by K.N. Lee
Her stomach ached with anxiety and a dull pain as she stood in the opening of her tent, gazing out into the world of the serpents—dragons, as some would call them.
They flew in the bright skies of crystal-clear blue and white puffy clouds that trailed along as if swimming in the ocean.
There was a time when she dreamed of sailing away on a ship, far from the Enchanted Kingdom. Now, she was as far away as she’d dreamed, though it lay just beneath this beautiful world in the sky.
The air was cooler, purer, but it did nothing to soothe the nervousness and fear brewing within her veins. Even if she wanted to run, where would she go? She couldn’t fly, and there were serpents patrolling the skies and ground of their kingdom in the clouds at all hours of the day and night. She wouldn’t make it any farther than two steps outside of her tent.
Shiran was miles above the Enchanted Kingdom—unreachable by the Davidian brothers who had claimed her, and whom she had already began to care for.
Nothing good ever lasted in her life. This was no exception. She just didn’t know when her death would come, and that was almost worse. If only Gulathi would tell her, so she could mentally prepare.
Then again, perhaps she could come up with a plan for escape. She had to at least try.
The little girl, Kira, sat on the floor, with a clay bowl between her legs which she ground colorful gems into. She glanced at her as she poured silver liquid into the bowl, and stirred it into the mixture.
Wiping a tear from her cheeks, she left the open flap of her tent, and sat across from her on the colorful, scattered rugs on the floor.
Kira looked up at her, a smile on her face. Her skin was a smooth, cocoa color, decorated with bright blue tattoos that highlighted the green of her eyes. Short, purple hair fell into her eyes as she tilted her head.
“For you,” she said, lifting the bowl toward her.
Elle looked down at it, and frowned, seeing the lumps and bubbling bits simmering in a rainbow of color.
“What is it?”
Kira dipped her finger into it, and then marked Elle’s face, starting under her left eye and sweeping it along the bridge of her nose and to her right eye.
“You meet King Thane today,” she said. “You must be properly marked.”
She sat there, and exhaled as Kira continued to paint her face. It wasn’t until she was done that she held up a mirror and let her see what she’d done with that colorful liquid.
It dried onto her pale, white skin, and shimmered as the paint set.
She barely recognized herself as she stared upon her reflection. Her red hair was worn down, and hung over her shoulders in two long braids that Kira had braided for her that morning. There was golden thread laced into her braids, and as Elle stared at herself, it all sparkled under the dim light of the candles of her tent.
In a flowy, white gown with a low neckline that went to nearly her waist and held in place by being tied at her nape, she truly did appear to be someone holy.
Someone enchanted.
A golden belt was secured around her waist and she wore tan sandals with straps that went up her calf. This was certainly different from anything she’d worn back in the monastery, or on the farm she’d grown up on.
“You will meet King Thane, and be kept in the palace until the ceremony is scheduled.”
Fresh tears came to Elle’s eyes, and renewed panic filled her chest and throat, tightening it until it was too painful to breathe.
Ceremony?
After years of being forced to watch young girls be sacrificed before the Wolf God, she always knew she was as much at risk of a similar fate as any of them. How she wished she’d been wrong about her unfortunate foresight.
Her darkest fears were being realized, and the irony of it was almost comical.
Now, it was her turn to be sacrificed to a god.
It just happened to be that of the serpents.
Chapter Twenty-One
Matthias sharpened his knife as Drevah Davidian folded his arms across his broad chest and stared down at the elvish messenger.
The forest elf wore the customary blue light armor, and had his long, white hair pulled into a single braid that hung down his back.
For the elves to ask for aid was a first.
It was a quiet afternoon in the capital, and it seemed that most delegates were too afraid to venture out these days.
The ladies and lords of court still lingered in the halls, and drank in the sitting rooms while fires warmed the castle. If there was anywhere you wanted to be, it was in the midst of the Davidian clan. He doubted any of their guests would be returning home any time soon.
“Unrest in the south, your highness,” he said, and Dre rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh.
“Isn’t there always unrest down there?” he asked, and Matthias shushed him. “What? It’s the truth.”
Rolling his eyes, with a sigh, Matthias ignored his brother, the big, burly hothead with arms the size of tree trunks. Dre paced the room, cracking his knuckles, and pausing at the archway that looked out toward the mountains, and summoned a pallbearer for more wine.
Something was amiss, and he needed to get down to the root of it. After the treaty had been established, there was supposed to be peace. But, the curse set forth by the Serpent Sisters threatened everything his ancestors had worked for—not to mention the life of his mother hung in the balance.
“What of the humans? Are they still safe down there?” Matthias asked. It seemed that perhaps their uneasy peace treaty might soon be at an end.
With the sickness spreading throughout the Enchanted Kingdom, it was only a matter of time before the citizens revolted, or went to war with one another once again.
That damned Alexi and Etian were supposed to bring the girl back. What was taking them so long?
“Aye, but the serpents are attacking the settlements with fire and poisonous smoke,” the messenger said, his silver eyes almost too bright to look directly into.
Dre walked away, shaking his head, and Matthias nodded.
“Thank you, Rolf,” he said, quietly, tapping his fingers of the brass arm of his chair. “Is that all?”
Rolf nodded, his white cheeks nearly shimmering under the torchlight that wavered and glowed in sconces all around the small meeting room.
“Then, you may go,” he said, and Rolf bowed before exiting.
As the elves boots clinked across the stone floor, Matthias and Dre shared a look.
“Something definitely isn’t right,” Dre said. “I cannot feel Alexi and Etian’s connection.”
Matthias ground his teeth, thinking. “Nor can I.”
“They may be in some sort of trouble. With reports of increased serpent activity, who knows what may have befallen them.”
“Aye,” Matthias said. “We must go to the sacred stone, recharge the connection and check in on them.”
Dre nodded, his face relaxing for the first time that day. “Good idea. We must leave before sunset.”
Matthias stood from his chair. He straightened his tunic and raked his hand through his hair. “Horseback or shall we go wild?”
Dre made a face, and tilted his head. “That wasn’t a serious question, was it?”
Matthias chuckled, ready to shift into their wolf form and race to the Hollow Mountain. “Wild, it is then.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The thick underbrush crushed and crunched beneath Matthias and Drevah’s paws as they raced through the forest. The scent of pine and smoke filled the air as the sun began to set over the valley.
Just that morning, he’d woken up with a cold sweat. Nightmares had plagued him as he tossed and turned in his bed. Something was amiss, and he hated to imagine what it could be.
There mother was perishing, and Alexi and Etian were supposed to bring the only cure home with them.
Without the heir…they were lost.
The sacred stone awaited, just ahead in the white mountains that lined the city.
Heat filled Matthias’ body as he ran, the side-effect of becoming a wolf. It pulsed from his abdomen, and spread throughout his entire body until every pore seemed to emit steam around him and his brother.
A heavy fog settled around them as the made their way to the base of the mountain. Boulders, and colorful pebbles of red and gold were scattered around the white stone ground that met the dark grass of the forest. They needed to reconnect with their brothers, and figure out what had gone wrong before it was too late.
Once they approached the black, stone door, the guardian appeared, materializing out of the air.
Ageless, and pale as snow, he stood before them, eyes black as ink, soulless.
He held a staff in his right hand and wore a white cloak that matched his equally white hair that hung long down to his knees.
“What brings two Davidians down to my humble lair?” Kelsier asked in a voice that made Matthias’ skin crawl. “It has been ages since I’ve had a visit from the great wolf clan. The wisps whispered of your father’s passing and mother’s illness.”
Matthias’ jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Yes. Alexi will soon be king of Castilan.”
“A worthy leader,” Kelsier said.
Alexi may be the quiet one, but he was the oldest, and wisest. He would make a great king, one that the people of the Enchanted Kingdom would happily serve.
The valley became cold as the sun set and the moon began to peek its way through the clouds.
“We’ve come to see the sacred stone,” Matthias said. “Our connection with our brothers has been disrupted, and we haven’t heard from them in too long.”
Kelsier tilted his head and held out a hand. In the center of it was a blue outline of a moon. “Very well. You know the price.”
Matthias and Dre exchanged a glance, and without further delay, both spat into his open palm.
The guardian smeared their saliva on the smooth stone, and as he stepped away, the door lowered downward and revealed a cavern of pure, white light that came from the moon casting its glow directly onto the top of the mountain.
They walked inside, and a gust of wind blew at them. It was so hard that it nearly made Matthias slide backward a bit.
Dre wasn’t affected in the least. He was the biggest. The strongest. The bravest.
He led the way, entering the light without hesitation.
It had been ages since there was a need to use the sacred stone to communicate with someone from the clan. Wherever Alexi and Etian were must be too far for their psychic communication to work properly.
That—or something sinister was afoot.
Once they reached the center of the cavern, the light dimmed, slightly.
The brothers reached out, and touched the sacred stone.
Heat filled his hands and arms as he did so, and finally, there was clarity.
It all came in a wash of panic, anger, and shame that nearly sent Matthias to his knees.
The lost heir was gone.
Taken.
Stolen.
A call to arms had been issued, and as Matthias and Drevah glanced at each other from over the stone—eyes aglow—they both knew what they had to do.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Elle tensed as the tent flaps were pulled open and Gulathi stepped inside. With her came the heavy scent of lavender, and a smothering weight of sorrow.
She wore the same robes as before, as well as the warm smile that would have calmed her if she didn’t already know they wished to see her dead.
“Afternoon, Enchanted Elle,” she said, and Elle couldn’t help but wince. She almost preferred being treated poorly, instead of this fake friendliness.
“Stop calling me that,” she said, looking away. “There is nothing enchanted about me. I am no one. Nothing.”
Gulathi paused, her forehead creasing as if Elle’s words truly vexed her. “But, why? You are the Enchanted One. It would be imprudent to call you anything but that.”
“Why am I the Enchanted One? What does that even mean?”
Her lips curled into another smile, and she gave a slight nod. “You will soon find all of the answers you seek.”
With a frustrated growl, Elle came to her feet and marched past the Serpent Sister.
“Let’s get on with it then,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood outside the tent and waited for Gulathi to join her.
“Eager to meet the king, I see?”
“Hardly,” Elle mumbled, getting a good look at her surroundings.
The palace stood at the far end of the floating kingdom.
“This way,” Gulathi said, leading her down the white, stone steps that lead to the series of walkways that stretched and crisscrossed all across the smooth, flat surface.
As Elle was taken across the city of white and gold, her eyes were drawn to the beautiful mountains and waterfalls that cascaded into a pool of crystal-clear, blue water.
Walking along the gold-paved streets, she marveled at it all. The serpents lived in such opulence as she’d never seen. Having grown up on a farm, her daily life consisted of executing tasks that contributed to her family’s survival. It was a world of lush grass, meadows of golden wheat, and smelled of dung.
Shiran, on the other hand, was filled with the fresh scent of fragrant flowers that grew along the wide, paved roads, and the faint aroma of smoke that clung to the clothing of its people. She wondered if it was like the wolves, if the magic that made them change was the same, for their clothes remained intact after a shift from beast to human.
As she looked to the skies, she followed groups of dragons flying above, circling the tallest tower, and darting down to the ground where they became three men.
Her heart began to race as they approached.
“We will take her from here, Sister,” one of them said. He appeared to be the eldest, with graying, black hair, and sharp green eyes.
Like the other people of Shiran, his skin was of the many shades of bronze and brown, and glistened beneath the sun as only leather bands and a breastplate provided his armor. He and the others also carried swords, and each held the same intense gaze at her face, and then her hair.
Gulathi smoothed her back, and Elle coiled away, shuddering at her touch. She stepped forward.
“I’m ready,” she said, meeting the eyes of the guard who had spoken.
“Farewell,” Gulathi said. “Until next time. Take good care of her, Kauis. She is more valuable than anything in the entire kingdom.”
Kaius nodded, but Elle didn’t bother to glance back. She followed the guards toward the palace. The other two walked behind her as they walked up the stairs that led into the white gates.
Inside the courtyard were statues and fountains with stone dragons.
“This way,” Kauis said, and the gates were closed behind them.
The clinking of metal against metal was almost final. There truly was no going back. At least in her tent outside the main area of the city, she was safe from her fate.
Now, she would have to face it.
And, as it emerged from the castle and strolled through the garden, her heart thumped in her chest.
It was him.
King Thane.
A bronzed god with eyes that gazed into her soul, approached her, and her knees went weak. Her pulse quickened.
And, when he smiled, she nearly grabbed Kaius’ arm to steady herself. He was nothing like she expected, and everything that stirred her interest.
“Elle,” he said, his voice deep and soothing. He bowed to her, and silky black hair fell into his golden eyes. He brushed it aside and gave her that perfect, white smile again. “Welcome to my kingdom.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Her heart drummed in her chest as King Thane took her hand into his and brought it to his lips.
Breathless, her eyes met his and within the golden depths, she saw her reflection. A tattoo of a white dragon stretched across his neck, and her eyes couldn’t help but take him all in. He wore a whit
e cape held secure to his breastplate by golden hoops at his broad shoulders.
Tall, muscle-bound, with bronze skin that she had to resist touching, he was unlike anything she’d ever seen.
So far, all of the serpents she’d encountered had been beautiful, but King Thane was above them all.
A true masterpiece.
“This way,” he said. “Let me show you around the Shiran Palace. It will be your home for the time being, after all.”
She swallowed. Her throat had gone dry, and her words were lost into the dark abyss of her clouded mind. In silence, she walked alongside the king. They climbed the set of stairs that led inside the palace.
The palace wasn’t tall, but it was vast, and open to the world around it. Settled in the very center of the magical city, dragons came and went, shifting into bright finery and sparkling jewels.
It was much different from the monastery castle she’d spent the last few years of her life in.
While the monastery was cold, and dark, the Shiran Palace was full of light. The ceiling was made of glass, and shone the sun’s rays onto everything below. They walked along smooth, stone floors as she gazed out the open archways that looked upon the kingdom.
“When my tribe conquered the reigning king of Shiran ages ago, we built the city up from nothing but overgrown jungles. We elevated our people from their primitive state, and gave them the modern advances of this era.”
She lifted a brow, but kept silent, aware of the fact that he still held her hand within his own. Heat pulsed between their palms and though he towered over her like a mountain, there was peace between them.
A calm she hadn’t expected.
When he finally let her hand go, it was to take two chalice’s of wine from a brass tray set on a circular table with a vase full of pink flowers. He handed her a glass, and took a sip from his own. As they stood out on the balcony, he gazed at her from over the rim of the glass. Then, he smiled again.
“You’re a pretty one,” he said, as if he was surprised.
