Chapter 25
Spatters of dirty water crash over us as our horses’ gallop through puddled trenches.
A light orb guides us forward, providing the only source of light through the gloomy cloud covered night.
Halting at the foot of a bridge, a male jumps down from the horse in front of my own.
My father. He grabs a satchel from his saddle and comes to my side.
I jump down to meet him, rain pattering hard over my hood.
I stare down at my glove covered hands, I am wrapped up warm, protected from the elements.
“Son. This is the key and its instruction. You must guard this with your life,” he says, hooking the satchel onto my horse’s saddle, tugging and securing it before turning his attention to me.
Our hoods meet as we huddle close together, blocking out the noise of the rain.
I see only his aged worn worried features now. His gloved hands cup my face proudly.
“Follow the mountains north and do not stop for longer than you must rest. You all must settle within the snow by the White Aetherchrome; make your home there. You are to reign alongside your betrothed, Ester. The Oracles have prophesied an heir will take hold by the year’s end, securing your line to the throne.
Keep your kingdom deep in the snow, away from the other realms. Protect our sacred secret.
Use your talents to share our story so that it sings a thousand years from now. ”
He places his hands on my shoulders, tightening his grip as the weight of this task settles heavily in his wise, wrinkled eyes.
“Thank you, Dad, for entrusting me with this. It is the greatest honour,” I reply, nerves twisting through me at the road ahead, though I am willing to sacrifice anything for my duty.
“It could be no one else. Remember, your brother is the ruler of the Blue Kingdom now. You must understand he is no longer family. You must not trust anybody outside your new kingdom. Elder Riese will guide you. You are the keeper of the secret—that is your legacy. Your brother’s legacy will awaken when the darkness is no longer dormant.
Until then, he and his offspring are lost to the dark current of the curse, as will we all be. ”
His eyes darken with sorrow. “The White Aetherchrome will keep you at peace, as it opposes the dark forces here. I pray to the Gods it is enough to protect you, my boy.”
“I love you, Dad. Now please go. You must get back under the protection of the palace before the curse takes full effect. I have three moons until I am at risk.”
I hold up a protective pendant between us, its iridescence catching what little light remains. “Go be by Mum’s side.”
A fierce desire rises in me to beg him to return home; he is not safe. Only ten of us have protective medallions forged from Rainbow Aetherchrome, taken and charged before it became tainted. Their power will only hold for a short time, unable to be recharged by the source ever again.
“We love you, come what may. Never forget,” he says, pulling me into a tight embrace. I cling to him, unwilling to let go. Nothing will ever be the same again. No parent to guide me—a terrifying realisation.
“I love you too. Now go,” I say, and he does. He runs back to his horse, mounts, turns once more toward me, and with a final nod, gallops back into the darkness from which we came.
I double-check that the pack is secure before mounting my own black stallion.
I raise my hand, signalling to my trusted companions that we ride on.
Adjusting my hood to shelter me, I grip the reins tightly, dig into the stirrups, and call for my horse to move.
I lead everyone across the stone bridge, leaving what remains of the Rainbow Kingdom; of home, behind, fighting the urge to look back.
As the last horseshoe-clad hoof clops onto the cobblestone path on the far side of the bridge, the airth begins to shift and crack beneath us.
The horses neigh, spinning in panic, backing away from the chaos.
Black vines erupt from the soil, twisting rapidly into thick, thorned branches jutting out at all angles.
They form a wall across the entire landscape, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Horror twists in my gut. Everyone and everything I have ever known and loved is on the other side.
I want to take my sword to the vines, carve a way back to them.
I know I am expected to never see them again, but the thought of them trapped to an unknown fate hurts more than the certainty of our separation.
“Do not touch the vines,” Elder Riese calls out, his horse rearing as he edges himself between us and the wall. “They are a reaction to the Queen’s magic. Her Grace warned me of this. We must keep going and leave this land behind.”
Confusion fills me, but my mother is an incredibly smart woman. I will not question her decisions, no matter how sharply my heart aches for her warm embrace.
“Rain.”
I hear it—someone calling out, it’s not my name. Yet, it is. I search for the source as we continue north. It is still raining; it has been for some time.
“Rain, I have shown you enough for now. You must wake up. Come and find me,” Elder Isarion’s voice echoes.
I sit up straighter. How is his voice here?
Wait—this isn’t real.
“Rain, wake up!”
I’m dreaming.
This is a dream…
Rain snapped his eyes open, forcing himself into consciousness, dragging himself free from sleep.
“Fuck…” he groaned, a sharp, throbbing pain detonating behind his eyes.
He clutched his head, squeezing his eyes shut as nausea rolled through him.
A hangover from hell sinks its teeth into him.
After a long minute he risked opening his eyes.
Thankfully, it was still the dead of night, no light assaulted him.
He pushed himself onto his knees, disoriented. Where was his pillow? It took several moments to realise he was sprawled sideways across his bed, still dressed in his suit; jacket gone, crown gone, shoes gone. He raked a hand through his hair. Brilliant.
Stumbling toward the bathroom, he tried to piece together the night. Fuzzy flashes surfaced: interesting conversations with members of the Pink Court, shared drinks, laughter, even a few dances. He didn’t remember leaving the ball, nor how he’d made it back to his room.
Then the dream slammed back into him.
Isarion.
He flicked the bathroom light on and immediately flinched at its vicious brightness. After using the toilet, he washed his hands and splashed cold water over his face. His reflection stared back—ghostly, hollow-eyed. His father hadn’t killed him yet, but he certainly looked like death.
Crossing back into his room, he noticed several bottles of water and pain medication on his bedside table.
Neel must have dragged him here. He grabbed a bottle and headed into the corridor, socks sliding across the tiles as he rounded the corners toward Isarion’s office.
He could feel the elder’s energy signature inside—hurried, anxious… Was he packing?
Rain felt like he’d woken to an alternate reality. Was he still dreaming? The pounding in his skull suggested otherwise.
He didn’t knock. He forgot himself entirely in his urgency.
Isarion jolted upright, clutching his chest as if his soul had leapt out of his skin.
“Dear Gods! Rain, you frightened the life out of me.”
“I—sorry. I saw you in my dream. Or… heard you.” Rain fumbled for the right words, his voice rough and ragged. He glanced around the room, taking in the open boxes scattered everywhere. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes. I called you here.” Isarion sealed a box as he spoke. “I was able to influence your dreams and share a vision with you before asking you to come find me. Let me just—where did I put that tape?” He shuffled items around.
Rain spotted it first and lifted it into the air with a flick of his power.
“Ah! Thank you. Do sit down, you look unwell.”
Rain grumbled at the observation but dropped onto the worn brown leather couch by the window. The night sky outside was still deep and star-bright; it had to be the early hours.
“There. Done.” Isarion rolled his chair over and settled in front of him. “Drink some water. Now—do you recall your dream vision?”
“Sure.” Rain pinched the bridge of his nose.
Thinking hurt. “I was someone else. On horseback. His father gave him something important—some mission. Then these creepy vines turned into thorned walls and trapped a… Rainbow Kingdom behind them? I felt like the world as I knew it was ending. Then your voice told me to wake up.”
“Good. I hoped you would remember.” Isarion folded his hands.
“Rain, I am leaving tonight. There is much I must share with you and very little time. I must depart within the hour, and I will not be informing the Blue King. If you could help me, get as many boxes as possible into a cart on the driveway, I would be eternally grateful. I wondered if you might use your power to lower them through the window. I know it is a strange request after the night you’ve had, and you may not be physically capable in your current state. ”
“Of course I’ll help,” Rain said slowly, the weight of everything beginning to settle. “But why are you leaving? What about my lessons? I haven’t even spoken to you about my visions yet.”
“Your Grace, you no longer require my tutelage. You now walk the path of your own destiny. I can only hope I have adequately prepared you for what is to come. It is imperative that I return to the Order and ready everyone for the day you come to claim what was in that satchel.”
“What?” Rain blinked, stunned. “That vision is connected to the ones I’ve been having, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Your Grace. The Gods have shown me the truth of who you are.”
Rain frowned. “Why do you keep calling me ‘Your Grace’? I am not yet king.”