Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
Twenty-four hours later, we found ourselves at the opening of the tunnel within my walls. Sitting there waiting was Sienna; she ran up and embraced me. Peeling her arms away from me, I stepped back, not having the energy to listen to her gushing.
‘Enough, Sienna. Any news from Cain in my absence?’ I asked, stepping past her and allowing her to trail behind me as Everett and Demir followed closely, having no other option.
‘Yes, there’s a note in your room—one he instructed Geraldine not to open. She’s slightly disgruntled about it, if I’m being honest. You hungry?’
‘Starving!’ Everett piped up from behind us. She gave him a cursory glance, but I could see where her eyes lingered ever so slightly on his body.
‘Feed them and show them to some rooms; let them bathe, but make sure they are watched by three guards each. I also want a Forest Fae with each of them. I have some things to do. Call everyone together; I want a meeting in three hours.’
‘You need to eat and rest, Skylar. You look like you’ve been through hell,’ Sienna said, all but ignoring me in front of our guests—the attitude would not go unchecked.
‘That’s Queen Skylar to you, Sienna and don’t fucking forget it. I’ll rest when I’m dead. Now leave, before I truly lose my fucking mind at you. I am too exhausted to deal with you talking back today, and warn the others to pull their head in because I have run out of patience.’
Demir and Everett both eyed me curiously, not knowing how to deal with my outburst. Sienna took it in stride and took them to eat while I rerouted myself to my chambers. There, I found the note from Cain sitting on my table next to my sword.
I have looked into the power of the eternal flame, and from my findings, it seems you have barely scratched the surface of its capabilities.
In truth, you may have already experienced the most it will give you.
The flame is a living thing and chooses how wide the powers it gives you will extend; it must deem you worthy of certain gifts.
So far, you are the only one in recorded history to unravel this many, but there are legends of old that once, during a time of great need, the flame was able to call upon the dragons.
A time lost in the history books. I have a lead on some information about your Zauvek bond.
Once I have anything substantial, I will send word. Be safe, Skylar.
The dragons had long been dead but I had to find a way to summon them from the spirit realm in my fight with Morgad and the Mrak.
The only thing that could provide me with any more insight, besides waiting for my next update from Cain, was the Oracle.
I headed down to the library and found myself in that cold, dark room with nothing but a jewel encrusted book sitting before me, almost taunting me.
I opened the Oracle and inhaled deeply as the black smoke billowed from its pages, willing it to show me how I could win this using the eternal flame.
Instead of showing me images of dragons, it showed me Demir’s book.
I turned the pages once more, and again it showed me his book.
I became frustrated and turned the pages a third time, only to see his book once more.
I slammed it shut and pulled the book out of my pocket.
It was the first time I had opened it since I took it from Everett.
When I opened its pages, I was confronted with a script I had never seen before, with lines that swirled across the pages.
Perhaps it was a code that only Demir and Everett knew, the bastards.
After showering and changing into my black fighting leathers and boots, I entered my council room to find Geraldine, Sienna, and Jasper sitting there with Everett and Demir.
They all rose to welcome me and remained standing as I poured myself a glass of red wine.
They only sat after I took my place, having heeded Sienna’s warning.
‘I don’t think they should be here.’ Geraldine gestured towards Demir and Everett.
‘They are harmless. Do you need to hear it for yourself?’ I asked. Geraldine nodded.
Standing once again, I walked behind the men and turned their chairs to face me. ‘Princeling, where do your loyalties lie?’
‘With you and only you.’
‘And you?’ I asked, turning to Everett.
‘To Demir, and only Demir—so by extension, you unfortunately,’ he said as my palm collided with his face.
‘Disrespect me in my home again and there will be a blade in that hand next time, understood?’ Everett looked to Demir for help, but he simply smirked at his friend.
‘What does the flame say?’ Sienna asked.
Demir did not miss a moment in asking, ‘What flame?’
I shot Sienna a glare that made her slink back into her chair.
‘The flame that made my pretty brown eyes blue and tells me if those in my presence are lying to me.’ At that, Everett’s mouth all but dropped open.
‘Sienna, have you heard of someone who is neither a Wiccan nor a Fae and has the ability to heal or perhaps use magic to change the words on a page into something unreadable for an outsider?’ I asked as I eyed Everett and Demir’s reaction.
Demir’s smirk only widened, telling me I was right in thinking that whatever gifts Everett had were what blocked me from reading the book.
‘There’s mention of one other group; they’re known as the Nomadie.
There aren’t many left, and they are extremely powerful.
They were banished from the continent hundreds of years ago; the Wiccans hunt them, believing their powers can be absorbed and fed back to the mother, from whom the base of all our magic is drawn.
The Fae and the Wiccans are limited in what our magic can do; I can heal, Jasper can grow and control plants, but a Nomadie can bend magic to its will and make it do anything.
They all have their specialties where their power is strongest,’ Sienna explained as Everett began to shift back in his chair, eyeing the door.
Just as he stood to leave, I grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back into the chair.
‘Well, Everett here is a Nomadie—do what you want with him. I want to know the extent of his powers as soon as possible, including the powers he may not realise he has.’ Sienna’s head snapped to Everett so quickly I thought I heard it crack.
I waved them off, dismissing them. If there was any magic Everett had that we could exploit in this battle, we needed to know sooner rather than later.
Demir stepped towards him, but my cutting glare stopped him in his tracks.
‘Status reports. Now,’ I commanded.
Jasper spoke of the rescued Forest Fae and how their training was progressing.
He had settled into his new role in Cain’s absence.
‘Cain is making progress in Voldina with Jade. The people are rallying behind her, and she has temporarily reclaimed her throne. It is a tenuous hold on power until they finish executing the traitors who killed Raleigh. Our soldiers at the Ancient Forest have seen no movement, but we have pulled back some forces at the border to support them, as we know something is brewing. There were, however, some fatalities in your absence; the Morgadians forgot their place for a moment and became overzealous once news broke that there was a border ban thinking we had done it out of fear.’
‘How many?’
‘We only moved two units, my Queen.’
‘No. How many of my soldiers are dead?’
‘Twenty-three, my Queen.’ At that, I threw my glass of wine across the room, shattering it against the wall behind Geraldine. She did not flinch when everyone else in the room did.
‘Strip and follow me. I want the Morgadians in cuffs and brought to the great hall. Jasper, find Everett; he couldn’t have gone far,’ I seethed as I stormed out of the room, with everyone rushing behind me.
Entering the great hall, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my throne; there was comfort in seeing it.
Away from this room it almost felt as though anyone could take it in my absence not that anyone would dare.
The hall as usual was filled with various families from across Maureia, nobles and representatives from every region.
They all bowed their heads in acknowledgement as I took my place.
My council members and allies followed behind me.
Murmurs erupted as Jasper brought Demir and Everett in, with people shocked at their presence given the ban in place and the fact that I had secured high value prisoners in their eyes.
Geraldine stood in front of me no longer wearing her cloak but still wearing an under shirt.
‘My people, I left these walls to obtain some leverage over Morgad,’ I said, gesturing to the two men in chains.
‘In my absence, while my council was dispersed across the realms making political moves in our favour for the war that is to come, I left Geraldine in charge of my armies and soldiers. People who belong to your families. I was not here to protect them and twenty-three died; for that, I am indebted to you. I will begin paying that debt now. Geraldine, when I said “strip”, I meant even your undershirt.’ I stepped behind her and drew my dagger from my boot.
Geraldine sunk to her knees as I kicked them out from under her.
‘Sienna, give me their names. Geraldine will receive one cut for every soul she lost.’
She began reciting the names of every soldier and, as she did, I sliced a single horizontal line into Geraldine’s back.
Distinguishing them from her honourable kills, these would be her shame.
She did not flinch in pain; instead, she sat firm with her chin raised, accepting her punishment as blood seeped down her body and pooled onto the floor.
‘Families of the fallen, step forward.’ Only one woman and two men stepped forward—the rest were likely in the middle of burying their loved ones.
‘Only the spirits know if my presence would have changed the course of their lives, but they will never be forgotten.’ The woman who stepped forward started crying, but refused to balk at the confronting moment when her raw emotions would be seen by everyone.
I walked over to one of the fires bordering the hall and dug the tip of my sword into the hot coals.
Whispers began as my people tried to guess what would happen to Geraldine now.
The blade turned orange from the heat trapped within it.
I handed the blade over to the woman first, and as she made a step towards Geraldine, I stopped her.
‘Not her. Geraldine, your punishment is done. Clean yourself up and find out how Sebastian got past your men and into the Ancient Forest. Now I must atone for my failure.’ I turned to the grieving woman once more.
‘You will carve the initials of the loved one you have lost into my skin.’ Shocked gasps echoed throughout the hall.
The woman stepped back, but my eyes stopped her in her tracks.
I turned to undo my fighting leathers and pulled my shirt over my head.
I met Demir’s eyes as he stood across the hall from me, but his expression was unreadable.
The tip of the blade pressed into the skin of my back, the sound of searing flesh filling the hall.
I didn’t blink; instead, I held Demir’s gaze, showing him exactly who I am—my strength and my commitment to my people.
It was a challenge. The burning sound faded as the smell of flesh filled the room.
I took the blade and held it over the flames once more before handing it to the first man who had stepped forward.
He looked as though he were holding back tears.
The now familiar press of the blade dug under my skin right beneath the first initials as I clenched my fists.
The third time, my vision blurred, and blood pooled in my mouth as I bit back a cry of pain.
I took a deep breath before addressing them, the sword firmly back in my hand. ‘Go home to the loved ones you have left. Whatever you need, be it burial expenses or jobs to fill the lost income, it is yours. Geraldine will see to it.’
I could not put my shirt back on due to the fresh wounds, so I turned and walked out of the hall. Gasps followed me as more people bore witness to my mutilated skin.
‘Sienna, bring the Morgadians and follow me.’
Once we were far enough away from the hall and prying eyes, I stopped in one of the side halls and pressed my forehead to the cool stone of the wall to catch my breath.
Everett whistled. ‘I don’t remember you being such a badass.’ Sienna tsked at him as she rushed over to me.
‘I’m fine, Sienna; I’ve been through far worse.’
Demir stepped forward and leaned against the wall next to me, eyeing me, when Everett spoke up. ‘Why don’t you just heal yourself?’
Demir chuckled at his friend’s question. ‘Isn’t it obvious? She’s punishing herself.’
‘No, I’m not. I am honouring those soldiers. Why should I get to block out the pain when they will have to live with theirs for the rest of their lives? The least I can do is shoulder some of it for a few days out of respect.’
Demir tucked some of my hair behind my ear, and as his hand grazed it, I heard him. My little Ruhi is full of surprises.
‘I’m not your “little” anything,’ I snapped without thinking.
Demir’s hand dropped to my back, trailing over the many scars that marred it.
Losing myself for the briefest moment, I wanted to moan.
His smile grew wicked before Sienna pulled me from my trance and brought me back to reality; I batted him away.
‘Sky, no one said anything.’ Sienna looked at me with concern.
‘That’s Queen Skylar when we are in company.
I will not remind you again, Sienna, and if you must know, I can hear his thoughts sometimes.
Must be because he’s my Zauvek. Now, who is going to decode this book for me?
’ I said, pulling Demir’s tattered book from my pocket and dismissing Sienna’s contributions to the conversation.
‘Unfortunately, I can’t do that; it’s a spell that cannot be undone, but Demir here can read it for you. Since it is his book, the magic is linked to him, and so only he can decipher it. Not even my eyes can read it,’ Everett explained.
‘Princeling, you’re coming with me.’