“Do you have a copy of the Book of Truth?” Heath asked. Evangeline squinted her eyes. She was surprised he even knew what that was.
“Over there, I think. In the credenza drawer.”
The Book of Truth was a collection of all the events that had taken place since the beginning of the world, when man was created by the Divine One and placed in the garden of good and evil. It accounted for everything that had occurred after mankind was cast out of paradise and retold how the earlier tribes of the earth spread out through the lands.
When Heath had the book in hand, he sat on the edge of her bed and began to read.
You were the garden of the Creator;
Every precious stone adorned you:
Carnelian, chrysolite, and emerald,
Topaz, onyx and jasper,
Lapis, lazuli, turquoise, and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.
When he was done reading, he gently closed the book and looked at Evangeline expectantly.
“I don’t understand,” she said slowly.
“I thought so,” Heath replied, “so let me show you.” He angled his body closer to hers so she could see better, then opened his hand palm up. Suddenly, a ball of faint white light hovered whimsically above it, sending soft shadows dancing across the chamber walls.
“In the beginning, the Divine One created the heavens and the earth,” Heath began. As he spoke, the ball of white light split, and hovering over one hand was light, and in the other was a void of darkness. “He formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life, and the man became a living being.” Heath recited verbatim from the Book of Truth.
“From man he created woman.” The silhouette of a male appeared in one hand, replacing the void, and the figure of a female in the other. “And from there the Creator placed them the garden of Paradise.”
He removed his hands, and the silhouettes remained hanging in midair, while around them the air transformed into the likeness of a garden: vivid blue mountains and green hills surrounding lush plants with one tree in the middle. A large fruit, bright purple, pulsed on the center tree, and Evangeline watched as the female silhouette sauntered over to the tree and snatched the fruit off of it. From there she gave it to her mate, and they both indulged greedily in it.
“How is the relevant to the Living Stone?” Evangeline asked, distracted by the silhouette puppets moving about the dream garden as if it was real. Heath removed his hands, and the colorful illusion floated before them like a live play whose stage was a billowy cloud. Heath continued on seriously.
“There is an ancient power in this world that binds together all things in the universe. It surrounds us everyday, invisible and silent, yet governs all the forces of our earth. The story, as it’s recounted in the Book of Truth, says the decline of man came after our progenitors were cast out of Paradise, after eating the forbidden fruit. But up until that time, they walked alongside the Creator. You see, the Divine One is the embodiment of good. His is also the giver and the receiver of this ancient binding power. All the stones listed in the book were present in the garden at the same time He was, so just like everything else in the garden, they are filled with the power used to create the earth.”
“Lapis, lazuli, turquoise, and topaz,” Heath chanted over and over again till Evangeline understood the correlation between the stones. He waved his hand and the image of the dreamy garden vanished. Replacing it in even more magnificence was the bright image of each stone he had listed, rotating in the air as if they were on display, and glowing with a cool cerulean light.
“All the stones all blue,” she whispered. “And all different.” The Queen paused, thinking deeply. “So you’re saying that everything in the garden was consumed by this ancient power?” Heath nodded, his eyes bright with excitement now that she finally understood.
“The ancient power of the earth is immortal. It has existed since the beginning and will never die,” Heath explained. He scooted closer to her. “And it’s entirely possible for the one who recorded such history to make a simple mistake and overlook the fact that one of the blue stones in Paradise was actually azurite.”
“You think the crystal that my men are currently mining is one of the original Stones of Paradise?” Evangeline asked skeptically. “That the garden was located in what is now Samaria?”
“We don’t know exactly,” Heath replied with downcast eyes. “No one has ever been able to confirm the location of the garden. But Samarian mines are the only place where such a crystal can be found, the only place in our Realm where precious stones are abundant. The same stones that are listed in the Book of Truth,” Heath added.
Evangeline sat still for several moments taking in everything Heath had just told her. It didn’t make sense at first, but the more she stewed over it, the more she convinced herself that it could be possible. She had seen what Heath was capable of doing, how he wielded weather, fire, and light as if it was as natural as breathing. Therefore, it was easier for Evangeline to accept the likelihood that everything Heath explained to her about the garden was true. Immortal life on earth did exist, and his kind was on the verge of uncovering it.
“Have you reconsidered my offer, Queen of Samaria? Now that you know the truth,” Heath suddenly asked, his hushed voice slithering through her thoughts like a snake. Images of Paradise, magical blue stones, and ancient forces of nature danced inside her head like a puppet show. She toyed with the edges of the lace blanket separating her from the man she’d invited into her chambers before looking up into his ageless face.
“Yes,” she sighed. “And no…” She licked her parched lips, moistening the skin, before telling him what it was that she really wanted.
“I want the Elixir of Life,” Evangeline whispered with an earnestness she’d never felt before. “I want to taste its sweet nectar on my tongue. Feel its rejuvenation flow through my mortal veins. I want its ancient magic to sustain me forever.”
“You don’t know what you ask,” Heath said forcibly, but without anger.
“But I do!” Evangeline spat back rashly, wheezing slightly in her illness. “Do I have to tell you the same thing I told that dimwit Leonardo Santini? This,” she made a wide gesture with her arms, “is my country.” She jabbed a finger on her chest. “My mountains. My azurite. My people. And I do with them what I want.”
The Queen suddenly felt dizzy, like her ailing body couldn’t keep up with the passion she felt at that single moment.
“With immortality, no one will ever be able to take this away from me,” Evangeline continued. “Not the Sovereign Alliance, not Olger Guttensen, and especially not my daughter.” There was a wild lunacy in her eyes as she spoke. “I’ll be given the opportunity, every generation, every century, every millennia, till the day the earth dies, to prove to the world how great a ruler I am. That I am as good as my father whose legacy I struggle to fulfill.”
“I know you don’t understand,” she muttered. “But as an immortal Queen, I will have a new opportunity to remedy the shame I’ve brought to myself, and to Samaria.”
Heath mused momentarily over Evangeline’s heartfelt monologue. He stared at her, admiring the rosy cheeks that came with her fever and the bright blue eyes as deep as an endless sky.
“I see no other option but to concede to your request,” the emissary said sadly and with regret. “If this is what it takes to get the azurite to my Master. But in return, you have to do exactly what I ask regarding the future of Samaria’s mining industry. Do you understand that?” Evangeline nodded fervently.
“This is no small wager we make,” Heath tried to exhort. “I’m telling you, Evangeline, that you must do exactly as you are told in order for this to work. All of your pride and conceit must be humbled when dealing with me, and you must accept that we are a team working together.”
Evangeline had turned a little redder as the emissar
y counseled her, and Heath knew he’d offended her by indirectly calling her a snob. But the Queen didn’t retaliate, and took the criticism with grace. She gave him a level setting stare.
“And in return you will help me win this war,” she stated. It wasn’t a question; it was a demand. “In return you will provide me with the Immortal Drink.” It was Heath’s turn to nod his head.
“There is a lot at stake regarding this arrangement between you and I,” Heath said darkly. “And in order to give me and my Master peace of mind that you will be cooperative, I need you to make a vow with me. A binding pledge that will ensure all parties’ interests in the agreement will be satisfied.” The emissary seemed to grow larger in the confined space next to Evangeline’s bed, just like he did two nights ago, and an ominous shadow seemed to creep over his face.
“What are the terms?” the Queen asked, sliding her tongue over her dry lips one more time. “Will I be forced to die a long and painful death if I don’t do as I’m told?”
“No,” Heath mumbled back as his mouth curled into a sinister smile. “That would be far to generous, now wouldn’t it?” Without asking her permission, the emissary slid his arm across her chest and grabbed her right wrist. Tightening his fingers around it, he flipped it over so the tender flesh underneath was exposed to him. The Queen gave a small gasp of surprise.
Heath did the same, placing his hand palm up on top of hers. Immediately, the black and grey lines of his tattoo began to glow like the red-hot embers of a fire. The images began to contort and change as the color became richer and brighter until it hurt Evangeline’s eyes look at.
“I’m giving you one last chance to back out,” Heath told her, but Evangeline didn’t flinch, not even in the uncomfortable position.
“These are the terms of our vow,” Heath recited darkly. “If you fail to fulfill the above mentioned duties, it is not death that will follow, but the immortal life you so superficially crave. However, the life that you live will be one of constant suffering, agony, and pain. In your mind, you will only be left with the foulest memories of your mortal life. Every day, over and over forever, you will relive all of your mistakes and experience the same debilitating regret. In your heart, only the feelings of, discontent, bitterness, and guilt will remain. And of your beauty…that too shall perish. You will see only a wrinkled, deformed old maiden in every mirror in which you gaze. Do you understand the conditions on which this vow is drawn?”
Evangeline’s mouth had gone dry again. She tried to wet it, but nothing would help. Despite Heath’s dire warnings, the yearning she had to indulge in the Elixir of Life outweighed all the consequences of not helping to create it.
“And what of you?” Evangeline asked. “Are you not part of this deal also?”
“I will experience the same end if I fail,” Heath replied grimly.
“Then I accept your terms,” Evangeline whispered, her head dizzy with both fever and the sudden force of the ancient power as it moved between her and the emissary.
His tattoo still glowed, increasing in both luminescence and intensity as the lines of magic crossed from his arm to hers, forming a crisscross of sizzling energy like a bridge between them. Evangeline held her breath as she watched the glowing power settle into to her skin and become completely absorbed till nothing remained except the darkness of her chambers. She exhaled sharply, as did Heath, and they both looked at each other as if they’d just revealed the most intimate secrets of their lives.
“Now, Queen of the North,” he whispered, “this is where it starts to get hard.”
Heath’s heralding words, in addition to the eternally binding vow she’d just made with him, caused shivers to run up her arms and neck. The Queen found herself suddenly frightened.
“My Master requires more shipments of azurite delivered per week than what we are currently receiving. You claim there are excess shipments waiting to go out but no way to get them to my Master.” He looked at her, and she confirmed the statement with a firm nod.
“You want me to use the river, don’t you?” Evangeline asked.
“Ah! You do listen!” Heath exclaimed, resulting in a scowl from the Queen. “But yes. Transport by waterway is the most logical route, and it needs to start as soon as possible.”
Evangeline was turning a deep crimson again, this time from anger and not from her fever. She held the ends of the blanket up to her chin and was gripping it tightly.
“And how do you expect me to do that?” she snapped. “Right now my entire army is being slaughtered by the Nomans. By tomorrow night they will have taken Alumhy! You’re out of your mind if you think there is a way I can safely sneak shipments of crystal through Noman occupied lands and begin moving them down a Noman occupied river!”
“I think Olger Guttensen can be bargained with,” Heath said sharply, but the Queen knew better. She’d witnessed what Olger Guttensen was like, and Ambrose Cornwell’s warning to her reverberated loudly in her head every time she thought about the repulsive Overlord.
Tyrants cannot be negotiated with!
“I want you to marry the Noman Overlord.” Heath said it so simply and so casually that at first, it didn’t even register with Evangeline what Heath was asking.
“What!” she blew up at him when she finally realized what he said. “No way! Why would I even consider doing such a thing?”
“Because it’s the logical course of action…” Heath tried to respond.
“No, it’s not!” she yelled back before relapsing into a brutal coughing fit. Heath stood up and began pacing back in forth next to her bed, taking this opportunity to keep talking while the Queen was busy composing herself.
“Evangeline, there is very little chance that the Samarian Guard is going to defeat Olger’s troops. I’ve told you that from the beginning! So either you surrender to Noman rule or strike a deal with him in order to save your country from being completely destroyed. In order to protect the azurite mines, I’m suggesting the latter.”
“Why would Olger even consider entering into a marriage partnership? He doesn’t need me!”
“You’re wrong about that,” Heath replied. “He wants your land, your gold, and your gems. Yet Olger Guttensen doesn’t know the first thing about mining in the Anion Mountains. By disposing of you, he is disposing of generations of extremely valuable knowledge. Evangeline, you are a Daughter of the Mountain. Olger needs you in order to raise Samaria and Nomanestan up into one great, powerful nation, which is his ultimate plan.”
We could be good together, you and I. If you just decide to stop fighting me, that is. Together our lands could rule this entire Realm.
Olger had expressed interest in ruling with her, although Evangeline knew he’d only be using her to get what he wanted. That’s what the Nomans did.
“How do you know he just won’t kill me when he’s done using me?” Evangeline asked bitterly.
“Because I won’t let that happen,” Heath assured her. “Your cooperation is vital to the success of creating the Elixir of Life.”
They looked at each other for a while, and Evangeline’s eyes were full of hopelessness.
“I can’t, Heath,” Evangeline said with a tight voice. “Marriage is a sacred institution. By conjoining with Olger, I’d be betraying everything that the Samarian citizens have fought so hard to preserve, their freedom. My people would never forgive me. I’d be an enemy in their eyes, and they hate me enough as is. Please…don’t make me do this.”
As she looked at him, her blue eyes became inflamed with hate. “You promised me you were going to help me with this war,” she accused. “You lied to me! Just like all your kind are liars!”
“What do you think I’m trying to do?” Heath cried out defensively. “I’m advising you on how to defeat Olger and keep him from leveling Samaria!”
“I won’t do it!” Evangeline screamed hysterically, the skin of her body burning through her gown both from the sickness and from her seething temper. “You can’t make me, you man
ipulative Slythos!”
“Evangeline, be careful!” Heath advised, but his voice seemed muffled and far away. “You already agreed to help me. You already made the vow. There is no turning back now…
Suddenly, the room around Evangeline seemed to go dim and cloudy, and the outlines of her chamber furniture faded into shadow. Then everything disappeared into nothing but a dense fog.
“Heath?” Evangeline called out nervously. The image of him standing before her disappeared into blackness, and her voice got sucked into the void that was pulling her inward. Evangeline squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the heels of her hands into them as fear ransacked her mind.
She had no clue what was happening. Everything that she’d just seen and witnessed was suddenly gone. Had Heath done something to her? Put her under some sort of enchantment? Or was her mysterious illness now infecting her mind? She sat there in the darkness of nothingness for what seemed like an infinite amount of time before shapes seemed to slowly refocus, one after the other like a domino effect.
She held her breath in anticipation as the cloudy world melted away and was replaced by a light so brilliant Evangeline thought she would go blind just by looking into it. With her blood rushing to her head and apprehension quivering through her body, Evangeline risked opening an eye to peer into the brightness.
She was standing outside, underneath the shade of a Sugarpine tree, and the pale light of a Samarian spring day floated through the branches. Evangeline opened the other eye and looked around her, immediately recognizing the patch of forest where she was standing because it bordered the Samarian valley. Through the trees she could glimpse the rooftops of Alumhy in the distance.
Next to her stood a group of people with long, bereaved faces, all of them staring straight ahead with fixed gazes. She thought she recognized them as she studied each face, and her heart skipped a beat when she recognized Ambrose Cornwell several paces away from her. He was supposed to be dead. She’d seen his throat slit. What was he doing in Samaria?
Azurite (Daughter of the Mountain Book 1) Page 42