15. Lyra
Chapter 15
Lyra
The last few weeks have flown by in a blur, the days and nights melding together. Time really does pass quickly when you’re enjoying life.
Since Rix and Rune have been away visiting family, Hollie has made it a regular occurrence to hang out with me while Colton’s away during the day. He’s often tied up with what he calls boring business matters, trying to mend peace with his mother, so I’ve steered clear of pressing him for details, opting to wait until he’s ready to share on his own.
The tension with his family is rough, but he assures me that everything will settle down in due time. His parents have even invited us to their palace for an engagement party, and although I’m still uncertain about how I feel, we’ve agreed to attend.
“What are you thinking about over there?” Hollie asks from atop Chepi’s back. It amazes me how he lets her ride on his back like that, but she is incredibly small.
“Oh, the party Elspeth and Granger are throwing for us and who might be there,” I respond as we walk along a path by the creek. We’ve been exploring new trails every day, and the more I discover of the Dream Forest, the more I fall in love with its enchanting inhabitants and scenery.
“Like King Onyx?” she giggles, and I scold her.
“I doubt he’ll be there. Celebrating my relationship with Colton is probably the last thing on his list. I’m nervous about how everyone will react,” I admit.
Hollie stretches out on Chepi, soaking up the sun. “Who cares about their reactions? If anyone gives you trouble, unleash your shadows on them,” she quips with a mischievous grin. I can’t help but laugh. Hollie has been watching me practice my dark magic, and thankfully it hasn’t scared her off.
“Did you hear that?” I whisper, crouching lower to peer through the dense foliage. This part of the Dream Forest feels more remote than anywhere we’ve ventured before, and a prickle of unease settles over me. Beside me, Chepi and Hollie hover close, their tiny forms tense with alertness.
“What are they doing?” Hollie’s voice is barely audible as she squints at the group of five Fae men dressed in tan combat gear by the riverbank ahead. “Could there have been another attack nearby?” I murmur, more to myself than to them.
“I’ve never seen them in uniforms like that. It’s usually Colton or his friends who patrol here, not King Onyx’s soldiers,” Hollie observes.
They seem to be merely stopping for water, filling their canteens before preparing to move on. “I’m going to follow them. You two should head back,” I say, turning to them with a firm look.
Hollie plants her hands on her hips, defiance written all over her small face. “We’re coming with you,” she insists firmly.
Reluctantly, I nod. “Fine, Chepi can make you invisible if we run into trouble, as long as you are holding onto him,” I concede, watching her relax slightly .
“I know he’s a Glyphie, but he’s the first Glyphie I’ve met with such cute little horns,” she comments, reaching out to gently touch Chepi’s head.
“He shares my dark magic too,” I explain as the soldiers begin discussing channeling back to their camp.
“Camp? That means they might have a setup here in the forest. That’s highly unusual,” Hollie notes, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.
“Fuck, if they channel, I think I can track their magic, but only if we use the same spot immediately after they leave. Be ready to run,” I instruct, my voice low and urgent as we inch closer, still concealed by the underbrush.
As the last man vanishes, the air still hums with residual magic, laced with an earthy, woodsy scent. We dash to the spot where he stood, and I focus on the lingering traces of his magic, my heart racing with adrenaline. With a deep breath, I channel us through.
We land softly on sandy terrain, surrounded by sprawling tents. Quickly, we duck behind the nearest one to avoid detection. “I’ve never done that before—tracked someone through channeling. That was incredible,” I whisper, unable to hide my thrill.
“It looks like you’ve brought us to Vision Valley, the desert lands,” Hollie observes, her voice low. She curls her lip as she lets a handful of sand trickle through her fingers, clearly unimpressed with the arid environment.
“Let’s find out what they’re doing here. Chepi can keep us invisible for quite a while now, thanks to his enhanced magic. Make sure you don’t let go of him. Remember, they can still hear us, so we need to keep quiet,” I instruct her, taking Chepi into my arms. Hollie clings to his fur at his neck and carefully settles down.
Once we are shielded from sight, I edge around the tent and begin to tiptoe through the camp. It’s bustling, filled with hundreds of soldiers milling about, their voices a constant buzz in the air. A distant roar and chanting draw my attention, and I follow the sounds, creeping closer until we come upon a large crowd. They’re gathered around a makeshift arena where two men spar, their magic sparking and clashing as they fight.
“What are they doing?” Hollie whispers.
“I think they’re training,” I murmur in response, my eyes never leaving the action below.
“But why here? And why so many?” Hollie’s questions are valid. The size and scale of this operation aren’t ordinary.
“Preparing for war,” I conclude softly, the realization settling heavily in my chest.
We watch intently as the two men in the pit, both shirtless and slick with sweat, circle each other. Each wields a sword in one hand while their other hand is hurling magic with calculated precision. The sun catches on the outstretched wings of one fighter, sending dazzling reflections our way. Their swords meet with a clang that echoes around the arena, sparks flying with each strike.
Suddenly, one of the Fae males gestures elaborately with his free hand, manipulating the sand beneath his opponent. The grains whirl and shift, rapidly forming a pit that begins to swallow the winged fighter, drawing him down until only his head remains above the surface. The victor bows to the applause of the onlookers before aiding his opponent out of the sandy trap. As they exit, two more warriors take their place, ready to spar.
The spectacle is mesmerizing, but it also presents an opportunity. With the crowd’s attention focused on the new fighters, now might be the perfect time to explore the camp and uncover what’s really happening here.
I tighten my grip on Chepi as we move stealthily through the war camp, guided by the pressing urgency to uncover the camp’s secrets before we’re discovered. Each row of tents blends into the next, but it’s the central, grandiose tent that catches my attention. It stands out with its imposing size and finer make.
Slipping inside, the lavish spread of furs across the floor and a makeshift bedroom in one corner suggest it’s a command tent. The rest of the space is dominated by military logistics: maps, communications equipment, and piles of documents all over.
I approach the central table, its surface a detailed expanse of Eguina’s map. Hollie, still perched securely on Chepi, whispers, “They must be tracking more than just Sarrol attacks.”
Nodding, I release her and Chepi, taking a moment to ensure we’re alone. My focus narrows on the Sorcerer Realm section of the map. The handwritten notes and markers scattered across it are a clear indication of active surveillance—not on random beast attacks but on something much more orchestrated.
Squinting to decipher the tiny script, the reality hits me hard. They’re charting Samael’s movements and the burgeoning insurrection he and Kaine are fostering—directly aimed against me.
“Lyra, look, it’s a drawing of you!” Hollie exclaims from across the room, and I immediately know they must have one of Kaine’s flyers. I join her and inspect the board in front of us, plastered with parchments. In a handful of weeks, more flyers have been distributed. Samael has been found, and he has retaken the throne, regaining quite a following, it seems. He was so weakened the last time I saw him, so how did he regain his strength and power so quickly? The people know he was a terrible leader. Do they truly believe I will be worse?
“Why are they so afraid of your dark magic?” Hollie asks, glancing over one of the flyers about me.
“Dark magic hasn’t been around in a very long time. They fear what they don’t understand, believing the stories they’re told,” I explain. The Sorcerers recognize Samael as a dark leader, aware that he practiced dark spells, but he never truly possessed dark magic.
They must think I will be like him, only worse. I can’t entirely blame them. To my people, I am a mystery, and with Kaine pushing his narrative, their fears are only amplified.
I turn to see more papers on the table detailing troop movements and alliances with various minor lords in the Sorcerer Realm. It’s clear that Kaine has been weaving a complex web, building up military and political support for Samael’s return. I can’t help but feel a pang of betrayal. These are my people, and yet they rally behind a known tyrant because of fear stoked by lies about my magic. I don’t want to blame them, but the feeling of betrayal starts to fester in my chest.
“This is worse than I thought,” I murmur, scanning the documents for any mention of plans directly targeting me or Colton.
Hollie hovers close, her tiny form barely casting a shadow over the parchments. “We need to tell Colton about this. He should know.”
“No, not yet,” I decide abruptly. “I need to understand the full extent of their plans. We can’t alarm him without knowing our next move. Plus, he’s dealing with his family.”
Another alarming thought crosses my mind. What if Colton already knows about all of this and has been keeping it from me? We agreed—no more lies, no more secrets. If he knew and didn’t tell me... I shake my head, not wanting to entertain the thought. There’s no way he would keep this from me. Nyx might, given our strained relations, but Colton.. .
“Come on. I’ve seen enough of this place for now. Let’s go back home,” I tell Chepi and Hollie, and they fly over to me immediately. As I prepare to channel us back, a nagging thought lingers. Weapons are everywhere, and Dorian, Nyx’s main weapons supplier, is also Colton’s best friend—a man he meets with often. It’s hard to believe Dorian would keep such secrets from Colton. How could Colton not know? The doubt seeds deeper as we vanish from the camp.
“Something’s here!” I shout, grasping for Nyx’s hand, but it’s slipping away. The stage beneath us fractures, splintering wood and crumbling plaster plummeting into the abyss as unfamiliar shadows coil around my limbs, dragging me backward. The crowd blurs into chaos. Only Nyx’s haunting white eyes pierce the darkness as I’m swallowed whole.
A chilling screech echoes, like a gate flung wide. Yet when I spin around, it’s not the gates I face but an ancient throne room steeped in the weight of centuries. Each cautious step I take ignites the torches along the walls, their flames casting elongated, twisting shadows that murmur in an almost recognizable tongue.
At the room’s heart lies a throne of black obsidian, ensnared by twisted branches that mirror those at the gates, surrounded by a moat of molten silver shimmering under a moonlike glow. It beckons, and as my hand reaches out, drawn to the intricate tangle of branches, my gaze spots a crown aloft in the shadows above. Crafted from the same dark tendrils and studded with shifting gemstones, it morphs under my stare, a living part of the darkness.
As my fingers stretch, yearning to touch the ethereal crown, a cold claw clasps my chest from behind. The grip is iron-tight, anchoring me in place as a raspy, malicious whisper grazes my ear, “Embrace your destiny, for you are the bridge between worlds.” The words scratch through the air, sending shivers down my spine.
Gasping, I bolt upright in bed, my hand instinctively clutching my ear where the phantom breath still seems to linger.
As I search the room for Colton, I realize he isn’t here. I must have drifted to sleep while waiting for him after my unsettling visit to the camps. Chepi, lying at my feet, seems at ease despite my turmoil. I scoop him up, cuddling him close, and his immediate soft snoring against my chest helps to anchor my frayed nerves.
My heart still races as I try to wrap my head around the vision that disturbed my sleep. Was it a glimpse from my midnight mind, reaching beyond the gates into unknown realms or simply my own fears weaving into my subconscious as my wedding day and future reign as queen draw near? The vision of a dark throne suited for my shadowed magic makes me wonder if it reflects how my people perceive me—or perhaps it’s a deeper, more ominous prophecy about my destiny.
The thought of returning to Zomea, to confront those gates again, looms over me, but there are immediate challenges to face. My bonding ceremony is fast approaching, and I must step into my role to safeguard my realm, especially now with the uncertainty under Samael’s reign. The weight of these realities presses down, mixing with the whispers of my dream, reminding me of the critical path ahead.
Only the gods know what truly awaits, and I must be ready for anything.