by G. Bailey
“It’s just a bow,” I say, and he shakes his head at me.
“Come with me. I want to show you something,” he says, still holding the bow and walking to the door. He holds the door open for me, and I walk out first, feeling a brush of magic over my skin. Trex follows me out and shuts the door behind us before pulling his sleeve up and pressing a finger onto his portal mark. A portal burns into view, and Trex doesn’t wait for me as he walks through it, leaving me no choice but to trust him and follow him through. I don’t know exactly when it was I started trusting Trex, maybe when they all saved Hali, but there is no doubt in my mind when I walk through the portal that I am safe. The portal takes us outside a gold building, in the middle of a garden of flowers. I can hear the sound of a bird chirping in the distance and running water, while the overwhelming sweet scent of the flowers around me is all I can smell.
“What is this place?” I ask him.
“Your mother’s private gardens. Now, it is a public place people can come to mourn or feel close to our lost queen,” he explains, and I’m silent for a while as I glance around the garden. It’s really beautiful here.
“She was really that admired, huh?” I curiously ask.
“Yes, very much. Even though I am too young to have known her, my mum loved her dearly and used to tell me stories as a kid. Then I grew up hearing of how she fought for what is right, told people love was worth fighting for and that one day there would be a peace like no other,” he says. “My mother said she met her once, and to be around her was to love her.” I nod, wishing I had had that chance to know my mother. The vision of her dying with me in her arms is all I have now.
“If she believed love was worth fighting for, why did she marry a man she didn’t love and have an affair with my father?” I question.
“I don’t know the answer to that. No one does, well, except your father maybe,” he suggests.
“You mean the angel that pretends I don’t exist,” I bitterly reply, and Trex grabs my hand, stopping me from walking any further, and I look back at him.
“He is a fool. Anyone that knows you is lucky, and how anyone could ignore you, I don’t understand,” he tells me. “You are someone to aspire to be like, to follow and to respect.”
“Careful, Trexy. You’re almost speaking like you like me,” I tease, and Trex stares at me strangely for a moment before he carefully speaks.
“I do like you, Evie. That isn’t the issue, and you know it. No matter how I feel…I won’t let Nix be destroyed,” he states, and I can’t say a word as I understand. Even if it makes my chest hurt. “Come here. This is what I wanted to show you in the royal gardens.” Trex turns and walks down a path, and I follow him silently, only seeing the tight muscles on his back. I spot other people on different paths through the plants and flowers, most of them are wearing hoods up on their gold cloaks, so I can’t see anything more about them.
As we walk, the sound of running water gets louder and louder until we get to a waterfall at the end of the path. The water fountain is made of gold, and it is of a woman shooting an arrow from a white gold bow with runes etched in the side. I recognise the woman as my mother, the carving is very good. Her long hair falls down her back, a cloak flows from her back, and she looks determined as she shoots the arrow. Water falls from the panel under her feet, speeding into the massive basin below where there are two young Protectors throwing in pound coins, by the looks of it, and they don’t notice us here. I pull my eyes away from them, back to the statue, where you can see her runes on her arms and ones on her forehead, with swirls spreading to her eyes and touching her cheeks. I run my thumb across the bow and humourlessly chuckle.
“This was my mother’s bow?” I question Trex, pretty much knowing his answer.
“Yes. Your mother’s favourite weapon, and it was said to be lost in the angel war. Clearly the keepers must have found it and wanted you to have it,” Trex replies.
“I know where I got my archery skills from then. I have always been a natural with a bow,” I suggest to him, staring back at the statue. The more I learn of my mother, the more it hurts that I didn’t get long with her. I can see she clearly loved her people as much as they loved her. So maybe being a good queen could be my way of honouring her. By loving her people. My people.
“Apparently it was the same for your mother. I remember your other sister, Emily, was very good with a bow, as well. I remember people saying she was the one that looked the most like your mother…now, I think it is you that resembles her the most,” he says, reaching over and picking up a strand of my blue hair, “except the hair, that is.”
“Can we stay here a bit before training?” I ask Trex, who slowly lowers his hand from my hair, his finger brushing against my arm as his hand drops. I don’t even pretend that his little touches don’t do something to me now.
“Of course. Maybe we don’t need to train to forget bad memories. We can just create new memories instead.” Trex doesn’t pull away as I rest my head on his shoulder and stare at the fountain. We stay like this for a while, me lost in thoughts of my mother and the city, with Trex being there to let me have this moment. Even though my grumpy Protector doesn’t say a word, his being there says everything about us.
Evie
“You have to be kidding. I can’t wear this in public,” I protest as I run my hands over the bits the dress doesn’t hide, looking longingly at my daggers I have had taken off me because there was nowhere to hide them. I ignore the chuckles from the guys behind me as I stare at myself in the mirror and wonder what kind of planet I am meant to be supporting in this getup. The dress—if you can call it that—is tiny layers of white fabric that just about wrapped around my private parts, and the rest falls to the floor in a gown. I wasn’t allowed to wear a bra or underwear because you can see it through the dress, and you can pretty much see everything else through the dress, too.
I will admit I really like my hair which is half up and down, with the top half designed into a crown braid. The Protector who did my hair also did my make-up. She then helped me into the dress before watching me from the door where she is now, a big smile on her lips. I glance at Topia, my helper, who has tears in her eyes as well as a smile on her face. Topia has brown hair, up in a tight bun, and a white dress on with gold strips of fabric designed into it. It’s a stunning dress, and at least she is covered up.
“You look so much like your mother. My mother used to help her get ready for events, and I am honoured to be helping you,” she says, and I know I cannot be mad at her when she is like this. I guess I’m stuck in this goddamn dress.
“You do really look beautiful, Blue,” Connor says from behind me. I glance behind me to see them all stood near the wall, and each one of them have their eyes on me like there is no one else in the room. The guys are all wearing white suits with gold ties, and they have all clearly made an effort to look amazing today. And extremely attractive, as usual. I wonder if it is a thing to wear white and gold to all blessings, as it seems to be a trend. There is a knock at the door, and Nix is the one who goes to answer it. Nix lets Keeper Grey in, who is dressed in a white cloak with a white suit underneath it. The cloak has gold runes designed into every bit of it, and as he moves they reflect off the light. Keeper Grey stops near me, placing a box on the bed right in front of me before stepping back.
“Now you look like a princess,” Keeper Grey states, running his eyes over my dress but not in a way that feels sexual. It’s more like I am an asset to him. Which I suppose, in a way, I am because he needs me to make sure Erica doesn’t get the throne. “Now open the box. This is yours. It will always be yours, and when you become Queen, we can add the sacred jewel to it.” I open the box when he finishes speaking, and there is a crown inside. The crown is gold with swirls and diamonds making it a beautiful design. I lift the crown out of the box and hold it in front of me. There is a gap in the middle where the crystal or something should be, but is so beautiful and well-designed that you cannot tell it is
missing anything.
“Your highness, please let me place the crown on you and secure it,” Topia asks, running over to my side, and I hand her the crown. I sit on the bed as she slides the crown into my hair and fixes it in place. When she is done, I walk over to the mirror and stare at myself a long time. Long gone is the girl who sat in the mud as a child, hungry and lonely…and scared. I now look fearless, determined, and like someone I never knew I would be. I look like a queen. I meet Trex’s eyes just behind in the mirror, and somehow he gives me the strength to look away from myself and that girl I used to be. I turn around and keep my head high, knowing that I need to be strong and show these people who I am. I may be an assassin who has a bad past, but that isn’t everything to me. I know I can be so much more than that, and I can help my people.
“Are you ready to go, your highness?” Keeper Grey asks me, his eyes proud, and somehow seeming to understand the change in me from one look.
“Yes,” I simply reply and walk over. We walk out of the room, and Star runs over to me, strolling at my side like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
“Having your familiar with you is a good thing for the people to see. They say familiars are a sign of power in royalty and only the blessed are given one,” Keeper Grey states.
“What is a familiar?” I ask, stopping in the middle of the lounge, and Keeper Grey stops to explain it to me while the guys all wait. I spot Topia bowing her head at me in the corner of my eye before she leaves my apartment.
“Familiars are special creatures that come to royals in the strangest of times but always when a royal is in need of one,” he explains to me.
“Are you suggesting Star is my familiar?” I ask in surprise. I knew she wasn’t an ordinary animal, but I never assumed that she was meant to be by my side in any kind of way. I thought it was just luck that Nix saved her. Now that I think about everything, Star and I are very similar. She had a rough upbringing in Hell, and I did on human streets. When we both met friends, we finally stood a chance at a life. Now Star steals my bacon, so she is a little thief just like I was.
“Yes—”
“I’ve won the Best Boyfriend Gift Award forever,” Nix interrupts to tell everyone, and the other guys just groan before someone whacks him. “Sorry, carry on.”
“As I was saying, Star is definitely a familiar. I would suggest that you place a familiar mark on her and make her officially the princess’s familiar at some point. It will give you a better bond, and she will be able to find you, and you will be able to find her. Most see familiars as an added layer of protection for important royals,” he explains to me.
“How do I mark her as my familiar?” I ask.
“I know this one because I remember reading about it. I can show you how later, if you want?” Connor suggests, and I nod at him gratefully as I press a hand onto Star’s head.
“We’ve always had this bond from the moment I let her eat some of my bacon,” I explain to Keeper Grey, who holds a hand out and makes a portal appear in the room before looking at me questioningly.
“Is bacon really that nice?” he asks, furrowing his eyebrows.
“Have you never tried any?” I ask him in horror instead of answering. A life without bacon…why would anyone choose such a life?
“Keepers are vegetarians. We only eat the food we grow ourselves as a thank you to the gods above who give us our powers and life,” he explains. Vegetarians like the angels. Yuck.
“The gods above also gave you bacon, not directly, but still. You have to try some sometime,” I say, knowing I’m going to cook him some bacon and try to tempt him with it.
“Should we get going before Evie tempts you over to the bacon dark side of life?” Nix asks with a low laugh, moving closer and passing right by me, walking through the portal first as I chuckle. Keeper Grey holds a hand out, suggesting I go next through the portal, something I have been wanting to put off. The moment I walk out there, I can’t hide in the shadows anymore.
“Come to the dark side,” I whisper to Keeper Grey as I slowly walk forward. “We have bacon.” Connor and Trex chuckle behind me whereas Keeper Grey looks so confused. Clearly the keeper isn’t a movie fan either. I shake my head and walk through the portal, trying not to gape at the sight in front of me. Or the screaming people.
Evie
I stand quite still in the middle of a gold stone pathway, staring at the Protectors behind a gold rope barrier who are screaming my name, jumping up and down. Some are throwing gold roses onto the path behind me and all around me. There are children waving at me like I am some kind of hero to them. All of it is so confusing. I decide to look around at where I am instead of at the hundreds of people who scare the crap out of me. There is a massive archway at the end of the stone pathway in front of me on a raised stone platform. There are steps all around that lead up to the top of the platform which is covered in white roses that shine in the sunlight. I can’t see what is inside the archway from here, only that something shiny is reflecting the sun in all directions.
As I look around at the people not cheering, I see Erica stood at the side, next to Protectors with large swords, and a row of keepers in hoods near her. Nix is stood to my left, and he winks at me in a comforting way as he knows this must be freaking me out. And my hands are itching to attack my fake sweet sister, but I know I wouldn’t get away with it. I just have to remind myself that I only need to hold out for a little bit, then I can make her pay for trying to kill me. Once I have the throne my sister so desperately wants.
The city is all around us in every direction, the gold buildings glittering in the sun, and surrounding us seems to be tall trees with gold leaves. More gold shit everywhere, like they don’t know there are other colours out there. It’s strange to see because the main human cities have glass buildings, usually a grey colour from the cement. The demon buildings I grew up around were all made of metal and broken brick—a wonder they were standing at all. It’s crazy to think the Protectors have so much money, and yet demons are out there struggling in the dirt because of who they were born to be. In another world, demons could easily rule and Protectors could be poor and hunted instead.
“This way, your highness,” Keeper Grey says as he gently touches my arm to snap me out of my gawking and dark thoughts of things I can’t change just yet. When I get the throne, I will find a way to help the demons, to make the laws fair and just. There will be an end to hunting demons because of who they are. I only have to convince the rest of the Protectors that demons aren’t the enemies they fear. That Hell has much worse things than demons who only want to be free and live. I freeze for a second, feeling unsure if a blessing for someone like me is a good idea, and overall just start to panic until I feel Star press her head into my side, and I glance down at her. Star is proof I am meant to be here. She is a royal familiar, and I know she wouldn’t just come to anyone. Erica doesn’t have a familiar, so doesn’t that say it all? I’m not the outsider anymore, and I need to start acting like it.
“Princess Evelina?” Keeper Grey lightly asks as I stare down at Star, feeling her protectiveness and almost her comfort before I look away to Trex and Connor who wait just behind me. They nod once, and I take a deep breath before looking back to the archway and starting to walk forward without a word. I try not to look at Erica, who stands in a black dress with a fancy black head piece on that has lace covering her eyes as I see her start to clap. She looks like she is attending a funeral. I bet she is hoping she is anyway. I can’t help but hope one day I will attend hers and wear something similar to spite her.
“The people are very happy to see you here today,” Keeper Grey points out from where he walks at my side. With the people still cheering and the light sound of music in the background, it is hard to hear what he said. I glance around me on instinct like I always do before I answer Keeper Grey. I see that Star is on my other side, Nix is walking in front of me, and Trex is protecting my back with Connor. They worked out this protection duty well.
“I don’t get why they are so happy,” I reply, relaxing a little as I know I am safe for a moment.
“Maybe it is because they see what I did when I first saw you. A real queen to follow. One that hasn’t been around since your mother’s rule,” he replies quietly, his words filling me with a confidence I didn’t have a moment ago. It also makes my heart ache for a mother I have to one day accept I will never be lucky enough to meet. I look back just as Nix gets to the archway, and everything seems to slow down as an arrow flies through the air towards Nix’s head.
“NIX, DUCK!” I scream, running towards him, and thankfully my warning makes him drop to the ground, the arrow just brushing past the tip of his ear, cutting it. My heart pounds against my chest as Nix pulls out his swords in a swift motion, swinging them hard to block two more arrows shot his way. The crowd of people drop to the floor, holding their heads with their hands as I search around the crowd and spot the shooter just as he aims for me as he releases Nix is too quick. An arrow flies through the air at me, and I duck quickly just as I see Nix drop one of his swords, sliding out a dagger and jumping in the air. He powerfully throws the dagger with his jump, and a few moments later, there is a scream from a man, and I know Nix hit his target.
“Evie, get back here!” Trex demands, but I don’t stop as I get to Nix, just as two large figures step over the rope, daggers in their hands. Seems the archer wasn’t alone. Nix stands up with me, and I nod once at him before charging at the figures, who I guess are men from their size. I duck as I get to the man in front of me, his dagger going around above my head as I charge into his legs, knocking him onto the floor. I jump on him just as Connor gets to me, grabbing the man’s arms and kicking the dagger away. I use my legs to hold the man’s down as I check that Nix is okay. He has his man in a chokehold, and the man is slowly going limp. I look back to see five more men on the ground, Trex holding a bloody sword, and Keeper Grey next to his side with daggers in his hand. I look down at the man under me and pull his hood off. The man is middle aged, I would guess, with a shaved head, and he glares at me with a look of pure disgust that you couldn’t make out as anything else.