Death's Queen (The Complete Series)

by Janeal Falor

  “I understand.”

  I don’t. How could all this have happened? It sounds like Inkga almost wound up living the life I did. I’m so grateful she didn’t. Her sweet spirit would have been broken. At least Monkia did the right thing by not letting Daros raise her child.

  Chapter 31

  Daros’s skin is painted the black of death, but there are no honoring markings of stones or gems on his face. It’s silent. So very silent.

  Only my guards and I are here to see him off. I don’t know why I came, except perhaps I feel some sort of connection to him. Granted, a bad connection, but a connection nonetheless.

  There’s no one to say words about him. No one to sing him to the other side. No one to mourn him. I’m not stupid enough to do that, though I do mourn opportunity lost because of his passing. Despite that it’s been two days, I haven’t come to terms with the fact that I don’t have his knowledge of how to defeat Androlla.

  I’m doomed.

  I sag, not caring to be queenly in this moment. I need time to mourn the loss of my life, my love, and my country.

  “The Ryn I know wouldn’t be pouting at her old master’s funeral.” Nash’s voice shocks me into sitting straight. “That’s more like it.”

  “What are you doing here?” I haven’t seen much of him.

  “Do you mean at the funeral of the man I despise more than any other, for hurting you, or next to you?”

  “Both.”

  “I’m at this joke of a funeral because you’re attending it.” He bends down, so he’s on my level, and whispers, “And I’m with you because that’s where I want to be.”

  “But you’ve been avoiding me.”

  He has the decency to look away. “True.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I thought it would hurt you too much if you were the one to kill me, so I stayed away. But if”—he says so low I can barely here him—“Androlla”—he resumes a conversational tone—“kills me, you’ll have to understand it wasn’t your fault because I’m not leaving again. I demand to be placed back on your personal guard.”

  I give him a faint smile, though my heart is bursting with joy. “They do need the help.”

  “It’s settled, then.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready to come back?” I can’t help but think he may need more time to heal.

  “If you don’t want me to, I’ll stay at home a while longer, but I feel ready. I’ve got a plan. I’m going to keep talking to Jaku, train less, and see my family more. I think all these things will help.” He leans in close. “Besides, I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too.” My words are so soft, I’m not sure he hears me, until the corners of his lips turn up.

  He says, “I think it’s time we were away from this place, don’t you?”

  I glance at Daros’s still form. He’ll be entombed with those who have no money or family. In the paupers’ graveyard. He would have hated that.

  “Yes, it’s time.” And I can honestly say that without any guilt over leaving Daros behind.

  One of the guards goes to move my chair, but Nash takes it from her. “I’ve got this.”

  I hold back a smile. It’s a bumpy ride back to the palace, but it feels good. Feels like my last taste of freedom, out in the open air. While I’m not ready to think about Androlla and what’s to become of my future, I am ready to enjoy what’s left of my time.

  The birds are out, singing, though it’s late in the year and the temperatures are falling. It’s not cold but cool, the sun warming the slight breeze. As we enter the palace walls, the sound of metal clanging reaches us. The guards are practicing their skills, heedless that they are about to once again be under a mad woman.

  I take a deep breath, enjoying the scent of leaves and dirt that come together to make it smell of late year. I don’t want to say goodbye to this life yet, but the end feels soon and inevitable.

  Does Nash feel it? Jaku? Jem? Is there anyone else who has an inkling of what’s to pass? I wish there was a way to protect them. To make it so Androlla wouldn’t rule over them, but the only way to get rid of the queen altogether would throw the country into one natural disaster after another, according to what history says.

  Better to live life under the rule of a mad woman than face certain death.

  It’s hard to make that choice for my people, but I feel most of them would rather have it that way. Besides, if Androlla pushes on the Poruah and Medi’s taxes, I have a feeling they’ll push back. They’re tired of being toyed with. The assassination attempts on her life would increase, until this body is killed. But that’s what she wants—to get rid of a body with limited mobility.

  While it’s not the ideal body, I’ve gotten used to it. I still ache to be able to climb onto the roof at night and stretch out my body in a way that has me feeling free, but there are no longer such luxuries. At least for a while. I seem to be improving, but not fast enough for my liking. Anything other than instant improvement would be too slow. I should stop thinking of myself. I'm not the only one suffering.

  Poor Inkga, going through everything that she is with her mother… Monkia is in the dungeons, awaiting her fate from the council, and I can’t imagine it will be a good one. How does Inkga feel about that? About everything? She’s been so quiet, and I don’t want to pry, but at the same time, I wish there was something I could do for her.

  I tell Nash to take me to Jem. Jaku is already here in my room and joins us. With him and Nash, Venda, Jem and me, we are now the only ones who officially know about the First Queen. It's a sobering thought, even if I'm the one who's tried to keep it that way.

  Nash takes me through the twisting hallways of the palace until we arrive at Jem’s rooms.

  She lets us in while the rest of my guards wait outside. They look to me, waiting for me to say something.

  I don’t want to say it, but I must. “We know what’s coming. Without Daros’s help, we don’t have a way to defeat Androlla.”

  “That’s not quite true,” Jem says.

  A flame of hope flickers inside me. I want to douse it before it becomes too big to control. My hope has been squashed too many times to believe it won't be again. “What do you mean?”

  “I talked to the men you had guarding Daros. They said he had some paperwork locked in his desk.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Nash asks.

  “Don’t you see?” She grows excited. “He must have learned how to defeat Androlla from somewhere. The guards said these papers looked old, though Daros would never let them get close enough to read them. I think the answer to our problems might be there.”

  I tamper down hope, but it does no good. My hope flames into existence, melting any doubts in its path. “We need to go to his house. It’s been too long. Someone could have ransacked the place.”

  Jem nods. “I agree. I should have come to you sooner, but I’ve been lost in my own problems.”

  “Is it safe?” Of course Jaku has to be the voice of reason.

  “Have there been any attacks since we dealt with Kada and Daros?” I ask.

  “Actually, no. Not a one. I’d say the people are starting to settle into your rule happily and don’t want to disturb the good news they’ve had of late.”

  Yet another reason they’ll be furious if the First Queen takes over and changes things up again. “Then I say we should go for it. Nash?”

  “I’m up for it. We’ll take Afet, Eldim, and Julina with us. They’ll help keep you safe, should anything happen, but I think we’d be fine even without them.”

  “Just in case,” Jaku says, “don’t tell anyone where we are going.”

  Nash nods his agreement and goes out to round them up.

  “Are you up for this, Jem? It could be dangerous.” I don’t want her to face something she’s not ready for.

  “I was trained by the best, even if I still need work. I know I can take down anyone I need to.”

  It’s settled, then. We’
re going to Daros’s, and we will find a solution to dealing with Androlla. I refuse to let it be any other way.

  Chapter 32

  It’s decided that I shouldn’t worry about going incognito. It’s not possible to hide my chair, and everyone knows I use it. We have to hope we don’t gather too much of a crowd.

  My guards surround me as we go through the portcullis, Nash pushing my chair.

  The going is slow and bumpy, but I refuse to be left behind. Even if it’s hard, I want to see this through. I didn’t do enough where Daros was concerned, I need to do more. Much, much more. Going with them feels like the only way to accomplish that, and Nash is willing to deal with my chair.

  It’s difficult to see much, through the bodies of my protector surrounding me, but there are a few curious onlookers. Nobody stop us, though. They watch from a distance, staying where they are.

  The pressure in my head increases the closer we get to Daros’s. That house. How often will I have to come back to where so many horrors await for me? I wish I could leave it behind, never to return, but it doesn’t seem like I’m going to be that lucky.

  When we arrive at the house, no one is in sight. That doesn’t mean no one is watching us, just that they’re being discreet.

  The house is dark. Lifeless. Then again, it may have had a lot of comings and goings, but otherwise it was never full of life.

  “I’ll search the house to make certain it’s secure,” Jaku says.

  “No. If there’s a group of people in there, you’ll need more than a few people,” I reply.

  He gives me a stern look. “I’m not leaving you out here.”

  “Then we all go in together.” I’m not budging on this. I need to keep my people safe.

  “I don’t like it,” he says.

  “What are we even doing here?” Julina asks.

  Nash and Jaku look at me while Eldim and Afet avoid my gaze. They must be curious too; they’re just too well trained to ask. “We need to see if there’s paperwork to retrieve.”

  “What type of paperwork is worth risking your life?” Julina persists.

  “The type that will save the country.” Which is all I feel like giving her for now. “Let’s go.”

  She purses her lips.

  Jaku sighs but strides forward without any further dissent. The front door is unlocked, and he opens it easily. Not good for keeping robbers out. Maybe Daros hoped his reputation alone was enough to keep them away. Eldim and Jem join Jaku, and Nash pushes my chair after them, with Julina and Afet taking the rear.

  The house is dark, curtains drawn. There’s a musty smell in the air, as if no one has been here for a while, despite the fact that Daros came back here to live with his guards. Dust is spread across the room and furniture. Not as much where we’re going, which looks like it’s been tread on before, but the farther I look into the house, the dustier it gets.

  “Where to?” Jaku asks.

  “The back office,” I say.

  Everyone’s weapons are out as we move through the house, except mine. I have nothing, not even the dart flinger, to protect myself with. It’s safer for the others but leaves me fidgety.

  The deeper we go, the more pain radiates through my head. The pressure on the back of my eyes is so great I feel as if they’ll pop out, and the pain travels down my neck. I keep my gaze focused before me, trying to ignore it—to work past it—but I must not do a good enough job.

  “Are you all right, Ryn?” Nash asks.

  They all turn to look at me.

  “Fine,” I squeak out. They look like they don’t believe me. At some point, I hunch over, my hands in fists. I have to give them an excuse. “Headache.” Problems with the First Queen. Do I tell them? Have them worry over me? I’m in good hands right now. Jaku and Nash will take care of everything, should the worst happen.

  Julina nods and turns back to the front, but Jem and Jaku are frowning. It’s a good thing I can’t see Nash. I’m not certain what he’s thinking, and I don’t want to know not while we can’t do anything about it.

  As we enter the office, the ache turns into a torment of blinding pain. I close my eyes against it, fighting Androlla for the right to control my thoughts and not be in such misery. It’s to no avail. Short of discovering how to defeat her, nothing will work. She’s too powerful, soaked with magical power unlike anything I’ve ever countered before.

  The sound of wood scrapping against wood makes me open my eyes. Jem is searching through the drawers in Daros’s desk. She goes through all of them as we wait.

  “Nothing.” She slams the last drawer closed. “I was certain we’d find something. The guards said they were right here.”

  “Daros wouldn’t make it that easy,” I say. “Nash, wheel me over where I can see the what’s going on, please.”

  People shuffle around, while Nash moves me into position.

  I say, “Go through each drawer again, Jem. Slowly.”

  She opens each one, this time taking the time to run her fingers along the edges and corners, looking for possible hidden compartments. The first drawer turns up nothing, as does the next and the one after that. When she pulls out the last one, I watch with bated breath.

  “Nothing.” She slams the drawer shut.

  “Is there anywhere else it could be?” Jaku’s gaze darts to where the hidden room of torture is.

  I shake my head. “He never kept anything like that in there. Important documents were always in this room, though we should check the rest of the house, just in case, since his bookcase is empty too. It doesn’t look good, though. Maybe someone got here before us.”

  “There’s something funny about this desk,” Nash says.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Not sure yet.” He steps closer, pulls out all the drawers, and places them on top of the desk. “I’ve worked with wood a lot in my spare time, which is how I made Ryn’s chair. Something about this isn’t coming together right.”

  “What do you think it is?” I keep my voice quiet, both in case he needs to think instead of answering, and to keep my headache from getting worse.

  “I don’t know.” He crouches down, so he’s at eye level with the desk, and goes through it, tapping the framework as he goes. The thud, thud, thud adds to the ache in my head, until I hear an empty knock.

  “What was that?” I ask.

  “I think I found a hollow spot.” He taps around a bit more. “It’s big enough to fit a few pages inside.”

  I bite my lip to keep from asking anything further.

  He slides his hand across the wood back where I can’t see.

  He slides his hand across the wood, back where I can’t see. “Anyone have a dagger they don’t care about?” he asks. “I may be able to pry this open. I’m not sure how to get inside otherwise. He must have a switch or something, but I can’t find it.”

  “You can use this one.” Julina takes a dagger out of her boot. “I’ve been meaning to replace it.”

  “Thank you.” He takes the proffered dagger and works a piece from the bottom up. It’s hard to see from the angle I’m at as the metal scratches against the wood.

  “Don’t do it,” Androlla says from my mouth.

  Nash glances at me, eyebrows furrowed. “What’s wrong, Ryn?”

  The headache is gone, but this is much worse. I want to scream that it’s not me, that I have no control over myself, but there’s no way to do so.

  “I said don’t. Stop it right now. I refuse to let you go any further.”

  Everyone in the room stares at me. The confused expression on Nash’s face clears, and he turns away from me. He continues his work as if I didn’t say a thing.

  I want to tell him he made the right choice. That he’s doing great. Instead, my body betrays me more. Androlla lifts my hand, trying to for a fist. Though my hand won’t close all the way, she shoves it forward with all her might.

  Thankfully, it doesn’t move much, but it’s enough to get even more strange looks from everyone he
re but Nash.

  Jem’s expression flattens, and she comes to my side. “It’s all right, Ryn. We’ll take care of this. You don’t have to worry.”

  She’s right. They’ll take care of everything. My body is too weak to do any real damage if Androlla tries. There’s nothing the First Queen can do in this moment, and I’m free of the headache.

  “I command you to stop,” she says.

  Nash ignores me. Jem continues to say soothing words, but Afet, Eldim, and Julina put their hands on the hilt of their swords.

  “You need to stop, Nash,” Eldim says. “The queen demands it.”

  Jaku steps forward. “You have to understand something, and I’m swearing you all to secrecy.”

  The three exchange looks. Julina says, “What is it?”

  “Promise you’ll not utter a word of what I’m about to tell you.”

  Do I want him to reveal this? Not that it matters—there’s nothing I can do about it in my given state. Androlla mustn’t care either, as she stays silent.

  They promise, and Jaku says, “The queen is not always herself. The papers we’re trying to find are supposed to have information on how to help her.”

  Good. He told them what they needed to hear without bringing magic or the voice in my head into it. But how will they take it?

  Eldim takes a step back, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know… You realize this would make the queen incompetent, right?”

  No. An incompetent queen is a dead queen.

  Inside, Androlla laughs her wicked laugh. This was her plan, then—let them think I’m crazy, so they’ll put a death sentence on me and she can get a new body. Works well for her. I’ll be daggered. I wish I could throw a knife.

  “Not incompetent,” Jaku says, tone soft. “If you utter that word again to a single soul—any of you—I’ll have your tongue cut out.”

  Would he do that?

  Whether or not he would, the three have taken their hands off their swords, the tension going out of their muscles.