by Meg Anne
“That’s what you think. When it comes to protecting you, he is more fearsome by half.”
Helena smiled. He wasn’t wrong.
“Alright everyone, it’s time to enter the viper’s nest. Keep your eyes open and stay close to your partner. No one goes anywhere alone.”
The others moved into position around her, and as one, they made their way up the path to the castle doors.
Chapter Eight
The shadow of Greyspire loomed over them, casting them in total darkness as they stood before the massive door. Helena lifted a hand to knock, but there wasn’t a chance before it swung open on silent hinges.
Helena peered inside, expecting the foyer to be well-lit considering they were supposed to be some of only hundreds of guests that were in attendance, but she was wrong. There were only a few candelabras placed randomly throughout the room, their flickering reflections casting pools of light on the black stone floor. She shuddered, feeling like she was walking into a cave. Or a tomb.
“Lovely,” Reyna murmured, her voice pitched low so that only Helena could hear it.
Remembering that she was not alone helped strengthen her resolve. She moved deeper into the chamber, barely recognizing it from her brief time here before.
Just as she started to wonder where they were supposed to go, a pale-faced boy appeared before them. His hair was almost as pale as his skin, giving him the appearance of a ghost. He kept his eyes downcast, not speaking, merely waiting for them all to gather in the entryway before motioning for them to follow. He led them slowly, seeming to float down the winding halls like a miniature specter as they made their way to the ballroom.
“Mother’s tits, he’s a creepy little fucker,” Kragen said. She heard one of the others muffle their amusement. She didn’t disagree.
Helena began to hear the haunting strains of music as they got closer. Fear danced up her spine at the sound. The sounds were harsh and sharp, a cacophonous melody that had the hairs lifting on her arms. This was not a joyous occasion but some macabre imitation of one. Helena let her eyes fall briefly closed. Everything was a distraction, all with the intention of ensnaring her so Rowena could strike. She could not allow herself to react. She let out a breath and opened her eyes.
The boy had stopped just outside of two blood-red doors. They were the only sign of color since entering the castle and Helena did not think that was a coincidence. There was no life here, only death and bloodshed. With a gentle shove, the boy pushed the doors, open spilling light and more music into the hall.
Helena flinched at the noise. The music sounded more like wailing cats than anything she would want to dance to. She risked a glance to her left, sharing a look with Kragen before stepping into the ballroom.
Nothing would have prepared her for the sight that greeted her. The ballroom was full of swaying bodies, with lavish masks and headdresses obscuring their identities. Helena was shocked by the sheer number of people in attendance. She had assumed there would be a significant number, but nothing close to the amount of people that were present. Who are they? Where had they come from?
Helena grabbed a random mask and took a moment to scan the room, trying to get her bearings. The monochromatic theme from the rest of the castle was echoed throughout, although splashes of deep violet and red did adorn a few of the guests’ outfits and broke up the black. Each person had a unique mask that seemed to resemble a creature, although no one remained still long enough for Helena to identify any of them with certainty. A couple moved past her, giving Helena a brief glimpse of feathers and fangs. Macabruls perhaps, although why anyone would want to be one of those dastardly beasts, she could only hazard a guess.
Those that were not dancing stood along the sides of the room talking or engaging in other more intimate displays of affection. The public demonstrations were unlike anything she’d witnessed before. Where am I?
Helena’s eyes lifted, noting the massive black crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the room, where it glittered like the darkest of night stars. Just beyond the sparkling monstrosity, sitting on a throne of twisted metal was a woman swathed in black. Rowena.
Her mask completely concealed her hair, its twisting horns adorned with ropes of expensive jewels. Icy eyes were all but invisible behind the lace and leather masterpiece. Her lips were an unsmiling ruby slash against pale skin. She stood suddenly, moving to stand at the center of the dais. Her dress rippled as it fell to the floor, it looked like liquid night, reflecting the candlelight that blazed about the room.
A man approached her, his mask similar in shape, although much less extravagant than Rowena’s, the horns curling down and back instead of up and out. If one could show submission via headpiece, that was certainly the way. He lifted a feathered cloak from her shoulders, the feathers having created an elaborate fan behind her masked head before they began to lay flat against the rest of the cloth.
Without the cloak, her shoulders and neck were bare, save for the egg-sized pendant that hung above her breasts. Helena’s breath caught. It was a pendant, so like hers, but it was white with snaking black lines. She shuddered, the similarity between it and the Shadows’ eyes certainly no coincidence.
Rowena lifted her arms and the music came to a sudden stop. Helena and her friends moved to the sides of the room, trying to blend in with the others.
“What a perfect evening for a celebration. I can think of no better time to share my joyous news with you.”
Helena stiffened. Whatever brought Rowena joy could hardly be considered a good thing.
The man had set down her cloak while she spoke and had just returned to stand beside her.
“Vyruul is pleased to welcome its newest citizens. Endoshan has proven itself to be as wise as it is mighty when it sought to combine its legacy with ours.”
There were a few sporadic cheers throughout the room.
Endoshan? But they are all dead… aren’t they? Helena reached for Kragen’s hand, squeezing hard to convey her confused disbelief.
That was when the man spoke and fury pure and potent began to boil in her blood.
“Endoshan is singularly blessed to have you agree to join hands with us, not only in partnership, but in marriage.”
Helena recognized his smug voice. It was the Endoshan heir. What have you done? She wanted to scream, but there was no point. The evidence was irrefutable. Rather than fight, he’d tied the fate of himself and his people to Rowena. Classic power move. The idiot clearly had no idea who he’d just tied himself to. Rowena was more likely to rip his head off than share one iota of her power with him.
“The papers were signed this morning. The deed is done!”
The crowd cheered again.
Helena began to shake with the power of her fury. What a mockery! This was no love-match. This was the desperate attempt of a man who didn’t want to be second to a woman. If he only knew…
“Let us go into this new era together as equals. Vyruul, meet your King, my Consort, Kai-Soren!”
Behind her, Kragen snarled.
“What should we do, Kiri?” Reyna asked.
“Nothing yet,” Helena grit out behind clenched teeth.
“Is this what she wanted you to see?” one of the Night Stalkers asked quietly.
Helena gave a quick nod. “It is probably just the first of many blows she hoped to land.”
They shifted uneasily behind her, everyone aware that Endoshan’s betrayal was indeed a massive blow. If they surrendered to Rowena, are there others? Helena tried to keep her thoughts from spiraling. Now was not the time to go down that particular rabbit hole.
“We have work to do,” she said, pulling everyone’s focus back to their mission.
With a subtle nod, pairs began to break off from the group. Their mission was to see what they could learn. If they found any of Rowena’s Generals, they were to alert Helena immediately so that they could try and neutralize them. In a matter of seconds, Kragen and Helena were alone.
“Shall
we dance?” he asked in a mild tone.
Helena gave a stiff nod. Dancing was the last thing she felt like doing. It would be almost impossible to fake the enthusiasm required to blend in with the others. But she would do it, because she had to. It was the only inconspicuous way to get closer to Rowena.
Her part of the plan was deceptively simple. Stay close to Rowena without getting caught while the others find and isolate the Generals. Each team would work on quickly dispatching their General, utilizing the Night Stalkers unique ability to sneak up on their targets. Helena wasn’t certain how Rowena would react if they were successful, namely if she would be able to feel when one of her men was snuffed out. It was why the goal was to identify first. If they could coordinate an attack on at least four of the Generals at once, it would cripple Rowena’s most powerful warriors and give them a complete advantage, even if Rowena immediately reacted. Assuming she could tell, Helena would be nearby to strike. If she didn’t, the pairs were to locate the final General and take him out.
Once the Generals were handled, Helena would send the signal to Von to begin the attack outside. Without her Generals, Rowena would be thrown into chaos once the attack started, allowing the Chosen army to make a—hopefully—massive dent in Rowena’s numbers.
That was, of course, assuming everything went perfectly. Helena was an optimist, but she wasn’t naïve. Not anymore. She had Rowena to thank for that. It was a gift she actually appreciated. Which was why there was a contingency plan. One she fervently hoped they wouldn’t need.
“Just don’t step on my feet,” she muttered as she took his hand and let him pull her into the crowd of bodies on the dance floor.
He scoffed. “Clearly you’ve never seen me dance, K—” he stopped before he uttered her title, shooting her an apologetic glance.
Helena thought back. “No, I don’t think I ever have.”
Kragen grinned down before grasping her wrist and executing a complex spin. Helena stared at him with wide eyes as they came back together.
“Just a different type of footwork,” he said by way of explanation.
“And set to music,” she pointed out.
He flashed her another grin and they fell silent, both turning their focus back to the present. Her eyes moved about the room, checking to see if any of the others had found their targets. A disappointed shake of Ryder’s head left her frowning. It didn’t appear that luck was on their side. Not one of the Generals seemed to be in attendance.
Where is she hiding them?
Kragen and Helena had finally gotten close to the dais. Rowena and Kai-Soren were speaking in hushed tones, their heads dipped in toward the other. Helena silently wished that the horns of their masks caught and tangled. She would have loved to see them try and work themselves free.
Minutes began to pass swiftly, making Helena grow anxious. So much rode on their ability to locate the Generals. Kragen and Helena danced to two more songs, before Helena finally pulled him off to the side near a table of refreshments. Not that she had any intention of imbibing anything Rowena had on offer.
Noting her maneuver, Reyna and Ryder closed in.
“If we can’t go to them, we need to make them come to us. It’s time for Plan B.”
Reyna and Ryder nodded, before slipping back into the crowd to warn the others.
“Are you sure about this?” Kragen asked, a touch of concern coloring his voice.
Helena nodded, her eyes going iridescent. There was only one surefire way she could think of to draw those creepy bastards out.
Von is going to kill me once he finds out about this, she thought just as mayhem erupted in the ballroom.
Chapter Nine
This time when Helena released her magic, it was not so quick to rise. She could feel it there, but it responded more like honey dripping off a spoon than water falling from a cliff. It was clear that she was starting to feel the strain of using so much power so quickly. Usually when she channeled this much magic, it was in short bursts, but she’d already been holding on to ten different illusions for well over an hour, and she was about to add two more.
Helena narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on the feather and fanged couple she’d noted when they first arrived. They’ll do. She bit down hard on her lip to use the pain as a focus. It gave her the push she needed. Her magic shot out, the illusion falling over the couple like a shimmering curtain. It was a moment before anyone realized what she’d done, but a few startled shouts had heads turning quickly enough.
“My Queen, I see her!”
“It’s the Kiri and her Mate!”
“Grab her!”
“Bar the doors, do not let them get away!”
The last insistent shout was none other than Rowena herself.
A mob formed and rushed at the confused couple who was furiously protesting the attention. “M-My Queen,” the woman wailed, her arms lifted as if to protect her face from the clawed hands that sought to grab her.
The man beside her tried to squirm away, thinking only to protect himself.
“This won’t do,” Helena murmured, and Kragen grunted in agreement.
Helena needed the crowd to believe that this couple was, in fact, her and her Mate. She needed the doubles to play along just long enough that Rowena’s Generals would come running for Reyna’s people to intercept.
Not knowing what else to do, Helena attempted something that she had never consciously tried before. She turned her glittering eyes to the woman who was her twin. With every heartbeat, she pushed her will toward the woman. You are the Kiri. That woman is your enemy. You do not fear her. The false Helena’s aqua eyes glazed over, and her expression and posture calmed.
“I do not fear you!” she shouted.
The crowd hissed at her.
“Because you are nothing more than a vapid little girl.”
Rowena’s statement was met by the crowd’s cruel laughter. Fake Helena scowled.
“Is that really what I look like when I’m annoyed?” Helena asked Kragen in a low voice, momentarily distracted by her mirror-image.
Kragen chuckled but did not deign to answer the question. “Focus.”
Helena took a deep breath and turned her attention onto the absolutely worthless excuse of a Mate who was frantically clawing at the door. She is your Mate. It is your duty to protect her. Her life means more to you than your own. This one was harder to convince. The man fought against her persuasion, his selfishness helping him resist the compulsion. If she dies, you’re next. That did it. Suddenly, Von’s twin spun around, roaring at the crowd.
“If you so much as touch her, I will have your heads!”
Helena fought a giggle. It was a Von thing to say, but somehow, he never looked quite so constipated when he was threatening people. It was as if the words were so foreign the man wasn’t entirely sure of their meaning. She was willing to bet he’d never actually threatened anyone in his life. Or had to wield a weapon.
Helena sighed. She had chosen her targets on convenience, not talent. Given what she had to work with, and the fact that none of these people actually knew her or her Mate, her doubles were still effective. Even so, she made a mental note to check for temperament the next time she needed a realistic impersonator. These two would never get past a single member of her Circle.
Rowena lifted both her hands, her lips lifting in a smile too cold to be anything but threatening. “Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. The Kiri and her Mate are my guests.”
More snide laughter met the words, and Helena felt her eyes narrow with suspicion as she eyed the people around her. The crowd already knew what Rowena had planned, and they were eager to witness it.
Rowena continued to speak in a deceptively conversational tone, “Although I am surprised you didn’t bring the rest of your Circle. They do seem to follow you like dogs after a bitch in heat.”
Kragen growled low in his throat, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Helena brushed her fingers along his arm, not needing her Jaka to
feel the violence radiating off him. A shudder raced down his arm at the contact, his temper not easily calmed even with the silent reminder from his Kiri.
The fake Kiri smiled sweetly, not phased at all by the slight. Good girl, Helena thought, sending another suggestion her way. When the double spoke, it was with Helena’s words. “Thankfully when they feel like a cuddle, I don’t have to swallow the vomit induced by their stench. You should really consider putting your beasts down, they just don’t look at all healthy. I mean, how can they be when they serve you? Oh right, they don’t have a choice. I guess when the only people that willingly serve you are mindless corpses you have to make do.”
The smile fell from Rowena’s crimson lips long before fake Helena finished speaking. From where she stood, Helena could see a vein begin to pulse in Rowena’s temple. The moment stretched on, but Rowena finally broke the silence with a tinkling laugh that sounded more like shards of glass hitting the floor than anything resembling true amusement.
“I think my pets have more than proven their use to me. If your Shield were still alive, he’d certainly agree, don’t you think?”
The barb struck true. Helena’s control slipped, her fury rolling off her in a tidal wave of power that caused those standing near her to falter and the floor to quake.
Heads spun toward where Helena and Kragen were standing with shock.
“Fuck,” Kragen muttered, instinctively reaching for a weapon that wasn’t there.
Helena regained control quickly, prompting her double to pull attention back toward her.
“Don’t you dare speak of him unless you’d like me to return the favor with another of your pawns!”
The ruse worked. The crowd believed that the double had purposefully targeted that area of the room with “her” power, and the real Kiri and Kragen remained undiscovered. Sweat dripped down Helena’s spine, her emotions not entirely settled. Darrin’s death was an emotional wound that had yet to fully heal, if it ever would. Having Rowena so callously refer to it was a blow she could not protect herself against. That still did not mean she could allow herself to be swayed off course so easily.
