Everealm: Book One of the Everealm Series Page 21

  “Wow. That could really change things. She could be the first female in a hundred years to have full magic.”

  “And that could lead to a whole slew of problems. Wizards weren’t very kind to her mother, especially back then. They didn’t believe that women should possess full magic. Many still don’t.” Dagan shook his head. “There are so many questions and now that she’s gone, I’m afraid of what will happen if someone does find her, senses her power. Especially since she hasn’t really learned how to control it or mask it.”

  The worry splashed across Dagan’s face was painful to look at. Rowan wanted to assure him that Sidonie would be fine, that they all would be, but how could he know? So instead, he reached into the bread basket and took out a slice of honey bread and used it to soak up the remaining juice on his plate, out of habit. When you are used to eating just once a day, as he usually did on assignment, you learned not to waste a drop.

  Dagan had just finished his last bite when Sarita came wandering over. Rowan sat back as she began to climb onto his lap. He was happy she had warmed up to him.

  “At least the princess doesn’t find you scary as hell, like most—,” Dagan stopped talking when Rowan shot him a warning look and started to cover Sarita’s ears. “What? Her sister curses just as much as you do. All I mean is, if things don’t work out with the queen, there’s always her younger sister.” Dagan grinned when Rowan grabbed a roll and threw it at him. Then he took another out and handed it to Sarita when she tried to reach for the basket.

  Dagan barely caught the roll before it could hit him in the eye. Laughing, he took a bite. Sarita sat quietly, looking around as she ate her roll. Then she started humming the same song she had been singing earlier. Before Dagan could ask her the name of the song, she stopped suddenly, staring at something across the room. Dagan drew his eyebrows together, which caused Rowan to give him a questioning look. Dagan nodded toward Sarita, and Rowan tried to see what he meant but he couldn’t see the front of her face.

  “Mister Wizard?”

  “You may call me Dagan, princess. You called my grandfather by his first name, I believe.”

  She ignored him, still staring at something. Dagan turned behind him, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just a few servants cleaning the hall.

  “Mister Wizard,” she said again, “I think that servant girl is wearing a costume.”

  Dagan turned to look at the servant girl behind him. He had seen her several times before and she didn’t look any different to him now.

  “Uh, she is wearing an apron and bonnet, yes. Most servants do. Is that what you mean?”

  “No. She is wearing a costume.”

  “Sarita,” Rowan began, “what makes you think she’s wearing a costume?”

  “Because my song is making her change. Her face changes when I sing.”

  Dagan tilted his head, studying Sarita. As silly as it had sounded, she was very serious about what she said. He glanced behind him and the servant girl had left the room. “Would you sing the song again, princess? Can I hear it?”

  Sarita looked at him and nodded, then began to sing.

  Covered in darkness

  Hidden from view

  Show yourself to the light

  Reveal the true you

  She repeated the song once more. Dagan was stunned. It wasn’t a song at all. It was a spell.

  “Princess, where did you learn that spell, er, song?” Dagan asked, earning a strange look from Rowan at the mention of a spell.

  “Elric taught it to me. He taught me lots of songs. He said I had a good memory.”

  “My grandfather taught you that song? And there are more songs? How many?”

  Sarita shrugged, “I don’t know, lots of them.”

  “Oh, hell.”

  “Dagan!” Rowan growled, but Dagan was lost in thought. The missing spells. Could it be? Had he taught her the spells?

  Snapping back to reality, Dagan sat straight up on the bench. “Princess, could you teach me that song?”

  “Sure, mister wizard,” she replied, then began to sing again, repeating the song until Dagan had it memorized.

  “Sarita,” Celeste called out to her. “It’s time to ready for bed, dear.” Sarita climbed down from Rowan’s lap and gave a quick curtsy to them, then took off across the hall to Celeste.

  “I think I know why I can’t find my grandfather’s spells,” Dagan said, excitedly.

  “Because he taught them to Sarita?” Rowan asked. “Why would he do that?”

  “Probably to keep them safe. The chances that someone could get ahold of his spellbook were much greater than the chances of someone getting into the princess’s mind. And that’s only after they could figure out she knew the spells.”

  “What about this spell? Obviously it is used to reveal something. Magic?”

  “Yes, I knew I had heard it before. It’s used to reveal a disguise, of magical origin, at least.”

  “So… this servant girl that Sarita was talking about?”

  “There’s only one way to find out. Where did she go?” He looked around the hall and couldn’t find her.

  “Maybe she went back to the kitchens.” Rowan stood and motioned to two guards standing near the door. Then he told them to stay with the queen, who was lounging in her throne, still absorbed in her book.

  “Let’s go find her,” Rowan said. When they reached the door to the kitchens, Rowan took out two of his daggers, one for each hand.

  “Really?” Dagan asked.

  “You never know…”

  Dagan pushed the door open. The kitchens were still busy with cooks and kitchen maids cleaning after supper and preparing food for the next day. None of them seemed to notice when they slipped in.

  “Do you remember what she looked like?” Dagan whispered.

  “She had brown hair, barely past her ears, a brown dress, white apron, which was pretty dirty…” he trailed off when Dagan gave him a blank look. “What? Remembering details is part of my job.” But Dagan just shook his head and looked around the room. The servant girl wasn’t here. Rowan stopped one of the kitchen maids as she passed and described the servant girl to her. The kitchen maid pointed toward the back room, where food was stored. Dagan pushed the door open slowly. The servant girl was reaching up, struggling to pull a crate down from the shelf above her. When she heard the door open behind her, she turned her head. Once she noticed who it was, she immediately began to fuss with her hair and apron, trying to compose herself. She looked rather harmless.

  “I am sorry, my Lords,” she said, giving a quick and sloppy curtsy and looking a bit flustered. “Can I be of assistance?”

  Dagan took a deep breath and recited the spell as the girl watched him, unaware of what was happening. As soon as he said the last word, the girl grabbed her head and began to howl. Dagan staggered back, stunned as the servant girls face began to change, morphing into a face that was all too familiar.

  “Dahlia.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Rowan had Dahlia cornered before Dagan could even register what was happening. In just moments, she was lying on the floor with Rowan’s knee against her back and knife at her throat. She looked dumbfounded, obviously in shock that her disguise was gone. She tried to fight back, but Rowan pulled her to her feet and taking a piece of twine from one of his pockets, he tied her hands behind her. Then he led her out of the room and through the kitchens. When he shoved her into the hall, Bree stood and cursed aloud. Guards came forward and took Dahlia, moving her in front of the queen, forcing her to kneel. When Bree didn’t speak, Dagan stepped forward.

  “How did you disguise yourself? What kind of magic did you use?” Dagan questioned her. She didn’t answer and spit at him, barely missing his boot. However, he didn’t need her to answer him when he noticed she was wearing a silver chain under her dress. He reached over and pulled the chain up, lifting an amulet out from between her breasts as she smirked at him.
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  Dagan froze, his hand beginning to shake as he held the amulet up. His heart started to race. It can’t be…

  “Where did you get this?” he demanded. “How did you come by this amulet?”

  “It was a gift,” she replied, “from my father.” Dahlia looked up at the queen and smiled. “Your uncle.”

  Bree still didn’t speak. Instead, she continued to stare at Dahlia, her expression difficult to read.

  “Where did he get it?” Dagan pressed, determined to get an answer from her as he pulled the amulet from her neck and gripped it tightly.

  “Oh, I don’t know. He said something about taking it from a wizard.”

  “When?”

  “Honestly, you have far worse things to worry about than a stone, don’t you think?” She seemed bored with his line of questioning but decided to humor him, rolling her eyes. “Last winter, I think.”

  “Impossible.”

  “I only know what I was told.”

  Bree stepped down off of her throne, getting closer to have a better look at Dahlia. “You said my uncle. Silas. He’s your father? My uncle only has one daughter and you are not Ethel.”

  “Oh, am I not? Cousin?”

  Suddenly the memory that the mirror had chosen to show to Bree was making sense. But Bree still couldn’t believe Dahlia was Ethel. There was absolutely no resemblance to the plump little girl that Bree remembered. Could someone really change this much? When Bree didn’t answer, Dahlia laughed.

  “What happened to you?” Bree asked.

  “What happened to me? Well, I grew up, cousin. Changed a few things, here and there. Like my name and my hair. Do you like it? I always wondered how I would look as a blonde. I guess your lover likes me as a blonde, too.”

  Bree lifted her arm and struck Dahlia across the face. Blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth, Dahlia just smiled.

  “You selfish bitch!”

  “Funny, that’s exactly what my father calls you!” Dahlia said, then she spit a mouth full of blood at Bree’s feet. Bree didn’t flinch.

  “Why? Dahlia or Ethel, or whatever your name is? Why?”

  “Which part? Seducing your lover? Or helping my father kidnap your mother?”

  “Poisoning someone is hardly seducing them. Why did your father kidnap my mother? What does he want with her?” She was beginning to lose her patience.

  “His soul mate? I don’t know. Ask him.”

  “I am asking you! Why did you do this? What did we ever do to you?” Bree screamed. She couldn’t take any more of Dahlia’s careless attitude. Dagan grabbed Bree’s shoulder and turned her around so that she couldn’t see Dahlia anymore. Then he whispered, “Don’t give her what she wants. Don’t let her win.”

  Bree took a deep breath and turned to Nick, who had walked in just moments ago.

  “Sir Nicholas, would you please send word to Sire that we have captured the daughter of the king? Make an offer to trade his daughter for my mother.”

  Dahlia just stared at her, silent for the first time. She was certain that the queen would order her to be killed. However, she had just made an offer to trade her, instead.

  “In the meantime,” Bree continued, “please take our prisoner to the dungeon. And be sure to search her first.” Then Bree turned away as the guards led Dahlia from the room.

  Dagan absentmindedly walked over to a bench and sat down, his legs trembling.

  “What is that?” Bree asked. “Do you recognize it?”

  Dagan nodded, then looked down at the amulet in his hands. The deep red stone was cool under the heat of his fingers. “It was my father’s.”

  “But your father is dead, right? Many years ago?”

  “No one has seen him since my mother left him. I believed he was dead. But…”

  Bree sat across the table from him. “Are you sure it was his then? Perhaps there are two stones that look the same.”

  Dagan held the amulet up with one hand and summoned light in the palm of his other hand, then he brought the light to the amulet. Bree watched as an initial E appeared in the center of the stone.

  “It’s his. E is for Edmund, my father.”

  “So does this mean he’s alive, after all this time?”

  “I don’t know,” he shook his head. He still couldn’t believe he was holding his father’s amulet. He had all but forgotten it existed until he lifted it off of Dahlia’s neck. “I guess he could have given it to someone, or it could have been stolen from him. But this amulet will only work for a human if it has been charged by a wizard. Even if Dahlia’s father had found it, how would he even know what it is, or what it does?”

  “Well, he does have a powerful wizard in his service.”

  “Yes, he does. And still, I wonder…” Looking at the amulet one last time, Dagan tucked it into the inside pocket of his wizard robes. This was a mystery for another day.

  ~*~

  “He refused? What do you mean he refused?” Bree was astonished. “He refused to trade my mother for his daughter? Refused to save his daughter’s life because he thinks my mother is his soul mate?”

  It had been two days since word was sent to Sire, offering a trade. Silas had taken his time in responding, which should have been the first hint that he wasn’t going to agree, but Bree had been hopeful. This news, however, completely shattered that hope. He wouldn’t agree to it. Maybe because he didn’t want to seem weak, or perhaps he didn’t really care for Dahlia. Either way, this wasn’t good news for Junacave. If he wouldn’t give Cicilly back, they would have to find a way to get her back themselves.

  “Apparently so,” Nick replied. “Our scouts have also returned late last night. If you still plan to infiltrate his kingdom, I will need to question them as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more details could be forgotten.”

  “Yes, question them. Find out everything we need to know. But first send someone to speak with Dagan. I would like to know how his progress is going with Sarita. I hope she has been able to give him the spells he needs.”

  Bree turned to Rowan once Nick left the room. “I need to see her. She needs to know.”

  Rowan shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I am with Rowan on this one, Bree,” Finn chimed in. “She isn’t the same person you knew before. She’s changed and not for the better. She’s dangerous.”

  “Still, I want to see her. Take me to her.”

  When Rowan didn’t move, Bree lifted her chin. “Rowan…”

  “Is that an order, Your Majesty?” he replied, dryly. But Bree didn’t answer. Instead, she continued to stare at Rowan, waiting for him to give in. However, he only solidified his stance.

  “Wow,” Finn said, then he held his breath.

  Unexpectedly, Rowan pulled one of his daggers and flung his arm out to the side, sending the dagger flying through the air and straight into the wall on the other side of the hall, causing a servant to gasp who was watering a flower vase nearby.

  But Bree never took her eyes off of Rowan. She was determined to stand her ground.

  “Stop acting like a child, Rowan. And stop putting holes in my walls every time you do not get your way.”

  Rowan stepped closer to Bree. “As you wish, Your Majesty,” he said, forcing a fake smile. Bree turned on her heel and walked over to her throne to fetch her robe.

  Finn let out his breath, finally, and smiled. “That went well…” he said, nodding.

  Rowan led Bree down a long staircase and into the dungeons. She had never set foot in one of them before, so she didn’t know what to expect. She found it to be just as dark and dirty as the dungeons she read about in her books. The passages were lined with small rooms with metal bars and doors. Most of the rooms were empty, except for a few. She didn’t slow down enough to get a good look at who was in any of them. Instead, she stayed close behind Rowan and another guard. The passage wasn’t very wide and if a prisoner were standing cl
ose to the doors, they could have easily reached out to grab her. Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea, after all.

  When they reached the room that Dahlia was being kept in, Bree walked up slowly, trying to mentally prepare herself for seeing her again. She hadn’t been able to control her emotions very well the last time they were in the same room together. Bree was determined that this meeting would be different.

  Dahlia was sitting on a bench in the back of the room. Her shirt, vest, and skirts were covered in dirt, and her golden hair was messy, frazzled. She looked like she had been crying recently with puffy eyes and a red nose. And she hadn’t been sleeping well, which was evident by the dark circles under her eyes. Bree felt a small pang of guilt and sadness for seeing Dahlia like this. Then she remembered what the woman had done, and later bragged about, and the small feeling of guilt went away.

  “A personal visit from the queen?” Dahlia said once she saw Bree. “This is a surprise.” Though it wasn’t really a surprise to Dahlia, who had been waiting impatiently for word to return to Junacave from her father. Soon she would be on her way back home.

  Deciding not to delay the reason for her visit, Bree said, “Your father refused the trade. He rejected our offer.”

  “Liar!” Dahlia screamed, standing up from the bench. She curled her hands into fists at her side. “You are lying! My father would never put a whore above his daughter!”

  “My mother is far from a whore,” Bree replied. “Nevertheless, he refused to trade. I have no reason to lie to you.”

  “Don’t pretend that this doesn’t make you leap for joy. I doubt you even sent word for a trade. You’re probably just trying to trick me. Punish me for what I did to you.”

  “I want my mother returned and you gone as soon as possible. But it looks like neither of us will get what we want today.”

  “My father would never let me rot in this dungeon. He will send someone to rescue me. Just wait and see. You were wrong. My father does love me.”

  “I hope you are right. I hope he does love you. But he won’t be sending anyone to rescue you. If he wanted you back, he only had to give up my mother. He wouldn’t do it.”