The Last of the Firedrakes Read online

  “Shapeshifter!” I said, jumping up from my chair. “You think I am a shapeshifter? This is getting more and more absurd every minute.”

  I was really upset now. The last two days had taken their toll on me, and I had hardly slept since this all began. Now, when I was just starting to believe all this nonsense myself, my granduncle, who seemed to be the only one who could help me, thought I was an imposter.

  I couldn’t help myself as the words tumbled out of my mouth.

  “I was taken from my home and my world in the middle of the night, thrown in a dungeon, barely escaped with my life, and fought the Shadow Guard, who want to take me to Morgana.” I was pacing and waving my hands around as I spoke. “Just two days ago my biggest problem was trying to stay away from my horrid cousin Cornelia, who suddenly doesn’t seem so horrid after all, especially after I found out about my aunt who wants me dead.”

  I took a deep breath and went on. “I just want to go home, but I don’t have anywhere to go. My adoptive parents are dead and so are my real ones. I have no family, no friends, and no one cares what happens to me.”

  I sat back down in my chair and bent over, holding my head in my hands. I had come to the end of the road. I had never felt so alone, so helpless and at a loss as to what to do next. Suddenly all the loneliness and despair of my life that I had bottled up for all these years came rushing back. This was worse than the hollow feeling in my chest when I realized I was adopted and thought that my real parents never wanted me. It brought back a flood of memories. The years of waiting for the day when my parents would return and sweep me away to a beautiful, loving home surrounded by my real family. And the day I finally realized that they were never coming back. I couldn’t help releasing the tears that splashed down my face. Wrenching sobs racked my body. I couldn’t stop crying, and I wept for what seemed like hours.

  When I finally lifted my head and pulled myself together, I saw that the duke was smiling. I dried my eyes with the handkerchief the duke very politely handed to me.

  “Thank you,” I said, embarrassed at my watery outburst. The duke must think I was nothing more than a scared child who cried every time life seemed too hard.

  “Everything happens for a reason, and nothing is an accident. It is all part of a much larger divine plan,” Duke Silverthorne said gravely, but in a surprisingly kind voice. “When difficulties come, we must see them as what they are—opportunities and a new path to discover your potential. How will you ever know the magnitude of courage you are capable of if you have never experienced the hopelessness of fear?”

  I nodded and tried to act like I understood, but adults always said these philosophical things to make you feel better, and frankly, at the moment, it wasn’t helping.

  “Now, about the test,” the duke said, smiling again after I had finally composed myself. “It’s only a simple one. Every mage has a specific magical essence, and I can touch your mind and read yours.”

  What would he discover in my mind? I must have looked as alarmed as I felt, because the duke quickly tried to reassure me.

  “Now, my dear, you must not be worried, I would never delve into your private thoughts. That would be considered the height of rudeness in our world, since a lot of us can talk by mind contact.”

  “We have phones for that,” I said absentmindedly.

  The duke laughed. “Yes, it is quite a mystery how you came to be brought up in a different world. I have traveled there on occasion myself for some work. Didn’t like it much, though,” he said, chuckling to himself.

  I smiled at that. I wondered what he had been doing, wandering round in other worlds. Were there more gateways like the one I came through?

  Finally he stopped laughing and leaned back in his chair. “I do believe you have traveled here from a different world, and the tapestry you have described is the last of its kind, although there are many other ways to travel to your world. But whether you really are the child of Elayna and Azaren remains to be seen.”

  I nodded, clasped my hands together in my lap, and tried to behave in a more grown-up fashion.

  “Right, the test,” he said. “If you are truly of Azaren’s bloodline I will know. But you must not fight me. I would not want to hurt your mind in any way.”

  “Hurt my mind!” I didn’t particularly like the thought of someone poking around in there. “What are you going to do to me?”

  “Don’t worry, just calm your mind and let me look into it. It is quite a simple test we do when the paternity of a child is in question.” He coughed, looking embarrassed. “We perform this on babies, but their minds are so free that it’s easier.”

  “Oh, like a magical DNA test,” I said, feeling a little relieved. That made sense.

  The duke laughed again. “Yes! I am sure that in your world you can ascertain these things by way of what I believe the human race calls science.”

  I nodded. “Yup, that’s it! Science. Not much use round here though, since you guys have magic and all.”

  The duke smiled. He seemed to find me amusing for some reason.

  “You’re correct. Magic and science have never done well together, one of the main reasons for Avalonia growing apart from the human world—science and magic were clashing,” he said.

  “Okay, let’s get this over with,” I said, sounding braver than I felt.

  “Please come and sit in front of me,” said the duke, gesturing to a high-backed, velvet-upholstered chair. I went over and sat down opposite him.

  “Now, my dear, just concentrate,” he began. “Make your mind blank. Try to rid yourself of all thoughts, so I can see clearly who and what you are. Your essence will also tell me if you have the potential to be a mage, or if you have taken on the traits of your mother’s race.”

  “I’m ready,” I said, closing my eyes.

  The duke placed his fingertips lightly on my temples, and I tried to shut out my wayward thoughts, but they were flitting in and out of my head like mischievous butterflies. It was difficult to make my mind go completely blank. I opened my eyes to peek a little. The duke was frowning.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” said Duke Silverthorne, removing his hands from my temples. “I should be able to sense your magic, but somehow there is nothing. I can’t sense a thing.”

  “That’s what Penelope said.”

  “Penelope could not sense your magic either?” the duke asked, looking even more perturbed.

  I shook my head. “No, she said I must have mage magic and that’s why she couldn’t sense it.”

  “I don’t understand,” said the duke. “Even if you were ordinary, just a human, I would be able to ascertain that, but your mind is a mystery, a complete blank.”

  The duke was staring at me as if he was trying to piece together a very irritating puzzle.

  “This is very peculiar,” said the duke. “Even when I met you, I felt no magic. Usually a fully trained mage like myself is able to sense the magical essence of another person, mage or fae. I sensed nothing, and I can’t get into your mind.”

  “So, what does this mean?” I asked. “If I have no magic, I can’t be Azaren and Elayna’s daughter?”

  “Not necessarily,” said the duke, pausing to think. “Normally I would have dismissed you by now, but there is something about you that I can’t put my finger on. You did speak to the pegasus with your mind, did you not?”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “That is strange,” said the duke. “For a pegasus to talk to you, you have to be of royal fae blood. But if you have no fae magic that Penelope could sense, how did you do it?”

  I shrugged. What could I say? I had absolutely no idea how I had done it myself.

  “The pegasi are an ancient race of magical beings,” said the duke, “and they possess the old magic of the fae. It is very rare for a pegasus to make such a mistake. That is why I am not really sure how to proceed with you.”

  I was disappointed; having magic was one of the best
things about this place. But, on the other hand, if Morgana knew that I wasn’t a threat to her, she just might leave me alone. Where would I go now? If the duke did not believe me, I would be shoved out into a world where I had no idea how to survive on my own. Maybe Snow would be able to take me back to Pixie Bush.

  The duke sat back in his chair, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair. He folded his hands together and stared at me. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable at the way he was looking at me. I wasn’t sure what to expect now, and I fidgeted in my chair. I nervously started fiddling with the gold medallion that rested round my neck, as I always did when I was feeling uneasy.

  “What is that?” said the duke sharply, suddenly springing up from his chair.

  “What?” I asked, looking around. Everything looked the same to me.

  He came over to me and pulled out my necklace.

  “Hey!” I said. “It’s mine! It’s the only thing I had with me when I was found as a child.”

  The duke just stared at it. It was a small gold disc with strange etchings on it, which I could never figure out, but the duke obviously knew what it said, because he was reading it.

  “I don’t believe it,” he said falling back into his chair after he had inspected it thoroughly. “I really cannot believe it.” He kept saying it again and again and staring at me. “This is impossible—it is a myth, a legend, it doesn’t exist, and neither should you.”

  Not exist! What was this guy talking about? I needed some answers and soon.

  The duke leaned forward in his chair and looked at me more closely, his bushy white eyebrows joining together as he scrunched his forehead. “There is a reason I could not sense your magic, and I finally know what it is.”

  “So, you mean you believe me?”

  “Yes, Aurora, I do believe you,” said the duke, using my name for the first time. “That medallion you wear around your neck is no ordinary piece of jewelry. It is a very powerful magical artifact that was thought to be lost long ago and has faded into the realms of legend. Your father or mother must have found it somehow and made you wear it.”

  “Why?” I asked, my eyes wide. What the hell was I wearing round my neck? “Why would they do that?”

  “They did it to protect you, of course, Aurora,” said the duke calmly. “When a mage and a fae marry and have children, the child is born with either trait, mage powers or fae magic.”

  I nodded. “Yes, I know that. Mrs. Plumpleberry told me.”

  “What she didn’t tell you is that, on extremely rare occasions, the child born takes on both the parents’ magical powers.”

  I gasped. “But is that even possible?”

  “From the beginning of this world, there have been only six known fae-mages in Avalonia. You, my dear, are the seventh,” said my granduncle.

  I just gaped at him with my mouth open. “What is a fae-mage?”

  “Exactly what it sounds like,” he said, shaking his head. “And unless I am sorely mistaken, not only do you have mage powers within you, which are exceptionally strong I may add, because of your bloodline, but you also have fae magic. And not any ordinary fae magic, but probably immortal fae powers, since your mother was one of the immortal fae.”

  “What?” I said, disbelief clouding my senses. “But you just said you couldn’t sense anything. You said that I have no magic.”

  “I was wrong,” said the duke. “The reason neither Penelope nor I could sense your powers is because you are wearing the Amulet of Auraken.”

  “The what?” I said, looking down at the small gold medallion that I had worn around my neck for as long as I could remember. Was he serious? First he didn’t believe me, now he thought I was some legendary fae-mage.

  “I will tell you everything you need to know, but we have one more thing to do before we begin,” said the duke. “Take off your amulet for just a moment, although not for long, because it’s what keeps Morgana from finding you with magic.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked skeptically. “And what if I take it off and Morgana finds me here?”

  “It doesn’t work that fast. You have to have it off for a certain amount of time for Morgana to find you, and even then she has to be looking at exactly that moment.”

  I hesitated. I had never taken the amulet off before; somehow I never felt the need to. I even kept it on while I slept. It was all that connected me to my birth parents. They had given it to me for my protection, and it had kept me safe from Morgana for all these years.

  “Don’t be afraid, Aurora,” said the duke kindly. “I only want to test the intensity of your powers, so we know what we are dealing with. Just the presence of that amulet around your neck tells me that you are indeed telling the truth.”

  I hesitated, but I removed the amulet and put it down on the table in front of me. I glanced down at my hands. They had started tingling, and then slowly a strange light started seeping out of my palms. It was as if I was lighting up from the inside. Soon my whole right hand had started glowing with an iridescent, blue-white light. I was stunned. I really did have magic.

  “That, my dear, is truly a remarkable sight to behold,” was all the duke said, as he stared at me. “Please, put the amulet back on now, Aurora, that is more than enough.”

  I slipped the chain round my neck. The amulet rested heavy against my chest, and the light that had infused my body went out.

  “Like I said before,” said the duke, “there have been instances when a child has taken on both powers. It is very rare, and you are the only fae-mage to have been born in over a thousand years.”

  “A thousand years! Are you serious?” I blurted out.

  The duke looked amused. “Yes, I am very serious, Aurora. Your powers are probably unsurpassable, but you will have to learn how to use them, or it could lead to disaster. A fae-mage who cannot control both her mage and fae powers is a threat to herself and to the world around her. For now, tell no one what we have discovered here. I will let you get settled in and then we will begin lessons to help you learn to wield your magic.”

  He suddenly got up from his chair and came over with his arms outstretched. I stood up awkwardly as the duke enveloped me in a big bear hug. Unexpected, happy tears pooled in my eyes as I hugged him back.

  “Welcome back, Aurora,” said the duke, stepping back, but still holding on to both my arms and looking at me, as if he was seeing me for the first time.

  “Thank you, um . . . Duke,” I said, a little embarrassed at the sudden affection. Ever since my adoptive parents died, I had forgotten what it was like to have someone actually care about me.

  The duke laughed, a happy, deep rumble. “Call me Uncle Gabriel from now on, Aurora—after all, we are family.”

  10

  Silverthorne Castle

  Uncle Gabriel summoned a plump maid who was to show me to my room.

  “Now you must rest,” he said. “It’s been a long ordeal for you, and I am sure you will be glad to have a decent bed to sleep in. Tomorrow my daughter, Serena, and my grandson, Erien, will be visiting for a while. It is fortuitous, as now you can meet the rest of your family. Herring here will show you to your room.”

  I thanked my granduncle and followed Herring. She led me down many long corridors. Some were small and draughty, with dark stone walls and slits for windows, and some were brighter and wider with high ceilings, where large open arches lined the corridors and the walls were covered from ceiling to floor with beautiful tapestries. We crossed small, enclosed courtyards, and long, open walkways, through huge echoing halls, and up the main stairs to the second floor of the east wing of Silverthorne Castle.

  I tried to remember how I got there. It would be quite a task getting around a castle this huge. I was sure I would get lost before I could manage to find my way around without effort.

  I was just too tired to take in the rest of my surroundings. When I reached my room, I wobbled over to the bed and fell asleep almost immediately, without changing my clothes.

  * * *<
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  When I woke up, I was disoriented. I had no idea what the time was, and for a moment I couldn’t even remember where I was. This was the first time I had slept so soundly. The dream had not returned, and I hoped it never would again.

  I looked over to see the same young maid bustling about the huge room quietly, doing some chores. Then I remembered the mages, the fae, the dungeon, and Silverthorne Castle. Oh no! It hadn’t been a dream. I really was in a strange magical land where nothing made sense, and now was the time to face reality. I racked my sleepy brain for the girl’s name.

  “What time is it, Herring?” I asked politely as I sat up in my massive four-poster bed.

  “Oh you’re up, my lady,” said Herring, coming over to the bed. “It is now evening and time for supper.”

  I looked around. Herring had opened the heavy velvet curtains surrounding the bed, and muted sunlight streamed in through a large open window. Sumptuous rugs covered the white stone floors, brightening the enormous room. Ornate mahogany dressers and a few luxurious chairs were scattered about, completing the space. I was shocked; I had slept the whole day! And now I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

  “Would you like me to run you a bath?” said Herring.

  I got out of my bed and followed her over to a curtained doorway.

  The bathroom was a cavernous room, with beautiful arched windows adorned with thick green velvet curtains with a gold trim. A huge marble bath with a silver fountain shaped like a water sprite with a jug lay proudly in the center of the room. A green silk daybed strewn with comfortable, colorful cushions lay along one wall. There was an alcove, which expertly hid the garderobe, a medieval-style toilet.

  I hadn’t really thought of all the bitter realities, and now this was one of them. The garderobe was in the shape of a huge high-backed chair; I had read about them in history class. It was not as rustic as a real medieval privy. It was very clean, and it didn’t smell at all. In fact, it was quite comfortable. And I knew most people didn’t have the luxury of privacy, as typically medieval toilets were communal. At least it looked like the castle had some sort of drainage system.