The Dark Queen

by M. Dalto

  “Alex, please—” Treyan gasped.

  “I told you, my name is not Alex,” she snarled at him. “You are not welcome here.”

  “You can’t just let him go!” Crystal shrieked, and Brynaxia wished she could wrap her up in magical bonds and squeeze the ever-squealing life from her body.

  “I’m not going to,” Brynaxia snapped at the obnoxious woman. “But a moment or two in the dungeon might do him some good.”

  “Then what?” Razen asked carefully, his gaze drifting between Brynaxia and Xavon, but it was Xavon who gave him a reassuring grin.

  “We just may get to have some fun after all.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sarayna wasn’t sure what she expected to find when they returned to her brother’s apartment, but the last thing was a dinner spread out for them, complete with lit candles and a floral centerpiece. The apartment looked like it had been cleaned, dusted and mopped, top to bottom, in preparation of their return.

  The two men they had left behind were by the fireplace, which was burning with a batch of new, recently added logs. Lexan lounged in the armchair, a leg draped over the arm, while Jared lay along the length of the couch.

  Both had changed clothes, their hair wet as if recently showered, which she assumed they took after cleaning up the apartment. Lexan wore jeans and a black button-down shirt, while Jared was in jeans and a t-shirt—maybe they had gone shopping as well, considering Jared’s previous objections to wearing any clothes that weren’t his own.

  She thought about going to Jared, giving him a kiss hello, wrapping her arms around him in greeting, but he hadn’t moved to meet her. Considering her audience, she decided she would save the small reunion until bedtime.

  “Glad to see you two have kept yourselves busy,” Reylor mused as he removed his outer jacket and hung it by the door with the others. Seeing him in her father’s clothes gave Sarayna a momentary feeling of loss, but she shook it away as she removed her boots.

  “Not all of us have the luxury of traipsing around the city all day,” Lexan responded. “The least we could do was have dinner ready for you—you’re welcome, by the way.”

  “Is it pizza again?” Sara asked, receiving a scowl from her brother.

  “No,” he said, swinging his leg around to stand. “Chinese.”

  Sarayna rolled her eyes, but the smell of lo mein was starting to waft toward her, and her stomach grumbled. “Alright, let’s eat then.”

  The four of them sat in silence as they devoured the takeout cuisine. Each ate with their eyes down, and there was a sense of more that needed to be said, more that needed to be discussed—it tugged at Sarayna’s mind in such a way that she finally decided to break the silence.

  “We found an address book.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to get us back to the Empire,” Jared observed.

  Again, Sarayna glowered before giving her brother a pointed look. “And I think I found our mother’s parents.”

  Lexan and Jared looked like they might challenge her, but thankfully Reylor broke his silence from his seat at the table.

  “One thing that has always remained a mystery is how the next Queen Empress was chosen. When it was time for the royal twins to be born in the Empire, so too would she make her presence known, born to unexpecting Otherrealmers, unaware of the future expected of her. But the reasoning of why, or who, from the Otherrealm’s perspective had always been unclear.”

  “Could it be through the bloodline?” Jared offered. “If Leminol and Brynaxia were the first—”

  “It’s possible,” Reylor considered, “but then the question would go back to why? Why would the Empireborn children of the first Queen Empress and Crown Prince—”

  “Lord Steward.”

  All eyes turned to Lexan, though he hadn’t looked up from his plate.

  “Yes?” Reylor answered, but Lexan shook his head, looking up to meet his father’s eyes.

  “Not you,” he corrected. “Leminol. He wasn’t Crown Prince. He was the Lord Steward.”

  Reylor’s gaze darkened as he held his son’s stare. “Explain why this matters.”

  “For someone who was once so well-versed in the ways of the Empire, there’s certainly a lot you don’t know.”

  A silent glare was Reylor’s only response.

  With a sigh, Lexan put his chopsticks down and laced his fingers together as he leaned his chin on his hands. “Fine, though I swear, if the Empire is ever going to survive this, you need to make sure your bloodline is a hell of a lot more educated than ours seems to be.”

  “Lexan,” Sara warned, and he brushed her off with a dismissive wave before he began weaving the Empire’s tale.

  The Empire was first ruled by Queen Empress Brynaxia and Crown Prince Xavon, with Lord Steward Leminol, the prince’s twin brother, by their side as their most trusted advisor. The Empire prospered under their rule, and like all prosperous monarchs, they wanted to expand for the well-being of their people. Leaving Brynaxia behind to rule the Empire, Xavon ventured out to seek peace and treaty with the mages who controlled the lands in the north. Though an alliance was always the Empire’s hope, to secure those northern lands for the Empire’s exclusive use was a personal desire, and one he was certain he would achieve if given enough time.

  While Xavon was away doing what he believed was best for the Empire, Leminol and Brynaxia were left behind, and doing what they believed was best for themselves. They had an affair, and from their joining were born twins, one male and one female. When Xavon returned a year later, Brynaxia and Leminol had decided that it would be best for the Empire if Xavon never returned, out of fear for both their children and for the future of their bloodline. They banished him to the Borderlands, the same lands he had once so desired.

  Something broke in Xavon, but even after fear and self-preservation had forced him to the Borderlands, he maintained a network of spies within the palace who were loyal to him and his cause. For the greater good of the Empire, he eventually concocted a plan to kidnap Alara, the Empire’s princess. As retribution for their betrayal against him, he would send her away to the one place he knew her parents wouldn’t dare follow, out of fear of leaving their Empire vulnerable.

  The Otherrealm.

  Leminol and Brynaxia knew they needed to get their daughter back, but they also knew that either of them departing would leave their Empire open for attack and capture. With heavy hearts they decided they would send their son, Alara’s twin, Seyth, to the Otherrealm to bring her back to the Empire. The first step, however, required the book that would allow them to get him there in the first place. The Complete Guide to Key Construction was in Xavon’s possession within the Borderlands.

  Confident she would remain safe, Brynaxia set off for Xavon and the Borderlands, disguised in an attempt to maintain peace between their lands, but also to retrieve the book she and Leminol needed to save their daughter. She was well received, though it was uncertain whether Xavon knew of her treachery or true intentions. Nor was it clear whether Brynaxia offering her body to Xavon during her visit was forced, part of her plan as a distraction, or because she truly missed her former husband. Regardless of the intentions, a child was born of their union, and Brynaxia stayed behind in the castle at Xavon’s side until the child was born. In that time, it is assumed she sought and discovered the book, keeping it hidden until her return to the Empire.

  Once the child was born, Xavon gave Brynaxia a choice. It seemed he had discovered her deception, and upon such an option was given—remain with him and they could raise their child together or return to the Empire and never see their child again.

  Once Brynaxia made her choice, a sunburst—the emblem Xavon gave himself when he arrived in the Borderlands—was burned into her forehead as the symbol of their pact. Their child had a matching burn, and Xavon informed Brynaxia before she left that should she renege on their bargain, the child, too, would perish. Heartbroken to have lost a child, but hopeful she could save another, she
returned to Leminol and the Empire with the sought-after book.

  Years passed, and once Seyth was of age and the Key properly constructed after many failed attempts, Leminol and Brynaxia determined it was time to send their son to the Otherrealm to retrieve their lost daughter. On the day Seyth was scheduled to leave, Xavon, with a young woman at his side, descended upon the Empire with an army at his back. The Empire, having been prepared for an attack ever since Xavon’s banishment, sent their armies to meet the intruders and a great battle ensued.

  Still Xavon advanced with the woman at his side, meeting Leminol and Brynaxia where they waited on the palace’s main steps, leaving Seyth to continue with his preparations for departure. Once Leminol assessed the other woman, however, he knew who she was—she looked too much like her mother to deny otherwise. Brynaxia was too much in shock at seeing her daughter grown to challenge her husband’s suspicions, however correct they may have been. Only when the rage within the Lord Steward became too uncontrollable and he lunged toward Xavon with his uncontained fury did Brynaxia beg him to stop, screaming his name in protest. For she saw what he did not: that the woman stepped in front of her father to protect him, only to receive the brunt of the attack as the sword sliced along the length of her torso instead of Leminol’s intended target.

  Brynaxia’s screams could be heard across the battlefield, the final warning to the unsuspecting soldiers as she felt as if that sword pierced her own body.

  In her last breaths, for the safety of her father, the young woman released the golden power within her, decimating the unwary soldiers and ravaging the land. Leminol and Xavon threw up their own protective shields out of instinct, but it was too late for the others.

  Brynaxia included.

  For the bargain that connected her to her child ran deep, their pact was thicker than blood. It was a rope, a coil, a golden tether that kept them linked and connected—where one should go, the other would follow.

  A failsafe.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Xavon disappeared in the chaos, and for the longest time it was believed he had perished in the explosion as well, but we’ve since determined that not to be the case,” Lexan said with finality. The silence around the table was almost palpable, and Sarayna felt slightly guilty for being the one to break it. “What happened to Leminol? Or the twins? Did Seyth find his sister? Did they ever return to the Empire?”

  Her brother gave a small shrug. “Leminol stayed in the Empire, devastated in his grief. It’s still unknown what became of him.”

  Reylor quietly nodded his head in agreement.

  “As for the twins, Seyth had already been sent to the Otherrealm by the time the attack began, not only to continue with their mission as planned, but to ensure his safety. Whether he found Alara or if they made it back is a mystery, but there’s never mention of them again in any of the tomes or texts in either the Empire or the Borderlands.”

  “But what does this have to do with Alexstrayna’s parents?” Jared asked, as if trying to refocus their conversation.

  “It doesn’t,” Reylor said.

  “But it might,” Sara argued. “How many times has an Empireborn had the ability to return to the Otherrealm to find out?”

  All eyes turned to Reylor in expectation of his answer, and he sighed. “None.”

  “And now that we have the address book, we should be able to find them.”

  “How do you expect us to do that?” Jared challenged. “Are you just going to call them and tell them you’re their missing daughter’s children and expect them to welcome you with open arms?”

  Sarayna was taken aback by Jared’s tone. He always seemed to side with her during these planning sessions—to have him lash out…

  She pursed her lips instead of responding, moving her food around with her fork absently.

  “We can do a backwards search with their phone number—see if anything can connect us to them that way,” Lexan offered.

  “And now you’ve got a computer as well?” Jared snapped. What the hell was getting into him, Sara wondered.

  “I don’t, but the library does, or did your time in the Empire allow you to forget that those exist?”

  “You’re forgetting that our main priority should be getting back to the Empire, not family reunions,” Reylor said levelly.

  “What about returning to New York?” Jared asked after a moment, and Lexan’s head snapped up to look at him, as though incredulous he would suggest such a thing. Sarayna, too, had to perk a brow in question as she waited for him to explain.

  Jared continued, his attention on Sarayna. “You were able to return to the Empire through Saratanya’s apartment, just as we were able to leave from your mother’s, and then return. There must be something that allows the remnants of these Keys, something that lingers, that makes it easier to access each realm.”

  Attention turned to Reylor at that, as if they were all begging for any insight, and he was already drumming his fingers against the table in thought.

  “Perhaps discovering who Alexstrayna was before she became the Empress may help us figure out how she comes into play in all of this,” Lexan added, as if to give him something else to consider. “Her parents may be the only ones who can give us that insight.”

  Reylor’s red eyes rested on his son. “I need to think about it,” he finally said as he stood from his chair. “It’s been a long day. We should get some rest.”

  “There are only two bedrooms,” Jared observed quickly.

  Lexan offered, “You three can decide among yourselves who sleeps where—”

  “No,” Reylor said as he strode toward the armchair. “I won’t need a room. I believe little sleep will be had for me tonight.”

  Lexan’s lips pursed at his father’s dismissive tone, and he turned back to Sarayna. “Fine, you can have the guest room—”

  “Sounds great,” Jared said quickly, already heading down the hall. “Goodnight!”

  Sarayna watched him walk away for a moment before she looked back to her brother, who was also watching Jared disappear into the guest room.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

  Lexan let a sly smirk play on his lips before he looked to her. “No worries—I’m sure he has a lot on his mind. We all do.”

  Sara merely nodded.

  “Goodnight then,” Lexan said in dismissal, retiring to his own room and closing the door behind him.

  Sighing, she moved toward the guest room, but paused when she heard her name being called from the living area.

  “Sarayna.”

  She glanced over to Reylor curiously, expectantly.

  He didn’t move, not even to turn and face her.

  “Get some sleep.”

  She glared at him furiously before storming to the guest room, as if she was going to do anything but.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jared had already stripped from his shirt and changed into lounge pants by the time Sarayna entered the guest room. The fact he was ready to go to bed so soon bothered her. She frowned, closing and locking the door behind her. Jared, standing across the room, continued as if he hadn’t even noticed her arrival. She couldn’t tell if he was lost in his own thoughts, or purposely ignoring her.

  “Did something happen between you and Lexan while I was gone?” she asked as calmly as possible. She removed her shirt as she stood on her side of the bed.

  “What?” Jared snapped, finally turning to face her. In the low light of the bedside table’s lamp, he looked older, his muscles more deeply chiseled, his eyes a darker gray. Something nagged at her because of it.

  It was the look on his face that made her stop. If her brother did anything, said anything to threaten him…

  “What happened, Jared?” Sara pressed, concern now lacing her tone as she again asked the question.

  He held her stare for a second before shaking his head. “No—nothing. Nothing happened. Sorry I’m just…I’m tired. Let’s
go to bed.”

  “That’s it?” she countered. “Let’s just go to bed?”

  “Was there something else you wanted to do?”

  Her jaw dropped slightly. “Jared…”

  “Reylor was right—it’s been a long day, and they’re bound to get longer. We should get some sleep.”

  He climbed into bed, pulling the covers up around him, and rolled over on his side so that his back was facing her. “Goodnight, Sarayna.”

  She could only stand there, staring at him, after the complete and utter dismissal she received. Soon her disbelief channeled into anger, and she whipped off the rest of her clothes, tossing them against the wall before pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

  “Fine,” she hissed, climbing into bed, turning her own back to him as she reached over to turn out the light. If he wanted to be an asshole, she could be an asshole too.

  She just wasn’t sure how many more nights like this they would have together.

  Sleep did not come easy for Sarayna that night, not that she expected it to. Especially with Jared’s body so close yet so far, refusing to cross that invisible demarcation that ran through the center of the bed. Nevertheless, sleep must have come eventually, for she did not wake when he did and left the bed. She had no idea how long she slept alone.

  She allowed herself five minutes of solitude, but there was no time to waste wallowing in self-pity. She deserved it, she thought as she dressed. She had been off-putting toward Jared ever since his coronation, not consummating their relationship since their return to the palace, and delaying the further steps of marriage. She hadn’t wanted to, not then, and now she wondered if that was why Jared was treating her like he was.

  If that’s what he wanted, she wouldn’t fault him, she decided as she pulled on her shoes. Sara had all but asked for it, hadn’t she? In her rejection of him, however minor, she pushed him away, and instead of waiting for her to come to her senses, maybe he was realizing she had been right all along.