Chapter 9 #2
These notes are for you. If you’re reading this, it’s because you were able to open the coffer containing it.
It means that I’m no longer in this world, and you’re now the king of the Crystal Court.
If any of the content here surprises you, it’s because I didn’t have time to explain it to you, so I need you to read it carefully and heed my advice.
Being a king means caring for your people and your land, and ensuring your subjects are satisfied and support your reign. In your case, you have one additional task, the most important of all, I’d say, and the reason why I chose you to be my heir.
I glance at my brother, who raises an eyebrow as if saying, “I told you.” Then I continue reading.
Your fire magic hasn’t been seen in generations. It’s a unique power, a mighty gift. A gift not to be squandered.
Now pay attention to my words. Some call me delusional, but I am certain of what I’m about to tell you.
The Witch King was never killed—not truly, at least. He was defeated and weakened enough to be imprisoned, but there’s no guarantee that his containment will last forever.
While he lives, he’ll be a threat to our kingdom.
Powerful fire magic is the only thing that can destroy him.
It’s your magic. Your gift, amplified tenfold by your royal status.
What you must do is find his prison. It’s an ancient underground Tiurian sanctuary in the north of the Shadow Lands. The Shadow Ring can lead you to it.
I glare at Renel.
“What?” He shrugs. “You’re the one who gave away the relic.”
“Yes, and where is it now?”
Renel is still wearing the stupid replica and stares at his hand. “You’re sure it’s not this?”
I snort. “No. It has no magic. And how did you even get the original Shadow Ring? It was given to the human king.”
“Otavio borrowed it, then lent it to me. I kept it hidden, Marlak. Azur was the only one who knew where it was, and he was bound to me at the time.”
“Did Zorwal ever see it?” Astra asks.
“No.” Renel shakes his head. “It was in my room.”
I tap a finger to my chin. “Someone was cunning enough not only to steal it, but to replace it with a replica. The problem is that it doesn’t work if it’s stolen, but maybe whoever took it didn’t know, or maybe they just wanted to sell it. A servant, maybe?”
“They were enchanted.”
“Zorwal, perhaps?” Lidiane suggests. “If he’s so powerful, perhaps he can sense a strong relic, and he could have taken it to prevent Renel from using it against him.”
“What about Otavio?” Astra asks. “Maybe it was time to return it to the king.”
Renel scratches his chin. “He wouldn’t be allowed in the royal area. We’ll figure it out. Keep reading. Maybe there’s another way.”
I huff, extremely annoyed that we’re facing this hurdle now, then take Astra’s hand. I still don’t regret giving that ring. What upsets me is that I can’t find it now.
The ring will shine red when it’s close to the Witch King, and that can help you locate his prison.
You might also sense his magic. It’s far north in the Shadow Lands.
You should take a boat to the Northern Tip.
There’s a pier there. Arrive early in the morning because his prison is two hours south, by the first rocky hills in the desert side.
Don’t try to walk in the Shadow Lands at night. It’s too dangerous.
The entrance to his sanctuary is hidden by pebbles and false ground covering a copper trapdoor that will lead you to a tunnel and to his sanctuary.
Be careful. Ghouls can survive underground, and there might be some of them there.
Fire can kill them. The Witch King will be in a glass encasement.
You’ll have to be fast. Break it, then burn it.
Use the most powerful fire blast you can muster, and keep blasting him for at least thirty seconds.
“Like a recipe,” Ziven mutters, and I glare at him, then continue reading.
Do not hesitate. Do not fear. Bring a small retinue of trusted guards to watch your back and fight the ghouls.
This is the most important task of your reign. Of your life.
I turn the page, and see no more text. No, there’s something more.
The reason he’s immortal is his anchor. You’ll have to destroy it. If you’re reading it now, it means I had no time to finish my research on anchors, so it will be up to you to figure it out.
“Oh. Too bad. I have no time to do any research.” I wave the journal and scowl at my brother. “If only I had found this earlier!”
He places his hands over his heart, as if he was wounded. “Oh, to have such an ungrateful brother. A brother who wouldn’t have known about the existence of this journal if it wasn’t for me, who found the coffer and kept it safe.”
“But too late! And it’s not giving us any information we didn’t already know.”
Renel points at himself. “Information I knew. That your fire can kill the Witch King, that it was the reason King Krisiul wanted you to be king. I told you all that, didn’t I?”
Ziven taps a finger on the table. “The journal specified the time needed to roast the Witch King. That’s helpful, right?”
Astra’s thoughtful, then says, “Zorwal.”
“What?”
“He’s the anchor. It’s why beheading him won’t kill him. They keep each other alive. I… know it.” There’s certainty in her voice. “I saw the Witch King when I tasted Zorwal’s blood, as if they were connected.”
“What if you’re wrong?” Renel asks.
Astra hesitates, then says, “I… don’t think so. I mean, I could be missing something, but I’m positive that they’re connected and keep each other alive.”
“Should I kill Zorwal first?” I ask, regretting I didn’t do it when I had the chance.
She shakes her head. “The Witch King is weaker right now, so it’s easier to get to him first. That will weaken Zorwal. You’ll need to use…” A shadow of worry crosses her eyes. “Fire.”
I feel as if a thousand dark moths were flying in my insides. “I’ll use fire if I have to.”
She nods.
Renel frowns, his expression puzzled as if we were discussing something absurd. “Marlak’s the most powerful fire wielder who has ever lived. This will be easy for him.”
I manage a fake smile. “Super easy. Extremely. The hard part is getting to his prison. And finding it.”
“You can access memories, right?” Lidiane asks. “We were there. You could look into my mind, so you know the right place. I think there was a hill by it.”
“That helps, yes,” I say, thankful to Lidiane. “I might also sense the magic. I still need to get there.”
“What about a boat?” Astra asks. “Like your stepfather suggested.”
I try to think. “We could go to the Solemn Port and try to find a boat. If I don’t use any magic, I might be all right, but there’s still some risk. We could get there at dawn, so that we reach the northern tip before noon. But… It’s complex and depends on other people. I don’t know.”
Ferer clicks his tongue, his posture stiff. “I can’t go to the ocean. Some… Sea Court trouble. So if you do that, I won’t be able to come with you. My suggestion would be for us to buy horses in a northern city, but we’ll need to calm them down, so they’ll enter the Shadow Lands.”
“Can Cherry Cake help?” Astra asks.
“No,” I say, a chill running down my spine when I consider the possibility. “The Shadow Lands is the last place that unicorn should step foot, especially now that the Witch King is alive. His dark magic made him what he is, but he resisted and survived, but now…”
“And yet he went there,” Renel says.
“Which was quite dangerous, even if he wasn’t too far north.” Then I add, “But I’m glad he saved you.”
My brother chuckles. “Sure you are.”
That comment doesn’t deserve an answer, so I don’t give him any.
Taking a deep breath, I try to think. Perhaps the boat might be the best idea, since the Northern Tip will get us closer to the Witch King’s cave.
It still means counting on someone else, hoping that I won’t be spotted, when I fear my sister has found a way to trace me.
The horses might be a good idea, if we can find a pair that won’t fear the Shadow Lands.
I hold Astra’s hand and look into her eyes, hoping to find an answer, but all I feel is a desperate need to succeed, to keep her safe.
Her eyes widen as steps sound at the door. I suppose Azur changed his mind, and yet I find her smile too broad, too happy.
When I turn, I see Nelsin. Astra and Ferer get up to greet him. As Ferer embraces him, Astra steps back, giving them space for their reconciliation. Even though he once put my wife’s life in danger, I’m happy to see the blond fae, and see that he’s unharmed.
Nelsin pushes Ferer and steps back, then addresses us all. “Well, hello. Can’t say I’m touched to see you all worried about me. Did you even notice my absence?”
“Of course!” Ferer says. “There wasn’t a day—”
“No, no.” Nelsin covers his own fae ears, then moves his hands up, to cover the cat ears.
“Don’t want to hear it. While I might have been lost, there’s something I found: dignity.
” He smiles at Ferer. “I’ll no longer fight for scraps of love.
” He looks at me. “Or importance. I’m now an honorable ambassador of the giants, a role I treasure dearly. ”
Ferer steps back and crosses his arms. “You can speak Giant?”
The cat-eared fae raises an eyebrow. “I’m a fast learner, what did you expect?”
“I’m glad you’re back.” Astra smiles at him.
Nelsin waves a finger. “Not back, no. I’m here to bring a message from the giants. If you fail to stop the darkness in four days, they’ll have to hurt me.”
She frowns. “I thought you were an ambassador.”
“Ambassador and hostage. I can multitask.”
Astra smiles at him as if his words weren’t absurd, then summarizes some of our conversation and explains what we are trying to plan.
Nelsin listens carefully, then scratches his chin. “You’d need to get to the north and back before sunset, right?”
I nod. “We’re trying to figure out the best way.”
Nelsin narrows his eyes, as if in deep thought, then says, “The giants can’t go north past a certain area. It’s too dangerous for them, and drains their magic. But they could help you go a big chunk of the way. They can run fast. That could be a solution.”
It sounds perfect, as long as the giants agree with that. “You’d need to consult them first, right?”
“No. They’re willing to help as much as they can. This was also what I was sent here to tell. Emphasis on what they can. They won’t go too far north. And I can tell them what they need to do once we cross into the Shadow Lands.”
I rub my eyes, trying to come up with a conclusion. “The other idea is to take a boat.”
“No,” Nelsin says. “That would place you in Sea Court territory. While they allow boats to cross to the Nowhere Lands, we don’t know where their loyalties lie, and we don’t know if they have any obligation to allow a boat to get to the north of the Shadow Lands.”
Ferer glances at him. “You know a lot about the Sea Court.”
“Indeed. You fall in love with a sea fae, you want to learn everything you can about them.” He shivers. “I’m glad the delusion is over.”
I feel bad for Ferer, who looks down, obviously hurt by the comment. Still, I think Nelsin’s suggestion is the best.
“I’ll take the giants’ generous offer,” I say.
“Not generous.” Nelsin shakes his head. “Self serving. The Witch King is in their lands, after all, siphoning their magic.”
I nod. “Self serving means they won’t change their minds. Let’s plan, then.”
My stomach is cold and heavy as I consider the certainty that I’m about to walk to the Shadow Lands and face a sinister, almost immortal fae. And then, perhaps what chills me most is the power I’ll have to use: my fire.
That dangerous, destructive magic I once swore never to use again. That horrible magic that stirs unwanted memories, that pokes everlasting wounds. I glance at Astra. For her, I’ll muster the strength I need. For her, I’ll use my fire.