by Sarah Noffke
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
It had taken the entire night to distribute the cure to everyone in Virgo. Monet had in fact made enough, with some to spare. And the relief Azure felt when Ever reported to her that the final cure had been received and had worked filled her with a magic she thought would sustain her for many centuries.
“It appears that you did it,” Ever said, taking a seat on the sofa opposite her. The light from the fireplace cascaded over his face.
Azure was bone-tired, but still she attempted a smile. “We did it,” she corrected. Gillian, Ever, Gran, Blisters, Finswick, Manx, and Richard had helped to distribute the cure throughout Virgo. Some of those affected were far on the outskirts, many hours away.
“We didn’t sacrifice our soul stones to save the people of Virgo. You’re the only one who did that,” Ever said.
“I’m sure you would have, if it came to that.”
“That’s the beautiful thing about you. I firmly believe that you think others would do as you have, but that’s why you don’t get how extraordinary you are. I know of no one else who would have sacrificed themselves to save a kingdom. Nor do I know anyone else who runs toward danger, saves Orcs, or has cabinet members as diverse as you, Queen Azure.”
“You really should get out more,” Azure said, curling her legs up in front of her.
Ever started to smile, but shook his head instead. “I should let you sleep. It’s been a long few days.”
He stood and stared down at Azure, a message in his blue eyes.
“Don’t leave yet. I have something else to ask you,” she said.
He studied her for a moment. “I’m certain it can wait until morning. You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“If that’s your subtle way of telling me I look awful, you are hereby banished from Virgo,” Azure said with a tired laugh.
Ever joined her, laughing easily. “You didn’t banish me for betraying you, so I’m guessing you’re bluffing.”
“You didn’t betray me so much as put the needs of others before mine and those of my kingdom.”
“I betrayed you, but there you go again—trying to see the best in people. No wonder you can stand Monet.”
“Who says I can stand Monet?” Azure scoffed.
“You had a question for me?” Ever encouraged. He knelt so he was looking up at Azure. The firelight from her chamber was warm but welcome after hours traveling all over Virgo.
“I’ve been thinking… Now that Virgo is safe I should take my place in the court, but—”
“But you’re not really the type to sit on a throne and hear problems,” Ever said, completing her sentence. “Yes, we’ve been discussing how long that would last. There’s a running bet.”
“My own cabinet is betting on me?” Azure asked, pretending to be offended.
“Well, this is the longest I’ve ever seen you sit, and you’re completely exhausted,” Ever said.
“It’s true. I’m not the sitting type.” Azure pulled her legs out from under her and stretched them. “Laurel gave me a couple ideas. One of them was about traveling.”
Ever nodded, a proud look on his face. “Oriceran is a beautiful planet with much to see.”
“And so is Earth,” Azure hinted.
“Are you thinking of taking a tour of Earth?” Ever asked.
“Yes, eventually. But also I was thinking of taking a diplomatic tour of Oriceran. You know, spread goodwill? How can I lead Virgo if I don’t know what’s beyond its borders?”
“Having the Queen of Virgo visit other realms would be a good political move.”
“Yes. I was thinking of going to the Light Elf Kingdom, Maticaw, and also New Egypt, just for starters.”
Ever nodded, looking wiser suddenly. “Those are all wonderful places full of rich history.”
“And I happen to know a great tour guide who has seen them all, and he also has an all-access pass to Earth.”
“Is this your sly way of asking me to accompany you?” Ever asked, his cheeks warm from the fire and the excitement building in the conversation.
“I don’t think I’ve been very sly, but yes. Ever, would you please escort me around Oriceran? There’s so much to see, and I need someone I trust by my side.”
He blinked rapidly. “You trust me? Still?”
“I trust that going forward you will be straight with me. Tell me your motives, and I’ll help you how I can. If you will do that, I will have no trouble trusting you again.”
“I think I can almost do that, but you might shy away if I were to be completely honest about all my motives. Especially my personal ones.”
Azure bit down on a smile. “Well, a bit of censorship is okay for now. Ease up as you see fit.”
“That’s fair,” Ever said, standing tall. He bent and lifted Azure’s hand to his mouth, and kissed the back of it. “It would be my honor to travel Oriceran with you, Queen Azure. I firmly promise you that there will never be a dull moment.”
Azure smiled at Ever, grateful that he’d dropped out of the canopy in the Dark Forest that day. Since she’d laid eyes on the half-Light Elf, half-human, her world had gotten extremely better.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Fireworks bloomed in the sky over Virgo, lighting the faces of the witches and wizards staring up at the display. They were settled on patchwork quilts on the grass. Some had constructed tents where’d they’d sleep for the night, since the party would be continuing for several days. The people of Virgo knew how to party; stopping was the problem for them.
Rockets shot into the air, exploding into red and orange lights before assimilating into the form of a dragon and prancing across the starlit sky.
“You appear to have a knack for fireworks,” Azure said, leaning over Monet’s shoulder as he messed with a fuse.
“I have a knack for everything. Is this your way of trying to get into my pants… yet again?”
Azure laughed. “I think we know that that’s a big fat no.”
“Yes, I like fireworks, but they’re kind of boring.” Monet lit a fuse and a green rocket shot into the air, exploding into tiny frogs that rained down on the crowd.
Azure unclasped her hands from her ears and smiled. “Yeah, so boring.”
“Shouldn’t you be hobnobbing with all the people you saved?” Monet gestured to the crowd, where witches and wizards kept glancing at her.
“We saved them, thanks to your potion,” Azure corrected.
“That’s true. I keep correcting people when they give you all the credit, but they only scowl at me for some odd reason.”
“Well, it was that potions business I wanted to discuss with you,” Azure said.
“Did you bring me a beer? Because I listen better if you get me drunk,” Monet remarked.
“I didn’t, but I do have a job for you.”
“Besides Chief of Staff?”
“We both know you’re already bored with that title. I won’t disclose your secret—that you pretend to be incompetent while being the farthest thing from it. One title is simply not enough for you, dear Monet.”
“’Tis true.” Monet lit another fuse and a blue rocket flew into the air.
“How about if I make you the official Potions Master for Virgo?” Azure said, hiding a smile.
Monet leaned forward to light a fuse and paused, then straightened and eyed her cautiously. “But Charmsgood was the only wizard to hold that position in five hundred years. Before him… Well, before him the position had only belonged to incredibly powerful wizards.”
Azure crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded, a coy look on her face.
“You don’t mean it?” Monet asked, his face full of disbelief.
“Well, if you don’t want the shop and all the responsibility that goes with it, I’ll just keep looking. However, the title should belong to you, Monet Bailey Torrance.”
“Fuck yeah, it should!” Monet threw his arms around Azure, hauling her off the ground and wheeling her around. He
nearly burned her hair with the lit tip of his wand, but released her just in time.
“So you’ll take the position?” she asked.
“Can I still go on awesome adventures with you and get drunk in the evenings?”
“Of course. We’re witches and wizards, not fucking prudes.”
A clear, bright laugh fell from Monet’s mouth. “Awesome. But I’m going to need next week off. And every other Tuesday. Oh, and I need a raise.”
“How about no. You’ll work tirelessly to serve the people of Virgo until your dying day.”
Monet thought on this for a moment. “Okay, sounds good.”
Azure released a wide smile. Nothing could be better than working alongside her best friend, the person she’d known all her life.
“But seriously, I do actually have some ideas related to both my roles as Chief-of-Staff and Potions Master,” Monet said.
“Oh?”
“Remember we were talking about a health care program for Virgoans? I’m thinking we need free prescription potions for all.”
Azure ducked her head, looking around with a conspiratorial expression. “Be careful or people will hear you and think you have a heart.”
Monet waved her off. “No, they won’t. I’ve created an incredible ruse. It’s a part of my master plan.”
“Strange plan.” Azure shook her head and hurried off, seeing someone else she needed to talk to. “Later, Jerkface.”
“Later, Queen Fat-Ass.”
A light flew down next to Azure as she strode across the grounds. “Hey, Buzz Buzz!”
The pixie launched into a round of unintelligible ramblings, her hands flying through the air.
“Sure, yeah, totally.” Azure nodded, not understanding a word the pixie said.
Buzz Buzz shrieked loudly just as the raven swooped down, nearly taking her head off with his beak. Manx landed on Azure’s shoulder, a proud look on his face.
“I guess the pixie is telling you all about the awful things I’ve done to her?” the mischievous pooka said.
“I think she’s trying,” Azure said as Buzz Buzz’s face turned a vibrant shade of pink.
“Don’t believe a word she says,” Manx told her, nuzzling his beak into Azure’s neck.
“Right,” she said, and picked up the bird by the body, holding him in front of her face. “Try and get along with the people in Virgo, would you?”
“I won’t make any guarantees, but if you promise to take me on another adventure I’ll consider it,” Manx said as Buzz Buzz flew back and forth behind him, muttering loudly.
“That’s a promise. Now you two go play nicely,” Azure said, and threw the raven into the air. He flew off, his wings flapping as Buzz Buzz zipped behind him, holding up her fists and waving them angrily in the air.
Azure paused beside Laurel, who was watching the fireworks with pure awe in her eyes. “You knew what the cure was, didn’t you?”
“I stumbled across the answer just before you ran into the library. I love the serendipity of life.”
“Why didn’t you tell me right away?” Azure asked.
“Remember what you told me Mage Lenore said to you when she told you humans were the key to the cure?”
“’Give a man the truth and he will discard it in the ocean. Make him discover the truth on his own, and he will know it all his life.’” Azure repeated Mage Lenore’s words, which had strangely stayed with her.
“Yes, so all I did was quickly lead you to the answer. I knew you’d need to have complete devotion to the idea in order to implement it. Giving up your soul stone was no easy thing to do. If I had blurted out that it was the solution, you would have resisted. Instead, I let you figure it out on your own.”
“You’re a very clever werecat. I’m planning to travel around Oriceran, and I could use your cleverness,” Azure said, turning to Laurel.
She lowered her gaze and looked straight at the queen. “Are you inviting me to join you?”
“If you’d like to. I know you’ve been wanting to travel,” Azure said.
“All my life! And yes!” Laurel shouted, gaining the attention of the wizards playing instruments nearby. “I wanted to travel before but the idea of doing it by myself was too much, even after you freed me. It was more than intimidating.”
“No one should travel alone. Besides, when you find something amazing, you need someone at your side to appreciate it with you,” Azure said with a smile.
“I couldn’t have put it better myself, Queen Azure. And yes, I’d love to accompany you on your journey. Thank you!”
Azure bowed slightly to the werecat and left, snaking her way through the crowd. She smiled at Finnegan, whose turquoise hair had returned to its vibrant hue. Navi and Luna were taking turns feeding him berries, and he looked to be enjoying the attention as the fairies doted on him.
After exchanging pleasantries with a few groups, Azure found the people she’d been looking for. On the outskirts of the party, sitting in oversized comfy chairs that had been taken straight from the House of Enchanted, were Gran, her mum, and Richard. Their chins were in the air and their mouths were hanging open as they watched the fireworks. Finswick had curled up in Gran’s lap and was faking sleep, his eyes half on Azure. She’d need to take him on the next adventure. It was overdue, and she was tired of him leaving hair balls in her bed as payment for his disappointment. At Gran’s feet, Blisters lay on his back, his hooves in the air and drool dripping down the side of his face. He was, in fact, not faking sleep. The unicorn had tired himself out on his first adventure.
“You did it,” Gillian said from her side. She hadn’t even known he was there.
“We did it,” she corrected him.
“And now you have a party to share with a family you didn’t even know you had,” Gillian observed.
She watched as her father squeezed her mother’s hand. “Yes, I guess I never realized I had a father. But my mum and Gran have always been there for me.”
“I wasn’t referring to Richard, although you need to encourage him to preserve his life. He’s afraid of becoming the Duke, so he hasn’t been using his magic. Maybe you’ll be able to help him to find the balance so he lives a nice long life.”
Azure squinted at Richard. That was why he looked older, she realized. He hadn’t been using magic, and without it he was aging. This was how he was punishing himself, or as Gillian had said, he was too afraid. “I’ll have a talk with him and encourage him to use his magic. Tell him that he can control it, unlike Phillip.”
Gillian nodded, his hands behind his back as he rocked forward on his toes. “I’m going to retire for the night, but I’ll be ready when you set off.”
“Set off?” Azure inquired. “I didn’t announce my trip to New Egypt. How did you know?”
Gillian tipped his hat at the queen and smiled broadly, a knowing look in his eyes. “Good night, Queen Azure.”
“Good night,” Azure said and then sputtered, “Wait!”
“What did you mean by celebrating with family I didn’t even know I had? You said you weren’t referring to Richard?” Azure asked, indicating her father. He was doubled over laughing; her mother too. Both of their faces were full of life, so vibrant and new it made her instantly smile.
“Look for yourself. I believe you opened the borders of Virgo to all, and it appears that the invitation is already in effect,” Gillian said, throwing his arm toward the hills in the distance. He disappeared a moment later. Azure squinted in that direction, not seeing what he meant. A firework exploded overhead, full of gold and silver bursts of light, and on the eastern hill a figure on a horse could be made out.
Frederick sat atop a regal horse, a party of travelers behind him. He noticed Azure as she spotted him, the bright firework lighting up both of them. The emperor of Terran smiled at his sister and bowed his head, a look of respect on his face when he lifted his chin.
Azure waved back at Emperor Frederick just before he and his party rode on, obviously on their own
voyage, exploring Oriceran. She figured he’d stop at some point to see his father and catch up. There were no more borders to keep them apart. Separated by the Dark Forest but no other boundaries, there was no reason they couldn’t all be a family, embracing each other for their similarities and also their differences.
EPILOGUE
Sharp fangs sank into the warm flesh of the old shopkeeper’s neck. Lux had knocked on the store’s door just as the old man was closing up, explaining that he was in the market for a ferret and would pay top dollar for one that night. The shop owner sold ferrets for cheap, so getting a high price for one had been enticing and worth the inconvenience of staying open late. He’d never even had a chance to unlock the ferrets’ cage before the bloodthirsty vampire sank his fangs into his body.
Lux drank until the old man was dead and let him slide to the old wooden floor. The animal sounds from the various cages had made the feast a little less enjoyable. Lux turned, gauging his reflection in the store window, and wiped a handkerchief across his mouth to clean off the excess blood. The shop owner apparently ate too much curry, which was common for those who lived in New Egypt. Lux had a shaved head and a short beard. He wasn’t tall or short, but his wide shoulders made him stand out, especially on the crowded streets in the marketplace. He opened the door and waved a figure into the shop.
Devo poked his head through the open door, his eyes darting to the figure on the ground. After he came in he closed the door and pulled the curtains blocking the windows more neatly into place, hiding the view inside from those on the streets.
“I thought you were only going to stun him,” Devo said, his tone on edge. He was much taller than Lux, and his dark brown hair was thick. His long sideburns framed his large nose and buckteeth. Whereas Lux was all shoulders, Devo was not. His shoulders were about the same width of his hips.
“I was hungry,” Lux said, striding through the shop full of animals and growling at a cage of monkeys.
“Well, now I have to do something with him,” Devo said, toeing the lifeless body.
“Or don’t. What do we care if a body or two is found around the city? Soon it won’t matter,” Lux said, kneeling in front of a cage where bats hung from the top of the wire-framed box.
