Minx had listened to the dragon shifter's story without a word, her mind filled once again with the vivid scenes she'd only just experienced by the lake. The vision she'd had aligned very closely with this story of Kaleb's—so much so that she couldn't shake the chill from her spine. Could there be something to this old story? They say that old legends like this one always contain at least a kernel of truth. Maybe, in this case, it isn't just a story... The relationship between the lake and the mountain... and the Dark Mage's meddling... Perhaps the key to unlocking this mess is in this simple story.
“Let's go down there and help them out,” said Minx after a long silence. “I'll see how Mau is doing. The Trading Center looks like a mess and they're going to need all the help they can get cleaning up.”
Kaleb agreed, gradually descending till he was able to touch down in the square. Shifting back into his human form, he stretched and surveyed the ruin. “We'll do everything we can to assist,” he promised. Then, peering through the gate at the fields where dark warriors had marched only a short while ago, he added, “But we'll need to act fast. Torrent's forces will be back before we know it. Things are looking rough. It'll be difficult, if not impossible, to keep them out next time.”
The Fae huntress studied the crumbling walls and strode toward Mau with her head low. Next time, she thought to herself, might be the end of the Fae.
Chapter 17
Mercifully, the earthquake hadn't resulted in a massive death toll in and around Pandling Grounds. There had been casualties—and the loss of even a single man under the circumstances was regarded as a great tragedy—but the forces of the Fae had largely survived to fight another day. When the dead had been buried, other concerns rapidly reared their heads, however.
The city walls had been breached and the handful of scouts that had been dispatched to scope out the area returned intermittently with reports of enemy movements. The dark army had been punished by the quake—their ranks had been thrown into temporary disarray—but already they appeared to be coalescing into an agitated whole. When these forces finally decided to return to Pandling Grounds, they would meet less resistance than ever before, and a Fae defense force that was thoroughly exhausted in the face of constant struggles.
Minx, Mau and Kaleb joined in the rebuilding efforts, mending the walls where bricks had fallen loose and clearing rubble. The trio worked through the night with nearly everyone else in town, and the able-bodied denizens of Pan who'd so far avoided the greater conflict turned out in large numbers to assist as well. Even so, the job was a formidable one, and as she shuffled through the square, Minx knew it would be a job of many weeks to clear and rebuild all that had been lost.
But even as she gave her time and strength to hastily rebuilding, members of the Fae hierarchy sought to monopolize her. On the day of the quake, shortly before sunset, Minx had been called away by her father and asked to meet with a certain individual in the inner chamber of the High Council building. Leaving Mau and Kaleb behind, she set off for the bustling Council office. There, she was surprised to find a handful of the Fae Elders, along with a most unexpected person in attendance.
Seated against the far wall of the austere chamber and waving off the Elders, a young Fae with a warm—if somewhat sinister smile—awaited her. Minx had met him before; during her trip to Heilo Lake with Kaleb and the dragons of the Talon Range Guard before the great battle, she'd met him at the lakeside abode used by the Elders. This man, a priest whose name she had not been given, was affiliated with the Silence—the secretive organization tasked with the protection of Heilo Lake. During their last meeting, he had made a number of forceful requests for a dragon's hide, which Minx had steadfastly refused. Starting cautiously into the room and closing the door of the chamber behind her, she kept her distance and dissected him with a most unfriendly gaze. She was caked in dust for the day's work, and her hair was tousled. Her muscles ached and she wanted nothing more than to sit in one of the chairs lining the nearby table, where the High Council members held their deliberations.
The young priest tucked a lock of dark hair behind his ear and greeted her with a nod. “Minx, thank you for coming.”
She didn't respond. Had she known ahead of time who was requesting to meet with her, she might have chosen to ignore the invitation. The territory is falling apart all around us. What does he want? And why isn't he out there helping? Does he have something more important to do?
The priest wore a pristine white robe, as before, and looked positively unbothered by the destruction that was so visible all around the building. “I was hoping we could have a talk, you and I,” he continued. “It's about the lake.” His dark eyes narrowed. “The Silence can no longer sense the lake—not like before. Something has changed, Minx. We are unable to interact with the lake, unable to feel its energies.” He tented his fingers. “I believe dark magic is at play.”
Minx hadn't told anyone about her visit to the lake, or about Torrent's presence there. She'd meant to tell her father—to alert the High Council—but the quake had sidelined her plans. “I was at the lake earlier, before the quake,” she began. “Torrent was there,
