The Stone Queen

by L. E. Bross

  “There was a time, when you were in the human world and too young to remember me, that I convinced the queen to let me keep Edewiel. That I was loyal to only her To remain in her favor…”

  I felt sick. “While we were together?”

  “What? No. Gods Mer, she’d forgotten all about me by that time. When I finally came back to you, let you see me, you were it for me. It was and only ever will be you. I was going to tell you, to bring you back to your home and let you decide, but things happened and I reacted. I made bad choices I admit, but everything I did was for you.”

  I swallowed and then tried again, not looking at him but at the soft fabric of his shirt where it hung open in the front. His skin so like I remembered. Golden. I wanted to bury my nose against him to see if he still smelled the same. His thumb brushed over my cheek, and I leaned my head into his hand.

  “I love you, Mer. You are the only thing that matters. If you truly want to live in the human world, I will make that happen for you. I’ll help you heal Alcaria and then we can go away together. Anywhere you want.”

  My shoulders shook, and I fought against the inevitable loss of control. When I was human, I never cried in front of anyone. It's a wasted emotion that didn't fix anything. Tears manipulated, made people pretend to care. But now I cried at everything and I hated it.

  “You are everything in my world, and I love you and believe in you.” He kissed me. Soft and sure and full of promises. The spark ignited and sizzled like a fourth of July sparkler. It grew until my entire body pulsed with light. With hope. With love. “Wherever you go, I’ll go.”

  “You’d leave all this behind for me?”

  He cradled my face between his hands. “Living with you would be the easy part. I would die for you, Mer.”

  “Don’t say that,” I whispered brokenly. “I don’t want anyone dying. I just...Torin why did you trick Kalian into coming back? When you knew he would end up like the rest of them?”

  “I didn't trick him, Mer. With you here now, his time in the human world was ending. Midsummer's Eve is the catalyst for a lot of things. If he had remained there he would have turned to stone and never again opened his eyes.”

  “You did it to protect him then?”

  “I did it so he would be where he belongs. In Alcaria. So he would have a chance to live again. You can give that to him, Mer, you can give it to all of the Dawn Court. I won’t let you down again. Come with me now and we’ll figure everything out.”

  I reluctantly pulled out of his embrace and walked a few feet away, my back to him. He was not going to like what had happened. “I can't go with you.”

  His sharp inhale sounded like a canon in the silence. “You want to stay here with Nephaste?”

  “No! Of course not!” I said, spinning around to look at him. “I hate it here. I hate him.”

  “Then come with me,” he said, lifting his hand towards me. “I can keep Nephaste from finding you. I’ve kept you safe all this time, and I can keep doing it. I swear it will all work out.”

  “I can't…” How could I make him understand that I had already made a deal for a chance to go back to the real world. That I felt an obligation to a woman I didn't even remember. “You don't understand.”

  “Then explain it to me. Make me see why you're choosing to stay here, Mer. Because I sure as hell can't see it right now.” His hand dropped and clenched into a fist. “Did nothing I said mean anything to you?”

  “He has my mother,” I shouted at him. “He promised to release her if I give him the throne. He'll let us both go back if I name him the king of Alcaria.”

  Silence echoed behind my words.

  Fury twisted his face until I barely recognized him. “Give him the throne? Are you mad? Do you have any idea the kind of power that will give him? What he will be able to do to the people of Alcaria?”

  “You were going to have it and you’re a Dark Elf too, Torin. What’s the difference?”

  He stumbled back as if I’d hit him. The wounded look on his face cut me to the core.

  “You think I’m the same as Nephaste?”

  “No. I don’t know that. You are the same, I just don’t know what to think anymore…”

  Watching the light die from Torin’s eyes nearly killed me. I didn’t mean he was evil like Nephaste, I knew Torin and I knew how he’d taken care of me all those years, but there was no denying that he was a Dark Elf.

  If I gave Alcaria to him, then it would be the same thing.

  The only way to prevent that from happening as for me to claim it myself, and I didn’t want it. I didn’t want to stay on this side of the arch. I just wanted to go...home. Tears blurred my vision. Maybe I should go with Torin, give Alcaria to him and be done with it.

  Except I would then spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder and I’d never see my real mother again. What I was doing? It was the only way.

  “I’m sorry.” I could barely see Torin through the watery haze of my tears.

  In a blink he was a bird again and sat on the windowsill. The bird glanced at me once, the sorrow shining from bright purple eyes, before slipping through the glass and disappearing. I sank down onto the bed, my heart a riotous mob of emotion.

  Why did it have to be this way?

  Why did I have to be some faery princess from another realm? I never wanted to be a leader, and I didn’t ask to be the one to break a thousand year old curse. I was unworthy. I wasn’t a hero.

  But was I unfeeling enough to doom an entire kingdom to a mad man?

  My reflection mocked me at every turn. The accusing girl stared back at me until I avoid any surface that might give me a glance of myself. But in the denial, a spark ignited. I thought about Aliana, about Kalian and Merlin and Evelina. About what might happen to them once Nephaste had control of Alcaria.

  I didn’t understand the politics of Light and Dark, but I knew that Nephaste was on the side of evil. That he would harm the people of Alcaria. My people. This time, the thought didn’t make me angry. It gave me a purpose.

  Maybe there was a way for everyone to win.

  Nephaste left me alone, day after day, through fittings and meals alone in my room. It gave me the chance to think, to plan. With each new stitch by the old women, with each nibble of golden pastry, my resolve grew stronger.

  I knew there was no way I could outwit Nephaste, but there was a chance that once my mother was free, when she sat in front of me on Midsummer’s Eve, that she would remember. If the curse broke while the Queen was there, then Alcaria would be saved and she would be the ruler.

  Nephaste said my mother was one of the most powerful Light fae.

  Even if she was under some kind of spell, the magic of Midsummer’s Eve would surely be enough to break it. Everything hinged on a hope, but it was all I had. If I did nothing, then Nephaste would own my people and even worse, they would know I willingly gave them over to the Dark.

  I lost nothing by trying.

  I would only have minutes and it had the chance of one in a million of working, but if it did...An icy shill raced up my spine. Did I really dare try to manipulate the Dark Elf? Nephaste would be furious and I had no doubt he would kill indiscriminately. It was possible he would start with me, as I’d no longer be useful.

  Was I willing to die for a kingdom I had no memory of?

  I sank back down to the bed and dropped my face into my hands.

  Whatever it was, I needed to figure it out soon, because Midsummer's Eve was almost only three days away.

  Chapter 15

  Nephaste did not come to demand my presence at dinner, though I expected he might. I had not seen him since our disagreement, though he made sure I was well fed.

  As if on cue, the door unlocked and the boggart came in with a tray full of food. Always with the food. Funny really, since I had never been a big eater. I lifted the cover and shook my head. More pastries, fruit dusted with golden sugar, confections of every shape and size.

  And of course the juici
est looking cheeseburger with crispy fries.

  I’d refused to touch one bite of either every single time. It felt like I’d be somehow giving him exactly what he wanted if I did. Instead I’d been picking at the desserts.

  I took a small tart and nibbled on it, letting the raspberry filling slide over my tongue. I admitted that the food was divine, it was the circumstance and company killed my small appetite.

  So I paced and I listened. The old women had whispered about a celebration and over the last two days, I watched the arrival of hundreds of Dark Elves and saw patrols of Ogres and Trolls guarding along the forest edge.

  Throughout it all, the door to my room remained locked.

  Whatever was happening, I was most certainly not invited.

  Once again I tried to do the hand sweep motion thing, but nothing happened. Whatever bit of magic that allowed me to escape was gone now. I was forced to stay within the confines of these four walls until I knew every inch of my perfect room by heart.

  Always perfect. Nothing was ever wrinkled or out-of-place or dirty. How did he manage it? I never saw anyone come in to clean, but the bed was always made after breakfast and not a speck of dust could be found on any surface. There had to be one bit of imperfection somewhere.

  A chink in my beautiful jail cell.

  As soon as I thought it, the room shimmered in one corner. I focused my attention on the area and let my eyes 'feel' around. It was second nature, and before I could question how I did it, I saw a tiny edge turned up, like the corner of a sticker someone put on but didn't completely press down. In my mind I grasped a hold of it and pulled.

  It came away like old wallpaper and I blinked several times. The corner beneath was dark now, filled with cobwebs and one lone piece of broken furniture. As more of the room came into focus, it became more desolate and dirty. Where the enormous four poster bed had stood now looked like a rickety broken cot.

  Too much like my old life, I wanted the clean place back and shook my head. Immediately it all slipped back into place. The light and pristine surfaces came back into focus. What the hell was that? Had the tart been laced with something? I wouldn't put anything past Nephaste at this point.

  On a whim, I peeked again and tugged on the slight corner. Once more the room revealed a much different likeness. When I let it go from my mind, the image snapped back into place, like pushing the lever on a viewfinder.

  Before I could contemplate it any further, commotion from outside my window broke my stunned silence. I hurried over and peeked out, trying to see in the dimming light. A group of shadows were huddled under my window and a chill raced up my spine.

  A familiar figure stepped toward them. Nephaste. A sudden burst of light exploded from his hand and I could see the dark shapes were actually his ogre guards dressed in leather armor.

  One brute extended his arm, something moving in its huge hand. My heart dropped into my feet. They had caught someone, but who? My fingers dug at the sash trying to raise the window, but it stuck firmly in place. I cried out, but no one down there could hear me.

  I was about to pound my fist on the glass when I saw the wings flutter. Pixie wings. Attached to a familiar and very angry face.

  Aliana.

  How had she gotten caught?

  Nephaste plucked her out of the ogres hand and shoved her into some kind of cage. The crowd disbursed and he just stood there, holding it to his face. White teeth flashed as he sneered at her.

  I pressed my hand to my mouth to keep from sobbing. My knees shook so badly I thought I would fall to the floor. Any last doubts I had about Nephaste's true nature fled in the light of that one hungry look.

  I threw myself back from the window before he could see me. Before he knew I saw what he did. When I dared to peek out again, he was gone. Aliana was here somewhere in this house, trapped in a cage like a pet bird. Would they kill her for fun like the pixie in the forest? My stomach flipped at the thought. Surely Nephaste wouldn't let them be so terribly cruel.

  But why would he stop them?

  His position allowed him any whim that struck. And by the look on his face, the whim would cause Aliana much pain and torment. Unsure what to do, I paced my room, waiting for someone to come in so I could get out. I heard the voices in the hall before the door opened.

  The women were doing the final fitting of my dress today.

  If they couldn't find me, they couldn't make me try it on. I closed my eyes, willed them not to see me. A sudden memory of playing hide and seek when I was very young popped into my head. I remembered covering my eyes and wishing to be invisible.

  The door opened and I heard them come in. I remained still, caught in the peek at my past. Their chatter died down and I slitted my eyes open to see them looking around the room in concern. Their gazes swept right over where I stood, and yet they didn't see me.

  I quietly moved to the mirror, watching them to see if they detected my movement. Nothing. I blinked in surprise when I turned to look at myself and only saw the room behind me. The door was ajar and I snuck by the old women who were gesturing furiously at each other. How long would I have before they told Nephaste I was missing? I hurried out the door, not wanting to waste a single second. On a whim, I pulled the door closed and clicked the lock. That should buy me a little more time.

  As I passed by several mirrors hanging in the hallway, I checked to make sure I was still hidden. It was surreal, standing in front of a mirror and not seeing myself. Footsteps hurried down the hall behind me, and I pressed back against the wall. Two boggarts carrying a huge tray between them passed me without a glance. I pushed off and followed behind them, eyeing the front door to freedom wistfully.

  For a few seconds I contemplated running out the door and not looking back, but what would that mean for my mother? I didn't think Nephaste would be too happy if I was gone. Taking his anger out on my mother would probably be enjoyable for him.

  And I owed Aliana nothing, but still felt obligated to help. Damn her. Why had she come back?

  I followed the boggarts down the hall, a few steps behind, and when they pushed through two huge doors at the end of the hallway I’d never seen before, I hurried to catch up. Noise erupted from the room like an explosion. Down another short flight of steps, the space undulated with any and all imaginable creatures from every child's nightmare.

  I slipped behind a large column, trying to slow my racing heart. Hundreds of trolls and ogres and dwarves milled about the room, laughing and drinking and gyrating on each other. There were even faeries that at first glance, looked like me, but had that same malevolent look on their faces as Nephaste. They gleefully poked sharp sticks into the serving staff, causing more riotous laughter when one would cry out in pain.

  They reminded me of Katrina. Were they once Light but had chosen to be Dark?

  Nephaste was oblivious to everything going on around him, as he was sprawled in a huge chair in the front of the room with a naked girl in his lap. The woman had long, bright red hair and when she turned toward the crowd I bit back a gasp. She had a faery's features, her cheekbones sharp, her chin pointed, but horrible criss-crossed scars ran along her face, marring what would have been a beautiful complexion.

  She leaned down and whispered something in Nephaste's ear, and he threw his head back and laughed. My stomach tightened at his ease with the girl. I hated that it bothered me even a little. His exquisiteness still wrapped around my senses when I least expected it. It was only the magic that made him appear so attractive to me, but I wanted to be stronger than it.

  With a quick shake of my head, I looked away, searching for Aliana. The crowd was so thick I'd never find a tiny pixie girl in the middle of this. Maybe they had hidden her away somewhere? I turned to go when a movement overhead caught my eye. High above the crowd her cage was suspended, hanging by gold braided cord. She had the bars gripped between her fingers and was shaking the cage and screaming, making it swing in wild circles.

  A few overly vicious fey drove long sh
arp sticks up through the mesh cage floor, causing her to jump away from them. Her actions seemed to entertain the crowd below and they hooted in glee every time the enclosure moved.

  Someone tapped their glass with silverware and the sound wafted over the crowd and one by one the rambunctious beasts fell silent. I watched Nephaste stand, the girl in his lap sliding to the floor. She sat there at his feet without moving. He raised his goblet and looked around the hushed room.

  “My friends, the time we have all been waiting for is near. On Midsummer's Eve, we will gain control of the most powerful Light Court of all. Alcaria. It's been a long day coming, but after that night, our authority will rival even that of the UnSeelie Queen herself.”

  His grin held a viciousness I’d never seen before. The crowd erupted into an explosion of howls and cheers and growls. Feet stomped until the floor under my feet shook.

  Nephaste raised his goblet high into the air and shouted, “To the Dark Court and to sharpening your spears and arrows for the most glorious of wedding night celebrations! To eliminating the good people of Alcaria!”

  The roar of voices vibrated the walls, and I covered my ears against the intrusion. The sound was deafening and only grew louder as stomping feet joined the voices. The entire structure shook violently around me.

  I staggered backward and slammed into something large and warm. When I turned, my blood froze. The troll's face contorted into an outraged snarl as he looked around for his adversary. I clung desperately to the cloak I had raised, terrified if it fell, even for a second, the troll would see me and attack. His face twisted in confusion, then he shook his head and stepped drunkenly down the steps to join the celebration.

  With no way to help Aliana, I sank down against the wall just outside the room and panted to keep from completely losing it. Cold shivers of fear ran along my arms, and I rubbed at them to get warm. Nephaste made it no secret he wanted Alcaria, but in my naivety, I hadn't really believed the ramifications of what his power would mean. Torin tried to tell me. Nephaste would rule with his army raining terror onto everything.