Chapter Twenty-Three
It had taken them three days of hard riding, but the castle was finally in sight. Taylon didn’t talk much during their meals, and the old woman kept to herself. They both knew they needed to get back and warn the people of the kingdom.
Hazel stopped on a nearby hill, waiting for the captain to catch up. “Do you know what you are going to say?”
“Um…no. Not really.” Taylon didn’t have a clue how he was going to tell the citizens that their queen had become possessed.
They kicked their horses and rode onward. It wasn’t until they were almost to the gates that an uneasy feeling came over him. And the feeling only got stronger as they saw everyone streaming toward the courtyard. Hazel and Taylon exchanged glances before following the crowd.
Taylon noticed her first, but no one could have missed the queen in all her glory. Euphoria stood on the balcony in a dress that the real Euphoria would never have worn. It was a black-and-red piece that was fantastic, yet to Taylon it confirmed the evil housed within, at the controls.
“My good people, I stand before you now with a report on our mighty domain. Magic is suppressed in the land, and harvests have been failing continually. There is sickness in the outlying areas of our kingdom. Little children dropping dead from disease. And there is much more that I have seen, that you will see, if this continues.”
Taylon looked at Hazel puzzled. There had been no disease or failing crops.
“The reason for these troubles, your troubles, is because of a curse. A curse unleashed upon us from the Territories.” Euphoria paused while the crowd murmured. “For too long now, we have lived in fear of what lies beyond the wall. And now those creatures are eager to be rid of us, take over our land, and have us as slaves.”
Taylon shook his head. “This isn’t good.”
“But I have a plan, a solution that will benefit humankind. I say we tear down that wall. I say we march them down and reclaim the land. We will burn them out of their forests, and they will be the ones who will be our slaves.”
A few cheers erupted from the group, but many still looked frightened and scared.
Euphoria smiled, projecting her emotions out toward the townsfolk. “I know this move is unsettling. Most kings and queens before me have just handled what is. But the Territories are the ones who made the strike against us. The curse, which is spreading, will soon be here. Do you want to wait until this famine, plague strikes you? By then, the other races will have won. Now is the time to act, prepare, and strike. It will be victory for humankind!”
The crowd roared in approval. Taylon almost felt himself falling for the lie. Hazel’s hands came up for the cheer partway before she shook off the spell.
“We need to go,” Taylon said and started to make his way through the throng. Halfway back to their horses, castle guards stopped them.
“Captain Taylon, the queen wishes to see you.”
“Thank you very much. I will go to her as soon as I can,” Taylon said and tried to pass by them. The guards did not move.
“She has asked us to escort you and your companion. Come this way.”
Taylon thought about trying to throw rank at them, even thought about fighting his way out, but Euphoria would have accounted for that. They followed submissively.
The guards showed them into her chambers and stood outside. Hazel looked awed and frightened. Taylon wasn’t sure what would occur.
“What’s going to happen?” Hazel asked, nervously pacing. A door at the other end of the room opened. Euphoria entered, followed by her tigers on either side. Hazel cringed behind Taylon.
Euphoria stopped in front of them, her large felines sitting upon command. Up close, she looked breathtaking. Taylon had to shake his head to come back to the present.
“I see you two made it just in time for my speech.” Her voice was Euphoria’s but enhanced with a mystical charm.
“You’ll never get away with this,” Hazel cried from behind the captain. Euphoria broke out in a laugh.
“Of course I will. Who will stop me? You? You’ll be too busy dancing.”
Taylon felt Hazel leave his side. When he looked, she was dancing, waltzing around the room as if with an unseen partner. Her face showed pure delight.
“Stop it.”
“I am not doing it; she wants to dance,” Euphoria said, turning her gaze back upon Taylon. “Now let’s talk about you.”
“I’m not going to help you go to war. I know what you are. We defeated the wraith once; we can do it again,” Taylon said, still watching Hazel. Her dance had taken her by the tigers. The animals watched the woman with curiosity.
“Wraith? Oh you pitiful human. I am so much more than such a puny spirit.”
Taylon’s courage evaporated quickly. “What?”
“In your language I would be referred to as a demon.”
Fear tickled his spine. Eventually he found his voice.
“Still, I will never stand by you.”
“Oh, I believe you will.” Euphoria took a few steps closer. When she spoke again, the glamour was gone from her voice. “Taylon, please do it for me. That kiss on the road, I am sorry I pushed you away. It is you I want.” Euphoria stepped around Taylon as she said this, one hand trailing down his face and along his neck.
“Rose?”
Ah yes. Rose. The caustic voice snapped Taylon to the present again, but his heart pulsed with an ache. Hazel faltered for a moment in her dancing, but started back up as the queen spoke again.
“Rose is still here. The only lost soul was the real Euphoria. Delicious, by the way, but no one will mourn her loss.” The demon turned back on the charm as she spoke. “This is why I know you will help me.”
Taylon looked down at his hands, feeling lonely and defeated. “How can I trust you?”
Euphoria waited for him to look up, her smile wide again. “How can you dare not trust me?”
And she laughed, a laugh that echoed through the castle. Taylon broke. Hazel danced. The tigers watched.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To my editor Deelylah Mullin. She was able to teach this old dog a thing or two. Any mistakes can be blamed on me.
To my beta readers:
Stephanie Ahrnsen—A no-nonsense kind of gal. Reminds me often that I am not Pun-ny.
Lizzie Schreyer—Insightful, thinking outside of the boxen. For once I’m not calling you Katie.
Phillip Ricke—A word slinger himself, critical, yet does it with a smile.
Ethan Back—Always full those little tidbits of information, which I have yet to use.
Carolyn Kesterman, Joanna Sonderman, Cole Berger—Thank you, all.
Kathy, Alex, and Emma Prough—From out of the darkness you have brought light to this forlorn writer. Thank you for your input now and in the future.
To all my students: The words I write are for you. Read, and continue to read. Oh, and if I didn’t say it before, read. Happy reading teacher, happy life.
Excerpt from Taylon, the upcoming conclusion of The Territories books:
Kara found the nighttime to be comforting in Willow Haven. Everything came alive to her at night. The glow bugs appeared out of nowhere, guiding fellow travelers with their built-in lanterns. Stars decorated the dark sky, and if allowed, she would stay there for hours gazing up at them.
Tonight was no different. She lay in the grass looking skyward. Jesset hadn’t come back yet from his deliveries. Her father had gone with him. It was nothing too concerning for her. Sometimes they would stop and talk for hours on end with friends and neighbors. That was one of the reasons Kara stopped accompanying them on their shipments.
It wasn’t that she was a hermit and hated talking to people; she wanted to be alone and away from the castle and town life. Too much had changed in the last year—actually, it wasn’t even a year yet. That thought continued her reminiscence. A tear sneaked out her left eye and ran into her hair. She let it go, but the other eye followed with its own sadness. Kara sat up an
d hugged her knees.
The air was suddenly cool and tugged at her hair. She rubbed her eyes and looked out along the field. She found the graves, two right next to one another. Two great friends that she had only known for a short time.
A horse and cart came rattling down the lane. Kara quickly swiped at her eyes again, not wanting Jesset or her father to know of her sorrow, and stood up. Jesset was directing his horse toward her. He waved, and she ran to meet him.
“Sorry I’m late. Got caught talking again. Help me put the cart away.”
Her father emerged from the back. “We’ve got news from the castle.”
It took them five minutes to store the cart and unhook the horse. Jesset whispered to the horse; it neighed in response. Her father set a pot of water on the fire for some tea.
Ruff, ruff, ruff!
Birch ran in from somewhere in the woods. He was into exploring the forest more, rather than hanging out at Kara’s side. But whenever Jesset was home, Birch was sure to be close by.
“Hello, Birch. Settle down.” Jesset put out his hand, trying to stop the little dog from springing up and down. “I did bring you a treat. From the butcher.” He withdrew a bone that looked freshly cut. Birch locked his jaws on it, barked thanks, and ran off.
“You spoil him too much,” Kara said with a laugh.
Jesset nodded. “He tells me I spoil you too much.”
“I can see that.” Her father snuck an arm around her, squeezing.
Once they sat, a cup of tea each, Jesset told her of his day. Most were trivial details, but he got around to the important news that he wanted to talk to her about.
“Something’s up at the castle. Something’s different.”
“How do you mean?” Kara leaned in.
“There’s talk about Euphoria going off to war.” The words came out as if he wasn’t sure they were the correct ones.
“War? With who?” Concern started to roll into her voice.
“From what my connections say, it’s the Territories. The other races.” Her father watched Kara’s reaction.
Kara sat back and sipped her tea. Jesset had to laugh. “What?”
Jesset shook his head. “That action you just did, with the tea, reminded me of the wizard, Ynob.” Kara gave a slight disapproving look. She hadn’t cared too much for the wizard, even if he had given almost everything to save her.
“Is it back?” she asked in a whisper, knowing Jesset and her father knew to what she referred.
“How can it be? The mirror was broken. Taylon and the queen were going to dispose of the pieces.”
“Then why this war? That doesn’t sound like the Euphoria that walked out of here. What’s different?” Kara said. She stared into Jesset’s eyes, hoping to find some answer, but the old man had nothing. She looked to her father without luck.
After another sip of tea, Kara spoke again. “Should we go find out?”
Jesset thought about this but shook his head slowly. “I don’t think we should go to the castle. The army’s leaving soon, or so I’ve heard. Maybe we should try to find Hambone or Snow. Warn them.” His suggestion was simple. Kara had been through the death of her mother, a kidnapping, and the death of two other race friends. And throughout the whole time she had been at Willow Haven, she spoke very little of any of it.
Kara sat back and thought. She now had a mixture of emotions to sort through. Her uncle watched and waited. “Okay.” The word felt like a boulder, but she had decided. This time in the Territories, she would be with family at least, and then her friends once again.
She just hoped what she dreaded was not true. But something told her it was so.
ABOUT SCOTT KRAMER
Ever since Scott’s mother denied naming him Scott Fitzgerald Kramer, writing has been in his blood. He watched his grandfather use an old-fashioned typewriter to compose memories about his grandmother. Finding out quickly that typewriters didn’t like him, Scott began carrying a scrap of paper and a pencil. Word processing changed his fate. During the day, Mr. Kramer terrorizes sixth grade students, forcing them to read and write and do horrible science experiments mummifying chickens. Slowly they come to realize that reading is fun, writing is something they have to do to pass his class, and eventually the chicken smell will fade. This is his second novel. Kara is the first novel in the Territories Novels. He lives in Cincinnati with his beautiful wife and two adorable little girls that have him wrapped around their fingers.
You can find Scott online at:
Twitter: @scottjkramer
Website: http://scottjkramer.wordpress.com/
Facebook: Scott Kramer Books
Email: [email protected]
Also Available from Scott J. Kramer and Prizm Books:
NOVEL
Kara
SERIES
Territories Novels
Kara
If you enjoyed Scott J. Kramer’s Euphoria, please consider telling others and writing a review.
Euphoria Page 18
