The Dark Forest

by Sarah Noffke

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Emeri pulled the corset of her pastel-pink dress away from her ribs. Under the tight garment her body felt like a desert: hot and scratchy. She pulled in an unfulfilling breath, only half-hearing the numerous voices of the crowd in the distance.

  “Queen Emeri, are you ready?” Her Chief of Staff asked. The old wizard had asked her that half a dozen times already in the last ten minutes. She knew the crowd was growing restless. The people of Virgo had lives to live and couldn’t hang around for hours to hear what she had to say. Still, they’d remained, even with all the delays.

  Smoothing down the skirt of her dress, Emeri turned, nodding as she did. “Yes, I’m ready. Let’s do this.” Her emerald-green eyes connected with the queen mother’s before she offered a hand to the stable hand stationed beside her horse. He hoisted her onto her horse, which required much more effort from him than usual.

  The queen mother had already pivoted her Palomino in the direction of the town center. The council members did the same, but Emeri hesitated again. Where was Azure? Why couldn’t they see her in the scrying bowl? She gasped for oxygen, thinking she might tumble from her horse right then and there. Thankfully the stable hand turned her horse for her, setting it off after the others.

  It was a long five-minute ride to the town’s center, a ride Emeri usually enjoyed by taking in the many nuances of Virgo. It was always changing, since it was more an organic beast than a static land. However, her head, swimming with unease, made it impossible to enjoy the blossoming flowers in the windows of the colorful cottages or the hens that pecked around the open garden this time.

  “Your Royal Highness, are you all right?” Hookford, her Chief of Staff, asked when they arrived at the back of the stage that had been erected in the town center. He, like her, had lost his magic, but he was still in good health, which was more than Emeri could say.

  Hookford helped her from her horse, but she didn’t offer him an answer. Anything she said would be a lie, and that would be unacceptable.

  The queen mother took her place next to Queen Emeri, offering her a gloved hand. She was wearing her silver robes, which always caught the attention of every witch and wizard she passed. They had been constructed from a fine material made from spun silver and silk.

  The crowd that stretched around the stage contained witches and wizards who had traveled from far and wide to hear the Queen’s message. There had been much uncertainty since the coronation, when the Virgoans had learned that Azure was half human. However, the faces of the people weren’t filled with cynicism now. They stared back at her with hope—these people wanted good news. She only wished she had it to give to them.

  With her mother and her cabinet at her back, Emeri stepped up to the podium. A round of applause broke out all around her, both a relief and a nuisance. She really needed to get back to the House of Enchanted right away.

  Offering a weak smile, she nodded to the crowd of witches and wizards all in their differing shades, soul stones winking at her from the audience. When the applause had died down, Emeri lifted her chin.

  “As you all know, Azure Vladar, my daughter, was scheduled to take the crown. However, on her coronation day, you learned that she is half witch and half human.”

  The crowd broke into whispers, many of them bowing their cloaked heads to exchange comments amongst themselves.

  “I realize this was unfortunate news for you all, and I know that many of you have asked the cabinet to elect a new successor in my place.”

  “A pure-blooded witch or wizard!” someone shouted from the crowd.

  Emeri nodded, trying to exude confidence. “My family has served the people of Virgo as their monarchs for thousands of years. We were prepared to do it for another thousand years, because there is no more important calling than protecting this realm.”

  Cheers echoed through the crowd, making Emeri sway on her feet with anxiety.

  She waited until the cheers had died down and nodded. “However, I cannot force our rule on you, since this has always been, and will always be, a democracy.”

  More applause.

  “I hope that you will choose Azure as my successor, but you must know the full truth first.”

  A hush fell over the crowd. Not a single witch or wizard dared to whisper to their neighbor. That was a first.

  “I know it came as a shock when I decided pass the crown to Azure, since she’s still young. However, it is time I tell you all something that’s pained me to hide. I, your queen, have been infected with a virus. My cabinet and I contracted this virus a year ago on a trip to the Land of Terran.”

  Words broke out in the crowd. “Terran.” “Those ungrateful people.” “How dare they?”

  “The people of Terran did this to you, Majesty?” someone asked from the crowd.

  Emeri gulped, nodding. “It would appear so. As many of you have reported to me, the people of Terran can be unkind to us when we encounter them. I’ve heard many accounts of this in my council.”

  “The people of Terran must be stopped!”

  “Vermin!”

  “Down with them!”

  This wasn’t getting easier, as Emeri had hoped. She turned, seeing the queen mother’s face in her peripheral vision. Her mother gave her an encouraging nod and faced forward.

  “The virus appears to rob a witch or wizard of their magic. And although—” Emeri continued, but was drowned out by sharp whispers.

  “Please allow me to go on.” Emeri didn’t think she could stand much longer. “Because this is the case, you now know that your queen has no magic left. It has been stolen from me. However, although my cabinet suffers, they were able to combat further symptoms. As you know, my dear daughter is half human. When she was born, I gave my soul stone to someone in order to keep my daughter safe. And because I gave away my soul stone, I’ve put myself into a deadly position.” Gripping the sides of the podium, Emeri willed herself to remain standing. She couldn’t give up now. Pulling her eyes to the northern borders, she made a simple wish. That was all she had left anymore—hope. The rolling green hills that bordered town center were empty, save for grazing livestock.

  “I know you all are very much against Azure being crowned queen, since she’s half human. I’m going to take an incredible chance and tell you something you’ll find even more unacceptable.”

  The crowd stared at their queen, their eyes begging her to continue.

  “Azure Vladar’s father is Richard, the emperor of Terran,” Emeri hadn’t finished her sentence before it was blotted out by a volcano of noise. Now the pleasant faces in the crowd were red with anger. It was like Azure’s coronation day all over again.

  “Please, please, please.” Emeri’s voice cracked as she rocked backward, the crowd making her head spin.

  Emeri used her last remaining energy to yell over the eruption. “Azure, your would-be queen, has risked her life to journey to the Land of Terran.”

  This got the attention of the people of Virgo. They all stared at Emeri, needing to know what she’d say next. “Azure and her father, the emperor, were imprisoned in Terran, trying to save me,” Emeri said, before she swayed and fell flat on the stage.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  That the hillsides were empty struck Azure as strange. Usually even the outskirts of Virgo were bustling with witches collecting wildflowers or wizards hiking through the canyon. A knot caught in Azure’s throat at a sudden thought. Have the harpies already attacked Virgo? She clutched her stomach; she couldn’t be too late. Not just too late to save her mother, but too late to save her people.

  “Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s an explanation,” Monet whispered into her ear, leaning close. He scanned the hills, which were flecked with yellow flowers. The worry she felt in her chest was reflected in his eyes.

  “Explanation for what?” Ever asked, leaning in from the other side of Azure.

  “Damn, Pointy Ears has some impressive eavesdropping skills,” Monet said.


  “There’s no one out here,” Gillian said, compelled to make the observation.

  “It’s my first time in Virgo. I didn’t realize that was atypical on the outskirts,” Ever said.

  Buzz Buzz flew forward, darting up and around in the air, doing a small somersault. She hummed louder when she flittered down to Azure’s shoulder.

  “Yes, the stables are just ahead,” Azure said, reading the excitement in the pixie’s eyes. “Go on, fly in that direction. I’ll come and find you later. But if you sense any danger, head for the border.”

  Buzz Buzz nodded, her cheeks glowing pink. If there was any concern in her heart for the people of Virgo, she wasn’t showing it. The pixie twisted in the air and sped off in the direction of the large stable with by its fenced yard. A few foals and their mothers were grazing in the field nearby.

  So the horses are okay, Azure thought, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

  The young witch’s heart sank farther as they passed between the first set of cottages. No smoke wafted from the chimneys; no cats strolled in the yards dotted with moss-covered rocks.

  It was only as they were passing the bungalows where Monet lived that someone broke the silence.

  “Do you think we should have had one of the Orcs chaperone us?” Gillian asked.

  “Look, there aren’t witches and wizards lying slaughtered all over the place. That’s a good sign,” Monet said. His voice was light, but his eyes were sharp.

  “Nobody has been slaughtered,” Azure said, picking up her pace, wand at the ready. Her robe billowed behind her and she pulled her hood low, covering her face.

  Ever grabbed her arm to make her freeze. His eyes stared without looking. His gaze was low, as if he was sensing something. “No, they aren’t hurt. But something is wrong. Everyone is in the center of Virgo.”

  “How do you know that?” Monet asked, and the tone of his voice tore at Azure’s insides. He was scared, as scared as she was.

  Ever indicated his pointy ears. “You weren’t wrong about my eavesdropping ability, although I try to use it sparingly.” He turned to Azure. “You need to go. Run!”

  She backed up, regarding him like he was the enemy. What had he heard?

  “Now!” he yelled, urging her forward.

  Azure spun and sprinted toward the square, weaving through the cottages. Her feet leapt over the pots filled with plants and the statues that decorated the yards. The hem of her robe caught many times, but she sped on, her chest buzzing with adrenalin. Behind her she heard the others, but she was far in the lead.

  The number of houses dwindled as the town came into view. Round buildings with thatched roofs bordered the city center, which remained mostly empty for passing vendors to set up stalls. Azure darted around Charmsgood’s potions shop and her heart constricted in her chest. A sea of witches and wizards stood in the open field, their attention on a stage. Not slowing, Azure sprinted around the crowd, negotiating her way to the front. The mass of people spoke in a series of nervous whispers.

  Various figures stood hunched over something on the stage. At their center was a lavender-haired woman she recognized as she approached the front. Everyone’s eyes were on the stage, so no one noticed Azure until she ran up the stairs of the stage.

  “The princess,” many called.

  “The human!” someone yelled.

  Azure now knew what the figures had hunched over. Several of the cabinet members stood, their faces grave. Queen Mother Sari turned her head, still bent over her daughter. Azure could see the face of her mother, which was relaxed, her eyes closed.

  “Mother!” Azure cried, darting forward, her hands digging in her robes. She slid to a halt at her mother’s side. “What’s happened to her? Is she…”

  Her gran held a wand over the queen’s body, her eyes sliding sideways to look at Azure briefly. “Yes, she’s alive, but I can do no more for her. The virus is killing your mother.”

  “Maybe this will save her,” Azure said, fumbling in her pocket, her nervousness making it hard to move properly. Finally she pulled the lavender amethyst from her pocket.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Gran asked, her voice hoarse.

  “Yes, it’s my mother’s soul stone.” Azure opened her mother’s clammy hands and pressed the amethyst into her palm, closing her fingers around it. Lowering her head, Azure brought her lips close to her mother’s cheek. She was so still. So quiet. Her breath so faint. “Please, Mother. Pull the power to live from your soul stone. Please don’t give up,” she begged, tears clogging her throat. Without her consent, a stream of tears slipped down her cheeks to land on her mother’s face. Azure knelt, scooping her mother into her arms, pulling her to her chest.

  She was mostly aware of her own ragged breath and the stillness of her mother as she held her. The crowd in front of the stage was only a distant blur as she pressed her mother closer to her. Gran’s hand rubbed Azure’s shoulders. “Dear, there’s nothing more we can do right now.”

  Azure cried into her mother’s shoulder, aware that the queen’s hung limply to the side. “No! I can’t be too late,” she moaned between sobs.

  “You did all you could. Now we wait.” Gran spoke softly next to her ear.

  “But she has to be okay,” Azure said.

  “And I will,” a voice murmured.

  Azure pulled her head back and looked down. Her mother’s eyes had cracked open and her chin was now angled down as she tried to keep her head from lolling to the side.

  “Mother!” Azure said, hugging her tightly.

  The crowd burst into excited whispers.

  “Emeri, let me get a look at you,” Gran said. Azure loosened her grip on her mother. Sari stared down at her daughter, a quizzical look on her face. With her withered finger she pulled one of the queen’s eyelids down, looking at the whites of her eyes.

  “Well, I daresay you gave the people of Virgo quite the scare,” Gran said, amused relief in her voice.

  “Will she be okay?’ Azure asked, her eyes intent on her gran, the smartest witch she’d ever known.

  “For now, my dear, but she needs to rest,” Gran said. She snapped at two of the cabinet members at her back. “Take the queen to her chambers.”

  The two wizards pushed in, taking Emeri from Azure. The queen looked strange as they carried her away, her sudden weakness making her appear like a limp doll. No one had ever had to carry her, to help her.

  “Now, my dear Azure, I think the people of Virgo deserve an explanation of where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to,” Gran said with a smile in her voice.

  Azure nodded and stood. She pulled in a deep breath and let it out just before she turned to her people. A sea of faces stared at her, some she’d known all her life, and some strangers. Still, the crowd of colorful witches and wizards were Virgoans, and that meant they deserved the truth.

  At the side of the stage Azure saw Monet, Ever, and Gillian staring at her with strange expressions on their faces. Monet looked as if he was seeing her for the first time. Ever and Gillian both held their chins high, proud expressions on their faces.

  Azure centered her chest and faced the crowd, then lowered her hood and cleared her throat.

  “My fellow Virgoans, I have returned to my place of birth with many updates. You all know that I’m half human and half witch. My mother, your queen, informed me the night of my coronation that my father was from the Land of Terran. Queen Mother Sari,” Azure looked at her gran, “told me my mother’s soul stone could be found in that place. I therefore ventured into the Land of Terran, knowing, as you’ve witnessed, that my mother would die without her soul stone. While there, I learned that my father was the emperor of Terran. When his people discovered I was his child, he was stripped of his crown, much the same way I was stripped of mine. His own people, led by the Duke of Terran, imprisoned him and me.”

  The faces that stared at Azure were drawn, none of them displaying emotion in response to her words. She pressed her soul stone betw
een her fingers. In her blood, she felt the power the blue amethyst loaned her.

  “I broke my father out of prison, and with the help of those men there,” Azure indicated Gillian, Ever, and Monet, still standing several feet away, “I stole the queen’s soul stone back and we escaped from the Land of Terran. As you’ve just witnessed, my mother will recover and hopefully grow stronger, now that she has her soul stone. Whether her magic will ever be restored is unknown. However, the people of Terran, and specifically the Duke, are responsible for the virus that infected the queen and her cabinet members. Furthermore, while the journey through the Dark Forest—”

  Gasps around the crowd cut Azure off.

  “The Dark Forest.”

  “That deadly place.”

  “She went through the Dark Forest.”

  Witches and wizards whispered to each other in urgent tones. The eyes of the crowd widened, and in unison many heads tipped forward. She had their attention.

  “Yes. Because time was of the essence, I cut through the Dark Forest to pass into Terran. And, knowing the queen urgently needed her soul stone, my friends and I traveled back across the Dark Forest as well.” Azure lifted her chin, staring past the crowd to the hills of her people. “We faced many dangers and were almost killed. I tell you this because never, not once, did I regret the mission I’d taken on. You are my people, and our queen is my mother. I would do anything to protect you. To protect her. You may not want me as your queen because I’m half human, and you may reject me as Virgoan because of who I am, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

  The crowd hung on her every word, not making a single sound. Azure turned to her gran, looking to her, as she always did, for support. The queen mother nodded encouragingly at Azure.

  Taking a sip of air, Azure continued her speech. It hadn’t been rehearsed, but what she had to say fell from her mouth by instinct. “The humans of Terran have depleted the forest around their land. I think they are running out of resources, and also trying to get the rogue dryads off their backs. That’s why I believe they got a potion from Charmsgood to restore the forest, and because of the long silent war between them and us, they killed him.”