“Where are they exactly?” I ask, looking out of the window.
“Not far…But come on! We have to leave!”
“I can help,” I say evenly. “We can’t keep running. Soon we will have nowhere to hide.”
“Are you insane?” Cecilia gasps. “We are not going to risk your life on a whim. Demetrius and the other fighters have a plan that will take out those soldiers. But first we need to move you and your daughter.”
“Take Summer to high ground,” I say, gently easing away from her so she could remain sleeping. “I have enough juice now to hit these treasonous bastards that will at least buy us some more time-”
Demetrius bursts through the door, stopping me midsentence. He is bleeding from head to toe, his clothes are ripped, exposing various wounds on his back and rib cage. He still reeks of smoke and fumes from the fire.
“We have to get out of here, now!” He orders us. “The Queen’s guards have doubled in numbers-”
“We may just have to get out of Mercuria…” Cecilia declares, sadness overwhelming her worried expression.
“We have to head to the hills where we have more support,” Demetrius stated firmly as he began to pace back and forth. “I should have planned better. I should have-”
An older woman who resembles both Cecilia and Demetrius calmly enters the room. She possesses the quiet demeanor of a dignitary. Silver-white hair blanketed the top of her head, spiraling down in a single braid that hung past her waist. Rich dark skin underneath an armored garb gave her a regal appearance. Her long blade was secured in a leather sheath, tied to her hip. Whiskey colored eyes stared curiously at me.
“You have done all that you were instructed to do, my son,” the woman said, her gaze shifting towards Demetrius.
My son?
The woman turned to me and smiled. “It is a pleasure to finally meet our heir,” she told me.
“My name is Tani’ya, daughter of Tobias, leader of the House of Mercury.”
Cecilia rises quickly to her feet, and the three of them bow before me. “Ummm, thanks?” I stammer, unsure of what else to say.
Tani’ya’s smile widens. “You have so much to learn about our ways…” She pauses to look at me and my daughter. “I was uninformed that you have an heir as well.”
“I do,” I say. “This is my daughter Summer.”
“She is a lovely child. This is indeed a blessing. Mercury must indeed be smiling from the Other Realms just knowing that he has a grandchild.”
Another blast rocks the earth, this time causing Summer to wake up. Her eyes snap open and she instinctively grips my hand.
“Come on your Majesty and Princess,” Tani’ya urged as she rushed forward. “We have to leave!”
Chaos has already erupted outside. The panicked cries of those losing their loved ones and from those who could not move out of the way in time. These are my people now. Their pain is mine. I can feel every tear shed and every drop of blood bled. How did my father live with this? How could they have not known that when they hurt, he hurt too?
“Take my daughter,” I say. “Take her to where she is safe…”
Summer’s grip tightens around my hand. “No mommy! Stay with us..”
I turn to face her, and gingerly place my hand on her cheek as big tears fill those beautiful eyes of hers. “These people need me honey. I have to help. They are dying out there-”
“But I don’t want you to die either mom!” Summer wails, burying her face in my chest.
“It is not safe for you out there!” Cecilia argued.
“You are not going out there,” Demetrius orders. “So stop being stupid and let’s get out of here before you get yourself killed!”
I ignore his last comment and turn my attention to my daughter. “Summer,” I say in near whisper. “Summer…”
“Hmmm?” She whimpers through more tears.
“Remember how powerful mommy can get now? Remember how I blasted that big monster through the door at our home?”
Summer hesitated before nodding. “Yes…”
“Remember at the hotel when I stopped time?”
Summer nodded her head again, her face still in my chest.
“Then let me prove to them that I am Mercury’s daughter, Summer.”
Summer slowly raised her tears stained face to meet mine. Worry and fear ran their course through her veins. Her blood ran through me too, and I could feel every ounce of her anxiety.
“I don’t want you to die mommy,” she pleaded. “I just want to go home.”
“I know baby,” I tell her. “And after all of this, we can go home. But I have to put an end to this. I have to help.”
Summer looks at me and then at the faces that surrounds us, before settling on Demetrius. “Make sure you bring my mom back,” she instructs him.
“We will take her to high ground,” Cecilia promises, reaching over to Summer.
I shake my head. I feel like at this point, there is no safe place in Mercuria. The Queen knows that I am here and will stop at nothing to find and destroy me. Which means, she will ultimately seek out and destroy Summer.
“No,” I say, pushing myself off of the bed. “Take her back into the earth realm to my parents and watch her there.”
Cecilia pauses, looks back at Demetrius who shrugs.
“Are you certain?” She asks me.
“Please come back to me, mom,” Summer pleads as she wraps her arms around my neck and holds me. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“I will always come back to you baby,” I promise, holding her so tight I can feel her heartbeats pounding against my chest. “Mommy is learning to trust herself, but she also needs for you to trust her, too.”
“I do,” she tells me still holding onto me.
“Then rest your mind at grandma’s house, ok? Tell her that I am ok and that…well, she should have told me everything sooner.”
“Okay…”
“I will protect her with my life,” Cecilia vowed as Summer finally let go of me and crawled over to her.
“I will come with you,” Tani’ya offered. “Some of the Queen’s men may still be out in the human world searching for her.”
“Go,” I hear myself command them.
Cecilia and Tani’ya shared a worried look, but just as quickly, Summer was off the bed and running hand in hand with Cecilia.
Demetrius gave me a puzzled look. Another blast rocked the compound, forcing more strain on the foundation. I’m on my feet in an instant, headed out the same door that Cecilia, Tani’ya and Summer ran through.
Only this time, there would be no quest for a portal to escape through.
This time, I am running into the fight, and not away from it.
It appears that they need to be reminded, that I am not a regular Mercurian, nor am I limited to Mercurian magic.
I am Mercury’s daughter…
Chapter Thirty -Four
Demetrius
The look of determination on Destiny’s face stunned him. Where had this version of the woman who seemed more afraid of her shadow than anything, come from? And now to make things worse, she is willing to step out, center stage in battle, with no formal training or-
“Are you coming or going?” She asked him from the doorway.
He wanted to tell her to stay where she was; they could not risk the life of the only person in all of the realms that could save Mercuria from imminent doom. He wanted to yell at her for being so stupid; for sending her daughter away into the unknown. But instead, he nodded. Instead, he was filled with a small sense of pride instead of annoyance. In that moment, he witnessed her transformation from a docile, timid female, to a warrior queen.
The fire in her eyes reminded him of Mercury.
“Allow me to lead, Your Highness,” he offered, rushing forward. “And stay behind me.”
She said nothing but did as instructed, following behind him. As soon as the two of them stepped outside, a blast from the east hit the compound. Demetrius jum
ped in just enough time to knock Destiny to the ground and out of the way. He grimaced as he hit the ground, the pain from his other wounds reminding him that if he wanted to live, they needed to find a safe place to regroup.
Destiny pushed herself up off the ground, sneering in the direction of the blast. Shrapnel and debris were everywhere. Smoke clouded the air, making it difficult for both of them to breathe. Civilians came running in all different directions, like a lost flock of sheep, desperate for any safe place to hunker down.
“Destiny,” Demetrius huffed, “This is my last time telling you that we must leave. Our soldiers are barely holding on, and as you can see it will not be long before our encampment is-”
Destiny began walking in the opposite direction of the large stampede of Mercurians fleeing towards safety. Demetrius shook his head and cursed but followed behind her.
“You don’t have anything to prove you know,” Demetrius reasoned as he caught up with her.
“You went through all this trouble to bring me here and now you want me to turn back?” Destiny asked, incredulously.
“No. I want you safe. You can’t rule from the dead. Ask Mercury.”
She opened her mouth to speak when just beyond the edge of the encampment, near the clearing, what appeared to be dozens of WarMen and turncoat Mercurians wreaking havoc on the village. Homes were destroyed. Dead bodies littered the dirt roads. Unshed tears filled her eyes as she surveyed the damage done. Demetrius said nothing. Most of the soldiers here either fled or were dead. So this was it. Everything that they fought for, gone.
He gently nudged Destiny who stood next to him, hands clenched at her sides. Blue-white energy took form around her, enveloping her like a cocoon.
“Destiny?” He asked, now feeling a little more concerned as the energy concentrated. He reached out to touch her trembling shoulder, but she quickly swatted him away.
“Stand back,” she ordered, focusing her hate filled gaze onto what was ahead of them.
“What?”
“I said, STAND BACK!”
He did as he was told and without warning, the sky darkened. The WarMen ahead of them noticed her and began to rush forward in attack. Demetrius took a fighting stance next to her, only to realize that she didn’t need his assistance – at least not yet. With a wave of her palm she sent a tidal wave-like surge of energy in the direction of the soldiers ahead, incinerating a number of them on contact.
It was like everything happened in slow motion. More rushed forward, including the Queen’s supporters whose own magic strengthened courtesy of Destiny. All Demetrius could do was shield his face in preparation for what was to come next. One Mercurian whose magic rested with water, created a wave using the water from a nearby well.
“Look out Destiny!” Demetrius screamed, sending an electrical charge in the direction of the Mercurian, but missed.
The wave continued on its destructive path, however using what Demetrius thought of as instinct, Destiny threw up a transparent shield that covered them both from the onslaught of the wave.
“Are you all insane?” Destiny hollered at the men. “Do you know who my father is?” Winds began to gather, surrounding them, increasing in strength with each passing moment. Demetrius lost his footing and stumbled, hitting the ground hard. He struggled to hold on, not wanting to be blown away by the tornado strengthened winds.
Several of the Mercurians struggled to force themselves forward, but because of the wind power, they could not. Destiny intensified the winds and sent them all flying backwards.
“Give my regards to your Queen!” She shouted as she hit all of them with a huge blast of wind. Demetrius flew backwards, nearly slamming into a nearby tree stump, however Destiny caught him with an invisible cord from her palm and yanked him onto his feet.
“Hold on Demetrius,” she commanded. She quickly spotted another Pyro lurking in the far corner to her right. Clapping her hands together she merged both wind and fire in his direction, watching without mercy as he disintegrated into ash. Turning around in a semi -circle, continuing her face off with the remaining WarMen and soldiers who refused to back down, sending the same wind-fire towards them.
Demetrius looked on with a stunned expression as their burned remains were simultaneously blown away by the wind. However, nothing could have prepared him for what suddenly took place from behind him.
Destiny lowered her palms and surveyed what was ahead of her, searching for more of the Queen’s guard when she was struck from behind by a small dart. She spun around instantly to face off with the threat, but the effects of the drug were just as quick.
“Destiny!” Demetrius cried out as she collapsed on the ground.
Agatha, Drakus and Thaddeus appeared from a portal, wearing smug expressions. Demetrius rushed over to Destiny, checking her pulse. He glared at Agatha who simply smiled back.
“What are you doing?” He demanded as Agatha inched closer, lowering the small blow dart away from her face.
“I don’t want to harm you Demetrius,” she began. “Stand down.”
“Why?!” Demetrius rose to his feet to face her. “All this time you’ve been working for Karrine?”
Agatha shared an uneasy look with Drakus who simply shrugged.
“She can’t become our queen Demetrius,” Agatha stated flatly. “You know this.”
“What do you mean she can’t become our queen? She is our queen!”
“She knows nothing about our ways, and she has already been poisoned in the mind by that wretched Erick,” Agatha spat. “You already know how dangerous he is to our kind.”
“What you are doing is wrong!” Demetrius roared, taking a fighting stance. “I will not allow any of you to do this!”
Agatha released an uninterested sigh and looked at her two coconspirators.
“Demetrius,” Agatha began slowly. “I do not want to come to blows with you. You’re a good man, a loyal soldier. You would serve our queen well.”
“She is not my queen!” Demetrius yelled as he lunged forward. Drakus pushed Agatha out of the way in time enough to barely miss Demetrius’s attack. Thaddeus moved quickly, using the opportunity of Demetrius’s distraction to his advantage with a whip made of an electrical current. Demetrius fell to his knees, and Thaddeus cracked him again and again, until Demetrius no longer cried out. He collapsed, unconscious, next to Destiny.
Agatha approached Demetrius, kneeling towards him looking for any signs of life. His labored breaths told her that he did indeed still live, which was good enough for her.
“He will understand in due time,” she said, rising to her full height. “Let’s gather them up. Queen Karrine wants Destiny alive.”
“Where is the child?” Thaddeus asked.
“I’m sure she is around here somewhere,” Agatha said evenly. “We will find her. But first thing’s first…”
Thaddeus lifted Destiny’s unconscious body with ease over his shoulder. “What shall we do with him?”
Agatha glanced over at Demetrius. “Leave him. Let’s go.”
Chapter Thirty- Five
Erick
I arrive to the encampment just in time to see the smoke and flames of the attack that I know was launched by Karrine. The entire area reeks of death. The dark magic in me begins to ebb and flow, demanding release and then retreating inward. I knew those Loyalists were unable to protect Destiny...I knew it! I noticed many small houses that were now on the edge of collapsing, as I cautiously patrolled the area. No sign of Destiny or those irritating “protectors” of hers. Debris still rains down from the several compounds that took the most damage. As I bypass a slew of dead bodies, most of them burned to the point of no recognition, my hope is that both Summer and Destiny are safe.
My thoughts shift completely to Destiny.
No one knew who and what this woman would be. I realize now how living in the human world, trying so hard to fit in, not knowing that truly she did not belong must have been hell. I knew where I belonged. I made the choice
to come to the human world to fulfil my end of a bargain that should have never been made. And once all of this is done, my vow is to help ensure that Destiny and Summer is welcomed into our world.
My world…
I shake off the thought quickly. Guilt ripping threw me as I think about Kara still being locked away in her cell. Twenty years. It took me twenty years to find the ticket to her freedom. She suffered, and even though I suffered without full use of my magic, I still possessed freedom to do what I pleased, when I pleased and however, I could be pleased. I’m here now Kara, I think to myself.
Several yards ahead of me I spot a familiar form, struggling to get on his feet. His locks are tangled mess. He groans in pain as he pushes himself off the ground. A part of me wants to just leave him there in his misery. Loyalists have always proved problematic with their superiority complexes and self-entitlement. Being a royal ass kisser to the king and creator of Mercuria, I suppose breeds offspring who believe that the world Mercury created belonged to them. I should leave him there.
I really should leave him there.
He sees me approaching, and despite his obvious injuries he scowls at me.
The feeling is mutual fucker.
“Where is Destiny?” I ask once I am less than two feet away.
He looks at me and says, “That is none of your concern, Cursed.”
I am all too tempted to kick this guy in the face and be done with it. “Not the answer I was looking for,” I say grimly. “Especially since you and your band of merry bandits took her from me to further your noble cause…”
“Go to hell,” he snapped.
“Looks like you are halfway there,” I quip. “And judging by the looks of things, you all lost. Now, Destiny may be lost too… where is Summer?”
“Safe,” Demetrius grimaced as he finally takes a stand. “She is safe.”
The Lost Queen- Mercury's Heir Page 16
