ICE

143. A Dragon-Like Mask

RAVENNA WORKED QUICK throughout the rest of the night to ensure that all evidence of her necromancy attempts had vanished. She straightened the royal chambers and even managed to return the spell-book to the library. Once that had been completed, she practiced creating various forms of ice weaponry — a spell that would hopefully overpower any traces of the necromancy spell she had attempted. The last thing that she needed was for Vyses to grow suspicious of her and started asking questions.

A small feeling within her gut warned her that Vyses would not be pleased with her attempts to bring Caelan back.

As daylight crawled across the sky, the palace seemed to spring to life. Footsteps echoed through the corridors as servants rushed around. Ravenna stayed huddled under the covers atop her bed, waiting patiently for her own servants to arrive with breakfast.

She wasn't particularly hungry, however she welcomed the sense of normalcy that each meal brought.

It was not long before two familiar faces cautiously entered the room. The sound of the door swinging open caused Ravenna to sit up. She smiled pleasantly as Alyss and Miera each carried a tray of breakfast pastries toward her.

Neither girl necessarily greeted Ravenna, nor directly met her gaze — a new normal. It had been hard to distinctly determine how Alyss and Miera felt toward Ravenna. Both were careful to shield their genuine feelings whenever they were around.

Ravenna noticed slight differences, however. Alyss only really spoke to her when absolutely necessary. There was no more scolding or general chatter to contend with. Miera would speak a bit more than Alyss, her usual vibrant personality shining through her mask of stoicism. But it still was not the same.

It was hard to truly judge their feelings toward Ravenna. A small part of her could not help but wonder if Alyss or Miera would ever truly be able to forgive her. The notion made her feel nervous, a pearl of regret forming within her stomach.

Ravenna nibbled absently at one of the pastries situated in front of her. Alyss quietly bustled around the royal chambers, preparing Ravenna's outfit, and Miera drew a bath. The moment that Ravenna was deemed remotely presentable, both girls hastily left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She sat on the edge of her bed and toyed with a strand of icy magic, allowing her mind to run wild.

It was not long, however, before her bedroom door burst open.

Eyes wide, Ravenna looked toward the door. A cloud of icy daggers floated in the air around her, each sharpened point following her gaze. Vyses stood in the threshold, his expression filled with panic.

"What is wrong?" she asked him.

"You need to come quick. An emergency meeting has been called with the royal advisers," he responded. He walked briskly into the room, ignoring the daggers. His hand curling around her wrist.

She snapped her fingers and the daggers melted. She allowed him to briskly drag her forward, out the door and down the hallway. He released his grip on her the moment that they entered the room that hosted their daily meetings. She slowly took her seat at the head of the table, her gaze focused intently on the nervous way that Vyses sat in his seat. Her brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"There was another attack," Vyses explained. His voice was tight. He snapped his fingers and a sphere of crimson magic appeared. It hovered in the air above the golden table. As he waved his hand, the sphere started to stretch, morphing into a humanoid shape. It shifted and moved until more distinct features appeared — revealing a familiar face.

Lyth did not appear to be physically afflicted by the attack. However, Ravenna sensed that something was different. There was something off about him. His eyes were blank and his jaw was clenched tight. She spared a glance toward Vyses. There was a hardness to his expression — a flash of annoyance plaguing his features. It sent a jolt of surprise rushing through her.

She had accredited his obvious nervousness earlier to his concern for Lyth. However, now she wasn't entirely sure that was the case.

"What happened?" Vyses demanded.

Lyth swallowed hard, his haunted expression void of emotions. "It happened quick," he said. His voice was shrill. "Quicker than anyone anticipated. Before I could even blink, he had obliterated our army of ice soldiers. All of them. He held a sword to my throat."

"He?" Ravenna pressed.

"I did not see his face," Lyth remarked. His eyes were wide, staring at Vyses and Ravenna as if he didn't truly see them. Fear swam within his darkened irises. "His identity was concealed behind a mask."

Ravenna's stomach twisted into intricate knots. She fiddled with her fingers, her hands resting atop her lap. "Did you hear his voice?" she asked. She struggled to keep her voice calm, lest Lyth or Vyses sense her blatant anxiousness. "Were there any distinguishable features at all? Even within the mask that you saw."

A shudder tore through Lyth. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment. He shook his head slightly and reopened them, his gaze focusing on Ravenna's face. "It appeared to be made from bone. A skeletal form of some sort that had been stained with dark ink. But the shape of it. It wasn't human."

He paused for a moment and then added, "It was almost dragon-like. But not quite. I do not know how to truly describe it."

The air caught within Ravenna's lungs, frozen solid. Her mind exploded into chaos, replaying his words on an endless loop. A dragon. The skull-mask was almost dragon-like.

"Did he say anything?" Vyses asked. His voice was cold.

Lyth shook his head. "He was only there for a moment. He just... he just vanished."

Ravenna was careful to avoid Vyses's harsh gaze. She frowned and leaned toward Lyth. "We are sending you more soldiers now. We will triple the amount that we had planned to send," she told him. Her voice was eerily calm. "I need you to try to learn more about this masked individual. As much as you possibly can."

"Kill him if you can," Vyses remarked.

Lyth lowered his head. There was a hint of reluctance within his facial expression. "As you wish," he said.

And then his magical form vanished. 

~

hey friends!

I know things are a little stressful right now in the world. Please remember to mentally unplug from the news/social media and relax for a bit. It is important to stay informed with what is going on, but your mental health is very important too! I hope that this chapter can provide a bit of an escape from all the chaos! 

Thank you for taking the time to read and support this book! I seriously appreciate you all so much. You are the absolute best!! I hope that you have an awesome week! ❤

ash ❤