by Erin Rhew
Iris and Jule whispered to one another as they gazed out the window, their postures rigid. They had been plotting the downfall of the Outlander queen for a long time, so Layla could only guess at the depths of their hope and fear now that they were so close to their goal.
The door opened once more, and Holt strode in with his hands full of jumbled paper. Layla remembered the time she’d broken into his office. Even then, he’d kept his papers scattered across his desk in haphazard piles. His organization skills clearly had not improved.
Her father walked over to a table, set the documents down, and unrolled a scroll. He placed a candleholder on each end to hold the paper flat. The group crowded around him. Holt pointed at the ancient script. “To my knowledge, this scroll is the original, penned by the parents of the First Ones—the Seers, Crus and Ree. I’ve been studying it all these years hoping I would live to see the words come to fruition…because they spell out the downfall of the Outlander queen.”
Iris raised an eyebrow. “You have the original Prophecy? The queen believes she has the only copies.”
Holt flashed her a conspiratorial smile. “I know she does.”
The very corners of Iris’ lips turned up, but the rest of her face remained stoic. “Well, you’ve intrigued me, Volton. Continue.”
“From what I’ve gleaned from my research, the three siblings were only given half of the Prophecy upon their parents’ deaths, the part the Ecclesiastics and most everyone in the three kingdoms believes is the whole Prophecy. Crus and Ree hoped that by revealing only the initial part of the Prophecy, their children would choose peace. But Zed, Poden, and Haddey continued their war. Sometime after her parents’ death, Haddey decided to go to Crus and Ree’s old home in the Borderlands and search through their belongings. I believe that’s where she discovered this secret scroll, which contains the full Prophecy.”
Holt shuffled through his papers. He pulled out another one. “Over time, the Ecclesiastics grew into a powerful force. They latched on to half of the Prophecy because they had no knowledge of the complete scroll. For centuries, only the queens of the Outlands knew of the full Prophecy’s existence. They stayed on the lookout for the Fulfillment, the Halfling, and the one with unusual fortitude.”
Wil held up a hand. “Wait a minute. Are you saying the full Prophecy refers to three different people?”
Holt nodded. “I’m saying it could. The Fulfillment, her prophesied husband, the Halfling, and the one with fortitude could be two people described in two different ways. Or they could be four separate people.”
Wil glanced up at Layla. His blues eyes churned with possibility. She held his gaze and let his hope wash over her. But the truth squashed her small bud of hope. He’d fathered a child with Mia. No matter what the Prophecy said, they could never be together.
Iris picked up the scroll with reverence. “Volton, how did you come into possession of the original then? We only managed to smuggle a crudely copied version from the castle.”
“I obtained this one in much the same way. Many years ago, we discovered an Outlander spy living and working amongst us here in Volton. In exchange for permanent protection from the queen, he stole this copy for me and replaced it with a fake.” Holt shook his head. “I’m not always proud of the things I do to gather the information I need. But I’ll be honest here...” he turned to Layla, “Layla, this is something you should know about me because it’s part of who I am. Since your mother’s death, revenge has consumed my life. I will do anything to see that queen pay for what she did to Daria. Anything.”
Layla furrowed her brow. “But the queen who killed my mother is already dead.”
“Or is she?” Jule’s gray eyes twinkled. “Holt, you don’t have to be ashamed of what you did to obtain the scroll. You gave that spy a better life. That’s something to be proud of.”
“Thank you, Jule. But maybe it’s what I am capable of doing that shames me.”
She nodded and clasped his hand. “I know what you mean.”
“When I first heard that the Fulfillment had been located, I realized I may actually be given the opportunity to enact my revenge. I poured over this scroll and my other research, but I could not figure out the Halfling and the one with fortitude. Layla, I didn’t even know you were a Halfling, but I wondered if Nash played a role since the queen seemed to be so fascinated with him. Now that we know he does, I think I have figured out the final piece of the mystery—the one with unusual fortitude.”
Layla glanced around the room. “Who is it?”
Holt grinned. “The queen herself.”
* * *
As Layla turned the preposterous information over and over in her head, the truth struck her. “You mean Zarina.”
Wil gaped. “The girl trapped inside the queen’s body?”
“What girl inside the queen’s body?” Holt fumbled through his papers, his jaw set. “I don’t understand.”
Jule leaned against the windowsill and sighed. “Upon the orders of Queen Shakley centuries ago, the Outlanders withdrew from the Three Kingdoms War. We still participated in our own way—spying and subterfuge—but we ceased physically fighting because we had to protect a secret. Every queen goes insane because she shares her body with something. This something seems to retain all the memories of past queens.”
Wil nodded. “My brother Nash said an innocent girl named Zarina is trapped in Cataleen’s body. I came back to Volton to find a way to free Zarina.”
“That’s it!” Holt fell back into a chair behind him, his hand on his forehead. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it.”
Layla’s gaze bounced between Holt, Wil, and Jule as she tried to gauge their reactions. “See what?”
“Haddey.” Holt threw his arms up in the air. “The answer has been right in front of me this whole time, but I didn’t see it.”
“I still don’t understand.” Wil frowned. “What does the First One, Haddey, have to do with anything?”
Holt clasped the sides of his head. “She has everything to do with it. That’s why there is so much information about extraction. That’s why the previous queens have gone mad and killed themselves. Yes, yes. It all makes sense.”
Samson wrinkled his nose. “Could someone explain this Haddey thing?”
Holt blinked. “Of course. While researching, I discovered a few key words: extraction, insanity, and queen. Only, I didn’t understand how the words were linked or what they meant for the Prophecy. The authors were other Voltons—mostly former Outlanders with a grudge, like me. I could never make sense of their thoughts because they were so scattered. But now that I have this new information…”
“I’m glad you understand, but we still don’t.” Samson gestured to the rest of the group.
“The reason all the queens are the same—possess the same information, behave in the same way—is because of the First One, Haddey. She has found a way to survive by living inside the host body of each new queen. That’s why the queens go mad. They try to fight her, but they can’t. Rather than face a lifetime of murder and mayhem, they choose to end their lives. Did you know no Outlander queen has ever lived past the age of forty?”
Jule clutched Iris’ hand. “Luna and I grew up together, as did Iris and Cataleen. Those girls were normal until they became queen. Why didn’t we figure this out before?”
Iris put her arm around the older woman. “Honestly, Jule, who would have thought a centuries-old insane First One still haunted the Outlands? That would be a scary bedtime story no one would believe.”
Wil peered at the scattered paperwork on the table. “What does your research say about the extraction process? Can we perform it?”
“I’ll have to do a great deal more studying before I have an answer for you. In the past, I just dismissed all the information about extraction, categorizing it as the rantings of former, wronged Outlanders. We’ve had our share of crazies in Volton and, like Iris said, who would have believed Haddey still existed?” He grinned and shrugge
d.
Wil pinched the bridge of his nose. “What do we do now then?”
Holt held up a drawing of a former Outlander queen. “We need Cataleen.”
* * *
Layla watched the rise and fall of Werrick’s chest. He hadn’t awoken since Vespa dug inside his mind, but they still took turns guarding him in case he did. Her mind spun on the idea that an ancient First One inhabited the bodies of the Outlander queens. But she’d witnessed Cataleen’s transformation in the Outlands when Nash had forced her to eat marjoram, so the notion had merit.
Holt burst into his quarters, startling her. Layla jumped up from her seat and grabbed the sword from her hilt out of habit. Seeing no threat, she shoved the weapon back into place and chuckled at her own edginess.
Her father stepped around the table, picked her up, and swung her around in a circle. “I found a way to do it.”
Layla grinned. “A way to extract the queen?”
“No, not that. But I found a way for your friend Nash to bring Cataleen here.” Holt set her down.
Layla bent to pick up a paper that had fallen out of his pocket. “Well, that’s an important part of the extraction process. How does it work?”
Holt held up a syringe and thumped the bottom of it. “I asked the medical Voltons to create an injectable marjoram serum. Nash should be able to administer it to Cataleen in regular doses as they travel from the Outlands to the Borderlands to keep Haddey from reappearing.”
“Will Nash be in danger?”
“As long as he gives her an injection every four hours, he should be fine.”
Jule and Iris crashed through the door, stumbling over one another in their haste.
“We heard you had important news.” Iris smoothed back her disheveled hair. “We do too.”
Holt grinned, his giddiness unmistakable. “Tell me.”
Jule’s gray eyes twinkled. “We’ve successfully sent word to our trusted spies within the castle. They’re ready and waiting for instructions.”
Holt hugged Jule then Iris. “Wonderful! And I’ve found a way to get the marjoram into her system for the duration of the trip.”
As they began discussing their plans, Layla excused herself and slipped out to grab lunch from the dining hall. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. As she passed the open doors of the main hall, she noticed Wil sitting at the top of the stairs. She changed direction, headed outside, and came up behind him.
In front of them, Voltons bustled about, a sea of green amidst the tranquil farm backdrop. No one bothered Wil nor seemed to notice Layla standing near him. The Voltons’ lack of interpersonal curiosity perplexed her. They consumed knowledge about everything but each other.
She sat down on the step. “Wil?”
“Hi.” His face lit up.
“What are you doing out here?”
He sighed. “Waiting and thinking.”
“Who are you waiting for?”
“Volton Mars. He sent word a few days ago that he was planning on making his annual stop in Volton, but I believe he just said that because he heard we were here and wanted to check on us.” Wil let out a small, short laugh.
“It will be nice to see him.” She warmed thinking of Volton Mars’ steadying presence. With chaos entrapping them all, they could use Mars’ calm.
They sat in companionable silence. For just a moment, Layla forgot Mia, Zarina, and the whole complicated mess. She allowed herself to simply enjoy sitting in the sunshine with Wil.
“I miss you.” His soft words, spoken in such a low tone she almost missed them, scraped at an already raw wound. She knew what he meant. Though they saw one another every day, their relationship had suffered irrevocable change.
“I miss you too.”
“I need you to know…” He reached over and took her hand. Everything about his expression pleaded with her to understand. “I need you to know how sorry I am about everything.”
She nodded and swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I know.”
“I never wanted to be with anyone but you. I still don’t…” He ran his free hand through his hair. “But I made a choice, under a false assumption but still it was my choice, and I have to take responsibility.” Obvious, soul-wrenching pain darkened his blue eyes. “I will always, always love you, Layla, but I can’t be selfish and ask you to love me back when we can never be together. I want you to have a long, happy life with someone who adores you. If I can’t be that person, I don’t want to stand in your way of finding him.”
She studied her fingers, unable to speak. He would always stand in the way because she could never forget how much she loved him. Even back in Etherea, when she’d felt so strongly about Nash, Wil’s presence had lingered in her mind and heart. She leaned in to close the space between them. Just before their lips met, the Voltons around them fluttered in sudden activity.
Wil jerked back, his eyes glazed with a mixture of love and desire. “Three kingdoms, I’m sorry, Layla. I—” He shook his head and stood. “I’m sorry.” He stared at her for a long moment before turning and greeting the incoming Mars.
Chapter Thirteen
Wil
Wil tried to focus on the barrage of information Mars threw at him, but that moment on the steps with Layla clung to him. He coveted her affection but hated himself for it. This permanent canyon between them left him hopeless and desperate.
He turned his attention to his kingdom, the one entity his title demanded he put before everything and everyone else. “How is Etherea?”
Mars stopped mid-sentence and frowned. “Did you hear a word I just said?” Before Wil answered, the Volton sighed. “You didn’t. I suppose this Mia girl and the predicament you’ve found yourselves in takes up a good deal of your attention these days.”
“How did you know about that?”
“I am your mother’s trusted advisor. She showed me the letter you wrote to her.”
“Oh.”
“To answer your question, the Ethereal soldiers seem to be growing accustomed to Rex and his men. Joint training sessions are going well. There are a few disgruntled subjects, but for the most part, your people want peace.”
“Good. I’m working on a project here with the Voltons, and then I’ll return home.”
“I don’t suppose you’ll reveal the details of this ‘project’ to your old friend, now will you?”
Wil sighed. “The less you know, the better.”
Mars paused. He set down his bags and placed his hands on Wil’s shoulders. “Wilhelm, are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
For a brief moment, Wil considered telling Mars the truth, but he knew doing so would leave his friend in a vulnerable position. He’d be forced to choose between Wil and the Voltons. “I do.”
Mars frowned. Wil knew that look; the Volton didn’t believe him. But instead of pressing the point, Mars picked up his bags and continued down the hall. “I saw Layla sitting outside with you, but I didn’t see Nash. And your letter didn’t mention him, which your mother did not appreciate.”
Wil cleared his throat. “He’s not here.”
“I see. So, he’s still in the Outlands then?”
“Yes, by choice.”
Mars’ eyebrows shot up. “By choice. Interesting.”
Wil opened the door to Mars’ quarters. The Volton bustled about the room, placing certain bags along the wall and opening others. Unsure whether to stay or go, Wil lingered in the doorway.
Mars glanced up. “I suppose you can’t tell me why Nash stayed either.”
“I probably shouldn’t. I know how important your vows are to you.”
Mars nodded, though his lips pursed into a thin line. “I see. Well, I have a reply from your mother.” He dug around in an open pack and then withdrew a piece of folded paper.
Wil recognized his mother’s seal as Mars passed the letter to him. He took a deep breath. He’d written his mother about the situation with Mia, asking for her advice, and had anticipated her repl
y with a mixture of apprehension and trepidation.
Mars brushed past Wil and paused in the hallway. “I’ll go check in with the head of the medical Voltons. Feel free to stay here and read your mother’s note.” He closed the door behind him.
Wil sat down in a nearby chair and blew out a long breath. He opened the letter with shaking hands and read his mother’s elegantly scripted words:
My son,
I read your letter with a heavy heart. In it, I received no news about one son and terrible news about the other. As you know, I’m a true believer, but even I am struggling with my faith after receiving your note.
I know Layla is the Fulfillment, and I know both you and Nash are ‘royalty from the other side,’ as specified by the Prophecy. But Nash, I assume since you didn’t tell me, remains a prisoner in the Outlands while you have been tricked into impregnating that Outlander girl, Mia. In this dark moment, I cannot see how the Prophecy and the long-awaited peace can be brought about.
You asked what you should do about Mia and Layla. I know you love Layla. I always believed the First Ones placed those feelings in your heart, but I can’t understand why they would give you such a gift only to rip it away. Regardless of how your love developed, I know it’s there.
As my son, I would tell you to follow your heart, but as my king, I must implore you to do your duty. You will have to marry Mia. She carries your child and the future of Etherea.
I know that’s not what you want to hear, but unfortunately, ruling means setting your desires aside for the good of your people. When your father was king, you saw how he almost ruined Etherea when he gave into his selfish desires. Perhaps, in time, you will even come to love Mia. I hope you do, for your sake and hers.
Even though I cannot attend, you should proceed in marrying Mia while you’re in Volton. Do not wait until you return to Etherea. When you come home, you can ride into your kingdom and present to your people a queen and the future heir.