The Stone Queen

by L. E. Bross

  But I promised Torin I’d wait, so I waited. Dark shadows crept in, and the room turned darker. Nothing had moved outside the door since Torin left, so I stood and crept closer. The peephole revealed nothing except a long empty hallway, but there were spots it could not reach. Were those things smart enough to know this?

  I wished I knew more about them.

  More about all of them, including me.

  The longer I sat, the more I doubted. Was any of this real? How could it be? Every few minutes I reached up and touched the edge of the wings, my wings, to make sure that they were still there. I wasn’t sure what I expected. Every time the gossamer flesh slid between my fingers, and I felt it right down to my teeth.

  Something was wrong.

  Torin had been gone all day, and I had no idea what to do now. He has asked me to stay, and I made a promise to him, but we didn’t talk about what would happen if he didn’t come back.

  I couldn’t stay in his apartment forever.

  Again, I moved to the door. In this body, I was lighter than a cat on my feet and didn’t even make a whisper of a sound. Maybe I could sneak out. And go where? The voice in my head scoffed.

  Far away.

  That was it.

  I knew where mom kept her money. It wasn’t much, but it could get me out of New York. I could go home, get my things, and then get on the train and get as far away as possible. I had no idea how long the glamour that Torin used on me would last, but maybe I could contact Evelina after I was gone and she could help me figure a way to make it permanent.

  I didn’t want any throne, and when whoever tried to kill me realized that I was gone, I’d be okay.

  Our apartment was only five doors down, close enough that I could get in before anything got to me. I had outrun a Troll hours earlier. I could do this. I plotted my path in my head and my muscles tensed in readiness.

  The lock sounded like an explosion in the silence when I turned it and I paused. When nothing happened, I opened the door a few inches and peeked out. Empty. Eerily still in fact, since usually children ran up and down the halls at all hours of the day and night. Warning bells sounded in my mind, but I went anyway. In a flash, I stood in front of my door, swung it open and slipped inside my apartment.

  Less than a second. So far so good.

  I listened and heard no signs of pursuit, but Torin had said that they would smell me and I didn’t have a lot of time.

  Darkness engulfed the room. No lights had been turned on yet, and I wondered if Mom had a client in her room. I didn't hear the telltale sounds of her “date” and crept closer to my discarded boots.

  The smell hit me, and I fought back the wave of vomit. It had the same noxious scent of the Trolls. Were they here? I perched on the balls of my toes, ready to run at the first hint of danger. A scuffling sound, barely audible, came from the kitchen.

  Soundlessly I crept closer, tensed and ready to dart away if I had to. The noise came again and sounded more like a whine this time. Like an animal in pain. My heart thundered against my ribs and I took a step into the room.

  “Ms. Merlin?”

  She lay on the dirty linoleum, holding a large gash in her side than ran with blood. With each breath, she shimmered and sank back to her dog form, only to shift back to a human.

  “Meri? I’m so sorry, I tried to save her,” she gasped, and I heard the familiar gurgle of blood in her voice.

  Chills ran down my spine. The kitchen was in shambles, the table broken in a pile against the wall. The refrigerator looked as though it had puked takeout boxes all over.

  “Where’s mom?”

  Without thinking of my own safety, I ran into the bedroom and barely kept my balance when my feet froze to the floor at the threshold of her room. She lay half on the bed, her teased hair trailing onto the carpet. Red ran down her face and pooled around her head. Her lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling. When I moved closer, I saw that her throat had been ripped out, as if an animal had bitten right through. Or a monster.

  I heard a wailing sound and it took seconds to realize it came from me. I fell to my knees next to her and brushed my fingers over her forehead. Her skin had a weird waxy pallor already.

  Wake up, Mom, I pleaded. Please.

  The memory slammed into me out of nowhere. I’d done this before. I’d cradled a dead body, begged it to wake up.

  A noise from the doorway pulled me from the past, and I spun around like a top. Ms. Merlin pulled herself into the room. She was in her dog form again and when she saw me her eyes glistened with tears.

  “I tried, but it was too strong,” she whispered.

  “Who did this?” I asked.

  Rage tinted my vision red and thoughts of revenge filled my blood. Whoever it was would pay.

  Blood dripped out of Ms. Merlin's mouth and she coughed before going still. Oh God, was she dead? I crawled over to her and took her small body into my lap. She moaned and her eyes opened, looking up at me.

  “Beware a wolf in sheep’s clothing, Princess.”

  “What?” I asked, but it was too late.

  With one last exhale the body in my arms went limp and I knew she was gone. Her cryptic message disappeared with her spirit. I set her gently next to my mother and covered them both with the stained, ratty comforter.

  What should I do, call the police? An anonymous 911 call? I couldn't leave them here to just rot away.

  A thousand thoughts swirled in my head as I stood and stumbled from the room, back into the kitchen. A half-empty bottle sat on its side on the floor and I grabbed it. The liquid burned my throat as I gulped the fiery drink without taking a breath until it was empty. A frantic sob flew past my lips, and I searched the kitchen for more.

  This wasn't happening. It couldn't be real. My gaze went back to the doorway to her bedroom, and the pained moan wrenched from my gut. But it was and it was all my fault. Again. Because of me, these two innocent people were dead. My darkness had taken light.

  Another half bottle was gone in an instant, but it wasn't doing anything to ease the ache inside me. Why wasn't this stuff working yet? Oh God. More, I needed more but could find none.

  I rocked back on my heels and fought down the wail threatening to burst free.

  This couldn't be happening.

  A howl from outside the window reached through the fog of grief and brought to life an emotion I could deal with. Rage. I would kill the beast who did this, rip its throat out the same way it had my mother. I grabbed a knife off the counter and stood unmoving at the window, trying to pick it out in the darkness.

  Only seconds passed before a sudden chill washed over my body. The breath I exhaled puffed out in a white cloud as if the room had suddenly turned arctic. Ice formed on the windows, webbing out with a crackling noise until the glass was completely covered in frost.

  A soft hissing reached my ears and I spun from the window too late. The shadows sprang to life around me, murmuring excitedly, surrounding me with evil glee. I hadn’t even seen them gathering.

  “I have waited a long time for this,” a woman's voice said from the darkness of my living room. I struggled to see her but the shadows moved to hide her from my view. “Bind her hands quickly.”

  My arms were pulled roughly behind my back and secured, the knife falling useless at my feet. A rag was stuffed into my mouth, fixed in place with a quick knot. I still had not seen my kidnapper, but the shadows did her bidding, wrapping around my ankles to hold me still. Frozen strands slithered like snakes around my legs, my torso, pinning my hidden wings to my body.

  I struggled against the binds but even as I exhaled, they tightened around me, making all but the smallest of breaths impossible. She. This had to be the woman who wanted me dead. Whisky burned in the back of my throat as I fought to keep it down. If I puked, I would most likely suffocate.

  Something slipped over my head and the limited sight I had was gone. I inhaled a musty breath through my nose and suddenly felt my feet leave the floor.

  Then
they carried me away.

  I had no idea where they were going. There was no chance anyone would even find me even if I did. Torin hadn't come back despite his promise. Kalian thought I was safe with Torin.

  Ms. Merlin and my mom were dead.

  I hadn't even had the chance to call anyone to come get the bodies. Now they would just rot in our apartment until some stranger found them.

  My fault. It was all my fault. Darkness and death, that’s what happened to anyone around me.

  At least I couldn't hurt anyone else now.

  Except I couldn't shut down the blazing fear that made my body feel numb.Hatred radiated off the woman, strong enough to taste and it left a vile sting on my tongue. She tried to have me killed once already, and I didn’t die. This was her second chance and the amount of pain she planned to inflict would be a thousand times worse as my punishment.

  Something told me that she wanted to make me scream.

  Chapter 11

  The shadows that had bound me had slithered away and rough meaty hands picked me up.

  Slung over something's shoulder like a sack of potatoes, my shoulders felt wrenched out of their sockets. Comfort was obviously not on the top of their priority list. My arms went numb hours ago.

  When my kidnappers finally stopped, I didn't have time to take a breath of relief before my hip slammed into the hard ground. The rag, now dried to the insides of my mouth, muffled most of my pained yelp. I rolled to my side and pulled my knees to my chest.

  I lay in black silence for while counting the seconds that went by.

  Would they beat me as I lay blindfolded?

  I tensed as something stepped closer.

  Fingers dug cruelly into my tender shoulder and yanked me to my knees. The hood was ripped over my head and I blinked against the intrusion of light, shadows, and bright spots dancing together in my vision.

  It took minutes before I could see that the shadow that paced before me was a woman. The woman. Her movements were so graceful she appeared to glide over the bright red carpet. She was ethereal, angelic, until she turned her gaze on me. Hatred blazed from the depths of her eyes so ruthlessly that I cringed away from her on instinct alone.

  “So you think to just reappear and reclaim the throne?”

  Her voice was light and reminded me of a wind chime, but the accusation cut through me like the sharpest knife.

  I shook my head vigorously, my eyes wide with denial. God, was that what she thought? My denials were mumbled through the gag.

  “Lift her.” A great hairy beast stepped forward, and I scrambled back, away from the horns, away from the hideously discolored teeth protruding from its misshapen jaw. The smell was similar to the Troll who chased us, but this thing was bigger. It towered over me and when it reached out, I saw hands that were bigger than my face.

  One squeeze and I had no doubt it could break every bone in my body. It grabbed my shoulder and yanked, lifting me up and off my feet before it let go. I stumbled as the circulation returned, the sting of a thousand bees prickling over my skin. At least I could move a few feet away from that thing, though the walls kept me from running away.

  “Do you know who I am?” Her long nails dug into my jaw as she tilted my head from side to side. Like she was examining a bug. A very nasty and insignificant bug. Her appearance was in total contrast to her attitude. Honestly, she could have stepped right off a billboard for a Victoria's Secret ad. Complete with the wings.

  She had a sharply angled face, much like Kalian and mine, only she had bright green eyes instead of our blue. Her long blond hair curled softly over her bare shoulders that only just hid her breasts from sight. Gossamer cloth wrapped around her hips with the ends flowing to the floor. It was totally see through and she didn't seem to mind it at all. In fact, she smiled even bigger when my gaze ran back over her miniscule outfit.

  I shook my head, unable to speak through the gag. She reached behind my head and tugged, releasing the knot that had held the cloth tight. I tried to spit out the rag, but it stuck to the roof of my mouth and refused to leave.

  The woman rolled her eyes and yanked it out, along with what had to be half the tender flesh it had stuck to. I ran my tongue gingerly over the sandpaper surface that was now the inside of my mouth.

  “No,” I rasped out.

  My tongue snagged on the sharp edges of my lips as I licked them, not missing the coppery tang of blood.

  “Does the name Katrina mean anything to you?”

  My blood ran cold. Of course, I should have known. It was the name that had been whispered. By the sudden look of pleasure on her face, she knew it did. Not only had I been kidnapped, but I had been taken by the very person I’d been warned about. The one person who wanted me dead more than anything.

  At least I didn't have to wonder if my death would be unbearable now.

  It most definitely would be.

  A predatory smile curled her lips up. “I’ve always doubted the rumors that the poor little princess had no memory of who she is. It’s why I’ve had my shadows watching you, but you never showed any interest in going back. It even seemed that the Elf was helping you forget too.”

  She glided around me, her finger trailing over my shoulder. A chill washed down my spine and suddenly, I felt my wings stretch free, but my hands remained bound. Somehow she had removed Torin’s glamour. A pleased smile filled her face when she stood before me again.

  “That’s better. Now, where was I? Oh yes, I was content to let you suffer in your own world, but then you went and summoned the gargoyle.”

  “No.” It burst free before I could stop and think. “He found me. I didn’t want to be found by anyone. I’ve only ever wanted to disappear. That night on the roof, that’s all I was thinking about I swear.”

  “My shadows report different. Did you not go to the portal the very next day?”

  “Yes, but…”

  Her glare cut me off. “Every creature in the city felt it when you connected to the gateway. You slept in the woods that night to remain close. Did you expect the gargoyle to spirit you through? Did you go back to get your Dark Elf to help when your Guard failed?”

  Her voice grew louder until she was yelling in my face. Her eyes narrowed, and flecks of spittle sat on her lips. She was mad. I took a step back, but her hand shot out and she wrapped her fingers around my throat.

  “My shadows told me everything,” she hissed. “That old crone might have saved you once, but she’s not here now. No one is going to rescue you this time, Princess. You are mine until I tire of your screams.”

  “I don't remember anything. I have no idea why I look like this. I don't want to claim anything!”

  “Liar! You think you can just take what's rightfully mine because of who you are?” Her fingers squeezed. Would she strangle me before I could utter a single noise? The creature I’d forgotten about grunted guttural sounds I didn’t understand. The fingers loosened and I sucked air into my lungs.

  Words spilled from my lips.

  “I don't want some faery throne in a kingdom I've never even heard of. I just want my old life back. That’s all. I was trying to get away from everything when you found me...” I choked on the rest as images of my mother filled my head. I had no doubt that the creature here was the murderer. The claws, the teeth, it was more than capable. I gritted my teeth. It would still pay.

  She whipped around and stared at me, suspicion lining her beautiful face. “You would willingly relinquish your claim to me then?” A strange light glittered in her eyes, and I swallowed the lump of apprehension. She stood staring down at me for an eternity before her mouth curled into a sneer. “I see, you speak only lies. You do want it.”

  “No!” My nails dug against the binds. My wings strained to break free from their constraints, but whatever held them was stronger than me. I struggled uselessly until exhaustion weighed every part of me down.

  “No, I just want to forget everything.”

  She looked surprised for a secon
d before she masked her emotions. “You really don't want this? For the Sake of Fey why not? Power, position, people doing everything and anything for you. The perfect life at your fingertips. And it's already yours, all you have to do is take it. Reach out, little Merigold, and take your rightful place.”

  Except it wouldn’t be that easy if I did want it.

  Why did everyone keep assuming I wanted to go back?

  “I’m not who everyone thinks I am. My parents weren’t royalty. My mom is…was a prostitute. I am nobody.”

  She cocked her head to one side and stared. “I think you might be telling the truth.” One perfectly pink tipped finger ran over her bottom lip.

  Relief made my knees weak. Finally someone was listening.

  “But, while it's possible you really don't remember who you are—and I’m not convinced this isn't all an elaborate act—there is still the little matter of liability. You see, if you show up on Midsummer's Eve, like that,” she moved a hand in front of me, “you automatically get your throne back. You don’t have to do anything except exist in Alcaria at the correct time. That won’t do at all. Not when it all belongs to me. I deserve to rule Alcaria, it should have been mine all alone.”

  “You’re a Light Royal?”

  Suspicion filled her green eyes.

  “I only know that Alcaria is a Light Court. Kalian explained that much. If you’re Light then you can claim it without getting rid of me.” At least that’s how I understood it to be. Light could rule Light.

  Katrina snarled. “I was Light. Once. Your mother, your real mother, was my sister. We were the second most powerful family in the Seelie Court. Your father was the Prince of Alcaria, and it should have been me next to him. I was the oldest, heir to my family’s title, but my bitch sister had to go and take him away from me. She took everything.”

  Irrational light played in her eyes, and for a moment I wondered if she might truly be insane.

  “He fell in love with her,” she sneered. “Love. I loved him too, but did that mean anything to him? To the pledge he made to me? Not even my father minded exchanging her for me. Anything to keep the Prince happy. So Kerrigan got her happy ending just like she always did, and I got nothing. I made a deal with the Dark Queen, waited until the time was right to tear it all apart, and now I get the throne in exchange for my loyalty.”