"Narcis."
It took all her will to force her voice to not crack on that single word. The Jadus cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrow in question.
Charlotte's mind reeled with the many memories and conversations she had shared with Narcis and Rochelle but she pushed them away. She locked away the steady stream of images and scenes and tried to focus on the present.
The metallic ring of steel jolted her and she noticed that both Xavier and Damon had unsheathed their swords.
"Why are you doing this, Narcis?" The captain of the guard asked slowly with only a hint of betrayal underlying his tone.
"How he's doing it is more important right now," Xavier put in as he nonchalantly twirled his sword.
"The why is easy enough to answer," Narcis straightened to his full height and fixed the lapels of his dark coat under his shadowy robe.
It was a nervous habit she had noticed many male courtiers employing to gain some time. The motion alone sparked a faint hope in Charlotte. She wondered if Narcis was being forced to do this. If that was the case maybe they could help.
Her words died in her throat and the ray of hope was swallowed up as the Jadus continued his speech, his voice ringing with clear conviction and confidence.
"I was never valued among the Jadus." Narcis spat out, "My own uncle, the Marester, felt I was a waste of magical talent. My twin brother, on the other hand, was a prodigy! The best Jadus born in a century!"
"But he was never cruel to me," Their adversary's voice softened, "how strange is fate? He was strong in magic but weak in body. And I was the opposite. But we loved each other and when he could, he stood up for me. He was the best brother one could ask for. Until an unlikely friendship stole him from me."
"Altrum made that sacrifice on his own." Xavier's voice cut in. Charlotte's head snapped towards Xavier but he was staring straight at the Jadus, his sword arm limp at his side.
"He had no choice!" Narcis screamed, his face settling into a cruel scowl, "he was so sheltered that no one at court even knew he existed until a young lordling happened upon a seemingly weak Jadus."
"I was barely ten years old, Narcis. You can not blame a child for an innocent friendship." Lord Aldvin took a step forward and moved right to the edge of the stone.
Charlotte shared a look with Damon and whispered so low that only the captain could hear. "Signal to your guards. Tell them to protect the villagers. We'll make our stand here."
Damon nodded and smoothly jumped off the roof so he was not in Narcis' direct line of sight. The Jadus was busy glaring at Xavier to even notice.
The darkness around Narcis had swollen and faint cracks had appeared spreading from where he stood on the stone bridge. Charlotte wondered if she should reinforce the ground or see how powerful her former friend really was.
"Yet you are a mortal and all mortal are the same. Hungry for power," Narcis hissed, "even at such a young age you realised the possibilities. You played with elements you could never hope to control. You caused havoc which could've levelled the Three Kingdoms and dried the Great Sea!"
Charlotte stifled a gasp. What had Xavier done? And how did no one know about it? He had said he was ten years old. Charlotte's mother had died around the same time.
Narcis turned his cruel smile towards her. Somehow he knew exactly where her line of thought had went. "That's right, princess. Your dark and handsome Lord's hides secrets so heinous it lead to the death of your mother."
"My mother?" She rasped out. Xavier wouldn't look at her. He stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched as if he was trying to tune out the conversation.
"I asked no one to sacrifice anything. I should've died that night." Xavier managed to spit out through clenched teeth.
"Yes, you should've." Narcis nodded in full agreement. "But what is a mortal life worth? It took an Elementas and the strongest Jadus for generations to stop what you started. Of course the young prince was not blameless."
"The prince? My brother?" Charlotte needed a moment to process everything. She just couldn't wrap her mind around all the information that was being thrown at her. Was her entire life a lie?
"Of course I'm sure you know by now that Diego is a complete fraud. But the real prince should be out there somewhere." Narcis said with a flick of his wrist. "Queen Isabella realised what had happened and she knew she had to protect her son. Young Gideon had a fire in him that Xavier craved. He wanted that power, but he couldn't control it."
"The Queen in her melodramatic fashion sent her beloved child to his father, hoping that if she was too late to save Frahadry maybe Colander would survive." Narcis continued. "A fool's errand, really. Avon never wanted the child and Isabella should've had more faith in my brother. Altrum contained the eternal flames singlehandedly but he needed a strong power to seal them again. Your mother offered her Elementas knowing full well that in the mortal court she wouldn't be welcome once her secrets got out. Better to die a hero than live as an outcast, won't you say?"
"Avon was Gideon's father?" Charlotte said the words aloud in a daze. "And me?"
"Don't worry, my dear, you truly are your father's daughter." Narcis added with manic laughter. "And as for you, Lord Aldvin. You took my brother from me, I shall enjoy making you suffer. I believe you wisely asked how I did all of this. Well I've always believed that the Jadus have too rigid codes. They held me back from my full potential. Thankfully, my new friends have no such reservations on the use of Crepuscular Magic."
Crepuscular. The dark side of pure Magic. As Charlotte tried to repress the uneasy feeling that snaked through her, the landscape of the beach changed before her eyes.
Shadows formed by the rocks and the cliffs seemed to expand and convolute. Just like Narcis had before, several creatures rose from the darkness and took form.
But they weren't nearly human.
The slender forms of the few dozen shadowy monsters glided closer in complete harmony to plant themselves at the edge of the tide. Their figures were distinctly female but heavy cloaks hid their features. No matter how high or how bright the Sun shone, it couldn't penetrate the mass of darkness on the beach but Charlotte knew who they were.
The Sisterhood of the Sorciere.
A bitter metallic taste predominated her senses as her mind reeled. How could Naris ally himself with such creatures? They had no moral code. They were monsters of darkness and death. The natural-born enemy of the Jadus.
Seeing Narcis seem so at home in the midst of the dark flock made her wonder if she had misjudged him all along. The Jadus spread his arms wide with a big smile in place and a ripple of excitement shimmered through the inky mass. Time seemed to crawl as both sides sized the others up, seeing who would make the first move.
A sharp intake of breath was the only response from Xavier as he surveyed the new friends Narcis had allied himself with. Charlotte cast a sidelong glance at him and wondered how much she could trust him.
Narcis' words could well be a convoluted version of the truth but Xavier had made no attempts to put his side forward. He seemed resigned to his fate but not willing to go down without a fight. His sword was raised and at the ready. There was a hardened glint in his eyes when he turned his head to look at her.
There was no apology, no plea in them. Just a request. A request to trust him.
Against the screams of her torn and bruised heart and the advice of her sound mind, she nodded. A deep instinct in her made her trust him.
For now, it would have to be enough.
"What's the plan?" Xavier asked with a quick nod in return. He took a small decorative dagger from his belt and offered it to her hilt-first. His face was solemn yet both of them knew she would have to defend herself.
"I was hoping you would have a plan ready." She mumbled as she eyed the small weapon. In her inexperienced hands it would do little good. She had taken a few defence classes but they weren't nearly enough to prove useful in a real fight.
She shook her head resolutely. She couldn't fight with a weapon but she had other skills. This battle would not be won by steel. It would be a clash of magic.
"That won't be of much help against a Sorciere." Charlotte warned. She dared to look down from the roof and found that Hayden and Damon stood ready in similar stances. Both Ari and Vida held small daggers and from their stances it was clear that they knew how to wield the weapons.
"Swords won't win us this fight." Xavier relented as he resheathed the dagger, "But we have no other options."
"Not entirely true."
The clear strong tone resonated in her head and Charlotte's hope soared. She hadn't dared to even think of the possibility but there was no mistaking the familiar presence in her mind.
"Marester." She breathed as the leader of the Jadus stepped casually up besides her. His glowing silver robes seemed near translucent as they shimmered under the Sun. His striking face was set resolutely as he slowly took in the challengers on the beach.
Two solemn guards in dark grey robes appeared in a bright flash besides the door in the Stone of Wallows. Veins of pure light flickered over the entire landscape and between one blink and the next, the Jadus of Frahadry materialized ready for orders.
A line of silver warriors stood right at the top of the cliff, facing the beach. Damon's guards had disappeared, probably to help evacuate the village. The rest were scattered on the uneven rocks and some stood a mere few feet from the Sisterhood. The witches raised their cloaked heads as if scenting their prey.
"I wondered when you would show up, uncle," Narcis called with an air of nonchalance. The Sorciere surrounding him were starting to get unruly. They sensed a storm and were hungry for blood.
"Just in time!" A female voice joined in. It was heavily accented and every word was pronounced with deliberate care.
"It can't be." Xavier hissed.
"She can't be here." The Marester's near panicked voice grated against her mind.
"What? Who's she?" Charlotte asked, looking between the two.
The Sorciere to Narcis' right joined him on the bridge. She moved fluidly but with a deliberate stride. Her every step fixed the dark cracks Narcis' outburst had created earlier. She stopped besides the Jadus and leaned against him arm. Narcis smirked at them as if he could hear the panic in his uncle's voice.
"I was starting to doubt my little fantoche. But goes to show, one shouldn't underestimate the force of revenge." One pale arm relieved itself from the darkness and pulled back the hood with a flourish.
Staring back at them was an unearthly beautiful creature. Her hair was like spun gold and her cheekbones high and defined. She exuded a grace many a woman would kill for and her expressive face was open and captivating.
It was her eyes that gave her away. Pitch black. There was not even a hint of white. If the Sorciere closed her eyes she would be a devastatingly beautiful woman. But one glance into the inky depths were proof of the horrors they had seen and created.
"Charail." This time the Marester chose to speak out loud. The Stone beneath them shook and several large rocks broke away from the surrounding cliffs to crash into the rising tides.
The strikingly beautiful Sorciere simply yawned dramatically and said, "did you really think raising your voice would scare me off? You haven't changed much in the past century or so, have you, Gail?"
A vein in the Marester's temple throbbed and Charlotte wondered who this woman was to have elicited such a response from the leader of the Jadus. She had addressed the Marester so casually and she defied all Charlotte had ever been taught of the Sisterhood.
Their deeds left marks on them. The more they practiced Crepuscular Magic the more deformed they became. And the concept held true for most of the Sisterhood that she could see. Their bodies were bent at unnatural angles, tufts of brightly coloured hair caught the light in some places, shadows covered horns and tusks.
But the Socriere who stood with her head cocked casually to the side was an exception. Did the Marester purposefully not tell Charlotte about her? Who was this witch?
"She's Charail, the leader of the Sisterhood." Xavier breathed. He stood almost shoulder to shoulder with her and his voice was a mere whisper. "And she's supposed to be dead."
"I can clearly hear you, young lordling. One of the many perks of being myself. What use are sense if they are not heightened to their full potential, hum?" Charail spoke with a lazy drawl.
"Why are you allying yourself with a mortal king?" Marester Gail asked all of a sudden. His raised voice drove the Sea into a turmoil, with dark waves churning.
"Well why have you linked yourself with Frahadrian Queens? And don't give me the nonsense you tell your underlings!"
When it was clear no reply was forthcoming, Charail shrugged and answered her own question, "Your father and his brother loved Aylin and Aygul. It is so simple, is it not? So they promised their services to the mortal Queens and their heirs."
That story Charlotte had heard when she was younger. The original Maresters were brothers and had formed the Guild to help all magic wielders. Their efforts were encouraged and supported by the twin queens Aylin and Aygul. So in gratitude they had promised their services.
"But soon they grew weary of mortal strife and their petty disputes. They retired to the mountains for peace, leaving you in-charge. If I recall correctly you never liked your role much in the beginning. Have you settled in?" Charail asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You haven't answered my question!" The Marester's voice thundered across the area.
"Acceptance. It's as simple as that. It's why you Jadus chose to stay at court. And it's why I need Avon. It's also why your nephew here sought me out. Smart boy. Knows who the winners are." Charail smiled at Narcis who had remained silent through the entire exchange. But Charlotte had noticed him wince every time his uncle spoke.
"You drugged us at the Victor Ball." Marester Gail accused the witch. Charlotte's breath caught as she recalled the night her father had been killed.
"And you recognised my magic, didn't you?" Charail laughed. "But you didn't want to believe that I was back. Well you didn't kill me, Gail. I am here. And I seek vengeance."
The motion was so quick that one blink would've made Charlotte miss it. The leader of the witches snapped her fingers and her wolves were released. Marester Gail sent telepathic signals to his warriors and they all stood their ground as the wave of darkness suddenly swallowed them.
Charlotte's eyes were drawn to the thin doomed shield the Jadus on the cliffs had created to keep the village safe from harm.
But the witches that bounded up the rocks had murderous intentions. Clashes broke out all along the beach. Rocks were blasted from their homes. Water receded and crashed with mighty waves. Streaks of light and darkness met and it was a blinding display of unchecked magic.
Charlotte's heart sank when she noticed that the Sisterhood outnumbered the Guild at least two to one. And they fought with such abandon and maliciousness that the princess saw several beams of light succumbing.
A guttural roar made Charlotte look towards the Sister that raced across the bridge in bounding leaps. She didn't try to hide her monstrous features as her dark cloak was thrown back to reveal an animal the size of a bear, with tusks sprouting from her very human face. Dark fur rippled as she charged towards them.
Damon and Hayden met the charge halfway and there was a clash of swords and claws. The bridge wasn't large enough to provide much room for movement so the sister easily pushed her adversaries back with each swipe of her sharp claws.
Charlotte tried to concentrate her magic but it seemed to be eluding her grasp. She found herself panicking as the magical tendrils dissipated in her mind. What was happening?
"Such a shame." An accented voice spoke from right behind them and Charlotte turned around to find Charail and Narcis standing casually a few feet away.
"Gail, you really should've trained the young Elementas better." Charail continued, "she has such wonderfully delicious magic, it's such a shame she has no idea how to use it under pressure."
"Silence!" The Marester's voice resonated and dark clouds covered the noon Sun, casting the area in gloom.
Charail simply rolled her eyes but she straighted to her full height, "You always liked theatrics, didn't you? Well let me give you a show."
With a malicious smile stretched across her face and a hard glint in her eyes the leader of the Sisterhood charged. Charlotte felt herself being pulled out of the way and nearly lost her footing over the side of the circular stone.
The Marester and the Sister disappeared in a flash but Charlotte didn't allow her mind to dwell on it. She had more pressing matters to deal with.
"Now we can't let them have all the fun." Narcis noted while stretching his arms above his head. He seemed to be getting ready to go on his Spring morning run with Rochelle rather than preparing to kill her.
"Narcis, why?" Charlotte choked out. She fisted her hands at her sides and fully faced the Jadus.
"Didn't I just tell you?" Narcis answered with a condescending tone. "You should really pay more attention, princess."
"But what about Rochelle? Was everything a lie?"
Narcis' eyes hardened but his easy smile was still in place. "She's not here? She doesn't matter?"
"Did you send her to her death? Was Caim an elaborate plan to kill her off?" Charlotte couldn't stop herself from asking. They had all so blindly trusted Narcis.
"She's safe." Narcis growled out. "Leave her out of this."
"But..."
"That is enough!" Narcis shouted. "I forgot how annoying you were with all your questions."
Charlotte's blood boiled but she still couldn't command her magic. She needed to calm down. She needed to focus. But her thoughts were running wild and the deep sense of betrayal nagged at her.
"This should be so easy." Narcis whispered and thrust out both of his hands towards her. They were barely ten feet apart and even a small burst of magic would kill at such short range. Charlotte closed her eyes but stood her ground.
She felt the heat of the flare but it never reached her. She blinked and to her surprise Xavier stood in front of her. Her heart stopped as she feared the worst but she let out a sigh when he looked over his shoulder to check on her.
Xavier took a step aside and in his hands his sword had turned bright red. Narcis slowly lowered his hands but didn't seem fazed. It was as if he was expecting this-hoping for it.
"How did you.." Charlotte's voice trailed off and her gaze was transfixed on the glowing blade.
"Oh keeping secrets, are we? That's never healthy in a relationship." Narcis said in mocking tone. "My brother gave his life for you, Xavier, and you couldn't even keep his magic alive! At the end you got what you wanted. You got magic."
Narcis flicked his right hand and a small beam of silver light flew towards Xavier. Charlotte swallowed her cry as Xavier raised his sword and the red hot metal adsorbed the magic.
"I did not ask for Altrum's force." Xavier said, breathing heavily
"But you got it nonetheless." Narcis sneered, stalking closer. "But so typically like a human you were terrified of it. It ate away at your existence and you buried it deep inside you."
"I didn't want it." Xavier growled and swiped at Narcis. The blade went right through the Jadus and Narcis dissipated.
His form leaked into darkness and the tendrils spread out like a wild beast. They smoothly congregated but only Narcis' face seemed tangible. The rest of his body remained lost in the shadows and gloom.
"Wrong move." Narcis sneered and lashed onto the sword with his bare hands. His skin was riddled with patches of darkness which sizzled as they interacted with the glowing blade.
Xavier pulled but Narcis was too fast. In a movement too quick for her eyes to follow, the Jadus snapped the gleaming metal.
The haze leaked from the broken sword and swept over them in a storm of red. The raw magic heated her skin and she turned away from the source. A blanket of the smog settled upon them but a faint cry reached her ears.
She tried to estimate where Narcis and Xavier were but before she could move an inch the sounds and cries from the beach returned and Charlotte blinked away the magical fumes.
She was horrified to see that Narcis now had an enormous double edged blade raised high. The metal swirled with ancient inscriptions that she couldn't read. But her eyes latched on to the prone body near the Jadus' feet. Xavier was on his knees with his head bowed, clutching his side.
Seeing the proud lord in such a position made her insides scream in shame and agony on his behalf. She rushed forward just as Narcis brought down the blade. She didn't think. She didn't even concentrate. Only one word rang through her mind. Through her very being.
No.
Green beams of magic wrapped around Narcis, successfully binding him. His sword vanished in a cloud of pitch but no matter how many times Narcis tried to do the same, he couldn't dissipate like before. His panicked eyes met hers as his body returned to a more tangible form.
She clutched her jaw but hesitated before doing anything else. She couldn't look upon him with hate. He was the same Narcis. The same Jadus that had helped cheered her cousin up in dark times. The same young man that would go exploring the castle and the grounds with her and Rochelle. She only had to blink and she could see him milling through the nobles in the countless balls, trying to cheer up everyone's day.
Maybe he wanted to make everyone else happy because his life was too full of darkness. His smile had hid so much from them and she suddenly felt guilty for not taking the time to notice.
Charlotte slowly looked away from the Jadus and kneeled besides Xavier. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Xavier mumbled and struggled to stand up. She tried to support him but he was too unsteady. There was no blood she could see but something else seemed to be choking him.
His lifeblood was being drained and he was having trouble breathing. She moved to his other side to inspect the gash but it wasn't deep. It barely spilled blood. There was something else wrong and she needed to figure it out. Quickly.
A metallic taste invaded her senses and a loud snap announced the arrival of their enemy.
"You really are weaker than I assumed." Charail snapped at Narcis. She looked worse for wear, her gown ripped in places, splatters of mud and blood rimmed the hem. But the most disturbing was the deep gash on her forehead that leaked dark slick blood into her gold locks.
With a flick of her wrists, Charail broke Charlotte's bond on Narcis. The Jadus swallowed hard and rubbed his wrists before asking, "my uncle?"
"You really are useless." Charail mumbled before sighing. "He's not far behind. But I've detained him long enough to finish off our main job."
Her pitch black eyes trained on Charlotte and the princess felt her heart freeze with fear. She wasn't strong enough to do this. She didn't even know what to do. She was going to die. They were all going to die.
"Stop."
The small plea came from Narcis but his eyes were glazed over. His breaths were shallow and he had gone completely rigid. Charlotte didn't dare take her eyes off the leader of the Sisterhood as she viewed the Jadus with disdain. "Has he always been this idiotic?"
"This is a mistake. He can't be trusted. Stop." The last word was a near shriek and Charail flinched before turning back towards the princess with a shrug. "You can't even find good traitors these days."
"Charlotte." Xavier breathed. He still leaned on her but his voice seemed as if it was fading. "I can't use it. I never learned. But you can harness it. He will help."
With those cryptic words Xavier straightened as much as he could and lightly pushed her forward. A loud boom from the beach resonated through the air but Charlotte kept her eyes locked with Charail.
Her senses zeroed in on her opponent. The rest of the world faded. Her magic still seemed dormant. She didn't know how she had harnessed it before but she would have to figure it out quickly.
"Oh this is depressing. You aren't even a worthy opponent! I would be tempted to let you live if only to feed off your Elementas, but orders are orders." Charail smiled and rows of sharped teeth snapped out. Her nails grew into long talons and her skin bleached until it was near white. Her dark blood still oozed from her forehead and Charlotte nearly gagged at the stench of rot that wafted from the monster.
Charlotte felt her panic rising and Xavier's heavy reassuring palm rested on her shoulder. A streak of magic bolted through her and she felt her magic sizzle in it's aftermath. For just a moment in her mind's eye she saw a thin dark haired figure robbed in gold, smiling at her. In the next moment the peaceful apparition was gone and the rotting monster that was Charail smiled maliciously back at her.
There was no warning but Charlotte instinctively raised her forearm just as a ray of darkness shot right at her. A light golden shield protected her and Xavier from the worst of it but the sheer strength of the Crepuscular magic crackled through the air and hissed over her skin.
A manic laugh rang out and the force pushing against her shield lessened until it was gone. She already felt drained but she didn't let it show as she raised her head to meet the Sister's dark gaze.
Charail had her head cocked as if things had suddenly become more interesting. This time as the sister raised her arm, she did it slowly, giving Charlotte time to do the same. The princess took a moment to breath before she reigned her magic and wrapped the gold and green strings closer about herself just as the first onslaught of darkness started.
She stumbled from the force but Xavier's hand kept her steady. She blinked away the pain from the glare and winced as all the moisture from her face seemed to have dried off. Her arms shook but she held them firm, palms facing her enemy.
She felt her magical stores depleting at an alarming rate. The strings were snapping and she felt her panic rising. Just as she was on her last few threads, darkness consumed them whole. She wondered if she had lost, if she had doomed them all.
Charlotte breathed heavily just to see if she was alive. Her magic still left her body, fending off the Crepuscular force of Charail but a blanket seemed to be thrown over he other senses. Everything was bathed in darkness.
Just as her last string was about to snap silver light shone over the scene. Charlotte felt blinded by the display of brilliance but it was the inhumane shrieks of the sisters that deafened her. Her last green-gold string rubbed against her raw and bruised mind but she refused to let it go. She would use herself up if it meant she could give her friends a chance to win.
As her body gave up and she felt her head hit the Stone of Wallows, she looked up at the darkened sky and saw the twin silver moons, Aylin and Aygul blinking back at her. She wondered if she was really dead if she was seeing the moons in the middle of the day.
But as the sky lightened and the moons faded, she felt herself slip into the darkness.