by Eva Brandt
Blood. It was blood. Now ravenous, I downed the whole thing in one single gulp. I needed it if I was going to be in Queen Eiar’s presence without cracking. With the corner of my eye, I caught sight of my friends doing the same thing. Despite the differences between our natures, they weren’t dealing with their attraction to her any better than I was.
Mercifully, Queen Eiar seemed oblivious to this. “More?” she inquired gently, already reaching for the decanter that held the liquid.
I nodded, wordlessly extending my cup. Two refills later, I realized that the drink wasn’t actually blood, but something that mimicked its distinctive flavor. I wondered how Queen Eiar had acquired such a drink. It would be in high demand in The Voievodat if it was ever exported.
The queen set the decanter aside and covered it with its stopper. “Do you like it?” she inquired gently. “It’s a blend of my own creation. I only bring it out for special occasions.”
“It’s delicious,” I admitted. “It... It tastes like blood.”
Queen Eiar chuckled. “Well, I imagine it does, for you, but that’s not what it is. It’s just a drink that makes you think you tasted what you most enjoy.”
I jerked in surprise. For a drink to be able to do that, it had to have mind-altering abilities. I stared at the now empty green cup, suddenly having a very bad feeling. “By the way,” the queen said, drawing my attention to her once again, “I would appreciate it if you told me the real reason for your visit to Chronikos.”
Her voice sounded different, low and dangerous, her mellow tone now threatening instead of calming. I met her eyes and a shiver coursed down my spine at her expression. It held none of the softness she’d displayed so far. Instead, it was cold and sharp, reminding me of the knives we often used in training.
I’d always been able to resist the attack of any weapon, so I opened my mouth to answer, to tell her the same thing we had before. Nothing came out. My head started spinning, and the cup slid from my suddenly clawed hands. Fire erupted through me, this time very different from the blaze of desire I’d experienced earlier.
I felt like an idiot. The most beautiful flowers were always the most dangerous ones. I knew that. I’d met plenty of demons who’d tried to seduce me and utterly failed. My own mother was breathtakingly beautiful, and she’d tried to eat me once, when I was a baby.
Despite that, despite my countless years of experience, I’d allowed Queen Eiar to completely pull the wool over my eyes. She was lovelier than any of the roses the emperor grew using his powers. It stood to reason that her thorns would be sharper and fiercer than any weapon we’d fought before.
But I’d never been a quitter, or someone who surrendered the battle at the first sign of failure and hardship. “You... You... What have you done?” I asked tightly, ignoring her request for information.
At the same time, I tried to make a grab for her, to force her to remove whatever strange enchantment she had placed on us. I was sitting close enough to her that I had a chance to reach her despite how ill I felt. I really should have known better than to think it would be so easy.
Vines erupted from the ground, incapacitating me and my friends within seconds. The queen hadn’t even bothered to move from her previous position and was still sipping calmly at her own drink. “I think you already know what I did,” she answered, “but don’t worry. It isn’t anything lethal, just a nice little concoction that will make you more cooperative.”
“What happened to you being a good host?” Cezar croaked out.
She pursed her lips, apparently displeased by his comment. “Considering the fact that you trespassed on my territory when you were well aware that my sister banned the entry of all undead in Chronikos, I think I’ve been an excellent host so far. That being said, I don’t enjoy using such methods, but I enjoy being lied to even less. So I will ask again. What is the real reason for your visit to Chronikos?”
I forced myself to stay silent, clenching my jaw so tightly I almost snapped off my own fangs. I could feel the compulsion striking my mental walls, trying to extract the information out of me. But I would not be defeated so easily. I would not betray the vows I’d made to my homeland.
Queen Eiar let out a small sigh. “Of course you would be stubborn. You know, the harder you fight it, the more painful it will be for you. You might not believe this, but I have no desire to hurt you. So why don’t you just answer my question and leave the pain behind?”
As she spoke, she leaned over me and brushed her finger over my cheek. “Come now. There’s absolutely no reason to dig your heels in. I’ll be gentle in my judgment, I promise.”
Despite the seriousness of my circumstances, the words still made my body respond and my cock harden. I’d always liked things a little rough in bed, and I wouldn’t have minded her tying me up and punishing me if we’d been lovers.
The idiotic wish chipped at my resolve, and I opened my mouth and said, “I... We’re scouts, spies. We were sent here by the Grand Lich to investigate... To investigate...”
I managed to stop myself before I revealed the full extent of our mission, but the damage was already done. Queen Eiar’s eyes glinted with interest and satisfaction as she asked, “Yes? Investigate what?”
I turned away from her, refusing to say anything else. She hummed thoughtfully but didn’t push me. Instead, she moved onto Adrian.
Adrian didn’t handle the situation any better than I had. When she crawled into his lap, he shuddered and his eyes flashed crimson. “Tell me,” she whispered in his ear. “Investigate what?”
He tried to fight her off, but his resolve crumbled when she buried her hand in his hair. “Come on, Adrian. Tell me.”
The sound of his name on her lips held something hypnotic, and I didn’t blame my friend at all when he obediently started to speak. “There was a recent surge of necromantic energy in the region, possibly coming from Tou Cheimóna. We’re supposed to track down the source and determine how dangerous it is for The Voievodat.”
“Truly?” Queen Eiar asked. “There is no other reason? You don’t want to use the powers of Chronikos in any other way?”
“N-No,” Adrian stammered, apparently trying to regain some of his lost control. It was probably a futile battle, but I had to give him credit for making the attempt.
Queen Eiar wasn’t taken aback by his efforts. “And how did you pass the wards and garrisons of Chronikos?”
That question was not something Adrian needed to fight, since, in that respect, we’d been honest with her. “We didn’t see anything or anyone. We just crashed through the wards after the storm, landed on the beach and then stumbled into the labyrinth.”
Unfortunately, the barrage of inquiries continued after that, and Adrian could do nothing but succumb to each and every one, even if the answers compromised our mission. “Are there any other similar teams incoming or is it just you?”
“Just... Just us.”
“Does The Voievodat have any baleful intentions toward Chronikos?”
“Not as far as I know.”
“What were your plans before you met with me, and after that?”
“To find a way to sneak into The Realm of Eternal Ice and track down the source of necromantic magic.”
“And how were you planning on doing that?”
“It’s possible for me to feel necromantic energy just like the Grand Lich did as long as I’m close enough.”
After what seemed like forever, the queen paused, scanning our faces with keen, sharp eyes. “What do you know about Snegurka?”
This question seemed addressed to all of us, not just Adrian, and that knowledge forced me to find a reply. Snegurka? The name sounded familiar, but I didn’t remember where I’d heard it. My head started to hurt even worse as the substance I’d consumed tried to persuade me to recall the information. Adrian must’ve been in the same situation because he grimaced, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead and magic flaring weakly in his eyes.
In the end, it was Cez
ar who rescued us from our predicament. “Snegurka is the former queen of The Realm of Eternal Ice. She died in the Chronikos Inter-Realm War, after failing to take over Tis Ánoixis. Her father, Ded Moroz, remains the current advisor of Queen Cheimon of Tou Cheimóna.”
Never had I been happier about the number of extra history lessons Cezar had been forced to take. Queen Eiar finally pulled away from Adrian and got up. “Thank you for your cooperation. You’ve been very helpful, and as such, I believe you deserve a reward. It’s time for you to get some much-needed rest.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, but the hold the vines had on me was still too tight and the drug she’d given us kept me from trying to struggle. Queen Eiar shot us another small smile—this one just as kind and beautiful as the ones she’d welcomed us with—and blew a gust of air toward us. As her perfumed breath enveloped me in a strangely hypnotic cocoon, the world started to grow dark and I thought that maybe this wasn’t such a horrible way for a vampire to die.
Three
Batty Guests
Eranthe
This was certainly not something I’d expected to happen today. “Spies from The Voievodat, huh?” I murmured under my breath as I watched my now reluctant guests surrender to induced slumber. “Interesting. May, March, come to me.”
My lieutenants emerged from the foliage of the largest two trees in my private garden. I’d sensed their presence ages ago, but I had not minded it. This new development warranted caution beyond what we had already been doing.
“March, please secure these men in the quarters the leprechauns prepared for them. They will probably still be asleep for a while longer, but we won’t be taking any chances. The enchantment I placed on them might wear out faster due to their undead nature. Place a strong guard on them. Five tree spirits should suffice. Keep me posted if our guests show any signs of waking up.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” March answered. “If I may ask... Why the guest quarters? Far be it from me to question your judgment, but wouldn’t the cells be better?”
“Perhaps, but we are in a bit of a strange position here. Two of our spies are apparently members of important vampire families. One of them is related to their emperor. They claim to not have foul intentions toward Chronikos, and I doubt they could have lied while under the effects of the ambrosia. As such, it would be best to keep things civil, insofar as it is possible, at least.”
Also, I had been honest with the vampires when I’d told them I wasn’t completely comfortable with the harsh approach I’d been forced to take. I felt even worse about wriggling the information out of Adrian by seducing him. It had been efficient, though, and the safety of my people had to take priority over my scruples.
“So you do not think they are a threat to Tis Ánoixis?” May asked, narrowing her eyes at the sleeping vampires.
“Probably not, but they do herald a change, one that we need to deal with. It’s a little worrisome that their Grand Lich managed to sense the surge of magic all the way from The Voievodat, and that they succeeded in sneaking past our garrisons, wards, and defenses, even if only by accident. We can’t afford to be lax, especially now. Is April still in Western Floria?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” March answered. “She is expected to return soon.”
The vagueness of her words wasn’t that encouraging. As a rule, my lieutenants were very reliable, but it was not unusual for them to get distracted by the behavior of other, far less reasonable inhabitants of Tis Ánoixis. It would be a good idea to give April a head’s up about this. “Upakaruda!” I called out, extending my arm.
A burst of multi-colored light illuminated my garden, and the two-headed body of a beautiful bird appeared by my side. As the light faded, my gumyōchō landed on the perch I’d provided them with, careful to not dig their claws into my flesh. “My dearest Upa,” I told the first head as I caressed his feathers, “I need you to take a message to my garrisons for me. Tell them we’ve had some intruders from The Voievodat. Nothing serious, but have them be on their guard, just in case. Find April in Floria and let her know as well, although do point out that right now, we have no reason to think Chronikos is at risk.” I petted the beak of the second head, making him release a small trill of happiness. “Karuda, speak to Lochlan and see if he can find anything else along the shoreline in the north. I didn’t sense anyone but our new guests when I was at the lake, and they claim to have been alone, but that is no guarantee. Do remember to be kind to him. We don’t want a repeat of what happened the last time he got mad.”
That was putting it lightly. Lochlan was efficient in guarding the northern part of Tis Ánoixis and far nicer than others of his kind. However, he was an each-uisge, a water demon, and that meant he had a temper and tended to take things very personally. He would not be happy once he heard about what had happened. Karuda tended to do a good job in calming him down, though. I could trust my gumyōchō to handle this task just as efficiently as they dealt with everything else.
“Tell them all to be discreet in fulfilling their missions,” I finished, “and once you’ve ascertained that they all understand and agree, come back to me. I’ll have another mission for you then.”
My messengers bowed, acknowledging my commands. “Yes, Your Majesty,” they both said at the same time. “We understand, Your Majesty.”
It was always nice to see them in complete sync like this. Unlike Pandora’s hydra, who was one single person, despite having eight heads in her shifted form, Upa and Karuda were two distinct individuals who happened to share a body. When they weren’t on a mission, they tended to fight a lot. But even so, I couldn’t have asked for a more faithful and loyal messenger and I knew they would always do their best to deliver my missives, every single time I needed them to.
Upakaruda took off, sweeping through the air like a multi-colored comet and disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye. With that taken care of, I turned my attention toward the still-waiting May. My conversation with Upakaruda had lasted only a minute, if that, but March had already taken the slumbering vampires and left the gardens.
“Listen closely, May,” I told my remaining lieutenant. “I don’t want rumors of this to spread to the citizenry. I want to speak to the vampires again, when they are clear-headed, and establish how we are going to approach this. In the meantime, we will keep this quiet. I still hope that we can prevent this episode from escalating further, but we’ll need to make sure everyone in the palace remains calm.”
That was a little easier said than done. While my staff wasn’t quite as excitable as Tarasia’s, the tempers of the leprechauns were even more volatile than Lochlan’s. Green was as protective of me as the whole herd of unicorns put together, and I suspected he regularly wrote to my sister in an attempt to find ways to shield me from the countless dangers he saw everywhere. Many of my other aids were nymphs of various kinds, some of whom I’d known since before I’d become the avatar of spring, and who had been friends with my mother. Snegurka’s return had brought back bad memories for all of us, and we were all a little on the edge.
“I truly don’t think that the vampires are our enemies. Speak to everyone and make sure they understand that.”
I would have done it myself, but one frustrating side-effect of my people’s protectiveness was that they didn’t always believe my assessment in situations that could prove to be a threat. This was something I knew I needed to handle. I could hardly lead a realm if my citizens didn’t have faith in my ability as a queen. I trusted my lieutenants to do their jobs and serve the realm to the best of their ability, but Cassia had also believed February was loyal, and that hadn’t turned out well.
Unfortunately, as much as I hated it, now was not the best time to make a drastic change in the way things worked in Tis Ánoixis. We had to prioritize dealing with Snegurka before we could worry about anything else. I would have a long conversation with my lieutenants after we were no longer in danger.
May happily accepted my orders, her wings glow
ing bright green with the strength of her determination. “Yes, Your Majesty. You can rely on me to convey your orders to everyone in the palace.”
I suspected she had a different opinion regarding our undead guests, but even so, she could not argue with the fact that we needed to maintain at least a neutral relationship with the other lands, and that we had to keep the citizenry calm. When I dismissed her, I knew she would be up to the task I’d granted her.
That left me with the last immediate thing I needed to deal with. I had to write to my sisters, posthaste. Adrian Burke had claimed they were the only group who had come to Chronikos, and I believed him. However, I knew things could change very easily in such cases, and rulers made decisions they did not communicate to their underlings all the time. The emperor or the Grand Lich might have decided to send a second squad without telling my vampire guests about it, and they might be in any of my sisters’ realms.
I rushed back to my quarters, already musing over what I needed to tell my sisters. I procured a piece of parchment and a quill from my desk and started with the most difficult letter of all, Tarasia’s. I loved my summery sister, but her overbearing nature had started to weigh on me as of late. Whenever I wrote to her, something inside me ached. I missed the days when we’d been inseparable, before our decision to support Cassia in her new rule had led us to take up positions we hadn’t been fully prepared for. At the same time, Tarasia was the only one who failed to acknowledge my skills at least in some way. Pandora had invited me to her future Grand Bacchanal and Cassia had trusted me with an incredibly important task. Tarasia, on the other hand, still treated me like I was a child, and it was part of the reason why my underlings felt encouraged to do the same.
