The Queen

by C. J. Abedi

  “Kingdoms?” I asked in confusion. “Where?”

  “We live in the shadow world, Eleanor. In the realms that are beyond your human comprehension, but we are there. Always.”

  I watched him in awe.

  “Then how did I see you?”

  “I wanted you to.”

  “Have you been watching me?” I asked.

  “Since you arrived,” he finished solemnly. “I saw you the moment you stepped off that ship.”

  I stepped close to him and raised my palm to cup his face.

  “This is forbidden,” I said. It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  “What will happen if your people find out?”

  D

  Caroline had heard every word I’d said to my father. There was a part of me that wanted to comfort her against the harsh reality of what she now knew, but then there was a part that knew her anger would drive her forward. It would keep her alive. That was the only thing I wanted.

  Not the reality of what I said to my father. Not the uncertainty of our future. None of it. And there was only one thing I wanted, and that was for her to get out of the Dark Kingdom alive.

  And I would do or say anything to make it happen.

  The pain I saw in her eyes as she looked at me was something I would have to deal with. This was the reality of our situation. Of our fate. If she couldn’t understand how much her life meant to me then so be it. Because it was everything. It was the only reason why I was still alive. The only thing that mattered was that I get her out of this hellhole in one piece. Once she was out of harm’s way, I would apologize for everything, even if I knew the truth could never change between us. And now more than anything, I knew it. Saying the words out loud brought me full circle.

  I had tricked myself into believing it could be different, but this life, our happiness together, wasn’t our fate. Our life together would always be doomed.

  As I stared into her angry gray eyes I wanted nothing more than to kiss her. Hold her. Run my fingers through her silky, mahogany hair. Put my mouth on her beautiful full lips and run my hands over her body.

  I stepped closer to her, overcome with desire, but when I saw the look on her face, I stopped. I did not want to become an instrument of her pain.

  I cleared my throat and looked into her eyes and saw the reflection of the beast creeping up on us. When Caroline ran back into the forest, the Sheytan had followed.

  “He’s coming,” I told her.

  She closed her eyes for a moment.

  “What do you suggest we do?” she asked, maintaining her distance.

  Before I could answer, the beast roared from behind us. His fangs gleamed and I knew he was out for blood.

  “Follow me!” I yelled as I grabbed her hand and began running at a mad pace through the trees. “And whatever you do, don’t look back!”

  The Sheytan came charging after us. I couldn’t think. I didn’t have time to. All I cared about was getting Caroline to safety, even if I didn’t know where that was.

  The Sheytan reached us quickly and threw his weight between me and Caroline, trying to separate us. He was a hunter and this was his game. He knew that if he split us it would be an easier kill. He pushed me to the side and sliced my arm with his long fang. The pain was agonizing but I fought through it, my thoughts singularly on Caroline’s safety.

  When I stood up Caroline was nowhere to be found. The evil creature was gone from sight as well, which made me lose my heart. I panicked. I couldn’t lose her again.

  “Caroline?!” I shouted out into the forest as my voice echoed through the land. “Where are you?!”

  I searched through my surroundings. Finally, I came up on a small circle of trees, and my heart stopped beating.

  There was Caroline.

  She stood in the center of the trees holding her palm out in front of the creature, who was showing her his vicious fangs. I didn’t dare speak or move an inch. The Sheytan crouched on all fours, growling menacingly, as if ready to pounce.

  Caroline took a step forward.

  My breath stopped.

  She held her palm up and stared at the monster with her innocent gaze. There was a look in her eyes that I had recognized before. It’s how she looked at the world.

  It was a universal power.

  And its name was love.

  Unconditional love.

  Even for this evil creature that Alderon had sent to end her life. It took my breath away.

  I watched in awe as the Sheytan stared at her for a long moment, then closed his eyes. When he opened them, his fangs were retracted. He took a hesitant step toward Caroline and lowered his head.

  Caroline bravely stepped forward and touched his fur. She whispered something to him that I could not hear as the Sheytan moved his head to the side and opened his bright gaze to look into her eyes.

  I couldn’t believe it.

  The Sheytan was looking at her with adoration.

  In this creature from lore’s eyes, only love shined brightly for Caroline. She smiled at him, whispered more words, and the animal suddenly began to purr, lowering his head in obedience.

  When she leaned her face into his and rubbed her cheek up against his fur I almost died from fear knowing that he would definitely attack. My heart started furiously pounding, but I was paralyzed not allowing myself to move forward for fear that it would provoke the creature. I stared in awe at her as she was clearly so sure of her safety, even in arm’s reach of this monster. Her love was so pure that it even worked its magic on this being.

  I stepped forward and the twigs underneath my feet cracked. The Sheytan jumped away from Caroline and looked at me. His expression grew more menacing, but Caroline whispered something again and he nodded ever so slightly. Then he took off into the forest, disappearing from sight.

  Caroline stared after him with a smile on her face. I had never seen her like this. She was all Fae. All light. I was so lucky that the Fates had deemed me worthy to be her partner.

  I was so proud of her. Right before my eyes she had tapped into her magikal Fae powers and transformed into a Queen.

  Regal.

  Strong.

  Clever.

  Beautiful.

  “You are amazing,” I said.

  She smiled, though she still refused to look in my direction.

  “I saw him,” she told me in a soft voice.

  “Tell me.”

  “I saw his soul,” she said as she turned and looked at me in the eyes. “Despite what you believe, there is good in him.”

  I was stunned into silence.

  It was impossible. We were always taught to believe that creatures like the Sheytan were all Dark. They were sought out to commit bad deeds because they were relentless in their mission and not known for their kindness. They were vicious creatures that only pursued blood.

  “No,” she said and I knew she had read my mind. “They are more than that. They became what you believed they should be, Devilyn. That’s how it works.”

  I didn’t know how to respond. In that second I understood why she was destined to be the Light Queen. Even in a moment of danger, faced with her own mortality, she saw good.

  She saw only love.

  She saw something special in everyone.

  “We need to stay focused and figure some way out of here,” she continued, looking beyond me and through the trees.

  “We’re not far from the outer edge of the forest,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray the emotions I was feeling. “I think I know a way there and a place we can rest unharmed and away from Alderon’s view.”

  “Does Rowan know I'm here?” she asked quietly. Her question took me by surprise.

  “Yes, he does.”

  “He didn’t offer to help rescue me?” I thought I heard a pang of disappointment in her voice.

  I wanted to lie, but I knew the angry warrior was no doubt still standing in the exact same place that I had left him, plotting a plan of at
tack with an army around him.

  “He’s standing guard outside of the forest. We both agreed it would be best if I came alone.”

  “Interesting,” she said.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Nothing.” She turned and began walking away. I followed behind.

  “Nothing?”

  “Yeah, it means nothing.”

  “Are you questioning my judgment?”

  “Your judgment?” she said, turning to face me, her mouth only inches away from mine. “You just said that you both agreed that you should come alone.”

  “Well, I meant that I thought it would be best.”

  I wanted to reach out and run my hand behind her beautiful long neck, rub my thumb across her jaw, and pull her toward me, closing this unnecessary gap. But I knew I couldn’t, so I just stood there, breathing in her flowery scent.

  “I’m not sure how smart it was to come in here without support.”

  “I think I’ve shown you that I’m capable of dealing with my father,” I found myself on the defensive. “I’ve always overcome any obstacle he’s put in my way.”

  “And yet here we stand, unaware of his next move as he watches every single one of ours.”

  C

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Devilyn responded angrily.

  “Exactly what I said,” I yelled back.

  I was so mad at him. He absolutely infuriated me. I knew I was being harsh but I couldn’t help myself. If I could run away from him, knowing that I could get out of here, I absolutely would. He claimed he wanted to protect me, but everything about him was a contradiction.

  I watched as Devilyn tried to rein in his emotions. I felt a pang of longing when I gazed at his tall, handsome form. He was dressed in black jeans and a t-shirt. He looked every bit the high school star football player. Except he wasn’t.

  He had been pretending since the moment I met him. Pretending about who he was. What I was. What our destiny was together. Even after all this time, after everything we had been through, he still doubted us. And ultimately it meant that he doubted me. And that hurt more than anything his father or the dark monsters of the forest could ever do to me.

  “I’m so sorry you feel like you’re not in safe hands with me. You’ll be back with him soon enough,” his voice was short as he walked past me. “And then you can have your precious Rowan around to make you feel more safe.”

  When his body brushed past mine, I half expected him to hold my hand, but he didn’t. I chose not to answer him. He was furious and the last thing I wanted to do was engage. At this moment we had enough to worry about. I didn’t need to add another negative element to our situation. I knew there would be a time of reckoning between us. But it wasn’t now.

  “Until then, you’re my responsibility,” he replied in a harsh voice, turning again to face me. “Mine. Alone. Do you understand me, Caroline?”

  It took all my willpower to keep from giving him a cutting reply. I wanted so bad to tell him that I was no one’s “responsibility” but my own, but I knew it would only lead to further tension between us. And that was the last thing either of us needed.

  “So where are we going?” I asked him, trying to maintain my composure.

  He looked up at the night sky and took a deep breath.

  “Shelter.”

  “Fine,” I countered, following him as he led the way. We were both quiet, choosing silence as our companions. He helped me a few times when I stumbled over a fallen branch or rock, and whenever he touched me he acted as though he had been burned by fire, when it was me that felt burned.

  Burned by his touch.

  Burned by his words.

  Moments later, he stopped in front of a giant tree. Larger than any other I had seen in the area and clearly much older. The trunk had the appearance of a part of nature that had been around for centuries. Thousands of deep lines ran up and around the majestic tree with a girth so wide that it would take more than a hundred people standing with open arms to wrap around it. Standing next to it made me feel so small in comparison.

  “What type of tree is this?” I asked, awestruck.

  “A yew,” he responded lifting his palms up to its center of the trunk and closing his eyes. An energy suddenly emerged from his hands that contained a pulsating white and black light. It seemed to dance off his skin and speak to the yew.

  Within moments the tree crackled to life and a small opening in the front slid open, exposing a hollow entrance.

  “Safety,” Devilyn said.

  I nodded as he waited for me to enter first. Always the consummate gentleman. In an instant my body was warm. I hadn’t even realized I was freezing before I stepped inside. The heat came from a small confined fire crackling deep within the center of the tree that rose to its very tips. I looked up the hollow length of the massive yew and couldn’t see where it even ended.

  The tree closed around us with a thud and Devilyn turned to face me. Now more than ever I felt like I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  “I feel the same way,” he finally said, a burning intensity in his eyes that I had never really seen before.

  Suddenly the space between us closed even more.

  He continued to watch me.

  “At least I can hold my thoughts close now. I hated always being so exposed to you.”

  He ignored my comment and pointed toward a vine of berries growing within the tree.

  “You should eat something—you must be hungry.”

  My stomach began growling at the mere mention of food.

  “What kind of berries are these?” I asked.

  “They are known as Calafate berries. Even though they are pretty small, they’ll fill you up. It’s said those who eat them will return home.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “No, it’s the truth. Probably just an old wives’ tale though.”

  Devilyn reached up to the vine and began removing the berries until his hands were full. Then he extended them to me. A peace offering of sorts. One I was willing to accept until I was in a place where I could think more clearly.

  “Thanks,” I said to Devilyn grabbing a couple berries out of his hands and taking a seat on the moss filled ground. He sat beside me.

  “Are you going to eat?” I asked, noticing that he hadn’t even tasted one of the berries he had picked.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  His tone was once again cold and distant. It stung, but this time I wasn’t going to let it hurt me. I was done with that. I didn’t respond and stood up to grab a few more berries. When I came to take my seat again I noticed the long jagged cut along his arm. It was still bloody and I knew it had to hurt. I wondered why he hadn’t used his magik to heal himself.

  “I want to feel the pain,” he said quietly. His dark eyes gave nothing away.

  Why would you want to do that? I asked him silently.

  “The pain is a reminder that your life is in constant danger,” he explained. “I can’t forget that now, or ever.”

  His words didn’t make any sense to me.

  “I can help you bind it if you’d like,” I offered, not wanting to cross any lines that had been drawn between us.

  “It’s fine,” he told me. “I’ll be fine, Caroline.”

  I shrugged and ate the remaining berries and slowly sat back, leaning against the interior of the tree. Devilyn spent the majority of the time looking down, and I wondered if he was ashamed or saddened by any of what he said. Outside the yew he had watched me like a hawk, but now he all but ignored me.

  I wondered how long we would be forced to stay in here, confined to yet another enclosed space.

  “We’ll leave in the morning,” he said, once again reading my thoughts.

  “What are we supposed to do until then?” I wanted to take the words back as soon as they escaped my mouth. If the events of the past few nights hadn’t happened, I knew what we would be doing. He would be touching my face, holding me close, and offering me his
incredible kisses. But now, as we sat there right before each other, more alone than we’d ever been together, we were back to being strangers again.

  Unsure of everything.

  But more importantly, unsure of any future we would ever share.

  I didn’t want to make the situation any more awkward, so I stretched my legs out and rested my head on the pale green moss, which felt like a down feathered pillow. Just as I was about to close my eyes, I caught him staring at me.

  His gaze moved from my waist and slowly made its way up, and with every inch, shivers ran down my spine. What was he doing to me? What was he doing to us? When he finally reached my eyes, I saw his conflicted ones, staring right back at me.

  I met his gaze, equally.

  The room crackled with an energy that made my heart flutter, reminding me of the night we spent in the tent on our school camping trip in North Carolina.

  After another long minute I couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Are you finished?” I asked.

  “With?” He cocked a brow.

  “Staring?” I replied as the blush rose to my cheeks.

  “Never,” he replied intensely. “I’ll never have my fill.”

  My heart slammed in my chest.

  The desire I heard in his voice made it hard for me to even breathe. More than anything, I wanted to be wrapped in his arms. I wanted his lips on mine. His hands on my skin. I wanted every part of him. Even if a future wasn’t meant to be or was one he didn’t want.

  I just wanted him, wanted us.

  Even only once.

  I could keep the memory forever. Because for all I knew, my forever could end tomorrow.

  The look in his eyes changed and I knew he was reading my mind. I didn’t care. I let him.

  If possible, the space between us seemed even smaller. He stood up abruptly, silent as he walked over to me and stared down at my now upturned face. He was so tall and strong. And gorgeous.

  And perfect.