Winter Queen

by Erica Marie Hogan

  “We could search the woods, but I don’t think we’ll find anything. Finding Lady Astra when she doesn’t want to be found is impossible,” Ahmet commented, stopping on her left.

  Mirae looked to her Third. He was usually a quiet man, with a deep understanding of magic. An understanding Jaeger told her could help her in the days to come, despite her hesitancy to make him her Third. Ahmet rarely spoke in their command meetings ,and what he did have to say always had something to do with the dangers of dark magic or even the temptations of the good. Mirae didn’t understand him, but she liked how he handled a blade and maneuvered himself in shadows. With his trim, fit physique but average height, he went unnoticed by most in the dark parts of the city, and that was useful when Mirae needed a scout.

  “We cannot go on without our Prophetess,” Jaeger grumbled. “She anchors the magic for the circle. Without her, we will be helpless, and she knows it.”

  “Which is why I can’t believe she has gone far,” Mirae said, drawing all eyes. “You all know how Astra is. She likes to make us work for answers, so she will send us on a hunt for her until we are clever enough to see that she’s been under our noses the entire time.”

  “Only if she’s lucid enough.” Griyer snorted. “Half the time she’s in one of those trances of hers. If she does that many more times, she’ll go insane like the old prophets in our childhood stories.”

  “Let us hope not,” Mirae grumbled. “We need her lucid for the battles to come.”

  “Our queen is right.” Jaeger nodded his approval. “So, we will search the woods. We know she doesn’t like to be far from trees. Most likely she took her guards and found a safe place to make her own circle.”

  “I’ll take Eron and Onix. We’ll head south,” Ahmet said. “She always said the magic is strongest to the south when the wind turns cold.”

  “Lara and I will go east.” Griyer nodded to his wife as she stepped out of the shelter of the trees.

  “I’ll go west with Hyacinth. The woman might talk too much, but she’s a good tracker.” Jaeger puffed out a long breath. “It’s going to be a long day.”

  “And I will go to Quintaria.” Mirae’s announcement caused pause among the three men. “Do not look at me like that, Jaeger Senne. I will take Keats and Jhase. They will keep me perfectly safe in the city.”

  “Why do you think she would be in Quintaria?” The corners of Ahmet’s eyes wrinkled when he frowned, and he flexed his fingers around the hilt of his sword. “Astra hates cities. She’s only comfortable around trees.”

  “Which is why I think it would be just like her to hide out in the city.” Mirae grinned. “Quintaria is the last place we, or anyone else including Wraith Spawn, would think to look for a Tree Prophetess.”

  Mirae started away, and Jaeger followed quickly, cupping her elbow in his hand. “Is this wise, Mirae? You have already been spotted in the city, and we are certain some of the king’s spies went riding back to Sunkai mere days ago. He could have an army upon us any day now.”

  “There are no wise decisions then, Jaeger. If I don’t go, then we may never find Astra, and that is not an option. If I do go, I could be spotted, and that could mean certain death, which is also not an option. So, I must choose between both difficult decisions.” Mirae gripped his hand. “We will not last without Astra, you know that. Everyone knows that. So, I will do what must be done. I won’t stay cowering in the circle when I could be helping our people to move on. We will face enough hardship on the Kliat Plains without them having to sit here worrying about an army coming while we search the woods for Astra. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can move on, and the women and children never need to know she was missing.”

  Jaeger’s shoulders fell, and she knew he realized she was right. Smiling, she lightly squeezed his hand before walking ahead. Her heart was racing against her chest, but she wouldn’t let him see her fear. There was no point in letting him know she was afraid of going into the city. The knowledge would serve no purpose. Jaeger had to concentrate on searching the woods, on seeking out all the leads. Even though Mirae was certain she would find Astra in the city. Some might call her feeling a hunch, but Mirae was almost never wrong when she followed her instinct. Something was calling to her, something told her she would find what she sought in the city.

  Closing her eyes, she felt Brae’s sudden happiness and could almost hear her laughter. Mirae smiled. With a piece of her sister inside of her, she could not fail. This new magic would give her the strength she needed. This new magic would remind her what she was really fighting for.

  For the sister who set me free. To see her face again ... that is what I must fight for. And only Astra can help me get there.

  “Keats! Jhase!” Mirae shouted as she stepped into the circle, waving her arm above her head. “Get my cloak. We’re going to Quintaria.”

  Mirae hummed softly as she walked the streets of Quintaria. This city wasn’t like Sunkai with its streets dipping up and down over the hills. This was a flat city with wide roads and old, wooden buildings. The closest thing they had to a hill was the High City, where their appointed ruler lived with his family in their big log home. Mirae had been inside the Manor only once. The building wasn’t nearly as large as the Blood Keep, but it did have at least one hundred bedrooms with its own battlements made of heavy tree trunks, carved into sharp spikes. The Manor was surrounded by wood walls, rising high toward the sky to keep the creatures of the dark out. Mirae shuddered, realizing she now knew exactly what they feared.

  Smiling, she stopped at one of the market stalls. The silver-haired woman behind the counter didn’t even look up from her work, too busy was she weaving a new rug with brightly colored threads. That was something Sunkai didn’t have. The merchants in Quintaria worked openly in front of their customers, gaining their interest by showing the strength of their work and the effort put into it. Mirae admired them for being so bold, displaying the materials they used in front of strangers. Most in Sunkai were afraid their supplies would be stolen by the travelers who came and went on the ships, so near they were to the sea, but Quintaria was a city of trust. Mirae wished her father had brought her to visit here more often when she was a child. The city had been loyal to the Sundragon for decades and in the secrecy of their own homes, still were to this day.

  Mirae subtly gestured for Keats and Jhase to follow her as she moved on down the street, mingling with the people adorned in their bright cloaks and clothes. Quintarians weren’t just famous for their mint tea, but also their colors. Some said the custom was strange, considering the dullness of their city. But the people here always wore smiles, and their quality materials dyed in bright blues, yellows, and reds seemed to snatch sunshine right out of the sky and onto their streets. Mirae wished she’d worn her red cloak. She would have blended among the people better than in her dull brown. But, too late to change that now.

  “Are we just going to roam around the streets, or are we going to start asking questions at the inns?” Jhase appeared at her shoulder.

  “We will ask questions when I’m ready, Jhase. Have patience.” Mirae glared over her shoulder. “I’ll know if she’s close by.”

  “How?” Keats asked on her other side.

  “I just will. Don’t question my methods.” Mirae rolled her eyes.

  Maybe I should’ve come alone. Mirae reached for her necklace, smoothing her thumb over the curve of the dragon’s tail. The thin golden figure was warm against her skin this morning, the magic pulse stronger than ever. Perhaps because there was another presence, one Mirae could not name. She didn’t know who they could be, but they were there all the same, warming her soul through this powerful link between her and Brae.

  The crowd seemed to thicken around her as the sun reached its zenith. Mirae was sure she would’ve had a sign by now—she’d been sure Astra wouldn’t stay hidden for this long—not with the sun shielding them from the Wraith
Spawn. But there was always very little explanation for why Astra did things like this. Sometimes, Mirae wondered if she had already passed the point of insanity, believing she was never really lucid even when she seemed to be. Her strange way of talking and her appearance was so foreign to anything else Mirae had ever seen in her travels, making her wonder what was usual for Astra’s people. What part of this world did she really come from?

  “Let’s separate.” Mirae turned then to the two men. “We’ll each start searching the inns. Don’t speak Astra’s name and be discreet, please. If the people of Quintaria find out they’re sheltering a Tree Prophetess, they will come flooding to Astra for premonitions.”

  “We are supposed to protect you, Your Highness,” Keats rumbled, his big shoulders hunching where he towered over her. His eyes moved back and forth, glaring suspiciously at anyone who looked at Mirae twice.

  “You will know if I’m in danger,” Mirae answered. “We will find her faster if we disperse. Jhase, you take the Lower City, and Keats, I want you here in the marketplace. I’ll go to the High City.”

  Keats hesitated, struggling with her order. Mirae knew getting them to walk away from her wouldn’t be easy, but they needed to find Astra, and she couldn’t concentrate with these two watching her. Jaeger wouldn’t approve or allow her to do so if he were here, but he wasn’t so, she would do as she liked. Jhase slapped Keats on the shoulder as he passed him, bowing slightly to Mirae before he swept away in the crowd. Keats took his time, backing away slowly, never taking his eyes off her until he absolutely had to.

  Once he turned his back, Mirae started through the crowd, weaving her way through the throng toward the larger inns. The crowd grew thinner the closer she came to High City, passing by the goldsmith shops and a merchant’s wagon boldly displaying rows of shimmering jewels. Despite Quintaria being a city of trust, Mirae wondered that there wasn’t more crime here, considering how bluntly these people exhibited such expensive wares. Shaking her head, she stepped inside the closest inn, The Golden Dragon.

  Interesting. Mirae grinned, fingering her necklace as she stepped over the threshold. She seated herself in one of the corner tables, ordering a small pot of their famous mint tea and honeyed cakes.

  “Do you have many travelers here?” Mirae asked when the girl brought her tea.

  “A few. Mostly Kaldoners,” the young girl responded, avoiding Mirae’s eyes as she set the pot down. “There have been more strangers lately. My father says we are to be kind, no matter where they come from.”

  “That’s generous of him.” Mirae poured herself some tea, lifting the cup to breathe in the strong mint, which filled her senses, clearing her head instantly.

  “You’re not from Kaldon.”

  “No, I’m not.” Mirae cleared her throat. “I am actually looking for a friend. She would have come here with two companions last night.”

  “I’m sorry.” The girl smiled slightly, folding her hands in front of her. “We have had no new guests in a fortnight. We’ve been quite full up for some time. Some come and do not want to leave.”

  “Thank you.” Mirae sipped her tea.

  The answer was the same at the three inns she searched next. They were all full and had been for at least a week, no new guests had even inquired about a room, and there had been no guests in the dining room last night. By the time she left the third inn, her stomach was sloshing about with all the tea she’d drunk, and she was quite sure she’d had enough of the simplicity of Quintarian life to last her a lifetime. There was no sign of Jhase or Keats, and she was sure they would’ve come looking for her by now if they’d found Astra. Mirae progressed closer to the Manor. There was one more inn, resting in the shadow of the Manor, owned by the Ruler of Quintaria himself. Mirae hadn’t thought Astra would pick this inn, but it was the only one in High City Mirae hadn’t visited.

  Mirae approached, skirting around a group of soldiers. She kept her head down as they passed, tugging her hood a little further down over her forehead. They didn’t look at her twice, and she was thankful for that. At least, in this hood her distinctive red hair was hidden. These weren’t ordinary soldiers, these were the king’s spies, dressed blatantly in his colors of black and red. Those used to be her father’s colors—the colors of the king. Mirae still thought of them as such, and they were colors she would wear one day, proudly and rightfully.

  When she looked up again, she froze. He was standing outside the door like a guard, just as he did when he stood outside Astra’s tent. Braven dipped his head to her before turning, his cloak billowing as it caught in the wind. Mirae pushed passed the people between them, following him into the inn.

  The Wanderer’s Bed was the largest inn in the city and most likely the most expensive. How in eternity was Astra planning on paying for her room here? Mirae shook her head, deciding she would worry about paying the good innkeeper later as she followed the guard inside. She didn’t hear the innkeeper greet her, she was too busy searching the faces for Astra. But instead, she saw Braven again, standing at the bottom of the steps that would lead them up to the rooms.

  “Braven.” Mirae stopped at his side, gripping his arm. “Where is she?”

  “Upstairs.” The man’s eyes darted up. “She’s ... not herself.”

  Mirae smiled gently. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

  “No, Mirae, it’s different this time.” Worry flashed in Braven’s eyes. “She’s ... she’s slipping away.”

  Mirae frowned. “Take me to her.”

  Braven nodded, cupping his hand beneath her elbow to guide her up the stairs. Once at the top, Braven tugged her down the narrow hall and around the corner before they climbed another set of stairs. Mirae ignored the lump in her throat that grew the closer they came to the room. This was Astra, the woman who had counseled her, who had guided and encouraged her toward her fate. Surely, she was still the Astra Mirae knew. Surely Braven was exaggerating because he loved her. Everyone in their camp knew how the man felt about Astra, though none of them knew how he had fallen for her with her strange ways and her reluctance to talk to anyone but herself.

  Braven finally stopped at one of the doors, hesitating as he placed his hand on the latch. Turning, he looked down at her.

  “She hasn’t eaten anything since last night. All she does is pace and mumble. I’ve never seen her like this before, and I don’t know what she’ll do next.” Braven turned the latch. “Be prepared.”

  Mirae pushed back her hood as she strode into the room. She stopped, Braven standing right behind her as he closed the door after them. Astra was pacing the room, wringing her hands and mumbling, just as she usually did. Only she seemed altered, her dark skin tinted with a strange pallor and her silver eyes the clearest Mirae had ever seen them. They flashed, as though Astra was slipping in and out of prophecy, a symptom of the insanity to come, some said. Mirae shuddered. She never thought Astra would reach that breaking point, she never for a moment thought she might lose her Tree Prophetess.

  “Astra?” Mirae whispered, stepping forward. “Are you all right, my lady?”

  Astra spun at the sound of her voice, grabbing her by the shoulders in an iron grip. Mirae winced as the woman’s fingers tried to squeeze right through her skin, forcing the blood from her shoulders until she went numb.

  “Astra, calm down,” Braven purred behind her in the low rumble of a voice that always seemed to calm the Prophetess. “It’s Mirae, our Queen.”

  “There will be blood, Mirae Sundragon,” Astra whimpered, tears falling against her will down her cheeks. “There will be so much blood.”

  “Astra, it’s all right.” Mirae lifted her hands to the woman’s elbows, holding onto her. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

  “No!” Astra shook her head and suddenly, her eyes cleared.

  Her grip on Mirae loosened before her hands fell away completely, arms limp at her sides. She appeared compl
etely lucid as she looked in Mirae’s eyes. Her voice grew loud until Mirae was certain everyone in the inn could hear it; a deep purr which echoed against the wooden walls.

  “An innocent will be slain for a sacrifice, and the Abyss will enter the heart of the Kael princess. And so, the world will make its turn, and the first snow will fall.”

  The City of Sunkai

  “You know I do not approve of this plan,” Krow muttered, watching the guards from the corner of his eye.

  Navaria leaned against Krow’s arm as they waited at the gates of the Blood Keep. Since the one night they’d spent in Brae Sundragon’s quarters at the barracks, they had wandered the city, Krow searching for a reasonable inn that would trade with them. Navaria hated to part with the jewels given her by her father, but Krow said the expense was necessary. They needed a room where he could light a fire for her so she could stay warm. But if all went according to plan today, she would never have to part with any of the precious mountain gems her father had gifted to her ever again. Navaria looked up at her companion, and Krow managed a smile for her, covering her tiny hand with his large palm.

  “I know. But this may be the only way, Krow.” Navaria sighed, leaning her temple on his arm. “We have been in the city three days and have not set eyes upon Damari Kael. I must see her to know she is the one.”

  “Your Gift never lies, Navaria.” Krow frowned.

  “Perhaps. But the Gift is a mystery, and sometimes the prophecies have many meanings.” Navaria lifted her head when she heard stone doors opening on the other side of the gate. “They’re coming.”

  Krow stood to attention, his fingers tightening around Navaria’s hand. The guards approached, scowls on their faces when they looked at her veil. How suspicious these people were of those they did not understand! Navaria shook her head, the veil swaying against her face. But she barely felt the tickle of the light material when the Winter Queen appeared among the men. Her staff clicked lightly against the cobbled ground, those icy blue eyes stabbing Navaria critically.