49. Magdalena

Magda was dragged down a back hallway toward Queen Sanyal’s royal study. The officer didn’t dare bring her through the ballroom and threaten to disturb the party. The entire time, Magda was preparing for a scolding from Queen Sanyal, as if she was being brought to her own mother. However, her mind was spinning. Ravi had lied to her about his entire intentions for coming to the ball tonight. He had never wanted to help her, he had only wanted to see his lover who was locked away in the castle.

What was Laila’s crime? And why did Ravi use Magda as a placeholder?

Soon, the officers opened the doors to the study, forcing her to step inside.

It was a spacious room, with a large desk in front of a mahogany bookshelf. The walls and floor were stone, with a patterned tile mosaic in the shape of a flower in the center of the floor. Around the mosaic were three velvet couches, and matching banners hung in the windows. To the right, was an expansive balcony.

Before her, sitting on couches across from each other, were Queen Sanyal, Princess Kiran and…Ishani? What was she doing here? All three looked deep in conversation, as if they were in the middle of a fight.

The biggest officer stepped forward, interrupting their conversation. He had to raise his voice even louder than the three to be heard.

“Your Majesty, this imposter was caught in the dungeon,” said the officer. He pushed Magda forward toward the Queen.

“In the dungeon?” Kiran blurted out, shooting a glare at Magda.

“Queen Sanyal, let me explain…,” Magda switched to Azuremi.

“Princess Magdalena?” Queen Sanyal rose to her feet, stepping closer to her. However, upon recognizing her, she didn’t smile. “Leave us,” she ordered her officer.

“But, Your Majesty, she has magic—”

“I know. You may go.”

The officer seemed reluctant, but exited the room.

“Now Magda,” Queen Sanyal continued, “You will sit on this couch right now and tell me why you’re here, and why you stupidly disobeyed my instructions for you to stay in Azurem.”

The queen’s words took Magda aback. Finally, she was in the palace and in a meeting with Sanyal. This is how the queen was reacting?

Nevertheless, Magda needed to focus on her mission, finally taking responsibility like the princess she was. It was her opportunity to ask two guardians about the true meaning behind the magic. Magda had so many questions for them, she didn’t even know where to begin. From her family’s deaths, to the guardian’s oath, to her own powers, to her strange dreams, everything was muddled in her head.

“Please, you have to tell me everything,” Magda blurted out desperately. She crossed to the couch, and sat down next to Kiran. “It’s been a nightmare getting here and searching for answers. I’ve been completely in the dark for weeks after the assassination of my family, and I have no idea what it means to be a guardian or use my powers. There’s no one else I can go to but the two of you…” Magda hesitated and stared up at Ishani, who sat across from her on the couches. What was she doing here anyways?

Queen Sanyal noticed Magda’s gaze. “Anything you say to me can be said in front of Ishani.”

“I don’t care about this anyways,” Ishani shrugged, standing up and walking over to one of the walls. She pretended to be admiring a banner before leaning up against the stone, her axes on full display.

“I care,” said Kiran, reaching out to lay a soft hand on Magda’s.

That’s when Magda noticed that Kiran and Ishani were exactly the same height, with the same shiny dark hair, although Kiran’s was curly. Something about them was strikingly familiar.

“How do you know each other?” Magda asked.

“This is my younger sister,” Ishani admitted. “You didn’t know that Flaustra had multiple heirs?”

“I did, but I didn’t know it was you,” said Magda, “Why did we never meet growing up?”

“I refused to come to any of the royal meetings. I wanted nothing to do with being a guardian.”

“But you’re the older sibling,” said Magda, putting it together. “Kiran would’ve had to challenge you for the powers.”

Ishani rolled her eyes. “Precisely. I had my powers fully manifested for five years after my coronation.”

“Yeah, and you threw the challenge,” Kiran said with an annoyed tone. “You did it on purpose.”

“I did not.”

“You did too. We all know it’s the only reason I’m the guardian. I can’t fight like you, Ishani!”

“Girls!” Queen Sanyal quieted her two daughters. “There are many reasons as to why the Flaustran trials went as they did, and that conversation is not for today.” Queen Sanyal walked behind her desk, her fingers clasped behind her back. Then she let out a deep sigh. Her voice was laced with anger toward Magda as she said, “I intend to send a message to your mother via the Scribestone, telling her that you are safe and sound in Flaustra.”

“What?” Magda let out a gasp. Her mother would not be happy when she heard the news that she wasn’t in Ilusauri about to be married to King Claude.

“Magda, what were you thinking?!” Queen Sanyal yelled forcefully, slamming her hands down on the desk. “It’s dangerous out there. I told you not to come.”

“You weren’t giving me any answers, and my mother wasn’t letting me leave the fortress!” yelled Magda. “The only way I could convince her to leave was by faking a marriage to Claude.”

Ishani scoffed, and Kiran shot her a glare.

“I don’t believe that’s true.” Queen Sanyal shook her head.

“I came directly to the palace, and I wasn’t let inside.”

“We’ve put up more protections since the assassination attempts,” offered Kiran. “There was no way the officers would let you in even if you were one of the gods themselves.”

Queen Sanyal threw up her hands, disregarding Kiran and continuing to yell at Magda, “You are a disgrace to the guardians—you could have put everything in jeopardy if something happened to you!”

“And that’s why I had no choice but to come to you,” said Magda, on the verge of tears once more. “I have no idea what it means to be a guardian. I’ve been utterly and hopelessly lost since my dad and brother died, and I don’t know where I’m heading. All I know is that you are the only person that might have one answer for me. And I’m begging you to be honest so I understand the real danger we are in!”

The words came out in a forceful yell, and Magda stopped suddenly. She instantly felt ashamed for screaming at the Queen of Flaustra, but she didn’t know who else to turn to. If she didn’t get answers soon, she feared as if she would break down completely. And time was not on her side.

Kiran scooted closer to Magda. “Don’t worry, we’re here to help. We’re all in this together.”

“What does that mean?” Magda persisted.

Queen Sanyal took a deep breath, before taking a seat at her desk.

Sanyal began, “All the guardians have the same mission. Guardians have existed since the beginning of time. They take care to protect their sacred form of magic, and tap into the winds and the earth to keep our connection with the magic that flows through this land. Without the guardians as vessels to channel the magic in our world, nothing would exist. Crops wouldn’t grow, water wouldn’t flow down from the glaciers, mathematical theory couldn’t hold true, and the sun wouldn’t rise each day.”

“So we are like scholars, destined to understand and connect with nature,” said Magda.

“In some ways,” said Queen Sanyal. “Your father was responsible for understanding the natural balance of water, from the oceans to the rivers to the atmosphere. So much so that he could channel the power of water himself.”

Magda asked, “If guardians hold the land together, why are assassins trying to kill them? Surely killing a guardian and ruining the land would be bad for humanity.”

Kiran leaned closer. “Do you know the tale of the five?” she asked.

“Yes,” Magda answered. “There were five siblings—the original guardians. The oldest brother was excluded from the trials because he was more powerful than all the rest. In turn, he destroyed his siblings. It’s a schoolyard story, meant to teach children to stop bullying each other.”

“No,” said Queen Sanyal firmly. “The Blaide family was real. They guarded the fifth branch of magic we no longer have today, and their oldest brother wielded powers unlike anything recorded in our entire history. The First Prince, unlike his family, had the ability to control all elements of magic: Life, Soul, Mind, Spirit, and the Void.”

Magda gasped. There was a person in history that wielded multiple forms of magic? What did that mean?

Kiran continued the story, “But the other remaining families of guardians feared he was too powerful, so they destroyed him.”

“They didn’t destroy him,” Ishani corrected the princess, her tone cold.

Queen Sanyal nodded. “He was too powerful to be killed, so the remaining guardians trapped him in a tomb, sealed with four magical locks that are each controlled by the current kingdoms. The lives of the guardians today are connected to those locks. As long as the guardians live, the tomb cannot be opened.”

Magda couldn’t believe her ears. Suddenly, she was scared to reveal to Queen Sanyal and Princess Kiran that she had Soul magic. Did that mean all the Life Guardians were dead and that lock her family had been protecting was broken? Regardless, how was the First Prince in a tomb and no one had told her about it?

“Where is this tomb?” asked Magda. “Is it actually a physical tomb or is it abstract?”

“No one knows,” said Kiran with a shrug, and somewhat of an eye-roll. “Apparently, the guardians destroyed all records of its location.”

Magda could read through Kiran’s expression, and she turned to ask Queen Sanyal the question that was on all of the younger girls’ minds. “If you’ve never seen this tomb, how do you know that this ancient story is actually true?”

“Because,” Queen Sanyal shook her head. “I felt the magic rescind when Bogdan and Aleksy died. I felt a crack in the core and a loosening of great power. It’s the same thing I felt when Claude’s parents were murdered.”

“Mom,” Kiran objected, “you know that people say the tomb—the heart of our world—is a myth. A story to scare everyone into thinking that the guardians should always hold this power and be treated like gods.”

“I don’t care what you think about our politics.”

“Why should we continue this autocracy? It’s not good for anyone.”

“Stop this, Kiran,” Sanyal snapped. “You have much more to learn.”

Kiran grew silent.

While Magda let the tension die down, her thoughts drifted again to her family. “So the assassins are killing the guardians to break the locks on the tomb? They want to release the First Prince?”

“Correct. If you die, Magda, the lock bound by Life magic will be broken, and we will be closer to unleashing evil than ever before. You must go back to Azurem and stay safe. Do you have any idea who did this to your family?” asked Sanyal.

“We think the assassins came from Ilusauri,” confessed Magda.

“King Claude Mirage,” Sanyal mused, “Yes, killing his own parents would have broken the Mind magic seal, as he wasn’t crowned yet. Someone in the family blood line can always be re-coronated as a guardian and tap back into the powers of the land. This would have happened with Claude when he was crowned after his parents death. However, it doesn’t change the fact that the bloodline and lineage was temporarily broken, removing the lock.”

“And you believe Claude was behind this?” Magda asked.

“It would be foolish to ever trust a Mind Guardian. He wrote to me claiming his land is dying—but is that what he wants people to see so he can steal my kingdom’s food?” Queen Sanyal asked, her tone bitter. “Also, according to Ishani and other guild Leaders, he’s paying them for information. He’s looking for the tomb, no doubt.”

“The tomb of the First Prince?”

“Yes,” Ishani confirmed. “He’s written multiple letters about his search to me and others I trade with.”

Sanyal continued, “And why else would he need to find the tomb if he didn’t want the First Prince to return?”

The question hung in the air, and Magda gasped. She had to get Dagmara out of there. It wasn’t safe. Her mind flashed back to the letters she had found in Ishani’s ship days ago. If Ishani had proof in all of his other messages that Claude was searching for the tomb, that was enough.

“So Claude broke the mind seal. Killing off Aleksy, Bogdan, and Magda would break the Life seal,” explained Kiran, “...in theory…”

“Leaving just Celestaire and Flaustra…,” Magda’s voice trailed off as a brooding feeling caused goosebumps to travel up both her arms. It was time to tell them that she did, in fact, have Soul magic, and this would create an even bigger problem for them all. Suddenly, the voice in her head was back, this time as clear as day:

Destruction is but a prelude to creation, Dear Princess…

“I haven’t been honest with you, Queen Sanyal,” Magda blurted out.

Sanyal placed her elbows on the desk, leaning forward. “About what?”

“The reason I came here instead of seeking guidance from Guardian Sora is because…” Magda hesitated. This was the moment of truth. “I have Soul magic.”

“What?” Kiran blurted out.

Sanyal held up a hand to silence her daughter, her attention remaining fixed on Magda. “That’s not possible.”

“Look!” Magda sprang up from the couch, darting to the balcony. Vines weaved across the open doorway and through the banister. Focusing on her magic, Magda tried to make the vines move. She had practiced this. Slowly, the vines curled, thorns protruding from the greenery.

Both Kiran and Sanyal gasped, while Ishani said under her breath, “I knew it.”

“You suspected me at Vex’s hideout,” said Magda, turning back to Ishani.

“Of course I did. It was so obvious.”

“Because you were once a guardian yourself?”

“Precisely. But also, I saw the flowers in my office that you magically brought back to life.”

“You’re a Soul Guardian!” Kiran squealed, covering her mouth with her hands. “What does this mean?”

Sanyal was studying Magdalena. “You only have Soul magic? Nothing to do with water?”

“Nothing,” Magdalena admitted.

“Is that possible?” Kiran continued. “Could Magda be our cousin or something? It has to be Uncle Ivaan!”

“Who?” Magda asked.

“Kiran,” Ishani snapped. “Does she look like our cousin?”

Kiran froze, her nose scrunching as she examined Magdalena more thoroughly. “No.”

“This is why I’m here,” Magdalena said. “No one knows about this, not even my mother. I don’t know anything about being a guardian let alone honing Soul magic! I need to look into your records, I need to understand my past. I need your help, Queen Sanyal, please don’t send me back to Azurem. How do I have Soul magic?”

Sanyal was horribly still, her expression indescribable. “There’s only one explanation.”

Dread flooded through Magda’s body, and a cold wind pricked her skin. It was the same unease she had felt during her dreams with the unknown voice.

“By the guardians, Magdalena,” Sanyal said, breathless, “I never thought this day would come.”

“Please, tell me—”

Sanyal held up her hand, silencing Magda. The room went still.

“What is it mom?” Kiran asked.

“Shhh,” Sanyal silenced her. She rose from her chair, her head inclining as she listened.

That’s when Magda heard it too, stone scraping against stone. It was faint, but the noise sent a chill down her spine.

Sanyal approached the glass doors to the balcony, and Magda countered, stepping away.

Then Magda saw a figure scale the edge of the balcony, using the vines to hoist themself onto solid ground. The figure was dressed in black with a white mask.

Magda’s body went numb. She recognized the mask immediately, including the symbol in the center of the forehead. It was the same mask the assassins wore that had killed Bogdan and Aleksy.

The assassins had found her.

“Get back!” Sanyal yelled before commanding the earth to obey her. With a single raise of her hand, the vines instantly grabbed the assassin by the neck and yanked them backward off the balcony. A single cry pierced the air as they fell to their death.

But they weren’t the only ones. Two other assassins scaled the opposite end of the balcony.

Sanyal whirled on them, her eyes glowing gold. She reached out, commanding the vines to grab the assassins, but the vines froze, moments away from their targets.

Magda watched in awe as the vines shook, unable to reach their targets. What was going on?

Sanyal looked equally in shock. Then the vines turned on the queen and lunged for her throat. They whirled around the queen’s neck and hoisted her into the air.

The earth was turning against the Soul Guardian.

“Kiran, what are you doing?” Ishani yelled.

“It’s not me!” Kiran cried. She collapsed to the ground, cowering behind the couch.

“Magda?!” Ishani screamed.

Magda was frozen. She had no idea what was going on. All she could see were the assassins charging toward her. There had to be something here.

The tiles on the wall. They were stone. Stone would listen to her.

Magda thrust out her arms and the tiles burst from the wall, flying toward the two assassins like shattered glass. They both ducked, skidding onto the ground.

Ishani appeared from behind Magda, her two axes in hand. She used one, throwing it upward at the vines that strangled Queen Sanyal. The vines snapped as the axe tore them, and Sanyal dropped to the ground instantly, her body smacking to the stone floor.

Then Ishani whirled on the assassins, skidding through the open doorway. She threw her other axe before the assassins had gotten back up from the ground. The axe circled in the air before landing perfectly in one of the assassin’s chests. Blood spurted from the wound, and the assassin collapsed a moment later.

There was only one assassin left.

“Magda!” Ishani yelled before racing to recollect her axe.

Magda stared back at the last assassin, the white mask reminding her of her father and brother’s deaths. She would kill this girl, whoever she was. She wanted revenge.

Magda reached out, summoning the remaining vines that twirled over the balcony, but the assassin took one look at her dead comrade and fled.

The vines barely reached her, wrapping around her wrist and digging into her jacket.

The assassin was fast, pulling her hand from the sleeve and slipping out of the jacket entirely. She swung her legs over the railing and disappeared.

Ishani was panting, standing with an axe in hand. She looked at Magda, fear written on her face.

Kiran crawled over to her mother, shaking her as tears streamed down her face.

She looked up, her eyes bloodshot, and screamed, “She’s dead!”