Keepers of the Crown

by Lydia Redwine

  Gone.

  Until another place emerged.

  Cam found herself in an entirely diverging setting than

  the previous one. The room was dimly lit. The source of light she

  could not find. Perhaps a fire. It was dreadfully warm in here.

  She started when she saw a man or rather a boy whom she

  recognized.

  “My nameisRiah,”hewas sayingdully,andCamrealized

  that he was speaking to a figure who was standing before the bed,

  draped in white. Her brown locks hung in waves down her chest.

  She was rigid and evidently uncomfortable.

  “Terra,” Cam said. But she couldn’t even hear herself. “Tell me yours,” Riah whispered. Cam stifled a horrified

  cry as Riah’s mouth landed on Terra’s neck.

  Cam heard her sister’s gasp at the contact.

  “I-I…I—I am Terra, Sir…”

  “Call me by my name,” the young man said in a tone

  which nearly matched a snarl. The next second his lips traced

  Terra’s, and he seemed to almost devour her mouth. Terra still

  stood rigid, and after Riah’s long kiss, she pushed him back a

  little way. She managed to flash a small smile.

  “Have some wine, Riah.” She raised a goblet. “That’s more like it,” Riah chuckled. He grasped the

  goblet and drained it of its contents in hardly any time at all. Cam peered at her sister’s expression. An expression of

  anticipation. Of expectancy. “She had a plan going in,” Cam

  mused. She edged closer, trying to ignore Riah flopping down to

  the bed and looking to her sister as she refilled the goblet. Terra handed the cup once more to Riah. And Riah drank

  again. But Cam had to look when she heard the sputtering. She

  whipped her head to the young man who was lying flat on his

  back, a hand clutching at his throat and another at his chest as

  he gasped for air.

  He coughed once. Twice. Then his head rolled to the side,

  and his eyes dipped shut. Poison. “Sleeping poison…” Cam

  realized. She noticed the effects. Knew them first hand for

  herself. So that was it then. Riah had touched her, tasted her, but

  becauseofTerra’s plan she had never been impregnated by Riah.

  But Riah had probably believed it had happened but that he had

  been drunk. Cam closed her eyes against the memory of Riah’s

  lips against hers. The same mouth that had violated her sister

  what seemed so many years ago.

  Cam’s stomach was still churningwhen shereopened her

  eyes.

  And found herself back in the garden.

  But this time, it was night and far darker even though

  stars speckled the sky. Terra was kneeling before a young boy.

  Both were wrapped in warm cloaks. “You must go with Riah…”

  she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes.

  Theboyspokeina soft voice.“Have faith. You and I shall

  meet once more in Caelae.”

  “I hope it is quite soon,” Terra said, kissing the boy’s

  hands and squeezing them in a tight grip.

  “Come away,” a sharp voice commanded.

  Cam’s attention was divertedto another figurewho stood

  behind Terra in the light of the back door.

  One figure with dark hair crowning her head, narrow

  eyes, and a beautiful, full mouth. A stature that seemed taller

  than the man beside her even when he stood a full head higher. Silva. And Kazbek too.

  Terra planted one last kiss upon theboy’s browbefore he

  was yanked back. The boy was turned then, so cam could see

  him.

  Shock and recognition coursed through her and she

  stumbled forward as if she could reach him. Get a closer look.

  Assure herself that the boy before her was indeed the boy she and Ilea had seen upon their arrival. The same boy who had spoken to Silva’s decoythenight ofthemassacre. Thesameboy thatthey

  had brought with them here.

  The boy was led to the garden gate, and he stood until

  Riah would join him. Riah gave Terra a mocking bow. “Thank

  you, Terra, for a son who will no doubt one day become heir and

  leader,” Riah smirked. “I quite enjoyed our time together.” He

  nodded his appreciation towards Silva and Kazbek.

  “Always,” said Silva, smiling a wicked smile. “Terra,

  inside this instant!” Terra’s eyes slipped shut and with the

  quaking form she rose and entered the house, leaving Silva,

  Kazbek, and Riah behind.

  Before the scene shifted once again, Cam stole a glance at

  the boy who stood by the gate. He was small, yet his eyes and his

  disposition held an air like none other. He was a king. He was

  the king.

  Cam knew.

  The next moment, Cam found herself in the familiar

  surroundings of Grandfather’s lighted library, and Grandfather

  himself sat in a chair, books piled around him. He was not

  reading this time, however, but looking at Terra with grave

  earnest. Terra was still dressed as she had been in the garden.

  “Have they gone to bed?” he demanded. Terra nodded. “Your sisters too?” Again, Terra nodded. Grandfather

  hurried across the room and enclosed them within the library.

  He pulled the windows closed, drawing the curtains together. “I

  must speak to you, Terra.” He grasped her hands in his and

  beheld her with an earnest gaze. “In our last meeting, we

  confirmed that you were indeed the virgin to birth the Savior

  spoken of by the Watchers Elyon had appointed. Your son is now

  born, and Riah and everyone else believes Him to be his son.” “He isn’t! They must not just takeHimaway!” Terra’slips

  were trembling. She fought to keep her voice low.

  Grandfather ran his hands down Terra’s arms as if to

  comfort her. “Keep quiet, my child. This must stay a secret!

  Never must you reveal his identity. To no one. Not even to your

  sisters. They could accidentally let it slip. Do you know what they would do? When the child becomes a burden, he will be killed!”

  Grandfather nearly hissed these words at Terra.

  “Not until the sacrifice is made.”

  “I know, I know. I have no doubt he will be safe, but you

  still have a purpose. You must not say a word, you must stay

  faithful and you and I must…”

  “What? What must we do?” Terra gripped Grandfather’s

  hands tighter.

  “We must protect the Crown,” he said in a tone so low it

  was nearly inaudible.

  Terra’s eyes widened. “So it’s true? It does exist?” Grandfather nodded vigorously. “Only I and the

  maidservant Amelia know of its whereabouts, but we have sworn

  to keep it a secret in order that no one else may discover it.” “Then why tell me?”

  “Because, Terra, if I die, which may be very soon with my

  old age, and if something should happen to Amelia, one that is

  faithful should be here to protect it. Silva and Kazbek should

  never find it, for they would destroy it. Their ambition is to make

  it impossible for the Savior to save.”

  Terra swallowed and then in a hushed tone asked,

  “Where is it?”

  “I will take you to the location, but to access it, one must

  dig. We shall not do that. And to open the door...”

  “The key you gave to Immanuel?”

  Grandfather
nodded.

  Terra sank onto the stool below her. “He knows of it too,

  then?”

  Grandfather gave her a small smile. “Of course. He is all

  knowing.”

  The blue light faded, and Cam felt as though she had been

  yanked ruthlessly back to reality in the dim light of the room. Her

  eyes fluttered as though she had just awakened. So dreamlike it

  had felt…

  She was once again in the cavern with Fiera and Adria

  beside her. She glanced at the bottle which had completely

  emptied and appeared lonely without its former contents. She

  stared before her in utter shock. What feelings were possessing her? Astonishment, mortification? She glanced at Fiera, then Adria. They both wore similar expressions.

  “Were you there too? I couldn’t see you,” Adria said. The other

  two nodded.

  So, the truth had been there the entire time, veiled by the

  shame of the past.

  Terra had always been a Spirit Follower, perhaps one of

  the most faithful. She had become pregnant so young by way of

  Elyon’s Spirit rather than man’s seed. The prophecyof the virgin

  had been fulfilled, and the Savior had been born.

  “I don’t remember her being pregnant,” Adria

  murmured.

  “I don’t either. But I do remember them taking her away

  for months. In honor ofher turning sixteen soon,” Cam said. She

  shrugged. “And we thought nothing of it. We were so...selfish. So

  ignorant.”

  “And Grandfather…” Adria began.

  “He had known what Silva and Kazbek were doing to

  Terra all along.”

  “We enact justice for all they did,” Fiera muttered, her

  tone cold.

  “And now there is no manner in which we can deny the

  existence of this Savior,” Cam murmured. “Or Elyon.” Adria whipped her head. “Why not? It could be that the

  memory was distorted somehow. Sometimes, I forget what really

  happened because I changed it so much, I believed it to be

  something else. Something it wasn't.”

  Cam gulped. “And maybe part of Terra’s memory was.

  But...I saw the boy with my own eyes. And not in any memory.” Fiera and Adria shared a long, wide-eyed glance. “The Savior,” Fiera started, “was in front of Silva the

  whole time.”

  Thirty-Six

  Riah lost count of the days.

  They melded together in flurries of sunlight and sleeping in and even the tea that he hated so much but that Arria drank incessantly. Finally, it felt like summer.

  “Will anyone else come to live with me once I am made lord?” HeaskedArriaat alatemorning breakfast on the first rare blustery day. He had seen Shadow Bearers below them midst the forest and mountains in their tattered cloaks as they mounted rocs and soared through the land. But they never once came to the fortress itself. The fortress was for its lady and its lady only.

  “They come here if I invite them to,” Arria had said. “But I do not like much company.”

  The winds outside were howling, and thus, the doors and windows were fastened shut. Arria was slumped in an elaborately carved wooden chair before a long chestnut table in the hall that connected to the balcony which overlooked the mountains.

  On a sunny day, one who stood on that balcony could glimpse the sea. But today was gray, and the sea was blurred behind the fog. Riah noticed as he stood at a window overlooking the forests below, that a score of rocs was resting on ledges just below the windows.

  Arria was gulping down a cup of tea. Riah thought the tea bitter. Arria said it kept her healthy. “Leviathan says more and more Shadow Bearers will come to gather here after he has completed his current quest.”

  “To find the Crown.”

  Arria nodded. “When they all arrive, I assume they will take refuge in whichever of the three territories they choose. Or are assigned.”

  Riah raked a hand through his now unkempt hair. “I know that only Lucius and the Shedim live in the Infernal Cities, but why do the Shadow Bearers not? What have the Shedim done that the Shadow Bearers have not? I mean, I see the Shadow Bearers actually doing Lucius’ bidding, but the Shedim might as well be nothing but lazy dogs as far as I’ve seen.”

  Arria pushed back her plate, swiped her hands on a napkin, and leaned back in her seat as she gazed at Riah. “The Shadow Bearers are part human and are therefore not as powerful. The Shadow Bearers have seen the Infernal Cities but haven't actually dwelled there. They are called there only when Lucius thinks it absolutely necessary. There are some that come out very much...changed. And not changed for the better.” Arria took another sip of her tea and winced. “Too cold.”

  “But theShadowBearers have morepower than humans. Even if we had the Mineral Magic…”

  Arria’s browcreased. Riahwavedthequestion inhereyes away. Arria disregarded her silent question as she replied, “They can see the Infernal Magic, for one. And all that they are doing that we can not yet see. Leviathan has promised that in due time, as we become full-fledged Shadow Bearers ourselves, that we will themagic and its full extent.” Riah was not entirely sure that he had had any desire to see the Shedim. They seemed ugly and beautiful all at once. They reeked of wherever they came from and what they had become.

  Arria finished the last of her tea, set the cup down with a klink, rose andannounced, “We will travel by Gamgee across the river and then proceed on foot to the Lady of the Wolves’ Territory today.”

  Riah shot her a look that very much conveyed, “Must we really?”

  Arria’s expression was softas sheresponded. “Only to see it. We will not actually encounter her. She will not allow us in unless we have an excuse worth hearing.” Riah swallowed the small lump which had formed in his throat and nodded. Arria had pranced towards him in the next second, grasped his hand, and was pulling him towards the balcony. Across her back was slung a quiver of arrows, a bow, and a row of knives fastened to a leather strip. She tossed him the sack that would contain their mid-day meal.

  When they had walked onto the balcony slick with last night’s rain, shewhistledfor Gamgeewho edged around a corner looking rather perturbed. “He doesn’t like flying in this weather, of course,” Arria stated.

  “But they must have practiced for when they will be needed,” Riah said grimly. “Battles are not usually fought on bright and sunny days.” A memory flashed in his mind, one he disregarded immediately. Skies heavy with clouds about to burst above an army of Shadow Bearers he had assembled himself.

  “Exactly.” Arria mounted Gamgee with ease and reached out to grasp Riah’s handso she may pull him up. Riah braced his hands on her waist, leaned forward, clenched his knees, and they were off. Gamgee flew with ease, and the flight seemed faster riding the bird rather than a much heavier creature like a dragon.

  As they were lifted higher up just past the pointed towers of the fortress below them, Riah found that the forest below was merely smudges of dark green with fog drifting between the trees. Although the air was bitter and biting, Riah found that he didn’t mind the grays that draped around them. The world around him was calm but stirring as if from a long and heavy sleep.

  Riah ceased thinking of these things when Gamgee took a sudden dive towards the ground. As they plummeted and the ground came into better view, Riah found that they were approaching a roaring river. He clenched Arria tighter.

  And then he saw something else.

  Snow.

  And frosted trees, a land of winter just beyond the river. He knew that it was still summer but yet, here was a land laden with snow, and he suddenly wished he had brought something warmer to wear. Magic. Thedragons. That’s why it was coldhere and in kingdoms south of the dragon keep but warm where he took residence. The dragons thrived in a warm atmosphere.r />
  They passed over the river, and Gamgee landed gracefully. Riah slipped off first before offering Arria his hand. Their bootedfeet crunchedagainst thesnow. Riah’senvious look was fastened at Arria’s back where a heavy cloak hung at her shoulders. He would have snarled at her for not warning him had he not been stopped by the sight before him.

  Dribbling from somewhere above on the pure white snow was red liquid. Scarlet. Both he and Arria stepped forward. Gamgee inched backward. “Blood,” Arria murmured as if it were not already obvious. She bent to peer more closely at it while Riah cast his glance upward.

  And found the corpse slung across the low, scrawny, branches of a tree.

  Wolf imprints were found just below. Riah’s stomach coiled into a knot even as he nudged at Arria to see it. His gasp was inward as hers was uttered outward into the chilly air. A hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes widened. The man was the sameonewhohadattendedRiah’s party. “Iwonder whathedid,” he murmured.

  “But now you see why I will not take you over there and why Leviathan has chosen her,” Arria echoed in reply.

  “Are we all expected to become cold-blooded killers?” Riah wondered. A memory simmered at her own question. One of pale, poisoned children and the slitting of a man’s throat. A feast of death; a crimson ceremony. The thoughts punctured him. He had buried them deep within him so that the memories grew distant. Aloud, he said, “Do you mean as a warrior or as a lover?”

  Arria looked as though she were on the verge of grinning but shrugged instead. “Both, I suppose.” She paused to scan the trees before them. “Leviathan knows her well enough to sustain a knife attack while they are in bed.”

  “What if she was to poison him?”

  “Leviathan taught her everything she knows about poisons.” Arria turned to head back towards Gamgee. “He will teach you too.” They remounted Gamgee and began their second ascent for that day.

  Riah cast one more look at the corpse in the tree, the wolf prints below, and the blood dripping from the man’s slit throat. Those eyes were so empty and bruised beneath the lower eyelashes.

  When they returned to the Fortress of the Rocs, Riah decided to remain one more night, for he did not wish to fly home in this weather. And the image of that cold corpse would not leave his mind.

  Arria seemed to be dwelling on the same thing. So when she crawled into Riah’s arms before the fire, he said nothing to object. Only held her and did not say a word.