by Beth Hodgson
“Yes, Princess Ikaria.”
Princess? Princess of where?
“Do not say anything further about me, not ever. You will address me as Advisor for the time being.”
“Yes, Advisor.”
Fear gripped Glacia. What should she do? Emerald was being controlled somehow by magic through that crown. And if the gift was really from Derek, as Emerald had said earlier, then Derek was behind it. He had used magic to manipulate Emerald’s mind.
That is why she changed her mind suddenly about marrying him!
Glacia felt sickened at the thought of Derek’s deceit. He was not what anyone thought he was. He was not the perfect prince; he was a monster. Using magic to subdue Emerald, fits of jealous rage… Glacia had to get Emerald away from both that witch and the prince.
Glacia’s heart continued to race at the thought that a woman with powerful magic was in the same quarters as her.
Act normal, Glacia! she ordered herself. Her mind raced as she tried to calm herself. Then something came to her. She needed to find the man in Emerald’s pictures.
What did Glacia know about the guy? Not much. She knew what he looked like through Emerald’s drawings. And that he played in a band.
Glacia ran over to the drawings that were hung back up on the wall, searching until she saw a flyer taped next to one of the pictures. “Disorderly Conduct,” read the band’s name.
“Servant girl,” Ikaria said as she and Emerald emerged from the bathroom. “I would like some wine. Don’t tarry too long. We have much to do today to ensure that the princess has the perfect wedding.
“Yes, my lady,” Glacia said, bowing low.
“That’s Advisor Ikaria to you,” the woman corrected her.
Glacia nodded, then went to the next room to fetch the liquor. As she returned, she saw Celeste making Ikaria comfortable on a sofa near the princess, propping a few pillows behind her.
Glacia set down the delicate glass of wine on the table next to the advisor, then bowed.
Ikaria flashed her black eyes, giving Glacia a crooked grin. “About time,” she said, then smirked, taking a drink.
Take a deep breath, Glacia. Stay calm.
***
“Glacia, I found it,” Cyndi said quietly. Emerald’s third handmaiden handed her the communication device with the phone number on the screen. “His name is Kyle. The venue said that is the only contact number they have on file.”
“Thank you,” Glacia said, clutching the device nervously, then slipping it inside her dress pocket. “I am going to go out for a minute. If anyone asks where I’m at, tell them I went to fetch the princess more coffee.”
“But we were ordered to stay with the princess all day. We aren’t supposed to leave!” Tamara, the fourth handmaiden, whispered.
“Well, I don’t care what happens!” Glacia whispered back fiercely. “We have to do something!”
Tamara went silent while the other two handmaidens nodded in response. As the day went on, all of the handmaidens could plainly see what Glacia had first noticed—Emerald was not herself. Cyndi bit her nails nervously, while Tamara and Ophelia paced around the room anxiously. Celeste was absent, as she had been ordered to style Emerald’s hair, since she was the best of the handmaidens with hair, but Glacia could guarantee that she was feeling the same as the others, especially in the presence of the advisor.
Right when Glacia was about to leave, Drew came into view off to the side. He glanced at Glacia, not making any movement.
Glacia froze for a second, unsure of what he was about to do.
The cyborg continued to stare at her, then closed his eyes. He stretched out his arm, the arm that wasn’t part machinery, and orange dust appeared, whirling in Glacia’s direction. The glowing dust settled on her skin, then Glacia saw her body start to morph, while the other handmaidens silently gaped.
Gazing at her new hands, Glacia ran in front of the mirror, seeing the advisor’s reflection staring back at her. Turning quickly to the cyborg, he gave her a small nod, then disappeared.
By the God of Light! He just made me look like the advisor! Her head raced with the thought. The handmaidens remained silent, in awe of the cyborg’s power.
“Hurry,” Cyndi said, breaking the silence.
Without another word, Glacia slipped out of the sitting room and exited Emerald’s chambers. There were guards posted outside, and they gave Glacia, or rather, Advisor Ikaria, a nod. Glacia was about to bow back in response but caught herself, straightening her posture and holding her chin up high. She then harrumphed, hurrying down the stairs.
She’d only been around her in a limited capacity, but it was what she thought the advisor would do.
Three levels below Emerald’s chambers, Glacia exited the staircase, then slipped down a hall. This floor was mostly unused, except for small matters of state. There was complete silence but for the echoes of Glacia’s footsteps. Most of the meeting rooms were empty, and one of them in particular hadn’t been used in years.
Cautiously looking around at her surroundings, Glacia went inside the abandoned room, then locked the door. She sat down at a small desk, which was equipped with a blank notepad, pen, and a palace tablet.
Glacia looked down to where her dress was but saw Ikaria’s outfit instead. But she felt her own dress flowing around her body, with the weight of the communication device. It had to be the magic making her dress appear like the advisor’s, but underneath the magic, she still had her original garments.
Glacia felt around for the device, then delved into her invisible pocket, and the device was in her hand as it emerged.
Such a handy trick!
The communication device still had the number entered on the screen. All she had to do was press the call button. Why was she so scared?
Scared at getting caught… I will be toast if the advisor finds out…
Taking a deep gulp, Glacia pushed the button, hearing the device dial the number.
One ring. Two rings. Three rings… Four…
“Yeah?” said a male voice on the line.
Glacia took a breath, then faltered for a moment. “Um, hi. I am trying to reach Kyle? Is he available?”
“Who is this? Is this Em?” the voice asked.
Em? Is he talking about the princess?
“Do you mean Em as in Princess Emerald?”
“Wait, what? Em, is that you?”
“No, but this is her handmaiden, Glacia. I really need to talk to Kyle. Emerald is in trouble!” Glacia pleaded into the device.
“Handmaiden? Emerald?” the voice echoed. “Oh, shit. No wonder the police were drilling us!”
Glacia heard the other person rummaging around, with more male voices in the background. There was some fighting over the device, then more noise.
“Listen, you tell that asshole that I was arrested because of him!” a new male voice shouted.
“I’m… sorry?” Glacia said, confused. “So you don’t know where Kyle is? The princess is in trouble, and I need to tell him. She needs help!”
“Princess? Are you talking about Em?”
“Yes! She is Princess Emerald!”
“Holy shit!” the voice exclaimed. More muffled noises could be heard. “Hey, Remy, Em is Princess Emerald! Can you believe that shit? How the fuck did homeboy end up so lucky?” the voice called out to the background.
“May I talk to Kyle, please?” Glacia said hurriedly. She did not want to be caught, and the conversation was going nowhere. Was Kyle like these men on the phone?
“We don’t know where the hell he is. The middle of our gig, he goes chasing after Em and some weirdo. After hours of arguing with the police and telling them we had no idea what kind of trouble homeboy got himself into, they finally let us go. So if you see that asshole, tell him thanks a fucking bunch.”
Glacia’s heart dropped. Not even Kyle’s band knew where he was. No one could help.
“Please, if you see him, tell him what I have told you. If you could, can
you take down this number? I might not be able to answer this device, but I will get your message if you leave one.”
“I guess. Damn, I still can’t believe that bastard and the princess… together. Wow. I didn’t see this one coming.”
“What is your name, in case I need to call back?” Glacia asked.
“Diego.”
“I’m Glacia. Please, make sure he gets my message if you see him.”
Glacia gave the number to him, then politely hung up, staring at the screen, lost in thought. Her head was swimming. Kyle couldn’t be reached, and it felt like she had no other options.
Then a thought struck her. Haze. Maybe he could help.
Quickly putting the device back into her pocket, Glacia slipped out of the room, making her way in haste back to Emerald’s quarters.
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
RED
A violent, raging red thunderstorm trailed Kyle, leaving a path of devastation behind as he drove furiously toward Arcadia. The wild red winds whipped through his hair while the hard rains drenched him. With each second, his fury channeled the magic, calling forth the elements, destroying everything along the way. The more anger he felt, the greater the crimson storms and ruby vortexes ripped through the wastelands and into the city.
No one was going to mess with him now. Not Arcadia’s force. Not the prince. Not even the fucking King himself. He just had to see Emerald. One word from her. Just one. That was all he needed to know if she really wanted to get married.
Arcadia shone in all its glorious lights as Kyle approached. Night had fallen, and the traffic was backed up due to the rains, but it didn’t slow him down. The power of the elements enveloped him, making his motorcycle lighter, fast as hell, and more maneuverable, with the power of the winds on his side. The water on the roads obeyed his thoughts and allowed his bike to glide through the streets effortlessly.
Kyle dodged the ground vehicles, the furious winds causing massive damage from behind. Air transports that caught up in Kyle’s red current were flung in all different directions, slamming across the city. The earth rumbled and quaked as he drove, shaking some of the ground vehicles aside, creating a clear path for Kyle to maintain his speed.
It didn’t take long for the authorities to appear. It was hard for Kyle to go unnoticed with the havoc he was inflicting upon Arcadia.
Kyle’s vision was suddenly flooded with a bright white light. More lights followed suit, and he heard the hovering sounds of the transports above, following his path.
Come get me, assholes, he taunted them within his mind. I’d like to see you try.
He could hear them over the megaphone from above, yelling at him to stop. Other ground vehicles pulled in from behind in pursuit, yelling through their intercoms, telling him to surrender. Either way, he wasn’t going to give in to their bullshit. Any other time he probably would have.
This time it was different.
Funneling rage into his power, Kyle spoke to the winds through his mind, letting them guide his motorcycle. They steadied the bike for him, his motorcycle being enveloped by glowing red current. He let go of the handlebars, trusting the magic. His bike was wobbling unsteadily.
Stay still, he ordered the bike.
A feeling of another power, one that he hadn’t felt before, surged through his blood. It was a forceful power, ripping through his body. Suddenly that power began to control the motorcycle through the streets, driving it for him, glowing with a red-violet intensity. Kyle didn’t have to tell the power where he was going. It knew his mind, automatically sending him toward his destination.
The Holy Cathedral of Light. Garrett had better be right with his information, because Kyle had no time to fuck this one up.
Kyle looked behind him, seeing that only the larger ground vehicles could weather his storm; the small units couldn’t manage. However, the transports that remained were gaining on him.
Swiftly, Kyle raised his hands, summoning bright ruby-red flames. With a large downward swoop of his arms, he ignited a tremendous fireball within his palms, then hurled it at the ground behind the motorcycle. As soon as the fireball met the ground, it transformed into two giant walls of fire behind him.
Sounds of the megaphone repeated above as spotlights shone on him, illuminating him for all of Arcadia to see. Eventually, someone was going to get tired of the chase, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be him.
After several more minutes, Kyle finally made it into Arcadia’s western sector. Passing another intersection, he knew he was close.
Racing toward the building that the crystal cathedral was on top on, Kyle saw a multitude of authorities surrounding the ground level of the building. There was a swarm of police vehicles and transports, and many of the palace guards were situated among them. No doubt it would be the same on every platform while the princess and prince were attending their ceremony.
Gathering up his courage, Kyle jumped off the moving motorcycle, summoning his magic. The red winds encircled him, catching him in midair, and he hovered for a second. Kyle saw Garrett’s motorcycle continue to plow forward into the crowd of authorities, slamming into one of the police transports.
Sorry, man, Kyle thought to Garrett. That’s why I make no promises. He could hear Garrett now. He’d probably get an earful of choice words the next time he saw him.
The red winds guided Kyle down gently, releasing him from their grasp. The authorities began to charge while transports drove toward him.
Kyle had to make a decision, and quick. He looked toward the building, then an idea struck him.
With all of his strength from within, he called forth the waters from his soul. The red floods and magical waters coursed through his veins, surging through his hands. Kyle shot his hands downward, letting the water spray like a high-pressure hose. The more raging power he fed it, the more forcefully it sprayed the water. Higher and higher he rose, freezing the water as it left his hands, shooting him upward to the mid-levels.
Kyle had created two extremely tall blocks of red glowing ice under his hands. Loud cracks could be heard from below; the authorities were shooting at the ice. Kyle could sense the power within the ice, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to hold much longer.
Trusting the elements, he threw his head backward, allowing the winds to surround him completely. Kyle removed his hands from the ice blocks, floating in the air for a moment. He looked down below and saw nothing but small black figures running around in the golden lights of the building and through the skyways. Damn, he was far up.
Hovering within the wet storms, Kyle began shooting large sheets of ice through the air from his hands. He let the winds take over, and they surrounded the glowing red ice, creating floating steps to the cathedral.
Kyle hopped onto the first step, still slick from the rains, and glided quickly across. He stopped near the edge, breathing a sigh of relief. Then a crack appeared. It couldn’t handle the pressure of his weight.
He jumped to the next one, and the next, creating new sheets of ice upward, sliding across the sheets, looking at his goal through the raindrops slapping his face. As he left each step, the ice sheets fell on the city below, causing panic within the crowds and the authorities.
More gunshots. A strong force of wind raced by him.
Guns were firing at him from the air transports.
Damn! Winds, a little help right now would be useful.
A gush of red wind flew from his body, almost like a transparent barrier had surrounded him. The bullets made contact with it but then spun out in all different directions, missing Kyle completely.
Air transports hovered nearby, and more gunshots ricocheted away. Kyle summoned a barrier of ice in front of him, shielding him from the bullets. With a quick whip of his hands, red lightning bolted down on transports, causing them to spin out of control.
Soaked, Kyle jumped off the last ice step, making it onto the main entrance platform of the cathedral, where all the transports were to dock. The remaining r
ed ice cracked, then fell to the city depths below. More air transports followed, initiating landings on the platform. Men poured out, guns drawn.
Emerald appeared in his mind. Kyle couldn’t let her marry the prince without him really knowing how she felt about him. He couldn’t fail her this time.
He heard guards circling him, all heavily armed. A swarm of authorities appeared in front of Kyle, all ready to fire.
Well, shit, this isn’t looking so good.
He pulled out a cigarette, placing it in his mouth, then lit it with a magical flame that appeared from one of his fingertips. He then began to puff it casually as he held his hands up in surrender.
The authorities exchanged looks as if he was crazy.
“You are surrounded,” one of the captains called out.
“Yeah, I’m pretty fucked, aren’t I?” Kyle said calmly.
“Stand down,” the captain said.
Kyle took one last drag. The taste of the tobacco felt soothing, but didn’t take the edge off his anger. It made him pause for a moment to reflect how determined he was.
He released the cigarette from his mouth, and it fell gently to the ground. When the burning cherry touched the platform, Kyle swooped his hands in a downward motion, creating a massive flaming explosion.
There was an instant fire and smoke barricade between Kyle and the authorities. Through the roaring fires, Kyle heard the platform begin to crumble. The other men yelled in confusion, running in the chaos to evacuate. Kyle passed several of them as he continued to near the entrance. One of the men saw Kyle through the flames and was about to take action, but it was too late. The wall of flames flared up between them as Kyle entered the cathedral.
Once inside, Kyle found himself in a grand foyer made of gold and crystal, decorated with canvas paintings of the God of Light. He shuddered, feeling unwanted in such a holy place.
What Kyle had told Emerald was true—he never gave the God of Light much thought. He did believe there was a god, but he’d never felt the need to pursue religion much further than that. Even with his newfound gift, he felt like it was a gift given directly from Emerald, not from God. What god in their right mind would give an asshole such as himself such a divine gift, anyway?
