Fight for the Crown

by Emilie MacCauley

It all started to make sense for Lola, why she thinks King Bren was bad and why she sided with the Shevka king’s actions initially.

  “Okay,” Lola says trying to wrap her head around things, “So, if the queen never gave birth to you, obviously they are aware that you are not theirs. The question is why did the king and queen want you? Were they the ones who ordered you to be glamoured? It could also make sense why they had your powers locked. If you displayed Dakra power, everyone would know. Is it possible the king or queen could know the phrase to your amulet?”

  “Even if they did, I’m not allowed back on castle grounds. Especially not while I look like this. My parents wouldn’t recognize me and if I did somehow convince them I’m Princess Rowan, I’m not sure I would want to. My brother is after me and he won’t stop. This new appearance is my disguise. I won’t be welcomed back to the castle looking Dakra. This is my home and if I risk letting my brother see me like this, I will never be safe.”

  “Is it possible we could glamour someone else to ask your parents?” Lola suggests.

  “If we’re desperate and out of ideas, I guess so.”

  “Roe, we are desperate and out of ideas.”

  “It’s just…” Rowan sighs, “Even if someone other than me makes it past the gate and talks to my parents. What if they have no idea what you’re talking about? Or worse, what if they do know what you’re talking about and they don’t want you to unlock my power, so they kill you!”

  Lola frowns. “Don’t worry, I feel things will work out.”

  “How can you be so optimistic?”

  “You have to believe something good will come out of so much chaos. Before Shadow found me, I was so alone, so hopeless. I remember thinking to myself if I could find a safe place to sleep and one warm meal, I’d be fine. Being optimistic kept me alive. It kept me searching for a home like Cirvka.”

  * * *

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Lottie reminds Shadow of his little sister. Innocent, naive, taken advantage of, and powerless in every sense of the word.

  Shadow had felt sick to his stomach when he saw Lottie at lunch with Roe—split lip and all. His shadows yearned to wrap around her and engulf her in his protection. Even now Shadow feels an urge to return to their tent and watch over them.

  But first, he has business to attend.

  Blade is waiting for him at his office on the other side of Cirvka. A quarter of this place is off limits to guests and performers. He brought Roe to the main headquarters to give her a collar the first morning of her arrival. He should have brought the collar to her, but Shadow wasn’t thinking. He doesn’t do a lot of thinking when he’s around her.

  There’s no easy way to put that Blade is an idiot. Even more of an idiot for the stunt he pulled the other day by getting himself electrocuted. Shadow’s father had a word with him earlier this morning. Blade missed his afternoon and evening performance and it isn’t hard to see why because his face is black and blue. Shadow can see the thin scars from fresh whip marks on the back of his neck.

  “Have you learned your lesson?” Shadow takes his seat at his desk sitting across from the knife performer. Blade grumbles under his breath. “I don’t hear a yessir,” Shadow taunts.

  “Yessir,” he says through gritted teeth. If Blade bit down any harder he’d break his teeth and jaw.

  Shadow’s door opens and in comes Knoton only five minutes late. “I see your other half has finally decided to join us,” Shadow says to Blade as his patience is beginning to wear thin.

  Knoton bitterly takes his seat next to Blade and crosses his arms. “What have you called us in for?”

  “I called both of you here because you’re reckless. You were both explicitly told to keep things quiet and here the two of you go dropping hints to Roe. She’s questioning Cirvka.”

  “Well Cirvka is questionable,” Knoton smirks.

  “I mean it, if you two start again with your everyone is here for a reason, I will personally wring your necks.”

  “It’s not our fault your girl is question-crazy.” Shadow gives Blade a hard look. “Whatever. Don’t sweat it, Shadow. She won’t figure anything out,” he glosses over it.

  “No, she won’t, not if I can help it,” Shadow leans back in his chair and rubs at his forehead. “I don’t think you two realize what’s at stake.” They’re both silent but Shadow knows and judging from their expressions they don’t care whether the plan that they have been slowly building for years goes right or wrong.

  “Just because you don’t have anything to lose doesn’t mean I don’t,” Shadow growls. “There are always eyes on you, I hope my father has told you that.” By mentioning my father, they gulp and their skin goes pale.

  “Yessir. It won’t happen again,” Knoton bows his head and Blade mimics.

  “Dismissed,” Shadow waves his hand to shoo them away. Those idiots are going to be the death of him, Shadow swears.

  Shadow’s father is the reason Cirvka is what it is. He was King Bren’s right hand man, a general who fought valiantly in the war that made Syro the new Shevka king. The war almost cost him his life, but he survived with a few scars and eight out of ten fingers. Forced out of the castle with his wife and two small children, he had nowhere to go. That is when he created Cirvka.

  Cirvka was meant for all his fellow soldiers and their families to stay. Eventually welcome all types of low bloods. Blade and Knoton were sons of fallen soldiers—soldiers who were two of his father’s good friends. It’s another reason why he still tolerates them.

  Shadow’s father and the rest of the former soldiers tried to find work to help feed everyone. Shevka didn’t want to hire Dakra and previously owned Dakra store owners were killed and taken over by high bloods. It was impossible to live, so his father made Cirvka into a show where Shevka could pay to watch performers, sorcerers, oracles, and even alchemists who could make a potion to turn someone into a butterfly or give them gills to breathe underwater. All low bloods display powers Shevka do not have and have never seen. It was the perfect way to make money—until the Shevka all thought it was a trap set by low bloods.

  That’s where the rumor that the Cirvka performers are all criminals and debt-owers came about. Cirvka was now a ‘Shevka-owned place.’ It was a lie but the lie worked because Cirvka attained more attention and paying guests. To make it more believable, they all wore collars. The Shevka enjoyed the thought of Dakra enslavement greatly. The collars were once for show, but eventually when his father began losing his mind, he made it so no one could escape.

  Cirvka was supposed to be for the families of soldiers and other low bloods who needed a place to live. It turned into something much more dark. The lies and manipulation. Shadow doesn’t want to be a part of this bigger plan, but he has to be a part of it. He would do anything for his little sister.

  His shadows make it easy to sneak around outside the Cirvka gates. He blends in with the night sky and is able to get through villages without being seen. Tonight he targets Shevka houses and stores stealing as many girl-sized clothes as he can.

  His father doesn’t like him going out alone, he says his weakness will get him killed. It’s not that he cares if Shadow—his only son—dies. He cares that the one carrying out the majority of his plans will be dead.

  Shadow did this many times when he was younger for his sister who used to beg for items that weren’t of necessity. She cried for a stuffed doll, cried for pretty shiny shoes, cried for chocolate, for books, for dresses. And he would do it for her. He would steal every last thing she ever desired. Once he got caught, a male snuck up behind him when he was twelve. The Shevka male beat Shadow so hard, it created his greatest weakness. A secret not many know. He doesn’t know how he escaped, but he did, and it was worth it to see the look on his sister’s face.

  When Shadow returns to Cirvka, he catches Lola and Roe who are heading back to their tent. He taps on Roe’s shoulder making her jump. Shadow laughs with enjoyment as he loves sneaking up on her. Her hand covers her
heart and she takes a deep breath before promptly smacking him on his shoulder.

  He chuckles finding it amusing.

  “Did you find any clothes?” Lola points to the large bag in his hand.

  “It should be enough,” he nods. “Where is she?”

  “With Solana and Pepper at our tent. She was exhausted,” Roe answers with a frown. “We should maybe take her to a healer tomorrow.”

  “She’s Shevka, all her scars and bruises will heal completely in due time. There’s really nothing we can do about it,” he sighs.

  If only Dakra had that power—to be able to heal all wounds and disability. Their bodies are temples and despite Dakra having magic meant to wreak havoc, Shevka have magic to benefit themselves.

  “What if she’s complaining about the pain?” Roe asks softly.

  “Then bring her to Solana. She’s known to mix up a tonic that alleviates pain,” he offers. Many times when Shadow couldn’t see a healer—per his father’s instruction—the pain would sometimes be too much to bear. One night he passed by Solana’s booth and she saw his suffering. That’s when she offered him a really nasty tasting, but life-changing tonic. Every time after that it became routine for him to visit Solana so she’d take away his pain.

  From then on, they slowly worked their way up to friends. Then Lola joined the group, then Pepper, now Roe and Lottie.

  Shadow never intended to make friends at Cirvka. For a time it was just him, Blade, and Knot. It was Lola’s unrelenting persistence to continue to sit with him at breakfast, lunch, and dinner that made him appreciate her as well as enjoy her company. The constant bothering Lola did to check up on him, ask him how he is, or strike a random conversation made him feel like he mattered and that someone cared. At the same time he hates it. He hates feeling vulnerable, he prefers to be alone. He likes being alone.

  Shadow thinks being alone means you don’t get close to anyone and not getting close to anyone means no one can hurt you through them. He was lonely but he wanted Lola to leave him alone for that reason. At first he thought maybe she had a crush on him. It wasn’t until he realized she had no friends, that he figured she was doing it because—like him—she was also lonely.

  “Shadow,” Lola locks her arms with his as they walk toward their tent. “Have you been getting enough sleep lately? You know I know a spell that can help you fall asleep.”

  “I’m fine, Lola.” The one thing Shadow appreciates about Lola is how she notices everything. She reminds him a lot of his deceased mother and it’s nice to be cared for and worried for again. “How’s your booth doing? Got a lot of customers?”

  “You know they leave a good tip if I tell them they’ll find love or riches,” she snickers and he joins her in a laugh. It’s always been fun to manipulate Shevka in any way they can.

  Roe walks ahead of them looking distracted. Her lips are moving, she seems to be muttering to herself. Since she arrived, she’s been cautious, curious, and complicating. Pepper was the same way when he brought her here. Her distrust in everyone is because of what the Shevka did to her and her family. It hindered her ability to open herself up. Her sorrow of her lost mate blinded her from true-hearted creatures. It took Pepper a long time to become the bubbly personality she is now. She didn’t fit in with the other hybrids at Cirvka due to her only being half-hybrid so she felt lost and unable to find her place. Instead, she found her place with Solana and Lola.

  And he hates to admit it, but he found his place with them, too.

  When they reach the tent, Lottie is sleeping curled up to Pepper—who is still awake. Shadow sets the bag of clothes down and Solana looks through it, hanging each piece of clothing on their clothing rack so they don’t get wrinkled. He can feel Roe watching him fixedly out of the corner of his eyes. He knows she still has so many questions to ask him about Cirvka as well as questions to ask about herself. There are many answers that Shadow has, but they’re all ones he is forbidden to say.

  At least not yet.

  He wants to stay longer to make sure Lottie truly is okay and adjusting well, but the girls seem tired and that is his cue to leave. With a quick goodbye he leaves them to return to his own room for the night.

  He’d be back tomorrow, though.

  Shadow’s bedroom is in one of the headquarters buildings. It is a quaint room with a mattress held up by a wooden frame. There are a few books stacked next to his bed that he likes to read to kill time when he has free time.

  Inside his room his father is sitting on his bed. His hands are folded on his lap, legs bouncing impatiently. He stands from the bed, he’s so tall the top of his head brushes the ceiling. He’s dressed in a tailored black suit. Like Shadow, he has prominent dark features—thick raven colored hair and empty black holes for eyes. His body is long and slender, he doesn’t need bodily strength when his mind is already a dangerous weapon.

  “What do you have to report to me?”

  “I talked to Blade and Knoton and made it clear that if they uttered another word to Roe I would personally take care of it.”

  “Would you?” He scratches at the stubble on his chin. He starts to pace the room making Shadow anxious. Shadow is already anticipating what he has to say next. His father stops and turns to face him, “What about the girl?”

  “What about her? She’s still trying to figure out how to unleash her power.”

  “Now is not the time,” he shakes his head.

  “I know,” Shadow nods in understanding. “They aren’t close and if they were...I have everything under control.”

  “Good,” he smiles. Normally a father smiling at his son should make the son feel like he did something right. Like the father is proud of the son. Shadow’s father’s grin is nothing but predatory, devious, and thirsty for power. He considers him more of a pawn than a son. “Because you know what will happen if my plans are ruined...don’t you?”

  “Yessir,” Shadow gulps.

  “Don’t disappoint me. We’ve waited years and I won’t have it screwed up because of you or one of those idiots.” He leaves without a goodbye and Shadow can finally breathe again.

  Falling back on his bed, he stares up at the ceiling. Lola is right, he is exhausted and in much need of a full night’s rest. Every night is filled with unbearable silence, insomnia, and restlessness. There’s so much on his mind, so much at stake that when he’s not thinking of the worst case scenario every waking second—he’s dreaming of it. The stress of his father’s plans is giving him crippling anxiety. The plans are so close to taking place and that’s when the chaos will break loose.

  Shadow isn’t ready for chaos.

  Conversations with his father are always quick. He used to remember a time when they would sit for hours and talk. Sometimes they’d talk about important things and other times they would talk about nothing. He would tell Shadow stories of King Bren and the adventures they would go on. He’d tell him about epic battles and adventures. His father was always the most interesting male in the land and Shadow looked up to him for a time. Sometimes he blames his mother’s early death for his father becoming so unhinged, but it was slowly starting before that. His father never recovered from when The Sorching King fell, but what really set him over the edge was the death of Shadow’s mother.

  It’s well past midnight but he still has his lantern lit and he’s rereading one of his old favorites. He stole this for his sister many years ago and she loved it so much that she gave it back to him. He was never a reader, he thought immersing himself into a fictional world for hours was pointless. He always thought there was no point because none of it is real. Nonfiction books are more practical because at least you can gain some useful knowledge. His sister begged and he couldn’t say no. He read it in one sitting and the next day, they talked for hours about the characters, the complexities, and the plot twists.

  He would give anything to talk to her about this book right now. He’d give anything to have her company. It’s been so long. So long since he was able to be a good
big brother for her. Everyday he feels like he failed her, but he keeps the hope that one day this will all be worth it.

  It has to be.

  Shadow gets halfway through the book before his body threatens to shut down on him. His eyes sting and feel heavy from staring at the words on the pages.

  By the time the sun comes up he obtained a solid two and a half hours of shut eye. A new day means a world of possibilities.

  First, Shadow has to check on Lottie. He waits outside the girls tent watching Pepper leave, then Solana, then Lola. Roe leaves last with Lottie holding her hand. The first thing Shadow notices about Roe is how she is dressed. She is wearing brown straight fitted pants that are rolled up to her ankle and a simple cream colored top—short-sleeved and showing off her freckled arms. Her straight shoulder length hair is tied back in a ponytail. Her hair looks nice back, it nicely shows off her round face, high cheekbones, and long pointed ears filled with various hoops and jewels. She looks so different than that first night he found her. Her hair was a mess, fancy dress in tatters, and feet shoeless and dirty. She looked pale and too skinny, now she has a healthy glow about her. Her cheeks are rosy and full.

  Lottie is wearing a dress, a pink one he stole from a rich Shevka lord in the village. The material is an expensive silk and as she twirls in her dress and stomps on the ground in shiny white shoes made of genuine leather—he knows he’s done his job right. She looks happy and already her split lip has healed nearly to completion.

  “Good morning,” he shows off his best smile.

  “Shadow!” Lottie calls out and starts running toward him.

  He crouches down so he’s at her level and opens his arms wide. He hugs her tight and rocks them back and forth. It’s been so long since he’s gotten a proper hug. He pulls back and she giggles. It’s worth it, everything is worth it to keep an innocent little girl like her, safe. Her bruises still have him uneasy and have his thoughts murderous. He wants to find her father and hurt him like he hurt her.

  He was too late with his sister, but he won’t be too late about this. In Cirvka living with Lola, Roe, Pepper, and Solana, she can have a life filled with as much fun as we can allow. That is without her getting caught by his father or Prince Arlo.