Divine Blood

by Beck Michaels

  Zev nodded, wishing he had declined the invitation. It was too late to turn back now.

  Cassiel dismissed the Watchers and the Royal Guards marched forward to take their place. They pushed open the doors to reveal an enormous dining room. Much like the rest of the castle, it was adorned in more polished stone and gold. Zev heard the Prince’s heart rate spike, but his outward poise remained indifferent as he led them inside.

  Several servants lined the walls, dressed in silk gray robes. Some carried decanters of gold and others empty platters. A massive hearth with a roaring fire. On the walls hung tapestries with the crest of Hilos; expanded wings flanking a crowned shield with a flaming sword through the center.

  Set in the middle of the room was an extensive table with the reflective surface of a mirror. The High King sat at the head of the table in a throne of glass. To his left sat a gorgeous woman with a mane of sun-spun locks and an ornate crown. The Queen, Zev presumed.

  On the king’s right was the royal family by the take of their similar features. Two males and a young female. They wore silk white robes with shimmering embroidery; the fine garments flowing to their bare feet. Their hair was golden, eyes deep sapphire, each bearing pearlescent wings.

  The room was a resonance of racing hearts. Only the king’s heartbeat was steady, but Zev tasted the anger and apprehension in the air. They should not have come.

  “Welcome!” King Yoel’s voice echoed in the silence. “Please, come join us.”

  Cassiel left them to take his seat at the far end of the table, opposite of the others.

  “It’s very kind of you to invite us this evening,” Zev said as he and Dyna bowed. “This is truly an honor.”

  “The pleasure is all mine,” the High King replied. He beckoned for them to sit in the two glass chairs the servants placed at the center of the table. Once they settled, he said, “It pleases me to present my family. My wife, Mirah.” He indicated the Queen, then to the others one by one. “My sons, Malakel and Tzuriel, and my daughter, Ariel. I have shared with them how you came to be here, and the story rather intrigued them.”

  Of that, Zev had no doubt.

  The Queen didn’t bother acknowledging them. The Princes and Princess sat in identical stiff postures with their heads lowered down as if their crowns weighed too heavy.

  The King leaned toward Malakel and whispered, “Where is Princess Briel?”

  “I will not have my wife near the beast,” the eldest Prince replied. “She is to dine in her chambers tonight.”

  No one outside of their proximity heard the exchange but Zev’s sharp hearing missed nothing. Not the grinding of King Yoel’s teeth at his son’s insolent tone, nor Princess Ariel’s soft gasp or Prince Tzuriel’s stifled cough.

  The High King straightened in his seat and smiled at Zev and Dyna. “Quite an adventure you’ve had today. You must be famished.”

  The servants came forward to serve dinner. They set the table with heaping trays of raw fruit and vegetables, bowls of nuts and seeds, and plates of dates and figs. Within golden goblets, they poured a white substance—sweet rice milk by the smell of it. Zev’s stomach rumbled with hunger but he was disappointed at the lack of meat. It was against the Celestial faith to eat the flesh of animals and to drink anything fermented. They believed it would taint their sanctity.

  Regardless, the variety of food was perfect for his cousin because she too abstained from eating meat. She smiled when the servants set a plate of fruit before her. They served Zev the same along with a second plate containing light brown crumbles.

  “That is called manna,” the High King told him. “You will find it delectable.”

  Zev waited for the King to eat first before he dared reach for anything. The manna was similar to bread; the outside was a soft, crumbly texture while the inside tasted as sweet as honey. Heavenly was the easiest way to describe the strange food. But he was too uncomfortable to stomach another bite. The tension in the dining room was too palpable to ignore.

  Utensils clinked against dishes as the royals picked at their food. Prince Malakel’s face remained pinched while Princess Ariel stared down at her lap. Only Prince Tzuriel ate as he listened to his father’s conversation with Dyna.

  King Yoel’s laughter filled the room when she told him about her meeting with the Watchers and what she first thought was a talking tree. To which he said talking trees existed but not in Urn. He carried on with the conversation; either ignoring or oblivious to the temperament of the room. Servants and the Royal Guard watched with stern eyes, their scorn digging into the back of Zev’s skull.

  But he and Dyna were not the only unwanted guests.

  Cassiel sat with his chin resting on a fist, pushing a lump of food back and forth on his plate with a fork. Like his father, he didn’t notice or care about the sporadic glares shot his way by the servants and Prince Malakel. Queen Mirah glanced at the dark Prince next, and her features twisted with revulsion.

  How could his mother look at him that way?

  Cassiel was an obvious contrast to his family and to the entire Celestial population, Zev mulled. A stain on a sheet of white silk, judging by the contempt simmering in the faces of anyone who looked at him.

  It could only mean one thing.

  Inbred, the Madness whispered. As are you.

  King Yoel let out another burst of laughter, silencing the whispers in Zev’s thoughts. “You sure are a lively girl. I find I haven’t been this well entertained in years!”

  Zev forced a smile as he tried to straighten his thoughts. “She is wonderful, isn’t she?”

  “As wonderful as her name. Dynalya, was it?”

  “Yes, like the flower,” she said. “Are you familiar with it?”

  The High King leaned on the armrest of his glass chair. “Oh yes, I’m familiar with the flower. It only grows within the Vale of the Elves. In the Elvish language, Dynalya means ‘great healing’. Who named you?”

  Dyna’s smile faltered. “My mother.”

  Zev cleared his throat to draw the High King’s attention on him. “Dyna’s parents were Herb Masters and once owned an apothecary, sire. They taught her the ways of botany healing since she was a child. She has already completed her training and now holds to the trade herself.”

  The expressions of King Yoel and the other Celestials who had been listening switched to amazement. Herb Mastery was a highly respected title given to accomplished healers. She possessed an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and the skills to use each medicinal plant in the region.

  “You have become a Herb Master this young?” King Yoel said with great approval. “May I ask your age, Dynalya?”

  “I have lived for eighteen-spring-seasons, Your Majesty.”

  “Many are double your age before they have attained such an accomplishment. You’re quite the extraordinary human.”

  Human.

  The word had such a powerful effect in the room it was as though everyone sucked in a breath at once.

  Prince Malakel lifted his burning gaze to the High King. “So, you do realize it is, in fact, human. I was beginning to question your sanity, Father.”

  King Yoel’s expression hardened at the blatant disrespect. “I am aware,” he said tightly.

  “Then why bring it into the castle?” Prince Malakel shot to his feet, launching his glass chair across the sleek floor. The servants scurried out of the way before it shattered against the wall. Zev winced at the sound stabbing his ears, and Dyna stifled a yelp.

  Malakel whirled on Cassiel next. “How dare you risk all our lives by sparing it? And you see fit to grant it immunity? You’ve spat in the face of our kinsmen and everything they died for. You’re a traitor!”

  The taut muscles in Cassiel’s jaw flexed. His indifferent expression didn’t falter, but his fists set on either side of his plate, curled so tightly his knuckles turned white.

  Malakel continued to berate him, his words reverberating against the walls. “You have defiled the kingdom and dishonored the S
oaraway family! You are not fit to bear the name! You disgust me, you filthy, vile Neph—”

  “Silence!” King Yoel barked. “You will not speak that word in my presence.”

  Malakel sneered at his father. “And I will not sit here to dine with a human and a beast. It is intolerable. When I succeed the throne, all those who show mercy to humans will be sentenced to death.”

  The Queen smiled at her son’s proclamation. Ariel and Tzuriel gawked at him with slacked mouths.

  The High King’s eyes simmered with icy rage, but his words were nothing short of calm. “Tell me, Malakel, when have I said the throne would go to you?” He stood, never looking away from his son. “That human girl has accomplished more in her life than you have in all your years in this world. You have yet to prove to me you would make a wise ruler. Of your brothers, you are the least deserving to rule my kingdom.”

  Queen Mirah glared at him through narrow slits. “He is the heir apparent. By the law of succession—”

  “I make the law!” They all cowed at King Yoel’s deafening bellow. He loomed over the stunned Prince, his expanded wings casting menacing shadows. Prince Malakel shrunk back. “I am the High King and I am your father. Conduct yourself to that esteem. One more word out of your mouth and I’ll have you exiled with the removal of your wings. Then you will resemble the very humans you loathe so much.”

  The color drained from Prince Malakel’s face. He flinched at the jarring clatter of the Queen’s golden utensils hitting her plate, the sound echoing within the hushed room.

  The King reined his fury and evened his expression as though he had not made a threat against his son. “This is the last time you ever show me such disrespect, Malakel. Now remove yourself from my sight.”

  The eldest Prince lowered in a stiff bow then pivoted on his heel and headed for another golden door. No one stirred for a long stretch once he left. Zev didn’t move a muscle or raise his gaze. Dyna followed his example.

  The Queen was the first to speak, her faint hiss reaching Zev’s ears. “You would be so barbaric as to exile your son, Yoel? Shearing of the wings is worse than death.”

  The High King’s glare cut to her. “Question me again and I’ll show you the same favor, Mirah.”

  The Queen gasped in outrage. Her chair screeched as she stood and pinned her eyes on Prince Tzuriel and Princess Ariel. They rose at the silent command. The whisper of their footsteps crossed the room then vanished with the slam of the heavy door closing behind them.

  After another drag of silence, the servants approached to clear the dishes. The movement slowly dispelled some tension trapped in the confines of the air.

  King Yoel exhaled a long breath and ran his hand down the length of his face. “Please disregard that unfortunate display. Perhaps I was too hasty in this gathering.”

  “I’m sorry for any offense our presence may have caused, Your Majesty,” Dyna said.

  He waved her apology away. “Do not pay Malakel any mind. He is my eldest and the most foolish.”

  Zev caught Cassiel’s barely audible scoff. Prince Malakel’s reaction had not been meaningless.

  “It’s not your fault,” Zev told Dyna. “There is an unfortunate history between humans and Celestials.”

  The servants paused and the room once again filled with heavy quiet and the scent of nervous sweat.

  “Why?”

  He hesitated to answer. She had seen enough horrors without him burdening her with the ones of others, and this was not the place to speak of it either.

  The High King was studying her again, his expression indiscernible. He turned away and headed for a westward entryway. “It is best we move the remainder of this evening to my study. Come, my son will escort you.”

  They stood but Zev paused, hesitant to go any further. The King planned to answer her question?

  King Yoel strode out of the dining room without another word. Cassiel came around the table, staring after his father as though he too couldn’t believe it. He nodded for them to follow. Zev took a deep breath. Dyna linked her arm through his and they trailed after the dark Prince.

  Chapter 9

  Dynalya

  Dyna kept close to Zev, wary of the castle’s dark, and empty corridors. Torches lined the polished walls. Two Royal Guards marched behind them while Prince Cassiel led them through the west wing. She was not a “stupid human” as he had called her. It was clear even to her that their presence in Hilos was wrong. Prince Malakel’s outburst and the tangible abhorrence from each Celestial that met her eyes more than proved it.

  Why had the High King invited them here?

  Among the many questions circling in her head, the one she asked aloud had brought the dining room to a standstill. It appeared breaks in conversation was a common thing among the Celestials, and it spoke much louder than words. Whatever the answer to her question, the subject was so ominous they were being ushered somewhere else, deeper into the castle, away from other ears.

  They followed Cassiel down several more corridors, leaving her disoriented. She tried to keep track of how many turns they made, but the halls were a maze. The walls melded together in endless marble and finery. It would be impossible to find her way out without guidance.

  Zev sniffed the air of each hall they entered, his eyes constantly studying. His head was canted as he listened beyond the thumps of their footsteps. It must be a lot for his senses to take in. She felt overwhelmed herself. The view coming into the kingdom was breathtaking, the lavish castle equally magnificent. All of it felt surreal—and daunting.

  They passed by massive portraits of who she assumed were the past rulers of Hilos. The most recent was of King Yoel with Queen Mirah at his side. The one before that bore one Celestial alone. Dyna almost didn’t recognize him for his face was soft and youthful. At the crest of becoming a man. The painter had captured the High King’s vacant expression, detailed brush strokes shaping his withdrawn, glassy eyes. She recognized that look for she had worn it as well when she lost her family.

  Dread hung over her. Heavy and suffocating as a blanket during the humid heat of summer.

  If the events during dinner were any sign, the history of this place was grim, but her curiosity begged to uncover it. A part of her identified with the darkness here. Her village had a sinister past of its own.

  They came before a strip of orange light slicing through the dark corridor from a door left ajar. The Royal Guards took their posts outside of the study and opened the door for them to enter. Zev hesitated, then led her in after Prince Cassiel. Dyna jumped at the sound of the heavy door shutting behind them. Zev stiffened and she sensed his apprehension at being trapped in an unknown place.

  She peeked past Cassiel’s shoulder and took in the spacious and opulent study. A fire crackled in a great corner fireplace encased in polished white stone that twinkled in the firelight. Encircling it was an arrangement of velvet settees and leather chaises positioned atop a plush blue rug. An ornate desk of dark wood and an empty wingback chair sat upon a raised platform on the other side of the room

  Iron candle stands set throughout the room cast flickering candlelight over the several bookshelves constructing the soaring walls. Innumerable books and scrolls lined the shelves. Some were so old they gathered a layer of thick dust. Gilded pillars held up the curved ceiling. It was painted with golden lined clouds so detailed, they almost seemed to glow as though it was a window of the Heavens.

  Prince Cassiel moved to stand by the massive windows. They opened to a broad view of Hilos below. Winged figures in the distance flew against the light of the moon.

  Being here, seeing such incredible things, it solidified her reality and skewed it.

  “Please, make yourselves comfortable,” King Yoel said. He searched through the tomes at the top of a bookshelf, his graceful wings keeping him in the air.

  Cassiel motioned to the seating area. Dyna chose a tufted sofa and Zev settled next to her.

  “I believe Miss Dynalya asked a rather i
mportant question,” the High King said to a book he was considering. “Care to share the answer, Master Wolf?”

  Zev shifted in his seat. Tension creased his brow and his throat flexed. Several times he attempted to speak but no words came. At his stalled silence, the High King and the Prince glanced at him then at each other. She frowned. There was a nuance in their silent exchange that she didn’t quite follow.

  The King flew down with a large book and handed it to her before taking a seat in an armchair across from them. The book was large and heavy; fastened shut by thick metal clasps colored by oxidation. The brittle, leather cover had seen more wear than her journal, the edges peeled and worn to the core. The Fall of Gamor was stamped on the center in old Urnian.

  “Dynalya, are you familiar with the city of Gamor?” King Yoel asked.

  “It used to lay not too far from here,” she answered, “in the southern boundary of the Azure Kingdom. It perished in a great fire five centuries ago. That place is now a ruin.”

  The High King and his son shared another look. What did Gamor have to do with them?

  Zev picked at a frayed hole in his trousers, avoiding her gaze.

  She crossed her arms. “You know what happened, and you knew Celestials lived within miles of North Star. Grandmother always coddled me with half-truths but why would you keep this from me?”

  Zev exhaled a heavy breath. “Your Majesty?”

  King Yoel nodded. “For tonight, I grant you leave to speak on this matter.”

  “Thank you.” Zev turned to her. “I couldn’t reveal the existence of Celestials because I am sworn to never speak of it. All mystical creatures are bound to secrecy, and their rulers have passed that pact down generation after generation. The Pack Alphas, the Elvin Kings, the Fae Gentry, and the sovereign of every creature in this world. All because of Celestial history.”

  Dyna searched his troubled green eyes. It was the only feature they had in common, but his were expressive like her father’s, displaying his thoughts and emotions like his worry.