56. Tori
We were led through the halls of the RiverKingdom palace. It was difficult to think of it as one. Each floor of the palace was open to the outside, and the building seemed to be mostly made of arches and columns, with very few walls. Where walls did block the flow of air from the outside, they were covered in mosaic murals that were absolutely stunning. Artisans had laid out thousands of tiles made of glass, metal, and stone to recreate the beauty of the world outside. Well, at least to pay it homage.
Asthe Queens led us to the top of the pyramidal building, one in particular caught my eye. Azure glass had been transformed into thousands of scales that flowed along the back of a beast that stretched from one end of the hall to another. A stylized face held golden fangs and horns that looked very similar to the one I now saw every night.
“A cousin of yours?” I asked, looking at Abraxas. He ran his longer fingers over the tiles on the wall thoughtfully.
“No, not a cousin. But a lover, perhaps?” He smirked at me, and I slapped his arm. He laughed, but the queens in front of us turned around with a disapproving glare, and we hopped away from each other like younglings caught in the gardens.
Therest of our journey to the top passed in silence except for my embarrassingly loud breathing as we climbed more and more stairs. I felt like my lungs were going to give out when the floor beneath me finally flattened out. We had come to the top of the pyramid, and the square floor had been covered with dark tiles laid out in a circle that touched all four edges. White moonstones had been inlaid to illustrate the constellations that match the sky above.
“What day does this sky represent?” I asked, motioning to the floor.
QueenItzayana turned to me with a quizzical look. “The winter solstice, our most holy of days,” she said simply.
“We have the biggest celebration then!” A small face popped out from behind the queen’s skirts. PrinceAapo, the youngest of all fae royals, was born only a decade ago. He was the spitting image of his mother, from his bold eyebrows to the curve of his aquiline nose.
“Oh, and what happens that day?” I questioned. His mother subtly tried to push him away, but he barged forward.
“The sun is reborn, and when his light breaks over the roof of the palace, we offer a sacrifice to honor him!”
“Oh, and what do you sacrifice?”
“Sheep, mostly,” his mother answered before he could.
“Sounds very formal.”
Hescrewed up his face at that. “Yeah, it can be boring, but there is always a big party later.”
“Aapo, that’s enough.” QueenXareni stepped around her wife and gave the boy a stern look, and he looked down at his toes.
Bothof his mothers turned and headed towards the altar at the center of the roof, but I leaned in and whispered to the boy, “Sounds like a lot of fun.”
Hedared a smile at me. “It is! You should come; we never get any visitors.”
“Aapo, to me.” QueenItzayana called. He scuttled away but gave me one last smile first. She pulled him into her lap as she sat down near the altar, and QueenXareni sighed.
“The boy is right. Our kingdom has both suffered and benefited from its remote location. Our jungle is impossible for outsiders to traverse, and the river is treacherous on her kindest days. KingAbraxas is one of the few visitors we ever have.”
Shelooked at me, and I realized she was trying to open up the discussion.
“But your army has joined ours; how did they leave if the jungle is—”
“I said it is impossible to pass for outsiders, YourHighness. Our people know this land, and they have no reason to fear it.”
Inodded. I did not mean to offend. ThePearlKingdom”s jungle had not been as dense as this one or as ancient, but the humid air and rich scent of life made my heart ache for a land that held nothing for me anymore. I wanted the queens to understand I saw the beauty of this place, perhaps better than most. Now was not the time.
QueenItzayana spoke next. “I always did wonder how you managed to visit us so easily, YourMajesty.”
Abraxasgave a casual shrug. “Is a man not allowed to have his secrets?”
“It seems you have many of those, old god.”
Atthat, Abraxas’ face tightened. “Indeed. But it is a secret no longer. YourMajesties, we have been allies for many centuries. Your kingdom has always kept to the old religions, and I—”
“Spared us from your armies and swords.” QueenXareni’s voice was not kind.
“Yes.” Abraxas’ face turned to that icy mask I hated. “I did spare you; few others received the same kindness.”
“And now you have come to collect,” QueenItzayana surmised. She pushed Aapo from her lap and stood tall, not shrinking back at all. “We have sent our armies to your war front despite advice against it. We do not expect to see many of our people again as they will lay dead on a battlefield fighting against an unbeatable opponent. We have done this out of mutual respect and…” she paused for several moments. She locked eyes with her wife, who nodded. “And a desire to see the balance of power in this world shift. But we have done more than any other, and still, you ask more of us?”
Istepped forward. “Your support thus far has been invaluable, and we come here today because of our mutual respect for you and your kingdom. But your kingdom holds something we need. We wish to come to an agreement.”
Thequeens exchanged glances again. “Speak your mind, PrincessTori. What have you and the king come all this way to claim from us?”
Abraxasunrolled the map Pallas had drawn for us. She had added more details to the RiverKingdom and marked the assumed location of the node a few leagues outside the city of Manan. The queens” eyes tracked Abraxas” finger as he circled our target.
“Outside your city, there is a spring of wild magic, of mana. We need to destroy it.”
Thecolor fled from both the queens’ faces. Behind them, their entourage rustled with panic and annoyance. The queens moved away from us, joining them, hushed whispers spreading like wildfire.
Thiswasn’t good. I locked eyes with the young prince, who remained seated behind the altar, away from his mothers. He held his body tight, clearly upset by the arguing. I gave him a soft smile, and he looked away shyly, but I saw a grin spread on his face. I screwed up my eyes and stuck out my tongue, and he gave a soft laugh. It warmed my heart and calmed me. I needed all the calm I could get.
Thequeens turned back to us, their posture tall and proud. This definitely wasn’t good.
“You speak of the cenote, one of our most ancient and sacred places. And you wish to destroy it? Why would you want to do such a thing?”
Abraxasleaned forward onto the table before us. “As you assumed, that place holds power. Your people’s own legends speak of it. That power now feeds directly into Koron, into Hadeon’s magic. By destroying it, we weaken him.”
“Even if this was true, surely it would weaken our kingdom as well?”
“How much more could it possibly weaken?” Abraxas shot at them.
QueenXareni shook. “I expected more from you, kuhul ajaw. You should know better than any other that while our access to magic has died, the earth’s still remains. Our kingdom flourishes as we have protected it for centuries. We are not separate from our earth, as so many others so foolishly believe. She is our mother, the great womb of us all, and you wish to maim her.”
“Our power would grow weaker,” QueenItzayana said. “While yours would grow stronger. Do not think we don”t see this, KingAbraxas. You position yourself well.”
Atthat, Abraxas growled. “Let it be said here and now I have no desire to rule this world.”
“Then what is your goal?”
Hadeon’sdeath. That had always been what Abraxas desired, above all else. Revenge for his people. Hadeon’s father had started the war against the dragons, and his heir finished it.
Iwanted it, too. For my mother, for Jun’s suffering, and for Pallas’. For everyone who had suffered under Hadeon’s cruelty. It had become more than that. I needed these queens to see it.
“You have seen what the GoldenKingdom has become. Their greed has sucked this earth dry. KingObion started the War of Flames, promising to restore fae to their former glory. But every action he took was for his own gain, and all it did was push us farther away. Magic died as the dragons were killed. He knew this, but he did not stop. He pushed forward, seeking a way to consolidate power for himself. And now Hadeon carries on that legacy. Ambrosia grows and strips the earth where once there were verdant lands full of food. The rivers flood and wash away more and more every year. Storms rage in ways they never had before. This is all connected. Our earth, she is already maimed; she is dying.”
Ifelt it every time I reached for her power. Her pain lingered in every drop. But every time, there had also been hope.
“It is not too late to correct this,” I declared.
“You speak beautiful words, PrincessTori. You stand beside the last dragon and speak of the earth as if you know her, have spoken to her, and learned her truth. You may be a twin, but no twin can claim all these things. So, tell me, who are you?” QueenXareni’s words were strong, but underneath them, I heard the plea. The plea for an answer, a solution that she and her people could not find.
Ifelt a tug on my heart as mana flowed through me. The golden bond between Abraxas and I shimmered and pulsed with it; physical touch was no longer needed between us.
Heshifted; the whole plaza shadowed as his great wings ripped out of his back. Dark scales consumed his pale features, and his eyes turned that burning gold as he grew. His massive, scaled form shimmered under the setting sun, hues of deep blues and greens dancing across his hide like the sea under a stormy sky. Screams sounded from around us. People dropped to their knees as the dragon Abraxas formed before us.
“K’inichAjaw…” QueenXareni whispered the prayer, fear etched into her face. Everyone cowered away from him. Everyone but the small prince Aapo, who stood and approached with awe on his face. I gently grabbed the prince’s hand in mine, but he didn’t shake as Abraxas let out a deafening cry.
“Aapito, to me,” his mother cried, but he was entranced, so I turned him and gently led him back to them. As soon as we were close, they snatched him into their arms.
Istood before them as they cowered. “Who am I? I am PrincessToriKhato, the mate of the last dragon, the twin sister of JunKhato, and the Breaker of Worlds.”
Theyblanched white, their hands wrapping tighter around the boy in their arms.
“The future may be unknown, YourMajesties, but you can either join it or be left behind. What will you do?” Abraxas let out another roar behind me, and they shook, but they met my stare. “What sort of future do you want for him?” I gestured to PrinceAapo. “One where he will be forced to obey the power that be, those who would destroy this world for their meager gains? Or would you rather have one that is unknown, but he may be able to grow to heights you have never imagined?”
Tomy surprise, QueenItzayana stood and approached me.
“Yana…” Xareni whispered behind her, but she did not turn. She stood tall, taller than me even, her gaze fierce as she held mine. She looked up at the dragon behind me, and I saw the shadows of his flames fall across her face.
Amoment more, she gazed into the eyes of a god, and then she pressed her two index fingers together and raised them to her forehead. “What’s ours is yours. Tell us what we must do.”