Taken by the Dragon King (2 page)

Chapter Three

Flying over the city again is just terrifying as it was the first time but watching the sunrise from Ash’s grip provides a welcome distraction. I suspect that Ash is purposefully circling over our destination to prolong our spectacular view, but I definitely don’t feel nearly as dizzy when we land this time.

The early morning Arizona sun beats down on the dark pavement. It’s amazing how fast this city heats up. Sweat from my lower back drips down into the waist of my pants. Thank God I didn’t wear a dress, I would leaving a trail of perspiration on the sidewalk.

I grab Asher’s hand and give it a quick squeeze, walking up to the entrance of the shelter and pulling at the glass door. The wave of cool air feels amazing and I take a deep breath before stepping inside.

Thoughts race through my mind and I’m not sure what to expect. As far as secret headquarters go, this is pretty perfect. An animal shelter is a great disguise for all of the strangeness that happens around Magicfolk, especially if the Cats are as involved in this whole Guardian thing as Edgar mentioned.

Ringing the bell to call the desk attendant, I try to formulate what I’m going to say.
Um, Hi. I’m the witch you guys were all looking for and Hey! I brought the Dragon King with me too!
I give Ash a sideways glance making sure he’s doing okay with all the modernity. The shelter is pretty simple but the place actually looks fairly decent. A computer sits on the desk and 70’s rock is playing quietly out of the speakers.

A door rattles open, leaking the raucous sound of dogs and cats noisily seeking attention from the female attendant shutting the door behind her. A smile leaps to my face with happiness at the recognition of Ruby as she turns around to face us. Her eyes meet mine. She screams in delight, running over to give me an overly enthusiastic hug.

“Melinda! I can’t believe you’re here! I mean, I know Fee said you were coming, but you’re actually here!” I can’t help smiling at her. Her energy is so infectious.

“It’s nice to see you Ruby. Sorry for ditching you at the museum, but the key…” I say tentatively, “it worked.” Looking back at Asher, I can see he’s amused by Ruby and I instantly feel a little jealous. Before I even think about what I’m doing I pull him close and wrap my arm around him possessively.  “Ruby this is Asher, Asher this is Ruby,” I hastily make introductions. I wonder if I should have done something more formal for the heir of the Dragon Kingdom. Crap. I’ll have to ask him about that later.

“Oh My God!” she squeals, jumping up and down excitedly before grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously. “You’re… you’re… well you know who you are but I’m, well, you know, I’m Ruby.” She dips low into a curtsey, bowing her head respectfully. “My Liege.”

Surprisingly Ash just chuckles and taps Ruby on her arm playfully. Is he checking her out? I have to fight the urge to pull him closer again.

“No need to bow. I’m not the King, not yet anyway.” As she straightens up looking relieved he adds, “Thank you for your service to Melinda. It was invaluable in my escape.”

“You’re welcome,” she responds excitedly, looking pleased with herself. What if he ends up liking Ruby more than me? She is really gorgeous, despite being slightly disheveled and klutzy. But what if he thinks that’s cute? Get a grip on yourself Melinda. This is Ruby. Stop standing here with your mouth open like an idiot!

“Eh hem,” a familiar voice says from somewhere behind the counter. “She definitely had some help, my Lord.” Jax jumps onto the desk skillfully, not knocking a single thing off. “But I need no thanks. I am your servant.” The furry little guy dips into a low bow and I chuckle as quietly as I can. I wonder if everyone we meet is will bow to Asher. That could get old really fast. Instead of adding any ‘thanks for helping Melinda blah blah’, Ash just dips his head silently. I guess he’s not over the whole Cat betrayal thing yet. “They are waiting for you,” Jax breaks the silence pointing with a paw through the noisy door.

As soon as we walk through the cacophony of animals sounds abruptly stops. It must have been a spell. Very clever. I see a smattering of animals in the cages, but they appear to be sleeping or happily chewing on a bone.

We walk quickly through the animal holding room and pass through a set of double swinging doors that scream old school hospital. Instead of entering an operating room, we find ourselves marveling at a large atrium with a glass roof, sunlight shining on huge plants and birds flitting around our heads. Impressive. There must be some fancy magic going on to hide a room this massive. I wonder how they have enough magic up here to sustain the illusion.

A small funny man wearing voluminous purple robes hurriedly walks up to us nervously wringing his hands. “My Lord,” he squeaks, bowing low before Asher. “Miss,” he adds with a quick glance at me before turning back to Ash. “We are so honored by your presence Your Highness, very honored! You must forgive us. Yes, forgive us you must for not having more of a fanfare for your arrival. We knew you would come but not when, no not when.” His nervous demeanor is making me anxious. I can’t help fidgeting myself.

“It’s fine,” Ash responds gruffly, staring at the strange little man with a perplexed expression on his face. “You are not human,” he states accusingly.

“What? Oh no, no I’m not human at all. No no, I’m a Gnome!” he laughs. “Tougher skin than humans we have, and we don’t eat those nasty plants, no. We only eat the best. Rocks, sand, and soil we eat. Yes much better than plants. Yuck.” Gnomes! Wow, I always knew there were gnomes around, but I’ve never actually seen one. “But we need not discuss Gnomes, sire, no. We must go, yes we must. I am Billius. I will take you to the Council, yes straight to the council. Follow, yes follow, follow!” Billius says before turning and walking down the path.

Ash and I share a questioning glance before following through the maze of paths and plants.

“Lindy,” Ash says, grabbing my hand and slowing me down. We can still see Billius just ahead, but there is now enough room for us to talk without an audience. “No matter what these people have to say, remember. They hold no power over us. We are what they’ve been waiting for but they do not own us. We owe them nothing. You do not have to stand for their rudeness.”

“Rudeness?” I don’t know what he’s talking about. Was someone rude to me?

“Yes, that little Gnome thing. He barely acknowledged you.”

“Oh,” I say, taking a deep breath smiling at him shyly. “It’s just, I’ve never really fit in amongst magical people. I’m used to being ignored. It’s… it’s easier being ignored,” I admit.

He puts a firm hand on my shoulder, stopping me. “You are mine now. You will no longer be able to hide now that you belong to me. It’s something that you are going to have to get used to. I cannot stand for people to be openly rude to you but
you
must not let them do it. You are a witch. Blast them from the earth for all I care. No one is more important than you.”

Crap. I’m going to have to figure this out, and quickly before Ash rips someone’s head off for not saying hello! Do I really want to be important? I don’t think so. Not to anyone other than Asher.

A slight, “Erhrm!” pulls me out of my thoughts and I find Billius staring up at us. “I don’t mean to interrupt but, yes interrupt I must. They are waiting.” He points down the path and I can see the beginning of stairs leading up a raised stone platform balancing on marble pillars. “This is where I leave you. I cannot go up there with you, no I cannot. Not allowed!” He wiggles his fingers and blows out a puff of air, swiftly disappearing and leaving behind a scattering of small pebbles.

Bolstered by Ash’s confidence in me I grab his hand and lead him up the stairs. “Let’s do this.”

Chapter Four

Reaching the top of the stairs, we look around and see the council having an animated discussion. A Wizard with astonishingly white hair and equally long beard is not participating and watching us intently. His smile feels warm and genuine. He does nothing to interrupt his fellow council members but instead stands and walks to us. The thumping of his large wooden staff resounds with every step.

“Welcome, esteemed guests. If you would forgive my fellows, they are rather excited that you have decided to visit with us today.” Looking back to see if they have noticed, he chuckles and says, “I see that I may have to put an end to this discussion after all. It is getting rather heated.” At this, one of the council, a dark looking woman, jumps to her feet and begins to point accusingly and shout at an odd looking man dressed all in green.

“Madame Hazel,” he admonishes quietly but with some power as his voice projects, startling the council members to attention. “Our guests have arrived.”

The dark woman hastily sits in her seat, but not before passing an evil stare to her green foe. All eyes turn to us. My face betrays my nervousness and flushes bright red. Breathe Melinda. Remember, you’re important now. I grab Ash’s hand and give it a squeeze. The returning grip sends a calm confidence through me and I stand taller and stare back.

“Ah yes, introductions are in order.” The old man turns to me. “We know so much about you Melinda, but I fear that your lack of knowledge of us is adding to your apprehension.” Damn. He called me out in front of all of these people. Turning to Ash he adds, “And Your Majesty, I fear also that we do not know how you wish to be addressed. Shall we shun formality and call you by name as we are amongst friends here?”

“I am not King yet. You may call me Asher, I suppose,” he grumbles skeptically. I sigh with relief. I suppose I am more than a little nervous that Ash is going to be all Lordly as heir to the throne.

“I am Izor, Wizard of the First Order and High Council Leader,” he introduces himself before turning to his right and indicating to this member that she should go next.

“Georgia McClellan, 7th Level Witch. Council member for 30 years. It’s an honor to meet you Asher.” She turns to me and adds, “Melinda.” There is amusement in her eyes as she looks at our interlocked hands. Maybe they didn’t expect us to be together. Georgia’s bright green eyes are kind and I sense a motherly energy from her. She gestures to the council member to her right.

“Bello, your Majesty and Witch,” a large orange tabby Cat says with the flick of his long tail. “I have heard from Edgar that you might feel apprehensive of our inclusion on the council. I wish to extend to you our undying fealty and immediate service should you ever require it. We Cats are humbly yours to command.”

The dark woman, Madame Hazel, introduces herself as a sorceress. I cant be sure but I think she might be putting up a glamour. She looks sort of fuzzy when she’s sitting still. There’s also a Giant, a Warlock, and of course the green man is an Elf! I marvel at his strange wide eyes and long braid. I’ve heard that they only have 4 toes but it would be rude to ask.

“Yes, that seems to be the lot of us. We may not seem like much, but I believe we hold answers to many of your questions Asher.” Izor takes his seat as he finishes speaking.

“Fee has told us all about your desire to understand what’s happened,” Georgia continues. “Quite a noble pursuit of course. Knowledge will hold much heartache for you, but we trust that you must know these things in order to make many important decisions. It would be wrong to lead you to believe that we do not have many questions and requests for you as well, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” She smiles warmly before looking at Asher and asking, “Where should we begin?”

Ash releases my hand and places his hands together as if in supplication. He closes his eyes and is quiet for a moment. “The last thing I remember is going for a hunt before my coronation. My parents… were gone,” he says softly, rolling his lips together. “My advisors were waiting for me, but there were rumors of another basilisk and I insisted on hunting in my favorite spot one last time. I have no knowledge past that moment up until I was released.” I am a little hurt by this lie. What about all the time we spent together? Sure they were dreams but we grew up side by side. I suppose he wouldn’t want to admit all the things we have done together to these people but still…

“We suspect that this was part of the plan. To get you away from everyone else, isolated, and therefore a much easier target,” the Elf explains. “Don’t take offense Asher, I’m not saying you are an easy target, but you were very young had not yet inherited your birthright. If you had attended your coronation, the power you would have obtained would have lessened their ability to trap you in such a way. In fact, we imagine that they wouldn’t have been able to do so at all.”

“Who is this ‘they’ that you refer to Elf?” Ash demands angrily.

“The spell they trapped you with was undoubtedly planned by Arralt himself. King of the Fae, King of us all,” the green man says spitefully.

“You’re telling me that Arralt is over 3000 years old? That’s impossible,” Ash replies incredulously.

“Not impossible, unfortunately,” Izor responds, turning his deep blue eyes to mine. “The Fae already had incredibly long lifespans to begin with. When they gained control of the magic they were able to enhance many aspects of their being. The perversion of Dragon magic has changed much of what they once were.”

“I don’t understand,” Ash says, shaking his head. “My father was close with the Fae. They were part of the original alliance.”

“The Fae were always a tricky bunch,” Izor explains. “They are powerful magical beings to begin with. With control of your magical birthright they are virtually unstoppable, but they could not fully control the magic on their own.”

“By trapping and not killing you,” Madam Hazel interjects, “they were able to manipulate the magic of your coronation, forcing it to recognize one of their own as Heir. We imagine that if you were to have died the spell would merely fizzle and fade, leaving all of us with only our most basic and severely depleted magic.”

I can see that she’s embarrassed by this, but I don’t understand. Most basic magic? What would that even be like? Would we be able to work spells at all without Dragon magic?

“You see,” Izor continues, “the magic of this kingdom can be shared, but it requires a conduit, a powerful magical being to channel and allocate the energy to the rest of us.” He pauses and look at Ash quizzically. “Dragons, if I may hazard a guess, do this naturally and effortlessly. The Fae on the other hand need to be in the Underground, close to the origin of their own magic. The Fae work with Earth energy and where better to channel it than under the ground? Magic is difficult to sustain Uptop for that very reason. That is why we still continue to live underground.”

Georgia shifts her weight uncomfortably before picking up the thread of conversation. “From our true history, we know that magic once thrived above ground until one day inexplicably, it began to fade. When Magicfolk found out that their own diminished magic could be enhanced to full power again with the help of the Dragons, alliances were forged and magic thrived once again. Your father shared his power with all creatures, evenly and justly. In fact, well, I’m sure you know this better than we do, but the city above was originally a magical mecca for those who wished to have a touch of unrivaled power. Once the Fae took control, everyone who wanted to use magic was forced into living Underground. So,” her large bust heaves with a sigh, “now we live below with the Fae ruling us all.”

“Why don’t you just overthrow them?” Ash asks angrily.

The Giant answers with a voice that sounds like crunching gravel. “Over the years many have tried, and failed. Uprisings that seemed to have great momentum were squashed with a snap of Arralt’s fingers. His guard, SIGMA, is incredibly powerful. Through Arralt, they have access to magical power we have only dreamed of. We cannot hope to defeat them while Arralt is in control.”

“Alas,” the Elf says with a confident smile, “we are not entirely without hope. We are coming upon an auspicious time. The original spell has weakened. This is why you were able to be freed. The Shaman who had prophesied Melinda freeing you spoke of this with our first council. He knew that the time would come for an opportunity to turn the tides. Now that you are here we need to restore you as the heir and complete the coronation spell, but we must act fast. The Renewal Celebration is upon us. If the Fae are able to go through with the celebration as planned we fear that you may lose all that is rightfully yours.”

“Why do you care about what’s rightfully mine?” Ash asks, glaring suspiciously at the council.

“Many of us are bound by our ancestors to right wrongs,” Bello answers shamefully.

Izor looks at the Cat sadly before continuing, “The Fae have twisted our history to the point that now most people believe they naturally have access to the magic below the earth and they graciously share with the rest of us. What we wish more than anything is to be able to live Uptop again with magic that is uncorrupted. We hope today to show you proof of loyalty and forge our own alliance with you now. We think we have a way...”

“An alliance?” Ash spits out venomously. “I am the Heir to this Kingdom! You have no right to forge an alliance with me.” I wiggle my fingers to try to bring his attention back to me. I don’t know what will happen if he loses control in here, but it can’t be good. “You are under the assumption that I am like my father. I didn’t ask for your help. I owe you nothing!” Ash throws his hands up in frustration. The council members look abashed and grumble uncomfortably. They must’ve expected him to react differently.

Izor raises his hand to order silence before going on. “Asher, you have every right to be angry, but you must understand the risk we have taken by helping you. This is our only chance at gaining freedom for ourselves, but most likely for you as well.”

“Explain yourself old man,” Ash snarls.

“The original spell that trapped you,” Izor answers promptly, “While it is weak enough to have allowed you to escape, until it is fully lifted you are in danger of being thrown back into it. We know that if the spell was fully broken you would have gained control instantaneously and we would have felt it. The binding on you is acting as a curse. If you do not do something to lift it before the Renewal Day Celebration, the Fae will become stronger than ever.”

“Renewal Celebration? What is that?” Ash asks, his interest piqued. He sounds exasperated. I can only imagine how he’s feeling right now. All of this information is overwhelming to me and I’m only a small part of this whole thing!

Georgia answers without hesitation, “The Fae have fooled Undergrounders into thinking that it’s a renewal of the spells that allow us to live below the surface and share the magic with them. To some degree that is true, but what they don’t understand is that they are in fact renewing the original spell that binds you. They don’t realize that the caverns and catacombs they call home are more of a prison than a haven. All of the Magicfolk will combine their power together and the binding will be even stronger than it once was. They have turned something that is most vile into a glamorous event. Central Underground will be swarming on the day of the celebration with hundreds of thousands of beings. To them it’s one big party.”

I shudder, thinking of how I imagined coming up with a beautiful glamour for Renewal Day. All those witches who are worrying about beads and baubles have no clue. I can’t believe I would have doomed Ash without even knowing about it! I grab his hand to try and placate my mind and my guilt. He looks at me with tenderness and I give him my best reassuring smile. We are going to figure this out. I won’t let him go back to that awful place. This council is going to help him.

She continues, “The work that we have done together, as the 77th council, has been mainly to find a way to defeat the Fae without directly attacking them. We believe there may be a way.” At this she turns to me. “Melinda, you are more crucial in all this than you know.”