“You’re very like your father,” Percy said. “Compassionate heart, but steely resolve in the face of trouble.”
The words stunned me more than anything I’d heard thus far. “You know my father?”
“I do,” he said with a fond smile. “When he was a young phoenix, he came to study with Gio’s family. I’d perfected mycharm by then, and he saw a young unicorn, not an alpha mage. He’d already cut a path different from your grandfather.”
Father had always been a softer and more reasonable voice than the king. For as long as I could remember, he’d talked Grandfather down from extreme positions. “He’s far wiser than my grandfather thought.”
“Indeed,” Percy said. “And more strategic, as well.”
There was a lesson in his words, but before I could ask, Percy stiffened and turned toward the front of his home. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” he shook his head and seemed more relaxed. “We have an unexpected, but not unwelcome guest.”
We reentered the house, and Gio was already in the main room. The others emerged from the library. The mages all had their hands near their stones. Percy joined his mate, and together they opened the door.
“Wexal.” Gio stepped back to let their guest into the house. “We didn’t expect you today.”
The younger unicorn bowed deeply to Gio and Percy. “My apologies for interrupting your family gathering. There’s new magical activity at the Demon Cave. The mages brought a prisoner with them. It was a being, but we couldn’t tell what species. They also made a great show of their passing, yelling at the prisoner to move along and doing silly, meaningless magic.”
I didn’t need Leo’s training to know this was to get our attention. “Are we sure the being was a prisoner and not just acting for our benefit?”
“Young master voices our suspicions,” Wexal said. “This is a trap. They made certain we observed what they wanted us to see.”
Of course it was a trap, but they didn’t expect to fool us. It was like that stupid, ‘you know that I know that you know thatI know,’ conundrum. The only question was if we’d play along. “Who fancies a game of chess?”
Chapter Nine
Roderick:
The dragon library was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and I’d visited many of the world’s greatest magical archives. Housed well below the main castle floor, the massive chamber stretched outward in all directions. Mage globes were affixed to the end of the bookshelves, and I could see most were full of the knowledge that stretched back to the beginning of recorded history.
The air smelled of ancient parchment, dust, and the faintest hint of cinnamon—Syrax’s personal touch we were told. The dragon counselor had welcomed us eagerly, which wasn’t surprising considering the urgency of our task. Leo’s bond with Gund didn’t hurt as he won over many of the most hardened dragon purists.
Gund’s siblings, along with Eldwin and Hro, met us in the library. Leita greeted Avie like a lost sister, which made me happy. Avie wasn’t close with any of our sisters, so it was good she’d found a close friend. The king’s brother, Emyhr, stood withJan and Conall and the laughter from the three seemed out of place, yet welcome given our mission.
Darius and Eldwin chatted and I noted the resemblance. The brothers looked similar, but personality-wise, they couldn’t be more different. Darius was studious and the second-best mage of his generation after his mother Katarina. Eldwin had been a warrior mage—the perfect match for the dragon champion Hro.
After a few minutes, Leita broke away from Avie. “Syrax pulled numerous volumes that might be helpful in your search.” She gestured toward a row of tables stacked with books and scrolls. “He and his assistants have filled other tables around the library. Given our numbers, I suggest we split up.”
My brothers and their mates, along with Eldwin and Hro, left with Emyhr, leaving me with Avie, Darius, Ignatius, and Leita. Elspeth looked a little left out, but before I could move to include her, my sister drew her into their orbit. Avie never missed a thing, not even when someone was feeling alone. I’d experienced that skill many times over the last forty years.
Avie gave me a knowing smile. She said something to the two she was with, and then joined me. “Elspeth and Leita will look through the historical accounts,” she said. “You and I will focus on the magical theory texts. If that’s okay with you.”
Growing up, I never noticed how Avie always took charge and organized events. She was almost eleven when I was born, and I adored her growing up. Unlike our other siblings, she and I bonded before she had to harden her image to be accepted in the male dominated mage world. To me, she’d always be the big sister I adored growing up.
“Do I get a choice?” I asked in a light tone.
“No.” She turned on her heel and led me to a table near the end of the row. “I want to sit with you because you have the most insight into what we’re looking for.”
I noticed she left out Darius and Ignatius. They seemed mildly amused, but when she looked at them, she was unapologetic. “I wouldn’t presume to tell you two what to do.”
“What a refreshing attitude among this generation,” Ignatius said. “Did you hear that, Darius? I get to do what I like for once.”
“Yes, because this is the first time in twelve-hundred years you’re allowed to choose.” Darius had mastered the art of sarcasm. “Since we’re breaking new ground, you can tell me what I should study.”
If he took offense at his mate’s remark, Ignatius didn’t let on. “I think I’d like to tackle magical theory, so you can help with the historical accounts.”
Sitting in the surprisingly comfortable wooden chair, we began to sift through the pile of information in front of us. The first scroll I unrolled pre-dated the Demon War. Scanning the content, I realized I didn’t know what I was searching for. The answer to Blackstone’s plan wasn’t going to jump off the page. We’d need to piece it together from scraps of information found in various places. Frustrated, I began at the top and concentrated on what I was reading.
