Wings of Arian (42 page)

Pulling her shield in on one on side, Kiora hesitantly peered out to see Dralazar with his back turned to her. Soolan and Vitraya both stood before him with heads dropped, listening. Kiora strained to hear what he was saying, but couldn’t make out the words. Tendrils of smoke twisted and twirled from Soolan’s nostrils, his eyes fixed not on his master, but on Kiora.

“Go,” Dralazar commanded, louder this time. Soolan spread his wings, the ground rumbling as he took a few giant steps to push up in the air. Vitraya followed behind the dragon.

Dralazar turned to look appraisingly at Kiora. She noticed for the first time that he was strikingly handsome. He was just as gorgeous as his sister, but in a dark and hard way. He had high cheekbones and nearly black hair. Dralazar’s blue eyes stood in stark contrast to his dark features, his nose strong and angular.

“It’s alright,” he said gently, “You do not need your shield anymore.” Kiora scowled, pulling back further behind it. “Kiora,” Dralazar said, smiling and dropping his head to the side as if she were a silly child playing hide and seek. “I know you felt our threads when you awoke. If I wanted you dead, you already would be.”

Swallowing, Kiora dropped her shield.

“Dragons are widely unpredictable,” he said, still smiling at her. “But it is best not to anger them unless you have something more in your arsenal than a shield.”

Kiora asked warily, “What do you want?” She was unsure as to why they were having such a casual conversation.

“I want a great many things Kiora, all of which I believe you can help me with.”

“I won’t help you with anything.”

Dralazar crossed his arms, “Not yet.” He leaned back his head, breathing in deeply as if he were smelling something truly wonderful. “You’re still pulling magic, did you know?”

Kiora frowned, her eyes flicking around waiting for something to come springing out at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Can’t you feel it?” He spread his arms out. “It’s intoxicating.” Dropping them back to his side, Dralazar lowered his chin, looking up at her through stunning blue eyes, the color of a storm over the sea. “Normally someone such as yourself would never feel it as I do, like Eleana does. But you, you’re different now. Changed. And now it’s your turn— to feel what it’s like to have and to wield
so much power
.”

Kiora held her hands tensely at her side, “I don’t need power.”

“It’s not just about the power, Kiora, it’s about how it feels.” He moved closer to her, speaking softer, “How it feels when magic is flowing through every inch of you, when you become it.”

Kiora stood still, her mind racing, trying to understand what was going on. He kidnapped her from the tower at the castle, had her here with no protection, and was making no move to harm her. “What do you want with me?” she asked, looking at Dralazar sideways.

“I want to help you understand who it is you are fighting with,” he said, snapping out of his reverie, “I think you may have been misguided.”

Kiora’s eyes flickered nervously to the gate.

“Yes,” a smile quirked up one side of his mouth, “I was dearly counting on the fact that as powerful as you are now you would be able to see the gate. I was hoping you would touch it. It is much easier to convince someone of the truth when they already have suspicion.”

“I don’t understand. What is it?”

“That,” he said with a flourish. “Is a magical feat unlike any other I know of. Its effects are far reaching, all inclusive. This beautiful piece of art is what has kept the occupants of this valley imprisoned for thousands of years.”

Kiora stepped back, her heart hoping not to understand, but a flame growing in the back of her mind that understood. “What do you mean imprisoned? We can go wherever we want, were not—”

“Really? How many of you have ever gone past the mountains?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure somebody has to have...” she stammered, trying to think of anyone.

“Think about it, Kiora, just try to think of going over the mountains.”

She did, not wanting to believe. Keeping her eyes on Dralazar she imagined herself going over the other side. But as soon as she did her mind slipped, just as it had when she was trying to see the gate. She tried again, with the same result.

Dralazar smiled as he saw her frustration, “Nobody goes anywhere. They believe it is their choice, but it is not. You are all imprisoned here by this,” he said, motioning to the gate.

“But why would you...”

“Me?” he laughed strolling back over to her. “You know it wasn’t just me, don’t you Kiora? You felt the gate, you felt the magical signature.” Leaning in so his face was just inches from hers, he whispered, “Who helped me Kiora? Who?”

The memory, the feeling of the thread shoved itself to the forefront of her mind as if she had just touched it again. “Ele… Ele…”

“Yes, Eleana.”

“No,” she whispered, a tear trickling down her face. “I don’t believe it, she would never.”

Backing away, Dralazar gave her a knowing look before walking to the gate. Trailing his fingers across the iron he glanced over his shoulder at her before leaning against it, apparently unaffected by the jolt of magic Kiora had experienced upon touching it. “But you do believe it. That’s what makes it so painful.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “Why would Eleana want to keep us all here?” “It doesn’t make any sense because you don’t know what is on the other side.” Smoothly standing upright, Dralazar looked her square in the eye. “Magic you can’t dream off, creatures you would not dream of. We didn’t stand a chance of controlling this valley.” He shook his head as if it were some great regret. “Not with the amount of magic that exists outside of these gates. It was just a matter of time before they found us, before they found this valley and took it for their own. We had no choice.”

Kiora looked up, startled.

Dralazar smiled. “Yes, we.” He strolled around her. “Eleana and I were going to rule side by side. It was
our
plan, not
mine
. It was not until much after that she decided to split from me, take the glory for herself, and what better way to get glory than to claim goodness and vilify me for the same choices she made.” Leaning forward as if relaying some great secret he whispered, “
She is a FRAUD
, Kiora.” He smiled a closed-lip evil smile before standing back up. “She has fooled you into fighting for her, bringing her the glory she always wanted. She is using you to get rid of me, just as she has used all the other Solus before you.”

Kiora shook her head. “No, it can’t be...”

“And the proof is standing before us.” Holding out his arm, Dralazar motioned to the gate.

Kiora’s eyes slowly turned to follow. “But,” she searched for an explanation, “Why would she help me?” She shook her head, as if trying to clear cobwebs from her mind. “No,” she nearly shouted. “I don’t believe you. You thought you could just bring me out here and I would side with you? Did you think it would be easy to convince me that everything I have felt is wrong? I know good when I feel it, and I know evil.”

“Do you? You also say you know Eleana. Did she mention this?”

Kiora’s eyes flickered back to the gate.

“I didn’t think so.” His voice had taken on a new edge that hadn’t been there until now. “Did I think it would be easy? Well, yes. Your sister was incredibly easy to convince…” he said slyly. “I thought maybe, you being family, it might be the same.”

Kiora froze, a sick feeling rising in her throat. “You’re lying.”

“Why would I lie about something you can so easily verify, Kiora? I know you can call visions. It’s true, your sister spent time convincing me how evil you were. She told me all about your evil visions, how you
killed your parents.
”

Kiora’s stomach dropped and she swayed to the side. Dralazar moved to grab her, placing his arm under her elbow. She felt magic pour into her under his touch, gasping she jerked her arm away.

“What do you want, really?” she demanded backing away from him. “Why did you bring me here?”

“Why are you still alive? Is that what you’re asking?” Kiora nodded curtly. Dralazar smiled at her. “Because, Kiora, you and I could do amazing things together.”

“You don’t need me.”

He gave an amused nod of acknowledgment. “You’re right, I don’t. But
you
need
me
.”

As he reached his hand out to her, Kiora panicked. Reacting on instinct, she attacked. Her magic hit Dralazar squarely in the jaw. His head swung sharply to the side as if he had been punched.

Turning his head back slowly and deliberately, Dralazar’s eyes were blazing. Reaching up, he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, not taking his eyes off her.

The shield should have already been up, but she was so shocked by what she had just done she stood instead, staring in childlike fashion. By the time she realized she had made a mistake, Dralazar’s hand had flown up and invisible fingers wrapped around her neck. She clawed at the force but it was no use. Dralazar tightened his fingers closing off her airway. She struggled under his grasp, choking.

“You are a very stupid girl, Kiora. I could kill you with a thought!” he snarled, before dropping her like a sack of garbage.

Rolling over on the ground she gasped, but hadn’t got more than two breaths before she felt herself flying through the air and slamming into the gate. The much needed oxygen was knocked out of her, and she slid down, gulping for air like a fish on land, all the while the magical signature of Dralazar and Eleana ran through her. It was unmistakable, and irrefutable. There was only one way Eleana’s signature would be here.

Dralazar strode up to Kiora, grabbing her roughly by the arm. “Make one move, Kiora, and I will knock you out and bind you with magic so tight you won’t be able to move. I had hoped we could have a cordial conversation,” he jerked her roughly to her feet. “It appears that will not be possible.” Grabbing her face, Dralazar twisted it to him.

She jerked her head back but he held fast, “Why would I side with you when you treat me like this?” she spoke through clenched teeth to prevent her checks from being shoved between them.

“Because,” Dralazar said, dropping her distastefully, “you have been trained to think of the people over yourself and if you don’t work with me, everybody dies. Your sister, everyone. Think about it, Kiora, I can make it all go away. No death, no war. Can Eleana promise you that? She has lied to you and has no power to put a stop to anything. Work with me, and it all goes away. And,” he added tantalizingly, “you won’t have to be the Solus any longer. All that responsibility washes away. Just like everything else.” Dralazar took a few steps backward. “Think about it, and stay put. Soolan is dying for a shot at you.” He smiled and vanished, leaving her standing in front of the monstrous iron lie.

As soon as Dralazar left, Kiora grabbed for her pendant, the one that the Guardians had left her. It was gone. Sinking into a pile of torn and dirty ruffles, tears spilled down Kiora’s cheeks. Her tears, coupled with the magic that hid it, made the gate’s beauty swim in and out of focus.

Lies. Everything had always been a lie.
She laughed a sick laugh through her tears that was anything but funny. She really had thought that she understood lies. She really thought that she could see them, or feel them, like threads. It made sense at the time— lies were evil and thereby easily recognizable. But now, there were lies upon lies, seas and levels of them. And all coming from places she hadn’t seen. From people who felt good, with threads that soothed rather than froze. She couldn’t help but think that there were still more, swirling under the surface that she would soon discover. And then she was sinking, drowning under the lies and the confusion and Eleana’s betrayal.

It had been easier to block the thoughts when Dralazar stood before her. But now that she was alone with nothing but the lie for company... her trust for Eleana shattered.

Why would she hold back something like this, why?
But it made sense now. All the distracted empty stares she had caught Eleana in whenever Dralazar was brought up, the guilt Kiora had seen and yet not understood. She thought that it was because Dralazar was her brother. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t that at all. It had been this… this horrible secret. Dropping her head into her hands, Kiora realized it wasn’t just Eleana. She had mentioned her dreams to Arturo, he had acted strangely at the time. Surely he knew, and had also said nothing. How many others? The Guardians? Aleric? How many had let her carry on, knowing that there was so much she had not been told.

Wiping her tears away, she sat back on her heels. She needed the truth about her sister. She called the vision to her and the scene unfolded out before her in more clarity and with more ease than ever before.

She was back in her house now, the table and chairs looked so solid she reached out to touch them, but her hand passed easily through.

Her sister and Dralazar entered from the front door, Layla looking frantic, wringing her hands in front of her. “Please sir, sit down,” Layla said.

“Much obliged,” he said with a charm and a respectful nod that Kiora knew he turned on and off at will.

“You can’t let the King do this!” Layla said suddenly, “He’s made a mistake.”

“My dear girl, I am afraid the King will need more than just my word for it. After all, I am only an advisor.”

Layla’s manner changed for the briefest of moments, “I don’t think I have ever seen you before,” she questioned.

“No, you wouldn’t have. I came from the other side of the mountains.”

Layla’s eyes suddenly were glossy and her face blank as she tried to process the phrase, ‘other side of the mountains’. Then she continued on as if she had never asked him where he had come from in the first place. “The King is wrong!” she exclaimed. “Kiora is not the Solus!”

“That is why he sent me to talk you,” he said smoothly. “He hasn’t actually met her yet so he sent me to find me out what I could before she returns to the village.”