The Lost Queen- Mercury's Heir

by Delizhia Jenkins

  I change the channel to a television show with twin blondes living separate lives while trying to come together as a family, all to Summer’s delight. The chicken no longer tastes as good as it did when room service brought it in. I set my plate on the night stand, and stretch out on the bed, my body quickly succumbing to the call of sleep. My bones melt onto the sheets and I embrace it.

  I am not sure how, but I find myself caught in a dream room. The hazy atmosphere is dim with blue lighting, making it difficult to see what exactly is in front of me. I walk along what feels like a pathway I’m guessing made of stone or concrete and carefully follow its direction. Slowly, the blue light brightens to reveal a large granite entryway. The stairway is lit by wall torches that act as a guide to whatever destination awaits. I look up at the sky and notice that it is nothing but darkness on top of darkness. My palms ignite and I press forward.

  Off in the distance I hear a series of disembodied voices, some crying out in misery while others chanted in a broken song I do not understand. With each step my heart races and I wonder, how the hell did I end up here? Where am I? Next thing I know, I am walking down the stairway, the sounds of my footsteps bouncing off the walls, until finally I reach the bottom. Surveying the perimeter of the dimly lit room, I see ancient writings covering the walls and pictograms of a civilization’s early beginnings and of men warring with each other. Archaic writing appears just above the image of a man riding what looks to be a falcon into the sun.

  I wish I knew what any of this meant.

  “Finally, you have come,” says a voice from behind me.

  I spin around to face the potential threat and realize that it is the man whose eyes truly match mine. His skin tone is the same almond brown, with his salt and pepper locs covered underneath the hood of his robe. He stands at least a good foot taller than my 5’7” frame.

  “I don’t know how I got here,” I say as I continue to study him.

  He grunts. “We don’t have much time Destiny.” He looks around nervously and then motions for me to follow behind him. “Follow me.”

  He walks quickly and I have to run to keep up with him.

  “Who are you?” I asked out of breath.

  He doesn’t bother to look at me as he moves forward. “You know who I am.”

  “I think a formal introduction would still be appropriate given the way my life has been shot to shit as of late.”

  He ignores and urges me to hurry. He leads me down a series of steps to another room, lit only by a small torch. He takes a seat on a bench facing the center of the vacant room, and I follow, seating myself next to him so that I can face him. A flash of sorrow looks back at me.

  “I gave you the name Malia upon your birth,” he says to me softly. “Never did I believe that I could hold something more precious than the powers I carry for my kingdom.”

  “How did I end up…?” I can’t even continue my sentence. Flashes of my mom and dad and the time we spent together appear in my mind’s eye. I swallow thickly, biting back tears. Everything in my life is messed up now.

  He turns away but keeps talking. “Your mother feared what had been long coming…treacherously ambitious Mercurians with dark powers sought my throne. She begged me to take you away so in the event that something happened to either of us, at least you would be safe and somehow, the kingdom would survive. At first, I paid her no mind, until I received word about a growing insurgence within the walls of my kingdom. For your safety, I scoured the human world in search of a place to accept you. I had been in the human world countless times over the ages, and adoption was something not foreign to me. The only question that remained was who?”

  “How did you find my mom?”

  “I didn’t. She found me. Louise…she helped me once. I remember coming across her when she was young. She fantasized about magic, a lot. She wished she had powers like the caricatures she watched on that box like thing."

  “The T V?” I almost laughed. Almost.

  “Yes, yes of course,” he continued. “But no magic rested within her. She was just an ordinary human.

  “How did she help you?” I cannot imagine my mother as a young girl fantasizing about a world of magic. Growing up she was everything but a daydreamer. She worked hard just like my father. She played an avid role in our community, especially our church.

  He returned his gaze to mine. “She was walking home by herself one night. Her husband could not pick her up from the school due to an extended day at the office. So…she walked.” Clasping his hands together in his lap, he sighed and continued. “That same evening, one of my own citizens, a Cursed no less appeared just as I rounded the corner for an evening stroll and challenged me right in the open.”

  “And you two fought?”

  “Yes. But this one was skilled. Trained. He fought like he’d practiced all his life for this one moment with me. But…he gained a split-second advantage when your mother crossed the intersection totally unaware of the battle taking place and he struck me with his dark energy, right in the center of my chest. I hit the ground but not before I destroyed my assailant with my magic. The last thing I remember from that moment is watching the poor soul turn to dust. I woke up to the warmth of one of the most welcoming homes, one that could never be found even in Mercuria. Your father was crouched next to me, checking my pulse while your mother was in the kitchen making-”

  “Her famous sweet pea soup,” I say with a smile. When mom isn’t sure what else to do, she cooks. And I guess in her case, she figured he would wake up hungry and what better way to welcome someone but through a good meal?

  He barked out a laugh. “Yes! The best soup I’ve ever tasted. Her husband demonstrated just as much kindness when he bandaged up my wound. And that is when I decided that they would be the ones to look after you.”

  “Did you explain to them what you were?” I ask curiously.

  “Yes. And I told them what you were too so when the time came, they would know.”

  So, they do know about me. I close my eyes and rest my head against the wall. They knew. They’ve always known.

  “The headaches…the visions…”

  “It was me preparing you for what is to come,” he said sadly. “Malia…”

  “Destiny,” I correct him.

  “Destiny,” he says after a long pause. “Your powers are limitless. Your magic is what you are. You can bend light, use darkness as a weapon, give life and take it away. You must use this responsibly. My enemies are now yours.”

  “And what about the Queen? Who is she?”

  “A powerful Drainer I should have had executed long ago,” he tells me. “But she is just the beginning…” He looks around, his eyes narrowing. He takes my hand and ushers me quickly up the steps. “I am no longer able to assist you from the Realms of the Dead now that you have been Awakened. Pay attention to the stars. That is where you can find me.”

  “But…what’s happening?” He is moving too quickly for me to keep up with. My legs suddenly feel like lead.

  “Trust no one Malia…”

  “My name…” I begin to wheeze and cough and sputter. The atmosphere is changing in its density, making it difficult to breathe.

  “I know what Louise named you, but I named you after your birth mother. Mercury is my name. Your name represents the First House of the Sun.”

  I cough more as we head up the last flight of steps towards the outside where the air becomes more breathable.

  “Go!” Mercury urges. “I have sent someone to watch over you and my granddaughter. You will know him by his honor.”

  “Erick?” I ask as I stumble outside of the hallway. “Is it Erick?” I turn around and Mercury is no longer with me. I spin around and scream his name. Nothing.

  “Don’t leave me Mercury! Not when I need you most!”

  Still there is nothing.

  The ground begins to tremble, splintering beneath my feet. I scream as I fall freely into the nothingness and wonder if perhaps death would be th
e best bet for me.

  My eyes snap open to see my daughter and of course Erick staring down at me. I sit up, realizing that I am no longer in the dream world with Mercury. My palms tingle with blue light but aside from that, I feel fine.

  “I heard you scream down the hall,” Erick says with concern. “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah,” I say with a nod. “I’m good.”

  Summer climbs on the bed next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. “It was just a dream,” I assure her. “That’s all.”

  Erick frowns but doesn’t comment.

  “Oh, and by the way,” I say looking at him. “We are on the news.”

  “That’s not surprising,” He says calmly. “I will be in my room. Call me if you need me.”

  He quietly saunters out and I wait for the door to close behind him. I take Summer’s small palm into my own, and she stares mesmerized at the blue light.

  “It tickles!” She laughs with delight. “What can you do with that?”

  “Anything I want apparently,” I inform her. “We will just have to see.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Demetrius

  “I know she is in the area,” Cecilia announced as they drove by yet another hotel. The Las Vegas strip seemed to stretch on into entertainment eternity. Demetrius could guess why humans flocked to this city in droves. Decadence rained down on the city like an invisible blanket. Groups of humans littered the streets despite the hundred-degree weather. They’d been driving around in circles for hours since entering The Strip with Cecilia acting as their guide.

  “Our magic is strengthening,” Drakus added, clenching his fist. “I feel as though I could catch a lightning bolt with my fingertips.”

  “Cecilia,” Demetrius began after a beat. “There are dozens of hotels here. She could be anywhere. I feel we could cover more ground if we split up.”

  “I’m sick of this place already,” Thaddeus grumbled as he pulled the car into an underground parking garage facing another series of cheap motels.

  “As soon as we acquire the heir,” Cecilia replied as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “I tire of this realm, too. The toxicity of the human atmosphere is taxing on my lungs. How do humans even survive something like this? Their bodies are weak compared to our own and yet they thrive in a world filled with smoke and poison.”

  “Even the food they eat is bad,” Drakus agreed.

  “Let’s just keep our eyes opened,” Demetrius sighed. “She could be anywhere in the area.”

  Agatha scanned the perimeter of the crowded parking structure. Her chest still ached from when she took a full hit from Erick’s dark magic. She idly massaged the area, her pale blue eyes searching for evidence of potential threats, including hostile Mercurians. Demetrius watched her, mentally checking for signs of injury. He needed her strong and he was thankful to the gods that she had recovered enough to join them in their search.

  Cecilia’s voice sliced through his thoughts with, “Again, let me do the talking this time. Hold your fire.”

  “And what of that Cursed?” Thaddeus asked unsheathing his blade. The strikingly sleek appearance of the silver coated blade, light enough to deliver certain injury to its opponent, while sharp enough to cut through the strongest of metals, was something to be admired.

  Without hesitation or further thought, Demetrius said, “Kill him.”

  Destiny

  Erick’s voice is the last thing I want to hear, especially when I finally reach that REM moment when I am weightless and floating in the dark spaces of my dream world. My body is completely relaxed—my mind is at ease, able to recharge itself after two long days of over processing, overstimulation, and simply being overly exhausted. But no. My hope for a twenty-four-hour reprieve is denied as he bangs on the door, yanking me out of the best sleep I’ve had in a while. I sit up quickly, throw my legs over the mattress and march to the door. Summer is sleeping soundly thankfully, but the instant I open the door, I know that will change.

  “Where’s the fire?” I ask as I step to the side and allow Erick to walk past me. His hands are crackling with dark energy, his chest is heaving as if he’d just been in the run of his life.

  “We need to get out of here,” he says as he reaches for my duffle bag. “Get dressed. Now. Mercurians are here.”

  “Shit.”

  Erick drops my duffle bag and heads to the window where he stealthily peeks through the curtains searching the parking lot.

  My hands begin to tingle with a warm sensation, and I feel pressure building in my veins thickening in my blood, demanding release. I rush into the bathroom to change out of my shorts and tank PJ ensemble into a pair of black yoga pants and a hoodie. When I step out of the bathroom, I catch Erick’s gaze hovering over me.

  “What?” I ask, dumping my clothes into my duffle bag.

  “Nothing,” Erick says looking away. “Just hurry.”

  “Where are we going to go after this?”

  “I don’t know, just as far away as possible.”

  I say nothing as I round the first bed to where Summer still slept.

  “Wake up baby,” I whisper. “We gotta go?”

  “Seriously?” Summer groans as she turns on her side. “Where?”

  I wish I knew. “Just trust me okay?”

  She slowly rolls out of bed, squinting in the darkness but frowns when she sees Erick at the window. I hand her bag over and usher her to the bathroom to quickly get dressed.

  “We have to make it to the airport,” Erick tells me, still looking outside. “I think that will be our best bet.”

  “But what if they track us there? I mean, I am starting to understand that the only reason why they can find me is through my magic. And did you forget that we made the news? Authorities are probably on the hunt looking for us. There is no way that we would make it through the airport without incident.”

  Erick remained silent and his gaze focused on the parking lot. His silence irks me. My father’s voice returns to me as I stuff my daughter’s bag with her favorite green and white blanket she’s held since she was an infant. “Trust no one…”

  “You could’ve at least given me more to go on pops,” I mutter under my breath.

  “What?” Erick turns around to look at me, but now it is my turn to pull the silent card. I step into my black Nikes, using the wall for support. What is going to happen to us once we arrive in Mercuria? What about my parents? My heart rate increases at the thought of my parents potentially being held captive or worse… My hands begin to fill with familiar warmth as they crackle and spark.

  “Your powers are limitless...” my father’s voice filters into my thoughts. I take a look at my hands, watching the blue-white light deepen in color. Pressure builds in my blood, my magic increasing, doubling almost in concentration. Almost instantly, I hear nothing but the steady drum of my heart beating incessantly against my chest.

  Darkness.

  I am surrounded in darkness. Everything around me has stopped. I close my eyes, suck in a deep breath, and open them to see Erick frozen in place standing by the window like a mannequin—his hand still barely touching the curtains and his expression grim. I turn around to see my daughter, standing in the doorway of the bathroom, one leg stretched before the other with her mouth open as if she is about to say something.

  “What the heck did I do?” I ask out loud.

  “You stopped time,” Mercury’s voice fills me. “Every second, every minute, every hour is literally held in your hands. Now, release it!”

  I am not sure exactly how I released it, but I feel the pull of my magic and the next thing I know, Summer waltzes out of the bathroom, with her Wonder Woman pajamas in her hand and her mouth open in a deep yawn.

  “Can we at least grab some—” she demands, plopping down on the bed.

  “Summer, now is not—”

  A knock on the door brings us all to a standstill. I glance around at Erick only to be met with a cold hard stare.

  “Answer it,”
he mouths, motioning for Summer to be quiet.

  I creep to the door, and slowly open it wide enough for a clear view of the visitor. She stands directly in front of the door, rich dark skin, peering down at me curiously. Her approximate five-foot-nine lithe frame is wrapped in a black leather body suit. Instant recognition claims me. Mercurian. The call of her birthed magic registers within my senses. She can do things with water. Interesting.

  “May I help you?” I ask, trying to sound as unbothered as possible.

  She studies me, focusing her attention on my face and then she smiles. “I come in peace,” she says finally.

  I examine her, searching her face for signs of insincerity. But seeing that there is none, I open the door wider, giving her the space she needs to come inside.

  “My name is Cecilia,” she says upon entry. She glances at Summer who sits looking thoroughly unamused by any of this.

  “Is that your daughter?” Cecilia asks curiously.

  “Just tell us what it is that you want so that you leave,” Erick growls from the corner of the room. His dark gaze informed her that he was ready for war.

  “You Cursed one need to stand down,” Cecilia seethed. “Lest you find yourself executed on the spot by Mercurian law-”

  “Your people took pleasure murdering my kind,” Erick snarled as he stalked his way towards us. He stopped just a mere foot away from where Summer looked on, her eyes wide with worry.

  “We did no such thing!” Cecilia argued, placing her hands on her hips. “But for those with the Dark Gifts most certainly deserved what came to them-”

  “Okay, stop! Both of you!” I say, standing between the two verbal combatants. “Why are you here Cecilia?”

  Cecilia released a sigh. “You are in danger. We need you back in Mercuria. Our world is dying. Our people…are losing their magic.”

  “I know. That is why Erick is taking me there among other things.”

  She looked at me and then over at Erick. “You must not go with him!” her hiss reminded me of all of the air rushing out of a popped tire.