Page 116

“Who is talking?” Ronan and the rest of his family had taken several steps back.

“The portal,” Piper answered. “It startled me the first time too.”

“It’s sentient?” he asked.

“In a way,” Thane replied. “They were created by the combined powers of the primordials long, long ago.”

“The primordials?” King Drake asked.

“The original seven gods and goddesses of Runevale. We don’t have time for a history lesson.” Thane reached back and pulled out a sword. One thing he wished he had was his axe, it was his god blade and was infused with magic, making it much stronger than any weapon the elves could make. “Are you ready? I don’t know what we’ll be met with on the other side so be prepared for anything.”

Thane’s Ravens took out their swords and the dragons all looked at each other nervously. Katana grinned with excitement, practically bouncing on her toes. In preparation for this, he’d asked her to change into something she could move in, and that meant swapping her usual pretty dresses for plain brown trousers, boots and a long-sleeved, cream-colored top. The top still had lace and puffed sleeves, which made him smile. Thedagger he’d given her was secured on her belt, but she carried no other weapons.

The center of the circle swirled with an array of colors and then stilled. The other side showed a vast, extravagant hall painted white and gold, not a forest or island as he’d seen before. The painted mural on the right side of the ceiling was of full dragons flying among clouds and intermixed with them were males and females both in their nude human forms but with wings. The left section of the mural showed the primordial gods and goddesses. The first to catch his eye was a golden depiction of Katana, with flowing bright hair all around her holding a sun between her palms, and Valeen with black hair that glittered like the night sky at her back, a crescent moon in each hand. It was truly spectacular and must have taken many, many years.

He’d silently asked the portal to take him to the dragon capital’s portal where he knew the Drakonan treasury was. If Ronan and his family saw it, he’d have their allegiance.

Thane took a step forward and a tall male in a deep-purple robe with sleeves that covered his hands and a hood covering half his head stepped into view. He and Thane stared at one another.

“Who’s that?” Ronan asked.

“I have no idea.”

“He doesn’t look hostile. Can we go forward?”

If Thane had to guess, those were celestial robes, and this portal had been deemed sacred ground. Thane glanced back at the dragon king and queen. “I had not planned for anyone to see us enter. Was it enough to see this?” Thane gestured toward the portal. “It’s there. There is no room like that anywhere in Adalon.”

“For all we know this could be an illusion,” Prince Yoren said. “A magic trick. Or even somewhere in Palenor you staged for this very reason. This doesn’t prove anything.”

“I’m not a liar,” Thane said, keeping his voice even. But Fennan gave him a quick nod, a subtle way of telling him he thought they needed to go.

What none of them understood was that this portal had not been used for thousands of years and stepping through with witnesses would mean there would be questions. They could be detained.

“We cannot come across as hostile. Are we clear?” Thane said, making sure to look at each of them. “They could very well see us as a threat. We will be as new to them as that world is to you.”

Queen Nyrovia’s eyes had doubled in size, and she slowly moved toward it. She’d drabbed down for this, putting on pants but still wore plenty of jewelry on her fingers. “We must see it. There will be no hostility from us.”

“If I say it’s time to go, you move your asses back here. No questions. No hesitation.”

“Agreed,” King Drake said.

Thane went through first. The difference in the sweet incense filling the room hit him instantly. Then the heat from a roaring hearth, opposite of the cool forest he’d left behind. The robed male took several hurried steps backward, knocking over a tall candelabra. Thane held out his palm, stopping it from hitting the ground with his magic, and curled his fingers to set it back upright.

The male pulled his hood back, baffled at Thane. “Who are you?” he said in a language Thane had not heard in a long time, but one he knew well. Ronan stepped up beside him, looking about the room in awe. The others quickly followed and without even acknowledging the male in the robe, the king and queen started picking up chalices and talismans and books left on tables surrounding the stone portal; this one was coated in gold and decorated in jewels.

“Don’t touch that,” the robed male rushed forward, and blocked Queen Nyrovia from touching the old pages of a thick tome. “It is too old and must be treated with delicacy.”

“He said to stop touching things,” Thane translated to the others.

“Murelien tongue.” The male furrowed his thick black brows at Thane. He reached up as if he wanted to touch Thane’s pointed ear but then pulled his hand back, thinking better of it. “Where do you hail from, Elf?” he switched with ease to Murelien. It wasn’t uncommon for educated societies to know the main languages of each realm.

“Adalon.”

“How were you able to use the portal? It has not been active in over two thousand years. We of the Elgotta have guarded this portal for many millennia.”

Thane knew that name, Elgotta. He remembered this guild from when he lived here. They were the ones who kept and preached the stories of the gods and realms.

“He is the god of war,” Ronan said, stepping up beside him with a hand on his hip. Thane turned with a low growl in his throat. That was not the introduction he wanted. He planned to lay low, show them around and leave.