* * *
I was sitting at a big, round, stone table, surrounded by members of the Council. The high-pointed arch windows let in lots of light, so there was no need for torches. In an effort to look halfway presentable, I’d tossed my hair into a bun and dressed myself in a long, velvet dress. It was hard to put much thought into my appearance when I felt like every day was a slow death. My heart was nothing more than stone. There were so many matters that needed my attention, and I resented the fact that Victor was gone while life went on as usual for everyone else. His subjects loved him and mourned him, but life had to go on. Our city was close to being overthrown by Ethano. That was only one problem; a million more had sprouted up all around us.
As we plotted to send out more soldiers, a man burst through the doors. “I have the most distressing news!” the tall man declared.
“What is it, Lyhi?” I asked.
“Ethano has taken over Plyth and Myrr!”
My jaw dropped as the room erupted in gasps and mutters. “Two more countries? He’s growing stronger by the minute.”
“We have to stop him,” one of the Council members shouted. “He wants nothing more than to take over Tastia.”
“He’s coming back for you, my Queen,” Lyhi said.
I shuddered at the thought. “He needs me for something beyond revenge, though I have no idea what.”
“We must put you in hiding,” Lyhi said, concern written all over his face. “We will not have our beloved queen taken from us.”
The others nodded their heads in agreement and starting whispering ideas to one another.
I was impressed by their concern and loyalty, and I adored them, but I wasn’t a coward. I made eye contact with them. “I will not run and hide. I must fight.”
“But your life is at stake,” one of them retorted.
I stood, as if to make a bold statement. “Yes, but I will have no kind of life if Ethano gets away with what he’s done. I will hunt him down and cut off his head for killing Victor.”
The Council members cheered me on for my bravery in demanding Ethano’s blood.
“We will put a stop to Ethano’s reign of terror,” I said. “We need to find his weakness and devise a plan.”
“Victor’s brother should be here in a few days,” one of the men said. “He’s agreed to take Victor’s place. Perhaps we can reason with Ethano, convince him to leave our land alone.”
“And why would Victor’s brother make a difference?” I asked.
“He is on peaceful terms with Ethano.”
“Then who’s to say he wouldn’t hand me over to the lunatic?” I said. I’d never met Victor’s brother, but trust was not something I gave so easily in a land where revenge and betrayal were running rampant.
“Ethano has also accused you of Victor’s murder,” Saul said.
My heart lurched. How could anyone ever accuse me of that? “What?”
“He and his men said you lured Victor there with romantic intentions, then poisoned him. He claims that when he walked in the temple, Victor was already dead. Some of us have been wondering what you did with his body.”
I gasped as murmurs and shocked whispers broke out across the room. “How could you even say that? And why would you believe our enemy? I loved Victor more than anything in this world or mine!”
I could not fathom that some members of the Council were actually turning on me, believing Ethano’s ridiculous lies. The Royal Council was free to say whatever they wanted at meetings, with no fear of punishment or reprimand, but their accusations nearly shattered me.
Lyhi stood up in my defense. “That is nothing but nonsense!” He motioned to one of the soldiers. “Get this traitor out of my presence.”
“No, wait. He’s allowed to state his opinion,” I said.
“Not when it borders on treachery!” Lyhi said. “Ethano is trying to divide us. It’s the oldest trick in the book.”
“Throw me out of here if you wish,” Saul said, “but that won’t stop the rumors from circulating. No one witnessed this supposed ceremony except the queen and her sister. Think long and hard about that. The whole thing sounds ludicrous! Why would Ethano want to be a shape-shifter?”
“I didn’t say that he wanted to become one. I said he wanted shape-shifter abilities. It would be a whole new kind of power and deception that he could wield. You all know how power-hungry and insane he is!”
Lyhi pointed to the door. “Get him out now!”
The soldiers escorted Saul out as I tried to calm my racing heart.
“My Queen, would you like a glass of water and a short break?” Lyhi said.
I let out a long sigh. “No, let’s continue. I only hope none of you believe those lies. We have other items to discuss, and we should go on with the meeting now.”
I didn’t think things could possibly get worse. As if Victor’s loss hadn’t already ripped my heart in two, now I was being accused of killing him. Just as horrible, Ethano’s plans to take over the world were coming to fruition. I did not know how we could possibly fight someone who was becoming so powerful so quickly, his armies growing in number every day. He was coming for me, and I didn’t even know why. Ironically enough, the time when Victor was gone was the time when I needed him most; I had no idea what to do or what commands to give. I had no choice but to let the military handle the battle plans and our defense. They would fight to the end, and so would I. I absolutely refused to give up.
Lyhi met my gaze. “I may also have some good news, milady,” he said.
“What could possibly be good news in all this mess?” I asked.
“One of Ethano’s men has a loose tongue. He mentioned that Victor is alive and is being held captive.”
I froze, except for my heart, which thundered at the thought. I’d been desperately searching for any glimmer of hope, and Lyhi’s words had given me that. Suddenly, all sorts of questions flooded my mind. “What?” I asked. “But…how? I mean, I saw—”
“Pay no mind to those rumors, my Queen. You shouldn’t grasp for false hope. It’s only a trick,” one of the members said.
“Yes, I fear Ethano is behind this loose-lipped accident. He’s playing with your emotions,” another said. “He’ll do anything to get you to come out of the castle.”
“I don’t care. In case it’s true, I want to talk to this soldier,” I demanded.
Lyhi’s shifted his stance, as if he was afraid to deliver more bad news. “We tried to bring him, but we were attacked, and he was killed.”
“Oh. Do you think they killed him on purpose so we couldn’t question him?” I asked.
“Either that, or Ethano staged the entire thing. He doesn’t care who dies in the wake of his mind games.”
I didn’t know what to make of it. I started to feel faint as a wave of dizziness rushed over me. Somebody handed me a glass of water. I took a sip, excused myself, and rushed out of the room, overwhelmed all over again.
Music floated through the air as I walked through the double-doors to an enclosed courtyard, trying to make sense of everything. I refused to allow Ethano to trick me ever again. I wasn’t sure what kind of sick game he was playing, but I had to know if there was any truth to the soldier’s claims.
I stared at the arches and columns that were wrapped in green ivy with tiny white flowers. The sun shone brightly as fair maidens stroked their harps and played their dainty flutes on the terrace. I was surrounded by blooming flowers and birds, singing happy tunes as they fluttered about. It was so peaceful there, and it brought back wonderful memories. Victor and I often ate lunch in that very spot, then talked for hours. My gaze lingered on the place where we’d often sat, under the shade of an oak.
Liz approached and placed a hand on my back. “I heard the news.”
“That I killed Victor or that Victor might be captive somewhere?”
“Both.”
I clutched my heart. “How can anyone even think I’d plot Victor’s death? I don’t care about being the sole
ruler of this kingdom. I only stayed in Tastia to be with Victor because I loved him.”
“People love rumors, sis. There will always be gossipers among the crowd, and people love a juicy story. Think of this as the medieval version of one of those gossip magazines.”
“You’re right. I know the truth, and you were there too. I’m not even going to give their rumors another thought. We know what really happened.” My eyes suddenly welled up with tears. “Do you think there’s any truth to that soldier’s claims? Do you think Victor is alive?”
“Don’t let Ethano pull you into one of his sick fantasies. He’s trying to torment you. As you said, we know what really happened, horrible as it was. We both watched Victor die before our very eyes.” She let out a long breath. “I’m going to make that jerk pay.”
“Not if I beat you to it,” I said.
“We cannot let an evil, wicked tyrant like that gain full control of this world,” Liz said.
“I know.” I gripped my sister’s hand. “Thanks for staying here with me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She embraced me, and I hugged her tightly.
“I still can’t get the thought out of my mind,” I said. “What if he’s alive?”
“Oh, Sarah. Don’t let him do this to you.”
“You just don’t understand, do you? My world is painful, my heart torn in two. Grief can be a very lonely place. I can’t help grasping at hope, even if it is like grasping at straws.”
“So what are you thinking?”
“I’m going to do some detective work,” I said. “I need to find out more.”
She cocked a brow. “But the soldier’s dead.”
“So we’ll try another angle.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“Let’s start with that enchanted book Ethano had. I want to see what he needed for that spell to work. Maybe that will explain what happened to Victor. I’d have an advantage over Ethano if I knew what he needed me for.”
“It’s called Sham’s Book of the Dead,” Liz said.
“How do you know?” I asked, but before she could answer, I waved my hand at her and was on my way. “Never mind. I’ll find it,” I said before I rushed down the corridor, making my way to Victor’s bigger library.
It wasn’t like the library I was used to in California, where shelf after shelf dominated the entire plain room. This was a giant room that was anything but plain. Old, leather-bound books and rolled-up manuscripts sat on richly decorated, gold shelves that were built into the walls. There were books on everything from medicine and literature to history and philosophy. Jacaranda-like tables were set up in the middle of the room for reading or studying. My gaze shot up to the frescoed paintings on the ceiling; the amazing detail and colors always took my breath away. Then again, the decorative features sculpted in gold and wood adorning the room were pretty breathtaking too.
“Wow,” Liz said. “This place is gorgeous. It’s like stepping into an intellectual treasury. Look at all these books!”
“It’s spectacular, isn’t it? It sure beats an e-book.”
“What’s an e-book?” Liz said.
“It’s…oh never mind. It’s way too hard to explain. Sometimes I forget how long you’ve been gone from the twenty-first century.”
“Just tell me later. We need to split up and start looking.”
I nodded.
My eyes began to blur after a while. Some of the books were written in languages I couldn’t possibly read. There was one scroll in particular that I wished I couldn’t read: a love letter, written by Victor, pouring his heart out to Della. “I don’t believe it,” I said.
Liz glanced up from the scroll she was reading. “What?”
“Look.”
She read a few lines, then shrugged. “That’s ancient history, Sarah.”
“I know, but I can’t help being a little curious.” I touched the fancy lettering, admiring the elegance and boldness of the gothic calligraphy. The details on the edges and corners of each letter and stroke made it unique, smooth, and beautiful. Victor had the most amazing handwriting, but he was quite the artist, so I wouldn’t have expected anything less. I envied that love letter; if I’d have had one of my own, I would have cherished it forever.
My sister’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Just remember that Della was his past, and you were his future. He wanted to spend the next thousand lifetimes with you, not her.”
“I wish we could have,” I whispered. “It was the only thing I loved about being Immortal.” I stared at the black ink on the yellow paper, then skimmed it. Victor’s touching words moved me, and I felt a pang of jealousy as I felt the love and passion he had for her.
“What does it say?” Liz asked.
“That he loved her more than the stars, the moon, and time itself. For some reason, that woman shakes my confidence.”
“Sarah, Victor loved you, not her,” Liz reminded me sternly.
“I wonder how Della took his death,” I said. “I’m sure she’s heard about it, wherever she’s hiding. It’s big news.”
“I’m sure she’s devastated and…” Liz pointed down at a big, black book. “This is it! I recognize the symbols on the cover.”
I rushed over and anxiously began thumbing through the countless pages. After an hour of hunting, one of the illustrations caught my eye: a picture of a queen with a crown, holding hands with a tiara-topped princess. In the middle of the two was a sliver goblet, just like the one Ethano had used. “I think this is what we’ve been looking for.”
“It’s a shape-shifter spell,” Liz said, studying the pages. “Do you know what this means?” She paused, then continued before I could answer. “He killed Victor because he wanted shape-shifter abilities to add to the long list of powers he already possesses.”
My eyes widened as she read the words.
“He needed two Immortals who were related, connected by blood, and they had to come to the temple on their own free will. One had to be a queen, and one had to be a princess.”
I blinked. “We’re sisters, so there you go.”
She nodded, then continued, “A shape-shifter was needed as well. The shape-shifter would be sacrificed first, and two beams of light would sprout from the life force.”
“I remember that,” I said grimly, unable to forget the blinding moment.
“The queen would be sacrificed next, followed by the princess,” she said. “The light would then bathe Ethano, giving him shape-shifter abilities from the sacrifice on the table.”
My mind swarmed with confusion, and my heart palpitated in my head with a determined hope. A shape-shifter? Maybe that wasn’t even Victor on the table! Maybe Ethano only commanded the shape-shifter to look like him to torment me! The thought that my beloved might be alive sent a tear flowing down my cheek. There was no guarantee that I’d find him alive, but I couldn’t give up hope. Victor was my light in that dark world, and I hoped he was still flickering somewhere.
Liz tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Ethano wanted you to think that shape-shifter was Victor, but why? I mean, I know he’s a cruel jerk, but that seems a bit nasty, even for him.”
I pointed down at the book. “Look! It says here that anger fuels the spell.”
Anxiously reading, she said, “The queen…” She pointed at me. “…you had to be upset and angry when the beam sucked up your life force. He broke the connections between us. Both of us walked into the temple on our own accord and weren’t forced. He had his two blood-related Immortals, a queen and a princess, and he had his shape-shifter. He also had you mad as hell so anger could fuel the spell. Seems to me all the pieces are in place, so what went wrong?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m glad. If the spell had worked, we’d both be dead.” More thoughts crossed my mind. “Wait. Ethano’s priests said I was still connected somehow, presumably to Victor. He must be alive somewhere! But I don’t feel connected.”
She blinked. “He seemed
positive he had turned off your connection, and you said that he’d broken it when he’d attacked you before.”
“I’m sure he did,” I insisted.
Liz put a hand on my back to comfort me, and I sucked in a trembling breath.
“I’m going to find Ethano!” I shouted, adrenaline surging through me. “I need answers.”
“No,” Liz said. “The shape-shifting spell didn’t work, and he wasn’t fazed in the slightest. He’s dangerous, Sarah, and he knows something we don’t.”
“You’re right. He has a hot temper, and he’d planned everything out to a T. Why wasn’t he more angry?”
“Because he found something when he was looking through the second book. Now he has bigger plans, and we both know they somehow include you.”
“So if the shape-shifting spell didn’t work because an attached life force still exists, that must mean I’m still connected to Victor, even if I can’t feel it. Maybe there’s a short or something. Maybe Ethano forgot to clip one of the wires.”
Liz let out a breath. “I don’t know how he screwed up, but it’s likely that he’ll try to make good on his mistake and try to finish the job.”
My head throbbed. “Gosh, it’s hard trying to put all the pieces together.”
“If Ethano used a shape-shifter for the sacrifice, why didn’t we see green blood?” Liz asked.
I shook my head. “He could’ve tricked us with all that smoke and magic. He’s very powerful, and he can control what people see, using illusions. He needed me to see Victor being sacrificed so I’d be angry, so the spell would work. How cruel is that?”
“Where’s Victor then?” Liz asked.
“I don’t know, but he’s alive somewhere!” My heart jumped at the thought of him being alive. I hugged Liz as tight as I could, hope and excitement washing over me.
Eternal Fire - Book 3 of The Ruby Ring Saga Page 9