by Olivia Ash
She excused herself with a kiss to his cheek and left him to continue his research so she could get some food. And once she had downed a bowl of spicy stew meat and vegetables, she stared at the hut wondering if Ezekiel was any closer to figuring out how to open the coffin than he was before.
“Eureka!” Ezekiel’s voice carried through the village to Sophia, making her heart lurch forward, and she jumped up and ran to him.
“I found the key! It was as I suspected. The scroll and the runes on the base of the coffin coincide with each other.”
Relief flooded through her and she went to gather Andreas and Edric. Once everyone was there, they surrounded the coffin, and Ezekiel made the final preparations to the potion that would help Madison wake up and heal.
EZEKIEL
Ezekiel nodded to himself. The potion prepared from the herbs was finally ready. He sat it down next to the coffin and then made the necessary markings on the crystal. He paused to think back to his training at the academy, at what he was taught about potion-making and how he was going to apply that to this situation. Normally, potions were designed for specific things. Individual things. This potion was created with the purpose of waking up and healing. But the herbs were so powerful and very volatile.
The extreme concentration he had to keep while making the potion was of utmost importance. Too much of one ingredient and not enough of the other would tip the purpose of this particular potion from healing and restoration to damage and disintegration.
But he was confident he had done everything correctly, even going as far as to sample a drop of the potion himself before committing it to the heir. With the desired effects coursing through his veins, he knew he had done everything correctly.
Now he just needed to make sure he had the runes to handle.
Pausing to double check his work in his notebook, he ensured that everything was correct and focused himself.
Now was the time to utter the words. There was no room for mistake. One single syllable mispronounced could spell the end of the heir and Sophia’s destiny.
He pulled in a deep breath through his nose and let it out through his pursed lips.
He infused the runes along the crystal with his magic and whispered the incantation. Only a couple of words.
The runes started to glow and glimmer, brightening as light edged its way along the base of the coffin, to the sides, and along to the top and the crease. The crystal started to crack, and Ezekiel’s breath caught.
Did I make a mistake? Did I kill the queen? He kept his questions to himself and continued to maintain his focus, despite the fear that he screwed everything up.
More cracks and the seal along the coffin broke open, parting into a slight opening.
Sophia, Edric, and Andreas removed the top.
Everyone stared at the heir, not moving. Not breathing.
Ezekiel picked up the potion and gently lifted Madison’s head so that he could gently pour in small amounts of the liquid into her mouth. He poured a little liquid into her slightly parted lips and waited a few moments before adding more. He knew the liquid would have to drain down her throat, and he didn’t want to make a mess over the front of her or have the liquid seep into the wrong hole.
As soon as the last of the liquid was poured into her mouth, he waited a few moments before laying her head back on the pillow underneath her.
And they waited.
Slowly, almost undetectable at first, her skin held a bit more color. Her hair became more vibrant. Her lips parted and her chest raised as she took in a deep breath.
Everyone sighed in relief at the same time. Ezekiel was sure each of them silently thanked the gods for this working as well. He certainly did. His heart could now return to its normal pace and position instead of fluttering in his throat.
Madison’s eyelids twitched and opened. She instantly found Sophia and smiled.
“Hello cousin,” she said in a full, rich voice that hadn’t been affected by the years of sleep.
Ezekiel became puzzled by her term of endearment toward Sophia. Cousin?
“I’m glad to see you are well,” she said. “But you look so much older.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Sophia
“Cousin?” Sophia asked. She couldn’t believe that she had found part of her family. And for the heir to recognize and address her directly threw her through a loop. Was she supposed to bow? Say Your Majesty or Highness?
She was completely out of her element and didn’t know what to do.
Madison smiled radiantly and said, “Yes. Don’t you recognize me?” She moved to sit up and Ezekiel quickly steadied her, helping her to sit fully after over a decade of lying flat.
“Much has changed in your absence, Your Majesty,” Edric said.
She turned her blue eyes toward him and nodded. There was a sadness in that gaze that Sophia could relate to.
Ezekiel said, “How about we help you out of this coffin and get you some different clothing?”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you,” Madison said and held her hand out perfectly poised, as Sophia always thought royalty did.
“I’ll grab the clothing from one of the wraith’s daughters,” Andreas said and left the hut.
“I’ll grab some food and water,” Edric said, and left to do so.
After Sophia and Ezekiel successfully removed Madison from the coffin and helped her sit on a bench dragged in from outside, Ezekiel excused himself to allow Sophia and her newfound cousin to catch up.
But Sophia couldn’t stop staring to get her thoughts in order. All this time, she knew she had family somewhere out there, she just never imagined “family” was the heir to the Nighthelm throne. There were similarities, sure. Like the blue eyes and blond hair. But her smile was as bright as the sun’s and she was beautiful.
She had so many questions about her past. So many things she had always longed to say to her family once she found them. Many, many things. But her thoughts were so jumbled and chaotic, she couldn’t form a single syllable much less an entire sentence.
Madison adjusted the gown over her legs and smiled at Sophia. “I’m so glad to see you well.”
Sophia blinked her daze away and swallowed the lump in her throat. Her mouth went dry. She cleared her throat and said, “And I’m so glad to have found you.”
“What has happened since I’ve been…” she looked to the crystal coffin. A flash of sadness washed over her expression. It was gone just as quick as it had showed. “Away.”
Sophia nodded. “I was trained by Professor Grindel and Headmistress Mittle as a fighter. I didn’t know what my purpose was. As an anima contritum, I was kept hidden and away from the eyes of Nighthelm. I spent my days training and nights patrolling Witch Woods, keeping the city safe, and… well, wishing for a day when I could live around people.”
“Your soul was broken?” Madison asked. Her voice cracked and her words were filled with sadness and something else Sophia couldn’t quite place.
The memory of her soul being broken flashed through her mind. Sophia frowned, and staring at a clump of dirt on the floor, she nodded. “It was when the vexsnare attacked you.”
Her voice sounded different, almost distant, to her own ears.
Madison shifted and landed on her knees right in front of Sophia. Before she could ask what was wrong, the heir wrapped her arms around Sophia in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry cousin. You must have gone through nightmares and horrific torture to have endured that.”
Sophia slowly wrapped her arms around her cousin and breathed in the soft rose petal scent of her hair. She smelled like family. Like home. A place she had only dreamed of but never thought she truly had.
“I promise to bring justice to you,” Madison said.
“It’s my job to protect you, Cousin,” Sophia softly said against Madison’s blond hair.
She pulled away, sitting regally on her knees and leveled her deep blue gaze on Sophia. “We’re family, and we only have each oth
er left. Once I’m queen, I will make sure no one can harm you again.”
Her words were firm and offered no room for argument. Sophia wasn’t used to that. With her men, maybe. And even then, that was difficult to get used to. But this was her cousin, the heir to Nighthelm, and she wasn’t about to start arguing with her now. In Sophia’s mind, Madison was already queen. And what the queen says, goes. No questions. No arguments.
Sophia softly smiled and took her cousin’s hands into her own. “Thank you.”
Madison smiled, ever radiant. “Of course. So, continue your story.”
“I grew up not remembering anything of my past, though I had a feeling my teachers knew more than they let on. When I turned eighteen, I stood before the oracles and they gave me a quest to find the missing pieces of my soul and restore the heir to the throne.”
“Were they working for someone else?” Madison asked. “Your teachers?”
Sophia said, “Yes. The Nameless Master. No one knows who he really is.”
“That will be one of the first things I do as queen then.” Madison nodded and shifted to sit on her rear.
“I found you in that coffin in a cave within Ripthorn. As soon as I saw the painting of your mother, father, and, I assume, sister?”
“Yes,” Madison said and forced back the tears by pressing the heel of her hand into her eyes.
“I knew you were the heir. I had to save you. Zeke helped with his amazing ability to decipher runes. He’s one of the top sorcerers of Nighthelm. Or he was until they all were labeled as traitors for associating with me.”
Madison’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Who is in charge?”
“Duchess Anabel Tryst. The steward,” Sophia said.
“That woman has no business being on my throne. She will be punished, Cousin. That, I assure you.”
“In time, Madison. I promise.”
“You have grown so much,” she said, cupping her cheek. “I still remember the day you came to live with us. Your parents were killed. I don’t know under what circumstance, but you were proud and strong, even then.”
“Who were they?” Sophia asked, curious to learn more about her mysterious past.
“I can only tell you, your last name is Delmonte. A prominent name in Ripthorn. That is all I know.”
Sophia nodded. “Thank you. As soon as you are well enough, we will go to Nighthelm and restore you to the throne. Then you can be free to take care of all those that had harmed our family.”
She sat straighter. “I’m well enough now.”
“You just woke up, Cousin,” Sophia said. She was a little surprised that the heir was so strong already. She had just woken from a sleep that lasted longer than a decade. And even then, Sophia almost ran out of time to save her. That potion that Ezekiel had made must have done a lot more than just heal and wake her.
“Be that as it may, I am renewed and wish to see order restored in my kingdom.”
Sophia sat in awe, marveling at the strength her cousin had. She could understand Madison’s desire to set things right. That had been her own motivation for quite some time. To serve and protect and belong. Right the wrongs.
Madison and Sophia continued with their discussion. Sophia explained who her men were and what they had gone through to get Madison healed and out of the coffin. With each event Sophia explained, Madison nodded, eyes focused and formulating a plan. She wanted to ask about the thoughts she could see clearly passing through her cousin’s gaze, but assured herself that in time, her cousin would share what she needed to.
Her cousin moved and held herself with such strength and poise that it was hard to believe she had just been so close to death just a couple hours ago. Had Sophia not been around to observe the event in its entirety, she wouldn’t believe a moment of it. But she was there. And the sight astounded her.
Edric and Andreas returned with food, drink, and fresh clothing. Madison graciously thanked them and took her time eating at the behest of Ezekiel, who worried about the effects of food after such a long time without it and wanted to ensure she didn’t make herself sick.
Once she finished eating, Sophia and her men stepped out of the hut to give Madison privacy to change. As soon as she stepped out and joined Sophia and her men, Madison looked ready for battle. Her hair was tied back in a braid, which fell past her shoulders and was secured with a leather lace.
She stood proud and tall, and once everyone turned toward her, knees were bent.
A collective of voices chanted, “All hail the queen!” Her gaze swept across all of them. She paused a little longer on Sophia, and she could tell her cousin was grateful for all of them. Her eyes watered, and her nostrils flared as she took in a deep breath.
“Ten years ago,” Madison said, “I was running for my life with my cousin, Sophia. My little sister had died in the attacks that took your king and queen. I will take care of the usurpers that destroyed my family and home once I take back the throne that was stolen from my family.”
Cheers erupted. The crowd of wraiths chanted again as Sophia, Edric, Andreas, and Ezekiel joined Madison.
“With all respect, Your Highness,” Edric said. “Getting back into Nighthelm will be difficult.”
“I’m aware of the issues, Commander. Sophia filled me in. But there is a passage only royalty could use. That was the same one we took when we escaped to the mountain. I will lead us through there, and we will kill the duchess for her mutiny and audacity to assume the throne.”
Andreas said, “I assume there is so much more to all the events that have taken place. The duchess doesn’t have the power or experience necessary to take the throne on her own. She had to have had help.”
Ezekiel said, “I agree.”
“We first need to restore my cousin to the throne, then we can all find the answers needed,” Sophia said.
Madison nodded.
“We should be ready for a fight,” Edric said. “We’ll also need to protect Her Highness.”
“My brothers will join us,” Andreas said. He looked to Mica and Ozul. They nodded and started rounding up more wraiths.
“First,” Edric said, “we should rest until a few hours before dawn. Then, under the cover of shadows, we’ll make our move.”
“Agreed,” Madison said, though Sophia knew if they left that moment, it would make her all the happier. But it was a smart decision to wait until after nightfall.
With the plan set, and arrangements being made to gather more wraiths, Sophia could rest assured her destiny was nearly complete. All that was left was getting Madison on the throne, and something inside Sophia knew the fight had only just begun.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sophia
Sophia knew she needed to rest, but part of her wanted to ask Madison more questions about her past and their family. She tried to keep that desire at bay by reminding herself that once Madison was on the throne, she would have time to learn all she could about the past that she had forgotten. Restoring the heir was top priority, so she needed to rest in order to be at her best.
Still, she slept lightly.
Once the time came to get up and make their move, she barely contained her excitement.
This was it.
This was her destiny, and she was oh so close to fulfilling it.
Unwilling to take the risk of the wrong people recognizing Madison, Sophia and her men made sure to disguise her and kept her at the center of the wraiths. She blended in well with the clothing she borrowed. It should work effortlessly.
Ezekiel and Andreas took up the back of the group, while Sophia and Edric took the front. And as they made their way back to the walls of Nighthelm, every eye raked the shadows for any hint of the grimms. They were still after Sophia for killing one of their own, and the last thing anyone needed was for Madison to be fatally wounded by one of the creatures when she was so close to claiming the throne.
But after what seemed like a few close calls for Sophia’s taste—growls and roars that seemed to h
ave followed them from the village—they arrived at the walls, unscathed and without event.
“There is a hidden passage where the mountain meets the castle. It should be hidden, and a bit overgrown by now,” Madison said.
Sophia nodded at Edric as she met his gaze then stepped as silent as a ghost toward the wall of the castle at the back, where the mountain met the castle. At first, Sophia couldn’t see anything. She looked over her shoulder at her cousin, who nodded once, urging her to continue.
She did and went to a large boulder near the rockface of the mountain. She studied it for a moment then walked around the side. There was a tunnel. With Edric by her side, she led her group into the tunnel that was extremely old, with cracks along the walls, and in disuse, but they made it through with little issue.
This whole time Sophia expected… something. A trap. A few Nighthelm guards. Anything that would line up the way damn near every trip into Nighthelm had. This time was easy. Too easy. And that put Sophia on edge more than the anticipation of something or someone making their trip difficult.
By the time they made it inside the castle and its lower halls, that feeling had increased. Sophia felt twitchy. Her heart hammered in her chest and she knew more than ever that something was amiss.
“Something’s not right,” she whispered to Edric.
He nodded and said, keeping his voice low as well, “Stay alert.”
“Go right,” Madison said, voice soft but carried enough for Sophia to hear.
She turned at the intersection.
After a few more directions from Madison, Sophia started to think they were in the clear. She wondered if that was because they had Madison with them. The castle would recognize its true ruler and aim to protect her. It made sense. Especially after all the stories she had heard about the castle’s abilities and innate magic that was meant to protect the rulers.
She took one step forward.