“A demonstration?”
Explosions sounded from outside the palace, the bells began to toll, alarms were sounding all over the city. Queen Menina stood up quickly, more explosions shook the palace. Queen Menina crouched, ready to leap into flight. Her guards rushed to her side.
“If you don’t wish your entire city laid to waste, then you’ll surrender to me.” King Harold stood up and walked around the table toward Queen Menina. “Come,” he said holding his hand out to her, motioning to the balcony of the banquet hall.
She motioned her guards to stand down then obliged him, taking his hand and letting him lead her out on to the balcony. They could see from there vantage point explosions all around the front gates of Urixis, but they remained intact. The cannon balls bounced off an impenetrable shield that surrounded the city. The sound of the cannons report was menacing, but in the end, harmless. The shield glowed brightly in each area a cannon ball struck. King Harold released Queen Menina’s hand and rushed to the railing of the balcony.
“It’s not possible!”
“It is a pretty sight, but I do not understand what it’s supposed to do that would inspire fear from me? Certainly not frightening enough to make me turn my kingdom over to you.” Queen Menina smiled, “Does it frighten people where you are from?”
He spun on her, his eyes still wide, glancing behind her at the men who accompanied him. The men drew their swords, even the old advisor pulled out a knife and charged out on to the balcony to attack Queen Menina from behind. Her guards inside were too far away to be any protection to her. She laughed and transformed, white wings sprung from her back, shocking her attackers, who were assaulted with a face full of feathers, so strong, it flung them back. King Harold pulled a dagger from his lower back and raised it to stab Queen Menina in the heart. She batted away his hand easily, knocking the dagger to the balcony floor, sliding out over its edge to the palace grounds below. She grabbed him by his shirt with both hands, then flew up and out over the city. He screamed and clung to her with all his might, fearing the fall.
“You don’t know how to instill fear, King Harold the Bold!” she flew up even higher, then out over the city gates, passing through the protective shield, carrying the squirming and terrified king.
King Harold’s five hundred men, manned cannons in the center of their contingent while those on the outskirts fought off city defenders. It was a poor display. King Harold’s men fell easily, outmatched by the elven warriors who surrounded them. Little more than fifty remained when Queen Menina flew over them and dropped King Harold into their midst. He landed across the top of a cannon barrel, breaking his back. Shortly after, the rest of his men were dispatched without mercy. She returned to the banquet hall, where the princes, Glyna and Tamina had hurried in to alert her of the attack. She transformed as she landed on the balcony, becoming Menina again and not the Kina. She did not want her brothers to see her in her true form.
“Menina!” Charnio rushed to her as she walked in off the balcony, “We are under attack.”
“It’s over.” She said calmly.
The men who were with King Harold were all dead, save for the one old advisor. One of her guards had the old man on his knees with a sword at his neck.
“Don’t kill him yet.” Queen Menina walked past her brothers to the advisor, “Your king is dead. Why should I not send you to the same fate?”
“Kill them all!” Tamina shouted.
“I have to agree with Aunt Tamina, Menina, we need to set an example!” Charnio exclaimed, “They came here like assassins, under the ruse of a parlay!”
“Like a fly, they were swatted, Charnio. They are all dead.” She smiled, “Simple and quick. Now, there is a kingdom lacking a king, maybe they will enjoy the reign of a queen?”
“He was not King Harold, your grace.” The old advisor said.
The elf holding the sword to his neck jerked him hard and pressed his sword harder against his throat.
“What?” Queen Menina asked, spinning to face the advisor.
“He was not King Harold, your grace. He was Lord Devon Fenshire, second son of the kings most trusted friend and confidante, Lord Henry Fenshire.” The old man struggled to speak with the sword pressed so tightly against his neck.
“Take him away.” Queen Menina ordered, “Clean this up!” she commanded with a snarl, pointing at the dead men. Guards filled the area, carrying out her commands, “So, this King Harold wishes to test me?” she asked aloud, “We will return the favor.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dracon sat on a rock near the water’s edge, staring out at nothing, smelling the salt air and feeling the strong breeze coming off the water. It blew his hair, making it whip about his head. He was stoic, internalizing his emotions. He wanted Venalina at his side, but he was furious with her. Seeing her, lit a fire of yearning inside him. She couldn’t just be forgiven as easy as that. She needed to suffer the same way he suffered, loss. It could take centuries to make her feel the loss of him as her mate, and that would be fine with him. His anger was so great, centuries meant nothing to him, he couldn’t see any further into his future than right then, there on that rock.
Satana was several yards behind Dracon with Rayna and Kaylin. Rayna was gathering wood to start a fire.
“You’re wasting your time.” Satana informed her, “Grik will get us passage on that boat, or we’ll take it. Either way, we aren’t staying here long.”
Grik came walking back to the group from up the coast, behind him was a boat at a dock in the distance. There was no village or perceivable reason for the dock to be located where it was, there was nothing but mountains all along the coastline where they were. Grik walked straight to Dracon’s side, giving Satana a nod on his way by.
“He’s says he’ll take us south, but he’s gonna want some coin, my lord.”
Dracon continued looking out at the water for a few seconds more, then stood from the rock. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the amulet Venalina gave him to call forth the Armor of Fear, then tossed it to Grik.
“See what he thinks of this.”
“I think this’ll do, and then some!” Grik’s eyes went wide.
Satana arrived near to the two men.
“You just gonna give that away?”
“I don’t need it anymore.”
“Don’t need it, or don’t want it?” Satana asked coming a few steps closer, “Look, I know you’re mad at her, but… that armor is special, made for you. What do you think that guy is gonna do with it?” Grik started back towards the dock, he didn’t want to have anything to do with their conversation, “Hold on, don’t go yet, Grik.”
“I am tired, Satana. Let him go secure our passage and let’s get out of here.” Dracon said, he did look tired, his eyes were sunken and dark.
“Not with that, we can find something else, hell, we can just go take that dammed boat from him. Besides, why’s he here? Probably a smuggler!” Satana said a little louder than Grik would have liked, making him look over at the dock to see if she was heard.
“Easy, girl,” Grik grumbled, “There’s a fresh water source from the mountain, that’s why he’s here.”
“I know you’re upset. I’m not happy about any of this. Venalina has been alive this whole time and she just left us out here! I get it, I’m mad too.” Satana said, airing some of her own frustrations with the tone of her voice. Dracon turned to face Satana, then glanced over at the other two women. Kaylin would not look at him, “That’s right, she knew! All your beloved wives knew, and they didn’t say a word.” Satana said pointing at Kaylin.
“You’ve lost that before, and it cost you your kingdom.” Kaylin announced, ignoring Satana’s accusations.
“What are you talking about?” Dracon asked, Satana too was curious and looked at Kaylin.
“Your sister took that amulet off your neck and your war with her ended immediately. If it wasn’t for Talila, you’d be dead! You’d all be dead!” Kaylin snarled, “Venal
ina recovered it and made Talila put it back around your neck. We aren’t trying to hurt you, Venalina just…”
“My lord, if I may speak?” Katlin asked announcing his presence.
Everyone had gotten used to his disappearing and then suddenly reappearing after the danger had passed. Their reaction was no longer surprise, but annoyed glances. It would have been more surprising, at that point, if he didn’t reappear unexpectedly. Satana, for one, hoped he had not escaped the mountain and drowned in it.
“What could you possibly have to add?” Satana growled at him.
“Well,” He said walking past Rayna and Kaylin, “I have our coin from the chests, if that would interest anyone?”
“Do you now, boy? Where is it, I’ll help ya fetch it.” Grik offered.
“It’s uh, here, safe.” Katlin patted his bag of holding.
Dracon eyed Katlin a moment then looked at his bag.
“Go with Grik, pay for our passage, we’ll talk more later.”
“As you wish, my lord.” Katlin said then gave Satana a little wink on his way by.
Satana stomped her foot and lunged toward him like she was going to hit him, it sent him into a hurried run over to Grik, who tossed Dracon’s amulet back to him. Rayna laughed, then composed herself. Dracon ignored it and turned to go talk to Kaylin, just as he did Saida appeared from thin air right in front of him. She looked startled, like she didn’t know how she got there. She looked up at Dracon and a beaming smile spread across her face. So much so, it made Dracon smile back. Saida looked incredibly happy to see him, not like Kaylin, who was distant and quiet, having said barely a word to him since Venalina left, until just minutes ago. Saida leapt into Dracon and wrapped her arms around him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, slowly returning her hug.
“I wanted to see you. I couldn’t wait another second. You are my husband, you may be at odds with Venalina, but we are not Venalina.” She pushed off Dracon and looked up at him, “Neither is Kaylin, or Alyndra, or Talila. I will not allow what happened to ruin what we have between just the two of us. It is time we were by your side; you will make time for us.” She smiled and glanced over her shoulder at Kaylin.
Saida made Dracon smile, her pure joy to see him brightened his dark mood and he stood tall once again, with just a hint of a smile he could not suppress. She always made him smile.
“Venalina sent you?”
“Of course.” Saida giggled.
“I will want answers, and honesty, Saida.”
“And you’ll have it. I, for one, am very glad the truth is out, now we can see you when we want and not have to hide anything, or lie, or wait!” She replied with a smile that remained, undeterred.
Satana walked away from the group, a few yards, watching Grik and Katlin barter with the boat’s owner, grumbling her disgust with Saida and Kaylin’s presence all the while.
“Dark Mistress returns?” Um’Vec asked from Satana’s side, she jumped a little, not seeing him walk up on her.
“Where did you come from?” She asked looking around, “No, dark mistress not return, but those are her sisters, if you want to go kneel, or grovel, or kiss her feet, or whatever.”
Um’Vec grunted and remained where he was. Satana glanced up at him next to her.
“You’re not going to run over there? You’re just gonna stand here, next to me?” Satana asked.
“Um’Vec stay.”
Saida held Dracon’s hand and walked him over to Kaylin, who watched them coming, she looked angry and scared at the same time.
“Kaylin…” Dracon started.
“I know it wasn’t you, it was him!” Kaylin said pointing at the Unholy Reaver, “I recognized him.”
“Him? What makes you think it’s a he?”
“It was a weapon made for a man, made for a strong man, besides, I know from experience it has a man’s desires.” Kaylin said with a snarl, Dracon knew exactly what she was talking about, he was speechless.
“That was a long time ago.” Saida interjected.
“You can’t just throw Venalina’s amulet away.” Kaylin said, ignoring Saida.
Dracon looked at her a minute, then pulled the amulet back out and looked at it.
“I can’t stand to look at it. Here,” He handed it to Kaylin, letting it dangle by its chain, “Hold on to it for me, so I don’t do something I might regret later.”
Kaylin took the amulet slowly, examining it the whole time. Dracon walked back to the water’s edge again.
“Are you mad at him, Kaylin?” Saida asked, both women watched Dracon at the water’s edge.
“No, why do you ask that?” She asked in return.
“Because you look mad at him, Kaylin.” Saida explained.
“No,” Kaylin furrowed her brow at Saida, “It’s just… how do we move on from this? Venalina lied to him, made Talila lie to him, and Alyndra too! He’ll never trust us! And, where is Talila? I thought she would be here. Isn’t that why Venalina came here? For Talila?” she finished in a whisper.
“I don’t know, Kaylin, but we’re sisters, we will support Talila and her decisions.” Saida giggled.
“Even against Venalina?”
“Yes.” Saida said grabbing both Kaylin’s hands, “Even against Venalina. Far too long have we treated her poorly, now, it’s time we supported our sister without question.”
Copyright © 2020 by Michael T. Payne
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2020
Cover Design by Helena Cnockaert
with special mention to Grady Earls book design
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Dracon and the Edge of the World Page 38