Chapter Forty-One #2
When my eyebrows furrowed, and Byn’s expression shifted to confusion, Dimi began to explain. “The Queen received your letter,” he said, motioning toward who sat on the throne. “Thanks to me, of course. You really should train your birds better if you’re going to be sending them this far.”
Before any of us could speak or question what was being said, the queen held up a sheet of paper, small enough to fit in a corvid’s vial, but what stood out was the seal at the bottom.
It was the Thorntier family official seal, one that matched perfectly with the ring on Byn’s…
Looking down at my husband’s hand, I realized the ring that had been there before the Battle of No Rain had gone missing.
Byn must have realized what I had a second later, but the queen spoke before we could.
“I don’t appreciate threats to me, or to my people. I also don’t appreciate you all invading our waters in an effort to force a landing on my islands,” Queen Calista said, rising to her feet.
“When the South’s corvid got lost on its way here, running into me instead, I figured I would help it deliver the message myself.
Though, I hadn’t been expecting such a threatening message to have been sent—especially when the humans have minded their own for so long in this war,” Dimitri explained further.
This has to be a sick, twisted joke, I thought.
Dimitri had woven together the perfect scheme to paint the South as the villains in the war.
And the human queen seemed to have already made up her mind.
“Queen Calista, please, you don’t understand—” I started, though was quickly cut off.
“I understand better than you’d imagine, child, and I’ve heard enough. Besides, I have made my decision,” she declared. “If I must choose a side in this war for it to finally end, then I’d rather be on the side that doesn’t threaten the lives of humans before we’ve even met.”
We all watched as the queen and Dimitri turned to face each other, and I couldn’t help but notice the menacing, crazed glint in my brother’s eyes.
“I accept your offer, King Dimitri Heartshire of the North,” Queen Calista announced.
Dimitri lifted his chin slightly. “I’d like to also receive whatever information my sister was seeking, if that’s alright.”
The human queen nodded. “Done.”
“Then it’s settled,” Dimitri said, holding out his hand toward her.
I surged forward as I watched Queen Calista reach out toward my twin’s hand, trying to stop her from making such a grave mistake. But before I could take two steps, the human guards closed in, blocking us off from the dais and those on it.
“I vow to uphold my end of our deal,” Queen Calista said, taking hold of Dimitri’s hand.
“And I vow to uphold mine,” Dimitri echoed, then shook her hand.
That act alone now made the humans our rivals.
We were officially in enemy territory.
“Fetch the ancient scroll about the star stones for our new ally,” Queen Calista ordered, and a guard slipped out of formation to do so.
Grinding my teeth, I fought back the zirilium begging to be released.
If I couldn’t get what we’d come for, there was no longer any reason to remain in the Levast Isles.
“Well then, I suppose we can see ourselves out,” I said, falling back to my spot at Byn’s side.
Then Queen Calista chuckled. “Child, you and your people still tried to force a landing on my Isles, and threatened our lives.” She took a step down the dais, nearer to us. “You won’t be leaving here alive.”
At those words, more guards funneled into the room, surrounding our small group and closing in on us. Slipping in with the guards, though, was a small woman I imagined was a scribe or librarian of sorts. She held a thick scroll, the one I imagined Dimitri had asked for.
The one we had come all this way for.
And the one I wouldn’t be leaving without.
As the guards closed in, pushing us in toward each other, I kept my eyes on the scribe nearing the dais—though when her gaze met mine, she gave pause.
“Opal,” the human queen called to the scribe. “Bring me the scroll.”
But the scribe didn’t move as the guards attempted to seize us, Opal’s eyes locked on mine.
It was in that moment that I realized not all the humans present seemed to agree with their queen.
Wanting to keep my family safe above all else, I gave my zirilium an outlet as I began to force vines up through the stone of the floor.
Forever in tune with me, I felt Byn pitching in, turning his back to me to guard the other side of our posse.
Together, we forced enough plants up to wrap around each of the guard’s feet and up their legs, forcing them to remain in place.
Looking back toward Opal, I realized she was still hesitating.
“Now, Opal,” Queen Calista ground out between clenched teeth, holding her hand out toward the scribe. “And guards, hurry up. I tire of this.”
The human queen didn’t seem stressed in the slightest about the fact that we had put her guards on pause. She mostly seemed concerned with the scroll that had yet to reach her.
Which meant I still had a chance.
I met Opal’s eyes and wished to the Stars she could see just how much was at stake.
Please, I mouthed to her, my last attempt.
Opal’s eyes flickered to the floor as she slowly made her way closer to the dais—and closer to me.
Before she turned to go up the dais, she paused again.
Then, she ran straight for me, betraying her queen.
The same queen she seemed to no longer support.
“Opal!” Queen Calista yelled as she watched her own scribe defect.
I kept my eyes on the scribe, tome clutched to her chest, even as Dimitri surged forward to try to stop her. But before he could go far, the second cloaked figure behind him reached for the shard of alychite I’d thrown at them earlier, and with a gloved hand, held it to the side of his bare neck.
Dimitri went rigid and motionless, though his hands balled into fists at his sides.
“What is the meaning of this?” Queen Calista called out, standing as Opal nimbly made it through the hoard of guards surrounding us. Ushering her to the middle of our group, I turned to face the dais once again.
But before anybody could respond, the very foundations of the stone fortress began to shake.
Then I watched as the cloaked figure finally revealed themselves.
As they pushed their hood back, I realized why their energy felt familiar earlier.
“RUN!” Mother screamed as the ceiling above started to cave in on us.
My heart dropped to the cracking floor below us as I looked at her. Older than I remembered, but still just as stunning.
“Mother?” I questioned.
“Mother!” Matea cried.
Though as we both surged forward to get to her, strong hands pulled us backwards.
Byn and Rayven had their grips on us, holding on tight as they forced us backwards toward the tunnel we’d arrived through.
“We have to leave! We have what we came for!” Byn said over the sound of chunks of falling stone hitting the floor around us. I barely registered that some of the human guards had already fallen to them.
“No! Please!” Matea begged, tears slipping down her face. “I’ve never been so close!”
I gulped back my own cries as I struggled against Byn, but we continued moving backwards until all of us, including the scribe, were entering the mouth of the tunnel.
The last thing I could make out through the moisture in my eyes was the ceiling caving in over the dais—and it landing directly on top of the three figures that stood upon it.