Page 10 of The Ashborn

“It’s an island of illusions, Broan,” Danek reminded him.

“Let’s go to the forest ground and spar like real men, and the Eternal Mother can piss off,” Broan spat.

Elvish soldiers paused their training to glance over, eyes squinted and mouths curled with scowls.

Danek tossed wind in Broan’s face, making him flinch with the image of glass beetles crawling on him. Broan cursed and swatted at his body. “What the fuck, Pretty Boy?”

Shrugging, Danek said, “Considering they’re the source of your magic, you should probably show more respect to the islands.”

“Yeah, well, she didn’t help at all in the desert. All that magic meant nothing when the rocks came down.”

Danek stepped back and nodded. The war in Dalelry was rough for all of them. They’d spent their lives in River Storm preparing for battles that never came, only to be met head-on with one as soon as they abandoned the barrier. They weren’t prepared. Though the Guardians ran every obstacle their commanding officers put them through, nothing eased the image of blood spattering and dead faces under the red rocks.

“All things considered, we made it out alive,” Danek said.

Broan growled. “Hmph. Well, at least we outlasted the women. Too weak for war.”

Danek tilted his head and scrunched his eyes. “Technically, we haven’t outlasted Baila.”

The Viking shrugged and ran his hand over his chin. Hair grew evenly around his cheeks and jaw, where it only sprouted in patches in River Storm. His red sigil was a lightning strike across his face. It looked pretty damn cool, Danek admitted.

“Alright then, Broan. Let’s go somewhere else and see if you can teach me something.”

Broan jolted his head back. “You want to learn from me?”

Danek nodded.

The Duskveil Island glowed with hues of blue. Broan peered around him as the island danced with color, but Danek took it as a sign. Perhaps the Eternal Mother would grant him his full kiss of magic one day. He needed to overcome the feeling that he’d been left behind and earn it. Danek exhaled. “You fight like a mountain. I figured I’d see if that would rub off.”

Broan tipped his chin. “Okay, Brother. You know,” he slapped Danek on the back as they started toward the bridges, “if you would craft illusions stronger than the damn wind, you would be fucking unstoppable.”

“Yeah,” Danek drawled, stretching the word with a slow grin. “Why do you think I brought you here?”

“To scare the shit out of me.”

Danek and Broan started down the bridges to the forest floor. Halfway to the ground, one of the Queen’s Elvish Guard stopped them. Danek’s neck prickled. What did the queen’s soldiers want with them? The soldier cleared his throat. Tall and lean with long blond hair, he looked exactly like the sort of polished Elvish man Danek had come to expect. Regal. Too clean for a battlefield.

“Queen Elira requests your presence, earth bender.”

“The name’s Broan,” the Viking scoffed, cutting his gaze to the side. “I guess we’re being summoned to another fucking council meeting to talk about our feelings. Let’s go.”

Danek went to follow Broan, but the soldier held up his hand. “Only Broan today.”

Danek stayed behind, watching the soldier escort Broan to the Heart of Trinity. Kienna made that same solitary descent more often than anyone, but seeing Broan get called was contrasting. Danek didn’t know what he expected. Leaving River Storm should have freed them from the scrutiny of royalty, but they found themselves continually pulled back into it.

At least Kienna was free of it all. That’s what she’d always wanted. Maybe free of them. He tried not to entertain that thought too deeply. She went with Moira, and they were finding new lives. It stung his chest, knowing he might be the last one with no real purpose aside from what he was told to do. He thought back to the days when he longed to record the truth so no one else would live a life wondering what happened in the past. He’d given up on most dreams. This was probably why the Eternal Mother hadn’t blessed him.

Broan vanished into the Heart of Trinity. The bridge narrowed too quickly, and Danek rested his hands on the railing, breath slow and measured. Around him, Trinity moved on. Guards passed, voices echoing. Decisions were being made without him. Danek turned from the council path and climbed onto the bridge’s edge. Without hesitation, he leaped into the canopy below, branches catching him as easily as if they’d been waiting.

Light bent strangely between the leaves, shadows stretching where they shouldn’t. The world flickered, uncertain of what it was meant to show him. Danek stilled. Something quiet whispered his name, but it wasn’t strong enough yet. He swallowed and stepped deeper into the trees, the illusion settling around him like bated breath. Whatever the council decided today, it wouldn’t change this.

Danek wasn’t meant to wait around and be left behind. He wasn’t meant to be nothing. He needed to get stronger, more powerful. He needed to show his worth so the Elvish would use him, too. For that, he would need to climb faster. Higher. Every tree.

For his magic, he would go to every island and train with every leader. Learn the way of Verdent for healing. The Galeweavers for wind. The Duskveil for illusions.

Danek ignored the whispers and remained on his path through the trees.

Chapter 5