Vardaesia E-Book

Lynette Noni

• Herausgeber: Pantera Press
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: The Medoran Chronicles
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Seitenzahl: 732

Beschreibung

Embrace the wonder"When Day and Night combine and fight against one Enemy,then Dark and Light shall meet mid-strike and set the Captives free."In the wake of loss and devastation, Alex must cast aside her grief to seek aid from those who banished the Meyarins long ago. But the proud Tia Aurans care little for the woes of mortals and demand that Alex-and her friends-undergo the Gates of Testing to prove their world is worth saving.With an ancient prophecy looming, Alex must confront the secrets of her past if she is to survive long enough to see the future. For if she returns to Medora without the Tia Aurans by her side, all hope for her world will be lost.In this explosive conclusion to The Medoran Chronicles, the fate of Medora hangs in the balance as Alex readies herself to face Aven one final time.Who will survive, and who will fall?"If, however, darkness wins, there is no strategyto keep from all that will be lost, and so will always be."

Leseprobe

Embrace the wonder

“When Day and Night combine and fight against one Enemy, then Dark and Light shall meet mid-strike and set the Captives free.”

In the wake of loss and devastation, Alex must cast aside her grief to seek aid from those who banished the Meyarins long ago. But the proud Tia Aurans care little for the woes of mortals and demand that Alex—and her friends—undergo the Gates of Testing to prove their world is worth saving.

With an ancient prophecy looming, Alex must confront the secrets of her past if she is to survive long enough to see the future. For if she returns to Medora without the Tia Aurans by her side, all hope will be lost.

In this explosive conclusion to The Medoran Chronicles, the fate of Medora hangs in the balance as Alex readies herself to face Aven one final time.

Who will survive, and who will fall?

VARDAESIA

THE MEDORAN CHRONICLES

BOOK FIVE

LYNETTE NONI

Praise forThe Medoran Chroniclesby Lynette Noni

“Lynette Noni is a marvellous and inventive storyteller, whose books are absolutely impossible to put down. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!” — Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses series

“Lynette Noni is a master at her craft. The Medoran Chronicles have richly developed characters, superb world-building that makes you feel like you’re actually there, and stories that pack a punch, full of emotion and thrills. Highly recommended!” — James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner series

“Let me say right up front that Lynette Noni is a very talented writer. Her books tell stories that draw you in and refuse to let go. Her characters are memorable and quick to surprise. I cannot wait to see what she will do next.” — Terry Brooks, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shannara Chronicles

“Lynette Noni is a masterful storyteller. Her characters steal into your heart and won’t let go!” — Maria V. Snyder, New York Times bestselling author of the Poison Study series

“When Lynette Noni opens the door to another world, don’t hesitate: jump in and enjoy.” — Trudi Canavan, internationally bestselling author of The Black Magician trilogy

“Noni crafts a vividly textured narrative landscape with an irresistible cast of lovable and love-to-hate characters. The perfect balance of humour, heart and high stakes makes The Medoran Chronicles a reader’s delight.” — Rachael Craw, award-winning author of the Spark trilogy and The Rift

“Lynette Noni’s compelling stories keep readers turning pages to the very end.” — Juliet Marillier, multi-award winning author of the Sevenwaters series

“Lynette Noni is a creative powerhouse. Her books leave fans wanting more every time.” — Gabrielle Tozer, award-winning author of Remind Me How This Ends and The Intern

“Lynette Noni is an absolute powerhouse of Australian YA fantasy: young readers are in Harry-Potter-level fervour about the Medoran series, and she engages with her community with such warmth and genuine enthusiasm. She’s who I want to be when I grow up.” — Steph Bowe, author of Girl Saves Boy and Night Swimming

“Lynette Noni creates vivid characters who jump off the page and demand we care for (or hate) them. She also paints a vibrant Medora that is as real as it is fantastic. Lynette entwines both of these writing skills to create a fantasy series up there with Harry Potter, Nevermoor and Narnia.” — James Lindsay, author of the Plato Wyngard series

ALSO BY LYNETTE NONI

The Medoran Chronicles

Akarnae

Raelia

Draekora

Graevale

We Three Heroes

The Whisper Series

Whisper

To those who dare hope for a brighter future.

Let your light shine.

Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Six

Thirty-Seven

Thirty-Eight

Thirty-Nine

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Copyright

One

The sky was falling.

Millions of stars streaked across the horizon, like tears weeping in the midnight void.

Sand lashed against Alex’s flesh as she struggled across an unending desert. She knew very little about where she was, just that it was night-time. It would have been pitch black if not for the raining starlight and the three blue moons hovering in the sky, their unnatural colour highlighting the abandoned landscape surrounding her.

“Kaiden!” Alex yelled, her voice hoarse from how many times she’d repeated her call since tumbling into the world known as Tia Auras. “Kaiden, can you heeeeeear me?”

It was no use. Even though she and Kaiden had been holding hands upon stepping through the Library doorway, they’d somehow become separated. Alex had arrived in the middle of the blue-lit, star-strewn desert, with Kaiden nowhere in sight.

After having breathed her way through an initial bout of panic, she’d managed to pull herself together enough to realise that he had to be around somewhere. She just had to find him, after which they would carry out their mission to seek help from the Tia Aurans in the war against Aven and his Claimed army.

Squinting across the barren skyline with her hand raised to keep the windswept sand from blinding her, Alex battled the anxiety churning within her. When Athora had opened the doorway leading to his native world, she had presumed it would deliver her right to where she needed to go. Instead, she was stranded in the middle of nowhere without any knowledge of which direction to walk in, let alone where she was walking to. And her one source of comfort—and company—for the trip was missing.

Having already roamed the desert for hours, Alex was now more lost than when she had first arrived. Her worry increased with every stumbling step she took and every minute that ticked by, leaving her with the shallow hope that she might be better able to orient herself when the sun—or perhaps, suns—rose.

However, she soon discovered that Tia Auras wasn’t like Medora. Nor was it like her original world, Freya. Because as she witnessed the moons drifting lazily across the horizon while waiting impatiently for the dawn, it never arrived. The blue moons disappeared, but instead of the rising sun, three red moons crept into the sky, bathing the landscape with an eerie, blood-like glow. Even the star fire took on a reddish tinge, making it seem like balls of flame were shooting through the air high above her head.

“Kaiden!” she called again, her voice hitching in the middle. “Please, please answer me!”

Alex screamed his name until she could scream it no longer. She walked until her feet blistered and her skin became raw from the spearing sand and unrelenting wind. Only when she could take no more did she slump to the ground, exhaustion flooding her both physically and mentally.

If not for her Meyarin blood, Alex never would have lasted this long. She dreaded the idea of what Kaiden might be facing, praying that he had arrived far from the desert surrounding her. She couldn’t bear the alternative; the possibility that, if he too collapsed in the wilderness, he might reach the point where he’d be unable to get up, never to be seen again.

“Enough!” Alex snarled at herself, her voice a harsh croak. Get up, get up, GET UP!

With a grunt of effort, she rose back to her feet, forcing herself to continue onwards.

Many more hours passed as Alex stumbled her way across an ocean of dunes, the time marked only by the arc of the red moons across the sky. When they began purpling into the equivalent of sunset, Alex realised that she had been walking aimlessly for almost an entire day, yet her landscape remained unchanged.

In an act of desperation, she considered the little she knew about Tia Auras, her mind returning to one thing over and over: that when the Meyarins had been banished from this world, they had been accompanied by draekons, which meant that the draekons had originated here, too. And while Alex knew that Zaronia had been slain by Aven’s hand, there had been no confirmation of Xiraxus’s death—all she’d heard was that any of the draekons who had survived the massacre had long since fled Medora.

So… what if they had returned to their original home?

Hoping she wasn’t wrong, that Xiraxus was still alive and in this world, Alex mentally called, Xira?

Nothing.

It’s me, Alex, she added, wondering if perhaps the thousands of years had made his mind foggy. The mortal you bonded with from Medora. Long ago.

There was no response to her clumsy words. Worse, however, was the lack of awareness she felt on the inside. When once she’d sensed the low hum of the bond between them, like a constant, subtle touch against her mind, ever since she’d said goodbye to Xira and he’d returned to the past, there had been nothing. Just as there was now. She refused to read into what that could mean, unwilling to believe the worst. She had already lost Niyx—she couldn’t lose Xira, too.

Disheartened and growing increasingly afraid that she would die alone in the desert, Alex sank to her knees again as the blue moons rose once more, the flaming stars overhead losing their redness and returning to normal.

Lips cracked, eyes crusty with sand, every inch of her skin scraped and stinging, Alex took a moment to consider her options. Athora was a hard taskmaster and had never shied away from challenging her, but he’d never deliberately put her life in danger, nor would he have sent her to her death. She had to believe that her current circumstances were no different from her previous experiences—that this was merely a test.

She also had to believe that Kaiden, wherever he was, wasn’t undertaking the same test. Or that he’d overcome it much swifter than she. He had a myriad of gifts at his disposal; surely one of them would have helped him. And she was confident— or at least hopeful—that Athora never would have let Kaiden leave the Library if he wasn’t going to survive in Tia Auras.

The Library.

Something about it kept niggling at Alex.

Straining her exhausted mind, she tried to recall what Aven had told her during her time in the past, when he had said that Soraya de lah Torra was closely linked with Tia Auras. He hadn’t been sure if the Library had been built by the otherworldly race or if it had only originated in their ancient world, but either way, there was some relation between the two. His lack of details had been unsatisfying then, but given her current situation, it was much more frustrating now.

But then a memory whispered across her mind, something the Library had once told her:

‘I am always with you, even beyond these walls.’

On her knees, she glanced around her desolate landscape, wondering what the chances were that the Library could transcend time and space just like back in her world. She knew it could deliver her to and from Freya, but while in Freya, she had never attempted to open a doorway to anywhere other than Medora. And Athora himself had mentioned that he and Lady Mystique were the gatekeepers from Medora to Tia Auras, which implied she couldn’t cross between the two worlds without someone like him opening the door.

But… What if now that she was in Tia Auras, the rules were different?

Alex feared it was a fool’s hope. Even in Medora, she could only visit somewhere new by first being inside the Library building and then stepping through to a new location—it didn’t work from the outside unless she was moving through a doorway she had already used before. But then again, what did she have to lose by trying?

Alex rose shakily to her feet, closing her eyes against a sudden attack of lightheadedness. She would have given anything for some water and something to eat, since other than a meagre slice of bread, the last thing she’d consumed was the haesondel sludge Niyx had forced her to swallow before the battle at Graevale. The instant shot of adrenaline had helped her recover from the night of torture, just as it had helped her survive the fight against Aven and his Claimed army, but with the time she’d spent burying her friend afterwards—then her hours wandering through the Tia Auran desert—it had been nearly two days since Alex had last eaten anything of substance. And while the immortal blood in her veins was helping to ward off the effects of dehydration, she was still close to reaching her limit. But she wouldn’t give up—she couldn’t give up.

Blinking through her dizziness enough to look across the rolling dunes and overhead at the streaking stars once more, in a hoarse, dry voice she whispered, “If you can hear me, I could really, really use a way out of here.”

An answer came as swiftly as the wind that swept the sand up at her feet.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Goose bumps rose on Alex’s skin as déjà vu hit her so strongly that she felt as if she’d been struck in the stomach. The voice, as clear as the night’s sky, echoed some of the very first words the Library had ever spoken to her.

“You’re here,” Alex breathed, not believing it. Fearful, perhaps, that her exhaustion had made her delirious.

“I told you I’d always be with you, Alexandra Jennings. It is you who keeps forgetting.”

Overly emotional from both her fatigue and the events of the last few days, Alex felt tears spring to her eyes. For the first time since she had arrived in the never-ending desert, she didn’t feel quite so alone anymore. And apparently, she never had been.

“Is Kaiden all right?” she rasped, needing to know.

“He is safe and waiting for you,” the Library answered. “You would have been with him much sooner had you not taken so long to remember to call on me.”

Alex marvelled at the fact that a library was somehow managing to make her feel guilty. But she also knew more than anyone that the Library was no ordinary library.

She cleared her parched, croaky throat and gave the only excuse she had. “It’s been a rough couple of days. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Your trials of late have been many, Alexandra,” the Library said in a deep, soothing voice that caused Alex to swallow thickly, the compassion both comforting and painful. “And I need not tell you what you already know—that they are not yet over.”

Alex did know that. Despite what she had already endured, until Aven was defeated, there was still much more that she had to do.

“Can you help me?” she asked. “Can you take me where I need to go?”

In answer, a doorway rippled into existence barely a few feet from where she stood.

“You need only ask, Alexandra,” the Library said. “Try not to forget again.”

Alex’s shoulders sagged with the knowledge that she had been wandering the desert for so long only because of her own stupidity. A similar experience had occurred during her time in the past—she’d forgotten all about the Library and the possibility that it could return her to the future. She should have learned from her mistake then, not continued to make it over and over again.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” the Library said, as if reading her mind. “When the time comes that you need to remember me, you will.”

A shiver ran down her spine, and all she could do was nod her head. “Where will it take me?” she asked, looking into the doorway that showed nothing but darkness.

“Where you need to go,” the Library answered, back to being as vague as Alex expected.

Feeling the need to double check, Alex squinted her eyes and confirmed, “And Kaiden’s waiting for me there?”

“You will have to step through and see.”

With that, Alex could almost feel the Library’s presence disappearing. Or, if not disappearing entirely, at least… quieting. Leaving her to make her own decision about what to do next.

While she wasn’t thrilled with the Library’s ambiguity, Alex knew that wherever the door led, and whoever was— or wasn’t—waiting on the other side, it had to be better than continuing to wander aimlessly through the desert.

“Thank you,” she whispered, knowing the Library would hear her.

And then she stepped into the doorway.

Two

Light, blinding light assailed Alex’s vision the moment she was through the doorway. She blinked back tears as her retinas burned, and when her eyes finally adjusted, all she could do was stand there and gape at the sight before her.

It was as if the doorway had relocated her to yet another new world, as if the unending desert had been some kind of purgatory stopover on the way to her true destination. And Alex would have continued believing that if not for the three suns high in the sky, set in the exact same position as where the blue and red moons had been. Like the flipping of a switch, the world had turned from night into day.

But that wasn’t all that had changed, because no longer was she standing in a desert. Instead, she was surrounded by clouds. No, not just surrounded by them—she was standing on them. They weren’t like the vapour clouds she knew; these were substantial under her feet, like a solid mass, reminding her of the cloud-chair the Dayriders had summoned for her to sit on, fully solid and capable of bearing weight.

Alex would have crouched down to explore with her fingers had she not been so transfixed by what else she was seeing—by the city that was resting atop the clouds and rising high into the heavens.

‘One does not live a single day amongst the splendour of Tia Auras and then choose to leave.’

Given the view before her, Alex could understand why Athora might have made such a bold statement prior to her leaving the Library.

The city was made of gold.

Brilliant, shining, almost overpowering gold.

Spiralling arches reached dizzyingly high before cresting back down again, like semi-circles of shining, curved light. The design reminded Alex of Meya—but an impossibly more advanced Meya, with spires that were spherical and horizontal rather than straight and vertical. The gold was nearly blinding, but added to that were glass highlights— or perhaps diamond, given the rainbows bouncing off the arched, transparent towers. The effect was breathtaking, with even the fluffy, white clouds surrounding the city taking on the dispersed light and absorbing the colour, like kaleidoscopic mountains.

Athora had been right—the splendour of Tia Auras was beyond compare.

But Alex also couldn’t help thinking it was a little over the top, especially with the periwinkle-blue sky still streaked with stars, like an unending daytime meteor shower. The visual overload was too much; too bright, too colourful, too perfect.

Was it beautiful? Definitely. But Alex had seen her share of beauty. She knew better than to be swayed by a pretty view. She was here for only one reason, and it wasn’t to play awed tourist.

Determined to carry out her mission, Alex took a wobbly step forward, half expecting the clouds underfoot to start acting like they were supposed to and give way. But when her weight came down on the cottony ground, it remained solid. Like walking on packed fairy floss, there was perhaps a hint of springiness, but otherwise the surface remained fully stable.

One step after the other, Alex pressed onwards towards the entrance to the city. It was still a fair distance away, as if the Library had dropped her far enough back so she could first take in the view. Delivering her to the middle of the action would have been more pragmatic, but she was grateful for the chance to get her head together and gain a better idea of what she might be dealing with once she arrived.

After perhaps ten minutes of trekking across the cloudy landscape, Alex approached two great, golden gates reaching high into the sky. They were open, inviting, but that didn’t make them and the city they led to any less daunting.

The fact was, Alex had no idea what to do or where to go once she stepped into the golden domain. While she could understand the language of the Tia Aurans thanks to her inner translator, she couldn’t speak it, and she had no idea if they’d be able to understand the common tongue of Medora—or Freya. More and more she was realising that she should have asked Athora some pertinent questions before venturing to his home world.

With a deep breath, she stepped through the gates, her plan being to seek out the first person she could find and try to communicate that she needed to speak with whoever was in charge. She had no idea if it would work, but it was the best she could come up with.

As it turned out, she needn’t have bothered considering her options, because as soon as she crossed the threshold, a trickling sensation shivered down her spine, followed closely by what felt like a needle stabbing into her temple.

She cried out at the sharp pain, the agony enough to send her to her knees. Unable to fight off the invisible attack, she keeled over onto the cloudy ground and was unconscious before she could so much as wonder what had happened.

For the first time in days, Alex felt comfortable and at ease. Her head was cushioned by something soft, and gentle fingers were playing with her hair, the sensation causing her entire body to relax.

She didn’t want to open her eyes, didn’t want to discover it was a dream and wake to the reality of still being in the unending desert. But then she remembered that she’d already left the desert.

Clouds.

She recalled seeing rainbow clouds. And a city of gold and diamond so bright that even the memory burned the back of her eyes. She also recalled stepping through gates that had prompted her being stabbed in the brain by an indiscernible weapon. And now here she was, no longer in pain—very much the opposite.

Blinking herself into awareness, it took a moment for Alex to comprehend where she was. Or rather, why she was where she was, and who she was with.

Because, from what she could tell, she was lying with her head in Kaiden’s lap.

“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” he said, smiling softly down at her. “How’s the headache?”

His words were quiet, almost as if he was afraid of causing her more pain. She had to struggle against melting at his concern. Instead, she pushed herself up into a seated position and didn’t hesitate to lean forward and wrap her arms around him.

Startled, it took him a second to return her embrace, but then his arms circled her waist, pulling her tightly against his warm, strong body.

Alex took longer than she should have to let him go. And when she finally released him, she struggled to look him in the eyes, embarrassed by her display of affection. But he reached out and tilted her chin up until she met his gaze.

“Not that I don’t appreciate a good hug, but do you want to tell me what that was for?” he asked.

Alex resisted the urge to look over his shoulder as she answered, “I just—I was worried about you. When I arrived and you weren’t with me… I didn’t know what had happened.”

Kaiden’s expression warmed and he moved his hand from her chin to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “I was worried about you, too. I thought you’d get here much sooner than you did. And when you didn’t…”

He trailed off, but he didn’t need to finish, since Alex could see the concern lingering in his eyes.

“What happened to you, Alex?” he asked. “When they brought you in, you were a mess.”

Heat flooded her cheeks at the idea of just how terrible she must have looked upon her arrival. Her relentless time in the desert had left her skin rubbed raw from both windburn and the lashing sand, while her lips had been scabbed and chapped from prolonged exposure. And her clothes… they would have been just as unappealing as the rest of her after she’d trudged through the dunes for almost a whole day.

The thought of Kaiden seeing her like that made her want to crawl into the nearest hole, but she knew he’d seen her much worse. Not just in their Combat and SAS classes, but also when she’d happened upon him after some of her more ruthless adventures. And besides, it wasn’t like there was anything she could do about it now.

But… Raising a hand to her face and touching her lips, Alex could feel that she no longer bore any evidence of her hours spent in the desert. Not only were her hunger and thirst sated, but, glancing down, she saw that her skin was completely healed. Furthermore, she wasn’t wearing the jeans and jacket she’d sported upon arrival in Tia Auras; instead, she wore a white dress that covered only one shoulder and had gold banding circling around her waist. The outfit was floor-length with a long slit down the side, revealing gold, strappy sandals curling halfway up to her knees. Added to that, on her bare-shouldered arm, there was a shiny cuff around her bicep, the spiralling design beautiful. In fact, the entire ensemble was beautiful. But still—

“Please tell me you didn’t change my clothes.”

Kaiden’s lips twitched and Alex felt her heart skip a beat, fearing his answer. But then he shook his head and said, “No. I saw you when they first carried you past, but they returned you here after they’d healed you and swapped your clothes. They did the same to me.”

Relief swept through Alex and she looked at him properly for the first time. He was also wearing white from top to bottom, but instead of a dress, his outfit included linen pants and a billowing, long-sleeved shirt that was partially unbuttoned, showing off the tanned column of his neck and upper chest. Alex felt her mouth turn dry at the sight, but she also wondered why they were both dressed like Grecian royalty.

Recalling what he’d said about people carrying her ‘past’, she turned from him, her gaze widening and then narrowing as she took in the room they were in, the sight prompting her to rise on unsteady feet.

Enclosing the two of them was a transparent barrier, like a large glass dome over their heads. Within the space was just the bed of cushions that she and Kaiden had been resting on. Otherwise, nothing. But outside of the dome… they were in the middle of a throne room. A set of shining stairs led to three gilded chairs overlooking the vast space of which they were currently the only occupants. The room was beyond decadent, with golden pillars leading to an arched ceiling hung with diamond chandeliers. Yet despite the intimidation of such an awe-inspiring sight, the space was silent in its emptiness.

Alex reached out and pressed her hand against the barrier, finding it solid to the touch. “Are we trapped in here?” she asked Kaiden as he moved to stand beside her.

“I’ve tried everything,” he said. “The only way it comes down is from the outside.”

Alex turned to him and every thought she’d been holding in spewed forth in a steady stream. “How long have you been here? What happened? Why were we separated? How did you even get here? Where is here? And who’s holding us captive?”

Thick eyelashes blinked as he processed her questions, a wry smile curling his mouth. “Do you have a preference for what I answer first?”

Alex offered an apologetic wince, but he was used to her by now and took it all in his stride, not needing her to respond before launching in with his reply.

“I’ve been here since we came through Athora’s doorway— it dropped me straight off at the gates to the city.”

Alex arched an eyebrow, wondering at the fairness of that. Why had she been left to struggle aimlessly through the desert? But despite her annoyance, she was relieved to know Kaiden had been safe all along—if being trapped in a glass dome was considered ‘safe’.

“I don’t know why we were separated, but I did overhear some of our captors say something about you having to wander in the wilderness as part of a test before you could arrive here.”

Surprised, Alex asked, “They speak the common tongue?”

Kaiden shook his head. “Athora taught me some of the Tia Auran language during the years I spent training with him. Not much, but enough to get by.”

That will come in handy, Alex thought. “Go on,” she prompted.

“I don’t have much else to offer,” he said. “I’m not sure why we’re trapped in here, and I definitely have no idea what happened to you and why it took you so long to get here. I’ve been worried sick.”

“I was in the desert,” Alex told him, rubbing her cheek as if still feeling the sting of the biting sand. “It must be beneath us, down on the actual land. This cloud part of the world is very strange.”

Kaiden chuckled lightly. “I hear you. Did you see the city? Ostentatious, much?”

Alex felt her lips quirk in response, having had the same thought.

“Have you had a chance to talk to anyone yet?” she asked.

“So far I’ve only had contact with what I presume are guards. They brought me meals and let me out to use the facilities—which are as lavish as the rest of this place. No one has said anything to me, or answered any of my questions. Not even when I asked about you.”

Alex wasn’t sure what to think about that. She gestured to the three thrones on the dais. “Any idea who’s in charge?”

Kaiden gave a helpless shrug. “No clue.”

Releasing a quiet sigh, Alex wondered what they were supposed to do. Trapped inside the glass dome, they had few options—or none, really, other than to wait.

“I guess we should get comfortable, then,” she said, moving back to the cushions on the ground. But before she could so much as sit down, a bright flash of light made her raise a hand to protect her eyes. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, and when her vision cleared, the room was no longer empty, but full of people.

Alex hadn’t given it any thought, but if she had, she’d have presumed the Tia Aurans would look similar to Athora and Lady Mystique. Ancient beings, as old as time itself, with bodies weathered by age. However, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Until now, the Meyarins had been amongst the most glorious of races Alex had ever seen. But the Tia Aurans were so far beyond the Medoran immortals that all she could do was stand there, mouth agape in wonder.

Like their city, the otherworldly race was resplendent. Looking at them was almost painful, almost too much to bear. The Meyarins, while beautiful, could at least be described as ‘human-like’, even if they were still impossibly attractive versions of Alex’s mortal race. But the glory of the Tia Aurans was simply… beyond. Dressed similarly to Alex and Kaiden, they looked like perfect specimens come to life. Their skin of varying shades all but glittered, their faces were youthful and flawless, their bodies were strong and without fault.

Alex had to struggle against wrinkling her nose at the evidence of their physical superiority. Not that their intimidating appearance was their fault—probably. But regardless, she had to resist the urge to back away as they peered into the dome at her and Kaiden, as if they were animals caged at a zoo.

“This is fun,” she murmured, not just a little creeped out by their silent observation.

Kaiden made a sound of agreement and stepped closer, enough that his side brushed up against hers, his proximity calming her steadily rising pulse.

As if answering an unspoken command, those closest to the dome each stepped backwards as one. A space opened up in front of Alex and Kaiden, allowing three of their number to step forward.

In the middle was a woman with a glimmering gold circlet across her brow imbued with sparkling crystals. Her skin was as black as night and her eyes glowed like silver starlight. A quick glance around had Alex noting that the eye colour was a common denominator amongst all those in attendance—they all had the same brilliant, if alien, silver irises.

The two others who halted with the woman were men, both staying slightly behind her. One was fair, with alabaster skin and platinum hair, while the other displayed a honeyed tan and darker features. Together the three painted a striking image; perfect beings side by side.

Alex had no idea what to expect now that those whom she presumed reigned from the three thrones at the top of the room were standing before her. She debated whether she should just blurt out why she was there, or perhaps demand answers as to why she and Kaiden were locked up in a glass prison.

But she didn’t have a chance to do either, because the woman spoke first, surprising Alex with her perfect use of the common tongue.

“I am Saefii, Empress of Tia Auras.”

Her voice was like sunshine, there was no other way to describe it. Melodic to the point that it was almost hypnotic, Alex found herself swaying forward slightly, hoping the empress would say more if only so she could experience the lyrical tone again.

“These are my advisors,” Saefii continued, “Calivere”— she motioned to the angelically pale man—“and Tayros”—she gestured towards her dark-haired companion. “Together we watch over this world and those who inhabit it.”

Saefii moved a step forward, yet still remained on the other side of the dome.

“You come from far away as trespassers to our sacred city,” she said, her silver eyes bright against her gloriously dark skin. “Never before have otherworlders from Medora or Freya entered our midst. We would have been curious, perhaps even welcoming, if not for this.”

The pale man—Calivere—stepped forward, holding something in his hand. It wasn’t until he loosened his grip and allowed the chain to partially slip through that Alex recognised the necklace. Her fingers moved to her throat where the Myrox bow-and-arrow charm had been clasped prior to them changing her clothes. A quick glance at her bare hands, however, and she was at least relieved to confirm that they hadn’t discovered the ring Athora had given her to conceal her shimmering skin. That was still firmly—if invisibly—on her finger.

“You entered Vardaesia wearing the mark of our sworn enemy,” Saefii said, her lyrical voice holding a low note of warning. “We can only conclude that your purpose here is nefarious, and unless you offer sufficient evidence to the contrary, we will have no choice but to enact preventative measures.”

Alex shared a nervous glance with Kaiden, but neither of them had a chance to ask what those measures would be, because Saefii wasn’t done.

“You have five minutes to explain, or you and your companions will be put to death.”

Alex froze at Saefii’s unyielding declaration, at the death sentence she and Kaiden faced. But she forced herself to relax, knowing they were there for a good reason, and that the empress would realise that upon hearing their explanation.

However, just as Alex opened her mouth to launch into her tale, her forehead crinkled and she repeated, “Our… companions?”

With an arched brow from Saefii and another searing flash of light, a second glass dome appeared in the room, right beside theirs.

Oh, hell no, Alex thought, gawking at the sight.

Because standing there in similarly elegant white outfits were Jordan, D.C., Bear and Declan, all of whom were staring back at Alex and Kaiden with identical looks of horror on their pale faces.

Three

“What the hell are they doing here?” Alex hissed out in a whisper to Kaiden. “How did they even get here?”

Kaiden had no answer for her, knowing as little as she did.

The last Alex had heard, D.C. and Jordan had gone to Woodhaven to support Bear and the rest of the Ronnigan family in the wake of William’s death. How they’d ended up in Tia Auras, she had no idea—nor did she have any clue as to why Declan was with them. All she knew was that if she and Kaiden didn’t convince the empress to revoke their group death sentence, then the lives of all their closest friends would be forfeit, along with their own.

“You have one chance to stay my hand, so I suggest you start talking,” Saefii said, the other glass dome disappearing with another flash of light, their friends vanishing with it.

Alex turned woodenly back to the empress. Thoughts fled as panic overwhelmed her. Looking around at the advanced race of beings, she suddenly feared that her reasons might seem paltry and insignificant to them. Why should the Tia Aurans care about what was happening in a world far removed from their own? What hope did Alex truly have of persuading them to help? She hadn’t even been able to convince the mortal races of Medora to agree to an alliance, not until it was too late. The consequences of their disbelief had been disastrous; the loss of life something that would stay with Alex for as long as she lived—for as long as there were stars in the sky.

A gentle nudge at her side had Alex raising her eyes to meet Kaiden’s encouraging gaze. He believed in her; he wouldn’t have risked his life by travelling across worlds if he didn’t. And his confidence was exactly what she needed right now.

With a small nod of gratitude to him, Alex turned back to Saefii. She looked from the empress to the two male advisors and then expanded her view to sweep across the silver-eyed assemblage, making sure she had everyone’s full attention.

“My name is Alexandra Jennings and I’m here because we need your help…”

“That could have gone worse.”

Alex looked across at Kaiden, noting his relaxed features as he strode over to inspect the luxurious cushions in the corner of their new surroundings.

“It could have gone better, too,” Alex replied.

After explaining their reasons for travelling to Tia Auras, she and Kaiden had been flash-transported from their glass dome into some kind of lavish common room. Free from the barrier, they now had a much larger space to wander, complete with multiple adjoining doors—all of which were locked—and a balcony.

Venturing out onto the balcony, Alex sensed Kaiden step up beside her as she peered out over the immense view and reflected on what had happened in the throne room.

The good news was that she and her friends hadn’t been executed on the spot after she’d finished speaking. The bad news was that no one had said anything, other than Saefii’s quick order to, “Move them to their rooms.”

Alex wasn’t sure what to think. She had been so deliberate in her storytelling, careful to remain succinct as she revealed the threat Aven and his Claimed army posed to Medora. More tentatively, she’d told of how Athora had offered the means to travel between their two worlds, and quietly offered news of Lady Mystique’s—or Aes Daega’s—passing. And yet, other than a few murmurs at the mention of the ancient woman’s demise, for everything Alex had shared, the Tia Aurans had given nothing away. Their faces had remained blank, their silver eyes unreadable. All she knew was that they had been satisfied enough not to kill her and her friends outright—though, for all she knew, the verdict could still be out on that one.

“It really, really could have gone better,” Alex repeated in a whisper, unable to keep the fear and uncertainty from her voice.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, they looked out across the shiny, golden city. It had been stunning from a distance and was no less so from wherever they now stood, in some kind of arched palace, from what Alex could tell.

“You did the best you could,” Kaiden said gently, curling his arm around her and drawing her closer to his side. “Now all we can do is wait and see what they say.”

Alex leaned into him, sighing quietly. Part of her was aware that she should feel uncomfortable or at least awkward in his embrace, but on the contrary, it felt natural. After everything they’d been through together, after he’d held her while she’d cried over Niyx, she didn’t have it in her to put up walls between them anymore. She was tired of pushing him away. So instead, she would allow herself this moment, as long as he was willing to offer it.

Together they stood and watched the setting suns disappear as twilight fell. Alex wondered why the desert had never allowed for anything but night-time, but she also realised that a new world meant new rules all over again. She didn’t plan on being in Tia Auras long enough to learn its secrets, nor did she intend to visit the unending wasteland beneath the clouds again. The mysteries of this place could remain exactly that— mysteries.

“There’s just so much riding on this,” she whispered, unable to inject more volume. “If they don’t help us—”

“Shhh,” Kaiden said, turning her so they faced each other. “You’ve done what we came to do. Don’t fear what hasn’t yet happened.”

Alex felt the tension drain out of her at his words, knowing he was right. There was little point worrying just yet. She had to remain hopeful.

She placed her hands on Kaiden’s chest, feeling his steady heartbeat under her fingers. “Thank you for coming here with me,” she told him. “Thank you for not letting me do this on my own.”

His lips twitched into a grin. “Did you really think I’d pass up any opportunity to spend time with you?” He shook his head, his bright blue eyes lit with amusement. “No chance, Alex. You should know by now, I’d follow you to the end of the world.” He glanced pointedly at the three moons now slowly rising in the star-strewn sky. “And beyond.”

Alex felt warm all over from his words, her stomach fluttering, but not in an unpleasant way. She knew how Kaiden felt about her; he hadn’t hidden his intentions. He also knew how she felt about him, even if she wasn’t yet willing to admit as much to either of them. But regardless of what they were—or weren’t—to each other, the comfort and security he offered was like a balm to her soul, enough that she couldn’t resist sliding her arms around him and leaning forward to press her head to his shoulder. Kaiden responded by drawing her even closer and resting his cheek against her hair.

It was as they stood embracing against the most romantic backdrop of all time that they heard the sound of a throat clearing, followed by Jordan’s voice.

“By all means, don’t let us interrupt.”

Alex jolted, her head moving back at the same time as Kaiden’s, only to find their friends inside the common room, standing just before the balcony’s entrance.

Pulling away from Kaiden, Alex strode towards them, torn between screaming at them and hugging them. When she halted a few steps away, she still didn’t know which reaction to lead with. While considering her options, her gaze locked on Bear, noting the shadows beneath his red-rimmed eyes and his face strained by grief.

William.

Bear had lost his father less than two days ago.

Just as Alex had lost Niyx.

She swallowed at the look he sent her, seeing her own pain reflected in his eyes. Instantly, her feelings about her friends’ recklessness dissolved, along with any desire she had to demand an explanation for how they had come to be in Tia Auras. She didn’t wait another second before moving forward to wrap her arms around Bear.

“I’m so sorry about your dad,” she whispered into his ear, his return embrace so tight it was almost painful.

She felt him shudder against her, but then his grip eased as he whispered back, “It’s how he would have wanted to go. In battle, with honour.”

From what Alex had known of William, that was true. But Bear had missed a key point.

“No,” she quietly corrected. “In battle, doing what he could to protect his family.”

His arms spasmed around her, and this time there was no ‘almost’ regarding the pain of his tightened hold—it straight up hurt. But she hugged him back just as fiercely, offering what comfort she could. The loss of Niyx was still so fresh, but Kaiden had been there for her, and the letter Niyx himself had written had helped her move past her all-consuming numbness to see that there was more she had to do before she could let grief overwhelm her. But Bear… He hadn’t been given the same closure. More than anything, he should be with his family right now, not gallivanting across worlds.

Gently withdrawing from him, Alex stepped back and took in all her friends as Kaiden moved up beside her, having greeted Declan, Jordan and D.C. while she and Bear had been having their moment.

“What are you all doing here?” Alex finally asked. “How did you even get here?”

“What, no, ‘Hi, guys, lovely to see you’?” Jordan returned. The spark that had returned to his eyes since his freedom from Aven’s Claim was missing, telling Alex that he was almost as affected by William’s death as Bear. But she could also see that he was trying to remain strong for their friend, as if he thought acting as normal as possible would somehow help. Alex wasn’t sure that was a smart move—they both needed to grieve. As did she. And yet, none of them had the luxury of time right now. Their mourning would have to wait.

Ignoring her ‘I want answers now’ expression, Jordan moved forward and pulled her into a hug, followed by D.C., who all but launched herself into Alex’s arms.

“Next time we’re alone, we are so going to talk about what was happening out on that balcony,” D.C. whispered into Alex’s ear before pulling back again, her expression promising an in-depth, likely high-pitched discussion.

After a brief hug from Declan which included a bone-jolting thump on the back, everyone was once again back in the same positions, this time with Alex tapping her foot impatiently.

“Who’s going to explain?”

“Headmaster Marselle told us he would send you straight to Woodhaven after you returned from the battle at Graevale, but you never arrived,” D.C. answered, her eyes shifting carefully to Bear and away again. “We didn’t think much of it until Declan turned up and said you were missing. Both of you.”

“I hunted this lot down, figuring you might be together, wherever you were,” said Declan. “And we all headed back to Akarnae to search for you.”

“But there was no trace of either of you anywhere—it was like you’d both disappeared,” Jordan jumped in, walking towards the pile of cushions and collapsing onto them. While stretching out and making himself comfortable, he continued, “We were worried Aven had taken you, but we figured he would’ve been more triumphant about it and let the world know. So that left us thinking that wherever you were, you were probably safe.” He looked around and amended, “-ish.”

D.C. moved towards the cushions, sliding down until she was lounging next to Jordan, leaning into him when he wrapped his arm around her.

“The only logical conclusion we could come to was that your disappearance had something to do with the Library, so that’s where we headed,” the princess said. “It took us hours of pleading into what felt like nothingness before a cloaked man appeared with Soraya and told us that he’d sent you off to another world.”

Jordan snorted. “We thought he was a crackpot. Would have continued to if Soraya hadn’t been with him. Or if Declan wasn’t with us—he’s like a human lie detector, did you know?”

Alex did know that. Kaiden had once told her that Declan’s gift was an ability to sense deceit—something Kaiden had adopted as his own, and one of the reasons they had both figured out she was from Freya.

“What else did Athora say to you?” Alex asked, her voice quiet.

“Athora?” Jordan asked. “Is that the cloaked guy?”

“Did he say why he sent us here?” Kaiden asked when Alex was unable to do so.

It was Bear who answered this time, his voice barely a croak of sound, enough that Declan moved closer to him and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder—something that surprised Alex, especially when Bear seemed grounded by his show of support.

“He said you came to get help from the people who live here—from the Tia Aurans—because without them, we have little chance of stopping Aven.” Bear swallowed but held Alex’s gaze. “He said that your gift won’t be able to save anyone, not like you hoped it would. Not like we all hoped it would.”

A ringing silence met his words. Alex had nothing to be ashamed of—on some level, she knew that—but she still felt like a failure. Everyone had been living under the presumption that she held the key to defeating Aven because of her gift. But that had never been the case.

Inhaling deeply, Alex said, “So, you know why we’re here. That doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“As if we’d miss out on this,” Jordan said, attempting levity for the sake of them all. “When that Athora guy offered to open the door for us, how could we say no?” He grinned despite the sorrow lingering in his eyes. “A new world to discover? Sign me up.”

Ignoring his feigned jubilation, Alex brought her gaze back to meet Bear’s and whispered, “You should be with your family.”

He stepped forward to take her hand as he looked around at them all. “I am with my family, Alex.” He squeezed her fingers. “And right now, you need me more than they do. They know I’m here—they all but pushed me out the door to come and find you, because they knew that’s what Dad would’ve wanted. I’ll have time to grieve with them once this is over. We all will.” His throat bobbed, but he stood taller and held her gaze as he said, his voice now strong, “He was a protector—he gave his life protecting us, as you said. I’d only be dishonouring his memory if I wasn’t willing to do the same.”

Alex blinked back tears, prouder of her friend than she could say. He’d always been the steady one of the group. While he could easily match Jordan’s mischievous personality, Bear was still the most level-headed of them all. And now it seemed his nature was only working in his favour, helping him to focus and compartmentalise, just like Alex was doing with Niyx.

“Well, whatever brought you all here, it’s good that we’re together,” Kaiden said, as if aware that Alex needed a moment to gather herself. He offered them all a wry grin and added, “You’re all fools for coming, but you’re lovable fools all the same.”

Jordan chuckled, the sound genuine. “Put that on my tombstone if this doesn’t work out: ‘Jordan was a fool, but a lovable one. May he rest in foolish peace.’”

Alex blanched, and she wasn’t the only one. “Don’t even joke about that.”

Jordan eyed her carefully, ignoring the elbow D.C. shoved into his ribcage. He stood up again and approached her, leaning in to whisper in her ear, “Hey, I know it’s tough about Bear’s dad, but we’ll all get through this together, okay?” Moving back again, he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “If we give into our fear of what might happen to us, then Aven has already won.” He offered a morbid grin and finished, “The good news is, if we all end up dying here, at least he won’t have the pleasure of killing us himself. That’s a satisfying thought, right?”

Alex wasn’t able to say anything around the strangled feeling in her chest.

She knew Jordan was trying to help. Indeed, his words seemed to lighten the feeling in the room, as if everyone—even Bear—agreed that in order to defeat Aven, they first had to conquer their fears of the future and win the battles in their own minds. And it was true, Alex knew it was. But still…

Jordan didn’t know the real reason why she was so distressed by the mention of them dying. Of anyone else dying. Because other than Kaiden, none of them knew. They thought she was upset about William, and while she was heartbroken for Bear, she was also working her way through a much more crushing personal blow. Two, really, with the death of Lady Mystique. But it was Niyx—the Meyarin they thought to be little more than Aven’s merciless best friend—that they would never understand about. They had no idea who he was to Alex; they probably didn’t even know that he had died, let alone cared what his passing meant to her. And they couldn’t know. Not until she figured out how to tell the story. How to tell his story.

Until then, she had to stand strong. If Jordan could act like his normal self for the sake of Bear… if Bear could continue on as he was… then Alex could, too.

Nothing was all right. But she could act as if it were for the sake of her friends. And maybe, just maybe, one day her emotions would catch up.

“All right, let’s focus,” D.C. jumped in, crossing her legs underneath her and patting the cushions around where she sat, a clear invitation for them to join her.

Determined to push past everything she was feeling and instead give her full attention to what lay ahead, Alex folded onto the ground with the others, the six of them forming a circle.

“What do we know about these people?” D.C. asked. “Other than that they have an amazing city and the gates pack one hell of a welcome headache?”

“Vardaesia,” Bear said. “When they dragged us in here, they told us the city is called Vardaesia.”

That was also what the empress had called it, Alex recalled.

“It’s a pretty name,” D.C. mused. “Var-day-see-uh. Sounds like a song.”

“It sounds like a city made of gold and diamonds,” Declan said dryly. “This place must be worth a mint.” He rapped his knuckles on the gold floor peeking out from beneath the cushions.

“It’s the royal palace of an otherworldly empress,” Jordan said, equally dry. “What did you expect? Sticks and pebbles?”

“Let’s start there,” D.C. cut in. “Who is this Empress Saefii? She came to see us before she did the appearing-and-disappearing trick with us in the throne room, but all she said was that if you didn’t answer her questions to her satisfaction, then we’d all be dead. I’m guessing since we’re still alive, you must have handled her interrogation okay. So, what did you learn?”

“I don’t think there’s much about this world and the people in it that we know and you don’t,” Alex said. She looked at Kaiden then back to the others. “We weren’t given a briefing before we came. We were just told not to fail.”

Silence met her statement.

“That Athora guy didn’t tell you anything?” Bear asked, his grip flexing as he held a cushion between his hands.

“He said the Tia Aurans and the Meyarins are mortal enemies,” Kaiden answered. “He said we need to convince them to fight with us, so that the prophecy given to Alex can be fulfilled. But that’s pretty much all he told us.”

When her friends looked at her in question, Alex quickly filled them in on the newest development with the prophecy— Athora’s interpretation about Tia Auras meaning ‘Day’ and Medora meaning ‘Night’, which was why the ancient man believed the two worlds needed to ‘combine and fight against one Enemy’.

“You can never trust prophecies,” D.C. said, her nose wrinkling. “They always have too many meanings and you never know what they refer to until it’s too late. Hindsight is the only way to see their full truth. And with yours, despite whatever Athora claimed, we might as well be searching for a specific grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

That was what Alex feared. But all she had right now was hope.

“Speaking of deserts,” she said, “did any of you visit one on your way here?”

Blank looks and raised eyebrows met her question, so she quickly mumbled, “Never mind.”

“What are we supposed to do now?” Declan asked, stretching his long legs out and rearranging the pillows around his bulky form. “Not that this place isn’t cushy, but sitting around isn’t going to—”

He didn’t get a chance to finish before a blinding light surrounded them and once again they were flash-transported away.

Four

Jumping to her feet beside the others, Alex took stock of their new surroundings, noting that they were back in the throne room, without their glass prisons this time.

Saefii was sitting on the middle throne, the largest of all three, with Calivere seated on her left and Tayros on her right. Alex and her friends stood at the base of the shining steps leading up to the dais, with the rest of the silver-eyed assembly from earlier standing behind them, hemming them in amongst the golden pillars.

“Alexandra Jennings, we have conferred in the wake of your tale and have brought you here to bear witness to our judgement,” Calivere said, his voice just as angelic as his features. But despite the soothing quality to his tone, his words caused a shiver of foreboding to travel down Alex’s spine.

“Many eons have passed since we banished the Meyarins from our world,” Tayros said, his voice deep and silky smooth, like heated syrup. “We have no desire to reignite a war long since won.”

Alex had to bite her cheek to keep from jumping in, determined to wait until they were finished before she would argue her point again.

“However,” Calivere said, as if he and Tayros were tag-teaming their discussion. “The threat of the one named Aven does trouble us, if only due to the question of where he will next turn his gaze once he has conquered your world and slaughtered your mortal races.”

“This guy sure has a way with words,” Jordan muttered from beside Alex.