I just had not been as loyal to Kara.
Standing at the edge of the seaside cliff, underneath the bright rays of the first sun, I empty her remains into the sea where she would have loved to be buried. Here, her spirit is free. She can join her ancestors, the first gods and goddesses of the sea. Demetrius stands silently behind me. His support has been more than appreciated. He watched without judgement as I said goodbye to the one female that never feared what I am. And he still stands behind me without judgement as my heart beats for another who once feared everything that I am.
Tossing the urn to the side, I turn to face him. “Thank you,” I say offering my hand.
“No worries my friend. I owe you so much, including my life,” Demetrius says as his sincerity touches me. He is a proud male, and an apology from him means everything. “Mercuria owes a debt to both you and Destiny.” He pauses then continues, “Cecilia says that Destiny is recovering quickly?”
“She is,” I say. “I almost thought she wouldn’t make it, when traveling through the portals back into her home world. But she did. She is a lot stronger than what I had originally thought in the beginning.”
“Tough too,” Demetrius added.
We begin to walk in companionable silence when a thought hits me. “We still have to prepare the land and the people for her arrival. WarMen still plague some of the smaller towns as do a few groups of Karrine’s loyalists.”
“Before she assumes the throne, Mercuria can’t be divided,” Demetrius agrees. He stops short and stares at me. “Go back to her. I can handle things here. She is going to need you more than anyone else, especially in the upcoming weeks. You know her human world almost as well as she does, and when things have cooled down here, then we will send for the both of you.”
“I don’t know if she is going to accept me,” I admit. A lot has transpired between us. All of my secrets have been revealed and now that the danger has passed, I am not sure if she will ever feel safe with me again.
“Only one way to find out,” Demetrius says as he begins to walk away with a grin. “Go to her.”
Destiny
One Year Later…
“Summer are you dressed?” I call out from the top of the stairs. Silently, I thank the heavens that she is finally on winter break, which gives us three weeks to spend in Mercuria. For weeks I’ve been receiving messages from Mercurians requesting to meet with me to discuss all kinds of disputes ranging from marriage, land, taxes…I frown thinking about my own taxes. We should just permanently reside in Mercuria, and then I will never have to worry about filing taxes again.
“Yes!” She calls out. “Can I take Binki with us this time?”
Binki is the cute little black Pomeranian Erick bought for me a few months ago. She loves me, but Summer has become her best friend.
“Yes. But I think we will have to pack some dog food for her,” I say. “I don’t think she will appreciate dragon meat.”
Erick will be escorting us to the newly built palace that sits several miles away from where my father Mercury originally built his. From here on out, it is all about new beginnings. Six months ago, I figured out how to heal the Veil that separated Mercuria from what was the equivalent of Hell. I reinforced the borders, and spent some time getting to know the people and our culture.
And in case anyone is wondering, Erick and I are dating, but we are taking things extremely slow. I want to be sure that he loves me for me. Summer seems to have adjusted to it. She doesn’t give him as much of a hard time as she did in the beginning. As a matter of fact, I think she likes having him around, even though she will never admit it.
There is so much I have to learn about our people, my powers and I still have the impression that Karrine wasn’t the only enemy left behind. And whenever that day comes when a new enemy reveals himself, I want to be ready.
I hear the keys jingle outside the front door, which can only mean one thing: Erick is here. My heart skips several beats as I sense his presence walk into our living room.
“Hi Erick!” Summer greets him.
“Hey Summer,” He says, sizing her up and down. “You look lovely. Who picked that dress out?”
“I did,” she says proudly, twirling around to show purple spaghetti strapped dress that clung to her thin frame. Her shoulders were covered with a matching half jacket, and her long, shimmering, black hair hung down just below the hem.
The installation for the throne begins tonight and I told Summer we have to look our best. Binki barks a greeting to Erick who scoops her up into his arms. “I guess you are coming too huh?”
I take my time coming down the stairs. Like Summer, I opted to wear my hair straightened out too, allowing it to flow past my shoulders. Cecilia had excitedly picked out the royal blue strapless dress that clung to my own body, fitting me perfectly. The shoes were a little high, but that is what I have Erick for. He never allowed me to fall before, and I doubt he will do so tonight. Around my neck is a Lapis Lazuli stone wrapped in gold wire.
“You look beautiful mom!” Summer gushes with a smile.
“Yes. You. Do,” Erick agrees, with a smoldering look in his eyes that promises me there will be so much more to come, especially after Summer goes to sleep tonight.
“Ready guys?” I ask. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this…
“I was born ready,” Erick announces, still smiling.
“Then let’s go!” Summer shouts with excitement.
With a wave of my palm, a portal opens in the center of our living room. The wind from the tunnels is intense but not as intense as the nervous energy that is building in my system. Erick loops my arm into his and does the same for Summer who has Binki in her grip. He leads us through, closing the portal behind us instantly.
I have no idea what the future holds for Mercuria. I can only be the best person I can be. Those with Dark Magic will be integrated into Mercurian society without dispute. I have every intention of creating an ancillary board to ensure that the laws I enact for their protection will be enforced. There will be no division. Magic is magic and as long as people use it for good, instead of harm, Mercuria can thrive. I will be including a Disputes Court, which Demetrius will be in charge of. Cecilia will be my personal advisor and Summer’s tutor.
I can do this.
No. We can do this.
My father is happy that I no longer have to hide in the human world. Summer and I can come home. But home for me is both Mercurian and human. My Mercurian name is Malia; my human name is Destiny. Neither is vastly different from the other. In Mercuria, I am free of human responsibility. I can use my power at will without fear of being hunted by the government. Which reminds me; Erick took care of all that. Any records of me were wiped clean, and thank God, Summer can go to school and have a somewhat normal childhood. And when she comes of age, the choice is hers to accept the throne or not.
For now, I want to focus on the present: new beginnings. Erick releases me and takes my hand and continues to guide us through the portal just how I prefer things: one step at a time.
I am what my human name says I am: Destiny.
Repeat after me: I am my own Destiny.
I am not just the Lost Queen, or Mercury’s heir. I am a woman who has finally discovered all that she is; all that she can be and with great things ahead of her. A kiss from Erick on the cheek reminds me of greater things to come later…
Epilogue
Summer
The dreams started the night my mom bowed her head and graciously accepted her crown – a ruby and sapphire encrusted gold tiara lined with diamonds. That was almost six months ago. My mom kept her promise and we live mostly in the human world – our home world. My friends always ask about what we do and where we go during break, and it sucks that I can’t tell them anything. Not even my best friend Ruby.
I can’t even tell her about the scary dreams. My mom doesn’t even know.
Since she became Queen, I have never seen my mom so happy. I know she feels lik
e she finally has somewhere to belong, and Erick…he is just so nice to my mom. Those two are in love, and Cecilia thinks that they are going to get married someday. I don’t know about that. Not saying that Erick isn’t cool and all…they should just wait a while.
But back to the dreams.
He calls out to me, when my mind goes dark. Sometimes my dreams start off happy: I am laughing, joking and hanging out with my friends…I had a dream once that Ruby, Melanie and Roberto all got into a water balloon fight in the cafeteria. And then, this strange deep voice started whispering to me-and only me. I woke up, alone and in my room here in the palace. It’s weird. The moment my eyes open, the voice is gone.
I can feel him inside my mind, searching for something. This has happened every night since my mom became Queen.
I can feel him inside my mind right now and it is creepy.
Go to the west wing of the palace, the voice tells me. I promise I will not hurt you, young one. I need your help.
“Who are you?” I say out loud. Thankfully, no one is in my room with me- except my dog Binki. She is sleeping peacefully in the corner next to the sliding glass door, on the purple carpet that my mom insisted should be installed in my room.
A friend, He answers back. I won’t hurt you. I just need your help.
This time, he sounds sad, and I have no idea why. If he is a Mercurian, my mom says that we are supposed to help them. That would make him one of us.
“What do you want? And why don’t you ask my mom for help?”
She can’t help me. She is too powerful. Only you can…
“How can I help you? I don’t have any magic,” I shrug. “I’m not like my mom or the other Mercurians.” Now I am sad. Magic is not something I want to think about. Everyone says, when I grow up, I will be just as powerful as my mom. But, my dad is human. I’m a half-breed…so what if my powers never show up?
You are quite powerful, he says. I can sense your magic from here. It is strong.
“Where are you?”
Trapped. Which is why I need your help.
“Who trapped you?” I ask.
An evil being who must be stopped, he continues.
I glance out of the window and into the clear blue sky, thinking about how perfect everything is here. It never rains, yet the grass is always green. The running waters seem to be endless, the plant life is always in full bloom. It’s my Nana’s description of Heaven. How could anything evil live here?
“The other Queen is gone,” I say after a while.
It wasn’t Karrine, he tells me. She didn’t have the power to do what this one did. Please, help me young one. Set me free and I will trouble you no more.
I think about it for a second. I am tired of whoever this person is bothering me in my sleep. A part of me tells me that I should tell my mom or Erick, but these days, both are pretty busy. I don’t want to worry my mom about something I can handle.
“What do you want me to do?”
Go to the west wing of the palace, just beneath the stairs…I will tell you more when you get there.
I feel his presence disappear, leaving me alone to think. He said he will leave me alone if I do this one thing for him. That’s it. I can do it. Moments later, with flip flops on my feet, I creep out of the room and down the long hall that seems to go on forever. There is movement ahead of me and I quickly duck underneath the banister as two of the palace’s maids casually walk by. Once they disappear into the next room, I continue on, unsure if I am going in the right direction. The palace is pretty big and there are still so many rooms I haven’t explored yet. I can’t wait to find out how many hiding places there are.
You’re getting closer, the voice says. Keep going! There! To the left!
I approach a door that I’ve never seen before. This palace was recently built, so I don’t know how he could know something he is looking for would be here. My hands gently reach for the golden knob and slowly pull it forward. The door is heavy, so I have to use all of my strength to open it, just enough to be able to slide through.
The door closes behind me.
“Now what?” I ask in the dim light. Spread out on varying tables look like old relics-kind of like the things one would find in a museum. I step forward, careful not to make too much noise because the guards are always watching and looking for stuff. Tables covered in white cloths greet me as I walk deeper into the room. “There is nothing in here but old junk!”
Patience child, the voice tells me. It’s here. I can feel it.
Pieces of fine jewelry line one large table. I stop to look at the sapphire pendant that offers an iridescent glow that catches my eye. Blue is my mom’s favorite color. I wonder if she knows this is here.
Keep walking young one…the voice urges me. Look up ahead!
Near the wall, at the end of the room, covered in glass is a small black dagger. On the handle is a stone that glowed an eerie red color, that made me begin to rethink my steps.
“Summer!” I hear my mom’s voice calling me in the hallway.
“Oh God! She is going to ask me what I am doing in here,” I start to panic. Now I feel crazy. She is going to send me back home and I will not be allowed to come back to Mercuria because I am losing it. There is a man in my mind- my Nana would call him a demon and say that I need to be prayed for… what was that prayer she said? “As I walk through the valley-”
Grab the dagger and set me free! He orders me.
“Summer!” My mom calls me again.
“Coming!” I shout, simultaneously forgetting and remembering that she will find me here too.
Grab the dagger! The voice commands me again.
Panicking, I reach for the dagger and just as my mother opens the door to the room, I hear her scream “No!” just as I grab the wrong end of the blade and cut myself. Blood oozes from my hand as I release the dagger. Electricity crackles from my blood, igniting the dagger.
“No Summer! No! No!”
“I’m so sorry mommy!” I grab it as she races towards me. She grabs my hand and instantly throws up a blue white shield of magic.
Laughter emits from the dagger as a shadowy figure begins to take form. My mother hits him again, putting a stop to his solid form but not silencing what the entity has to say.
“Guess what ladies,” he says. His voice no longer soft and welcoming, but becoming more sinister by the minute. “You don’t know me, but I know you Malia—very well in fact. And I have a message for you: Pluto says, I’m back.”
Stay tuned for The Lost Heir, Book of Secrets…
Meanwhile… Keep scrolling and check out this awesome sneak peek from LaSasha Flame!
Birth of the Sand Viper
Origins of Jafar
By LaSasha Flame
A Dark Immortal Flames Series Short Story
Copyright
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2019 – LaSasha Flame
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission from the copyright owner.
Published by LaSasha Flame www.lasashaflame.com
Edited by Full Bloom Editorial www.fullbloomeditorial.weebly.com
Cover design by LaSasha Flame
Image courtesy of www.123rf.com
Image ID: 26465283
Media Type: Stock Photo
Model Released: Yes
Copyright: Michael Simons
Image courtesy of www.123rf.com
Image ID: 71889233
Media Type: Stock Photo
Model Released: Yes
Copyright: Viacheslav Popov
This book is intended for adults only. Characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this book are made up by the author’s own imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to other characters, organizations, and events are purely coincidental.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank T M Slay, Ashlei Hawley, and Cassandra Penticoff for your support and vital feedback in creating this piece o
f work!
Author’s Note
Hey Official Flames and new Flames just joining the readership of me, LaSasha Flame! I just wanted to take a moment to introduce you all to this short story and tell how it came about!
I am working on a 13 book paranormal fantasy romance series called Dark Immortal Flames, and one of the books will be my re-imagined twist on Aladdin from Jafar’s point of view. The book is called Arabian Nights in Bondage. So juicy!
I cannot wait to share this story with you but in the meantime, I wrote Birth of a Sand Viper as a prequel short story showing how Jafar became the villain we love to hate.
Even though I am no longer publishing in the Skewed Tales Anthology I wanted to tell you the concept behind this stories creation. The Skewed Tales Anthology is a collection of fairytales retold with a creative twist. We had to write the fairytale heroes as villains and the villains as heroes! I had already planned to do my Aladdin retelling, so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to make you love the villain as much as I do! *evil laugh*
Get updates from me, LaSasha, on new releases and giveaways plus exclusive sneak peeks of the Dark Immortal Flames Series by signing up here: https://www.subscribepage.com/darkimmortalflame
First Chapter
Basheer and Shekinah
Basheer stood on his balcony overlooking his kingdom in the twilight hour. The warm breeze carried the soul of the desert as small traces of sand tickled his olive skin. His people below were busy closing up shops as the lack of sunlight made it harder to watch for thieves using the cover of night to rob the poor shopkeepers’ blind.
As Sultan, he wished he had a way to provide his people with more wealth so they never knew hunger again. “If I were a good man, every man, woman, and child would live a life of luxury.” he thought.
The Lost Queen- Mercury's Heir Page 19
