Rising Queen

by Crawford, C. N.

  Murmurs went through the crowd, but when I looked over at them, they still seemed awed by him.

  He let his wings spread out behind him, and buttery sunlight glinted off the feathers. The crowd sucked in their breath.

  “I am the fallen king of Mag Mell. I am known as the devil, the Lightbringer, Lucifer. Some say I am the source of all evil. And if you want to know who to blame for the fall of Ys, it was me. I slaughtered your queen, Malgven. I used my magic to sink your city. I stole Aenor’s power, and I left you all to believe it was her fault. I drowned your kingdom out of vengeance and rage, because I like to break things and watch them burn. Because that is who I am.”

  Lyr stepped forward. “He speaks the truth, as I have told you. We blamed Aenor for a hundred and fifty years, but she was a victim of this monster as well.”

  I had the overwhelming urge to explain to everyone that perhaps Salem had a bit of a point, that we’d drowned his sister—but that wasn’t the point of this. Already, I could hear the tone of the crowd shifting, and the whoosh of swords being drawn from their sheaths.

  A woman with white hair stepped forward, fury lighting up her face. “Queen slayer!” she shouted. “We must avenge Queen Malgven!”

  I took a deep breath, instinctively moving toward Salem as if to protect him, but stopped short. He can’t die, I reminded myself. Not unless I kill him.

  I lifted the hem of my dress as I climbed the stairs. This was my time to act regal, to put on a show. What would Queen Malgven have done?

  I glanced over at the statue, finding that Lyr had set a little wooden stepstool up for me so I could reach the top. Was this the time to pluck the crown from Caradoc’s head?

  But no one’s eyes were on me. They were on Salem.

  I stepped in front of him, standing tall though he still overshadowed me. “I bring before you the man who once destroyed our kingdom. He is my prisoner…”

  Again… that instinct to explain his actions. But that was not part of the spectacle. Mama would have told them what they needed to hear, but maybe I’d try out the truth.

  “For a hundred and fifty years, I’ve lived in exile in the human world, and gods, I miss this place so much. This was my home. The way it smells, the sound of the sea against the rocks. This is my home. And as queen, I will protect it, but I need you all to accept me as your sovereign. I have been hexed, and I need a little bit of your strength.”

  Silence greeted me. Then the woman with the white hair lifted her sword and shouted, “Avenge Queen Malgven!”

  I felt Salem move closer to me, behind me. He leaned down and whispered, “Machiavelli says the best way to win the love of the people is to publicly execute a tyrant. I am your tyrant. Kill me. Win their love.”

  He slipped something into my hand, and I looked down to find the gleaming blue sea glass. I whirled to face him.

  This was his plan? What the hells? I wasn’t going to kill him. We’d been over this several times already. And yet—

  When he tilted back his head, I understood. I was supposed to sever his throat with the sea glass. It would hurt like a bitch, but he wouldn’t die unless I shoved it into his heart. And the braying mob beneath us didn’t need to know that, did they?

  I could hear them screaming for his blood. Mama wouldn’t hesitate. A sacrifice of blood to feed the kingdom. That was how she’d ruled—with death on her hands, to feed the people.

  I didn’t want to be like her, but I was running out of time to win them over.

  One last spectacle before the crowd.

  I brought the sea glass up to Salem’s perfect throat, my hand shaking. The mob was desperate. This was what I had to do. One clean strike across his throat, let the blood spill. It wasn’t in his heart. He would recover in private, away from the angry eyes of the Ysians.

  “For Queen Malgven!” I announced. Miraculously, my voice sounded steady.

  Except—I couldn’t quite get my hand to move. Not to slit the throat of my mate. Even if my rational brain told me he would recover from this, my primal instincts were stopping my hand from moving. I couldn’t hurt him, because it went against everything in my soul.

  But when I heard Salem’s deep, thrumming music beating in my head, I knew I wouldn’t have a choice. He was taking over my mind, and before I could stop myself, I stared in horror as the glass slashed right through his throat.

  The cut was so deep that it practically took his head off. His blood spilled over me. His body collapsed at my feet, and his music went quiet in my head. So terribly quiet, like the world had gone silent. Gods, there was so much blood.

  It took me a moment to come back to myself, to realize that the world wasn’t quiet at all but screaming. The crowd’s euphoric cries filled the air, ringing off the tower walls. They were shouting my name, shouting my mother’s name.

  I looked down at my dress, soaked with claret. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. I knew how I looked to them. An ivory dress, streaked with blood.

  I looked like Mama.

  But that wasn’t who I wanted to be anymore. I didn’t want a kingdom fed by death.

  Salem’s magic still burned in me, and I stared at the sea glass in my hand. I wanted no more of this wretched little thing.

  Summoning his fire magic, I heated my palm and melted the glass. I let the blue glass drip from my fist onto the ground. Then I brushed my hands off and glanced back at Salem. I tried to school my features, to keep the look of pain from my face. I still had to prove I was their queen.

  I stepped over Salem’s fallen body, trying not to look too long at the deep gash in his throat. The sight of him lying there was just so wrong, something a mate should never see. Nausea churned in my stomach, and I choked down the urge to get on my hands and knees and vomit over the side of the platform.

  Instead, I walked around him toward the statue. I forced myself up the little steps, relieved that while I stood behind Caradoc, no one could see my panicked expression. I reached up for the crown, and as soon as my hands made contact with the stone, a surge of energy pulsed through me. I closed my eyes, hearing the roar of the ocean.

  Mama’s voice rang out in my mind, so clear it was like she was standing next to me. You’re not fit to rule, my dear one. You were made for other things, but you’re not like me.

  I’m not sure I ever wanted to be queen, I told her in my mind. I’m not sure I do now. But I know I’m not rotten. You worried that I was filled with darkness. And I have a dark side, as did you. But strength, like beauty, is painted by shadows… Light on its own is just a blank canvas. And you know what, Mama? I don’t want to be anything like you.

  But it didn’t matter what she thought.

  The question was, did the spirit of King Caradoc think I was enough?

  43

  Aenor

  A sort of ecstasy filled my body as I felt the stone shift beneath my fingers. I let out a long, slow breath, daring to open my eyes. As I did, I found before me a crown of platinum, studded with pearls. The mob before me sounded hysterical now, screaming for their queen.

  “Queen Aenor! Queen Aenor!”

  I lifted the crown from the statue and put it on my head.

  As I stepped down, the hem of my dress slid through Salem’s pooling blood. I felt an overwhelming mixture of nausea and ecstasy, and gods, the only person who could calm me was Salem. I needed him by my side—not in the heavens.

  I stood before the crowd, swaying in a delirium, my eyes closed. They kept chanting for me: “Queen Aenor! Queen Aenor!”

  The bells of Ys began tolling loudly, echoing off the stone walls. It was a sound from my oldest memories.

  It took Lyr a few minutes to quiet the crowd, to explain again that I needed their strength right now. That only the people of Nova Ys could heal their queen, and this was my only chance.

  And after a few moments, I felt their strength curling into me through the air. As it did, it was like I heard whispers of their memories, their hopes and dreams. The broken hearts, the d
esire for greatness. The woman who thought no one saw her, and the man who wished he could speak without stuttering. They all seemed so vulnerable. So normal. These were my people.

  When I looked down at my arms, through the thin fabric of my dress, I saw the hex receding underneath my skin. I smiled at the sight.

  At last, it had worked. My magic was returning to me, a rush of brine and sea air through my blood. I tasted the salt on my lips. A phantom breeze rushed through the courtyard, welcoming me home.

  This was where I belonged for now. And maybe home would have to make up for my shattered heart when Salem left me.

  When I looked out at the crowd again, I saw them all on their knees before me, heads bowed.

  I swallowed hard as the last of their strength filled my body. “I am so grateful to you. I am so very grateful for this gift of life. I will return soon so I can learn all about you.” I cleared my throat. “I will remove the tyrant’s corpse from our great kingdom before I return to you.”

  Truthfully, it didn’t matter what I was saying, because the crowd was chanting Queen Aenor so loudly that none of them could hear me. And thank the gods for that, because I didn’t have a great way to explain that I was running off to heal a human… and to say goodbye to the man I’d just pretended to execute.

  I nodded at Lyr, desperate for him to open the portal. Gina needed me now. Not to mention the fact that if we dallied any longer, they might notice that Salem’s neck was already healing.

  Not a moment later, Lyr’s arms were splayed out, and his pale hair whipped around his head. The crowd was still shouting for me, wild with euphoria. At last, Lyr chanted the final words of the portal spell, and I felt the ground rip open beneath my feet.

  As I slipped into the cold water, I grabbed Salem, holding him tight to me.

  * * *

  Gina looked dead. Lying with her head in Shahar’s lap, she wasn’t moving. The firelight danced over her ashen cheeks, and I was certain for a moment that I was looking at a corpse. Her lips had gone blue, and it didn’t look like she was breathing anymore. I wanted to be sick all over again. I clutched my stomach, trying to stay in control.

  My heart was ready to leap out of my chest. I was supposed to protect her, dammit. The frost had spread all the way up her neck, climbing her jaw line.

  Ossian stood before the fireplace, his birds flapping frantically around his head. “What took you so long, Aenor? We were waiting for you.”

  I didn’t have time to answer that. Already, the guilt was cutting through me.

  “She’s still alive,” said Shahar, her fingers on Gina’s throat. “Did you find Salem?”

  I ignored Shahar’s question and touched Gina’s throat. I felt the faintest pulse beneath the surface, and I wanted to leap into the air with joy. “You’re right. She’s alive.”

  Before I could waste another moment, I pressed my hand against her shoulder blade and breathed in deeply, channeling my sea magic. I felt it trickle and flow from my heart, through my shoulder, down my arm, and into my fingers. It was like a warm stream, flowing toward the Ollephest’s toxic magic.

  Slowly, relief unclenched my chest as I watched the blooms of frost recede from her face and retreat down her throat.

  “It’s working,” I whispered. “Ossian, it’s working.”

  “What happened to Salem?” asked Ossian. “You left his bleeding body on the rocks outside.”

  “What?” shouted Shahar.

  “She slit his throat,” Lyr said from behind me. “But it was his idea. He’ll be fine.”

  Shahar stared at Lyr, her face softening.

  Now, I could feel Gina’s heartbeat growing stronger. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Gina?” I said quietly.

  “Why are you pressing your hand against my back?” she murmured. “Whose lap am I in?”

  “I’m healing you.” I tugged the back of her top down to see the entry wound. But instead of the blooms of frost I’d seen before, I saw smooth expanse of her brown skin. “It worked.”

  Slowly, she sat up and rubbed her eyes slowly. “I feel, like, incredibly hung over. Like after drinking all those little bottles in the hotel room. Everything is too loud already… I might vom.”

  “You drank all the bottles in the hotel room?” I asked, frowning.

  Shahar stood. “I’ll go check on Salem.”

  I was glad she was checking on him, because I needed to pull Gina in for a hug, breathing in the beautiful, human smell of her.

  “Stop,” she murmured. “I’m going to spew if you don’t back off.” She made a retching noise and put her hand to her mouth. “Ossian! Ossian, please get me some of that tummy-soothing tea you have before I ruin your living room.”

  Ossian was already swooping in with a glass of water and a bucket, shooing me away.

  I stepped away from her, taking a long, slow breath. I looked down at my own hands, watching the magic flicker around them. Thank the heavens, it was good to have it back.

  But my mind was already back on Salem. I wanted to see how he was doing. I hurried past Lyr and rushed out the door to find Salem where we’d left him, propped up against a plum tree. Shahar crouched next to him, examining the scar on his neck. His eyes had opened now—a deep shade of indigo, locked on me.

  When he flashed me one of his wicked smiles, I grinned back at him. “Feeling better?” I asked.

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Only a little, my queen.”

  Shahar stood, frowning at us. “Guess I’ll leave you two alone for a minute.”

  I watched as she crossed back into the house. I wondered why she was spending so much time here.

  Salem’s lips curled. “I do like when you heal me.”

  Smiling, I slid into his lap. Already, his warmth was enveloping me, and when he wrapped his strong arms around me, I fought the desire to lean in and kiss him. I’d heal him, yes. But he was leaving me soon, and maybe I wasn’t in the mood for kisses. Still, his seductive scent was curling around me, skimming my body.

  I pressed my palm against his beating heart, my hands splayed over his bloodstained shirt.

  “Aenor.” My name sounded seductive on his lips. “For a little while, I wasn’t sure what I would remember when I returned to the heavens. I wasn’t sure if this was all I had. But now I’m certain of it—that I will remember every second I spent with you.”

  I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his as I healed him, my palm pressed against him. His chest felt warm. I always wanted to feel him near me. But when I closed my eyes, I could almost see him walking away from me, and the anger that spilled through me was dark as night.

  My jaw tightened, and I slid off his lap.

  “You’re leaving soon,” I said quietly.

  “Shahar just told me she’s staying.”

  “Why?”

  “I think she has taken a shine to Lyr.”

  “What?”

  “It’s grotesque, I know.”

  “And you don’t want to stay with her?” I asked.

  “I do. But I can’t. I’ve never had the strength that she has. As long as I’m here, the divine order is twisted.”

  I understood what he was saying, but the pain of it was excruciating. “Okay. But maybe it would have been better if we’d never crossed paths. Maybe it would have been better if we’d never met.” Shadows seemed to grow longer around us.

  I’d never seen him look hurt before, but he flashed me a look that was like I’d slapped him across the face.

  But instead of wanting to soothe him, I just felt more enraged. An electric tension was crackling the air, my hair standing up on the back of my neck. I wanted to hurt him more, to draw blood. Nothing would appease my wrath except total destruction, complete annihilation of the person who’d hurt me. I wanted to walk over the cursed bones of the one who would leave me.

  Was something happening to my thoughts again?

  “That’s right,” I said, my voice furi
ous. “I wish I’d never met you, because you are a monster. And I will find a new lover who isn’t a twisted beast. And now that I’m queen, I will sow monsters’ teeth into the soil and raise an army of the dead whose sole purpose will be to erase your memory from the world. When you leave, it will be as if you never existed.”

  He stared at me, eyes glinting. “What’s happening to you?”

  The sound of footfalls pulled me out of my red haze of rage, and I turned my head to see dark mist billowing over the rocks, roiling across the ocean. Goosebumps prickled my skin, and as I heard her music, I started to understand.

  Only now was some of my anger was starting to ebb, and I knew my outburst had been caused by Anat’s malign presence.

  “Salem,” I whispered. “I think your mom is coming.”

  In the dark mist, he rose. I stood by his side, my legs shaking, blood lust still clouding my thoughts.

  Anat glided from the billowing smoke, her translucent body gleaming with red. She was formed of glowing wisps of magic, like smoke, body strapped with weapons. Red hair snaked around her head, and her lion prowled up behind her. He opened his mouth to roar, and I only felt more fury.

  This time, I didn’t fall to my knees.

  Shahar stepped outside, standing on the other side of me. “I’m not going with you, Anat.”

  The world went quiet around us. “You what?”

  “I decided I want to stay.” Shahar’s gaze darted between her mother and brother. “I like it here. I like having a body and eating food. And I like people.” She shrugged. “This is my home.”

  The mist started to thin around us, now tinged with the wild red light of the setting sun. Anat’s eyes blazed the same color. “Then you are dead to me, daughter.”

  A cold, grave silence fell over us.

  Shahar shrugged. “Okay.” She turned, crossing through the mist, back into the house.

  The goddess’s gaze turned to her son, and it was like the sun was beaming on him. “Salem, my evening star. My only child. It is time. The gods will allow you to return to your divine state, and to restore order to the universe.”