The Magic Shell

Prologue-1

Prologue

Isle of the Elementals:

Three years ago

The corridors of the Crystal Palace were alive with the residents’ early morning activities, but Princess Gem Aurora LaBreeze was only mildly aware of the hustle and bustle as she strode down the magnificent corridor. Her mind was preoccupied with what had happened at the meeting that she had attended the night before. She was still trying to process everything that she had seen and learned before she presented it to her parents.

The most shocking part of the meeting had been seeing the Dragon King! The last she’d heard, Drago had cloaked the entire Isle of the Dragons in a deadly fog after the Sea Witch turned his family and all of his subjects into stone. In the years since, he had never reappeared – until last night when he had attended the meeting of rulers and representatives – all because a woman from another world had come and changed everything.

Nali, the Empress of the Monsters, had claimed that this woman, Carly Tate, had initiated a chain of events that would bring the kingdoms together to destroy ‘the alien creature’. That’s what they were calling the evil entity who had taken over Magna the Sea Witch and forced her to terrorize the Seven Kingdoms.

Given that her free will had been enslaved for centuries, the others attending the meeting had voted to spare the Sea Witch’s life if possible. Gem had been the lone dissenter. She did not yet know why her parents had been so adamant that she must vote for Magna’s death no matter the circumstances, but she was sure they would not be happy when she informed them of the decision made.

Gem’s expression softened when she saw the old guard standing protectively outside a set of splendid double doors. The guard bowed his head in respect and opened the door to the conference room as she approached. The beautifully carved doors told the tale of the Elementals. Reaching out, she lovingly glided her fingers along the surface of one door.

“Your parents are expecting you, Princess. A word of warning, though, the High Chancellor is with them,” the guard murmured.

“Thank you for the warning, Samuel,” Gem replied with a rueful smile.

“My pleasure, Lady Gem, I’ll also have a word with the young guards about their manners – again. I think you’ve broken more than one heart with your arrival this morning alone without even realizing it,” Samuel replied with twinkling eyes.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw several young guards staring at her with crooked grins. She chuckled and shook her head when one of the young men flushed and smiled broadly at her. With a stern glare from Samuel, the group quickly retreated in different directions. She returned her attention to the old guard.

“New recruits – I swear I go through this every time. This is their first time in the palace. I wanted to give them an opportunity to see the daily workings. You’ll be all they talk about the rest of the day!” he said as he shook his head in rueful amusement.

“I do it just to keep you happy. It gives you something to chastise them about,” she teased.

Gem was still smiling when she entered the conference room. Samuel had been her parents’ personal guard for as long as she could remember. She had spent countless hours quizzing him about the different scenes depicted on the doors, and he had spent the same number of hours enthralling her with the history of the Isle of the Elementals. He had also taught her how to use a sword.

The smile on her lips faded when she saw the High Chancellor talking with her parents. She didn’t care if the man was her distant cousin, she didn’t like or trust him. Ever since they were children, she had avoided Wayman whenever she could. She did not understand why her parents had chosen to promote him to such a powerful position after his parents’ untimely deaths.

As she crossed the room, Gem pulled her attention away from Wayman and focused on the flash of amusement in her mother’s eyes. Queen Adrina LaBreeze raised an eyebrow and Gem forced a smile in response, nodding politely to the High Chancellor as his calculating gaze swept over her. She nonchalantly locked eyes with the distasteful man, her serene smile never wavering, and as usual, a spark of anger flared in her cousin’s eyes before he looked away. The bastard had a long way to go before he would ever intimidate her.

“Welcome home, darling,” her mother warmly greeted.

Gem stopped in front of her mother, and lightly kissed her on both cheeks before she did the same with her father. Her father held her arms a fraction longer before he released her. She ignored Wayman. If there was one way to get under her cousin’s skin, it was to deny him the attention and power he craved.

“Did you have a good journey?” her father quietly enquired.

Gem bowed her head in agreement. “It was interesting,” she casually hedged.

She glanced at Wayman. She would speak to her parents about the meeting later. Her gut was telling her to be extremely cautious about sharing information in front of her cousin. If her parents decided to inform Wayman about where she had gone and what was discussed, that would be their decision.

“I was not aware that you had left the Isle, Gem. I believe there is still a decree in place that severely restricts all travel,” Wayman commented pointedly.

Gem shrugged. “My travel was sanctioned by the King and Queen, Wayman. I saw no reason to share my movements with you,” she retorted.

Wayman’s eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips before he softly said, “As our Majesties wish, of course. ” He inclined his head deferentially toward King Ruger and Queen Adrina.

Gem looked at her mother when she felt a touch on her arm. It was only then that she realized that she was clutching the hilt of her sword. Her cousin always pulled a desire out of her to see if his blood ran red or black.

“Wayman, we will meet with you later. We would like time alone with our daughter,” her mother graciously stated.

Wayman stiffened at the dismissal. He gave her mother and father a curt bow and shot her a speculative look. Gem casually turned and watched as he silently walked toward an exit concealed behind a large tapestry on the left side of the room.

She waited until she heard the door open and close before she turned back to her mother. Her father chuckled and Gem huffed.

“I don’t know why you put up with that worthless piece of—” she muttered with a disdainful sniff.

“Sometimes it is better to keep those you don’t trust close to you,” King Ruger replied with a sigh.

Gem looked at her father with surprise. “I didn’t realize you felt the same way,” she said.

“He has always been very much his father’s son, I’m afraid,” her father replied.

Her mother released an inelegant snort before she changed the subject. “What did you discover?” her mother asked.

Gem looked at her parents with deep concern. “The others are going to try to capture Magna. Nali warned against killing her. Drago—”

“Drago!” both of her parents exclaimed at the same time.

“The Dragon King has returned?” her father demanded.

Gem nodded. “Yes. There was a woman with him. She is not from our world,” she expounded.

“Not…” her mother began, tilting her head with sudden interest.

“Tell us about her,” her father urged.

Gem thought about Carly Tate. “She is so sweet and gentle, and she looks a great deal like someone of our world might, though she seems to have no magic of her own. Nali said her presence has initiated a series of events that will save our world – as long as Drago does not kill Magna,” she said.

Her mother’s brow creased. “Nali has the Goddess’s Mirror. She would know,” she acknowledged.

“But why would she tell them not to kill Magna? Surely if the Sea Witch is dead, the kingdoms will be safe once more,” her father argued.

Gem shook her head. “Nali said that it is not actually Magna doing these things, but an alien that has taken over her body. Nali thinks Magna is fighting against the creature,” she shared.

“A creature like—” her mother murmured, looking at Ruger with a worried expression.

“What is it?” Gem asked.

“What does this alien creature look like?” her father quietly enquired.

Gem frowned. “I don’t know. Nali said it fell from the sky, and she saw a black shadow moving over Magna. Why? Do you know what it is?” she asked.

Her parents looked at each other before they turned their attention to her again. Her father reached for her mother’s hand and squeezed it.

“Come with us,” her father quietly instructed.

Gem nodded and silently followed her parents out of the conference room. She was surprised when they exited through the door that led outside. She paused and looked behind her. She had a nagging feeling that they were being watched.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she turned back to her parents who were descending the steps out into the central gardens.

Her mother paused on the steps. “It would be better if we showed you,” she softly answered.

Gem, intrigued by her parents’ behavior, followed them down the steps and onto the path. The interior gardens consisted of numerous smaller, themed gardens contained within a larger one. Set within a vast maze were individual walled gardens covered in ivy, each with a theme of its own.

Her mother loved the rose garden while her father preferred the desert cacti. Her favorite was the night-blooming garden. She followed them through the maze. The tall hedges that lined the paths continuously changed. The only constants were the eight walled gardens.

It had taken her years to learn the minute nuances in the energy field that would guide her through the maze to any of the gardens that she wanted to visit. She looked down at her hands. A rueful smile lit her face when she realized that she had unconsciously lifted her palms to feel the pulses of energy.

She slowed her steps when she felt an unfamiliar pulse leading to the left. Looking up, she saw her mother pause and give her a sad smile.

“What is it? It feels almost like…,” She shook her head, unable to pinpoint the emotion.

“Grief, pain...,” her mother stated.

Gem looked at her mother in confusion. “Yes,” she replied.

Her mother held out her hand. Gem walked forward, slid her hand into her mother’s, and they rounded the corner of the maze. Her breath caught in stunned disbelief when she saw her mother’s favorite garden crawling with wild, thrashing vines covered with sharp thorns.

“What happened?” Gem asked in a barely audible voice.

“It is best if we are inside the garden before we speak of this,” her father replied.

Adrina reached out and murmured to the vines. She lifted her hand and one of the runners wrapped around the tip of her finger. The sharp edge of a thorn brushed across the pad and drew blood. Only when the vine recognized her mother did they retreat far enough to create an opening to the door.

Ruger stepped forward and waved his hand in the air. A crystal key appeared. He reached up, took the key, and fitted it into the door. Gem couldn’t help but wonder what was hidden behind the door that was so important to protect.

She paused and looked at her father in concern before she followed her mother into the garden. Her eyes swept over the interior. She had not been inside this garden since she was a child.

Gem stepped forward, her mouth agape at the beauty of the twin trees wrapped around each other in the center of the garden. She had never seen trees like this before. They looked like two bodies embracing each other. The larger tree was wrapped protectively around the slightly smaller one. Wild climbing roses grew around the thick trunks, but there was only one rose blooming. The rose was a dark red with veins of black running through it, and it was larger than a dinner plate. She stepped forward to touch one of the petals. A low gasp slipped from her when her father grabbed her wrist to stop her.

“Don’t touch it,” he warned.

“Why? I don’t understand. Why is it so cold in here?” she asked, pulling her hands back to rub her arms.

“It is the dark shadow that Nali mentioned,” her mother replied in a soft voice.

“The dark shadow…,” Gem looked at her mother, then her father before she returned her attention to the rose. “Are you saying the alien creature that has taken over Magna is here? How? When? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Gem watched as her parents exchanged glances, their expressions filled with a wealth of conflicting emotions. “Yes, the alien creature is here, but it is not the same one that has taken over Magna,” Queen Adrina began. “Not long after the end of the Great War, King Samui and Queen Malay of the Isle of the Giants came to us, seeking help. They had been sailing near the Isle of the Sea Serpent when an object fell from the sky. The meteorite damaged their ship, and it took several days to repair. While they were stationary near the crash site, Samui found a piece of the meteorite – and it was alive. It slid under his skin and began consuming him. Malay immediately sought our help,” her mother explained.

“But… why? Why not return to their kingdom?” she asked, looking up at the entwined trees.

“Malay is my sister – your aunt. Giants must marry outside of their kingdom. Malay fell in love with Samui when they met as teenagers,” her mother shared.

Gem looked at her mother in surprise. “Why did you never tell me about her?” she demanded.

“You were very young when Malay and Samui arrived. The alien creature was growing rapidly, spreading throughout Samui’s body. Nothing we did could stop it. In a matter of days, we realized that it was taking over his mind,” her mother quavered, her voice filled with anguish.

Ruger stepped up to Adrina and wrapped his arm around her waist. “We were in this garden, trying different forms of magic to pull the creature from Samui, but the creature was too powerful. Samui started to fight us. Malay tried to stop him. When she touched him, a portion of the creature spread to her. Your mother and I knew that if we did not stop them, they would cause devastating damage and loss of life – not to mention the possible spread of the alien infestation to other Isles. I invoked an ancient spell of the Elders and turned them into trees,” he explained.

Her mother waved a hand at the rose. “Recently, the vines began growing and we noticed the spread of darkness through the petals of the rose. We believe the creature has grown strong enough to seek an escape – into a new host,” she said.

Gem looked at the flower. The black had almost overtaken the red in the short time they had been talking. The movement of the soft petals was almost hypnotic. She had to curl her fingers into a fist to resist the temptation to reach out and caress it.

“Why hasn’t it spread from Magna?” she asked in a distracted voice.

“Magna is a very powerful witch. The creature uses the power of the people it occupies. I think Magna sensed the danger and was able to bind the creature to herself so that it could not spread, very similar to what Malay and Samui did when they used their combined magic to seal the creature within themselves when they transformed into the trees. If we could find a way to pull the creature out and contain it, we may be able to save Malay and Samui, but we need to do it soon. If not – if not – we may be forced to end their lives in order to kill it because we cannot let it spread,” her mother explained in a slightly uneven voice.

“If such a creature is as powerful as you say, perhaps it would be better to allow it to live.” Wayman’s deep voice caused all of them to turn to face him directly.

“What are you doing here?” Ruger demanded.

Wayman’s lips twisted into a sardonic smile. “What I should be doing, your Majesty, acting as your advisor,” he replied.

Gem watched with growing unease as Wayman stepped into the garden. His eyes were not on them, but on the transformed figures of Samui and Malay. She stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

“You were not asked to be here,” she snapped.

Wayman looked at her. “I can think of no other place that I should be but here,” he stated with such grim certainty that Gem wondered if this was about more than a determination not to be left behind. A movement near the door of the garden pulled her attention away from Wayman for a moment.

“I apologize, your Majesties, I tried to stop him from following you, but I lost him in the maze,” Samuel said in a breathless voice.

“I will handle this, Samuel,” Ruger reassured the old guard.

“Wayman, don’t!” Adrina cried in alarm.

In the space of an instant, disaster unfolded before Gem’s eyes. Wayman reached out with both hands and grabbed the now completely black rose. His body stiffened, and his eyes widened. Black tentacles wrapped around his arms and rapidly engulfed his body.

Ruger quickly pulled Gem and Adrina away from Wayman. He pushed them behind himself.

Adrina grabbed his arm. “Change him, Ruger,” she advised.

Wayman turned and looked at them. His face was hard and his eyes were now the color of a moonless night. A snarl curled his lips, and he lifted his hands towards them.

“I am free!” Wayman’s lips moved, but the sound coming from him was rough, hoarse, cold, and odd.

Her father started to respond, but before he could, long, sharp spears of black shot out from Wayman’s palms. Samuel, quick as lightning, jumped in front of her father. The spears pierced the beloved guard’s body, lifting him off the ground where he dangled for a moment before the alien in Wayman’s body tossed him aside like a child’s discarded toy.

Gem reached out to her friend as her horrified cry filled the air, “No! Samuel!”

“Run!” her father yelled.

Gem stumbled when her father turned and pushed her and Adrina through the doorway of the garden. He wasn’t far behind, and once through the doorway, he slammed the door and muttered a hoarse command. Stepping back, they watched as the vines that had protected the garden began to transform.

“It is spreading,” her mother said in a grief-filled voice.

Gem grabbed her mother’s hand and began pulling her back along the path. The creature was spreading – and the vines were greedily reaching for them. She turned to look at her father when she realized that he wasn’t beside them.

“Father?” she cried.

Ruger stepped back. Adrina held out her hand to him. His eyes were focused on the growing black mass. Gem hissed when the walls around the garden suddenly crumbled and Wayman stepped through the tangle of vines – a contemptuous sneer on his lips.

“This is what true power feels like, Ruger. You should have embraced it instead of trying to lock it away,” Wayman hissed.

“Water freeze, hold him still,” Ruger ordered.

Gem watched as water droplets formed around Wayman’s body before turning to ice. Inside the ice, she could see the black tentacles wriggling. Her hand tightened on her mother’s arm when the vines reaching for them began to retreat. Hope swelled inside her until she caught the malicious gleam in Wayman’s eyes.

“Father, watch out!” Gem shouted.

She pushed her mother to the side and jumped forward. Her arms wrapped around her father’s waist knocking him off of his feet as the ice shattered, sending shards of sharp ice crystals flying toward them. Rolling to her knees, Gem pulled a blade from her boot, and threw it. The blade went deep into Wayman’s shoulder, knocking him back several steps.

Rising to her feet, she helped her father up before turning to her mother. They needed to get out of here. The creature screeched with rage and reached to pull the blade out of Wayman’s shoulder.

“Mother!” Gem cried in alarm.

Adrina was lying on the ground, a long shard of ice protruding from her side. A dark stain of blood spread outward from the wound, turning the light green material of her gown to a deep red. Gem knelt and cupped her mother’s cheek.

“Ruger, you must – we must – the Elders’ spell. It is the only chance to save our kingdom now,” Adrina whispered.

Ruger wrapped his hand around his wife’s and nodded. “Gem, you must seek help from the other kingdoms. If they can kill the creature in Magna, they may be able to do the same here. If nothing else, warn them about what is to come,” her father ordered.

With a frown, Gem looked from her mother’s pale face to her father’s. “I won’t leave you! Samuel…,” she began.

Her father reached out and grabbed her arm. “You are our only hope now, Gem. I will place traps along the way to slow the creature down if it should break free, but you must not let the creature touch you. Go!” her father ordered in a stern voice.

Gem wanted to protest but her father was already chanting the spell. She rose to her feet when she saw the mist forming around him. The creature – and Wayman – shot a tentacle toward her parents. Gem instinctively lifted her hands and closed the maze in front of them. As she backed away, she saw her father help her mother to her feet. Her mother’s voice blended with her father’s as they recited the enchantment together.

Fear and grief engulfed her. The black vines broke through the hedges, ripping them from the ground and tossing them aside as they hungrily reached for more hosts to inhabit. Wayman’s features were shifting from wood, to stone, and back to flesh.

She continued to back away – afraid to turn her back lest the creature attack her. Her eyes widened with horror when her parents’ voices faded as the mist enveloped them and their bodies melted away. The silencing of their voices did not stop the magic they had unleashed, however. The rolling fog grew thicker and began to expand.

“Join me, Gem, and accept your destiny,” Wayman called.

Gem shook her head in denial, her voice frozen with fear. Backing up toward the edge of the first turn in the maze, she spun on her heel and fled when the dark grey mist of the Elders’ magic continued to spread, rolling in a thick wave over the ground. Behind her, she heard Wayman’s howl of rage, and she knew that the creature was fighting the magical power that was slowly overtaking the Isle.