by K.N. Lee
Malah felt a hot tear trail from her eye and down her cheek. Vornid watched the tear as it fell to his gloved hand. He raised a brow as it burnt through the black fabric.
His eyes flickered up to hers, the wrinkles in his forehead deepening as his brows furrowed. Malah could see much knowledge in his eyes. Too much knowledge, and still not enough.
“I will kill you, Vornid. You know this,” Malah said after sucking in a breath. “It is a promise.”
Vornid’s dry gray lips curled into a grin. She could smell milk on his breath. The milk of a nursing mother. It turned her stomach.
“No, you won’t,” he whispered.
Malah cried out as he put his other hand on the top of her head, nearly crushing her skull. Heat filled her head and her body shook while Vornid held her. She had no choice. At this time, Vornid was more powerful than her. Too much poison filled her veins.
Malah fought it, with all of her strength, but within seconds she met the eerie black of her own mind.
* * *
MALAH NEVER LIKED being inside her own mind. This time was no exception.
This time was torture.
While her body was paralyzed, her mind was free to witness it all. The Clerics injected her with more of their special poisons. The thick blue liquid filled her veins and forced her into a coma that was deep enough to make her sleep through the birth of her twin daughters.
Malah never even imagined actually birthing children. She’d never had to. She’d always had her Blessings to keep her company. If only she could call upon Yolie. But Yolie could not come unless called.
She’d watched, from outside of her body, as her beautiful girls were taken from her stomach and ushered away. She’d wept and screamed, and no one had heard her. She’d pleaded with Dwy. She’d begged him to forgive her, let her have another chance at being a dutiful wife, and to, please, wake her up. She had been foolish, like a child. Curiosity got her tricked and captured.
Of course, no one could see her. The people of this land could not leave their bodies like the Jinn. And there were no more real Jinn. She was the last, and that is why they lured her with love and kept her prisoner.
She wondered if Dwy ever truly loved her. He’d been so gentle in the beginning.
Malah knew the truth. The Parthans needed her for this last task. That was when the harsh reality truly hit her. She was merely a vessel. A treasure used to make their race more powerful.
Malah retreated to the corner of her quarters and curled into a ball, and waited for someone to finally awaken her.
The moment she opened her eyes and breathed fresh air again didn’t come until four years had passed.
Dwy stood beside her cot. His black eyes were fixed on hers. He touched her face.
“Dwy,” she croaked.
He reached over and handed her a cup of red liquid.
Gremmina. A drink from her homeland’s enchanted springs.
Malah snatched the cup from him. She wondered how he had got his hands on the precious fluid as she drank the pungent substance down. She watched him with wide eyes as she hurried to drink every drop. When the cup was empty, she shot to her feet. She balled her fists up and glared at him.
“You stupid creature,” she said. “You do know that Gremmina gives me enough strength to kill all of you. I could crush this palace into a pile of rubble.”
Footsteps drew her attention. Her glare shot to Vorrid. He came from the archway that led to her study room. He was cloaked as always and carried a large pitcher of the Gremmina.
Malah stepped back. “It isn’t Gremmina? Is it?” Even as she asked the question she knew the answer. It had to be Gremmina. She could feel its effects. But why would her enemy give her such a valuable weapon?
Vorrid nodded. He poured more into the cup. “It is, Blessed One.”
Malah raised a brow. “You sound as if you mean it now. And yet, you do not pay homage.” Her hands were held ready to summon all manners of creatures to aid her in killing them both. One thought stopped her. She had two girls somewhere in the palace that she would not leave without.
To her surprise, they both bowed to her.
Malah swallowed. “What are you up to?”
Vorrid and Dwy shared a look. Dwy was king. Vorrid was his personal cleric, the most powerful sorcerer in Partha. But while at her optimum strength, Malah did not fear anyone or anything. She would never let her guard down again.
“Shall I show her?” Vorrid asked from his knees. When Dwy nodded, Vorrid stood and turned to walk across the large stone room to the tall window that stretched from the high ceiling to the granite floor. Malah watched him.
Her heart beat loudly in her ears. She only wanted her daughters, Keema and Livie. Dwy had at least told her about their daughters’ triumphs and milestones during her long slumber. She wondered if he knew that she had seen it all. Even if her physical body was at rest, her mind could still work wonders. She had watched them grow but from a painful distance.
When Vorrid opened the black shutters, Malah slumped to her knees. Her hand shot to cover her mouth as she stared at the scene outside her bedroom window. The once lush and beautiful land of Partha was a black, desolate wasteland.
Malah stared at the scene with wide, horrified eyes. When she finally found her voice she stuttered, “What happened?”
Vorrid sat in a stone chair at her breakfast table beneath the window. He removed his cloak’s hood and ran his long, thin fingers through his silver and black hair. He sighed.
“Sire,” he began. “You should tell her.”
Dwy took a deep breath. He was a big Parthan, with broad shoulders and muscles that bulged. He towered over her by two feet and now he looked small to her. He looked afraid.
That made Malah afraid. And Malah had rarely ever felt fear.
“You did this, Blessed One.”
Malah came to her feet. Her jaw hung slack. “What?”
Vorrid nodded. “It is true. As you slept, you destroyed our land. We want you to forgive us, and leave.”
Malah’s hands balled into fists. She hadn’t realized what she had done during her slumber, she’d been so focused on her children. She hadn’t paid attention to what the dark places in her mind were doing to the world outside.
An almost evil grin came to her lips. “You should have listened to me. I told you who and what I was, and you tricked me. I may have been too young to learn everything from the other Jinn before they vanished, but your treachery has taught me a great lesson.” Her palms opened. “I hope I taught you something as well.”
She breathed into both of her palms and summoned two giants to restrain her husband and his cleric. The cleric and the king didn’t even fight back. They were docile, defeated.
She raised a hand and the door burst open. Freedom. She darted like lightning through the palace.
“Keema! Livie!” she shouted at the top of her lungs until she was hoarse. She swept past palace servants too quickly for them to even catch a glimpse of her. When at full power, a Jinn was unstoppable. The Parthans knew that now. They’d never doubt again true power.
Her hair flew behind her as she searched for her children. Hate and rage boiled inside of her. The Parthans would pay.
They already had. She’d made sure of that. She didn’t pause when she saw that there weren’t any guards around to stop her. All she passed as she searched the labyrinth of hallways were frightened servants and clerics who bowed to their statues and begged for forgiveness and aid in their last hours. The sight almost made Malah feel bad for them.
Almost.
She finally sensed them, her babies. She could smell their sweet golden hair that was nearly the same shade as her own. Her little beauties would rule worlds once she took them from this place. She pushed through the double doors that led into the temple. She slowed down at the sight of rows upon rows of Parthan citizens and clerics bowed to the worship platform at the end of the red and black room.
Malah’s eyes went down the aisle. She froz
e when she finally saw them. Malah’s golden face turned red as she saw the bodies of her daughters laid on a pyre before the god Huji, a large snake-like statue of gold. To the bitter end, they remained pagans.
Her scream remained trapped in her throat. She felt every vein pulse with rage as black tears poured from her eyes. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t speak.
Their tiny bodies were impaled and now waited to be burned. Finally, Malah found her voice, and with a scream, she called every creature she’d ever learned about as a child in the temples. She called them forth with one breath of power. Chaos erupted in the palace, but Malah was numb to it all. Her spawn killed everyone in sight as she slowly walked over to the golden pyre. She stroked her daughter's golden hair and buried her face in the silken strands.
The black tears fell down her cheeks as she sobbed like a baby. She’d never had a chance to hold them. Not in real life. Only in her dreams.
A familiar whistle made her pause.
“Yolie?” she whispered.
“Blessed One! We can go now! Let’s go!”
Malah turned to her. She almost smiled at her friend’s beauty. She glowed in the midst of such darkness. Behind Yolie was a massacre. Her creatures had killed everyone in sight and now, they all bowed to her, silent and waiting for a command.
Malah pulled her children free of the piles and cradled their bodies into either side of her as she sat on the bottom step of the worship platform.
Yolie looked confused. “Who are they?”
Malah wiped tears from her eyes and sucked in a painful breath. The tears wouldn’t stop. She could barely talk.
“They are mine.”
Yolie flew over to her. She landed on Malah’s knee and looked at the girls. “Yours?”
Malah nodded. “Mine. I don’t even want to think of what they could have been.”
Yolie lifted herself off of Malah’s knee and flew before her face. Her small face was full of innocence and purity that Malah almost felt at peace just by looking at her.
“They could have been true gods, like you,” Yolie said.
Malah turned away. The shame was too much to handle.
“Right, Blessed One?”
Malah simply nodded. She didn’t want to admit that she had failed not only her people on her planet but her children.
Yolie flew closer and kissed the tip of her nose. “Do not cry, Blessed One,” she said.
Malah sighed and tried to will away the tormenting pain in her heart.
“We can make another world,” Yolie said. “It wasn’t so hard the first time. I remember when we started that world centuries ago. Since then we’ve become much better, right?”
Malah felt even deeper sorrow at her first failed world.
“Can’t you breathe life back into their bodies?” Yolie asked.
Malah shook her head. She looked down at her children. Their souls were already gone. Malah stroked their hair.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a baby mouse skitter across the floor, the last surviving creature of her world. Yolie caught the tiny, gray creature, cradled it in her own small hand.
“Life is such a fragile thing,” she said, before letting the creature go free.
Malah gently laid her children down, kissed their foreheads, and reached a hand out for Yolie to rest in. Yes, so fragile, but together, they would give life one last try. They would make one more world. Malah vowed that if they failed again, then she would simply rest.
She’d rest until the pain faded. She’d never fall in love with her creations again.
ELLA’S BREATH ESCAPED her lips in a puff of vapor. She licked her lips. The taste of her sweet mango lip gloss made her smile. Snow fell from the sky in steady sheets, covering everything in a thick layer of white. She took a sip of her hot chocolate and delighted in the way the thick liquid warmed her from the inside out. She sighed and snuggled into Jack’s side.
Ella frowned to herself as she shivered. She wore two layers of clothing, a coat, gloves, a hat, and a scarf, and was still freezing. She couldn’t understand how Jack could tolerate the cold with nothing but a thin jacket and scarf.
“How long are we supposed to wait out here?” Ella looked around at the quiet park. The trees swayed slightly with the cold wind. The stars above seemed to flicker around the pale moon.
Jack shrugged. He pulled her in closer and kissed her left cheek. “Maybe another five minutes, tops. You okay?”
Ella nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. “Yeah. I’m just cold. I’m a southern girl. I’m not used to this Arctic chill.”
Jack chuckled and wrapped her in his coat. “We’re in Ireland, not Iceland! You mean to tell me they don’t have winters in Savannah?”
Ella glanced up at him. A snowflake rested on her nose. She closed one eye and scrunched up her face as she looked at it. “Not like this. I’m sorry darling, but I’ve never been a fan of the cold.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Jack said.
A hint of disappointment in his voice made her pause. She kissed his cheek and dusted more snow off her knees. “I just hope that whatever you have planned happens quickly. I’m getting buried in snow.” Ella made a face. “I didn’t even know Ireland got so much snow!”
Jack stood. He pulled her up to her feet. He winked at her. “It normally doesn’t, sweetheart.”
Ella heard a howling as the wind picked up. She looked around, startled. “What is it, Jack?” Her voice came out cracked. She clutched his arm and held on, expecting to be carried away as the wind blew fiercely at the both of them.
Ella saw a light in the distance. Like a comet, it shot towards them from the thick forest.
She squealed. “Look, Jack! What is that?” She gripped Jack’s arm and pointed towards the light. The light grew brighter and nearly blinded Ella. She gasped. “Jack! It’s coming!”
“Calm down, my love. Everything is happening as it should.” Jack turned to face her.
Ella raised a brow. “What do you mean?” She looked around. “What’s going on?”
He grinned. Something strange happened to his image. His body seemed to go translucent and a startled cry escaped Ella’s lips.
Ella covered her mouth. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle. She’d always loved his eyes. The day they met on her tour of Ireland exactly one year ago, she’d felt something almost magical whenever she looked into them.
Now, she was almost afraid. She started to take a step away, but Jack took her hands in his. Ella stood still. The wind wrapped around them, but she didn’t care. Something in his eyes calmed her. He kissed the back of both of her hands and fell to his knees.
Ella’s jaw dropped as she realized what was happening. Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a glittering box.
“Jack!” Ella’s eyes widened. She swirled around, stunned by the fact that they were now surrounded by people. All dressed in blue or white, the people clapped and nodded their approval towards Ella. Ella’s heart thumped in her chest. She did not care that they were smiling. The silence frightened her. She could see them, but she could not hear anything coming from the crowd.
Still, they cheered her on in silence.
“Ella,” Jack began. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
Ella shivered. She did not like the look in their eyes. Happiness was written all over their pale faces, but their eyes were black and hollow. There was no real life in their eyes.
“Who are they?” The words slipped from her cold lips in a whisper.
“They are my family.”
Ella shook her head. “I don’t understand.” The thought of fleeing crossed Ella’s mind, but Jack’s hand holding hers kept her still.
“Listen to me, my sweet. I’ve been searching for hundreds of years for that perfect woman. And then...I met you. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were meant to be my beloved queen. I knew that all of those years of waiting were worth it because I was just waiting for you to arrive on this Earth.”
<
br /> Ella shook her head again. “Thousands?” Ella asked. “Did you say thousands of years?”
Jack chuckled softly. He opened the box and the sound of a piccolo began to fill her ears.
Ella gasped at the large diamond set in a golden band. Jack presented it to her. She froze and stared at his face in awe.
Jack took her hand into his, kissed her knuckles, and took her glove off.
“I love you, Ella,” he whispered as he slipped the ring onto her finger.
The ring was lighter than she expected. Somehow it seemed to warm her entire body, seemingly from the inside out. A wave of joy flooded Ella’s body and she found herself grinning. The cold of the air around them hit her teeth but she did not care.
The joy was so euphoric that she almost lost herself in the sensation.
Her mind raced. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment. She had dreamed about being proposed to since she was a child, but she never imagined such an elaborate scene.
Ella bit her lip and winced at the pain. She wasn’t dreaming. Something fantastical was happening and she didn’t know how to process it. All she could do was look around in awe, occasionally glancing back at Jack’s smiling face to reassure herself this was real.
Jack’s family continued cheering in silence. They were shouting, smiling, and clapping, and still, Ella could hear nothing.
Jack looked so happy and hopeful. His charming smile stretched from ear to ear. He nodded her on. “Will you, my love? Will you be my queen?”
“Queen?” Ella croaked. Her eyes widened even more as the diamond on her left ring finger began to glow and tick like a clock. The ticking grew so loud that the sound of the piccolo was drowned out by it.
Jack closed the ring box and the music abruptly stopped. He came to his feet, kissed her gently on the lips, and pulled her away at arm’s length. “Yes, Ella. I’m asking you not only to marry me but to be my queen.”
Ella’s brows furrowed. She swallowed a lump in her throat. “Queen of what?”
Jack chuckled. “Your innocence and purity are what drew me to you.”
Ella shook her head. “I don’t understand, Jack.”
Jack turned her toward the wall of wind that encircled them. The faces of his family began to swirl away and vanish. Their images were replaced by a castle made of ice. “Have you ever heard the name, Jack Frost?”