Soul Magic (34 page)

He saw a flare where her hand touched his mother.  Felt the hum of her magic.  Then, as Alanna swayed, he watched as his mother slowly opened her eyes.

“I--.”  Her gaze lingered on Darrick’s face.  “Where am I?”

“You are safe.  Alanna has done her best to heal you.”

The older woman swallowed.  “I feel… better.”  She turned her head to look at Alanna.  “So now you have returned.”  Her voice gathered strength like the winter wind that whispers ahead of the storm.

Alanna nodded.  “I have.”

A weak smile came to Rowena’s face.  “Do you mean to finally honor the promise that you made?  The betrothal?  My son has suffered much since you disappeared.”

Even now, unconcerned with her own pain and suffering, she worried for her son.

“The betrothal…  I--” Alanna swallowed, then raised her gaze to Darrick’s.

“`Tis time I knew as well.”  Though his heart pounded fierce in his chest, Darrick was glad his voice sounded steady and calm.  “When all this is over, do you plan for us to wed?”

“Darrick, I--”

A eruption of air from above interrupted her.  No natural gust of wind, this could only be a magical attack of some sort. Instantly, Darrick motioned Alanna to get down, crouching low with his mother held close beneath him.

“What is it?”  Alanna took his hand.  At her touch, he felt the strength of her power, bringing to her the soft warmth he remembered of old.

A sound – the rush of mighty wings, told him what kind of threat they faced.

“The dragon,” he said grimly.  “The dragon has returned.”

“We’ll fight it together.”  Alanna raised her other hand and he saw a flash of metal.  Her ceremonial dagger.

Sheltered under him, Lady Rowena gave a weak cry.  “Wait.  Please don’t hurt Ladde.  The dragon is not our enemy.  I was there when he was brought to life.  He is but one small boy’s pet.”

Alanna froze, her hand still clutched in his.  “Small boy?”  She leaned close, the forgotten dagger pointed into the dirt.  “Is his name Caradoc?”

But the effort had apparently been too much for Rowena.  Her eyes had closed and she’d slipped into unconsciousness.

The gust of heat came again.  A huge, black shadow blotted out the sliver of moon.

The beast circled above them.

“I see it.”  Alanna’s voice trembled, though not from fear.  Darrick wondered if she expected to see her son riding upon the monster’s back.

The earth trembled as the dragon landed.

“Darrick?”  Geoffrey’s voice.  “`Tis Sarina and I, come to the rescue.”

After the first initial shock, Darrick felt a burst of joy so intense he could only laugh out loud.  “We are here.  And we have Lady Rowena.”

“Sarina?”  Alanna stood, sheathing her dagger.  “How fare you?”

“I am well.  Or will be, once I climb down from this beast.”  They heard a scraping sound, then the soft thud of Sarina’s feet hitting the ground.  She came forward, emerging from the darkness to envelope Alanna in a hug.

Geoffrey too, though because Darrick still held his mother, could only clasp an arm across his shoulders.

“What of my son?”  Alanna asked, frustration plain in her voice.  “Where is Caradoc?”

Stepping back from Darrick, Geoffrey’s expression was hidden by the darkness.  His tone however, hid none of his anger or worry.

“Gorsedd has him,” he said.  “I have seen your son and he is well. But Gorsedd came for him and Caradoc bade us ride the dragon to find you.”

“You let that man take him?” The icy fury of a princess of Rune was not to be taken lightly.  “How could you?”

“Alanna,” Sarina said.  “Gorsedd’s power has grown to unbelievable strength.  Caradoc himself bade us to hide.”

“He is but a child.  You should have--”

“Listen to me.  If we’d tried to fight him, Gorsedd would easily have slain us.  Caradoc might be only five, but even he knows the legend speaks true.  It will take pairs of pairs joined together to fight Gorsedd.”

“I hear truth in their words.”  Darrick wished he could touch Alanna, but his arms were full.  “The time of the battle draws near.  We must get to Ellette.”

“Then we will find Caradoc?”  Alanna’s anger still resonated with enough force to raise the hair on his arms.

“Yes.  Then we’ll get you back your son.  I hope we can figure out the legend’s meaning.  Only then do I believe we will stand a chance against Gorsedd.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Wynne and her army of glittering Fae waited, watching with impassive faces as the dragon landed in front of them. 

Immediately, Alanna looked for Ellette.  The little girl saw her first and came running with her arms outstretched.  Alanna scooped her up with a fierce hug, noticing for the first time the child’s faint glow.

“She is part Fae,” Wynne said, indicating her own shining skin.  “Thus the magic finds her.”

Alanna held Ellette tight.  “If this plan of Gorsedd’s brings us power, how can he hope to defeat us?”

Wynne waved her hand at the valley below.  “Humans.  He must plan to use sheer numbers.”

“What of his magic?”  Sarina stepped forward. 

“He cannot be any stronger than we.  And there are more of us.”

Sarina glanced at Alanna.  Sorrow darkened her blue eyes to black.  “But what if Gorsedd
is
stronger?  What if he draws power from the earth?”

“As do we.”

“What if he draws power from other sources.” Again that sidelong glance, making Alanna’s stomach clench.

“If you mean he uses Caradoc, I have worried on that score myself,” Alanna said.  She began to rock Ellette back and forth, needing some way to dispel her nervous energy.

“Not just Caradoc.  Other Fae.  Maybe even us.  The closer we draw to Tynwald Hill and to Caradoc, the more power we have.  What if that’s what he hopes for?”

Wynne’s serene expression changed to one of horror.  “What are you saying?”

Biting her lip Sarina looked at her feet.

Alanna answered for her.  “I think she might be right. Maybe this was all part of Gorsedd’s plan and we’ve simply played into his hands.”  She indicated the assembled Fae force.  “If he has found a way to do such a thing, with so many Fae to draw from, Gorsedd will be unstoppable.”

In typical Fae fashion, those assembled did not erupt into loud arguments or discussions.  The glittering army simply vanished.

“They have gone back to Rune,” Wynne said.  “For now.  As absurd as your theory sounds, it has the ring of truth.”

Gently, Darrick laid his mother on the ground.  Still wrapped in his cloak, the Lady Rowena did not move.

“She yet lives.”  Darrick answered her unspoken question.  He looked at Wynne.  “Can you heal her?”

“We can try.”  The white-haired seer waved her hand over Rowena’s body.  “I will send her back to Rune.”

“Do what you must.  I would see my mother healed.”

Wynne nodded then spoke three words.  Lady Rowena vanished. 

“My thanks to you as well,” Alanna said.  “Darrick’s mother and I have much to discuss when this is over.”

Darrick slipped his arm around her shoulders.  She leaned into him, grateful for his warmth.

“So what do we do?”  He kissed her cheek.  “Do you have any ideas?”

Alanna closed her eyes.  “
When all that’s bright and shining has dulled and faded, pairs of pairs must join and bind.  For when ancient evil from below rises, a soul torn asunder must be made
whole
. 
Poet and nobility, of both worlds and of neither, only then can such power be restored.”

“The riddle of legend.”  Wynne’s voice contained a thread of excitement.  “Over the centuries, long have the wisest among us puzzled over its meaning.”

“
Ancient evil from below
.”  Geoffrey stepped forward, gathering Sarina in his arms.  “Sounds a lot like hell to me.”

“There are worse things than the Christian hell.” 

“
A soul torn asunder
.”  Musing out loud, Alanna ignored Geoffrey’s frown.  She breathed in Ellette’s sweet scent and repeated the words.  “
A soul torn asunder
.  What does that mean?”

Wynne answered.  “Long have scholars believed the pairs of pairs were soul mates who had been separated.  Together, each is half of one soul.”

Alanna nodded.

“One you called me soul-half.”  Darrick’s voice rumbled near her ear.  “Having lived so long without you, I believe you spoke true.”

“How many pairs?”  Sarina spoke from within the circle of Geoffrey’s arms.  “I believe Geoffrey Tadhg and I make another.”

Pairs of Pairs
.  Soul-halves.  Even as she thought it, Alanna knew this was the answer to part of the legend’s riddle. 
A soul torn asunder made whole
.

“If Alanna and I are one pair, and Geoffrey and Sarina another, then Caradoc and Ellette must be the third,” Darrick said.

Wynne still looked grave.  “One part of the verse still nags at me.  “
When all that’s bright and shining has dulled and faded.
” 

“That is in reverse.”  Sarina held up her arm, so that all might see the glow of her skin.  “We were dull and faded, but now that our power has found us, we are bright and shining.”

“But for how long?”  Geoffrey’s expression was dark.  “How long will it last?”

“I’ve had enough.”  Moving out of Darrick’s embrace, Alanna looked up at Tynwald Hill and the four fires, still burning.  “I want my son.  Whatever else happens, we will deal with it later.  My little boy needs me.  We must find Caradoc.  Now.”

Without waiting to see if the others followed her, Alanna took off, Ellette’s arms wrapped securely around her neck. 

“Where are you going?”  Sarina called after her.  “Tynwald Hill is that way.”

“I plan to skirt the edges of the army.”  Enough said.  Either they followed or they did not.  If necessary, she would find Caradoc herself and bring him to safety.  She had Ellette, the other half of her son’s particular pair.  Hopefully that would be enough.

“Do you even have a plan?”  With his long-legged stride, Darrick easily caught her.  Sarina and Geoffrey hurried to catch up.

“Surely you don’t think you can simply storm in there by yourself and take your son with force?”

“I’m not by myself.  I have Ellette.”

“You have all of us,” he corrected.  “But that is not enough.  We are greatly outnumbered.”

Alanna glanced back over her shoulder.  “Some small part of me hoped Wynne and the Fae force would accompany us.”

“Now is not the time for battles between armies.”  Wynne’s voice, though she was not visible.  “This war will be fought by soul-halves, by pairs of pairs.  My blessing goes with you.”

A light breeze stirred Alanna’s hair and she knew Wynne had gone.

“Back to Rune.”  Sarina’s voice echoed her thoughts.                “They will come if we have need them.”

“How will they know?”  Long cloak flowing behind him, Geoffrey looked both fierce and more at ease than Alanna had ever seen him.  At home in his own skin for the first time.

“They will know.”

Only Darrick had fallen silent, shortening his stride so he would not outpace them. Finally, he stopped before them. 

“Wait. There is a faster way to reach the top of the hill.”  He looked at Geoffrey, who inclined his head in a quick nod.  “We have a dragon.  Why not use the beast to circumvent the guards that are sure to be posted?”

“Gorsedd and Morfran will never expect that.”  In her excitement Sarina let her hood fall, her countenance radiant.

“Cloak yourself.”  Alanna’s order was automatic.  On the ridge the gigantic dragon still waited, curled up and sleeping like a pet cat. 

Ellette raised her head.  “Ladde.”  She clapped her hands and smiled.  “Ladde.”

“Caradoc sent him.”  Geoffrey spoke quietly.  “He named him Ladde.”

This more than anything else, decided her.  “Then by all means let’s return for Ladde.  We will ride the dragon and use Caradoc’s pet to find my son.”

The beast raised his head as they approached it, regarding them with unblinking, sleepy eyes.  They climbed aboard, Alanna’s feet slipping on the shimmering scales.  When they launched into the air, Ladde made the ascent effortless.  They flew threw the air towards the four bonfires, and Alanna knew they’d made the right choice.  The dragon was Caradoc’s, a creation of his burgeoning magic.  Now the beast would fly home, back towards his master.