“Majesty.” A priestess dressed in long robes entered the white-and-gray-stone courtyard. “It is time.”
I nodded and turned toward Cedric. “I’ll find out after.”
The gray, leaf-carpeted ground led to a part of the forest that was off-limits to anyone other than the priests, priestesses, and the reigning monarch. It was a sacred area, where Vahaga and the others came to worship and strengthen their connection with the ancestors. As queen, I was finally allowed to venture into the beating heart of Ash Forest. The trees gave the appearance of contorted bones strangling each other into knots. The leaves were dead, giving the name to the forest, but were tinged with black and white. Above the open canopy, a watercolor horizon of shades of gray blotted as far as the eye could see. Wisps of white clouds stroked the sunless sky.
I had presumed one day my brother would be allowed to meet with the ancestors instead of me, but fate had decided it was his destiny to join them instead.
My stomach swirled as we ventured inside. The farther we walked over twigs, which cracked under my shoes, the more the magic came to life. A mossy mattress of shrubbery reached out as far as the eye could see. The forest swept into change. Time-chiseled trees narrowed into the sky.
I spotted something gray nestled in the tall grass. I moved the blades aside. “A skull.” I recoiled.
Vahaga didn’t look at me when he spoke. “It’s a burial ground, child. What did you expect?”
“For the bodies to be buried,” I mumbled.
He pretended not to hear me.
The smell of earth mixed with bone and death lingered around us. Hints of sage and blueberries combated it. Behind the burial ground—a large, untouched area filled with skulls, bones, and rocks—was a babbling river. Currents swashed over sharp rocks, and the banks on either side had curved over time.
Vahaga was dressed head to toe in white. Draped around his neck was a gold chain. “You must enter the water.”
I’d heard of it, of course. The place was legendary. The river sat between the land of the living and dead.
“It is the only way to speak with them,” he said, as if I didn’t know what it was.
“I know.” The bitter truth was I was afraid the ancestors would sense the dark magic inside me and deem me unworthy of the crown, or my father and Edgar would be waiting for me like they had been when I died and briefly moved to the other side, the place between the spirit realm and our world. I called it the veil.
“We will wait here.” His thin lips tightened into a frown. Behind him, three priestesses wearing red robes and silver necklaces remained silent, something they did well.
I leaned my staff against a tree trunk. “Turn around,” I ordered.
He did, as did the others. I struggled with the corset of the dress.
Vahaga intervened. “Having trouble?”
I stared at his back. “I can’t get my dress off.” I mentally cursed the maids who’d done it way too tightly this morning.
“Emelia.” He snapped his fingers at one of the priestesses in red, with dark-brown hair. She hurried on his command. It was the same one who’d come to fetch me from the courtyard. Gently, she pulled the ribbons until they came loose. Lowering her head, she moved back behind Vahaga. I removed everything but my undergarments, grabbed my staff, and walked to the water’s edge.
Breathing in a deep breath, I dipped my toe into the cool water. It felt different than I’d expected. The water flowed around my ankles as I waded into the middle. The currents caressed my skin. It felt alive. I could feel their souls, hear their whispers as I let the river take me. My staff felt as if it were beating under my touch. Half in the water, I sensed the energy tingling all over. I closed my eyes, and the whispers grew louder.
After a few minutes, the voices silenced. It was too quiet. Slowly, I peeled back my eyelids to reveal the figure of my brother. “André.” I almost toppled over at the sight of him. He appeared more vibrant in death. There was a peace in his eyes I envied.
“Sister.”
I cried at the sound of his voice. “It’s you.” I leaned over to hug him, but we were separated by a thin veil.
“We can’t touch.”
I moved my hand back and wiped my eyes. “You are my spirit guide?” I asked, referring to what we’d been taught since we were children. Each luna got a spirit guide, one of the ancestors to give them signs and guide them on their path. Normally, though, we never saw them. Many even debated their existence.
“I have been by your side throughout your journey.”
I never wanted to leave the water. “I don’t know if I can do this,” I admitted. Tears fell thick and fast. “It should have been you.”
His eyes widened. “If it was meant to be me, then I would be king. No, Winter, it was meant to be you.”
“I’m sorry you died.” I sniffled.
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault.” Something in his expression teetered on the edge of frustration. As if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
I licked my dry lips. A spray of water splashed my torso as the current picked up. “Are you with me, like, all the time?”
He chuckled. “No. Only when you need me.”
That was a relief. I didn’t want to think about my brother watching me when I’d kissed Cedric… or Blaise. “Can I come here anytime?”
“Yes, but you don’t need to. If you need me, look for a sign. You’ll always know what to do.”
“The darkness,” I whispered. “It lives in me.”
His response surprised me more than anything else. “It’s meant to.”
I raised my eyebrows. “How? What?”
“It’s part of the plan. Trust the plan.”
“I don’t want to go back.” I smiled. “I want to stay here with you. I miss you.”
“I miss you too, but Magaelor needs you. I’m proud of how far you’ve come. In time, all of this will make sense.”
“That day better come soon, because right now I’m as confused as ever.”
“It’s called being human.”
I smirked. “I can’t get over that you are standing here. I wish I could hug you.”
“I will offer you one piece of advice before you go.”
“Yes.” I gripped my staff. “Anything.”
He looked nervous. It flashed across his normally calm expression. He looked behind him as if looking at someone I couldn’t see. “My sister.” He hovered his hands over my shoulders, an invisible barrier separating us. The peace I’d seen in his stare was gone, replaced by pain. My eyebrows furrowed.
“Please trust my words,” he said quickly, panic in his breathing. “Kill Vahaga, then destroy this pl−”
He was ripped from me, pulled into an abyss I couldn’t reach. His last words lingered in my ears. I remained rooted to the spot, crying. “André?” I cried, but only the spring breeze answered, dancing through my hair and chilling the coldness of the water on my skin.
I stayed there for a few minutes, staring at the empty space where my brother had been. What did he mean? Destroy what? Kill Vahaga. My stomach twisted. I slowly climbed out of the water, grabbing a jagged rock as I did for support. Still trying to make sense of what had happened, I looked up.
“Majesty,” Vahaga called over the babbling waters. “Do you need aid?” His lips were pulled into an uncertain frown. Vahaga averted his gaze. I was glad. My white undergarments were slick against my skin from the water, leaving nothing to the imagination.
I managed my way up the bank, where one of the priestesses was waiting with an oversized robe. “Put this on, Your Majesty.” She spoke softly. They’d come prepared. Pulling on the robe, I shuddered.
He turned around. “What did they say? Who was your guide?” His stony eyes froze my words. “Tell me.”
André had said to kill him, then he was dragged away from me. Perhaps he wasn’t meant to tell me. If that were true, then André had taken a risk. My heart hammered. I wasn’t sure I could do it, not after I’d murdered my f
ather. But my brother said to trust his words, and I did. I loved my brother.
“It was my father,” I lied. “He said he was proud of me.” I wondered how they couldn’t see him or hear me, but then, perhaps a spirit guide’s apparition was only visible to the person whose guide it was.
“Ah.” He gripped his staff, which held the most beautiful amethyst I’d ever seen embedded into the top, where the wood met his hand.
“How didn’t you see him?” I questioned.
“The river is separated from the living, acting as a veil. It’s a meeting ground, therefore when you entered, we couldn’t see or hear you.”
“Ah.” That made sense. It was only when I’d already climbed out that I could hear Vahaga asking me if I’d needed help.
“Did he say anything else?”
I regarded him carefully. “No.”
“Then why were you crying?” Suspicion crowned his eyes.
“I missed him. I couldn’t believe he was there, talking to me.” It was half-true, except about the who part.
He didn’t look convinced. “We will pay tribute to the ancestors’ graves, then head back to the castle.”
Early morning moved into late morning as we trudged through the forest. I couldn’t wait to return. I wanted to tell Cedric everything, especially about André suggesting killing Vahaga. In life, he’d never have condoned murder in cold blood, but in death, he was different—wiser, knowing. I wished I could go back and see him, but something about his exit from me told me that wouldn’t be possible. I took comfort in his promise that he was with me when I needed him, even if I couldn’t see or hear him. I smiled to myself, feeling warm in the knowledge that my brother was okay, even if he was dead.
SEVEN
I’d dressed in a purple gown, pulled my hair back into a knot of curls, and placed the crown on my head. Pausing to look at my reflection for a moment, I pressed my lips together into a hard line. There was something amiss, a flicker of rage in my stare that wasn’t mine. Shuddering, I forced the fear to the back of my mind, assuring myself today I would find Morgana and put a stop to what was happening. For now, I had to find Cedric.
I ambled to the banquet room, still processing this morning’s events. People stopped and bowed as I walked. Florence came into view. She was talking with Adius, who was stationed at one of the doors. She flashed me a wide smile as I passed. I gave her a nod, then smiled at Adius. I hadn’t warmed up to her entirely yet, but she had fought alongside me in Niferum and appeared to actually love Adius. Her eyes dulled and expression slacked whenever I mentioned my brother, telling me she had loved him too, so I didn’t hate her like I had before.
Sweeping into the bustling room filled with long tables, crowds of people, and red-and-gold banners hanging on the walls, I nodded at several nobles I recognized. At the back of the room, by the table of sweet crystals, I saw Cedric’s glistening golden wings. He was showing Amara, who laughed. His small display earned scowls from lunas around him, but he didn’t care. In fact, he barely noticed them. He wore the typical light fae fashion I’d become accustomed to seeing him in. He wore a gold shirt with patterns of yellow swirling inward to the fastened buttons. Gold dust was glittered on his hair and navy-blue pants. It wasn’t naturistic like the clothes in Berovia, but it was close enough.
“Cedric!” I called and met him and Amara at the table. His wings folded into his back. He kissed my cheeks, and I blushed pink. His hand was on my waist, and one of the lords, I noticed, Gregoir, watched us from his table. I slowly pushed his hand from me. “Friends, remember?”
He grimaced. “Ah yes, we must keep up the pretense.”
“You understand.”
“I know,” he whispered; a playful smirk danced on his lips. “I miss kissing you.”
Amara’s eyes widened. “I will leave you both alone.” A knowing smile crossed her expression. She curtseyed, then turned and left.
“Thanks, Am−”
“She’s gone.”
“I can see that.” Turning to face him, I laced my fingers up to my necklace, and pulled the pendant away from the clasp, which was aggravating my chest. “I have a lot to tell you.”
“Of course you do!” he said a little too enthusiastically. Something had him in a good mood. He grabbed his plate of pastries, waffles, and honey.
I gestured toward the front of the room. “Let’s go to the top table, where we can talk without listening ears.”
We took our seats. “What was it like?” I asked over a plate of waffles and honey. “The market?”
He grinned. “Good guess.”
“Hardly a difficult assumption.” I gestured toward his twig-woven belt and tunic. “The gold dust gives it away. You can’t find it in Magaelor’s normal shops.”
“The shadow market here isn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” he admitted. “The pixies they’re trading, there are hundreds.”
I scowled. “Hmm.”
He put his hands in the air. “I didn’t buy one.”
“I know.”
“I’d say come with me next time, but I think a queen in an illegal market would raise eyebrows.” He examined a powdered puff of cream in his fingers, then looked at me. “So, are you going to tell me about your excursion to the sacred forest… area?”
“It was breathtaking.” Tears prickled my eyes. “I saw my brother.”
Sadness pinched his features. “Oh, Winter. Was he a ghost… or?”
“Yes and no. He’s my spirit guide. We all get one,” I explained. “He wasn’t transparent or anything like that, but we couldn’t touch. We were separated by a veil.”
His eyebrow arched. “Was he at peace?”
“He looked like he was at peace at first but then kept looking over his shoulder as if he was looking at someone I couldn’t see. He told me something in a rush, then was dragged away. He almost seemed panicked.”
He hesitated, turning the pastry over in his hands. “Don’t get angry, please. Help me understand if I’m wrong, but I have to question the spirit realm. What you said, it makes me wonder. Your history suggests that luna culture derives from forging this other side for your dead to reside in.”
“Yes…” An uncomfortable sensation crept over me. “Why do you ask?”
“I wonder if they’re happy about being stuck there. I mean, the spirit realm was created. Shouldn’t souls be allowed peace? You said your brother was panicked. That doesn’t sound peaceful to me.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. It was created so we could be together and continue harnessing our magic even after we finished this life. I never presumed they thought themselves stuck. If they were, they didn’t show it. Perhaps my father and Edgar had when I briefly crossed over when I died during the battle, but they were exceptions. My father would hardly be happy about sacrificing himself to give back to the new generation. “I haven’t thought about it much, but I don’t know.”
The end, when he was dragged away from me into an abyss, flashed across my thoughts. “I’ve always known it as this wonderous place. It’s what it is. I’ve never questioned it.”
Until now.
“You could ask him,” Cedric said. “Your brother.” I sensed him drawing out his words, pondering them carefully before speaking. “He may be able to shed some light as a fellow luna. How often is it you can speak to the dead? This is an opportunity.”
My stomach swirled. “Usually, we can sense our ancestors’ spirits but never communicate. Only Vahaga and my father did. I can only talk to André, but if I’m honest, I’m not entirely sure that if I go back, he’d be there. The way he was dragged away from me at the end, it was unnerving.”
Cedric’s lips parted. He didn’t speak, instead let out a long exhale. After a few moments, he looked at me. “What did you talk to him about?”
I lowered my voice to a whisper, looking around for eavesdroppers as I did. “He told me to kill Vahaga, then to destroy… something. I didn’t catch what.”
His eyes widened. He dr
opped the pastry onto his plate, then leaned in. “He asked you to murder your high priest?”
“Yes.”
He whistled out a breath. “That’s quite an ask. Did he say why?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think he was supposed to tell me. Like I said, he was torn from me when he did.” The last seconds before André’s departure replayed in my head. “But I can’t consider murder, surely. I wish I could get some clarity. I’m nervous about going back. If he wasn’t meant to tell me that, then he won’t be able to tell me why. Morgana could help, but she’s been avoiding me.”
“You must find her.” His expression darkened. “Your brother’s words should be taken seriously. I agree Vahaga is a horrible person, but to kill someone? There must be a good reason for it. If he knows something, perhaps Vahaga is a danger. A threat. Why else would he tell you to commit such a heinous crime?”
My stomach knotted. “I’ll look for Morgana tonight.”
I lost my appetite and pushed the plate away from me. Everything was too much. I’d been lied to all my life, so the possibility I had been yet again duped was hardly a shock. I wouldn’t ignore it like I had before either. I’d find a way to find out the truth.
“You can eat all the food you want now that your mother isn’t here,” Cedric said, snapping me out of my mind. He pointed at my half-eaten waffles. “I remember you telling me she would always stop you from eating sugary things.”
“As queen, I can do whatever I want.” I gave him a small smile. “Anyway, as it turns out, I’m not as rid of her as I’d thought.” I looked at my food. “She’s on her way here.”
“Oh.”
“The lords and Vahaga sent for her to correct my image problem.”
He almost choked on his tart. “André’s offer grows more tempting.”
I knew he was joking, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh. Not when the real idea of having to kill another person loomed on the horizon. Taking my father’s life was a darkness I couldn’t get rid of. A part of me wondered if whatever had attached itself to me when I died had done so because of the stain on my soul. Murder left a mark nothing could remove.
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