Tatyanna

by Lindsay Johnston

  Her mother smiled at him, wondering how to even answer him. “You are not who you are meant to be.”

  He didn't agree, because he shook his head. “I am exactly who I am supposed to be.”

  “No,” the queen told him vehemently. “You are who your parents are forcing you to be. But, I know there is good in you. I can sense it.” She glanced down at the child in his arms. “She is part of your goodness. She can help you to be good.”

  Once again Larik shook his head in disagreement. “I was forced to kill her. Father has been watching me, and saw how I acted toward her. I wasn't mean to her, like I was to everyone else, and I tended to sneak her desserts. He told me I had to make a stand, and prove to them I was worthy to be a leader. I told them I was, but I still had to prove it. I told them I would torture anyone they asked. Mother was okay with that, but my father had different plans, and brought her to me, ordering me to kill her. He knew what killing her would do to me, but I had to show them I was strong, and who they wanted me to be.”

  He started to cry silently as he remembered that moment. “I couldn't kill her. No matter what they want of me, I can't kill her. I don't know why, but she is an innocent in all of this, and deserves a chance to live. So I stuck my hand through her and grabbed onto her heart, squeezing until I felt her heartbeat slow down and watched her collapse to the floor. I prayed for the best. I knew I didn't kill her, but I didn't know how close to death she was. As soon as I was given the okay to leave, I did, and that's when I reached out to you. I hoped you wouldn't turn me away, and I am thankful that you healed her, but this doesn't change anything between us. I am who I am, and you are the enemy.”

  “Larik, you can still change things. There is still time.”

  “No, Lady Adele, there isn't any time. I have been asked to make another show of my power. People will die, and I can't stop it, so this is your warning. I am thankful for what you did, but I am sorry for what I have to do.”

  “I understand.”

  The image wavered slightly, and Tatyanna was back to reading the words on the page, as she wiped tears from her eyes. She realized her emotion broke through the connection. She quickly wiped her eyes and read the words, wanting to find out what Larik meant.

  And I did. I knew he would do something horrendous, and lives would be lost, but I didn't know in what way it would happen, or when. I knew my life would be spared, because the royals are not able to kill each other, but that didn't mean my husband's life would be spared. Only royals with the gift of their kingdom would survive another attack from another royal with a gift. My husband had power, but not the gift of healing and command of water.

  The words weren't loss on Tatyanna. She knew what was to come. Larik was warning her mother of a future death, and the chance to do something about it. Unfortunately, she didn't know when he would strike, and how much time she had to warn her friends and family. Again, the words on the page took shape to form people, and she watched as the rest of the scene played out, with her mother's personal thoughts echoing each word.

  “You aren't as lost as you think you are. There is still humanity inside of you.” I begged with him. I knew I couldn't change things, but I hoped maybe a part of me would get through to him and he would find a way to fight his fate.

  “She is the last piece of my humanity. I have one last favor to ask of you, and when it is done, she will take my humanity with her.”

  “What is your favor?” I asked, intrigued.

  “Hide her. Take her somewhere far away from here. Give her a new name, and make sure she stays safe. If my parents find out what I have done, she won't be given a second chance.”

  “You know what this proves, right?”

  “It proves nothing. I have heard the stories about you, but you don't know what you speak of. I must become what I must, and in order to do that, I have to shed all things that make me vulnerable. I need to lose my humanity, and become something else.”

  “You realize, once you do that, you may never come back from it.”

  “I am aware of that. But, I have no choice. It is my life on the line, and I choose to live any way that I can.” He glanced down at the child in his arms, and kissed her on her shoulderblade leaving behind a burn mark in the shape of his kiss. I watched as the young prince changed before me. Gone was the boy who came here begging for a life, and now before me stood a man, with fiery red hair and an aura of fire engulfing him.

  He passed the child to me, and I could feel the heat from the flames, and was thankful for my gift of water and healing, because I was not burned by his touch, but that didn't mean the heat didn't bother me.

  “You have been warned. There is nothing more I can do for you, or your family. Warn the others if you wish, but you need to make preparations.” With his parting words, he disappeared, and I sat there with the little girl in my arms.

  I was thankful for what I learned from the prince. I did have preparations to make, but I was doubtful if anyone would listen to me. They didn't see the prince as a threat, like I did. They hadn't glimpsed the future, like I have, so they have no idea what is to come.

  As Tatyanna saw everything unfold, her heart went out to the young prince. Seeing this journal come alive gave her hope. Hope for the future, and hope for Larik; that there was a way to change him after all. Maybe there was a way to change him, without having to kill him. She decided to talk about this idea with the others, and turned back to her mother's journal.

  As I write this, I am scared for myself, for my family, and for my little girl, who will one day be the ruler, and have to find a way to keep the evil at bay. I would like to think she can do that, but she can't do it alone, and will need plenty of help.

  I can already hear time ticking away, and I know my time is limited. To what extent, I don't know, but there is a lot to be done. Until the next time...A

  Tatyanna closed the cover and laid her head down on the pillow cradling the journal, wondering about everything she just read. The Larik her mother had spoken to was not the same Larik she had met, but despite what the prince thought, Tatyanna could make out small pieces of his humanity, thinking back to the doll, and knew there was still hope for him. She just didn't know how it would all play out.

  Her eyes started to close, and Tatyanna felt like there was something missing from her mother's journal, but she didn't dwell on it for long. Her mind was swamped with images. She smiled when she saw her parents smiling down at her, and she felt a sense of terror as she watched fireballs rain from the sky. The last image she could recall was of a young teen, with shoulder length black hair and piercing blue eyes. She felt calm as she saw his image. With his visage playing in her mind, Tatyanna slipped off to sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Meet Air

  Cries of anguish rang out in a room that was so dark, one would believe they were in Hell. They continued to grow louder, but the man behind the reason for them, didn't care. “Come on, you bitch, faster. I'm not done yet!” Beneath him was a young woman, whose skin looked like it was on fire. There were scorch marks all over her body, and above her was the Fire Lord, using her body to find pleasure for himself.

  When he finally found his release, he held tight to the young woman for a moment longer, enjoying her cries of duress, before letting go and pushing her to the floor. Despicable, he thought. Once she was able to move, he would send her back to the slave camps. She barely lasted fifteen minutes. He grabbed his cloak and put it around himself, getting a glass of wine and walking to the window to glance out at the moonless sky.

  “How long have you been waiting?” he asked, knowing she was there, without hearing her come in. He never did. She was the best at what she did.

  “Does it matter?” she asked, his back still turned to her.

  “Yes, did you enjoy the scene before you?” he said, turning toward her to see the look of disgrace on her perfectly formed face. She didn't let him down.

  “Do you enjoy beating your women into submission?
”

  He didn't respond, just lifted his shoulder.

  “No, I did not enjoy it. Her cries almost sent me running, but I knew you would continue to summon me until I couldn't take it anymore, so I decided to stay,” the mysterious woman said.

  “Glad to see you have grown smarter as you have gotten older.”

  “One lesson was enough.” She glanced at where the young woman was lying on the floor, barely conscious.

  “You know, you could have killed her, right?”

  “Your point? She's just another slave.”

  The woman lifted her own hooded cape off her head. Her silvery hair glittered in the dark, and she walked over to the young woman, noting the burn marks all over her body in the shape of Larik's hands. So, it was true. He does burn everything he touches, she thought. She gently ran her fingertips down the backside of the woman's body, bringing a gentle breeze as she did so. It gave the woman enough energy to stand up, grab her clothes, and bolt from the room. The woman with the silvery hair turned to face the Fire Lord.

  “You can heal now?” he asked, amused she would take the time to save a slave.

  “I may not be as powerful as Tatyanna, or Terran, but my gift of air does give me a chance to help someone rise and walk away.” She turned to the slamming of the door. “Or, in this case, bolt. She won't have the energy to make it back to her home, but it gave her the energy she needed to leave. Who knows? You may have wanted to go for round two, if I wasn't here.”

  Larik threw back the rest of his wine and let his glass crash to the floor. “Since you helped my slave escape, I guess I will find round two with one of the cleaning girls,” he laughed maliciously. “Why don't you stay for the next round? I have seven friends who would love to claim you for a night. Have your pick,” he said graciously, opening the door so she could see out into the dining room.

  She shuddered, thinking about his friends. “Let's see. One of them hasn't moved from the table in weeks. I hate to find the young girl who has to clean him up every day. I'm sure you can smell him for miles. One of them would kill any male who touched me already, thinking I am his. Another would only look at me if I was covered in food. One spends his time counting his money and scheming for more, one spends his time helping you come up with ways to torture your people, and one is always looking at himself in the mirror. You have one that spreads discord where ever he can. And, actually, Larik, I think you forgot how to count. You only have six friends out here. Where is the one who is faithful to you, practically kissing your feet, and helping you spread lies?”

  “You are lucky that I need you, Seraphina, or else I would throw you to these men and hear you beg for your life. The man you seek is in Princess Tatyanna's camp. He is there to keep an eye on her and to let me know what is going on.”

  “Why? Don't you have that magic looking glass?”

  “Yes, but I can't hear conversations. If I want to be one step ahead of her, I need to know exactly what is going on, and just how powerful she is getting. She's already more powerful than I thought she would be, so I need a way to slow her down, even just a little bit, to have my guy find favor with her.”

  “Find favor? What do you—” she broke off, realizing what he was trying to do. “You are trying to get the princess to fall in love with him? What about Marek?”

  “Ah, yes, that bloody fool. If I can break them up, then it will keep one prophecy from coming true, the all-powerful couple,” he said, pretending to shudder. “I can't allow that, and will do whatever I can to keep that from happening.”

  “Then, why am I here? You obviously don't need me.”

  “My dear, that is where you are wrong. I do need you. I need you for a very important task, one that you have excelled at before.”

  “No!” she screamed at him. “I won't do it. I won't kill for you.”

  “But, aren't you an assassin, my dear? Don't you kill for me anyway?”

  “I do it to survive. I don't steal and kill because I like to. I do it stay alive, and to keep people off my back.”

  “Say whatever you will to make yourself feel better, but we both know the truth. You were born to be a killer.”

  “No!”

  “Are you sure about that? Don’t you remember the first time you helped me? You did so, very willingly.”

  “You were threatening to kill my parents if I didn't help you. At least, by helping you, I was able to say goodbye to them!” she screamed at him. “What choice did I have?”

  “There is always a choice.”

  “Live, or die? Well, I'm sorry, I chose to live, but I am not your puppet.”

  Larik walked around the princess, snapping his hands to light the room up and admiring her beauty. Her skin was like porcelain, and her eyes matched the color of her hair. He had kept an eye on her over the years, and was surprised by how well she could cover up her looks, either by wearing wigs, or a few times, he had caught her covering her hair up in mud and wearing rags. Attire not fit for a queen. But this time, as he walked around her, studying her, there was something different. There was hope in her, whereas before, when she came to him, there was none. She was almost glowing, which could only mean one thing...

  “You know he won't accept you.”

  “Who?” she asked sharply.

  “Whatever man has given you hope. Once he knows what you have done, and how you helped kill King Gerulf, he will run from you, or worse, try to kill you. You will never be accepted. You might as well join me, and give up these foolish hopes and dreams.”

  “I won't join you. You know that. And you can't make me do anything I don't want to do.”

  Larik laughed. “Oh, you silly, silly girl. I'm sure I can find something that will convince you to help me out, at least one more time.”

  “There's nothing you have that I want.”

  “Really?” he asked, heading toward the closest and bringing out her mother's crown. She gasped out loud, thinking the crown had been lost forever. It was double-tiered, with silver tips, as if a bird was about to take flight. She could feel her heart pounding louder, blood rushing through her, and her fingers tingling.

  “Haven't you ever wished you were more powerful? That you had your family jewels, so you could connect to your family power? This would be a start. Think of how easy it would be to elude people. You would barely have to exert yourself, if you had this.” She reached out to grab it, but he pulled it out of her hands before she could touch it. “Tsk, tsk. First, you agree to help me.”

  Seraphina knew if she agreed, she would be signing a pact with the devil. Yet, at the same time, to have her mother's crown would make her more powerful, and maybe even powerful enough to say no to Larik, and save her own soul. There really wasn't a decision to be made. She knew it, and Larik knew it.

  “Fine. Give me the crown.”

  “I'm smarter than that. Help me first, and then you will get the crown.” She knew better than to try to barter with him, especially since he had the crown and she didn't, so she gave in, like she always did.

  “Come,” he said, walking out of the room, down the darkened hallway, and into another room. He opened the door, not for chivalry, but because he needed to lock it. This was the room where he stored his magic looking glass.

  “Show me Yemaya,” he called to the glass, and instantly, a picture of the castle appeared. Seraphina forgot how beautiful the castle was, the way it was built into the side of the mountain, and all of the water fountains that surrounded the castle. She used to love playing there as a child, trying to jump from one waterfall to another.

  “Show me the princess,” Larik called out, and instantly, they could see her asleep in a bed, holding onto a journal as if it were her lifeline. “Aww,” he said mockingly. He asked the looking glass to show the rest of her entourage, and saw they were all in the castle as well. “Show me Cale.” Unlike the others, Cale was trying to climb the side of the mountain. He was wet, and his body was covered in welts. “Stupid human,” Larik muttered under h
is breath. “Can he do nothing right?”

  “Why isn't he with the rest of the group? I mean, he is your spy and all.”

  “He failed the waterfall challenge, and gave some lame excuse about staying behind to watch for danger. I made him go the long way to the castle, but it looks like he thought he could climb the mountain unscathed. Stupid fool will never learn. At this rate, I hope he dies before he comes back to me begging for his life. He is of no use to me, having failed every task I have given him. He might as well be the first to die,” he said, lifting his hands to send a fireball toward the young man.

  “Wait!” Seraphina called out.

  “What? You want me to save him for you?” he said laughing. “He is a pathetic excuse for a human.”

  “Why don't you use your fireball to carry him outside the castle walls, but don't kill him. He is injured enough, and this will appeal to the princess to heal him, and wait until he is fully healed. This will give him a chance to get the princess to fall in love with him. And, if it doesn't, either way her trip to Marek is postponed even more.”

  Larik glanced at the Air Princess in astonishment. “Why are you helping me?”

  “I'm not. I'm helping him. I don't believe in using people, and then throwing them away. I'm giving him another chance.”

  “I thought you didn't like him.”

  “I don't, but I also don't believe he should die for believing your lies.”

  Larik shrugged. “Whatever.”

  Seraphina didn't care. Despite what he thought, she wasn't a killer. She was a survivor.

  Larik held out his hand to her, and she braced herself, knowing what was to come, but there was no way to avoid it. She took a deep breath, and grasped his hand, biting back a scream, as she felt the heat from the flames around him touch her. They combined both their powers to send fireballs to the castle in Yemaya.