So Dark the Night

by Elle Cross

  The Crossroads were a phenomenon outside of time and space. It was a conduit to wherever it was a person needed to be. Once inside the blinding light, I offered words of greeting to whomever guarded it. It seemed a good idea to be nice to a power that could hurtle you into the mouths of hell if they felt like it.

  I felt something like a giggle trembling around me. The Crossroads were in a good mood. I hoped they would be able to shuttle along the other men once they arrived here too.

  I ordered the street address and the house outline in my mind. Behind a veil, houses and streets seemed to waver into view as we hurtled toward them.

  It felt like I was standing still, but my stomach told me otherwise.

  The quality changed a bit, and instinct told me that it was nearing the end of our journey. I asked The Powers That Be if they would be so kind as to direct my friends here if they were ever to make it to this hub. I produced more coins in the palm of my hand. They disappeared faster than I could blink. I was reassured by another sort of giggle.

  We arrived in front of a house that was set back from the road. This neighborhood was an entirely different city look and feel. Instead of the houses being in neat little rows with everyone vying for every available bit of space, these houses sprawled atop impressive acres of land. They called this area the suburbs.

  We ducked inside, and as I thought gratefully of warmth, lights, and a place to rest, the entire house turned on. There was an empty great room to our left as we entered the house, lofty ceilings and a rambling floor space that led into a kitchen. As we entered it, though, furniture and amenities appeared and shifted around until they became aesthetically pleasing.

  I pretended that was normal, and made Enver sit down on a padded ottoman. I didn’t miss that he had been favoring his right shoulder when he crashed into the landing pad behind us. When I made West help him out of his armor, his upper back had lesions and purpling bruises radiating out from his shoulder. That was not to mention many of the other bruises and scrapes that ran along his body. He grazed my cheek with his fingers, and I tsked at him.

  “This is nothing, my queen. I have sustained worse than this from West during our training sessions.”

  I turned to West, horrified. He just gestured at Enver as if to say, Really? Why did you have to drag me into this?

  “I’ll go and see if this house has any medical supplies,” West said.

  “If it does it would be in that hall closet or in any of the bathrooms,” I called to his retreating form. At Enver’s unspoken question, I shrugged. “This house seems to be rearranging itself, so I figured might as well give it some suggestions, you know?”

  “Ah.” He smiled, his eyes filled with warmth.

  It positively melted me. I didn’t know how he could do that? Go from hella scary fighter to something I wanted to melt around.

  Well, that was inaccurate, I wanted to melt around the fighter, too, just not when he was in immediate danger.

  He chuckled, and despite the growing soreness of his muscles, he leaned over to kiss me.

  My cheeks flamed. “I projected my thoughts again, didn’t I? I have got to start remembering when I do that!”

  His eyes darkened to black. “Yes, but for now, they make me so happy, my love.”

  When he called me that it was really hard to argue with his logic. Impossible, in fact.

  West returned with the medical supplies, and I was able to fuss over Enver. He managed to take the attention in stride, not preening too much. Along with the other injuries, I found the deflected scrape from the Shrike’s would-be killing blow. Thankfully he had quick reflexes and ducked, and whatever poison that would have been transferred into him sank instead to his body armor.

  No wonder it was practically coming apart. I wondered where they got replacement armor.

  I swallowed down my worry for Taran and Havoc. They were fine. They had to be. I didn’t realize that I hugged the broken bit of body armor to me until Enver gently tugged it away from my hold.

  I tried not to cry, but when Enver wrapped his arms around me, the last of my resolve crumbled away. I clung to him and sobbed out all the worries and fear I dared not speak out loud.

  He grazed his fingers over the nape of my neck, content to hold me until I quieted. “They’re okay, right?” I was finally able to ask.

  “Of course they are. And I will have them apologize for worrying you when they come back.” He laid a gentle kiss on my forehead.

  When Enver was patched up and I could not find another reason to fuss at him for the moment, he and West scoped out the house, and then the exterior. I stayed on the enclosed porch that overlooked the backyard while Enver and West ranged the property. I could already feel that the place was safe, but they needed to check it out.

  A ghost was waiting at the edge of the property, looking a little bereft. I walked out to him. It kept projecting images of people who I assumed were his past family or friends. At any rate, I didn’t know who they were or how to find them.

  “Sorry, sir, I don’t know if I can help you.”

  He just shook his head slowly, while projecting those images. I really wanted to let him know that he was still doing it. Ghosts could get pretty repetitive. I figured it was kind of the reason they were still anchored here. If they let go, they’d probably fade.

  West and Enver met me with the ghost, though they couldn’t see him. I gave him a finally wave, and his outline blurred and faded.

  We went inside, and I walked with them as they made sure to check every room of the house. As we did so, the house responded to my presence, or at least to my thoughts and whims. Wherever there had been empty space, furniture, décor and even the placement of the windows would change and adjust to my preferences.

  As yet another desk and bookshelf slid into place, Enver asked me, “Have you always been able to do this, my queen?”

  I shrugged. “Since I started living in the Shadow Realm, yes. I was able to outfit that townhouse the way I wanted to. I wouldn’t know at Nightmare Court. I never felt the need to.”

  They nodded their head in approval.

  Enver skimmed his finger along my cheek. “If you ever wanted proof that you were a queen, this is one.”

  “Why, because I can rearrange space and make my own home?”

  “Yes,” they said this in unison like this was an irrefutable fact that everyone ought to know; as basic as the need for drinking water.

  “And you do not need Shades witnessing it through their television portals, either,” West thought to add.

  I smiled despite myself. I didn’t want to dwell on it. Dwelling on it would remind me of the fact that I lost two of my men and though I am a queen, it didn’t matter to me since I couldn’t tap into my latent powers.

  Karina

  I scoured maps to keep my thoughts focused on the present and not worrying that two of my men may have been torn apart. The city center would be a bit of a drive from here, which was a shame. I liked being able to walk to the various places in the other city that I had called home for these past three years.

  But this place as a residence had some appeal. The space—and sprawling land—really worked for me. I couldn’t see the closest neighbor, and there was a lake farther back which according to the property maps, belonged to me. The porch wrapped around the entire house, and if I felt like it, I could convert many of the out buildings into secondary apartments. And the pool didn’t hurt either.

  I really liked the thought of having a house that could host all of my people and court comfortably.

  What am I thinking? A part of a queen’s responsibilities would be to host a court and also protect her people. I didn’t have a court and two of my Inner Circle were lost to me.

  My mood darkened, and I asked for privacy so that I could clean up and get my head together. If the men felt rebuffed or alarmed at my shifting mood, they didn’t say anything. They just let me know that they would be preparing rooms and food for the rest of the day.
>
  When I was finally able to soak in the tub, I allowed myself to decompress all the way and let the emotions release.

  Okay, so I knew that it would take time to understand my power. There were many queens in our histories who didn’t even have power or wielded their power in other ways. But those queens tended to die quickly and violently, at least in the Fold.

  What made me queen enough was the ability to attract a power base to me, and even at my weakest state in the Nightmare Court, I was still able to attract some of my mother’s most powerful guards. That was proof enough for my mother, and my guards. Well, that and the revels.

  I knew that I had guards, but honestly, what sovereign was weaker than her courtiers? As a queen, I would attract stronger guards than an untitled noble or gentry. As a Prince, Enver would attract men who would resonate with his power.

  By that logic, I should be more powerful, and yet, I could not even facedown a Hell Hound on my own. Well, not that Enver or West would have allowed me to do that on my own anyway, but I could feel it deep down inside. I knew that I would not have been able to stand and fight them.

  I scooped the bubbles in my hand and blew on them, letting them float away.

  I wished I could have lingered, but the pull to find and protect that girl called to me deep down to my very bones. I rinsed off, then stepped out of the bathroom, avoiding my reflection out of habit. At least I didn’t fear using mirrors anymore. Those that I had hid from already know the truth.

  I wrapped a huge towel around me, and I walked up to the full length mirror. I was still a little nervous because habits were hard to break, but I had a reassuring feeling from the house and the mirror in particular that they would not do anything that would bring me to harm.

  I took a bracing breath, then dropped the towel so I could inspect myself. I didn’t look any different, but for some reason I felt like I was more in color. Like I was no longer a two-dimensional, gray being like I’d been. My bronzed skin took on a more burnished appearance. I wondered again if it was part of waking up to power. Tracing the lilac glyphs on my skin made my heart swell with pride.

  It was as if everything else that I’d experienced before was dull and flat, or I was numb but now I could see in color and taste and smell everything as it was supposed to be experienced.

  I was looking kind of weak again, more skinny than fit with my softening muscle tone. I’d been working more and more caseloads at Major Crimes and barely had enough time to go to the gym and strengthen my body let alone eat the right food that would support the muscle I needed for a strong body.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I strapped on my training shoes and ran. With the potential of hunters dropping in on me at any moment, I needed to make time now. It wasn’t like I was going to be working at a police precinct to fill in the time anymore.

  I didn’t realize it until I thought it how sad I would be. I really liked being able to help out the squad and lend my expertise. For the first time in my life I had felt important. Needed.

  The men flashed into my head, and they needed me in their own way. But the work I did with Major Crimes and especially getting the approval of a job well done from that squad leader meant a lot to me. It was something that I was able to do on my own.

  I huffed out a deep sigh, and noticed that my breath frosted.

  Belatedly, I realized that I was not alone.

  “Well, my dear, you are looking well.” My mother’s lush, breathy voice drifted out of the mirror. I had just lounged back, absently lotioning my naked body when she had appeared.

  I ducked for my throw blanket with a squawk, knowing that she was often with at least a guard or two, if not entertaining a courtier or visiting dignitary. Like a proper queen.

  She giggled in her own way, which was to say that she purred out throaty laughter that could command men to hurl themselves onto broken glass if that would have amused her.

  “Oh, my darling baby. I am so happy to see you.” She spoke to me as if I was not naked and desperately draping myself with a blanket. “I didn’t think I’d see you so soon. How are you?”

  “Mother. I do not think this is the right time. Can I call you back?” Would I be able to call her back? Was that a thing I could do with these mirrors?

  She tilted her head at me like I had asked her something strange. “What do you mean?” Then her voice dropped. “Are you entertaining men? Is that it? You do not want to be distracted? Are you with that Darkling Prince of yours? Or West? Or both?” She waggled her eyebrows and I swore she would have bounced off her seat.

  She was too manic by half. Which meant that any little thing could set her off into a tailspin or warpath if I didn’t play this right.

  “Why, yes, Enver and my other guard are here, but no, I am not entertaining them presently, thank you.” A prim and proper response, I was amazed at myself.

  She squealed. This was not the first time that I felt like the parent and she the child. “Wait darling, if they are there, why are they not with you?”

  “I asked for privacy.”

  She blinked at me, blank expression.

  “I wanted to be alone.”

  Still nothing.

  “Aren’t there times you just wanted to be by yourself?”

  “No.” Then she added, “I do not understand, darling, do your men displease you? Shall I teach them a lesson in manners or something?”

  Her tone of voice had taken on a decidedly darker shade. It brought to mind the glinting of knives’ edges and the sharpening of blades.

  “No, I just really wanted to enjoy silence, is all. We had just been chased off by some Hounds—”

  “What?”

  Okay, so that word was dripped with murderous rage.

  “Are they dead?”

  I recalled the hounds that chased us to the portal. They were probably hurtling into space toward hell at that point. “Pretty much, yes.” And that reminded me. “I got separated from Taran and Havoc, and hoped to reunite with them soon. I left coins for The Powers That Be over the Crossroads, and they had promised that if they stumbled by, they would be given passage here directly.”

  My mother nodded imperceptibly. And off mirror, I saw the flicker of shadows.

  I knew she wasn’t alone.

  I recounted the rest of the tale, too, how there were hunters and then there were chases and how I connected with my men, and what I thought about Circle City and my plans for finding the Oracles.

  When I finished, my mother squinted her perfect nightshade eyes at me.

  “You are skipping something, I know it.” She tapped the tip of her finger on her lips. “Oh I know! No wonder you are looking better than I’ve remembered, you have been thoroughly fucked, have you not?”

  My face was on fire. Which might as well have been a beacon confirming the truth that she had already known.

  “I knew it! And! You enjoyed it! You are positively glowing!” She leaned in and I realized that my blanket had fallen off my shoulder exposing a bit of flesh. A bit of glowing, glyph-y flesh. Then, as if connecting the dots, she gasped once more. “Karina, show me your skin.”

  “Mother!” I was outraged. “You cannot be serious. And you have people there, I’m not about to be naked, on display in front of the—oh.”

  My mother had stripped off her dress and tossed it aside, sitting atop her throne with only her raven wing cape off her shoulders, her tiara, and her scepter in hand. The whorls and glyphs on her body spoke the story of her reign. Her power, her battles, her court, her lovers… it was all there in beautiful artistry scrolling over her skin.

  She cocked her brow at me. “Let’s go then.”

  I rolled me eyes. “Ugh fine, but make sure no one else is there.”

  “No one else is anywhere close to the mirror.” The way she tilted her head and gave that imperceptible shooing motion with her hand didn’t make me feel better.

  Best get this over with.

  With a sigh, I dropped the blanket, but cup
ped it around my breasts so I was still covered. She still was able to see the majority of the glyphs though since they started along my clavicle and graced my left arm.

  She squealed like an excited child about to open her presents. “I am so proud of you my darling, come closer to the glass so I might read the glyphs. You’ve had them interpreted then?”

  I scooched with baby steps toward the glass. It would not do for me to face plant in front of her mirror, no matter what she said about people being off screen.

  She skimmed it and smiled. “Queen of Shadows.” She breathed it out in awe and clapped. I heard clapping and happy murmuring. And then her voice became clear and resonant. “My second daughter, our little Brightling, is now Queen of Shadows. She has died to us and has become master over death in the Shadow Realm. We await the growth of her powers.”

  It sounded like a very formal proclamation, and the answering rounds of huzzah-ing led me to believe that she entertained the entire court.

  Naked.

  Yup, that was my mother.

  And then she practically purred at me, “All right, then my darling, it was good to catch up. I’ll let you play with your friends, okay?”

  Before I could respond, her guard appeared on screen, stalking toward her. “Now, now, remember that my daughter is uncomfortable being naked in front of the group so you must be naked to ease her distress.”

  “Nope, that’s not what this is,” I started, but stopped trying. There were four guards at least that filled the screen, all of whom were now naked.

  I screeched out a ‘Mother!’ and trying valiantly to swipe the mirror to end the transmission, and hiding what I was seeing with my other hand.

  The door burst open, and Enver and West came in ready for a fight. They froze when they saw me and the tableau in front of them. I could only imagine what they were thinking. Me, naked save for a blanket, a huge full length mirror that was now broadcasting an orgy that featured my laughing, triumphant mother.

  “Ooh, darling look! You get to have a nice fuck, too!”