The Daath Chronicles- The Complete Series

by Eliza Tilton

  A flash of light sparked below, drawing my attention back down to the city. Strange metal disks carried citizens across sparkling bridges, down shimmering roads. A dome of red glass, seemingly paper-thin, surrounded the city in a protective, delicate bubble.

  While Tarrtainya presented its own beauty, I couldn’t imagine anything more spectacular than the sight before me. Although, the sacred grotto in Daath, with its lush plant life and flowing streams of crystal blue water was very close.

  Five days had passed since Lucino left me for the front lines, deserting me among my enemies. How could I possibly survive in a city full of Reptilians who wanted to extinguish humanity? I understood I had no other choice, but with each passing day, the fear grew.

  Every time I walked the cold halls of the castle—passing as Reptilian thanks to a spell that cloaked me—sweat coated my palms, my neck, beads of moisture trickling down my spine. An amulet around my neck held the spell in place, and it was all I could do not to grip it for dear life. What would happen if anyone discovered my humanity?

  Queen Velaria was surprisingly accommodating, yet she remained a mystery. I knew nothing of her, other than her interests in plants. Placing me in a room in the same wing as her chambers earned her raised eyebrows, but the guards and servants obliged, unwilling to question the queen’s orders. Still, even just doors away from Lucino’s mother, we’d said barely two words to one another in the five days I’d been on my own here.

  The blue hydrana titled its head toward the window near the ray of sunlight beaming through. Blue leaves curved around the white bulbous face which held a circular mouth.

  With a pair of skinny black tongs, I picked up one of the fat worms from the food bowl. The hydrana opened its mouth and turned its face, allowing me to drop the insect inside. I hummed, and the plant swayed, matching the rhythm of my voice.

  “You really should have a name,” I said.

  “He does.”

  Queen Velaria glided into the room, her silver and lilac hair in braids around her royal crown. Sunlight hit the rubies and emeralds in her crown, reflecting prisms of color around the room. Her flowing, black dress trailed behind her in silk ruffles like waves. “His name is Asai.”

  “Asai. It’s a beautiful name.”

  Asai titled his head back to the window, this time unfolding the pale purple petals around the stem. The stem and leaves shimmered blue like the deep ocean.

  “Hydranas are an interesting species,” Queen Velaria said. “They only grow in the deep mountains and are difficult to remove. Their roots can dig very deep when not planted in a pot.”

  “Will you bring them to the new world?”

  Her gaze narrowed. “I’ve discussed it with my husband. It is imperative that not only our species survives, but also our culture. However, introducing indigenous plants and animals may cause issues with the human world.” She strode to the window and stroked Asai’s petals. “We’ve been transporting a few at a time to see if they adapt. It’s been difficult, and we’ve lost some creatures already.” She paused, then turned, clasping her hands at her waist. “The hydranas have been planted near the temple in Daath, one of the few places where they thrive. If they last through the cold season, we can bring more.”

  “Can’t you keep them in a castle?”

  “Yes, but they are meant to be free.”

  The Reptilians didn’t keep pets like we did. In fact, Asai was the only creature I’d seen inside the castle.

  I hadn’t seen Hadda since Lucino left; I needed to visit her.

  “There’s a gathering tonight in the East Gardens. You’ll accompany me.”

  “But I thought—”

  The queen waved a jeweled hand. “You’ll wear a head covering. No one will pay attention to a servant girl. I will need your assistance while I am there. A woman from Donivan is visiting, and I’m not sure what her intentions are. You can gather intel from the other servants. There is always talk during a ball.”

  Queen Velaria strode into her large bedroom and pushed a button on the wall which slid away to reveal a small room that glowed a bright amber hue. I stepped inside, mouth open as I scanned the brilliant jeweled pieces covering every surface, displayed on mannequins, and hanging from embellished hooks on the walls. Necklaces, crowns, earrings, full bibs decorated with stones I’d never seen before. The sparkling colors would have blinded me in the light of day. So many wonderful items!

  She smiled. “I see you can appreciate beauty.”

  I cautiously stepped closer, admiring the glittering stones. “These are incredible.”

  One case contained a black and orange beaded bracelet. Ten rows of beads, fused together with no string at all.

  “How are they connected?” I asked, my fingers twitching with the desire to touch the piece.

  She opened the glass case and retrieved the bracelet. “The stones are fused with a light board.”

  “A light board?”

  “Yes. I don’t have one here. They are in the servants’ wing.”

  I traced my finger along the smooth curve of beads. “Could I see it? I’d love to learn how to create one of these.”

  The queen tilted her head, a sparkle in her narrowed gaze. “Are you a jeweler?”

  I grinned, straightening my shoulders. “Yes. I have practiced with many stones, but we don’t use a light board.”

  “I’ll never understand why Alta doesn’t use all of our technology.” She shook her head. “I’ll send you down there tomorrow.”

  I was thankful she didn’t ask or say more about Alta. Lucino told me enough about the sister city to make my cover story believable, but I still knew little about Reptilians and their culture.

  Queen Velaria opened a cabinet, exposing a variety of hats hanging from hooks along the wall. She picked one up, a tri-shaped hat with crimson feathers curving around the center, and black chiffon that fell around the sides.

  “We must get ready. The guests will arrive within the hour.” She placed the hat on my head and I disappeared behind the sheer fabric.

  The queen smiled. “Yes. No one will notice you at all.”

  As long as I kept the locket in place, to everyone else, I appeared as a Reptilian girl: fire colored hair, olive skin, and eyes as blue as my natural shade. The veil was an added precaution; Lucino had been very clear: no one could find out the truth. No one could ever learn I was human, especially the queen.

  Chapter Three

  Avikar

  Three loud raps on the door woke me from sleep. Raven stirred in my arms, and I kissed the top of her head.

  “King Corban requests your presence,” a servant called from the other side of the massive wooden door.

  I nudged Raven. “Hey, it’s time to wake up.”

  “Hmm?” She nestled down further.

  “Oh, no you don’t.” I nudged her again. “King Corban has summoned us.” Bleary-eyed and yawning, she dragged herself from the bed and we stepped out into the hallway to follow the servant through the grand castle.

  Stone walls stretched up to meet high ceilings, at least twenty feet overhead. Matching stone paved the floors, and statues of animals stood on either side of us every thirty paces or so. Large tapestries of multi-colored landscapes hung on the walls between the statues.

  A soldier stepped out from a room up ahead, his arms rigid at his sides. As we approached, he tipped his head forward quickly in greeting. “King Corban will want an update on Stormwood. We’ve sent a squad south to investigate since we have yet to receive word.” The man paused, eyes narrowing slightly. “He’ll want to know why—and how—you escaped.”

  I nodded, then glanced at Raven. She gnawed on her bottom lip.

  “Follow me.” He turned on his heels and strode inside, past two guards with straight faces and unblinking eyes.

  Nobles gathered around the room, chatting amongst the
mselves. The King sat on a big throne covered in black furs, the head of a grizzly by his feet and a crooked golden crown keeping his wild gray hair in place. Three people sat in similar but smaller thrones on either side of the king. To his immediate right, the queen, a pale woman with long blonde hair, and to her right, an empty throne. To the king’s left, his son sat atop a smaller, less extravagant throne, eyes narrowed as he leaned forward on his elbows to watch us approach.

  “Avikar Desdar and Raven Lockwood,” the soldier announced.

  We bowed our heads.

  “I am told you came from Stormwood,” King Corban said. “Tell me what has transpired.”

  I remained in a bowed position as I spoke. “Lucy, the Lady of Daath, attacked the wood with brutes.”

  Gasps and murmurs surrounded us.

  “We know of Lucy. She has crossed our paths over the years. What is this talk about the Thirteenth Land? There is no legendary land.”

  “It is real,” I said, keeping my eyes to the floor. “She and her brother Lucino control the Thirteenth Land.”

  “Nonsense! What proof do you have?”

  “Me.” Raven raised her head to meet the king’s hard glare. “I was born in Daath and have lived there my entire life.”

  I dared to look up. The King’s piercing, beady eyes made my pulse race faster.

  “You look no different than any other Tarrtainian. Saying you are from the Thirteenth Land does not provide proof. Why have we never found this mystical place?”

  “Because there is only one entrance, guarded by a thirty-foot snake,” I said. “And there’s a magical barrier. If you don’t have the right mark, the snake will attack.”

  “And you saw this big snake?” The King laughed, followed by chuckles from a few nobles.

  “I fought the beast.”

  The king dismissed our story with the flick of his wrist. “Thank you for your tale, but I don’t have time for foolish nonsense. What is the status on Stormwood?”

  I inhaled a deep breath before answering. “When we left, The Order was engaged in battle. We came straight here.”

  “So you left combat?” The king’s son scoffed. “A deserter.”

  “Good people died so we could make it here!” Raven shouted.

  “Don’t,” I whispered, placing my hand on her arm to keep her from throwing one of her daggers at the king.

  “We risked our lives so you could be warned about the shifters.” Raven’s chest heaved, her skin blotched with redness.

  “Good people die every day, Miss Lockwood.” The King stood. “Every day we fight, we lose a man.” The king stepped down from his throne. “Do not think I know nothing about risk.”

  “Then why won’t you believe us? The shifters are here, and if we don’t stop them now, they’ll take over!”

  “Enough!” King Corban raised a hand. “I will not listen to any more of your tales. I have a war to win.”

  “No! You have to listen!” Raven struggled against my grip, but I wasn’t letting her go.

  Tension filled the room with each heavy step the king took toward us.

  “I am the King of Tarrtainya. Do not presume to give me orders.”

  “You’re not my king.” Raven stood tall, hands poised at her sides, ready to grab her daggers if need be.

  I cringed as gasps once again filled the room.

  “Take her away.” The king pointed at Raven, and his guards approached us.

  I pulled her behind my back. “Don’t touch her.”

  “If the boy argues, throw him in prison beside her.”

  The guards surrounded Raven and ripped her from my grip. “Raven!”

  Her eyes glistened, but she didn’t cry or scream.

  “Your majesty, please,” I begged. “We lost a comrade at Stormwood, a priest from The Order. She’s upset.”

  “We’ve all lost comrades, son, the price of battle.” He motioned to the guards to take Raven away, then pointed at me. “Take him back to his room.”

  A guard reached for my arm, but I yanked it away. “I’ll walk.”

  The guards dragged Raven out of the throne room. Her gaze never left mine until she disappeared from sight.

  I’d get her out. I just had to find a way.

  I pulled at my hair as I paced back and forth across the room. The guards had locked the door after shoving me inside. How was I going to rescue Raven from the King’s jail? The only person I knew here was Ginna, and she wasn’t even conscious.

  I slammed against the locked door, throwing all of my body weight into it.

  “Let me out!” Again, I rammed the door, but it didn’t budge.

  “Mr. Desdar,” the servant hissed from the other side. “If you don’t stop, the guards will come and take you to prison.”

  “Please, let me out.” Pressing my forehead against the door, I inhaled and steadied myself. “No one has to know.”

  “An act that would have me hanged. If you wait until morning, I’m sure the king will release you both.”

  I’m never that lucky. “I have to see her. Will you at least take me to her?”

  Silence.

  “Hello?”

  Nothing.

  “Ugh!” I double hammer-fisted the door, my mind ready to implode with rage.

  Raven trusted me. I couldn’t, no, I wouldn’t let her down.

  I had to think. Calm myself and make a plan. I sat on the bed, glaring at the large window. On a hunch, I ran over and pushed the wooden shutters open. Wind slapped my face. Leaning over, I could see we were on the third level of the castle. Too high to jump, and the stonewall had no visible footholds.

  “Not getting out that way,” I grumbled as I slammed the shutters closed.

  Next, I went to the door, running my fingers over the doorknob, searching for any break in the lock. Nothing.

  If it were Raven who had been locked in here, she would’ve broken through the door lock before the guards made it down the hall. The little thief always carried a picklock set. If the guards hadn’t searched her and found it, she might be able to break out of the prison … but then how would she find her way to me? The palace was a maze of stairways, corridors and towers. She’d need a map just to find the front door.

  I fell back on the bed, doubt clawing at my mind. I brought her here; I should’ve protected her, should’ve taken her home where it’s safe.

  But we weren’t safe. No one was. Not with the shapeshifters walking around in human costumes, playing house and tearing our world apart from the shadows.

  While the suns disappeared, I thought of what I could say to the King to convince him to release Raven. There had to be something he wanted or needed. I would do anything to get her out.

  The bedroom door creaked opened, and a cloaked figure crept into the room. With my back to the door, lying on the bed, I breathed in and out, pretending to snore. Slowly, I reached a hand near the floor where my sword lay. When the person came closer, I dove out of bed, grabbed my sword and vaulted to my feet.

  “I’m not going to hurt you.” The prince from the throne room stood before me. “I’m Prince Edwin.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I believe your story.”

  “You do? It didn’t seem like that in the throne room.”

  “The more I pondered your words, the more they rang true. I’ve noticed strange things over the past few months, and only a few have ever mentioned shifters.”

  “You’ve seen them?”

  Footsteps sounded outside in the hallway. “There’s no time. We must leave now.”

  He rushed to the door. “Stay quiet and follow closely.”

  Prince Edwin opened the door and peeked both ways, then slipped out. I followed closely, down the hallway opposite of the large sweeping staircase. When we reached the end, he waited a fe
w moments before we shuffled down another narrow, curved stairway.

  “Where are you taking me?” I asked in a hushed voice.

  “To the dungeons.”

  Before I could ask why, he held a finger to his mouth. My heart raced. Was he taking me to Raven?

  Shadows bounced around the empty stairwell and each tap of our boots on the stone echoed louder than the one before. My heartbeat roared in my ears while we waited at the bottom, then we ran to the end of another corridor, taking a sharp right down another staircase, then dashing right again down another hallway.

  We zigzagged through the lower levels, my stomach dropping every time a servant or guard rounded the corner. A dank smell filled the air as we entered the dungeon. Drops of water dripped down the stone walls, and the musty air tickled my throat, forcing me to cover my face with my sleeve.

  “Stay here,” the prince whispered as he guided me toward a small alcove. “Don’t move until I come back.”

  I nodded and pressed my body flat against the wall.

  Prince Edwin pulled on his hood and walked around the bend.

  “Hey!” A man shouted up ahead. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

  A gurgling noise echoed in the corridor as metal clanged on the floor. Bars creaked open, immediately followed by quick footsteps.

  My chest heaved with nerves, and I fought the urge to leave the seclusion of the alcove. When the footsteps rushed closer, I dared to peek around the corner.

  “Avikar!”

  Raven flew into my arms. I wrapped her in a big hug, squeezing her close.

  “We need to keep moving,” the prince said. “I have horses outside the stable.”

  I grabbed Raven’s hand, squeezing it, and smiled. “Let’s go.”

  We ran back the way we came. This time the prince led us out one of the servant’s entrances. Two black horses waited outside, bagged and saddled.

  “Head south and stay away from the main road,” Prince Edwin said. “With war about, there are bandits everywhere. If you head directly south, you’ll reach the Deadwood. Keep going until you reach Lakewood.”