“What’s that?” he asked, touching his chest at his heart.
“That’s how you make me feel. You make my heart melt,” I whispered.
His eyes watered a little.
“Good,” he said. “You helped me find my heart.”
I smiled up at him and kissed him. This kiss was not as innocent as the one in our ceremony.
The crowd, which was mostly just friends and family, hooted and cheered around us. After the hummed song was finished, we stepped off the dance floor.
Eventually, the staff started cleaning up, and everyone got the message. The party was over.
Axel and I snuck up to my bedroom, which would officially become our bedroom. We were going to make a new kind of magic together.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
I had just stepped out of my bedroom, and I had traveling clothes on. I had braided my hair back on the top of my head, and the rest hung down in a high ponytail.
Trin made me the sexiest and most badass outfit, which says, “I’m a Queen on a mission, get the hell out of the way, but look at me while you do it.”
I had on tight black leather pants and a white u-neck t-shirt that clung just right. The look was finished off with a black leather jacket and black boots.
“I didn’t think you guys had this kind of clothing here,” I told her when she gave me the clothes this morning.
“We didn’t, but Axel said he spent watching a lot of time watching action movies. The badass girl usually wears something like this, so I made it happen. He won’t tell me what you are doing, but said it was important.”
“You two are the best things to ever happen to me,” I told her while wrapping her in a hug.
“Trust me, I know. But you don’t need to tell Axel that he is number two. We will keep that our little secret,” she said with a smile.
Thirty minutes later, I am standing in the hallway, and I find myself asking, what now?
But because fate is always at work, I wasn’t without something to do for long.
A messenger came running down the hall. He was red-faced and out of breath.
“Majesty, this is for you,” he said breathlessly.
“From who?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but he told me it was the utmost importance, and not to stop until I got it into your hands.”
“Does anyone else know about this letter?” I asked.
“No, Your Majesty, just you, me, and the man who wrote it.”
“Thank you. Now please forget you ever learned about it,” I said as I dropped a couple of gold coins into his hand.
“Thank you, your Majesty,” he said.
“For what?” I asked as I winked and turned away.
I quickly stepped back into my room. I needed to read this in private, I am sure.
I opened the letter to discover my new plot twist.
Violet,
Hello, my beautiful daughter. I hope this letter finds you quickly and that you are safe. I continue to watch the activity in Tate and Corone, and I felt compelled to immediately warn you. I am not sure of your knowledge of this magical world, as it is much different than earth and Arlington.
Many of the creatures that were once fake to you are real. Dragons, mermaids, wolves that change into man, all of these are real. Tate has woods that house the wolves. They once had strict restrictions, but Tate is willing to give them their freedom, in exchange for their agreement to fight in the wars to come, to defeat you. I understand the Smarts also wish to recruit the dragons. Their acceptance of an alliance would be a game-changer. I am not sure if you know how genuinely horrifying this is. He intends to build an army of many creatures to defeat you, but it only gets worse.
I have heard reports that magic-workers have gone missing in Tate. So far, it has been those who live on the streets in deplorable conditions. There have been reports that the Prince is stealing their magic, and disposing of their bodies. I had thought this a rumor, but I witnessed the bodies being dumped into a mass pit.
I am horrified to have learned of this, and even more horrified to have to share it with you. You will have to make future decisions with this knowledge. You may or may not want my advice with our history, but I will share it with you anyways.
You must also build your army. I know you are powerful, and you have sought to use magic in ways that Eduard did not. However, you need more. You must speak with the Dragons and get them to side with you. Maybe you can convince the mermaids to help you as well?. They could guarantee safe passage for your army’s by boat.
Please, in all of this, be safe. I will continue my efforts to assist in any way that I can. Lastly, I heard about your upcoming bonding ceremony. Congratulations, my dear daughter, I am so proud of you.
Your Father
I had tears in my eyes during his last paragraph. I was absolutely horrified at what he shared. All of the monsters we came to fear are real. If I had to guess, I bet vampires are real as well.
I had almost completely forgotten about the dragons. But he was right; we needed them. I would need the fire and air support. More importantly, I needed them on my side instead of against me.
I had blinded one, and I didn’t know if that was something they could forgive. I would have to track them down and do whatever I could to sway them. It was clear that the wolves would side with Kennan, and that put us at a disadvantage.
Don’t even get me started on the fact that he is killing magic-workers to steal their magic.
How powerful is he now?
This only cemented the importance of this mission. My to-do list just got so much longer, and the weight of the world just multiplied.
After the Emerald Mountains, we would need to seek out the dragons and the mermaids. Who else could help? I need more help to turn the tides.
The femen, I wonder if they could be bought for assistance? I have no doubt they would not fight for me without a bribe. When the time came, I would figure out what to do to convince them to help us. I wonder what it is that they are capable of doing to help our side?
I took a deep breath, pulled back my shoulders, and checked to make sure my sword was still attached at my hip. I could feel the knife that was hidden in my boot, and those helped boost my confidence that I could do this. I now had a plan.
My only problem is that the end day felt like Armageddon. I already had more troops from Ubrem Glacies to train with my army. Wisdom would be working with Thomas and Trin to make sure they were prepared, but now they had no idea what new challenges would face them.
I passed the letter off to Trin as I found her on the stairs. She was in clothing similar to mine, and she was heading out to work on training with Thomas.
“Tell no one,” I told her, handing her the letter.
“They need to expect the unexpected,” I told her while rushing down the stairs and to the door.
I turned back, and she was standing there with a puzzled look on her face. I waited by the door, out of sight, to watch her read the letter.
I heard her gasp shortly after reading. A minute later, I watched as she lit the letter on fire using one of the wall scones and let it burn in her hand, careful not to get burned. She got strange looks from the staff, but she pushed her shoulders back, straightened her spine, and put on her game face.
I hope I am half as badass as she is.
I ran away from the door and over to Axel, who was waiting near the stables with our horses. He handed me a cloak and then helped me onto my horse Mal.
Mal was large and all black, and she pawed at the ground anxiously. She threw her head back at the sound of the battle cries of the knights who had begun training nearby.
“She’s anxious, isn’t she?” I asked Axel.
“Yes, she must be feeling her rider’s emotions,” he said.
“Touché.”
I pulled the cloak on and up over my head. We were trying to make a hasty exit without being identified by the general public. My clothing choice would help with that.
No one expects the Queen to dress in tight black clothing.
I tapped Mal’s sides with my feet, and she started a brisk walk, but that wasn’t fast enough. I touched her sides again, and then we took off at a canter. The one-two-three beat of her hooves underneath of me soon soothed my anxiety. It was an expected constant and let my mind fall into my thoughts.
My heartbeat was elevated; I couldn’t tell if that was from my stress, physical activity, or the thrill of the ride.
We were heading southeast towards the mountains. Periodically I would check behind me to make sure we weren’t followed. Axel’s horse was positioned to my right and was just a stride behind Mal.
The pretty white of his horse was a stark comparison to the midnight black coat of my mare. Her mane flew back behind her and tickled my arms as I held onto her reins.
The large sun traveled overhead, and it felt like I was racing it across the landscape. It was utterly peaceful out here, and the only sound was the wind in my ears and the occasional snort or whinny from one of the horses.
We didn’t stop to eat or even drink. This was too urgent. I could tell Axel knew something was up, but he had not yet pressured me for it. He was still probably trying to search for whatever it was through our soul mate bond. I hoped he wasn’t that good at snooping and would let me work out my own plans in my head for a little longer.
We quickly approached a chasm in the earth, and I pulled my mare to a stop. We were maybe ten feet from the edge, and Axel came to a halt beside me. We both craned our necks to look out over the edge, without getting too close or freaking out our horses.
“That was not here a year ago,” Axel said.
“Well, it’s here now, and we need to get over it,” I told him.
“Yes, but no offense, I don’t think we should build another bridge,” he said.
I shot him a dirty look.
“I said no offense,” he said.
“That doesn’t make it any less offensive,” I challenged.
I dismounted from my mare and gave her a good pat. I knew she could sense the significant drop nearby, and it made her uneasy.
I walked over to the large gap and peered down. It went down into the earth as far as I could see. It was total blackness down there.
“So, what do we do?” Axel asked.
His head was turned to the right to see what we could find to help us, but there was nothing.
“We are going to fly over,” I told him.
He laughed out loud.
“You’re kidding,” he said.
“No, I am not,” I said deadpan.
“The horses are not going to allow that,” he said.
“We will send the horses back,” I told him.
“Are you crazy, or do you just like doing things the hard way?” he asked.
“Well, if I am crazy, who is the dummy who married the crazy woman?” I asked.
“Touché,” he said with a smile.
“Mhmm,” I said while grabbing a pen and paper from my bag attached to Mal’s side.
“What are you doing?” Axel asked me as he dismounted his horse.
“I am writing a note, so no one freaks out when our horses return without us.”
“Good thinking.”
“Thanks,” I said while attaching my note to the saddle. I pulled her reins off and attached them to the saddle as well. The last thing she needed to do was trip over reins hanging low and break her leg.
Axel did the same and grabbed his bag from his horse. Then we slapped their rumps, and they trotted off in the direction we came from. Mal’s tail was up in the air. I could tell she was happy to put more distance between her and the massive hole.
That sassy horse.
“Are we going to fly?” Axel asked.
I could feel his heart rate pick up.
“Yes, you can make items levitate in the air and move at your command. You can levitate yourself.”
“I haven’t practiced that,” he said.
“You will now,” I said.
“But…”
“Axel back home, we have a saying called sink or swim. Everything about this is about to be difficult. We can both do this,” I told him.
“You are right,” he told me. “I battle with swords all the time. I’ve been practicing my magic. I can do this.”
“I know you can,” I told him. I grabbed his hand and squeezed in support.
I felt his heart rate slow down a little in my chest. It was still beating hard, but there was a noticeable difference.
I called the air to me, and I felt it sweeping against my skin, waiting for me to command it. I quickly called it into a vortex around me, and it lifted me from the ground. I was prepared to do this for Axel if he really couldn’t levitate, but he has magic, and he shouldn’t be afraid of it. This would be his first time using it outside of training.
He can do this; I know he can.
I did not look down as I floated over the crack in the earth. I didn’t want to freak out and make Axel any more nervous. When my feet touched down on the other side, I took a deep breath and relaxed my shoulders. I must have held my breath the whole time I was in the air.
Suddenly a hot burst of steam rose up from the ground. I saw Axel’s adam’s apple bob up and down. He was freaking out.
“Axel, focus on me,” I told him.
He nodded his head and then closed his eyes. I saw sweat form on his face, and his body began to shake, but his feet slowly lifted from the ground. His hands were out to his sides, palms facing the ground.
Slowly he hovered over the gap, and when he was close enough, I leaned over and grabbed his arm. He was becoming a little shaky and losing control; he had dipped a couple of inches in height. I pulled him towards me onto the ground.
We fell backward, with him on top of me.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Anytime,” I told him with a smile.
I could tell he was thanking me for making him do that. He would never have pushed that boundary if I hadn’t forced him. Now he knew that he could levitate for short distances. We were going to have to get used to thinking outside of the box to win this war. Levitating was outside of the box for him.
He rolled off of me and sat up. I followed his lead. Axel stood up and helped me to my feet, and then we kept walking.
We still had a long ways to go, but could not stop until we got there. Morthsoul was not incredibly large. The ride would have taken us only a few more hours to make it to where these mountains were hidden by the coast, but walking would take much longer.
We walked for five or six hours, and I was starting to lose track of time. I was getting tired and was going to recommend we take a break when I saw fog in the distance. It wasn’t like typical fog, it felt like it had a magical presence, and it was trying to push me away.
I could feel it try to push me away as if we were two like sides of a magnet. I had to put more effort into each step forward I took. I could feel myself starting to sweat, and Axel was panting beside me. He was leaning forward like he was trying to walk through a century storm.
This is odd, but it must mean we are getting close. The emerald mountains are a well-guarded secret, and this must be one of the reasons why. We need to do something because we were showing down quickly. My feet are becoming heavy, and I can feel the fog on my skin. I broke out in gooseflesh, and I shivered in response.
I can’t let this affect me; I need to get to the mountains. I need this power to protect my Kingdom and my family.
How much more of this fog is there? How do I outsmart fog?
After a moment, I thought of fog back at home. It’s not out during the sunshine. Even though this fog was magical, I had noticed that I could not see the light from either of the suns. This land is always supposed to be touched by the daylight. And yet, around me, it was dim and foggy.
I quickly reached for my control of the light that I perfected back in Morthshadow. I felt the light hit my skin and instantly warm me. Its
warmth felt like a long lost friend.
As soon as my ball of light floated above my hand, I began to push my magic into making it stronger and brighter, it grew in size and hovered higher above my hand.
I glanced around me, and Axel was dragging behind. He was sitting on the ground with his back turned to me. I almost couldn’t see him the ten feet behind me in the fog. It probably forced him to turn away, and he sat down in rebellion so that he wouldn’t leave me.
I took a few steps backward and put my hand under his arm and hauled him up. I turned him back in the right direction.
I looked up ahead and saw my ball of light repelling the fog. It was working on its own now, without any direction from me. It hovered and seemed to be waiting for us to catch up. The closer we got to the ball of light, the easier it was for Axel and me to move forward.
When we were close enough, the ball of light moved forward ahead of us. I could hear loud sounds coming from ahead. It was most likely creatures who hated the light and our intrusion. I waited for an attack. Axel was walking on his own and was looking around for the cause of the sound.
We both had our swords out and at the ready.
Suddenly these bat-like creatures started circling at the edge of the fog. But they were ten times larger than any bat I had seen. They were flapping their wings in a frenzy and exposing their fangs. The flapping of their wings grew faster and louder.
“What are they?” I asked Axel. I was looking for what they called them here.
“I don’t know, I have never seen anything like it,” he called back to me.
One had broken through the fog and was flying directly towards him. He swung his blade through the air and cut through the bat before it could reach him. The creature disintegrated into dust before it hit the ground.
Two came pushing through the fog and straight towards me. I swung my sword and slashed right through both of them. It was like trying to play a game of fruit ninja.
These bats were smart, and before I knew it, they all pushed through the fog simultaneously, no longer afraid of my ball of light. Suddenly they were swarming us. When I killed one, there was another that filled its place. The fog had concealed how many bats there really were, but now that they were lit up by my light, there must have been hundreds just circling.
Emerald Mountains (The Dream Traveler Series Book 2) Page 23