Relics and Runes Anthology

by Heather Marie Adkins

  “Andrea!”

  She comes out of the trance and looks upon the goblin king’s face. Jegorgon grabs her and drags her off.

  Cornelius runs after them. He whistles and a white stallion gallops alongside him. He jumps on. “I am coming for you, goblin king!”

  Jegorgon runs around the trees with Andrea. She punches him repeatedly. She bites his hand. “I just proved that any man can seduce you.”

  “Let me go!”

  “You can’t get away from me. Because you want me. As much as I want you.” He kisses her.

  Cornelius rides up. Draws his sword. “Let her go.”

  “You don’t have your wings, fairy. You would not last in a fight against me.”

  “I’ll take the chance.” He slides off the horse.

  “She wants me now.”

  “I will not hear your foul words.”

  “Cornelius? Oh, my God, Wesley. Where is Wesley?”

  “See, Cornelius, she is in love with Wesley. Not you.”

  “Shut up! We are the same person. Therefore she loves me.”

  “But where is Wesley?” He releases Andrea. “Maybe it’s time that we had this fight. We’ve always come close but never connected. This looks like a good place. Recognize it?”

  Andrea looks around. “It’s the forest from Coral Gardens.”

  “It’s just an illusion.”

  “Is it? Let’s see how badly an illusion can hurt you.”

  Cornelius and Jegorgon crash through a tree. Cornelius gets up and shakes off the bark. Jegorgon sends the shards of bark at Cornelius. Cornelius brings his cloak around and it takes the brunt of the damage. Jegorgon comes at Cornelius with waves of wind. Cornelius stands his ground by putting his sword into the ground and holding on tight. Jegorgon comes at him with Emily’s daggers. Cornelius blocks the attacks.

  “Emily’s daggers,” Andrea says.

  Jegorgon blasts Cornelius with an energy wave. Cornelius smacks against a tree. “You can’t defeat someone who has ascended beyond fairy magic.”

  “Why does he have those daggers?” She looks at the horse. “Why am I asking you?” She mounts the horse. “Come on, boy.” She rides off.

  Cornelius watches her ride off. Jegorgon hits Cornelius with a fire wall. Cornelius screams as the fire penetrates his skin. He swings his sword at Jegorgon but he twirls into the air. Cornelius aches as his skin starts healing.

  “Well, that is new,” Jegorgon says.

  Cornelius motions for the goblin king to come down to him.

  “Another time.” Jegorgon disappears.

  Cornelius sits down. “Wesley, you’re killing me.”

  Andrea rides up to the fairy city. She asks each fairy she sees for directions to Noah’s house.

  The fairy guards move from their posts around the fairy court and form a large circle in the middle of the city.

  Cornelius walks over to them. Andrea spots him. “Cornelius?” She almost goes to him but something is different about him. He is acting more regal in his gait and hand movements. Not to mention she just saw him fighting the goblin king. “This is definitely an illusion.”

  She finds Noah’s house. She knocks on the front door. Noah answers it.

  “I can’t believe you still live with your parents.”

  “Princess Andrea, come in.”

  She enters. “You aren’t going to make some joke about me still living with my parents?”

  “But you do.”

  “Cornelius is here. First, I thought Wesley got rid of Cornelius for good? And second, I just came from a fight between Cornelius and Jegrogon. There is no way he got here before me.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Get rid of Cornelius or fight the goblin king? I mean, I got rid of that other me. He wanted to do it too.”

  “That’s your misfortune.”

  “What is wrong with you? There’s no jokes coming from you. And you aren’t saying perverted things. Did Emily get healed?”

  “The human has been healed.”

  “Where is she?”

  Laughter comes from outside. Andrea goes to take a look. She sees two people in the middle of the circle of guards being thrown up and down. She walks over.

  Linus and Emily are naked.

  Andrea pushes a guard out of her way. “Stop this!”

  “Grab her,” a guard says.

  A guard grabs Andrea and starts pulling at her clothes. “Let go.”

  Cornelius grabs the guard’s hand. “We do not treat royalty like this. Let her go.”

  “Yes, my prince.” The guard releases Andrea.

  She falls into Cornelius’s arms. She looks into his eyes. “You’re not Cornelius. You’re not Wesley.”

  “I am Cornelius. I decided Cornelius was better equipped to deal with the goblin king than Wesley.”

  Noah walks over and joins the guards and some other fairy citizens in tossing Linus and Emily into the air.

  “Where is Wesley?”

  “He’s taking a nap.”

  “Cornelius, take me to him.”

  “No.”

  “Why don’t we go on an adventure then?”

  “Yes. I would like that. I’ll be right back.”

  Cornelius goes over to the stables and pulls out a white horse with a black mane and tail.

  “Linus?”

  “Andrea, get out…” Linus goes up into the air.

  Cornelius comes back to Andrea with the horse. “Cornelius, can you please have Linus and Emily released?”

  “Why? They are assassins.”

  “Emily is still my handmaiden. She is all that I have left.”

  “You can elect new women to be your handmaidens.”

  “But I want her. Please. Royals have their right to choose who serves them.”

  “You are right, Andrea. Guards, release the assassins.”

  “Really?” a guard asks.

  “Do it.”

  The guards let Linus and Emily down. They stand by Andrea.

  “Are you okay, Emily?”

  “I am healed. I am fine. I’m dizzy.”

  “Same here.”

  Andrea straightens up. “I order you both to go back to Kell at once. Stay there until I decide how to punish you.” She winks.

  “Yes, your Highness.” Linus bows.

  “Yes, right away.” Emily bows.

  “Cornelius, they will need horses and clothes.”

  Cornelius signals to a guard. “Get these assassins two horses and clothes.” He turns to Linus and Emily. “I expect these horses to be returned. You may keep the clothes.”

  “Of course,” Linus says.

  The guard comes over with two brown horses. Another guard comes over with a green silk dress. Green silk pants and white silk top. Also Linus’s daggers and belt. The assassins get dressed and then mount up.

  “I expect to see you as soon as I return,” Andrea says.

  Linus and Emily ride off.

  “Now we can go on our adventure.” Cornelius lifts Andrea up and puts her on the white horse.

  20

  Andrea almost forgets that this Cornelius isn’t the same Cornelius that shares a life with Wesley.

  Cornelius runs around looking for Andrea.

  Andrea is hiding behind the waterfall. “I need to think. What should I do?”

  Cornelius stomps around in the water. “Andrea, you aren’t playing fair.”

  She controls her breathing. Her nerves are rattled.

  Cornelius climbs up onto the rocks above the waterfall.

  “Where can I go?”

  The real Cornelius arrives by boat to one of the two seaports of the dwarf city Montego. He is greeted by the dock hands who are much burlier than the other dwarves running around the seashore town. A dwarf woman with long, red-haired pigtails swings her muscles back and forth on her way to meet him.

  “Your Highness, I heard that you called us dirty rat catchers and good for nothing but ale.” Her accent is a bit Scottish and a
bit German.

  “I have had a rough couple of days. Don’t start yelling at me.”

  “I have my eye on you, fairy prince.”

  “I need your help, Gretchen. I have to get into the Scarlet Vale.”

  “Why in all that is good and yummy do you want to go into that vale?”

  “Someone released the Scarlet witches.”

  “Jegorgon.”

  “He has two relics. Two of the most powerful ones. The last five will be more of a challenge.”

  “This is bad news.”

  “Will you help me get into the Scarlet Vale?”

  “You’re going after the Grand Scarlet witch?”

  “If she is still controlling the three sisters, then yes. I fear she is dead. I think the goblin king killed her after she resurrected the builder. The fountain didn’t grow by itself. She deals in more than spells.”

  “I am aware of it.” Gretchen brings Cornelius into the tavern. “I can’t get you in there until morning. That’s when the door can be opened.”

  “What am I to do until morning?”

  She winks at him.

  “I am not doing that. I am still Wesley.”

  “And your love for Andrea will not allow you to enjoy another’s company.” She slides a goblet to him. “Drink one round with me.”

  Andrea climbs up the tiers of the fountain to get to the man on the top. The statue looks so much like the goblin king. “You have always been there with me.”

  “I found you.” Cornelius climbs up. “You’re next to hide.”

  “Cornelius, let’s have a real adventure.”

  “Where to?”

  “How about whoever saves me from the dragon, marries me?”

  “What dragon?”

  “I am going to lock myself away in a tower and someone must come to rescue me.”

  “There are no towers here. And the dragons have been gone for a while. So what do you mean a dragon?”

  She climbs down. He jumps down. She puts her arms around him. Starts kissing him. He kisses her back. He puts his arms around her back and pulls her closer to him. She puts her arms around his neck. He backs her up against the fountain. She sits down and he sits next to her, leaning in to keep kissing her. He kisses down her neck. She breaks from him.

  “I say we forget the adventure with the tower and dragon and do something else.”

  “Like what?” She needs a minute to gain her composure.

  “Come back with me to the fairy city and spend the night with me.”

  “We can’t. We are not married.”

  “I can order my parents to give us a quick wedding.”

  She brushes her hair away from her face. “It’s such a long way back.”

  “Then let’s forget about my bedroom, about getting married, and make love right here.”

  It’s an idyllic scene for such a thing. She walks back to the horse. Gets on. She can’t lose sight of the fact that this is not really Cornelius. It is not really Wesley. This manifestation is the work of evil. Cornelius grabs the mane and gets on behind her. “We are closer to my city, aren’t we?”

  “If you prefer to make love in your bed, then I can oblige you.”

  “Yes. I do prefer that.”

  He kicks the horse into a gallop.

  Linus and Emily walk into the assassin training area. “Thank you for saving me.”

  “Noah saved you.”

  “But you brought me to the fairy city.”

  “You are a fellow assassin and we don’t abandon our own.” He opens his chest to search through his things.

  “It’s okay if you like me. I like you.”

  “I like… many things.”

  She almost wants to kiss him. The bell rings once. A few seconds of silence. It rings again. “A royal is here.”

  “Let’s go and see who then.” He throws on a tan linen shirt, puts his daggers in the chest, locks it, and then walks away.

  She doesn’t have a chest yet and doesn’t have her daggers, so she just grabs a yellow dress and throws it over her assassin’s clothes. She lazily follows Linus.

  Andrea and Cornelius ride through the gates to the castle door. Her parents come out to meet her but stop when they see Cornelius walking by her side.

  “Why do you look so displeased? Is it not your wish that Cornelius and I get married?”

  Her mother and father look at each other searching for an answer, then they turn away and go back inside.

  “Come, Cornelius.” Andrea leads him into the castle.

  “Are we to go to your bedroom now?”

  “After a meal. I’m hungry.”

  Andrea paces around her bedroom. A knock on the door disrupts her. “Who is it?”

  “Emily.”

  “And Linus.”

  Andrea opens the door. “Quickly.”

  The assassins come inside and Andrea shuts the door.

  “Please tell me that we are hearing a false rumor about Cornelius being here,” Emily says.

  “No. He’s here. Wesley is still in the other land. I never should have left.”

  “It’s my fault. I should have remained with him,” Linus says.

  “Everyone needs to stop blaming themselves. It’s my fault. It always is.” Andrea sits down on her bed. She’s exhausted from everything.

  Linus stands close to her. Emily feels the sting of jealousy. She knows deep down in her heart that Andrea is in love with Wesley, and that Linus does flirt with every woman, but there is more than flirting here. Linus pays Andrea much attention that she doesn’t need.

  “I should leave you two alone.”

  Their eyebrows shoot up.

  “If you know that this Cornelius is not Wesley, then if we were to pretend that you are cheating on him, this imposter will show his true colors.”

  “That could work,” Linus says.

  “How would I establish that I’m cheating on Wesley? Having Linus in my bedroom does not imply anything. The guards and everyone else is aware that my close friends come to see me here.”

  “We can have Linus tucking in his shirt or putting on his shirt as he leaves. Maybe adjusting his pants.”

  “That will not work. What man is going to wait to do all that?”

  “A man that is hoping he will be caught,” Linus says.

  Andrea walks over to Emily. “I appreciate your help, but no one will believe it.”

  Andrea goes over to her closet and looks through the various dresses.

  “They will believe it if we are caught in bed, naked.”

  Emily shoots him a contemptible glare.

  “What? I have the reputation to back it up.”

  “I suppose it would be your first royal.”

  “No, but why are you so angry about it? You suggested it.”

  “Andrea is my dear friend. I don’t want you compromising her love for Wesley.”

  He takes Emily’s cheek into his hand. “It’ll be pretend.”

  “Right.” Emily leaves the bedroom.

  “She is very strange. I suppose almost dying does change you.”

  Andrea smiles. “She may be in love with you. And I gather that you may be in love with her.”

  He walks up to Andrea. “I admit that I like her. I am not in love with her. I professed my love to you once. You don’t remember. But it was before I became an assassin. It was announced that your kingdom wanted to be connected to the fairy kingdom, and in order to do so, you would need to wed Wesley. I knew that the two of you grew up together, seeing that your parents were the best of friends. But you and I also hung out a lot. And I fell in love with you as a young boy. And it continued to grow.”

  Andrea is shocked. Speechless even.

  “Despite me being of noble birth, I knew that your parents would never allow us to be together. So when I was a bit older, I started seeking the company of others to satiate my desire for you.”

  “Is this really true?”

  “Just because I’m an assassin, doesn’t mak
e me a liar.”

  “But why tell me this now? Why didn’t you speak this before?”

  “Would it have made a difference?”

  She bites her lip then licks it.

  A knock on the door disrupts them. She opens the door and finds her mother there. “Yes, Mother?”

  “Who is that in there?” She opens the door more and sees Linus. “Are you having a secret meeting? About this imposter?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your father and I suspect that it is Jegorgon. But we must tread carefully. Assassin, I can expect you to give your life for my daughter if need be?”

  Linus walks over and puts his one arm around Andrea and the other against the door. “We are trained to kill, not ever give our lives. But seeing that Andrea was always a friend of mine, I will do what I must to keep her safe.”

  “Good. Assassins are not usually welcomed in the castle. Even though you disguise yourselves in regular clothing, but I am giving you full reign to go wherever you please. Since only the guards are aware of our assassins’ guild, I can trust you to be discreet with the other citizens.”

  “Of course, your Majesty.” Linus bows.

  “Good. Good. Carry on with your meeting. I shall make excuses to the guards as to why Linus is in your bedroom. Though it’s doubtful that they will ask why.”

  The queen walks down the corridor. Andrea shuts the door. “This could work.”

  “Sure it could.”

  “Stay with me tonight. I will make an excuse to Cornelius that I have been summoned for a political meeting. He will understand that it is a royal duty. He seems to be very adamant about keeping up with royal duties.”

  “Why am I staying with you tonight? We only need a few minutes of exposure.”

  “Because I want him to see you coming to the meeting. I want him to wonder why you would be summoned as well. And then I will make sure that he sees you leaving my bedroom in the morning, all disheveled.”

  The real Cornelius settles into his bed. The room inside the inn attached to the tavern is full of warmth, laughter, and good times. “I wonder how much I have tainted my soul by entering that realm or whatever it was. I wonder how my body is doing inside that protective shield. It’s not going to last forever.” A knock on the door makes him sit up. “Hello?”