The Collection

Dani, Ian, Oliver, Aiden and I all stood around a heavy oak table hidden deeply within Aiden’s castle behind the heavy doors of his Solar. It was a room usually reserved for the lord of the castle, but I had taken over it. I searched each face for any sign of regret, unwillingness, or pity. All I met were clear and calculating eyes. “If you are here, you know the gist of my plan. If you intend to stop me walk away from the table now, but if you stay, you are mine and you will commit to this madness.”

Aiden’s brow twitched. “I’m here to protect you.”

I slammed my hands down, angrily meeting his furious gaze. “You wanted to be privy to my plans and swore you wouldn’t stop me. Decide now if you are with me or against me. I have no room for second guessing. No tolerance for playing it safe. What I am proposing is reckless and dangerous. I don’t need an over-protective brother right now, I need a partner in crime.”

His knuckles grew white where his hands gripped the table, but finally his head dropped in acquiescence. I sighed in relief and nodded to Dani. She spread three large maps out on the table before us. The first was of a city called Maht that lay near the southernmost coast of the main continent in Drakemoore. The second was a roughly drawn map of what I believed was the Forgotten Realm, and the last were schematics of Ramijeer’s Tower as best I could remember. Everyone poured over the graphics in front of us, putting pieces into place.

I knew what I was about to say would rock Aiden’s world as it had my own. “Aiden, Leonide is prisoner within the Archmage’s tower. He’s not dead. If he were, I would no doubt be myself.” His eyes narrowed and then returned to meet my own.

“How?” was all he asked.

“How he came to be in his power, I don’t know. He isn’t whole – he’s a Wraith. But he is our father.” I bit my lip and watched as he sank down onto the chair behind him.

“Why did you wait so long to tell me?” he asked.

“At first I wasn’t sure what to think. Then I had to put the pieces together. Once all was said and done, I had to decide if it was worth reopening the wound that I know is so painful.” He went from white to red.

“You should have told me,” his words dripped with tightly controlled anger.

“I know, and I’m sorry I kept it from you. I wasn’t sure you would help me.” I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t ride off and do something stupid, is what I wanted to say.

Then you should say that, said the Voice.

Shut up. I feel bad enough as it is. I don’t need encouragement to say things that are hurtful. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind.

He was fuming. “I don’t want to help you – this is a fool’s errand. But I will go to the end of the worlds and back for you.” His final words were snapped out with precision.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. This was already off to a bad start.

Leading is never easy. Dig deep within you heart and speak from there. That is what people will rally behind, the Voice encouraged.

You make it sound so easy, I told Voice.

I do, don’t I, was his only reply.

I nodded and looked up around the table. “You’re all right to be worried. It would be strange if you weren’t right now. Aiden, I was just so afraid if I told you that you would rush off to save our father, only to become another victim. I had just lost Hue and I couldn’t bear the thought of possibly loosing anyone else. What would I have been left with? A brief memory and a Kingdom I know little to nothing about. It was selfish of me, I know.”

He stammered and I watched as his anger washed away. I motioned for everyone to take a seat. Ian reached under the table and gave my knee a gentle reassuring squeeze. “Dani and I believe that with my elemental connections I may be able to incite Arcane magic and summon the Archmage.” I looked around the table and nobody seemed to shocked. “Before I can do that, I need to gather the needed materials.”

Dani cleared her throat and I looked at her. She stared hard at me. Finally I rolled my eyes and nodded in silent agreement. “Romijeer is just the first step,” I explained. “I believe that I can use his tower to bypass the gate to the Forgotten Realm, and from there I may be able to retrieve Hue.”

That’s when everyone looked at me like I had gone mad. Oliver was the first to speak. “Do you understand how forbidden what you plan to do is?”

I processed his question slowly, then met his gaze and nodded. “Yes. I want to bring back the dead and allow a Wraith to walk within this world. Make no mistake, I will save my Father from his fate worse than death, and then I will tempt fate again by going after the Dragon I love.”

Oliver’s gaze slid to Dani. I could see his eye imploring her to use good judgement. “You can’t be okay with this plan?” he asked her softly.

Dani smirked and met his eyes without fear. “You’re right, I’m not okay with it. I completely endorse it, because I helped plan it.” She rolled her shoulders back and met the gaze of each person at the table. “Is there a single person here that doesn’t believe she would do the same for any one of us?” Nobody answered. Nobody dared to.

Oliver finally spoke up again. “I’m in, but why would you follow her so blindly?”

Dani’s smile never softened. “I’m not blind. I see clearly that where she leads, I will follow.”

Ian stood up and met each person’s gaze before turning to me. “I’ve said it before and I will say it again. I am yours until I draw my last breath.”

Aiden and Oliver exchanged looks with a shrug, then nodded towards me.