Crowned

by Christina Bauer

  I popped my hand over my mouth. That’s just what Jicho had said. “Let him help you.”

  But to allow Rowan to die, body and soul? The thought made my ill. “You don’t mean that,” I said slowly. “You cannot want me to kill you.”

  “I do mean it.” His gaze stayed locked with mine, intense and determined. “This is the only way.”

  Every corner of my soul recoiled at his words. “No. There has to be another option. I saw Kila Kitu use hybrid magick to activate a gateway. There must be some means to use it to heal the gateways, too. If only the gods would let us try a few experiments…”

  “That’s not possible, even if enough time remained. We are infected with hybrid power. It will corrupt us, sooner or later.”

  “But what about Skullock Passage? Remember when you set me free from the gateway? Cords of purple light and power wound up your arm. I’ve been thinking about those quite a bit. Maybe that’s the key to our spell.”

  “The gods needed eons to master hybrid magick and gateways. Gods, Elea. What can we do in a matter of seconds or minutes? We must live out our destiny.”

  “The Sire and Lady are powerful entities, but they aren’t all-knowing beings.” I couldn’t help the edge of anger to my voice. “You don’t know what they’re capable of. Some of the worlds they rule call them tyrants. Mlinzi and Walinzi can’t stand them.”

  “Mlinzi and Walinzi, you mean the trickster gods who stole my memories as well as your ability to cast spells?”

  “They’re tricksters. It’s what they do. But I believed them when they told me about the Sire and Lady. The beings you call gods have turned sour. It’s why their hybrid magick went rotten and they can’t charge up the gateways themselves.”

  “No, it’s like I told you. Hybrid magick always corrupts.”

  “I’ve met the Zaidi. They wield hybrid magick and have never turned into bubbling tar monsters.”

  “And I met the Lady of Creation. She told me these things herself. We have to follow her plan.”

  I folded my arms over my chest. I couldn’t believe this was coming down to a war of words with some missing deity. “The Lady spoke to you, eh? So why isn’t she here to tell us this?”

  “The Sire and Lady aren’t like us. The rules of appearing and disappearing vary for them. As I told you, the Lady pulled my soul to her realm and that’s where we spoke. I truly believe what she had to say.”

  I knelt before Spirit-Rowan. “Listen, I don’t want to die here. And I won’t murder you, either. We can use our hybrid power to heal these gateways. That’s what I believe.”

  Rowan stared at me for a long moment. At last, he spoke again. “And what about Viktor?”

  My heart sped. If Rowan was asking me questions, it meant he was considering what I had to say. I was convincing him. I began speaking in rapid-fire style. “Viktor wants to kill the Sire and Lady and take their place. I’m naturally stronger with hybrid magick, but Viktor learned some tricks too. That’s why he created the Changed Ones and drained Necromancers. It’s why he created that army.”

  “All the more reason for me to die. The Lady explained it all to me. Once the arches are recharged, there is no more reason for Viktor to plot and scheme. The balance of our realms will be restored. If we don’t heal the gateways, our very world will fall apart. Then, everyone will perish.”

  “No, we can use our hybrid magick on the gateways.” My voice shook. “At least, we can try.”

  “How? My mortal form still doesn’t remember you. We can’t go back to the way things were.”

  “Of course, we can.” I pulled the hilt from my pocket and pointed to the blade set into the wall. “You can release that blade, can’t you?”

  “It’s held by a spell. The blade will be released once you promise to heal the gateways, either with your life or mine.”

  “I refuse to accept that.” I pointed at the stretch of wall that held the rest of the Sword of Theodora. “I will find another way to get that blade and once I do, I’ll reform this Sword. There’s other magick at work here. Mlinzi and Walinzi promised me that once I had the full Sword in my hands, I’d be able to cast again and you’d regain your memories. We’re so close to being able to fight for our future. That’s worth fighting for, isn’t it?”

  “Things have gone too far, Elea. There’s so much you don’t know.”

  I didn’t like the resigned look on Rowan’s face. “What do you mean?”

  “Viktor is imprisoned on the other side of this gateway.” Rowan gestured behind him. “This arch is most important one for hybrid magick to lock down, and the longer we delay, the closer Viktor gets to figuring out how to escape again.”

  I stared into the gateway. Under the arch, white curls of smoke twisted in perfect spirals. Magick. And it wasn’t purple, blue, or red in shade. This was someone else’s power entirely. And since it was coming out of the gateway where Viktor was exiled? He truly was about to break through.

  “Viktor is right behind this very arch? How is that a good plan?”

  “This is the Lady’s scheme. She wanted to place you right before Viktor’s gateway so you can see how dire things have become. You must promise to wield the Sword now. This is what it means to be a ruler. We make sacrifices.”

  I hadn’t heard Nan, Jicho, and Mrefu enter the temple, but then again, I hadn’t been paying much attention to anything but Spirit-Rowan. Now, I could sense them steal up to stand beside me. My gaze skipped between each of their faces. “You knew this was coming, didn’t you?”

  “You are being tested,” said Jicho. “I’ve seen it from the beginning.”

  “Everyone who steps into the temple is given a choice,” added Nan. “You must do what’s right.”

  I stared at the blade in the wall, my mind whirling through options and plans. Back on the MAJE, Nan had said she came here before to be tested. And Jicho had said that Rowan would want what was best for me. Was Rowan’s own brother asking me to kill him?

  “I can’t kill my mate,” I said simply.

  “But I’ve seen you take up the blade,” said Jicho. “You kill Rowan’s spirit here in this temple. I hate it, but it’s what has to happen.”

  “Don’t forget, that’s what Rowan’s soul wants too,” added Nan.

  Mrefu added his thoughts into the mix. “Kila Kitu trusted you to do what is right. Promise your life or Rowan’s. Set the hilt onto the blade and the magick will release it. It’s the only way to recharge the gateway and prevent Viktor’s invasion.”

  When I spoke again, my voice was a hoarse whisper. “No.”

  “But I want you to do this,” pleaded Spirit-Rowan. “My conscious self knows nothing, yet my soul realized what must be done. That’s what the Sword has always been purposed for. Look around you.”

  For the first time, I really scanned my surroundings. The dolly-mechs stood in clusters of three. In each case, it was the same two figures who knelt on the ground. My eyes widened with recognition.

  There were many Eleas who were not me.

  And many Viktors who were not Viktor.

  In all, there were hundreds of variations of our face and body. Kila Kitu said this had happened for thousands of years. How many of us had died for the Sire and Lady?

  Behind each kneeling pair stood another figure in a long bronze cloak, the hood drown low to hide their face.

  “I see you still do not believe,” said Spirit-Rowan. “Show her.”

  With those words, the dolly-mechs came to life. With a series of clicks, all the versions of me and Viktor bowed their heads. The figure behind them raised a bronze version of the Sword of Theodora high.

  That person was the executioner.

  And in this moment, Spirit-Rowan wanted that executioner to be me.

  My heart railed against the idea. I gripped the hilt more tightly in my palm. “I told you. I will make this Sword whole again.” I stalked up to the wall and set the hilt against the base of the blade. It slipped into place with a soft click. After that,
I tried to pull the Sword from its holding place in the wall. For the trickster’s spell to be broken, I needed to filly grasp the sword

  And so I tried.

  And tried.

  My fingertips became bloody with the effort. I wouldn’t give up, though. Closing my eyes, I summoned fresh magick into my body. I couldn’t cast a spell, but enhancing my strength never needed an incantation. Back on the farm, I’d used magick to help chop wood and scare off suitors. Now, I’d use the same power again, only to end this insane cycle. Within seconds, the bones in my arms glowed with indigo-colored light.

  Perfect.

  Raising my fists high, I slammed them against the stone, bronze, and wood of the gateway. Blue sparks exploded everywhere. For a time, there was nothing but my fury, the Sword, and the gateway.

  CRASH!

  Great cracks formed in the arch. The Sword was still intact, but the gateway was splintered. Gears that had lain flat against the wall now sat at odd angles. Spirit-Rowan’s body glowed more brightly than ever before.

  Then he disappeared.

  Panic streamed through my limbs. “Rowan!”

  As if in response, white spirals of magick came to life under the gateway. I gasped. Viktor. Had he been waiting here this entire time, looking for his chance to strike?

  Beams of pearlescent light poured out from the gateway, twisting across the floor like so many snakes. The sense of magick became so thick, the air sparkled with its power. Quick as a whip, the cords of bright light wound Nan, Mrefu, and Jicho. The three froze in place for a moment. After that, they all collapsed to the ground. I rushed over and checked them.

  All of them were in an enchanted sleep.

  Another flare of white light pulsed from the gateway. Sure enough, a tall man appeared on the other side. Like always, he had lean features and dark robes. My insides twisted with fear and hate.

  Viktor was here.

  I wanted to tell him a thousand things. How he’d made so many mages suffer with his experiments. What he’d done to my life with his insane curse. That he had no right to touch Rowan’s soul. The only thing I got out was a single word. “You.”

  “Yes, me.” Viktor’s lean features twitched with rage. “That was a rather entertaining scene. I enjoy watching you fret over nonsense. You want to know a secret?”

  “No.”

  “Ah, but you’re lying. Do you know how I can tell?”

  I shook my head. Still, a burst of white mist poured out from the gateway, settling against my skin to encase me in a thin sheen of magick. My body froze. I could no longer leave the spot or look away. It was another form of possession spell, just like what had been cast on Echo, only this one controlled only my body but not my mind.

  “I know everything about you,” said Viktor slowly. “Because you are my very own sister.” He waved me toward him. “Sending magick outside the gateway is massive drain on my power, and I muse conserve my energy for what is to come. Enter into my realm and I’ll tell you all about my plans.”

  Viktor stepped off into the light that streamed from under the gateway. Meanwhile, Nan, Jicho, and Mrefu remained in their enchanted sleep. For my part, I tried to run away, but my limbs wouldn’t obey the commands from my brain. My skin still gleamed with the power of Viktor’s spell, confirming the fact that I was trapped.

  Once again, I mentally cursed those damned trickster gods. What I wouldn’t do if I could cast a counter-spell?

  Even so, there was no point dreaming about incantations. Thanks to the possession spell, my body had no choice but to heed Viktor’s demands, and so I followed him into the ethereal light.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Stepping through the gateway, I found myself in a space made entirely of white light. Brightness stretched off in every direction; there wasn’t even a horizon line. Only one figure stood out in full color: Viktor. He loomed over me in his long Necromancer robes, the drawn-out features of his pale face set into a mask of false calm. Deep in his eyes, there burned an inferno of rage.

  Viktor bowed slightly to me. “Let us speak of the truth here. You owe that to me, at the very least.”

  “I owe you nothing.”

  His pinched face radiated a single emotion: rage. “Do you see this horrid prison you locked me in? You’ve no idea what a terror it is to be limited to monotonous brightness.”

  I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “Terror? Being here is far less terrible than having your magick drained until you’re dead. Or having your arm ripped off and replaced with that of an animal familiar.”

  “I did what I had to in order to survive. Gathering Necromancer magick into myself is essential for the upcoming war with Oni and Yuri. And I simply had to have an army.”

  “You talk about destroying Necromancer and Caster lives like it was nothing.”

  “Isn’t it? You and I are special. We live by different rules.”

  Turns out, Viktor isn’t the only one who could scowl with proficiency. “I am not your sister.”

  “Don’t be thick. Didn’t you ever wonder if we were related? By now, you’ve surely seen the versions of us throughout history.”

  I paused. Were Viktor and I indeed related? I turned the idea over in my mind; it didn’t seem possible. “My only parent was my guardian Rosie. You are no brother to me. You forced me here with a possession spell to spew nothing but lies.”

  “And how do you suggest I demonstrate the sincerity of my actions now?”

  “Free me from this possession.”

  “Done.” Viktor waved his arm. The bright lights faded from my skin and I could move freely once more. There was no question about the first thing I wanted to do with my new-found mobility. I gestured to the gateway behind me. I couldn’t see anything beneath the arch, but I knew Mrefu, Nan, and Jicho were magickally asleep on the temple floor beyond. “And what about my friends?”

  Viktor shrugged. “They’re not possessed, obviously.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Oh, you mean their lives. They will be perfectly safe.” Viktor waved his hand. “Now that I’ve proven myself in good faith, how about we talk a while?”

  “No.” I started to turn away.

  Viktor sighed. “Fine. Walk away. Be my guest. While you’re at it, keep living in ignorance about who you are and what you can do.”

  I hated myself for listening to the man. And I loathed the fact that I didn’t have a quick response to what Viktor had to say. But most of all, I couldn’t stand the fact that he was actually making some sense. If I was going to heal the gateway, then I did need to understand hybrid magick. Unfortunately, Viktor wielded it well enough to create the Changed Ones. He might be able to help.

  Turning again, I stared into the face of a man that—if I were being absolutely honest with myself—could very well be my brother. Viktor had killed and tortured thousands of mages. Doing anything with him was a terrible idea. But Viktor also held some valuable information. In the end, there really was no choice about what to do next.

  “What do you want, Viktor?”

  “Glad to see you’re ready to discuss some unpleasant realities. I’m impressed. Let’s chat about our parents, shall we?”

  “My parents are already dead.”

  “No, our parents are alive. We’re the children of none other than the Sire of Souls and the Lady of Creation.”

  My head turned foggy as I thought through every memory of my childhood. I never knew my parents. The reports of their death were just that: writings on sheets of parchment. Even so, it seemed impossible. “We are not their children.”

  “Odd to think of them as having limitations, but when they reproduce, they always create twin offspring, a boy and girl, and we continually look rather similar.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. Foul as this news was, it did make sense. “You were raised in the Eternal Lands. That’s why you knew how to go back and forth through gateways.”

  “Doesn’t every child learn how to sneak out of th
e house? And yet, they had you raised on earth to become more compliant. That didn’t work now, did it? You’re rather bullheaded. But their schemes did succeed in one respect. It was good for you that I didn’t know you existed, otherwise I’d have drained your powers as an infant. No offense meant. I simply like to drain things of magick.”

  My body felt numb. “This doesn’t seem real. The Sire and Lady are my parents.” There were so many times I’d yearned to know them.

  “You have my pity, sister mine. I can’t imagine the cruel heart that would plant their own child with a human guardian. Plus, they took no interest in you until you came into your powers. And only then, they wished you to train In Necromancy so you could one day power their precious gateways.”

  His words cut into my soul. Indeed, I had spent many years trying to squeeze my life into that of a farm girl merely because I thought that was what my parents would have wanted. All the while, they only wanted to fatten up my powers so they could destroy me. “So, we share loathsome parents. Not sure how that matters now.”

  “On the contrary, I think it’s quite important. Our parents are horrid beings. Hybrid magick always goes sour with them. However, with you and that little Creation Caster king—”

  “Leave Rowan out of it.”

  A malicious gleam lit up Viktor’s eyes. “Again, she proves herself to be the blundering fool. Aren’t you even going to pretend that dolt isn’t your weak spot? Do you know nothing of how other Eleas have been manipulated into giving up their lives?”

  I kept my features perfectly calm, which was a bit of an achievement. “Why don’t you just tell me what you want from me?”

  “It’s a good thing you got more natural hybrid magick ability, dear sister, because you’re a bit dim in the brains department. I figured out how to manipulate hybrid power in a mere ten years. It took our parents twenty millennia.”

  “As I recall, you were raised in the Eternal Lands. I’m sure that helped a little. Doesn’t the Sire of Souls—I mean, our father—have quite the extensive library?”