by Amy Sumida
“Another war then?” I lifted a brow. “I intend for this war to end all others.”
He made a noncommittal sound and then held out his hand again. His fist turned and opened, revealing a ring. Crimson metal swirled up into a loop that surrounded a matching gem. Within the facets of the jewel, something sparked. I took the ring and slid it on to replace my wedding ring.
“Smash this stone when you need us, Dragon Queen, and we will come to your aid.”
“I need you now.”
“Not yet. You'll know when,” his voice faded along with him until I was left staring at a faded poster of Arabian movie stars.
I looked down at the ring with a shiver of trepidation. “What was he, Star?”
I have no idea! She exclaimed gleefully.
“That excites you?”
Doesn't it excite you?
“Maybe a little.” I chuckled and headed back to Sin.
“Find anything good?” Sin asked as I stepped up beside him.
“Just a little bauble.” I flashed the ring at him, not wanting him to look too closely.
“Pretty,” he noted absently. “Care to do some more shopping or are you ready to head to that fort I told you about?”
“Let's go. I think I've gotten everything I need from here.”
I glanced back at the shop as we left and caught a shimmer of magic in the air.
Chapter Seventeen
After we explored the Qal'at al-Bahrain, an ancient fort and archaeological site just outside of Manama, we returned to the city to have lunch in one of the hotels. Sin was charming, funny, and very knowledgeable about the region. He had lived in Bahrain for over a thousand years so it would have been more surprising if he didn't know its history.
“So, the Mesopotamian Gods don't have a territory in the God Realm?” I asked as we drove away from the hotel.
“We were some of the first gods in the game, as it were.” Sin winked at me. “While the rest of them were still wandering about, trying to figure out what to do with themselves after the Fall of Atlantis, we came here and immediately made ourselves known to the humans.”
“You got lost, didn't you?”
Sin burst out laughing. “That's rather spot-on, actually. We sort of stumbled into the desert and were found by the locals. They helped us. In return, we showed them what we could do.”
“And they called you Gods.”
He nodded. “We tried to explain that we were another race from a faraway land, but they took that to mean outer space or heaven or what have you. When they started offering us food, clothing, and temples in exchange for our magic, we stopped protesting and quickly saw the potential.”
“And then Jerry showed up with Luke and Holly,” I muttered.
“Jerry?” Sin glanced at me.
“Oh, sorry. Jehovah. Or maybe I should call him Al here; short for Allah. Although, I already know an Al, and he wouldn't be pleased by the comparison.”
Sin started laughing again. “It figures that you'd know those three. Yeah; they showed up with a bunch of friends.”
“Angels and Demons. Not to be confused with the Demons from your pantheon who got their names from the Greek 'daimon' which means 'spirit.'”
“Very good; you know our history.”
“I did mention the documentary, right?” I winked at him.
Sin laughed. “You did. Anyway, the God Realm wasn't created until after the Christians came along.”
“So, you never got a piece of it?”
“They offered us a portion but by that time, our power was waning, and we didn't want to waste it on fueling a territory.”
“I understand.”
“We're happy on Earth.” Sin shrugged and then went serious. “In case you're worried about hard feelings, your husband wasn't with Lucifer at that time. He was born later.”
“I know. I've heard all about the war between Lucifer and Jehovah.”
“I'll bet you have.”
“Heard it straight from the Devil's mouth.” I smirked at him. “He's married to Holly now, by the way. Did you know?”
“Lucifer married the Holy Spirit?” Sin whistled. “Well done. She was a hell of a woman; pun intended.”
“Still is.”
“When they came through here, they upped the god game. And they've kept upping it too. Christianity is practically a business in some parts of the world.”
“Yeah, Luke does all right.”
“You like him,” Sin said with some surprise.
“I do. I love him; he's my father-in-law.”
“Is he?” He looked away after asking.
I swallowed roughly and stared out my window at the passing scenery. “Who runs this place? Human-wise, I mean.”
“King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Alkhalifa. His family has ruled Bahrain for awhile now. The human rulers here used to call themselves 'Hakim,' but Hamad proclaimed himself King. I think it's because he knows the term is easier for the rest of the world to understand.”
“Does the King have a palace?”
“Sure. You wanna see it?”
“Yes, I do,” I glanced at him and started to smile.
“Well, I happen to be able to provide a private tour for special visitors.”
“You mean; we can trace in and sneak about under cover of invisibility?”
“Exactly!” Sin pulled the car over to the side of the road and parked. “Shall we?”
Sin held his hand out to me. After I took it, he went invisible, and I followed his lead. Sin took us through the Aether and brought us out directly before a building I assumed to be the promised palace.
“They call this a palace?” I grumbled as I looked over the expanse of white stone with a smattering of local architectural details. “It's boring.”
“White reflects heat and back when the palace was built, it was smarter to keep buildings lower to the ground,” Sin explained.
“Why is that?”
“Well—” he paused and then chuckled. “It seems as if your wish is the World's command, Dragon Lady.”
“It's Dragon Queen and what do you mean by that?”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“No, we don't do titles like that in Faerie,” I corrected him again. “It's Queen Vervain or My Queen, but never Your Majesty. We have no need for people to tell us how majestic we are; we already know.”
“I hope you're teasing me.” He squeezed my hand. “Because I can't tell with only your voice to go by.”
“I'm sort of teasing. Everything I said is true, but I was channeling my husband's arrogance for the delivery.”
“Another husband. You're talking about the faerie, I assume.”
“The King of Fire,” I said softly. “He's the one I didn't actually leave. Well, I left him but only... to...”
A shivering started in my chest as a memory played in my mind. Brevyn's solemn voice echoed, “You're going to change, Mommy, but it will be okay. Don't be scared.”
“What?” Sin prompted and dispelled the ghost of my son.
“I just realized that I left Arach for nothing. I could go back to Faerie if I wanted to.”
Except you'd have to deal with Faerie, who told you to leave. And what if Arach reacts the same as the others? Better to wait until after this is finished to confront him.
Yes; you're right.
“Well?”
“Well, what?” I asked.
“Will you be going back?”
“I don't... know... um; what is that?”
Sin couldn't see me staring at the horizon, but I was certain he'd know what I was talking about; it was a little hard to miss.
“Oh! That's what I meant by the world responding to your command,” he said. “That is the Shamal; a wind that carries over dust storms from Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It's also the reason why buildings weren't built too high.”
“Are you messing with me? There are buildings with towering minarets all over the Middle East.”
“Yeah, al
l right, ruin my tour guide act, why don't you? I have no idea what the humans were thinking when they built this place. They probably didn't see any need to build up when there was so much space to build out.”
“Is the wind even called Shamal or did you make that up too?”
“Ouch; you're mean.”
“Only when I'm lied to.”
“Aw, come on; I was just trying to impress you.” He tapped his shoulder against mine.
Um, Vervain? Star tried to interrupt.
“Don't do it again,” I said sternly.
“I can't help it; you're so impressive. I have to make shit up to compete.”
Vervain?
“This isn't a competition.”
I'll just handle this myself then? Star huffed.
What are you talking about? I finally asked her.
The dust storm that's rolling in. At the very least, it will be an annoyance; dust all over your new clothes.
Oh. Sure. Could you take care of that?
No problem. Her voice sounded smug.
“It feels like a competition, Your Majesty,” Sin was continuing the conversation without me, just as oblivious to the massive dust cloud as I had been.
“Sin?”
“Huh?”
“You might want to close your eyes,” I suggested.
“What?” I felt him turn, probably to look at me, but he also must have noticed the billowing cloud mere feet away from us because he flinched, jerked me against his chest, and tucked his body around me.
Right before it hit, the storm exploded into nothing.
Sin slowly unwound himself, his hands sliding down my arms until they came to rest on my wrists. “What the hell just happened?”
“Thank you for the chivalry but it was unnecessary. I just wanted you to close your eyes in case Star didn't catch it all.”
“Star?”
“The nine-pointed star inside me; my magic,” I explained. “She took care of the storm for us.”
“So, you're not a weather goddess in addition to being a moon goddess and a faerie and a dragon?”
“No.”
“Well, tell Star that I said thank you.”
You're most welcome, Tall, Dark, and Swoonworthy.
“She said; you're welcome.” I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
There was a pause and then Sin released my wrists and transferred his grip back to my hand.
“I guess you won,” he said affably. “I'll stop trying to impress you now.”
“Aw, but it was so adorable.”
“I'm going kiss you if you don't shut up, Vervain.”
I went silent.
Sin laughed his ass off. “I don't know whether to be intrigued or insulted.”
We could use a man like him. I sense great strength in him that has been left to atrophy. Sin needs a cause as much as we need an ally; a man who knows this place and these people. A soldier who can follow and lead. Bring him into the fold, Vervain. Offer him the glory he's been denied for so long. You'll need a general after all.
“Don't be either,” I said to Sin. “Be my ally.”
“What?” He went visible.
I followed Sin's lead so he could see that I was serious. “My star and I are going to rule the world. This time, the Dragon is going to win. I know we've just met, but I like you. Star likes you. She says that you're strong but that strength is going to waste. You prowl the night looking for something to fill the void of this useless existence. I can give you what you need. I can make you great again. What do you say, Sin? Wanna be my general?”
Sin gaped at me, glanced around us at the clear sky, and then got a goofy look on his face. “Do I have to kneel?”
“Never. Not to me or anyone else. But you do need to be loyal.”
“I can be that and much more,” he whispered as he leaned closer. “Can we seal the arrangement with a kiss?”
“No.” I smiled despite myself. “But I applaud your perseverance.”
“I swear to be just as persistent with your enemies.”
“Good, because they are bound to be numerous.” I looked over at the palace again, this time more pensively. “Star, can we do something about this?”
How would you like it to look? I could hear the smile in her voice. It can be anything you wish it to be.
I closed my eyes and made a wish. Made several in fact. Multiple detailed wishes. When I opened my eyes, the palace and the land surrounding it had been transformed.
A central keep, shaped like a spire, twisted up into a dome-capped minaret with swirls of carved stone wrapping around it like a skirt cascading around a spinning woman. Balconies perched within oval cutouts on those layers, giving glimpses into glittering rooms within. Around the keep, several minarets shot up like tulips, topped with domes just like the central one. They attached to the main keep with arching bridges and their golden domes gleamed in the sunlight.
Water poured from an opening near the top of the central keep, hitting a series of ledges on its way down the side, creating a glorious, tiered waterfall. The falls emptied into a lake at the front of the keep that then flowed into a moat to surround the castle. An enormous water wheel churned the moat, pumping freshwater from the lake into the castle. Inside the walls, pipes delivered that water to every floor before it reached the top and came streaming back down again.
The walls that surrounded the castle grounds had been fortified and now towered over a hundred feet around us, complete with attached barracks. Wide towers squatted at each corner and soldiers in sleek uniforms stepped out of them as I watched, looking a little startled at first and then falling into line to man the walls.
“Ya khabar abyad,” Sin murmured in amazement.
What did you do to the soldiers? Are they real or did we create them? I asked Star in my mind.
They're humans. They used to work here when this palace belonged to the King of Bahrain. Now, they work for you; the Goddess of Bahrain and soon, the Goddess of the entire world.
“The Goddess of the World,” I whispered. “Yes, I like that.”
And your castle? How do you like it?
“Those minarets are a little more phallic than I'd envisioned but, on the whole, it's lovely.”
We had to give a nod to the region, Star huffed. I didn't think one of your faerie castles would be appropriate.
An image of Castle Aithinne suddenly filled my mind and with it came a picture of Arach and our boys. My chest constricted, and I gasped as I clutched at it.
“Arach,” I whispered. “Oh, fuck. What am I doing?”
“Vervain?” Sin wrapped a supportive arm around my waist. “Are you all right? Did this drain you?”
Hey! Don't go soft on me now! Star yelled in my head.
Magic surged through my body, numbing my pain as it awakened my desire for other things. Things like power and wealth and adoration. I would save the world from itself and this time, it would thank me. This time, I wouldn't hide in the shadows while I helped humans. They would see me. They would know me. They would worship me.
There's my darling girl! Star crowed. Now, how would you like to see your new home?
I would love to, I said to her before I answered Sin. “No, not drained, just having a moment of self-doubt.”
“Self-doubt?” Sin gaped at me. “You just transformed a palace within seconds.”
“And took control of the humans inside it,” I added.
Sin laughed long and hard as he stared from me to the castle and back again.
“What's so funny?” I asked as I smiled warily at him.
“I'm just shocked that I've finally chosen the right horse to back. I'm going to be on the winning side for once.”
“I'm not a horse, and weren't you on the winning side with the war against Tiamat?”
“That didn't feel like winning,” he went sober. “And you are a horse, Vervain. A sleek, magical, powerful, dark horse that's gonna win this race.”
A dark star, Star
corrected.
I grinned and repeated her words; they were too perfect to keep to myself. “Not a horse, Sin; a dark star. The Dark Star.”
