Prison of Supernatural Magic

by Laynie Bynum

  I stopped in front of Chalen and my hand cupped his chin.

  “Who wears the Bakutha?”

  Wrapping my fingers in his hair, I yanked his head close to mine, my breath tickling his ears as I demanded, “Speak, Chalen.”

  He inhaled but didn’t say a word.

  “Princess Koyama, please don’t ask that of him. He can’t answer you,” said Findley.

  “Shut your mouth, Findley, before I have your tongue removed.”

  “I’m not wearing the Bakutha. We’ve talked about this numerous times. You must get over these feelings you have for me. I have sworn to lay down my life for you, so I cannot love you,” said Chalen.

  I didn’t need vision to feel the wetness sliding down my cheeks. Tonight was different. I could tell it in the distance that Chalen stood from me and the harshness in his tone. “Tell me what you’re trying to hide from me.”

  The other guards started walking toward the throne room. They shuffled their feet, walking slower than normal. I guess I should have been thankful for the privacy, but I hadn’t thought that far. My heart pounded and my mouth went dry.

  With every breath, a storm whirled inside my head. The energy in my body left me and swept through the castle. Every window on the floor shattered. The roof was ripped off and screams of terror erupted from outside.

  “Chalen, do something. She has caused Mount Goyadchic to erupt. If she doesn’t calm down, she will kill us all.”

  “Findley, go tell the King that we are on our way. Just give me a moment,” said Chalen.

  Strong hands wrapped around my shoulders. “Koya, I asked the king for your hand in marriage.”

  Everything went still inside me. My mind reached out to his and read the truth of his words in the recesses of his mind. My body felt weightless, and I stood there feeling the depth of his love for me.

  “The let’s get married tonight, just you and me. The whole planet of Teletera doesn’t need to be there.”

  Chalen’s body stiffened.

  Something was wrong. I closed my eyes. The truth of what he didn’t say was hammering me over the head. My father had said no. He had denied me the one thing that I had always wanted.

  I sank to my knees choking on sobs I couldn’t contain. My royalty, wealth, and pride could not prevent me from lying on the floor and sobbing from the pain I felt.

  “You are young, Princess. Stand to your feet. You are the last of the Kravonesh, blessed by the goddess Qiaris herself. No man will ever be good enough for you except for a Drokninian.”

  I jumped to my feet and slapped him. “We can run away together. You love me and I love you. That’s all that matters.”

  “Would you condemn your people to death just to be happy?”

  “What about me? What about my life?”

  I’ve never asked for anything, and I have done everything that my father and my people have asked of me. Yet my whole life has been sacrificed. Why deny me a husband of my choosing? Surely, I can save the planet and my people without sacrificing the love of my life?

  “There are things you don’t understand, things that Takishima has shielded you from, but the days of thinking that we lived in peace are at an end. It is time for you to do your duty to your people. If you refuse, I will put a dagger into my own heart. I will not be the reason the planet and your people are destroyed.”

  I stepped away from him as his icy determination flowed over his aura. I gasped at the thought of his taking his own life.

  “Now let us get to the king.”

  I scowled and walked down the hall. It didn’t seem to matter that I had almost killed half of my people in a moment of weakness and anger. I’ve prayed repeatedly to Qiaris to take back the powers that were given, but every day I wake, they are still inside me.

  Closing my eyes, I sent my spirit outside the walls of the castle, to the volcano. In a blink of an eye, I channeled my energy and reversed time. As I sent my spirit among the bodies of my people, they were revived and time was reversed. When the dead were again living, I rechanneled my energy, thoughts, and actions to the volcano so that it would never erupt again.

  I was skilled as a Kravonesh but I wasn’t perfect. Unless I met the right Drokninian, my powers would be limited. However, if that day came, I would be immortal. It’s true that with more power comes more responsibility, and death looked like it was my only salvation.

  “Your father loves you very much, and in time you will understand that. Please don’t be too hard on him.”

  Reaching the threshold of the throne room, I put on my glasses and stepped over the threshold. My father, king of Teletera, had killed the only joy that I looked forward to in this lifetime.

  I walked inside the throne room and stopped in the middle of the floor. I regained my composure and swiftly took my seat next to my father in front of the high council. The high council was composed of nobles of all races that lived on Teletera.

  “Takishima, didn’t you tell us that your daughter was well trained?” asked Yousef.

  My legs shook underneath the table as he spoke. The high council was composed of ruthless aristocratic jerks who ruled with an iron fist of dominance and subjugation.

  “My daughter has come into her womanly life cycle, and the power is unstable during that time in a Kravonesh’s life,” said Takishima.

  My father lied so smoothly it took all I had not to turn to him wide eyed. I was angry with him, so his defense of me was not well received by me.

  “You hid the fact that your daughter had powers. Your daughter is now the property of the high council. If she can cause the volcano to erupt, she can surely give us the edge over our enemies, the Zetherians. We must enslave them at all cost and show them the Kravonesh were meant to rule this planet.”

  My father shook his head. “My daughter does not have any special abilities, but I know someone who does.”

  Yousef looked at the rest of the council members. “Tell us.”

  “Nakatomi Kinuye has been touched by the goddess Qiaris herself.”

  My father had sunk lower than I ever thought he would. He just told the high council about Nakatomi. I will never forgive him for that.

  “Father, no!” I tried to yank on his arm, but he pulled his arm away from me. “I can’t have them thinking that you have powers you don’t possess. They will kill you and me. We have to tell them the truth and fall on their mercy,” he said.

  I fought to control my emotions. If the high council knew I had the power of Qiaris, they would exhaust all my energy and I would be a former shell of myself. I would be no better than a slave. It had been a long time since I was tempted to read my father’s thoughts, but today the temptation was too great.

  “Where is the Nakatomi girl, and why haven’t you told us of her immense powers before now?” said Zariah.

  My father bowed his head. “Nakatomi was protecting my daughter. She has the power to see glimpses into the future and she saved my daughter’s life. She stated that she would continue to protect her as long as I kept her secret.”

  “Then why are you telling us now?” asked Zariah.

  “She can’t keep my daughter safe if she is dead. She told me that death is coming, and that our planet will be destroyed.”

  Tears streamed down my face. I focused my thoughts and touched the back of my father’s mind. The lies I found were nothing new, but I was shocked at his revelation.

  Our planet was going to be destroyed.

  “How will our planet be destroyed? What is she going to do about it?” asked Zariah.

  “I don’t know. Nakatomi’s plan to save us wasn’t shared with me. She said if I wanted my planet to survive, I had to send Koyama to her.”

  “No. that is not possible. I need to study your daughter. I won’t stop until I get my hands on Nakatomi, but your daughter has piqued my interest,” said Yousef.

  My father bowed his head. “As you wish.”

  Zariah stood. “You can’t expect us to ignore this threat, Yousef.
Stand up, girl. You will go and find out who plans to destroy our planet. When Nakatomi stops the threat, you will bring her back to us.”

  I opened my mouth. “I refuse.”

  I will never do what they are asking of me. I would rather die than betray my best friend. The council wants to experiment on my best friend and me. No thanks. I will pass.

  Zariah lifted her hands. Strong energy wrapped around me and my body was lifted into the air. She controlled my limbs like a puppet, and as I floated over to her, her weathered fingers snaked out and wrapped around my neck.

  “If you refuse to do the council’s bidding, you’re our enemy and I will kill you right now,” said Zariah.

  I stared into her cold amber eyes as she cut off my oxygen. I forced my body to go still, and I retreated inside my head, thinking happy thoughts as floaters appeared in front of my eyes. My lungs ached as my body was deprived of oxygen.

  After a few minutes, she loosened her grip on my throat.

  “Yousef, this one is worthless, but she will bring us the girl. If she fails, her father will die,” said Zariah. She dropped me to the floor, and I fell to my knees gasping and breathing hard.

  Just then, four doors opened in the back, and the Black Night Assassins rushed in. They were armed for war, and they swarmed each exit like a beehive, blocking escape. Each of them wore a platinum mask that covered their face. Some of my people whispered that it was the death mask. I had never believed that these petty, spoiled aristocrats had a secret army akin to ninjas. There was one assassin who stood out from the rest, but I’m not sure why. Maybe it was because he was moving toward my father or because his aura radiated hatred for the special council that he worked for, which was crazy.

  Shaking my head, I rushed over to my father. The assassin pulled a sword from his back and lifted it into the air. I tried to block my father from the sword’s blow, but he pushed me aside.

  “You will stop this insanity this minute. Do not embarrass me with your behavior. You will go to Nakatomi so that our planet is saved.”

  I narrowed my eyes. The smell of the Bakutha radiated from his body. All at once, my emotions rose inside me. A crack of lightning whipped through the sky. It started to rain outside.

  Father, please. Don’t do this. I will destroy them. I am powerful enough to destroy the council. I can protect you and my people, so let me do what I was conceived to do.

  I stood to my feet. Gathering all my power from the goddess Qiaris, I allowed it to consume me. My eyes were closed, and I didn’t want to see my father’s aura when I killed these corrupt people.

  Powerful currents ripped through my body, and my eyes flew open. My father’s throat was in a death grip. I felt his power sweeping over me and I trembled. Then he spoke to me inside my head.

  Koyama, you are my most cherished possession. I have tried to shield you from the ugliness of the planet Teletera, and for that I am sorry, for you are most handicapped. You will allow them to take me, and in doing so, allow them to kill me. Upon my death, my powers will revert to you. Go to the planet of Nisiea and be arrested for murder. There, you will find Nakatomi.

  Father, I will never let them touch you. You go. You are the king of Teletera. It is my place to lay my life down for you. Teletera needs you, not some unstable girl who can’t control her power. I love you, Father.

  I turned to Zariah and focused on her throat. Crushing her windpipe would give me great pleasure. Gathering my energy, I sent it to her windpipe. My father intercepted the energy and destroyed it.

  “Take me into your custody. My daughter will do your will and prove to you that I have been your faithful and loyal servant,” said Takishima. He held up his hands as the assassin hit him over the head with the hilt of his sword. Blood poured from his head as he fell to the floor.

  Go, Koyama. Go to Nisiea’s Supernatural Prison and fulfil your destiny. Remember who you are and know that I will always be with you.

  My father’s words, the words of my king, danced around in my head. I watched the assassin standing over him, and I vowed to kill them. I would kill them all.

  “Your father will live as long as you bring Nakatomi to us, but just in case you think that I will accept your disobedience, I would think again. Declan,” snapped Zariah.

  The assassin moved like the wind. He stationed himself behind Chalen and stabbed him in the heart. When Chalen screamed and blood poured from his mouth, the assassin took his sword and slid it across his throat.

  I fought to control my emotions as my power threatened to overwhelm me. My heart hammered in my chest and my breath came out in spurts. Something broke inside me, and I fell to my knees. A gut-wrenching scream tore from my lips. I felt several blood vessels burst in my eyes as I cried bloody tears.

  My father lifted his hand and touched something inside my head. Everything went blissfully quiet as I surrendered to the darkness.

  Chapter Two

  Amitai Palachek

  T

  he planet of Nisiea was very different from Keoria. It ruled the entire galaxy. We were Drokninians, the most feared warriors in the galaxy. We ruled by dominating and eliminating other races. To the humans, we were aliens, and like other aliens, they hated us because they feared what they didn’t understand.

  It had never been my intention to colonize Nisiea, but the location of this planet was too alluring to ignore. However, I hadn’t had the time to explore the planet itself. Nisiea sat nestled between ten galaxies. Unlike my ancestors on Keoria, I had grown tired of killing and sought only to live in peace. My race was dying rapidly, and if nothing happened soon, we wouldn’t even be a memory. The Drokninian Empire had secrets, and those secrets were threatening the very existence of our race.

  Shaking my head, I glanced out the window of Yasjoka, my war ship. As the general for the Drokninian Empire, my position should have brought me joy, but it had only left me a pessimistic, cynical man who only wished to have a better way of life. My warriors, were immortal freaks of nature. Kubris, the God of Hell, had made us in his image, and to cross us was a swift sentence to the underworld.

  Turning away from the window, I sighed. I’d been a bit preoccupied lately trying to figure out why the empress, Niva, blew up the planet Wondark with my men and me on it. Like trash, the empress had ruled us expendable. I vowed that heads would roll for that decision. The only way to forgive that kind of betrayal is to bathe it in blood.

  “How long before we reach Nisiea?”

  Yechiel looked at me. “We will be landing on Nisiea in thirty minutes, as the humans say.” He rubbed the back of his neck until his blue skin turned dark.

  “Keep in mind that this isn’t a pleasure trip. You soldiers have been distracted ever since you found out that our species are compatible with the humans. Promise me that you will not lose your head like Uriah and do something stupid.”

  For the first time in my existence, I regretted telling my soldiers that our species was compatible with humans because it had caused chaos in their lives. It seemed that all my men suddenly wanted a human mate. Our species was also compatible with the mages and demons, but they had not tried to get to know them.

  Uriah Izo, one of my soldiers, was very impulsive. He had changed since becoming an elite guard for the empire, but he was still reckless as hell. Why he had taken a ship and come to Nisiea looking for a human female, I’d never understand.

  “I’m thinking that a light year on the planet of Tureg would do us all some good. We have other species that we are compatible with, but when you search for a woman, you usually meet the wrong one. Just stop searching.”

  My men were damn near immortal, but now they were acting like adolescents. We were all aware that the continuation of our species was important, but to lose your head over a female was unacceptable. Especially since we had not been plagued with the mating fever that sometimes happened to my species. I was glad of that.

  Malachi snorted. “We should be careful who we mate with. Who wants their offspring to
look like a Gragechi?”

  Zvika laughed and spat out his water. He wiped his mouth, shook his head, and sat down, sharpening his blades.

  Azrael frowned. “I’m happy that our race won’t die out, but I could never mate with a human. Humans are the weaker species and I prefer a strong woman. I don’t want to feel like I’m going to break her when it’s time to neckatoo.”

  Yechiel shrugged. “You only think about necking. You can’t be in the bedroom all the time. There are other things to consider. What about her personality? I refuse to give up my peace, even for the best necking in the world.”

  Jaliyah Zarecki snorted. “You men are talking now but wait until you find your mates. I want to see your hard exterior turn to mush.”

  “Do we know where Uriah is located on this planet, or will we have to tear this place apart to find him?” asked Azrael.

  My eyes narrowed on Azrael. “He’s in the Supernatural Prison on Nisiea, located in the city of Evepian.” I handed out the mission packets. Everything they needed to know was enclosed. The mission was in and out. The plan was tight, and once executed, should go smoothly. The plan included many built-in contingencies because when something goes wrong, there needs to be an alternate plan. The Goddess of the Universe was very fickle and liked to cause havoc in our lives, which she often did.

  I leaned in and told them, “Zvika will infiltrate the prison and extract Uriah and the human named Katy Wilson.”

  Zvika nodded.

  “Malachi, you will infiltrate the prison as well, but you will await my orders.”

  “As you wish,” said Malachi.

  “Before the sun sets again on Nisiea, we will be on our way to Milkovanian.”

  “Do you know who betrayed us, General?” asked Jaliyah.

  Yes, I know who betrayed us, but I don’t know why. I’m going to the planet of Milkovanian to meet Atticus Ebizo in the hopes that he will be able to give me the answers I seek.”