The Scale Empire

by Cate Farren

  “In that case, [NJA11]you know if I wanted Kezia dead then she’d be dead already,” said the queen. “Stop fussing.”

  “I’m pleading with you, Mother. I’ve never asked for anything. I’ve gone along with anything you’ve asked of me. I’ve sat around while I was neglected and seen as nothing but the youngest son. I want you to leave Kezia alone.”

  “You can’t have a future with her. She’s a commoner. She can’t bear your children. You can’t have children.”

  I wasn’t sure I understood her words. Of course Leopold could have children. He had two with Helena.

  “I know perfectly well that I’m not the biological father of Charles and Alice. Helena knew if she wanted a child she’d have to look…elsewhere.” He seemed to pause, as if the very words were choking him. I wanted to hold him and tell him it would be all right. “Vampires can’t have children. I know. I’ve accepted it. But I can’t accept a life without Kezia.”

  He’d been through so much it broke my heart. Not only had he married Helena to please his mother he’d had to sit back and allow her to sleep with other men and then pretend her children were his. I wish he’d told me. I wish he’d been honest with me.

  I heard something slam onto the floor. I performed a quick spell, seeing through the wood of the door. There was a book lying on the ground beside Leopold’s feet. It looked like the queen had thrown it at him.

  “You don’t know the sacrifices I’ve made for you!” the queen roared viciously. Her face was contorted in spite. It made me shiver. “You’re a vampire. What would the world think if they were to find out what you are?”

  “Most of the world thinks vampires aren’t real,” he reminded her.

  “And that’s a good thing, believe me. You would be in danger otherwise.” She seemed to calm down. Her smile was gentle, calming. “I couldn’t see you die. You are…you are my son.”

  I hoped if I had any children I didn’t have such a twisted relationship with them. Whoever said the royal family had it easy really had no idea.

  Leopold sat down on a chair opposite his mother. “I still can’t remember the night I was turned, and you still haven’t told me why I age. Vampires don’t age. I’ve met Dracula at the palace many times. He’s been thirty for millennia.”

  I put my hand to my mouth. Leopold aged! This impossibility had been staring at me in the face all along. Why had I never realised this? Why had I never thought to ask why someone made a vampire so young could age like a normal human?

  Victoria sighed. “You’re not meant to know the truth.”

  “I…Look.” He kneeled down on the floor, looking up into his mother’s eyes, beseeching her. “I can live without knowing the truth of my origins. I’m not sure I really care, to be honest. But I can’t live without Kezia, even if I have to sneak around to be with her. Please. Please keep her safe.”

  She patted him on the shoulder. “I am not going to have her killed. She will not be hurt. You have my promise.”

  “Thank you.”

  I wasn’t sure I believed her. Victoria was a secretive, sneaky creature. Anything that came out of her mouth was circumspect.

  I sighed. I’d come a long way from the woman who thought Victoria was the greatest person in the world for hiring little old me.

  “I still owe her my life, and now I owe her for making you happy,” said Victoria. “As for your origins as a vampire…I suppose I owe you that much. Come see me here tomorrow, same time. I shall tell you everything you need to know.”

  He kissed his mother on the cheek and left her to it. When he was with me he closed the door behind him and sighed with relief.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Mother was strangely agreeable,” he said. He looked like a shell-shocked soldier just home from war. “I’m stunned.”

  “She loves her son. That much is clear.”

  He pulled me into a kiss. I felt a little uncomfortable, knowing his mother was nearby, but I didn’t care. For the briefest of moments, I thought I was going to lose him.

  “But we still must be discreet,” he said. “I don’t want to flaunt our affair in front of her. She might be apt to change her mind.”

  I smiled. “I’m well aware of your mother’s oft-changing whims. We shall be discreet.”

  “Good.”

  He kissed me again, and I tried to be happy, but I had this terrible feeling inside my gut. Queen Victoria had seemed only too willing to allow our affair to continue, which wasn’t like her at all. I had a feeling my days with Leopold were numbered.

  Chapter 24

  “You sure took your time,” said Leviathan.

  He was sitting on the edge of a four-poster bed, legs crossed, arms crossed, looking no different than he did on the day the demon had claimed him, though he was sporting a short beard and shaved head now. He was wearing a black suit with the insignia of the dragon royal family on it. It was similar to what Bram was wearing in his photo in the book.

  I smiled, a little smug that my idea to teleport to a location I’d seen in a photograph had worked. I’d been risking the life of my family on my experiment, but it was a risk I was willing to take to end this.

  “You expected Rebecca to fail,” I stated.

  He nodded. “I know you. You wouldn’t let her kill you, not when you were so close to your goal. Besides, she’s weak. She was willing to let her family die just so she could have the easy life.”

  “You seem remarkably calm.”

  I walked forward, searching the large bedroom for guards. We were alone. I stepped toward the window, looking outside. The city seemed to be calm, doing what a city did, oblivious to anything important. The buses were running and the people were shopping and even the pigeons were clustered on rooftops, pecking out a living.

  “Do the people not care who rules them?” I asked.

  Leviathan laughed. “Not really.”

  “Idiots.”

  Something was wrong. If Bram and his small army had attacked the city there would’ve been evidence of it, even if they’d been wiped out. There was nothing.

  Rebecca had lied. They must have left the safe house a short time before I woke up. I’d teleported here ahead of them. I had time. I had time to save my friends.

  I turned to Leviathan, finding him suddenly behind me. He grabbed me by the throat. He didn’t squeeze too hard; just enough to show what he was willing to do.

  “I’ve had you chasing after me for so long I’ve grown accustomed to it. I’ll be bored when you’re gone.”

  “It’s been a long time,” I agreed.

  “But now that I’ve been reunited with one of my segments I don’t find this amusing any more. I can’t let you stop me from finding the others.”

  He stared into my eyes for what seemed like eons. I could feel his hatred. I could feel that he wanted me dead so badly he’d crush whole universes to get at me. But something was holding him back.

  “What are you doing, Leviathan?” I asked.

  He threw me against the wall. I sank to the floor, pain shooting up and down my back. He towered over me, magic crackling from his fingertips. He seemed to be hesitating.

  “He’s fighting me,” he whispered. “He’s fucking fighting me!”

  I couldn’t help but feel triumph. He’d been lying about Dorian’s mind being tortured and in constant pain. My brother was fighting back. He’d likely been fighting back this entire time. I wish I’d known sooner. It wouldn’t have done me any good, but at least I’d have known.

  He staggered backward, the mental fight inside crippling him. I rolled out of the way and flipped to my feet, conjuring one of my newest spells. I was quite proud of this one.

  Dust started to coalesce in the air, pulled from every surface in the gargantuan bedroom. When it was ready, a giant ball of choking dirt, it flew toward Leviathan, enveloping him instantly. He started to choke as the dust swirled into his lungs.

  “Help me, sister!” Leviathan cried. “Help me!”

>   I ignored him as the dust whipped at his skin, lacerating the flesh. He performed his own spell with his fingers, sending the dust cloud my way. I erected a shield quickly before the attack could hit me.

  Leviathan coughed up some blood and grinned. “That was nasty.”

  “Fuck you,” I spat.

  I heard laughing behind me. It was the other Dorian. I watched with horror as he stepped up beside my brother. They wore identical clothes and identical smirks.

  “You took your time,” said my Leviathan.

  The other Leviathan shrugged. “I was busy murdering that annoying dragon queen. I was so sick of her. Besides, we don’t need her or this world any more. We have what we need from the catacombs beneath the palace. Anyway, you said you wanted to kill this bitch yourself.”

  “I want you to watch.”

  The other Leviathan sat on the edge of the bed, crossing his arms and legs, imitating the pose I’d found my brother in earlier.

  I waited for a few moments as they continued to stare at me. I had no chance if they both attacked at the same time. I was powerless against them.

  “What are you waiting for?” I demanded. “Kill me already.”

  The two Leviathans grinned at each other.

  “She’s not as interesting as my Rebecca,” said the other Leviathan. “Mine is a lot nastier.”

  “She’s relentless,” said Leviathan. “Totally relentless. She hasn’t given me a moment’s peace in a long time.”

  “Then kill her.”

  “I’m thinking about the most painful way I can do that.”

  I moved an inch to the side. Both sets of eyes watched me.

  “Don’t joke with me,” said the other Leviathan, winking at me. “We already discussed this. You know the best way to kill her.”

  My Leviathan grinned. He waved his hand across his face and changed into Leopold.

  “Hello, my love,” said Leopold. “Have you missed me?”

  I had a second to prepare before Leopold flew at me with magical speed. We collided and crashed through the palace walls. Bricks and mortar exploded around me as his fists, alight with fire, smashed into my body, sending spikes of pain through my flesh.

  Shit. We’re going to fall to our deaths.

  I pulled myself away from him as we plummeted to the courtyard below. I created a cushion of air below me and we landed with a thump. The air was blown from my lungs. I felt my arm break and Leopold’s elbow slam into my throat.

  “This is so much fun!” he declared, digging his fingers into my neck. “We should’ve done this years ago!”

  I exploded a small fireball into his face. He screamed as his eyebrows and moustache were incinerated and his lips burned. I punched him in the face and rolled to the side.

  We were surrounded by Scale Empire soldiers. Each of them was armed with a spear, pointed our way.

  “Leave us alone!” Leopold roared.

  One of the soldiers launched a spear at him. He deflected it back, impaling the solider with his own weapon.

  Leopold changed back into Dorian and faced the guards. I didn’t know what to do so I just stood there, waiting for what might happen next. Even Dorian appeared confused.

  “I am Dorian!” he roared. “You dare attack me?”

  “You murdered the queen!” one of them shouted.

  I couldn’t help but smirk as Dorian said, “That other me is too hot-headed for his own good.”

  Leviathan snarled [NJA12]and threw a series of fireballs toward the guards. They tried to deflect them but most of them exploded into flames within seconds. I aimed a punch at him, trying to bring him down. He flew away from me toward the soldiers, sending more fireballs into them. The screams were terrible.

  “Bastard!” I screamed.

  I managed to grab hold of Leviathan’s arm. I sent a massive current of electricity through my fingers. He screamed, the shock propelling him through the air and into a bench in the royal garden. He laughed and jumped to his feet. The turf beneath his feet began to roll up, exposing the dirt and worms beneath. I had a second to erect a shield before a giant wave of grass came toward me.

  Shit.

  The grass and dirt enveloped me, turning my world dark. I pushed my shield outward, exploding the dirt around the courtyard. Leviathan was waiting for me. He grabbed my hair and slammed his knee into my chin.

  “This really is the best fight I’ve ever had,” Leviathan muttered, slamming the back of his palm repeatedly into my face. “Very satisfying.”

  He threw me to the ground and stomped on my head. I literally saw stars. My eyes were bleeding. My teeth were coming lose. I had too many broken bones to count. I could feel my magic seeping from me. I was too tired to continue.

  “Are you giving up?” he asked. He kicked me again in the ribs. “What a pity.”

  I spat some blood at him. “Fuck you.”

  “You trained and trained for so long, but you can never be good enough. I’m too powerful. I’m a god.”

  He wasn’t a god, not yet. That meant I could beat him. Eventually. I would learn to beat him. I would scour the multiverse for every spell I could find. All I had to do now was escape with my life and live to fight another day.

  “Do you want to know why I took over this stupid palace?” he asked me. “This palace was built on an old temple, dedicated to an old god of this universe. It contained the only known spell that could reunite me with my other selves.” He laughed. “The other gods thought they were clever, separating us like this. They thought we couldn’t possibly come together. There are an infinite amount of universes out there. But when we’re woken from our slumber, as the fossils they turned us into, we can find each other. It may take a really long time, but we’ll find the others.” He kicked me again. “You won’t be there the next time.”

  The other Leviathan landed beside him on a tiny cushion of air. He surveyed the hundreds of burnt-alive soldiers and grinned.

  “She’s near death,” said my Leviathan.

  The other grinned. “Then it’s time to show her how far she’s failed.”

  The two of them walked up to each other and started chanting a spell in parallel. I groaned, trying to move, but I couldn’t do it. I tried a spell to heal myself. It started to work, but it was slow. I would be forced to watch whatever they were up to.

  Once the spell was finished there was a flash of light. I managed to erect a small shield around myself as white fire consumed the area around us. I screamed at the pain as the light burned at my shield. I put every ounce of magic I had left into it, ignoring my healing.

  The light faded. I opened my eyes as my shield fell, my magic totally exhausted. I was at their mercy now.

  The blast of light had scorched the earth for a wide area around them. The dead soldiers that had been in the vicinity had literally been burnt to nothing. The whole area was a blackened mess of ashes. There was even a wide area scorched out completely from the side of the palace.

  There was now only one Leviathan.

  “How do I feel?” he asked. He looked around himself, as if only noticing where he was for the first time. “I feel…odd, yet complete.”

  He looked different. His face was wider, his skin redder. I could see the nubs of horns growing from his head. He was becoming Leviathan.

  He turned his gaze to me. “I wanted you to see that. I needed you to see that and know that chasing me was a waste of time. You could have defeated me before if only you’d prepared better. But now? Now you’re more than useless.”

  “With two versions of my brother inside you…”

  He laughed. It was deeper than before, more malevolent.

  “About that,” he said.

  He clicked his fingers. Blue eddies of energy escaped from his body, swirling around in the smoky air. I could feel Dorian inside there, both of them.

  “They fought me all the way, but I shall be forever grateful for lending me their bodies.” Leviathan smiled beatifically as we watched the souls of my br
others vanish into the air. “My gift to them is eternal peace.”

  I smiled too, despite the dire situation. My brother was going to Heaven or whatever wondrous place lay beyond. I was glad at least he got to experience happiness. He deserved it.

  Leviathan kneeled down beside me. “You poor thing. You used up all your magic on your shield. I could just suffocate you right now and you wouldn’t be able to put up a fight.”

  He caressed my face with his fingers. His nails were black. I tried to bite him but it was ineffectual at best.

  “You and I deserve so much better,” he said sadly. “I’ve enjoyed the chase, even though you annoyed me. I enjoyed our recent battle. How thrilling! But I must kill you. You’ll find a way to escape this and you’ll hunt me down, even if it takes a thousand years.”

  “Even if it takes a billion years,” I spat.

  He nodded. “You would make a wonderful goddess.”

  I stared into his eyes as he placed his hands around my throat. I may not have been able to save my descendants, but I’d saved Dorian. That was a win in my book. I would die happy.

  Chapter 25

  Leopold unlocked the marble vault door. It seemed to creak open of its own accord, albeit very slowly. What lay beyond was a set of stone steps that seemed to descend into pure darkness.

  “I don’t like the look of this,” I said, hesitant.

  Dorian laughed. “I bet there’s all sorts of amazing things down here!”

  “The royal family have been collecting artefacts both magical and normal for a thousand years,” Leopold explained. He was excited. “I used to sneak down here all the time and just read.”

  Now that caught my attention. He knew I loved to read.

  “What kind of books could there be down there?” I asked.

  “We have some of the excised chapters of the Bible,” said Leopold. “As well as the secret history of the royal family. There’s even some unpublished Shakespeare plays as well. Most of them are subpar, but interesting.”

  They all sounded fascinating. While I wasn’t exactly a Christian (how could I believe in God after all my father had been through as a slave?) I had read the Bible and enjoyed its stories and moral lessons. I was torn over Shakespeare. I’d read all of his works and found him to be a little boring.