“My God, Father!” the princess declared glancing at him. “Evelyn, come here and sit!” she ordered as she pointed to a couch. I did as she commanded. “Bring me some warm broth and some blankets!” she ordered some servants that were standing by. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but this isn’t what I expected. As soon as I was seated the two royals and Sir William began conversing in Eolahr rather heatedly. This went on for a few minutes before the doors burst open abruptly and in a whir Prince Eythan was suddenly at my side. His appearance was so sudden it upset me and reminded me of the quick movements of Lord Tanner back in the cave. I gasped and instinctively shrank back as he tried to touch me. He noticed my reaction and stood up and moved away from me.
“What has happened? I can smell her blood all over the kingdom!” he bellowed in English to his family and Sir William.
The four of them began conversing in Eolahr quickly. My mind was in a daze and I could no longer try to keep up. All I wanted to do was sleep. I closed my eyes and tried to listen to them, wondering when they would proclaim my death sentence. They switched back and forth between English and Eolahr so fast it all seemed jumbled. Occasionally I would pick up on words and phrases like “no excuse,” “more guards,” as well as “unacceptable.” I don’t think I had ever heard the prince raise his voice so much as he was doing at this moment but I wished they would simmer down because all of the noise was giving me a headache.
After a few minutes, Princess Emeley approached me and knelt down by me on the couch. “Evelyn, can you tell us what happened?” she asked softly.
I opened my eyes and nodded to her. While the prince watched me, I told them my tale of being attacked on the way back from the South Village, not hesitating to include the part where Lord Crievan was behind it all. If anything, at least the prince would know I wasn’t lying. They listened intently, never interrupting me. When I was done, I was allowed to eat the soup that had arrived and Princess Emeley herself laid a quilt over me as I brought my legs up and reclined back on the sofa. Before I could wonder about their attentive care and concern for me, I fell asleep.
The moon had been out for hours when I woke up. Confusion clouded my mind briefly before I remembered where I was and why I was there. I sat up and no sooner had my feet touched the floor, the king arrived in a blur.
“It will take you a few days to recover from this,” he said softly.
I nodded, not sure why he was here with me. “Evelyn, you need to be careful. Things are complicated in Eteryn right now. We are investigating Lord Crievan. He is one of the oldest and most prominent citizens of Eteryn so it is a delicate matter. I cannot arrest him without substantial evidence otherwise we may cause a civil war in addition to the one coming with Hadreah. I will have guards watching you at all times from now on. Each of my children has their own reasons for protecting you, but it is not for me to tell. Please eat supper here and then your guards will see you back to your home.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said softly. More questions than answers spun through my mind as he nodded and left.
Chapter 24
“Evie, why are there guards posted at our entrance?” Sam asked me the next morning. Reluctantly, I retold the story of my brutal attack the day before. She hugged me and fussed over me the rest of the day.
I kept to myself for the remainder of the week, spending as much time as I could to rest and recover from my ordeal. Then, Sam had to take over the clinic as I was escorted to and from the castle to meet with Princess Emeley and Prince Eythan to go over more details of the attack on Hadreah. The Sabbat, as it was called, was a wiccan holiday used to pay homage to the devil. According to my royals, we could happen upon any number of things before we attacked Hadreah including dancing, feasting, a ritual sacrifice, or even an orgy. I hoped it wasn’t the last two things they mentioned. My plan was more about distraction than action. I prayed it would work.
During the following week I returned to the castle Avolire room to meet with both the prince and princess to review my final plan to distract Queen Hadreah when we conducted our surprise attack on her in the meadow. They seemed pleased with my ideas. I only hoped I could keep my nerve and pull it off.
The three of us sat together at one end of the long elegant table. It always fascinated me to watch the two of them interact with each other. It was obvious that they had the upmost respect for one another. Just as our meeting began to wind down, a servant arrived and summoned the princess away, leaving me alone with Prince Eythan. A few moments of silence passed before he spoke.
“How have you been feeling?” he asked, referring to my recovery from Lord Tanner’s attack.
“My energy is starting to come back,” I replied softly.
“My father sent Lord Crievan on a fool’s errand to get him away from the kingdom. He does not know of our plans to attack Hadreah.”
Relief swept through me knowing that he would not be with us that night. “Why do you suppose he wanted me killed?”
“We believe there is a possibility that he is allying with Hadreah.”
“Why?”
“Most likely he wants to be Eteryn’s king. He has pressured me to marry his daughter over the years, but I want no part of it.”
I’ve seen enough movies to figure this out. “He wanted you to produce an heir and then kill you and your family so that he could claim the throne through a regency as the child’s grandfather,” I mused.
The prince paused and blinked at me. “Your grasp of the situation is astonishing.”
I shrugged. It seemed fairly obvious to me.
“When it became clear I was not ever going to marry Christabel, he grew distant. He saw my sister take an interest in you and started spying on you. He was out during the imp attack and observed your immunity to magic. We discovered that he dispatched a message that night south bound towards Shadowlea. Our sentries were able to intercept it.”
“What did it say?” I asked.
“Nothing that made any sense to us. He wrote it in some sort of code; however I believe he was trying to communicate with Queen Hadreah about you.”
“Are you going to arrest him?” Concern for the safety and stability of the kingdom flared within me.
“We cannot make a move on him until we have sufficient proof. He has many spies and allies of his own here at court. We have to prove his corruption before we can remove him, otherwise it will be war regardless of what my own ability tells me about him.”
He must have noticed the worry creeping in to my expression.
“I have guards watching you and spies watching him. We will get him eventually. Crievan is not known for his patience. Try not to worry.”
“I’ll try not to,” I replied. I didn’t have time to worry about Lord Crievan, I was more worried about our impending attack on Hadreah.
“I must be off,” he said softly, rising to stand.
I rose with him, glancing at the tempting bowl of ripe nectarines on the table as I did so. They looked so delicious and it was almost lunch time. He must have noticed where my eyes went and reached to pick one up, extending it to me.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” I said as I took it from him, surprised at the gesture. Despite our past, I could see that he is a kind man, just like his father. The longing inside of me started to stir again, but I shut it down. We could never be more than friends. I followed him out into the hallway as he bid me farewell. The two guards assigned to me led me back to the village as I ate my nectarine, enjoying every bite.
∞
I watched the sun lower behind the horizon as I finished donning my lightweight mesh armor beneath the black tunic Madame Elise had made for me. It molded to my body and fit like a glove. I sat patiently while Sam painted my face, hair, and neck silver with the little amount of reconstituted face paint I found in Princess Emeley’s collection. Our goal would be to disguise my face entirely so I would not be recognized, but at the same time creating an image that the enemy team had never seen before.
I am lucky that Sam not only was skilled at doing hair, but also with makeup. I hoped we would make it home someday so that she could complete her cosmetology training . . . but I wasn’t certain that was what she wanted anymore.
Sam fastened my hair back into a slick low bun so the paint could extend over my hairline. I was pretty adamant that I did not want to wear a mask or anything else that would make it difficult for me to see, hear, or move in. After all, I was going into a war I had virtually very little preparation for. She put a little silver paint on the backs of my hands and fingers before she ran out and switched to black. Since there was more of it, she streaked my hair with her paintbrush, covering the last of my reddish blonde hair before turning her attention back to my face.
“What would you like me to put here?” she asked.
“Exaggerate my mouth and orbits as well as the tip of my nose like a Day of the Dead skeleton, then draw an Ankh on one side of my neck and an Eye of Horus on the other.” I guess that would be weird enough. Something told me that the people here had never seen anything Day of the Dead related or anything to do with ancient Egypt. I hoped it would be a perfect mix of confusion. If I was lucky, the enemies might be too frightened to even come near me.
“Sam, you are awesome!” I exclaimed when I saw my reflection in the mirror.
“It’s going to take more than a costume to keep you safe, Evie,” she replied.
Next, I grabbed the black leather belt that had been fashioned for me with holsters on my hips for the revolvers I found. One had four bullets, the other had three. With so few bullets left, I could not even spare one for target practicing. I had no idea how to shoot a gun so they would be my ultimate last resort. I slung and secured it around my hips. Sam handed me a bandolier with a few knives sheathed on it. I cross-bodied that over my chest. Then I held up the two small LED flashlights I had found and Sam used some wide black silk ribbons to secure them to the underside of my wrists. I planned to turn them on to further enhance my strange appearance. She helped me into a long black hooded cloak over my ensemble, securing it from the waist up to conceal my knives. Princess Emeley had given me a quiver used for arrows, but I had filled it with the few remaining roman candles from Dr. Thorpe’s stash. I brought the lighter I used the first time so I could easily light them. I slung that over my shoulder. The pockets of my cloak were filled with some of the craft glitter I found. I figured it might put on a good show. Medieval people don’t know what glitter is. I intended to try to convince the evil queen that I was more powerful than she was. I only hoped I didn’t die in the process.
A quick knock sounded on the door before a servant opened it for Princess Emeley, who strode in to collect me. She stopped and stared at me.
“Is that what evil looks like in your world?”
I shrugged. “We don’t have witches, remember? But this could make a good Halloween costume,” I smiled.
“I do not know what that is . . . but you look strange and terrifying,” she beamed.
Sam and I hugged before it was time to leave. “Come back, Evie,” she said.
“I will,” I reassured. I only hoped the royals would honor their pledge to protect me while I performed my little show.
Princess Emeley’s guards and Sir Leonard surrounded us as we made our way quickly to the stable yard. From the looks and glances I was given, I was pretty sure my costume was working. Since my horsemanship skills were questionable, I was to ride with Sir Leonard again. Prince Eythan sauntered up to me as I prepared to mount the horse.
“I have definitely never seen anything like that before,” he commented. “You are full of surprises, Evelyn.”
I smiled at him. “I hope I can be useful.”
“Listen to me,” he put a hand on my shoulder. “Be vigilant. Hadreah and her army are full of tricks. Do not let her scare you. You must convey an air of authority, which for you, should not be hard. We will follow your lead when you start conversing with her. She is a creature of curiosity and you will garner her attention dressed like this.”
I nodded.
“I will do my very best to protect you, but when the fighting begins, do not be afraid to use your weapons to kill or defend yourself. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Your Highness.”
“Whatever happens tonight, Evelyn, you will come back with me.”
I put my hand on his. “I won’t let you down,” I promised. For someone not interested in me, he seemed awfully concerned about me. I refused to drag up all of my sadness at the moment. I’m not the kind of person to hold a grudge. Like the princess, he and I were sort of friends and that’s all it would ever be. I had to accept it.
The ride to the meadow seemed to take forever despite the rapid pace we rode at. I was silently grateful to Sir Leonard for not letting me bounce off the horse. King Edreyan led the way, flanked by his children and some of the other officers and advisors. As we drew closer under the light of the full moon, everyone came to a halt and started to dismount as quietly as possible. Being silent in the dark was apparently something that vampires excelled at. The king wanted to launch a surprise attack on Hadreah as she worshipped the Sabbat. I knew nothing about witches and their beliefs or religious practices, but fell in line behind the royals as our small army crept forward on foot, leaving a few soldiers behind to guard the horses. It was not long before I noticed the faint glimpse of firelight over the ridgeline. Once we reached the edge and peered down, I saw five distinct torches planted at the tops of a pentagram laid out in stone on the soft grass.
An average sized woman stood at the tip of the creation with her eyes closed, holding her arms out in front of her with her palms up. I knew it had to be Hadreah based on the description Princess Emeley had given me. She appeared young, and surprisingly beautiful for someone reported to be so evil. Lost in concentration she muttered words beyond my recognition. “I appeal and call to you, Astaroth, I conjure and command you, by the powers of malevolence to come, obey, and reply to what I, Hadreah of Shadowlea, direct you to!”
King Edreyan and his army raised their hands up to partially shield their eyes, but I did not need to. I wonder if they saw something I didn’t. Prince Eythan remained close to my side and glanced at me. Witchcraft is lost on me. I assumed the evil witch was trying to summon a demon and wondered exactly how often that happened. From my standpoint, it looked like she was just putting on a show, very similar to the one I was about to start.
Heavily armored guards flanked Queen Hadreah on both sides. One seemed more decorated than the other one. Both men wore concealing metal helmets with only slits for eyes. I wondered who they were. An older man stood off to one side and there were several other men and women present, all wearing dark gray robes. They stood spaced evenly in a circle around the pentagram. More soldiers stood further back. I focused on her melodic voice. It wasn’t unpleasant, but I could not understand what she was trying to do.
Suddenly, she stopped and looked up, lowering her hands. A devilish smile stretched wide across her face. It wasn’t pretty . . . it was more menacing than anything. The circle broke up and her cult members ran back to the soldiers while her two guards drew their weapons. We’ve been noticed, I surmised. She looked directly at where we were observing her; how she saw us, I’ll never know.
“Come out, King Edreyan,” she called sweetly. “I can sense your presence.”
In a flash, the king and his two vampire advisors were down on ground level into the clearing with her, across the pentagram. Princess Emeley and Prince Eythan gestured for me to follow them down there. I reached into my sleeves and turned my flashlights on, then concealed my hands in a cross-chested position inside the dark sleeves to hide the light until the proper moment. I sensed our army closing in behind.
“I have warned you to stay out of my kingdom, Queen Hadreah,” the king said slowly.
“I do not take orders from vampires,” she said raising a hand. “Well it looks like this is a family affair, how . . .” she paused
when she saw me follow behind the royals, and for dramatic effect, I came to a stop in front of them next to the king. She gave me a hard once over with a truly puzzled look on her face. I could feel the tension in the air. To say I was nervous was an understatement. I only hoped I would not sweat my makeup off. I could hear arrows being nocked and blades sliding slowly and carefully from their sheaths behind me.
“Who the hell are you?” she hissed taking me in. I still had my arms and hands concealed and my hood up over my head so she could not see my hair. It’s now or never, I thought. Showtime!
I remained silent. Sometimes that can be more unnerving than actually talking. An awkward pause fell between us as I stared her down, studying her as she studied me.
“I asked you a question!” she roared.
After a very long moment, to make it appear that I was unimpressed, I spoke. “I have come to test your powers!” I said menacingly as I pulled my arms out of my sleeves and swept them out in a graceful arc in front of me, casting my flashlights over Queen Hadreah and her subjects. To my delight, I witnessed them gasp and flinch and some even go so far as to run out of the beams of light. As I circled my arms around I placed them in my cloak pockets to block out the light and grab a few handfuls of glitter.
Hadreah recovered her wits and spoke next, “how dare you interrupt my ritual tonight!” She swept her arm towards me, muttering something. I sensed Prince Eythan tense behind me and the king stepped further away from me as if to avoid something, but I neither saw nor felt anything. Was she trying to cast a spell on me? I guessed it right as I saw the angry expression on her face. She swept her other arm at me. Nothing happened, though I could tell something was going on from the reactions of both sides.
The Twilight Star Page 26
