“We went back to the jewelers in Tynne Alley,” Torrell said somberly, her breathing finally returning to normal, “and each of us gave a drop of blood to make a spirit stone for you. We asked them to use augrim for the metal.”
Jahrra could hardly breathe. She looked up at her friends, each of them now smiling.
“Anthar, Neira and Kehllor also wanted to contribute,” Dathian said quietly, first pointing to a nearly black stone, then a golden yellow one with a noticeable heart speck and finally one that matched the deep blue of Kehllor’s eyes.
“This one is mine,” Torrell said, grinning from ear to ear and indicating a violet red stone.
“And mine,” Dathian said, touching an indigo and green stone.
Jahrra looked at the final spirit stone, a very pale blue with a heart speck taking up most of one side of it. She looked at Senton and he smiled, his eyes shining brightly with unshed tears. Of course, she thought to herself. Your heart speck would be the largest because you, of all my friends, offer the largest part of your heart to others.
Jahrra cradled the bracelet like a day old baby bird, then nestled it against her cheek, the cold metal stinging her wet skin. She cast a look over her shoulder and smiled at Neira, standing next to Kehllor in the distance.
She took a deep breath and looked up at her friends. She slipped the bangle over her wrist and adjusted it so that it fit snuggly behind her wood bead bracelet.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice raw with emotion.
Without another thought, she grabbed all three of her friends and pulled them into a brutal hug. She never wanted to let go.
“I will miss you so much!” she breathed, crying once again.
They returned her embrace, the four of them standing together like the trees of an ancient forest, rooted deep and standing guard over one another. She relished this moment with her new best friends, for she hadn’t been able to bid farewell to Gieaun and Scede when they had left Oescienne.
Finally, Jahrra let go and looked each of them in the eye. “If I ever get a chance to send you word, I’ll do so. But I can’t guarantee it will be safe.”
Torrell smiled. “Maybe we’ll send a letter off to Nimbronia and it will be there waiting for you.”
“I would like that,” Jahrra admitted with a watery grin.
She hugged each of them one more time, then turned and walked back to Phrym. She mounted silently and led him farther down the drive.
“You’ll see them again someday,” Jaax said quietly next to her.
Jahrra started, not realizing he had followed after her. The tears were still fresh on her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away, embarrassed.
“I’m so sorry, Jahrra,” he continued.
She laughed bitterly. “For what?”
“For the fact that you had no choice in this, that you don’t get to lead a normal life. That your life has never been your own.”
Jahrra felt her heart ease a little then but she couldn’t say why. Her tears stopped and the lump in her throat seemed to diminish.
“That’s not true, Jaax,” she said in all honesty, looking up at him.
The guilt of his words still lingered in his eyes but she wouldn’t allow that.
“I’ve always had a choice. To stay behind in Oescienne or to come here with you. You offered me that choice, remember? And although this life is a difficult one it is the one I chose.” She shifted in the saddle and took a deep breath. “And I do not regret it in the least.”
The words were true. She could feel that they were, even though the pain of loss and hardship floundered in her heart.
Jaax nodded and the doubt and guilt seemed to leave his face. Jahrra felt suddenly light, as if she could take on the world. She was ready for their next adventure, whether it brought joy or sadness, fear or comfort, triumph or failure, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she was determined, more than ever, to face what lie ahead.
With one last farewell from their friends, Jahrra, Jaax and Ellyesce wound their way down the drive and eventually through the still sleepy city of Lidien and onwards, towards Nimbronia.
-Epilogue-
A Betrayal in the Making
The view from the grand oculus in the roof overlooking Essyel Hall was not the best, but a sizeable crack in the ancient glass allowed anyone peering through it to hear every word that was spoken from the crowded room far below.
At this moment, the one speaking was the Tanaan dragon Kehllor and even from this height it was clear he was nervous.
Shiroxx curled a lip in disgust, barely hanging on to her rage. It would be so easy to launch herself through the delicate glass and glide down to the stage below, unleashing a torrent of fire upon the ungrateful little runt. But that would be the act of a petulant child and she was not a petulant child. She would bide her time, as she had before, in order to get what she wanted.
The spelled rumors she and Rohdann had spread throughout the city several weeks ago had, to her bittersweet disappointment, not been as damaging as she’d wished. They had obviously paid that bungling fortune teller too much for her shoddy magic. She was obviously nothing more than a washed up herb witch and no manner of brightly colored saffron dye in her hair could cover the fact that she was a fraud. Rohdann should have seen that, and she had let him know her disappointment.
That insolent girl had been rattled by their efforts, for sure, but unfortunately Jaax had talked her through it, as he always did.
Shiroxx gritted her teeth and puffed smoke through her nostrils, the pale streams of gray rising up into the dark sky to join the stars. How could he coddle such a creature so? She was so dependent, so needy. How could he stand it? And how could he truly think she could ever encounter the Crimson King and achieve the destiny she was called to fulfill?
Shiroxx shook her head. There was only one explanation. Jahrra wasn’t truly human. She couldn’t be. Ethoes surely would have sent them someone much more steadfast and stronger of character. It wasn’t Jaax’s fault and Shiroxx did regret dragging his name through the mud after all, but how else would he see the truth? Those meddlesome elves of Crie had bewitched him and Hroombra had as well. Jaax always had sought out the old Korli’s good opinion and advice.
Gritting her teeth and pushing her thoughts aside for later, Shiroxx returned her attention to the golden dragon below. Traitor. He faltered with his speech, some long-winded explanation of why Jaax had left him in charge. Ridiculous! It didn’t matter that the runt was supposed to be sharing leadership duties with a handful of others. How could Raejaaxorix leave such responsibilities in the hands of an untried, inept youth?
A change of voices in the crowd drew the red dragon’s attention back to the meeting taking place below. The centaur Anthar and the elf Dathian were speaking now, both standing beside Kehllor and vowing to uphold the Coalition in Jaax’s absence.
Shiroxx actually snorted this time, not worrying about those below her hearing it. But the sound of Rohdann’s voice forced her to strain her ears.
“How do we know that Jaax and his ward didn’t run off because they are guilty of the rumors we’ve all been hearing?”
Shiroxx grinned. Well done, she mused, I almost forgive you for your poor handling of those rumors now.
Rohdann had ambition, Shiroxx knew that, and she loved nothing more than ambition. But he wasn’t Jaax.