Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances

by T. M. Franklin

  Two nights ago? She wondered, and remembered the moment he’d uttered that same thing, and he’d left the room. What did I do? Esther Anna had no idea what bothered him so much, but he looked upon her with a remorse that meant he’d convinced himself that he’d done something wrong. She felt it tug at her heart.

  “You’ve done nothing to be sorry for…” Her eyes were drawn to the floor as she spoke.

  “Yes, I do. I tried to kiss you. That was highly irresponsible of me. I misjudged… I saw the signs and I just thought…” Phillip sighed. “I took advantage of your vulnerability, and that was wrong of me. I ask that you forgive me, it won’t happen again.”

  “What if…” She trailed off for a beat. Her eyes were pinned to the shimmering waters and seemed determined to not look up for some reason. “What if I want it to?”

  The question threw him for a loop, and he looked at her with a bashful surprise. He couldn’t tell if she meant those words, and the confusion threatened to consume him. “So…what is it then?” Phillip reached out to her and even though she took his hand and looked up, she quickly turned away.

  Esther Anna raised her hand to grab onto the pendant of her necklace. “It means that I didn’t turn away because I didn’t want to kiss you. Your attempt wasn’t offensive, either. It’s just…timing.”

  “Timing? What does that even mean?” Prince Phillip asked without thinking. He scratched his head.

  “It’s…timing, Phillip. I just lost my husband. I feel for you greatly and I know that you have feelings for me too, but the timing is all wrong. There are too many things at hand for us to complicate things further.” Esther Anna’s voice wavered slightly.

  Phillip seemed displeased with this and he had a few more questions to ask, but he wasn’t sure what he could say that would make things less confusing or awkward between them. He’d clearly crossed a line, but he knew exactly what he wanted. He liked her. He cared for her. He wanted her. He didn’t understand it. “I’m still not sure I understand, but I trust and respect your decision. I understand if you aren’t ready. I can live with it, if you can.” On that note, it was time to take his leave, and perhaps keep busy from the rather unusual conversation that just occurred. Phillip retrieved some of his equipment from his pack and started to set up their shelter for the night.

  The queen didn’t stop him, and stayed seated for a little while longer. Her mind held onto his words. She’d been convinced that she was doing the right thing and made the right decision, but for some reason, she still felt guilty. Doing the right thing, for who? Herself? Phillip? Or was it out of respect for her late husband and their kingdom?

  I can live with it, if you can. His words echoed in her mind.

  Somehow, she didn’t think she could.

  Present time. Kingdom of Tibethia.

  * * *

  The thought of her drove him mad. He couldn’t stop thinking about her…longed for her, too. She drove him to do nearly impossible feats, and even break habits he’d long considered to be part of him. Damien sat underneath the meagre shelter he had constructed from fallen trees, and pined after the queen, the woman of purity he needed at his side. He had taken up camp at the entryway where he’d last seen her, and carefully watched for any sign of movement. He figured the fairies were much too smart to exit through the same way she entered, but since Damien knew that’s where she’d gone to, it made him feel closer to her by staying in that same area.

  He’d been thinking about his last interaction with the princess.

  The runt is starting to get suspicious of me? Damien thought, as he laughed.

  The suspicion wasn’t enough for him to lose sight of the task at hand. He could feel that his Queen Esther Anna was close. Even if he was not allowed inside the wards, her essence permeated the defences. The queen’s intoxicating scent of her drove him mad, as it caressed his senses. She was unique. Finding anyone who was able to enchant him and his dark heart would be next to impossible.

  The woodsman breathed in deeply. The blue and green hues of the barriers intermingled, a taunt that mocked him and his inability to enter that section of the forest. But he had grown accustomed to the scenery and he waited patiently.

  He sensed the familiar stirrings of the summoning and made up his mind to disregard it. He felt it again and growled slightly in exasperation. The way she called him was different this time, and didn’t go unnoticed. There was an urgency to them and he found himself wondering what exactly she needed from him that could warrant such an urgent summons. It wasn’t possible for the queen to emerge somewhere without him knowing. The tracking spell he used never failed, yet he felt the summons again. Noelle was relentless tonight, as she continued to call him. Damien groaned. He relaxed his mental defences and allowed her to take him.

  Once he was transported, he opened his eyes and found himself in Princess Noelle’s room. It looked as if she was about to perform the summons again, until she saw him appear and she cast a glare at him in frustration.

  Damien fell to one knee in a ceremonious bow to the princess, but instead of greeting him, he heard her huff. “You called, princess?” Having been ripped from the forest where he was closest to Esther Anna, he was the frustrated one.

  Noelle still hadn’t addressed him. She muttered things to herself, under her breath, until finally she stopped pacing and turned to face him. “My plans have been accelerated. The leading families acted faster than I thought they would, and now they intend to move against the palace. They are moving against me! Do you have any news on the queen?”

  “Not yet, princess. The queen’s stay in the fairy kingdom unexpected. She has proven to be even more cunning than I anticipated. No need to worry, I will get her and bring her to you.” Damien knew all the right words that Noelle wanted to hear.

  She waved her hand dismissively, and started pacing again. “At last we know where she is…I doubt she will be going anywhere tonight. We’ll find her after this matter is resolved.”

  The woodsman watched her. This situation was entirely serious, since she asked him to cease whatever he’d been doing to find the one person who could put her plans to ruin. Why? More power-hungry humans aiming to get their hands on the throne.

  “He came here!” She shrieked. “He insulted me, called me unworthy, among other things. I will make him pay.” Noelle seemed to be talking to herself than to him, but he nodded along.

  “I will do as you command, Princess.” He said, feeling his weapon’s thirst for blood pulsating from its sheath. “At the appointed time, call upon me and I will lay waste to those who mean to take your throne.”

  Noelle stopped mid-stride and looked at him with an expression that looked very much like gratitude. She gave him a faint nod which he’d quietly accepted and used that as his ticket to dismiss himself. He gave her a bow and vanished, intent on returning to the forest to continue his vigil. Noelle was so focused on the visit from Sir Tobias Eaton, she didn’t realise the woodsman had left. She’d spent the entire day listening to longwinded speeches about tradition, as well as reading various letters and correspondence warning, threatening and begging her to give in to Sir Tobias Eaton without a fight. Surrender. Just because he had the backing of the leading families, they said the odds weighed heavily in his favour. Sir Tobias Eaton was stronger than she was, technically.

  Yet she vowed to show them just how terrifying her wrath could be.

  The impression everyone had about her was that she was an insubordinate, spoiled girl who refused to leave the throne, therefore she had to be removed by force. No one would leave her alone to rule her father’s kingdom, her kingdom, without some sort of feud, challenge or pushback, so she felt justified in standing her ground, in whatever action she took against them. Then, she smiled, at her thoughts…she wondered if they would beg for mercy before she killed them. The book provided a secret weapon, one she knew that come morning, she would release upon them. Everything had been set to conduct the ritual.

  Prince Hardy had
begged her to allow his men in to defend the palace alongside her loyal guards, but she rejected his help. Her plans were set, and she would have her revenge for their treachery and snide remarks about her. Even though he apologized and offered to be at the princess’ side to show his solidarity with his future wife, she refused, as she was rather tired of his snivelling.

  Noelle peeked into her wardrobe and was surprised to see him staring at her. It was the queen’s imaginary friend.

  “Trouble in paradise, huh?” He grinned at her expressed discomfort and unease.

  She rolled her eyes at his petty attempt to provoke her. After what she had endured, it would take a whole lot more than that to rile her up. Noelle was enjoying her new-found invulnerability to verbal attacks and manipulation, even if it was only temporary. “It will be handled and then everything will be back on track, don’t you worry.”

  She picked up her hairbrush and walked over to her vanity, where she sat and combed through her hair. After a moment, she felt a third, small presence in the room, but it quickly disappeared. Her eyes searched the room, and she wondered what that feeling came from, since she didn’t like to be caught unawares. The door locked. She was alone.

  It took a second for her to compose herself from the brief fright, and she continued to ignore the jeers from Adam who was trying like hell to annoy her. That drifted off, eventually, and it became quiet once more.

  Back in the forest, Damien sat at his watch post and sharpened his blade. Sparks flew all around as stone kissed metal. He looked at the edge deciding it was already sharp enough but needing it sharper still. He didn’t want to have to strike down foe more than once. His fighting strategy was one powerful, killing strike and move on, so he could focus on other targets. His sword glowed an eerie red and he mentally willed it to calm down. It longed for the blood. He knew it’d have its fill come daybreak, he could already taste it.

  An owl hooted and it broke through his reverie to which he scowled. Damien thought of her again, the woman he loved, and it soothed him. He wished she would just come through the barrier and declare her unending love for him. Then they would return to his home in the abyss and be together for all time. The thought excited him as he sharpened his blade.

  The owl hooted again.

  Meanwhile, inside his tent, the map of Tibethia which had been laid out on a table rustled in the wind. He’d placed a stone on top of it to keep it from flying off, but unbeknownst to the woodsman, a part of the map began to glow. The location: Edmond’s Pass was illuminated briefly before it died out again.

  Damien finished up the maintenance on his blade and he sheathed it to keep it prepped for the morning battle. It was more like a massacre, he wouldn’t let his guard down. Greed was a strong incentive for them and the thirst for power the riches that came with the seat of the throne was the most inspiring of all. He knew the leading families were greedy and Noelle was going to use that leverage to eliminate them from her path completely. Damien found her to be such a spoiled, evil little girl, but she did earn his respect for being such a brilliant strategist. Not only did she have plans but there were contingencies in line should something unforeseen hinder anything.

  A rustle came from his right and he turned in time to see a deer bound over a fallen tree just before it disappeared into the dark woods.

  The map lit up again, and Edmond’s Pass glowed brightly with the indicator that his tracking spell was still intact. The light pulsed with a steady rhythm until it eventually vanished. The glow was missed once again, since Damien was busy watching the barrier to the fairy kingdom, waiting for his lady love to return to the human realm.

  9

  Present time. Kingdom of Tibethia.

  * * *

  Dawn brought along with it a tension that was felt throughout the kingdom. Most of the common folk had heard of the rift at the palace, and a lot of them were undecided as to who they agreed with on the matter. Though their approval hardly mattered anyhow, since the leading families tended to do whatever they pleased.

  The people knew that when the dust settled after the inevitable scuffle between both sides, their futures would be decided by whoever was still left standing. Things didn’t bode well for her. The place had maintained an eerie silence as everyone waited quietly in their respective homes for the confrontation to begin. They noted with some level of concern that she hadn’t deployed the Solestian soldiers from Prince Hardy’s kingdom. It couldn’t be because he didn’t offer, since they all knew he was ready to assist. It was entirely possible she refused his help altogether.

  The people hid in their homes, in anticipation of the confrontation, as they knew that in times of civil war and rebellions, they were usually the ones who ended up as collateral damage. They wondered about the princess and what sort of defence she would run to defend her father’s throne. Men had been dispatched to search for Esther Anna, but she was still outmanned with the soldiers who remained at the palace. It’d been speculation that this was Tobias’ plan all along; He waited until this moment, with the guard numbers down, it was the right time to strike. The palace was vulnerable. Some of the Tibethians hoped the princess would emerge successful, while others agreed with the leading families. They believed Noelle was too young to be in charge. There was one consensus that united them: the fact that no one wanted to be ruled by Prince Hardy.

  The sound of horses thundered all around the kingdom. Tobias Eaton, along with the heads of the respective families, rode in front of the small army they had amassed to help remove the princess from the palace by force. He wore a smug smile, confident in the strength of his army and was bolstered by the support of the other families. He felt slightly guilty at his current objective, since it would be a stain on the LaChance family name who had ruled the kingdom of Tibethia for years now. The late King Pierre was his childhood friend before he had assumed the mantle, and they had remained friends up until his death. His passing had affected him greatly, and he swore to avenge him. However, that victory would come after he had ascended the throne and gained control of the entire kingdom. So far, everything was going according to plan, except for the princess’ stubbornness which had not been factored into the equation.

  As they passed through the kingdom on their way to the palace, he glanced around, noting the hastily jerked curtains and people peering at him from their respective houses. He sensed their fear and for a second, he wished they didn’t have to do this. He looked over at the others, and they were all facing forward, stoically glancing ahead. They didn’t want this either, nor did they have interest in the throne, but they shared his opinion that she should not be allowed to rule.

  They drew closer to the palace, and they began their final stretch of their march toward it. One way or the other, the true ruler of Tibethia would be decided today. Tobias Eaton believed that would be him.

  For a moment, her threats crossed his mind, along with the ferocity with which she’d said them. Noelle looked savage at that moment, and he had wondered how an innocent girl could have such a twisted and dark side hidden away beneath all her smiles and happy-go-lucky demeanour. It truly belied reasoning, but he had seen it for himself. Even with her threats, they did the only thing they could to retaliate. They were calling her bluff. Tobias hoped that when they got to the palace, she would meet them at the entrance, tail between her legs, begging them to forgive her, but things were never that easy.

  “This should be over shortly.” He said, upon their approach.

  Inside the palace, the princess was seated on her throne as she awaited the arrival of the leading families. She breathed easily and evenly, and relished in the seconds that passed until she could wreak havoc on the families that opposed her. Finally, the time had come that she’d be able to show the people her true nature and get the respect she so deserved.

  Beside her, Damien stood quietly and he stared into space. She had summoned him as at daybreak and he had taken his place by her side, awaiting orders. He had his sword in hand, and i
t glowed, a nasty red, as they waited. He could feel the vibrations coming from the earth as Tobias approached the palace, with what he assumed to be at least a hundred men with him. To him, it seemed a little excessive just to remove a princess from her father’s palace, though he appreciated their effort since it would bring his blade the satisfaction it sought for so long. Temporarily, at least. Damien knew there was no way to satisfy the blade, as it continuously thirsted for souls of his victims, never having its fill, on an eternal search for death and carnage…Just how he liked it.

  “They are almost upon us.” Damien announced.

  Princess Noelle shifted slightly in her seat. She seemed to feel the vibrations coming from outside, too. By now, they were certain everyone in the entire community could. The princess didn’t mind, since she knew that soon, the only sound that vibrated through the kingdom, would be the sound of their screams as they begged for their lives. Once she had annihilated the leading families and executed their families publicly, she knew it would cement her notoriety and they would all fear her.

  Scared humans are obedient humans.

  Everything was in place. Soon, they would summon her again with the demand that she step down peacefully and she already knew she would reject that offer.

  Then, they called her name.

  “It’s time.”

  Tobias watched with mild annoyance as she walked up to the terrace overlooking where they now stood. He saw her scan his men quickly and then register an expression he mistook for fear all over her face, but only for a second and then it was gone. Good, he thought to himself, happy that the size of his squad seemed to intimidate her.

  “You’re surrounded, Princess Noelle. There’s nothing more you can do other than surrender and come out quietly. Let’s not make this worse than it has to be. Come down quietly and we can wrap this up with no unnecessary bloodshed.”