Fractured Darkness: A YA Fantasy Adventure (The Age of Alandria Book 3) Page 18

  Arileas appeared back to his “normal” aged self and not the actually “old” looking man he had become after the prophecy had come forth. Kaeleigh felt anxious about that. There was still so much to understand.

  Arileas stood and raised his glass. A hush came over the group in anticipation. Everyone did as he did, raising their glass. “A toast. I know you have seen them around, but I wanted to fully introduce our honored guests that have been in your presence these last few days. Please stand when I call you so that we may all greet you.”

  Kaeleigh’s hands started to sweat and her leg under the table started to bounce. Daegan, who sat next to her on one side, raised a subtly amused eyebrow in her direction. Then in an uncharacteristic move for him, he placed his hand on her knee under table. She knew he must just be trying to stop her nervous bouncing, but the nerves were shooting up her leg where the heat of his hand seared through her pant leg, seeping into her very skin. Her heartbeat began to accelerate and her breathing became slightly erratic. She couldn’t believe her traitorous body; after all the control she had learned with her magic, she still had no power over her teenage hormones. In the background, Arileas was saying something but it was just jumbled words in her foggy mind at the moment. Chel stood up across from her and gave a wave and a slight bow and then there was applause. Oh dear gods please let him move his hand! Taking a breath, she gently tried to push her energy to guiding his hand off of her knee. Daegan smirked in response and instead of removing his hand, he slowly slid it up just past her knee closer to mid-thigh. Kaeleigh was about to hyperventilate. Has he lost his mind? Is he teasing me? MOVE YOUR HAND OFF! She sent him with a blast of energy from her core. It was a bit more powerful than she had intended but he did indeed move his hand, only it flew off her knee under the table and hit the back of his hand on the underside of the table itself with a loud thud. Everyone immediately looked her direction to see what the commotion was. Daegan looked completely innocent in his smugness and Kaeleigh’s face was turning a bright shade of turnip.

  To save her more embarrassment Arileas distracted the others by then introducing Halister of Elnye to the group. There were gasps from some that knew who he was, or rather who his parents—his mother specifically—were, and were not sure how to react to him being in their midst.

  “I understand my presence may cause you discomfort, but please know I am here to fight for the cause of Alandria—yes, against my own mother. I am here to serve your people and protect. I have made an oath to the princess, to this place, and to my brother Daegan.” Halister bowed and sat back down.

  Before Arileas moved on, he gestured toward Hal. “My friends, I want you to know he has my trust and I hope you will give him yours as well.”

  With that the people gave him applause. Arileas turned to Kaeleigh and nodded at her that she was next. She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders and gave herself a little shake to shake off whatever nonsense—glorious, dream-worthy nonsense—Daegan had just tried.

  “I would like to introduce this special young woman to you now. You have heard rumors, some of you have met her yourselves. She comes to us from the mortal realm but she is indeed one of us, from Alandria and from the Ehsmia.” There were gasps of awe from the audience. “This is Kaeleighnna iliatheyll Sayaelílth, the daughter of Princess Eva Eytht of the line of iliatheyll from under the mountain. She is the rightful heir to the throne of Elnye and the territory of Feraánmar. However, she is also the daughter of Prince Brandt, son of Ryek Sayaelíth, king of Adettlyn, and also the rightful heir to Adettlyn and the territory of Lumari.”

  This was not only a surprise to the audience, but to Kaeleigh. If she had really thought about it, she could have possibly connected those dots, but it seemed so far out there and out of her reach and so unlikely that she never believed it was possible. Yet here, in “appointed time,” Elder Arileas decided to share that information with the entire clan of the Ehsmia. Kaeleigh gasped for air. Her legs buckled like noodles as she fell to her seat. Arileas gazed down at her with a twinkle in his eye and bid her to rise and greet her people. It was overwhelming and daunting and Kaeleigh wanted nothing more than to run out of the Great Hall screaming and throw herself into the river to cool off and find some air. But it wasn’t possible. Everyone was applauding and cheering and she didn’t know what to do.

  Daegan grabbed her arm and pulled her up to a standing position once again. “They are your people: the Twined, the Faeries, and the Elves. They need to meet you. Stand and be who you are—their leader. Embrace them, you are their hope,” he whispered into her ear. His confidence and apparent lack of shock gave her strength. He sent waves of peace through his touch to her arm where he held on. She took every comfort he gave her and then she looked to Chel, who was beaming ear to ear and nodding at her. She stood a bit taller and looked out at the many faces seated at multiple tables and smiled at them. She wasn’t really sure what to do next. She looked to Arileas, who smiled sneakily at her then bowed on one knee in her direction. The crowd did the same; as if in a wave they all went to one knee with a fist over their hearts. It was silent in the room and Kaeleigh looked wide-eyed around it, in sheer panic at the thought of trying to lead a people. She had no idea what to do, or how to do it. Suddenly everyone at her table did the same, even Daegan, who was still supporting her arm. He looked up at her out from under the curtain of his thick, long eyelashes, pledging his allegiance to her. He would not have done it unless he really meant it, even if it meant he was the only one in the room left standing. Tears of gold sprung from her eyes with no hope of containing them. She looked out, taking in the moment, and nodded her acceptance as her eyes met the hopeful gazes of friends and strangers alike. Lightly, she placed her hand over her heart in silent acknowledgment.

  After a short moment, Arileas stood and called everyone to their feet for their last introduction. He called on Daegan to stand and began his introduction, reintroducing this Ferrishyn warrior who was in Ehsmia not for the first time. However, what he was about to say would shock everyone, including Daegan.

  “So as we celebrate our friend visiting us a second time, the moment has come to reveal something that is of great importance to us all.” He paused for effect. “Daegan is the other half of the Sol-lumieth that is prophesied,” Arileas said without any hint of deception. The room gasped and Daegan turned to him sharply, absolute confusion mixed with horror etched upon his face. “It is true, Master Daegan, I had my suspicions, but when the prophecy was relived and I communed with the Ancients, it was confirmed. It is clear now that we all did not understand completely. The Sol-lumieth is not one being alone, but it is two. It is the two of you together. It is why your power is greater when put together, why you are so connected, why this path has been obscured from yours and all our eyes.”

  Kaeleigh quickly grabbed Daegan’s hand, in a show of support but also to hold him there. She sensed his panic, which scared her. He looked out to the hundreds of people before him and whispered, “This cannot be. I do not deserve this title.” But the people did not hear him as they all in unity bowed before him and Kaeleigh together. He looked to Kaeleigh in horror as if she was a stranger. He was not seeing her, though, he was somewhere else in his mind. She squeezed his hand and then pulled him down with her to kneel before the people that were blindly putting their faith into the apparent embodiment of a prophecy. It was surreal. Kaeleigh wanted nothing more than to flee the Great Hall and absorb all that had been said. Arileas sensed and understood their discomfort with a knowing smile, as he transitioned the now buzzing room for their evening meal. As everyone resettled for dinner, Daegan quietly let go of Kaeleigh’s hand without saying a word and excused himself, quickly leaving the hall. Kae didn’t know what to do as she looked at the Elder for a clue. He simply nodded. He will be all right. Rest and eat, he spoke calmly in her mind.

  The rest of the meal was a complete blur to Kaeleigh. Her right side felt completely cold and empty waiting for Daegan to return to dinner, bu
t he didn’t. She worried for him and wanted nothing more than to find him. However, she knew for the moment he had to work through it on his own. She was overwhelmed with her own revelations as well. Chel kept trying to talk to her and get her to answer questions, but Kaeleigh had nothing more than one-word answers. It was all so much... it was too much. She knew her mother had been a princess, and she had hints at who her grandfather was, but the thought of being a princess from two separate lines was a huge brain cramp for her; exactly what did that mean anyway?

  Chel escorted her back to their room as Kaeleigh simply followed her lead like a numb zombie following the scent of fresh meat, blinded by the thoughts and possibilities that were moving so fast and shouting so loud in her head she could barely keep from covering her ears and burying her head in the sand. She remotely remembered Chel tucking her into her bed and telling her to rest for a while, before the sweet oblivion of sleep swallowed her whole.

  ✧✧✧

  Daegan left. He could not believe the cowardice and weakness that he felt exposed within himself. He did not know what to feel or if he was simply losing his mind. He saw and felt keenly Kaeleigh’s panic after she was announced. But this... this had never even been a thought in Daegan’s wildest imagination. His own intense anxiety brought back flashes of when he was a boy and out in the wilderness of Alandria on his own. There were times he was not even sure he would live to see the next day, the panic was so overwhelming, but he would think of his parents and the sacrifice they had made for him to be free. Thinking of them would calm him while simultaneously breaking his young heart all over again.

  Where would he find peace now? He longed to be close to Kaeleigh. In her, he truly did find peace, but not this night. He needed to straighten out his mind, his emotions. He was desperate to simply sit in solitude and let these new revelations absorb into his unsettled mind. Again, recalling his days alone as a child, he remembered... the trees. He went to the biggest tree he could find in the middle of the hidden mountain. By the small river near the entrance of the land of the Ehsmia, the tree grew strong and sure. It was a tree unlike the others. There was an energy force stronger than the others coming from this tree. It was an ancient oak that had roots firmly planted deep into the soil and shot out into the stream to drink its fill. The glory of its canopy was unmatched and the strength of its branches unchallenged.

  This tree called to him. As he approached it, he placed his hand on the large trunk and felt the gnarled and rough bark under his fingertips. He asked permission for the shelter this tree would provide and sanctuary he might find in it. Using his gifts, Daegan could see the green energy pulsing all around the outline of this tree. It welcomed him and even sent some of its energy to fill Daegan and offer him peace. Daegan lowered his eyes and bowed his head in thanks to one of nature’s Ancients—the NaNai. While humbled and honored, he was also a bit surprised to find the tree so inviting of him. What surprised him even more was the tree used its energy to speak words that he would understand, more than simple feelings and emotion that Daegan could gleam, but actual words into his mind.

  “You are troubled, young warrior. So much conflict within you. Your mind does not remember. You shall see soon enough.”

  “How do you know?” Daegan questioned.

  “I am of the NaNai, I know all that has happened on the soil of Alandria.”

  “There are some things I would rather not remember,” Daegan whispered with heavy sadness.

  “Follow the thread of truth through the past, the light within the darkness. The rest will unfold itself as you are ready.”

  “What if I am not ever ready? What if the truth hurts too much?” Daegan choked out desperately.

  “You are ready. It would not be revealed if you were not.”

  “But I feel so weak. I cannot see the greater outcome this time. I only know my love for Kaeleigh. It is the only thing that is clear in my mind. I have never counted myself as necessary, wanted, or needed by anyone. Not until I found her,” Daegan admitted.

  “You need her and she needs you. If you are not together, the magic of this land will wither. You will die and she will perish as well.”

  “I cannot lose her.”

  “Neither can we. And we cannot lose you either, young prince.”

  Daegan’s heart constricted, the pain in his chest so deep it caught his breath. He knew the great tree was right. He went down to one knee, a hand on the ground and the other fisting on his forehead. He was ashamed at his selfishness in so abruptly leaving the dinner—and Kaeleigh. His love for her and for Alandria began to flood his senses and brought with it an excitement and even hope. “I will not lose her,” he whispered to himself.

  “Be at peace, son of Alandria. The time is coming nigh for each of you to live your role. Have courage, Ferrishyn, son of Elnye.”

  Daegan looked up, then lowered his eyes and turned so he was kneeling before the great tree—an Ancient of Alandria, the NaNai—in gratitude. “Thank you for coming to me, your presence was most gracious.”

  “The NaNai are with you. It is time. To you, Daegan Tokníyth, we pledge fealty and will serve Alandria as she has served us. We are ready and will be waiting.”

  With that, the energy of the tree retracted almost jarringly, leaving Daegan grateful and questioning as to what the tree’s words meant. The name the tree used was not one Daegan knew, yet there was a nudging at the back of his mind, a tickle of a memory that was buried under layers and layers of dust locked away in the recesses of his mind. His mind continued to stir. He sat still and quiet, allowing the memories to slowly rise inside him. It was not all at once, but one by one they came. And then... he remembered.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  The next morning Daegan walked back into the Great Hall only to find everyone he was looking for already there. Arileas was going over the scroll that the altered prophecy was written on. It sounded like an open discussion as different ones were offering their interpretations. Even Kaeleigh was explaining what she saw when she looked at it and could almost point out where magic had erased or changed parts. He remained in shadow by the entrance for a brief moment taking it all in. Instead of waiting for an opportune time, he decided interrupting was just as good. He did not even need to say anything. His mere presence was demanding attention before he had even made it more than a few steps into the light.

  Everyone stopped what they were saying and looked sharply over at him, examining him. Kaeleigh stared with tears in her eyes when she took him in. There was something different about him, he could feel it, though he was not sure that the others would see it. It was quiet. Out of deference, Daegan looked at the Elder for what was to come next.

  Arileas wore a crooked grin as he looked at Daegan. “I see something has happened.” It was not a question. Daegan nodded. Arileas’s smile grew as he spoke in a hushed tone. “You remembered.”

  “Mostly,” Daegan confirmed. “There are still spots of obscurity in my mind.”

  Arileas nodded as if it was expected.

  “What is happening?” Chel asked no one in particular. She looked at Kaeleigh, who, wide-eyed with love, was watching her warrior. Hal began to approach Daegan, but Arileas held his hand out to give Hal pause. He questioned the Elder with his expression, but did not counter him.

  “What do you know, young Daegan?” Arileas asked with a profound tone.

  “I know who my parents were. I know what has been done to my mind.”

  “What else?” Arileas coaxed with expectant eyes.

  “I know who I am.”

  They stared at each other for more than what should have been comfortable. Daegan allowed the Elder to search his mind; for the first time an open book. Kaeleigh continued to stare in awe. Chel elbowed her and whispered, “I’m confused. Don’t we all know who he is?”

  Kaeleigh whispered back but didn’t take her eyes off of Daegan. “I think this is something much more significant.”

  “Indeed it is, and it is just the right
time.” Arileas looked over to the girls with a slight rebuke for their whispering.

  “Daegan, what is going on?” Hal finally voiced directly to Daegan. The look of confusion on his face mirrored almost everyone in the room. Ella had moved up by her grandfather and placed her hand on his shoulder, also with a knowing gleam in her eyes.

  Daegan looked over at Hal and responded, “My parents kept my family in hiding for many nights, always keeping us from Elnye where they had once called home. My grandfather had fled Elnye in one of the last battles. My father was born as a nomad, but trained with my grandfather to be a Ferrishyn. When he was old enough, they let him return to Elnye under a different name and under a glamour that would disguise any distinguishing features.”

  “Do you remember your parents’ names?” Hal asked.

  Daegan nodded slowly. “And more than just that. I remember their legacy.” He took a deep breath and suddenly looked uncomfortable, rubbing his hand through the hair at the back of his head.

  “Go on, Daegan, please,” Kaeleigh petitioned, still sitting at the table looking up at them.

  “My grandmother’s name was Et lyn Waeth and she married my grandfather, named Ryethni Tokníyth. They had a son—my father—Dy’land Waethni Tokníyth, but for their protection they dropped the last name. They became of the Waethni line even though there had never before been one.” He looked to Halister to see if what he had said registered with him. Apparently, something had as Halister stared at him as if he were seeing a ghost. Others looked to Arileas to hear him counter what Daegan had said, but he did not. He simply held his head high as if he was a proud grandparent witnessing his grandchild’s new discovery.

  “I’m not quite caught up. What does that name mean?” Kaeleigh asked hesitantly, looking directly at Daegan.

  “I am Daegan Waethni Tokníyth, the heir...”

  “Prove it!” Finn practically shouted at him from across the room with his arms crossed.