Page 14

I nodded. “Thank you for the pleasant kissing, but it is time I retire for the night. We have lessons tomorrow.”

With that, I released my wings and flew back to the palace, gratified that because of his larger form, Lucian could not keep up with me if I didn’t want him to.

My sister immediately noticed. “Did you and Lucian have an argument?”

“No,” I answered honestly. I didn’t know exactly what had happened. “Why?”

“The energy between you two is very odd.”

I tousled her hair, earning a scowl. She’d stopped letting me do that when she’d reached adolescence. “You’re imagining things.”

“Am I?”

Her smug grin was justified when the sword master instructed Lucian and I to spar. I still wasn’t proficient with a blade, so all I could do was defensive moves as he deftly attacked.

Lucian chuckled at my feeble efforts, bringing back my anger.

“What do you find so amusing?”

“Your utter dedication to go along with anything your sister wants, even if it’s something you dislike.”

I managed to drive him back one step as our blades kissed. “It’s a little hypocritical of you to judge. You’re only here because I am.”

“I was,” he admitted shamelessly. “But now I’m finding that I quite enjoy it. Even though I can’t for the life of me imagine actually engaging in combat with someone. After all, we can’t kill. Still, this is a fascinating, intricate art form that feels good to engage in.”

I parried his next blow, and smiled in triumph that once more his ignorance gave me the upper hand.

“Actually, there are times when we could engage in real combat. For one, there are bandits about, both here in Aisthanesthai and on Earth. Being able to drive them away is preferable to letting them kill us and take all we leave behind. For another, Nik and I are soon to embark on our first mission to Earth. We’ll bring mages suffering persecution to this world, where they’ll be safe.

The persecutors can often be hostile to our aims.”

Lucian’s shock was so great that he stumbled and I was able to disarm him, sending his practice blade flying into the dirt. “The Queen and King consort are actually allowing you to embark on rescue missions? To place yourselves in such danger? Are they mad? Are you mad?”

I touched the dull tip of my sword to his throat. “Maybe we are mad. Or maybe we just want more purpose than to sit prettily in our marble palace while thousands of people are tortured and killed by nulls?”

He knelt in surrender to signal the end of the match, but his blazing eyes told me he was not surrendering in this argument. “Such things should be relegated to the qualified commoners in your kingdom.”

Before I could retort, Nikkita strode forward and confronted him. “We are Leonines. It is our sacred duty to help people and lead them to safety. You should know this! I read that there’s a whole branch of Jagwolfe Clan living on Earth for the sole purpose of helping people cross the portals.”

“That’s right!” I lit up at the reminder that Lucian’s kin also participated in rescue missions. “You should come with us.”

The pure horror in his eyes would have been hilarious if it wasn’t so disappointing. Lucian shook his head. “Earth is not the place for our kind. You two shouldn’t be going there either.”

With that, he returned his sword to the armorer and walked off the practice field.

Not long after, he returned to Luminista to attend to his duties. We didn’t part on angry terms that time. He even gave me a long, lingering kiss goodbye.

Nik and I took our first trip to Earth. Because it was our first mission, we were not sent to any of the large civilizations that were aggressively persecuting magic users.

Instead, we were sent to a region that was mostly forest. It was beautiful, unspoiled, with clean air and water like at home.

Magic still flowed from the earth and trees.

But it was much colder than I’d anticipated.

I pulled another coat from my bottomless pouch and Nik followed suit.

Then we used a spell to blend in. Not a glamour where we’d change our hair and skin color to disguise ourselves as the people we’d be interacting with, but more of an obscuring spell so that while they’d know we were different, they wouldn’t be overly alarmed, or negatively impacted by our presence.

Gelfed the Red, the Keeper of the Prophecy at the time, warned us that as magic lessened in the world and nulls, people without magic, dominated societies, their prejudices shifted focus to outward appearance more and more.

“Especially in the land you and Princess Nikkita will be visiting. One day, people from oceans away will come here and subjugate them all.”

“But can’t we help prevent that?” I’d asked.

Gelfed had shaken his head. “For one thing, they have their own prophecies and destinies that we can’t interfere with.

And though their numbers will dwindle and many of their languages and traditions will vanish, they are strong and will hold their ground, endure, and keep much of their magic.

” The Keeper of the Prophecy’s craggy face had gone stern and solemn.

“Therefore, if any of their magic users wish to remain, do not try to argue with them. Those may have a harder path ahead, but important destinies. Our duty is only to offer a new home to those who wish for it. Look for the ones being oppressed by nulls of their tribes or rival tribes.”

The particular tribe Nik and I were to meet for our first venture on Earth were called the Schitsu'umsh. Later the French would give them the name Coeur d’Alene, based on their extreme skills in trading.

We spent two years with them, learning their language, their skills, and discreetly seeking out magic users who may be inclined to leave.

Their society was mostly patriarchal, with some exceptions, which both Nik and I bristled under, but she suffered the worst, not being permitted to demonstrate her fighting skills or learn more for the first year.

I, of course, had all of the children to love and comfort me, and there was something about the area that compelled me.

As if part of me knew the important destiny I’d fulfill here nearly two millennia later.

During our short stay, we only found a few mages who were in danger and willing to leave their homes. Most were captives taken from enemy tribes. Some were tribespeople the medicine man plotted against because he was afraid they’d reduce his power and influence.

We brought them through the portal and to the nation of Tolonqua, on the borders of Laran and Wurrakia.

As rescues in the region had only begun, the tribe in Tolonqua who spoke the Salish tongue and practiced similar customs was small.

At least our rescues seemed happier that way.

Most were even happier to learn that none of the tribes in Tolonqua were at war with each other, but some bristled at the lack of opportunity to win glory and valor.

Nik expressed sympathy while I assured them that in Aisthanesthai, glory was won with magic.

When we returned to Medicia, I was shocked to see Lucian waiting for me in the palace.

He apologized for his abrupt departure and resumed his sword and magic lessons.

Unlike me, he excelled in both, though not as much as Nik, who now was determined to gain the black robes of a high sorcerer, which baffled us both.

Lucian also resumed his tormenting unofficial courtship with his tantalizing kisses and maddening refusal to give me more.

Nikkita teased me about my ever-growing infatuation. Until her turn came when a party of faelin nobles from Shellandria came to negotiate a trade deal and she and Delgarias Dullahan fell in love at first sight.