by Eliza Tilton
Gwen stepped around me and rummaged through the rack. “How long before your family arrives?”
“Two more days, depending on how the weather is.” Mother and Calli were arriving by boat. Depending on the winds, it could take much longer to navigate the dangerous whirlpools surrounding Daath’s borders.
“Let’s do red.” Gwen pulled out a vibrant red dress with white lace stripes going down the sides. “You and Fex will match perfectly.”
I glanced behind me. Fex was back on the bed, curled into a furry ball.
“Red it is.” I held up my arms as Gwen helped me step in to the dress. She grabbed the strings on the back and tied the corset, forcing me to hold in my breath. “You had to find one so tight?”
She tugged on the strings, tightening the grip on my chest. “You are about to be a queen. It’s time to start dressing like one.”
Gwen was right. While I wouldn’t be the queen of Tarrtainya, I’d rule the Reptilians alongside Lucino. I would be the queen of a race no one knew existed. I wasn’t sure if I should be terrified or excited, but knowing I might gain some of Lucino’s powers during the ceremony made me confident I would be more than just a ruler.
Chapter Six
Jeslyn
After waiting all day to spend the night with Lucino, I decided I would surprise him with a picnic in the grotto. I had already told the servants we wouldn’t be eating in the dining room and to pack a bag of Lucino’s favorite treats. Onyx waited outside, the stable boy holding the reins.
“Here, my lady.” He took the two satchels I carried and hitched them to the horse.
“Thank you.”
Willis hovered by the door, his wrinkled brow crinkled with aggravation. “I don’t think it wise you travel to the forest this late, alone.”
“When Lucino returns, tell him I’ve gone ahead.”
“I’ll send a guard with you.”
I didn’t know who in Lucino’s circle knew of the grotto, but I wouldn’t be the one to reveal its secrets. “I’ll be fine. I’ve made this trip before. This is my home.”
Home. Yes, Daath was my home. I wasn’t afraid of the beasts in the woods. One of those beasts had saved my life—I still had not seen the black tiger since the day it rescued me at the temple.
“If you are injured,” Willis glowered, “I will be the one to receive his wrath.”
“Fine. Have one of the guards follow, but they can only follow me for a bit. Lucino will be angry if I lead them to his safe haven.”
With no further argument, Willis flicked his hand at the nearest guard who ran to the stables to retrieve a horse. It wasn’t until the guard returned that Willis finally went back inside the mansion.
As I rode to the grotto, I imagined Lucino’s confused expression when he arrived at our secret place and saw the picnic. Did his people have picnics? Did Reptilians go on dates? How did they court each other? I still had so many questions about his culture. Tonight would be a night of sharing, laughing, and maybe something more.
We rounded a hill. Farther down, the mossy gnarled trees blocked a hidden path. The guard would have to stay here.
“I’ll go on ahead by myself,” I called out.
The guard nodded. I tugged Onyx’s reins to trot ahead. When the path bent and I knew the guard could no longer see me, I slid off the horse, grabbed the reins, and led him inside. Lofty, white-flowered willows arched above us, a canopy of sleeping leaves. Bushes filled with red and violet specks of color surrounded the ancient trees, leaving me breathless with their beauty. The air grew hazier the deeper we went. A low, rhythmic humming replaced the silence. I searched for the noise, remembering the beautiful hummingbirds that resided here. Specks of gossamer blue and green flashed around the flowers. One flew by Onyx, causing the old horse to snort and ruffle out his mane.
I patted his muzzle. “Almost there, boy.”
With each step, the happiness growing in my chest fluttered out and around me, making me want to dance and sing. The willows thinned and revealed the grotto, sparkling with a mystic beauty. Mist hovered over the pond. Nearby trees dipped their roots in the steaming waters. The big white flowers dotted the banks, perfuming the area with a soft aroma that made me think of the pink salts Madara used in my baths. I let go of Onyx and grabbed the satchels off his back. The two suns began to descend, bathing the grotto with orange and pink light.
I laid out the blanket, right by the pond’s edge, placed out the food, and lit the three candles I brought. I bounced on my toes, unable to sit and wait. Lucino never said what time we would meet, but we normally ate supper around dusk. Willis would tell him where I went; he would probably growl a bit then race with all haste to come to me.
Sitting on the blanket, I slipped off my shoes, examining the display of honeyed figs, buttered lamb cakes, and roasted spiced potatoes. I picked up one of the figs and popped it into my mouth. The sweet, soft taste melted on my tongue.
I hope he hurries. Those are delicious.
Onyx grazed by the pool, but didn’t drink from the waters. I thought back to that night at the temple when Derrick had accidentally stabbed me… he brought me here, and the waters had healed my wounds. My heart ached when I thought of him. Was he alive? And if not, should we tell his family? I hadn’t sent word back to Lakewood, mostly because I didn’t know what to say.
Another problem Mother could help me solve.
The last rays of the suns twinkled through the leaves. I rested my head on the blanket and waited for Lucino to come.
Lady Jeslyn.
Lady Jeslyn!
Someone shouted my name, faintly, but loud enough to wake me. Onyx nudged my side, urging me up.
Rubbing my eyes, I yawned and stretched out my arms.
He never came?
Night filled the grotto, and thanks to the cloudless sky, the stars gave enough light to show I was alone.
Why didn’t he come?
“Lady Jeslyn!”
The guard yelled my name again. I leapt to my feet and led Onyx out of the secret grotto before the guard discovered the location. Once out of the willow path, and back into the main forest, I shouted, “I’m here!”
The guard sighed and ran to meet me. “Are you all right? I’ve been calling. It’s late and we should return. It’s not safe to be in the woods.”
“And Lucino?”
“I’m sorry, M’lady, but he hasn’t come. Please, let’s return.”
Sadness and worry slammed into my chest. My throat went dry and I barely had the energy to get astride Onyx. How could Lucino not come? Even if the emissary or some other plans had delayed him, he would’ve sent someone to get me.
What if he’s in danger?
I couldn’t decide if I was angry or worried. The two emotions played a furious game in my mind. Slapping the reins, I forced Onyx to hurry home. Whether good or bad, I needed to know why Lucino abandoned our first chance in months to truly be alone.
Chapter Seven
Lucino
Romulus’ insistence to keep his lab separate from Daath was becoming a nuisance. Instead of riding, or walking into one of the tunnels, I had to take a boat to get to the island—time I could not afford to waste, but after meeting with the emissary, I had to get the hair sample to Romulus so he could create the tracker. With a tracker in place, we would be able to see where Julian went after leaving Daath, including the king’s land.
Both suns were close to the horizon. If I did not hurry, Jeslyn would have to wait. I longed to spend a night alone with her. Each day, the hunger to have her completely to myself increased. She invaded my thoughts, distracting me from plans, making herself the only thing of importance.
While fear was not an emotion I dealt with, I was concerned about this growing desire, and what would happen once I bound my aura to hers. It would either strengthen me, beyond any theory Romulus concocted, or it
would consume me with desire.
The boat hit the shore and I tied it to the dock before running ahead. Normally, I would let Romulus know of my arrival, but I had left the communicator at the mansion. We had spoken briefly about creating a tracker to place on Julian, but it wasn’t until after today’s meeting I learned Julian’s relationship to the king—his nephew.
The torches lit the corridor, a good sign Romulus was in the lab.
I pushed open the lab door. “I’m glad you are here. I—”
Romulus stood in the back of the room, his grumpy face hard with rage. I could see his aura blazing red—a feat I had not seen in many years―and hovering over the table in the middle, my clone.
“Well, this is a surprise,” the simulacrum said. “Don’t you have plans with our fiancé?”
I gripped the hilt of my sword. Every muscle tensed as I looked upon an exact copy of myself, down to the shorter hairstyle I now wore.
“She is mine, not ours.”
He threw his head back, laughing. “We are the same. What belongs to you belongs to me, including that pretty human.”
In one move, I unsheathed my sword and stabbed forward, but being my clone, he anticipated the strike and dodged out of the way, laughing.
“Do you really think you will be able to kill me? I know your every move.” The simulacrum spun around and unsheathed two jagged swords. My swords!
I growled and glanced at Romulus, hoping the fool had a plan, but his gaze stayed on the clone. I could not interpret his thoughts. “You will die.”
“You are a fool, if you think you can kill me, Lucino.” He grinned as he said my name, our name. I regretted ever creating the beast.
We stared at each other, and seeing myself created a strange sensation in my thoughts. Fog clouded my brain. I blinked back the confusion, knowing this was very real. While the clone might have my physique, my logic, and my fighting techniques, he did not have my drive.
I was driven by something more powerful than he could ever understand. That’s why I would win.
With a vicious forward thrust, I attacked. He lifted the swords, blocking me, then pushed me back and spun to slash across my center. We circled each other, a slow spiral headed to what would be death for one of us. Methodically we stepped, mirroring each other’s movements—even the strands of our hair moved in accordance with this deadly dance. The only two differences: one, he had two blades and I had one, something I had to change; the other, the cocky smirk upon his face.
“You’re going to die this day.” The words rolled off his smug lips.
Was I always that pompous?
He spun the blades in tight orbits around his arms, one clockwise, one counterclockwise, to show his superior dexterity. A taunt—a reminder I faced a deadly opponent. Perhaps the most dangerous encounter I have ever had.
“I’ve waited a long time for this moment.” His tone dripped with confidence. “I have planned your death down to the exact second at which I will snuff out your light.”
“You will do no such thing,” I replied. “The future is mine, and mine alone.”
He smiled wide. “But my dear brother, I am the better version of us, and you have arrived right on time.” Before the last word fully left his lips, he exploded in to motion.
His blades spun in tight circuits. His first strike came in on my left. The blade in his right hand spun clockwise at me with a vicious thrust aimed at my left eye. I held up my blade to block, but it was a feint. The point veered off target as his second blade, spinning counterclockwise, came up from under my raised guard, aimed to stab under my chin. The lightning-fast move knuckled my chin as I dodged. A highly skillful maneuver, yet it left my blade behind his guard.
Not wasting the opening, I countered with a horizontal slash, bending backward and away from his strike to reach his throat. He mirrored my backward arch, but spun to the right. My sword swiped over his chest while the blade in his right hand came around at my legs.
Off balance, and with no way of blocking the razor edge sword, I did the only thing I could and fell on my back, kicking both legs into the air to dodge the blow. Crashing on to the stone floor, pain vibrated through my bones and dazed me.
My clone’s sword cut into my calf. The wound gushed blood, but I could still curl my toes and move my foot.
“Much better than I anticipated, brother. You still have both legs. I wanted to watch you grovel before me, but oh well, I still have many other things planned for you.”
I rolled over backward, and in a kneeling position, kept my sword to my right side, and my left hand on the floor in front of me.
“Isn’t this fitting,” he said. “That you should kneel before me?” He tilted forward, and lowered his left shoulder, keeping the sword level with the floor while holding the blade in his right hand angled down at me. “I call this stance moon’s fury. Shall I show you why?”
He used his incessant talking as a distraction, but I wouldn’t fall for it. He shot the lower weapon forward. I turned on my left hand, and dipping my shoulder, rolled on to my back. Instinctively, I raised my sword, blocking the true killing blow that came from his right weapon. Steel rang as our blades locked at the hilts.
“Very good, brother.” His eyes widened, matching his wide, insane smile. “I spent many hours planning this glorious occasion. We are gifted. Are we not?”
With my head by his feet, I glared up at him, our swords locked perpendicular to each other in a cross. He gripped the blade with his thumb facing me, an odd way to hold the sword. From that position, he did not have proper leverage to drive the blade down.
Was he toying with me? Testing to see who truly was the better version?
He rolled the blade over in his hand, gripping it pinky down, and drove his sword lower. I needed to think of what I would do in this situation. I visualized his intent, picturing how he would spin off and twist like a windmill and slash in with his second sword.
As he began to spin, I used my left hand to push out and away, swinging my entire body around and rolling on to my left hip, sweeping his legs out from under him with my torso.
He disengaged his first sword from mine as he fell on the floor.
We both rose, slowly, eyeing each other with mutual hate.
“You are afraid of me,” I stated.
“I’m afraid of you?” He scoffed. “Ridiculous. I am twice the Reptilian you are!”
“Is that why you require two swords instead of one?” My turn to smirk.
My clone’s eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. “You cannot fault me for your state of ill preparation. It is not my responsibility to keep you armed.”
“So you are afraid?”
A scowl crossed his face.
“What say you, Romulus? You have been awfully quiet.” By the wide-eyed stare, and the sweat on his brow, I knew he was under a charm spell and working hard to break from it.
“He can’t answer you,” my clone said. “He is reflecting on his past sins.”
“Are you afraid he also thinks you don’t match up to me?”
Laughter echoed off the walls of the lab. “Romulus is scared he is about to lose his prince, and he is powerless to stop it. Aren’t you?”
Romulus stayed silent.
“It’s okay,” the clone said, “I command you to answer.”
Sweat slid down the side of his face. “Yes.”
“See?” My clone smiled and raised his arm high. “Even Romulus agrees!”
“He was answering me,” I retorted.
My clone’s eyes went wide. “Very well. Let’s even up the odds. Though the outcome will still be the same. Romulus, I command you to give my brother another sword.”
Romulus touched the wall, opening a hidden cache with a black sword, etched with red markings. A prototype weapon, powerful, but unstable. It had taken me months to find
the exotic components in Mirth to add in the red electricity—its secret attribute. Could Romulus be breaking through the charm spell?
My clone hissed.
“You aren’t afraid of this little bauble, are you?” The sword flared angrily as I picked it up. “What did you call it again, Romulus? Soul drinker?”
The simulacrum burst into motion. He weaved his blades in and out of each other, sweeping and spinning around his body. Our swords clashed as sparks of red lit the features on our faces, grim determination glaring in the light. Strike after strike, the metal created a perfect harmony of death. Parry after parry, a stalemate. I’m sure a sight to behold. Yet, my steps slowed due to the wound in my calf. I would need to land a strike for the sword’s regenerating ability to activate.
My clone came at me with double diagonal downward slashes that crossed in an X in front of him. I overlapped my hands at the wrist, my sword making an inverted V, a perfectly placed parry that intercepted both blades. I countered with crossing horizontal slashes. The simulacrum ducked, dodging the move.
He rose with an upward cross slash from his main hand weapon.
I countered.
Our blades sparked as the iron screamed against each other. The vibrant aura of Soul Drinker glowed an angry red. He slashed again, but I mirrored the strike. Bright embers flew wildly with the ringing metal. One after another we repeated the striking motion as if locked in an infinite loop, sending fiery shrapnel into the room.
The sword vibrated in my hand, the urge to feed making it unstable. A wave of dizziness rolled through me. The blade snapped, and a piece of it lodged in my bicep. A mini explosion threw me to the floor, and hurled my clone close to a nearby shelf holding beakers of yellow liquid. Red lightning jumped to his blade and traveled down to his hand.
His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open in a dazed scream. He reeled backwards and slammed against the shelves, knocking the beakers above him over. Yellow and green liquids poured onto his shoulder and back. He roared in agony, thrashing at the steam coming from his clothes.
