by Day Leitao
“I told you slowly. We barely knew each other. Was I supposed to tell you I wanted you to be my queen? Really? Of course you’d run away scared.”
“And how exactly did you pick me to be your queen if you didn’t even know me? How?”
“I read people well. I know of your power, Karina. The throne is the right place for you. Nothing less. You’ll see it in time.”
“No, Sian. I don’t like it. If you’re going to be king in a legitimate way, I’ll support you, but—”
“That’s the only legitimate way you can take the throne. How do you think it’s done? By asking please?”
“Well, then, you don’t need it. You have businesses, don’t you? You already make a living. Maybe you could talk to your brother, I could talk to Cayla, you could have a good position—”
He snorted. “A good position. Like a dog. Do you really expect me to obey my brother and his spoiled girlfriend? Do you think they’re better than us? That my brother is better than me?”
“No. But you can go to Siphoria then. You have things there, friends.”
“What’s wrong with you? Any girl in your position would be flattered. I mean, look at what I’m offering you. Isn’t it enough?”
“Sian, I don’t want war, and I don’t want this stupid throne. I just want you.”
“Not true. What you want is some stupid guy from your imagination that you think is me.”
“What about you? You didn’t even know me when you decided you wanted me as your queen. You didn’t even bother asking me what I thought of that. You don’t want me either.”
“Of course I don’t want you. If you’re not going to be my queen, I don’t want you.”
Karina stepped back, startled. She had a bitter taste in her mouth and focused on holding back the tears that wanted to come out of her eyes. “Thanks for letting me know. I wish you’d told me this sooner.”
His voice softened. “It’s not this. Come with me, and we’ll sort it out. I’ll have time to explain and you’ll have time to understand.”
Her body felt numb. “Was it because of my power?”
“You’re smart, Karina. Think. Think. Why was it? Why did I choose you? You have your answer.”
Hold back the tears. Hold back the tears. “I don’t want to be queen. I’m sorry.”
“Well, leave then. You already gave me all I needed, in case you haven’t noticed. Leave me and it’s the end, and whatever happens is your fault.”
Her skin felt as if it was turning to ice. Struggling not to cry, she had trouble making sense of what was happening. Her mind was spinning. She had to go to the castle, find Cayla, open a portal home. “I’ll need a portal.”
Sian snorted. “Really? You’re leaving me. Walking away. Wonderful. I could never have guessed that. You’re so surprising. Shocking, really. You want a portal? Not my problem, portal opener. Deal with it.”
“I will.” Karina turned around to get her stuff in her bedroom. She didn’t even know what she was going to do. Maybe convince someone to fly her to Siphoria? Would they even do it, though, devoted as they were to Sian?
Sian pulled her hand. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Dealing with it, right?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Come with me to the castle. You can re-open the flowing tower and leave. More than you deserve, but I’m in a generous mood.”
Humiliating. She’d walk to Siphoria if she had to. “Thanks, I’m fine.”
“No. You’re coming with me.”
Karina pulled her hand. “Shut up, Sian, isn’t it more than I deserve? I’ll figure a way home. I’ll deal with it, don’t worry.”
“You are leaving then? For real? A kingdom is not good enough for you.”
“I don’t want it, and you know I don’t, so stop it.”
“You stop. Fickle and false, that’s what you are. Three days kissing me. Lies. All lies. Last night…”
Karina moved her hand to hit him on the face, but he was very fast and grabbed her wrist. She said, “You aren’t going to shame me for that, you aren’t.”
“There’s no shame if it’s true, Karina. No shame.”
“But it was true. I liked you, or I thought I did.”
He still held her wrist, fingers gentle but firm. “You’re confessing, right? It was never me. You want someone who’ll kiss the current queen’s shoes? Get my brother.”
“That’s disgusting. He’s my friend’s boyfriend. You can’t be jealous of him.”
“Jealous, me? That would be ridiculous. My heart’s been locked away a long time ago, in case you haven’t noticed.” He smirked. “Oh, I guess you haven’t. Too bad.”
Karina’s knees were weak, and her vision was blurry. Nothing made sense anymore. “Let me go.”
He didn’t move his hand wrapped around her arm. “And if I let you go, what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Aren’t you going to run to my brother and his obnoxious girlfriend? Aren’t you?”
“You made them bring me here. They did this for love for you.”
Sian sneered. “Love? You misuse that word, girl. What my brother has is just a very warped sense of duty. From my part, it adds to the victory.”
He was still holding her wrist. “Let me go,” she asked.
“I will, if you tell me you’ll go with me to Siphoria and become my queen.”
“Because of some magic you didn’t bother to explain, I bet. It was never about me, was it?”
His face was hard. “What difference does it even make? Now come, be queen or terrible things might happen and it will be all your fault. Terrible, terrible things.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m explaining, Karina, it’s very different. Come with me. After that, you can leave.”
Right. More and more it was getting obvious that he never cared about her. As if it hadn’t been obvious already. Perhaps she should come with him, learn his secrets, and find the right time to stop him, except that she couldn’t stomach looking at his smug face, realizing she’d been fooled, feeling so, so, stupid. So stupid, Karina.
“Is that all you want?” she asked.
“I want lots of things. But that’s all I’m asking.”
Karina was trying to think. Releasing those things on Whyland was terrible. She had to do something about it, even if she didn’t live there. Well, she had her own fault in it, so in a way it was her duty to do something. At that moment, though, it was hard to think. All she felt was anger, anger at that guy clutching her wrist in his bone-like fingers. But she wouldn’t stoop as low as to remain by his side, lie and pretend. She was better than Sian. She stared in his eyes. “I’m going to stop you.”
“Oooh, I’m scared. Terrified, Karina. How exactly are you going to do it? Run to the castle? Literally.” He laughed. “Run.”
“Hilarious. You think I’m pitiful and stupid. I’m not and I’ll stop you. I don’t care about anything anymore, I swear I’ll defeat you or die trying.”
Sian sneered. “Aren’t we glad trying is not a mortal disease?”
Click. He’d put a manacle on her wrist and was closing the other on his.
Karina shook her arm. “Is this in any way acceptable?”
“More than acceptable, for an enemy. Isn’t that what you just confessed you were?”
She wasn’t going to ask or beg for him to let her go. “I am.”
Sian smirked. “We’re settled then.”
“I’m going to annoy you all the way to Siphoria.”
“Nah. I don’t think so.” He pulled a gray cloth from his pocket. “Do you remember this?”
She did. It had something that made a person faint. No way Karina would allow him to carry her like a sack of potatoes to use her for whatever selfish purposes he had. No way. Teleport. She had to teleport. She needed a tower, though. But did it have to be a fully functional teleporting tower? Or could any tower work? She remembered her moment on the roof, look
ing at Siphoria, realizing for the first time in her life she was in love. It was worth a try.
He laughed. “Want to take a nap?”
His voice faded away, and she felt bright flashes of light. Nothing held her wrist anymore, and she felt as if she were falling.
22
The Other Castle
Karina fell on dusty ground. She looked up and saw the walls of a ruined hollow tower. She’d made it, she’d teleported to the tower by the river she’d seen that night from the Junction’s roof. A tower she’d never been inside. It was a little like what she’d done in that horrible wasteland beyond the mirror in that dreadful castle. Her mouth had the bitterest taste she’d ever tasted, and her wrist still hurt, from that jerk’s hand and manacle. But this was not the time to feel shame or regret, or to think of her stupidity and all the signs and red flags she had chosen to ignore. This was not the time to berate herself for having allowed him to mislead her, for having threaded her own trap. This was not the time. All that matter was to stop him. Stop him. He’d messed with the wrong girl.
She walked to the door, trying to think about her next steps. She saw the river and some boats, and far away, on the other side, the castle. There was also a tall metal fence around the tower. She hadn’t predicted that.
A man’s voice startled her. “Hey!”
Karina turned.
A man in the army’s dark blue uniform held a gun to her. “This area is off limits!”
“Sorry. I need to go to the castle. I need to talk to—” She tried to think quickly. Cayla would be hard, since she was the princess. Maybe it would be easier to talk to someone else. “Darian. I need to see Darian.”
“You mean the king?”
Karina frowned. “What?”
“Or is it someone different?”
“I mean Cayla, uh, princess Cayla’s…”
“Right. Everyone wants to see the new king now.”
Had she heard right? “Darian’s king?”
The guard shook his head. “Girl, where have you been?”
Karina couldn’t answer, as she was convulsing with laughter. Sian’s pathetic, pitiful, stupid little brother was king. King. Everything Sian had always wanted. Pity she hadn’t seen Sian’s face when he’d heard the news. Tears of laughter were coming out of her eyes.
Karina stared at the wall. After some three hours alone in a cell, her cathartic laughter had died, and everything stopped being funny. The place was clean and the chair she sat on was comfortable, but waiting for her messages to Cayla or Darian to be sorted out and prioritized or for someone to come and verify what she’d been doing in an abandoned tower was unnerving. Oh, the fuss they’d made when she couldn’t explain how she’d ended up there. Anyway, the issue was that Sian was probably planning his next move at that very moment, and here she was, unable to counter attack him.
Sian. That very morning she’d woken up wrapped in his arms. She’d be lying if she said that there was any feeling that compared to that. Then that very morning he revealed all his plans, and how she was a pawn in his game. Everything had been planned, and everything had been a lie. Had it, though? He seemed pretty sincere in his affection. Sure, but then when she disagreed with what he was doing, he changed his tune quickly. I know of your power, Karina. Of course I don’t want you! My heart’s been locked away a long time ago, in case you haven’t noticed.
The worst was that, indeed, he’d given her lots of hints to his true intentions. Of course, so that later he could claim he hadn’t lied. And as much as she wanted to believe that there had been some genuine feeling behind it all, the fact was that he had never said he loved her or even that he liked her. True, he’d said he believed in love at first sight, but he’d never specified whose love. He’d also said more than liked, and more than cared, which was ambiguous like a lot of what he said. For a guy who claimed not to lie, that was the final clue she needed.
Two guards, one old and one young, passed by, and one of them pushed a box of food through a small opening on the bars near the floor.
“Hey,” Karina yelled. “Can you help me? I need to talk to Darian or Cayla.”
The guards stopped. The oldest guard asked, “Have you made a request?”
“Yes, but it’s urgent!”
The guard nodded. “Everyone has urgent requests, you know?”
The younger guard eyed her up and down. “What’s your name?”
“Karina.”
His eyes widened and he straightened as if he’d recognized the name. Karina wondered if he knew Darian or Cayla, and was relieved that someone would help her.
The older guard asked him, “Do you know her?”
“No.” The younger guard shrugged. “Never heard.”
Karina frowned. He glanced at her and away. Of course he knew who she was, but somehow he couldn’t say it.
“Hum,” the oldest guard said. “Just be patient, girl.”
“Maybe you’ll be lucky,” the younger guard said, then winked at her.
That was what she hoped. She looked at the food. Weird looking rice, meat, and vegetables in a paper box, with a wooden flat spoon, like a cheap ice cream spoon. It tasted delicious. She’d been starving without knowing, and she should have known it because she'd risen before dawn and barely eaten. But hey, out of so many things she should have known, hunger was the least of them. Towards the end of the box, it became more like very bad airplane food. As her hunger settled, the lack of taste became noticeable. Hunger makes people misjudge things.
After about an hour, Karina figured she hadn’t gotten lucky. Yeah, perhaps Sian had messed with the wrong girl, but now she was behind bars and could do little to enact her revenge. Yeah, it was revenge she wanted, and to recognize it as such was liberating.
After some time, steps echoed in the hall. A young man stood in front of her, someone she recognized. It was Liam, the guy with dark hair and blue eyes who’d sat at her table at the Junction. He was Sian’s friend, and Karina shuddered.
“Can’t believe my eyes,” he said.
He wore the army’s dark blue uniform. Great.
Karina looked away. “Well, don’t.”
“Easy, easy. I’m here to help.”
She stared at him. “How?”
“I don’t think you came to Siphoria to spend your time in a cell, but if you’re comfortable… I’ve heard the food has greatly improved.” He put a key in the lock.
“I didn’t say I wanted to get out.”
He held the key back. “Weird. I thought you wanted an audience with the princess.”
“Are you going to take me there?”
“I said I was going to help, didn’t I?” He lowered his voice. “I won’t tell him I saw you.”
“Why?”
He smiled. “I have my reasons.”
Indeed, he walked with her in the direction of the castle by the river. Karina still feared that she was going to be taken to Sian, or imprisoned, or something, but since it was only one guy, perhaps she would have a chance to escape if any of that came to pass.
When they were halfway, he asked, “So? What happened? Royalty doesn’t suit you?”
Karina had a queasy feeling and didn't trust him. “I’d rather not say it, if you don’t mind.”
“Hum. You’re not giving me any information, but I’ll give you some. Nobody knows you’re here. Sian hasn’t told anyone.”
“How thoughtful of him.” Karina rolled her eyes.
“No,” Liam said. “He’s hiding something, and that’s the thing you don’t want to tell me.”
Karina shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I can tell you something, though. Sian is coming with a new queen.”
If that was true, that was fast. New queen. Was it possible for her to feel even worse than before? Still, Sian, Liam, or both could be playing or testing her. She tried not to show any reaction. “You think I care?”
“I thought you’d like to know, that’s all. You should also know that I’m no longer hi
s friend.”
It all sounded like a bunch of yarn. “Since when?”
“You know it, don’t you? That night when I met you.”
“Four days ago, you mean.”
He laughed. “Yes. And when you’re curious, I might be able to give you some important information. I can tell you what’s happening in Arlenia, for example.”
The name rang a bell, but not so much. “I don’t even know what that is.”
“Interesting. He did keep you out of his loop, didn’t he?”
Karina shrugged. “Perhaps.”
He stared at her. “Listen, I know what it’s like to be used and then tossed. It sucks, but you should never let other people determine your worth.”
Used? Tossed? Those were some strong words and she didn’t quite agree with them, but never mind. “I know my worth.”
He nodded and, to Karina’s surprise, didn’t ask any more questions. He took something out of his pocket. It was a small silver disk, smaller than the palm of his hand. “This is a two-way radio. If you need something—”
“You’ll track me with this.”
“No. Ask Cayla. If this thing can be tracked, you can throw it away. As for now, you’ll be in the castle, right? I mean, I don’t need a tracker to know where you are.”
Karina took it, thinking that she’d probably throw it away. She didn’t trust him, but she didn’t want to refuse the help of a potential ally. The disk had a darker part in the middle. “How do I make it work?”
“Press that.” He pointed to the darker part.
“It better not be expensive, cause I’ll sure throw it away if this thing can be used to track me.”
“I’m your friend, Karina. You shouldn’t fear me.”
“Can you give me a reason for that?”
“The same person who disappointed you disappointed me. We could work together.”
Maybe. And then maybe not. “It could also be some kind of test or joke planned by Sian.”
“That’s something he could do, yes. I understand your mistrust. Ah, and try to get to safety as soon as possible. Things might happen a lot sooner than you expect.”
“What?”
