by Mia McKimmy
Cy looked at Riana. “I have to go.”
“Wait…you’re not staying with us? I guess Dad’s rant about not losing another king did absolutely no good.”
“I can’t, sweetheart. If we don’t stop Vind from escaping, we’ll be looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives.”
The queen looked at Riana with a softened expression. “It will be fine, dear.”
Riana clamped her teeth together. The urge to tell her future mother-in-law it had been to long since she’d looked into Vind’s evil eyes was overwhelming. One glance was all it took to know what he and his army were capable of. But, Riana wasn’t going to say that. It would sound too disrespectful.
Cy pulled Riana into his arms and kissed her forehead. His lips lingered for a second. She couldn’t stop tears from filling her eyes. Her heart was screamed for him not to go, to stay with her where he’d be safe. But it wasn’t in his nature to stay behind while everyone risked their lives to keep them safe. “Cy, please be careful and come back to me,” she managed to get past the lump in her throat.
Cy framed her face with his hands and wiped the tears with his thumbs. “I will, baby. Do not open this door until I call and tell you it’s safe.” Riana nodded. Cy kissed her forehead, then left the safety of the room and her arms. She held herself back to keep from screaming his name and running after him. Her fear for him consumed her ability to think clearly. With Cy’s coronation and Vind behind bars, she thought her days of watching him walk away to fight the enemy were over, that she could enjoy life without constant fear.
I guess I was wrong.
Lily ran up to Riana with Iggy on her heels. She wrapped her small arms around Riana’s waist and looked up at her with sad eyes.
There’s another thing I thought I would never have to see again—fear on these children’s faces. She and Iggy have been through enough traumas to last a lifetime.
“Don’t be sad, Riana. Cy will be okay,” Lily said.
“I know, sweetie.” Riana tried to sound convincing.
“I should’ve gone with them,” Iggy said forcefully. “They need my help. I can go places none of them can.”
“Iggy, I’m sure you want to help, but you had a severe injury. And there are a lot of Protectors here. They can handle whatever is going on down there.”
Iggy pulled back the blanket they’d wrapped around him to reveal his chest. Riana’s mouth opened and closed. There wasn’t even a mark left at the wound site.
“See, I’m fine. Good enough to help them fight.”
Riana ran her fingers over the smooth skin where the knife wound was only minutes earlier, and then met his hazel eyes. “Iggy, how did you know that guy was about to stab Cy?”
“He had a black aura. Feeders have black auras that match their eyes. His eyes weren’t black, but I knew what he was—that he was about to do something to one of you. As I ran to warn you, he pulled something shiny from his jacket. So I shifted into something large enough to take him down. I wasn’t going to kill him. But when he stabbed me, it just kind of happened.”
Riana shook her head. They were lucky Iggy paid attention. She’d been so tired, she didn’t pick up on the fact that something was off. “Well, you’re a hero, again, Iggy.”
“That’s why they need me. Can I go help them fight?”
Riana needed to come up with an excuse fast. There was no way she would allow Iggy to get hurt again. It was important for him to feel needed. That’s one of the reasons Riana had asked him to help her in the new Sivadian hospital she and her mother were starting. “Iggy, Cy wanted you to stay here to protect us—in case someone finds a way inside.”
Iggy tilted his head and then stood a little straighter. “Oh, I can do that. I’ll stand over there and guard the door.”
Lily pranced by. “I’ll stand guard with Iggy.”
Riana forced a smile of approval. “That would be good, guys.”
***
Cy left the safe-room and headed to the castle’s weapons storage. He looked around the large room at how few weapons were left. If someone didn’t bring more ammo, they could be in trouble. He grabbed two handguns and several clips, tucked them into the waist of his pants, and then he grabbed a sword. On his way out he noticed a wicked looking scythe propped in the corner behind the door. He ran his thumb along the curve of the long blade and jerked back to find a drop of blood.
Oh yeah, that should do nicely.
When Cy entered the underbelly of the castle, it was empty. He set out at a dead run toward the steel pit where he’d instructed them to hold Vind. He rounded the corner of the second long passageway and came upon six injured guards lying on the floor. “Where is everyone?” Cy asked the only guy still conscious.
The guard lifted a bloody hand and pointed toward the back of the dungeons. “They chased the intruders back into the tunnel they’d blasted to get inside.”
“Hold on, I’ll call a medic to come for you.” Cy continued the direction the guard pointed. As he passed the steel pit, he cursed when Vind was not inside. Reaching the end of the cavern, he found an incredible amount of dust where people had died, and a tunnel blown into the cavern wall.
Cy entered the tunnel. Clumps of dirt still fell from the explosion, and weapons clashed at a distance. With a sword in one hand and the scythe in the other, he ran toward the noise. If the enemy wasn’t stopped before reaching the far end of the tunnel, they would transport out. Then they would be chasing vapor trails, which was easier said than done. Especially if they split-up and jumped to several locations consecutively.
When Cy reached the fighting, injured Sivadians and dust of the dead lay everywhere.
“I thought I told you to stay with the females,” Oz yelled over the sound of clashing metal.
Everyone was out of firepower and it had come down to fighting with swords and daggers. Cy ignored Oz and pulled the guns from his waistband. With one in each hand, he took out the back line of feeders. “Where’s Vind?” he asked while reloading his weapons.
“They have him up ahead,” Miles said. “We’ve been slowly working our way toward them.”
Cy emptied all but one of his clips. He grabbed the scythe and swung it with deadly precision. Various body parts of feeders flew in every direction. Once they mowed down enough feeders, Cy saw Vind up ahead. His feet were dragging as his men kept him upright. Another group of feeders circled him. Dammit, where were they all coming from?
The thought of his brother escaping, called on Cy’s reserve of adrenaline. Using every ounce of strength he possessed, he swung the scythe faster.
Cy threw down his weapons and pulled the gun with the remaining clip. He took out the feeder obstructing his view of Vind, and then emptied the rest of the clip into Vind and the two who were keeping him on his feet. All three of them hit the ground. A loud explosion shook the ground, and the tunnel caved in around them.
Cy regained consciousness in complete darkness, pinned beneath the heavy weight of dirt and rock. It felt like a slab of cement lying across his chest. His mouth and nose were filled with dirt and his lungs burned for air. He tried to move enough to dig out of his grave. Although he could barely move his head, he wiggled it from side to side enough to make a small space. He pushed dirt from his mouth with his tongue. The lack of oxygen exhausted him, and he remained still to keep from using up his body’s reserves. Hopefully someone would find him soon.
If being buried alive took this much of a toll on him, there was no way Vind survived it. He wasn’t even standing on his own before he shot him. More than anything, Cy had wanted to be the one to end his brother’s life. He had told Vind his face would be the last thing he saw before dying, and hopefully it was true. Their eyes had locked onto each other as he shot and Vind hit the ground. It was the only solace Cy could hold on to.
Cy wiggled his hands to loosen the dirt enough to make tiny tunnels, and began the slow tedious process of digging himself free. The more he dug the lighter the soil became, t
elling him he was at least heading the right direction. After what felt like hours, he heard muted voices. Relief ran through him when a large hand snaked through the dirt, grabbed his arm and pulled him free from his tomb.
Oz wrapped him into a bear hug. “Boy, don’t you ever scare me like that again.”
Cy coughed and spit more dirt from his mouth. “That’s not something I want to repeat. Did we get Vind? ”
“I sent men around to the other side to dig, and we’re digging from this direction. We’ll find him,” Oz said.
Cy shook his head and dirt from his hair showered around him. “I shot him and the two keeping him upright. They hit the ground seconds before the explosion. He couldn’t have survived both.”
“I’ll call the other side and see if they’ve found him yet,” Oz said.
“I should have killed him when I had the chance. If he somehow survived this, we’ll never find him again. He will continue killing innocent people and be even more dangerous than before.” The thought turned Cy’s stomach.
“Cy, if you had taken Vind’s life you wouldn’t be king right now. Forfeiting your kingship to kill your brother is not what your father would have wanted. By stopping you, I was looking out for your best interest and that of our people. Oz grabbed his phone and called the other protectors. “Have you found Vind?”
Cy waited until Oz finished his call to ask. But from the way Oz paced, he already knew the answer. They hadn’t found Vind, and more than likely never would.
***
In the safe-room, Riana’s nerves were a hot-mess. Cy had been gone over an hour. With each passing minute her nerves frayed a bit more, nearing the point of panic. If he didn’t come back soon, she wouldn’t be able to stay inside as he’d asked.
Everyone in the room jumped when the phone rang, and then froze as the queen picked up the receiver. “Hello…we are all fine. Are you all right?” She lowered the phone and looked at Riana, a bright smile lit her face. “That was Cygan. He is at the door and said we can open it.”
Riana ran for the door before his mother finished the sentence. She fumbled with the locks, and then flung it open. She threw her arms around Cy and sobbed into his shoulder.
Cy held her tight, and whispered into her hair, “I’m alright, baby. Please don’t cry. It breaks my heart when you cry.”
“I can’t help it,” she whimpered. “I was so scared. I tried to be strong for the kids.” When Riana pulled back and looked at Cy, panic struck hard. Her breath came in gasp, like she’d just run a marathon. There wasn’t an inch of him not covered with blood and dirt. “Oh God Cy, where are you injured?” Her hands roamed his body searching for wounds.
Cy looked down at himself, then reached and steadied Riana’s hands. “I’m fine. It’s not my blood. It’s the enemies and dirt from a cave-in.”
Relieved, Riana pulled him to her and held him there.
Analae stood beside them with a worried expression on her face. “Where is Oz?”
“He’s in Mother’s study calling everyone for report.”
Analae left to find him.
Cy looked into Riana’s eyes. “Vind either escaped or he’s dead beneath the cave-in.”
Riana’s breath caught. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. If Vind was still alive, he could come after them again.
As if reading her mind, Cy framed her face in his hands. “Even if he’s alive, he’ll never get near you again. I promise.”
Riana nodded. But the horror of everything that happened was still too fresh for her to control the fear completely. It would take some time.
“There were a lot of casualties.” Cy said. “I need you and your mother to help with the injured.”
“I’ll do whatever you need.”
A slight smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I’ll be sure to remind you of that once we get home.”
Chapter 46
Four weeks later.
Riana sat in front of the mirror while her mother finished applying her make-up. They had been at it for an hour, with her fussing over every little detail. Thank goodness, the queen’s hairdresser had put her hair up in an elegant chignon. If her mother had done it, they would have been here all day. “Mother, it looks fine. If you don’t stop, I’m going to be late for my own wedding.”
Analae stepped back and took a long, critical look at her work. “Okay, darling, I’m finished. We better wait until you get into your dress to put on the lipstick.”
“The queen will be here any minute with the crown,” Riana said. “She insisted on attaching it to the veil, herself. It was something her mother-in-law had done for her. So she wanted to do it for me.”
Analae helped Riana into her wedding gown. “That was sweet of her. But, darling, you are going to have to get used to calling her Queen Mother, because in a few minutes you will become the queen.”
Butterflies fluttered in Riana’s stomach. She was just plain old Riana, not royalty. She wasn’t sure if she would ever get used to being a queen. Although, if marrying Cy meant she’d have to put up with aristocrats, and everyone referring to her as “your majesty,” then so be it. She loved him more than she ever thought it possible to love anyone, and knew without a doubt she wanted to be his wife. Even though being queen still made her want to run for the hills.
Analae zipped-up her dress, stepped back and looked at her. “I have never seen a more beautiful bride or dress in my life. It fits perfectly.”
Riana ran her hand over the fine silk. “It is beautiful,” she said, admiring it in the full-length mirror. “The queen’s personal seamstress made it. She makes all of her gowns.”
“Well, she’s excellent at her craft,” Analae said. “I can’t imagine the time it took to painstakingly embroider all of these flowers and royal emblems onto this dress.”
Riana recalled her conversation with the seamstress during her last fitting. She’d said that she dreamed of having the body, the man, the occasion, and the right to wear this piece of art. It was her perfect masterpiece, guaranteed to steal the groom’s breath at first glance.
I sure hope so, because he steals my breath every time I look at him.
Riana turned in a slow circle, admiring her dress in the massive mirror. She loved everything about it. From the stark contrast of peaceful white, representing love’s purity, to the regal, crimson panels gracing the front and back, representing blood, the source of life for all Sivadians. The gown’s most delicate features started with the translucent, capped, slightly off the shoulder sleeves with intricately embroidered white flowers. The sleeves met with the first flash of red at the bosom where the fabric slightly gathered. Embroidered flowers at the top and bottom of the red, tapered down to a point at the waistline, flowing gracefully into a dazzling, luxuriously full skirt.
Riana turned to get a full picture of the back of the gown. From behind, it was almost a humbling experience. It appeared as if the seamstress had cut the white fabric into graceful waves, just short of meeting. The distance between where it would meet grew farther apart as it got closer to the floor. To make up the difference, she found the highest quality red silk to fill the gap, where it flowed into a wide, chapel train. The same intricately embroidered flowers found on the front, traveled down the red silk insert on the back in arcing patterns, matching the flow of the dress. The pattern automatically drew your eyes to where the dress caressed her back in a gentle, wide ‘V’ showing off every feminine curve and muscle of her back. To top everything off, the royal emblem of Sivadia was embroidered close to the hem and traveled around to the train, which draped the floor behind her. The royal emblems had been added to every wedding gown worn by royals for a thousand millennia. She felt honored to wear them today.
There was a knock on the door and Elle stuck her head inside. “Can we come in?”
“Of course.”
Elle held the door open for Cy’s mother. She carried the veil and crown that Riana would wear during the ceremony. They both stood in stunned s
ilence when they saw her.
“You look absolutely beautiful,” the queen said.
“Thank you,” Riana replied.
“I have attached the veil to your crown, and when the ceremony is over the veil snaps off so the crown can stay on during the reception.”
Riana sat in the chair so Cy’s mother could place it on her head. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Yes, it is,” the queen replied. “It is identical to Cygan’s crown, just on a smaller scale. Every detail of the crown has meaning. The row of interlinked circles embedded with diamonds that make up the base, stands for our unity with the human race. The triangles sitting on top of the circles represent our arrival on Earth, and of course, they are set with rubies for our life-blood. The stars sitting on top of the pyramids represent Sivadia and are set with bloodstone.
The queen pinned the crown in place, and then bent down and kissed Riana’s cheek. “Thank you,” Riana whispered, touched by her unexpected affection.
“Thank you,” she replied, “for making my son so happy. He is a good son, and deserves every ounce of happiness you’ve brought him. I am more than pleased for you to become my daughter.”
Riana sat in stunned silence as the queen turned and left the room. She looked at her mother and Elle. They stared at her as if they had something on their minds. “What?” she asked.
“Seeing you wear that crown is just so…surreal,” Analae said. “I knew you would become queen when you married Cy, but…this is going to have my make-up running all over my face.” She picked up a tissue and carefully blotted tears from her eyes.
Elle laughed at Analae. “Well, I hope you don’t expect me to call you, ‘your highness’ or something, cause that’s where I draw the line.”
Riana smiled. Elle always tried to lighten the mood. “I expect you to call me what you’ve always called me. Your best friend.”
There was another knock at the door. When it opened, the rest of her wedding party entered, Lily, Kyra, and her father. When they saw Riana, everyone stopped in the tracks.