Page 86 of By the Flames of Her Fury

We turned a corner, and a magnificent palace came into view. The elderly man stopped walking and turned to face us, brandishing his robed arm. “Welcome to the Kingdom of Pyraeth.”

I nearly stumbled trying to take in the sight. Columns made of ivory stone led to an inner building with a gold-tipped dome so tall, it partially blocked the black sky. Glass windows lined the exterior. The air shimmered off them the way mist shimmered off the waves in Iluze.

Tessa leaned in closer to me and whispered, “How do you think they keep it so white?”

I pinched my lips together to stop from snorting. My shoulders relaxed a small amount. Leave it to Tessa to inject some levity into the atmosphere.

“Come,” the auburn-haired female said. “We have much to show you.”

Vera banished her phoenix wings. “Do you have someone who can help us, first?” she asked, gesturing to Odessa and me. “A couple of us have been injured, and I don’t have anything to heal them.” While Vera could perform healing spells, Alchemy required specific herbs and charms—things found in nature—to power the spell.

The white-haired, bearded man glanced at the scrapes on Odessa’s arm, partially covered by my shirt. His eyebrows rose, but then he smiled. “Of course, Lightbringer.”

Vera narrowed her eyes. “Why do you keep calling me that?”

“We will have plenty of time to explain. For now, let’s get your companions to the healing wing,” the female said.

“My name is Vera,” she said, shifting on her feet. “Just—just Vera.” She quickly introduced the rest of us.

The bearded man bowed low. “I am Arcadia. This is Julius,” he motioned to the tall man with brown hair, “and Maeve.” The female smiled at us. “We are the High Elders of Pyraeth. We oversee the kingdom and keep harmony among the citizens.”

As he spoke, we turned down a hall with a side wall made entirely of glass, granting a view to the city beyond. A long, crimson rug adorned the length of the floor, and when we passed under a marble archway, more corridors appeared.

The opulence was eye-catching, but what amazed me more was the magic. Everywhere we looked, servants and courtiers displayed their magic in everyday tasks. One maid had shadows in the shape of a hand holding a feather duster high up in the chandeliers. A man walking by flicked his wrist and sent a stream of firelight to a candle in its sconce. A swooshing sound flitted close to my ear, and I jerked away, only to see a hummingbird with a note tucked in its beak fly by. In midair, it shifted into a young boy, who handed the note to Arcadia, then shifted back into a bird and took off.

This magic…it was ours. Veridian. The same magic I saw every day back home. How was that possible? How could they have Veridian magic?

As the people’s gazes fell on us, they slowly stopped their tasks, lips parting in wonder. Whispers floated around us.

“Did you hear the rumors?”

“Is it true?”

“Have we found the Lightbringer?”

The excitement was palpable. People strained to get a look, more and more servants appearing from other hallways. The way their eyes tracked Vera made the hair on the back of my neck rise in unease.

High Elder Maeve ushered us inside an open door to the left. We all stepped into a healer’s wing. Cabinets lined the walls, with cots separated by sheets of fabric and shelves with vials of ointments, tinctures, and bandages. An older woman with graying hair stood at a cabinet, grinding something in a mortar. She whispered a few words, and the mixture ignited, smoke rising from inside.

“You’re an Alchemist,” I blurted before I could stop myself.

The healer glanced up, jumping when she saw the High Elders, and gave me a strange look. “I’m sorry, a what?”

Arcadia simply chuckled. “Don’t mind them, Aramanth. Our guests have much to learn. I would like to introduce you to Vera.” Arcadia smoothly slid in front of the rest of us and urged Vera forward.

The healer gasped. “Are the rumors true? Are you—are you the Lightbringer?” Aramanth whispered, clutching Vera’s hands.

“I—” Vera glanced at Arcadia. “I guess?”

Aramanth burst into tears, then fell to her knees at Vera’s feet. Vera looked alarmed, carefully extricating herself from the woman’s grasp. Aramanth put two fingers to her heart and lifted them in the air. A stream of light flowed from the tips of her fingers.

An Alchemist and a Lightbender? Who were these people?

“Vera’s companion is in need of a healer,” Arcadia said, pointing at Odessa.

Aramanth righted herself and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She beckoned Odessa forward, then took her injured arm with my bloodied shirt still wrapped around it. She undid the bandage, exposing four claw marks covered in blood, dirt, and bits of rock. After cleaning it, she muttered another spell, and Odessa gasped as the jagged edges softened and knit themselves together, leaving faint pink streaks in their wake.

“That’s miraculous,” Odessa breathed out. “Thank you, ma’am.”