Heart of Tyr: The Heart of the Citadel, #2

By Susan Faw

In a world where magic is forbidden, twenty special children are given crystal heart pendants. Heirs of magic, the necklaces are not just a pretty bauble but indicative of forbidden magical blood. 

Heart bearer Elissa scoffed at her brother's belief in dragons. That is until one abducted her on her eleventh birthday. Flown to the isle of Jintessa in its claws, Elissa discovers that not only are dragons real, but also the shapeshifters of legend. 

Bonded telepathically to a Djinn Dragonmerger named Druzy and his dragon Mysty, Elissa is given a mission to return to Tyr and free her home from the tyranny of an emperor determined to control all magic.

Hunted by her brother, Elissa must free her people before Ellas catches up with her. Can Elissa destroy the magical barrier, without destroying Ellas in the process?

The struggle for ultimate control of magic, has begun. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Faw
• Release date: Jan 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9780995994065

Susan Faw

Susan’s love of stories began before she could read or write. Her earliest childhood memories are of a make believe game she played with her sister, creating and telling an epic story inspired by a picture chosen at random from a National Geographic magazine. Susan spent her summers reading and writing sometimes serious, sometimes humorous works of fiction, imagining the worlds beyond her bedroom walls. Susan is an avid reader of literature, especially science fiction and fantasy. She loves to bring new worlds and fantasy adventures to young adults and inspire them to join her on her make believe journeys.  You can find Susan at www.susanfaw.com, on twitter @susandfaw or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SusanFaw.

Book preview

Heart of Tyr

Heart Of The Citadel Book Two

Susan Faw

Author Susan Faw

Dedication

This series is written for all those who desire freedom.

No matter where on this planet we live, where we work, where we play, we all desire the same things in life:

Good food,

Good friends.

A Solid Roof And A Warm Fire,

Peace,

Prosperity.

Safety.

And Love.

May you discover the truth unique to your path in life. Destroy your personal barriers. Never give up, for often success is just around the corner. Find the magic in the challenge that is unique to your journey.

Just like Elissa.

***

Copyright © 2017 by Susan Faw

All rights reserved. Reproduction or utilization of this work in any form, by any means now known or hereinafter invented, including, but not limited to, xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any known storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without permission from the copyright holder.

Cover Design by Venkatesh Sekar

Edited by Pam Elise Harris

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.

Contents

1.Prologue

2.A Rocky Beginning

3.A Dragon’s Rescue

4.The Citadel’s Advance

5.Burned

6.Objects of Power

7.The Scroll

8.Aymee’s Flight

9.Soap Bubbles

10.The Ambush

11.Shielded

12.A Walk on the Wet Side

13.Argos

14.Opaleye

15.A Change of Destination

16.Transformation

17.Twelve Stonehaven Road

18.The First Mission

19.Elemental Danger

20.Time to Bathe

21.Grave Robbers

22.A New Body

23.The Wandering Witch

24.Entombed

25.The Spell of Mayhem

26.Castle Ionia

27.Here There Be Dragons

28.Gone

29.Shifting Plans

30.A Common Enemy

31.A New Alliance

32.Hunted

33.Rescued

34.Bare Bones Magic

35.The First Jump

36.Challenging Beliefs

37.The Beginning of the End

38.Defenders of the Barrier

39.Captured

40.Spirit, Flesh, and Flame

41.Sneak Peek: Heart of Shadra

42.About the Author: Susan Faw

43.Also By Susan Faw

Chapter one

Prologue

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The Dragon’s Call

Elissa picked at her plate of mushy peas, bacon, and tubers, mounding the stiffening potatoes decorating one-third of the plate into a ziggurat of cooling mash. She flattened ledges at equalized levels, rotating her plate to study the symmetry, and then squashed some green onto the walkways. The bacon became runes. The crowning touch was a tiny flag of Tyr that she pushed into the summit. With a grin, she pushed her plate away, drained the last of her milk and stood up. Before she could take a step, she ran straight into her teacher. Madame Zen frowned down at her from a cloud of greying hair, drawn back into braided coil on the back of her neck. Curly grey wisps framed her face and half-moon glasses hung from a chain around her neck.

I am glad to see that my history lesson did not go to waste. That is an admirable rendition of the low country temple. But I believe the exercise at hand was to eat your dinner. For that, I must give you an F.

Eleven-year-old Elissa blushed and scrubbed a toe across the wooden floorboard of the dining hall. I wasn’t hungry.

Hmm. Then perhaps you should come with me. Without waiting to see if she followed, Madame Zen strode away from the table where Elissa had been eating alone. Elissa took a quick glance around the hall then followed the professor, swinging her school bag onto her shoulder as she left, the eyes of the dining hall following her.

She had to hurry to catch up for the professor took long steps and had spent her life walking the corridors of the castle. She knew of even more passageways than Elissa, which was saying something as Elissa spent nearly every waking hour exploring the castle. She loved the old drafty place.

Elissa had been brought to the castle by her mother when she was six years old, much too early for entry to school. She and her twin brother had been packed onto the back of a horse, and her mother had walked from the coast to the castle in the mountains leading the animal. The journey of two weeks had weakened her greatly. Their mother had not told them at the time, but she was dying. With no family to support them, she was determined to see them to the one place she believed she could find care and sanctuary for her children. The castle of Ionia.

They had arrived in the middle of the night, been deposited on the doorstep of the castle, and were given sanctuary for the evening. Their mother had died the next morning, leaving Elissa and her brother with nothing to remember her by but a pair of matching crystal heart necklaces that they never ever took off. Their mother had been insistent about this, promising that she had imbued the necklaces with powerful protection, and they must promise to wear them always.

Elissa’s brother, Ellas, had been taken in by the castle, but she had not seen him after the first year. They were both placed in the orphanage. In time, they were brought into the school to be educated, but as the children’s schools were separated, Ellas was moved to the boy’s wing and Elissa to the girl’s tower.

Elissa touched the necklace under her school robes as she trotted to catch up with the professor, who was winding up a staircase in the farthest tower.

Where is she going in such a hurry? And why this tower?

As if hearing her thoughts, Madame Zen said, Hurry up, child. We haven’t got all day!

Elissa broke into a run. Catching up to the long-legged matron was proving to be a challenge. Where are we going, professor?

It is time to take your education to the next level. You will see. Keep up!

Puzzled, Elissa trotted alongside her as they curved their way up a staircase, out onto a landing overlooking the hall below, then into another staircase that climbed for a considerable distance before emptying out onto a short hallway ending in a pair of heavy wooden doors. The professor marched over to the doors, knocked once, then pushed the door open and stood aside, gesturing for Elissa to cross the threshold. Curious, she stepped inside the cavernous room. The doors swung closed behind her with the soft snick of a lock triggered.

The ceilings of the rough stone room were curved. They soared high up into the distance, the winged buttresses disappearing into the shadows that clung to the upper surfaces. Littered across the floor were guano and small bones of animals, scraps of fur, and an occasional unshelled nut. The round room was filled with windows of every shape and size. Some were large and some small. Outside each window was a ledge, like a perch for a birdcage. Leaded glass filled each window, the panes of which were hinged to open wide, free of any middle post or obstruction.

All were currently closed except for one, and it was large enough to ride a horse and rider through, if a horse and rider could fly.

What is this place, Professor? Elissa asked, awed at the immensity of her surroundings. She watched an owl soar across the ceiling to a carved niche where it disappeared inside. It looks like a giant hatchery or a rookery.

Madame Zen smiled down at her. Very good! I have never seen birds this large, though. She waved her hand at the open window.

Me neither. Elissa wandered over to the yawning space, which was as high off the ground as she was tall, craning her neck to examine the window. Up close, she could see that the window sill was made of a solid tree trunk with the bark still intact. The wood was scarred with deep scratches as though large claws had gripped the sill repeatedly. That is one big bird, though. Look at the marks from its claws. Unless, she said, beginning to feel nervous, these are the marks of a demon? She breathed the word, the hair rising on the back of her neck at the thought.

A demon? the professor scoffed. My, you do have imagination, don’t you, girl? No, I am afraid it is not demons, but the source is magical…very magical. Madame Zen lifted her fingers to her lips and placing them inside her mouth, produced a shrill whistle which rose in pitch until it was utterly silent, yet she continued to blow.

Suddenly, the window darkened and a pair of claws settled onto the perch. A creature such as Elissa had never seen stuck its head in the window. A wedge-shaped head the colour of fresh snow was followed by scaled legs that sparkled in the late day sun. Four of them in fact! Wings of ebony were folded back onto its back. As it hopped down onto the floor in front of her, Elissa saw a rider seated in a saddle strapped to the back of the beast. The creature began to croon, the sound as soft as a purr.

A dragon! she breathed, her mouth hanging open in surprise.

Madame Zen chuckled. Yes, a dragon.

The dragon snuffled around the floor and mouthed some leftover bones. With a loud crunch that echoed around the chamber, the dragon ate the bones and feathers, cleaning up the detritus as it made quick work of the discard of the owls’ last meals.

Madame Zen knelt down in front of Elissa. They have come for you, Elissa.

Her eyes met Madame Zen’s. For me? Elissa squeaked.

Yes, for you. Are you willing to go? It is perfectly safe. This day was ordained from the beginning.

Elissa’s eyes left Madame Zen’s and traveled over the dragon to the boy.

It’s true, the lad said. We have come for you. He leaned over and offered his hand.

She stared at him, and the heart under her school robes warmed in response. She felt at peace.

Yes, I will go.

She hugged Madame Zen briefly then placed her hand in the boy’s. He pulled her up behind him and then urged the dragon away from the bones. Turning toward the open window, they climbed up onto the perch and launched into the air.

Go with our blessing, daughter of Sacré Coeur, murmured Madame Zen.

***

Far below, in the castle grounds, a boy paused, his eyes cast skyward toward a black shadow that flashed across the sky. His crystal heart burned against his chest. Ellas watched her fly away, the dragon’s shape imprinted on his mind and soul.

Chapter two

A Rocky Beginning

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Elissa stirred, struggling to wake from a deep sleep enhanced by Mysty’s magic. The dragon’s rhythmically beating wings slowed and steadied into a glide that angled down out of the chill of night. They plunged into the cotton fluff of the thunderhead, lit from above by the dual moons that rode the heavens. Elissa pushed herself upright, just as the cloud broke across her face, dampening her skin and hair. Lightning flashed, blinding her. She threw an arm across her face to cut the reflective glare and protect her night vision. Druzy, Elissa’s Dragonmerge partner, clung to Mysty’s neck spike. Druzy favoured shifting into his crow form when riding the skies on Mysty’s back. He cocked his head and ruffled his feathers and then opened his beak. While Elissa expected to hear the caw of a crow, somehow she understood his words even while in bird form.

We are just off the coast of Tyr, Elissa. Where is it that you wish us to enter? We have returned to the area where we found you years ago. We could go directly there, or do you have another place in mind?

Elissa dropped her arm as the lighting faded. Sure. It’s as good a place as any to begin our quest.

The crystal heart Elissa had been given at birth declared to all who understood that she was a child of magic, chosen to free her world from the grips of an evil emperor intent on enslaving all magic to his will. Once she arrived in Jintessa, she discovered nine other young women, each from a different province, called to an individual destiny with a shared goal. Bring down the barriers between the provinces and free the Citadel, and in the process, restore the natural balance of magic in the world. Only ten things stood in their way: their male counterparts, currently under the control of the emperor, and emperor Madrid, of course.

Mysty burst from the clouds and flattened her descent, craning her neck to find the castle where she had stayed so briefly. Spying the village spilling across the hills on which the castle had been built, she angled toward the spot. Elissa stared over the dragon’s side, peering at her homeland of Tyr. She had never seen it from above and was amazed at how it looked like a child’s play mat with scattered toy buildings and fields and dots of cattle and horses and wagons. To the east, the white-tipped peaks of the Tyrian Fold Mountains were visible against the faint blush of dawn tinging the sky, partially obscured by storm clouds. Lightning flickered, and then she saw it, a shimmer in the air that appeared for a second and then was gone.

Druzy, what is tha… Her words were cut off as the claw of Mysty’s foot touched the shimmer. With a blinding flash and a jolt of power, Mysty was flung away from the force field with the strength of a giant’s swatting hand. Electricity plunged into Elissa, and she screamed at the pins and needles that jabbed into her muscles. Her hands on the reins spasmed, causing her to drop them. Her legs jerked. She slid sideways, only to be caught by the safety harness she had fastened on for sleep on the time-warped journey. She slumped sideways and hung suspended over Mysty’s side, unable to do anything more than squint painfully at the spinning scene below her.

Druzy had launched himself into the air just in time and flew above the dragon, as Mysty howled with pain, flapping her great wings to rise above the field and back to the safety of the sky. Her wingtip touched the dancing surface of the field and sizzled out of existence, the feathers burned away in a flash of acrid smoke.

Focus on me, both of you. Let’s retreat back to the sea, said Druzy. Pain radiated along their shared thoughts. I remember seeing some rocky outcroppings off the shoreline. I will fly ahead and check to see if they are included within this dome of protection. Mysty?

I will follow you, Druzy. Please hurry. I need to set down soon. The shock of the barrier is too much to resist. Ahhh! Mysty moaned, curling the toes of her burnt foot in close to her body and labouring to maintain their height just below the clouds.

Trapped between the thunderhead above and the shimmering protection below, Mysty roared, a jet of flame shooting from her snarling lips then shook her head to clear the fog of pain that clouded her judgment. She focused on a rocky outcropping that was barely distinguishable from the choppy seas surrounding it below. Waves washed up against the sides and shushed through the cracks to spill back to the sea, but there was a flattish spot that appeared to be large enough to land on. Relaxing her flight, she dove toward the darker surface and at the last minute flapped frantically to slow her descent. She dropped to her rear feet, skidding several lengths on the wet surface before she could drop down on her good left front claw.

Druzy landed beside her and immediately shifted into his human form, running over to unstrap the unconscious Elissa dangling from Mysty’s belly. He carried her over to the shelter of an outcropping and laid her down, pushing her heavy damp hair back from her face. Angry streaks of purple crisscrossed her face and her eyelids quivered with the wild rolling of her eyes. Elissa! He dropped his ear to her chest, listening for the steady thrumming of her heart, but it was a weak and sporadic thumping that met his ear. He sat back and assessed Mysty. How is your claw?

I am regaining sensation now but with that comes pain. She extended her claw and he saw that one toe was severed and cauterized. Had I dived into that shield, we would have been vapourized on impact. She licked her foot, cleaning off the burnt hair and tugging away the blackened quills of the soft grey feathers that decorated the carpus join. I am fine, but Elissa struggles. She is badly hurt. We must get her to a healer.

Druzy frowned, looking over at the land that he could see within swimming distance from the rock. A lonely, squat hut with a dirty thatched roof sat at the narrowed entrance to the waters and a dim light stole around the edges of the curtain.

All right, I am going to see if I can get help at that cottage there. Can you see the edge of the energy shield? With the brightening of the sky, the shimmer was fading. Only the cloud cover allowed them to see it at all.

There, pointed Mysty with her claw. Just above the surface of the water, it ends. I can see it’s curve. You can swim under it.

Druzy peered at the waters and frowned. Why would they stop it short of the waters? It’s like they don’t think they need to guard against entry underwater. He tilted his head and looked at the choppy surface, trying to discern what might lurk below the waves. Elissa jerked and moaned and his eyes were drawn back to his bonder.

We are running out of time. She needs help now. Go, I will take care of her. Mysty placed a wing over the fallen girl, warming her cold body. But you must hurry.

Fine. Druzy studied the water again for a moment then with a sudden flash of inspiration, shapeshifted into one of the serrated-nosed garfish that populated the shores of Jintessa. Long white teeth curved past his jaw. He fell into the water head first, cleanly cutting the surface as he silently dove. He plunged into the grey waters, peering about with interest as he gyrated his tail and swam toward the distant shore.

Immediately below the forcefield, the energy cast a glow that highlighted the boundary but did not present a barrier. Confident of his path, he swam eagerly toward the opening between two rocks.

Out of the corner of his rounded eyes, he caught a flash of a long thin body, snake-like and scaled like a dragon. The water demon was ten times his size and moved faster than anything he had ever seen, a spiraling spear of death. Jaws agape, it snapped at Druzy. In desperation, he twisted away, slapping a stiff water reed with his tail to slow the demon’s attack. Jaws clicked shut behind him with a shower of bubbles as he sped through the gap and sped for shore. The water demon did not slow, chasing him with the dedication of a hungry predator. It lunged again, and this time its teeth tore into the thin membrane of his tail fin. Druzy’s form wavered for a second before he jerked away in desperation, the pain disrupting his hold on his shifted shape. With a final lunge, and a hard thrust of his bleeding tail, he shot up out of the water and beached himself on the sand, smacking face first onto the cold wet surface. He lost his control over his pattern and shifted back to his usual form. The water demon shot out of the water and then collapsed back with a loud splash, abandoning the chase. Druzy pushed himself up with his hands and a gasp of pain. The heel of his foot was missing a chunk of flesh and blood ran down the sides of his foot to drip onto the sand. With a grimace, he lifted his head and froze as sandaled feet met his gaze.

Well, well, well. You are nothing like the usual fish that wash up on these shores! That was some pretty fancy flying there, boy.

Druzy shifted to a sitting up position. His eyes travelled up over sand-coloured pants turned up three times to expose hairy calves. Anchored at the waist by a length of cord, the pants were accompanied by a striped blue shirt tucked into the waist and left open to the neck, exposing more curling white hair. A craggy face topped the shirt, with deep grooves formed by a face accustomed to smiling, as it was now. Druzy smiled back then winced as his foot throbbed.

Here, son. Let’s tend to that foot. He pulled Druzy to a standing position and wrapped his arm around his waist, helping him to hobble toward the hut. Shouldering the door open, he led Druzy to a wooden stool set beside a polished table made of driftwood. He eased him down onto the chair then said, What were you doing in the water, boy?

I am trying to rescue my friends. They are stranded on the rock beyond the barrier.

What barrier? There is no barrier on the water. The ocean is barrier enough as you have just found out. Terrible monsters live in these waters. No one with a lick of the sense their mother gave them goes out onto the ocean.

Sir, there is a barrier there, a magical one. I saw it.

Nonsense. There hasn’t been magic in these parts since the Great Purge.

I tell you, it’s there, and my friend needs help. She is dying because of it. She is stranded on the great rock beyond the barrier.

Dying, you say? Dying? He pulled down a cloth from a high shelf with one hand and poured water into a bowl with the other, carrying both to the table beside Druzy. Here, lad, wet this and wash your foot then put pressure on it till I come back. That gash is going to require stitches. I am going to go get your friend. He walked back to the door and picked up a pair of oars leaning in the shadows cast by the light of the brightening day. I will be right back.

Wait! I need to tell you…

Pah! There is nothing you can tell me about this shore that I don’t already know. With that, he shoved a floppy brimmed hat on his head and shuffled out the door.

Druzy grimaced and propped his foot up on the table, cleaning the cut. Have it your way….wait, what is your name?

The man’s laugh drifted back to him as he headed