Flower Queen (Flower Readings Book 3)

by Lilliana Rose

  The sickle ran the length of his stomach, slipping out his intestines. The patterns exploded in Triena’s mind.

  Thank you, thought the rabbit.

  She barely heard him. Triena couldn’t see him anymore. The patterns were rich and clear. She was crippled with dizziness as she read them. They weren’t any richer than what she’d used with dried flowers. It was just because the rabbit had been her friend. The message that unfolded in his blood and organs shocked her. She wasn’t sure what she was seeing was true.

  The rabbit’s energy wrapped around her in an embrace. Goodbye. Then he was gone.

  Chapter 19

  Triena trembled. Pernally and Priest Junqi held her tight. Thankfully, Arkina was in control of her body, otherwise Triena knew she’d have unraveled and followed the rabbit into the Energy Field, with a one-way trip in mind.

  She watched her bloodied hand slip the sickle up her sleeve.

  The Queen wearing the gold headband was too intent on looking over her shoulder and staring at the patterns. One showed a false hiding place for Triena.

  “Is that enough proof for you?” asked Arkina. Triena saw the pattern was double-layered. The Queen didn’t have the skill to be reading what she could see. It wasn’t over, although it felt that way for Triena.

  The Queen nodded. “I’ll send the troops to fetch her.” She looked back at the other Queens. “We’ve found her. Triena will be here soon.”

  The other Queens collectively breathed sighs of relief. They remained standing in their positions, keeping the semi-circle tight, hands clasped together forming a lotus shape with their fingers.

  “Let’s see them when they’re together,” said the head Queen. “See how weak they really will be.”

  The rest of the Queens nodded silently in approval.

  Arkina wiped her hands on the cloth and turned to the Queen. “You want more, even after such a clear message of where Triena is hiding?”

  “There’s always more to receive.” Queen Syaine stood upright, squaring her shoulders. “Clear up this mess.” She pointed to a Priestess.

  Triena didn’t want to see Braklen. Not now. He will know it’s me. He was such a blundering idiot when it came to using the Energy. She wanted to act, now. But Arkina was in control of her body.

  Triena stood in a vise-like grip. Her senses slowly settled after the ordeal of witnessing the rabbit used in a reading. Pernally’s essence deliberately calmed her down. Triena allowed herself to be lulled towards a sense of security. She didn’t want to be feeling fragmented like before when …

  Don’t let his sacrifice be wasted, whispered Pernally. Triena shivered. It was too crowded in her body with all these essences around her. How will I destroy the other Queens if this is what ends up happening? There wasn’t any way she could hold their energy within her.

  Trust us. Arkina crossed her arms, slipping her hands inside the oversized sleeves. Triena felt the vibrations of the buds lying hidden in the soft material. She didn’t want to trust anyone but herself.

  Let me go. Triena couldn’t stop looking at the blood on the table. He was meant to stay with me. Help me. Emptiness gripped inside of her.

  You’ll see him again, spoke Pernally’s energy. Be patient.

  This is our gift to you, spoke Arkina. And we still need your help.

  They sent warm energy into her heart space, but it didn’t ease Triena’s emptiness. The pain of nothing ached around through her, leaving her numb, unmotivated. I can’t.

  You can. They released their grip around her, but still held her tight, stopping Triena from taking charge of her body. We’re nearly there now.

  Let me go. She stirred with grief. Loss whipped through her essence, cutting through her molecules so she felt as if she, too, was bleeding. Confused, shocked, she just wanted to get out of this place. I was wrong to have come.

  Their energy lulled around her without any effect.

  How can you do this? They didn’t answer her. Keeping their secrets to themselves. Bitches. Triena’s essence swirled like a hurricane on a warpath against the land, about to let herself go.

  “Finally,” said the Queen wearing the headband. The echo of a door opening reverberated within the cavern. “Now, we can get to the serious reading of the day.”

  Triena swallowed looking at the Queen, knowing who she was having brought here.

  That’s why you have to. They spoke inside her mind. Their energies had somehow taken on a life when they shouldn’t have.

  Confusion swirled around in her mind. If you can do this, then why isn’t the rabbit here? The words were filled with her grief and barbed with emotion. She felt them recoil from her, but they still held her and she couldn’t gain control. Give it back to me, she yelled in silent frustration.

  We will be stronger together. Triena settled for a moment allowing their response to wash through her essence. She had to try something different if she wanted to get free of them.

  A wheezing noise caught Triena’s attention and she snapped her head around to look. She stifled a gasp as Braklen’s beaten, bloody form was dragged towards her.

  That’s why.

  Her anger stirred. The Queens had taken a lot from her. Her mother, father, the rabbit, and they’d taken Braklen once before.

  Don’t let them.

  “Leave him there.” Queen Syaine pointed where Triena stood. “You come over here, next to me.”

  “You should trust me now. The Energy spoke clearly through the rabbit,” said Triena.

  “Once a traitor, always a traitor.” Queen Syaine’s cold hands grabbed Triena and pulled her back.

  She felt the blood of the rabbit on the other woman’s hands. She shuddered. It’s all for nothing. Hot tears flooded her eyes and she forced them back as the guards dumped Braklen on the rocky, cold ground.

  “Now, this is a real treat.” The Queen walked toward Braklen. “To have you here with us. To read you. You’re going to take us deep into the Energy.”

  Triena watched Braklen look up, his right eye swollen, lips split and encrusted with blood. He spat at the Queen, forcing her to jump backwards.

  Queen Syaine recovered and shot a bolt of her energy at Braklen. He collapsed on the ground. “You will do well to remember what I can do to you. This could be a long, painful process if I want it to be.”

  Triena pushed harder through the Energy and found his weakened essence that throbbed from the blast. Newly torn, she wrapped herself around him protectively. Braklen. His energy spiked a little. She pushed green healing energy into his wounds. She wanted to keep herself there, next to him, but Arkina pulled her away.

  Instead of disconnecting from Braklen, Triena found she remained attached to him. They were joined, firmly between the Energy, giving her the added strength to stand up to the Queen. She felt herself change with his energy pulsing together with hers. She faced the Queen.

  “Sounds like you’re the one taking too much power,” said Triena, the words forming through Arkina’s energy. “And are the rest of you just going to stand here and take it?”

  The other Queens stirred. Their unrest filtered out into the cavern. “You should step down, Syaine,” said one of the women.

  The Queen wearing the gold headband turned to the woman who just spoke. “How dare you use my name in here?” She sent another bolt of energy at the other Queen. It hit her in the belly, causing her to double over, and fall to her knees in pain. “We are all one here.”

  “You don’t look like you are all one here.” Triena found it easier to speak with Arkina’s help. It was as if getting used to this arrangement meant finding her own strong voice. “Looks like you just want to be in charge.”

  The Queen turned on Triena. “Looks like you aren’t to be trusted after all.” She raised her hand, but Triena was quicker. She stepped out of the way, and the blast of energy shot past her, hitting another Queen behind her. A scream echoed inside the cavern from the injured woman as she cradled her now bloody abdomen.


  Triena sent her own bolt of energy at Queen Syaine. The strong force hit the Queen in the heart. She remained standing, her veil blowing from the movement of energy around her.

  The Queen laughed. “You think that will stop me?”

  It was easier now that Braklen was here in the room and their essences joined. We are one. The balance between masculine and feminine heightened Triena’s abilities.

  Queen Syaine held up her hands. “I’ve come this far.”

  A spark inside her sleeve caught Triena’s attention. She knew what to do, and this time the energies inside of her didn’t stop her. They moved aside giving her control. Triena let the sleeve drop over her right hand. Her fingers found the bud speaking to her and removed it from the secret pocket.

  The bud throbbed impatiently in her hand. She crushed it into small pieces. Then she threw it towards the Queen, on a flare of energy. The flower energy mixed with psychic energy, giving it added potency. It thudded into Syaine’s body, disappearing into her heart. Her body jerked. She screamed. She collapsed on her knees, as her essence began to leave.

  Triena shivered as the energy of another Queen began to fill her. I can’t take much more.

  Yes, you can, thought Braklen

  Relief eased Triena’s mind when he spoke to her through the Energy, as if this was something that he did all the time.

  You can use the Energy?

  I’m now linked to you. I can see it. Before, the pathway was blocked to me.

  Some of Syaine’s energy eased towards Braklen. Triena sighed with relief.

  Look out! Braklen’s sudden panic rippled through Triena.

  “I will be the one.” A Queen rushed forward, sickle held high. Triena turned, in stunned shock. Too much happened too quickly.

  Braklen jumped up to try and protect Triena. The Queen lashed out. Her sickle embedded into his chest with a sickening thud.

  “No!” Triena pulled another flower bud from her sleeve, crumbled it in her hand and blasted it towards the attacker.

  The Queen fell to the ground. Braklen turned. The sickle protruded out of his chest. Though the Energy, Triena saw his life essence leaving him. “No!” She rushed towards him.

  He put out his hand to stop her. Watch out.

  Another Queen came towards her. With a quick reflex Triena repeated the process with the bud, trying hard not to use Braklen’s energy. They were entangled together, one person now. A little part of him helped to kill the Queen.

  No. Triena sobbed. She tried to untangle herself from Braklen but he stopped her. Let me deal with it. She didn’t want anyone else to leave her today.

  No. We have to do this together, thought Braklen.

  Better I do it alone, and one of us survives. Triena tried again to pull her essence from his, but it didn’t work. Their energy was firmly joined together.

  Don’t you get it? We have to work together. His answer tore at her heart.

  Triena took a deep breath and allowed his energy to stay with hers.

  The space here in the catacombs allowed Triena to do things she wouldn’t normally be able to do elsewhere. It had been created deliberately to bring in the Energy here, to blur the lines between the physical and astral worlds. And with Braklen’s help Triena used this to her advantage, knocking the Queens down who attacked her. Peacekeepers came in and she dealt with them.

  The air was thick with blood, and the essences of those who had been killed. Triena gulped for air, the metallic taste heavy on her tongue, her stomach flipped.

  Keep it together, thought Braklen. We’re nearly there.

  Triena stepped forward, between the mess of bleeding and broken bodies lying on the ground. The sound of their dying agonies echoed in her ears and her knees wobbled. A sharp pain in her calf caused her to stumble. She looked down. A small knife protruded from her leg.

  “You!” Lying on the floor, Syaine managed to pull off her veil. Her sunken dark eyes sent a chill through Triena. “You’re her.”

  Triena tried to stand upright, but pain shot through her body.

  “I should’ve known.”

  Triena felt the sickle cold against her arm. She slid it down from the sleeve. “Yes. You should have.” She slashed the sickle across the Queen’s face, before burying it deep within her chest.

  A few Priestesses came towards Triena, crying, yelling, wanting their revenge. She began to absorb Syaine’s essence. The dying woman’s energy refueled her, and boosted her own depleted sources. When one of the girls was nearly upon her, she simply held up her hand. The blast of energy sent the girl flying backwards into the rock wall.

  “Enough.” Triena bent down and pulled the gold headband from the Queen. With Braklen’s energy assisting her, they snapped the metal in half. “It’s over.”

  The girls stood in silence. A few collapsed to the ground sobbing. Some bowed their heads.

  The High Commander entered the room, his particle gun held high. “You will pay …”

  Triena didn’t let him finish. She used the energy in the room to build a magnet, to pull knives from the flesh of the dead. Then she swung the energy around, sending the sharp edges of the blades straight at the High Commander.

  The knives held fast, digging deep into his flesh and the other soldiers that came against them. The men and women fell to the ground. More energy seeped into the room. The smell of blood, and the sight of blood, made it difficult for her.

  Braklen lay a meter away from her. Triena felt him fading. No. She stumbled. The pain in her calf crippled her and she fell. I have to get to him.

  Another group of Peacekeepers came forward, weapons firing, and she threw more knives at them, just enough to drop two of them. Arkina’s essence fired up and took over as Triena crawled towards Braklen. His eyes were closed.

  Stay with me, stay with me. She struggled against Arkina who wanted her to stand and fight. All Triena wanted was to get to Braklen. The closer she came, the stronger the union between them grew.

  Triena reached out to him. Guns fired in her direction, missing her. Her fingers trembled as she touched his face. He was cold. Very cold. A tear slid down her cheek. “Braklen.”

  I’m fine. His thought was weak and Triena could barely hear him. I’m with you. We can’t stop now.

  We can. She didn’t care about winning, or stopping the Queens. They’d stopped attacking her and now all she could think of was helping Braklen. He was far from fine. He was close to death.

  He shivered. Show them who you really are.

  Triena shook her head. No.

  I have someone here with me. He likes his new ears.

  Rabbit? Triena tried to reach him, but came up against a wall. Why doesn’t he show himself to me?

  It’s not time, answered Braklen. Triena. Please.

  Triena kissed him. I’m not leaving you.

  He says to get up and fight. That we need to do this together.

  Triena looked at Braklen. His blue eyes faded, but they still shone with strength.

  Don’t waste his death. Not for me. Not for you. He deserves better than that.

  Triena kissed Braklen, melding their energy tighter. She stood up. A Peacekeeper was close to her. With Braklen’s help, she sent a bolt of energy to the Peacekeeper, causing him to stumble back and fall.

  Triena reached into the pockets with the sleeves. There were three flowers left. Three extra flowers. Not all the Queens had passed over, but they were on their way. The problem now was the Peacekeepers, and the few Priestesses who saw the chances of becoming Queens as opportunities not to be missed. They sent waves of thorny energy over Triena, which snagged at her aura, punching holes that leaked out the essence of her and Arkina’s, Pernally’s, and Priest Junqi’s.

  It’s time to end this. She forced herself to stand up, swirling protective energy around her. It deflected the particles and energies being fired at her. It wasn’t going to hold, but it gave her some time.

  With the last three dried buds i
n her hands she crushed them between her palms. She opened her palms and brought them to her lips. The protective layer of energy dispersed as she blew the dried pieces of flower into the air, sending it out, the mixture, the blend. The air in the room, hot from fighting and death energy, warmed the pieces, the potent energy bled into the room.

  The three flowers, Black Widow, Angel Snow, and Blood Drop, each with properties of righting the balance, cleansing negativity and purging the past, moved outwards, touching those in the room who were still alive, sending them into their own personal inner journey. Triena saw those who now came towards her fall to their knees as they absorbed the flower energy. Some of them died quickly. Unable to change, others fought and died. A few were found to be suitable and allowed to live.

  Triena watched this unfold, as if she were the stigma standing in the center of the flower. The energy went out, protecting her, protecting Braklen. She thought of Braklen, of the rabbit, briefly, before the ground moved. A bright light exploded in the room, igniting the negative energies. She collapsed.

  ~

  Triena looked around her. She stood in a field, rich with grass. Something had called her here, but she didn’t remember what or who.

  Triena.

  She turned in the direction of the person who called her name. She tried to move but something caught her ankle.

  Triena looked down to see a thorned vine wrapped around her ankle. She pulled her etheric form away. The thorns dug deeper into her energy, ripping it apart, causing some of herself to be lost. She was tired. All she wanted to do was to lay down, in the softness of the grass, and sleep forever.

  Triena.

  The sound of her name being called, soft and sweet, stopped her. She made an axe with the energy, then swung it hard on the thick woody stem of the vine, cutting it off. What remained around her ankle shrivelled to brown, dried, then dusted away on the wind.

  Triena.

  She hurried towards the sound, running hard through the long grass, towards the caller.