Illuminator Witch: The Bonegates Series, #4

By Ashley McLeo

A kingdom seized. An ousted king. A looming war.

King Oberon is sure to seek revenge on my siblings and me, and he won't confine his fury to Faerie.

The human world, my world, is in grave danger too.

I can't let that happen, but there are obstacles to overcome first.  The most worrying being that the fae of Lyonesse are enchanted to follow their old king their death.

Only a select few believe we have their best interest at heart.

And then there's the matter of King Oberon possessing a dragon.

The deck is stacked against me and my allies, but we must get the fae of Lyonesse on our side before my father retaliates.

For if we don't, two realms will burn.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meraki Press
• Release date: Oct 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781947245501

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

LANA

My fingers gripped the windowsill until my knuckles turned white. Below, devastation littered the landscape of Lyonesse, and a faint scent of rot, of death, permeated the air. 

Inside me, guilt swelled, thinning my breath.

Three long days had passed since we seized Castle Phoenix, and while we had been working to repair the city and help the injured who would accept our help, there was still much to be done. So much to make up for.

Most citizens of the kingdom were not making it easy. Ravaging and riots occurred daily. Even now, right before my eyes, a plume of smoke bloomed somewhere on Hob Hill. I groaned.

We’d taken the city to help the subjects of Lyonesse, to bring magic back and ensure that my father didn’t abuse his people for a second longer. We understood some wouldn’t see it that way, but had been unprepared for just how many. The truth was, the vast majority of the citizens viewed my siblings and me not as liberators, but as thieves. 

In the streets, people cried for the return of their king. They called us bastard usurpers. They wished us death. Demanded it.

If they were among those in the palace dungeons right now, it might be easier to take. At least the soldiers and servants who had served my father in the castle had been enchanted into loyalty. But the fae in the streets had not been given the Fidelia potion; they weren’t under the king’s spell. They did, however, believe in their children, the enchanted soldiers or servants locked up in the castle. 

The common fae believed they’d raised good people who told the truth about the man they worked for—which, as far as they knew, they did. No one wanted to learn their whole life was a lie told by a master manipulator. 

There’s nothing you can do about it, Lana. Not right now, anyway. Soldiers are in place to handle the riots. Queen Pari and her three ladies in waiting—Isis, Bellona, and Armina—strode into the stark white room we were using as a council chamber, right on time for our meeting. The ruler of Buyan paused, her dark brown eyes raking over the room. Will Finn be joining us? 

An issue arose in the dungeons. He’s handling that. My throat tightened. 

Another coup? 

A near escape. 

As much as I hated keeping fae in the dungeons, releasing trained soldiers who wanted to kill us for taking over their kingdom was out of the question. At least until we gave them the antidote to Fidelia and convinced them we were the good guys. 

Pari nodded, so calm about it all. She always was that way. 

I found her grace under pressure difficult to imitate.

By the way, I spoke with a young boy who cleans the temple in the city, and I’m even more convinced the Sinker Divine is your Uncle Tizu. 

I said nothing. That there was even a temple was news to me . . . as was most of what pertained to the role of Sinker Divine, let alone the enigmatic person who held the title.

Apparently, Pari continued, as she approached the large table in the center of the room and gently set a roll of parchment atop the gleaming wood, the previous Sinker Divine, Thamula, perished decades ago. Tizu Fullfeather is the only one I can think of who your father would put in that powerful of a position. The problem is, your father had no public ceremony to appoint a new Sinker Divine, and half the time, once a person accepts that holy position, they choose to forgo their name.

At least in public, Isis added. Many allow their families to use their given name. 

True. But the boy I spoke to didn’t know it. Pari let out a soft sigh. All that to say, this will all be easier once we find the Sinker Divine, and he shows us his stores so we can brew more Cleritie. 

The ingredient we needed to create the antidote to the Fidelia potion was Gloriosa Moss. Supposedly, the moss grew in the wilds of Faerie. Posy, Ryker’s and Sai’s grandmother, had possessed small quantities of the dried moss, but her stores had since run empty. We hoped the Sinker Divine would have no such hindrances—perhaps he’d even have Cleritie brewed and hidden somewhere.

I really hope he has it squirreled away, I said. Posy can’t go foraging for Gloriosa Moss without risk of being injured. Most common fae know her family supports our liberation of Lyonesse. 

Posy’s clan had put themselves in enough danger by acting as spies. Since her grandchildren now outwardly supported me, I’d moved the entire household from Hob Hill to the palace, just like I’d done for the families of the royal guards who had supported us.

I’ll be shocked if the moss even grows in the wasteland outside the city walls. Bellona shook her head, and violet eyes gazed out a window, taking in the dark, dead forest beyond the castle wall. 

She did say that it could take months to find enough. She’d been saving the last bit she had on hand for years. I swallowed, thinking about how much destruction might be done to the city in that time. My father would certainly return to try and retake his throne too. Not ideal.

Hopefully, it won’t come to that. Pari unfurled the parchment. Why don’t you join me? Bring four weights while you’re at it. She gestured to a smaller table at my side. 

Figurines I’d taken to be small decorative statues sat atop its surface. I grabbed four, marveling at the artistry of the paperweights, each depicting a different sort of magical creature. I carried an elf, hobgoblin, chimera, and giant. They looked quite lifelike. 

Do they do anything special? I asked, recalling a stall I’d come across in Buyan. Petal, the pink-haired stallkeep, had carved enchanted figures that would show a lost person out of the woods by leading the way.

Pari held out her hand, taking the hobgoblin replica. After a second, she shook her head. Perhaps once, but there’s no active charm on them now. They’re merely decorative. Set the other weights on each of those corners. She placed the hobgoblin next to her and pointed to the corners opposite from where she leaned against the table. 

I did as she requested, all the while studying the map drawn on the parchment. The illustration was one of the most intricate I’d seen of Faerie. 

Where’d you find this? 

Your father’s bedchambers. When we were together, he was an insomniac. I can imagine him poring over this while the castle slept. Pari’s large eyes, rimmed with kohl, lifted from the page to meet mine. Have you had any luck getting into his hidden room beneath his study? 

Irritation—not at her, but at my own failures—roiled through my gut. No. Everyone except Gio has tried. 

Pari’s lips twisted. Whoever sealed the chamber for Oberon was crafty indeed. 

You don’t think he did it himself? 

He was never very skilled with wards.

It couldn’t have been his current wardmaker either, Armina, Queen Pari’s Master Wardmaker, snorted, revealing golden teeth. I crushed that fae’s protections in battle with very little effort. But the one in the hidden room is different. Stronger. 

Could be an older protection, too, Pari mused. That chamber belonged to Oberon’s grandfather, the previous king, before it was Oberon’s lair. 

So, extravagance runs in the Fullfeather blood. Isis, the head lady in waiting, tossed her blonde hair back and crossed toned arms over her chest. Who needs a whole tower to themselves?

We’re getting off-track. Pari planted a finger on the parchment on the table, demanding our attention. This map gives us a good guess where your father has gone. 

My ears perked up. 

Since the king had escaped Lyonesse, along with his Feathered Fae and Prince Casimir, we’d debated where they were hiding many times. Had his firlon survived the blast of dragonfire that Casimir had inflicted on Father’s study, we could have peered into the enchanted object to find him. As it stood, everything in his lair had been destroyed. 

So where do you think he is? I asked. 

Pari’s slender finger trailed north, past her kingdom and Ys—the home of Queen Maurette, also known as Mauri to our crew—into the far north of the continent. Beast Realm. It’s secluded, so save for diplomatic missions, few fae journey there. Had your father ever done so, either I or Queen Merenith, Queen Maurette’s predecessor, would have known about it. However, I suspect he’s been developing relationships with one of the chimera rulers by way of his Feathered Fae. As you’ve seen, they can easily evade our notice—even in places as highly guarded as the Lyonesse bonegate. 

What an understatement. My father’s elite soldiers were a major thorn in my side. Like my familiar, they traveled largely unnoticed, and attacked in ways most people did not expect. Not to mention that in their fae forms, they were all full elementals, making them powerful adversaries.

We believe Oberon will try to ally with the strongest chimera ruler, King Wasu. Bellona knows more about his castle than me. 

Pari gestured to her Master of Weapons, and Bellona stepped up to the table.

King Wasu has a prodigious stronghold in Suweth. Few know where it is, as he does not invite visitors often.

How do you know where it’s located? I asked.

Bellona’s face hardened. My family was captured and taken there. They died in captivity, but I escaped at the age of ten and traveled to Buyan. I devoted my teen years to training, until my queen found me. 

You were little more than a girl . . . and the best blade-wielder on the streets of Buyan, Pari said softly. We’ve been together ever since. 

I blinked. Though I’d known these women for weeks, I’d never put much thought into their lives before serving Pari. Did Isis and Armina have similar tales?

Bellona caught me staring at her and arched an eyebrow.

Sorry, I glanced away. It’s just . . . it surprises me that they captured your family. Your magic is very impressive. 

It wasn’t always, she admitted. My parents and siblings weren’t strong fae, but I had a gift. Once honed, it became the blade I always carry on me. 

I tore my gaze from Bellona and looked back to the map. Suweth wasn’t pictured, nor was there any sign of an alliance. I frowned and looked at the queen. How did the map tell you where to go?

Look closer. She brought her face nearer to the paper and pointed to a spot in the far north, touching the sea. 

I followed her example, and only when my nose was nearly brushing the parchment did I see a light drawing of a castle beneath the trees.  

I know the general area of King Wasu’s castle in Suweth, Bellona said, and this tracks with my experience. So either King Wasu sent it to King Oberon, or a Feathered Fae noted the castle’s location after a journey north. 

They didn’t want others to know, I murmured, unsurprised. The ex-King of Lyonesse was bursting with secrets. But even if that is the location, what if he went elsewhere first? Is it a pretty sure thing that he is in Suweth? 

My first idea was Zatus. Oberon had sent me and my siblings there once to speak with a disgusting Master of Swords, Gory. The spriggan was now dead, but that did not mean my father didn’t have other connections in the mafia-riddled city. And he’d need an army of hired swords to take his kingdom back.

We can’t be sure where he’s been, Isis said reasonably, "What matters most is discovering where he is now. We need to scout the north before mobilizing." 

Yes, dispatching an army without being sure of Oberon’s location would be foolish. Pari inhaled deeply. I wonder if Arlo might go—though it would be dangerous. From the moment he enters Beast Realm, he would need to be extra cautious. 

My teeth dug into my bottom lip. Her reasoning made sense, and although I was technically the leader of my sibling group and could order him to go, it felt wrong volunteering my brother. We’d all risked our lives so many times. I guess riding on gryphonback would be too obvious, huh? 

Certainly, Isis agreed. And sending an advance troop would be slow—not to mention, it would alert your father to our movements. 

And if Naela or Kane, or both, went with Arlo . . . Would that be better or worse? 

I’m not sure, Pari admitted. An eagle and two hawks would be recognizable targets, but one could also argue that there’s safety in numbers. We have too little information on King Wasu’s protections to make an educated guess.

We could lose them all. 

Pain sliced through me. While I wanted to say no to the idea, this wasn’t something I could decide on my own. 

I exhaled. I’ll talk to Arlo. 

The queen inclined her head. Very well. The sooner we learn Oberon’s location, the sooner we can bring him to trial. 

For a moment, my chest tightened. The pressure of leading, of trying to help those who didn’t want my help, was a constant weight on my shoulders. 

Is that all you wanted to show me? 

It was enough, but I’d learned it was best not to assume anything.

It is. I⁠—

Footsteps pounded down the hall, and the hair on the back of my neck lifted as we spun to face the closed door. A second later, a knock came.

Come in, I called. 

The door opened, and Sai appeared, her long white hair a mess and chest heaving. Am I interrupting anything serious? 

We’re finished, I said. What’s up? 

The soldier’s gaze latched onto mine. Gio’s awake and walking. 

Walking? The single word croaked out of me. 

How someone survived being incinerated with dragonfire to be up and walking three days later was beyond me.

With Dak’s aide, but yes. Sai smiled. And he has something to share. Something big. I already sent Crystal and Finn, but he wanted you there too, Lana. 

I pushed away from the table. Then let’s not keep him waiting. 

By the time we reached the healers’ tower, I was out of breath. Sai opened the door for me, Queen Pari, and her ladies. 

I entered, inhaling the smell of bitter herbs that reminded me so much of my mother’s healing work. Crystal, Finn, and Dak were already there, hovering around Gio as he ambled in a wide circle. 

Gio! I darted over to him, which earned me a glare from a brownie healer.

Sorry, I said, properly chastened.

 After the battle, we’d needed healers badly. Thankfully, a few had taken less convincing than the soldiers to ingest a bit of Cleritie potion. Now, they were disenchanted and busier than ever, healing various battle wounds. Probably sleep deprived too. I would do well to tread carefully around them.

I can’t believe you’re up. I said, my tone softer this time. And walking! 

I told him not to, the healer interjected. 

"She also told me I was in that bed for three days, Gio added incredulously. I only like to be in bed for days if I have company. Otherwise, I need to move. To be free!"

You need to rest, the healer shot back.

Signora, I’m a diviner, and no one tells the sea to rest. 

At this, the healer appeared to have hit her limit. She firmed her lips, huffed a breath through her nose, then turned and walked to the far end of the room to tidy up linens.

I snorted out a laugh and placed my hand on his shoulders. How do you feel? 

The real question I wanted to ask hung in the air. Gio had survived a blast of dragonfire so intense that it had filled an entire castle tower with raging flames. The only thing that had stopped it from consuming more of the castle was Armina’s ward. We’d theorized that Gio’s water magic had protected him, but was it the truth?

Better by the minute. He grinned. Dak, help me to the bed. 

The lion shifter, always more cautious than our water diviner brother, looked relieved and did as Gio asked. 

The second the water witch perched on the bed, he sighed. I called you here because I know you’re curious how I survived. 

Now that you mention it, Finn drawled, mischief in his eyes, I’m a wee bit interested. 

I rolled my eyes. We’ve only been checking on you every hour.

Well, allow me to regale you. He leaned back, placing his weight on his hands. I remembered the dragon and the fire coming at me, filling the tower. I pulled water around me, but the flame was powerful and ate away at my magic, so the fire burned me. I remember it all to that point, but wasn’t sure how I survived. Not until the healer returned this. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small, white object.

My breath hitched, recognizing it as a bone, though I could not discern who it came from.

Kate, Gio whispered. I can’t explain how, but her bone, her healing magic, saved me that day. 

Have you tried to use it before? Or Kumar’s and Nigel’s? Crystal asked, her expression intense.

Not really. Well, that’s not true. I tried with Kumar’s bone once. Nothing happened. Gio pulled two more bones from his pocket. Unlike me, he’d opted to keep one of Nigel’s bones after their Burnings—a fae death ritual. But when I realized the dragon was about to breathe flames, something drew me to Kate’s remains.

My eyes found Sai, who stood off to the side with her cousin. Can the bones of the dead impart wisdom? 

She shrugged. My family does not do Burnings. We prefer burials. 

But . . . Father never said anything about that.

Burnings and burials are equally common across Faerie, Pari cut in. In Buyan, we bury the dead. However, the Fullfeathers have always preferred the spectacle of the flame. 

My family was partial to Burnings, too. Armina stepped forward, hand held out for the bones, which Gio passed along. I’ve never heard of the enchanted bones—which we call talits—imparting wisdom or direction. But they can make your magic more powerful, particularly if you share a specialty with the deceased. 

"Talit, Finn whispered the word, as if trying it on. I like that better than bones. Far less creepy." 

Agreed, I said, happy to have another way to think of the remains. The term might not be in vogue in Lyonesse, but I’d be using it.

Armina’s fist closed over the talits, and she bowed her head slightly, hiding her face behind a curtain of black hair. After a moment, her face lifted and she flashed her golden smile. These are potent. They’re from a healer, a naga, and an illuminator. Am I right? 

Dead on, Gio breathed, his gaze set on the astute wardmaker. 

Did each of you claim a talit from the dead? Armina pressed. 

I took the talits, I said, carefully.

If you and your siblings have them, you should learn to use them, which means we need to put more effort into finding the Burners. They can tell you how best to access the talits’ magic. 

As far as we knew, the Burners had left the castle during the battle. We’d already searched for them so that they might take care of the dead, their primary role. But other matters regarding the living and the riots had taken priority.

How many are there? Crystal asked. I only met one, and he talked to me just long enough to give me the bones—er, talits. 

There are three Burners at all times because the magical fires take so much tending, Pari said. Knowing how to get the most out of the talits so they enhance your magic, or even give you new powers, would be a boon. They⁠—

A yawn cut through the room. The instant it left Gio’s mouth, he winced. Sorry. Just tired. 

Of course, you are, Pari replied, her expression understanding. We’ve overstayed our welcome. We should all go so you can continue to rest. 

Gio shook his head. I’ve been alone a lot. I’d love for someone to stay and talk. 

I’ll stay, man. Dak grinned at our brother. 

But the rest of us will go, Pari insisted, her dark eyes landing on Dak. And you’ll let him sleep if he needs it. 

Of course, the lion shifter replied.

One by one, we turned to leave the healers’ tower. My steps felt a million times lighter as I made my way out of the room. Knowing Gio was awake and walking was such a relief. 

Once we were in the hallway, we veered toward the windows that once looked out upon Casimir’s dragon familiar.

So we need to get our talits, Crystal said, coming to stand beside me. Then we can practice with them. 

The queen nodded. Each of you has all three bones? Or were there more? 

I cringed. That more of our siblings could have perished was a painful thought, albeit entirely possible. Since we’d arrived in Faerie, we’d been in danger. 

Three, Finn confirmed. I have all three talits. 

Same, Crystal piped up. They’re in my room.

I stayed silent. 

Lan? Finn prodded. 

My teeth dug into my bottom lip. I don’t have Nigel’s bone. 

What? Crystal twisted to face me, her blue eyes large. But you shared a magical specialty! His could have been the one that helps you the most! Casimir is a full light fae, right? And if you became a master illuminator . . . Imagine what that could mean. 

My gaze darted out the window. 

I was uncomfortable with how everyone stared at me like I was awfully thick for not taking Nigel’s talit. A little annoyed too.

What did they know about being a master illuminator? Masters generated light from themselves, rather than using their magic to pull it from the air. Should I gain access to each part of the spectrum, I could call myself a full illuminator, but not a master. Not yet. 

And I wasn’t sure that Casimir, powerful though he was, could claim that title either.

I thought about correcting Crystal, but didn’t bother. Really, the terminology didn’t matter.

 What mattered was that it had taken me months to access two more spectrums of light. Taking control of gamma radiation—the most destructive of radiations, which gave off a brilliant orange light—was infinitely more difficult than what I’d already accomplished. I might get there one day, but would that day come before we took on my father? I wasn’t so sure, even with a talit.

A Burner brought all three of them to me after the Burnings, Finn said. Didn’t they do the same for you two? 

Yeah. Crystal’s eyebrows shot up at the memory. A Burner delivered them to me, which means they delivered Nigel’s to you too. Right, Lana? 

I had him bury it, I admitted. I didn’t want it. Not after what Nigel did. 

Crystal’s face paled. Perhaps she was recalling her own psychotic behavior in the Successional. 

Okay, while I get that, Lan, you need to find him and ask him to retrieve it, Finn said reasonably. Casimir has a bloody dragon. He’s powerful and resourceful. Just like our father. Frustration rippled across his face.

King Oberon had canceled out Finn’s demon-born magic. No one knew how yet, or how to reverse the enchantment in certain parts of the castle, like in the tower where Oberon kept his study and a secret subchambers. 

Speaking of the dragon . . . Crystal looked out the window where the beast had once lived. Its presence was still strong, almost as if I could smell the fresh earth, turned up by its claws, or hear the rumble of its roar. I’ve been doing some thinking about Casimir’s familiar. 

Like what? I asked, desperate to talk about anything other than retrieving Nigel’s bone. It might be the smart thing to do, but I didn’t want the talit.

Lore says that the Fullfeathers have an affinity for winged creatures, Crystal said. "I always thought that meant birds. Our father’s familiar is a magical bird, but still a bird. A dragon, however, is major."

No shite, Finn muttered. 

But what if Casimir isn’t the only one to claim a dragon as a familiar? Crystal finished, dragging her gaze back to those of us in the hallway. 

My mouth dropped open. That someone else might have a dragon familiar, or maybe a phoenix like our father, was weird, but possible.

You’re a genius, I whispered. 

It’s the dwarf blood, Crystal gave a half smile. My idea is worth checking out, though.

I read about dragons a while ago, Finn mused. They live on an island off the continent of Faerie, I think? 

That’s correct, Isis piped up. The ladies in waiting had been so quiet, I’d almost forgotten they were there. Other creatures live on the island, too, but there are many dragons. Few fae have journeyed there, though. I have not, so I can’t tell you exactly where the island is located. The blonde lady in waiting appraised Crystal. Still, your idea has merit. 

Thanks, Crystal said. So, it looks like we should research dragons? Maybe plan a trip to that island? 

My breath caught in my throat. I already had a familiar, my hawk Naela, but the idea of my siblings going to a dragon island to possibly find theirs was terrifying. That’s brilliant, but wouldn’t it be super dangerous? 

Undoubtedly, Pari agreed. But it might be just the thing to even the score. Remember, Oberon will have a fresh army, a dragon, and a swarm of deadly enchantments riddling the woods of Beast Realm. 

We’ll start with research, Crystal assured me. Finn, will you help? We have to be fast. The last thing we want is Father marching south before we’re ready. If Casimir and his familiar return, I doubt he’d balk at torching the city to get to us. 

Finn nodded gravely. Of course.

A shiver ran down my spine as a memory resurfaced: the way Casimir had looked at me, that vicious gleam in his eyes, before he’d fled Lyonesse. 

Crystal was probably bang-on; if he and his beast came back, we wouldn’t survive. Innocents might die too. Our best chance at keeping Lyonesse safe was taking the fight north. If we evened the score before we marched, all the better. 

I guess that leaves me with figuring out where the Sinker Divine is, I said. 

Someone else can do that. Finn arched an eyebrow at me.

My ladies and I volunteer, Pari agreed. "We’ve already been asking around, and I know what Tizu looks like—or at least, what he used to look like."

Okay, that’s fine. I need to talk to Arlo about scouting, anyway. So much to do! 

"Lan. Finn leveled his gaze on me. You need to find the Burner and get Nigel’s talit." 

I sighed, knowing when I’d been beat. Fine. I’ll find the Burner. 

CHAPTER TWO

FINN

Iturned the page, searching for the right passage. 

Long ago, I’d read about an island, claimed by dragons, off the eastern coast of Faerie. Unfortunately for me, that was pretty much all I remembered about the place. 

I blamed my shite memory on having one too many ales at