Embers to Flames (Fates Entwined #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

The scent of the sea, mixed with the musky odor of Theo’s Dragon scales, stings my nostrils as we fly over the vast expanse of the Sapphire Siren’s Sea. It is both beautiful and terrifying how the dark waters below us shimmer under the silver moon. The scale of the waves crashing below us makes me feel small and insignificant.

I clutch onto Theo’s scales tighter, the warm surface of them a comfort against the constant drafts of wind threatening to carry me away. I turn my head and see Lenna’s eyebrows knitted together in a worried expression whereas Alyndra’s face remains calm and unchanged. The contrast between their reactions is striking .

Lenna’s hand is firm on her quiver, fingers drumming nervously on the arrows, while Alyndra quietly hums an ancient elven tune in an attempt to soothe Lenna’s nerves. It’s a strange sight. The clash of their personalities forming a symphony amidst the chaos that surrounds us.

With a thunderous roar, Theo swoops lower, creating a wave of salty spray as his tail skims across the surface of the sea. The chill from the water seeps through my clothes, causing my body to shudder as the icy cold bites into my skin. I watch the muscles ripple under his scales as he adjusts his wings for another ascent. His strength radiates an air of power and control which feels comforting. However, beneath that, I feel his fear, and his uncertainty matching our own.

Our final destination appears ahead. An island in the midst of Sapphire Siren’s Sea. The majestic silhouette of Mt. Ero appears against the backdrop of the pre-dawn sky. Feeling my anxiety through our bond, Theo turns his big head slightly and looks at me with his fiery gold eyes which are now glowing in anticipation.

“ Fear not, my sweet. For I would die a thousand bloody and tragic deaths before I allowed any harm to come to you.” Theo’s voice is soothing in my mind.

“I trust you,” I whisper into the wind, my voice barely audible over the roars of the sea. His response is a surge of warmth through our bond before he returns his focus on navigating through the raging storm brewing ahead .

I turn to Lenna, “It’s time. We must locate the entrance to the fortress,” I command, urgency in my voice. Without hesitation, I gesture towards her bow, “Release your arrow. Let it guide our path.”

Lenna nods in understanding, removing an arrow from her quiver. Her fingers carefully maneuver the fletching, aligning the arrow with the string of her bow. Her eyes flicker to mine for a moment, revealing a depth of fear that is quickly replaced by determination.

“This is for all we’ve lost, and all we stand to gain,” she whispers, lining up her shot with a precision that is mesmerizing. The string of her bow hums as she pulls it back, the arrow gleaming.

For a brief moment, the world stills. The only sound is the gentle lapping of waves against Theo’s scaled body and the distant cry of a creature unknown to me. Lenna takes one last deep breath—inhale, hold, and then...

Release.

The arrow soars through the air, a beacon of light piercing through the chill of the dawn. I lean forward on Theo’s neck, craning to watch its path.

With a soft thud only discernible to Lenna’s trained ears, the arrow embeds itself in a patch of moss-covered rock on Mt. Ero’s lower slope. A small opening behind a thicket of dense bushes flickers into existence—blinking at us like an eye momentarily disturbed from sleep .

“There,” I say, pointing at the flickering entrance that would have otherwise been missed if not for Lenna’s magical arrow.

Theo’s wings stretch wide as we descend, his talons of three feet extending, ready for landing. He carries Eulee securely in his fourth. The wind whistles through his scales, creating an ominous soundtrack to our silent arrival on the bank of the open tide.

Once on the ground, we dismount, and Theo shifts into his elven form. We begin our cautious approach towards the entrance bathed in luminous light, a glaring divergence against the bleak landscape. The adrenaline surges within me. This is it. This is where we confront our destiny. It’s just a few steps away, hidden behind a stone door. Nothing about what lies beyond this door holds any promise of mercy, but every ounce of my being is ready to fight against Ruvyn and reclaim our world.

“Wait,” Alyndra says, her whisper slicing through the swirling winds—and through my resolve. She steps forward, the glow from our destination casting ethereal streaks across her elven features. “There’s something… here…” Her voice trails off, eyes narrowing in concentration.

I watch as she crouches down and extends a delicate hand to the ground, palm hovering over the sand-strewn soil. Dusty grains dance gently in the air, caught in the current from her magic. The song she had been humming earlier slips past her lips again, soft notes playing an ode to the ancient world that once belonged solely to the Elves.

A shiver runs through me, not from the cold, but from adrenaline that pulses through me. I watch as a myriad of multicolored particles begin to materialize around Alyndra’s hand. They hover just above it, dancing gently in the air as if reacting to the invisible rhythm of her song.

Suddenly, Alyndra’s eyes snap open revealing green orbs aglow with pure magic. “An enchantment,” she announces with an exigent tone. She stands up swiftly, dusting off her palms. “Ruvyn has put a spell on the entrance. Anyone not of his blood will die if they pass through it.”

My heart sinks at her words. A sigh escapes my lips as I drag a hand through my hair.

Lenna steps forward placing a hand on my shoulder, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “Well, Rosanhi, looks like you’re safe. I suppose the rest of us will just have to wing it… err…no offense Theo.”

“None taken.” Theo replies with a smirk.

Alyndra shakes her head, rolling her eyes. Despite the gravity of the situation, she can’t help but let out a small chuckle at Lenna’s comment. “Witticisms aside, I have studied some ancient texts, and I think the enchantment can be broken.” Alyndra continues, lowering her voice to just barely above a whisper. “There is a ritual, old and almost forgotten, that can temporarily lift such an enchantment. But it requires... a sacrifice. ”

The word hangs heavy in the air like a dark cloud about to burst. Theo shifts uncomfortably, his massive body uneasy with the tension that now envelops us.

“What kind of sacrifice?” I ask, my voice steadier than I feel. The thought of losing anyone else is unbearable, yet the reality of our quest has always been steeped in sacrifice.

Alyndra’s eyes meet mine, solemn and clear. “A memory,” she replies. “A memory dear to the heart of one who dares to break the spell. It must be given willingly, erased forever from their mind as a token of passage.”

A murmur runs through our group, each of us contemplating what memory we could possibly part with that would fulfill such a requirement. Memories are precious, the very essence of what makes us who we are.

“I’ll do it,” I hear myself say, the words tumbling out before I can clamp down on them. Surprise registers on the faces around me, and I feel Theo’s intense gaze burning into my side.

“Are you sure?” he asks, his voice laced with concern. “Once gone, these memories can never be reclaimed. This is not like shedding a layer of skin; it’s tearing away a piece of your heart.”

I nod, though my stomach churns at his descriptive analogy. “Yes,” I affirm, stronger this time. “If it brings us one step closer to defeating Ruvyn and saving our world, then it’s worth the penance. ”

Alyndra steps forward, placing her hands on either side of my face. Her touch is cold yet strangely comforting. “Think of the memory you wish to offer,” she instructs softly. As I close my eyes, images flicker behind my eyelids—the first kiss I shared with Theo in that small inn; Eulee, chasing Dragonflies through the thicket of grass that surrounded my cottage back in Bahulya; Mikyl surprising me with a handful of wildflowers the day we got married.

The memory that surfaces bright and unbidden is both sweet—and painful—a day long past when peace was more than just a fleeting dream. Memaw’s voice singing as she kneads freshly made dough in her kitchen, crafting little round balls between the palms of her wrinkled hands, brushing her secret honey blend over the tops. The smell of them baking fills my senses and I can almost taste their decadent fluffiness.

With a deep breath and an aching heart, I focus on that memory, willing it into Alyndra’s waiting magic. Her chant starts low and haunting, weaving around us like a gentle wind sweeping through fallen leaves. The energy builds slowly at first then crescendos into an invisible storm that seems to pulse with the beat of my heart.

And then—I let it go.

The memory drifts away from me like smoke in the wind, its colors fading until only echoes remain. A profound emptiness settles where warmth once lived in my chest, leaving behind a void no less painful than a physical wound .

My hands tremble as I clutch them against my chest, trying to ease the sharp pain that radiates from deep within. It feels like someone just plunged their fist into my ribcage, ripping a piece of me away with intense vim, leaving an empty ache in its place. Tears blur my vision as I struggle to hold onto what’s left of my shattered soul.

Alyndra steps back and nods solemnly toward the barrier ahead, something akin to hope flickers in my hollow spaces replacing the hole that was just formed. The air around the barrier shimmers, distorted like the surface of a lake touched by wind, and then it parts, revealing the path forward. We all exhale in unison.

“We can pass, the enchantment has been lifted.” Alyndra says with a sound of relief mingled with the weight of what has just transpired.

Theo steps closer to me, his hands finding mine. With a gentle yet firm grip, he lifts me from my knees back to my feet, as if to reassure both himself and me that I am still here, even without my precious memory.

“We should move quickly,” Lenna whispers, peering into the shadows as if she can see what lies ahead. I nod in agreement, still feeling the emptiness where my memory used to be. It’s an odd sensation—knowing something was there but not being able to grasp it any longer. I catch myself trying to clutch at the fading remnants of that day in Memaw’s kitchen, but they slip through my mental fingers like grains of sand.