In the distance, we watched Kera fall by the hand of her queen.
* * *
The flames of the crying tree bit high into the air while the five rulers and I walked down the stairs to the crypts.
Queen Mikko walked in front of me, staring down at the palms of her hands, unable to take her eyes away from her sister’s blood that coated them. Her face was void of all emotion.
I breathed heavily and stalked forward.
If the Queen of Casters could hand out death as she had done today, I sure as Fairy could make it to this tomb.
Numbly, she said, “Kera said they were nymphs.”
We continued to walk with her, not saying a word.
Rows and rows of tombs lined the long walk, all the long-dead bodies wrapped in plain, white cloth, all the same, no different than the next, no casket around their bodies.
“She said the tree was the Queen of Nymphs. She planted herself here because she couldn’t escape the power. Kera said that she brought sacrifices to appease the Fae for our wrongdoings.” Queen Mikko couldn’t tear her eyes away from her hands, lifting them in front of her face, staring at the blood closely. “Queen Brin killed the original caster after he used his royal charmpower on her. And we killed her for killing the innocent. Where does it stop?”
“It stops with us,” I stated softly. “We will stop it.”
Queen Mikko went motionless in front of a grand tomb.
She said nothing else. There was no need to.
King Athon curved around our group and lifted the top off the original caster’s resting place, his muscles bulging. He set the ornamented stone on the ground. The King of Shifters tipped his chin to the skeleton inside, a staff of gold clutched in its hand.
The shifter king stated, “Take it, Queen Mikko. It is yours.”
She brutally shook her head. “No.”
King Traevon stepped forward, and he said gently, “You are far better than he. Make right what he made wrong.”
The Queen of Casters sucked in a shaking breath.
Her blood-drenched right hand pulled the staff out of the skeleton’s hands. She stared at the golden staff for a full minute before she held it out over the tomb, silently.
One by one, we each set our hands on it.
I blinked, not moving away from the caster queen, but lowered my hand.
The rulers did the same—including Queen Mikko.
The golden staff bounced loudly on the white tile in High Pointe, the conference room unchanged and still divinely beautiful.
Only Black Louie walked toward us, the other gremlins quiet and staying back. He lifted the artifact off the ground, saying in his monotone voice, “I will keep the Staff of Justice safe until it is needed.” The tiny, green gremlin turned and walked away. “Prepare yourselves. The Merfolk Kingdom is next.”
Queen Mikko’s chest started heaving, her breaths loud in the silence. She swayed where she stood, leaning toward me, blinking blindly at my face.
I caught her before she fell.
I held her close as she screamed her pain.
Her tears did not stop for a very long time.
The Queen of Casters had taught me much today.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Confession of a princess:
I have a secret.
A white butterfly found it for me in a bookstore.
It is the key I needed to unlock the mystery.
I BENT OVER my writing desk, carefully dissecting the gifted flower. My eyes darted back to the FLOWER OF FERTILITY book, rereading the page. I squinted as I cut into the base of the bloom.
Mother could have told me what to do properly.
But I did not think that was a safe option.
I scanned back to the tome, the same writing as the SEED OF CREATION book—same binding, same color. It was its counterpart.
My cheeks puffed out as I removed the ovary from the flower, gently lifting it in front of my face, studying what could be the salvation of my kingdom. It appeared as insignificant as the seed.
Two unassuming gifts from the Fae…
I prayed it was true; they were mightier than they appeared.
They needed to be.
I placed the ovary into my mouth and swallowed.
No one would keep me from protecting my kingdom.
Not King Traevon.
Not King Athon.
Not even me.
THE ADVENTURES WILL CONTINUE…
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About the Author
New York Times bestselling author and award-winner, SCARLETT DAWN, is the mastermind behind the Forever Evermore fantasy series, the Origin paranormal dystopian stories, the Vampire Crown paranormal romance thrillers, the Mark science fantasy saga, and the Lion Security contemporary romance series.
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Crypts and Crimes (Trixie Towers Book 3) Page 20
