“We have to warn them,” Jade said.
“And how do you expect us to do that? Do you want one of us to go alone?” Aidan asked.
“I suppose so. We can’t leave them ignorant and defenseless.”
Isla’s brow furrowed in confusion.Who are they talking about?
“I will go.” Rynn stepped forward. “I can get there faster if I fly.”
Bri and Isla looked at each other, and Bri shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, wait, what’s going on here? Who do you have to warn?” Isla asked, throwing her hands in the air to halt them.
The four elementals silently turned to her. Aidan pulled at his ear while Kai nodded hesitantly. “I suppose they should know,” Jade said, and Aidan held his hand out in front of Rynn as if to say,“Go ahead.”
A creeping sensation made its way up Isla’s spine. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears.
“We have not been entirely truthful about our past and this island,” Rynn began. “As you know, when the war ended a thousand years ago, Celesine helped put us to sleep and made the island unapproachable by outsiders, lost to the rest of the world. Many families either decided to vacate the island or were forced out because of their insurrection.”
Kai slipped in. “What youdon’tknow is that a large faction of people chose to stay on Iona, willing to live in secret, protected by wards set up by Celesine.”
Isla's jaw fell open.There were…what?Had she heard Kai correctly? “I…I don’t understand,” she said slowly. The edges of her mind frayed, thoughts flying and mixing rapidly as she went over Kai’s words again and again.
“The kingdom of Iona never fell, not truly,” Kai said, and a smile began to form on the water elemental’s features. “It still lives on in secret. These people didn’t want to give up their home but were tired of threats from other kingdoms who wanted to come in and conquer what they thought was a weakened land. So, to give them the peace they deserved, Celesine created a way for them to continue living here where nobody could find them and interfere again.”
“When I woke up in the cave on Elani,” Jade gestured to the tall mountain peak, “I made sure the little colony was still here before I left with Kai. I didn’t interact with them, but I wanted to see what had become of it. Even after a thousand years, the people are thriving.” All of the elementals were smiling now, and although Isla was still reeling from the news, she could see how much joy it brought them to know that their people were safe. That their home wasn’t a wasteland. The coil inside her chest began to unwind.
“So all this time there’s been a whole kingdom of people living here? With no contact from the outside world?” Isla asked incredulously.
Rynn nodded. “It was what they wanted, and it was the least we could do before disappearing.”
“I just…I have so many questions.”
“I’m shocked,” Rynn said in amusement, but his smile faded as he met Isla’s eyes and swiftly looked away.
“We wanted to tell you once we found out that you’re a Vasileia, but we couldn’t risk this getting back to Sebastian. He could be listening to us at any time. He can’t find out about this,” Aidan added.
“I do not want to think of what that monster would do with this information,” Rynn spat.
Isla had to force herself not to flinch at his words. She wanted to believe therealSebastian wasn’t a monster, but she agreed that whatever foe was working against them couldn’t find out.
Everything she’d believed for so many years, the lore and legends surrounding this lost island…and there was an entirekingdomof people living here. Tucked away into their perfect little corner of the world. The magic hiding them must be powerful if it had lasted for a thousand years without a whisper of its existence.
“Where is everyone, then?” Isla asked, motioning to the empty island.
Aidan chuckled. “What, did you expect houses to be set up all across the beach? There are more wards surrounding the villages so nobody can see or access them from the outside.”
“Can I—can I see them? The villages?” A curious and hopeful twist made its way through Isla, the idea of seeing these people—her ancestor’s people—igniting a strange fire inside of her.
Kai smiled softly. “Yes, I think that would be alright, but not right now. The king will be here soon, and we can’t risk him getting to the city.”
Isla nodded. Of course. She’d almost forgotten the reason they were there.
“I will go warn the natives. It’s not much time, but they can at least prepare their defenses,” Rynn said, the wind already swirling at his command.
Bri cocked her head. “Why do they need defenses? Do you think the king will have an army with him they’ll need to fight?”
Rynn held his hands out to stabilize himself and looked at her. “We are not concerned with what Sebastian’s forces may do to them. We are concerned with what he may makeusdo to them.”
“And what, pray tell, will you do to us, my boy?” An old, strong voice came from out of the jungle behind Rynn.
