From the Embers (The Born in Flames Trilogy) (2 page)

The panic only grew when I finally looked up from my panting chest and into the fire-illuminated Courtyard full of dark shadows and stories of deep pain.

The grass was no longer vibrant and glowing from radiant rays of rainbow light. Instead, it had decomposed underneath the cavern roof’s shattered crystals that lay like broken pieces of a mirror. The ethereal throne was cracked straight through the middle, crumpled pieces of stone piled around it. A barricade of fallen stone filled the entrance to the tunnel that led to the Great Hall.

Everything became a blur behind the haze of tears in my eyes. I stumbled over the rubble as I moved forward without purpose, managing to duck as a swarm of bats moved from left to right. The air was thick and damp. There was no music to be heard, no chattering amongst the crowd.

It was as Lexi had said, abandoned.

I didn’t hear his steps, but I felt his presence in my mind. Astral walked up behind me. His eyes were glowing, the blue color mixing with the light from my fire against the cavern walls. “They had no choice but to abandon the Chasm, Aurora. The handful of dragons that remained were ushered to leave as soon as the Dark Saar infiltrated the Courtyard. What was left of the Draconta split up and now wait in hiding for the day when the Progeny will save them.” His hand squeezed my shoulder, but I felt no reassurance. Only pain and anguish.

“I killed Searamin,” I said.

“And now they have a new leader.” He didn’t have to tell me who. It was all a part of Zordon’s plan.

Lexi appeared on the other side of me. Her face was expressionless when she looked out into the Courtyard. She stuck her hand out and then looked at me, waiting for me to take it. It was time to go.

“When all of this is over, I’m sure the Draconta will return to their home.” Astral was valiantly trying to reassure me, but he failed to realize I wasn’t a little girl anymore. His words could no longer mend my screw-ups.

With regretful tears, I took Lexi’s hand. She ported us to the ruins just outside the cave in the other realm. The realm where I had been sent away as a child to live a normal life amongst non-magical humans. Like the magical realm, there was no sun to see through the swirling mess of clouds. Only suffocating darkness.

The lush tropical forest Lexi and I had hiked through long ago to make it to the cave was no longer there. In its waste were stumped trees and fallen shrubbery. I bit my lip, realizing the sick feeling that had been in the pit of my stomach for so long might never go away. Not after all of this.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!” someone shouted in warning.

I spun around to face the ruins where the voice had come from. Amongst the wreckage was a swarm of armed military guards posted around tanks, guns pointed in our direction.

I instantly froze.

To my left where Lexi stood, a glimmer of a wry smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. The same smile I had grown to love. She snapped her fingers and then everything froze.

“How did you—”

“She is not the Alexis you once knew,” Astral repeated. “She is a pristine being, even more powerful than I. She has the blood of The Fates in her. It will take time for the old her to return.” He looked down at me, murmuring under his hand, “Just be glad that she is on our side.”

“Is she like a Fate now?” I peered over at her in caution.

She huffed loudly. “My father has taken the Hall while on the hip of his creator, Saeth, and then he locked all of The Fates away, including Saeth. That is why Iliana sent me with you—to keep me away from him. She seems to think I would actually consider helping him.”

I winced at her words.

She threw me a nasty look. “Well? Look at the damage you’ve caused.”

Astral hissed through his teeth. “This was not a part of Iliana’s instructions, Alexis.”

Without warning, she was at my shoulders, spinning me around to show me just what it was she was talking about. “She needs to know.”

A hole that reached to the heavens and stretched farther than any Great Wall created an open pathway through the two realms. Shadows poured through the barrier like a heavy storm. Screams of horror filled the skies from afar.

Firemen hid behind the tanks, spraying water up into the sky that was now frozen in time, but the Shadows continued to flood through the barrier like death’s veil. They seemed to be heading north.

“Where are they going?” My neck craned as far back as it could go. All I could think about was Mily. Had she gone to California like we asked? Was she safe?

“Wherever Zordon has commanded them to go,” Lexi answered, her voice sounding distant. She dropped her gaze and looked back at me. “I suspect the capital of the United States. Overthrowing the leading nation is said to be the start of his reign.” She walked back towards the barrier.

Seeing this stirred the dragon in me. “We have to do something.” Flames furiously danced along my fingertips. She didn’t move, didn’t even acknowledge that I had spoke. I grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to face me. She glared at my blazing hand, but I didn’t budge.

“No offense, Aurora, but you are nowhere near ready.”

I didn’t like how she said my name and caught myself clenching my fists at my sides.

She continued on, unaware of the buttons she continued to push. “Do you think following the Shadows and having your butt handed to you is the answer? Because I certainly don’t. And that is not what Iliana sent you back for.”

“So then what is all of this?” I asked with my arms out. “A dig? A way to get even with me, Alexis? Do you not think that I beat myself up over the choices I have made? Don’t you know how sorry I am? How much I wish I could have taken your—”

“Come on,” she said loudly, cutting me off. “We need to find the rest of the group first and let them know you are alive. Maybe then we can begin to repair the damage.”

I closed my mouth, knowing there was nothing more I could do or say. At least not in that moment. My heart jolted at the thought of seeing Fenn again. What will he think when he sees me?

What if he had moved on?

Astral cleared his throat. He shook his head when I looked at him—still reading my thoughts—and then pointed his chin back towards Alexis who was in the middle of a speech.

“…you will ignite hope in everyone or so Iliana thinks.” Her hands were waving to and fro. “An army must be gathered, Aurora. You must fight back, prepared and ready. Only then will you fulfill your destiny.”

“And what about Mily?”

Astral stopped in his tracks, shifting uncomfortably. “Aurora, some things have changed.”

I didn’t want to ask, but my lips betrayed me. “Things like what?”

“This realm, as you know it, is shifting. It’s growing weaker from the swarm of magic that has inhabited it. Natural disasters are appearing more and more—”

“What about Mily?” I asked again, this time with panic weighing like an anchor on my voice.

“Oh, for Fates’ sake, Mily is fine for now,” Lexi blurted out. She impatiently weaved a small portal open to show me Mily’s soft face. I hugged myself in relief and smiled. In her arms were the triplets. She held them close to her, singing softly into their hair. I felt the heat behind my eyes and quickly looked away.

“She went to California like you suggested. What Astral meant was, with the realm shifting, quakes have begun to spread throughout this world. California has been struck hard, but Mily managed to remain relatively safe.” She threw in under her breath, “Hopefully it will stay that way in time for you to get your act together and save both of the realms from Zordon.”

I couldn’t help but glare at her as threads of smoke wisped from my nostrils. She treaded dangerously close to my daily limit of insults.

I took a firm step in her direction. “I have tried to do nothing but just that, Alexis.”

She pursed her lips at me. Her robe spun as she turned away. “Let’s go then,” she challenged over her shoulder, snapping her fingers to unfreeze time. As the ungodly screams resumed, I dug my fingernails into my palms and then stepped through the portal.

Chapter 2

A Bittersweet Reunion

THE NEXT PLACE I FOUND myself was the last place I ever expected to be—the Rebell Island of the Orient Magium to the east.

Underneath a grim sky, the Lyceum sat on the edge of the floating island. The oriental building was painted in white with sage green trim. As the Lyceum rose, the floors seemed to tilt into themselves to create an triangular shape, leaving the top floor a small opened point where the murky clouds could float through.

We were standing in the middle of an intricate sand garden lit by many torches. Pools of water rested on either side of the garden, flowing around the stone base of the Lyceum and off into the ocean that moved below the island. The light from the torches melted into the pools of water, creating a pale shade of orange that skimmed along the surface. Statues of women and men, poised regally inside the pools, held pots and baskets with water spilling out of them.

In the midst of the garden was a group of disciplined Oriental Mages practicing elemental magic. The robes they wore had golden thread intricately woven into brightly colored fabric. Gold wire wrapped around the many dark beards covering their chins.

Raw energy swarmed past us in bolts from every side. The Mages skillfully moved through the sand, careful not to ruin the pattern that had been raked into it. I don’t think they realized we had appeared.

My dragon Foresight kicked in, sending me images of what was to come moments before it happened. I dropped to the ground right before a bolt of electric energy slammed into me. It whizzed by and collided with another spell that absorbed it.

“Get up and shift!” Lexi shouted at me. She knelt down and grabbed my arm, jerking me upright.

I scowled at her and snatched my arm away, trying to refrain from blushing in embarrassment. My dislike for her was currently outweighing my love. I let my dragon side take over, welcoming the feel of my wings breaking free. I flexed them, feeling the itch to stretch from wingtip to wingtip.

Lexi floated up into the air, spinning faster than I had ever seen anyone spin before. Somehow, she absorbed every bolt of raw energy without even flinching, preventing them from striking us. Her robes emanated a radiant white light that blinded the group of men, stopping them in their tracks. They shielded their eyes with robed forearms, slowly backing away from her. I even had to turn away from the blinding light.

“Show off,” Astral scoffed.

As the light began to fade, I looked back at her. She came to a slow stop. “You will kneel before the Progeny. She has come for your deliverance.” Her voice was otherworldly and nothing like the Lexi I once knew.

If my face could turn anymore red than it already was in my dragon form, I’m sure it would have. My eyes grew wide as all of the Oriental Mages turned to look at me, their eyes filling with something that had been long gone—hope.

One-by-one, they began to kneel into the patterned sand, a quiet murmur sweeping over the island. My eyes scanned the men before me, searching for the only face I really cared to see. My heart raced as each face I passed pushed me further from the thought of reuniting with my one true love.

I glanced back at Lexi, my eyes scrunching in question, and then turned back, trying to remain calm. My lips began to tremble as doubt consumed me.

And then, like an angel sent to answer my prayers, his voice rang out over the murmurs. A voice that I could never forget.

“Rory?” Fenn shouted from the entrance of the wooden-framed Lyceum. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. Zane stood next to him. The staff in his hand fell at the sight of me. Fenn stumbled down the steps three at a time, seeming unsure if I was a mirage or not. His eyes never left mine.

“Fenn!” I called out as everything around me disappeared. I ran for him like I had never run before in my life and jumped into his arms, squeezing him as he spun me in a circle. I was finally home.

“I thought you were gone,” he said into my hair, crushing me into him. Pain marked his voice. He kissed the side of my face, inhaling my scent while lightly tugging my hair back to meet my gaze. His lucent blue eyes were filled with tears and searched my own while his fingers continually ran through my slicked-back hair.

“I was given a second chance.” I tried to swallow my nerves as I ran my fingers along the contours of his stubble-covered face, reveling in every detail. Too long had it been since I had felt his lips.

Without thought, I kissed him, clenching my hand in his messy hair and vowing to never end this moment. His lips were the only place in the world where I felt happy and at peace. The only place where everything made sense.

But not everyone felt the same. “Aurora, compose yourself,” Lexi scolded under her breath.

I reluctantly pulled back.

“Lex?” Fenn questioned breathlessly, gently setting me down and turning to her. He opened his arms; his crooked, hesitant smile rapidly spreading across his face. “My two favorite girls are alive!”

She awkwardly stepped into his embrace as if it were a mere reflex rather than a need. I looked back out into the men watching the spectacle before them, trying to enjoy this moment.

Zane cleared his throat, grabbing my attention. I couldn’t tell for sure, but there seemed to be a longing ache in his eyes, and then a sliver of a smile picked up the corners of his mouth. “You’re back.” The sound of awe in his voice matched the expression on his ruggedly handsome face.

I wanted to jump into his arms and hug him just as tight as I had hugged Fenn. We understood each other in ways that no other could. We believed in each other. We shared the same fear about the darkness inside of us. But I stopped myself from fear of the feeling not being mutual.

He must have picked up on it though because one second he stood there smiling at me and the next I was in his arms being squeezed to death by him.

“How have you been?” I asked him through a huge smile, laughter squeezing out of me. His musky smell warmed me through. It felt good to hug my friend, but I resisted the urge to nestle my face in his neck. I didn’t want to send out the wrong signal.

“Never better,” he said into my hair. His voice was soaked in sarcasm as his fingers dug into the flesh of my back. When we stepped back, his smile grew wider, brightening his deep, dark brown eyes. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Me too. It’s good to see you,” I said nervously, hiding my blush by fidgeting with my hair. He laughed and I knew he could see right through me. The unspoken between us said more than our words ever could.

“Why are you wearing this?” I heard Fenn ask Lexi. Zane and I both turned to look at them. Fenn picked up one of Lexi’s sleeves with a curious face and then dropped it.

I linked my hand through Fenn’s, waiting for him to look at me. “She’s not our Lexi anymore.”

Zane reached out to squeeze his sister’s shoulder affectionately. She jumped in response, her eyes peering down at her shoulder. He pulled away from her, pain clear in his eyes. She never knew he was her brother before she died, only that he had flipped sides. But if she knew about Zordon, then she must know now.

Fenn turned and furrowed his brow at me, looking between us for some sort of explanation. I softened my voice. “She is a Celestian now, Fenn. She doesn’t completely remember who she used to be. Astral said it would take awhile for the effects of being in the Hall of Knowledge for so long to wear off.”

She spun on her heels to face us, a complaint already on her lips. “Quite frankly, it’s not of any importance, now is it? Can we please see Kaede now?”

Fenn and Zane stared at her for a moment, completely dumbfounded. “Sure thing,” Fenn said in a strange tone.

“Good.” With her chin pointed high, she walked past us and through the crowd of Mages who were still gawking at me.

“Kaede?” I panicked, turning back to Fenn and Zane.

“Relax,” Fenn added quickly. “He has never been on Zordon’s side. He turned in the battle at the Obsidian Chasm. Gabe had set it all up. Even though we didn’t win, his efforts helped us retreat far enough to save what little we had left. Most of us came here. The dragons went west to the Nymph Magium in hopes that they would be swayed to fight along with us.”

“Where’s my father?”

He looked at the ground. “He’s…umm…he’s resting,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

I bent just enough to catch his eyes, and pulled his gaze back up to me. “So when can I see him?”

“Soon.”

“Gabe?” I asked, remembering his soul being ripped from him before I killed Searamin as if it were only yesterday. What if Gwenevere had finished him off too?

His eyes grew distant and empty, his expression hardening. “Gabe was never found. We’ve searched for him, but we just don’t know. Either she took him with her or she killed him.”

“Are you okay?” I asked, barely able to get the words out. I reached for his arms, rubbing them soothingly. They were even bigger than I remembered. I jerked my head back just enough to give him a once over. Actually all of him was bigger, like he had done nothing but work out over the past year.

“For the most part,” he answered sadly. “I heal quick, remember?” His attempt at a joke brought a faint smile from him. I smiled sympathetically in return.

“He prepared us for what was to come in battle,” Zane chimed in with a thoughtful expression. “If it wasn’t for Gabe’s thorough planning, we might not have made it out of that Chasm. He is a strong fighter and I don’t doubt that he will survive.” Fenn smiled in thanks at Zane. He squeezed Fenn’s shoulder and gave him an understanding nod. 

“How did you both get away? When I last saw you, you were down in the pit of the Chasm,” I asked.

Astral walked up to us, gripping both Fenn and Zane’s shoulders in greeting. “I don’t want to interrupt your reunion, but we should be there when Alexis greets Kaede.”

Fenn turned quickly, a wide grin now taking up the whole of his face. “Astral! Are you serious? The whole pack together again? This is the best day of this year so far!”

Astral chuckled, bowing his head slightly. “It’s good to see you too, Fenn.” He looked over at Zane. “And of course you, Zane.” Zane nodded, smiling a little. 

As we walked across the graveled earth past the Mages who still rested on one knee, my head dipped low in embarrassment. I wasn’t sure what to say or if I should even say anything at all. Not with everything that had happened. My hand stuck out by my side and gave a weak attempt at a wave.

Zane chuckled from beside me, a sound that used to irritate me. I smirked up at him.

We took the stone steps two at a time, trying to catch up to Lexi who was dead-set on reaching the top. The steps seemed to go on forever, high into the clouds.

“I can’t believe it,” Fenn whispered to me, his head pointing to Lexi. He reached out for my hand, my skin tingling from his long lost touch, and squeezed it.

“It suits her though,” said Zane. “Her attitude fits that of a higher being.” All three of us smirked at that.

When we reached the top of the steps, Kaede was already there, waiting beneath his mithril armor. He bowed at the waist and then stood back up, pressing his arms to his sides.

Raven-colored hair rested against his back in a thick, tight braid with strings of gold woven throughout. An intricate goatee and mustache with shaven swirling designs wrapped around his thin, pale lips. Slanted brows shadowed his bronze eyes lined in black liner. 

“Progeny.” His accent was sharp. He bowed his head in my direction.

I bowed in return as a knee-jerk reaction, glad to be behind my scales. “My Liege,” I said.

“For someone so young, you have experienced so much pain.” His words and his sympathetic tone hit home. He leaned in close enough for only the two of us to hear. “But you know what they say. Those who never give up have better odds at winning.” He winked at me, his bronze eyes full of wisdom.

I felt an odd grin prick at the corners of my mouth. He was not what I expected him to be. He was…better.

“Alexis, I presume,” he said as he turned in her direction, bowing. She bowed slightly, wearing a mechanical smile. “Astral,” he said, extending his hand instead of bowing. Astral chuckled as he shook it.

He clapped merrily. “You must come inside at once. This is a joyous day, one that we have waited far too long for. We have much to discuss and even more to celebrate.” He motioned for us all to follow him as he headed into the Lyceum. “I was just on my way to meet with my advisors. They will be pleasantly surprised.”

Fenn’s hand still held mine as we followed Kaede through the winding halls. Kaede told us the walls were made from a rare chocolate-colored cypress wood. Sliding wooden doors were paneled with paper and separated each room. Most of the light came through the paper, giving the rooms we passed through a flat glow.

He explained that the paintings and intricate carvings decorating the top panels of every room told the history of the Lyceum from the time of its creation.

We rounded a corner and came to a long hallway with a strip of red carpet lining the center of the floor. Kaede slowed to a stop and started to speak before he turned to face me. “At the end of this hall is my advisory room. My advisors do not yet know of your return so do not be afraid of their shock. They are all Archion Mages and older than any Arch Mage alive.”