The small orbs all around the room flew toward the one in the middle. Wisps whipped past her, leaving whispers in their wake. The room roared as the orbs rushed to the large one. It swelled, and Zwaantie flew back, covering her eyes from the brightness. Soon, the only orb left in the room was the large one with Raaf floating in the middle.
Raaf’s Voice filled the room. Be Polite. Respect your parents. Don’t talk back. Control your thoughts. Cover your ankles. Don’t steal. No kissing. Work hard. Don’t lie. Die, Zwaantie, Die.
Zwaantie covered her ears and shrunk away.
The light in the room dimmed, and the Voice quieted. Zwaantie peeked through her fingers to the orb. It was shrinking rapidly. After a few moments, Raaf became clear, the orb glowing faintly around him. Then it was gone, and Raaf was curled up on the ground.
Oh, Sol. She’d done it. She’d destroyed the Voice.
She went to Raaf and placed her hand on shoulder. “Are you okay?”
He jerked his head up at her and glared at her. “What have you done?” he growled. She backed away, and he scrambled up and looked around “What have you done?” he screamed.
“I don’t know,” Zwaantie stammered.
He rushed to his work tables and gripped his head for a moment. Then he turned and gave her a twisted smile.
“The Voice is in me. It’s telling me what to do. It’s a failsafe to protect the Voice. It still exists. All I need to do is find another room like this, and I can put it all back. In the meantime, I am the Voice. All who hear my voice have no choice but to follow my directions.”
Dread filled Zwaantie’s heart. He was a man possessed. She had no way to escape. He was between her and the door.
He searched his worktable, picked up a jagged dagger, and approached her. She tried to run.
“Stop,” he commanded.
She was forced to stop, though she willed herself to move, but her feet wouldn’t budge. Raaf twirled the dagger in his hands.
She was going to die. She closed her eyes. At least now she would meet Ari in the stars. Maybe Leo or Sage would kill Raaf before he could do any more damage.
“Open your eyes,” he commanded. She did and met the blue eyes that once were friendly. Now they held hatred and anger.
“Get it over with.”
“Why would I get my hands dirty when I can have you do it for me. You’ll kill yourself.”
He handed her the dagger, handle first. “Take it,” he commanded.
She did, and then she moved before she could think. She had one goal. Shut him up. She lunged and pushed the dagger right into his throat. It slid in easily, and blood spurted everywhere. Zwaantie stumbled backwards as she watched Raaf grasp at the knife. Then his eyes rolled up into his head, and he fell. A bright light flashed from his body, and Zwaantie covered her eyes. As quickly as the fight started, it was over.
The Voice was dead.
Chapter 32
The Compromise
Zwaantie didn’t even get a chance to take a step toward the body when the door to the workshop burst open. Sage and Leo rushed in. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw her and Raaf.
Leo ran for her and crushed her in a hug. “I was so worried. Are you hurt?” He pulled away and looked her up and down.
“A little bruised and sore, but I don’t think I have any injuries.” Her hands were shaking. She’d just killed her brother. She looked around Leo to where Raaf’s body lay. Sage hovered over it.
“He’s dead, right?” Zwaantie asked.
Sage glanced up. “Yes. Remind me not to get near you when you hold a dagger. How did you know to stab him in the throat? Most people go for the heart. Throat is quicker though.”
“The Voice went inside of him, and I acted before I could think. I didn’t want him speaking because then he would have made me do whatever he wanted.”
“I’m glad you’re alive,” Sage said.
Leo pinched his nose. “What were you thinking coming here by yourself?”
Zwaantie rubbed her forehead. “Me? You were the one who was about to kill not only yourself but your father, mother, and sister. I risked only myself.”
“And your baby.” The irritation in his voice was evident. She killed the Voice and her own brother, and here he was lecturing her about safety. She did what she had to.
“Don’t make this about me. You lied to me. Again.”
His face hardened. “Lied? You are one to talk. Nearly every word to me out of your mouth has been a lie.”
And just like that they were fighting again. It was as if the last three months on the island disappeared in an instant.
Two days later Sage burst into her room in Stella without warning. Zwaantie had been sound asleep under the stars blanket with the cows mooing on the wall.
Zwaantie sat straight up. “Can’t you come in a little quieter next time?”
“No. It’s time for you to stop sulking.” Sage bounced onto the bed, her hair a bright purple. She looked almost normal again, no longer wearing black for Ari.
“I’m not sulking.” Zwaantie was hiding though. The guilt of Raaf’s death hung over her. She replayed that moment in her head over and over again and tried to see if there was another way it could’ve ended.
Leo was still avoiding her. Or maybe she was avoiding him. Ultimately he was right. She shouldn’t have gone after Raaf on her own. That was foolish. She could’ve told Leo and Sage about the other way in, and they could’ve gone after him together, but she went in blind. She was lucky she was alive.
“Yeah, you are. I can’t figure out why. We defeated the Voice. The people are rejoicing. Stellans are teaching the Solites all about the Ticker and party potions. Seriously, we’re going to be celebrating for weeks. You act like the world ended.”
“I killed my own brother. My heart hurts, but it’s different than when Ari died. I took Raaf’s life. I don’t know how to recover from that.”
Sage sat on the edge of Zwaantie’s bed. “I’ve killed a lot of people.”
“That’s not comforting.”
Sage snorted. “I know. I remember the first time I killed someone. I puked up everything I ate for a week. It was awful. He was a bad man, and he had to die, but still the idea of taking a human life was so horrific. The only way I got over it was by getting out and living my life. I couldn’t let the end of his life end mine. You can’t either.”
“I love you, Sage.”
“Me too. I’m glad we all survived. I promised Leo I would get you to come out.”
“He’s still mad at me.”
“No, he was just giving you space. He wants to see you.”
“Can’t I just start by hanging out with you?”
“He’s your husband, and he’s up in the tower with breakfast.”
“I don’t know.” She still wanted to hide and stay out of the public eye. If Leo came to her, she probably wouldn’t be as nervous.
Sage crossed her arms. “You don’t have a choice. Go shower, and I’ll tell Leo you’re on your way.”
Zwaantie thought about arguing but realized it was pointless. She slipped into the bathroom and took her time in the shower. Before Sage had showed up on the island, she and Leo were getting along fairly well. Things had almost gotten romantic, but now she felt numb, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to face him. She needed time to find herself and come to terms with what she did. Adding romance into the mix of it would just complicate things. Plus she was starting to feel weird about her pregnancy.
How could she love Leo while she carried Ari’s child? On the island, none of the rest of the world existed, but here, life smacked her in the face.
She dried her hair and perused her closet. She grabbed a skirt that flared out mid-thigh and a pink tank top. Stella was hotter than ever with the sun. The tower would be scorching.
In the elevator she contemplated what she would say to him. Would he try to kiss her? She wasn’t ready. When she and Leo moved past being friends, she wanted it to be
intentional. Would he understand, or would he just accuse her of lying to him again?
She pushed the trap door open and was pleasantly surprised by how cool it was.
Leo sat in the center on a picnic blanket.
“How is it cool out here?” Zwaantie asked, settling a few feet from Leo.
“We created a spell. Otherwise no one could come out here.”
“If I had known that, I would’ve dressed more appropriately.”
His eyes raked over her body. “You look fine to me. I’ve missed you these past few days. I’m sorry for what I said.”
She wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. “Me too. I’m just happy this is all over.”
He scooted closer to her and put his hand over hers. She pulled it out from under his. “We need to talk about us.” She hoped he’d understand. He’d been so patient so far.
“What’s there to talk about?”
“I think we need to wait before we try to become romantically involved.”
His face fell. “Why?”
She looked down, not wanting to see his face. “It’s just too much right now. All of this change. Plus, I still think of Ari often. I want to give you my all, but I can’t do that yet. It’s not fair to you.”
“And making me wait is?” He propped up on his knees and looked her right in the eyes. “Zwaantie, I love you. When I knew you’d gone after Raaf, I thought for sure you were dead. I was terrified. I don’t want to lose you again. I know part of your heart is with Ari and will be for some time. I’ll take you even if it’s just a small part.”
Tears pricked at her eyes. “Then I need you to just be my friend for right now. Can you do that?”
He exhaled and deflated. “Yes. For you.”
“Thank you.”
A month later, Zwaantie stared around the table. All the lower kings and queens from both Stella and Sol were present. Plus Sage, Lyra, and Leo’s brother Scorpion. Sage didn’t know why she was there, but Zwaantie was excited to tell her, though she wasn’t sure Sage would be as eager. Whether Sage knew it or not, this would be the best thing for all of them.
Zwaantie stood and addressed them. “The celebrations are ending. Real life has come back into play. It is time to discuss the future of our land. All of you who currently hold lower kingdoms will keep them. No changes will be made. We imagine that the Solite kingdoms will have the most difficulty changing, and so for the past few weeks, all the lower chancellors were tested for magical abilities. With the exception of one, all showed great capacity for magic. They will stay in the City of Stars for several weeks and train with Lyra, who will train them to be head mages over their city. They will then train others. In time, magic will become commonplace and normal in Sol.”
There were a few titters among the Solite kings and queens, but no one argued. Prince Moo-for-me had replaced his father, and he was sufficiently cowed in her presence. She snorted at her silent joke.
Zwaantie sat down and let Leo address them. For the past few weeks she and Leo mapped out a plan to run the kingdom. She hoped the lower kings and queens would be happy with it.
“We have decided to establish a new capital city on the border of Stella and Sol, just north of both Zonnes and The Black City, where the wall used to be. It will be called the City of the Dawn. This, in effect, causes both the City of Stars and Zonnes to become lower kingdoms. Libby has refused the crown, and so Scorpion will become the new lower king of City of Stars. Sage will become lower queen of Zonnes.”
Sage squeaked, and Zwaantie gave her a grin. Things were definitely changing for the better.
That evening, they mingled in the grand hall after both Scorpion and Sage were crowned. Phoenix nudged Zwaantie.
“You still mad at me?” he asked. She hadn’t really had a chance to speak to him since she’d caught him and Sage kissing.
“No. You make Sage happy.”
“Yeah, and you made her queen. Talk about putting her out of my reach.”
Zwaantie smirked at him. “Hardly. You know, if you marry Sage, you’ll be king in the same castle where you were a slave.”
His eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Maybe you should. You have my blessing. Go and take that throne.”
He left her with a grin that used to make her stomach buzz so long ago. A lifetime, really.
Leo slipped his arm around her. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.”
He put his hand on her ever-growing belly. “You’re not too tired?”
“No. I’m good. Today’s been fun. New beginnings, right?”
He nodded. “New beginnings.”
Leo kissed her on the top of her head, and she froze. They were still strictly in friend zone, and she didn’t want that kiss to shift into something more. She wasn’t ready to move on yet. But there were appearances that needed to be kept, unfortunately.
“Let me know when you are ready, and I’ll make sure you get back to your room.”
“You don’t have to do that anymore. The threat is gone.”
“Zwaantie, for as long as I’ve known you, your life has been in danger. I’m not sure I’ll ever feel at ease with your safety. I’ve come too close to losing you too many times.”
There was great deal of truth to his statement, but for the first time in a long time, she felt utterly safe.
Chapter 33
The Castle
The next several months passed with very little hiccups. Leo and Zwaantie still slept in separate rooms in the City of the Stars and he’d managed to keep that out of the Ticker. The joining of the kingdoms preoccupied everyone.
Things were moving too slowly for him, but he let her set the pace. She grew more and more beautiful every moment. His favorite time of day was the early mornings when he would sneak into her room and snuggle with her and feel the baby kick. It was the only time she didn’t brush off his affections.
He hated it when the mornings came to an end. Which usually happened because she was either hungry or they had an early meeting.
She was his, and yet, she wasn’t.
Today, they had no plans, which was something that didn’t happen often. He curled up behind her, and she pressed his hand against her stomach.
“You feel that?” she asked.
“I do. It’s very hard.”
“It’s his foot, I think. He’s trying to push his way out. I’ve been awake for hours.”
He brushed her hair away and buried his nose into her shoulder. “Maybe I should’ve come earlier.”
“Maybe you should just sleep here tonight.”
His stomach buzzed. Were things finally beginning to change? “You sure?”
She rolled onto her back, her face dangerously close to his. “Yes, I’m sure. He calms at your touch. Maybe I’ll actually get some sleep.”
It wasn’t the reason he wanted, but he’d take what he could get.
“Okay, I will do my best to be a sleep knight and make that little baby stop moving.”
She scooted away from him, and he knew he’d lost her for the day.
“What’s the plan for today?” Zwaantie asked.
“I thought we’d go scout out a spot for our castle in the new capital.”
“I think that’s an incredible idea. Then can we meet with the design mages? I want to do a combination of Stellan and Solite castles.” She sat up and waddled over to the table, popping a grape into her mouth.
“The Stellan castle doesn’t make sense. The vipers are no longer a threat. We can have outer rooms,” Leo said.
“True, but I like it. A curved window in our bedroom could have spectacular views.” She rubbed her back and cringed.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, but my back hurts.”
“Has the healer told you when they thought the baby might come?”
“She said a month or so.”
Leo joined her at the breakfast table. “Sage wants to come with us to scope out locations.”
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“That’s fine. I didn’t realize she was here. I swear, she spends more time in this castle than she does her own.”
“She had an appointment with Nash this morning.”
“That’s right. How could I forget? She’s going to have the wedding of the century since mine failed epically.” Zwaantie cringed, and Leo was sorry he brought up Sage’s wedding at all.
She didn’t talk about the day Ari died very often, but when she did, she was grumpy the rest of the day. Just when he’d thought things were going so well.
After breakfast, Sage met them at the carriage and squeezed Zwaantie so hard Leo thought she was about to pop.
“I wanna move back to Stella,” Sage said, climbing up after them.
Zwaantie ignored her. He’d agreed with her decision to give Zonnes to Sage even if Sage complained about it all the time. The people of Sol needed someone like Sage, and Sage needed a new job. This was perfect because she wouldn’t get bored.
“How did your dress appointment go this morning?” Zwaantie asked.
“Good. I wish you could’ve been there, but I understand. My dress is going to be bright pink.”
Zwaantie pressed her lips together. “Nash approved this?”
“You got to have white. I told him it was only fair.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he’s going to be the laughing stock of both Stella and Sol.”
Zwaantie laughed. “I can’t wait to see it. How’s being queen?”
Sage groaned. “Awful. Do you have any idea how needy people are? I can’t wait until we get married and Phoenix can take over the boring stuff. He already does a lot of it. He loves it.”
They climbed out of the carriage and into a boat.
“At least we’ll be closer to you once we build the new castle,” Zwaantie said, collapsing on the couch in the hull.
“That is good. I’m sick of you being so far away. Hopefully people like Nash and Orion will move with you. A brand new city. This will be incredible.”
They rode up and down for hours along what used to be the wall.
For each spot they found, someone liked it, and someone else did not. Sage was very vocal about her opinions. Leo wanted Zwaantie to pick the spot, but so far she didn’t seem excited about any of them.
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