Demitri’s eyes twitched. “No, no, General. They were afraid and came willingly. I would have taken very good care of them.”
“Persuaded by a fear that you yourself created,” Alexandal said. “We know you’re behind these attacks. You won’t be taking care of anything in the cells where you are going. You’re charged with abduction and conspiracy to destroy the throne. Like your friend, it will cost you your hands. For being the mastermind behind this, I hope we take more. You are stripped of your title and citizenship from the United Kingdoms of Naan.”
Demitri exploded. “Is that how you speak to me, the headmaster of the Ikarus ministry of science? I am the greatest mind this world has ever seen, and you treat me like a leper? You did the same to Burton Lang, the man who helped build this civilization. How dare you!”
Funny, Montague thought. Demitri now defended and compared himself to the man he resented for years.
“The queen knows that you hired Bolo to collect those children. He confessed. Your servants are not as devoted as you might think. You are no longer the headmaster of science of any kingdom,” Montague said.
Demitri took a long, slow look at the men who’d drawn their swords. “The air you breathe will soon belong to me. Like sheep, I’ll tear your hearts out with a lion’s bite. I will shake your grounds with the rage of a quake! The Kingdom of Ikarus will resemble the aftermath of the attack on Illyrium and will forever be a victim to my wrath.” He glared at Montague then mounted his horse. “Peace will only remain a concept that your future will tell in tales of the way things used to be. Not a hundred men will stop me, not a thousand. I curse you all!” Demitri’s voice was like thunder. His horse reared.
With blackened eyes, Demitri’s body was now the vessel of the Nekrums, used to promote death and suffering. He must have coordinated the attacks against Grale and Mern, Montague thought.
Demitri quickly rode away.
“Take the hounds! Track him,” Alexandal said to a team of four guards.
“I’ll untie the children and ready them for a safe return to the kingdom,” said Montague.
Alexandal sent his fastest riders after him, but Demitri’s tracks vanished after a mile. When the Ikarus soldiers returned, they had no news of the former headmaster’s whereabouts. The hounds had lost Demitri’s scent near the runoff at the plateau’s edge.
Montague wished that they’d caught him or at the very least had some sort of idea where he was going. Demitri would be much less dangerous if he were in custody. Now the host, an unpredictable demon set against mankind, was free. He’d accepted the loss just to have reason for another day’s revenge. And his loyalists would remain as spies within The Temple.
It seemed as though children were the host’s new target. This entire time, he had lived so close to the last known Volpi. And what disturbed Montague even more was why Demitri hadn’t attempted to take the queen when he had the chance. It was her blood that the Nekrums were after—the reason they came to this planet. Unless Demitri had already tested Olivia for the secret gene and the result came up negative, then he would surely wait until the next generation to be born. The abduction attempt had been too precarious. Demitri knew that he would never be allowed near the queen again if he was caught. And he was caught. So why did it appear that he was now more interested in random children than a Volpi?
The trial concerning missing children, the attacks on two neighboring islands of the united kingdoms, and the exposure of a close advisor made Olivia Volpi shake for days—the stress was unbearable. Every night for the past week Montague had been giving her crushed pixel flowers mixed in with the third and last dose of nutwood and pigroot, an hour before she went to sleep. It relaxed her, but the effect was short lived. Last night she’d asked for an extra dose.
It was the month of Ellender and the first day of spring.
Today, the morning sunlight streamed through the eastern windows of the queen’s room at the top of the castle tower.
Olivia woke, finally feeling rested after consecutive, sleepless nights. She stretched out from under her blanket, sweating and surprisingly aroused. A scene of passionate romance with a man other than her betrothed filled her dreams with a pleasure she had never experienced in all of her life.
She lounged against her pillows and reimagined every detail, making love again to a man she had never seen before; a handsome man that emanated a warm, brilliant light. He’d held her, caressed her, and kissed her in places and in ways she never had imagined. The man’s fingers had felt like feathers across her skin, tracing the queen from mouth to toe. Her entire body fluttered.
But as clouds passed, the room darkened and Olivia remembered what had happened at the beginning of her dream. She was lying down on a bushel of hay in a dilapidated barn with her arms at her sides, and she couldn’t move. Through the barn door, the scenery was unrecognizable—stalks of hewed corn in the field to her left bled like a fresh wound. A deformed man crept around in the shadows surrounding her, giggling. He had long fingernails and wore a pointed hat with at its peak little bells that jingled. Tip-toeing over to the queen, he pulled the covers from her paralyzed body and tickled her at the waist. He had the same smirk as the former headmaster of science. It was no mystery to her that the morbid man was an illusion of Demitri Von Cobb, her close advisor who had betrayed her.
Eventually, after screaming hard enough, she broke free from the invisible restraint and ran into a field of high grass. Olivia followed a beautiful butterfly that seemed to be leading her away from danger when it suddenly fell into a pond. Across the water’s rippling surface, she reached out to try to help it, but saw a man looking back at her instead of her own reflection. He reached for her through the glassy surface. Olivia took him by the hand as he pulled her into the water. At the depth of the pond, it had been as if they were no longer walking the planet, but floating across the heavens, making love in a sea of stars. Her fear and distress disappeared. The man knew Olivia intimately, and even though she didn’t recognize him, he gazed at her as if they’d known each other for lifetimes. She had been charmed by a familiar stranger. But what seemed completely real had only been a dream. And by the light of a rising sun, the glowing man had disappeared.
For a moment, she felt guilty reminiscing. Alexandal was lying in bed, just inches away from her.
A cool morning breeze rushed in through the windows. The fireplace had devoured its usual stack of wood during the night. Olivia slid out of bed slowly, so as not to disturb Alexandal, who was snuggled under satin sheets and still asleep. The drafty air raised goose bumps on her naked skin. She skipped across the tile floor to the washroom, where Gretchen and the other handmaids prepared towels, arranged flowers, and poured her bath.
“My queen, you’re up rather early,” Gretchen said, stacking quilts.
Olivia stretched and tried to hide the ecstasy that she was still feeling since she woke. “Make the water hot. I want to see it steam.”
“A smile? Well, I’m guessing you finally got a good night’s sleep?” Gretchen asked. She placed her hand across Olivia’s forehead. “There is a rather intense glow about you. I haven’t seen you so delighted so early in the morning.”
Olivia sat on the edge of the tub, blushing. The sleek stone under her bum felt cold.
“I see those ruby red cheeks,” Gretchen said. “It’s like you’ve been swept off of your feet. Did you—”
The euphoria Olivia had basked in all morning suddenly turned to sickness. Without letting Gretchen finish, she dashed to the chamber pot next to a basket of folded towels and threw up what little was in her stomach.
Gretchen held Olivia’s shadow-black hair behind her head. “My queen! Are you sick?” she asked, almost frantic. She picked Olivia up from under her arms and examined her from head to toe like a mother would her child. “I’ll make a bowl of lemongrass broth for you.”
“No. No, I’m not sick,” Olivia said.
“Oh. No?” Gretchen’s eyes opened wide. Her voice go
t quiet. “From what I heard the other night, you and Alexandal were quite busy. That was a long scout he’d been on. It’s only natural that you missed each other,” she said, winking.
Olivia blushed again. This time her face turned an embarrassing red.
“If you’re not sick, then you must be p—!” Gretchen almost shouted before Olivia caught her lips.
“Shush! No. I feel fine.”
Just thinking about being pregnant made Olivia uncomfortable. She and Alexandal had been trying to conceive a child since they met. But so far they had been denied that blessing.
Whispers began to travel through the villages, concerning the queen’s refusal to comment on the absence of offspring at the age of twenty-four. Volpi children would determine the future in the world of Men. Being that she was the only Volpi left, the people of Ikarus were anxious to hear Olivia’s announcement of a future king or queen. Olivia had feared that the majority rule of the council would force her to leave Alexandal in order to continue her bloodline. People would expect her to try with another man. A queen should not be told who she could love. The Volpi name shouldn’t direct the way she was allowed to live. But the queen had one limit to her power. She was not able to deny the continuance of her bloodline. The council could step in at any time and demand a separation.
Gretchen gripped Olivia at the shoulders and directed her to a chair in front of a mirror framed in diamonds. She stood behind, brushing the queen’s long locks and applying oils that smelled of sweet cinnamon. “The people are beginning to worry that they may not have a future king or queen to carry the sacred Volpi name,” Gretchen said. “They are getting nervous; asking questions.”
The weight of expectation overcame Olivia. If only she weren’t a ‘Volpi,’ she thought. If only she could be free to love and spend the rest of her days with the man she wanted, without having the relationship questioned. That man was Alexandal. “Greta, we’ve already accepted the fact that it may never happen between us. We’ve talked about the consequences. I just wanted to try for a little longer. I understand the responsibility I have to continue the bloodline,” Olivia said. Her heart hurt every time she thought about leaving Alexandal. He was good to her and true, always smiling when they were together.
“I hope so,” Gretchen said.
“After the attacks on Grale and Mern, we have taken in two magnificent children, also with royal blood,” Olivia said. Deep down she knew that the people would never accept replacing the leader of Men with an heir who did not own her name, or her blood. It was just a senseless hope. The blood of the creator flowed through her veins. “I thought that would buy us more time, a distraction from all the pressure.”
“My beautiful queen,” Gretchen said softly, as if she shared the melancholy of Olivia’s predicament. “Royal blood is not the same as sacred blood, and you can’t adopt Indrid. He is here under our protection until he comes of age. And Anna doesn’t belong to Ikarus either. She still has family on Mern. They won’t be here forever. And technically, Montague and I have taken them in. Grale will ask for their count back, and Anna’s relatives will expect their maiden to return when their homes are rebuilt. You can adopt and foster all the children you want, but none of them will ever take the place of your own blood, my queen.”
Olivia struggled to understand what was so special about her blood and her ancestor, the dubbed the creator, Gabriel Volpi. She appeared no different than anyone else. Even the alternate version of history didn’t speak of the superiority of Volpi blood, at least not that Montague had ever told her. The importance of her family felt more like a curse.
“Come! Let’s go to see Montague. He can settle my little suspicion,” Gretchen said.
“But it was just hours ago that Alexandal and I were together. I haven’t seen him in months. How would Montague possibly be able to tell if I’m pregnant?”
“Trust me. He will know.” Gretchen grabbed Olivia by the wrist and headed down the spiral staircase of the great chamber.
IN THE study hall of the library, books of various sizes and ages were stacked up to the ceiling, tipping across the tops of the aisles where Montague La-Rose laid out a blanket and prepared to meditate.
The early mornings were usually quiet and empty. Montague used that time for his daily attempt to contact Burton Lang, wherever he might be. The only part of Burton that Montague had been able to sense was his sensei’s sword. A piece of Burton still existed in his blade forged out of metal, light, and his own angelic blood. Shortly after the Great Migration, Gretchen had delivered the sword to Burton’s son, Sir Simon Atikan, now the keeper of the Graleon throne, just as Burton had requested.
Montague knew that if both he and Burton were in the same mental state of awareness, it was possible to communicate telepathically, no matter the distance. Burton had told him, “With a silent mind, you can find anyone, anywhere, and in any land or planet. When both of your eyes close, a third will open.” But so far, no connection had been made. It was as if Burton Lang no longer existed, and this worried Montague greatly.
Since his sensei had told him to unite the kingdoms, he asked the queen to keep close by the royal children who had been brought to Ikarus. But it seemed suspicious, too convenient that they came to him so easily—by unfortunate circumstances—but they were simply brought to him. Could it be a trap, he thought? If it was, he knew the children were safer with him than someone who had no idea what was actually happening. The Nekrums were using Demitri to corral the royal families. Eight of the eleven living members of the royal family of Mern were now in Ikarus. Not only was there only one living Volpi, there was now only one Cole, the Graleon royal family name, left alive and he was only nine years old. Arland must have seen the mages coming and sent Indrid to Ikarus before they reached the shore, Montague thought. The mountains of Grale reached far into the sky, just beneath the clouds.
On the verge of tapping into the void of consciousness, Montague heard the main doors of the library creak open. He could tell that the visitors were trying to enter unnoticed. The doors sounded louder when they were pushed slowly. It was impossible to arrive in silence. He heard footsteps approaching. “What is it?” Montague asked, keeping his eyes closed.
“Monte,” a soft voice said.
Montague immediately recognized her voice. “My queen,” he said politely. He rose to his feet and bowed.
Olivia was peeking around the doorway as Gretchen nudged her forward.
“Good morning. I apologize for the sudden intrusion, being that it is so early, but I need you to examine me. I’ve been feeling quite ill lately.”
There was a different truth behind her words. Montague knew it. Olivia would always look away and speak softly whenever she was embarrassed or had a personal matter to discuss.
“I think she might be—” Gretchen began, speaking out of turn.
“—sick with a stomach bug. I must be,” Olivia nearly shouted. Although there was a brilliant radiance surrounding her, she seemed anxious.
Montague smiled. The queen’s recent early-morning nausea and eating habits suggested to him that something much bigger was happening. “You came to find out if you are pregnant, no?”
At first Olivia hesitated. She looked wide-eyed at Montague. “Yes,” she said, turning her eyes to the floor.
Montague had not enjoyed giving her the unfortunate news that she was not pregnant several times before. But that did not hinder his confidence. The Volpi bloodline would continue and he swore to make sure of that. There were other ways; ways that might be mistaken for dark magic. A conjuring had been on his mind for some time now. But he did not bring this idea up to the queen, not yet. Montague would rather that the conception be natural. It would be safer for the mother.
While he had submerged himself in Gabriel’s Dairy, Montague finally cracked the code to the planet’s quarantine. The ritual he’d discovered was dangerous, but if done successfully, it could also open a portal to the angels, so one would be able to descend and seed O
livia’s womb. The queen could bring an angel and the future king of Men into the world at the same time. The notion sounded wonderful, but he was not prepared to take the risk and face the consequences if the conjuring went awry. The thought of battling a demon was scary.
He lifted Olivia’s chin. “Don’t ever lose faith, my dear, and don’t ever feel like a fool. Whatever is meant to happen, can and will happen. Your beliefs become your reality.”
Olivia’s nerves seemed to vanish.
“Come,” Montague said, extending his hand toward a small couch draped with bright white sheets. “Please, lie down.”
Montague lit a stick of sage and circled the room, spreading the fragrance. Once the queen was comfortable, he put the burning spice on a table near her head and gently placed his left hand across her forehead and the other on her stomach, just under her navel, “A moment of silence, please.” Just like Burton had taught him, he placed four crystals around her to enhance his ability to read her aura. Every person had a magnetic field surrounding their body, and one could tap into it if he was tuned to the same frequency. Montague closed his eyes and sank into deep concentration, examining the energy signature of her biology through his mind. After obtaining a blueprint of her body, it only took moments before he sensed a second energetic pulse—another life form.
“Indeed, my dearest queen, you are pregnant,” Montague said, opening his eyes once again.
Gretchen nearly jumped out of her slippers. She hugged Montague in a fit of excitement. “So much to do in such little time!” Gretchen seemed to be already planning the celebration and the child’s nurturing in her head.
Montague stepped into the kitchen to put together a basket of herbs that were normally consumed when a queen, princess, or lady was with child to help the baby develop. Behind the door, he overheard Gretchen going on to the queen about the baby. Then her voice got quiet.
“After all this time, I was beginning to think that Alexandal was without seed. You didn’t sneak away under my nose, did you?” Gretchen asked.
Under a Veil of Gods Page 8
