Shattered Souls (Guardians of the Maiden Book 3)

Part 2 – Power

Since the magical explosion, Cassiel’s dreams have been strange. He blinked up at the dawn sky, streaked pink and orange, where Dyna was suspended several feet high above him in the cold morning air. Her arms hovered at her sides, locks of bright red hair flowed around her head like a wreath of flame. Sleepily, he lifted a hand for her, wondering how she got up there.

The ground felt cold and hard beneath his back. Rays of the sun peeked over the trees and glimmered over the frost coating the grass in the clearing. His every breath misted in clouds in front of his face, chilly air filling his throat.

Finding this dream rather vivid, Cassiel frowned and sat up.

Everyone else was sleeping around the dead campfire except for Lord Norrlen. The tips of his nose and pointed ears were flushed pink from the cold, and disheveled blond hair fell in a tangled array down his shoulders. And his wide eyes were pinned on Dyna.

Cassiel blinked up at her with a new awareness. “This is not a dream, is it?”

Rawn slowly shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Lady Dyna is in the sky.”

Cassiel jumped to his feet so fast blood rushed to his head.

Rawn leaped over the campfire’s ashes and covered his mouth before he could shout. “Be silent,” he whispered. “If this is what I suspect, then you mustn’t wake her.”

Cassiel shoved his hand away. “What do you mean? What is happening?”

“I believe Lady Dyna is experiencing what may be the Rising.”

He gaped at him.

The Rising was the awakening of power in mages. How can that be when Dyna said she hardly had any magic?

But he had seen her do amazing things with Essence Healing, and she was also a descendant of Azeran. A shudder crawled down Cassiel’s back when he recalled the massive wave of fire she released at the fjord, and then the explosion when they broke the spell…

They both looked at Lucenna at the same time.

“I shall wake her before Zev,” Rawn whispered, eyeing the wolf. “He may not take too kindly to seeing his cousin on the brink of the Heavens. Please remain calm. There is no need for alarm.” He gave him a look, warning him to be still, then he crouched by Lucenna. “My lady.”

Her brow scrunched and she groaned, burrowing further within the blankets. “Leave me be,” she grumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

“My lady,” Rawn whispered again, tugging on the blankets. “I’m afraid I must insist.”

Lucenna lifted her head, and she glared at him through narrow slits. “Why do you wake me at such an ungodly hour?”

“Pardon me, but you must see this.”

She blearily looked where he pointed and shot up straight, fully awake. “God of Urn!”

Her shout woke Zev. Cassiel and the others froze as the wolf yawned and stretched, shaking out his flank.

“Good morrow, Zev,” Rawn whispered to him. “Please do well to keep calm.”

The wolf cocked his head questioningly at them before he followed their stare up to his cousin. His fur receded as Zev’s nude form rose on his feet. His sharp canine teeth were visible in his gaping mouth.

“Why is she up there?” he exclaimed.

“Quiet!” Lucenna whispered, hiding behind her hands. “Get dressed.”

Zev hastily yanked on dark brown trousers and a tunic. “Gods, why is she in the air? Get her down!”

Cassiel crouched in preparation to fly.

“No.” Rawn caught his shoulder. “She could fall.”

“I will catch her.”

Lucenna shook her head. “You cannot touch her.”

“What do you mean?” Cassiel’s head snaped around to her.

“You may have guessed what this is,” she said to Rawn.

He nodded but didn’t look overly concerned, so Cassiel took a breath to sort himself.

“I have only seen the Rising Sleep happen with children in the Magos Empire when their magic awakens,” Lucenna said. “I thought Dyna didn’t have enough magic to experience it.”

“Perhaps this is associated with the spell,” Rawn mused, coming to the same conclusion as Cassiel.

“This is why she’s different. Whenever we touch her, we’re struck with her Essence.” Cassiel said, frowning at Lucenna. “It’s clearly it’s not due to the remnants of a spell gone awry.”

Lucenna rose to her feet and crossed her arms over her black dress. “Do you mean the spell that went awry because of you? It wasn’t supposed to react in that manner.”

Did he do this then? Because of his feathers?

“Something must have happened,” Zev said. “It cannot be a coincidence.”

Cassiel exhaled sharply through his nose and pressed on his forehead. “Whatever occurred, that magic affected our minds.”

It drew out the dream of the Hyalus tree.

Your bond was awoken the moment she first touched you, the Druid had said. Cassiel thought Leoake lied. But he and Dyna met as children. A memory buried so deep he may not have ever remembered if not for the spell.

“I had sensed a barrier containing Dyna’s magic,” Lucenna told them and glanced at Cassiel. “It only lowered when she used your feathers.”

Rawn thoughtfully watched her in the air. “Could it be that when you reversed the spell on her mind, you may have removed whatever barrier contained her power?”

“I think you’re right. I don’t sense it anymore. I will have to ask Lucien about this. He will know what to do.”

“How do we get her down?” Cassiel asked.

“We wait for her to descend. No one can touch her in that state.” Lucenna picked up a pebble from the grass and threw it at Dyna. It hit an invisible surface and burst with a bright spark, a golden ripple revealing the transparent dome that surrounded her body. “That confirms it. Dyna’s magic has been released. The sphere is a self-defense apparatus that protects her while she is vulnerable. Don’t worry. She will come down on her own. If you startle her awake, she will drop. Any attempt to catch her will result in an excruciating volt of raw Essence so potent it may kill you. So be patient and wait while I contact my brother.”

Rawn nodded, silently ordering them to obey. Then he followed her to a heap of large rocks with the view of the Hermon Ridge Mountains at their backs. The orb in Lucenna’s hands glowed bright white before she began to speak to it animatedly. She held it above her head so Lucien could see.

Cassiel wished he knew what they were saying. He peered at Zev next to him who was watching them intently, no doubt the distance wasn’t a hindrance to his keen hearing.

Sitting back down, Cassiel remained on watch in case Dyna should fall. It seemed like hours before she began to slowly descend. Zev whistled. Rawn and Lucenna rushed to join as she came to rest on the ground.

Dyna’s bright green eyes fluttered open sleepily, then they widened in surprise to find them all staring at her. “What’s wrong?”

Cassiel and Zev glanced at each other, then at Rawn, and they all looked at Lucenna.

She rolled her eyes at them. “It’s nothing to fret over. It will cease once Dyna adjusts.”

“Adjust to what?” Dyna asked, sitting up.

“You were … floating a moment ago,” Cassiel told her.

Zev pointed up at the sky. “Up there.”

“While you slept,” Rawn added.

Dyna’s eyes widened further.

“Stop it, you’re frightening her.” Lucenna glowered at them and gave her a little smile. “Turns out you have plenty of magic in you after all. You’re in the Rising.”

Dyna stared at her mutely. Her shock and bewilderment roiled through the bond, followed by a wave of overwhelming weight.

Breathe. Cassiel told her. I know it’s a lot to be told first thing, but you must breathe.

She nodded and took a shaky breath.

Good. Once more.

Dyna inhaled and exhaled another breath before she could speak. “But how can this be?” she asked Lucenna. “I’m past the normal age of magic development.”

“We think your full power was released during the magical surge.”

The explosion… Dyna looked up at him. He said it would happen when my barrier broke.

Who?

“I agree,” a voice called and they glanced at the orb resting in the crook of Lucenna’s arm.

“Oh, good morrow Lucien,” Dyna said with an embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry to further burden you with my never ending dilemmas.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Dyna. This is a rather curious situation, but it’s you that I’m concerned about,” the mage replied. “Your magic has surfaced, and it can be dangerous. The Rising is meant to happen during childhood because magic is diminutive at the age of five, which makes it the perfect time to train and harness it as your Essence grows. But it’s been growing within you untamed. You will have to work hard to control it.”

“I don’t understand what this means,” she said, her voice small. “Am I not the same anymore?”

Cassiel crouched next to her. “You are Dynalya Astron. Nothing about that has changed.”

That seemed to ease the apprehension building in the bond. Instinctively, they reached for each other, but the moment their skin touched a spark of energy struck him.

Dyna sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” He frowned at Lucenna over his shoulder pointedly.

Lucenna smirked. “The currents are her raw magic, Cassiel. I didn’t give it to her, I simply gave her access to it.”

“And the sorceress grants her sorcery…” Rawn murmured under his breath. “It’s all coming to pass.”

“Ah, that explains the shocks of power you mentioned the other day,” Lucien said. “I should have realized what was happening.”

“Don’t worry.” Lucenna told her. “Your magic will settle once you learn to manage it. Come along, I think we have much to discuss. Now the real lessons begin.”

Lucenna led her back to the rocks to sit. Dyna held the crystal orb and nodded to whatever Lucien was saying.

Groaning, Cassiel rubbed his temples. What more could befall her? All he wanted was to bring the joy back to her face.

“Your Highness.” The sunlight graced Yelrakel’s golden armor as she landed and bowed. “I must fly ahead to announce your impending arrival. Lieutenant Sowmya and a small party will stay behind to escort you.”

“There is no need, Captain. We will make our way there.”

“I’m afraid I must insist.” Because she couldn’t risk him running off again.

Cassiel glanced at Dyna and he smiled faintly. “Very well. We will stop by the town of Hallow’s Nest on our way to the mountain. Meet us on the ledge in four days with what we discussed.”

She nodded. “I will. However, there is a concern I must bring to your attention.”

By the look on her face, Cassiel knew he wasn’t going to like it.