The Emerald Staff (27 page)

Todmus hesitated and looked passed her to
Faen, concern clouding his features.

“It’s okay, Todmus. Faen won’t give your
secret away, I promise.” She turned to Faen. “Will you?”

“What secret? Who is Aesti?”

“I’ll tell you if you promise to keep him a
secret. It will save us a lot of time and you a lot of energy
getting back to the Alovison Mountains.”

“I have a feeling I am not going to like
this, am I?”

“Probably not, but please do it for me. We
don’t have much time left.”

She pulled out the time-pebble and held it in
the flat of her hand to prove her point. Only the thinnest sliver
of black was now visible in the stone.

Faen contemplated her request for a second
but knew the moment he looked into Faedra’s desperate eyes, he was
defeated. Who was he trying to kid anyway? He would do anything for
her. He was already breaking the strictest law by falling in love
with her.

“Alright, you have my word old friend. Your
secret, whatever it is, is safe with me.”

Faedra could see Todmus chew on his bottom
lip and waited with bated breath for his decision.

“Very well, follow me,” he said as he
gestured with his hand for them to follow him through the bushes to
the glade where Faedra was first introduced to Aesti.

They stood side-by-side in the darkness,
illuminated only by the flame from Todmus’ torch. Faedra flinched
slightly when Todmus blew out his ear-splitting whistle. Faen
looked down at her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Within minutes they could hear the soft
whoosh, whoosh of Aesti’s wings, this time though, the only part of
him they could see were his flame red eyes burning bright against
the dark night sky.

Faedra watched Faen’s eyes look to the
heavens when he comprehended what was flying towards them, and then
noticed Todmus give him an uncertain look.

“Todmus, do the Valkyries know you have one
of their horses? On second thought, do not answer that, I think it
best that I do not know.” Faen said as the winged beauty came to a
sliding stop just a foot away and blasted Faedra in the face with a
warm welcoming snort.

She reached up to run a hand down the length
of its velvety face. The look of its fierce red eyes shining in the
darkness, no longer perturbed the young Custodian; she knew their
owner was going to help, not hinder.

“Thank you, Todmus” Faedra said as Faen
helped her up on top of the beast and then got on behind her.

“Be safe, Miss,” Todmus said as the
winged-horse turned and galloped down the glade before taking off,
barely missing the trees that surrounded them.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“Take us to the Alovison Mountains,” Faedra
whispered to Aesti as they were taking off.

Aesti banked to the left, then straightened
once he chose his course.

“How long have you known about this?” Faen
asked after a few moments of silence.

“Not long. Todmus took pity on me the other
day when I came through the portal and needed to get to the
castle.” Faedra sighed and closed her eyes, remembering the fateful
encounter with her real father that would change her life
forever.

Sensing the reason for her heavy sigh, Faen
said. “Having two fathers who love you is not all bad, you
know.”

Faedra didn’t respond, she was still trying
to get to grips with the fact that her life had basically been a
lie for eighteen years.

The two sat quietly after that, waiting for
Aesti to arrive at the mountain range. She wasn’t sure how long it
would take to get there, but was hoping it wouldn’t be too much
longer. The sky was starting to change from inky black to deep
ochre on the horizon. Dawn was just a few minutes away and she
hoped they could get there under the cover of darkness. Thankfully,
just as she was thinking it, the mountain range loomed tall and
dark up ahead. Now they just had to find the hole they escaped from
last time and they’d be set. Although, looking at the immense size
of the mountain range as they drew closer, she wondered how they
would ever find it in time.

Faedra asked Aesti to do a sweep back and
forth along the rock face. They worked their way down from the top,
eyes straining to find the tiny hole in the monstrous mountain
range. The looming sunrise was working to their advantage now. Even
if the redcaps did spot them, they wouldn’t be able to get up the
side of the mountain quick enough to be of any threat.

A couple of sweeps later and Faen spotted the
cave opening.

“Over there, Aesti. Do you see it?” he said
pointing towards the spot.

Faedra was sure Aesti’s hulking head gave a
nod as he turned toward the opening in the rock face. A moment
later, the winged horse landed gracefully on the ledge and furled
its wings.

Faen slid off Aesti’s back and held his arms
up for Faedra, easing her off the horse’s back and placing her on
her feet. Faedra ran a hand down Aesti’s silky neck.

“Thanks.”

The horse inclined its head then he turned,
unfurled his wings once more and threw himself off the ledge like a
fearless hand-glider. Faedra watched in awe of the beautiful
creature as he flew out of sight.

Faen took hold of Faedra’s hand and she
turned her attention back to her Guardian.

“Ready?” he asked.

“As I’ll ever be, I guess.” She gave him a
half-hearted smile.

Faedra had to admit she was not looking
forward to coming face to face with Draconis again, but hopefully
this time he would be much happier to see her, considering the
package she carried in her backpack.

Faen scooped her up in his arms and launched
himself off the other side of the ledge just like Aesti had done
moments before. Faedra’s stomach did its usual summersault, and she
wondered if she would ever get used to it.

They flew down the long cave in a graceful
spiral, the light from the bottom that started as a tiny dot got
brighter as they approached the floor. Faedra could see the
Gatekeeper now, he was looking up at them, his eyes narrowed.

“Halt, who goes there?” he bellowed, a curl
of smoke escaping his nostril.

“It’s me, the Custodian,” Faedra called,
hoping he wouldn’t turn them into a flying kebab before she got a
chance to get her hands on the emerald staff.

The dragon’s eyes widened with surprise as
they drew closer.

“Well, well,” the Gatekeeper said rubbing his
chin with thumb and forefinger. “I have to admit that I was not
expecting to see you again. Do you have it?”

Faedra patted her backpack. “In here.”

Faedra could swear she saw the dragon do a
little wiggle of excitement, then he smiled, or at least she hoped
it was a smile. A long line of shiny white, and extremely sharp
looking, teeth gleamed from beneath his scaly lips only inches from
her face.

“Young lady, I doubt you have any idea of
what you have just done for our realm. Come quickly, I will escort
you myself.”

The Gatekeeper opened the swirling gateway to
Zutherindal and guided Faen and Faedra through with a gesture of
his enormous claw.

They stepped through only to be met by the
grumpy blue dragon who greeted them with the same expression the
Gatekeeper just had.

The Gatekeeper poked his head through before
his body followed. “It is alright Alaris, I will escort them to
Draconis,” he said before Alaris could get any words out. “Please
guard the gateway while I am gone.”

The blue dragon grouched but shuffled through
the gateway all the same. Faedra turned to see his tale disappear
through the swirling luminescent liquid they had just walked
through.

“This way,” the Gatekeeper spoke with
urgency. “No time to lose.”

Faedra and Faen followed him in silence. The
passage she walked through just a short while ago was prompting a
knot to tie itself in her stomach. She knew Draconis would be
pleased to get his egg back, but now it suddenly dawned on her,
what if he didn’t keep up his end of the bargain? She would have
wasted all this time for nothing. She dug out the time-pebble from
her jeans prompting the heavy feeling in her heart. The tiniest
sliver was all that was left.

“We will find him,” Faen said.

Faedra looked up, suddenly snapped from her
thoughts by Faen’s declaration. He was looking at the pebble. She
could tell he was trying to mask his concern. Over the past few
months, she’d gotten to know him fairly well and could tell when he
was concerned or worried, even when he tried to hide it.

“I hope Draconis doesn’t back out on his side
of the bargain.”

“A dragon’s word is his oath. He will not
back out. If he promised you the emerald staff in return for the
egg, he will give it to you.”

“You obviously have a lot more faith in
dragons than I do,” she whispered.

The Gatekeeper cleared his throat “He is
correct, my child. If Draconis promised you the emerald staff, he
will give it you.”

Faedra felt her cheeks warm a little; it was
obvious the dragon had overheard what she said to Faen.

“I didn’t mean any disrespect,” she said to
the dragon.

“No need for apologies, my dear. There has
been a frosty standoff between dragons and humans for nearly a
thousand years now. It is understandable that you do not trust us
anymore than we trust you.” The red dragon turned his head and gave
her another toothy grin then turned back again without breaking
stride.

All too soon they were standing outside the
doors that led to Draconis’ chamber. Faedra’s heart was in her
mouth, and it was all she could do to keep from being sick. The
anxious waves of nausea flooded her senses as the Gatekeeper took
hold of the gothic styled wrought iron handles and pushed down.

The doors swung open.

“Arin, what are you doing here? Who is
guarding the gateway?” Draconis boomed from inside the room as the
red dragon entered.

“Grouchy as ever,” the Gatekeeper whispered
back to Faen and Faedra, giving them both a wink before turning
back to face inside the room.

Faedra smiled, she was really starting to
like this dragon.

“I have a couple of surprise visitors for
you,” Arin announced.

“How many times do I have to tell you guards,
I do not want any visitors!” Draconis bellowed, rattling the iron
sconces in their mountings on the walls either side of the
doorway.

Faedra swallowed hard. She could not yet see
the enormous black dragon taking up residence in the cavernous
room, as she and Faen were still standing behind the red dragon
whose bulky body was filling most of the doorway. But she could
just imagine his expression from the first time she’d been in his
presence.

“I think you will make allowances for these
visitors, my Lord,” the Gatekeeper said as he stepped into the room
and moved to one side, leaving Faen and Faedra standing in the
entrance.

Draconis narrowed his eyes as his gaze fell
on the Custodian. “You again,” he hissed then moved his gaze to
Faen. “Are you collecting fae, Custodian?” he asked sarcastically.
Even through her fear his comment made her bristle a little and she
squared her shoulders at him.

“You are trying my patience, Custodian?” he
said waving a nonchalant claw in the air. “You cannot possibly have
found the egg in such a short time and I told you I will not loan
you the emerald staff without it.” He turned his back to them
effectively brushing them off.

Faedra could feel her temper rising. How dare
he brush her off so quickly. She grabbed the egg out of her
backpack and held it out.

“If I wasn’t so desperate to find my dad, I’d
smash this bloody thing all over the floor!”

Her hands were shaking with anger and it was
all she could do to hold the egg without dropping it. Faen put a
steadying hand on her forearm and gave her a look of warning. It
wasn’t a good idea to be rude to a dragon, especially the head
honcho dragon. She ignored his look, continuing to hold the egg out
over the cold flagstone floor.

Draconis turned sharply, took one look at the
egg and moved toward her so fast Faedra could hardly track his
movements before his face was just inches from hers.

“You found it,” Draconis’ shocked whisper was
so close to Faedra she could feel his warm breath on her face. His
demeanor changed. When she looked into the dragon’s eyes, they were
much softer. The hard lines on his face softened, too. To Faedra’s
utter astonishment a tear welled in the deadly creature’s eye and
slid down his face, leaving a silvery shimmer along his jet-black
scales on its descent.

“I never thought I would see the day that my
child was returned to me.”

Draconis held out his upturned claw. A tingle
of anticipation hung in the air.

Faedra’s heart melted when she saw the
obvious love that Draconis showed toward the egg still held in her
hands. She placed the egg carefully in the palm of the dragon’s
claw, which was softer than she imagined it would be. The egg
nestled securely within its father’s grasp as Draconis closed his
claw around it.

“Thank you,” he whispered again. “You will
become a legend in our realm.”

Faedra smiled. She didn’t care about being a
legend anywhere, all she cared about at that moment was getting her
hands on the emerald staff and finding her dad alive and unharmed.
As if Draconis could read her mind, he turned, placed the egg on a
sumptuous red velvet cushion that sat on his dais and moved over to
an ornately carved wooden closet. He turned the handle and opened
it. The inside was lined with thick forest green velvet, and
nestled within its walls was the emerald staff.

Draconis reached in, took hold of the staff,
and carried it toward the Custodian in both hands, as though he was
carrying a prized sword and was about to knight her with it.