Crown of Ash and Light, page 20
Both Dravon and Stravos turned to Elias, their expressions dark and unyielding. The unspoken message was clear: Don’t even think about looking. Elias looked away quickly, muttering something under his breath. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. This guy was more trouble than he was worth.
Azura stepped to the edge of the pool, her feet inches from the water. She glanced back at us, her confident grin reappearing. “I’ll be fine,” she said before diving in, her body slicing through the water with practiced ease.
The ripples spread outward, distorting the reflection of the cave ceiling. I watched as her form disappeared beneath the surface, swallowed by the endless depths. The silence that followed was deafening, each passing second stretching longer than the last.
Time dragged on. Long enough for the chill to settle into our bones, for the tension to shift from wary anticipation to something heavier. Eventually, we built a fire, its flickering glow offering little warmth against the cavern’s damp air.
As the fire burned low, Dravon sat cross-legged by the flames, methodically sharpening his blade. The rhythmic scrape of steel on whetstone cut through the stillness, grating against the growing unease in the air. Stravos, hunched near the fire, poked at the embers with a stick, his movements restless, as if no position could quite settle him. I leaned against the cave wall, my fingers trailing along an arrow’s shaft, pretending to be absorbed in its fine craftsmanship—anything to keep my mind from the gnawing worry creeping in with each moment that passed.
Elias sat across the fire, his hood drawn up, glancing between us. His gaze lingered a moment too long on Dravon's blade, then shifted to the scythe resting within Stravos’s reach. He seemed to weigh every word before speaking, his shoulders stiff with the discomfort of being the outsider among us.
Stravos broke the silence first. “So, Elias,” he said, his voice laced with casual mischief, “what do you think the odds are Azura comes back with a fish in her teeth instead of that relic you’re so tight-lipped about?”
The corner of my lips twitched into a small smile, and even Dravon let out a faint huff of amusement. Elias blinked, clearly caught off guard. “I’m sorry—what?”
“You heard me,” Stravos said, smirking. “She’s probably swimming circles down there, waiting to surprise us with something ridiculous.”
“She’s more likely to dunk your head in the pond when she comes back,” I chimed in, spinning the arrow between my fingers.
“I would like to see her try,” Stravos shot back, chuckling.
Elias’s brow furrowed as he glanced toward the dark water. “You’re all... awfully calm about this. She could be hurt, or worse. Do you even realize the kind of creatures that could be lurking down there?” His tone sharpened, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “How are you okay with her being down there, risking her life like it’s nothing?”
Dravon stopped mid-motion, the whetstone pausing just above the edge. His gaze flicked to Elias, cold and unwavering. “She told us to trust her,” he said simply. “And we do. That’s all there is to it.”
Elias’s mouth opened, then closed, clearly taken aback by Dravon's blunt response. His hands clenched in his lap as he shook his head. “That’s not good enough. Trust won’t bring her back if she—”
“She’ll come back,” I interrupted, my tone firm. “She’s our sister. And if she doesn’t... we’ll follow her to find out why.”
Elias looked between us, incredulous. “Follow her? You’d risk your lives like that? For what? Blind faith?”
“It’s not blind,” Stravos said, his voice low and steady. “It’s earned. We don’t throw it around lightly.” He jabbed the stick into the fire for emphasis, sending a burst of sparks into the air. “You hired us, but you don’t understand us. Don’t expect us to explain what you’ll never get.”
Elias threw his hands up, exasperated. “You’re all insane.”
Dravon gave a small shrug, returning to his blade. “Maybe. But we’re not wrong.”
I saw the flicker of realization in Elias’s eyes as he studied us, piecing together the strange bond that tied us closer than most blood relatives. The silence stretched until Elias finally broke it. “Do you know the stories?” he asked suddenly, his tone softer but no less intense.
“What stories?” I asked, keeping my voice even.
“The ones about people with white hair,” Elias said, his gaze lifting to meet mine. “The ones who had bonded with elementals.”
My heart skipped a beat. The arrow slipped from my fingers, clattering softly against the rock. Stravos froze, his grip tightening on the broken stick. Dravon's blade rests motionless on his lap, the faint scrape of sharpening gone silent.
I forced myself to meet Elias’s gaze, my mind racing. Does he know? Did we slip up? How much does he know?
Stravos gave me a quick look, his eyes saying: Let him talk. Don’t react.
“I’ve never heard of them,” Dravon said, his tone as cold as steel.
Elias didn’t seem convinced, but he continued. “My great-grandmother used to tell me about them. She said the Veylans were revered, a race of people who could wield magic itself. But above all, there were six among them—beings who could command the very elements. They brought rain to deserts, fire to frozen lands, and life to ashes. People worshipped them, not just as protectors, but as something greater. They called them the Ascendants.”
“And?” Dravon prompted, his voice carefully neutral.
“And the king and queen couldn’t stand it,” Elias said bitterly. “The people loved the Veylans more than their rulers. But it was the Ascendants who were truly feared—powerful enough to reshape the world itself. So the rulers declared them traitors and ordered their extermination.”
“But there’s more to it than that,” Elias added, leaning closer. “There’s a rumor about a woman who survived. They say she fled to the Dark Forest, and the forest protects her. Some believe she’s alive, waiting for something. Others say she’s long dead. No one really knows. But one thing is certain—the king and queen are desperate to get into the Dark Forest. They believe it's magic could be theirs, that it could give them even more power.”
I felt Dravon tense beside me, and Stravos poked absently at the fire, his eyes darting toward the shadows.
“Sounds like a lot of superstition,” Stravos said with a forced chuckle, breaking the heavy silence. “Next, you’ll be telling us she rides dragons and can breathe fire herself.”
Elias let out a faint laugh, though he still seemed lost in thought. Dravon leaned back, setting his blade aside as he crossed his arms. “Guess it’s a good thing we’re nowhere near that forest, then. We’ve got enough to deal with without worrying about fairy tales.”
I forced a smile, the weight in my chest easing slightly as the conversation shifted. “Speaking of dealing with things,” I said, turning to Stravos, “you’re on breakfast duty tomorrow. Better not burn it like last time.”
Stravos rolled his eyes, flicking a small ember toward me with his stick. “You never let anything go, do you?”
“Nope,” I said with a grin.
Elias shook his head, chuckling softly. “You’re a strange group,” he said, his voice lighter than before.
Dravon shrugged. “Keeps life interesting.”
The tension ebbed as small talk filled the space, the fire crackling softly. One by one, we settled into our spots, letting the warmth and familiarity of the moment draw us toward rest. Even Elias seemed to relax, his head bowing slightly as exhaustion took over.
I kept my gaze on the fire a little longer, my thoughts still tangled in the weight of Elias’s story. If he ever found out the truth, would he see us as protectors—or as traitors, too?
Some hours had passed since Azura disappeared beneath the surface of the dark, endless water. Sleep had eluded me entirely, leaving me to lie motionless, listening to the soft breathing of the guys. The cavern was eerily quiet now, save for the occasional drip of water echoing through the stone walls.
Then, a sound broke the stillness—not natural, not the steady rhythm of dripping water or the shifting of stone. It was soft, like a whisper carried in the air. My eyes snapped open, my senses immediately on alert.
The faint glow of the lantern cast long shadows across the rocky alcove, and that’s when I saw her—Azura, standing knee-deep in the water. Her white hair clung to her back and shoulders, darkened by the wet strands that shimmered faintly in the dim light.
White hair.
My heart skipped a beat. Azura had taken off her bracelet. My pulse quickened as I silently pushed myself to my feet, every movement measured to avoid waking the others or making a sound.
I approached her slowly, my feet gliding silently across the cool stone. My breath caught in my throat as I drew closer, the water reflecting faint ripples against the cave walls.
“Azura?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
She turned her head slightly, her eyes catching the dim light. Her expression was unreadable, a calm resolve radiating from her that only unsettled me further. Without a word, she reached out and grabbed my wrist, her touch firm but not harsh.
Before I could question her, Azura pulled me closer and slipped my ring from my finger. A sudden rush of energy coursed through me as my connection to the earth elemental returned like a long-lost friend. The feeling was exhilarating and grounding, but the sight of my white hair cascading past my shoulders brought an unease I couldn’t shake.
“Azura, what are you doing?” I asked softly, though my voice carried no malice—only confusion.
Her gaze held mine for a moment, her grip steady as if to anchor me. “Trust me,” she said simply, her tone calm but commanding.
The weight of those two words silenced any protest I might have had. I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat as I began to strip down to my undergarments, the air in the cave cool against my skin.
Azura stepped deeper into the water, her movements fluid and deliberate. I followed without hesitation, the icy temperature shocking against my legs as I waded in. Together, we swam into the abyss, the dark water enveloping us as the surface rippled behind us.
The further we went, the clearer the water became, illuminated by faint streaks of bioluminescence that clung to the rocky walls below. My lungs burned slightly with the effort of holding my breath, but Azura pressed forward with an unyielding determination.
The darkness thickened around us, the edges of the cave fading into a deep blue that seemed to stretch infinitely. I stole a glance upward, the distant shimmer of the surface barely visible now. Fear tried to creep into my mind, but I pushed it aside, trusting Azura’s instincts as I had so many times before.
Just when my lungs felt like they could take no more, an opening appeared ahead. Azura surged forward, pulling me along as we broke through to another side.
I gasped for air as we surfaced, the sound echoing through the cavern. My body trembled from the cold and exertion, but Azura seemed calm, pulling herself out of the water with practiced ease.
The cavern we had entered was vast, its high ceiling adorned with glowing crystals that bathed the area in a faint, ethereal light. The ground was damp but solid, and the air carried a strange, earthy energy that made my skin prickle.
Azura turned to me, her wet hair framing her determined face. “I brought you here for a reason,” she said, her voice low but steady. “I need your advice.”
I blinked at her, still catching my breath. “My advice?”
Azura nodded, gesturing toward the cavern floor. “Tell me what the earth is saying to you when you touch it.”
Still confused but trusting her as always, I pulled myself out of the water. My body ached as my feet found purchase on the damp ground. But the moment my soles met the earth, it hit me like a blow—a surge of energy and emotions so strong I staggered, clutching at my knees for support.
The earth spoke to me, not in words but in sensations—a deep, resonant hum that carried both sorrow and strength. But as I focused, something darker crept through the connection, a warning that felt like a shout: Run. Leave this place. The danger is near.
I gasped, the intensity of the message leaving me shaken. My fingers dug into the dirt as I tried to steady myself, the weight of the earth’s warning pressing heavily on my chest.
“Therynna?” Azura’s voice pulled me back, her hand on my shoulder, grounding me.
“The earth,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “It’s warning us to leave. It’s not safe here.”
Azura’s eyes narrowed slightly, her expression contemplative. “What else did it say?”
“It feels old and powerful, but scared,” I murmured. “Like it’s protecting something—something it doesn’t want disturbed.”
Azura’s jaw tightened, a flicker of doubt crossing her face before she pushed it aside. “Good,” she said firmly. “That’s exactly what I needed to know.”
DRAVON
A faint sound stirred me from the edges of sleep—a ripple, a movement in the heavy quiet of the cavern. My senses sharpened instantly, years of instinct pulling me from grogginess into alertness. Something wasn’t right. My first thought was to check for my siblings, but as I shifted, I noticed that Therynna and Stravos were both missing from where they’d been resting. I moved to sit up fully, ready to call out for them, but a hand gripped my shoulder, firm and steady.
“Shhh.” Stravos crouched beside me, his finger pressed to his lips, his eyes scanning the darkness with an intensity that made my stomach sink.
“What’s going on?” I whispered, my voice low and tight.
Instead of answering, Stravos reached into his pocket and pulled something out, holding it up for me to see. My heart stopped.
It was Therynna’s ring.
The soft glow of the cavern’s faint crystals caught the delicate band, making it unmistakable. My mind reeled. How could he have her ring? She never took it off—none of us did. I reached out hesitantly, my fingers brushing against the cool metal as I took it from him.
“She went into the water,” Stravos murmured, his voice barely audible.
My gaze darted to the dark, still surface of the water nearby. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about its endless depths. My mind raced. Therynna had taken off her ring—her protection—and gone into that abyss. Why?
Stravos gestured to a small pile of clothes near the water’s edge—Therynna’s clothes. My jaw tightened.
“What are they thinking?” I hissed, anger and worry mingling in my tone.
Stravos shook his head, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. “I don’t know. Azura left hours ago. Now Therynna? They didn’t say anything to us.”
I clenched my fists, the weight of the situation pressing on my chest. Without their enchanted items, their magic was fully exposed. They are vulnerable if someone—or something—was watching.
Elias stirred against the wall, shifting in his sleep but thankfully not waking yet. My gaze flicked back to the water, and that’s when I saw it—a faint movement beneath the surface.
Two figures.
My heart thundered as I recognized them—Therynna and Azura—frantically swimming toward the surface. Their forms were illuminated faintly by the glow of the water, and I noticed Therynna reach for her ring while Azura slipped her bracelet back on.
Before they even broke the surface, I hurled Therynna’s ring toward her, and it sank into the water just as her hand shot out to grab it. She slid it onto her finger seamlessly, the transformation immediate. Her white hair darkened, the magic sealing away once more. Azura’s bracelet completed its work just as effectively, leaving no trace of their power.
Elias had stirred awake moments later, his eyes darting between us and the cavernous expanse around us. His confusion turned to alarm when he noticed Azura and Therynna climbing out of the water, dripping wet and in their undergarments.
“Turn around,” I ordered sharply, stepping between Elias and my sisters. My tone left no room for argument. His face flushed red as he stammered, “I—I wasn’t—”
“Don’t care. Turn around,” I snapped, my hand resting lightly on the hilt of my sword. Stravos moved closer, his imposing presence adding to the unspoken threat. Elias reluctantly complied, turning his back to us and facing the cavern wall.
“Good,” I muttered, glancing back to ensure Azura and Therynna were safe. Azura shot me an amused smirk as she buttoned her shirt, but Therynna gave me a small, grateful nod. Once they were dressed, I stepped back and tapped Elias on the shoulder.
“You can turn around now,” I said, my tone still cold. He turned back slowly, his gaze carefully fixed anywhere but on my sisters.
“Dravon, seriously,” she teased. “You’re going to give yourself an ulcer if you keep this up.”
I ignored her, turning to glance at Therynna, who was still wringing water from her hair. She looked thoughtful, her brow furrowed as she stared into the dark cavern they’d just come from.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked, my tone softening for her.
“There’s a cavern on the other side,” Azura interjected before Therynna could answer. “I don’t know where it leads, but I asked her to come with me to see if it’s worth exploring.”
Therynna hesitated, her eyes narrowing as if she were weighing the risks. I could tell she wasn’t sure, and that hesitation made me uneasy.
“Do you think it’s worth it?” I asked Therynna directly, ignoring Azura’s impatient sigh.
Therynna shifted her gaze to me, her expression guarded. “I’m not sure,” she admitted quietly. “It feels... off. Like something’s not right.”
Elias finally turned his head slightly, his curiosity outweighed his fear of me. “What do you mean by ‘off’?” he asked, his voice tinged with apprehension.“We have to go in there,” he blurted suddenly.
