Chapter 48

Firo was pleased he and Aslac were permitted to sit away from the royals. This allowed him to watch Avalie instead of sitting and looking stoic. Aireese had filled everyone in on the things they had learned recently. When the part of the discussion reached the circle lighting up part, it was amusing to see everyone look around as if it was going to happen. He knew it wasn’t, as they should have known. Yes, their numbers were growing, and they had more answers, but it was going to take much more of a force to disband several thousand years of evil plots.

Avalie was checking everyone out, and he couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she wasn’t watching him the same he was her. He’d never admit it aloud, but she was much stronger than he in her resolve. She was able to ignore the draw of their magic when they were near. He was barely able to focus on placing one foot in front of the other when she was close by.

“You need to focus.”

He glanced at Aslac, who was giving him a look filled with heavy scrutiny. He nodded. “I am trying.” They spoke in hushed voices so those in near wouldn’t hear.

“Well, you need to do something and soon because it’s getting worse.” Aslac moved his head with slow intent and looked in the direction Avalie sat before he turned back to him.

Firo frowned. “You know?”

Aslac grinned and shook his head. “I know. It’s very plain to see when you are near her, but by that lake, her ability am ped up tenfold when you were solely focused on her.”

Firo sighed. “I wasn’t aware.”

“When did your magic mark her?’

Firo had meant to discuss this with him, but each time it came to mind, he was needed in one place or another. “When she was born.” He whispered.

“Cripes.”

Firo couldn’t keep the amused look off his face. “What did you say?”

Aslac shrugged. “I hear humans use it a lot.”

“Do you know what it means?”

Aslac shook his head. “No idea, but they say it when they’re shocked or upset, and even when they’re frustrated.” He shrugged again. “It seemed to fit the moment.” He held his look, all amusement fading. “Fifty years?”

Firo nodded.

“You are lucky neither of you has been affected by the sickness.” He shook his head. “I mean one in an infinite number sort of lucky, my friend.”

Firo looked at him and squinted, and then his eyes widened. He was right. How had he not thought of this? His kind was prone to a type of insanity that afflicted those whose magic had been bonded to another and then lost the other half. He cocked his head to the side. “Perhaps it’s because she is a halfling…”

“Happens with humans too.”

“She is not human.”

“No, she’s not. What she is scares even our elders, Firo, so do you really want to take a chance that she will snap and lose it?” Aslac turned and looked in her direction again. “I, for one, would not want to be on the team assembled to track her down if she’s lost her mind and control of her magic.”

Firo felt like his heart had completely stopped beating. He had been involved in the apprehension of others who had lost control, and it had been tragic. He looked at Avalie. That could never happen to her. To have her magic bound would kill her. She wouldn’t admit it and may not know how to work it, but it was as much a part of her as breathing. Changing any part of her was unacceptable.

“I think you and your girl need to talk,” Aslac whispered and then sat straighter and looked at the person doing all the speaking right then.

Firo glanced to see Avalie looking at him. She had an inquisitive expression on her face. Could she feel the chaos inside him? He didn’t think she should be able to, but he had always been able to with her. What if her magic had grown that much, and she could? He offered her a slight smile in hopes that she would believe all was well with him. It took a moment, but she returned what he thought was almost a smile before she looked back toward the center of the group.

Firo turned back to see Aireese looking over her shoulder at him. He knew her well enough that with that brief look, he was being scolded and told to pay attention. Sighing, he did so just as Queen Daxx stood up.

“I have a question.” She looked around at several others. “Why is everything in this area?” She put her hands on her hips and looked over at one of the princesses, who nodded. “The city I lived in, all of Willis Hubert’s jokers were in this area, most of Arwan’s minions—” She opened her arms and then let them drop. “—this circle thing is here. Why is all of it here?” She sat down and then glanced at her mate, who looked amused. He inclined his head to her and then watched the reactions.

“Great question,” Aslac whispered.

Firo frowned. It was. How had no one else pieced that together before now?

“It was established when Hubert was trying to bring the barriers down that the thinnest area was near to the city, but I am uncertain as to why everything else seems to be.” Prince Artesiam of Veiltide looked around and then sat back down.

“Some kind of beacon or anchor.” Princess Bethany said in a loud voice without standing up. “You guys need to watch more movies. It’s always some sort of anchor that evil is attached to.” She shrugged.

Prince Leone smiled at her but didn’t speak.

“I don’t know of movies, but the Princess makes a valid point.” Queen Aurora stood up. “To work long, dark spells, there needs to be an anchor for it to hold.”

“You think Arwan did that?” Prince Leone asked.

“Wouldn’t that have been in his ice cave?” Princess Oriana from Aridon asked.

Queen Aurora shook her head. “That would be too obvious. It would be well hidden.”

“Is there a way to find it?” Prince Trendan stood up. “A spell or something magical that could help locate it?”

His queen was quiet for several moments as everyone watched her. She finally shook her head. “If the mage were as good as I believe he was, then he would have made it unrecognizable to magic.” She held up her hand so no one would interrupt her. “Those that are truly good, inside and out, would feel the vileness of it when they were close to it.”

“What about the river?” Jerika stood up and looked at Ava. “Twice something happened there.”

Queen Aurora sat forward and looked at the new Solrelm royal. “Did you feel anything?”

Trendan shook his head. “We were too busy trying not to drown to feel much.”

His princess looked at Avalie. “Ava, did you feel anything when we were there?”

Ava’s expression said she didn’t appreciate being called out, but she stood up. “Too much happened too fast to know if I felt anything. I was just trying to protect you guys.” She shrugged.

Firo stood up, more trying to take all eyes off her than anything else. “Several of us searched that whole area after and felt nothing.”

“It can’t be there if that is the case.” The queen nodded to him. “This feeling would be all the time, not just in the moment.”

Firo sat back down.

“We need to set up some teams and start searching.” Princess Paisley got up. “If there is an anchor and we find it—” She was looking at his queen. “—can it be broken, and will that help us stop all of this?”

Queen Aurora looked at Prince Artesiam’s sorcerer, Elgar. “I don’t have enough knowledge of the dark spells to know for sure.”

Elgar stood up slowly. “If—and that’s a big if, it can be broken, it will undo some minor spells and stop any further, but all done will not be undone.”

“So, no quick fix.” Prince Quinton didn’t look impressed.

“No. There is no quick fix.” Elgar looked around and then sat back down.

“Every time we think we have answers, more questions come up.” Prince Rafael stood up. “How do we search for this? Grid off around the city, going a hundred miles out from it, and checking one area at a time?” He looked around the group. “We’ll need someone to look after all the details.”

The man Firo had been introduced to when he arrived stood up. Fletch was here in the Interealm’s leader’s place. “We can set it up in our headquarters. If we’re searching here, it makes sense.”

Several royals from different realms looked around before King Troy stood up. “That works. We have enough teams going in and out of Alterealm, it would be easier if that is done here.” He glanced at Elgar and then at Queen Aurora. “How close would we have to be to sense this anchor?”

Queen Aurora held her hand out to Elgar, telling him to answer.

He stood up. “It’s going to be old, powerful.” He looked down, an intense look of thought on his face. “Because of that, it will be well protected.” He glanced at his Prince for a second and then lifted his head. “Five hundred feet at least, maybe less.”

“Needle in a haystack,” Quinton said in a low tone. “That’s a lot of area to cover.”

Princess Bethany jumped up. “Can it be hidden in something? A statue or something man-made?” She sat down.

Elgar studied her for a moment. “It will not just be in the ground.” He nodded. “It will need to be in something physical, yes, to be the anchor.”

“Can it be moved from one thing to another?” Everyone looked at Princess Kinsley. “If it’s been around as long as we think—” She looked at her mate. “With the changes to the landscape and everything in that time, it would be hard to keep it in one thing.”

Elgar’s eyes narrowed. “If they had enough power, it could be moved. It would be very risky, but yes, I think it is possible.”

There was a low murmur in the group as everyone spoke to each other.

Princess Cristy opened her backpack and took out some notebooks. Firo watched all of her family, and the Solrelm members watch her very intently.

“That helps some.” King Troy mused. He slowly looked around at each person. “I think we need to adjourn this meeting and start working on this—as well as everything else we’re doing.” Most all here were nodding.

Princess Aireese stood up. “Before we go, remember no one goes anywhere alone. Whoever attacked me and Ava twice is after power. Anyone here with magical power is at risk.” Many nodded in agreement.

Firo glanced to see Ava, Capri, and her friend Espy leaning close, talking. He didn’t need to hear what they were saying to know that they would take it upon themselves to seek out this anchor. He sighed.

“What?” Aslac asked quietly.

“I’m afraid I might have to learn how to ride a motorcycle machine.”

Princess Aireese turned around and smiled at him. She was very amused with his dilemma.

“I wish you luck with that, my friend. They scare me.” Aslac stood up.

Firo noticed most all here were also moving around. He got to his feet.

“Young, Firo.”

He turned to his Queen.

“I wish to meet her. Please go and get her.” He nodded and stepped down off the platform. How did he convey to Avalie that she needed to show the utmost respect to his queen? They had enough obstacles between them, they didn’t need more. His being confined to a cell because he mis stepped with his queen or anyone who offended Avalie—would not yield favorable results in their connection.