King of The Elves (Dragon Riders Chronicles)

Finding Nyx

The Gisha tree was a giant tree that floated in the middle of a giant hole in the ground. The only thing connecting it to the ground were its giant roots, the largest of which formed a giant staircase to the hollow trunk. The flowers on the tree shone like stars against the dark blue sky. Jurriaan and Addison stood at the base of the stairs, both wearing matching black masks that covered their eyes.

Addison was wearing an elegant black dress made of beautiful silk. The dress had a strapless bodice covered in lace and a long flowing skirt that just touched the ground. Jurriaan was wearing a pitch black suit, the only colour a blood red tie hanging over his black shirt.

"Are you sure this will work?" Jurriaan asked for the tenth time since they'd arrived.

"They won't expect it. They're looking for non magic folk trying to sneak in on their own, not with help." Addison was just glad the ball was a masquerade. It would make it so much easier to sneak Jurriaan in.The pair made their way up the stairs and to the front entrance. There only one line, making it even easier.

"Hold out your hand please miss." The security operator said. Addison held out her hand and let him prick her finger. He tested her blood, which passed the test, and went to check off the list.

"Are you sure this will work?" Jurriaan asked her again.

"For the last time, yes, it will work." Jurriaan and Addison switched places, then Addison used sorcery to make them look like each other. The security operator walked over to 'Jurriaan' and grabbed his hand.

"Are you using magic sir? You're not supposed to use it upon entry." Luckily, the security operator wasn't a sorcerer, or he would have seen right through the trick. Addison smiled nervously, but it was just a show, for the story they had rehearsed. She stepped a little closer to the securiy operator.

"Look man, I'm sorry. I know we're not supposed to, but I completely forgot the ball was tonight, and I didn't have a suit. Please don't say anything to my date, she would be so pissed off. She barely even came here with me." The security operator looked back at Jurriaan and smiled sympathetically.

"Alright, I'll let you off this time, but you need to organise yourself better. She looks like a keeper. And remember, any sorcerer can see right through that suit."

"I'm just glad she's a witch." The security operator smiled widely.

"Have a great time kid." Addison stepped back and took Jurriaan's arm, leading him into the crowd before removing the disguise.

"All good?" He asked.

"Yea, he believed me. We need to look for Nyx." The pair walked around the ball, searching the half-covered faces of those around them. Addison couldn't find her.

"Are you sure she's here?"

"She always comes to these events. It's the only time she allows herself to socialise, because the wraiths won't attack here."

"But what if she decided not to come?" He asked. Addison turned to stand in front of him and looked him dead in the eye.

"She here, okay. We're going to..." Addison trailed off mid sentence when she saw a girl with long brown hair thrown over her left shoulder. The girl wore a black mask covering the left side of her face and a flowing red silk dress covered with black lace.

"I see her. Turn around." Jurriaan turned around and his eyes locked on the girl. He didn't need to be told where to look. The coloured ink covering parts of her arms gave her away.

"Go talk to her." Addison told him before slipping into the crowd. Jurriaan strode over to her and smiled.

"I'm Jurriaan." The girl looked up and him and smiled back.

"Nyx."

"Do you wanna go sit down?" He asked her, gesturing to the table and chairs on the other side of the room.

"Sure." The pair walked across the room and sat at the table in the corner of the room. Addison smiled from her position across the room. Everything was going how she had planned. She turned around and walked to the nearest window.

"You okay Fane?" She asked softly when her dragon came to greet her.

Yea. Did you find her?

"Yes we did. Jurriaan's talking to her now." Addison stopped talking. She could hear footsteps behind her.

"You have to leave." A voice whispered urgently behind her. She turned to see a tall man with white-blonde hair and yellow eyes staring at her. He was wearing black pants and a suit jacked that was left open to reveal his bare chest.

"Zephyrus, what are you doing here?"

"It is my sisters ball." He said with his signature grin, the his expression turned serious again

"I wasn't joking. You need to leave. The queen found out that a non magic user got in. The guards will go straight for you. Because of your ears." He said, pushing a loose strand of hair away from her face.

"What about Jurriaan?" Addison said, her eyes widening.

"Who?"

"He's my guard. I snuck him in."

"Well, he's as good as dead. C'mon, we need to go." He said, gently pulling her forward. Addison pushed past him and ran to where she had last seen Jurriaan with Nyx. They were standing against the wall, a dozen guards surrounding them.

"Addison, you can't seriously be thinking-" Zephyrus tried to say, but it was too late. She grabbed a knife from Zephyrus's belt and pushed past the guards.

"Anyone that wants to hurt these people has to go through me." She shouted. Fane flew over the crowd and landed on her shoulder, stunning the already confused guards. Three of them stepped forward, their swords at the ready.

Addison stepped forward and pushed one of the sword away before ramming the knife into the guards chest while Fane spat scalding water into the face of another. The third guard tried to hit Addison with his sword, but Jurriaan got there first. He kicked the sword from the guards hand and tackled the guard to the ground.

"Enough!" Jurriaan paused, his fist raised, and looked to where the voice came from. The Magician Queen was standing at the top of the staircase in the corner of the room, looking down on them.

"Grab them all. The girls, the boy, even that goddamn dragon. Bring them upstairs." She said in a booming voice before turning and walking back into the top room. The remaining guards rushed forward and grabbed the four of them. Fane snapped at their fingers. Addison looked into the crowd, her eyes locking with Zephyrus's.