Around dawn the following morning, the Resurrection Cultivators met up with the Alurians in the courtyard outside Protea Castle. The dragons would not be going along; they had a more important role to fill in helping protect either the Caretakers or the kingdoms themselves.
Starlight had suspected that her new friends would do some sort of spell or ritual to make themselves stronger, but she genuinely hadn't expected all ten of them to show up with a sort of incandescent glow that she felt fairly sure would be invisible to the normal eye. "Uhm." She couldn't figure out how to ask.
Phoenix, ever the blunt and to-the-point person he was, said, "Wow. Y'all collectively get laid or what?" At lifted brows, he helpfully said, "Sorry, colloquialism from Aluria. 'Getting laid' refers to enjoying some personal time with a lover, shall we say?" Musingly, he added, "Definitely a nice way to kick off a battle. I wish I could do that."
"That's what he says," Starlight grumbled, "yet he won't give Dana the time of day, and she has more than offered!"
As Phoenix's cheeks slowly turned red, Beth's brows lifted skyward. "Hold on a moment there," she murmured. "My Empathy tells me that he's not as opposed as you imply." Delicately she asked, "Dana?"
"Ker Dana Moore," Starlight supplied easily. There was a twinkle in the corner of her green eyes. "Second-in-command of my Royal Knights. She is utterly smitten with my darling Nix, and I have been sure for, oh, let's see, maybe a decade now, that they must be lover soul mates. My twin is just concerned he will no longer be able to get away with the trouble he always finds. He might also be a little scared of romance himself, but, shh! I didn't tell you that."
"Shut up, Star."
Tasia grinned. "Well, in either case, it wasn't entirely the getting laid part that's making us glow." She touched her heart. "Inside here. We filled ourselves with all the good emotions we could so that Minstrel could not feed on us." Softer she added, "And so that we could endure what we will see."
"Emily has feathers in her hair," LeAnn noted.
"And they're staying there," the Hyacinth Cultivator retorted. "At least I'm not wearing rings on my fingers that will blind the enemy.
LeAnn and Storm both wiggled their fingers and made their rings glitter. There was a moment of peace before Tasia slowly drew her from her pocket the orb that Arthur had left behind in his death. It still smelled like his cologne but there was no longer an ache for her when she smelled it. She had moved on past the pain entirely.
"Do you know how to use it?" Raven asked warily.
"Eh, she's a rubber brain." Emily linked her hands behind her head. "She can figure it out. She can do anything."
Tasia ignored her, though her lips twitched slightly. She closed her eyes and let her spirit look into the orb to find out what comprised it. She found a swirl of multi-elemental power from ten Flower Elements making a soft throbbing hum that sounded almost like music. She touched it gently with her own music and matching elements, and the orb resonated.
The orb floated up off her hand and began to glow. The glow swept out and gathered them all. They vanished in a flash to move safely through the walls between dimensions until they found the one where Aluria resided. The orb slowly stopped glowing and then disappeared back to where Tasia had been keeping it in her magic.
They appeared in the middle of a flat grassy field whose white and pink hues underscored that even though Aluria existed in a different dimension from Celia and Aria, they did still share the same red sun. They also appeared in the middle of where a battle had been recently fought. Bodies littered the field; some wore Alurian colors and others wore Cashlin's. Waves of death and hate rose off the land intermixed with despair and grief.
Starlight turned and nearly lost her breakfast. Phoenix pressed his hand hard against his mouth to restrain himself from doing the same. Raven glanced at the Resurrection Cultivators and saw that their faces, even the empathic Beth and Ryan, remained utterly expressionless. "You've seen something like this before?" He had automatically returned to speaking his native Alurian, and felt grateful anew for Tasia's unusual ability to pass on languages. Crossing through the dimensions this direction had given everyone else Alurian to speak.
"Yeah." Raine spoke the new language with barely any accent, and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's a long story." She looked upward. "So. Is your sky always like that?"
The three Alurians looked up and could only stare in shock. The sky looked as black as if it was night, but it was not night at all. It was also not the color of night. This black surged and seethed with violence from the chaotic storm clouds that made it up. They blocked all turquoise beyond. Black and white lightning streaked randomly and moved with vicious power as they cut toward the land.
Tasia seemed to stare at nothing at all for a moment. "Chaos is crying," she whispered. "I can hear it crying." She took a breath as Theo touched her shoulder. "I'm fine. It just startled me." A swirl of Illusion majik allowed her to float up into the air to have a better view of the distance. Her stomach clenched. "Hey, Starlight?"
"Yes?"
"Do me a favor and don't pass out. I can see your castle in the far distance from here, and I can see it because it's the focal point for the Chaos power. It looks like it's being consumed. I'd hazard there's a shield over it to prevent outsiders from getting in."
Starlight curled her hands into fists at her sides. "That means that somehow the Leylines have been damaged." At the curious looks, she explained, "Aluria is fueled by the power of the five Leylines in the land. Each channels two distinct Flower Elements. The flow of those lines maintains Aluria as much as its Core does. I suppose if the Core is the heart of Aluria, the Leylines are its veins carrying its blood. That is the most critical duty of Aluria's Defenders: to protect the Leylines."
"The positive is that we can in fact use the Lines to drive back evil. It's been done more than once in our world's history, though it has sometimes killed off an entire generation of Defenders," Phoenix offered. "I doubt that's a concern this time given the overall circumstances, and I think we're going to have to try it." He glanced around. "If my guess is right, we're on Felix D'Saroque's land. He has an access point to one of the Leylines in his backyard. Literally. The Illusion-Nature Leyline."
"Felix who?" LeAnn asked as Tasia landed and they all began to very gingerly make their way through the field.
"As I said long ago, Aluria is vastly bigger than Protea or Delphinium. We have our Ruling Kingdom—so named for having the Ruler Cultivator—which controls the world as a whole as well as has one of the Leyline accesses on its grounds. Four other kingdoms called Guardian Kingdoms, one of which is Raven's and another is Felix's, are keepers of the other four access points." As an afterthought, she added, "There are half a dozen smaller other kingdoms scattered across Aluria and quite a few other countries as well. Cashlin belonged to one of the small ones, which is why he so badly wanted to marry me or my sisters. He had no real authority, nor enough position to even see a Leyline let alone protect one."
"And as for Felix," Raven added, "he is a very old, very dear friend of mine. He was one of the loudest opponents to my being disowned." He slid a smiling glance at Starlight. "And if he's worked hard enough, we might eventually be in-laws."
Phoenix snorted softly. "Just because he's had Sunlight on hand for the last few months does not mean he's actually gotten his hands on her. Kindly recall that our rather feisty princess made the statement that she would not marry until both of her sisters did, and we're only at one of you three right now. Felix would have better odds getting Moonlight to notice her soul mate and then going back after his own."
Starlight snickered. "I would pay to see that!"
Soldiers suddenly burst out of the woods and surrounded them. No one bristled. The manner with which the soldiers surrounded them was not offensive, for they quickly moved into a familiar defensive formation. The woman leading the army snapped off a crisp salute to Starlight. "My queen!" she said in clear relief. "We are exceedingly grateful you are well!"
"So am I," Starlight said wryly. "Stand down, Captain Sadie." She crossed her arms to ward off the odd feeling of being out of touch with her world. She still wore Protean clothes, so she quite stood out. She could only imagine how the Resurrection Cultivators felt. "I heard rumor from Phoenix that my sister and her Defenders are here."
Sadie kept her face emotionless, yet there was a delighted twinkle in her eyes. "Yes, my queen. Lady Yuiki and Lord Vincent escaped here with Princess Sunlight knowing that King Felix would offer shelter."
"Bet he offered more than that," came Racine's droll voice.
The soldiers all covered smiles. Sadie had to laugh. "Yes, he did. We have every hope that eventually he gets through to her. We all greatly love Princess Sunlight and would gladly have her for our queen." She bowed. "If you will follow me, I will escort you to the palace."
"Did you see a palace?" Storm whispered to Tasia.
"No, but that doesn't mean it isn't there." Tasia tucked her hands in her pockets. "Felix is a Caretaker. The moment he had his soul mate on grounds, he would have used that convenient Leyline in his yard to slap up a protective shield to keep out invaders . . . and to keep her in."
"Queen Starlight, who are these people you've brought?" Sadie asked Starlight warmly. "They are not Alurian, but they are very powerful." And very intuitive if what she had heard was any clue.
"They are Dual Cultivators from the Blossom Field galaxy that Aluria lost touch with millions of years ago," Starlight offered. "I owe my life to them. They have been helping me fight against Cashlin, and it was Tasia who killed him. The fight is more theirs than mine now. They are the ones who have suffered for my sake." She looked at Tasia. "It is a debt I can never repay."
"There are no debts between friends," Reagan said staunchly.
"You said it," Theo agreed with a grin.
The palace had indeed been shielded by potent Illusion magic. An impression of forestland covered the entire palace to throw off the unwary, but with permission, you could pass through the edge and immediately see the palace surrounded by a high wall. It looked roughly half the size of the Protea or Delphinium palaces, but that still made it rather vast in scale. It also looked rather lovely, given the edelweiss flowers growing over the walls. Whether as a gift for having a Leyline, or because of Sunlight's presence, Aluria quite loved this kingdom.
They were shown directly to the throne room, and they walked in to hear a woman saying, "Felix, damn it! I am not marrying you no matter how hot you are or how often you ask me!"
"If you were immune to me, Sunny, then my asking wouldn't be such a problem, would it?" was a laughing male retort. "You only complain because you know that you want what I offer as much as I want to offer it! You know we are soul mates; you're just too damn stubborn!"
"Nature element," Phoenix snorted softly.
"I resent that," LeAnn snorted back. "I did my own chasing."
Starlight's face lit with a brilliant smile as she saw the pink haired woman glaring at the king sitting on his throne. "Sunlight!" She rushed across the room.
Sunlight Aluria's head swung around and joy filled her eyes. "Oh god, Star!" She rushed forward to meet her sister halfway and they clung together fiercely. "I was so terrified!" she said in a rush. "It's been months!"
"I know it!" Starlight slowly released her sister. They were all but identical triplets except for their different hair colors and different body types based on different training. In features, they looked perfectly alike. "I have returned with strong allies to help us fight."
Sunlight turned to study the other ten people in the throne room. Her experienced eye picked out LeAnn and Reagan as 'special' Rulers like Starlight and then landed on Tasia as the obvious and visible Lead. Trusting her instinct, she offered a graceful curtsy. She did not have a Ruler gown like Starlight possessed, but she did have a similar gown of her own that marked her as being of the Ruler family. "My thanks for your aid."
"Am I wearing a sign?" Tasia demanded of Raine. "Where does it say 'leader of the wayward children' on me?"
There came a burst of laughter from the side, and they all turned to see two newcomers in the doorway. Both wore the same uniform Phoenix had been wearing when he arrived on Protea, which meant they had to be two of the Alurian Defenders—the fact that Seeds could be felt inside both as well as the female's Water magic and the male's Air magic underscored it. The petite Water Defender had skin just a bit lighter than Emily's coal tone, pale blue eyes, and blue-black hair. The much taller Air Defender had tanned skin, Alurian grass pink eyes, and vibrant violet hair. He gave a quick bow of greeting and then said dryly, "You don't lead the wayward children. I lead the wayward children."
"Hush." His partner elbowed him sharply before walking forward. "I am Yuiki Furukata, the Alurian Defender of the Water Flower Element. My partner is Vincent Laurie, the Alurian Defender of the Air Flower Element. We are the personal Defenders to Princess Sunlight Aluria, who is also the Alurian Defender of the Nature Element."
"Well met," Reagan said. She sighed. "If I tried to give all of our titles, we'd be here forever. I'm Reagan Delphinium, of Illusion. The one next to me is my cousin, LeAnn Protea, of Nature. The others are Raine Daffodil of Metal, Storm Gladiolus of Thunder, Theodore Aster of Fire, Bethany Carnation of Glass, Emily Hyacinth of Air, Ryan Orchid of Water, Racine Statice of Memory, and Anastasia Iris of Ice who is our Lead."
"Just Tasia," the woman in question said hastily. "Please."
"I thought we got you over not liking your name," Storm said politely.
"By sheer exposure because of how much you lot decided to use it after the Arian War—and my understanding of my origins in the Dragon War—yes, but it is still one hell of a mouthful and they can use my nickname as well as anyone else."
Felix D'Saroque whistled softly under his breath. "I think I'm glad that was the abridged version, and it certainly sounds as if you've had an interesting time of it." He walked forward and bowed elegantly. "I am King Felix D'Saroque. My kingdom protects the Illusion-Nature Leyline." He shot a veiled look at Sunlight. "Which someone is pointedly ignoring the coincidence of."
"I. Am. Not. Marrying. You."
Beth linked her hands behind her head. She wouldn't have normally interfered with situations like this, but Sunlight reminded her so much of Shanae that she absolutely couldn't resist. Her Empathy had quite happily told her which way the winds were blowing around the castle. "Then you shouldn't have slept with him."
Silence fell. Yuiki's brows lifted. "Well."
Starlight cleared her throat delicately. "Sunlight?"
Sunlight glared at Beth dangerously. "How in the vined hells did you figure that out?"
"I'm an empath. Y'all are little too relaxed to have been dealing with a soul mate's sexual frustration for four months. Seriously. I've seen that firsthand before, and I sure don't see it here."
"Shit." Sunlight saw the look on her sister's face and grabbed her arms. "Sis, please, have some mercy!" she begged. "He's been nothing but a pain in the ass!"
"Kind of goes with being a Caretaker, really," Storm offered. "They really do usually know what's best for us. They can just be really annoying about it sometimes."
Raven and Felix both just grinned and shrugged, neither repentant in the least. Starlight felt absolutely no guilt either for what she was about to do. She loved Sunlight and had known for years that Felix was her soul mate. She was very happy to have the ammo needed to make her sister stop being ridiculous. "Sorry, Sunny. Laws are laws. You slept with him, you marry him. You're still a Cultivator, too."
Defeated, Sunlight crossed her arms and eyed the rest of the Resurrection Cultivators. "Are there anymore weird abilities you lot possess that I need to be careful of lest I get myself in more trouble?"
Phoenix coughed. "Yeah that would take too long to get into. Let's just say they have a lot skills and that one," he pointed at Tasia, "has something called arcanistry because she has magic and majik and can use arcane forces. Also, she has nearly all the elements. Seriously. The others have 'just' magic and majik in a blend they call magikry. Also, they're summoners. And they have like Telepathy and Telekinesis and others with Empathy." He eyed Tasia. "And she does all of it. And then some. Her lack of any limitations would scare me if she wasn't literally incapable of doing harm. I've never known anyone so driven to do good."
"That's our Tasi!" LeAnn said cheerfully.
Starlight smiled and looked at Felix. "I will be honored to call you my brother, but planning for the wedding must wait. We must utilize the Leyline and find the rest of the Alurian Defenders." She looked at Vincent. "Do you know where they are?"
"All covering the rest of the Leylines," Vincent confirmed. "Moonlight is with Kiegan and Lilac at the Fire-Time Leyline to the west. Captain Vargas went with them." His eyes sparkled merrily. "Last I heard from Kiegan, Vargas was guarding Moonlight very closely."
Ryan grinned. "A triple wedding could be fun."
Sunlight wanted to take offense but really couldn't. With a sigh and a laugh, she said to her sister, "Where did you say you found them again?"
The Leyline was technically not a tangible thing since it ran like a river under the surface of the planet, but they manifested physically at a single strongest point where a crystal pyramid emerged from the land as a marker. The pyramid effectively acted as a temple of sorts, and only the king or queen that protected it, or a Cultivator, had access to open the door.
Felix unlocked the door for them and then caught Sunlight's wrist. "If you get too badly hurt, it's going to make me mad," he told her softly. "I know that your being a Defender means you will fight to the death, but I'm not responsible for my actions if that occurs. Blame it on my loving you, as much of a pain as you are."
"Just kiss him already!" Emily complained distinctly.
Sunlight sighed. "What the hell." She threw her arms around her lover and kissed him fiercely, thrilling to feel his arms around her. Her reasons for not wanting to marry him had nothing to do with her feelings. She had loved Felix for years. She was just sure that they would drive each other nuts! She reluctantly released him and stepped back to go join the others. "Why do strong people fall for equally strong other people?" she asked no one in particular.
"We'd be bored if we didn't," was Racine's dry suggestion.
"Point."
Starlight and Sunlight linked hands with the other three Alurian Defenders and power lifted and flowed around them. It began to harmonize like the sound of a tuning fork tapped and then the power swept out and gathered all those present. They all disappeared in a shimmer of Illusion and Nature magic. Felix watched them leave and then said quietly, "Captain Sadie?"
"Sire?"
"When they land at the Water-Ice Leyline, we will commence our attack on the castle to divert the troops. Send word to the other Guardian Kingdoms to join us, but do not tell Rosewood of Raven's presence. They can learn that later."
The team landed in an identical pyramid of crystal on the other side of the world. The only significant difference was that the magic flickering through the air felt of Fire and Time. Vincent led the way as they headed out of the pyramid and into the murky light of day. Even here, on the other side of the world, the sky had gone black with the chaotic storms.
"Halt!" The voice sounded male and dangerous. "Identify yourselves!"
"Vargas!" Starlight said quickly. "It's me!"
"Queen Starlight!" There came rustling from the bushes, and a man in full plate armor walked forward. He sheathed his sword on his hip and bowed gracefully despite the hundred pounds of metal he wore. "My apologies, my queen." He removed his helm to reveal a striking face with fair skin and thick smoke-gray hair. His eyes looked lively black. "Fare thee well, Princess Sunlight?"
"She's engaged," Vincent said in a stage whisper.
His brows shot upward. "How did Felix pull that off?"
"He seduced her," Beth offered dryly.
He smiled at her. "The duty of any good Caretaker." He knelt elegantly, and his cloak flared. "I am Captain Vargas Ironaxe, in charge of Queen Starlight's contingent of Royal Knights. Welcome to Aluria, strangers."
"Oh, get up." Starlight propped her hands on her hips as he obeyed. "You're barely a few years older than we are so stop acting like such an old stick-in-the-mud." She gestured to the people he did not know. "These are my friends, the Dual Cultivators of Blossom Field—known as the Resurrection Cultivators collectively. They saved my life and have gotten involved in the fight. It has become more their fight than mine now. Tasia killed Cashlin."
Vargas' expert eye immediately knew Tasia had to be the warrior who wore the aura of a Lead Defender as visibly as she wore the aura of raw power. "Then you have the gratitude of the Royal Knights, as well as my personal gratitude. I . . . did not like him much."
"Because he tried to court Moonlight?" Yuiki offered politely. "On a related note, has she finally agreed to marry you?"
"Vargas!" A slightly plump woman nearly identical to Starlight and Sunlight, except with long dark gold hair, came hurrying forward from the trees. "I heard my sisters!" Joy eclipsed her face as she saw her triplets. "Star! Sun!" She rushed forward to throw her arms around both her sisters. "I am so glad you are well!"
"I missed you too, Moonlight." Starlight closed her eyes. Some of the tightness had eased around her heart now that she felt the bonds tighten between her and sisters again. Being separated from them had made her feel so strangely empty. "I'm so glad you're well!"
"Between Kiegan, Lilac, and Vargas," her middle sister said dryly, "I was lucky if I chipped a nail." She crossed her arms. "And tell Vargas he has to stop trying to court me. I've told him a million times that I won't get married unless my sisters do."
Sunlight felt suddenly gleeful. "Hey, Moony, guess what?"
"What?"
"I'm engaged."
Moonlight's jaw dropped. "You mean you actually gave in to Felix?! What'd he do, seduce you?" A sudden burst of snickers and giggles told her she was right. Her eyes widened as she whirled toward Vargas. "Now wait a . . ." Her words ended there as he framed her face in his hands, leaned down, and kissed her soundly.
When he released her, he said huskily, "Best find a wedding dress, my love. I doubt Felix will wait long to claim Sunlight, nor shall I wait to claim you." He turned and walked into the trees, and he made not a sound as he went.
"Wow," Ryan finally said. "He's . . . just . . . wow."
"Hey, Moonlight?" Yuiki waved a hand in front of Moonlight's bemused face. "You still in there or daydreaming of your wedding night?" She grinned and ducked back when her princess took a swing for her. "Hey," she called to the air. "Kiegan, Lilac, you there?"
"We're here!" The voice was male and belonged to a lively and strong blond with dark cream skin and bright yellow eyes. He wore the same Defender uniform as his companions, and he gave a quick bow as he approached. "I am Kiegan MacDouglas, Alurian Defender of the Metal Flower Element." He gestured to the taller purple-haired woman in the same uniform who came up beside him. "This is my partner, Lilac Andery, the Alurian Defender of the Thunder Flower Element."
Lilac's dark blue eyes sparkled against her sienna skin as she studied the newcomers. "Well, I suppose this is the definition of 'armed to the teeth', now isn't it? I can tell you're all Dual Cultivators, but you're so powerful it's making my skin tingle!"
"We borrowed them from Blossom Field," Phoenix offered. "And, yeah, they're powerful." He pointed at Tasia. "Don't piss her off. Seriously. It's really, really dangerous."
"If I like you," Tasia said, tongue in cheek, "the worst I might do is turn you into a newt."
"Turn us . . ." Kiegan's eyes widened and then he grinned. "I'm going to like you." He propped his hands on his hips. "Names please."
"Do we have to go through this every time?" LeAnn asked Tasia. "Can't you . . . do some sort of cool mind spell thing like how you did the languages stuff?"
"If they are willing to let me," Tasia said. "I prefer not to intrude unless absolutely necessary." She glanced to Moonlight, Lilac, and Kiegan. "If you will permit me, I can touch your minds with mine and instantly give you the information. I am a strong telepath, among other things."
Starlight nodded when her Defenders looked at her. "I trust her with my life," she said simply.
"Okay, then I do too," Moonlight said. Her lashes fluttered closed as Tasia stepped toward her and gently touched her cheek. She felt amazingly small beside the taller woman yet she also felt immensely safe. It was the familiar feeling her own Defenders gave her, and yet it was more. Something wonderfully soft and pure, as if the universe itself watched over her.
Tasia quickly gave the information to Moonlight before repeating the same with the other two. Lilac rubbed her forehead. It felt odd to suddenly know something without being told, and yet the convenience of it was nice. "Okay, so, then, Tasia, thank you."
"Anytime." Tasia looked at Starlight. "Are we ready to go to the next location? What about Vargas?"
"I am here." Vargas had come up behind Moonlight without her knowledge, and he caught her shoulders before she could jump away in surprise. "We are on Rosewood land." He looked at Raven. "I will tell them that the Alurian Defenders have gathered, but I will not speak of you, Raven."
"My thanks, Vargas." Raven grinned briefly. "And congratulations."
Vargas smiled wryly. "Thank you. It took long enough." He turned Moonlight around and gently cupped her cheek. "Be careful," he said softly. "I would never ask you to stay out of a battle, but I would ask that you be cautious. And come back to me whole and healthy. After this, I will go with you to be your proper Caretaker, alright?"
She nodded and then smiled and leaned up to kiss him. She had loved this stubborn, implacable man ever since he had been knighted when he was eighteen. Almost twenty years she had loved him. She intended to love him for at least twenty thousand more. "I will," she promised. He disappeared once more into the trees, and she walked over to join the others as they headed back into the pyramid. "Good one, Sunny."
"Shush." Sunlight crossed her arms and ignored her snickering Defenders. "If you must know," she said with regal dignity, "it was not intended as a seduction. I had a nasty nightmare and he came to comfort me."
"Not intended on your part," Raine said in a murmur. "Look on the bright side. This isn't Aria, where Tasia's husband used to be Ruler Cultivator. You could have ended up like her and married without knowing it."
Eyes swung toward Tasia. "Wow, really?" Phoenix asked. "I hadn't heard that."
Tasia snorted. "There are worse fates than involuntary matrimony."
Everyone gathered together inside the pyramid, and the team of Alurian Defenders linked hands once more. Power lifted and flowed around them with the harmonic sound of a tuning fork. This time it echoed strong enough that it resonated inside Tasia's own Mystic soul. When they landed in another pyramid that resonated with Air-Metal magic, she said, "I need to warn you."
"Warn us what?" Raven asked.
"That power you keep awakening is transmitted on sound waves. It echoes to my music. That must be why the Leylines activated in my music; they also literally amplified my voice once it crossed dimensions." She smiled wryly when the others winced. "Odds are it has happened before, and no one knew. It'll likely happen again."
"But now we know why," Vincent said ruefully. "I admit, I've once and a while thought I heard music somewhere." He stepped out of the pyramid and called, "Jeo! You there?"
"Here! Vincent, is that you?" A man slightly younger than the rest of the Alurian team but wearing the same uniform hurried forward out of the thick cornfield they stood in. He looked to be quite the embodiment of his Ice Flower Element thanks to his ivory skin, pale blue eyes, and equally icy blue hair. There was a thin sword in his hand that he sheathed at his side as he approached. "I thought I felt the other Lines activate!"
"Jeo!" Starlight rushed forward and threw her arms around her Defender. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she breathed. "I was so worried!"
"You were worried?!" He eyed her. "You were worried! I was worried, you troublemaker!" He hugged Starlight tighter. "My only consolation was knowing that Phoenix must have made it to where you were safely since the Leylines didn't shatter."
"Yeah." Phoenix grimaced. "Let's not talk about it. It was not fun." He tucked his hands in his pockets. "Blossom Field Dual Cultivators, meet Jeo Cross, the Alurian Defender of the Ice Flower Element. He's one of two partners that I have to protect Starlight. Jeo, meet the Resurrection Cultivators. Long story short, they're helping us kick ass. Tasia, spell him. He won't mind."
Jeo blinked. "I, what?" He blinked a second time as Tasia stepped forward and touched his cheek. "Damn, people in Blossom Field are tall. Whoa." The full effect hit him, and he realized he knew everyone's names, ranks, and powers. "Jumping goddesses." He eyed Tasia. "Sorceress? Is that as potentially impressive as it sounds?"
"Well, we had proven that Fire types are sort of inter-dimensional in personality, so I guess we now see Ice types are too," Reagan decided. She glanced upward. "Hey, the sky doesn't look that bad anymore."
Everyone else looked up and realized she was right. Because the Leylines had begun reactivating in the Alurian Defenders' powers, the protections on the world had started to drive the Chaos back toward the source. "That's something then," Sunlight said. "That means the Chaos hasn't gotten into the land itself yet. Aluria's Core could not handle that."
"It doesn't seek destruction." The words were out Tasia's mouth before she even knew she was going to say them. She felt as startled as the others and then she looked at Storm. "It doesn't want destruction. I said it already, didn't I?"
Storm's eyes flickered rapidly, and his mind echoed static to the two telepaths present. "I think you did," he said slowly. "You said it was crying. What if it is lonely? It's never had an Apex to call its own. It has never been able to be . . . embraced. People mostly fear it because it can't be controlled. Maybe it wants to be controlled. It somehow connected to Minstrel, but his feeding on 'bad' emotions just hurt Chaos more. Close." He closed his eyes briefly. "We're so close to the truth."
"Okay then." Starlight nodded. "We'll find a way to help Chaos and Minstrel both, if we can. Let's hurry to the Glass-Thunder Leyline and get Rose. I'm worried as hell about her."
"She's been doing a damn good job," Kiegan offered. "We've had the kingdom there watching over her as much as she is watching over the Leyline. She and Luc are doing a good job at battling back the evil that comes near the Leyline." He saw curious looks and explained softly, "Rose is barely over five years old. Her mother was the original Glass Defender of Aluria for this team, but she and her Caretaker husband were killed in the first wave of attacks." His voice hitched, then smoothed. "Our Rose is fierce and strong like her mother."
"Luc Carter is her best friend." Phoenix found a smile though April's death still felt painfully fresh and sharp for all of them. "He's a squire, aiming to be a Knight. He's twelve now, I think. A good kid, and very strong overall. He has a, hmm, affinity for the Water Flower Element, and might have a single magic skill. For . . . reasons."
While they were all heading into the pyramid, Reagan asked Tasia very softly, "Could April come back? She is a Cultivator."
"I don't find it likely," Tasia admitted. "Not when her daughter immediately Activated like she did. There does not seem to be a need for her any longer." She grimaced and said nothing more as the Alurian Defenders began to harmonize the Leyline. The power that time was strong enough that it made her throat ache. The next one might make her try and sing along, and that might cause more trouble than they needed.
The fourth Leyline they landed at was of Glass and Thunder magic. Sitting just inside the entrance on a low bench was a little girl with a brown ponytail tied with a blue ribbon. She wore the same uniform as the rest, though it looked a little big on her. Her pine green eyes seemed too old where they had been set into her olive-toned skin. She spotted those arriving and leapt to her feet with a small spear in her hands, but as she recognized them, she dropped the spear on a sob and lunged toward Starlight. "Aunt Star!!"
Starlight caught the little girl close and held her tightly. "Hey there! I'm okay, promise." She closed her eyes for a moment and rocked Rose back and forth. Her heart swelled with pride for her smallest protector. Rose Johnson was as fierce and dedicated as any adult Defender. Starlight loved the little girl deeply and would immediately adopt her as her own should Rose wish it.
"Hey, kid." Vincent stepped over and ruffled Rose's hair. "You've been doing a great job. You make us proud."
"Really?" Rose lifted her head and swiped at her eyes. All of her aunts and uncles were smiling and nodding, and her fears eased. "But I . . . I didn't do anything!"
"You know what we always say?" Racine asked softly. She smiled. "Just being there is sometimes enough. There is always something only we can do, something about us that our queen or princess needs only from us. Sometimes, just being the one who encourages others to stay strong is the most important thing of all. You are here because Aluria and Destiny knew you could do this. They believed in you enough to give you a Seed, and to let you be Activated even at a time like this."
"Spoken like the future Librarian!" Sunlight hugged her quickly. "We couldn't have said it better ourselves." She glanced around. "Where's Luc?"
"He's at the palace." Rose stood proudly when she got put on her feet. "We felt the Leylines and knew you were coming. He went to tell the kingdom." She picked up her spear and put it away in her magic without thinking, underscoring her great potential despite being so new to things. "So we've got to fight. But . . ." She looked away miserably. "I'm not sure what use I will be."
Beth's heart ached, and she knelt down to Rose's height. "You know, I'm a Glass Flower Element too. But it feels like you might have the offensive magic I don't have, which is great. So you can stay with me, and we'll work as a team to make sure everyone else is protected through shields and blasts alike, alright?"
Rose smiled. "Okay!" Her eyes widened as Tasia walked over to kneel beside her. "Oh gosh," she breathed. She had never seen such a beautiful woman before, and it didn't even seem to be entirely a physical beauty. Something inside her came out and made her radiant beyond the flesh. The other newcomers seemed similar yet not to the same extent. There was also something in this lady's chocolate eyes that felt as infinitely powerful as the arcane forces themselves. And yet . . . she didn't . . . feel human. "You're . . . different."
Tasia had to grin. "I'm part dragon. Kids and other witches are the only ones I know who have ever sensed it. I'm going to give you some memories, okay? That way you know who we are." When Rose nodded with a smile, she leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. She couldn't resist. The little girl reminded her of her own daughter. "There."
"Wow." Rose wanted to ask a million questions about everything, but she was old enough to know that now wasn't the time. She straightened her back and lifted her chin. She was a true Defender Cultivator to her bones. "Okay. So we're going to the castle now? It won't like it. The Water-Ice Leyline has been hurt. It keeps crying. I could hear it when I was asleep."
"Let's armor and Mask up then," LeAnn suggested. "We don't know what we're going to land in the middle of." She grabbed her Mask from its bracelet and saw all of the others grab their Masks as well. Once everyone had pulled them on and called their armor, she studied the Alurian Defender armors curiously. She had not really had a chance to look closer at the differences between male and female versions; the few times Phoenix and Starlight had been armored at the same time, they had been in too much danger. "I actually really like how your armor looks. Like two different edelweiss flowers. Pretty neat."
"I've worn both versions," Kiegan noted, "and while I have to say the female one is cuter, the male one is more comfortable as a rule."
"You've worn both?" Emily asked curiously. "How did that happen?"
"It took me until I was about ten to determine I was male. So for my first five years as a Defender, I wore the female version. Once I figured everything out, the next time I put on my Mask, I wore the male version. Have ever since."
"Oh, well that makes more sense. I was wondering if you had traded with Lilac or something."
Solemnly, Kiegan said, "She's almost half a foot taller. Her armor would never fit me."
"Exactly."
Everyone snickered and then shuffled a bit to pair off the elements properly. Tasia looked at everyone musingly and then said, "How intriguing. Everything balances. Our teams. We now have one each of offensive and defensive types of magic across all elements. Double on defense for me and Jeo, and double on defense also for Vincent and Emily. That is going to make us exponentially more potent as a collective team." And felt damn deliberate, but she kept that to herself.
They all gathered together as closely as they could considering there were twenty-one of them including Raven. The Alurian Defenders linked their hands and harmonized with the Leyline, and once again it echoed stronger than it had been before. Even as Tasia felt the rise of her music, they all felt the resistance from the Water-Ice Leyline. It did not want them to approach.
Storm's eyes sharpened. "Tasi!"
Tasia didn't hesitate. She opened her mouth and let her voice free. She hit the exact same note as the power gave off, and there came a blinding flash of magic. The Water-Ice Leyline stopped resisting, and they were all swept up and carried away across the land toward the Alurian Castle and the focal point of the Chaos . . . and the place where the heart of madness awaited them.
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
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