A Thief of Nightshade(12)
Maybe he isn’t here.
“So, you have decided that Avalar is real,” the voice came from the air and she whipped around, only to see the richly decorated walls. No throne or chairs, no table and stranger still, no King to whom the voice could have belonged.
“Not entirely,” she said.
“You’re certainly determined for one who isn’t sure whether or not they’re dreaming ... or insane, as you put it.”
“How did you...? Where are you?”
Yet another thing Jullian failed to tell me.
A great laugh erupted from behind the hearth and before her eyes the whole wall began to shift, the great hearth closing as it became a long jaw edged with sharply tipped teeth, the stones transforming into scales. The sidewalls melted into outstretched wings, which pulled away to reveal another room entirely. Suddenly, what had been so ordinary a room had become a huge black dragon.
She stared, entranced by how beautiful he was, despite the large scar.
She should have been terrified, but felt no fear. Should I kneel, bow? I thought the King of Beasts was a lion.
He laughed again, moving out of the way to reveal a throne of sorts at the back of the real room. It didn’t have armrests like a human chair, but sides where he could lean comfortably if he chose. “No need to kneel, Aubrielle. You are a guest in my court.”
“You hear my thoughts?” She caught the flicker of fire in his black eyes then, though no fireplace remained.
“Yes, I can hear you. And the eternal flame never goes out of a dragon. It’s what humans call the soul. Now, tell me, why are you here?”
“I thought you read minds?”
“I do, but after centuries you learn there is often a great difference between what one thinks and what one says. I know what your heart wants. I want to hear what your head has to say about the matter.” He sat down gracefully. His long tail curled along the length of the wall and came around behind her. He gently nudged her with it, encouraging her to sit down. She did and took a moment to gather her thoughts.
“Jullian is out there ... alive ... and I’ve got to reach him somehow. I need help to save him.”
Tabor stretched his neck, letting out a low groan as he did. A series of pops followed as he craned his large head to the left. “Even if saving him means you will never see him again?”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with me. Jullian doesn’t deserve this, to lose his life like this.”
He yawned. “Child, much fear rests in your heart and more importantly ...
doubt. You don’t even have faith that you can save him. Besides, humans did this to themselves long ago. Why should we care what happens to any of you?”
She stood, her hand clutched against her chest. “I asked Jullian the same thing once, when I still thought Avalar was a figment of his imagination. He wrote about the Kingdom of Beasts and how they’d vowed to find a way to save Avalar from the Queen. He apparently has more faith in your kind than you’ve ever had in his.”
She clenched her jaw before adding, “I will find a way to save him, with or without your help. Even if it means giving my life for his.” She turned to leave, disappointed, but as soon as she made it to the door, his great tail scooped her up and brought her back.
He laughed as he set her on her feet.
“You are a fascinating creature. I’ve never met a human whose thoughts matched their words.”
She didn’t see the humor in it. “Will you help me or not?”
“How do you know that I can? You asked if I would, not if I could.”
She sighed. Her head hurt from sheer exhaustion and lack of food. “Because
Aislinn said you helped bring Jullian to my world and ... I don’t know. Because I love him. Doesn’t that mean something in this world? I love him and therefore I have to believe that someone can help me save him, because I certainly can’t do it on my own.”
“Come, you are weak and you must eat!”
“But, the coronation—”
Tabor interrupted her, “Not another word! You need your strength. As will he who lingers in my doorway, pretending he could care less for our words. Aislinn, come and bring your little friend.”
“Are you going to eat that?” Aislinn had been eyeing the last roll for nearly ten minutes.
“No.” Aubrey looked back at Tabor, who patiently waited for them to finish.
They’d been brought more dishes than any of the formal dinners she’d been forced to endure with her family and despite her initial protests of not feeling calm enough to eat, she’d eaten until she could barely breathe for the discomfort.
“In the City of Man, Rheavon, you will find a madame who goes by the name of Lady Crimson. There you will learn what you must do to save your prince, but it will come at a price. You must give her this.” He uncurled his claws to reveal a tiny round object. “But only let it out of your possession in exchange for what you seek and not a moment sooner. You risk your life by going to her. She hates your world and everything it once was to her.”
“She knows of my world?” Aubrey took the object, and realized it was a button—an everyday, ordinary button.
“You’re kidding. A button?”
“In her you will see what will happen to you should you fail. She, like you, was not born of this world. Like you, she sought to save one who was fated to become the Faerie King.”