The Queen

by C. J. Abedi

  The Queen

  Fae - Book 3

  C. J. Abedi

  Copyright

  Diversion Books

  A Division of Diversion Publishing Corp.

  443 Park Avenue South, Suite 1008

  New York, NY 10016

  www.DiversionBooks.com

  Copyright © 2016 by C.J. Abedi

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For more information, email info@diversionbooks.com

  First Diversion Books edition December 2016

  ISBN: 978-1-68230-324-5

  Also in the Fae series

  Fae

  The Dark King

  Every single word of this book was written in loving memory of our amazing father, HEDAYAT ABEDI.

  He is and will forever be…

  THE SUNSHINE OF OUR LIVES,

  THE APPLE OF OUR EYES,

  OUR EVERYTHING…

  His love was unwavering and through it he gave us the confidence to dream. And there is no greater gift.

  We miss you, daddy.

  Every single second of every single day…

  The Lost Colony

  The Secret Diary of Captain John White

  August 18th, the year of our Lord, 1590.

  I will attempt to write the sequence of events that will define history as we know it. But these things, these unexplainable supernatural occurrences, always tend to be better left in dark places—where mortal eyes are not allowed to taint the reality of what I saw and experienced. One that I lived. One that has extinguished the lives of one hundred and fourteen souls. May God have mercy upon my own for bringing them to their untimely deaths.

  As all grim tales begin, when we arrived on the island of Roanoke, it was a cold and dark day. The wind had a force upon it that neither I nor my men had ever seen. It was as if it was trying to keep us from the abomination that we were about to witness. An unholy force from hell, attempting to guard the gates that the Devil himself had built so he was free to complete his work.

  We came upon what was once the village these poor men and women had built, expecting to see signs of a robust life, a growth in the community, of hope and happiness. But we saw none of that. A wild land greeted us, one that did not bare the remains of any type of civilization. Through the torrential rain and the fast-moving storm, we continued searching for anything, for a sign, a small token of what we knew should be there. What we expected.

  My men are a superstitious lot, and they were afraid. I could not blame them. The wind whispered to us, warning us against moving forward. My men listened and immediately sought refuge, returning to the ship, but I pressed forward.

  Left alone in the wild, I searched.

  I battled the forces and kept advancing until I came upon the iridescent blue light glowing against the night, beckoning me to come closer. I moved slowly, afraid of what I would see. Then I came upon what I can now say was Darkness in human form.

  He was a handsome man. Nay, beautiful. Striking. Almost as if he were sculpted into perfection by the Lord himself. It was his beauty that drew me. He was so perfect that I, a mere mortal man, was entranced. I walked closer to him, into the circle of light that he had sketched with a wave of his magikal hand.

  The light transformed, and images suddenly appeared before me. I saw villagers die in fire, their lives extinguished within a blink of an eye, no hope of escaping the wrath spewing from the monster that stood in front of me. The force of my emotions brought me to my knees as I sobbed before the cause of their demise.

  He placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “Fear not, Captain John White. I will not kill you. You will live to remember every minute of this great tale. I want you to return to your homeland and share all the details of what you saw here today. You might find someone who will believe you, but I suspect that most will just assume you have gone mad.”

  I didn’t understand why he spared my soul from certain death. But instead he smiled sadistically because he knew. It seemed from his behavior that he enjoyed taunting his victims, torturing them. I should have prayed for death, but the fires of purgatory would not be my sentence; nay, my sentence would be to know what had happened and live with that knowledge every second of every day. To live knowing that my actions, my persistence, had caused their demise. And to live knowing that I could never utter a word of it.

  He rubbed my cheek as a father might and turned toward a great tree.

  He wrote three words into the mighty oak. Words that will be etched in my mind until the day I die. Words that will forever haunt me. Words that I know I will never fully understand the meaning of, but will wonder about until I leave this earthly life.

  Caroline.

  Roanoke.

  Odin.

  Chapter One

  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

  —King James Bible

  Devilyn

  In a blink.

  In just one blink of an eye, everything can change.

  It never occurred to me how fast life could become something completely different and frighteningly unexpected. Within seconds mine made a drastic transformation.

  The Halloween party was in full swing, with the DJ playing music that had the party dancing in excitement. Most of the junior and senior class were gathered in the family room dancing in their costumes with drinks in hand and not a care in the world.

  I slowly loosened the tight ribbon that held my cape around my neck, suddenly feeling like it was choking me as I scanned the room.

  “I haven’t seen Caroline in a while. Have you?” Teddy’s jovial voice broke through my brief moment of happiness. “She said she was going to use the restroom, but that seems like forever ago.”

  Time stood still as I digested his words.

  He was right. She had been gone for a long time.

  She told me that she would be right back. Did I lose track of time?

  Without really knowing, I knew.

  Something was terribly wrong.

  He continued talking about trivial issues. The party. Who was hooking up with whom. Things that didn’t matter to me. Everything from that moment on sounded like white noise.

  Indistinct.

  Confusing.

  Muffled.

  My stomach dropped in dread as a feeling of foreboding overcame me. I moved through the crowd in search of her, cursing my actions. I had been foolish. Once again. Taking a moment to enjoy myself. Sharing a laugh, silently chuckling at the over-the-top and somewhat obscene costumes that the students around me had obviously taken great effort with.

  I had let my guard down.

  Foolishly believing that Caroline was safe tonight. She was among classmates, friends, and protectors. There was no way the Dark Fae would try and harm her at such a crowded Halloween party, not with the potential risk of revealing themselves to the humans. But things happen when you least expect them.

  The deepest fears you have often occur when your walls aren’t up. When you think your life couldn’t be any more perfect. When you’re relaxed. Trusting. Believing that you’re somehow protected from all the evil in the world.

  But that’s the thing about evil.

  Evil is patient.

  Evil sits on the sidelines waiting silently. Observing you. Watching your smiles and laughter. And it is in those moments that darkness always thrives. When you aren’t looking or expecting is when
it attacks, making you wish you never allowed yourself to have any feeling of joy. I wasn’t entitled to a moment of peace. I should have known better.

  I am a King after all.

  Kings must always be prepared.

  But I hadn’t listened to my intuition. Instead I had listened to my sister, Tatiana, and let loose. Danced even, enjoyed myself for a change. Caroline had dressed as my Queen, my Light Fae, and she had begged me to dress as her Dark King. Little did she know that my attire wasn’t just a costume—it was a reflection of my true self. The dark, vile, creature that I battled against on a daily basis.

  As I pushed my way through the crowd of masked strangers, I could see the reckless mistake I had made, yet again.

  It was as if I was living a nightmare. Everywhere I turned I saw some grotesquely painted face. It was as though everyone in Manteo High had purposely dressed as some monster from childhood nightmares, forcing the bile and fear to rise to my throat.

  A creepy clown.

  Jack the Ripper.

  A faceless ghost.

  A masked Hockey player with blood red eyes.

  The laughter around me grew as I continued to push through the group. I was becoming claustrophobic, needing to escape the pressure of the laughing faces building around me. Groping hands and hideous visages surrounded me as I continued to push the monsters out of my way. But I understood what was happening.

  I knew.

  I closed my eyes against the macabre-like scene and moved through the maze of people that had suddenly been placed before me. A blockade. To prevent me from reaching Caroline as quickly as I would have liked. I drew the inner strength I needed by taking deep shallow breaths, and maneuvered my way through the crowd.

  When a masked clown or monster drew too close I would reach out and pull off its disguise, only to find a faceless form staring back at me. Magik. That was all it was. Magik placed before me to impede my advancement. I wanted to scream out. To use my own power to throw off all these obstacles, but I was afraid that my powers would mistakenly hurt a mortal soul. My rage could indeed bring about the demise of innocent life. Of every life at the party. And that I would not have.

  Finally, I reached the bathroom, knowing full well that Caroline would not be inside waiting. But still, I had hope. I brushed past the drunk partygoers and threw open the door only to find two students making out against the sink.

  “Sorry,” I said as I quickly shut the door, but they didn’t seem to be too bothered by the interruption.

  “Where is Caroline?” Rowan asked from behind me. His concerned voice broke through my growing fear as I turned to face him, unable to contain the horror that was rising inside of me.

  “They have her.”

  Caroline

  Darkness engulfed me.

  Silence surrounded me.

  I found new meaning in the words “pitch black.”

  Every single one of my senses simply came up empty.

  I wanted to scream, but there was no point. I knew that no one I needed could hear me. Why do anything to attract more darkness? I told myself. It’s best to remain as quiet as possible. Perhaps in silence I could figure out a way to avoid the fate that stood before me.

  Moments that felt like hours passed. Finally, I could hear the faintest sound of running water, but nothing more than that and the echo of the deep and quick breaths I took within the confined space. I ran my fingers along what felt like a wall of rocks, but pulled them back, fearing what I might encounter.

  Closing my eyes, I tried to recount every moment of my evening. I couldn’t have been taken far, I thought. Things had happened so quickly, and within what felt like seconds I had been confined to my dark new home. But knowing its occupants’ cunning and powers, it was very likely that more time had passed.

  Focus Caroline, I warned myself. Or you’ll go crazy.

  We had to be underground because there was limited oxygen and I felt myself struggling for every single breath. I untied the top layer of my costume. I wanted my movements to be as free as possible for the inevitable war that was sure to come. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight, and a fight of some kind was inevitable.

  I wouldn’t last long here. That much I knew. But I also knew that they wouldn’t allow a quick, swift death. Much more was in store for me. They had been plotting my demise for so long; they would relish every moment of it.

  The Dark Fae were cunning. They had placed me in this prison to drain my energy, weaken me, so that I wouldn’t stand a chance. I would be putty in their hands, and I would surely crumble.

  I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t.

  I wouldn't.

  I would never allow him or any member of his clan to see my fear.

  Reaching up for the dark walls again, I slowly felt my way across their stony surface. The walls were damp and the air was humid. This, coupled with the dripping sound of water, meant that I had to be near a water source. But where was it, and more importantly, where did it lead?

  Sliding against the wall, I knelt down, bringing my knees close to my chest.

  Don’t cry, Caroline, I kept telling myself. It’s exactly what they want.

  Suddenly voices began echoing all around the enclosed space.

  Voices I didn’t recognize.

  One accusation after another.

  All of them about me, none of them true.

  “She is an abomination,” one called out.

  “A slut.”

  “She’s turned him against us, and for that she must pay.”

  “Her death needs to be carried out quickly; we can’t take any more chances,” another pleaded.

  Hideous laughter ensued as someone else spoke out.

  “She is now our guest. We must treat her with the respect that she is due.”

  “How can we allow her any more time among us when she represents everything our laws have forbidden?”

  “She will die. We will see to that.”

  “Yes, yes,” the sound of my captor’s voice could finally be heard. I could picture his deceiving Angelic face even in the darkness. I hated him the most. “But surely before she leaves us, should we not have a little fun?”

  From the sound of the laughter, I knew the Fae must have enjoyed his suggestion.

  “A poem, Puck,” another called out. “Give us a poem.”

  I didn’t have to wait long before he began to quickly recite a verse.

  “I dare her to beg for mercy.

  Dare her to beg for life.

  Dare her to plead for help

  To save her from this terrible strife.”

  His audience hooted and hollered as he continued.

  “The fun we will have watching her beg.

  The joy that will come when she is finally dead.

  How we will we miss her beautiful face,

  But alas, it will be one—

  That will vanish without a trace.

  Come before us unless you scare

  Sweet, sweet heir of Virginia Dare.”

  Laughter ensued around the chamber.

  Wicked. Taunting. Gut wrenching.

  Suddenly a twister of smoke started circling around me at a rapid speed. Engulfing me, spinning around and around. My hair blew frantically around my face as I brought my knees even closer to my chest, lowering my head down, secretly fearing what lie ahead. I closed my eyes and prayed that I would survive the storm, but moments later, when I opened them, I was standing in the very eye of it.

  Facing an evil that was cloaked in darkness.

  Chapter Two

  “Courage is knowing what not to fear.”

  —Plato

  Roanoke Island, North Carolina

  The Year of our Lord, 1587

  Eleanor Dare

  I always knew that I was destined for great things.

  I knew my life would be more than marrying well and having a dozen children, like most of the women my age wanted. No, I knew I had been created for something else.

  So the
decision to leave it all behind for the unknown wasn’t hard. My friends told me I was crazy to sail across the sea and leave behind the only home I had ever known. But even from childhood, I always sought adventure, often growing restless in stagnant moments. I encouraged it. Invited it into my life with open arms.

  But as I looked across the vast ocean, aboard the ship that my father captained, I began questioning my inexperienced and innocent mind. Perhaps everyone had been right. Maybe they knew something I didn’t. It was easy to grow restless and insecure—months aboard this vast ship could do that to you.

  But all self-doubt disappeared when we reached the island, which was ripe for a new way of life and so sublimely unspoiled. As soon as my feet touched the soil, I knew I had made the right decision.

  Gone were the days of glamorous balls, high tea, and brisk rides through Hyde Park, and in their place were the soothing sound of the waves as they washed up against the shore, beautiful birds, and the gentle whisper of the wind. Only the sweet sounds from mother nature echoed through the night.

  It was so different from the city life in London.

  I won’t deny that an initial fear came with the deafening silence. What else could be out there in the forest? Were we alone? And what would the coming months bring?

  As it turned out, they only brought a different type of routine. Once we were acclimated to the changing weather patterns and our natural surroundings, we began slowly building a town. Our town. Our new home.

  While I was occupied with the grand task at hand, the hours turned into days, and the days turned to weeks. It didn’t take long before our own little town started to develop right before our eyes. Small plots that were initially covered with plant life and trees were soon flattened, marking the areas where tiny homes were then built from the ground up. With sweat and perseverance we all began witnessing the start of something big. Confirming that this place was special. That we were all brought here to be part of a greater purpose, far from a simple colonization of this new world.