The castle doors were covered in thick, dry vines. Long thorns poked out of them and made it hard to pull the vines off the door. Aurelie took a few steps back and looked up to see if there were any lights on in The Keeper's library. The stones were chipped and most of the windows shattered. Those that stayed whole had been covered in a thick layer of dirt, sand, and dust. The castle aged a hundred years since she'd been in The Dream Realm.
Aurelie ignited the palm of her hand and held it over the vine that crawled over the castle's door handle. Nothing happened. She pressed her fingers against the area she had tried to burn and found that had not even heated a little.
The Keeper's strange behavior the last time she saw him made her reluctant to look for him. However, the castle's appearance, accompanied by the Keeper's apparent battle with the Realmâthat he mention on their last visitâmade her quite curious about what had happened.
Aurelie made her way around the castle. The tulip fields were in full bloom, but the burning roses that crept up the castle walls had withered. The bulbs hung on dried, yellow stems with the petals scattered beneath the bush.
Grey clouds rolled in from the north, and thunder blasted above her. Aurelie moved closer to the wall. The Keeper told her that she could control everything in the realm but as much as she tried to calm the weather it appeared to be getting worse.
Raindrops fell, leaving circles large as gold coins on the path. Lightning lit up the sky and Aurelie covered her ears, waiting for the thunder to explode about her. The ground beneath her vibrated from the sound and the tulips bent overâalmost touching the groundâfrom the pressure of the wind.
Aurelie ran back to the door. At least there she could find cover from the rain. One of her shoes slipped off her foot, but she continued running. The rain soaked her. Her dress clung to her skin and so did her hair. Aurelie looked around once more to see if she could spot The Keeper or Marcus. The storm made it difficult to see the path or her surroundings.
Aurelie ran for the door and reached for the vines to stop her, sliding on the wet tiles. The vines crumbled to dust at her touch, and Aurelie crashed into the door, knocking her elbow against the metal handle.
"Oeh!" Aurelie rubbed her aching elbow.
The door creaked open. Aurelie turned, frowning. "Kss, Kss," she wearily called for Marcus, the Keeper's cat, and stepped inside. He was almost always around the old man.
The furniture was covered in white cloth and the ceiling weaved with webs. The corners of the room had gathered so much dust that the floor was no longer visible beneath it.
Aurelie covered her nose with the bottom corner of her soaking cloak and walked through dusty rooms and passages until she reached the steps that went up to the library. The arch that led to the stairs was gone, in its place stood a door that was sealed shut with planks of wood.
"Ah, Aurelie!" The Keeper said from behind her. "You look well."
Aurelie winced and spun around. "Oh. I . . . was looking for you." She hadn't heard him come up at all.
The Keeper bared his teeth in somewhat of a smile, hesitated halfway through it and pursed his lips instead. His glare reminded her of a dog's eyes that was about to attack, dark and almost glowing red.
"I told you the Realmâ" he said between clenched teeth and stopped himself. A smile lit up his face, and he shook his head lightly for composure. "It locked me out."
Aurelie narrowed her eyes. "You did." Her cloak was heavy with water. She undid the strings that tied around her neck and let the cloak drop off her shoulders. "But you never told me why."
The Keeper waved his hand dismissively and walked to the nearest window where, because of the layers of dirt, he was not able to see through. "Never mind that, I want to know about you. This whole place can implode on itself, for all I care."
"You were put here to guard the Realm. You have a responsibility to protect the secrets." Something was wrong with him. Where was the poised man she turned to for guidance?
He bared his teeth in an eerie smile. His eyes were wide and bright yet somehow vacant. "Don't worry about the secrets, dear." He shook his head, not breaking eye contact. "I have them all in here," he said, pointing at his head.
"What happened to you?" Aurelie took a step back. It felt as if the walls were closing in on them, and locking her inside with the crazy old man. She looked around, noticing how small it had gotten since he popped up behind her. The room was too small, and there was not enough air among all the dust.
"Well, I was locked out of the castle. So, I had to search for a place to live. You've hardly been anywhere so there's only this damn place and not a thing around it for miles." He waved his index finger at her. "Not to worry, I gathered that Kaiden's cabin would be here, or the inn. Since the Realm is yours now. I was right!"
"That's not what I meant."
The Keeper walked up to a couch and removed the material covering it, sending clouds of dust at Aurelie's face. She coughed and moved to the window.
The Keeper grabbed her and pulled her back. "Where are you going?" he asked, his fingers digging into her arm. "Don't leave yet. It," he looked up at the ceiling, wide-eyed and scared, "behaves somewhat while you're here."
A flash of heat ran through Aurelie's chest and face at his touch. He was frightening her. "To open the window," she answered while looking down. The disappointment was shattering. The Keeper had lost his mind and there were so many things that she needed to ask him. The portal to the Icelands was one. He would know about the wizards that cornered her. Now even if he spoke about them, his judgment would mean nothing to her.
The Keeper sat down and crossed his legs. "Now, tell me about the scales."
Aurelie stopped in her tracks, ice traveling through her spine. "How do you know about that?"
He laughed, and wrapped his hands around his knee, interlacing his finger. "I took your book, of course!" He crouched down in his seat and looked up to where the library was. "It wanted to chase me away empty handed, but I had to keep my eye on you."
There was no way to open the window. With his every word, and the gathering of dust, it was getting even more difficult to breathe.
Aurelie picked her cloak off the floor and wrapped it around her hand, over and over, until she was sure that she would not be injured. The thought of teleporting away, to the beach or anywhere apart from the tiny room she was in was exhilarating, but the realm seemed angry with her too. She had lost all her power.
Aurelie wrapped the cloak around her hand once more and punched the window. The glass cracked. Aurelie punched again, harder. Shard of glass clanked and dropped down. Aurelie scooted backward, trying to avoid the pieces cutting her legs.
"Yes, yes! Do as you please, it's not like you have to live here," The Keeper muttered.
Aurelie sighed and withdrew her hand. "If it wasn't for me, you'd not be allowed in here," she said, shaking out the shards that clung to her cloak.
"Ha!" he cried, and she heard him rise. "It's you that's gotten me into this mess."
Aurelie pressed her face to the hole in the window and took a large breath. "I doubt that," she said. "In fact, since I've met you I've only ever been in trouble. Maybe you've always been a damn madcap."
"What's that?" he asked, his footsteps sounding closer. "Have you seen how lovely the tulips are this time of year? So lovely!"
"Yes, I've seen the tulips." Aurelie shut her eyes and attempted to catch up with all the breathing she missed out on in the filthy castle. Even while she breathe fresh air from the hole, she still felt as if she was suffocating. The Keeper lost his mind, Daerious, Orken, and Leila ran away, and she had no idea whether Kirin would ever wake up. The loneliness was shattering.
The Keeper came to stand beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about anything, I have your book. I'll advise. All you have to do is act."
Aurelie burst out in a fit of nervous laughter. "You?" she yelled. "You're as sane as... I can't think of anything to compare you with! You know why? Because I'm never heard of anyone this mad!" Her arms flapped around her, and over her head, she jumped and stomped down as hard as she could.
"My, my," he said, and widened his eyes.
Aurelie covered her face with her hands and leaned against the wall. "Do you have any idea how much you've failed me? Kirin is probably going to die, and I'll be left alone, because of you! You're my guide. My advisor! And you've decided that this was the right time to lose your damn mind! What's wrong with you?" Aurelie pushed herself away from the wall and stomped around the room. "Snap out of it!"
"Your grandmother told me that I was insane almost every day, and look now! She's dead and I'm still ruling."
Aurelie's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but what she heard was so ridiculous that she thought she must have misheard it.
"I said to her, I said, 'Olivia, my dearestâ
"Hold on," Aurelie interrupted. "Say the first part again." Her mouth stayed open. The things she would do to him if he were King and lied all this time. One by one, the pieces linked together. Where would he have gotten dragon magic for the vial that saved her if he wasn't related to the Dranoir bloodline?
They said that Emile had killed the King, but no corpse had ever been found. They held a funeral for an empty casket, and just assumed . . .
"What, that your grandmother said I was insane?"
"You're the old King," Aurelie stretched her lips, in what must have looked like a deranged smile, "and you never thought to mention that? What kind of monster are you? I was alone. I lost my aunt and uncle, and you couldn't have told me that you were my grandfather?" The only explanation for her relation to that family could have been that they had stolen her because in no way was she the kin of all those lying, evil men.
"I thought you knew. I did tell you how to use your magic." He nodded, and walked to the end of the couch, holding onto the edge.
Aurelie walked in his direction, and he moved to the other side. "No," her smiled widened, "No, you didn't."
"Have you seen the tulip fields?"
Aurelie kicked the couch, making The Keeper flinch and walk away in the opposite direction of her. "I don't care about the bloody tulips!" It came to her like a splash of ice-cold water in the morning. "Hold on a second, you devious, little imp. You're not mad at all, are you?" Aurelie waved her finger in realization.
"Now, don't you think, for a second, that you may speak that way to me, little girl." The Keeper's expression turned cold, and his eyes finally seemed present.
Aurelie folded her arms and raised her chin. "There he is," she said and applauded. "Often times I've wondered where Emile got his deviousness from, but now I know that it was certainly not from you, No, only a coward could pretend to be out of his mind to confess a secret."
The door behind her slammed open. "Aurelie," she heard the Keeper say from behind her as she was looking right at him.
She turned. Her heart raced and saw a bewildered and dirty version of the Keeper standing in the doorway. "Howâ"
Hands grabbed her shoulders from behind. The Keeper's hot breath blew against her neck as he put his lips to her ear. The other's Keeper's eyes widened. Whatever was happening, he wasn't happy about. He took a step forward but the Keeper who had held onto her began to talk. "Don't use that portal, rub viper venom on your skin to harden there where the scales prod, and most importantly, don't think that the magic in that vial came for free. I had to drain all my power for you and trade my existence to this realm until it one day crumbles. Your friends died?"
"Stop it!" the other Keeper said. "Get back here!" he pointed a finger at him.
"Poor little thing. I've changed your fate, Aurelie Dranoir," his voice hardened, and he bared his teeth in disgust.
"We've talked about this," the other Keeper raised his voice but it didn't stop him.
"I might not love you like those silly peasants love their young, but I preserved you. Your actual story ended thirteen years after your birth, at the castle, due to a damn horse. Whatever you have now, I granted you. I changed the will of fate for you."
"Why are you doing this?" the other Keeper pleaded. "Aurelie," he turned his attention to her, "don't listen to him. He's mad as a sick dog."
"I..." Aurelie's eyes filled with tears, she closed them so that he could not see. If he was her grandfather, then he had been advising her to fight his war. Manipulating her and lying to get his way.
She wished that she could have said that to him, but her lips would not move. They quivered like those of a little girl. All the character and courage that knew she had within her disappear in his presence.
"Now go," he commanded. "Actually, I will." The Keeper's hands released from her shoulders. He walked right up to the other Keeper and just as she thought he would stop, or attack him, he disappeared right into him.
His eyes were vacant for a moment and then he blinked.
"Aurelie, my dear," he began.
She took a step away from him. "What was that?"
"The realm's been . . ." he sighed, "it's been separating my body and soul. To . . . to get me out of here, but I'm not leaving."
"Which one was he?"
The Keeper's shrugged. "Does it matter?" he smiled sheepishly.
The clear answer was going to the Icelands. But did she want to? What if The Keeper was right and going there was a mistake? However, everything he had told her up until that moment seemed to be for his own benefit. She was alone, without allies, and without a home of her own.
Aurelie was going to go to the Icelands. The Keeper couldn't stop her. He could blame himself for her lack of trust in him. She was goingâonce Kirin woke up.