The Lost Queen- Mercury's Heir

by Delizhia Jenkins

  “The energy here is strong. Very strong,” she said with her palms out, feeling the invisible patterns of energy that surrounded them.

  “You were right,” Demetrius said, mirroring his sister with his palms. “It is easier to grasp outside of the city.”

  “Are you ready?” Cecilia asked.

  “Do you think Agatha, Drakus and Thaddeus will make it in time?” Demetrius quizzed.

  “I think so,” Cecilia stated. “Besides, we are running out of time. We cannot wait for them.”

  “Wake them up,” Demetrius commanded. “We have to leave now.”

  Cecilia nodded and turned to open the back, passenger door where Destiny rested her head. Cecilia gently tapped her shoulder until her eyes fluttered open.

  “We have to leave,” Cecilia said softly.

  “Huh?” Destiny mumbled, pushing herself forward and carefully adjusting Summer into a sitting position.

  “We have to leave,” Cecilia repeated. “The portal is here.”

  Destiny sighed and stretched before reaching for her daughter. “C’mon Summer.”

  “I promise you,” Cecilia added as she helped both mother and daughter retrieve their things. “That I will protect both of you until my dying breath.”

  Destiny did not say anything as she climbed out of the car and Demetrius examined her closely. She looked so much like her father it was eerie. But upon further inspection, there were subtle resemblances of her mother, such as her heart shaped mouth, her long graceful fingers, and even the slight shape of her hips that she kept hidden under the loosely fitted clothing. He looked away quickly when she caught him staring.

  “So how do we do this?” Destiny demanded as she gathered her daughter close to her.

  “You’re already doing it,” Demetrius said, pointing at her glowing hands.

  Destiny looked at her hands, surprised as they ignited into a blue-white flame that blanketed them. Summer watched her mother in amazement, her eyes lit with both fear and excitement. As if instinct took over, Destiny waved her hands slowly, as she followed the energy pattern, moving in a graceful zigzag motion into a portal with bright white light, just big enough for them to walk through while opened.

  “Whoooaaaaa,” Summer gasped, staring at the portal.

  “Oh my God!” Destiny shouted as she looked at the entryway. “I did that?”

  Cecilia smiled and glanced at her brother who said nothing. “You surely did. Now let’s go.”

  Demetrius marched over to the portal and allowed Cecilia to lead Destiny and Summer through before following suit. Turning around, he mimicked Destiny’s movements and closed the opening to ensure that no one could follow behind them. Summer’s gasp instantly interrupted his work when the child sprinted forward in unabashed excitement.

  She ran out onto the lush green grass, her eyes surveying the sky and shouted, “This is beautiful! We’re here! We’re here! Mom! Look!”

  Cecilia clapped her hands together, a huge smile on her face as Destiny stepped forward onto the grass, and what had once been a dark hole in the sky, instantly began to repair itself.

  She turned to look at her brother, who fought hard not to smile and said, “The Queen has finally arrived.”

  Chapter Twenty- Nin e

  Destiny

  I cannot believe that I am here- in Mercuria. Welcome home daughter, the voice of my father greets me. I look around to see if my two escorts heard his voice too. But judging by their expressions, it appears that they are more focused on my daughter’s reaction to this mystical land. It feels as if we stepped right into a fairytale. The grass that surrounds us is soft adjusts to my weight like a memory foam mattress. The surrounding trees are living monoliths that act as sentinels that surround the outskirts of the city.

  Malia, my father whispers to me. They know you are here. Be careful. Use my power to defend yourself when you have to. And don’t hold back. And one more thing…

  What? I ask, still looking around.

  Not all Loyalists are Loyal.

  My glare shifts from the beauty of the land to Cecilia before landing on Demetrius. He’s hated me from the moment his eyes laid on me. Could he have an ulterior motive?

  I don’t know what to do, I plead to my father. I don’t know if I can do this.

  You can and you will. Your presence alone is already healing our world. Now I must go. Until the rips in the Veil are rebuilt, I am fighting to keep the dark shadow entities from spilling over into Mercuria. Use the power within to fix what is broken.

  But-

  I love you my daughter…

  His voice disappeared, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a difficult mission ahead of me.

  Not all Loyalists are Loyal…

  His voice echoes in the back of my mind. Are Cecilia and Demetrius Loyalists?

  “Come on,” Demetrius urged moving forward. “We must hurry. Magic is already returning to our land and soon everyone will know that you are here.”

  Cecilia offered Summer her hand. “Come with me? We will make sure that you guys are safe.”

  Summer glanced over at me, unsure of what to do. I nodded for her to accept, and Cecilia’s smile widened as Summer placed her hand into hers.

  “You are going to make a fine Princess,” Cecilia whispered.

  “Thanks, I guess…” Summer says, avoiding eye contact.

  I walk behind the three of them, still lost in my thoughts. What am I supposed to do now that I am here?

  We journey through a family of odd-looking trees whose branches sloped forward from the winding trunk instead of reaching for the sky. The leafy branches covered the ground like traps waiting to spring. Pink and gold flowers blossomed from those branches adding to the strange beauty of the trees.

  “We are minutes away from our encampment, Queen Malia,” Cecilia says to me without looking back.

  “My name is Destiny,” I say quickly.

  “You are Mercury’s Heir,” Cecilia stated firmly. “Therefore, we shall address you as such. In the human world, you are Destiny. But here, you are Queen Malia. Our people will know you as The Lost Queen.”

  I am not sure how to feel about that. Just last week I was an ordinary single mother, working a 9-5. Now I am in a magical land that is connected to my blood and I am the rightful ruler.

  “Tell me about my father,” I heard myself say. “You guys went through all this trouble and have told me nothing.”

  Demetrius gave us both a quick glance and when he opened his mouth to say something, my glare told him to do otherwise. He kept walking.

  “Mercury was a fair and wise ruler,” Cecilia began. “As you know, he is the creator of Mercuria: from the air we breathe, to the two suns that grace the sky. He gave our forefathers life.”

  “Tell us about how Mercuria began,” Summer chirped, now suddenly interested in the story.

  “Well, during my time in your world, I learned that Mercury appears in Greek and Roman mythology,” Cecilia continued, her eyes focused ahead of her. “He is described as a messenger god, and according to astrology, the ruler of communication, influencing the signs Virgo and Gemini. He is so much more than that.”

  “Well who is he?” Summer pressed.

  “The pantheon of gods are many, appearing in various forms in many cultures in your world. And when humans were created, conflict ensued over who would rule over them as the supreme deity. The Titans and many other gods began breeding with the humans, creating hybrids that caused even more chaos. In attempt to save the humans, an unknown goddess gave the humans who survived her magic before she was killed by a Titan. Mercury, fearing the newfound power that this new breed of “human” possessed, bound the magic and its energy to himself and placed them here in what is now known as Mercuria. This move prompted mixed reactions from the other gods. Some of them supported this move while others sought to put an end to it. Mercury fought against the gods that opposed them, forcing them to various corners of the universe. It is believed that the goddess th
at gave the humans her magic was Mercury’s first wife which is why he was able to bind her power to his.”

  “And who was my mother?” I ask.

  “Another Mercurian. Powerful in her own right. We suspected that her bloodline originated from the Dark Blood gods.”

  “And who are they?” I press.

  “Are you familiar with Voodoo?’ Cecilia asked me.

  “I’ve heard some things about it,” I shrug. “So my mother is a descendant of a Voodoo goddess?”

  “Yes. After the first of the “magical humans” arrival here in Mercuria, the misplaced descendants of gods from every religion came to live here and soon intermingling and coupling began which resulted in the plethora of magical abilities that you see now.”

  “Are we immortals?” I blurt out as we approach a wall that would give the Great Wall of China a run for its money.

  “We live very long lives that seems like forever, but due to our human blood, regardless of how small the percentage is, forever is not within our destiny. We do age much slower than a regular human. 1000 years is but a hundred in our realm. But as you have witnessed, we can still be killed; and our souls are transferred over into the other realms depending on its weight. But that’s a conversation for a later date.”

  We come to a stop just outside the metal gate. Several heavily armed males greet us in black armor, with long blades drawn and hard glares. Cecilia and Demetrius step forward, while Summer backs into my arms. My palms tingle as I prepare for whatever attack these men may deliver. However, they lower their blades as they look in my direction.

  “Is that Mercury’s heir?” One of the men asked Demetrius.

  “She is,” Demetrius states evenly. “Can’t you feel it?”

  The group of guards stare at me, quiet disbelief written on their faces. I hold my daughter close to me, in case we have to make a run for it. But as awareness slowly dawns on them, one of them steps forward, his face bright with excitement as his dark skin ignites with fire. The group jumps back as he becomes a living inferno. He roars in excitement and looks up at me, his handsome face filled with gratitude. The soldier rushes up to me and in a sweeping motion lifts both me and Summer in an embrace. Summer yelps in protest believing that she will be consumed in the flames but is frozen in shock when she realizes that we remain unharmed by the fire.

  “Thank you!” He says, squeezing us with a heartfelt hug. “You have given us hope. Our world-”

  His heartfelt statement is interrupted by another soldier who is focused on the well across from him. A large bubble of water slowly rises to the top and levitates towards the soldier.

  “It has been too long,” he whispers. “I cannot wait to return to the sea again!”

  Soon a small crowd gathers around us, as more Mercurians regain their magic. The soldier finally releases me, his dark eyes and handsome face becomes one of many who rush out to meet me, until finally Cecilia and Demetrius escort Summer and I inside the gates.

  “We need you inside,” Cecilia says, taking me by the arm “And hurry!”

  Not all Loyalists are loyal… my father’s voice whispered into my mind as Cecilia rushed Summer and I into the triple decked house that overlooked the encampment. Windchimes hung in the doorway, with strange markings etched in solid gold. Cecilia ushered us past several armed Mercurians who stared at me in awe. In the background I overheard shouts of pure joy as their magic was strengthened and returned to them.

  I sense the near death of this world, and now I understand their fear. The void had been growing for years. The weakening of the walls, and the slow burn out of the two suns. The magic of this land and all of the life in it, was tied to my father…and is now tied to me. But just as quickly as that thought enters my mind, my thoughts shift to Erick. I hope he is ok…Erick, if you can hear my thoughts, just know we are here in Mercuria and right now we are safe…

  Cecilia leads us to a large suite that would put a five-star penthouse room to shame. White marble flooring with crystal fixtures that strategically lined the room greeted us. A bed for ten rested underneath a massive glass window, and from that window, the vision of Mercuria is breathtaking. Two suns-one to the east, the other to the west- shone a beautiful bright light over the main city. Purple, pink and orange hues danced and intermingled with the pale blue creating a masterpiece of color. I have never witnessed anything as beautiful as that of which lay before me.

  Adjacent to the room in which we stood was another, and right next to that I noticed was the Mercurian equivalent of a bathroom.

  “Some of us have made many travels to the human world,” Cecilia explained sheepishly. “And let’s just say we appreciate the brilliance of indoor plumbing.”

  “Yeah, but a crystal toilet though?” I say with a smirk.

  “It’s self-cleaning though,” Cecilia giggled.

  “A self-cleaning crystal toilet,” I repeat, trying hard to stifle a laugh. “Ok then…”

  Cecilia glances over at her brother, whose gaze is fixated on the window. “We should go and let you two get settled.”

  Demetrius looked at his sister and nodded. “We have to prepare. The word will spread fast that the Lost Queen has arrived and Karrine will come for her.”

  I watched as the two siblings left the room, with Cecilia carefully closing the door behind her. Summer has already begun to make herself comfortable by stretching out on the bed in the other room. I look out the window, trying to imagine what life would have been like had I been born here. But then, my thoughts quickly shift back to the one person I shouldn’t even be thinking about: Erick.

  God, I hope he is ok.

  Chapter Thirty

  Eric

  It takes nearly three hours to get to the museum. The driver of course, talked my ear off about the Yankees, his issues with his wife and how much he hates corporate America. It took every ounce of personal discipline to not kill him. Not Curse him. But kill him. Send him back to his maker for a refund. Now, as I step out onto the busy sidewalk, I sense the dark energy from the portal. The trapped souls of the forgotten slaves still haunt this country, and yet their pain has been exploited by being converted into a museum. Images of the deceased spirits nearly dance around in my vision. Broken men and women of African descent. And even in death, they still wear the shackles of the slavery. Around their necks, their wrists and their ankles. They call out to me. The hypnotic beat of a drum surrounds me. I look around the crowded sidewalk, bypassing a group of teenage boys who nearly crashed into an elderly woman walking her dog.

  Free us…they chant.

  This is the part of being a Cursed that I hate. The connection to the realms of the dead is something those with “death magic” happens to be the result of sharing ancestral ties to gods like Hades, Papa Legba, Osiris and Kali. I have no desire to commune with the dead, but my magic is tied to them so I must ask for permission to cross through their realm in order to return to Mercuria.

  I have Mercury to thank for that. He wanted to quarantine those with dark magic by denying easy access in and out of Mercuria. Those of us who wanted to venture off into the human realm had to get a pass from the dead, because, well that’s how he saw us: as dead. So here I am, being tormented by the souls of the martyred, the wronged and the condemned. They know my magic is strong, but I am not a Necro. I don’t make deals with the dead to draw power and strength from them.

  Free us… Pleeeeeassssee…. The mournful pleas of the spirits are nearly maddening. However, I need to find the entrance to the portal. Dozens of people are headed up the wide steps that lead into the museum, and I follow behind them. Spirits dance around me, calling me, as I push past a couple of patrons and walk right into the entrance, disregarding security. My head is spinning. I feel like I am being hounded by a swarm of gnats as the spirits beg and mourn their loss of freedom.

  “Get away from me!” I bark, startling a group of young people. Annoyed and not exactly in my right mind, I swat angrily at a spirit, whose noncorporeal form is c
overed from head to toe with deep scars. Flashes of his time during the transatlantic slave trade haunted me. I cringed as I walked past the large display of a slave ship that hung proudly in the foyer. Where the hell is the goddamn portal? I think to myself as I push past another large group of people.

  Statues of shackled, beaten Africans stood in the center of the large room I entered. One of them stood in the far corner. His expression, mournful, his shoulders hunched and on his back were the etchings of the Slave Master’s whip. His silent pain is something I felt. Mercury never enslaved us, but we did feel the brunt of his cruelty. I then detect the presence of magic. It’s here. The portal is here.

  Free us… The voices surround me again, drowning out the sounds of the patrons coming in. I reach out and touch the statue and instantly I am pulled in. Everything happens so suddenly I don’t have time to think. Hundreds of disembodied spirits pour out from the dark vacuum that is the underworld. They pull and yank at my clothing, screaming expletives as they dive bomb me. I cover my head and summon my own dark power which sends them scattering.

  I hate that I have to do this.

  From out of the void, a skeletal form with the face and demeanor of an old haggard appears in front me. Black holes where there should have been eyes stares back at me.

  “Why are you here?” She demands, her voice stronger than her current form.

  “I need to go back to Mercuria,” I say without hesitation.

  “Mercuria is dead,” she says flatly, crossing her bony arms across her chest.

  “No. It is not. The Lost Queen has been found. As a matter of fact, she should be there now.”

  The entity gives me a hard glare. “Lies. She has not come to repair the bridge between worlds.”

  “Truth,” I declare. “You haven’t given her time. She spent her entire life in the human world so there are things that she doesn’t know.”