Awakened by Magic (The Four Kings Book 1) by Katy Haye (9)

Chapter Nine

“Kyann? Can you hear me?”

It was him. Vashri, king of air. Stepping into my dreams again. “Let me sleep,” I murmured. “I have ground to make up in the morning.”

Vashri stepped into sight. In my dream I was fully awake. We both stood in the clearing beside the tree. That sense of security swept over me. I tensed against it. I knew it was a lie. Essa was in danger; that was the truth I needed to hold on to.

“I’m sorry you lost your horse.”

“So you should be.” I hugged my arms tightly over my chest, holding back the desire of my dreaming self to throw myself at the king and accept the consolation I knew that broad chest and those muscled arms would offer.

“Come to us. When we waken—”

A low chuckle rang in the air, cutting him off. “Is this your persuasion, Vash?” A new voice resounded through the dream. “Our needs over hers? Why would she believe us when we haven’t given her a reason to believe?”

That made me sound mercenary and cold. A flinch shivered my skin. Was that how they saw me? Their opinion hardly mattered, but even so… “I will come to you. I’ll do what I can, but I’m truly not your guardian. And I must get Essa back first.”

“Of course you must,” the second voice agreed. I peered in the direction of his voice, but the shadows of the trees hid him. “I’ll help you get her back. If you will only accept my help.”

The palm of my hand itched. I rubbed it, then looked down. My breath caught. In the shadowy moonlight, the mark on my palm had changed. Three straight lines were now visible beside and below the wavy ones. The four kings were allied to the elements. I had already met the king of air. The newcomer must be… “Are you the king of earth?”

The new king came into sight at the moment that I named him, and my breath caught all over again. His dark skin glistened in the moonlight. His chest was bare, but the darkness hitched on the swirl of tattoos that etched his skin from his shoulders to the centre of his chest. He was taller than the king of air, and his steps towards me were slow, considered.

He stopped a few steps from me and inclined his head, an aura of strength and power radiating from him.

“It is a great pleasure to meet you at last, Kyann. I am Axxon, king of earth.”

I ducked my own head. If he was a king, why was he bowing to me? This was a dreadful case of mistaken identity. And I couldn’t let it continue any longer. “There’s no need to bow. I’m no one special.”

He threw back his head, a rich chuckle seeming to make the ground beneath my feet vibrate. “You are the guardian. If matters are as we believe, you are the most important person in the Empire of Charnrosa.”

“I’m really not. You’ve got me mixed up with someone else.”

“Magic has led us to you. It’s never wrong.”      

“Don’t count on it.”

His smile widened. “Your magic has slumbered. It will waken along with our power.”

“Which is why you must come to us without delay.” Vashri stepped forward, those broad arms crossed again. His eyes gleamed, hot as fire. I hardly knew whose broad and delicious chest to throw myself against first.

This was not the time for indulgences. “I can’t come to you without Essa. I won’t.”

“Your determination does you credit.” Axxon nodded, turning to Vashri. “You want to do things the way you think best, Vash. Kyann wants exactly the same.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Why do you think your way is better?”

“Together, we are stronger,” Vashri insisted.

“Have you thought that perhaps Kyann feels weaker without her sister?” While the king of air digested that, Axxon turned back to me. “Find your sister, Kyann. We will watch over you.”

“Why would you do this?” Why are you siding with me instead of him, I wanted to ask but didn’t quite dare. I didn’t want to provoke him to change his mind.

His dark eyes burned into mine. The shine within spoke of fathomless loss and pain. “I had a brother once.” He blinked, and a smile returned to his eyes. “Wake, and hurry on your way.”

My eyes flashed open. The scene illuminated by the first rays of dawn’s light was just as it had been before – except that there were no kings standing before me. I shook off my disappointment and began to rise, halting when a movement among the trees snared my attention.

A stag. I didn’t breathe in case I disturbed it. The king of the forest. I supposed that was suitable.

The animal came closer. I grew aware of the blood rushing through my veins, my heart thumping a beat in my chest. When it spotted me, it would flee. I tried to quieten my body, fade into the tree I was standing beside. I didn’t want to scare the animal.

My life was full of kings. Was this a sign that I really did have a special destiny? Yeah. That was likely.

The beast took another step into the clearing beneath the beech tree, then one more. It turned its head to look straight at me, its liquid brown eyes glistening with hard-earned wisdom. For a long moment we simply looked at each other. The slightest sound or movement must break the spell that held between us. Then the stag dipped its head, its magnificent antlers bowed. It straightened and tossed its head. I swear, the movement looked as though it were beckoning me closer.

“I will do what I can to help you save your sister.” Axxon’s voice echoed in my mind. Was this his magic? Earth magic, to help me find Essa? Could he control the beasts of the forests? Would this animal show me the shortcuts through the trees so I could catch up with my sister?

I had nothing to lose. Whether the beast was enchanted or not, I couldn’t stand and admire it all day, much as I might wish to. I had to get after Essa, with or without help.

Holding out my hands as though he would understand the intent in my heart, I took a step. The stag tossed his head, but he didn’t bound away as I expected. Another nod, his antlers slicing the air. He was full-grown, his shoulder level with my eyes, his head high above mine.

I took a step towards him, two, three. He might bolt. If he saw me as a threat he could gore me with those antlers. But I wasn’t scared. I was thrilled. There was magic in this moment. Natural magic. I might want to deny it, but I could feel it, swirling around the pair of us. Not brash and showy, but sure and true.

I reached a tentative hand towards him, the warm, earthy scent of the beast rising into my nostrils. My fingers met the wiry softness of his coat, then his shoulder fell away as he dropped down, tucking his front hooves beneath him so his shoulder was abruptly at my waist instead of level with my head.

“He will guide you.” Axxon’s voice called again. The stag’s ear flicked as though he, too, heard the instruction. He watched me, calm and patient.

“I’m to ride you?” I murmured. The stag simply blinked. It was impossible, no forest animal would accept that – but what else could the animal’s posture mean? His front legs were tucked beneath him so I might reach. His head was held to the front, antlers still.

There was no way in the Empire that a wild beast would allow himself to be ridden by a human. But magic did as it pleased… This was earth magic, conjured by the king to help me. The idea was incredible. And yet, I couldn’t keep turning my back on the proof I was being shown. The four kings were truly waking – and at least two of them were prepared to help me get Essa back.

I was distrustful, I knew that. But I would accept help when it was offered. I sucked in a breath, grasped the base of the closest antler and swung my leg over the creature’s back.

It didn’t bolt. The animal waited patiently while I settled myself between his shoulders, grasping the second antler with my other hand. Then he lurched to his feet. He turned his head to look back, for all the world as though checking that his passenger were safely aboard. Then, he took off.

A cry of alarm burst from me. I pressed my lips together. It was a faster, wilder ride than any I’d ever had on a horse.

My hair whipped around my ears as we plunged through the forest. The stag was sure-footed, and this was his territory. My fear flowed away with the wind, leaving exhilaration behind. I opened my mouth in a soundless cry of jubilation. Air fled past me, tugging at my hair and clothes. The thud of the stag’s hooves pounded a counterpoint to my excited heartbeat. I gave myself over to the visceral, heart-stopping pleasure of the ride.