Chapter 30
Elariya
“Ink, Whispers, and Silent Melodies”
Today was the day we were going to perform the spell. No one was more eager than me to see how it would unfold.
I stood before the full-length mirror, braiding my hair to the side. I was ready. I just wanted my hair out of the way.
Arielle would be along to fetch me soon, as we were making an early start.
I got up early again, though to be fair I didn’t sleep much last night.
Although I ended the day on a good note, I couldn’t shake what Arielle had told me about Dreynthor from my mind.
Worries of running into him unsettled me and the thought that his spies were around watching made things so much worse. I hoped I would get that warning feeling Arielle mentioned if I ever came across one, but I worried I wouldn’t.
At least it was comforting to know that the grounds were always guarded and either Garrick or Arielle were always here.
I supposed Wolfe had been around too. I just hadn’t seen him.
I would today, though. We both had to be present for the spell.
I finished the braid and my gaze drifted out the window. I’d love nothing more than to lose myself in the magic and the sheer wonder of being here. But neither of those options would be wise. Nor were they options anyone with sense would take.
I had no idea what awaited me today. Or what to expect from Wolfe.
The worst part was that I'd felt him here last night, right in this room. When I'd stepped out of the bathing chamber, his energy had been so strong I could have touched it. The shackle had confirmed it, pulsing with recognition through our bond.
Yesterday my instincts had grown sharper, most likely from Arielle's work restoring my powers and teaching me new things. But heightened awareness was a double-edged gift when it came to sensing him.
What I'd felt wasn't purely magical, though. Grandmother had often spoken of emotional auras—the way people's presence carried the weight of their inner nature, not in colors but in feelings that lingered in the air around them. I'd never fully understood what she meant until coming here.
Arielle's presence was light and warm, like summer sunshine.
Sirril's felt cheerful and balancing, a steady comfort.
Garrick radiated strength and protection, solid as stone.
But Wolfe... Wolfe carried the darkness and uncertainty of a bottomless pit, and last night that void had filled my room completely.
I didn't need enhanced powers to recognize that particular brand of darkness, though.
Those threatening vibes had been there from the beginning.
From that first electric moment when we'd locked eyes across the crowded tavern.
The difference was that back then, I'd felt like I could read him, could anticipate his moves.
Now? Now I was completely in the dark about his intentions.
Today stretched before me with infinite possibilities. In the best case, the spell would work and lead us straight to the ring. But even that victory would unlock a cascade of new challenges—Father's uncertain fate, the inevitable return to Stormfell, choices I wasn't ready to face.
Part of me longed to explore more of Galaythia, to discover what it truly meant to live here as a mage rather than a secret prisoner.
The selfish thought made guilt twist in my chest. There were far more pressing concerns than my personal desires, yet nothing could compare to the intoxicating rush of seeing my magic flourish in this place.
Could I dare hope that when this crisis ended, I might return here freely? That I could finally embrace who I was meant to be?
The fantasy crumbled the moment I imagined staying if Wolfe executed my father. My stomach churned with revulsion. Perhaps that was why he'd been pulling away and maintaining that careful distance, so he wouldn't have to feel anything when the moment of judgment arrived.
I forced the poisonous thought away. Such negativity wouldn’t serve me now.
I lowered to put on my shoes but stopped when something strange whispered through the air.
It was a quiet melody. Haunting yet… beautiful.
Each note wove through the air, calling to something deep in my bones, demanding I come closer.
I straightened and walked over to the window, looking outside to see if I could see the source of the sound. There wasn’t anything but I could still hear it, and it was still beckoning me to find it.
Without another thought I head outside, taking the back door to the garden.
The song grew louder and louder.
My gaze swept the grounds, pulled by the melody's growing intensity.
Where was it coming from?
I looked around until my gaze landed on the caves carved into the distant mountains, and something inside me knew that's where the melody called from.
My pace quickened with that realization. But as I reached the furthest line of trees, the melody began to fade. Then it disappeared completely, leaving a still silence in the air.
I whirled around, my heart hammering. Then I froze as I came face to face with a raven-haired Fae girl who stood amongst the moon-colored flowers, watching me.
The sight of her stole my breath. I had no words, no explanation for why I'd been stumbling through the grove like a woman possessed.
I'd never seen her before. She wasn't part of Wolfe's household, not with that bearing, that dress, and that face. I would have remembered someone like her.
She was breathtaking, like she'd stepped from the frame of a masterpiece.
Raven hair cascaded over ivory shoulders, while eyes the color of storm-touched seas gazed back at me. Her forest-green dress draped perfectly over her willowy frame, its flowing skirt floating like water in the wind.
I was the one who looked like a servant in my basic attire. Everything about this girl screamed nobility, from her regal posture to the exquisite cut of her gown.
Though she appeared no more than twenty summers, she was likely centuries older.
Blessed Mother, what if she was one of Wolfe's consorts? Or his betrothed?
When he'd spoken about how the Fae viewed their betrothed, it sounded as if he spoke from experience. It would be just my damn luck to happen upon such a person when I was so conflicted over him.
The beautiful Fae woman smiled at me, and I hoped desperately she couldn't read minds.
“Morning,” I said first, offering a polite smile and a tentative wave.
“Good morning, there.” She had a sweet voice and a warmth to her presence that reminded me of a Faith follower from back home. “You must be the new mage the staff are all excited about.”
“Oh, that's nice to hear.” I chuckled nervously. “Though I didn't mean to cause such a stir.”
“I'm sure you didn't, but it's been quite some time since my brother allowed anyone to stay at Vyrenth Hollow.”
Brother? My eyes snapped wide. She said brother. As in Wolfe?
“Wolfe is your brother?” I couldn't restrain my surprise.
“He is.”
“Oh.” Relief flooded through me at learning she was just his sister, and I hated myself for feeling it.
She laughed, a delicate sound that suited her perfectly. “Don't look so surprised.” The light caught her silver-blue eyes, and I realized why they'd held my attention. Wolfe had the same mesmerizing eyes.
“I'm sorry. I just didn't know Wolfe had a sister.” I made that sound as if I knew more than the meager information he'd shared with me.
“Typical Wolfe. He's one of those... quiet yet demanding types.” She laughed again. “He's either very secretive or very vocal.”
“Yeah. I've noticed that, too.”
She came closer and stretched out a dainty hand for me to take. “I'm Zyrra.”
I shook her hand and smiled. “I'm Elariya.”
“Great to meet you.”
“The same to you.”
“I hear you're training with Arielle. I hope that's going well. It would be wonderful to have a mage from the Ravenwood Realm in our court.”
How odd. It appeared that Wolfe had told his sister the same fabricated story he'd given the staff. Apart from Sirril, the house staff had been told that I was an apprentice mage from the Ravenwood Realm training under Arielle's care.
“Thank you. My training is going great.” I played along, but given what I knew about Dreynthor, I couldn't help wondering why she didn't know the truth.
Wolfe had specifically cautioned me against talking to anyone who wasn't on the ship about the ring, the mission, and myself.
It seemed she was included in that category.
Perhaps he was protecting her. The less she knew, the less she could accidentally reveal if questioned by someone like Dreynthor.
With that in mind, it was best she didn't know who I truly was. I wouldn't want her, or anyone else, to hand me over to the citadel.
“Arielle is one of the finest mages and such a kind-hearted pleasure. That said, she just worships Wolfe a little too much for my liking.” She waved a dismissive hand.
“Does she?” My smile felt strained. Arielle had been nothing but kind to me. I would hate to seem like I was gossiping about her.
“You'll see what I mean when you spend more time with her.” Zyrra's expression softened. “That aside, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself here.”
“Thanks.”
That melody still echoed in my bones, and the thought struck me that she might have heard it. Or maybe it had come from her? “Were you by any chance singing just now?”
“Me?” Her brows lifted and she laughed. “Oh no. Sadly, singing isn't among my talents.”
“Did you hear music? A melody?”
She drew in a slow breath, curiosity sharpening her features. “I heard nothing. What kind of melody was it?”
“It came from over there.” I gestured toward the distant caves, and her lips parted in surprise. “It was so enchanting I couldn't resist following it.”
Zyrra's gaze flicked between me and the jagged cave entrance, wonder creeping into her expression. “Dragons nest in those caves. I think... you may have heard their song.”
My heart stuttered. “Dragons can sing?”