Within seconds of stepping out of the portal, centaur guards surrounded me, their spears ready and pointing at my face.
“No one is allowed to leave the city,” stated one centaur.
“Elders’ orders,” said another.
I raised my hands to show them I was unarmed. I didn’t want to fight them, but I would if I had to.
The rising sun glinted off my ring, and one old centaur gasped. “The ring of a Dragonlord,” he said reverently and bowed his head.
To my surprise, the rest of the centaurs did the same and moved out of the way.
I had to get to Andromeda before she met with Lucian at the Gandren Pass. I closed my eyes and called Snow. I hoped she had returned from the Old Forest.
Within seconds a musical voice filled my ears. “I’m here, little one,” called the white pegasus, shooting out of the sky and landing beside me.
“Let’s go.” I jumped onto Snow’s back. “I hope we are not too late.”
The Heir of Illaria Lightbringer
We flew to the Gandren Pass in the Wildflower Mountains. It was one of the only mountain passes through which an army could enter the kingdom of Elfi. Abraxas was our only hope to destroy the book. If the great dragon did not come and my grandmother died, Elfi would fall and Morgana would be one step closer to releasing Dragath and destroying the world forever.
If I had to give myself up to Morgana to save Elfi, I would do it. I was prepared for the worst.
I looked at the ring as I flew closer to my doom. “So how do I summon you?” I asked Abraxas, feeling silly as soon as the thought left my brain.
“I can’t tell you that,” the dragon snapped. “Don’t you think I would have already if I could?”
“But I don’t know how to use the power of the Dawnstar,” I argued. “If you can tell me what words I have to say, or if I can understand more about how the Dawnstar works, then I may have a chance.”
“It’s not the words that are important, Aurora,” Abraxas offered. “It is the will behind them. The stronger the will, the stronger the call of a Dragonlord. You must have faith in yourself. You are the Dawnstar. You are Illaria’s weapon. Your magic is unlike anything this world has ever seen. Certain words do have more power than others, this is true, but the real magic is within you, in a place that has no beginning and no end; a place where no darkness can penetrate. That is where the Dawnstar resides.”
I looked at the ring on my finger again as we flew on ahead, doubt creeping into every single thought. What if the summoning didn’t work, what if I couldn’t break the curse on his prison?
Snow knew where to go. We descended into the valley near the Gandren Pass. I hid myself with glamour and took up a position on a cliff overlooking the meeting place.
Andromeda, the Elders, and their army had arrived.
Lucian and a legion of soldiers had already entered the pass and were waiting at the appointed place: a great open field in the shadow of the looming mountains that guarded Elfi from the outside world.
There was no sign of Tristan or my grandmother. I had no way of knowing if the Elite had reached them in time. I closed my eyes and tried summoning the dragon, but Abraxas was silent. I tried everything I could to find the magic within me to break the curse and free him, but no answer came, and time was running out.
As Lucian drew closer, I realized these weren’t ordinary soldiers he had brought with him. They were Drakaar!
I looked around at how many Drakaar he had brought into Elfi and my blood ran cold. The Elders were mad to allow this. So many Drakaar in one place could easily summon an army of Shadow Demons within seconds. Without the fire-fae warriors, they would be helpless. And as much as I would like to think I could, I could not take on a whole army of Drakaar alone.
I looked up. Although I couldn’t see them, I knew their gorgoths were probably positioned overhead in the mountains, waiting for their masters to call them down to wreak havoc on the fae.
Lucian didn’t need more soldiers; his army was already here.
The archmage sat astride a black stallion in the middle of the field, the Drakaar flanking him on all sides. I glanced around, taking in everyone’s positions. Andromeda and the Elders stood at the front of the fae army, their faces drawn and resigned to defeat.
Lucian spoke first. “I’m glad you have finally come to your senses,” remarked the Archmage of Avalonia, his voice clear and loud. “The fae council is wise. You know you cannot win against my army.” He got off his horse and walked closer, his black mage robes billowing in the wind.
“Queen Andromeda.” He stressed the word queen. “Have you brought the book?’
The others were silent, but one of the Elders raised an eyebrow and glanced at Andromeda.
“Queen?” asked Elder Dyanara. She looked back at Lucian. “You seem to be mistaken, Archmage. Andromeda is not our queen.”
“Apologies,” he taunted, tilting his head and putting his finger mockingly to his lips. He was obviously not sorry at all. “Was I not supposed to reveal that yet? Well, I’ll let you all fight that out by yourselves. All I want is what I came for and I shall be on my way.”
Andromeda stepped forward and addressed the council and the warriors that stood behind them. “Izadora is dead,” she said plainly.
A gasp went up through the ranks. Was it true? Tristan hadn’t returned with my grandmother, and time was almost up.
“I will be your queen,” Andromeda shouted to the warriors. But there were no cries of joy or supportive cheering. There was only the sound of the quickening beat of my heart.
The
