Page 24 of Crown of Ellova: Vol 1

Oh, Ellova’s grave, I don’t want this.

Leon is shouting, but I can’t focus on his agonized words. The world seems to explode as a splitting headache brings my whole body crashing to the burnt forest floor. The urge to scream overwhelms me, but the pain in my head has stolen any air in my lungs. My own magic is being ripped from me. Not in the way it drains when I cross the Divide, but like claws in my soul. Tearing it out of me and leaving what’s left ruined.

My body is going back and forth between numbness and a stabbing sensation I know is magic warring within me for control. My own magic is extinguished, the crown’s magic taking over.

My eyesight blurs from the pain in my head and the billowing smoke around me, but I can make out that Leon is running straight at me. When he is a few feet away, he launches himself towards the ground, sliding on his knees to my side, soot flying around us, his arms going around me. Darkness spreads over my eyes and I feel myself losing consciousness. The world is spinning but the scorched earth has finally stopped spreading, the flames gone.

“ARRA!’’ Leon’s scream is a broken plea in the darkness.

His bruised face is the last thing I see before everything fades away.

CHAPTER 11

My body shivers with a phantom frost, a coldness I haven’t felt since I fell into that frozen lake at the Ink Court’s snow-topped mountain sanctuary as a dewling. Leon’s warm embrace soothes me; his gentle hands trail heat as he checks me for injuries. Lying in the remnants of the burned earth, I gaze up at him. The pain is overwhelming as I lean into that comforting, reverent touch.

His voice is laced with emotions when he whispers, “Oh, my Arra, what have you done?” Leon’s rough hands cup my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheek with tender care.

HisArra. I could only wish to be his, and despite the pain I am in, my heart soars at his words.

“Something necessary,” I whisper back, rubbing my temple. “What happened to the fire?”

“The flames went out as soon as you put on the crown.” He moves some of the copper strands off my face after he finishes inspecting me for possible wounds. We stare at each other for a long moment, his hand resting carefully on my cheek, before he seems to realize how close we are, and he leans back on his calves.

“How do you feel?” His tone is rougher now, like the healer he is, gathering information. His fingers move to my neck and attemptto press down but I shove his hand away; my heartbeat will reveal I am not like him.

It takes me a moment to respond. “Truly terrible.”For many reasons, but I keep that to myself. “Can you hunt for my bag? There’s some water in it. I need it.”

I reach up to attempt to remove the crown, and excruciating pain hits me when I do. Nausea floods me like a sickening punch to the gut.

He finds my bag lying on the ground nearby and picks up everything that had fallen from it, wiping my fallen items on his pant leg to rid it of the dirt before placing it back inside the bag and walking over to me. “The crown will not come off, believe me. Jedrick tried every possible way.”

Leon sits halfway behind me. With slow and careful hands, he leans me against him, and I use his bent knee for back support, relaxing into him. He uncorks the small bottle and brings it to my lips, careful not to spill a drop. It’s cold, but the magic in the water warms me from the inside. With every sip, the pain recedes, leaving only a sore body and a blinding headache.

“Leon, there must be a way.” It comes out small and pathetic.

He is quiet for a long moment. “I have done all the research I could, and to my knowledge, it can only be removed upon one’s death.”

I nod; the truth strikes my stomach.

Someone in Ellova will know another way, a way mortals are not familiar with. My great-great-grandmother made this crown; she must have created a way to remove it without death.

The stars sparkle above us in the cobalt sky, and the Merawood Forest’s midnight creatures begin their moonlit symphony again.

“Arra, what are you doing out here?” he whispers.

“Me? What areyoudoing out here, Leon?” I push the bottle back to him and study his face. “You need to drink some of this. It will help your face. I’m afraid you are more…purple than when I saw you last. What happened?”

He gives me a small smile before taking a long sip. Still beautiful, even with his bloody face.

He sighs deeply, his black-and-gray hair falling in his face. “Those three men attacked Jedrick and me back at the Iron Castle. We were in his locked private chambers. If any of the guards outside heard anything, they would be hanged for treason for not aiding their king. The men came through a secret pathway that had been sealed, created only for an escape route in case of a fire or war. Caught us completely by surprise. One of them grabbed Jedrick and another knocked me out, but I woke up soon after they left.” He gestures to his bruised face. “I followed them and managed to almost catch up. Jedrick needed constant medical attention and could not be without a healer.” Leon rubs his face slowly, wincing at the pain. “Please tell me, why are you out here in the middle of the night?”

I ignore him and reach up, gently rubbing the cheek not covered in bruises. He leans into the touch, placing his hand over mine lightly. “Do you know who took him?”

“I suspect Kalvorn. That’s why we need to leave. We can follow this path.” He points northwest, towards the mountains between Kalvorn and Adreania. “You can rest as much as you need and we will send for your family later. I’ll bring you to safety, I have a place for us.”

Travel? “No, I don’t think so. I need to get home.” I want to stand but his warmth engulfs me and extinguishes what little fight I have left.

“Arra, please listen to me. Adreania is not safe!” Anger rises on his face, his breaths coming faster and faster as he speaks. “Grayden will stop at nothing to get the crown back. He knows it can’t be removed but that won’t stop him from locking you up! He will keep you as some sort of…pet. The pain he will inflict on you for taking what he thought was his will be unimaginable!”

---