Wildfire: Book Two of the Everealm Series Page 4

  ~*~

  Once outside of the castle, Simon could finally breathe with ease. After Vallica ordered the cooks’ punishment, he couldn’t bring himself to stay and watch, so he excused himself to tend to matters in the village. He was no stranger to brutal beatings, having administered hundreds in his position in Sire’s military over the years. He had even received a few severe beatings, as well, including the loss of his finger by King Silas, himself. However, the punishment Vallica had ordered for such an insignificant mistake made by the cooks was simply too much for him to bear witness to.

  The person Vallica had become was terrifying. Before Silas’ death, Vallica had wanted nothing more than to live a happy life, free from her husband. Even after she had smothered Silas’ mistress with a pillow, she had maintained her optimism, looking forward to a future with Simon, someday.

  But the act of stabbing her husband had changed her, hardened her. And her new sense of power as ruler of Sire had turned her into a monster. A selfish, conniving bitch. But there was a part of Simon’s heart that still cared for her, still loved her. He hoped, with time, she would come to her senses. He just wondered how long he would have to wait…

  When he returned to the castle a while later, he watched a black carriage pulling into view. Simon tilted his head in confusion as he watched the carriage approaching. There were no horses, no driver. It appeared to be rolling along, on its own. After a moment, he realized it was being controlled by magic. This must be the wizard.

  Simon knew little about this wizard. Vallica found him through a merchant who was unloading goods from his ship in Sire’s port. The merchant had showered the queen with many gifts, earning himself a seat at her table for dinner. It was during that dinner in which the merchant told tales of a dark wizard from Kilharie, conjuring blue fire. This blue fire could destroy anything, including stone.

  Simon knew immediately that this wizard couldn’t be trusted. Anyone who hailed from Kilharie was bad news. Only pirates, traitors, and scum would frequent the town. Unfortunately, though, most of the imports into Sire came from Kilharie. It was how Silas had made his fortune, taxing pirated goods from Kilharie merchants which were distributed to the kingdoms in the southern half of the realm. Even though Sire had imported goods from honest merchants, it was the other-than-honest means that made Sire a very wealthy kingdom.

  Being the bastard child of the late King Vincent, Silas hadn’t inherited a kingdom like his late brother, King Frederick. Silas was made to earn his keep in Junacave and once he became an adult, King Vincent granted him land on the coast. The rumor was that Vincent did so to rid himself of his son, at the request of his wife who despised the boy. Rightfully so, as Silas was the result of an affair Vincent had with his wife’s chambermaid.

  Now that Silas was dead and Vallica was the ruler, little had changed in regards to the port of Sire. If anything, it had gotten worse. Vallica was easily bought with jewels and baubles, gladly lowering import tariffs for merchants that were able to bribe her. Simon tried to intervene, but Vallica refused to listen.

  As the carriage neared, Simon sent a soldier inside to alert the queen. She had been anxious for the wizard’s arrival and demanded to be the first to greet him. A terrible feeling washed over Simon when the carriage door opened and the wizard stepped out.

  Vallica entered the courtyard just as the wizard appeared, wearing long, black wizard robes. She was excited but tried to remain calm as she approached him, wearing a blood red gown which she chose for this very occasion. She brushed her long, smooth, black hair behind her shoulders, revealing the tops of her firm breasts. She would finally have her own wizard, by any means necessary, to do her bidding. And he had finally arrived.

  Simon stepped forward to introduce the queen, but Vallica stopped him. She was determined to be the first to greet the wizard. She knew that declaring loyalty to a kingdom was a wizard’s choice, and she wanted to be certain to give the best possible first impression. If this wizard refused, she didn’t know how long it would take to find another.

  “I am Queen Vallica, ruler of Sire. I am so pleased to finally meet you, Mage Mereck.”

  The wizard dipped into a low bow and his long, light blonde hair dangled from his head. When he straightened, he grinned at the queen, revealing a bright and flawless smile. Vallica was taken by the wizard, immediately, who was roughly the same age as she was. From the tales she had heard, she was expecting him to look rough and precarious. Instead, he was quite handsome and charming, which was certainly another form of danger, in itself.

  “It is my pleasure, Your Highness. I am happy to be at your service.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I must say, your beauty is well-known throughout the realm, but the rumors hardly do it justice.”

  Vallica smiled. It appears there isn’t a need to woo the wizard, after all. She gestured to a servant and ordered him to unload Mereck’s carriage.

  “I was about to sit down for a meal. I would be delighted if you would join me.” She didn’t want to waste any time.

  Mereck nodded and followed the queen into the castle. Little did Vallica know, this wasn’t Mereck’s first visit to Sire. He smiled as he passed a statue of the late King Silas. It served him right, he thought. If Silas hadn’t perished, Mereck would never have been allowed back into Sire, having been banished by Larkin when he was eighteen years old, some thirty years ago. The wizard was furious when he caught his nephew taking the virginity of the daughter of one of Sire’s wealthiest noblemen. The kingdom had been fairly new at the time. King Silas and Larkin thought it best to rid themselves of Mereck and avoid any confrontation with the noble families.

  But now Mereck had returned and he was certain that no one would recognize him after all of this time. He spent many years in Kilharie, working for corrupt lords and pirates. Pursuing an overindulged queen, like Vallica, was nothing to him. And paying off a merchant to boast about his accomplishments was well worth the investment. Vallica had sent for Mereck before the merchant even stepped foot off of the coast of Sire.

  The queen led him to a large throne room, decorated with tapestries. A long table in the middle of the room was already filled with ham, breads, fruits, and pastries. A servant pulled out a chair for the queen at the end of the table and Mereck was seated to the right of her. Though there were several other chairs placed at the table, no one else joined them. Mereck wasted no time in filling his plate.

  “It is well known that wizards have a remarkable appetite. I hope I have prepared a fitting meal for you?” Vallica asked.

  “Yes, thank you,” he replied, with a mouth full of food.

  “I’ve heard great tales of your magic.” There was no need to skirt around her intentions. “I was hoping you would consider declaring loyalty to Sire. I’m sure you’ve heard that our previous wizard went mad with grief and abandoned his kingdom?”

  Mereck was sure there was more to the story. However, Larkin did refuse to declare loyalty to the queen, which could be considered as abandonment to some. Either way, his fleeing had opened up the position. And Mereck was determined to take it. But he wasn’t going to seem eager in doing so.

  “As you know, I have lived a free life, traveling the realm with no ruler to tie me down or control me. I am accustomed to a certain level of privacy and discretion.”

  “That is something I can afford you, here. As my Royal Mage, you would receive the utmost respect and privacy. That I can assure you. If my kingdom is known for anything, it is discretion.” A fact that was entirely true.

  Mereck leaned back in his chair and pretended to consider her words. It sounded as if the queen would agree to anything. He wondered how many privileges he could demand of her…

  “I think we may be able to come to some sort of agreement.” He grinned, deceitfully.

  Chapter Four

  “This is so exciting!”

  “Sarita, sit down before you fall out of the window!” Bree tugged on the back of Sarita’s whi
te and blue gown, chosen specifically for today. She wanted to match the colors of winter and this gown was the only one she brought with her that came close.

  They had made it to the very edge of the village before the snow began to fall. Sarita couldn’t help but marvel at the snow-capped mountains and rooftops. Even from the bottom of the mountain, she could see the purple and white flags flying atop the huge stone castle.

  Bree was in awe of the view, as well. Vale was magnificent. She was a child the last time she visited Vale. Her grandmother, Eda, had still been alive then, and it had been summertime.

  “It actually looks smaller than I remember,” Bree said. “But when you’re young, everything looks bigger, I guess.”

  “I think it’s marvelous,” Sidonie replied. Compared to Junacave, this castle was smaller. However, it had a grand appearance as it sat at the top of the mountain, looking out over the valleys below. There were over a dozen thin turrets reaching up into the sky at varying heights. Sidonie wondered just how many stairs one would have to climb to reach the top of the highest one. She was exhausted simply thinking about it.

  Outside of the carriage, Rowan pulled Dragon around to ride next to Dagan, who was in a sour mood after his argument with Sidonie. She hadn’t spoken a word to him before they left Elmber having already shut herself inside the carriage before he could approach her, making it obvious she wasn’t in the mood to talk. So he rode alone, mostly, grumbling to himself and cursing fate for bringing this creature into his life.

  He had been perfectly fine in his portal outside of Elmber until his grandfather sent the queen to find him. After that, everything had changed and would never be as it was before. He honestly didn’t want it to, either. But knowing Sidonie was angry with him was making him reconsider. Things were much simpler before when he didn’t even bother to remember the names of the women he entertained. Now that he had found his magical soul mate, and knew what it felt like to be with her, he could never go back to his selfish ways. Just the thought of living alone again was almost unbearable to imagine.

  Rowan could see that Dagan was deep in thought. Or it could have been sulking. Either way, it was beginning to annoy him. After his amazing night with Bree, seeing his friend moping around for two days was ruining his good mood.

  “Ahem.” Rowan cleared his throat, bringing Dagan out of his trance. “Seriously? Are you planning an escape?” He couldn’t help but smile.

  “No. Though, now that you mention it… It isn’t a terrible idea. I’ve never seen her this angry before.”

  “Sure you have. She just wasn’t angry at you. This time she is. It’s a completely different situation, altogether.”

  “How do you survive it? Queen is mad at you most of the time, yet she always forgives you,” he said, shaking his head. Bree and Rowan’s relationship had been complicated, and still was. Yet, they managed to overcome much more difficult situations than this.

  “I don’t always handle things the way I should. You’ve been there, so you know. This is just your first disagreement. You’ll get past it.” As they neared the castle gates, Rowan reached into his saddlebag and pulled out an apple for Dragon.

  “What was your first argument about?”

  “Me and Bree? Wow. I can’t even remember. We’ve known each other for so long and we have disagreed over nearly everything at some point. Finn would probably know, though. He was there for it all, trying to keep the peace between us.”

  Rowan laughed, thinking back to their childhood. He had lived and trained in the castle with his father since he was six years old. He shared the same tutors as Bree and Finn, along with several other children. All of the children were of noble families, but Bree was the only one who was a royal. Rowan never considered her to be any different than the other girls and he treated her the same. It wasn’t until they were both much older that he realized she wasn’t like the other girls. He had watched her change from an obnoxious little girl, into a beautiful young woman. Though, the obnoxious and overbearing girl still showed herself, occasionally.

  “I just don’t know how you can do it,” Dagan replied. “I have such a terrible past, and so does Sidonie. If we knew everything about each other, like you and Bree, we probably wouldn’t like each other very much.”

  “We don’t know everything about each other. We were apart for seven years, remember? I did a lot of things during that time that I don’t ever want her to know about.” They slowed down when the carriage stopped ahead of them. “Some things are best left unsaid, but some things need to be shared. You should tell her what you told me, about Cassandra and her family.”

  “I don’t think mentioning Cassandra will be a good idea. Especially since Sid can’t control her magic. I like having all of my body parts, just the way they are.”

  “Alright,” Rowan said as he swung down off of Dragon and fed him the apple. Then he leaned closer to Dagan. “But just remember that when those body parts of yours are lonely at night... It’s your own damn fault.”

  Dagan smirked and dismounted from his horse, just as Sidonie stepped out of the carriage. She glanced over at him and scowled, then turned away. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

  Grandfather, since it was you who started this catastrophe, perhaps you should help me to find a way to handle it?

  ~*~

  Bree was surprised when the courtyard was mostly empty upon their arrival. She expected her mother and aunt to be waiting for them as she was certain the guardhouse must have spotted them when they started up the mountain. Instead, they were greeted by several kind servants, who unloaded the carriage and a stable boy who led the horses away to be tended to. A knight of Vale escorted them into the castle and to the great hall. The large doors were closed to the hall, which Bree also found to be peculiar. However, once the doors were opened and she stepped inside, she understood why.

  There were pixies, everywhere. Little creatures who looked similar to people, only they were very bald and very naked. Each was only as large as her hand, with pointy ears and beady eyes. There must have been hundreds of them, flying around the hall with their small wings, buzzing like honeybees. The knight introduced Bree and Sarita just before Cicilly made it across the hall to hug the both of them.

  “Mother, I believe you may have forgotten to mention something in your letter. Perhaps, that there are hundreds of pixies flying around in the hall?” As they walked closer to the throne where King Thadine was seated, Sarita hid behind Bree’s skirts, unsure about the tiny creatures swarming around.

  “Oh, they arrived just yesterday morning, actually.”

  “But why have they come?”

  “That, my dear,” Thadine said, standing as they approached, “is a sad story, I’m afraid.” He hugged his family then stepped back to admire them. Bree looked so much like Cicilly did when she was younger. And from what he had been told, she was just as stubborn as her mother was, as well. And little Sarita looked like a doll, perfect in every way. He couldn’t help but feel such pride in seeing his family together. He only wished his wife, Eda, was there to witness it.

  “This is quite a distance away from their home,” Rowan said, swatting one away from his ear. He had to duck down to avoid being hit in the head by another one. “Wow, they are really excited.”

  Bree laughed when another pixie landed on Rowan’s head and startled him. The pixie started playing with Rowan’s hair, earning a few swats from his hand. Sidonie was marveling at the creatures, paying no attention to the fact that two of them were climbing on her skirts.

  Dagan knocked one off of his shoulder, then another from his robes. After a few moments, he grew tired of smacking them away and decided to just encase himself in air magic, which caused the pixies to bounce off before they could touch him.

  “Damn wizard,” Rowan muttered. He tried to dodge another flying pixie aimed at his chest, but couldn’t move fast enough. The poor thing smacked right into him. It bounced back and shook its
head, dizzily. Then it took off flying in another direction.

  “What happened to make them come so far away from their home?” Bree asked, turning back to her grandfather.

  A voice spoke up behind her. “Their home was destroyed.” Bree turned her head to see her uncle walking toward her.

  “Uncle Cyrus!” Bree forgot all about the pixies and ran to her uncle, who picked her up and swung her around as if she were light as a feather. He had always done that, ever since she was a baby. He did the same to Sarita when she walked up to him, making her giggle.

  Cyrus bowed to Bree, which made her blush. She had always admired her uncle and his sense of adventure. He had spent most of his adult life traveling the realm, against his father’s wishes, causing mischief and breaking hearts. When he visited Junacave on occasion, he would bring books for Bree to read, and trinkets from faraway places. She had begged him, more than once, to take her with him on his adventures. He never would, of course, but he always promised to return with stories of his travels.

  Bree looked down to find a tiny baby pixie sitting at her feet. She bent down and picked it up, holding it in her hands. Its big beady eyes stared back at her for a moment, then it nestled its bald head and pointy ears into the crook of her arm.

  “Their homes were destroyed?” Bree asked, glancing at the baby pixie who was falling asleep in her arm. “Who would do such a thing?”

  “Military, from Carneath and Cornithia,” Cyrus replied. Then seeing the confused look on Bree’s face, continued, “The pixies’ homes were just north of the stone wall, between the two kingdoms. I’m sure you’ve been told that they are at war, again.” He sighed, then looked over as a pixie landed on his shoulder. The pixie was older, wrinkled and had a tiny gray beard that was no larger than a coin.

  “So their militaries just destroyed the pixie’s home? For no reason, at all?”