4: Darken War

5: James

Chapter Five: James

I looked up from the mess of parchment and ink-stained ledgers scattered across Alexander's desk, my thoughts far from numbers and logistics. Just beyond the glow of the fireplace, the children giggled, tumbling over each other in a tangle of arms and laughter. Lilliana was seated on the carpet with her orange tail swishing lazily behind her, her golden feline eyes watchful even as her toddler, Leo, crawled determinedly toward a half-toppled tower of wooden blocks. My own children joined in—Alex, Astraea, and Althaeon, all completely carefree in this rare moment of warmth and peace.

I should have felt the same.

But I didn't.

Lilliana picked Leo into her arms.

I leaned back in the high-backed chair, arms folded across my chest, staring at the hearth as if willing it to spark with green fire and deliver a message from her. From Alexandria.

Nothing.

I sighed heavily and rubbed my temples. The harvest festival was approaching fast, and I'd hoped she'd return in time for it. I knew better than to expect it. I knew her.

Lilliana looked over at me. "Everything okay?" 

"I'm not sure," I admitted, my voice low. "I have a really bad feeling about this mission."

She gently set Leo down with the other kids and crossed the room, perching in the chair opposite mine. "You know she'll be fine, right? She's the Great Dragon now. There's nothing she can't manage. And she didn't go alone—Thorne, Alana, and Alexander were with her."

I nodded slowly, but the pit in my stomach remained. "I know. But still..."

Before I could finish the thought, the doors to the office slammed open. Alexander strode in, his violet eyes sharp and his mouth set in a grim line. His movements were swift and efficient, but I could tell he was angry—or perhaps worried. Probably both.

"What are you doing back here so soon?" I stood quickly, alarm shooting through me. My eyes darted past him. "Where is my wife?"

"That's why I'm here." He moved directly to the desk, flipping through documents with an urgency that only made my chest tighten. "There's going to be a war. The king of Dourhold—Thrain—is being controlled by the twin of the mind stone."

"The gem of the kings' twin..." I muttered, then sighed. "So let me guess—she stayed behind."

"Right again," Alexander said without looking at me. He pulled out a sheet showing the latest army numbers and made a few quick notes.

"And you didn't try to stop her?" I folded my arms across my chest.

He finally looked up at me and raised a single brow. "Do you honestly believe I have the power to tell the Great Dragon what she can and can't do?"

"You're her brother. She'd listen to you."

Alexander leaned back in his chair and gave a bitter laugh. "Exactly—because I'm her brother, she won't listen. We've been through too much together. She makes her own choices, James. And she trusts me not to stand in her way when she does. You need to learn to trust her that much too."

"It's not that I don't trust her," I muttered, moving back to the fireplace and sitting heavily in the armchair. "It's that I've already lost her... so many times. I don't want to go through that again."

Behind me, the flames crackled—and then shifted.

Her voice emerged like a whisper through the fire. "How sweet."

I turned instantly. Her image shimmered in the green flame, clear and calm. She looked tired but strong. A flickering image of the room behind her showed a sturdy stone chamber and, seated just behind her, an elderly dwarf woman working diligently on a piece of embroidery.

"How long have you been there?" I asked.

"Long enough to hear Alexander defend me and to hear you worry." She smiled faintly. "It's alright, James."

"Who's that behind you?"

"That's Helga," Alexandria said, glancing back. "Apparently if I'm going to be a 'guest' here, I need constant supervision to ensure I don't start a magical uprising. She's very dedicated to her needlework."

"Wait—'guest'? What do you mean by that?"

Her voice didn't waver, but her words twisted something deep in my chest. "I'm staying here. Voluntarily. They want to ensure I don't interfere in the coming conflict, so I'm... staying out of it. That's the agreement. I won't be able to share anything with you or the others aside from basic updates. I'm only allowed to talk to you and the kids."

I stood, barely able to contain the storm inside me. "Why would you agree to that? If you fought with us, we'd win. Easily."

"Because it wouldn't be fair." Her tone was calm, but I could hear the weight beneath it. "Love... if I keep fighting in every war, I'll never stop. And I'm tired. Tired of waking up in battlefields and leaving trails of fire and ash. This isn't about power—it's about making sure the next generation doesn't live the same way."

Helga glanced up from her stitching. "She's being noble, dear. Let her be noble."

Alexandria smiled faintly. "I'm alright. Please... just take care of our babies."

And with that, the fire faded.

I stood in silence for a long moment.

"Tell me the rest," I said to Alexander, turning to face him.

He sighed. "The advisor—can somehow use the mind gem. Alexandria sensed he was using it to try and control us. She blocked its effect, but it meant she couldn't protect us and fight him at the same time. That's why she stayed. To deal with him directly."

"Alone," I muttered, my fists clenching.

Alexander gave me a look that was almost weary. "She's the only one who can resist it, James. If he were to gain control over any of us... it would be disastrous."

I nodded. "Then I'll contact my court. The fairies will obey Thorne's orders until I return."

"That's wise." Alexander dipped his quill again and resumed his letters. "The dwarves have no magic. We don't need to fear magical sickness among the troops."

"Do you really think a war will break out?" I asked, watching his hand glide across the parchment. "What if she reclaims the gem in time?"

He looked up, serious now. "And what if she doesn't? We can't take the chance. No one is unbeatable—not even her. We need our armies ready, and we rulers need to stay far away from that gem. If Theo gets to any of us..."

I nodded grimly. "We lose everything."

He sealed the last letter and handed the bundle to a waiting guard. "Deliver these immediately."

Then he turned to me. "Come with me."

We walked through the stone halls, descending through the winding corridors lit only by wall sconces and our shared unease. Eventually we reached a thick iron door, cold and ancient.

"Why are we in the dungeons?" I asked, my voice echoing.

"Because this is where it began," Alexander replied, retrieving an old iron key from a hidden pocket. "And it might be where we find the answers."

The door creaked open. We moved past a row of dark cells until we reached one marked "13."

Alexander stepped forward and inserted the key. The lock clicked—and then the stone wall behind the cell dissolved like sand into a hidden chute. Another door stood behind it.

"Astraea," he murmured.

The door opened.

Behind it was a chamber lit by a faint, unnatural glow. The walls pulsed faintly with runes. And on the far wall was the symbol of the Great Dragon, scorched deep into the stone.

"This is where my father possessed me," Alexander said quietly. "And it's where the advisor may have learned what he needed."

He stepped inside first. I hesitated only a moment before following him.

Whatever lay ahead—we would face it. Together.