A Legacy of Dragons Page 5

  But as Vilmos moved through the door it wasn't heat and flames that greeted him, it was bone-chilling cold and darkness.

  For a pair of heartbeats, he found himself in a place between the canyon and the land beyond, surrounded by nothing and everything.

  Then sweltering heat of fire and flames found him and he knew he was in the land beyond the door.

  "Father," he called out. "Stay strong. We will find you."

  Chapter 11

  Spending the afternoon with Graeden had been magical, uplifting. Adrina felt like her old self again, like the girl who'd longed to leave Imtal to see the whole of the great wide world. Graeden had taken her to see the snow flowers that bloomed on a nearby ridgeline and she held a bouquet of the delicate ice-white flowers in her gloved hand.

  "Goodbye," she told him as she stood in the entryway. "I had a wonderful time."

  Graeden reached out for her hand with both of his. He removed her thick fur glove, kissed the back of her hand formally. "As did I. I hope I can see you again."

  "I'd like that." As she started to open the door, she turned back to him. "You know, you're nothing like I thought you'd be."

  Graeden's eyes brightened. "I was told to be on my best behavior."

  Intrigued, Adrina took a step toward him. "Told, by whom?"

  "Not by Xith if that's what you're thinking. By Leria."

  "Ærühn's sister? You talked to her about me?"

  Graeden smiled. "I did. She knew I liked you."

  Adrina stared at him. What a nice smile. Graeden looked back at her without speaking and she leaned closer, smiling back at him and almost daring him to kiss her. On the lips, on the cheek, it didn't really matter as long as it was a real kiss.

  But Graeden didn't. Instead, he said, "Goodbye, Adrina. As I said before, I'll tell the range watch to signal on first sight of Vilmos and Ærühn."

  "Thank you, I appreciate that. I'll worry less then."

  She opened the door and started inside, her eyes going wide at what she saw. She screamed and screamed, fell to her knees.

  "Xith?" she shouted. "Xith?"

  She crawled across the floor to him, took his head in her hands. "Please look at me. Please."

  Graeden rushed inside. He knelt down beside her, his hand on her shoulder. "It can't be," he said, his voice breaking as he spoke.

  "No, no, no," she shouted, her eyes full of tears. She'd found Noman this way the day before, though dead in his sick bed and not on the floor.

  She shook him, his head lolled from side to side. Her sobs rang through the hut.

  "No, no, no," she repeated.

  Graeden tried to pull her away from Xith. She refused to move.

  "I didn't even know he was ill. But I should've seen it. I should've known."

  She fought the urge to scream, to tear at her hair, to pound her fists into the floor. "I was so worried about me. I didn't see. Why didn't I see?"

  Graeden was silent. He tried to help Adrina to her feet, but she refused to let go of Xith. "Please, Adrina. Let go… Let me help you."

  "Go, get out of here! Leave!" Adrina shouted, suddenly feeling guilty for not being with Xith in his final hours.

  Graeden stood, hesitated. "Adrina?"

  "Leave! Leave! Leave!" Adrina shrieked as she jumped up, arms flailing angrily.

  Graeden took a step back. "Adrina?" he repeated.

  Adrina pushed him to the door. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

  Graeden moved through the door. "Let me know if there's--"

  Adrina slammed the door shut and then collapsed on the other side of it, sobbing uncontrollably.

  From the other side of the door, Graeden said, "I'll get my father. He'll know what to do."

  "Get no one. Tell no one," Adrina said somberly.

  She heard him take a step, hesitate. She shouted after him, "Never come back. I never want to see you again."

  She ran to Xith, held and rocked him in her arms. "Come back to me. Don't leave me here all alone."

  She scratched back tears from eyes that stared blankly ahead. If Xith was gone, hope was gone with him. She willed herself to think of the right thing to do.

  "Father? Mother?" she implored the empty room.

  "Someone tell me what to do. Is hope gone? Is it all ash and ruin now?"

  Realizing she wasn't truly alone, she called out, "Adrynne, Adrynne? Show yourself. Show yourself now."

  Adrynne ripped her way out of Adrina's flesh but Adrina refused to acknowledge the pain.

  The lady elf appeared as she had before. With substance, instead of wispy. She said, "I know what you want."

  "Then do it," Adrina said coldly, still staring at nothing with dead eyes.

  "Each new mark puts you that much closer. You've two already."

  Adrina threw up her hands. "Do it already!"

  The lady elf moved closer. "You've never asked, you know. Not once. Not ever. Aren't you curious about the bond we share? About Tnavres? About me?"

  Life returned to Adrina's eyes, if only to fill them with hatred and turn them on the lady. "So just what do you get from this bargain? What do your years of servitude get you?"

  "It gets me nothing. It is you who buys my freedom. When you are all used up, you will be his and I will at long last be free to make the final journey. But I do not wish this--this thing that I've become--on you or anyone."

  Adrina shook her fists. "Then help me!"

  "I am helping you. Listen. When Zanzes gave you a choice--a choice between two paths--you shouldn't have chosen anything. You should've chosen death, for death would have been far better."

  "Death is no choice! I command you to bring him back."

  "Oh, but it is a choice. It is," the lady elf said bitterly. "You may think you command Tnavres, and he may let you think you do. But me, you don't command, for I'm not yours to command. I'm his. I do only what serves him, only what he wants--and that he wants this so strongly should terrify you."

  Adrina resolved herself to her choice, her body shaking as she fought to contain herself. "I don't care. Bring. Him. Back."

  The lady elf touched a hand to Xith's chest, her eyes though remained fixed on Adrina's. "He's not gone completely. He's holding onto the last few threads of the weave. There's still a chance."

  "Then do this thing and be done with it."

  The lady elf touched her other hand to Adrina's chest, near her heart. "The new mark will go here, but it doesn't have to be."

  Adrina grabbed the lady's hand and pushed it tight against her. "Do it. Do it now!"

  The lady closed her eyes. "Will you ever learn? Will you ever ask the right questions?"

  A flow of magic stirred the air.

  Adrina pushed down more firmly on the lady's hand. "Bring him back to me."

  The lady whispered words Adrina heard but couldn't quite understand.

  The flow intensified.

  The air swirled.

  The hearth fire flared.

  The lady gasped. She opened her eyes.

  "It is done," she said.

  Adrina looked down at Xith, expecting him to open his eyes and look up at her, but he didn't. She beat her hands against his chest. "Xith? Xith?"

  The lady tried to calm her. She pushed the lady elf away, ripped open her own shirt.

  She watched the mark burn into her flesh, bit her tongue to keep from crying out.

  She looked back to Xith.

  Xith's eyes were closed.

  She checked his breathing.

  She shook him.

  She pushed her hands on either side of his cheeks. "Breathe," she implored. "Breathe."

  Her eyes wild, she turned on the lady. "What's the meaning of this?"

  Angrily, slapping the mark on her chest, she shouted, "That's three. Three. Tell him!"

  Lady Adrynne turned away, tears in her eyes. "Zanzes sees and knows all where you and I are concerned. There's no need to tell him anything."

  "Oh, yes there is," Adrina said haughtily. "Tell him reco
mpense is due. Tell him, I've paid, for here is my mark."

  All of a sudden, the lady looked as immaterial as material, wispy again. She doubled over in pain. "He's angry… Oh, so angry… Angry with me for telling you what I shouldn't have."

  Adrina's heart went out to the lady. "Tell me what to do. Tell me how I can make it right. Tell me how I can stop your pain. Tell me how I can bring him back."

  "But I did already," The lady cried out as pain took her to the floor.

  "But I paid," Adrina said, sobbing.

  A shimmering haze surrounded the lady. She became increasingly translucent, started to disappear. First her feet, then her legs. "You didn't listen. You never listen."

  "But I paid," Adrina repeated.

  Right before her light winked out and she disappeared, the lady said, "There are no guarantees with magic. None. Know that I tried."

  The End.

  About the Author

  Robert Stanek has written many books for children, teens, and adults. Though he's written about many faraway worlds and distant lands, Ruin Mist, Magic Lands, and Bugville are his most popular imagined lands.

  Learn more at www.robert-stanek.com

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  The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches

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