The Last of the Firedrakes (13 page)

So this was my cousin Erien? He was tall and lanky, but he ate like a big, burly man. I smiled back at him. I was not sure if Aunt Serena had told him who I was, so I didn’t say much.

Aunt Serena just shot him a withering look. Erien probably thought the admonishment was over, but I had seen that look before. That was the same look my adoptive mother gave me when she was in company and couldn’t shout at me. Poor Erien was going to get an earful after dinner, I was sure of that.

It was a dark night, and storm clouds thundered above the castle as I hurried down long stone hallways after dinner, searching for my room. I wished I had asked someone to show me the way instead of wandering aimlessly through the corridors for an hour, trying to find it myself.

I made a few turns that turned out to be dead ends or locked doors, when I noticed a figure crouching near one of the doors at the end of the corridor. The door was ajar, and the figure was obviously spying on someone.

My heart started hammering in my chest, and I inched closer to try and glimpse who it was. Suddenly, the figure turned just as lightning flashed outside. I breathed a sigh of relief; it was Erien. But what was he doing listening at open doors?

He waved me over and put his finger to his lips. I moved closer and crouched beside him, listening.

“I told you, Gothero, we must inform the duke,” a voice I didn’t recognize said.

“He will throw us in the dungeon as soon as he knows,” said Gothero, his deep voice distinctive. “We cannot defy Morgana; Lucian will hunt us down. It’s better we do what she wants. Silverthorne will forgive us eventually.”

“Dead men don’t forgive.”

“I was joking,” said Gothero.

“Well, it’s not funny,” the other man said.

I moved closer to Erien and the door. Candlelight flickered and I could see into part of the room. Gothero was sitting at a table holding what looked like a small green bottle, and Lord Larney was pacing up and down the room, quite visibly upset at the whole situation.

“Morgana is paying us very well,” said Gothero, putting the green bottle down on the table in front of him. “All we have to do is make sure the duke drinks this. He will be dead by morning, and we will live in comfort for the rest of our lives.”

Erien slid his sword out of its sheath, and I tried to grab his hand to prevent him from doing something stupid, but he jumped up before I could stop him.

“Erien, no,” I whispered, in my last attempt to hold him back.

“Traitors,” shouted Erien as he rushed into the room, brandishing his sword at the two startled men.

I ran into the room after him. “Erien, please be sensible,” I said, trying to calm the situation. What was he thinking? He should have called someone instead of rushing into the room like that. If these men were contemplating killing the duke, they must be very dangerous, and there was no telling what they might do.

Gothero laughed and got up from his chair. “What are you going to do about it, boy?” he said, unsheathing his sword as he moved—which was surprisingly fast for a man of his size.

Erien stopped and prepared to defend himself. The other man, Lord Larney, was inching towards me on the other side, his sword already in hand. I looked around, frantically searching for some sort of weapon I could use to defend myself.

“I will make sure you hang for this,” said Erien to the traitors.

“You and whose army?” Gothero sneered, inching closer towards us.

“I don’t really think they need one,” said a familiar voice behind me.

Larney’s and Gothero’s eyes widened at the sight of the person behind us. I didn’t turn; I didn’t need to. I knew exactly who it was.

“The Black Wolf, here! In the castle?” said Larney, recognizing him. “How? Where are the guards?”

Erien laughed when he saw Rafe. “Looks like you two might as well give yourselves up now,” he said to the traitors.

“Put down your swords,” said Rafe, coming up to stand beside me, “and you might get a fair trial.”

“You can’t do anything to us,” said Lord Larney, slowly moving backwards. “You’re an outlaw, wanted by the queen.”

“She’s not my queen,” said Rafe, inching closer and repositioning himself slightly to shield me from them.

“Catch him. Morgana will reward us well for capturing the Black Wolf,” said Gothero, glancing at his companion.

But before they could decide what to do, Rafe raised both his hands in front of him. Two bolts of white light shot out of his palms and hit the traitors in the chest. They collapsed on the white stone floor, in disheveled heaps.

“Are they . . . ?” I said, hesitant to finish my sentence.

“Dead? No,” said Rafe, walking further into the room and bending down to bind the wrists of the fallen man. “They are merely stunned.”

“So will they be all right?” I asked.

“Well, enough to stand trial, that’s for sure,” Erien answered, walking up to Rafe and helping him. Rafe finished tying up the men, got up, and clasped Erien’s forearm in greeting.

“It’s good to have you back in Silverthorne Castle, my friend. What brings you to these parts?” said Erien with a genuine smile on his face.

“I came by to see if the young lady got here safely,” said Rafe, glancing at me.

“Ah, yes, Mother mentioned that you found her and sent her to us,” said Erien. “You must tell me all about your adventures while you’re here.”

“I’m afraid I can’t stay long,” said Rafe. “People will recognize me soon enough. I’m sure the Lady Aurora will regale you with stories of our daring escape.” He smiled at me, and I knew I was blushing.

Erien laughed. “I look forward to it. But right now I’ll go and get Captain Declan to remove these men to the dungeons until my grandfather decides what to do with them.”

“I should leave before he gets here,” said Rafe with a grin. “I don’t think the captain of the guard likes me very much.”

“Probably a good idea,” said Erien, chuckling and running off to summon the guards.

Rafe came over to stand in front of me. “We should get out of here before the guards come to take away the prisoners.”

I nodded. “Thank you for saving me once again,” I said, smiling up at him.

“It seems to have become a new job of mine,” Rafe said, his lips quirking up in a suppressed smile.

I laughed at that. “Sorry,” I said.

“Don’t be. I’m not complaining,” said Rafe, winking at me and walking out of the room where the two stunned men were tied up.

I smiled and followed him into the shadowy corridor where half-burned torches lined the white stone walls. The thunder had abated, and shafts of muted moonlight sauntered in through the massive windows.

“Come,” said Rafe, “I will escort you to your room.”

“But I don’t know where it is,” I said, biting my lip and feeling very silly as I said it.

He stopped walking. “So how were you planning to get to your room tonight?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I just thought I would find someone who would be able to tell me where it is,” I said, trying to explain my apparent stupidity but failing miserably. “But then I got lost and saw Erien spying on those men, and, well, you know the rest.”

Rafe started laughing, a deep, warm sound. “You really are very amusing, Aurora. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun as I have since I was fortunate enough to stumble across you in Oblek’s dungeon.”

“Fun!” I said. “Are you mad? I’ve been almost killed three times since yesterday, and you think it’s fun?”

Rafe nodded. “Except for the Shadow Guard in the forest, you weren’t really in much danger. Oblek’s guards are useless, and Larney and Gothero are fools. I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you, Aurora,” he said, more seriously. “I really wish you would trust me.”

“I do trust you, Rafe,” I said. “It’s just that there is so much that has happened, I really don’t know where to start.”

“I met with your granduncle when I got here,” said Rafe as we resumed walking, “and he told me what he discovered about you.”

“He did?” I said.

Rafe nodded. “Your granduncle knows that your secret is safe with me.”

I was surprised. Uncle Gabriel had expressly told me not to tell anyone who I was. Secretly I was relieved that I didn’t have to lie to him.

“What will happen to Larney and Gothero?” I asked.

“It depends on your granduncle,” said Rafe, “but I suspect they will be made examples of and hanged as traitors.”

“Hanged!” I was horrified. “But they didn’t actually kill him, they were only planning to.”

“Yes,” said Rafe, “but what if they had succeeded? This way it will deter anyone from trying to plot against the duke again.”

I was unsettled. The justice system here was swift and cruel. One mistake, and you could be hanged the next day. Not that I didn’t think what they did was wrong, and they should be locked up and made to pay for their crimes. But hanging? I thought it was a bit harsh.

Rafe stopped outside a stout oak door. “The kitchen is through here,” said Rafe. “I’m sure you will manage to find someone to show you where your room is.”

“Thank you,” I said, relieved.

“I will take your leave now, Aurora,” said Rafe.

“You’re going right now?” I asked tentatively.

Rafe nodded. “I cannot take the risk of anyone seeing me. Although most here are loyal to the Duke, there are also those who would sell me out to Morgana in a heartbeat.”

“Who are you really?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Rafe grinned. “It’s better that you don’t know for now,” he said.

“Better for whom?” I asked, crossing my arms across my chest. He was really good at evading questions about himself. He now knew everything about me, who I was, and that I was a fae-mage, but I knew absolutely nothing about him. “How come you’re always in the right place at the right time?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Just luck, I guess,” he said nonchalantly, but his eyes held a trace of humor.

He still hadn’t answered any of my questions, and my mind started wandering.

“How did you get here so fast?” I asked. “I just got here this morning, and I was traveling on a flying horse. Kalen said it would take five to seven days to travel over the mountains.”

“There are shortcuts through the mountains if you know where to look,” said Rafe, smiling mysteriously.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Over the years, the fae created magical gateways, passages of sorts that are strewn all over the place,” said Rafe.

“Like the one I came through from the other world?”

“Something like that,” answered Rafe, smiling. “Some gateways are just small stops, closer in range, and much easier to use. Some are further away and can also be just one way. I’ve used the one through the mountains countless times. There aren’t that many left; some don’t even work anymore. But it comes in handy in my line of work.”

“So what is your line of work? Are you an outlaw, an assassin, or a sword-for-hire kind of guy?” I blurted out.

Rafe laughed. “You, my dear Aurora, ask too many questions.”

I blushed. What had I said?

“No, I am not an assassin, nor do I sell my sword to the highest bidder,” he said, pausing for a moment. “I am wanted by the Illiadorian Guard for helping those who cannot help themselves.”

“So you’re an outlaw then, just like Robin Hood?” I said, beaming. I knew he had some good qualities apart from being dangerous and devastatingly handsome.

Rafe looked confused. “Robin who?”

I stifled a laugh.

“Does it really matter who I am?” he said finally, shrugging.

“I guess not,” I said, dropping the topic. I would just ask Uncle Gabriel about him later if he didn’t want to tell me right now.

“I really have to leave now, Aurora,” Rafe said. “I just wanted to make sure you were all right and see you once before I went away.”

“Will I see you again?” I said and started blushing as soon as the words left my mouth.

“I certainly hope so,” Rafe said, smiling. “Don’t get into any more trouble until I get back.”

I grinned. “I will definitely give it my best shot,” I retorted. “But I can’t make any promises.”

Rafe smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly in the corners. “I would expect nothing less,” he said, bowing low and kissing my hand. “Good-bye, Aurora.”

“Bye,” I said weakly.

He turned and walked away, his black cloak billowing behind him like a second shadow.

The kitchen was an enormous room with a high ceiling held up by massive beams and dominated by a long wooden workbench and table. Pots and pans were washed, stacked, and hung on neat display, and the fireplace had a big iron pot bubbling away in the corner. The castle cook, a sweet little middle-aged woman, was still awake, having a cup of something hot with two of the kitchen maids. They jumped up when they saw me.

“Sorry to bother you,” I said, “but could someone please help me find my room? I seem to have forgotten how to get there.”

“Of course, my lady,” said the cook. “Would you like a cup of snowberry milk? It does wonders for soothing the nerves and helps you sleep.”

I nodded. “That would be lovely, thank you.”

I followed one of the maids who showed me to my room. This time I made sure I paid more attention to where I was going. I had my snowberry milk and lay down on my comfortable four-poster bed, my thoughts in a mess. As if I didn’t have enough to think about, now I couldn’t get Rafe out of my mind. I hardly knew anything about him, except that he was an outlaw and dangerous.

I had no time for this; I had to forget about Rafe. I had to concentrate on the real reason I was here: to learn to use my magical powers before Morgana found me. That’s what I kept telling myself again and again. And although my head was saying I was an idiot, my traitorous heart waited for Rafe’s return in silent anticipation.

11

Lessons in Magic

It was a bright spring morning, and the sun streamed in through the large windows, warming the plush carpets that lay on the cold stone floors. I got out of bed, went over to the window, and looked out at the grounds beyond. Birds were chirping high in the trees, and the gardens were awash with beautiful flowers lining the shaded groves and walkways surrounding Silverthorne Castle.