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“Maybe? That’s the second time the Council has brought up me going to the Capital. It just feels weird paired with them spreading rumors about an Elven and Fae uprising. Like, do they know about my heritage and want leverage against my people or do they want me to fight on their side during this supposed war?”
“Which you would never do unless…” Desmond put the pieces together. “Unless they have leverage. That’s what you want to switch the training exercise to today, a prisoner situation.”
Claire nodded. That hadn’t been her exact thoughts but it was a logical conclusion. “If they can’t get to me and they are desperate to get me there I wouldn’t put it past them to take one of you or my friends.” Her eyes widened as she realized who else would be leverage. “My friends, we have to warn them.”
“We will,” Desmond assured her. “I’ll send a message to Holly tonight and she will get it to the others.”
Claire tried to take a deep breath but it didn’t work as well as she hoped. Her muscles were still tight and the urgent feeling didn’t dissipate. But she nodded showing she heard him as thoughts still swirled around in her head. They had known it was going to be dangerous trying to figure out the true story behind the Great War and Claire’s heritage but she hadn’t imagined this. Had Claire unknowingly placed her friends in more danger than they could have ever imagined? The Council was originally created to be a democratic representation of all the races for the Realm. When did it get so power-hungry?
“What are your thoughts for the training exercise then?” Everett asked, distracting her.
“I think Everett and Desmond should play ‘prisoners’ and be taken to an undisclosed location and Malcolm and I should have to go find and rescue them,” Claire thought quickly. She wanted to mimic the most likely situation whether it be her Triad or her friends.
“I get to be your damsel in distress, little love?” Desmond grinned. “Do I get kissed by my gallant warrior when you rescue me?”
Malcolm groaned but Claire giggled and rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if that’s how the story goes,” she said, thinking back to her favorite book of fairy tales she would read often at the orphanage.
“I think we should write a new ending then,” Desmond wiggled his eyebrows.
Everett rolled his eyes and punched him in the arm. “Would you stop distracting her and focus?”
“I don’t think that’s possible for Desmond to not be a distraction,” Malcolm groused.
“Ok so Malcolm and I are the rescue team and Everett and Desmond are the prisoners. We won’t know where they are being held so we’ll have to play with our bonds to see if we can find each other quickly,” Claire said quickly, keeping them focused.
“And you should open up your magic,” Desmond said. “You haven’t really had an opportunity since your coronation ceremony and you need to start exploring with it.”
Claire nodded. He was right. She had been letting it out a bit in the mountains and during their bond practice but she hadn’t opened it up full throttle. Partly because it seemed to be growing outside her control. But she had been able to do the bond work the last few days without opening up her magic all the way. So she probably wouldn’t need to open it up all the way for this training exercise either.
“I’ll inform Hans and Renfe of the changes,” Malcolm said, heading down the stairs to the training arena first. There was a series of abandoned tunnels and caves that the Dragons used for training. The original training exercise was going to have all four of them working their way through the tunnels and using their bonds against the ‘enemy’ so this was going to be different from what they had discussed.
She descended the stairs behind Malcolm and Everett and stayed by Desmond as the others went to inform the cousins of the changes. They spoke briefly to them and the ten or so other dragons who had gathered to help with the training. All of them looked like fierce warriors and would present quite a challenge. Claire found that part of her wasn’t scared of the challenge though. If you had told her a year ago she would be in this situation, she would have laughed at the thought that she could take on ten dragon warriors like Malcolm. She was still a bit nervous but she knew the nerves would keep her sharp.
Malcolm gestures them over and Desmond captures Claire’s hand with his as they joined the large group. She wasn’t sure if the gesture was comfort or possessiveness but she didn’t really care, snuggling against his side. Even though the exercise was fake she was already feeling the pangs of discomfort at the thought of being separated from Everett and Desmond. Those feelings were new and probably a side effect of the newly strengthened bonds. She was going to have to figure out a way to work through those feelings so they didn’t distract her from the task at hand.
“Alright listen up,” Malcolm barked. “In a few minutes, Hans and Renfe will take Everett and Desmond into the training tunnels. The rest of you plus the additional men in the tunnels will act as the enemy forces. Claire and I will wait fifteen minutes and then go into the tunnels. Our goal is a simple retrieval mission. Get in, find Desmond and Everett, and get out.”
Claire didn’t realize there were going to be additional warriors in the tunnel. She looked around the group of ten that was gathered around Hans and Renfe trying to assess any discernible strengths or weaknesses but she couldn’t pick up anything visible. Not that she had a lot of practice with the seeing thing still. She would have to ask Malcolm if there was anything she needed to be careful of.
Malcolm turned to Claire. “There are a few additional details. We are going to act like Desmond and Everett are incapacitated. We won’t have to carry them out but they are not going to be able to assist us. Additionally, I think Puck should stay out here. If this was a real scenario, we would need eyes and ears outside the tunnels.”
Claire frowned, biting her bottom lip. She had been counting on Puck to help her control her magic once inside the tunnel. Without him, Claire was worried what could happen if she was forced to let it all out at once.
She looked past Malcolm to the Mountain peaks that were rising above the tunnel entrance. Toan had said she would be able to level mountains but she didn’t want that to happen with everyone inside. The idea of losing control over it in such tight quarters had Claire suppressing a shudder. She would die if she accidentally hurt her men or any of the dragons that had volunteered to help today. This was just a training exercise though so she shouldn’t have to let out all her magic and risk losing control.
“Are there any rules to consider?” Claire asked. She needed to focus on this exercise,notthe possibility of losing control of her magic, so if Realm forbid, the Council did take one of her loved ones, she could get them back.
“Only that there are no rules,” Malcolm said. Claire’s eyebrows raised. What did he mean by no rules?
Desmond gave her a side hug. “Conflict is coming. It is inevitable. And both sides will be looking for leverage. We need to treat this like a real scenario, not just a training exercise. Let it all out, little love.”
She appreciated Desmond’s sentiment but there was less than no chance that Claire was going to release all control over her magic while in the tunnels. Especially not without Puck there to ground her or the Royal Tree in close proximity. No she would let her magic out but only under her strict control. Despite there being ‘no rules’ these dragon warriors were still on her side and Claire didn’t want to accidentally seriously hurt any of them.
Malcolm dismissed the group and the dragon warriors disappeared into the tunnel. Hans and Renfe waited for Desmond and Everett at the entrance. Desmond pulled her from his side to his front and pressed his mouth to hers for a quick, hard kiss. “Alright my little knight in shining armor. Hurry to rescue your damsel.”
Claire laughed but she was reluctant to let him go, only releasing him when he stepped away. Everett filled her space, his hand cupping her jaw and tilting her eyes to his. “It’ll be fine,” Everett promised her, feeling her unease down their bond. “It’s just a training exercise.”
“I know,” Claire said. “I can’t help it. There’s something in me that hates the idea of being separated.”
