CHAPTER ELEVEN
The throne was a living thing.
Rather than stone, it was carved from an ancient oak tree—trunk twisted into the visage of a chair.
Above, its branches extended into a wild canopy of vibrant green leaves.
Below, its roots stretched deep, deep into the ground.
A man sat on the throne, wearing a crown of golden-brown antlers upon his brow.
It complemented the warm, golden tones of his flaxen hair.
No such warmth could be found in his eyes.
No…they were completely devoid of feeling. Cold and merciless.
He exuded power. But I wasn’t afraid—I was angry.
He spoke, voice teetering on the edge of control. “Who wouldn’t want to be my bride?”
I answered, only it wasn’t my voice at all. “I’m not leaving until I hear it from her lips.”
“There’s no need for you to be so meddlesome.”
“Need? It was a mother’s need that brought me to your doorstep.”
“Her family has been provided for—they will want for nothing.”
“She wants her daughter to have a choice.”
“Humans who choose to enter my court answer to me.”
“Choose being the key word. Her mother claims you physically dragged her daughter across the boundary.”
“It was dark. Humans often confuse what they see at night. They have such poor eyesight…”
“You’re right. Some people will be fooled by the dark.
Others will use it as an excuse to look the other way.
But I am not one of those people. There is no darkness that moonlight cannot touch.
If you think you can use the cover of darkness as an excuse for stealing yourself an unwilling bride—think again. ”
A root, piercing through the floor. Headed straight for my heart.
I didn’t even flinch.
It wasn’t my body the root collided with—it was the wall of bright, silvery light conjured into being in front of me. A shield. Moonlight made manifest. Solid enough to deflect the root’s attack.
The man on the throne wasn’t the only one who exuded power.
My voice was calm and authoritative. “I will not ask again. Where is she?”
“You will regret this, Moira.” He choked out the words in a rage, control slipping. “The Midnight Sovereign will see its end.”
It was a vow. A vow laced with cruelty and disdain and binding magic.
My eyes flew open in a panic, but everything remained dark.
It was still the middle of the night. The menacing words spoken in my nightmare pressed upon me, stealing my breath away.
No, that wasn’t it. Fear alone wouldn’t shorten my breath so drastically…
didn’t explain why the air leaving my mouth came out in short, shallow puffs.
Pressure.
Something pressed against my face, stifling my ability to breathe.
In an instant, I threw myself fully awake. I’m being smothered!
Desperately, I clawed at my face, searching for my attacker’s hands before it was too late.
I touched something…soft and pliant?
A loud yowl cut through the silence. “Wake up! There’s someone coming up the path!”
I pushed Nix off my face and spat out a mouthful of black fur.
“And you thought the best way to wake me up was to smother me?”
My heart rate slowly returned to normal as I realized there was no attacker—just one very annoying cat.
“Quickly! You must dress and attend the ceremonial basin.”
“The ceremonial… You mean that bowl on the pedestal stand? How do you—”
“Hurry!” He jumped down off the bed, running out of the room.
It took me a moment to shake off the haze of my nightmare.
To rid my body of the dread it so strongly evoked.
It was like the man’s cruel eyes were fixed upon me still—his hatred seeping ominously into my very bones.
Was the dream some kind of warning? The woman in my dream, Moira, had shown no fear in the face of his threats.
But he certainly frightened me. Had his harsh words come to pass?
You will regret this. A dream…or a memory?
Someone is at the door! Any further contemplation regarding my nightmare would just have to wait.
I stumbled out of bed, grabbing for my clothes.
Hopping around the room, I pulled up my pants in a rush.
His methods aside, I was grateful to Nix for waking me.
If someone needed my help, I intended to answer.
I burst into the foyer to find Nix sitting in the shadows, watching the front door.
The ceremonial basin was a deep silver bowl, its circular shape supported by three scrolled feet which held it slightly aloft.
It bore a slight resemblance to a cauldron.
Perched upon a pedestal stand, itself crafted from dark wood, the basin was a central fixture of the foyer.
The cycles of the moon were carved into each object, a recurring motif in the metalwork of the basin and the woodwork of the pedestal stand, both ornately decorated.
I stood next to them, mirroring Nix, my eyes locked upon the cottage door.
The anticipation was torture—too much time to second-guess myself.
I was suddenly acutely aware of my body and posture.
What stance should I take? Should I lean against the basin?
Cross my arms? Clasp my hands in front of my body?
Smile or look aloof? I was floundering to decide, caught halfway between two different poses, when the cottage door swung open.
A woman walked confidently into my foyer.
The first thing I noticed about her was her sword.
Then, the artwork on her muscular left bicep.
You couldn’t miss it—the likeness of a phoenix wound all the way up her arm, its red feathers practically glowing against her ivory skin.
If my books could be trusted, the tattoo ink used to draw it was even laced with the fiery bird’s ash.
Did this mean she was a sworn phoenix warrior?
From Sivell? If so, that was impressive—historically, very few women had been allowed to join their ranks.
I looked at her sword again, frowning. Had she come to confront me about my recent visit into Sivell?
My face went pale. Is it too much to ask to meet someone who doesn’t want to kill me?
“What brings you here?” I questioned, cringing at the hesitancy in my voice.
“Are you the Midnight Sovereign?” the woman asked.
She looked to be in her mid-thirties. She had long blond hair pulled into a high ponytail at the top of her head. I tried to imagine what I must look like in her eyes. Young and inexperienced. Not the sort of person to pin your hopes upon.
I wanted my presence to inspire confidence, so I crossed my arms and squared my shoulders before answering.
Despite my confident pose, my voice betrayed me, ending on an upward inflection that sounded questioning even to my own ears.
“Yes…?” Embarrassed by the impression I must be making, I repeated myself, this time with conviction. “Yes. I am the Midnight Sovereign.”
“Then I’ve found the right place. My name’s Terani.
I live over in Grence. Not too far from your island, actually.
I’ve come here to make a deal.” She held up a milky-white moonstone.
“Fiere was right, it did help guide me here. Even protected me. While I was traveling, I think. Very hard to find though. Fiere says they’ve been depleted in the realm.
Did you know? I wouldn’t have found this one without him. ”
Fiere? The phoenix sent her to me? Not another assassination attempt, then.
“Thank you for telling me. Fiere mentioned that to me as well. How can I help you, Terani?”
Her stare was intense. “So, it’s true then? You’re helping people again? Like in the stories?”
“It’s true,” I said, curious about which stories she was referencing. If there were stories, why didn’t the cottage study possess a single book transcribing them? I would have asked her to elaborate, but I wanted to gain her trust, not reveal to her the extent of my own ignorance.
“You’ll help anyone?” she pressed.
I nodded. “Yes. Anyone who sincerely needs me.” That was the one tenant of the position that Kaylin had enforced consistently: The island is supposed to be a neutral entity, keeping the history of the realm; we do not answer to those in power or bow to royalty.
I elaborated further. “If it’s power or political gain you’re after—I can’t help you.
” It was a lofty claim for me to make, given how little I truly understood about my office.
In truth, I was just about one penetrating question away from being exposed as a charlatan.
I didn’t even know moonstones were the desired currency for a midnight bargain until a few weeks ago, but she didn’t need to know how clueless I was, that I had no idea how to determine whether her intentions were pure or not.
If I could just play this out…
Terani pocketed the moonstone and cupped her hands, summoning a small flame into life between them. A faint golden glow emanated from her skin. She looked me in the eye. “I am only the fifth woman to become a phoenix warrior in Sivell’s history.”
I gaped at the flame. “That’s an impressive accomplishment. I can’t imagine the tenacity that took.”
When Terani responded, her voice was laced with bitterness.
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew everything that has happened.
That I allowed a fate worse than death to befall my bonded phoenix, Eterna.
She’s only on her first birth cycle. She’s young and vulnerable, and someone took advantage of that fact to take her away from me. ”
“What happened to her?” I asked delicately.
“Someone sold her to the highest bidder they could find.”
My mouth fell open. They sold her phoenix into captivity—a living, free creature? The sheer hypocrisy of it all as well. Didn’t Sivell venerate their relationship with the phoenix above all else? Anger blossomed in my chest, hot and heavy. It wasn’t right. “Who would do such a thing?”
“I don’t know who’s responsible. I wish I did.”
“Why would someone target you and Eterna?”