The Scale Empire

by Cate Farren

  It still seemed strange to me that I was Queen Victoria’s secret protector. She had a multitude of human guards, but I was her final defence. I stood between the British monarchy and death. It was a strong responsibility, but I was taking to it admirably. I liked having a sense of purpose, and the extra money made sure my family had a good place to live and never went without food.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” my mother had told me. “The royal family have always attracted unwanted magical attention.”

  My mother wasn’t worried, though, not really. She’d raised me well, in the ways of being a good person and in witchcraft. I knew she was proud of me, and I think she revelled in her new status as mother of the queen’s protector.

  I reached out for my cold cup of tea and took a sip. I opened my book, some ancient tome about Queen Elizabeth and her witch protector, when I felt a shadow loom over me.

  “I apologise,” a voice stuttered. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  I looked up into the eyes of a well-dressed man in his late twenties. He had a perfect moustache and a set of kind, though sad, eyes.

  “The queen said I could eat here,” I said, feeling protective of my privacy and rights.

  He beamed shyly. “You look familiar.”

  I was used to prejudice by now, though each barb stung as worst as the first. My mother told me to ignore it, but I wasn’t built that way. If white people thought all black people looked the same then that was their problem and I was going to make it clear to them just how stupid and ignorant they really were.

  “I suppose we all look the same to you,” I said with mock sadness.

  The sudden look of hurt on his face brought me to heel. Maybe I’d been wrong about him.

  “No,” he said. “I’ve only ever met two black people. You look nothing like the sixty-year-old man with the beard.”

  I grinned. I liked him, even though he was obviously some rich snob with more money than sense.

  “You’re the witch that saved Queen Victoria,” he stated. “That was brave.”

  “I just did what came naturally,” I said, trying to sound as if it was no big deal.

  He shook his head vehemently. “Most people wouldn’t give a damn. Most people would’ve just let her die and not give a thought of it afterward. But you put yourself out there. You didn’t have to, but you did.”

  I turned away, feeling embarrassed. I didn’t like such praise heaped upon me. It made me feel vulnerable.

  I looked up at him, curious. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Leopold,” he said, introducing himself with a bow. I giggled. Nobody had ever bowed before me. It felt good. “The forgotten son.”

  “The forgotten son of whom?” I asked.

  I think I was supposed to recognise the name, but I had no idea. I didn’t know who was who in the British aristocracy. They had lords and ladies pouring out of every orifice over here.

  “Prince Leopold,” he said patiently. “Victoria is my mother.”

  I dropped my tea cup on the floor, shocked. I’d been talking to a prince! I had no idea. What must he think of me?

  I stood up and curtsied. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know the queen had a son called Leopold.” He looked upset over this statement and I knew I had wounded him. “But don’t take that to heart! I don’t know the names of any of her children.”

  “You’re forgiven,” he said. “And please sit down. You don’t have to curtsy to me.”

  “But you’re a prince.”

  He shrugged. “I suppose so.”

  I sat down again, watching him carefully. He had the bearing of one raised in privilege, yet he seemed unnaturally sad. I’d never been that morose before, even when fleeing America.

  He didn’t seem to be leaving. He was obviously bored, trying to strike up a conversation with me. I didn’t mind. I liked him. I sensed a calm soul inside him, someone who needed a friend.

  “Do you want some tea?” I offered.

  He smiled genuinely and sat down. I studied him carefully, judging him to be in his late twenties. He was deathly pale, more so than any white man I’d ever met. He obviously never got any sun.

  I poured him a cup of cold tea. He drank it with glee.

  “I like cold tea,” he said.

  I poured myself another.

  “Why do you say that you’re the forgotten son?” I asked him.

  “I’m not the heir, and I’m not even that interesting.”

  I knew that was a lie.

  “You’re very interesting.” I watched him over the rim of my cup as I said, “You’re a prince and a vampire.”

  He hid his shock well. His hands barely shook.

  “How did you know I was a vampire?” he inquired.

  I raised my eyebrows enigmatically. “I’m a witch.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  I’d been asked this question before, by a vampire I met on the boat that took us from Maine to Southampton. It wasn’t something that had a definitive answer.

  “I just know,” I said. “I can’t really explain it. I can look at someone and know what they are. I’m not sure why. My mother says she’s never heard of a witch who can do such a thing before.”

  He drank some more of his tea, digesting my answer.

  “You’re not scared of me?” he asked

  “Vampires are like everyone else,” I said. “Some are good, some are bad.”

  He smiled. “And how do you know I’m not bad?”

  “You may be the forgotten son, but you’re not bad. Anyone could tell you that.”

  He sipped his tea for a while longer, seemingly content just to be quiet. I knew for certain that human foods caused vampires incredible stomach pains, yet he seemed to be fine. Maybe he’d just learned to control his pain

  After a while he picked up my book. He opened it to a random page and began to read.

  “I never did get your name,” he said, eyes still on the book.

  I smiled. “My name is Kezia.”

  He looked up at me and said, “It was very nice to meet you.”

  ***

  I watched Bram walking away, thoughts of him and Leopold crowding my mind.

  The fact was Bram had brought out the same feelings in me that Leopold had. All it took for me to fall for Leopold was that one single conversation. Even before I told him my name I knew I was unashamedly smitten.

  He was not Leopold. He never would be. All I felt was lust, which was fine. Lust was perfectly reasonable.

  There could never be anything between Bram and I. Never.

  Chapter 9

  I gazed upon the large fishing vessel with disgust as it bobbed up and down by the quay. It was filthy and old and looked like it was about to disintegrate at any minute. How was this supposed to get us to Australia in one piece?

  “This thing is a death trap,” I muttered.

  Bram laughed. “Appearances are deceptive.”

  I followed him onto the rickety deck, which was sticky and wet. It hadn’t rained in the past few days, and the skies seemed clear. Why was the deck wet?

  “Come,” he said, leading me inside.

  We headed down some metal steps, passing Circe on the way. She refused to look at me. I put my tongue out at her. I could swear she smirked.

  Bitch.

  I stopped, confused. The steps were going down much farther than the depth of the boat allowed. I ignored my suspicions as we reached the bottom and what seemed to be plush carpet, wood panelled walls and crystal lighting.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “Still on the skanky fishing boat,” Bram explained, heading toward a door. He stopped and turned to me. “Are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to accept that this is magic and go with it?”

  I sighed and followed Bram through the door. It was some kind of mess hall, where the rebels I’d seen in China were eating at wooden tables. The room was huge, far larger than the fishing boat itself. I was se
riously impressed. Dimensional magic was extremely difficult to perform. This either to be the work of Circe or another witch I hadn’t seen yet.

  “Won’t the wards around Australia detect this?” I asked.

  Rebecca was sitting at a table on her own, glaring around her angrily. She was eating what appeared to be a raw cucumber.

  “This is my royal yacht,” Bram explained. “Or it used to be. This is the old version we sold to the Chinese before I upgraded to a better model. The Chinese Emperor was kind enough to give me this back in exchange for…well, you don’t need to know that.”

  “How big is it inside this boat?” I asked, desperate to have a look around and see what treasures lay within. Nothing much excited me anymore bar the wonders I saw on different Earths. “Come on. Give me a tour. What else have we got to do on the voyage over?”

  He grinned and winked at me. I looked away, feeling awkward.

  “Meet me in my room in half an hour,” he said. “It’s three doors down on the left. Get something to eat. Talk to Rebecca. Her miserable face is making this mission seem like a lost cause.”

  He patted me on the shoulder and walked away. I watched him leave. I had to forcibly stop myself from staring at his ass. It was taut and muscular and just about as perfect as anything I’d ever seen.

  Leopold.

  I turned away. Bram was tall and dark-haired and muscular. He was sickeningly handsome. That’s all he was. I didn’t feel anything for him but lust.

  Lust is perfectly reasonable.

  I sat down across from Rebecca. I took a piece of white bread from a plate and chewed down on it.

  “You have a thing for the dragon,” she stated, grinning.

  I eyed her darkly. “Fuck off.”

  “I’ve refused to love again too, but that hasn’t stopped me from having some seriously good sex.”

  I ate my bread, refusing to be drawn in. She had no idea what she was talking about.

  “What are you so afraid of?” she asked.

  I couldn’t answer her.

  “So you die knowing you’ve broken Bram’s heart,” she stated.

  “I don’t want to die happy,” I said.

  Rebecca seemed disbelieving. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you not want to die happy?”

  “If I give myself hope, if I give myself something to live for, then subconsciously I won’t want to kill Dorian, and my family will die.”

  “Fuck your family. Think about you for a change.”

  “I’m not a selfish bitch like you.”

  “I’m not selfish. I’m just thinking about myself. Maybe you should do the same.” She bit into her cucumber, suggestively moving it in and out of her mouth. She sighed with resignation. “Look, the curse doesn’t work like that. Hell, I’d be surprised if it didn’t get a kick out of seeing you die happy. You’ve been through enough. Die happy, don’t die happy. Just drag that hot dragon shifter into bed. What have you got to lose?”

  I smirked. “You’re crude.”

  She was right. I had nothing to lose. He could always say no. I had a feeling he might, considering he’d only just lost his wife, but I needed him. I needed to feel close to him. Pretty soon I was going to die. I probably wouldn’t die happy, but at least I’d go knowing I’d had one tiny moment of bliss before the end.

  I took another bite of bread before calming my nerves and heading for the door. The boat lurched, making me lose my balance. We were on our way.

  I didn’t like boats. They reminded me of the way my family and I were treated on the journey to Southampton.

  ***

  I turned away from the crashing waves, feeling sick. I’d never been on a boat before and hadn’t anticipated such a feeling. I should have been happy to escape Maine unscathed. Instead all I felt was terror.

  Mama hugged me tight. She looked shaken and tired but she kept me close. She seemed seasick too. I’d heard her being sick earlier after going to see the captain.

  “How long?” I asked.

  Papa was cradling my infant brother, not watching us. He’d been working hard all morning doing his job. I wasn’t sure what it was he did, but he seemed to be up and down the sails all day long. I couldn’t go up there. The height scared me.

  “A few more weeks,” said Mama. “That’s all.”

  I wasn’t sure I could cope for that long. My stomach was in knots all the time.

  “I wish we could fly,” I said. “Witches can fly, right?”

  She laughed and kissed me on the head. “Witches can’t fly.”

  “There has to be a spell that can take us across the water.”

  “There is, but I’m afraid we’re not powerful enough.”

  “Some day I will be, and then I won’t have to ever go on a boat ever again. I promise.”

  Mama smiled. “You’re only six. I like that you’ve got hope. Try to keep that hope inside you.”

  I turned back to the waves, using a small spell that Mama had taught me to soothe my stomach. It seemed to work, and instantly I saw the beauty of the infinite water.

  I clapped with glee. “I healed my tummy!”

  “Good girl,” said Mama. “Good girl.”

  “It’s time,” a voice announced.

  Mama’s eyes seemed to flicker. She grimaced and turned to the sound of the voice. Captain Charlie Horace. I didn’t like him. He smelled like fish and his eyes were dark and evil. He made Mama afraid.

  “You go and help your father,” Mama insisted, heading to the captain. He stroked her face with his hand. I didn’t understand.

  ***

  Mama had prostituted herself to gain passage on the ship. I hadn’t learned that until years later when I found out she miscarried a baby soon after we got to Southampton. I’d only been twelve when I discovered the truth, but I wasn’t a child, not really, even at that age.

  I still didn’t understand why Mama hadn’t used magic on the captain. She could’ve easily swayed his mind or cursed him or done any number of things. Why did she give up her body like that? I couldn’t blame her for wanting to take us away from America, but she’d had options. She shouldn’t have sacrificed herself.

  I missed Mama so much it hurt.

  Mama, what do I do?

  I knocked lightly on Bram’s door, my heartbeat speeding up. I was so nervous I was practically sweating.

  Is this the right thing? I’ve only just met him!

  It’s just lust. Lust is perfectly reasonable.

  I knocked again. I heard something inside, a moaning sound. It sounded like someone was in pain. I pushed the door open, finding Bram naked on his bed. There was some sort of spectral figure writhing on top of him, her hands reaching for the ceiling in ecstasy.

  I stepped back. Bram was too engrossed in whatever the hell was happening to even notice my presence. The transparent, wraith-like woman on top of him turned to me and screamed.

  Chapter 10

  The spectral woman roared and swept across the room toward me at an incredible speed. I conjured a shield around me just in time. She hit the shield and exploded back, shrieking in pain.

  “Bram!” I screamed.

  His eyes were open but he wasn’t hearing me. He seemed to be in some sort of trance.

  The spectre moved toward me, floating over the carpet. She was see-through and naked, her skin a pale aquamarine. She didn’t have any hair on any part of her body.

  “You interrupted me,” the spectre accused.

  “What the hell are you?” I demanded.

  “You’ve never seen anything like me before,” she hissed.

  She flew at me again, her mouth opening wider than her actual head. She had rows and rows of teeth that seemed to head down into a bottomless throat. I created my eagle fireball and propelled it at her. She laughed and flitted to the side, dodging it easily. The fireball crashed into the side of Bram’s bed, setting it on fire.

  “Bye bye!” the spectre said, vanishing.

  I cried out for Bram to move
but he was still unconscious. I created a shield around the fire, starving it off oxygen. After a few seconds it puttered out.

  I ran to Bram, shaking him awake. He looked up at me in shock before pushing me away. He tried his best to cover his private parts with his hands. He didn’t quite manage it.

  He was very well endowed.

  “What are you doing?” he cried.

  “Something was trying to kill you!” I cried.

  He seemed confused. “What are you talking about? I was having a dream about…That’s none of your business.”

  “And why the hell are you naked and sleeping in the middle of the day? We only just boarded the ship.”

  He got out of bed and ran to stare out the porthole. He looked back at me, just as confused as ever.

  “I thought it was night,” he confessed. “I came back to my room to change clothes and…and I had this overwhelming urge to sleep. I took my clothes off and got in bed and that’s when I started to dream.”

  “You sleep naked?” I asked.

  He ignored my question. “You say some creature was attacking me?”

  I didn’t quite know how to tell him.

  “Tell me!” he demanded.

  He was quite unabashed in his nakedness right now. I felt like a pervert, but I could hardly keep my eyes off him. He was magnificent. He had a muscular body that seemed sculpted from marble. His nipples, surrounded by a halo of dark hairs, were erect and sweaty. His six-pack of abs led down to a treasure trail of more twisty, sweaty hairs that travelled down to his penis, still erect, still gargantuan but pretty in its own way. Even his thighs were muscular, covered in fine hairs. I wanted those thighs pressed against me.

  “My eyes are up here,” he demanded angrily.

  “Shit,” I said, feeling like a monster. I composed myself, staring into his eyes. They were more spectacular than any other part of his body. I think I actually felt goose bumps. “There was a creature straddling you. You were having sex with it.”

  “A succubus?”

  I shook my head. “It didn’t look like a succubus. They look human. This thing was naked and see-through and it had blue skin. I’ve never seen anything like it.”