Chapter 42
Elariya
“Back to Hyxian”
We left the house in a carriage drawn by Crown-Elks—magnificent creatures with bluish-gray fur and antlers branched like gilded trees. Their hooves didn't so much touch the ground as skim above it, carrying us with an ethereal grace that made my blood sing.
Then we were skipping across the sea.
I pressed my face to the carriage window, unable to contain my wonder as the Crown-Elks galloped over waves that rose to meet their feet. Water sprayed up in crystalline arcs and fractured into a thousand rainbows as we pushed forward.
Arielle enjoyed watching me take it all in.
When we reached the far shore, the countryside unfurled before us in a cascade of impossible beauty.
Rolling hills bloomed with flowers I had no names for, trees with silver bark stretched toward the cerulean sky, and in the distance, waterfalls flowed in shades of lavender and rose gold.
This was Galaythia in all its grandeur.
Every sight made my heart skip, every moment was another memory I never wanted to forget.
An hour passed and the elks slowed. Soon the fortress of Hyxian rose within our view. And even from a distance, the building commanded reverence.
I fell in love with the place from the moment we rode through the gates. Much of what I’d described in my journal was exactly as it was. But seeing it in real life was… there were no words.
When we entered the Grand Hall, I had to tilt my head back to take it all in.
The ceiling soared impossibly high above us, lost in shadows and an illusion of the night sky with twinkling stars.
Constellations moved in slow, thoughtful patterns, their light casting a soft glow over everything below.
Floating candles drifted through the air in organized chaos, their flames flickering between violet and silver and deep crimson.
I spun around, a smile stretching across my face. I couldn’t help myself.
Magic was alive in the air. And it was magnificent.
At the same time unease settled in my chest as I suddenly became very aware of the challenges I still faced.
It was great being here. But I had to remember why I was here. And that everything rested on me, my ability to learn how to control the threads of time.
I done my best to bring myself up to speed from my notes and records I’d made in my journal, so I was hoping for a smooth start today.
“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Arielle marveled, looking around too with appreciation.
We stopped in the center of the hall to get a better look of ceiling.
“It’s amazing,” I spoke in a reverent hush. It felt like I should.
“I’m glad we got here at this time, so we can enjoy the building in silence. In another ten minutes the place will be teaming with students.” She chuckled.
“I wouldn’t even mind. Just being here invigorates me.”
Arielle looked pleased to hear that. “You look even more impressed than you did the first time you came here.” She studied my face. “And that’s saying something.”
“Maybe part of me appreciates it more.”
“Maybe.” She nodded, then straightened quickly. “Archmage Magdalena is on her way over. Just act natural. She already knows about the wedding and that you’ve been away on royal duties.”
I nodded. The royal duties excuse was how we were explaining my lengthy absence. It was part of the sketchy plan we’d come up with before for my memory resets, where I may have needed a week or so to catch up on certain things.
Archmage Magdalena was apparently aware from the outset that I’d be away a lot and was fine to work around my schedule.
I turned in the direction Arielle faced and say the archmage
With a warm smile on her ethereal face, she moved across the Grand Hall like flowing water. Her robes trailed behind her in a whisper of silk.
Her pale hair fell in a sleek curtain past her shoulders, and her eyes the sheen of knowledge, ancient knowledge. The kind that could change the world.
Those eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my spine straighten involuntarily, but the softness in her face showed a warmth that made me feel safe.
“My dear girls, welcome back,” she said, her voice smooth and melodic, carrying effortlessly through the vast space.
We both placed our hands to our hearts and bowed.
“Archmage, it’s great to see you,” Arielle chimed stepping forward to hug her.
“And you, my dear.”
They pulled apart and Magdalena looked at me. It was strange having someone look at me the way she did—with so much pride and joy—and in my cursed mind, today was the first time I’d met her.
"Congratulations on your union, my dear Elariya.” Magdalena pulled me in for a hug.
“Thank you so much.”
“I can’t imagine a better person to be with Lord Nightblade.”
What a beautiful thing to say. “That means so much to me.”
“I received my invite to your celebration early this morning. I will be there.”
“Thanks. I know it’s short notice.”
She laughed, light but hearty. “This is the magical realm. Short notice is what keeps life interesting.”
Arielle and I exchanged smiles.
“Come along now. I have much for us to do today. I’m so excited you unlocked your time magic.”
“Me too.” Though I’d always had some element of time magic, I never knew what it was.
She took us to another hall. A much smaller hall that looked like it was built for magical training. There were a few rows of tables lined with books and other …experiment-looking things like plants and insects in petri dishes.
Arielle quietly muttered to me that I’d been in here before.
Magdalena waved her hands and the doors we’d come threw closed. The lights also dimmed and the shutters at the windows snapped shut.
“Time magic is very sensitive. It likes peace and less light.” Magdalena smiled. “Take a seat and talk to me about what you’ve done so far. That way I’ll be able to establish what we need to do next.”
Arielle and I sat next to each other. I set my satchel down next to me and I thought about everything I knew.
Magdalena’s gaze traced over my face, as if she were already studying me. It should have felt invasive. Instead, it felt like being seen. As though she could see straight through to the parts of me that I couldn’t access.
“The first time I did it I was about twelve. It happened by accident. It was winter. The coldest I could remember and all the flowers had died. I was simply looking at a patch of grass, yearning for spring. My father… he’d gone on an expedition and I missed him.
” I glanced at Arielle, who offered me a look of sympathized.
“He was set to return in the spring. I couldn’t wait.
That day I thought what if I could make spring come quicker.
As soon as I thought about it, a flower rose straight out of the earth.
I was so excited, but then it withered and dried up within a few seconds. ”
Magdalena smiled. “You tried the same conjuring spell in class a few weeks ago. It had the same result. But we were wrong weren’t we? Things were not as they seemed.”
“No they weren’t. I made the mistake of thinking I couldn’t conjure anything stable. But really I was speeding up time.”
“Did you notice anything else affected by time? Did the world speed up too?”
“No. It just affected the thing I was focused on.” I’d done the spell enough times as a child to recall it. The end result was always the same.
“Interesting. I can’t believe I missed this. When did you first realize what was truly happening?” She held my gaze with keen interest, awaiting my answer.
I wished I could remember—that the curse hadn’t stolen that memory from me.
Perhaps it was better I didn’t remember, because it was Zyrra, Wolfe’s sister who discovered what no one else could see.
Her trickery and deceit made me drop my guard and trust her. She knew I was Wolfe’s tracker and got close enough to me to learn the one thing the dark forces needed to find the ring—that it was hiding on a time plane.
“I was here. It was my last visit,” I replied, sounding like I truly remembered. “I was in the library. I would have pursued it, but then my royal duties took charge and I had to go away.”
Arielle looked pleased with my answer. I wished I could tell Magdalena more.
Like the simple truth and the fact that my ability to master this power was of great the urgency because the next reset was upon me.
Magdalena was an archmage, a fountain of all knowledge shared from the Fray. She would also have a deep connection with the Blessed Mother. All signs that should make her trustworthy. But I’d made the same mistake with Zyrra.
I’d assumed I could trust her because she was Wolfe’s sister. I ended up trusted a demon wearing her face.
So caution was best. It was the surest way to protect our plans.
“I wish you had contacted me,” Magdalena said with a gentle lift of her delicate shoulders. “You had an important breakthrough. We could have taken our time to work through it together.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think
“That’s okay. You are here now. And Arielle has informed me that you’ve mastered the basic of time magic.”
I nodded. “Yes. At the moment I can slow it down and speed it up immensely by years.”
She straightened instantly. “Years? That’s quite a bit more than the basics.”
“I wasn’t even aware of it. But um…I don’t know the mechanics of how time magic works.
I can feel it, feel the connection with the Fray, and something happens but I can’t tell you how I do it.
I’ve used spells to guide me, but every time I try to use it without them, I’m uncertain of what might happen. Or how strong the spell may be.”
Like back in Morg?ven, when I slowed the magic around the sword. I never used a spell. Granted I only had to tap into my magic for a few seconds, but I did it nonetheless.
“I don’t know if that’s because I started learning magic later than the average mage,” I added.
“I can help her with the exercises,” Arielle stated. “I’m sure with more practice and focus we could understand and unlock more of her powers, but afraid time magic isn’t one of my specialties.”