Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1)
Chapter 53: Death's Lullaby

Abazmakiel came to fetch us from the cliff some time later, but not before he wholeheartedly laughed at the scene. The dragon carried us to the uppermost plateau between two snow-covered mountain peaks. There, we made an inventory of everything we’ve lost in the battle.

We had no weapons left; all of our swords and daggers and knives melted. Nickeltinker used all of his vials and potions in the battle and spent the rest on trying to heal our bruises, cuts and burns. Danilo was badly hurt; his left arm was broken and his right arm burned all the way to his elbow. The fire burned the soles of our shoes, which meant we had nothing to walk in anymore.

Ace was nearly dead. His face was pale, his eyes dim, his lips cracked and he looked like he might collapse any moment now. Rixen was badly burned, too, the skin of his palms was blistery and red, pieces of it falling off. Nickeltinker wasn’t as badly burned, but he was bruised all over and his rib was broken.

My palm was burned and bruises covered both my arms and legs. The energy still coursing through me prevented me from feeling the pain, though.

Our clothes and our money were gone. The only thing I had left now was the pendant around my neck, the copper crown on top of my head and the few golden pieces I’ve stolen from the palace’s basement.

We were too tired to hunt, but the dragon was kind enough to burn random, wandering boars to a crisp for us to eat. Ace made small satchels out of leaves for us to carry the food in. Nickeltinker managed to collect some herbs to make healing patches which we tied around our feet and palms.

The dragon brought a few empty scrolls, ink and a quill, and Ace wrote a long letter explaining our narrative. We have failed to lock the plane of Ir-kaal, the letter read, As of Naz has betrayed us, killed Rixen of Orathia, and the rest of us managed to escape. We were returning to the Middle Continent; hurt, defeated and ultimately failing to complete our assignment. The crow flew to the skies, carrying our message.

The lie strangely hurt. The world wouldn’t know what we went through, the world wouldn’t understand what we had to go through to save them.

I sat on the grass-covered plateau and stared ahead, not sure what to feel. There seemed to be a barrier within my mind, preventing me from registering everything that’s happened. I was glad. I was pretty sure I’d break down and die right here if I faced everything.

“Your food and fresh water are packed.” Ace put down the last leaf-satchel and stood up. “Rixen and I can hunt something, but the three of you will be travelling overseas for the next week or so.”

“Great.” I mumbled. “How are you going to get back to the Middle Continent?”

“Very, very slowly.” Rixen snickered. “But at least I’ll be in good company.”

Ace pursed his lips, “I’ll leave you behind, shadowman.”

“Like you’re currently capable of surviving on your own.” Rixen squinted.

Ace ignored him, “We need more healing patches. Nick?”

“On it!” The floran jumped off the rock and hopped after Ace to the forest’s edge.

“Irina,” Danilo called me, he was resting against a tree nearby, “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

I bit my lower lip and exchanged a glance with Rixen, “Sure.”

Allowing Ace to use my magic to create the earthquake that took down Orathia was the hardest decision of my life. It wasn’t the mere usage of magic that so irrevocably changed my life, but the fact I used it in front of Danilo.

And I was yet to see the consequences.

I sat on the ground in the shadow of the tree, “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better.” The knight smiled. “I’m not sure I’ve even processed everything.”

“Me neither.” I mumbled. “I’ll probably be plagued by nightmares for years to come.”

Danilo smiled and an awkward silence ensued. There was a time I truly believed I would marry him, when I thought he was all I could want. It felt distant now, like a half-forgotten dream slowly escaping from my grasp.

“You have magic.” He said finally.

I fiddled with the torn end of my healing patch, “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“And you’ve kept it hidden.” His smile was thin, humourless, and he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“I did that, too.” I sighed. “The truth is, the only reason I came here was to replace the Vanishing Well, an ancient relic that allows one to wish something away. I wanted to wish away my magic.”

Danilo looked at me, the rustling leaves reflecting in his piercing, blue eyes, “But you didn’t do it. How come?”

I shrugged, “Something Ace said, about how my magic helped him lock Ir-kaal. I thought... what if I need it later and I’ve gotten rid of it? Turns out, I needed it.”

“For what it’s worth,” Danilo took in a breath, “I’m glad you kept it. We’d be dead right now if it weren’t for your magic.”

I peered at him, “So... you don’t hate me?”

Danilo let out a laugh, “Of course, I don’t hate you. On the contrary.”

Warmth enveloped my heart and a small smile danced on my lips, “I was afraid of your reaction.”

Danilo’s smile dimmed, his glance fell on the grass, and his jaw tensed. There was more in store for me, the consequence I’ve dreaded the most.

“Irina...” He sighed.

“I know.” I nodded. “A mage can never rule a human kingdom.”

“I’m sorry.” Danilo looked at me. “You’ve no idea how sorry I am. With everything going on with King Bernard, I truly wanted you to rule by my side, but it’s not possible. Bastians are firmly against magic and if someone found out-”

“Danilo,” I cut in, “I know.”

The knight’s apologetic gaze escaped from me to Rixen, who rested against the warthog on the grass-covered field, “I know you love him. You should be with him.”

“I still want to be a queen one day.” Pain spread through my chest. “And if it’s not by your side, then... I don’t know.”

“Listen, I won’t tell anyone about your magic.” Danilo touched my forearm. “And one day, if I will rule Bastia, I will always be your ally. But Bastia is in for some huge changes and with Soterios and everything, the hate against magic will grow stronger.”

“I know.” I nodded again, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”

There was nothing left to say, so we sat in silence until Ace and Nick emerged from the woods. The mage gestured to come to him. I stood up, wincing as the burns on my feet touched the ground. Danilo followed me.

“Alright, you’re set to go.” Ace said. “Nick will make more healing patches. If you’re lucky, by the time you reach the Golden City, you will be able to walk.”

“Let’s hope no one arrests me in the Golden City.” Nickeltinker sighed.

“Abe will tell them you only stole from them to test their security, you will be fine.” Ace said. “I assume everyone knows what to do?”

We mumbled our annoyed yeses.

“Good.”

Rixen stood up and approached me, but the mage grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.

“What now?” I grunted and followed him.

Once we were far enough from everyone, Ace turned to me.

“Remember, Princess, the fourth full moon after the winter solstice. Fae forest. Bring the spell.” His gaze fell on the pendant hanging around my neck.

I rolled my eyes, “Or you’ll tell everyone I have magic, I know.”

He raised his finger, “Do not tell anyone you have the spell, do not let anyone take the pendant. Even better, never take it off. If this thing falls into the wrong hands...”

“Chaos, death and destruction.” I nodded and crossed my hands on my chest.

“Exactly, now, off you go.”

“Ace?” I uttered. “When did you break the bond between Rixen and me?”

The mage’s smile was stiff, “The moment I made your blood the only thing that breaks the seal around the spell. Your connection with the shadowman existed solely because your combined blood unsealed the spell. Now that his blood is no longer needed, the bond broke.”

“Oh.”

Melancholy settled in my heart; weak and defeated, like a sadness that wasn’t strong enough to hurt anymore. Aside from wanting to get rid of my magic, I also wanted Rixen out of my head at the beginning of this journey.

Funny, I thought.

“Princess,” Ace murmured, “Thank you. For allowing me to channel your magic. We’d be dead right now otherwise.”

I grinned, “You looked half-dead, I had to jump in.”

“Still.” The mage glanced at Danilo. “I know how badly you wanted to keep it a secret. The fact you sacrificed the Bastian throne means something.”

“No throne if I’m dead.” My lips formed a tight line.

Ace nodded and began to walk away.

“Ace,” I called again, chewing the words in my mouth, “I went somewhere during the spell, when you touched my hand.”

The mage’s eyes gleamed with interest, but the way his lips turned downward slightly worried me, “What do you mean?”

“It’s like...” The memory was foggy in my brain, “Like I’ve crossed over to another place.”

“Were there people?” Ace tilted his head to the side. “Spirits? Strange beings?”

I shook my head, “It was empty. Well, except for this little girl.”

The mage’s expression shifted to completely serious, “A little girl?”

I nodded, “She said her name was Aila.”

Ace’s brows jumped up, but he composed his expression quickly, forcing it into dismissal and disinterest.

“Did she tell you anything?”

Perhaps I still didn’t trust him, or I trusted my gut instinct more, but the words halted as they formed on my lips and I didn’t allow them to slip out.

“No.” I said, goose bumps spreading over my skin. “Just her name. And then I was out.”

“Hmm.” Ace held my eye-contact. “Must have been a dream.”

“Must have been.” I mumbled.

“Can we go now?” Nick grunted from afar. “I need a bath.”

I laughed, “Yes, let’s go.”

The dragon flew over the plateau and landed with a thud in the middle of the grass-covered field, his belly burning the strands. His red eyes squinted at the sunshine and smoke blew through his nostrils.

“It’s too hot here.” Abazmakiel said. “Come on, now, hurry up. I have to be at the Eastern Continent in two weeks. The Queen of Amantria is getting married to her fourth husband and if I’m late, the ghouls are going to eat all the rectra meat, and I swear those people can’t cook anything else.”

We simply stared at him.

“What? You’re not the centre of the universe, you know?”

Nickeltinker and Danilo strapped our stuff to the dragon’s back, who puffed and huffed all the way through.

“Irina.” Rixen’s voice reached me from behind.

There it was, the conversation I dreaded the most, the conversation I feared so much I almost purposely avoided it.

I faced him and smiled, “Hi.”

Rixen’s golden eyes skittered over me, taking in my burned outfit, my dirty hair and my pale face. My stomach turned upside down and the lump formed in my throat, but I wasn’t about to cry here, not in front of a dragon.

“Here we are.” His lips twisted into a smile which quickly faltered.

“Here we are.” I repeated, squeezing my fingers.

“Listen, about what I said in the basement of the palace...” He averted his gaze. “I didn’t mean that. You’re not a coward. And I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.” I shrugged. “It’s not... It wasn’t meant to be.”

Rixen looked at me, his golden eyes simmering, “Love does not defeat all.”

“No.” My shoulders slumped.

“I still do, though.”

Pain tightened my chest. Without the connection, I couldn’t feel what he was feeling, but I read it in his eyes. The pain, the love, the regret.

“I do, too.” I blinked quickly, pushing the tears down.

“I guess I’ll see you around.” He pushed a small branch around with his foot.

“I guess so.”

I wanted to kiss him, but I knew I couldn’t. If I kissed him now, I’d never leave and there were so many things that needed to be done. So I stayed put, as did he, and we simply looked at each other.

“The connection is gone.” Rixen said. “How did that happen?”

This lie hurt more than all other lies I’ve said.

“It disappeared when Ace broke the seal.” I shrugged. “At least that’s what he said.”

Keeping things from Rixen was painful, but at least now I knew he wouldn’t dig the truth from my mind without my consent.

Rixen smiled suddenly, “You know, Fluffy should be waiting for you back in Irenwell.”

“Fluffy?” My eyes widened. “I get the donkey?”

“Yes.” Rixen grinned. “I arranged to have him shipped to Irenwell back in Balr.”

I jumped around his neck, pulling him in for a hug, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

His hands snaked around my waist and I buried my face in his neck. The embrace was too short, our time together was too short.

“Come here, all of you.” Ace’s voice interrupted our pointless conversation.

The mage stood at the edge of the plateau, overlooking the vast, sparkling ocean and the ruins of Orathia underneath. We joined him, all five of us, leaving the grunting dragon behind.

Sunshine reflected off the surface, colouring the ocean shimmering golden. The clear blue sky met the body of water at the horizon. The edge of the world, that’s what people in Irenwell called Orathia. Right here, right now, it seemed as if Irenwell was the edge of the world; unknown, unfamiliar place where no one could possibly understand what we went through.

The five of us stood there, missing the sixth.

Tears burned in my throat and for once, I could not stop them from spilling over my cheeks.

Ace lifted the flagon in the air-

“Where were you hiding that?” Nickeltinker shouted. “How does he always have booze?”

I snickered, tears rolling into my mouth, “I heard he’s a wizard.”

“Shut up, you’re ruining the moment.” Ace narrowed his eyes and saluted towards the ruins of Orathia. “Here lies Torvald, a free man.”

We passed the flagon between us.

Rixen murmured something in a foreign tongue. The words sounded rough and gentle at the same time, painful and cathartic. I looked at the shadowman while he recited, his lips twisted downward, his gaze dropped to the ruins of Orathia.

“What does that mean?” I whispered.

“Old shadowman recitation.” Ace answered in Rixen’s stead. “Death wanders; alone, resented, hated. Never mean, never evil, only lonely. Torvald was a friend and took its hand.”

We stood in silence, until the sun dropped to the horizon, colouring the ocean and the ruins of Orathia a shade of orange, pink and purple, with traces of gold shining through. As I walked away, I wondered whether I’d visit this place ever again.

I wondered if a part of me would stay there forever.