will get her through this.’

  ‘She despairs.’

  ‘Yes she despairs. She has lost so much, gained so little. Now, she has lost her sight too.’ Lorelei sighed. Silence followed. Neither said any more. Niall stood awkwardly at the doorway, something had happened to Brielle, he could tell from the sorrow in their voices. Ayda especially, once so strong, now seemed so fearful and so conflicted. Niall reached for the door handle, he wanted to speak with them, to understand their fear. Their voices stopped him instantly.

  ‘The human, Niall, he seems trustworthy.’ Lorelei said clearly.

  ‘Yes, I suppose.’ Ayda answered, not committing.

  ‘You travelled all that way with him, he has then returned to you, and that is all you say?’ Lorelei asked with a mother’s wisdom. Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing him in the doorway. Niall stumbled back slightly, embarrassed but the Queen merely smiled at him knowingly. Tapping him gently on the shoulder, she left the room. Had she known he was there all that time?

  ‘You were listening at the door?’ Ayda asked sceptically, eyeing him up and down as he shuffled into the room, still embarrassed at having been discovered.

  ‘Yes. Sorry. I came to find you, I didn’t want to disturb you.’

  ‘What did you hear?’

  ‘Something about Elle changing.’ Niall answered honestly, not seeing the point of deceit. Ayda nodded sadly before staring down at the small, untouched breakfast before her. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Niall moved forwards and took a seat beside her, reaching out, he wiped the tear from her face.

  ‘What’s happening?’ He asked quietly, his eyes searching hers. Ayda looked at him for a moment, her eyes seeing through the confident façade he always adopted. She could see him. He knew, he knew that all along.

  ‘Did you find what you were looking for?’ Ayda asked. Niall frowned confused momentarily. Then he realised.

  ‘Yes and no.’

  ‘No other Mages to help her?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then what did you find? Why did you return?’

  ‘I came back for you, and for Elle. There was nothing more we could do. The Militia and Legion march to you, our King is dead. We had to find you, Elle is the only hope in ending this war.’ Niall replied, his eyes fixed to hers.

  ‘You believe that?’

  ‘I always have.’

  ‘We will see if you believe that in a few days.’ Ayda said sadly, tearing her gaze from him.

  Niall frowned again, ‘how do you mean?’

  ‘She is not the girl you remember. She is hollow, dark and afraid.’

  ‘Maybe outwardly, but inside she is still the same.’ Niall shrugged.

  ‘You don’t get it – do you?’ Ayda barked, her anger finally spilling over, ‘Our people, we have lost our father, Amie, Sir Rakel, Scholar Byran, Nhima and all the soldiers she has killed, she has lost too much, she started killing without thought where before she rejected her powers, her eyes blacken, and she searches for power. Now she has lost her sight altogether, I feel we will lose her!’ Niall hesitated. He remembered Elle as the young innocent Elven Princess who would tell stories of her friends and laugh with him and Theo. He remembered how she made them believe in more than division, and taught friendship to their little group of mismatched warriors. Now, it seemed, her innocence was gone, and the fear of loss had battered the love from her. It was not too late, he reasoned, it was never too late to love again. Carefully, he put his arm around Ayda.

  ‘We will get her back.’ He whispered. It was too much for Ayda, who broke down in tears into his welcoming shoulder. She had witnessed it all, seen the Princess grow and blossom, and now slowly wilt and die under the responsibility that burdened her. He understood her fear, she was no longer afraid of the Elders or of the war, she was afraid of her sister and of failing her when she was needed most.

  22 – ELLE

  Princess Brielle slept soundly for a few days. Left alone, she was able to swim through oceans and walk along sandy beaches as the sound of the waves lapped gently against the grain and tickled playfully at her toes. Birds sung and danced around her, rejoicing in the return of the sun as a smile curled on her lips. She was free. Free of the ache and the misery of her world. In the dream world she could escape the sins and tragedy that had befallen her. Slowly she lowered herself onto the warmth of the sand and dug her fingers and toes into the golden earth, the blue sea spun out before her in a never-ending horizon, daring her to venture forth, how much more could she discover? Laying back, she raised her hand against the glaring sun and the piercing blue sky, it felt good to relax, to stretch out safely and feel her skin soak up the sun. How she missed this. She missed her friends, her pretty dresses and tiaras and the dancing. Oh, the dancing! Her Father would tell her to perform well to win a Prince, but she had not cared, she had no need of a Prince, she would dance because she loved to dance. Her friends would spin, and pirouette and she would too, sometimes for hours. She could see her mother and father, hand in hand on their thrones, adorned in the peaceful attire of gold and white, their splendour flowing over them like a waterfall as their people worshipped and loved them. They were laughing, watching her and her friends as they entertained the court in their childish, innocent fashion. The dances faded, and she was sat in the fresh, sunny morning of the gardens. Bees and dragonflies zoomed about her, each continuing their daily routine, the sun sparkled from their busy wings as they shot from flower to flower. Before her, a grand old oak tree stood tall into the clouds, his limbs reached up and up and up as if to pluck the sun from the sky. She yearned for the gardens of her home. In her mind she could see them, clear as water, they were a part of her, and that part surely, could never disappear. A figure in the distance caused her heart to swell. They were running towards her, laughing and smiling, hurtling through the hedgerows, then suddenly she was in their arms. This is what she missed the most, she remembered sadly, as she cried with laughter. Her sister. Ayda smiled up at her fondly as she lifted her little sister into the air. She could not remember the last time she had seen her sister smile, the happiness would radiate from them whenever they were together. Soul mates they had been, in their happiness, but even now their souls were connected in their misery. How she wished it was not so. How she wished she could lock herself safely in her memories. It could not be so.

  The door to her room creaked open, where light would normally have flooded the darkened room, none came. The visitor’s footsteps patted lightly on the stone flooring as they crept into the room and sat beside her. Who it was Brielle could not tell. As usual, she kept her eyes sealed shut, feigning sleep. She was not ready for them yet. She could not bear it. She guessed it would be her mother or her sister come to watch over her. She did not much care for them now, they served her better in her dreams. Happier and more at peace, there was no pity then. A cold hand encircled her own as she lay in silence, unmoving. It was Ayda. How she could tell from the touch of skin, she would never know, but it was clear to her, from the reaction in her heart, that her sister was as before, by her side. Even so, she was not ready. She was asleep, she thought, back to the blissful safety of her memory. She fell asleep again.

 

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