Nissa raised her groomed dark-brown eyebrows when she saw the hot coffees. “Oh, how nice.”
“A treat,” I said as the three sat on the blue sofa next to the empty fireplace. I poured the brown liquid into my cup. The pot leaked droplets as I placed it back in the middle of the wooden table between my chair and the sofa. “Freshly made from beans.” I was a little surprised they had it here in Niferum, but I was pleased. Back home, coffee was a delicacy, although the market was growing for it. I was sure it wouldn’t be long until it became a necessity. I breathed in the rich aroma, smiling as the steam swirled from my china cup.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Penelope said. Her voice was so soft, if I wasn’t listening carefully enough, I could miss what she was saying.
“Yes, thanks.” Mai grinned, pulling her dark braid over one shoulder. She sipped the drink, then let out a long “ah.”
“Thank you, ladies, for coming. I actually have some news and wanted you three to hear it from me before it becomes public knowledge. I don’t know when it will be revealed to the masses, but I imagine within the next month.”
Their eyes all jumped toward my ring finger, but it was bare. Brimming with excitement, they leaned forward. I really wished I had better news. I didn’t want to watch their joy founder, but they were going to find out sooner or later. “We have been betrayed.”
Nissa’s eyes widened, and her lips parted. Penelope leaned back, her light eyebrows furrowed, and Mai shook her head, tut-tutting.
“By whom?” Mai asked.
I blew out a tense breath, puffing out my cheeks. I placed my hands on my knees, preparing myself for the words about to leave my lips. Words once said could not be unsaid. “The high priest, my father, and every other king of Magaelor.”
Gasps escaped them, and Penelope’s hand shot to her mouth.
I continued quickly. “We have been told, along with the rest of the people of Magaelor, that our ancestors willingly give us energy so we can perform magic. We have been led to believe they are at peace in the spirit realm and we will join them. Vahaga and others like him have pushed the agenda of us practicing almost side by side with our dead.” I inhaled, then blew out slowly, trying to calm my racing heart. “It’s a lie.” Tears brimmed my eyes. “I know it stings to hear it, and I want to explain how I know this. As many know, the sacred area of the forest is reserved for the priest and priestesses and the reigning monarch. I went there and spoke to my brother. I allowed my mother to do the same. What we learned from him was truly horrifying. Our loved ones…” I looked from Nissa to Mai. I knew Mai’s mother had died when she was younger, so I was careful with my next statement. “The dead are unfortunately trapped in the spirit realm. It’s a magic realm built using the energy from souls. The souls trapped there are fueling not only the existence of the spirit realm, but every time we perform magic, we are draining their souls and keeping them from finding peace. It’s a miserable existence.”
Anger gritted Nissa’s teeth. She white-knuckled her staff, which she had rested against her knee when she came in. It was now in her hands. “Then why would the high priest and Amos be in on it?”
“Because they’re getting special treatment.” I sighed. “Alongside the elder ancestors, the first ones to create its existence. They are immortal and enjoying a prolonged life, while the rest of the souls suffer.”
Penelope looked as if she was going to cry. “How can you be certain?” A whisper escaped her thin lips. “Your Majesty,” she said, her cheeks reddening at almost forgetting her manners.
“My brother has no reason to lie. He’s on the other side, and if you ask anyone who knew him, they will tell you he was an honorable, good man. A future king.”
Mai leaned against the back of the sofa. “That’s a lot to process.”
“You think?” Nissa scoffed. “Is that why the high priest went missing?”
An icy blast pierced through me. I entwined my fingers and licked my lips. “I don’t know where he is,” I lied, “or why he’s gone, but it has nothing to do with this revelation.” It was another lie, but I couldn’t tell them I’d killed him. It would be as bad as telling them I’d killed my own father. Some secrets had to remain secret.
Nissa stood, her staff in hand, and shook her head. “There’s no real evidence.”
I shot her a warning stare. “Be mindful of who you are talking to. I am still your queen.”
She closed her mouth and turned toward the others. “We should take our leave.”
“Take your time to think about what I said.” I looked at each of them in turn, pausing on Nissa the longest. “You can choose to stay in denial and not believe me, but the souls of anyone you loved who died, they will be the ones suffering for it. For that, I hope you come around.”
“You want us not to practice anymore?” Mai asked.
I nodded. “I don’t want you to use your staffs.”
Penelope slumped her shoulders. Her light eyes glossed under the afternoon light coming through the large arched windows. “What are you going to do about it? If what you’re saying is true…” She paused. “Which I am sure it is.” She gave me an appreciative look. “Then do we expect everyone to stop using magic?”
Mai clicked her tongue, moving her braid back over her shoulder. Her large dark eyes bulged. “There are people who won’t care if they’re hurting others. They’ll want power. If it’s true, then someone needs to destroy it.” Determination charged her tone. “My mother is in the spirit realm, and I want her to find peace.”
Nissa shook her head. “So you both believe this?” She looked at me. “Your Majesty, we need more proof than your brother’s word. The rest of the kingdom will need the same.”
“Then go.” I cast my eyes downward, breathing slowly. “Leave Niferum and go to the forest, the sacred part. With Vahaga missing, you have my full permission to go to the river there and ask the souls yourself.”
Nissa’s expression faltered, uncertainty lingering in her stare. After a several seconds, Nissa looked up and placed her hand on her hip, holding her staff with the other. “We will go to Magaelor.”
Mai glanced at me. “I’m not going. I believe Her Majesty.”
Penelope looked as if she was trapped in a mental tug-of-war, her gaze flitting between mine and Nissa’s. “You can go, Penelope,” I said. She was the type of girl who wanted to do everything by her queen, but she held the same uncertainty Nissa did, and I needed it quenched.
“Thank you, Majesty. It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just—”
“It’s perfectly fine. I’d rather you have absolution.” I turned to face Nissa, my gaze fierce. “While you are there, take Adius with you… and Lord Abor.”
Her eyebrows pinched together, her forehead wrinkling. “Are you certain you want Lord Abor to know this?”
I nodded. “He needs to hear the truth. I will need him on my side when I tell the people and the council the truth. He will suffer the same as anyone else once he dies. He’s not a high priest or a king or queen. With Adius, I want him to get the confirmation he needs.” I paused. “Nissa, I am trusting you. If you blow this up, you can easily tear the kingdom apart, and I know you’re better than that. Go find out the truth, then keep it to yourself until I return.”
“What will you do?” Her eye twitched.
“There has to be a tether to our world. There is with anything, and I will find it and destroy it.”
THIRTY-FIVE
Morgana sat across from me, cards laid out between us. “You wouldn’t have told them if your intuition didn’t say you could trust them. You don’t need the cards to confirm it.”
I gave her a look. “I don’t trust my intuition.”
She didn’t look up from her cards. “You should, especially with this. Your gift is coming in.”
“Barely.”
“You’re suppressing it still.”
“Is Blaise safe?” I asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. The cards glistened gold from the
ir backs, a pattern knotted with suns and moons.
“What question do you want to know? If Blaise is okay or if you can trust your ladies with your secret?”
I shrugged. “Both?”
She half smiled, rolling her eyes. “Winter. Winter.”
“Do the reading,” I pleaded, biting my bottom lip. “I need to know.”
She shuffled them again and laid one out. Turning it around, she smiled. “The knight. Blaise is safe. He will fight but will be victorious.”
I breathed relief.
She gave me a cautious look. “You know the cards can change at any moment. Don’t rely on them all the time.”
“I know, I know.” I waved my hand dismissively. “They can only predict current timelines,” I recited. “Now tell me if I can trust my ladies.”
She turned three cards. The rat. The boat. The tower. “It’s undecided. The rat shows a willingness to betray if necessary, to abandon ship, and the boat can be smooth sailing or sinking, depending on the next card.”
“The tower?” I arched my brow.
“It means destruction.”
A lump formed in my throat. “I thought I could trust my intuition?” Panic seized me.
Morgana leaned forward, placing her hand on mine. “It can mean destruction of something else, not the trust. This can mean a thousand things, and timelines change too. I told you doing the cards was a bad idea.”
“You usually do a reading before important events,” I said. “Why shouldn’t I?”
“I look for guidance and don’t put all my faith in them. I fear you will rely too heavily on them.”
“That’s why you’re here with me, always. To ground me.”
She averted her gaze. “The necromancer came to me last night.”
My heart skipped a beat. “You didn’t think to say something before?”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“What did he say?”
“He wants us to do it tonight.”
“We still have time.” Bile bit up throat, clawing at my tongue. I gulped back a wretch. Tears blurred my vision. I wasn’t ready yet. “The moon isn’t even full! I still have so much to do. I am supposed to have dinner with Kiros tonight while they do some magic show thing as a show of peace. I’ve barely spoken to Cedric, and Neoma definitely won’t go with us willingly. He’s going to want to see her with us.” My heart pounded. “I need Blaise too. I need to break the curses on the Objects of Kai using the same battleground.”
Her eyes widened. The brown in them darkened. “It will take all the energy to bring the necromancer back. You can’t spare some to also break a curse over the strongest and darkest objects in the realms. It’s not possible.” She stared at me apologetically. “You’ll need to find another way.”
“I can’t let Blaise down like that. He’s done so much for us.”
“If we do not bring the necromancer back tonight and kill him, he will return to control you. He’ll use you to kill Blaise and anyone else who gets in the way of him getting what he wants. Magaelor will be under constant threat. No potion will keep him out forever. This is our only chance.” She ran her index finger along one the cards, closing her eyes briefly. “There is a rare event tonight.”
“What?”
“A blue moon. The moon will appear soon after sunset, bringing with it more light than a normal evening. It happened every two to three years, apparently.”
I shook my head. “You’d think an all-powerful necromancer would have known this.”
“We can only go by the lunar cycle we know. There was no way for me to know it would be tonight.”
“I meant him.”
“His being in a different realm probably caused an oversight. Regardless, it is tonight. The moon has been visible even during the day today. It is a strong signifier of the blue moon. It is why he came to me.”
“I need to tell Blaise first.” I looked at the window, but the sky was already beginning to purple. “It’s too late.” My stomach dipped.
“I’m sorry, Winter.” She paused for a moment, then nodded. “Bring the Sword. I’ll take the Dagger. Are you ready?”
I thought about what I’d said about the spirit realm earlier. “Wouldn’t the necromancer need something to tether himself to? I mean, if he’s not in our realm…”
“Yes, but finding it could take decades. Whatever it is, it’s surely well hidden. We wouldn’t be the first to go looking for it. Our only choice right now is to destroy him at the source, not through a tether that could be kingdoms away or at the bottom of the ocean. We only have today.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll grab Neoma.”
She grabbed her staff. “I said for emergencies. This is one.”
“You’re going to knock her out.”
“I’m going to slip her a potion. I’m not going to kidnap and panic her when she can just sleep through it all, then wake up back at the castle none the wiser.”
“If we succeed,” I said, aware of the alternative.
“We have to.”
I blew out a long, shaky exhale. “Let’s go kill a necromancer.”
***
We left under the cover of darkness. Harvesting the energy of the dead would require great strength, so Morgana had brought her staff. While she couldn’t do magic herself because of the potion, she could use the souls to channel it.
She gripped it tightly as we pulled Neoma into the carriage. We’d had to wait hours before she and Cedric finally separated and she had gone to her room. Only then did we grab her. Morgana’s sleeping spell was working perfectly. Unfortunately, we had extra company. I eyed his two gold teeth glistening against the rest of Licia’s pale-yellow smile. The corner of my lip twitched. I hated that faerie. He’d used my promise against me. He once said he’d need something from me and I was to give it to him. Today was the day he made good on it. He wanted passage from me to allow him to come with us, to let him stay while he brought the necromancer back. I knew making a deal with him would come back to bite me.
Licia was, however, useful at helping us get Neoma’s unconscious body out of the castle through an underground tunnel only he knew about, but I didn’t trust his being there, and one glance from Morgana told me she didn’t either.
“How did you know?” I whispered as I climbed in.
“I know everything.” His eyes glittered danger as Morgana stepped in and took the seat next to him. I was stuck hugging Neoma’s sleeping body against my side.
I shook my head, then turned my attention to Morgana. “I’m sorry he has to come along.”
“It is fine.” Her stare told me not to divulge the plan to kill the necromancer. I wouldn’t dare.
Neoma’s body shifted downward as we gruelled to a start. “I can’t believe we kidnapped someone. I feel awful.”
“It’s not the worst thing you have done,” Licia stated, but Morgana shook her head.
“The guilt shows you have a good human heart, Winter. Unlike some.”
Licia sneered. “You enable her too much.”
“We don’t need your input, Licia.” I hissed his name. “Sit there quietly, or I’ll throw you out this carriage.”
“You can try.” He admired his nails, which were painted gold, and smiled thinly. “We had a deal, remember?”
Morgana tsked. “Enough. He’s coming whether we want him to or not, so let us ride in peace.”
I shrugged. “At least if we throw him out, I won’t have to look at him.”
He scowled, and I was glad I bothered him at least the littlest bit. The Sword was stowed away in the luggage compartment. For a moment, I worried he’d know through his foresight about the Sword and Dagger but then remembered something I’d read in Blaise’s library about the Objects of Kai being a blind spot for seers. While we rode, I thought about all the colorful ways I could kill Licia. We had the Dagger and Sword, so ending his life wouldn’t be the problem. There was no way I was going to trust him while we rose the necromancer ba
ck to our world. He glanced at Morgana, who stared ahead, tight-lipped. She gripped her staff, and looking at it now, I felt sick knowing what I was doing to my brother and souls like him in the spirit realm.
I pulled back the curtain on the carriage and stared into the wintry oblivion as we pushed through a flurry of snowflakes. The sky darkened but never fully covered in blackness like it did in Magaelor. The snow always kept the horizon just visible enough.
We pulled up at the battleground. I held my breath as I looked out over the untouched blanket of snow. Underneath the pristine world of white were the bones and armor of those who’d sacrificed themselves for me to take back my throne—for Magaelor. Being back there brought tears to my eyes. Licia’s amused smile tugged when he saw them, and I wanted to punch him in the face for it. Morgana shot me a look, warning in her glare. It was as if she could sense what I was feeling. The glint in her eyes told me our anger for him was shared but it was not the right time to act on it.
“Let us prepare first. The ritual needs to be set up perfectly before the moon reaches its apex.”
Licia pushed down the handle, and a gust of icy wind flew inside. I hugged myself as I stepped out after him and jumped down. Snow crunched under my boots, sinking me in a few inches. We were going to kill the thing that had allowed me to come back to life at the same spot where I’d died. There was poetry there somewhere.
It was twilight, and the blue moon at its peak meant it was the perfect time to complete a ritual. Morgana had spent the last couple of hours preparing herbs and various bones and stones she’d brought with her into shapes found inside an old grimoire. I had paced the area three times, sprinkling sage and ash in a square around us from the pouches Morgana had given me. Licia shivered, moving back inside the carriage where Neoma was still lying on the chair, unconscious. Morgana had pulled a couple of extra fur coats over her.
The Fate of Crowns: The Complete Trilogy: A YA Epic Fantasy Boxset Page 80