Wings of Arian (41 page)

Kiora’s heart stopped and she stumbled backwards, running into a column. Putting her hands back she leaned against the column, breathing heavily, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Emane tightened his grip on Ciera’s arm, jerking her within in an inch of his face. “Never,
ever
, call her those things in front of me again,” he said through clenched teeth.

Ciera spat it in his face.

“WHAT IS GOING ON?” the King roared, exploding out of the meeting room doors and into the throne room. At the same moment, two guards had come running in through the main doors to see what all the commotion was about.

“Take her!” Emane ordered the guards. The two guards rushed over, confused, but obedient, each taking one of Ciera’s arm. Emane wiped the spit of his face with the back of his sleeve. “Ciera saw something she didn’t like,” he answered to his father.

Ciera lunged at him, almost jerking her arms free from the guards, who were not used to being anything more than ornamental. “Something I didn’t like? You are disgusting, kissing that... thing,” she spat.

“What is she talking about Emane?” the King questioned.

“I told you father, I won’t be forced to marry her.” Looking over to Kiora, Emane finished, “My heart belongs to another.”

“You can’t possibly love
her
,” Ciera laughed bitterly. “You don’t even know what she is! The town will mock you behind your back every day for your foolishness!”

Emane walked closer to Ciera, eyes flashing with anger. “There was a time where I found you beautiful. And then you began to show yourself. And now, when I look at you, I see nothing but... ugly.” That last word hung in the air, thick with meaning.

Ciera lunged at Emane again, pulling the guards a step forward. “I HATE YOU!”

Emane turned back to his father. “I will not marry her,” he announced pointing viciously in Ciera’s direction. “If it means that am I no longer heir to the crown, then so be it.” He grabbed Kiora by the hand yanking her behind him.

Kiora thought the King would yell, follow them. But all she could hear was the screeching of Ciera.

Kiora’s whole body was sore, and Emane yanking her arm down that hall was not helping. Mercifully, after they had gone a bit without any one exploding out of the throne room, Emane slowed to a walk.

“I’m sorry,” he huffed. “I should have dealt with that earlier.”

Kiora could think of nothing to say, instead she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. That was the girl he had been engaged to, and Emane was right— she was horrible. When Ciera had first exploded out of the shadows Kiora had reached for her thread, and now that thread nagged at her. It felt off, at first, but the longer she stood there screaming, the darker it had turned. As if the sight of Kiora herself was the catalyst to her choosing evil’s side. And then there was the comment about her sister, Layla…

“I’m sorry,” Emane said, breathing out while rolling his neck.

“For what?”

“I know what you’re feeling, what I...” he breathed out again. “I am trying to relax.”

Kiora smiled, squeezing his hand again. “It’s alright, you are doing great.”

“Come here,” Emane said, making a sudden right, “I have something to show you.”

“Where are we going?”

“You will see.” He stopped as they reached a set of stairs. “Do you feel well enough to climb?”

She paused, evaluating her aches and pains

“If you have to think about it, I am going to assume it’s a no.” Emane whisked her off her feet, cradling Kiora in his arms.

“Emane, I can walk!” she protested.

“No, you can’t,” he said gently. “And I fully intend to take advantage of the situation, so just relax.”

She resigned herself to being carried as Emane started up the winding staircase. Leaning her head against him, she asked. “Where does this lead?”

“My favorite place in the castle.”

“Hmmm, will your father be angry that we left like that?” she asked, tracing her finger over his chest.

Emane chuckled. “My father is usually angry at something, at least where I am involved, anyway.”

“Why?”

“I’m not willing to bow at his every command. It has always made him angry, which is ironic really.” Kiora looked up at him with one eyebrow raised, questioning. “Because that is part of what made me fall in love with you,” Emane answered.

“In your whole life, no one has ever really stood up to you?”

“Not with any gusto.” He turned the final curve in the stairwell emerging into one of the castle turrets. The large stone room had beautifully open arched windows. In between each open window was a smaller window fitted with intricate works of stained glass.

She was taken aback with the beauty. “It’s amazing,” she whispered as he lowered her to the ground.

“The view is even better.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her to the window.

The main windows were so large that when standing in front of them, you almost forgot you were surrounded by stone walls. With her hand clasped in his, the walls melted away and it was just the two of them, standing above it all, looking out over the forest and mountains beyond.

Putting his arm around her, Emane pulled Kiora close. “This is where I come when I need to escape.” Leaning over, he kissed the top of her head.” I have never brought any one up here with me before.”

“Why not?”

“I was always worried I might need it.”

She looked back at him with eyebrows raised.

He smiled looking past her out the window. “You met Ciera.”

“Did you hide from you father too?”

He smirked looking at her sideways, “Still am.”

She grinned, picking at the stone wall beneath her fingers.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Kiora, you always fidget when something is bothering you.”

“No, I,” she looked down, surprised to find that she was indeed fidgeting. She jerked her hand back to her side. “You told your father that you loved me,” she said, still surprised.

He reached down taking her hand, “I believe I told him, ‘my heart belongs to another.’”

They looked in silence over the valley leaning on one another for support.

“Have you ever wondered what is beyond the mountains?” Kiora asked suddenly.

“Sure. When I was a little boy I would dream of adventures,” he stopped, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You are so beautiful.”

“What kind of adventures?”

“Hmmm?” he asked. “Oh, the mountains. All kinds. You?”

Kiora looked out, remembering her childhood. “I would look at the peaks poking up over the top of the trees and wonder if there was anyone on the other side that was like me. Anyone that could…” her eyes moved to his face, he was so handsome. She reached up to touch his cheek and he asked, “That could what?”

“Could what?” she asked, her head cocking to the side. “Oh! That could do what I could.” She was about to expound, but her thoughts slid away from her and she was left frowning at her feet. Suddenly more aware of Emane standing next to her she wrapped both arms around his waist squeezing him tight. He reciprocated and rested his chin on top of her head.

His feelings of love washed over her and she reveled in them. It was selfish, so selfish! Sharply inhaling, Kiora jerked, nearly knocking them both over.

“Kiora?”

Two dark threads pierced her heart as a large dragon appeared out of nowhere in front of their window. With one large beat of its wings, the stained glass windows shattered, exploding inward in a deadly display of color. Kiora was hit with a bolt of magic before she could react, and fell unconscious to the floor. Emane threw himself over the top of her with a yell, trying to shield her from the falling glass.

***

The dragon was keeping even with the turret with great deliberate flaps of its leathery wings. Sitting astride its back, wearing a dazzling evil grin, was a man with dark hair, Dralazar. Reaching out his hand with a laugh, Dralazar flung Emane backwards against the wall like a gnat. Emane grunted as he slammed into the stone. Before he had time to worry about the pain shooting up and down his spine, an invisible force began tightening around his throat. He clawed at it, gasping for breath, but there was nothing to remove. Despite his inability to find anything, it continued to tighten, Emane’s feet dangled helplessly in the air.

Dralazar yelled something, but Emane couldn’t understand it through the ringing in his ears. In response, the dragon gained altitude, bringing his feet even to the window. With more precision than an animal of that size should have, the dragon turned himself deftly to the side. One large clawed foot reached through, wrapped itself around Kiora’s lifeless body and pulled her out through the stone window.

Emane tried to scream, but could only managed a strangled cry. Just as quickly as the dragon appeared, it was gone— bubbled by Dralazar— leaving no clue as to which direction it was heading.

As the dragon disappeared, so did the invisible force holding Emane to the wall. He slammed back into the ground.

“No,” he coughed. “No, no, NO!” Scrambling to his feet he ran to the window, “KIORA!” he yelled, leaning on the ledge for support. “KIORA!”

Chapter Twenty-four

POWER

KIORA PUSHED HERSELF UP onto her hands and knees. Wincing, she gasped and nearly dropped back to the ground. Gently she touched her side, what had happened? Pulling her shirt up she looked at the long purple and black bruises that ran from her side, all the way across her stomach. Somewhere between a groan and a whimper, she tried to rise up again, then froze.

Magic and threads accosted her on all sides. The dark threads punched through her, grabbing hold with an icy grip and pulling her heart into a cold downward spiral, her stomach sinking with it. But there was something else, something magic and powerful and new.

Pulling her head up, she peered warily through her hair, scanning. Her view was, unfortunately, limited by the terrain. Rocks and dry scraggily bushes obscured much of what there was. She could see no one, and had no idea how she had gotten there in the first place. The last she remembered, she was standing in the tower with Emane.

Her eyes moved upwards. Mountains towered over her, the slopes coming steeply down to meet the ground where she lay. Kiora’s eyes narrowed further. The angle of the earth, the small ridges at the base, it looked somewhat... familiar. Still on her hands and knees, she turned her head to the other side and stopped breathing. Ignoring the jolting pain in her side, she pushed herself quickly to her feet. Towering right in front of her, as though out of nowhere, her dreams had magnificently emerged, fully formed, into reality. The dark threads fell away for a time as all she could see and feel was the size and power of the gate stuck between the two mountains— the same gate that she had dreamed about for years.

It was difficult to look at, her mind kept swimming in and out of focus. One second she was thinking about the behemoth structure in front of her, the next she was aimlessly wondering about whether or not she had had dinner yet that day. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes pressing her palms to the side of her head. “Focus,” she whispered. It was there, she knew it was. Opening again, she focused on nothing else but seeing the gate.

The workmanship was different but equal in skill to the Wings of Arian. It stretched upwards, two separate panels arched at the top. The iron bars were intricately scrolled, some decorative, others depicting things and creatures Kiora had never seen. Beasts with bird’s heads and snake’s tails, winged people flying upwards, and more fantastical creatures beyond anything she could have dreamed.

Each side disappeared smoothly into the side of the mountain as if they belonged together. No seam or hinge was there to prove otherwise. Where the two sides met in the middle, they were sealed shut— melted in fact. It was the only mar on an otherwise beautiful masterpiece. Stepping towards it, Kiora examined the pictures, which were beautifully illuminated by the sun that was just beginning to set. Shining straight through the break in the mountain range, the two peaks focused the light into a beam. As a result, the gate itself looked ablaze.

Acting almost without permission her hand hesitantly reached out, trembling. She paused for a moment before taking the three steps forward she needed and then, touched the gate. Currents jumped from the gate to her, eager for an escape route. The power was shocking, but not nearly as shocking as the two distinct threads that came with it. One was dark, and familiar: Dralazar. The other was also familiar, if unexpected: Eleana.

Ripping her hand off the gate, Kiora stumbled, falling hard. Scrambling backwards, she used her hands and feet to pull her along, barely feeling the rocks and brush ripping at her hands.

“I was hoping you would touch it.”

Kiora spun around, frantically pulling herself back to her feet. The lace dress she had worn at the castle caught in the brush and tangled between her legs. The threads she had felt but not seen were now standing in plain sight— an enormous dragon she was too familiar with, Soolan; a Fallen One wearing a resplendently beautiful dress to distract from her ugliness, Vitraya; and Dralazar himself. With a scream, Kiora threw out her hand, magic flying from her fingertips. She had no idea what magic she had thrown, but it didn’t matter, Dralazar batted it away easily.

Vitraya, however, snarled in response and flung an attack in her direction. Kiora wasn’t ready for it. She tried to throw a shield, but her tangled dress threw her off balance and she stumbled to the side. To her shock and confusion, Vitraya’s attack was coolly batted away by Dralazar. Kiora didn’t have time to question it though before Soolan released his attack. Throwing her hand up again, a shield roared forward meeting it. It was the largest shield she had ever produced, encapsulating her in a comfortable dome that merged with the rock around her. Kiora looked wide-eyed around at it. The shield was so large and easy! The silence within was shattered as dragon fire roared against the shield, sheeting off in red and orange rivulets. Then, it abruptly stopped.