The Red Queen

by Meg Xuemei X

  Lucienne flashed open her eyes. Ash watched her intently, waiting for her to call him to her and forgive him. She could read his silent message: he’d be at her side, comforting her. He’d have her in his arms and make her forget about her heartache and guilt and Vladimir, even for just a second.

  Her need for him was as great as his, but she resisted it, despite her body catching fire at his calling, at his scent.

  The poison of my love.

  CHAPTER 22

  BEACH AND BOYS

  Lucienne ran in her white tank and Capri leggings, her sneakers hitting the sand rapidly. The waves were high, the sun was bright, and she was tired. She kept running, no longer caring about the ridiculous sight of a squad of soldiers racing after her. She needed to get in shape. The poison had aggravated. It didn’t just cause her to slip into insanity; it often wormed its way into her lucid states. She felt wearier as days passed, as if being dragged under water by a chain, the iron grapnel at its end getting heavier every day.

  Someone raced past her guards. A second later, Vladimir fell into step beside her, running with her. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said between breaths.

  He’d slept for two days after he’d taken a portion of her poison into himself. She’d visited him several times and stayed with him while he remained unconscious.

  Color had returned to his face, yet he still had faint shadows under his hazel eyes. She wanted to brush them away. Lucienne slowed her pace and asked, “Shouldn’t you stay in and drink Aida’s black chicken soup?”

  Vladimir wrinkled his nose. “Your nanny is crazy. I googled the recipe. Black chicken soup is for women, particularly those who have just given birth.”

  Lucienne could barely hold back her smirk before her expression faded to something serious. “You looked worse than a woman after labor when you took in Blood Tear.”

  “I thought we’d gotten over that.”

  “We’ll never get over it,” she said. “You’ll never try it again.”

  “Have you forgotten I was the one who poisoned you?”

  Lucienne stopped, facing him in fury. “After all this time, how could you still think—”

  “Of all the people I could hurt,” he interrupted her, “I hurt the only one I love? I’d rather cut my hands off than hurt you. Let me do this for you, láska, and I won’t feel like I’m living in hell every second of the day.”

  “Don’t you know the poison will eventually take your life?”

  “The ritual says the poison will dissipate through my meditation and digestion. I’ll be fine.”

  “That’s not true. I talked to the Lama when you were out cold.”

  “That Khampa needs to learn to shut his big mouth sometimes,” Vladimir said.

  “Respect the man of god,” Lucienne said. “He said eventually you’ll be lost in the land of insanity and never return. The poison will reach its limit.”

  “I won’t let it reach my limit. I’ll be careful.”

  “Why is it so goddamn hard for you, Kian, and all the boneheads, to accept the fact that there’s no cure?”

  “The cure is out there,” Vladimir said stubbornly. “We just need to buy you more time. And that’s exactly what I’m doing—buying you time.”

  Even though he diluted the poison in her for the moment, it always came back. Nothing could quench the fire of the poison that pumped through her blood.

  But Kian, Vladimir, and the men wouldn’t listen. They refused to face the reality that one day her fight would be over. She must find a way—even using manipulation, lies, and threats—to stop their unnecessary sacrifice.

  “You should not trust the Lama,” she said. “We stole their Holy Sentinel of Tibet. Surely they hold a grudge against us, but since we’re too powerful for them to take the scroll back, they’re using you to get me.” She was opening his old wound—the Sealers had used him to get her and succeeded—so he’d voluntarily quit. She watched pain fill his eyes, but she spurred on. “This healing thing seems to work in the beginning, but it’s a sugarcoated weapon.”

  “I didn’t go through the ritual to become a weapon to hurt you.”

  “Of course you meant well. That’s how the monks could manipulate you. They took advantage of your desperation to save me. Didn’t we hear them confess before they chased us into the chasm? They exist to purge evil in the world, and they believe I’m the Darkness.”

  “Their perception of you has changed,” Vladimir said. “You now have their absolute allegiance. Someone reached them before I did and convinced them that you’d bring light to the world. So they revealed the secrets of the ancient healing. ‘So the Light in the world will be preserved.’ Those were the Lama’s words.”

  “Who was that someone?”

  “I overheard their whispers about a female of rare beauty, intelligence, and indeterminate age.”

  Did Jekaterina visit the monks before she came here? Lucienne mused.

  “And they said she was one of the old goddesses who still walks among us,” Vladimir added.

  “Everyone can tell how absurd and ignorant that sounds, but you—a skilled, modern warrior and a well-educated member of the royal family—still listen to their nonsense and try to kill yourself inch by inch?”

  “I’m not killing myself. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

  “Lucia.” Thaddeus stepped forward and passed her a phone. “It’s Bayrose. She said it was urgent.”

  Vladimir glowered, “What does she want?”

  “Bayrose, I’m in the middle of running,” Lucienne talked into the phone. “What do you need?” She listened for a few seconds. “I’ll get back … soon … How soon? How do I know?” She sighed at more of Bayrose’s questions and demands. “Fine, I’ll make it in five, or seven minutes ... I’m not doing rocket science. It’s a long way from my house.” She hung up and turned to the guards. “Guys, the running day’s over. They want us back.”

  “What is it?” Vladimir asked.

  “Jekaterina’s coming,” she said. “She has a breakthrough.”

  “Why didn’t Jekaterina call you directly?” Vladimir asked.

  “This isn’t one of Bayrose’s schemes to cut short our time together,” she said. “Dating me, you’re also dating my whole family, even though my family is always a mess. Try to be nice to Bayrose.”

  “Lucia,” Vladimir said in a measure tone, “my instinct says you shouldn’t trust this side of your family either.”

  “Her other side of the family—those who have sworn their fealty to her—have proved to be loyal and worthy,” Thaddeus said.

  Lucienne waved her cousin back into the rank of the guards. “If you ever had a good instinct, Blazek,” she said softly, “you’d have run away from me the first time you laid eyes on me.”

  “The first time I laid eyes upon you, I wanted you. And now I want you more than ever. Nothing—not even fate—can stand in my way.”

  Lucienne blushed. “Look what your instinct got you into.”

  “It found me a home, with you,” he said.

  CHAPTER 23

  SISTER IN LOVE

  Two people weren’t thrilled at the sight of Lucienne and Vladimir walking toward the mansion hand in hand: Ashburn Fury and Bayrose Thorn.

  Through the lens of her binoculars, Bayrose watched them from the rooftop of Lucienne’s mansion. The pair was cozy with each other. For the moment. Bayrose bit her lip and tasted blood.

  She’d waited for Prince Vladimir to emerge from his room this morning, but when he came out, he hadn’t wanted to talk with her, but had brushed past her and hurried out of the front door to pursue Lucienne.

  Jealousy was the bitterest flavor.

  How could he choose her mad sister over her? She was no less than Lucienne. Unknown to the world, she was actually the new Sealer founder, equal to the Siren. Even though she was in the shadows, at least for the time being, she could be more powerful than her sister. One day the world would know.

  It must be guilt and
pity that drove Vladimir to Lucienne.

  Bayrose wasn’t a total cold stone toward her half-sister. She’d been walking on the thin ice when she'd first come to Sphinxes. She’d tried to befriend everyone and volunteered in the medical facility to build up her reputation. How she hated the sight of blood and gore! She’d broken into a profuse sweat when she'd detected the Siren’s mind-probing ability. The Shadow in her had deflected Lucienne’s attempts. Bayrose had to constantly remind herself never to let her shield down. The Siren, though a wounded tigress, was still deadly and menacing.

  Before Bayrose could exact her next plan, a rare opportunity knocked on her window. As soon as she’d gotten over the initial shock of knowing the Siren was her half-sister, she’d actively pursued a relationship with Lucienne—a short cut to the heart of Sphinxes.

  Lucienne welcomed her. Bayrose was now a regular visitor to Lucienne’s house with access to her food, library, and her room. That led Bayrose to discover another weakness she could exploit—Lucienne’s concealed, yet deep longing for a close family tie.

  She’d studied the Sirens race and their history as a child, a requirement for the heir to the Sealers founder. Her half-sister had been surrounded by enemies in the Red Mansion in her childhood. Lucienne was merciless toward her enemies, but extremely loyal to her friends. Bayrose knew well how to feed her sister’s need for family acceptance, and soon she’d wrap the Siren around her little finger.

  She’d been amused when Lucienne had asked about their mother in a disguised careless tone. It nagged the Siren that their mother abandoned her, but raised Bayrose. Her sister’s hidden bitterness and jealousy greatly satisfied her. She would never tell Lucienne the true nature of her relationship with their mother.

  Jekaterina had no understanding of motherhood. Mom didn’t seem to possess human emotions, yet everyone sought her approval. Father had been one of the most brutal and controlling man she’d ever met, but he’d been a puppy in front of mother. Bayrose knew he’d always feared her.

  Had Jekaterina had her agents poison her firstborn? If Daddy had ordered the hit, Mom sure hadn’t stopped it. Bayrose felt cold air slither up her spine. But Mom had come to find a cure for Lucienne, and she’d been working in the lab day and night in order to save her elder daughter.

  Bayrose was out of her depth at the games Mother was playing. She was the founder now, but was Mom still the real power behind the throne, even when in Sphinxes? She knew that Mom’s followers were absolutely loyal to her, and they were many and powerful.

  It was ironic that the Siren and the Sealers had come together. But when the day called for Bayrose to take over Sphinxes, the Siren would be no more. The Sealers would be the only force that led the world.

  She wouldn’t allow herself to feel sorry for her sister, despite it sometimes being hard for her to see Lucienne’s suffering. She would not care for Lucienne. The Siren stood in her way to greatness. The blood feud of an eon couldn’t be erased by their shared DNA. The commission to wipe out the Sirens’ line had been imprinted in her blood at birth, just like her father and all the Sealers founders before them.

  For Bayrose, it was even more personal and urgent. Only when Lucienne was out of the way could Prince Vladimir come back to her and belong to her. She refused to live in the Siren’s shadow, and the Sealers would not settle for being a shadow power.

  Why has it taken them so long? Bayrose again trained her binoculars on Lucienne and Vladimir along the beach. The Siren threw her head back, laughing. Bayrose’s stomach churned. The prince must have cracked a joke. He used to tell jokes to Bayrose only. He used to make her laugh all the time. Now his teasing and flirting were for Lucienne alone.

  The sight of him still made Bayrose’s blood sing. She couldn’t help it. No one had ever made her feel this way. First love was first love, and nothing could replace that.

  Bayrose had called her mother, requesting she come to the mansion when Vladimir had gone after Lucienne. Then Bayrose had summoned Lucienne to break up her beach time with the prince.

  Wait, what was happening? Lucienne shoved Vladimir away. Were they fighting? Bayrose hoped she could hear their conversation. Lucienne yanked her tank top over her head. Underneath, she wore a lacy, white bra. She gave Vladimir a sultry look before her hands went to unhook her bra. The guards immediately averted their gazes. Lucienne twirled the string of her bra with a finger, then flung it at Vladimir’s face.

  Bayrose widened her eyes, only to realize that Lucienne was having another episode. The Siren’s reputation was spinning down the drain faster every time she lapsed! The gloating light in Bayrose’s eyes faded quickly when she saw that instead of turning his face away like the guards to preserve Lucienne’s virtue, Vladimir openly stared at Lucienne’s full, perky breasts, looking awed.

  Vladimir’s throat rose and fell. Lucienne giggled. Bayrose wanted to ram her fist into her shameless sister’s face. How dare that girl show her nakedness to Vlad? And why couldn’t he see how cheap she was? You won’t laugh long, Sis, Bayrose vowed. Your end is coming. I’ll make sure it comes sooner.

  His hand holding Lucienne’s bra, Vladimir jogged toward the Siren. Bayrose’s heart contracted. What was he doing? Was he going to touch her? Oh, no!

  With another giggle, Lucienne sprang toward the ocean and charged the waves. Vladimir dove into the water after her, and then half of the guards jumped in as well. Vladimir was an excellent swimmer. He could keep Lucienne safe, though Bayrose hoped her sister drowned. If drowning wasn’t possible, then let a shark be lurking in the ocean, hungry for the Siren’s sweet flesh.

  Instead of the shark, a beam of light dropped from the sky.

  Ashburn sat on a lighted, translucent motorcycle.

  Lucienne waved at Ashburn, then surfed on the wave, trying to impress him. The machine landed beside her, half under the water, where Ashburn lifted Lucienne from the wave and sat her in front of him on the machine.

  Vladimir was shouting angrily at his rival.

  Ashburn snatched a white robe from his lap and put it around Lucienne, covering her bare torso. The Siren twisted her body to look up at Ashburn, obviously flirting with him. She’d totally forgotten about her former flame, Prince Vladimir.

  It’s your wakeup call, Bayrose shouted inwardly at the prince. She’s nothing but a slut!

  The machine took off, carrying Ashburn and Lucienne in the direction of the mansion. Bayrose felt smoke emit from her nostrils. The Siren forever had tons of rescuers. Was it so hard for her to die quietly and exit the world in dignity?

  In an instant, Ashburn and Lucienne reached the mansion. They went straight for Lucienne’s bedroom balcony. Bayrose tossed aside her binoculars, lifted her long skirt, and rushed down the stairs.

  A guard stationed outside Lucienne’s door didn’t stop Bayrose from entering. All of Sphinxes knew Bayrose rescued their chief, and she was the Siren’s long-lost sister.

  Ashburn got off his ride and turned to Lucienne, who kept playing damsel in distress. She clasped her hands behind the neck of her knight in shining armor as he scooped her up. They were so wrapped up in each other that neither paid Bayrose any attention.

  Through a side window, Bayrose looked out at the beach. Vladimir raced toward the mansion as if his tail were on fire. The guards ran behind him.

  As Ashburn and Lucienne held onto each other, Bayrose prayed they kept at it until Vladimir’s arrival. She wanted him to see with his own eyes that the Siren was nothing but a whore.

  “As you can see, Ash,” Lucienne purred. “I’ve been naughty.”

  “You’re not yourself,” Ashburn said.

  “True. I don’t know what came over me,” Lucienne said. “It doesn’t make a good impression to swim naked in front of everyone, especially my guards. Do you think they’ll get over it?”

  “You might get over it, but I doubt they’ll ever forget that image,” Ashburn said grimly, as if his own virtue had been compromised.

  “What about you, Ash? You saw
me too.”

  “It’ll be hard to forget,” Ashburn admitted as he brushed Lucienne’s wet hair from her face. “But I see you differently.”

  “Do explain.” Lucienne flashed Ashburn a seductive beam, which made Bayrose sick to her stomach.

  “I see you not as the powerful Siren, but a kind girl I fell for,” said Ashburn.

  Lucienne raised one eyebrow. Bayrose hated to admit that her sister resembled Mom. She, however, took after Dad. But she shouldn’t complain. Daddy had been a handsome man.

  “Under your hard shell, you’re more compassionate than anyone,” Ashburn continued, “but your humanity has a certain complexity to it.”

  “That’s not the compliment I was looking for.” Lucienne pouted. “You should focus on my irresistible feminine side and fall for me harder.”

  Bayrose wanted to puke.

  But Ashburn said, “I fall for you every day, deeper than the day before.”

  Bayrose now felt a little crazy hearing men constantly profess their love for her sister.

  “That’s nice. Thank you,” Lucienne said, resting her cheek against Ashburn’s jaw. “Now I’m going to tell you something I haven’t told a soul.”

  “What is it?” Ashburn asked softly.

  They were so engrossed with each other that neither of them registered Bayrose’s existence, as if she was a piece of furniture. Though their neglect of her worked to her benefit, Bayrose really wanted to scream at them to force them to notice her. But she stayed motionless, her heart pounding at what Lucienne was going to reveal.

  “I’ve had this doomed feeling,” Lucienne said. “Lots of times I’m terrified when you aren’t around.” She clung to him. “Will you save me, Ash?”

  Ashburn’s silver blue eyes turned storm gray, as if he couldn’t bear to hear her say that. “Not this time, Lucia,” he almost sobbed. “I can’t save you.”

  For the first time, Ashburn’s raw brokenness got to Bayrose, making her feel sorry and awkward for intruding on his intimate moment with Lucienne, but it was too late for her to withdraw. All she could do was stay as quiet and inconspicuous as possible.