nightmare that she couldn’t wake from.
She feared for her life, and it was imperative that they find concrete proof to prosecute the killers, both for her protection and that of her friends. She needed to act quickly and Astrid firmly believed that Preta and Maddox were somehow involved in the queen’s death. Her brother’s suspicious behavior- the sudden kind words, his marriage to Preta, and the Mieran tea most of all- implicated the pair plainly. Still, the idea of arresting her own brother deeply disturbed the young queen; she hoped she’d gone mad.
As she sat on a throne decorated with flowers, people came up, gave her blessings and discussed the wonderful things her mother did for Yantra. Lisette had been a beloved fixture among the people and even though her mother was set on the New Path, Astrid’s heart was broken. The Queen had been taken before her time, and she was determined to find justice for her mother’s murder.
Zander and Stella stayed close to the new queen and carefully watched Maddox. He always kept Preta by his side, but the witch complained that he was quite distant in his thoughts. Preta vowed to ask him about the tea, but her proclamation seemed dubious to Zander and Stella. Suddenly, Maddox took Preta’s hand and they walked into the home she now shared with Astrid.
Zander, Stella, and Astrid looked at each other. Astrid had the idea that Preta’s anger with her new husband was just an act, but doubts clouded all of them.
Upstairs on the very top floor, Maddox and Preta sat down in a sitting area which had a spectacular view of Yantra. With windows all around, you could see for miles on a clear day. The room also had two big comfy chairs, but they were too nervous to sit and chose to look out at the endless view instead. It smelled like a meadow from the flowers and herbs that Astrid grew in mismatched pots and odd cups found at bazaars. Maddox held onto Preta’s hand and looked into her eyes. He was completely breath-taken by her. “Preta, I trust you more than anyone. You have to understand… Being the king of Yantra is my birthright. I have planned for this my entire life. Astrid’s a sweet girl, but she doesn’t know what it takes to run a country.”
Maddox wouldn’t go so far as to admit any wrongdoing. The first thing he knew about maintaining power was that exposing any weakness would be a debilitating mistake. His heart ached with guilt but he couldn’t take any chances of others finding out the truth. On some level he just wanted to bring his mother back, but now that he had gone this far and ruined so many lives, he had to keep up the charade. Preta was his only hope in hiding the evil deed.
“I have a plan, my handsome prince. Your troubles will soon be gone forever.”
Maddox was transfixed by Preta as she spoke. She walked slowly around the room, carefully analyzing the display left by Astrid. She reached down and cut the girl’s prize-winning rosemary and then found a picture of Stella playing at Marza Lake when the children were young. She placed the picture and the rosemary into an empty gift bag from the party and tucked it away in her pocket.
When Preta had everything she was looking for, she kissed her prince on the cheek and with the blink of an eye, vanished. Maddox believed that Preta loved him and would never betray him. He wholeheartedly trusted whatever plan she’d concocted.
Back at the festival, Zander noticed Astrid lost in thought and that she was becoming increasingly nervous. Finally, he stood up with Astrid’s hand clutched in his and led her away from the pavilion, the craziness, the worry, and the pain. Leaving it all behind even if just for a moment relieved them both.
They took a short stroll to Bahvya Falls, just past the Zuza trees where the river tumbled into a lagoon 100 feet below. Zander held her delicate face in his hands and tenderly kissed her soft lips. He unlatched the gold clasp on his dark blue cloak and laid it on the ground amidst a plethora of wild flowers.
“Can you do something for me?” Zander’s gorgeous eyes were impossible to say no to.
“Maybe….”
“Will you sit with me for a few minutes and just put all of this chaos in the back of your mind… just for now? You’re worried sick. You need a breather.” She was already sitting down on his cloak, convinced before he finished. Reaching for his hand, she pulled him down to sit beside her.
The couple lay down and looked up at the pink and violet lit clouds of the sunset as they quickly rolled by. They held hands and took in every peaceful moment, dreading the return to reality. He gently leaned over her and as she gazed into his eyes, he gave her one more kiss. She held him closer. Just feeling him near her made her feel safe.
They continued lying in the flowers for a little while before they heard two familiar voices screaming for Astrid. Astrid and Zander leapt to their feet once they saw Stella and Preta race toward them.
“Maddox knows! Hurry! We have to go!” Preta was franticly screaming.
“Wait… what does Maddox know?” Zander asked.
“I asked him about the tea and I told him that everyone knew his mother was poisoned. He seemed very sincere in wanting to help find the murderer until I told him he was the prime suspect. Then, he completely turned on me and said anyone that accuses him will be next.”
Preta’s voice shook in fear. Her display was genuine enough that the others became alarmed. Somehow the witch’s voice convinced them that they had more evidence against Maddox at this point than her.
She smiled to herself. Swaying them was just as easy as bewitching Stella outside of the festival had been.
Astrid loved her brother, but he was dangerous and none of them were willing to take any chances. Perhaps getting some distance for a few days would allow them some time to handle the situation with greater care. Zander told them that he knew of a path that cut through the valley to the Tulim border where Preta could get all of them across. His parents owned a small farm at the edge of the valley where they grew blue kale and pygmy oranges. When Zander would go back and work on the farm, he would often stay in their tiny home located in the southern hills. He figured they could hide there for a few days while they planned what they would do next.
Although Astrid wished she had spoken to Maddox herself, Preta had already made their final plans and the new queen felt compelled to flee. There was no telling what her brother would do if anyone confronted him, yet she wasn’t sure why they’d all agreed to travel into Tulim. Distantly, she felt a sense of danger.
And so, they set out on their journey…one they would soon regret..
X. Penance
She is playing like a child
And penance is the play,
Fantastical and wild
—W. B. Yeats
As the festival began to wind down and the stars lit up the night sky, the group set off. Astrid and Stella pulled large, beige robes from a storage closet and threw them over their dresses while Zander changed into his worn-out farm clothes. Preta, adamant that she could conceal herself without issue, refused to disguise herself. The group took a dirt road into the forest where one path followed the river and one lead straight into the valley.
“We should split up. Stella should come with me and Zander, you go with Astrid. We’ll take the river trail and you two go straight to the valley. It won’t take us much longer.” Preta didn’t offer any explanation for separating, but her reassuring tone continued to compel them.
Stella took Astrid aside and proposed contacting Shinji for added safety, but that suggestion was met with a bizarre stare. Although it was President Akinado that announced that she was the new queen, she didn’t feel comfortable asking him for help. Astrid wasn’t aware of the deal Stella struck with Shinji and saw no reason to question Preta.
“Preta is right. Let’s go,” Astrid said, as she and Zander walked down the valley trail that diverged from the river right near Bhavya Falls. The crashing waterfall made it impossible to hear anyone coming, so they ran as far as they could until they could only hear the leaves beneath their feet.
Stella and Preta took their time walking along the river trail near the waterfall. Across a large ravine near
the narrow border between Tulim and Yantra, there stood a beautiful lake. Stella wandered closer to the border to get a better look. Suddenly, the lake was obscured by shimmering figures howling with otherworldly screams.
Stella realized they were the fabled blood demons. The miserable wraiths drifted back and forth with vibrating crimson cores and aching cries. Stella shivered and was reminded for a moment that it was her guide’s people who condemned these poor souls.
She turned back toward their path along the river and tried to walk a little farther ahead of Preta, plagued by what she’d seen. The witch called out to Stella abruptly, startling her.
“Stella, come here. You have to see this!” she called.
Angry and frightened, Stella walked gingerly back to Preta. Before she could say anything, the witch took the picture of Stella from her little pouch and lit it on fire with a flick of her finger. As the witch chanted, Stella’s voice disappeared and she very slowly began to vanish into thin air. A crystal statue of poor, innocent Stella stood at the edge of the lake she had gazed at only moments before. While the statue stood perfectly still, her true life force was trapped in the clutches of the cursed kyhas far away, beneath the sea.
Once Stella was out of her way, Preta quietly crept down the valley trail, staying close behind Astrid and Zander.
Astrid and Zander did not notice the witch following them as they continued down the path. The air grew chilly and a light wind began to blow, carrying the sweet smell of candy and roses from the festival. As they started to get closer to the valley, Astrid had a sick feeling in her stomach. Something didn’t seem right, but she didn’t know why.
“How long will it take them to reach the valley?” Astrid asked as the pair climbed up the ravine, reaching a trail framed by lavender moosewoods.
“Not long. The river trail only adds another 20 minutes to the trip.” Zander was tired and out of breath. It had been an arduous journey and he tried to recall again why they had separated. Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. The night sky was filled with a stream of brilliant green, pink, and pale turquoise lights. They were not strangers to odd celestial occurrences, but tonight it made them uneasy. The bands of colorful light were punctuated by a dark spot hovering near Seraphi. They picked up the pace. Without either of them noticing, the clasp on Astrid’s necklace broke and the medallion fell to the ground.
“Let’s take a little break. Maybe we can wait here for them.” Astrid pulled her hood off and sat down on the other side of the trail, stretching out among the dried leaves.
“Are you going to pretend you didn’t see that?” Zander asked.
“Maybe it was some kind of eclipse.” Astrid yawned and gazed up at the heavenly light show.
“There! Look at that. It’s incredible.” Zander pointed at the sky and they sat straight up as they watched billowing streaks of green and pink form a thick tunnel of light that snaked across the sky.
“What was that?” Astrid whispered. Zander looked at Astrid and held her hand as the light became brighter and brighter before dissipating into thin air. They laughed in relief and at themselves before the heavy streak of light reappeared suddenly even brighter and much closer than before. In an instant, the light show was gone and Astrid fell asleep in Zander’s arms while he told her stories about the constellations. He too drifted off to sleep.
Zander awoke as the sun began to rise. Gazing at the queen while she slept peacefully, he wondered how anyone could harm such a delicate creature. He wanted so badly to kiss her soft lips.
After an hour or so, her eyes fluttered open and she stretched her way out of his embrace. “Good morning,” she said, looking at him with a smile. Astrid knew he’d been watching her.
“We should get moving. How are you feeling this morning?” She tried not to let on that she liked the way he looked at her. How would she gain control over the insanity around them if she distracted herself with a boy? Astrid couldn’t afford that right now, even if the boy in question was Zander.
“I’m good- just a little stiff…” he replied, but she had already turned and was heading back to the trail. Zander sighed and got up too. They each noticed that the long streak of brilliant colors didn’t budge and the spot that they believed to be an eclipse was looming in the distance. It certainly wasn’t an eclipse.
Shortly after they began walking, a figure emerged from the thin layer of fog over the valley trail, glowing from the light of the dawn. They were relieved to see it was Preta, until she got close enough for them to notice her wearing Stella’s hooded robe…with no Stella. She gave them a malevolent grin. Astrid’s heart started pounding furiously.
“Where’s Stella?” She demanded.
“She’s safe, as long as you do exactly what I say.” Preta said, patting her on the cheek with icy fingers.
“Tell me where she is!” Astrid yelled. She pounced on Preta, throwing her to the ground. With her knee digging into Preta’s stomach, Astrid clutched the top of Preta’s hair in her hand and slammed her head against the ground. The witch just laughed at her until Zander pulled Astrid away.
“Why don’t I show you?” Preta said. She got up from the ground, unharmed, and straightened her dress. She took her necklace off and turned the pieces that at first were shaped like two pentagons on top of each other until they formed a round mirror about six inches across. As Astrid looked into the mirror she saw a flock of kyhas swimming underwater towards something bright in the distance. But something was off.
The kyhas were pale in color- sickly green, faded blue, and several were nearly white. Even more alarming was the hostility they displayed toward one another as they rushed toward the light ahead of them. Astrid gasped when she saw one white kyha attack a small gray one, kicking it aside violently. The gray kyha retaliated by grabbing the assailant’s tail and biting it with yellow fangs. Blood flooded the water around them distracting the other kyhas momentarily, and Astrid realized what they were as she watched the frenzy. These were blood-cursed kyhas, the fiends controlling the sea south of Yantra.
Astrid looked closer into Preta’s mirror and cried out when the bright object floated into view; it was Stella. She was trapped inside a transparent sphere which emanated a pulsing light. Once they’d grown tired of their fallen comrade, the kyhas began swimming full-speed towards her again, but Stella didn’t seem to know she was in danger. She floated within the sphere with heavy-lidded eyes, moving her tail back and forth sluggishly.
“What did you do to her?” Astrid spoke with quiet rage, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.
“Oh she’s just in a little trance. That shield around her will keep her blood-sucking friends at bay, don’t worry…so long as you cooperate.” Preta said a few words under her breath and the image disappeared. She turned the pieces of her necklace back and tucked it inside her dress.
“You know something? You should be more careful around strangers, little girl. Maybe if she had one of these she would be in better shape.” Preta reached into the pouch at her hip and pulled out Astrid’s medallion. Astrid clawed at her neckline in total disbelief and Preta smiled with satisfaction.
“When Maddox finds out what you’ve done…”Astrid lunged for the witch again, but Zander caught her in his arms this time.
“You don’t think he knows? He’s the one that told me to do it.”
Astrid fell back against Zander, in complete shock. The blood drained from her face and she thought for a moment that she might faint. How could Maddox have ordered Stella to die like this? Had he gone completely insane? Astrid couldn’t believe it, but after her mother’s murder anything seemed possible. They needed to contact Shinji like Stella had suggested. For whatever reason, Stella had believed he would help.
“We’ll do whatever you want. Just please don’t hurt Stella.”
“That’s better. Let’s get to the farmhouse and we’ll go from there. If either of you try anything, Stella reunites with her long lost relatives.”
/> Preta motioned ahead and the group resumed walking the path. Astrid quietly sobbed for her dear friend as they trudged through the valley and tried desperately to think of a way to return her to safety. She had to formulate a perfect plan or they would all lose their lives to the evil sorceress.
XI. Perfect Plans
The night is darkening round me,
The wild winds coldly blow;
But a tyrant spell has bound me,
And I cannot, cannot go.
—Emily Brontë
The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when Miyuki woke up sprawled out across Maddox’s bed, with Maddox was nowhere in sight. She went up each level of the treehouse, finally finding him sitting alone in the sitting room at the top where he last spoke to Preta. Miyuki could sense something was bothering him and she hoped it was something she could relate to. Mierans were raised to be disconnected from their emotions because it was their belief that emotion blocked society’s advancement. Being the president’s daughter, she had to uphold the traditions of their people and that meant success was a cold and calculating customer.
“Are you here to cry and watch the sunrise?” Miyuki asked.
“No.” Maddox rolled his eyes at her. “I came up here last night because I was worried about my sister. I was up here with one concern and that was her safety.”
“Why would you trust a Tulim witch? What did you expect?” Miyuki scoffed.
“You know what I expect.” Maddox stood up and kicked the chair against the wall. “I expected you to be honest with me.”
“I don’t know what your problem is, but I have been honest with you. I will help you find your sister. Now, calm down and tell me why you’re freaking out.” Miyuki pulled the chair back and sat across from him.
“What kind of crap are your people making for space exploration and warfare? Keep in mind that we signed a treaty with Miera that no one would develop any long range missiles or whatever the crap that was.”
“We don’t make anything like that. What are you talking about? Were we attacked?” Miyuki stood up indignantly.
“That thing with the beam of light. It was green and really bright and I swear if your little inventions hurt my people, you will pay.”
“Green, bright light… Where was it?”
“In the sky. It was running across the sky and it went away and then it reappeared even brighter and it was much lower.” Maddox searched Miyuki’s eyes for answers but she was highly skilled at holding her cards close.
“Listen to me. Listen carefully. We are not responsible for this but I have to go home to find out what it is. I can’t figure it out here in this tree. I can also work on finding your sister, but do you have any
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