The Lost Queen- Mercury's Heir

by Delizhia Jenkins

  She almost loses her footing as we race down the stairs with Erick behind us, but I catch her. The last entity is barely conscious, and I have no idea how long it will take for him to recover. My car is parked out front. Erick beats us to it, rounding the vehicle to the driver’s side.

  “Toss me your keys!” He shouts with his palms out, prepared for the catch as I throw them. He unlocks the door, slides in and unlocks the passenger doors for us. Summer scrambles inside, pushing our things over and hurriedly fastens her seat belt. Erick takes off, just as I fasten myself in, and take one last look at the life we were leaving behind.

  Chapter Eight

  Erick

  I knew they would come. As soon as she Awakened, they would find her. I glance over at Destiny who is unusually silent. Her gaze has not left the window since we left this morning. We have been on the road for three hours now, and neither she, nor her daughter has uttered a single sentence. I need to get them far away from the state before trying to remember the proper incantation to open the door to Mercuria. It has been years since I’ve had the power to do so, and with my magic returned to me, it still feels like a foreign entity to me. It’s coursing through my veins, reacquainting itself with my body. I wonder what she feels. She seems to be adjusting to her newfound powers rather quickly. She has already learned that her magic is equally destructive and protective. What she doesn’t know is that it heals, too.

  Her palms still crackle with the blue light, and they will for a while until she learns how to control it. She will need gloves for now until we make it to our final destination. I steal another glance at her, and then it dawns on me how much she resembles the former king. How did I not recognize her immediately? They share the same smooth ridged nose and perfectly defined cheekbones. Her eyes are slightly slanted just like his were, and their almond skin complexion is exactly the same.

  The next question is how? When did Mercury find the time to have an heir? That arrogant bastard made it known to the courts that no bloodline was good enough to mingle with his. Goddesses, and high-ranking Mercurian females fought for his attention, which he would give undoubtedly…but which female bore the woman that sits across from me? And to add fuel to the fire, Mercury’s heir, has a child of her own. There are too many questions to sort out, and most of them I suppose will never be answered.

  There is an annoying humming in my chest, like an internal GPS system our kind has for detecting our own. I can pick up the vibrations of other Mercurians nearby thanks to Destiny, and now getting a read on them is a thousand times stronger than what I could sense before. Destiny’s energy signature is quite potent, and I am unsure of how far of a range she can be sensed, which will make avoiding those who seek her out a bit difficult. They will fight me to the death for her, and if she uses her magic like she did against me she will activate and strengthen their waning abilities.

  I have to think.

  “Mommy,” Summer says softly from the backseat.

  “Yes baby,” Destiny responds as her eyes still gaze out the window.

  “I’m hungry.”

  Destiny sighs and looks at me. “Is there anywhere we can stop for food and a restroom break?”

  I would rather we not stop and keep going until her car is no longer capable of driving, but in order to maintain her trust, I have to succumb to a few requests. Even if it includes food.

  “I see a Denny’s up ahead,” I announce as the sign comes into view.

  “Finally!” Summer chirps.

  Funny. The kid is expressive and probably as authentic as one could be. Makes me think about what kind of powers she will display when she is older. I sneak a peek at her from the rearview mirror. Her head is resting against the window, while her eyes are closed, looking as serene and peaceful as ever. For some reason, a familiar pain bears down on my chest and I quickly return my focus onto the road. I have to stay focused. This is my last shot at redemption. It is unfortunate that a child has been brought into this, but what choice did I have? Could there be another Mercurian heir lost somewhere out in the human world—another opportunity for a shot at the throne? No. Things have already spun out of control. Whatever this child’s fate would be is a sacrifice for the survival of the kingdom.

  Everything I do, I do for Mercuria…at least that is what I tell myself as we pull into the semi-vacant parking lot at Denny’s. Right next to it is a strip mall, and a twenty-four-hour gas station , which I plan on making a quick pit stop at once the ladies are full and good to go. I detect no presence of my kind lurking about on the hunt for Destiny and I relax. Destiny is the first out of the car, rubbing her palms together, the blue light slightly dimming. She climbs back in to reach into the passenger’s seat opposite of Summer to grab her jacket. Summer slides out of the car with her pink sweater in tow.

  I take my time easing out of the car. Destiny and Summer wait for me by the entrance as I take the necessary precautions of locking her vehicle and making sure all of the windows are rolled up. Destiny quickly stuffs her hands into her pockets while Summer holds the door open for us. I notice the child gives me a hard stare as I bypass her. It is unclear of what she may be picking up on from her eleven- year old radar, but whatever it is, the farther away I take them from their home, the less she trusts me.

  Smart girl.

  ***

  Demetrius

  Demetrius stared at the scene in front of him, gripping the handle of his sword until the metal cut through his hand. They were too late. The stench of dead WarMen, Karrine’s personal enforcers tainted the air. A heavy concentration of magic tainted the air, deepening his connection to his own. He stared at the damage done to the town home, only to hear a loud groan of the semi-conscious WarMan to interrupt his thoughts. He spun around quickly to face the entity as it struggled to rise to his feet. However, before he could raise his blade, Agatha rushed the warrior, decapitating it with a quick swipe of her long blade. She watched emotionlessly as the head tumbled down the granite drive way.

  “So, what do we do now?” Cecilia asked, surveying the scene. “Looks like she is quickly learning what she can do.”

  “We need to follow her trail. She can’t be too far from here,” Demetrius said through clenched teeth.

  “She isn’t alone,” Agatha reminded them as she wiped her blade with a cloth. “The Cursed may prove to be more problematic than the Queen’s enforcers.”

  Demetrius swallowed thickly. What the hell was a Cursed doing outside of Mercuria? The dark energy left behind reminded Demetrius of the seductive pull of Death. Mercury, during his reign, had segregated those born with what was considered “death magic”- and with good reason. Those who possessed those dark gifts were considered threats and were to be handled with caution. For one to be free and on the run in the human world gave Demetrius pause.

  “Seems like they are headed east,” Cecilia said calmly. “We can catch them if we leave now.”

  Drakus, who’d quietly examined the scene inhaled slowly and sighed. “We have another problem. Mercury may have a second heir. The signature is weak, so perhaps this second heir is still a child?”

  Agatha’s eyes widened. “A child? Mercury only had one-”

  “Then perhaps this is the heir’s child—Mercury’s grandchild,” Drakus continued.

  “Then we must hurry,” Cecilia insisted. “Since Erick has them in his possession who knows what harm will befall them?” She retreated quickly to the four-door truck Agatha finagled out of a dealer. “I can still sense the heir. She is alive and well- for now.”

  Demetrius took one last look at the scene, struggling to imagine what took place just before they arrived. Time was running out for their people and their magic. If Karrine sunk her claws into Mercury’s heir before they got a chance to save her, their world would be forever doomed. Magic would die out, leaving all of them weak and defenseless. And the idea of being forced to exist in the human world- for Demetrius- was not an option.

  Chapter Nine

  Desti
ny

  I can’t even think about pancakes right now. Staring at my ridiculously tall stack of buttermilk pancakes, dripping in maple syrup, I reach for my knife and fork and force myself to cut a piece and eat. Summer on the other hand greedily stuffs her face with a slice of bacon. My hands still illuminate a soft blue light, so whenever the waitress returns to our table to greet and make sure that we are being serviced, I quickly hide them under the table. Meanwhile, Erick has been unusually quiet considering everything that happened. I keep waiting for him to say something, but he averts my gaze and tries to pretend that he is focused on eating his waffle platter. But after twenty long minutes of uncomfortable silence, I can’t stand it anymore.

  “Are you ever going to explain why you have been looking for me?” I ask after choking down my second bite of pancake.

  Summer watches us, her eyes bouncing from me to Erick and then back to her plate. Erick looks at me, drops his fork and then leans back. I watch his shoulders slump and his thick chest slowly rise and fall, as he meets me in the eyes.

  “You are being hunted,” he tells me evenly. “By many.”

  “I see,” I say coolly. “We left one of them unconscious in my driveway.”

  “Yeah but they aren’t the only ones,” he continues.

  “Who are you really?” I ask leaning forward. The last twenty-four hours are now beginning to make sense. It is no coincidence that Erick showed up at the precise moments I needed him. I cringe as the memories from the previous events flood my mind. Me throwing up outside of my car—then later he shows up with a special tea that made my symptoms go away even after years of medical treatments that did little for me. I remembered the last encounter with those strange creatures that broke into my home. Erick has powers—too-dark powers.

  “My name is Erick, son of Dham and a citizen of Mercuria.”

  “Is that a planet?” asks Summer, her eyes wide with curiosity. Erick studies her and smiles.

  “No. It is not a planet. It is right here on earth, just hidden.” His gaze returns to me. “And you Destiny are its heir.”

  Now it is my turn to study him. He seems rigid with muscles tense and his gaze extremely intense. I am no longer blown away by his otherworldly handsomeness. All flirtation is gone and down the drain.

  “Tell me,” Erick continues. “You had visions didn’t you—visions you didn’t understand?”

  I nod my head yes.

  “The headaches, what you thought were migraines that you suffered from for years, increased in intensity as of recently, correct?”

  I nod again.

  “You were Awakening. Magic was used to hide your power until it was time, that’s why you suffered physically. Your magic wanted out, but it was suppressed by a power greater than what you possessed, until it finally became strong enough on its own to break free.”

  I take another bite of my food, relaxing just enough to enjoy the warm gooey sweetness of the pancakes mixed with syrup. “But how? How is any of this possible? My mother and father are normal people.”

  “I suspect before the death of our King, Mercury, he placed you here in the human world to hide you. There is no way you can be one hundred percent human. Tell me,” he said slowly. “Were you adopted?”

  “Yes,” is all I can tell him. I still had questions that both my parents refused to answer, especially when it came to trying to understand the source of my headaches. Now it all makes sense.

  “Mercury must have taken extra precautions and had your documents altered,” Erick tells me plainly. “He knew and understood the human world just as well as he did his own.”

  I let the information sink in as I take another bite. My parents are not my parents. I am some sort of magical witch with powers. Erick is a warlock destined to save me from myself. This is not Harry Potter. This is in fact some real shit. My thoughts drift off into a zig zag pattern in an attempt to understand and navigate my way through my present reality. I feel Erick’s eyes on me, but I try to ignore it and focus on my food.

  “Our world needs you Destiny,” Erick says, staring directly at me. I feel as if this man is looking directly into my soul. “Mercury’s power was what was keeping our world and our own powers together. Without it, Mercuria dies and so does our magic.”

  I swallow my pancakes. “Is that why I am being hunted?”

  “Yes. There are those who wish to harness your power for themselves so that they can take over the throne,” he said carefully.

  Suddenly, I remember the vision of the man before he died. The woman who killed him by callously spilling his blood. “A woman has the throne now doesn’t she?”

  This time it was Erick’s turn for his eyes to widen. “How did you know?”

  “It’s been a part of my visions. I have been seeing this woman for years, and all this time I thought I was just losing it.”

  “No. The visions are part of a collective consciousness that only those with particularly strong powers can access.”

  “So, what are you going to do with me?” I ask. I need to know if he is friend or foe-attraction notwithstanding.

  “What are you talking about?” He appears to be in true shock, as if my question stunned him.

  “You still haven’t addressed the fact that you have been looking for me for twenty years, Erick.” My palms begin to crackle again. I ball them into fists before placing them under the table and onto my lap.

  Erick looked away. “I came here to find Mercury’s heir because like I said, our magic is dying. Without Mercury’s power, the kingdom cannot sustain itself for much longer.”

  “Did you know who I was when you first met me?”

  “No. Not immediately. I suspected it might have been you but wasn’t sure because your magic wasn’t strong yet. I thought you were just a regular earth witch.”

  An earth witch? Interesting. “Where are you taking us?”

  Erick sighed and took a huge gulp of orange juice before setting the glass down. “I have to take you to Mercuria. You will be safe there and the people will be happy to have you home.”

  “But what if I don’t want to go?” The silence that joins us at the table is thick. I glance at my now half eaten plate of pancakes and accept the fact that I am just not that hungry.

  “You don’t belong here,” Erick tells me after a long pause. “Think about it. Look at your hands. Consider what you just witnessed.”

  “I seriously doubt me going to Mercuria would exactly be good news for some of the people.” I think about the Queen. She killed Mercury. My gut tells me that she will kill me too.

  “I will keep you safe,” Erick vows.

  “How? If there are those who wish to take my power, how would you keep me and my daughter safe from them?”

  “I will just have to die trying,” Erick says calmly. “But you can’t stay here Destiny. Where will you go? Those two WarMen are just the beginning. They and others like them will hunt you until you are backed into a corner with nowhere to go and no-one to turn to. Then what? How would you keep yourself and your own child safe?”

  My fists tighten at the last sentence. How would I keep us safe?

  “I know I am asking for a lot,” Erick continues. “But I am asking that you at least trust me. You trusted me enough to drive you home. You trusted me enough to let me into your home. You are not going to make it out there on your own without me.”

  I can feel Summer’s gaze trying to burn a hole in my brain, searching for answers-answers that I do not even have. Either we stay here in our world and risk both of our lives running from something we do not quite yet understand, or we stay with Erick.

  “What do you have to gain from this Erick?” I hear myself say.

  “You gave me my power back,” he says sincerely. “The least I can do is take you to where I know I can protect you until we can figure out our next move.”

  Just as I open my mouth to speak, two curiously dressed individuals approach our table. Erick looks up and judging by his expression, I rea
lize once again we are in deep shit.

  Chapter Ten

  Erick

  Pledging my life for Destiny is one mistake I know that I will one day regret, but I do what I must. Even though I have my magic back, I can’t just end things where they are now. She stares at me with questions in her eyes, and a part of me wishes that it didn’t have to be this way. Unfortunately, certain choices were made—mistakes happened and now all of us are being shuffled on this board game of fucked up fate. It is what it is. I just wish she wouldn’t look at me the way she is looking at me now. My palms begin to tingle and just as I look up, dark energy builds in my blood, demanding release. I clench my fists as the two familiar Mercurians approach the table.

  I should have killed the blonde when I had the chance.

  “My, what an adorable family,” Agatha chirps, as her gaze lands on Summer then her smile widens.

  Destiny eyes the woman curiously, and I notice that she too, keeps her hands hidden underneath the table. “Uh, thanks but we are not exactly a family.”

  I subtly reach forward and thump Destiny on the thigh to grab her attention. She shoots a hot glare at me. My eyes read: Play along, and somehow, she got it.

  “How old are you, sweetheart?” Agatha asks Summer.

  Summer is a child that I am growing to appreciate. She casually takes a bite of her last piece of bacon, glances over at Destiny and shrugs, unconcerned with answering her question.

  Agatha holds her smile and looks over at me. “Erick, son of Dham.”

  “Agatha,” I reply coldly.

  “You were the last person I would have ever expected to see under these circumstances, considering you were neutered.”

  A part of me wants to jump up from the table and choke her where she stands. It has always been a fantasy of mine to wrap my hands around her neck and squeeze until the life disappears from her eyes. Perhaps I will have my chance.

  The large male with the dark eyes and even darker skin, looms over the table. I vaguely remember him. He is of Founding Blood, which tells me that both of these fuckers are here for much more noble purposes.