The Dragon's War (7 page)

Halla dabbed at her mouth. “It was not always so,” she said. “But ever since Talan responded to my request for help, the excitement has not stopped.”

“It was even before that,” Dallan said, “when we were attacked by the Hyr’rok’kin while still at the Academy and Raine came to save us.”

“That’s right,” Halla agreed. “It hasn’t really slowed down since then. There have been stretches where things have been mundane, but those have become the exception rather than the rule.”

“I must say I rather like it,” Helena said.

Senta watched Raine curiously. She assumed that Raine would join them once the dragons had departed, but something in the courtyard had caught her attention. She was staring down expectantly, as if waiting for someone. That speculation was proven correct as a raven-haired woman appeared at the top of the circular stairway, embraced Raine, then kissed her on the cheek. The affection between the two women was evident, and the dark-haired mage did not release Raine.

“Speaking of excitement,” Senta said, drawing the attention of the others to the reunion.

“Oh how marvelous,” Halla exclaimed, and Helena noted as much delight in the Queen’s voice as with the dragons. Helena examined this newcomer, clothed in lovely robes embroidered with arcane symbols. Beneath the robe was a laced bodice that plunged to her navel, a bodice that somehow magically contained the full breasts that threatened to fall out upon her playful mauling of the Scinterian.

“It’s a good thing that Talan left,” Helena said.

This elicited a chuckle from many at the table. “Talan fully expects that type of behavior from Idonea.”

“Ah,” Helena said as the identity of the mystery woman became clear. “That is the dragon’s daughter.”

“You just missed your mother,” Raine said, out-of-earshot of the Ha’kan but on the same topic. “She and Kylan left to survey the surrounding countryside.”

“That’s a good idea. I came across several bands of Hyr’rok’kin on my way here from imperial lands.”

Raine gave her a quick once-over. “You look none the worse for wear.”

“They were not so lucky,” Idonea said.

“Good for you,” Raine said with approval. “I might go out scouting later myself. I’ve been itching for a fight.”

“Not me,” Idonea said, smoothing her robes. “I want to get cleaned up, rested, then get back to work with my little protégé.”

“She will be thrilled,” Raine said, offering her arm to Idonea.

The Ha’kan had remained respectfully at a distance, but all rose as the two approached. The Queen held out her hands and Idonea took them in her own.

“Idonea, welcome back. Your chambers in Dallan’s forum are untouched if you wish to stay there.”

Idonea sent a smoldering glance Dallan’s way, who true to form, blushed bright red, causing her usual companions to snicker and her recent companions to shake their heads in astonishment.

“That would be wonderful, your Majesty. I will get settled, and then you and I,” she said, turning to Skye. “Have to get back to work.”

“I can’t wait!” Skye exclaimed.

Idonea turned to the First Scholar. “Would you care to join us for lessons?”

A cool smile crossed Gimle’s delicate features. “I would be delighted.”

“Excellent,” Idonea said, “this afternoon, then.”

“Come along, Baroness,” Raine said, “I will escort you to your suite.”

Idonea’s laughter drifted backward as the two left the terrace. The salutation was a great joke between the two of them, Idonea having acquired it when Raine gave her Fireside, the most luxurious residence in the imperial capital.

“Let me tell you the fun I had with that title…”

After a brief respite, Idonea found Raine and the two walked together to the Scholar’s wing of the castle.

“So how goes your little fling with the Knight Commander?”

“It continues as it started, wild and unexpected. She appears to have accepted my inability to commit to a single person.” Raine looked unconvinced, so Idonea continued. “Oh, Nerthus is certainly jealous, but if she does not hear of it or see it, she does not ask.”

“Ah,” Raine said. She changed the subject, growing serious. “So, do you think you could have defeated Ingrid?”

Twenty years ago, Idonea’s response would have been arrogant, bragging, and likely untrue. Much had changed in the two decades she had spent as Isleif’s protégé.

“I believe so,” she said in a measured response. “That sorceress is powerful and very skilled, but I think I could have outlasted her. My mother’s blood is a deep well of magic.”

Raine nodded her understanding. Idonea was the product of Talan’s mating with a human male, and therefore was not a dragon. Dragons could only be produced by mating with another dragon, as was Talan’s son Drakar. But Idonea benefitted from the dark magic that flowed through the dragons, and the fact that she had trained with one of the greatest wizards Arianthem had ever known had magnified and focused that power. Once redirected from her selfish pursuits and adolescent angst, Idonea had become a splendidly talented mage.

Idonea stopped and Raine stopped with her.

“There is something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“And what’s that?”

“Those restraints that were on my mother.”

Raine’s expression grew grim. “Ah, yes. The gift from the Goddess.”

Idonea leaned close and grasped Raine’s arm, emphasizing the weight of her concern. “First off, they were mere filaments, strands, little more than a bracelet. If they had been any larger, I’m not sure I could have broken them.”

Raine sighed heavily. “And it’s certain Hel is working on something larger.”

“More importantly,” Idonea said, “there was some dark magic in them, but very little. They were made of something else, and their power was not magical in origin.”

“So it’s not likely I could disenchant them,” Raine said. She leaned on the marble railing of the walkway, staring at nothing. “The gods have a power all their own. Hel can immobilize me, but it’s as if she saps my will. It’s not magic.”

“Perhaps it’s something similar, then,” Idonea said.

“Perhaps.” A muscle worked in Raine’s jaw as she wrestled with demons that Idonea could only imagine.

Raine sighed again and pushed away from the railing. “Then we just have to make sure the restraints stay off your mother.”

The two started walking, attracting many admiring looks from the Royal Guard they passed. The fair-haired Scinterian and the dark-haired mage were a study in gorgeous contrast. Raine was unaware of the scrutiny, still mulling over the restraints, but Idonea cast many flirtatious glances along their path. It was not long before they reached the Scholar’s wing.

Gimle was waiting for them in her annex, and they had no sooner arrived than Skye rushed in with Kara and Runa.

“I hope you don’t mind my presence,” Runa said, bowing to the First Scholar. “I have no magical skill of my own, but there is a young woman in my cohort, fresh from the Academy, who has shown some promise. I would like to help her.”

“That’s wonderful,” Gimle said warmly. The Ha’kan were not naturally skilled at magic and most had no ability whatsoever. Gimle was a rare exception and acted not only as the First Scholar, but as the Queen’s battle mage. Kara, her successor, had no penchant for magic, so Skye’s unexpected ability was considered a gift from the gods, for it was assumed she would act as Dallan’s battle mage. “You are most welcome.”

All settled into the cushioned, circular seating area.

“Now Skye,” Idonea began. “I want you to tell me about the invisibility spell, and more importantly, about its second half.”

“Okay,” Skye said, thinking back to the events with the sorceress. “Right after you had to leave, Ingrid turned on us. I knew we didn’t have a chance, so I pulled everyone close and made us invisible.”

“An illusion spell?” Runa asked with interest.

“No,” Gimle answered. “I’ve seen Skye do this before and I’m highly resistant to illusion magic. It’s not done by influencing the mind. It’s pure light magic.”

“We couldn’t be seen,” Skye explained, “but we could be heard, and we could be hurt. Here, watch.”

And without hesitation, Skye cast the spell upon herself and disappeared. Runa stared in astonishment, then jumped when Skye’s voice came from where she was still seated.

“I’m still here, you can touch me.”

Tentatively, Runa reached out and felt the area where Skye had been. Her hand brushed what felt like an arm, and she grasped it in wonder.

Skye reappeared. “So that is the first half of the invisibility spell.”

“You used to use visualization to cast spells,” Idonea said. “It didn’t look like you needed it just then.”

Skye was thoughtful. “No, you’re right. I used to imagine hiding in the forest, but now I just feel a surge of emotion.”

Idonea nodded her understanding. “Good, that’s a major advancement. Now what happened next with the sorceress?”

“We put some distance between her and us, because she began flinging fire and ice around. Then she opened a portal and Reaper Shards came through when she left.”

All paled at the mention of the monstrosities, all except Raine and Idonea, who merely grew grim because they had killed more than their fair share of the foul creatures.

“We were trapped and they could sense us. They came right for us. When they were almost upon us, Dallan remembered that Isleif had given her a message, the word ‘ephemeral.’”

Idonea leaned forward. “And then what happened?”

Skye’s gaze was distant, her eyes on a battlefield of a ruined garden. “When she spoke the word, I heard Isleif’s voice, and I knew instantly what to do. The words just came to me in my head, in a language I don’t even think I know.”

“Can you remember the words?” Raine asked.

The words came out slowly, primeval and arcane. Gimle cocked her head to one side. She was fluent in multiple languages, but this one was not familiar. “It sounds elvish, but I don’t recognize any of the words.”

Idonea looked to the only one who would, and Raine nodded.

“It’s the Ancient tongue, an elven language almost forgotten even by the elves themselves.”

“But you speak it,” Runa said in admiration.

“I am goddaughter to Y’arren,” Raine explained, “the matriarch of the wood elves. She taught me years ago.” Raine turned the attention back to Skye. “So you were able to grasp this spell from one word and repeat it in a nearly dead language you don’t even know.”

Skye furrowed her brow. “It sounds very hard when you put it that way. It was more like I just understood. The Reaper Shards were almost on us, I drew everyone close and made us ephemeral.”

“What is the difference between invisible and ephemeral?” Kara asked.

“Let me show you,” Skye said, and again effortlessly cast an impossible spell.

The Tavinter disappeared, and Kara reached forward to touch her. But this time, her hand simply passed through the space where Skye had been. When she sat back, Skye reappeared exactly where Kara’s hand had just been.

“You need to be a little careful with that,” Raine cautioned, “if you had reappeared when Kara’s hand was still there, that could have been a problem.”

“I thought about that when we were running through the forest,” Skye said. “We were running right through trees, and if I had lost control of the spell, that could have been a disaster.”

“So you were able to add the rest of your band, almost thirty people total, to your ephemeral spell, while you were running through the forest?” Idonea asked.

“I got tired very quickly,” Skye confessed, “and Rika had to carry me.”

Raine suppressed a grin. Skye was confessing to a nonexistent weakness, for it was likely she was the only one who could cast such a spell, let alone do so while fleeing from a horde of Hyr’rok’kin.

“Did you have to touch the other members of your band to add them to the spell?”

This had not occurred to Skye before. “No,” she said in surprise, “I didn’t. We were running right for them and there was no time.”

“Excellent,” Idonea said, enormously pleased. “That is another major advancement. All of your crutches are being removed and you’re moving toward an expression of pure magic.”

Skye contemplated this milestone. “So I don’t need to physically connect with someone to include them in my spell.”

“Apparently not,” Idonea said. “Cast the invisibility spell on everyone here.”

Skye did so, and everyone but Raine disappeared.

“And of course, nothing works on our Scinterian,” Idonea’s voice said. “Skye, now cast the ephemeral spell.”

To Raine’s vantage point, nothing changed. But no one was speaking and the room was silent and still. Out of curiosity, she reached to her right and left and made both Idonea and Gimle reappear. And when she reached out and touched Skye, everyone reappeared.

“That’s amazing,” Skye said, speaking of Raine’s ability and not her own.

“It is extraordinary, is it not?” Idonea said, knowing exactly what Skye was talking about. She had more than once experienced it herself. “So much magic and power, then suddenly, it’s just gone.”

Raine chuckled. “Believe it or not, I once took that ability for granted. When I was young and training with the last of the Scinterians, it seemed little more than a novelty. It would not stop a sword or an arrow, or even a punch to the face. It felt almost useless. But after three centuries, I can say it is the greatest gift that I have.”

Raine left Skye to Idonea’s tutelage and thought to roam about the nearby countryside. It was unlikely that Talan or Kylan had left any Hyr’rok’kin for her, but she could find some game if nothing else. Although she could have found numerous companions to accompany her, Raine decided a little solitude would do her good. She quietly informed the guards at the south gate of her intention, then slipped away soundlessly into the forest.

After trudging for some time without finding any game, Raine admitted to herself she wasn’t really looking. Her bow was still folded at her belt, the arrows were still quivered, and the swords were still sheathed. She walked noiselessly, but not with the stealth required to hunt. A rustle of leaves in the brush next to her caught her attention, and she spoke to the interloper.