Chapter Fifteen

C HAPTER F IFTEEN

I tap my fingers absentmindedly against the arm of my chair as I watch my brothers and friends shout at each other across a sizeable oval glass table in a furious debate on what our next approach should be.

Aelle and Leira are on each side of me and are the only ones who are quiet compared to the rest. After I mentioned that Darius remembers a different reality from what is true, they both gently touched my arms with a comforting smile. On the other hand, Gus and Lorcan could not attend the meeting. With the after-effects of attacking Aurum’s castle, the dragons and shifters require the most assistance.

‘We have the stones to open the portal, right? So why don’t we go in and recreate the Northern Blade?’

My fingers still at the sound of a frustrated voice, and I look over at Iker as he rubs his temples.

I think of answering, but Freya’s one step ahead. ‘It is too much of a risk,’ she says. ‘The Isle of Elements is already on the verge of destruction; bringing back Aurum took too much of a toll on it.’

Everyone glances at one another in silence before looking towards me for a further explanation.

I sigh, straightening up from my slouched position. My mind is still spinning from my conversation with Darius down in the cells.

‘Using the Isle of Elements can also be more harmful than good,’ I tell them. ‘Before Darius and I entered, the previous ruler of Terranos told us how there is always a consequence to whatever we ask the Isle for.’

‘What was the consequence for Sarilyn?’ Illias asks, his brows knitted into a frown.

My eyes slide to him, and I wonder about Sarilyn. I hate that it bothers me knowing she is working with Aurum, even after everything that happened.

With a clear of my throat, I say, ‘She lost her powers.’

‘A sorceress without power . . .’ Link voices pensively before those blue eyes brighten with an idea. ‘Maybe we don’t need to use the Isle of Elements.’

I sit up even straighter, focusing on Link only.

‘Nara is a vessel for Solaris, as Darius is for Crello, right? So, they both must have some kind of power that acts like the Isle of Elements.’

Right . . . Solaris.

I try to hide the sudden depletion in my mood again, but from the corner of my eye, I see Idris staring at me, noticing as always. He has to. Looking out for anything that happens to me is second nature to him.

‘All I can do is sometimes connect with animals,’ I mumble, glancing at my reflection on the table instead. ‘I believe I can do no more.’

‘Then how do you propose we do this?’ Leira asks me, her curls tied back in an updo just like Freya’s, jostling from the whirl of her head towards everyone. ‘Even with Darius’s life tied to Aurum’s, nothing would affect him unless it is the Northern Blade.’

‘We could use gold to trap Aurum, then cut him up into pieces, send each body part to different kingdoms, and lock it deep, deep, deep down in an impenetrable chest.’

I blink, and then all of us look over at Rydan, who is sitting at the far end of the table, staring down at his nails as if he hasn’t explained the most twisted plan to ever come from his lips.

Our silence has him lifting his head. ‘What? I’m merely voicing what Nara would likely do.’

I screw up my face. ‘I wouldn’t do that!’ It isn’t torturous enough for a man like Aurum.

Rydan arches an eyebrow with a level of skepticism that has me shaking my head.

‘Look,’ I sigh. ‘Sooner or later, Aurum will come searching for the Elemental Stones. Aelle has managed to keep them safe—’

‘I do not have them,’ Aelle interrupts. I frown at her. ‘Freya has them.’

Snapping my head at Freya, she fires me a sheepish smile.

‘I figured out a way to protect them,’ she says. ‘Well, actually, I spent the entirety of the night altering the stones.’ Her gaze flits to Leira. ‘We thought that perhaps there was a way to keep them more hidden from Aurum.’ From beneath the layers of her bodice she reveals an oval locket with a phoenix engraved on it. She unclasps it and tries to pass it over to me, but I shake my head, trusting what she has done with it will be in safer hands with her. ‘You mentioned the stones work when they are brought together, so I figured that perhaps drawing the essence of their power into one solid place could help.’

And that would be the locket . . .

I give Freya the first smile of the day, proud of how far she has come as a witch. She did not have to go to such lengths, and I feel horrible that I was away tossing and turning in bed while she fought to find a way to keep the Elemental Stones hidden together.

‘How does it work?’ Link asks as Freya fastens the locket around her neck once more.

‘It is simple.’ She grins at him and for a split second I notice Iker’s dreamlike smile, while Idris looks away from her. ‘You simply open the locket, and the portal should open too.’

‘Seems like if that falls into the wrong hands – cough, cough, Aurum – we are all doomed. You should give it to me, Frey Frey. I’m good at looking after things.’

Leira scoffs. ‘Oh please, Rydan – Nara left you in charge of Tibith this morning, and I haven’t heard from him since you went to talk to the phoenix Trackers outside.’

My neck almost breaks as I snap my head to face Rydan, my eyes wide and blazing with anger.

Rydan’s face pales. ‘I can see you are mad at me, Ambrose, but he is safe.’ He slowly raises his palms out in front of him, as if that will save him from what I might do. ‘In fact, I left him in your room. He said your cot was cosy—’

‘I’m going to count to three—’ Luckily, I don’t even get to start as Rydan shoots up from his chair and stumbles into a run out of the room.

I hear a few chuckles around the table, then Aelle asks me, ‘Is there anything else you would like to say, Nara?’

I wrack my brain to come up with something but fall short. ‘No,’ I say and shake my head. ‘No. I think we have exhausted all our thoughts on this matter. I think we just need to continue looking for a way to remove Darius’s link to Aurum. I wrote to the princesses of Terranos, hoping they might be able to help.’ Although I’m not holding on to too much hope when they are trying to repair the damages after Dusan’s death. But if . . . if we could get hold of a Galgr, then maybe we can salvage something .

Leira and Aelle nod, looking at Freya expectantly before I dismiss everyone. I’m the last to rise from my chair as I gaze towards the narrow windows. I waltz over, feeling the heat from the winter sun warm my face. I see a few dragons with black scales and fiery red wings flying among the phoenixes. Amidst them is Fernah, with her whelps on her back.

I smile.

At least here, they are content as long as they get to fly in the skies.

‘Here.’

My head rears at the sight of a shiny red apple shoved before me. I turn my head to where Illias stands beside me, then to the closed doors through which everyone else has left.

I frown, and my lips form a pout. ‘I’m not hungry—’

‘When was the last time you ate a proper meal?’

I make a noise at the back of my throat, annoyed. ‘You are almost starting to sound like Idris.’

‘Please,’ Illias scoffs. ‘Idris would have force-fed this to you by now.’

I fix him with a smug smile. ‘And he would have failed.’

He chuckles. ‘Oh yes. Just like that time you didn’t want to eat the broth he prepared.’

I hum in agreement and drop my head on his shoulder, staring at the dragons flying around. ‘I believe that was the first time he realised how much trouble I would be.’

‘You and Iker,’ Illias remembers with a sigh. ‘He is the one who copied you by throwing the broth all over Idris.’

Recalling that night with a chuckle, I hook my arm through Illias’s. It had been a few days after the death of our mother. With what little food we still had, Idris cooked us dinner. It was the first time we sat down as a family without our parents there.

‘It wasn’t the worst meal in the world,’ I say, wistfulness resonating deep in my chest. ‘I thought it was the most incredible thing he had made for us since our mother’s death.’

He tilts, making me shift to look up at him. ‘But you weren’t ready for something like that.’

I wasn’t. But what I would give to have a moment like that again at our old cottage, knowing that our only problem back then was the possibility of goblins invading our home in search of food and treasures.

Illias takes both of my arms and spins me around to face him. When the light hits his brown curls, it makes them appear almost golden.

‘Make sure you eat.’ He kisses the top of my head and places the apple on the table before walking out.

Later on, that same evening, once the sun sets, I spend hours with the dragons outside the garrison, eating the apple my brother gave me while I make a promise to myself that I will get Darius’s self back.

He is still there; I know it.