Hidden Runes

by G. Bailey

  I push the very heavy stone lid to the side, bit by bit, which takes a hell of a long time to do until it falls to the side. I sit up, looking around at the room I'm in. It's a tomb, and the floor around the casket I’m in is covered in flowers, some old and some new. The walls are littered with runes, hundreds of them are drawn in gold ink, yet I can’t read them to know what they are.

  I wipe my eyes of the tears, looking down at the white lace dress I'm in that reminds me of what my soul was wearing in Hell. My father is gone, and he is with my mum. I want to be sad, I really do, but a deeper part of me knows it is what he wanted. He never looked as happy as he did when he was holding my mum's soul. Thinking of them makes me certain of who I want to find now. My guys. They must think I'm dead, and I need to get to them.

  I climb out of my casket, walking barefoot over the floors and to the door. I push it open and walk out into the field just outside of the Protector city. As I stare, I realise the city is slowly being rebuilt and is no longer the rubble it was. How long have I been dead? I thought it was only a short amount of time, but that can't be so.

  I pull my arm up, placing my finger on my black mark and feeling for where Star is. My guys will be with her. I sense her and hold my hand out, calling a portal. The portal slowly burns up, and I jump into it. I walk into my old apartment in Scotland, where a shadow of a man kneels on the floor, an empty bottle of vodka near his feet and a dagger pressed into his chest. He sobs as he holds the dagger near his heart.

  “She isn’t coming back,” he mutters to himself, his eyes closed. “Just end this to see her again.” I scream, running across the room and pulling the dagger out of Trex's hands before he can do anything stupid. He looks at me like I'm a ghost he can't believe is here, and I look at him just the same. Trex is a mess, broken, and I can do nothing but cry as I pull him into my arms.

  "I’m here. My father saved me. It’s me. You don’t have to do this," I whisper to him, kissing the side of his face as he holds me tight. He suddenly pulls away, grabs my face with his hands, and stares at me.

  "I wanted to die. To find you," he tells me. “It’s been so long.”

  "Don't you ever talk about dying again. I am never leaving you again," I promise him.

  "Evie," he cries and kisses me. The kiss is emotional, painful, and god, it makes me feel alive as he deepens the kiss.

  "Trex, where the fuck are you?" I hear Nix shout, and the door is kicked open. “You best not have done something stupid—” Star runs in first, jumping on me as she does and knocking Trex out of the way. I hug her tightly, happy to see her.

  "Evie?" Nix whispers, coming over and pushing Star out of the way to pick me up into his arms. "I knew your father could do it. I knew you would come back."

  "I'm sorry," I whisper to them both, even Star who sticks her butt close to my back, making it clear she isn't leaving. Azi and Connor run in the room next, followed closely by Hali who cries out in joy. They all run to me at the same time, making my old apartment pretty cramped as they hold me close. We don't need to say anything.

  "Can you be the Protector that defied death just twice? I don't think I can take it anymore," Hali says, and we all laugh—and cry—a little. I may have lost my father, but I have my family.

  One Hundred Six

  "I don't love dresses usually, especially not ones that look like a Disney princess should be wearing it, but I love this dress," I tell Hali as I stare at myself in the full length mirror. The dress is made of several layers of dark blue fabric, and some of the layers have white stars embroidered so it looks like the night sky. The top has high shoulders, a low v-cut, and a blue train falls from the top of the shoulders. My hair is up in a bun filled with numerous plaits that have taken Cheri ages to do. Turns out she is one hell of a hairdresser in training. I lift my crown off the side, putting it in place on my head and smiling at Hali.

  "I know it's silly, but I wish my parents were alive to see this day," I tell her, and she comes to my side, her long purple dress is just beautiful on her.

  "They will be watching, so will my mum," she replies to me. There are a few knocks on the bedroom door, and I look around our new bedroom in the first tower rebuilt in the city. It has been a year since the war, and five months since I came back to life. I learnt the keepers changed the law while I was gone. They invited demons to come and live in and help rebuild the city. With money and a bit of magic help along the way, we have new houses built in over half the city and new wards up that protect everyone. As humans are now aware of the city, they have come to help us, almost like they could sense we saved the world for them. Or more like they love the money they get paid.

  The tomb I woke up in was also the final resting place for anyone that died in the war, and so many did. We resealed the tomb, and I made a vow to make sure no one will ever forget what they died for.

  "I guess it is time," I say, feeling nervous.

  "You've waited long enough to take your mates. I mean you guys already live together and do everything together," she chuckles.

  "You have a point," I say, pulling the door open to see two guards outside. That is another law the keepers made me agree to. With demons being in the city, we can't guarantee they are all okay with having a new queen and leaders. So, I have guards that follow me around and stand outside my private apartments. The guards follow us down the glass corridor that has shiny dark blue floors. I made a bit of a change to the gold colour scheme they had in here. I think midnight blue is a much nicer colour.

  "I can't wait to see the throne room. You know it's going to be cool," Hali says, grinning widely. I love seeing her so happy, so relaxed and chilled. I've made it officially known to the witches that Hali is my charge and an attack on her would be an attack on me. I may have suggested I'd make the witches wish they never existed if they touched Hali, and they sent back a simple agreement to stay away. Hali is finally as safe and free as she can ever be. The witches are a small race, and they couldn't fight an army like mine off. I hope one day they will be more accepting of Hali, but I very much doubt it.

  "Have you been having any more dreams?" I quietly ask her, watching her eyes as she shifts them away from me.

  "No," she answers.

  "So that means yes. When you're ready, I'm here to talk about them," I tell her.

  "They are real, aren't they?" she asks.

  "Your mum could see the future in her dreams sometimes. She said they come true unless she interfered with them," I tell her. "It was a family gift, and only your bloodline can do it."

  "Then I don't want to talk about my dreams," she firmly tells me. "They aren't all bad anyway." I spot the blush on her cheeks, and I laugh, guessing why she doesn't want to talk about it.

  "They are about a boy, aren't they?" I ask.

  "No!" she quickly says, looking away from me. I chuckle and wrap an arm around her shoulders for a second, squeezing tight as we get to the other side of the building. The guards rush ahead and open the glass doors, where I can see Azi stood on the other side in front of the restored large stone statue of my mum. Azi has on a black suit that stretches gorgeously against his body. Holy hell.

  "You're drooling," Hali teases, and I glare at her as we walk through the glass doors that the guards shut behind us.

  "Beautiful mate," Azi says, pulling me into his arms and kissing me like there isn't anyone watching.

  "You don't look bad yourself," I reply as he lets me go but keeps our hands linked. Low music begins to play in the throne room, and the guards open the doors enough for Hali to walk in before the guards close them again. Azi walks me to stand in front of the doors, and I look up at him for a moment.

  "Forever. We get forever now," I softly tell him, and he smiles like I said the best thing in the world.

  "Forever, Vi. Now let's get the rest of the men you love officially in your life for good," he says, and I look back at the guards, nodding for them to open the door. They open the big white doors, and I get my first look at the thron
e room full of hundreds of people on each side of the path in the middle. The walls are filled with blue stained glass windows that stretch from the ceiling to the floor. In the glass are paintings of our past, both demon and Protector, and even some angels I can see. The floor is all glass, looking like millions of stars under our feet. The throne itself is perfect for us, everything I could have imagined and more. There are five thrones, and the middle one is white whereas the other two on either side of it are black. They are covered in runes on the back, rising high into the room.

  Standing at the side of the throne is a row of keepers with Keeper Grey in the middle, but I only briefly look at him as I see my guys. They are stood proudly in front of their thrones, their eyes locked on me. I run my eyes over their suits, how perfectly handsome they look and how much I cannot wait to rip those suits off when this is all done. Azi slowly walks me down the aisle in the middle of my people; a mixture of both demons and Protectors sits in the seats to watch. I catch Keira stood near Seth and Cheri, and they all bow their heads with the rest of the crowd. I eventually see Hali, who stands to the other side of the thrones as my only family. I wish there was someone else to stand there with her, but nonetheless, I'm happy it's her. I smile at her, seeing how happy she looks as she smiles right back. Azi kisses my hand as Keeper Grey walks to us, and we stop in front of the thrones. Azi walks to his throne and stands tall.

  "Welcome, Protectors and demons, to this joyous and unforgettable day. We have fought long and hard times to get to where we are today, to get to a time of peace that I hope stretches past many of our lives. Today marks the start of our future as our queen chooses her mates who will be her knights," he says, his voice echoing around the room.

  "Thank you for everything," I whisper to Keeper Grey as he pulls out a dagger from his sleeve and holds his hand out. I slide my arm into his, and he very quickly cuts a tiny line across my black mark which stings.

  "Choose your mates and your knights, Queen Evelina, and may the heavens bless your choices," he says, bowing his head as he hands me the dagger. I walk to Azi first as it makes sense to go in a line, and we are already mated by words. Azi holds his hand out to me, and I cut a line across his palm.

  "I make you my knight," I whisper the words to him, wanting some part of this to be private. Azi places his cut hand against my black mark, and with a slam of magic, I feel our bond burst into life.

  "I am yours, and you are mine," he says the ancient words. "I will protect you until I die."

  "Maybe even longer than that," I whisper, making him smile before he sits down on the throne, and Keeper Grey announces him as my knight. I move to Connor next who cuts his hand, and before I can offer my arm out for him, he pulls me into a deep kiss that leaves me breathless and the crowd whispering.

  "I love you, Blue," he cheekily tells me and places his hand on my arm as he holds me close. I sigh as Connor bonds with me, and I get a rush of his feelings and love. It's everything.

  "I am yours, and you are mine," he whispers to me. "I will protect you until I die." Connor kisses me once more before leaving me in a bit of a daze as he sits down on his throne.

  "Come here then, love," Nix calls me over as I shake my head and walk over to him. He lets me cut his hand and says the words before we even make the bond.

  "I love you," I say to him as he places his hand on my arm, completing the bond. I know he loves me too, way before he can even return the words to me. Nix sits down on his throne, looking way too comfy as I move to Trex. Our relationship was chaotic at the start, and somehow perfect and everlasting now. I didn't know when I first met him that we would always be together, nor that we would be here now. I don't have the words to tell Trex, and I know he feels the same as I cut his hand, locking our eyes on each other as he covers my mark with his cut hand. A tear falls down my cheek as I feel his emotions, the pure concentrated love he has for me.

  "I am yours, and you are mine," he says, his voice echoing around the throne room. "I will protect you until I die."

  "And I will protect you all, too," I reply, knowing there isn't anything left to say. I can feel their love, each of my mates like a wave of love in my mind. I walk to my throne and sit down. The crowd cheers, standing up and clapping as Keeper Grey shouts into the crowd.

  "May Queen Evelina Ravenwood and her knights rule long and true."

  One Hundred Seven

  "Congratulations once more, Queen Evelina," Keeper Grey says as he stands near the door, the last one to leave the party. Hali has gone to her room with Cheri who has moved into the city and is going to the new Protector and demon school with Hali. I'm glad Hali has such a good friend when she struggled all those years in human schools to even make one friend that didn't judge her.

  "Thank you," I say, looking over my mates who are picking up empty cups and plates and throwing them into black bin bags. Who knew keepers and my friends could party and be as messy as they were?

  "I wanted to ask a personal question," he says, looking like he really doesn’t want to ask.

  "Go ahead," I say.

  "Have you read the letter Erica left for you?" he asks. "I don't mean to pry, but I can't shake the look on her face as she gave me it. I wanted to make sure it was read."

  "I actually forgot about it," I honestly tell him. "I will go and read it now though as I know where it is."

  "Thank you. I know there is no love lost between you two, but the dead do not usually make wishes to be ignored," he says and bows his head before walking out my apartment. I shut the door, feeling my mates looking at me before I turn around.

  "Erica left me a note to read, something she said couldn't be read until Cex is dead. Do you think I should read it?" I ask them.

  "Yes," Azi is the first one to answer.

  "It could give you the closure you need, Blue," Connor tells me. Trex and Nix nod in agreement, putting the bags down as I walk into the bedroom. I pull my wardrobe open, searching through my trousers that are hanging up until I find the one with the letter in it. I pull it out and go to the bed, sitting down as I break the seal.

  "Read it out loud," Nix says, and we all look at him. "What? I'm curious what crazy pants had to say." I roll my eyes at Nix as I open the letter and start reading it out loud:

  Dear Evelina,

  Part of me wants to never tell anyone my darkest, deepest and most hidden secret, but if I am to tell anyone, it is family. As I write this, I hope to beat you in the test and become queen, and this letter will never be read. If you are reading this, I know the test chose you as queen and you have killed my love.

  I grew up with family, and yet I missed out on my mother, and the keepers taught me how to be what I am today. I don't know if I am doing the right thing in my life, but for once, I'm going to do the most unselfish thing I can.

  I had a daughter, a beautiful baby girl with white hair and blue eyes that remind me of yours. Her name is Eella Ravenwood, and she is hidden with a human foster parent at the address on the back of this letter. I named her after our mother because I hope it will make her good. She is not like me or Cex; she is pure and innocent. If you are queen, and Cex is dead, then Eella is safe because the laws will be changed.

  I do not like you, sister, but I cannot deny that Eella needs family like you. Please save her. For family.

  And if Eella asks one day about me...tell her I loved her father so much that I could not see anyone else. No matter how Cex treated me, I loved him.

  Erica Ravenwood, princess of the Protectors.

  I drop the letter on my lap, completely speechless and shocked down to my very core. I have a niece out there, a little girl who has my mum’s name and my family blood.

  "Go and get her. You know you want to," Nix says, sitting next to me on the bed and taking my hand.

  "Bring Eella back to her family," Trex says.

  "You grew up alone, never knowing who you were, and we both know you won't let Eella have the same fate," Connor replies.

  "She is my niece, t
oo, and belongs with us. We aren't like her parents, and we can show Eella how to be good," Azi explains his feelings to me.

  "Are you all sure? It will change everything if we go and get her," I reply to them all. “I know I won’t have a princess brought up by just anyone. She would live with us.”

  "What do you want?" Trex softly asks.

  "To get my niece and bring her up," I say after a little pause. I thought all my biological relatives were dead, and I want to go and get her more than anything. I know what it is like to live alone out there.

  "And we want the same as you. We love you, and it is the right thing to do," Connor says. I lift the letter and turn it over, seeing the address on the back. Some place in London that I don't know.

  "I want to come with you, just in case there is trouble," Azi says as I stand up.

  "Good idea," Nix replies. "We will get this place cleaned up and ready for a kid to come back to. Maybe we can call some of the drunk keepers to get some kids’ stuff."

  "That will be funny," Connor replies with a grin, leaving the room with the others. I call a portal to the address, leaving the letter on the bed and taking Azi's hand as we walk through the portal to the other side. We come out onto the busy street, where there is rubbish littering the pavements, and the houses look like they are close to falling apart. There is a group of human teenagers at the end of the block of houses, on bikes and smoking as they laugh. One of them is blasting loud music from a speaker he is holding. Shit music at that.

  "Erica is such a bitch to leave Eella, a goddamn royal princess, in a dump like this," I angrily mutter, knowing this is no place for any child.