The Lion's Crown (The Emberlyn Chronicles Book 1), page 20
Penny swallowed. “Is it… is it god?”
Anneli laughed. “No. Do you remember what I told you about the formless creatures?”
“That some rare people could see them and talk to them. That Owen could.”
“Yes. And as I said, most of these creatures cannot interact with our world. But some can. The Ember Lion is such a creature. Like the wraiths, it exists between its world and ours. It can appear at will, and like all creatures, it is sensitive to magic. It is… drawn to those with great magical affinity.”
Penny bit her lip and shook her head. “No. Not me. Even if I have an affinity for magic, I can’t be that powerful. Wouldn’t I have known? Wouldn’t you?”
“I can know a great many things about a person, Penny, but not that. I cannot sense magic in a person who has not developed their talent. It lies dormant.” Anneli narrowed her eyes at Penny. “But it is not only the lion that makes me think this about you. When I collapsed in the tower, after destroying the Dourosh… you held me. You comforted me.”
“Yes?”
“And correct me if I am wrong, but I believe I felt you take the Lion’s Crown from my head.”
Penny nodded. “I did.”
Anneli patted Penny’s hand. “Well, there you are. Only the most powerful can stand to even touch the crown, much less wear it. The elders say I am perhaps the third most powerful magic user since Lanioc himself, and it nearly killed me. You touched it and did not even flinch.”
Penny laughed. “No… no, you’re mistaken. I only held it by the tips of my fingers for a moment.”
“Over the past two millennia, several who were too curious for their own good have done the same: merely brushed it with their fingers. And they had the life and warmth drained from them just as I did when I wore it and used its power.”
Penny realized the queen’s hand was still abnormally cold, and she cupped her other palm over it to try and warm her. “Will the test tell you how powerful I am?”
“It will. You and your brother have already been shown to be able to communicate with the formless creatures, which is a rare gift.”
“But I never saw them like Owen did.”
“You will, once you are taught how. His simple mind was not able to lie to him, to tell him he couldn’t be seeing what he saw. There are many things that most never learn to perceive, even among my people who know of magic and the formless creatures and a great number of other things your kind would consider fantastical. When I am well enough again, I will administer the test.”
Penny nodded but frowned. “I still don’t understand something. If the Ember Lion is willing to fight on your behalf, why has it not done so more often? Why has it let Dourok raise his armies for the past two thousand years?”
“It is a rare and powerful creature, but whatever its connection to Lanioc, it is neither for us nor against us. You brought it forth by calling for help. It chose to heed that call. Next time, it may choose otherwise. Believe me when I tell you that for two thousand years my people have been trying to understand how Lanioc so easily summoned the creature.”
“Tell me more. I want to know everything about Lanioc and the lion.”
“I will in time, but I am tired.” Anneli squeezed her hand. “For now, it is enough to know that the Dourosh also believe that the spirit of Lanioc resides within the Ember Lion, and their fear of it is what saved us. Go and be with your knight. Your presence will help him heal.”
Penny stood and backed away from the bed. Anneli’s eyes were closed again. She was still so weak. Penny, as quietly as she could, stepped out of the room. Faric was waiting for her in the hall.
“Anneli told me what she was going to say to you,” he said.
Penny looked up. “Did she?”
He fell in beside her as she made her way back down the stairs. “I want you to understand that this may change everything. Our world and yours. Are you prepared for that?”
Penny stopped. “I don’t know.”
“We will help you, of course, but if what she thinks is true—if you have power to rival Lanioc himself—no one will be able to guide you beyond a certain point. Whatever comes, you will have to face the worst of it alone.”
“The worst?”
Faric’s eyes darkened. “You saw what happened to Anneli when she put on the Lion’s Crown. That is what power does. If you take on more of it than you can handle, it will overwhelm your humanity. It will control you. You will no longer be the master of your own mind and body. No one has told you this, but that is what happened to Lanioc. He… he became one with the magic. There are no bones in his crypt, for there were none left to bury. Only his sword and an empty suit of armor were laid to rest.”
Penny turned away from him. “Do you hope to scare me? To make me not want to undergo the test to see how strong my affinity is?”
“Not in the least. We may need you, Penny, but you must know the risks. Anneli would have told you eventually, but I believe you should be told now. The sooner you accept the possibility, the sooner you can begin your training.”
“And what do you think about the Ember Lion, Faric? Is it Lanioc? Are they one and the same?”
“I don’t know if they were before, but they may be now.”
They reached the bottom of the stairs, and he took her into a quick embrace. As he let go, she searched his eyes. She still hadn’t figured him out. At times he was cold and impatient; other times, he seemed to show real concern for her.
He turned away, and she listened to his footsteps echo down the hall. She heard a door open then close, and the corridor once again fell silent.
Chapter Thirty-One
Lessons
Penny opened the door and smiled at William. He had been recovering for the past week and had been moved back to his room on the other side of the palace. She walked to the bed, climbed in beside him and hugged him.
“You’re awake.”
He nodded. “You were out early.”
“I was summoned by Anneli again.”
“How is she today?”
“Much stronger. She was sitting up for several hours this morning.”
William smiled. “That’s good. What is it you talk about for such long hours?”
She sighed. “So many things. But it’s more than just talking. They’re lessons. She tells me about the customs of the Lanosh, the history of the Great Forest, the nature of magic… and other things you wouldn’t understand if I tried to explain them. She has a way of speaking so that I know exactly what she wants me to know. I think some of the information comes through means other than speech. It’s almost as if she sends me her thoughts.”
William raised an eyebrow. “In a way I am glad I have no affinity for magic.”
Penny smiled. “You might, but you won’t know unless you undergo the test.”
William shook his head. “No. Never. I’ve heard enough about it to know it’s not for me.” He stroked his fingers through her hair. “When do you test?”
“Anneli says perhaps in another few weeks. As soon as she is able to walk.”
William stretched his torso. “I am ready to walk myself. My body aches from being idle.”
“Not yet. You don’t have the energy to get out of bed. Not until the physicians say you do.”
“I feel energetic enough.” He grinned. “But perhaps we can test my strength without having to get out of bed.”
His hand found her hip, and she laughed. “I think that would be a very bad idea.”
William brought his hand to his eye and wiped away an imaginary tear. “She no longer loves me,” he said, turning away.
Penny grabbed his face with both of her hands and turned him back toward her. She kissed him forcefully on the mouth then hopped from the bed. “If that wound did not kill you, I don’t think you’ll die from a broken heart.” She walked over to the dresser. His sword was resting across the top of it. “Faric wants to begin teaching me how to fight,” she said, running her hand along the length of the scabbard. “He says he has a thin, light blade for me to use until I can develop my strength, but I was hoping I could use yours. Until you recover, at least.”
He smiled. “Of course. You may keep it if you like.”
Penny shook her head. “No. It belongs in your hands. I only want to learn with it.”
He placed his palm over his bandage and pressed down on it experimentally. “As you like, love. When do you begin training?”
“Today. Now, if you don’t mind me going.”
“Not at all. I will lie here and recover my strength so we can… do some sparring of our own, perhaps.”
Penny took the sword down and secured the belt around her waist. “That is not very gentlemanly talk, sir knight.”
“Then you must teach me the error of my ways, my lady.”
She waved her hand at him dismissively. “You are beyond hope.”
“Perhaps.” He watched her as she drew the sword, tested its weight then carefully returned it to its sheath. “Give me another kiss before you go.”
She walked back to the bedside, leaned down and kissed him. She screamed as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against his body. He let out a short cry and released his hold on her.
“See? You’ve aggravated your wound.”
He put his hand over his stomach. “It was worth it.” He looked at his sword and nodded. “Train well. And be careful; I’ve seen men gravely injured during friendly swordplay.”
“I will be.”
She gave him one last smile then walked to the door. As she went out into the hallway, she met Owen and took his hand. “Have you been invited to Faric’s combat lesson as well?” she asked.
“Yes.” He looked at the sword resting against her hip. “Is that William’s?”
Penny smiled and nodded. “I asked if could train with it. I hope it won’t be too heavy.”
“You’re stronger than any well-bred noblewoman. You’ll get used to the weight quickly enough.” His eyes widened. “Oh, I imagine I’ll get a sword of my own. I hope it’s the one I used during the battle. It was taken away by the servants after we came back here.”
They passed a window, and she looked out. “If only Bess Tupper and the other people in the village could see us now.”
“Do you think we’ll ever go back?”
She pulled Owen closer and hooked her arm around his. “I don’t know. If we did, what would we say? How could we explain anything to them?”
Owen lowered his head. “I suppose we couldn’t. And I couldn’t explain how I am now as opposed to how I was. They wouldn’t understand.”
Penny frowned. “There are good people there who I will miss, but we have each other. And our lives will be better than they were, Owen. They have to be.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Penny kissed him on the cheek then let him go so they could make their way down the stairs. She also hoped she was right. If nothing else, their lives would be more exciting, and whatever happened next, she would be ready for it. If everything Anneli had told her was true, she would have to be. Any weakness on her part could have consequences even the queen could not foresee. The thought was both thrilling and terrifying, and she put her hand on the hilt of William’s sword for comfort. She would learn to wield a blade as well as any of the royal guard, and she would learn how to use her power as soon as Anneli was strong enough to teach her. She wouldn’t do it for Faric and Anneli or even for herself. She would do it for William and Owen. She would do it for the people she loved. For them, she would fight. For them, she would endure. For them, she would not—could not—fail.
~ ~ ~
The Emberlyn Chronicles continues this September in The Lion’s Crypt! Click here to preorder your Kindle copy!
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Fiction by Michael K. Rose
The Emberlyn Chronicles
Book I: The Lion’s Crown
Book II: The Lion’s Crypt
Book III: The Lion’s Court (December 2017)
The Sullivan Saga
Book 1: Sullivan’s War
Book 2: Sullivan’s Wrath
Book 3: Sullivan’s Watch
Book 4: Sullivan’s Blood
Book 5: Sullivan’s Reign
Book 6: Sullivan’s Fire
The Sullivan Saga Omnibus 1 (Collecting Books 1-3)
The Sullivan Saga Omnibus 2 (Collecting Books 4-6)
The Sullivan Saga: Parallel Tales
No. 1: “Sergeant Riley’s Account”
No. 2: “Sleep”
The Strange Lands Saga
Book I: The City Beyond the Sands
Book II: Riders of the Red Land
Book III: The Sea Dragons
The Strange Lands Saga Omnibus Edition (Collecting Books I-III)
Other Novels
Chrysopteron
Darkridge Hall
Provocation
Other Short Fiction
The Vast Expanse Beyond: Ten Short Stories
“The Human Body”
Anthologies
A Plague of Dragons
For more information, please visit:
http://www.michaelkrose.com
To receive notices about new releases and free, exclusive stories, subscribe to the author’s newsletter at:
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About the Author
Michael K. Rose is an author of fantasy, adventure, paranormal and science fiction.
His first major work, Sullivan’s War, has been called “… a sci-fi thriller that definitely delivers!” His second novel, Chrysopteron, has been hailed as a “… gem of a novel…” and “a masterpiece.”
Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Arizona State University. He currently resides in the Phoenix area and enjoys board games, tabletop role-playing games and classical music. He blogs at myriadspheres.blogspot.com, and you can also connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.
http://www.michaelkrose.com
Michael K. Rose, The Lion's Crown (The Emberlyn Chronicles Book 1)
