Daughter of Retribution (Crescent Queen Book 1)

by Wren Cartwright

  “Alright,” Eleste shifted in her seat. “Tell us about the moon bolt.”

  Azael’s hand slipped into mine comfortingly. His thumb stroked the back of my hand in soothing circles. A few eyes dropped to see what happened but quickly found something else to look at. It was surreal to be touching him in front of others, to be exploring this attraction beyond quips and snarls.

  “His blade was at my throat,” I began.

  “Who?” Azael demanded, his hand briefly tightening in mine.

  “Theia’s favorite mercenary, Iridin,” Callisa said quietly.

  “That’s who that was? How did no-one but me see him at the tavern that night?”

  Callisa frowned. “If he does not want to be seen, he will remain invisible.”

  “Then he wanted to be seen,” Nerys concluded.

  I huffed. “He had his blade to my throat, Callisa was bleeding from her wounds; I was worried that something had happened to the rest of you.” I glanced up into Azael’s pained silver eyes. “It was like an explosion, pure blinding light, and then I must have passed out. The next thing I remember, I was waking up in Corsin’s bed.”

  I heard Azael’s sharp indrawn breath and turned to find him glaring at Corsin. “He was elsewhere,” I sighed, rolling my eyes at Azael. His possessive attitude was… not unwelcome. It was a warm feeling, being touched and flattered in public as opposed to behind closed doors. In the past, I was a secret, a passerby, already a fading memory. But with Azael, I was more.

  Corsin’s deep voice rang out with authority, quiet and commanding. “The trees told me that the moon bolt had resurfaced, that the holder was in my forest. For the first time in millennia, I left the tree to verify their words and found Callisa, Aeryn, and the guards unconscious. The dryads helped me bring the girls back to the tree, cleaning them up and letting them rest until they woke.”

  “Thank you again, Corsin,” I said gratefully. “Hold on, resurfaced?”

  No-one answered, leaving only the crackling of the fire to fill the space. Finally, Kaelen spoke, his voice rough. “This group was not the first of the immortals created by the moon goddess.” My eyes widened. “She gave her essence in larger doses, thousands of years ago. They became her children, her warriors, her constant companions. She only created one at a time, devoting her time and training to a single being.” Azael stroked my hand faster, almost like he was trying to comfort himself more than me. “Each of her descendants was gifted with the moon bolt. The concentrated power of the moon striking down from the earth and into the intended targets. Like lightning.”

  “Perfect! Then we can ask them for help,” I said excitedly—finally, someone who can give me answers, who can help me feel more normal.

  Bram cleared his throat. “There is a prophecy, written in the old language in one of their books and translated into ours.” He began to recite it. “The one with the crescent flare will bring the downfall of the dawn. Once the threat is vanquished, magic will return to the lands, flooding the seas, filling the air.”

  I frowned, thinking over the words. Is that why the magical creatures were never seen? They were lying low because of Theia?

  Azael spoke, his voice low. “Meaning the one gifted the moon bolt will destroy the sun goddess. Before our time, Theia killed every creation Sinaia had made, determined to root out the cause of her eventual demise and demolish it, believing that she would live for eternity with them gone.”

  “But… she let you live for so long,” I said helplessly.

  “Sinaia learned with us,” Callisa tossed her hair behind her shoulder and leaned forwards. “She gave us each a smaller dose, and we were man-made, as opposed to her creations earlier on that were born of her blood and body. We were gifted with all kinds of things, but not the moon bolt.”

  Then Nerys spoke, facing the fire. “We were only targeted when she realized that instead of killing off Sinaia’s descendants, it would be easier to capture Sinaia and drain her. Killing us, imprisoning us, was just a bonus. More power for her, less opposition in the world.”

  “So that’s why I was being pursued,” I whispered, feeling sick to my stomach. All this time… I had thought maybe, just maybe, they were wrong. They had made a mistake. But after that display of power the other day, there can be no confusion there. My gift was a target. For a moment, I hated Sinaia so strongly I could feel it in my chest, for she had no reason to curse me with this power if not to draw me into her world and to destroy the goddess who held her captive.

  “I’m a pawn,” I whispered. My breathing sped up and I felt a weight in my chest. My hands had begun to tingle, feeling like they were both filled with nerves and tingling at the same time. I felt overwhelmed, I felt overloaded.

  Voices overlapped one another, leading to a cacophony of sound, though I heard nothing but white noise. Only the feeling of a warm hand on my cheek brought me out of my spiral; Azael.

  His pale eyes flitted between mine, and he took a deep breath in and out, prompting me to follow. He leaned forward, resting his forehead on mine so that his silver curls brushed my face, and closed his eyes. “You are no pawn to me,” he whispered. “You are everything.” I soaked in the warmth of his touch, the reassurance and support his words offered.

  I gave him a quick, grateful kiss, then pulled back. “I don’t understand; Azael said that Theia was jealous of your status, that she wanted descendants of her own but was unable to part with any of her essence.” I looked into Azael’s eyes. “Was that not true?”

  He winced. “It wasn’t untrue, but it was not the whole truth. There was more to the story than was necessary to divulge then; I could never have known you would need to know the prophecy and about Sinaia’s failed attempts.” His eyes were pleading. Pleading with me not to take it as another slight, pleading with me not to reset our progress, to view him differently.

  I nodded firmly, hoping that my reassurance was showing in my gaze, that my affection for him was shining through. “I understand.” I slid my hand into his without prompting and turned to face the others. “Okay. So what’s the plan?”

  CHAPTER 14

  “How did you know to find me again?” I murmured to Corsin as I whacked Elias with the flat of my sword.

  Elias chuckled deeply as Corsin answered, “the trees see all.”

  “Do you have to sound so fucking creepy when you talk about the trees, Corsin?” He gave a rare laugh, fortunately, unoffended by my bluntness.

  “Why don’t the trees tell you what Theia is planning, then?”

  “The trees cannot divulge what they do not know,” Eleste said from the sidelines next to Corsin with a small giggle.

  “Ugh,” I groaned. “You too, Eleste?” Corsin and Eleste seemed to get along well, always whispering something or other. Eleste loved nature, and was eager to soak up all the knowledge she could.

  Azael grinned from next to me. He was sparring with Callisa, sweat covered his body, and his chest was gleaming under the midday sun. His pale hair had plastered itself to his head, and he moved fluidly, striking out at Callisa between turns.

  “She’s probably just angling for more power. Corsin said she was killing dryads, draining the forests. Whatever it is, she’s still searching for you.” Callisa panted as she moved.

  “So sick of that bitch,” I whirled onto my right foot and dodged Elias’s jab.

  Azael blocked Callisa’s fist, “aren’t we all.”

  “You’re doing better,” Elias said admiringly as he circled my stance.

  “Thank you; I trained with Corsin and Callisa on the journey here,” I said smugly. “Care to join?” I raised my eyebrow at Corsin in question, a small smirk finding its way onto my face. If I had not seen him in action on the way to the estate, I would not be able to picture the robed god fighting.

  “No, thank you,” he smiled.

  I took a quick break, leaving Elias to go to the sidelines while Carwyn took my place. I found my way next to Bastien and took a seat. His black hair was highlight
ed with purple in the sunlight, and his green eyes sparkled. One look at Carwyn and back to him, and he caught my meaning.

  He lost his easy countenance and turned a straight face onto me. "Don't, Aeryn." He warned.

  "But have-" he raised an eyebrow, holding up a finger to cut me off.

  "We'll figure it out," he said firmly, looking off at Carwyn as she fought. Her short hair moved with her body, and her black clothes were dust-covered. “She's..." I looked over at him as I waited for the end of his sentence. His green eyes sparkled as he looked at her, and I saw something akin to affection in them.

  "Everything," he finished. "She's everything."

  I smiled softly, patting his arm.

  "What was your favorite place to travel, Aeryn?" He drawled, changing the subject quickly and effectively.

  "The mountains of Aurin. The views were stunning. I had a little cabin," I sighed, crossing my legs, and brushing off some residual dirt. "It was so peaceful, and secluded. I would have stayed there forever if I could have."

  Bastien smiled sadly. "We had a place nestled in the mountains. It was much like you described."

  "Maybe after this is all finished, you could show me? If it's still there?"

  He nodded, looking faraway, and distant.

  I hated seeing that in his eyes. "Can you help me train?"

  He seemed surprised that I had asked him. But nodded nonetheless. We approached the training circle and began dodging and swiping, he showed me a way to make my kicks more effective, and I saw Carwyn admiring his fast-moving form more than once.

  “I didn’t feel comfortable asking before, but how exactly does your immortality work?” I asked as I wiped the sweat from my eyes.

  Azael grunted as Callisa punched his midsection. “We are temporarily unconscious during a killing blow and can regenerate. The older we are, the quicker our healing is; it takes a lot for us to die these days. It’s technically a healing sleep, not true death. Although a beheading will result in our immediate demise.”

  I held back a frown, concerned that I had not asked sooner. What if someone got crafty and found a way to make their temporary sleep, permanent? Or worse yet, left them vulnerable and exposed? All it would take is one blow to the head and they could die, I thought, worrying my lip between my teeth.

  Azael sauntered over, leaving Callisa gasping in the dust. He stroked my arm slowly, ignoring the eyes on us, and gave me a sweet kiss.

  “There is no reason to be worried, love.” He said quietly. Sweat dripped from his pale hair onto my chest, but I did not care.

  Suddenly, harnessing the moon’s power felt much more urgent. “Can I try to use the bolt again?” I gestured to the dust-covered sparring field, the spectators on the sidelines. “It seems like a good time.”

  “Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Carwyn asked. Her black hair gleamed under the sun. “What if you break Lavinia’s spell and draw them to us? Or worse, hurt yourself?”

  That was when Bram chimed in. “Our wards are impeccable; no-one will sense you through them, that I can promise.”

  I nodded, shoring up my courage. I squared my feet into the dirt, giving everyone else time to back away. I glanced up at the sun nervously, wondering if it would impact my attempt. I focused on my chest, where I felt the power the last time I used it. I tried to summon the electric feeling, reach deep into my soul and use that with which I had been born.

  Nothing happened.

  Azael jogged over, chest glistening under the glare of the light, pale hair swaying with the breeze, and stood behind me. “We’re going to do this, okay?”

  My eyes widened. “No, what if you get hurt?”

  “You won’t hurt me, love.” He put his hands on my upper arms and rubbed soothingly. “What is it that you do when you stop in place and take your deep breaths?”

  “I’m grounding myself, connecting to the nature around me.”

  “And where do you feel that?” He said, tapping along my shoulders.

  “My chest,” I realized.

  “So breath and relax. I want you to feel the sun beating down on your hair, on your skin. Listen to the birds chirping in the trees and smell the crisp fresh scent on the breeze,” he murmured quietly, a whisper of sound. I swayed in his arms, almost in a trance. I felt weightless, and yet like a pillar where I stood.

  “Let it radiate outwards,” he said softly as he let go of my arms. “Direct it down to your hands; you need an exit point, so you don’t just explode with power.”

  I nodded, taking a deep breath and letting the energy fill me. I felt so much bigger than I was, like the earth was calling me home. It was exhilarating, my limbs began to tremble, and I pictured the power flowing from my chest to my hands. Suddenly a white flash filled the air, followed by a loud crash as the tree closest to us toppled in half.

  “Holy gods,” I whispered slowly.

  “Goddess!” Eleste shrieked. Corsin flicked a hand, setting the tree upright onto the stump and mending it. Elias’s mouth was gaping, as was Bastien’s.

  Nerys wandered over, her lengthy hair was in two large braids, and gold chains were woven in, making her seem godlike in the sunlight. “Good job,” she said reservedly.

  “Thanks,” I stuttered, still in disbelief. That came out of me?

  “I toppled a fucking tree!” I yelled, suddenly being picked up by strong arms and spun in a circle.

  “That’s my girl,” Azael smiled. I grinned, giving him a firm kiss and wriggling out of his arms to rush over to Callisa. She had a proud smile on her face, but I could see a hint of sadness in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” I was careful to keep my voice low, not wanting to alarm the others.

  “I miss my powers,” she sighed, “and I don’t like that you’re a target now.”

  “An even bigger target,” I smiled indulgently.

  “Yeah, sometimes I forget how long you’ve been on the run.” She hesitated. “I’m proud of you, just so you know.”

  “I know,” I clasped her tightly, making sure she could feel the love that I held for her and her entire family.

  “Bram and I can continue training with you, offering you bigger targets and obstacles,” Kaelen offered, “since the others are powerless for the time being.”

  Grumbles sounded out, most noticeably from Elias and Carwyn, at the reminder of their missing powers. I felt a hint of shame for being so excited about gaining mine when all I was doing was reminding them of what they had lost. Though one look at Azael’s elated face, and I realized I was being too hard on myself. That he was excited for me despite his loss, and that was allowed.

  “Does anyone happen to have a copy of the prophecy we can go over? I want to look over it for more details. Maybe we’re missing something. I don’t know how to bring down Theia with just the moon bolt. She’s a primordial being for goddess’ sake.”

  “I might have one,” Bram said as he backed up towards the center of the training field. “We can look at it later tonight. For now, however, let’s begin.”

  CHAPTER 15

  “This is it?” I looked morosely at the blank cover while I played with the locket at my neck.

  “Not what you expected? It’s pretty old; I bespelled the cover to something that would not deteriorate over the years.” Bram raised his hand, and the cover was suddenly flushed with color. Gold designs leaped off the page and shone under the limited lighting in the sitting room. Everyone was huddled around us, trying to catch a glimpse of the infamous book of prophecies. The text began transforming from something unreadable, to our language. He flicked through the pages, coming to a section near the very end titled the Sun Kingdom.

  I scanned the page, words jumping out at me. Uprising... expansion… “This is practically a history book,” Azael noted, a tiny furrow between his pale brows as he read the pages.

  “Ahead of its time,” Kaelen corrected. “It contains all significant prophecies over the past several millennia; only several editions were ever created and
all by hand. However, the book comes to an end shortly after the prophecy involving the dawn, signaling a significant change in history.

  “There it is!” I pointed to the italic sentence located near several watercolor images.

  Written clearly, it stated just as Bram had said and now read, “the one with the crescent flare will bring the downfall of the dawn.” The information before it was trivial, and unconcerned with the monumental statement.

  I sat back, stunned. It was different seeing it in print, more real. “Good thing I’ve been training,” I said weakly.

  “What’s that?” Nerys asked, pointing at the statement following the one just read.

  “The deirach elixir,” Azael said with his eyes wide. Everyone leaned in at once, peering over the text.

  Corsin read aloud, his voice steady. “Only with a drop of eternity will the first light set.”

  “You don’t think…” Callisa trailed off, looking at Azael.

  “I do,” he said rigidly as he crossed his arms and began pacing on the worn carpet.

  Corsin’s interest peaked, his golden eyes flashing with questions. “The rumors were true?”

  “What?’ I practically yelled.

  “The deirach elixir was created millions of years ago to try to grant eternity to mortals.” Azael rubbed his fingers over his forehead soothingly. “The potion had side effects. It worked against a mortal, but they took a second dose once immortal, leading to death.”

  I gaped as Azael continued. “The moon kingdom took possession of the potion and destroyed the lab, imprisoning the brewer. It was necessary to keep the recipe under lock and key. Sinaia had it hidden in the palace for safekeeping, to make sure it never got into the wrong hands.”

  “To think… All this time, we were certain they were just rumors,” Corsin murmured, the veins in his hands standing out as he clenched his fists.