CHAPTER 12
“The Kingdom of Eekatia, the Realm for the Royals of Azure, is protected by a shield forged from the Gods themselves. The bridge shall never be seen, unless the dragon's breath forges it to life. No dragon unless controlled by the Royals may enter the Kingdom.” - Book of Azure
“THIS IS MADNESS!” I PUSH his body off of me.
Mud splats against his chest from the soaked mud that covers my hands.
My knees dig into the ground as if quicksand is pulling me into the depths of the earth while I struggle to get up.
I begin to wipe the mud off of me, but it's everywhere.
I smear it down the left side of my face, my lashes flickering with the dirt as I spit soil out of my mouth.
And through my blurred vision, I see him, lying on the ground with no clothes. Dirt smeared along his body, his golden hair coated with mud like us and scars along his back, but two fresh wounds are sliced through his skin.
My boots soak into the ground as I try to lift my feet. I rush over towards him and fall to my knees near his body. I shakily hover my hands over his body, unsure if I should wake him or just hold him.
A trembling gasp escapes from my lips before I cry out. “Give me a damn blanket!” I growl. “Now!”
Koen rushes over, dirt painted along his chestnut hair and face. He covers him before picking him up. “You are going to ride Raylune into the palace.”
He is so calm. As if he has done this a hundred times for his brother but I can’t imagine Florian breaking like this again. I’m unsure if I could watch him do this another time.
My lips quiver as they part to speak, but I choke on the words.
“Why… why would they force someone to shift? How is this even possible?” I trip after him, my knees now covered in ash as the ground where Florian laid, is burnt.
The lush grass is now replaced with a charcoal presence, the ground hissing as steam smokes into the air.
“He is next in line to be the King and vowed to marry princess Skie.” He holds Florian, his hair swinging side to side as Koen walks.
“Dragons are considered the deadliest curse, and when they found the marking on Florian’s back that he was cursed by the dragon, they created the bridge of protection. ”
Florian’s back is marked with symbols that stretch across his shoulder blades that resemble wings of fire and are dark like coal, but look as if they are freshly scorched wounds.
I stumble, catching up to him as he lays Florian over Zeei’s body.
“If dragons are a curse, why would they let him be King? Why would they create a bridge where only dragon fire can breathe it to life? None of this makes sense.”
Koen’s palms rest against Zeei’s body, letting his head hang low as he deeply sighs.
“It has been written in the book of Azure since the Deskyiara bloodline vanished, that Prince Florian would marry the princess.
He has always been the next in line to rule Azure.
That princess was once Deskyiara's second daughter. But, now it is to Skie.”
“What about the dungeon? Where the shifters change and you murder them?”
“This rule came into place by Queen Antavianna, where all shifters must be executed. The only reason my brother stays alive is because he protects the castle, and no one else knows he is a shifter except the people inside those walls. And it must stay that way, Serene.”
“I thought only the Royals were cursed!” My eyes burn, unsure if I’m exhausted or if the lingering smoke is irritating them.
“So we thought, Serene! But the Realms are cursed and people are dying from it. One day we will take down the Wailing Mother to end it for good.” He heavily sighs.
“We believe the Darklands are creating an army and they…” he pulls away, his lips rolling between his teeth, “found a way to use their magic to mold their people into exactly what they want them to be. The deadliest warriors, or beasts, to kill us off. I have told the Queen countless times we shouldn’t be killing the shifters, but working with them to fight against the darklings. ”
“I suppose the Queen doesn’t listen?” My shoulders rise and fall as I heavily breathe. “But why the damn bridge?”
“Because they want him to know that they control him, us…” He bites his lip, raising his head to the sky.
“That he must go through torment every time in order to enter the palace and if he shifts when he isn’t supposed to shift, he will be executed.
Suffering in exchange for life, a remembrance that they own him. ”
“What if other dragons show up and breathe fire?” My voice heightens, my hands tossing around in anger as my insides boil. “What if they just fly over the damn water?” I spit out questions left and right. I need answers. I want answers.
“No other dragon, no other shifter, knows the bridge is made from fire.
There is a shield that wraps around this Kingdom you cannot see.
Only a dragon's eye can see it.” He straightens his back, staring at the castle as if he can see the shield.
“It will kill a dragon. Scorching them to ash as they fly through it.”
“Take me to this damn Queen.” My nails dig into my palms.
He pushes off of Zeei, hovering over my body with rage etched into his features. “And do what, Serene? Are you going to march into that castle with guards posted at every entry and around the Queen at all times and tell her how mean she is? How wicked her ways are?”
He scuffs, an aggravated bellow coming deep within his throat. “And within seconds she will throw you into the battle games or worse, take your head at that very moment. See, you have this all wrong. We are not in control… she is.”
“I’m not afraid of the Queen.” I glare into his eyes as he takes a step forward, his hot breath beating against his face as his eyes fall to my lips.
“Then you are as stupid as the rest of them,” he growls. “Rule number one of surviving Azure, don’t piss off the Queen.”
WE RIDE OVER THE brIDGE as I constantly gaze at Florian’s lifeless body.
I know he is alive, but he has yet to wake.
The bridge hisses and steam trickles along the surface.
Raylune’s head bobs left and right in annoyance, knowing I am not his rider.
I am not Florian, and I pray to their Gods here that this horse doesn’t knock me off and I hit the scorching bridge below.
I’d burn alive. My body would never withstand the heat that is coursing through this overpass.
Up ahead through the smoke, a woman with a long, emerald gown awaits us.
Her waist-length, icy-white hair sways gently in the breeze with a multicolored stoned crown perfectly twisted around her head.
Wings bellowing out from each side of the crown reflect the scorched bridge.
As if fire is reflecting within the iridescent colors of the wings.
Eight guards are posted around her in charcoal, steel uniforms. Their eyes are the only part of their body we can see. Their spears, pointed towards us, black as night but with a ruby colored point.
One drips with fresh blood, as if he killed someone or something just moments ago.
“Koen.” She softly grins, holding out her arms as her sleeves cascade down to the ground. “How lovely it is you have returned. We have missed you.”
“Queen Antavianna,” Koen grunts. “I need to get my brother to the waters of Vitaei. He needs healing.”
She nods gracefully before gesturing for us to make our way through the guards, but pauses. “But now, who is she?”
When her head tilts, her icy strands fall from her neck and shoulders, revealing unique burned markings of patterns that begin at the edge of her hairline and continue down but are hidden by the sleeves of her dress.
“I didn’t see you coming?” The Queen's brow lifts, her eyes locking onto mine before whispering to one of the guards next to her. “May I ask who you are and why you are here in the Realm of Eekatia?”
“I see you went to the oracles?” Koen holds the reins tightly as Zeei becomes antsy. “I see you might be running out of room on your body? Should you stop soon?”
She grabs her hair, elegantly brushing the straight strands over her chest, hiding the markings along her skin. “I must know everything that will happen. Past, present, and future, for the protection of our Realm. You know that, Koen.”
Koen cocks his head to the side. “Then how come your oracles never saw her coming?” A brow lifts. “Maybe they can’t see everything after all.”
The guards shift in position, jabbing their spears towards Koen and instead of fearing them, he shrugs his shoulders. As if this is nothing more than a game to him. This has all been a game. He doesn’t fear her. But he told me I should.
Or maybe, he is the one with a death wish?
“You know that is treason to spread false information about the oracles. They have saved us for many years.” She holds out her petite hand, ordering the guards to stand down. “I must see her skin. I need to see if she is marked with any curses before entering the Kingdom.”
“I am no Royal.” My eyes widen, scanning the eyes of everyone around me. “You want me to strip? Here?”
The Queen’s brows narrow. “Strip? On the bridge of fire?”
“She is asking if you want her to remove the clothing on her back out here and let everyone here see her bare body.” Koen clears his throat.
“I don’t need you speaking for me,” I growl under my breath, leaning over to Koen.
He glances towards me as I try my best to control Florian’s horse. I tighten the reins in my hands, knowing my body is bruised, marked with scabs, fresh wounds, and is layered with dirt. She couldn't possibly want me to remove my clothes in front of everyone. Right?
“She hasn’t seen a woman with long hair like a snowy winter day and with eyes of ice, has she?” The queen politely asks. “Before I have her strip in front of us, I'd like to know if she has stumbled across this woman?”
My heart stops beating.
“What did you just say?” I slide off the horse, my feet beating against the bridge without a second thought. The heat radiates through my boots, but I feel no pain as I walk towards the Queen, almost in a trance. My voice drops to a shaky whisper. “What did you just ask us?”
“Serene!” I hear Koen shouting, Zeei’s hooves pounding against the bridge as they run towards me. “Get on my horse now before you burn!”
My eyes blur, tears begging to fall but I force them back. “Did you see someone? When you went to these oracles, did you see a woman alone here? Her skin, a perfect shade on a sun-kissed day?”
I can’t breathe. My eyes haven’t blinked. Tilly. Is she talking about my sister?
Koen leans over his horse, yanking my arm but I can’t move. I steadily stare into the Queen’s eyes, begging that she speaks. Pleading out internally that she will know it is my sister.
“She should have burned by now.” The guard to the left of her barks out. “Could be a curse.”
The Queen grunts, looking over her shoulder towards him. “You are right.” Her hand lifts, her fingers curling in as she turns her body. “Guards, take her to be cleaned and scanned for any markings of a curse.”
“I can take her.” I can hear Koen through the constant ringing sounds screaming inside my ears.
But I can’t respond. It's as if my soul has left my body and cannot return until she tells me if the woman she saw is my sister.
Two guards yank my arms, escorting me off of the bridge and into the Kingdom.
I trip over my boots as I stare at the back of the Queen who walks in front of me towards the castle walls.
Yell at her, Serene. My mind is at battle within itself. I want to speak, ask her who the woman she saw is, but it's as if my mouth is frozen. I am numb.