Empress Unveiled

by Jenna Morland

  Daylan appeared at the entrance and held the gate open for us, waiting.

  Tyler grabbed my hand to stop me. “You sure about this?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  Daylan moved aside for us, his eyes regarding our locked hands. I shook Tyler’s hand away, and he frowned.

  Fay and Ezra were sitting in the Reception Barn and stood upon our arrival. For the first time since I had met her, Penelope was noticeably uncomfortable. Her eyes darted back and forth, taking in our surroundings.

  “Tyler and Penelope, this is my sister Fay and my brother Ezra,” Daylan said, breaking the awkward silence.

  “Why is the human here?” Fay asked Daylan sharply.

  “It wasn’t Daylan’s decision,” I explained.

  “Swayzi trusts him.” Daylan’s words were sour.

  Tyler cleared his throat. “Uh, just a reminder, I am human. I can only hear one side of this conversation,” Tyler said, looking around the room, his eyes passing over Fay and Ezra like they weren’t there.

  Fay sighed and looked at Ezra, and the twins had a silent conversation with their eyes.

  Tyler jumped again in surprise when they appeared, and his eyes got noticeably larger when he took a second look at Fay. Ezra was amused by Tyler’s reaction to his sister.

  Penelope’s arms remained crossed over her chest; she was clearly uncomfortable.

  “Hawthorne is your father?” she asked Daylan nervously.

  “Yes.”

  “Is he still alive?”

  “We hope so.” Daylan’s sad eyes locked onto his siblings. “I’m assuming you already know that Swayzi is half faerie?” he asked.

  “Yes, I knew who she was the second I walked into the café.” She smiled and turned to me. “You shine like an angel.”

  “How come you never told me?” I suddenly felt betrayed.

  “It was safer that I didn’t.” She had no apologies.

  “Wait, I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about any of this unless we are at the café or Swayzi’s house?” Tyler interjected.

  “It’s safe to talk here,” Penelope confirmed but didn’t offer any explanation.

  “Penelope, do you have any insight into Swayzi’s health?” Daylan asked. “We unfortunately don’t have any experience with a hybrid.”

  Penelope held my hand. “That’s because she’s the first—that we know of anyways.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “It means you will die if you stay here on Earth—eventually,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “What about Empress?” Daylan asked. “Can she survive there?”

  “She’s technically supernatural since she has faerie blood running through her veins. Any supernatural being can survive in Empress. So, if I had to guess, yes—at least I think so.”

  “That doesn’t sound very promising,” Tyler scoffed, shaking his head in frustration.

  “She’s the first of her kind, Tyler. There’s a lot we don’t know,” she explained.

  I looked at Tyler. His face was red with rage. “You watched her suffer for years, and you were, what—just going to let her die?” Tyler shouted at Penelope.

  “It’s not that simple, Tyler,” she pleaded.

  “You’re a witch—you could have done something!”

  “I did do something. Since the moment I arrived in this god forsaken town, I have spent every waking moment making sure she is safe.”

  This was turning into a typical Tyler/Penelope argument, and I grew embarrassed that strangers were witnessing it.

  “Stop!” I shouted but none of them seemed to notice.

  Linda’s necklace suddenly felt warm against my chest. I heard whispers, the same whispers I had heard earlier that morning. It wasn’t just my imagination—it was the necklace. Something was wrong.

  “Guys, something’s not right,” I said quietly, but none of them heard me. I could see their lips moving, but their words blended in with the whispers from the necklace. I couldn’t make out what the whispers were saying, but the tone, the uneasiness was terrifying.

  I shook my head, fighting off the unexpected rush of intuition—an overwhelming feeling that something terrible was about to happen, and I should run.

  Then, just like that, the feeling was gone.

  “I suppose so… It’s not really something I considered,” Penelope said. “But seeing as you lived in Empress perhaps her being in your presence, your magic, has kept her healthy or even made her healthier.”

  I looked over my shoulder at all the exits. Nothing seemed out of place. I couldn’t shake how intense the feeling had been, and then for it to suddenly disappear made no sense. I held the necklace, but quickly let go of it again. I couldn’t miss any more of their conversation.

  “But,” Penelope continued, “it won’t last long.” She began pacing again in deep thought.

  “Can you open the portal back to Empress?” Tyler asked her.

  “I can’t just open a portal. It doesn’t work like that,” she scoffed.

  “What can witches do?” Tyler argued.

  “I like this guy,” Ezra smirked.

  “Keep testing me, Cobi, and you’ll find out.” Penelope’s lips pierced.

  “We’re all shaking in our boots, witch,” Tyler teased again, and Ezra laughed loudly, almost like he couldn’t help himself. Ezra smiled at Tyler like they were new buds.

  How easily boys became friends was always a mystery to me.

  “Can you contact someone on the other side?” Daylan interrupted, ignoring Tyler and Ezra’s laughs.

  “To what end?” she asked cautiously.

  Fay answered, “There are a few underground cells that strongly oppose Medallion. If we could somehow contact those faeries on the other side, and they could get wind of King Oren having an heir, it could draw out the opposition. With enough support, we could be powerful enough to challenge Medallion. If you opened the portal, we could lure him from Empress and kill him once and for all here on Earth.”

  This all sounded terrifying. An uprising? A war?

  “Whoa, no one said anything about bringing some god-king here and using Swayzi as bate,” Tyler argued.

  “Absolutely not, Fay,” Daylan agreed.

  “But our parents are stuck in that torture chamber, Daylan,” Fay pleaded, “along with thousands of other faeries. How many faeries have had to die, including King Oren? We could end all of this.”

  “And we have a witch now,” Ezra said. “She could unlock the spell that restrains our abilities. That, along with all the faeries that will stand behind us—if we ever had a chance, this would be it.”

  Abilities?

  “I’m not here to do your bidding,” Penelope spat at Ezra. “My primary concern is Swayzi’s safety, and dangling her in front of Medallion like fresh meat is off limits,” she said sternly.

  “Does everyone forget that Swayzi gets to make her own decisions?” I barked loudly.

  They all stopped and looked at me.

  “You are all talking about what’s best for me. But I’m perfectly capable of assessing the situation and deciding for myself.”

  “We know, hun,” Penelope said, “but there is so much you don’t even know about Empress, and until you know everything, you need help making these decisions. Trust me, I have your best interests at heart.”

  Ezra laughed. “First rule of being a faerie, Swayzi, never trust a witch.”

  “Ezra, now is not the time,” Daylan warned.

  “This is exactly why I don’t work with—”

  “Enough.” I stopped them. “Then tell me everything. I can handle it.”

  “We don’t have time,” Fay said. “There have already been Slayers here looking for us and for you. We’ve been able to hold them off for now, but it’s only a matter of time until he sends more. Every day that passes we’re getting weaker, giving us less of a chance to put an end to Medallion.”

  “Okay, fine,” I said, “then give me the
condensed vers—"

  “Shh.” Fay waved us off. She looked at Ezra and pointed to her ear then to the door.

  The Barn grew eerily quiet. Without warning, Daylan grabbed my elbow pulling me backwards. “What’s happening?” I whispered.

  He put his finger to his lips to silence me.

  Tyler moved instinctively to pull me away from him, but Daylan grabbed his forearm too and pulled both of us backwards. I always thought Tyler was strong, but against Daylan, he didn’t stand a chance.

  Daylan dragged both of us behind some stacked boxes in the corner. I willingly sat down, but Daylan had to shove Tyler down into a crouching position before he disappeared.

  I peeked through a crack between two boxes in time to see an army of Slayers flood into the Barn like a well-trained swat team. There had to be over thirty men in uniform. Tyler squeezed my hand tightly, and for a moment, I thought he could see them, but when I glanced at him, he looked like a blind man listening for some invisible danger.

  This was the first time I had seen Slayers up close. Their plated armor was gold and black braided together shielding their torso, and over their heart was a black medallion with horns of a ram. Their uniforms looked heavy, but they carried them with ease. Each of them held a long sword and remained crouched, ready to fight.

  They each had tattoos that wrapped around their necks and wound up their face like a vine. Their skin was pale, like they hadn’t seen the sun in months. Their pupils were dilated, making them look possessed.

  The Slayers surrounded Daylan and Penelope, whose hands went up in surrender. “Get down!” one of the men yelled.

  Penelope and Daylan dropped to their knees with their hands up. Where are the twins? I wondered.

  “Where’s the girl?” one of the Slayers asked. I assumed he was the leader.

  “What girl?” Penelope asked, looking confused.

  “I didn’t ask you—witch,” he said before he spit on her face.

  Penelope wiped away the foamy liquid, smudging her makeup.

  My eyes burned. I wanted to burst through the boxes, but, sensing my anger, Tyler held onto me tighter.

  I hated this. There were too many people I cared about in this room—all in danger—all because of me.

  “Tell us where the girl is, or your parents will be the next ones executed,” the leader said to Daylan.

  “She’s not here,” he said firmly through clenched teeth. His jaw remained locked when he took a deep breath and then slowly stood up. His hands were still in the air, and he never broke eye contact with the leader. He looked like he was moving in slow motion, his muscles controlling each movement, and when he finally reached a full standing position, he was tall enough to look down at the leader.

  A part of me wanted to stand up and surrender myself to keep him and everyone else safe, but I remained completely still.

  “Even if she was, we wouldn’t tell you.” Daylan was staring down the leader. “Leave now—tell Medallion we don’t respond to threats. I am a Hawthorne, a name all of you know well.” Daylan’s voice was commanding and forceful as he looked around the room warning each of the Slayers surrounding him. “Leave now—and you will live.”

  His eyes were on fire like a predator before a hunt. He stood tall, his chin lifting with confidence, and his fists clenched making every muscle in his body tense.

  For the first time since I met him—he scared me.

  I shrunk back and with my heel hit a small screw just behind me. It rolled ever so quietly and hit the wall with a ting.

  The Slayers twitched in response.

  Daylan smashed his own head against the leader, knocking him backwards with such force he took four other Slayers down with him. Another Slayer dove for Daylan, but Daylan dipped his shoulder in time to send the attacker soaring into one of the chandeliers.

  The twins dropped down from the rafters, and once Daylan joined them, they worked in perfect unison like trained assassins. Gathered in the center of the room, they fought with their backs to one another, Daylan trusting his siblings like their limbs were an extension of his own. Each of them had a sword, but they used every part of their body to fight. Daylan elbowed one Slayer in the head and kicked at his knees locking them backwards, making him fall to his knees, grunting in pain. Fay held his head, making his neck vulnerable and Ezra finished him off with a slice to the neck.

  There was blood. So much blood.

  “What’s going on?” Tyler asked, panicked.

  I kept forgetting the Slayers were invisible to him. “They—uh,” I stuttered in fear. “Everyone’s fighting. There’s so many of them.” I couldn’t put a thought together.

  “The dead ones, Swayzi—I can see the dead ones,” Tyler said, wide-eyed as he took in the increasing amount of dead bodies.

  I searched for Penelope through all the madness. She was fighting, too, but without nearly as much movement. Her back was to the broken wall with her hands up mumbling a chant I couldn’t make out. Any of the Slayers who had been near her were now unconscious on the ground. None of the soldiers could get close to her before they too dropped to the ground seizing, their eyes bulging in pain.

  Daylan and the twins fought fluidly, inching their way toward us. Each time a Slayer got even remotely close to Tyler and me, they would kill him. One of the Slayers fell only a few feet in front of us, blood seeping from his neck, forming an ever-growing puddle that crept closer and closer.

  Tyler picked up the fallen Slayer’s sword and held it awkwardly in front of him. Our eyes locked for a moment amidst the storm. He touched my wrist, his fingers on my thumping pulse. For a split second, I felt safe.

  Another window shattered, drawing our attention. Tyler crouched in front of me, sword drawn, searching for the invisible Slayers. I admired his instincts. I wished I could do something—be of help in some way, but I felt nothing but fear. I also wasn’t so naïve to think I had any chance against these intruders. They had supernatural strength, speed, and were obviously trained.

  But Daylan and the twins were better.

  Fay picked up a body and threw it out of her way like it weighed no more than a basketball, and Ezra looked as if he was stuck on a fast-forward setting. Daylan moved with such a mix of grace and viciousness, I wondered how I ever considered him to be human. His sharp features were more prominent when he fought. His brow was more furrowed, and the tension in his jaw made his cheek bones protrude. He looked coarse and alien.

  He told me faeries were fallen angels, but he also said that some considered faeries to be the spawn of the Devil. I had never considered the demon side of him—until now. I could see it in the merciless way he cut down the Slayers.

  The room looked smaller now with the fresh scattering of bodies, blood, and broken glass. Dead flowers had shaken loose from their baskets, while some of the umbrellas and chandeliers had fallen from the ceiling.

  I clasped my hands over my ears trying to shield myself from the gut-wrenching sounds of the battle. The loud crashes. The screams of pain. The wet groans when swords entered flesh. The whimpers before they gurgled their last bloody breath.

  How could these men be willing to die for someone like Medallion?

  There were only a few Slayers left, and Penelope was climbing over bodies, making her way towards us. I wanted to go to her, embrace her and feel safe again, but I couldn’t move. My muscles had completely atrophied, immobilized by fear.

  Penelope finally made it to us. She pushed Tyler aside and hugged me tightly. “Are you okay?” She looked me over, squeezing my shoulders.

  I nodded, still in shock.

  Just as I was about to speak, a Slayer came out of nowhere. He clutched Penelope by her neck, dragging her backwards, his hand over her mouth.

  “No!” I shouted as Penelope desperately tried to pry the Slayer’s strong arm from her neck. She clawed at him, breaking skin with her sharp nails. Her feet flailed, trying to wiggle her way from his tight grip.

  I looked for Daylan and the twin
s, but they were busy with the remaining few Slayers. “Tyler,” I cried, hoping he could somehow help. I couldn’t watch Penelope die.

  “I can’t see him. Where is he?” Tyler asked in a rush.

  “Behind her, he’s—he’s,” I stuttered, “strangling her.”

  “Stay here.” Tyler huffed.

  Penelope’s legs were slack, and the Slayer brought her down to the ground, his hand still squeezing her mouth, his arm wrapped firmly around her neck. Penelope scratched at his forearms pointlessly, her face turning red from the lack of oxygen, her eyes desperately searching for help.

  Tyler crept behind the Slayer, and without hesitation, he thrust the sword forward. The sword stabbed through the Slayers chest, just barely missing Penelope’s neck. The Slayer coughed up a few bubbles of blood before his arms went limp and he collapsed to the floor.

  Penelope crawled free, coughing, holding her throbbing throat. She looked behind her at the dead Slayer then to Tyler. He let go of the sword still lodged in the Slayers back and slumped to the ground. He was finally able to see the Slayer now that it was dead. Tyler scooted backwards toward the wall and put his hands on his head in shock.

  I could see the terrified grief in his eyes. He had saved Penelope’s life, but in that moment, Tyler had become a killer.

  The room was quiet now. Daylan and the twins had finished off the rest of the Slayers. We had survived.

  I thought of the dead Slayers that had died trying to capture me, the families they would never see again, the fatherless children, the partners they left behind, and for what? To be a puppet for Medallion?

  Daylan looked me in the eyes. When he saw that I was safe, his blood-spattered face instantly relaxed. For a moment, I frantically wondered if any of the blood was his.

  “Is anyone harmed?” Daylan asked, surveying the room, his fists still clenched, his muscles still taught with adrenaline.

  “Just a few scrapes, nothing serious,” Ezra said. A few strands of long hair fell over his face as he examined a flesh wound on his triceps.

  “I’ll need some fixing.” Fay lifted up her shirt, and a large gash revealed itself.

  “We’re good over here,” Penelope answered for us, holding her throat, her voice shaky.