The Tale of Longing Flames (The Legends of Light and Dark #2)

Chapter One

Avari

Stepping into the portal room, my mind spun with a hundred ways this could go wrong. Magic had a nasty tendency to complicate things.

My mother stole the grimoire, a book passed down through the Nighborn dynasty—my family. Not only had she once again laid claim to something that didn’t belong to her, but the weaves described within were dangerous enough that even the Lord of the Shadow Isles hurried to retrieve it.

Neither Miriam nor Alec elaborated on what exactly it contained.

As if they feared speaking it aloud. The fact that the queen went to enough trouble to reveal her blood-witch nature to snatch it meant it would help in her nefarious plans.

Whatever they were, nobody could say for certain beyond the annihilation of Fire Fae.

Distracted by worry and dark thoughts, we entered the portal chamber in silence. River's battalion trailed behind us at a respectful distance, their heavy footsteps echoing off the stone walls as they marched towards a battle for their king.

I envied them.

All they saw was a devoted ruler, willing to go above and beyond for his people.

I wished my perception of the intimidating fire-breather hadn’t been so tainted.

Looking at him made my chest tighten, and when his gaze met mine, ice spread through my veins.

His jaw flexed as if he felt it too. Was that how it was going to be now?

River strode to the control pad and set the destination to my old prison. Returning there felt like a punishment, as though I were willingly walking towards something I was utterly unprepared for.

Before he could finalise it, the runes flickered as a ripple of magic tore through the chamber, and the portal flared to life.

Stepping back at once, River and Alec unsheathed their weapons and unleashed their powers, readying to strike as a figure in a navy-blue cloak emerged, his eyes promising trouble.

In a voice laced with aristocratic arrogance, he accused, ‘King Dracon of Fogoya, the Elders have been informed that you are harbouring unregistered fae in your court.’

A cold knot formed in my stomach. Trouble had found us faster than expected.

‘Councillor Ramonds, pleasure as always,’ River muttered through clenched teeth, flames briefly flickering along his knuckles before fading to nothing as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

I tore my eyes away, focusing on my own fire struggling against my restraints, as the absence of his felt jarring.

Alec’s invisible shadows still curled around us, swirling around our feet, ready for anything.

‘I have been informed of at least three unregistered suspects. Would any of you care to explain?’ He studied the faces of my newfound family members, his own remaining unreadable.

I might not have known my family for long, but I wouldn’t hesitate if we needed to fight this man.

It was my father who spoke, his voice stern and unrelenting. A warning dressed in politeness. ‘My people have no obligation to register with your council. Our land doesn’t fall within your jurisdiction.’

The man chuckled, though the sound lacked humour. Clutching something behind the long cloak, he quipped, ‘All lands except the Mortal fall within our juris—’

‘Not ours,’ father cut in, an irritation plain on his face. ‘It chooses its governor, and it sure as hell didn’t choose a bunch of men in dresses.’

The Elder’s face fell as he struggled to find words. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Oh, you should. Your little entrance is costing us valuable time to stop the queen who is within your jurisdiction from wreaking havoc on the realm.’

‘What land are you from? And what queen?’ the councillor demanded, though the wheels of his mind had obviously begun turning as he crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his chin to assess us once again.

‘Harper of Ortensia!' Alec’s incredulous tone snapped the man from his contemplations. ‘Or did you expect the meek Queen Victoria to cause trouble?’

Of course, the Elder knew which queen he meant; the Air Kingdom had always stayed clear of any trouble. The political correctness in this case was useless.

‘I will be the one asking questions,’ he barked. The offence in his tone didn’t bode well. I mimicked his stance in preparation for the worst.

The Lord of the Isles ran a hand through his hair before resting it on the blade at his hip. ‘As I said, you have no dominion over me, nor my family.’ His gaze hardened. ‘Say what you want to say and leave, because we’ve got places to be.’

River shuffled next to me, his face tight, his eyebrows scrunched over a cold gaze, and it dawned on me that father should have let him handle the situation. It was his court, and matters of politics were his.

The room filled with so much power and magic that it felt moments away from bursting at the seams, lashing between us like a whip, taut and on the verge of snapping.

The Elder paused, tapping his shoe repeatedly before seemingly letting it go. ‘There are pressing matters I need to discuss with Princess Avari, especially if you are planning to go after your mother.’

The cold knot twisted tighter in my stomach. The moment my hands started to shake, I shoved them deep into my pockets to hide it.

We walked back to the conference room in silence.

Even our footsteps sounded too loud. The short journey stretched with charged glances between my father and the Elder, as well as Alec and River, whose eyes kept returning to me while I pretended not to notice.

I knew they had a history, but I doubted River would jeopardise his relationship with me even further by reporting them to the Committee. But who had done it?

‘What is it that you wanted to talk about?’ I asked the second we sat down, unwilling to wait any longer.

The man scanned the small crowd before settling his gaze on me. A frown creased his brow. ‘Perhaps we should speak alone.’

‘Perhaps not,’ River said, his voice leaving little room for argument as he slouched enough for half his body to shield mine from the councillor’s view. ‘Say what you wanted to say.’

Should I be angry at him for interrupting or grateful that he didn’t let the Elder pressure me? Conflict brewed deep within me, erupting in the form of a steamy sigh as my flames fought against me, just as they always did when I kept them away from him.

‘I agree,’ I said quickly, trying to push past River and digging my nails into his thigh when he wouldn’t relent. ‘Might as well save the time since I will share whatever you tell me anyway. ’

‘Very well.’ The Elder cleared his throat and unbuttoned his cloak. ‘I’ve known your mother ever since she was a child. You could say she hasn’t changed much, really; she had a proclivity for conflicts even then.’

‘Okay? Did you come to tell me she’s always been a shitty person?’

‘Not quite.’ He huffed, clearly displeased with my tone. ‘Are you familiar with the blood-witch war?’

The mention sent blood rushing through my veins. ‘Of course I am familiar with the war.’

Tightening the grip on whatever he held in his hand, the councillor pressed, ‘And do you believe that all blood witches had been successfully banished?’

My vision darkened. He knew. The Elders knew and did nothing to stop her. ‘Are you suggesting my mother is one?’

‘I am not suggesting, I am telling,’ he blurted without remorse.

Useless bunch of entitled fools. This only reinforced my belief that the Council was useless.

They imposed their will and crippled lands with their lesser evil approach for decades, if not hundreds of years.

The blame for the current state of our realm was partially theirs; they just wouldn’t admit it.

‘So this whole time you knew and did nothing?’

Assessing the hardened lines of my face, the Elder bristled once more. ‘I’m afraid the matter isn’t so simple, princess. There are aspects you don’t know of and that I can't share. But the Committee agreed that the queen is becoming increasingly dangerous. She needs to be stopped.’

Of course, they would try to pawn the responsibility off to somebody else. ‘Then why aren’t you stopping her? Isn’t it your job?’

Eyes narrowing, the man snarled, ‘Our job is to govern the realm and ensure we survive, not join wars.’

River snarled back, barely containing his flames. I shot him a warning glare. I could handle this man on my own.

‘You expect it to turn into a war?’ I asked once the temperature dissipated.

‘Don’t you?’

Could he be any more cryptic? I needed straight answers and simple explanations. My patience was thinning. I rubbed my sore eyes and prayed that this wouldn’t take long to finish. ‘Did you come to warn me or help?’

‘Are you always this straightforward? Some councillors wouldn’t appreciate it…’ he countered, his intense gaze raising goosebumps along my skin.

Hypocrite. All of them were. Had they forgotten the time I begged for their help? They ignored my pleas, and now they expected my help?

‘And I don’t appreciate most of the councillors,’ I hissed as River patted my knee and I shoved his hand away.

‘That makes two of us.’ The Elder’s candour startled me, and I didn't know how to respond. ‘Difficult feelings aside, your mother remains a threat and could be growing stronger by the day. If she isn’t stopped soon, the realms will pay the price.’

He paused. ‘Which brings me to the Crones. Have you heard of them?’

Everybody had heard of the Crones. We exchanged confused looks until Miriam spoke up, ‘They’re creatures of legends. Witches with deeper connections to the source.’

Ramonds smiled wide, intrigue showing on his aged face as he regarded her. ‘They weren’t just witches. They were the chosen ones, by the Gods, to stop the plague all those hundreds of years ago. They were granted magic beyond your comprehension to banish those pests.’

‘You speak as if you knew it for a fact. It’s just a legend, isn’t it?’ father asked, shifting in his seat. He itched to leave for Ortensia. We all did.

‘I was there when the rift opened in the skies and sucked them up in vicious vortexes. It took a Crone on each of the continents. The lands had been cleared, but the gene must have been passed on through their relatives.’

‘Why are you telling us about the Crones?’ Miriam asked, her eyes glistening with enough interest, to entice the councillor into turning toward her once again.

‘Because you’ll need them to cleanse the realms when the time comes,’ he stated matter-of-factly.

‘Us?’ My voice rose before I could stop it. ‘Why us?’

‘Whether you pick these people to help or not isn’t my concern, but I believe you opened the rift for a reason. Nobody else managed to conjure a dragon during this whole time. I am confident that you will be part of the solution.’

Alec scowled. ‘Where do we even find these Crones?’

‘The Crones left the Committee clues after the war, but not coordinates. They suffered greatly due to the war and didn’t want to be bothered unnecessarily. Only those determined enough to find them will ever do,’ he said like it was common knowledge.

‘That’s pretty vague,’ I scoffed. Not even witchcraft could help track somebody without an object they held dear and recently.

‘Two of them willingly gave up instructions. You’ll learn about the rest from them,’ the councillor explained, passing me a small carved box.

The wood was dark with age, the patterns etched into it worn smooth by time. I ran my hand across it, admiring the craftsmanship.

A soft hum of energy tickled my index finger, wrapping around it as though it meant to lure me in. Without hesitation, I twisted the old lock.

The lid creaked open, releasing a faint scent of dust and old magic that exuded enough of a gentle pull that I was certain it could have held for a millennium. Protection spells always did if they had been reinforced with enough essence.

Inside lay a folded parchment, its edges brittle with age. It was covered in a thick layer of grey powder, which I wiped off in River’s direction. The cloud flew straight toward his nose, making him scrunch his face.

For the youngest, you will scout the sultry lands, where every breath is airless and every step unsteady. You will reach the abandoned place that once flourished and find your heart’s desire.

For another sister, you will follow the beasts, respectful of their home, cherishing their struggle under the leaf-encrusted dome. Where the day will spook you and the night will guide you, she will watch from afar, judging.

Looking at the note, the tension in my forehead only grew. It was useless—it gave me no idea where to start. Corruption, deception, and riddles—the new vectors of my existence.

‘Could these be any more vague?’

River leaned closer, reading the lines again. The heat of his shoulder brushed mine, sending an unwelcome shiver down my spine.

‘Sultry lands,’ he muttered. ‘That could mean the volcanic regions.’

His brow furrowed. ‘Every breath airless… every step unsteady. It could be within Fogoya. But it doesn’t add up. I think I would know if I had witches under my dominion.’

The Elder’s expression soured. With a raised brow, he scoffed. ‘The Crones are under nobody’s dominion, you arrogant fool.’

River’s agitated voice cut through the tension as he demanded an explanation. ‘If they’re so knowledgeable and powerful, why haven’t the Elders sought them out themselves? What aren’t you telling us?’

His confidence to question authority was commendable. I didn’t think I had it in me.

‘The coordinates had been locked. They said it would only open for those capable of bringing the realms together once they were ready. I’ve tried it a hundred times with many others. You are the first.’

It meant I could have personal peace or peace within the realm—never both.

My fingers tightened around the parchment. Fate had never been kind to me, but this felt almost cruel. Either I jeopardised the realm by walking away… or I walked straight into another war.