Maia didn’t actually mind Atlase. Her le-feer had felt a kindness within him despite his Spreuken nature. She found it both odd and endearing that such a trait could exist in the offspring of an Eld like Lucerne. While she knew Atlase lacked the strength to stand up to his father, she also sensed that the pair deeply shared many beliefs. For that reason, he would never take a stand. She wondered what would happen if he were ever to disagree strongly with Lucerne, but she knew Atlase would likely surrender his will to his father’s. Still, she did not want to judge him too harshly by Lucerne’s actions, as she was sure his family did not suspect the true extent of Lucerne’s evil nature.
“And what of our spy, Tilly?” Maia asked, realizing there had not been any updates since that fated day.
“I have not risked contacting her, my Queen. She may not be able to sneak away easily and I had no instructions from you to give her. But today I did to cross paths with her. with the other Spreukens of her household, in the Spring market. From a distance, she looked very numb and withdrawn. Her smile seemed forced…I don’t know what it meant, but I worry for her.
“However, when she saw me there was a spark, a fire, in her…like she felt hope again where there had been none. She nodded at me in a manner that convinced me that she wants to speak. I think she really needs to talk about what has been happening. I believe she knows that the Spreuken advances on the throne are not the will of Sunstar. She is a devout Eld, despite her Spreuken nature.”
“I agree, Tilly.” Maia responded with grave concern. “Arrange a meeting. And while I don’t think you should tell her this, I believe that this time I should speak to her myself. I would also like to share my temple bond with her, to get as close to the truth as I can.”
“My Queen, do you think that will be safe? You risk revealing so much, and if she is in any way compromised then this entire mission will be also. We do not know if her household has changed its views on temple bonds—what if someone requests it from her? And even if your sneak out to meet her, the House of Spreuken and the Bravads will watch you very closely.”
“It is critical that I see all that she has known. I know the risk of sharing my temple bond, but to acquire deep truth we must first accept that we should give it. It is through vulnerability that we find our greatest strength.”
Tilly nodded, though it was clear from her expression that she didn’t like the idea.
Maia understood why. Sharing a temple bond would inform the spy of Yasmin’s existence within her. She and Jaren had agreed that she would not share a bond with anyone until they were ready to announce that the heir was within her. But if she was going to take back the power of her queendom, she had to be prepared to sacrifice everything. She knew she had allowed her soul to lose itself in the dark void of her loss. But she had a responsibility to the little heir to the throne within her.
And not for myself, but for you, Jaren. Our daughter will become the Queen one day…I will ensure this in honor of you if it’s the very last thing I do…
“Tilly,” Maia began after a few pensive moments, “what is the state of the royal council?”
“There is a meeting today, my Queen, happening as we speak,” Tilly responded, eyeing the dress she had laid out. “They will decide on your fitness to rule at this time.”
Maia walked over to the strikingly blue dress that lay next to her swaddling, running her fingers along the golden embroideries on its edges.
“Is that so?” she whispered.
***
Maia pushed open the large, golden doors of the long, engraved room where the royal council meetings took place. The room was in uproar as she walked in, with purple le-feer Spreukens and blue le-feer Agarbs on opposing sides of a heavy, heated debate. Also present were Masters of the Houses of the red Bravads, yellow Laddens, white Pultins, orange Naighfuls, and green Murkels. The Bravads were generally aligned with the Spreukens, and all other Houses with the Agarbs. The purple and blue hues glowed brighter than all other le-feers in the room, as they always had since the beginning of the Eld.
“You cannot usurp the authority of Sunstar!” An unusually angry Master Nox fumed to the pounding agreement of several Masters of the Elds. “We serve only the one who bears the royal marking, and none else!”
“Yet hundreds of years ago, you all usurped the very same royal marking of the Spreuken King when you felt he was unfit to serve!” Lucerne jeered savagely. “Is it at the convenience of the Agarbs to decide what is Sunstar’s will when it so pleases you and your agendas!? The Queen has not been seen in months! She has not even left her chambers! Our planet has been left unprotected without strong leadership, with a growing threat against its people. Mira needs a ruler!”
“Indeed, it does.” Maia responded sternly. All spun around in shock. They hurriedly stood, pushing back their chairs so forcefully that many fell, as they saluted her. On her gesture, they slowly sat again, with fear rippling over many faces.
“My Queen!” Master Nox said as relief flooded his. “I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am to see you on this momentous day. It appears that the Spreukens are trying to usurp the will of Sunstar, as they did thousands of years ago, this time with the intent to overthrow you from the throne. There is no compassion within them for your grief, none whatsoever! They seek to use any means to justify their evil ends!”
“Queen Maia,” Lucerne interrupted, “I am sure that you know such evil intent would not be the chosen path of any Spreuken. I, too, am in horrid grief over the loss of my lifelong friend But there are rumors that our planet may not be safe. I have chosen to put aside my sorrow to serve a much greater purpose. I wish only to protect Mira, as I am sure you would desire any of your subjects to do.”
“Is that so, Master Lucerne?” Maia asked, eyes narrowed. “And what threat is it that you believe Mira is facing?”
“Yes, Lucerne,” Nox pressed, “do share with us what you have refused to explain to the council, asking instead that we take your word for it.”
“Queen Maia,” Lucerne responded with a tentative tone, “an ancient evil has been detected by the Bravads. This evil has turned its sights once more upon Mira. The Hack’amads have been sensed, Queen Maia. They may be coming this way. We have been able to mask our planet for a long time from them, having it appear to be uninhabited. It has been necessary to our survival, and the avoidance of war, after the disputes that took place millennia ago with their people. But it is my belief that they have found a way to detect us once again, and I suspect something, or someone, on this planet is the cause.”
“The Bravads informed you of this?” Maia asked curtly. “Do they not answer to me? Why have they not informed the royal council, even in my period of mourning?”
Nox smiled, glad to have the Queen repeat his exact sentiments to the council.
“I am afraid the Bravads trusted to only tell you, Queen Maia,” Lucerne said with a ghoulish edge. “But in your absence, I was the only other in the council who they trusted with this highly confidential information. It seems unlikely that the Hack’amads can just detect us without someone ensuring that the energy of our core can be seen by them. It must mean that the core itself has been tampered with, allowing the dampeners to leak and the shield to suffer. As every person on council has unlimited access to the core, I suspect that the culprit must be here right now, feigning his, or her, innocence.”
Maia gawked at Lucerne. This was the exact threat that she and Jaren were investigating him for when Jaren went to the core that mortal day. Was it possible that Lucerne found out about their investigation? Was he covering his tracks by pretending that this had nothing to do with him? By accusing someone else and projecting himself to be blameless as he has brought the report forward? Was he somehow able to break Jaren? No…it was not possible. Jaren would have never shared a temple bond nor would he have told him a word about their findings.
What had their spy sensed on that fated day that made her feel like things were perilous? Had their spy b
een discovered? Maia knew that she needed to meet with the Spreuken spy as soon as possible. She needed to get to the bottom of this, to take back her queendom from the grips of Lucerne.
I know it was you, Lucerne! You dropped our defenses. You allowed the signal detection. You have risked all of our lives in your quest for power!
Maia’s le-feer pulsed strongly and divinely in response, confirming all of her and Jaren’s deductions. She needed evidence to prove it, but this one thing was certain: Lucerne had called the Hack’amads. He was drawing them to Mira, to war.
Chapter Eleven
Standing in the shadowed Greens just before the entrance to the Skotad mountains, Yara felt her heartstar pounding as she gazed upon her little warrior. Mila had the markings of a Photak gatherer. They were similar to the green markings of the House of Murkel, the providers of the Eld, with two intersecting ovals. It was the same marking that both her mother and father had.
Yara had gone to May before they left, requesting that Mila come with her. She was shocked by May’s compliance.
“Of course, she can go with the Queen of the Eld,” May had said, batting her eyes at Yara as though she hadn’t victimized her for all of her life. “Oh, what an honor! I will be the talk of the village!”
May gave Mila a quick hug, followed by one thing that hadn’t changed:
“Mila, BEHAVE YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE WITH THE QUEEN!”
As Mila looked up at her now with wide, brilliantly brown eyes, Yara felt a sense of worry. She was about to attempt a controlled channeling of royal le-feer into the small body of an almost eight-year-old girl–a le-feer she had yet to learn how to control. She was solely responsible for Mila’s safety now, and she couldn’t imagine what she would feel if she were to hurt her.
“Are you ready, precious one?” Yara asked shakily while gently brushing strands of Mila’s red hair from her eyes.
“I’m so ready, YaraStar!” she responded, her face resolute and devoid of even a single shred of doubt.
Yara loved that about her. Mila seemed incapable of cowardice once she had set her mind to a mission of any kind. It was surreal to witness, and inspiring.
“And are you ready, my Queen?” Nox asked softly as he observed Yara’s disposition with subtle concern.
Yara turned to him and nodded, her nervousness obvious and now impossible to dampen.
“Then let’s begin,” Nox said, holding out his hands to Yara while Mila stood in between them.
As Yara began to reach her hands out toward his, she looked down at their intense trembling and paused. She looked up at Nox, now completely insecure and on the verge of panic.
He took pity on her mounting discomfort. Taking a deep breath, he gestured to her to step away for a private moment between them.
“My Queen,” he said, “please know that this blessing is not just something you are quite naturally capable of, but also represents the very essence of your birthright. As the Eld Queen, your connection to the creatures exceeds that of any of the Eld. It is because the source of their creation passes down through Sunstar’s royal energy within your marking. But I am also especially confident that you can do this, given the…moderating…effect of the little Photak upon the destructive side of your power. It is my belief that Mila’s presence can strengthen your ability to not only control, but also wield your power beyond any of our imaginations. I believe that as this frees her from her genetic curse, it will also free you from the budding one-sided practice of your le-feer.
“I realize that I was wrong not to expose you to all that you are, the two sides of your parentage, and for that I am deeply apologetic. I know now that you must commit to knowing the power of both sides of your bloodline. Without this, imbalance will consume you with chaos and many missteps. Imbalance is a dangerous master, my Queen…and it can only be brought to heel by ensuring the fullness of your knowledge. Only then can you walk your true path…and it will be your responsibility to willfully choose your path of surrender. Do you understand?”
Yara nodded, feeling a sense of strange divinity in the responsibility that lay before her. It was also the first time she felt a profound sincerity in Nox’s words. She could tell he was speaking the truth, and for some odd reason it also felt like the first time any Eld had spoken such unaltered truth to her. She could feel the tingling as he spoke that she soon recognized to be her le-feer’s reassurance. Whatever Nox was saying somehow lay upon her path.
My true path…
It was an unnerving but soothing feeling. While some part of her pushed back against being set on a path that wasn’t of her conscious making, other parts longed to surrender wholly to it.
As they walked back to where Mila stood, Nox concluded his reassuring words.
“You have every detail about what can happen and what to do in this ceremony, Queen Yara. We have practiced the Agarb chants that will enable Sunstar’s divinity, through your marking, to modify the genetics with which she was birthed. You will have to speak them to, and through, her several times. Each time, your power will become even more controlled and perfectly aligned with the will of Sunstar for this ritual. While there is no guarantee that Sunstar will grant what you wish, if it is you will know you have completed another step upon your true path. I have no doubt that your heartstar is in the right place, my Queen. I believe you are ready.”
Yara glanced at her hands and noticed that their quivers had mostly eased. Between Nox’s words and the warming pulses of her le-feer, she was gaining strength and confidence. She gratitude for the faith that both Nox and Mila had in her.
“Okay, I am as ready as I’ll ever be.” Yara said, breathing in and out deeply in preparation.
Mila smiled, giving her a quick squeeze, and stood once again between Yara and Nox. As Mila closed her eyes in preparation for what was to come, Yara took Nox’s outstretched hands. They were now joined around Mila, ready to begin the freedom ceremony.
Yara closed her eyes as well, allowing her senses to heighten and then dissolve into the pulsing of her le-feer. She allowed each thought to grow silent, one by one, until nothing but the le-feer remained. Then she wholly tuned into to it, feeling its rising and falling, sensing the ancient tethers that reached out from the le-feer into her mind. It consumed her gently, slowly seeping across even her most distant memories.
Once she had the sensation that her heartstar and the pulsing of her le-feer were joined in a single rhythm, lifting her into a meditative state, Yara began the chant.
“Sunstar,” she said slowly, “this creature, fashioned by you through our Eld hands, has shown herself deserving of a bodily change, the sacred unblocking. Grant me the will to execute this change. Grant me the strength to power this change. Grant me the stillness to control this change. And may it be so only if it is the will of Sunstar and Sunstar alone. May this feat be your signal of my alignment, and may failure be your sign that I must divinely realign.”
She repeated it to the rhythm of her combined heartstar and le-feer, over and over, sinking even deeper into oneness with Sunstar’s energy. Soon she began to feel a twitching movement within her markings. At first, it was barely perceptible, like a light breeze teasing the hairs upon her skin, but soon it felt like the very root of her le-feer had awoken. It unlocked itself from its dormant setting and began to move through the various lines of her marking.
As it did so, Yara felt completely unclogged, like a great fog she had not known was around her had somehow dissipated, and only peace remained.
Peace seemed to overtake the entire world around them as the winds gently stroked their faces and the warmth of Sunstar embraced their skin. It was an even greater form of power than what Yara had felt with Malek, but it was of Mira’s nature and it was…pure. Yara was sure that there had never been a moment before this when she had felt so calm and in harmony with herself.
As the le-feer was now completely unlocked, having finished its journey through every line of her markings, Nox took Yara’s hands and placed
them on Mila’s shoulders so she could complete the transformation.
“Stay in control, my Queen,” he whispered as he lay her hands down. “As you feel the power coursing through you, find a space into which it can enter. It will be excited to be of great service, childlike just like Mila, and longing to come alive. It will try to rush into her with that innocent enthusiasm, but you must coax it to take its time and know that you will be there every step of the way. This is your Agarb power, my Queen… the peace of the le-feer in the midst of all chaos.”
Yara knew exactly what he meant as soon as her hands touched Mila’s body. It was as though everything within her was ready to surge into Mila, but it didn’t feel explosive. Instead, it felt like a Sapstream that had found a new corner to turn, rushing to flow into an open vessel. Her le-feer longed to overtake Mila’s whole body, eager to bring bodily change to the genetic makeup of such a deserving, pure creature.
Focusing all her concentration upon her le-feer, Yara did as Nox had advised.
It’s okay…I know you long to do as you have been asked, to free this vessel from her blocks. But Mila is a little Photak girl, a creature, and her small body won’t be able to handle you rushing into her. We need to take our time…we need to unlock her curse, marking by marking, until we are complete.
To her genuine surprise, her le-feer responded to her thoughts almost immediately and slowed its flow.
“That’s it, my Queen.” Nox said softly, confirming her feelings.
As she continued to coax it with directed thoughts, Yara felt her le-feer move into Mila. What she experienced next was not something she had expected—she could feel her mind mingling into Mila’s. She could feel the girl’s memories, her bravery, her thoughts and her love even in that moment. It was a beautiful net of energy that was so strong and remarkable that it brought tears to Yara’s eyes. It was the closest thing a royal Eld could share with a creature, almost as close as a temple bond, except it was always a one-way view.
The Eld Queen (The YaraStar Trilogy Book 2) Page 10