For Uli.
I focused on the elven rails snaking through the grasslands, a bright ribbon of energy that dipped and curved with the natural lay of the terrain. My destination lay to the west, and the rails would be the quickest way to get there—assuming they still worked with the magic missing. If not, it would take us days—weeks, perhaps—to journey across Faythander.
I needed answers, and I knew only one soul who would have them—Fan’twar, my stepfather, the sky king of Faythander.
A gentle breeze tossed strands of my auburn hair across my face, so I tucked the strands behind my ears as I stared at the light-rails. The other warriors stood with me, and together, we trudged toward the rails in silence. They knew as well as I did that there was only one place to go for answers. But with the loss of magic, I hoped we would make it in time.
I also prayed that Fan’twar hadn’t suffered the same fate as Uli.
Yet, a glimmer of hope remained as long as the pure-magic flower existed. Magic wasn’t dead as long as the flower had life—but where was it? And how long would it last before it withered? And even if we did manage to find it, what then? Uli had spoken of the stars of white sand. I’d never heard of such a place. Hopefully, my stepfather could point us in the right direction.
I felt relieved to hear a whooshing coming from up ahead as a light carriage bobbed far in the distance along the rail. I attributed the working carriages to Kull’s dumb luck. The golden sphere glowed in the waning evening sun as it moved closer to the Wult warriors and me.
The light coaches operated with a combination of magic and scientific technology, though I’d never understood the specifics. Now, with the loss of magic, I was surprised our carriage was able to operate at all. I imagined the elves must have used less magic and more science when creating their coaches.
Kull and his men discussed their next move. Brodnik would return to Danegeld with the warriors, where they would rally the Wults and then hunt down Geth. Kull and Rolf would accompany me to the sky king’s caves, where they would aid me in seeking out my stepfather’s assistance.
Their words barely registered with me as my thoughts were still in the caves with Uli. Couldn’t I have done something to save her?
Kull stood beside me, his blond hair turned golden in the evening’s light. “We will take this carriage and make haste to the dragon lands,” he said, gesturing toward the oncoming light carriage. “I fear the blight that has started in the caves will only grow until it envelops our entire world. I cannot imagine the consequences.”
His words brought me out of my trance. “Nor can I,” I answered.
The last rays of sunlight disappeared from the horizon, and a cold chill crept over the land. The once-green grass now looked a ghostly gray, as if the disappearance of sunlight had taken away not only its color, but also its spirit.
The light carriage stopped not far from where we stood, its oval windows giving off an eerie orange hue that lit the grasslands surrounding us. A chill wind gusted as Kull, Rolf, and I started toward the carriage.
Each step I took was a painful reminder of the friend I left behind. I couldn’t help but think of Uli’s body, crushed by thousands of tons of rock lying at the bottom of that chasm. I vowed her death would not be in vain. I would find the flower, and I would save Faythander. Or I would die trying.
We made it to the carriage, and I stepped inside first. The interior, filled with overstuffed cushions that lined the curved walls, immediately warmed me. I sat near the window as Kull and Rolf climbed inside. Once the two men got situated, the doors whooshed closed and sealed with a quiet click. With a gentle movement, the car sped forward.
Kull rested next to me, his eyes closed and his head leaning against the wall. Rolf peered out the window, although there wasn’t much to see in the darkness. A few lights glimmered here and there, flocks of pixies, a stray farmhouse, or an occasional Wult outpost scattered through the countryside.
It would take us all night to reach the sky king’s mountain. I found myself staring out the dark windows with Rolf as I couldn’t seem to sit still, my mind overburdened with worry and regret.
“Are you anxious to see your stepfather?” Rolf asked.
Had he noticed my fidgeting? “No,” I said, and then stopped. “Possibly. I fear what the magic has done to him. He is one of Faythander’s most magical creatures.”
“Will he survive with the magic gone?”
“I don’t know. Truthfully, I don’t know what will happen to our world. But the magic isn’t dead yet. As long as the flower survives, my stepfather should, too.”
“And what of Geth?” Rolf asked. “What motivated him to do such a thing? Goblins aren’t known for being so bold.”
“You’re right. Even when Mr. Green summoned the Dreamthief, he did it quietly. Most races didn’t even know what was happening. Theht would have returned to the world, and no one would have known how it’d happened. Goblins usually have more desire to be left alone than to fight for power. You raise a good question, Rolf.”
What were Geth’s real intentions? Did he truly mean to take over Faythander, or did he have other motivations? If he didn’t want to rule Faythander, then what did he want? At this point, it was impossible to know any answers, although I feared the loss of magic might have only been a diversion. I worried Geth had darker purposes—ones I needed to discover if
