by A. M. Miller
Lu remembered the woman as Lady Narshala. She was often around Lecive. Young and pretty by foreign standards, she dressed in a bright red dress accented with sparkling rubies. She wore more jewelry on her hands than Lu wore on her entire body. Across her chest rested the burning tower crest of The Red Queensland.
“Don’t be ridicules.” Lady Narshala scoffed. “Anyone from the three queenslands who would attack the queen of heart would have to be a fool. This is the only queensland equipped to defend the wall. Weakening the Heart’s defenses, weakens us all.”
Lu thought over Lady Narshala’s words. There were still factions of The Red Queensland who hated them but the war had refocused most of their attention to The White Queensland.
The realm knew they depended on the Heart for protection. They’d agreed to the peace treaty between the three queenslands because each one played an important part in the preservation of the realm. Any attack would have led to an ensured mutual destruction.
Ramor was also right about the attacker not being infected. If madness had poisoned his mind her mother would have detected them before they even made it to the inner city. Opening the third eye allowed every queen the power to see into the darkest parts of the infected’s mind.
The more Lu thought about her parents’ death the less it made sense. An assassin had been sent into their home, but who he was didn’t matter nearly as much as who he was connected to. This did not have the markings of a man who had acted alone.
“For now we focus on finding out who the killer is. Once we have them we can deal with who sent them.” Lu looked back at Domicin, “I want you to double the number of men looking for him. I want him found and brought back here.”
“Yes, my queen.”
“Make sure he’s still breathing when he makes it back here. We can’t question the dead.”
“Of course, my queen.” Domicin nodded.
There was no point in discussing it any farther. Nothing could be done until they knew who was behind the killings and there were other matters they still had to attend to.
“Lady Narshala,” Lu said looking back at the woman. “Have we received any information from The Red Queensland?”
“The queen has received news of your rising and regrets that she could not make your coronation. Both she and the prince shall be arriving within the fortnight.”
The council members erupted into whispers. Their eyes shifted between Lady Narshala and Lu.
“What reason would The Red Queen have for visiting?” Ramor asked.
They shifted their attention back toward Lady Narshala. She smiled before turning her full attention toward Lu.
“She wishes to speak with you in person, your highness,” Lady Narshala said.
Lu ignored Lady Narshala’s taunting tone. She looked at Lecive, a challenge in his stare. His lips pulled back into a smirk. Lu knew that he had something to do with this but could say nothing. Politics were often a game of waiting.
“Very well,” Lu said after a moment. “What of the outer villages?”
“Everyone appears to be faring quite well,” said Kirik, the southern lord sitting next to Domicin. “All but Zendel`.”
“What’s wrong with Zendel?” Lu asked.
“It would appear that one of the villagers has been infected. Piker’s vein has been growing out of control and lead to several cracks in the molder. We suspected that he came in contact with the madness when the wall was under construction. We’re not sure why it has taken so long to make its appearance.”
“Has he been isolated from the rest of the villagers?” Lu asked.
“Yes, my queen. When I received the report I had my men lock him up in a remote cabin. Everyone has been warned not to go near. Our healers tell us he is too far gone for the effects of the white rose.”
“And before his apprehension? Was anyone harmed?”
“Three villager girls fell victim to his madness. We found them inside his cabin all butchered.”
Lu thought of the three little girls who would never grow into women. Her hands gripped the ends of her armrests. They had failed them. Their blood was on the crown's hands as was the blood of the innocent man locked in the dungeon. It couldn’t compare to the prison madness had created inside his mind.
“Then there is no other option,“ Lu said before closing her eyes. She took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again they glowed bright. “The Jack and I shall ride out to Zendel. Once there we shall grant this man the queen’s mercy, forever freeing him from his chains.”
14
Raven pulled her thick curls away from her face. The bonnet she went to sleep in lay crumbled on the pillow. Sweat dripped down her skin and her pajamas clung to her body. She focused on her breathing. Fear still pumped a steady amount of adrenaline into her heart.
After her mother’s hospitalization, Raven had developed trouble sleeping, but it was different this time. This nightmare wasn’t the one she’d been expecting. Instead of dreaming of her mother, she’d dreamt of a girl dressed in red.
Raven shivered, memory of how innocent that girl looked as she sliced the man’s head clean off was still vivid in her imagination. She hadn’t flinched when the blood splattered against her face. Trails of red dripped down her starch white cheeks like acid rain. The girl’s bright red eyes stuck inside Raven’s mind.
Raven tried to remember what had happened before the beheading but that part had become hazy after a few seconds of being awake.
This marked her third strange dream in the past two weeks. Raven rubbed at her neck. Strange dreams had plague her mother months before her breakdown. They were the first sign that something was amiss. Sometimes her mother would talk about them for days, other times she just went mute with no one able to figure out what was wrong.
Raven pushed back the covers. Not wanting to think about it, she got out of bed. She went about her morning routine moving as efficient as possible. A few minutes later she was dressed and heading toward the kitchen.
The door opened just as Raven reached the bottom stair. Her father stood in the doorway.
Michael was a big man. His head almost reached the top of the doorframe and his body blocked out most of the view. He looked surprised to see his daughter. Black brows rose and brown skin winkled against his forehead. He stared at his daughter. “Raven.”
There were a multitude of things Raven could have said. The words bubbled at the back of her throat, but she swallowed them down. He’d spent another night working without even calling to let her know he was okay. Part of her had waited, listening for the sound of the door opening that never came. She hated that part.
“I have to get to school,” was all Raven said as she went to grab her backpack. She brushed past him without saying a word. Her stomach grumbled warning against her plan to forgo breakfast but she ignored it. She didn’t want to be around him if she didn’t have to be.
Raven’s bike was old, made of mismatched parts, but it got her where she needed to go. She rode it down the street, listening to the clanks and whines of the bike’s protest before it began to pick up speed. She biked the opposite direction of the school. Dion didn’t live far, getting to him would be quicker than getting on the bus.
The wind picked up as she road. Strands of Raven’s hair were pulled from her ponytail and whipped her face. She brushed them back, struggling to maintain balance as the wind bullied her sideways.
There was an eerie silence about the neighborhoods she rode through. Growing up in the city she was use to a certain amount of sounds, ambulances, car horns, gunshots, stereos, an argument or two. The quiet was unsettling. She passed by house after house, paying closer attention to the abandoned ones for possible signs of danger, but there was nothing there. The city wasn’t nearly as dangerous as portrayed if you knew how to be smart. Careful not to puncture her tires on the broken glass she quickened her pedaling.
Dion lived on the wealthier side of town. Raven noted the changes in her surroundings. There wa
sn’t a physical wall to separate the two neighborhoods but there was a clear divide. Abandoned houses covered in graffiti started to disappear from sight, as did the cracks in the sidewalk. All of that lay behind her. In front of Raven were Victorian and colonial brick houses with large windows and green lawns. These were the patches of the city people never heard about on the news. Beautiful even before gentrification. It amazed Raven how different the two parts of the same city could be.
Despite the nicer neighborhood, Raven remained discomforted by her surroundings. The feeling of someone watching her never left. She half expected to see them leering behind curtains and inside shadows.
Raven glanced over her shoulder but saw no one. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It had to be the effects of the nightmare messing with her head. The dreams interrupted her sleep, leaving her mind tired and foggy.
Raven stopped in front of Dion’s door. His house was smaller than his neighbors but it was still fairly large. She stood on his front porch noting the colorful flowerpots near the door. The petals had wilted in the cold air. Dion’s mother took great pride in her green thumb and made sure the front of their house looked like something out of a magazine.
Raven pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. She heard someone shouting inside, followed by the shuffling of feet.
The door opened and Raven dropped her gaze to the younger girl who stood about chest level with Raven. Amber, Dion’s younger sister, looked annoyed but smiled when she saw Raven.
Raven smiled back. “Hey girly.“
Raven marveled at how much Amber looked like her brother. They both had the same caramel skin and dimpled smile. Amber and Dion shared many of their father’s features, but somehow those features combined on Amber’s face into something softer and more feminine. She was sure to grow into a beautiful woman as she aged.
“Is Dion home?” Raven asked.
“Dion,” Amber yelled for her brother. She turned back to look at Raven and smiled. “He’s upstairs on the computer. Come in.”
Amber pulled the door open wider and stepped back. Raven walked into the house.
Raven stood in the hall trying not to marvel at everything she saw. She’d been inside Dion’s house before but every time she came, she couldn’t help but to note the differences between their two homes. It was more than just the market value that set them apart. Dion’s house was fuller.
Raven followed Amber into the kitchen. Mr. Crawford was sitting at the bar sipping on his coffee while his wife stood at the blender. She moved sporadically around the kitchen grabbing various things from the cabinets. Raven’s eyes went to the refrigerator where the whiteboard calendar hung. A rainbow of colors written in shorthand mapped out the month’s schedule. Spike, the family’s white Pomeranian, raced passed Raven’s legs making her take a quick side step.
Dion’s house was cluttered with life. Looking at them, a deep hunger settled inside of her heart. Mrs. Crawford stood with her back turned toward Raven; apron tied around her waist and rubber gloves covering her hands. She was the same height as Raven’s mother. A bitter twist of longing and jealousy rose inside of Raven before she quickly stomped it out.
“Raven’s here for Dion,” Amber said as she grabbed an apple off the counter. Both Mr. and Mrs. Crawford turned her way.
Raven smiled and waved at them. “Hi”
The smile Mr. Crawford gave her seemed more welcoming than the forced grin his wife offered.
“Raven,” Mr. Crawford greeted. He folded his paper and put it down on the table. “Dion didn’t tell us you’d be stopping by this morning.”
“He didn’t know. He was suppose to pick me up but I decided to bike here instead.”
“Well that’s nice of you. This way Dion doesn’t have to waste the extra gas.” Mrs. Crawford smiled again, but the look didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Raven’s fingers twisted around the sleeves of her sweater. Her eyes fell to the tile floor. Mrs. Crawford had never been fond of her. She’d tried on several occasions to win the woman over but she wouldn’t budge. People like Dion’s parents moved so their kids wouldn’t grow up around people like Raven.
“It’s not a waste. Her house is on the way to school, so it's not even a big deal,” Dion said.
Raven turned around to see him standing behind her. She was so happy to see him that she almost sighed with relief. He smiled and winked down at her.
Dion took Raven’s hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here?” He started to pull Raven towards the door.
“Dion, sweetie, don’t forget to pick your sister up from practice,” Mrs. Crawford yelled.
“I won’t.”
Raven followed Dion out to the truck. She glanced back at his house. It was like something out of a storybook. The only thing that was missing was the white picket fence. Despite Dion’s complaints about a nagging mother and a sometimes annoying little sister, she’d always envied him for that.
“Did you eat?” Dion asked as he opened the car door.
“No, not yet.”
Raven put her bike in the trunk and got into the passenger seat. Dion’s hand rested on the back of her headrest as he turned to get a better look out of his rearview. It brought them closer together. Raven smelt green apple jolly rancher on his breath. She smiled. He loved those god-awful things.
“We should have some time to stop for breakfast. How does Benny’s sound?” Dion asked.
“Expensive.”
“I got you covered.”
“Mmmh, but didn’t you cover it last time?”
Dion shrugged. “Who’s counting?”
Raven counted. She kept a running tally of all the things she’d taken from Dion. Each mark only added to the weight of her debt. It was an uncomfortable weight she tried to keep paid off, but her crappy part-time job could only cover so much.
“Bake me some more of your super brownies and we’ll call it even,” Dion said.
Raven chuckled. “They’re box brownies, Dion. Nothing special there.”
“Say what you will Ms. More, but I’ve bought that brand before and they never turn out the same as when you cook them.”
A few minutes later they were parked inside Benny’s parking lot and Dion was handing Raven her bag of food. Raven reached in for her breakfast sandwich. The scent of ham and eggs reached up to greet her. Raven licked her lips.
A sudden pressure at the back of her head blurred her vision. The sandwich fell from her hand. The world tilted and spun. Her hunger vanished. Raven put a hand to her head and groaned. A ringing sounded inside of her ears. Raven thought she heard a whisper but the ringing sound made it hard to tell.
“Are you okay?” Dion asked.
Raven’s vision began to clear just as soon as he asked. She looked up and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Raven noticed something was off about Dion’s expression. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re bleeding.”
Raven felt the trickle down her lips. She touched her hand there and when she brought it back she saw the blood that smeared her fingertips.
“Oh god,” Raven said as she pinched her nose.
“Here.” Dion rustled through the armrest. He found the napkins he was looking for and quickly handed them to Raven. She took them and placed them against her bleeding nose.
“No, don’t do that.” Dion grabbed onto Raven’s arm, pulling her downward. “If you lean back the blood goes down to your stomach and you’ll get sick. Trust me I’m an expert on these.”
Raven leaned forward. She’d never had a nosebleed before; the protocol was new to her.
“How do I stop it?” Raven asked.
“Just keep pinching it. It’ll stop on it’s own.”
Raven did as she was told. A minute ticked by before she was confident enough to release her hold of her nose. She pulled the napkin away and saw the deep red spot had started to darken. Dion handed her a wet napkin and she cleaned off the rest of the blood.
“How does it look?” Ra
ven asked.
Dion placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head up. “Better, less Nightmare on Elm St.” He rolled down both of their windows. “It was probably too dry inside of the car because of the heat.”
Raven nodded, but she knew her nosebleed had more to do with the ringing headache than the dry air. She tried to think about what sound she heard now that the pain was no longer a factor. There was something else up under the ringing, almost like a whisper.
Raven stopped trying to decipher the sound when she realized she was giving herself another headache.
“You can drive. I’m fine now, ” Raven said.
“You sure?”
“I’m good.”
Dion gave her one last worried glance before starting up the car again. Raven took a few bites of her breakfast sandwich but she found her appetite was no longer up to the task. Her eyes remained focused on the window for the rest of the ride. The blood from her nose had dried but the battle was far from over.
15
The Heart Queensland
The council room was silent. Candle lights flickered, casting dark shadows inside the room. Their eyes were locked on the queen, the weight of her declaration still heavy in the air.
Lu had her first mission as queen. Failure was not an option. Her hands shook, but she gripped her armrest and kept her face blank.
Lu glanced over at Domicin. He looked her in the eye and nodded. This would be their first mission together. After only knowing each other for a short period of time, he’d be expected to give his life for her if necessary. She’d do everything within her power to make sure it didn’t come to that.
The meeting reached its conclusion. Lu found it hard to pay attention to what was said. Her mind was focused on the mission. When the meeting adjourned she stood with the rest of them. Anxiety mixed with anticipation as she exited the council room, heart pounding against her rib cage. The brighter light of the hallway did nothing to sooth her worries.