CHAPTER FOUR
CAMBION
The Castle in the Sky
Morrigan looks at me with apprehension in her startling gaze. I remember the last time I spoke with her. It was over one hundred years ago.
We stood within the Temple of Desolation and drew on the ethers. Even then, Morrigan’s power amazed me. But here in this room, I don’t recognize the being I once looked up to for guidance.
Morrigan was always a cunning sorceress, a self-proclaimed deity, and she was capable of seeing millennia into the future. Is it possible that my brother and Variant found a way of syphoning the power of the Midnight Queen? Is it possible that Variant and Theren grew powerful enough to usurp control of the Midnight Queen? To force her to bow to them rather than the other way around?
Yes, I believe it is possible.
Probable? Not exactly.
“What happened to Abedon? He was your guard, your right hand,” I say.
Sadness creeps into Morrigan’s gaze as she fidgets with the sleeve of her gown. “He was killed.”
“Killed?” Dragan repeats, disbelief and shock warring in his tone. Abedon was almost as powerful as the Midnight Queen, herself. Thus, Dragan’s surprise is understandable.
She nods. “Killed by Variant and Theren.”
“How?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I do not have the time to enter into long conversations and neither do you. You are already on borrowed time, as it is,” she finishes but then noticing the question in all of our eyes, she takes a deep breath before responding. “Suffice to say, I will never forgive myself for what has happened to the realms. But I fear without my power, I am useless in this fight. It is best to leave me here.”
We’re running out of time, but there’s no way we can force Morrigan to do anything she doesn’t wish to do. With or without her power, the Midnight Queen is not a being any of us have the strength to take on and win. Her determination alone makes her dangerous. And we need her as an ally, not an enemy.
“Morrigan, may I speak with you for a moment?” I ask politely. There was a time when I would have considered her my mentor and my friend. I rely on that old bond now. She nods and leads me to the far side of the room, the side overlooking the gardens below. She pulls the wooden shutters closed, to hide me from view of those below… if there is anyone below.
Her hands tremble as she takes hold of mine and breathes deeply.
“When we were at the temple a long time ago,” I begin. “You spoke of a day of reckoning. You spoke of a day you witnessed in a vision. I need to know if that day came on the wings of the war or if that day has yet to come.”
“There is always a day of reckoning, Cambion,” she insists. “When one day passes, there is another on the horizon shortly after. Destruction and pain is simply a way of life.”
I frown. “That isn’t an answer and you know it.”
“Perhaps not, but it’s all I have at the moment,” she replies. “I’ve been in this tower since Baron’s death. I’ve tried to reach those who are able to listen, those like Eilish and Revenant. But I had no idea any of them had truly heard me until I saw Eilish walk up that staircase.” She grows quiet for a few seconds as she eyes the staircase in question. “My power was all but depleted by Theren and Variant,” she says as she looks up at me, her eyes imploring. “But what little strength I still have left is muffled by the wards in this room.” She takes a deep breath. “As much as I wish I could accompany you to freedom, I know I cannot.”
“Why does Variant keep you like this?” I insist. “Why not treat you like any other prisoner?”
“I don’t know, Cambion.” She sighs. “Variant’s logic and morals are twisted to fit whichever narrative suits his purpose at the time. He’s unpredictable. Which is why you must leave me here. He sees me as his pampered pet, something he can use for his own entertainment. If you don’t leave, you’re putting yourselves and your cause in danger.”
“We’ve put ourselves in danger coming here, but we did it because we need you. The people need you. We can’t lead a rebellion without hope and you will give the people hope.” I take a deep breath. “We need to begin forming an army again, Morrigan. We need recruits. And the only way we can hope to gain those recruits is to show them we have something Variant doesn’t… you.”
Morrigan reaches out and touches my cheek. “So much sacrifice and sorrow for a future that’s still unknown.” She shakes her head and pauses. “Do you remember the days when the world was simpler? When scholars like you and I could study the arcane arts in the peace of our temples?”
“I don’t remember such peace and, regardless, now I don’t believe in it. Not until Variant is removed from the throne and the balance is restored.”
Morrigan’s lips curl into a sultry smile. “You’ve grown wise, Cambion.”
“I had a wise teacher.”
“Had?”
“You’ve been gone for a long time, Morrigan. I’m not the young scholar you once knew. But, I still feel the same sense of duty and obligation that comes with the throne. We must right the wrongs, reestablish the balance, and bring justice to the realms. We owe it to ourselves and to our people.”
Morrigan kneels down and brushes her hand along the floorboards. I watch runes appear as glowing sigils in the air. I struggle to read them before they disappear. “Nothing short of a miracle will allow me to leave here, so unless you have one of those in your pocket, then it’s best you leave the way you came in. And quickly.”
“Funny you say that,” I utter with a faint smile. “One of our allies is a bit of a miracle worker.”
“Your allies?” she asks with narrowed eyes.
“Yes, he’s the one who was able to grant us access into the castle and he’s found a way to get us out. All of us, Morrigan, that includes you.”
“Who is this ally?”
“His name is Pyre. I don’t know much about his magic, but I’m certain Revenant can explain it.” I glance back at the others and notice the worry in their gaze. “As soon as we leave this place and make certain we’re safe, that is.”
“Pyre?” she questions with a shake of her head. “I don’t recognize the name.”
“You wouldn’t. He fought with us in the war.” I take a breath. “The point is that his magic is strong enough to release you from this prison, these wards.”
“I doubt,” she begins but I interrupt.
“It’s at least worth a shot?”
She’s quiet for a few seconds but then nods her agreement.
***
BARON
The Castle in the Sky
Cambion and Morrigan return after their private conversation beside the window. The way the elf appears to place all his trust in her makes my skin crawl. I know she was his mentor at one point, but that does very little to remove my suspicions. Sure, she raised me from the dead and perhaps I should be thankful, but it’s difficult to celebrate someone whose answers come with a certain air of convenience that causes my breath to hitch. Breath I don’t even possess.
“We must leave,” I say as I face Cambion.
“Now,” Dragan adds.
“Yes,” Morrigan agrees. “We are all living on borrowed time.”
“We’ll have to fight our way back to the throne room if the spell has worn off,” I say as I face the others. “Then we open the portal and return to the Veil.”
“And how do we do that?” Morrigan asks.
I pull the Oluri from within my jacket pocket. “With the help of Pyre,” I answer.
“Cambion mentioned this Pyre. I’m not familiar with him,” Morrigan says.
“He’s a necromancer, the Guardian of The Veil,” I respond as her eyes go wide. “He protects the spirit world from the corruption of the realms and he is very very powerful. I’ve never seen anyone who can match his abilities.”
The Midnight Queen jumps back, staring down at the orb in obvious horror. “Forbidden magic,” she hisses. “You ally yourselves with a necromancer and you expect me to follow you?” She glances back at Cambion. “You failed to mention just what this Pyre is!”
I tuck the Oluri into my pocket and move towards the Midnight Queen. “You will come with us and stop stalling. Pyre didn’t risk his life for us to give up and return to him empty handed. You either come willingly or I’ll drag you out of here, kicking and screaming.”
The rest of them appear surprised by my surly tone but I can’t say I care. I was charged with a task and that task was returning the Midnight Queen to Pyre and that’s what I intend to do. I’d rather die fighting Variant’s soldiers than to return to the Veil without her.
We promised the necromancer that his pain would not be in vain and I intend to keep that promise. In the short time I’ve known Pyre, he’s proven himself to be a loyal friend and ally, something of which we’ve been in short supply.
Of course, I know about the tryst between Pyre and Eilish. The necromancer was man enough to tell me himself rather than attempting to keep it a secret. I respect him for that. It’s the sneaking and the lies that rub me raw, which is why I can’t fully respect Dragan and Cambion. They lie to one another almost as much as they lie to themselves.
***
EILISH
The Veil
We run down the staircase to Morrigan’s room and Baron holds his arms out on either side of him to keep us from going through the door. That’s when I remember the door and threshold are barricaded with his magic, still glowing with a faint greenish light.
Baron rifles through the poisons around his waist and produces a vial of a dark blue and cloudy liquid. He pulls the cork from the tincture and the liquid turns to gas as it makes contact with the air. The gas takes the form of a purple cloud and moves toward the glowing green of the door, blending with it instantly until both colors eventually fade into nothing.
Baron then reaches forward and pulls open the door. Strangely, there didn’t appear to be wards in any place around Morrigan’s room or on the stairs, but the lock on the door seems to have some sort of effect on her. Her steps slow significantly once we pass through the archway.
“What’s wrong?” Dragan asks her.
She shakes her head and then bends over, trying to catch her breath. “The power of the magic surrounding this room is… too much for me,” she says.
Dragan curses under his breath and lifts her into his arms. Already we hear the sound of boots coming down the corridor. I stand beside Baron and Cambion, ready to fight our way toward the throne room.
The demon blood from the two soldiers Dragan slew continues to bubble up on the marble floor, beside their bodies. The scent of the blood and flesh stings my nose with its pungent aroma, but I push on with the others. Four orcs appear from the far end of the hall and begin bellowing their anger. I guess it’s safe to say that the hour shelf-time of Pyre’s enchantment is now up.
Flumph immediately flies ahead of me, carrying his strange crossbow apparatus and shoots his arrows at the orcs, knocking two of them unconscious, but he quickly runs out of ammunition. Cambion creates a ball of light between his hands which he unloads on the orcs. The ball of light seems to keep them occupied as Baron leads us down the same path we took to get to the tower.
Suddenly Baron stops short and I nearly run headlong into his back. Baron nods toward the left where two more gargoyles block our path, but they’re both facing the opposite direction and haven’t yet noticed us.
Baron draws one of the dual daggers from his belt and I watch in awe as the vampire creeps up behind the gargoyles and in one split second, plunges his blade through one of the soldier’s ears, killing him instantly. Meanwhile, Baron douses the other with a silver, translucent powder. The gargoyle pulls a face as though he’s in excruciating pain, but no sound comes from his opened mouth. Instead, his skin begins to bubble as though it’s burning and his muscles and bones appear to melt into the rest of him. Fairly soon, he’s reduced to nothing more than a pile of steaming clothing.
The smell is atrocious.
Cambion moves to flank Dragan as the bigger man carries the Midnight Queen through the hallway toward the rear of the castle. I protect the other side of Dragan, as I look for any sign of trouble. Baron kicks open the door to the throne room. A dozen pairs of eyes or more look back at us. I’m not sure who is more shocked—us or them. Baron curses loudly but rushes the crowd. Truly, his courage knows no limits.
Quickly, my attention moves past the soldiers who swarm us, and I find myself focusing on Variant, where he sits on his throne in the middle of the room with an unsettling smile on his face. He’s surrounded by so many soldiers, there’s no way we could cut through them to reach him.
He doesn’t seem to even notice Dragan, Cambion or Baron. And his attention never focuses on Morrigan once. Instead, he stares at me and I find myself returning the insistence in his gaze. Maybe because I don’t understand it. His expression isn’t what I expect. Instead of anger or rage, he smiles.
Moments later, he snaps his fingers as he mouths a silent command to me and points to the open space in front of him, clearly expecting me to obey his command to come to him. I can feel the intent pull of his compulsion magic, but I resist. I remember the days before we left the Veil, and more specifically, the lessons Pyre taught me about how to push back against compulsion spells. And I use those lessons now.
Shock registers on the false king’s face and he stands up from his seat, walking down the short set of stairs to the flat stretch of marble flooring below him. His wall of soldiers reacts by moving in time with his own steps, maintaining their line around him. He snaps his fingers again, and his focus on me is unwavering. I can feel his compulsion as it surrounds me, barreling down on me, forcing me to my knees.
“Eilish,” Dragan says as he realizes what’s happening.
I can’t answer him. I have to focus on fighting Variant, on forcing his magic away.
I push against it. And him.
Using all the strength in my body, I stand up.
“You will kneel!” he yells.
But, I don’t kneel. I continue to stand against him, forcing his magic back.
Baron and Cambion, meanwhile, fight to push back the orcs who have freed themselves from Cambion’s magic. The Midnight Queen simply leans against the wall on the sidelines, out of the way of the fighting. She bends over and I can see she’s still in pain and the magic of the wards still works against her.
Still, Variant never pulls his gaze from me. Even as I stare at him, I make my way to Baron, carving my blade through an orc who gets in my way.
“Revenant!” I yell to the vampire. “Get the portal open!”
Baron attempts to break away from our group, but more orcs come through the doors, caging us in. Flumph tries his best to help, but I can tell he’s winded and owing to the fact that he’s out of ammunition, he now just uses his crossbow to hit as many soldiers over the head as he can, which only adds fuel to their irritation.
I glance back at Morrigan and find she’s barely standing as the palace wards leech the strength from her body. Glancing back at Variant, he continues to stare at me. His lips move as his magic continues to attack me, but I manage to fend it off.
That’s when I notice Cambion cutting through the wall of soldiers that guard Variant. I don’t know if it’s simply coincidence that Cambion is so close to Variant or if he’s actually going after the false king.
Variant apparently notices Cambion coming closer as well because he raises his hands before him and creates embers of fire in the air.
“Cambion, your audacity truly knows no bounds!” Variant yells at him.
“I could say the same of you, fucking bastard,” Cambion responds.
Variant hold his sword up high and runs it through the embers that still burn in the air before him. As soon as the blade hits them, they ignite into roaring flames and Variant hurls them towards Cambion. The elf dodges the attack, but the flames singe his hair and clothing.
Variant swoops down low with his sword at the same time I jump forward and reach out, grabbing Cambion’s arm as I yank him backwards. Cambion loses his balance and goes careening into me as Variant’s blade grazes his stomach instead of mortally wounding him.
Variant roars and before I know what’s happening, he’s on top of me. I don’t know how I’ve made it through his wall of soldiers but it doesn’t matter. Now, I’m fighting for my life. Variant grips my arms and throws me to the floor. I hit the ground so hard, the fall steals the breath from me and I see stars momentarily as my head bashes against the marble. It takes me a moment or two to fill my lungs with air again and in doing so, my chest feels as though it’s on fire.
I feel Variant’s hand as he encircles my throat and squeezes. He forces me back, pushing me until I feel the back of my head against the wall. All the while, he glares down at me.
“I did not expect this from you,” he says in a low voice.
“I don’t know why,” I manage to spit out as he tightens his hold around my neck.
Even though he pins me, he doesn’t seem overtly angry which makes little sense. “I thought us better friends, angel.”
“We aren’t friends,” I spit back at him.
He laughs and then releases me, pulling back as he stands up and towers over me. He doesn’t make any motion to go for the sword at his side. His actions make little sense to me.
“You will come back to me, Eilish,” he says with a confidence that surprises me.
“No, I won’t.”
He shakes his head. “You won’t be able to resist.”
“I will always resist you,” I say.
“I know the prophecies that hang over your head and I know how this story ends, my pet,” he finishes, laughing all the while. “There’s nothing you can do to stop the hunger that only I can satisfy.”
I listen to his words and swallow hard as I remember Morrigan’s words—that I will need to feed from the light as much as the dark.
“You need me as much as I need you, angel,” he finishes.
From the corner of my eye, I see Cambion moving into position behind Variant and I’m sure to fix my gaze on the false king, to distract him from Cambion.
“What makes you think I need you?” I demand, trying to keep his attention.
Cambion holds his blade high above Variant’s head, ready to strike, but a sudden blast of light energy sends everyone careening toward the walls. I screech as I feel the heat of the blast warm my face. I close my eyes against it and when I open them, all I see is smoke. I can hear the sounds of coughing and spluttering.
I hear something crack as I pull myself up into a seated position. My entire body aches but I manage to limp over to Cambion and Dragan who appear a few feet from me. There’s no sign of Variant. Whatever the blast, it wasn’t picky as to who it downed. My friends and foes are both down. Luckily, my companions recover much more quickly than the orcs they were fighting.
Dragan lifts the Midnight Queen into his arms once more as Cambion shuffles to my side and helps me stand. There’s something in his eyes when he looks at the woman in Dragan’s arms, but I can’t decipher what his expression means. A loud squeal catches my attention.
One of the soldiers swats Flumph out of the air and the sprite falls to the floor unmoving.
“No!” I yell as I wonder if the soldier has just killed him.
I hurry toward the soldier and the small mass at his feet. I hear Cambion yelling my name from behind me, but I pay him no attention. All I can see is Flumph. When I reach him, I watch as the soldier collapses just in front of me and I realize Cambion has taken the soldier out with his magic.
I scoop Flumph into my arms and then race back towards Baron just as he stomps his foot on the Oluri . The portal flares to life with a blinding flash of magic that causes the air to ripple. I jump through the portal first with Baron on my heels. Next, come Dragan and the Midnight Queen with Cambion bringing up the rear.
The rift closes a second later and I fall onto my back, staring up at the familiar sky above the ghostly forest. A pair of boots comes into my line of sight and I smile.
***
MIDNIGHT QUEEN
The Veil
Though my body is not well, I am free to move through the astral planes. I walk along the thin line between the realms, along with the ethers themselves from which I draw my magic.
The necromancer will be a problem, this much I do not doubt, but he is not here in this moment.
Instead, I watch as Variant sits amidst the bodies of his fallen soldiers in the throne room. Those who did not die by the hands of his enemies, died by the hands of their king. He takes a deep breath and stands, returning to his throne. There he sits and overlooks the scene of the dead surrounding him.
I smile as I allow myself to project into his world. Though I’m only there in spirit, Variant can still see and hear me.
“You have done quite well, Variant. I am proud of you. I almost believed her power was strong enough to throw you.”
“It was,” he grumbles, pressing his hand into his forehead the way he does when he’s upset about something. “I failed you.”
“No, all is going according to plan, remember?”
He stands up and presses a kiss to my hand. “That performance in the tower was quite believable. If only they knew who you truly serve,” he says with the usual touch of arrogance. “You’re a compelling actress, Morrigan.”
“Anything for you, my liege.”
He grows quiet and studies me for a few moments. “Those were the same words you said to Abedon,” he says finally and I inwardly curse myself for my negligence. “Tell me, Morrigan, do you still harbor feelings for your former lover, for Abedon?”
“I slit his throat the second you ordered me to do so,” I answer with no expression on my face. “My loyalty is to you.”
“And what earned me this loyalty, might I ask?” he demands as he eyes me with interest. “You’ve never told me, you know?”
“Long ago, I saw the man you would become. In a vision. And that vision came true,” I say as I eye the room around me before landing my eyes on Variant again. “And, I have since received more visions still. Prophecies.”
He studies me as if to decipher if I’m telling him the truth or if I’m lying. “Prophecies?”
“I have seen the truth, my liege. And it is a truth that revealed that only you, the one true king, could reshape the realms and evolve magic in a way that has never been seen before.”
“There’s so much that needs to be done,” he states as he shakes his head and sighs.
“There will soon be enough magic to tear down the barriers between the realms once and for all,” I offer, hoping to lighten his mood.
“Then I will expand my borders and push towards the other kingdoms—those of the Veil and those of Silvanus’.”
“Yes, my king,” I say with a pronounced smile and nod. But there is still one more subject we need to touch on. “What of Theren?” I demand. “His allegiance to you is fragile at best, my king. Should we not do something about it? We have an army at our disposal.”
“Theren still has power as the Unseelie King. His defeat will not come easily.”
“But, it is necessary all the same. And defeating Theren will further strike fear into the hearts of those who doubt you,” I add.
Variant nods. “I can’t afford to have the people question my authority over the realms when I’m so close to getting everything.” He takes a breath and then faces me. “And it is important the people understand you serve me.”
He truly thinks I serve him? Pitiful. It’s almost enough to make me laugh.
Variant has no idea what sort of power churns within me and he has yet to even guess at my treachery.
I do not serve him.
He serves me and the fool has yet to understand that fact. Which is just as well. My plan is unfolding just as I intended and it requires continued patience and forethought.
If I’m to defeat the one who poses a threat to my very existence, I need Variant to play his part. The silly little pawn is clueless.
“What if we turn them against one another again?” He asks.
“Them?”
He nods and appears annoyed I’m not following his line of thinking. “Cambion and Theren.”
It’s my turn to nod. “Unleash decades of tension between them, brother against brother. Yes,” I say with a grin. “You are quite brilliant, my liege,” I compliment him though it was I who planted this seed in his mind. But Variant must believe the thought originated with him.
“They’ve forever hated one another,” Variant says.
“Yes, they have. And there’s a treasure trove of anger beneath Cambion’s icy facade. We can use it to our advantage.”
“I must admit your cunningness surprises me at times.” Variant’s smile is quite handsome, but it lacks the bloodlust that usually sends my heart aflutter. Even so, I stare at him from beneath my long lashes, giving him my best demure expression. Where usually he eats my praise like a starving man before a smorgasbord, now he appears perplexed, his mind elsewhere. I smile beguilingly at him.
“What holds your mind prisoner, my liege?” I ask.
He frowns and glances down at his fingertips where they strum against the arm of his throne. “The angel.”
“Why?” I ask.
“I… I don’t know. Her power…”
“Is nothing compared to yours,” I lie.
“I should have destroyed her when I had the chance,” he starts but then he shakes his head and stands, as though the very thought causes him duress.
“No,” I say. “We still need her.”
“I feel… I feel this… need,” he says as he begins pacing the room, stepping over the dead bodies that litter it. “I want her.”
“And so you shall have her, my king,” I say as I eye him knowingly. “Just follow my council as you have done.”
“I feel impatient where the angel is concerned,” he admits.
“You must not bend to your impulsiveness,” I council. “When first I came to you and told you that Baron was your enemy and sought the power of the realms for himself, you acted swiftly and according to my council. You alleviated the threat of the King of Death,” I say and offer him another charming smile. “And look at you now. You have risen above both the King of Nature and the King of Shadow.”
“This is true,” he says with a firm nod.
“The angels are fading and the Fae live in fear of your name. The things we can accomplish together are beyond this life and the next... the possibilities are endless.”
“Yes, endless,” he says and takes on that faraway expression of his that irks me to no end. It usually means he isn’t paying attention to the words coming out of my mouth. And on this next point, he needs to pay attention.
“And we will continue to do great things, Variant, on one condition.”
He faces me immediately. “Which is?”
“You must keep your distance from Eilish for now.”
“I don’t understand why,” he responds and there’s a pouty expression in his eyes. Clearly, he’s already taken with the girl. Fool.
“Because she’s a danger and one you underestimate.”
“And danger is a threat,” he says, nodding.
“You will have her when the time is right, my liege,” I insist, knowing the way to ensure Variant’s acquiescence is to promise him whatever he wants. He’s quite like an impatient and demanding child in that regard.
He faces me and smiles. “The future is ours, Morrigan.”
I lean close to Variant, brushing a phantom kiss on his lips before I ease back into the ethers. As long as I keep him obedient and loyal, nothing can stand in my way. His little slip up with the angel will cost him in the end, but I will personally see to it that Variant cleans up his messes. And while this next chapter will see me in the company of my enemies, I will sway them in the same manner I’ve swayed all the others.
The battles we fought throughout history still rage on outside our doors. And this ancient battle between myself and my enemies will tear the realms asunder. Not even the Veil can hide from the powers that will be at my disposal once the process is complete. And when the dust settles, I will be there to rise from the ashes as a pinnacle of hope for those who survive.
The worlds will tremble beneath the might of my glory and they will call me god.