CHAPTER 18 MILI
A fter several hours in the bathing chamber, Port and I went our separate ways to prepare for dinner.
I asked him, “Will I see you at dinner?”
To which he replied, “I’ll see you soon enough, Mili – just not tonight.”
The thought of facing Cory, and possibly Max, alone, frightened me. I must have given away my horror at the thought of dining with those two alone, because Port smiled gently at me.
“Many of Cory’s commanders dine with him, you know. You’ll get to meet lots of new, friendly faces.”
I cocked my head at his subtle, shrewd reassurance; Port seemed, the more time I spent with him this afternoon, to hold a sort of valuable, quiet wisdom. Anyway, it was only a small vote of confidence, but it was enough to give me enough courage to actually attend dinner.
Now, I’m being escorted by a tertiary guardian, who introduces herself as Amer, into the dining hall. She’s quieter than the first one, thankfully, and doesn’t make any remarks about Cory (or his ... relations). I ask her about life in the volcano, and she answers in two-word replies; I wonder if she’s just shy, or if she is so skeptical of visitors that she refuses to give any information away. Either way, I suppose it’s admirable.
The dining hall is a strangely intimate setting for the volcano’s powerful first guardian, Cory, to dine in. There are dagger-shaped holes in the wall which allow in the setting Sun, but they’re curved like fish gills so as not to allow intruders to see in.
The rays of sunshine hit mirrored obsidian shards across the room and throw beams of light up to the stone beams which uphold the ceiling. On the table, which is set for only eight, there are tea candles and jars of fireflies to add light.
It’s peaceful, and, despite myself, I sigh in relief at the calm setting.
“Milica!” Cory’s voice rings out across the room. He’s carrying two large bowls of dark green salad, which almost makes me laugh. A dragon with salad is not something I thought I’d ever see.
“Hi, Cory,” I say hesitantly, my lips twisted from holding back my smile.
He cocks an eyebrow, and his eyes darken. “What’s funny?”
I shake my head, his sudden intensity dispelling any levity I’d felt. He sets the bowls down as one of his commanders approaches us from the kitchen. Cory motions for her to show me to my place, and I remember her as the wizard girl from earlier, the one who walked me to the bathing chambers. I remember her name is Kallichor.
She looks annoyed to be doing it as she leads me to one end of the table (Cory must be sitting at the other end) and I feel heat rise to my cheeks as she shoves my chair in. I gasp and catch myself with my hands just before my stomach slams into the table. Kallichor smirks audibly behind me, then walks away back to the kitchen.
She walks past Cory, moving to brush his arm with her hand. When I look at him, though, his eyes are burning with anger. He sidesteps to avoid her touch, and her brows furrow with annoyance.
“Kalli,” he growls. “You don’t seem to be quite yourself at the moment, you are dismissed for the evening.”
Her face drops into a scowl, but, just as quickly, she twists it into a smirk. She whispers, “I was just teasing, Cory. You must know that.”
He doesn’t turn to face her, instead moving to sit at the table. She walks alongside him and moves to sit, but he jerks his head to look at her, glaring furiously. Kallichor’s eyes widen with sudden tears, and she twirls around to stomp off.
As she passes my chair, she whispers, “Godsdamned harlot.”
I bite the inside of my cheek and stare down at my empty plate as she walks off.
Cory looks to me, eyes blazing, and asks, “What did she just say?”
I start to respond, but no words come out. Get it together! I think to myself. I’m such a mess in this volcano, it’s humiliating. As I’m mentally chastising myself, I hardly notice Cory get up and storm out into the hall. I snap back into reality as I hear voices shouting.
“Kalli!” Cory half-yells, then again but louder, “Kallichor, stop!”
“Oh, what is it now?” she responds. I can hear the scowl in her words, but her voice trembles, too.
I hear Cory’s footsteps stomp further away, perhaps to meet Kallichor, then he says, “You are the caretaker of everyone in this volcano. How dare you seek to harm our guest?”
“I don’t seek to harm her. She just needs to be knocked down a peg, whirling around here like she owns the place.”
Cory growls. “She is the faery healer of Ethelinda. Have you forgotten your place? Need I remind you?”
A smirk. “I like the sound of that.”
“Enough!” Cory bellows, shaking the door behind them. “You forget yourself. You answer to her just as you answer to me. You show her respect , do you understand?”
“Why has she got you all worked up, huh?” Kallichor bites back. “What’s so special about this little faery?”
There’s a moment of silence, then I hear the hallway start to shake as the volcano stirs. Kallichor gasps, and I hear Cory laugh callously.
“The volcano agrees,” he hisses. “Go.”
I hear light footsteps running away, which must mean Kallichor has left. Footsteps return, then, as Cory walks calmly back into the dining hall.
“Well!” Cory says. “You should be treated more kindly from here on out, Milica. You are our guest, and you shall be treated as such.”
I cock my head to the side, noticing how his eyes sharpen as he looks at me. From what, I wonder? Annoyance, lust, concealed rage?
I shake my head to clear my thoughts and reply, “It’s not clear, Cory, whether I’m a guest or a prisoner. After all, you said I’m not allowed to leave.”
“You’ve got no magick left Milica, and you were severely injured. It would be suicide for you to venture back into the forest in your current state.”
I wince at the harsh words, just as several guardians enter from the kitchen. They’re laughing boisterously, nudging each others’ shoulders and each balancing several bowls. They carry roasted birds, carrots, and steamed greens. A boy in the back, who looks to be the youngest, carries a few bowls of ripe berries.
I watch them bring the dishes to the table, but notice that Cory’s eyes never leave me. He’s hard to pin down; I can’t tell what he thinks of me at all. It lights a small fire in my belly, and I fidget with my muslin napkin to distract myself.
Once the guardians have chosen their seats, Cory introduces them to me quickly. The youngest boy is Huntswood, and is apparently a griffin shifter. The others are Gregora, an adult elemental architect with volcano powers who specializes in obsidian (apparently, she’s helped design and construct several essential chambers in the volcano); Evenlie, who has lava powers and helps Gregora around the volcano; and Ouren, a thunder-specialist wizard who protects the volcano’s most vulnerable structures from storms. This power would make him essential for maintaining the integrity of the volcanic environment. Then there’s Mordtre, a terra-wizard, who can sense and manipulate earthquakes, and even open an entire abyss under my very feet, as I have learned the hard way. He has been apologizing profusely since he sat down at the table. I gave him a hard time, but not as hard as he seems to give himself. Then Cory also mentions Kallichor, or Kalli as Cory calls her, a dragonkin, she’s the caretaker, so all of them must love her since she provides for all their needs. There’s an empty seat next to Cory, so I guess she usually sits next to him. I’m not surprised, except that she didn’t seem very ... caring, towards me anyway.
Cory smiles as he introduces each of them, and I quickly decide that these must be some of his most trusted commanders and shadow guardians. It amazes me how at ease Cory seems among them, and how casually he allows them to address him. Even in town, I usually feel like an outsider because of my powers; Cory, though, seems most comfortable around his “subordinates” (if you could call them that).
Then, we dine. The food is delicious, more delicious than I’ve had in weeks in Ethelinda, and I find myself enjoying every bite. I must be moaning loudly as I stuff my face because I catch Cory and his commanders staring at me in silence, eyebrows raised.
“I am really hungry,” I explain nervously, gradually slowing down my attempt to devour everything on the table within arm’s reach. “Food has been scarce in town in the past few weeks because of the drought and the grey sickness.”
“Do you know what the source is? Of this grey sickness?” he asks, his brow furrowing in concern.
“I don’t, but... it could be a curse. It’s a type of drought, you see, that’s why I think you can help. I mean you control the elements, right? Wind, water, fire and earth? So you can summon the rain and wash the sickness away.”
“It’s not that simple,” he replies, shaking his head. “Surely you must know that. I can’t just make such devastation vanish, without understanding the root cause first—and I need your healing powers to play a role too probably, but I don’t yet know how. There are too many questions. I need to think it through and determine the best course of action. I can’t jump into anything without being certain it will help; my powers can just as easily cause destruction.”
I don’t say much after that. Cory asks for time to figure out how he can help, so I suppose I will have to be patient.
I notice Huntswood doesn’t speak much either he just looks at me timidly. Gregora and Evenlie try to engage me in conversation, cheer me up after Cory’s words, which I appreciate, but I’m so nervous to be in a new environment that most of our chatter falls flat. I can see they are also nervous, some of them perhaps even scared of me. I’m not sure what they know of me, or of fae traditions, so I decide to introduce them to some ancient fae teachings.
“Did you know that ancient fae elders used the wisdom of the volcano to pass on different teachings? For example, they used to say that ‘Like lava flowing from the volcano, anger unchecked will burn everything in its path.’” I glance around the table, feeling pretty content with myself - until I see the commanders looking like they’d just been handed a puzzle with missing pieces. Clearly, the saying went right over their heads. So, I lean in smiling, “it means that uncontrolled emotions, can cause great harm, you see, much like the destructive power of the volcano.” I scan the room again, and sure enough, some of the commanders look positively perplexed. Cory, who’d locked eyes with me the entire time until now, is suddenly avoiding my gaze, taking a deep breath like he was preparing for battle - or maybe a lecture. Just when the silence is about to get painfully awkward, Evenlie swoops in to save the day.
“I’m sorry, Mili,” furrowing her brow in confusion, “but I don’t get it, the volcano isn’t exactly what I’d call... destructive , is it?”
Oh no... My face went hot the moment Evenlie’s words hung in the air. I can feel my stomach twist. Great, Mili, just brilliant. Insult the commanders, Cory and their precious volcano - why not? What in the Realm was I thinking, of course they don’t think the volcano is destructive. It’s their home, and they have powers to harness its power, unlike the fae. My eyes flick to Cory, hoping for some sign he isn’t as upset as the rest of them. But no, he continues to avoid eye contact. For the first time since we sat down, his eyes are elsewhere, and that hits me harder than I want to admit. Clearly there are some cultural differences between the town and the neighboring volcano.
Before I can open my mouth, a heavy silence falls over the table. All eyes shift toward Cory, like they know he’s about to say something. He lets a small, knowing smile tug at one corner of his lips before exhaling sharply. Then his eyes lock onto mine, piercing through the tension as he finally speaks.
“The land scorched by the volcano? It’s the most fertile. Thanks to it, Ethelinda thrives and prospers, growing food in harmony with nature.”
The shadow guardians around the table pound the surface with their fists in agreement, the sound echoing like a heartbeat. Cory doesn’t miss a beat, his voice firm. “We see anger differently than the fae. The great elders in my family always say, ‘Anger is a mirror—it reflects our deepest wounds and insecurities.’ Maybe your fae elders should’ve spent more time looking into that mirror, instead of spreading fear and misunderstanding about the volcano.”
My face drains of color, but my ears? They’re burning— literally —like hot lava! I know I accidentally insulted their beloved volcano, but Cory just disrespected the fae elders, and that stings deep. Completely uncalled-for , I fumed silently.
“The fae elders had valid reasons for fearing the volcano’s power,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “They were wise, and their teachings still hold practical value today.”
“I bet they do,” Cory muttered under his breath, but I chose to ignore the jab, refusing to let him get to me—at least on the outside.
“Unlike those dragon teachings, which aren’t as wise as you might think,” I shoot back, feeling a spark of defiance. “Isn’t there a saying that goes, ‘Claws and fire may scorch my scales, but words shall never hurt me?’ Hmmm, that’s a good one—unless, of course, the words come from a faery like me tonight. Then it’s not your scales or your muscles that end up bruised; it’s your ego that’ll be limping away from dinner on crutches!”
I smirk, feeling the tension ease just a bit as some of the commanders stifle nervous chuckles, their eyes flicking to Cory for reassurance. But instead of giving them the nod to relax, he decides to fire back.
“Oh really? Well, what about that fae proverb, ‘What you don’t know can’t hurt you?’ Sounds nice, but I guess that only holds true until you find yourself sprinting toward an active volcano and accidentally plummeting into one of its hidden chasms. Then ignorance takes on a whole new meaning of pain! Unless, there’s a magnificent dragon around to save you.”
He leans back, a glint of mischief in his eyes. The laughter around the table grows louder, but a few commanders, including Mordre, glance my way, clearly uneasy. They sense I’m not one to back down without giving as good as I get.
“How dare you! That was an accident! What about the dragon saying ‘Fae may sparkle like dew, but even the brightest gems fade in the shadow of a dragon’s might.’ What’s that supposed to mean anyway?” I huff, crossing my arms.
Cory raises an eyebrow. “That’s not a dragon proverb, it’s more like our motto.”
Suddenly, the whole table erupts in laughter. I try to hold back, but the sound is so contagious that I can’t help but join in. I glance at Cory, and to my surprise, he’s breaking into a smile, his serious demeanor softening.
“It’s not every day we get to enjoy dinner like this,” Cory says, his gaze locking on mine. “But then again, it’s not every day I have the brightest gem at my table.” A hint of warmth flickers in his eyes. “Maybe it’s for the best we finally met. Now we can start clearing up some of the cultural misunderstandings between us.”
After a moment, Cory chuckles, shaking his head, he continues. “Honestly, I have no idea what that saying is about. It’s just something my elders threw around, probably just to annoy the fae.” He looks away for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the table’s edge as if he’s lost in thought. It’s like he’s hiding something beneath that playful exterior, a weight pressing on him that he’s not ready to share.
The laughter dies down, and I take a breath, wondering what could be bothering him. “Cory, is there more to it than you’re letting on?” I ask gently, sensing that the connection we just built could quickly unravel if I push too hard.
“Some things are better left unsaid, Milica. Let’s leave it to that.”
He meets my gaze, a fierce determination in his eyes, and the weight in the air shifts again, leaving me so curious and intrigued about what lies beneath the surface of this dragon man.
“It’s OK to call me Mili you know.”
“Mili,” he echoes, his gaze never wavering, then leans forward just slightly. “I’ll be saying it again and again.”