The Dark Queen

by M. Dalto

  The group piled into Alara’s vehicle. Reylor sat in front while Lexan and Jared climbed into the back seat with Sarayna lying between them, her head resting in Jared’s lap. Her screams had dulled to moans and whimpers once again, but she was nearly delirious and couldn’t speak a coherent word.

  “As I mentioned, the lockets are Keys, and like Keys they need a connection to the Empire to open. Someone has started opening the door.”

  “Who?” Reylor asked, and Alara only shook her head.

  “Whoever has the other locket, but it would have to be someone with an innate power, and one we haven’t sensed in the line since…well…you.”

  Reylor frowned. “You’re saying that these lockets are using their wearers as vessels to allow us to return to the Empire?”

  “I’m saying that the lockets are doing what they’re supposed to do—it’s whoever is on the other end that’s created enough damage that the Empire is trying to course-correct, and your Sarayna is about to meet her fate.”

  “There’s nothing we can do?” Lexan blurted out. He knew what Alara was alluding to, and he wasn’t ready, not yet.

  Alara glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “You know better than anyone, Prince, that this is the way.”

  Lexan frowned, glancing at Jared. His attention was wholly focused on Sarayna as she lay on his thighs, his gentle hands brushing hair away from her sweaty brow. Whether he listened to their conversation or knew what was in store for their princess, he gave no indication.

  “What will happen to you both, should all of this come to fruition?” Reylor asked.

  “Oh, it’s not a question of if, Lord Steward,” Alara promised, though the smile she gave him seemed to have a sadness behind it. “Perhaps when this ends, Seyth and I can finally rest.”

  Lexan understood, and so it seemed did Reylor, and they were quiet for the remainder of the journey north.

  The city soon gave way to dense wooded forest, and the deeper they drove, the more snow covered the ground. Alara stopped the car once they reached the outskirts of a maintained parkland area at the base of the mountain. She and Reylor got out of the car first, Lexan soon following, and walked to Jared’s side to assist with Sarayna.

  “This is where we part ways,” Alara announced.

  “How will we know when we’ve gone far enough?” Reylor asked as Lexan and Jared walked with Sarayna, all but dragging her between them. Lexan thought for a moment that perhaps his sister was unconscious, but the locket once again began to glow, and with it her moans of discomfort.

  “You’ll know,” he heard Alara answer, but he moved too far out of earshot keeping up with Jared to hear Reylor’s response.

  The crunch of leaves and the snap of twigs under booted feet was the only indication that his father followed them. No one spoke as they trudged through the wilderness, their surroundings growing darker by the moment until their only light and warmth was from the locket.

  The silence of the night was broken by an unexpected scream erupting from Sarayna, whose body bowed and shuddered under the locket’s hold.

  “Sarayna—”

  The heat and the light turned the world to white.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Sarayna could no longer tell the difference between reality and her subconscious. When she was awake, the pain seared through her so harshly she felt like her blood was boiling her bones and muscles to ash. Unconscious, she was so painless that the numb was a cold throb and she begged for something—anything—to show her she was still alive.

  She didn’t know what caused it all to stop. Not a moment ago she was teetering on that line of pain and cold until she unceremoniously collided with something hard—much harder than anything she had been lying on previously. Hard and…covered in grass?

  Sarayna coughed, taking in deep breaths as she discovered the agony in her chest had completely subsided. She reached for the locket, but it was not there. She no longer felt pain, but a dull, rhythmic throbbing in her head synched with her heartbeat. Slowly, she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, inhaling with each movement and exhaling when no additional hurt arrived. The ground at her hands was in fact covered in grass, but none like she had ever seen before. It was dark in color—a deep purple—and it swayed with an invisible wind. Looking up to the horizon, she was surrounded by the silhouettes of mountains, and the sky swirled like a purple and blue aurora.

  A hacking cough to her left let her know she was not alone. She watched and waited, listening for an indication of the shadow being friend or foe.

  “Fisc.”

  Friend. More than a friend.

  “Iledhas!” Sarayna yelled, pulling herself to her feet.

  Treyan turned to her, and even in the dimness of the world around them, she could see the light in her father’s eyes.

  “Sarayna?” he called out, scrambling to his own feet with another cough before meeting her to close the distance between them, embracing her tightly.

  The princess sobbed tears of joy as he held her in his arms. She hadn’t known when she’d see him again, if ever, but was uncertain what seeing him now meant.

  She took a step back so that she could assess him. He didn’t wear a shirt, and his skin looked marked, but it was hard to discern from what in the little available light. As she looked him over, so too could she tell he was doing the same.

  “How did you get here?” he asked when he finished his close inspection.

  “I was going to ask you the same thing,” she breathed out when she could finally remember how to speak. “Where are we, exactly? Where’s Mom?”

  Treyan’s relief disappeared at the mention of Alex, his lips dropping into a frown that made Sara’s heart sink.

  “Oh no…”

  “No, it’s more than that—”

  “Perhaps you should start explaining, and fast.”

  Sarayna turned to see Reylor approaching with Jared and Lexan trailing behind. Relief surged through her at seeing them alive and well, even Reylor. The looks the three gave her solidified her initial feelings that she was, in fact, in worse shape than she had realized. It didn’t stop the nagging feeling at the back of her head, at her core, that something wasn’t right, and it had nothing to do with the unusual purple ambiance.

  Treyan quickly glanced around and shook his head. “Not here. We’re too out in the open, too exposed.” He looked out into the distance and pointed at what looked like an outcropping of trees. “Let’s regroup there, and hopefully it’ll give us enough time.”

  “Time for what?” Lexan asked.

  “To come up with a plan.”

  “You remember the myth of Leminol and Brynaxia?” Treyan murmured to Reylor as they worked their way through the dark overgrowth.

  Reylor gave his brother an uneasy glance, uncertain how much he needed to disclose to his brother. “I’ve heard of them,” he forced out casually.

  “They’re not so much a myth,” Treyan said as he moved aside a low-hanging branch to allow his brother to pass by. “And they’re the reason we’re here.”

  “Which is where?”

  Treyan shook his head. “I haven’t figured that out yet. One moment I was walking through the halls of the palace after Jamison and Dremond released me—”

  “Jamison is here?” Reylor asked. He hadn’t seen him in the chaos of their arrival, but hoped they hadn’t left him behind because of it.

  “No, at least he shouldn’t be. We parted ways after he gave me the Annals, and they went in search of the child—”

  “Wait.” Reylor stopped his advance, and Treyan stopped with him, which allowed the remaining three to catch up to them. “You have the Annals?”

  Treyan nodded, adjusting the saddlebag that was draped over his shoulder.

  “What child?” Reylor added.

  Treyan looked behind Reylor. “His.”

  Reylor turned to follow Treyan’s gaze, and all eyes landed on Lexan, who looked surprised to be the topic of conversation.

&nb
sp; “Crystal,” Lexan breathed. “She had the baby?”

  Treyan nodded.

  “How is she? And the child?”

  “The child—a girl—should be in the care of my Captain, if all went as planned.”

  “And Crystal?”

  Treyan held Lexan’s gaze a moment longer before he turned on his heel and proceeded deeper into the forest. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry?” Lexan pushed past his father to catch up with Treyan, stopping him. “What did you do to her?”

  “I didn’t do anything to her,” Treyan hissed. “It’s still debatable if I would have or otherwise, after everything she’s done. No one had any control over what Brynaxia did to her.”

  “Crystal—she’s…”

  Treyan nodded again.

  Reylor sensed Lexan’s defeat as his son’s shoulders slumped. He wished he had something encouraging to say, something that would keep Lexan from crumbling when they all needed to be at their most alert. But no words came.

  It was Jared who broke the silence, Jared who would be Lexan’s intended had the world been a very different place. If they survived this, wherever they were, perhaps there would still be a chance for them.

  “You have a daughter,” Jared said softly, as if only speaking to Lexan. “When this is over, we’ll find her, and you’ll meet her, and you can tell her all about the mother she’ll never know. But only after we figure out how to get out of here.”

  Lexan wasn’t given the chance to respond, as a wind as powerful as a hurricane rushed through the forest. They all crouched down and gripped nearby trunks and roots to remain in place. As it was, a select few trees nearby had been uprooted, flying beyond them into the dense thicket and knocking down anything in their path.

  “Watch out!” Sarayna screamed.

  Reylor turned just in time to see an airborne tree trunk heading in their direction. Instincts kicked in and Reylor flew his hands into the air, channeling all the power he could gather within him to create a protective field of power around their group. The shield surrounded them just in time, deflecting the approaching tree just as it was to collide with his brother and his son.

  Gritting his teeth, Reylor closed his eyes as he concentrated against the forces pushing against his magic. It was a strength he hadn’t felt before, and he was uncertain how long he would be able to maintain their shield of protection.

  Another impact had his magic wavering, and he thought he was going to lose his concentration when the pressure suddenly eased. Treyan stood next to him, adding to the power of the magic with his own. They shared only a glance before their attention was drawn to the sound of laughter moving toward them, cutting through the wind and debris as if the figure walked with its own shield.

  “She’s here,” Treyan whispered, and there was something in his tone that pulled at Reylor’s curiosity.

  “Who is that?” he asked just as softly. The voice sounded familiar while at the same time otherworldly.

  “That’s—” Treyan started but was cut off.

  “Queen Empress Brynaxia,” the woman answered. “The First of Her Name.”

  Reylor and Treyan shared a look, their concentration faltering when Sarayna yelled out from behind them.

  “Mom!”

  “That’s not Alexstrayna!” Treyan corrected her, struggling to keep his power steady.

  “Then where is she?” Sarayna countered.

  “She’s…gone.”

  Reylor felt his heart sink.

  “So quick to give up on her now, Prince?” Brynaxia shouted as she came closer. “What if I told you she has been here the entire time?”

  Reylor watched his brother grit his teeth, but he was uncertain if it was because of what this woman claimed or because his power was weakening. Reylor knew he would not be able to maintain their shield for much longer without Treyan’s help. He had been weakened due to his capture, even if he refused to admit it. Watching his brother as best as he could while still maintaining his concentration, Reylor was uncertain how much more even he could endure.

  “You know it to be true,” she continued, her tone taunting. “You have seen her. Felt her. She’s certainly felt you.”

  Treyan shook his head as if begging no one to ask him what she meant, what he had gone through…

  No one did.

  But it was enough of a distraction to leave them unprepared for the sudden blast directed toward them. It knocked both brothers off their feet, shattering their hold on their power and pushing them back into the dense darkness of the forest behind them.

  Chapter Forty

  Reylor and Treyan found themselves in a thicket of briars and overgrowth. Reylor had hit his head when he fell and could feel the warm blood as it began to trickle down the side of his temple. Treyan’s coughs were ragged, and Reylor hoped his brother hadn’t broken a rib. Slowly, Reylor crawled over to him. Treyan was already sitting up, leaning against a fallen trunk, and Reylor sat next to him in silence.

  The surrounding wind continued to gust, and Reylor had to duck his head against it to speak loud enough for his brother to hear.

  “Not Alex.”

  “No,” Treyan breathed.

  “Do you think there’s any truth in what she said?” Reylor offered. “That perhaps Alex is still here, and—”

  “I don’t want to think about anything she has said.”

  Reylor frowned. “I understand what you may have gone through—”

  “You of all people would be the last to understand.”

  Reylor closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the hard wood of the fallen trunk. “Treyan, please. This isn’t the time—”

  “It’s never the time,” his brother snapped.

  “I’ve made my peace,” Reylor hissed. “Perhaps it’s time for you to do the same.”

  “Don’t act like you had nothing to do with this.”

  “Don’t act like you didn’t either.”

  “How dare you—”

  “We were all pawns; we all had our parts to play whether we knew what we were doing or not. You bringing Alexstrayna to the Empire is as much at fault as my taking her to the Borderlands. We were cogs set in motion before we were even born, and the Annals—”

  “The Annals.”

  Reylor blinked, but Treyan was scrambling, frantically searching the area around them. Reylor placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder when he saw them, no longer in the saddlebag, and pointed to the uncovered area a short distance away in the direct path of Brynaxia’s assault. If not for the ethereal glow they seemed to emit, he never would have noticed them. Which also meant anyone else in the vicinity would be able to see them as well.

  Something tugged at Reylor, and he knew they couldn’t allow anything to happen to that book.

  “Wait here,” Reylor said, but Treyan was gripping his arm before he could execute his plan.

  “Don’t. Going out there right now will be suicide.”

  “Staying here when anyone else could get their hands on that book will be even worse.”

  “Then we come up with a plan together instead of you rushing to your death like a martyr.”

  “Says the one who refused to listen to reason when he thought something had happened to Alex and instead rode headstrong into his almost-demise.”

  “Something did happen to Alex!”

  “Even more is going to happen, not just to her but to everyone we love, if we don’t do something about it now.”

  Treyan glared at his brother. “Then we do this together. If you’re going to risk your life, at least let me try to give you a little time.”

  “With what strength? You can barely stand.”

  “I’ll worry about myself.”

  “That’s been our problem this entire time,” Reylor murmured as he crouched into position.

  “You know that’s not true,” Treyan replied as he shifted.

  Reylor glanced at him. “I…I really didn’t know, Treyan. I thought I was helping. At least I
was trying to.”

  Treyan shook his head. “Not now. When this is over, maybe.”

  Nodding to the horizon, a dark figure approached from the distance and brought with it an increase of wind and power. They were running out of time, and Reylor had to make a decision.

  It was now or never.

  Crouching low, Reylor creeped out from the protection of the fallen trunk, and he sensed his brother’s attempts to protect him, but he also sensed how weak his brother was and knew his time was short. He needed to retrieve the book and make it back without being sighted, or at the least without dying.

  No sooner had Reylor taken three steps than he heard a rustling on the other side of where his brother remained. If something else happened to Treyan and Reylor didn’t stop it, he’d never be able to live with himself. No one would ever forgive him. He’d be to blame for anything that happened, and it wasn’t something he wanted to endure. Not any longer. Not when their chance to rebuild was lying before them, should they ever escape whatever this realm was they’d been pulled into.

  He dug his fingers into the dirt beneath his hands, readying himself for a sprint toward the Annals, hoping he could reach them and be back in time to keep Treyan safe when the rustling became a rushing force headed straight toward him.

  “Brynaxia! Don’t let them near that book!”

  The sound of an older man’s voice nearing distracted Reylor enough to pause, only to be knocked over by an unforeseen force to his left. Instead of wind, it was a physical form, lean though strong. It was on his back, pinning his arms at his sides against the ground, and Reylor spit out a mouthful of dirt as he let out his frustrations.

  “It’s good to see you again, old friend.”

  The voice in Reylor’s ears confirmed his suspicions. All of their suspicions. He turned his head just enough to meet those familiar red eyes. “Should I still call you Master? Or is it Xavon now?”

  Xavon gave Reylor a toothy grin. “It was always Xavon, you just didn’t need to know then.”

  “And now?”

  “Now it doesn’t matter.”