The doors to the council chamber opened, and I entered a sunlit room overlooking the city. Big arched windows were hung with light muslin curtains fluttering in the breeze. In the center of the room lay a huge table upon which rested a massive, detailed map of Avalonia.
I moved forward to look at it and smiled. It was a beautiful rendering with towns and cities painted in vivid colors and mountains so lifelike they rose off the page. My grandmother sat at the head of the table; the rest of the council members were seated on the two sides. Penelope was already there and stood beside her sister, the queen. My grandmother beckoned for me to come forward, and the council members eyed me warily as I passed them.
“I have called this meeting today to discuss the situation in the west,” said my grandmother. “Penelope has returned with some disturbing news, and the time has come for us to address the threat of Morgana.”
“Why should we care what a western queen does in her lands?” said one council member, an old lord from the Day Court. His name was Silias. The dowager had pointed him out while he was walking in the gardens during one of our lessons. “This is not our fight. We don’t have that many trained warriors.” He pointed at me. “She should go home and take her fight with her.”
The queen looked at the old lord, ice in her eyes, and he shrank back. “Tell them what you have found out, Penelope.” She didn’t look at her sister.
Penelope stepped forward to address the council. She told them everything about Morgana’s quest for the Book of Abraxas and her plan to release Dragath.
The council was quiet as they listened to Penelope speak.
“But has she the power to release him?” inquired another fae elder, a slender, silver-haired high lady. “From what I understand, Auraken Firedrake’s magical prison is unbreakable.”
“We believe,” said Penelope, “that Morgana possesses the Dark Dagger of Dragath.”
A gasp went up from the council, and I could see a hint of terror in those immortal eyes, but they all held their tongues and let Penelope finish.
“We all know the concentrated power of hundreds of immortal High Fae that lies within the Dagger can indeed break the spell on Dragath’s prison,” said Penelope. “But first she needs the book to learn how to do it and how to control him.”
The council members nodded, and I could see many of them had not expected this news. They, more than anyone, knew the threat of Dragath was real. They knew what he and his demons could do. Their whole civilization had nearly been destroyed by him once. And the Dark Dagger was every High Fae’s worst nightmare. All of them knew the stories of how Dragath wiped out Illaria’s whole army with it. If he ever rose again, Elfi was doomed. There was no Illaria Lightbringer or Auraken Firedrake to protect them.
There was only me.
Rhiannon, the Dowager Grand Duchess of the Night Court, spoke. “Then we must make sure Morgana never gets her hands on the book. If she has the keys, they are useless to her without it.”
“That is exactly why the book is safest in Elfi,” said Elder Silias. “I don’t know why mages were made guardians of the keys. We should have been protecting the keys too. They have failed in their task.”
“Not all of them have failed,” I said quietly, finally speaking up. “Duke Gabriel Silverthorne still has his key. He will never give it to Morgana.”
“From what I understand, Gabriel Silverthorne is rotting away in Morgana’s dungeons,” said Silias. “He will break. They always do.”
I didn’t know what to say as doubt crept in. What if he was right, what if they had already broken Uncle Gabriel and had the fourth key? They could be coming for the book right now.
“Gabriel Silverthorne will never give up,” Penelope said softly. “He will get out of the dungeons eventually, of that I have no doubt. He is the most resourceful mage I have ever met. Do not underestimate the mages just yet; they are not as weak as we perceive them to be.”
“We can argue about this for centuries,” said the silver-haired fae elder, “but we don’t have that luxury. Something has to be done. We cannot sit around waiting for Morgana to come to Elfi with the Dark Dagger and take the Book of Abraxas.”
“That is not the only reason she will come,” said Lord Silias, standing up and leaning on the table for support. “Morgana will come for her.” He pointed one long pale finger at me.
I clenched my fists and held my tongue, reminding myself for the umpteenth time that if the fae threw me out I would have nowhere to go.
“Enough!” said the queen of the fae, standing up slowly. And the room went silent. “We are not sitting here doing nothing, Dyanara.” She looked pointedly at the silver-haired fae elder. “Plans have already been set in motion. When Aurora is ready she will lead a fae army to Illiador and take back her throne. We will end Morgana’s rule once and for all.”
“And when will she be ready?” said Dyanara. “We have received word that Queen Morgana’s army is already moving south toward Elfi.”
“And what about the Dark Dagger?” said Silias. “We cannot send our remaining warriors into battle only to be swallowed up by the Dagger’s evil curse. No fae can touch the Dark Dagger without being pulled inside. Morgana will obliterate our race completely.”
“That is why we need Aurora,” said Izadora. “Being half fae, she is the only one of us who can touch the Dagger without being trapped—her mage side anchors her to this
