by Amy Sumida
Sara's eyes went wide.
“I will get you vengeance; I swear it,” I said softly. “Just tell me who to kill.”
“Elaria, I...”
“Tell me who to kill!” I shouted.
“Elaria!” Torin shouted back. “Ease down; you're scaring her.”
I swiveled my head to glare at Torin, and he gasped and stepped back.
“Elaria, your eyes,” Torin whispered. “They're glowing.”
“Glowing?” Darc asked urgently from behind me.
“There were several kingdoms who attacked us, Your Majesty,” a man said from the doorway; yanking my attention away from Torin.
I turned and strode over to him. “Who were they?”
“Malachite, Jasper, Selenite, Howlite, and Snowflake Obsidian.” The man's eyes widened as he stared at me. “But the soldiers who attacked Lady Sara were all from Snowflake. I believe they were sent after her specifically, Your Majesty. We tried to stop them but were restrained. There simply wasn't enough of us.”
“Damn Oonagh to hell!” Torin snarled.
“Oh, I will,” I whispered. “Thank you, Conrie,” I said to the servant before sweeping past him.
“Queen Elaria, don't take it out on all of them!” Sara called after me. “It's not the entire kingdom's fault!”
That even in her worst hour Sara—my sweet, sassy Sara—would think of others, made it so much worse. I was trembling with grief and the need for vengeance. I could feel the Fire rising inside me; blown by a furious wind. My skin was starting to glow as I stomped through the palace. People jerked out of my way as I swept by; the only ones brave enough to follow me were my consorts and my husband.
Husband? I blinked in shock. When had I started thinking of Darc as my husband?
When you let Faenestra out and fully merged with her, Kyanite said grimly.
What? I asked absently.
She rose with your anger, Kyanite said. Can't you feel it? Your love of Sara has united you; it's the first thing that you agree on. Your soul is fully healed now, my love. The power of the Light shines from your eyes as Darc's magic sparkles in his.
I searched myself. I didn't feel any different, but then again, I was also full of fury. I searched deeper; beneath the anger. That's when I sensed it; the arrogance and aloofness of Faenestra. She was there, but with us unified, she wasn't so sharp; her edges dulled by my compassion. With an epiphany, I realized that we needed each other. Of course, we did; we were two halves of a single soul. Separate, we were weaker and too much of one thing. Together, we were in balance. Just as the Dark God was a perfect match for the Goddess of Light, Faenestra and Elaria were harmonious. It had taken a common enemy to make us see past our differences, but now, our strengths were united to make a proper whole.
Which was just what I needed.
“Elaria!” Darcraxis called after me.
I slammed open the temple's double doors and strode out onto the plateau. There, I had a magnificent view of the Jewel Kingdoms. Snowflake Obsidian was on my left. I narrowed my eyes on the hazy horizon where the lush mountain ranges of Snowflake Obsidian sat between the deserts of Copper and the forests of Quartz. I barely gave it a thought and then I was there; standing in the courtyard of Snowflake Obsidian's castle. I didn't consider how I had traveled like Darcraxis; I was too angry for any reasonable thought—too focused on destroying those who had hurt my friend.
The knights bustling about the courtyard didn't notice me at first. Not until I started singing. Correction; not until the first strident chords of “Firestarter” by The Prodigy echoed off the polished walls of snowflake obsidian like the vibrant acoustics of a nightclub. The beat was a wild, thrashing attack of sound; the kind that made you slam your body in savage ways. It was completely out of place in the old world ambiance of the courtyard, and it definitely got their attention.
Well, that and the fire.
I had held it together long enough to reach the castle, but as soon as I arrived, Fire was freed and with it came Air. They twirled together as Light poured out of my body, and the combination of the trinity burned so hot that metal melted as soon as my magic touched it. Screams combined with shouts of mercy but the only sympathy I had were for the animals.
I blasted open the main gate and then flung wide the stable doors; using my magic to urge the animals out to safety. Horses went stampeding through the gates; trampling anyone who got in their way. Then I cast open the castle's doors and blasted out the windows; calling out the creatures within. Dogs, cats, and birds came out of the main fortress while chickens, cows, and pigs came racing around from the back of the castle. They bolted past the gawking members of the Snowflake Obsidian Court. I suppose it was odd to see an invader set the animals free in the midst of an attack, but with what I had planned for the castle, I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hadn't. These creatures were smarter than their cousins on Earth, but they weren't capable of the evil that lived in the hearts of these shining ones; they were true innocents.
As soon as the animals were free, I slammed the outer gates shut and set the castle ablaze. Soldiers attacked me from all sides, but I was unreachable—untouchable. My body was engulfed in flames that incinerated anything that came in contact with them, and those who tried to cast magic upon me were burned to ash with a mere look in their direction. The stone walls began to groan and buckle until finally, Queen Oonagh came out onto a balcony and pleaded with me.
“Mercy!” She cried. “Please, Faenestra, have mercy on your children! I beg your forgiveness for any harm I have caused you.”
“Send out the soldiers who assaulted Sara!” I shouted.
Oonagh blanched and hesitated so I blasted a tower with my blaze and it crumbled into dust.
“All right!” Oonagh screamed as she fled back into the castle.
I resumed singing; venting my anger on the smaller buildings and blocking any possible exits with walls of fire. No one was daring to approach me anymore; they were too focused on escape. Finally, five men were forced out of the main doors and onto the smoldering castle steps. They were thrown at my feet.
“There!” Oonagh shouted from behind a wall of soldiers. “Those are the men who attacked your servant; do with them as you like but leave the rest of us in peace.”
“We acted on our Queen's orders!” One of the men shouted while the others begged for mercy.
“That's a lie!” Oonagh cried.
“I know you did,” I said to the rapists. “But were you honorable men, you wouldn't have obeyed that order, no matter who gave it. You wouldn't have been able to, and you certainly wouldn't have beaten Sara in the process.”
I narrowed my eyes at them, and the men erupted into flames. They were gone within seconds; not even dust left behind. But I was far from finished. I returned to my song and the destruction of Castle Snowflake Obsidian.
“You have the men!” Oonagh cried out. “You've had your vengeance.”
But she was wrong; I wouldn't have vengeance until this cursed castle and its evil queen were nothing but a black smear on the earth. I would burn every tainted thing Oonagh touched, and then my husband could wash the ashes away. A cleansing; that's what was needed.
There are still innocents here, Kyanite warned me as I sung. People who had no part in the attack.
But I was too far gone in my anger to listen. My magic was blazing too hot. There was no way to rein it in now; I had to let it burn. So, I pushed my pain into the power inside me and fueled the fire with more than just magic. I fed it my sorrow, regret, and, of course, my fury. I thought it would drain the emotions from me and free me of my need for justice.
But when there were only charred earth and molten puddles of metal before me, I felt no satisfaction. In fact, I was more furious than when I'd started. I had fed the flames instead of quenching them and had lost myself to their heat.
I turned away from the wasteland that was once a fairy castle and focused on the next sinner; Malachite.
; Chapter Fifty-One
I was halfway through burning down Malachite Castle when Darcraxis appeared. He shouted at me for awhile, but I was too consumed with magic and music to hear him. Finally, he made it rain and began to extinguish my flames. I narrowed my eyes at this and asked Kyanite to play a different song.
I can't help you any further, my love, Kyanite said sadly. You're taking this too far. You've had your vengeance, now please stop.
But I couldn't stop. The more magic I used, the more I was lost to the old me. I felt the righteous power of punishing those who had wronged me and mine. It was addictive; a heady drug that blinded me to its side-effects. I couldn't stop now; I had just begun. There were several kingdoms left that hadn't been punished for their parts in the attack on my temple. If Kyanite wouldn't help me, I'd sing without the music. But even as I thought about it, the song I'd asked him to play started.
I thought you couldn't help me? I asked him smugly.
I'm not doing it, Kyanite said grimly. This is all you.
I smiled wider as I remembered that Faenestra could make her own music. By joining us, I had freed all of my power. All I had to do was keep singing, and I could siphon off the excess before it strained my body. I had become so accustomed to the process that I didn't even realize that I was doing it anymore; it was second nature.
As the soft, sweet piano intro of Adele's “Set Fire to the Rain” began, I turned to stare down Darcraxis. I was using the song in its literal sense, and his rain instantly turned into liquid fire. My Light filled me and flared; feeding off these new flames. I heard stone cracking and crumbling while metal creaked and people screamed, but I continued to stare at Darcraxis. Because this wasn't just about winning.
I sang to him and my consorts—who were running among the fleeing shining ones; helping them escape. This was my goodbye to them; my farewell and fuck off, if you will. The lyrics were perfect; as if they'd been written for us. I had found love in the darkness, and it saved me once, but as strong as I had believed myself to be, it had made me weak. They had twisted my love and used it against me; lied to me and betrayed me. They should have supported me in this instead of opposing me, but they didn't want me to have justice. How misled I'd been by them.
So, I made them feel my sorrow.
My ex-consorts shivered and stopped what they were doing to stare back at me with Darcraxis. They could feel my accusations, disappointment, and disgust. They started to run toward me—doubtless to do more psychological damage—but I was done there. I was done destroying my enemies and done playing with my lovers. It was time to become my own woman and move on. Time for the Fae to have only one god; a goddess.
I blew them a goodbye kiss and left them there to sweep up the ashes.
Chapter Fifty-Two
I went home to Kyanite and made it clear to my people that if they were not with me, they should leave. They were welcome to stay in my kingdom but I didn't want anyone inside my castle who I couldn't trust. All of them chose to stay, and I thanked them by seeing to our safety. I put up a shimmering ward of Light around the castle walls. Nothing would be able to get past it; especially not the Dark.
When I felt secure, I went to my tower and began to plan. The day's activities had taken their toll on me, but my anger had only grown with my exhaustion. To attack my temple was an unforgivable act, but to do so while I was away—and to abuse my people in the process—was a cowardly, reprehensible deed that screamed for retribution. I had passed beyond hot fury and into cold calculations.
I only had myself to rely upon now so I needed to come up with a plan before I could rest. The next attack I instigated wouldn't just be a firestorm; it would be a targeted annihilation. I would manipulate it so that I wouldn't have to worry about hurting innocent creatures or jewels. I would punish only those who deserved to feel my wrath; my children. My disobedient, ungrateful, and evil children.
I absently ate the food that was brought to me by quiet servants; my thoughts focused on my next actions. I did wonder a few times about my lack of pain over the loss of my lovers. Yesterday, I had thought that my life would be empty without them. Now, I couldn't imagine living with them. But I suppose that wasn't so unusual when dealing with men.
“I decide what happens in my life,” I said to the Moon outside my window. “No man or god will hold me back or hold me down. Nor will any magic. I will destroy my enemies and reclaim my world. If that bastard Darcraxis refuses to leave, I will destroy him too.”
So simple really, but then the best plans usually are.
Chapter Fifty-Three
The next day, I woke to soft sunshine, and I stretched languorously within the warm rays. I dressed in a golden gown and ate my breakfast on the balcony as I ignored Kyanite's pleas. Then I went to Howlite.
The Howlite Kingdom, like Snowflake Obsidian, had been my ally when I fought against Sapphire. Their current betrayal was made sharper by their past friendship. So, their punishment needed to be special. I stood on a hill as I contemplated this and the castle. The soaring walls of Howlite Castle were a brilliant white color with veins of black running through it. The jewel blended beautifully with the surrounding area; pale green meadows and thick forests which led up to snow-capped mountains. Howlite was the coldest kingdom I'd been in so far. Too bad I wasn't planning on warming things up for them.
The Howlite Court was on high alert; knights patrolling the castle walls with unsheathed weapons and sharp stares. The Howlite Gardens had also been activated by the king; its stone guardians forming a powerful ward around the castle. As if that would protect them. I was the one who gave the stones their magic; they couldn't keep me out. I simply pictured myself within the Howlite courtyard, and I was there. Despite their heightened vigilance, no one noticed me for a good five minutes; all of their attention was focused outside of the castle. It was long enough for me to note the location of every soldier in the vicinity.
And then the music started.
It was just a few jagged notes at first; rumbly and low—enough to make the shining ones afraid. No doubt, they'd heard of the destruction in Snowflake Obsidian and Malachite. I shook my head at their foolishness. I had only attacked the castles; leaving the rest of those kingdoms alone—which I thought showed great mercy and restraint. If the soldiers and their king had been smart, they would have abandoned the castle and forced me to search the kingdom for them. Instead; they remained conveniently grouped in one location.
The simple intro of White Zombie's “More Human than Human” slammed into a jarring, blaring beat that permeated the whole place. I could feel it in my bones; vibrating in my teeth. When I added my voice to it, the power erupted like a volcano and flowed over everything within hearing range. At that volume, hearing range was significant.
The lyrics were abstract and strange, but they got the point across; I was the goddess who controlled their world and their lives, and I was about to rip it all apart. It felt good to shout out my dominance and snarl at their stupidity for challenging me. I gloried in every word; every vicious chord. But what I was working toward was the chorus; the simple line that would turn a long-lived shining one into a fragile human. More than human even. Or equal to; depending on how you looked at it.
Soldiers dropped to their knees around me as I took back the gifts I'd given them. All of my pent-up fury over what had been done to me lifetimes ago surfaced and it became about more than punishment for the uprising. This was payback for tearing me in two and forcing me into mortality. An eye for an eye and a mortal body for a mortal body. Let's see how they liked it.
The gift of long life— as close to immortality as they could get—was pulled from their cells. Their souls would go on, as all souls do. In that way, I suppose we are all immortal. But their souls wouldn't have another chance at life as mine did. Despite the widespread human belief, reincarnation wasn't for everyone. A soul had to be strong enough to resist the call of its creator to be able to return to life. I have no creator so I could return over and o
ver again. But the Shining Ones have me. The power in their cells—the extra life I'd given them—returned to me, and so would their souls when they died. They would become pure energy, and my soul would absorb that energy.
But I wasn't going to kill them today. No; I'd let them wallow in their mortality. I wanted them to know what life could have been like for them; had they not been fortunate enough to have me as their goddess. I wanted them to live as I had been forced to, and—most important of all—I wanted them to feel the sting of their mistake.
I strode through the castle and everywhere I went, shining ones fell at my feet. The instant removal of a piece of their life-force turned them into putty. They were a step away from the lifeless shapes Darcraxis had once formed. I could have easily slit their throats as I passed, and they knew it; I saw the helplessness in their eyes. But I only smiled viciously at them and continued to sing.
When I had made my way through the whole castle, I finally let the music and magic go. I walked out past the huddled heaps of fairies-turned-human and laughed.
“What? Don't you prefer to be human?” I asked them as they whimpered. “Isn't this what you wanted; freedom from your gods. Well, here it is. You're free now; your lives are your own. Of course, you have no magic and will die in a few short years, but what's that in comparison to freedom, right? Enjoy it, you fools. You should have worshiped me when you had the chance.”
I left them to their mortality.
Chapter Fifty-Four
When I tried to travel into the courtyard of Jasper Castle, I was bounced to a point outside its walls. I scowled up at the matte black dome covering the castle as I got to my feet.
“Darcraxis,” I cursed.
Just as my Light could form a ward that he couldn't cross, his Darkness could do the same to me.
“This has gone far enough,” Darcraxis said.