Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
EIRA
Eira remained sitting on the throne as they made their next plans. The hum of Luana’s magic ran through it to her, and she tried to focus on the tasks at hand to be more prepared for Amelia when she returned.
“Eira, what do you think?” Cadeyrn asked. He, along with Rose, Alvis, Myra, and Aytigin all stared at her with expectant eyes. She was the queen now. It fell to her to give orders.
She opened her mouth to respond when the grand hall doors burst open and Finley stood before them.
Eira gasped. Finley wasn’t the person she’d seen only hours before.
Her hair was damp and her skin glistened and shone with faint scales.
Eira gripped the armrests and pushed herself up to stand and take a step forward.
Dark shadows crept from her fingertips, and ice formed near her feet.
Everyone turned to look and stared as Finley the sorceress stepped into the room.
It was silent save for Finley’s footsteps echoing across the marble floor displaying her sorceress form for all to see. Then as she approached the throne Eira could see Cadeyrn reach for this sword out of the corner of her eye, and Finley knelt in a low bow.
Eira stared at her in silence, unsure of what to say. She’d never seen Finley bow to anyone.
“Your majesty, there’s something we need discuss. Something I’ve been keeping from you and shouldn’t have. You deserve to know the truth.”
Eira outstretched her arm toward Cadeyrn, indicating there was no need for his defense.
At least there didn’t appear to be. It didn’t seem like anyone was even breathing, so shocked were they at the sight of her.
Eira had always assumed Finley had some sort of sorceress heritage, being related to Amelia. But this?
“You can stand,” Eira said, hoping her voice sounded more confident than she felt.
Finley obeyed and came to her feet. Her cool blue eyes were steady and strong without an ounce of fear in them. “There’s a lot to explain and not much time. I don’t think Amelia will wait long.”
“And how do you know what Amelia plans to do?” Cadeyrn snapped.
“It doesn’t take a genius to know that she’s anxious and ready to pounce,” Finley snapped back. This seemed to release everyone from the stunned quiet they’d been in, and hushed murmurs spread across the room.
“Enough,” Eira commanded, sounding more like a queen than she had a moment ago and they all stopped speaking again. “What is it you wish to tell me?”
Finley’s eyes darted around the room then landed again on Eira. “A smaller audience first. Just you, Myra, and Rose.”
Eira looked to the two women. Rose wore a scowl while Myra gave a hopeful nod. Myra might have trusted Finley still, but even if she was wrong Eira trusted Rose with her life. She drew a deep breath. “Fine. Everyone can wait for us outside.”
There were cries of protest, mostly from Cadeyrn and Aytigin, but when Alvis agreed and went out the door, the others followed.
Once they were alone, Eira stared at Finley with hard eyes and raised her brows.
Finley had tried to warn her about Amelia attacking her, and she’d seen her fight alongside Rose briefly during the battle.
It was possible she did want to help. But that didn’t mean Eira had to make it easy on the pirate. “Well? What is it you have to say?”
Eira expected Finley to give her a sharp response or a witty remark. Or even a sneer or a cocky glance. But Finley showed none of that. She was calm and confident and didn’t back down. “I have more sorceress blood in me than I previously led on.”
Rose snorted. “Obviously.”
Eira gave her sister a quelling look then focused again on Finley. “Yes, we can see that. I’ll admit, I’m surprised you’re allowing us to see this, all things considered.”
“It’s because you deserve to know,” Finley answered. “And because of that, I know how to kill a sorceress.”
A shocked silence settled over the room, and Eira imagined she could possibly hear the ocean off in the distance.
Her heart raced, and her magic swirled. She tapped her fingertips against her thumb and gulped in several deep breaths.
Anger wasn’t the answer here. “And you’ve decided to share this now?
After people have been killed, including my father? ”
A slight flush came to Finley’s cheeks. Good.
She should be ashamed. “I intended to do it myself,” she admitted.
“That was why I left without warning. I took the Shadow Slayers and thought I could. But Amelia had other plans. seethe truth is, the book you found from Malle is correct, or at least mostly. The key to killing a sorcerer or sorceress is in taking their magic, and that’s what the Shadow Slayers can do along with their accuracy and why they have so much power.
Once their magic is drained, they become mortal, and the magic goes into the weapons.
Who knows how many the Shadow Slayers have slaughtered over the centuries, and when it’s done by someone with the same bloodline it’s even more powerful, which is why I thought I could defeat Amelia on my own.
The magic in the Shadow Slayers would speak to mine.
I’d seen that Dusan had already been draining her power each time he touched her.
All the zombies can do it when they touch you, and they become more human.
So, I knew Amelia was weak because he’d done it to me too.
But she was stronger than I anticipated and took the Shadow Slayers from me and killed Dusan.
That’s why she’s as powerful as she is now.
She used his bones to take her magic and mine back and became this…
thing. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so foolish. ”
Eira wasn’t sure which was more shocking. The story about Amelia or the fact that Finley apologized. The weight of it made Eira sink back down in the seat of the throne. “Do you think we can drain her of that much magic? If we can even get the Shadow Slayers back.”
A dark smile spread across Finley’s face, which made her terrifying, but there was something else behind it.
Sadness. “I do. Like the tale of the Cursed Queens said, it will take all four of us and our magic combined. But knowing what Amelia can do, it could drain us too. We could be consumed. Because I have her bloodline the chances of that happening are lower, but it is a risk we have to consider. I would likely take the brunt of it.”
“No!” Myra exclaimed and stood beside Finley. She took her friend’s hand. “We can’t risk you when she’s already taken so much from you. Ai wouldn’t want us to.”
Finley squeezed her hand. “I’m not sure we have any other choice.”
“And risk losing our magic?” Rose asked. “What would happen to Eral? It already lost one Minister this year and is still recovering from the damage Amelia put on it.”
Eira looked at her hands and saw the faint etchings of frost covering her fingertips.
For so long her magic had defined her; defined them all.
But maybe this was why they each had been given so much power — for a moment such as this.
Maybe this was why Luana had gifted her with it all those months ago.
“So, we’ll make a plan,” Eira announced.
“Finley is right, we may not have any other choice.”
So, they planned and plotted. They would bring Amelia back, in a false act of surrender and submission, and continue from there. Once they settled on something all four of them felt confident in, Rose and Myra departed to inform the others and make arrangements, which left Eira alone with Finley.
Eira leaned back in the throne. It was becoming more comfortable with each moment. She crossed one leg over the other and considered Finley. “You aren’t what I thought you would be. Even now I’m not entirely confident we can trust you.”
Finley smirked. “And you’re not what I thought you would be. I thought you were an uptight and prudish princess. Although I’m not sure if you can go through with it. Might get your delicate hands a little too dirty.”
Eira outstretched said delicate hands. “Maybe they need a little dirtying. And as much as I hate to say it, I think you’re exactly what the kingdom needs.”
“And as much as I hate to say it, you’re the only queen I’ve ever chosen to follow.”
Finley’s words swelled within Eira’s chest. The throne might have become more comfortable, but the title of “queen” still felt too new and raw.
Eira had prepared for this day her entire life, but now it was here she wasn’t sure if she could handle it.
Knowing Finley chose to follow her gave Eira an odd sense of confidence.
If even the pirate queen would follow, maybe there was the slight chance Eira needed to do this.
And do it her way. The two of them looked at each other for a moment.
No fear or doubt between them for the time being. Only respect.
Finley tossed her hair to the side and placed her hands on her hips in a sort of hero stance. “Let’s go get that evil queen back here and foil some plans.”