Coal: Book One of the Everleaf Series

by Constance Burris

  The crowd began a deafening, mind-numbing applause.

  "Why would she do that to herself?" Coal asked, unable to hide his confusion and disappointment.

  "What do you mean?" Grigory asked.

  "She changed who she was--who she is."

  "She only changed her skin color. Before she met you, she changed her appearance every day."

  Grigory was right. It was only skin, only a color. But Coal couldn't help but feel jealous. He and Chalcedony had been a pair with their matching dark skin, and now she was paired with another.

  "I'm going to get a drink," Coal muttered. In a few strides, he was at the table filled with five different types of wines.

  On his third cup of apple wine, Queen Tasla stepped next to him and poured herself a glass. She had waist-length red hair that swayed whenever she moved. Her children, Tetrick, and Alisha stood stoically behind her.

  "Coal, you've grown much taller and more handsome since the last time I saw you." Queen Tasla ran her eyes over his entire body.

  Coal bowed clumsily. "Thank you, Your Highness."

  "Will you be changing your skin also?" Queen Tasla asked.

  As usual, Tetrick treated Coal as if he didn't exist, but his sister, Alisha, stared at him with bright, mischievous eyes.

  Coal returned her gaze, trying to figure out what she was thinking. "No, Your Highness. I don't have the ability to change my color," he said, answering Queen Tasla's question

  "I'm sure one of Chalcedony's sorcerers could make you something," Alisha said. She had the same red hair as her mother's, but it was pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck. Fresh scars, red and swollen, stood out from the front of her neck and disappeared down her dress.

  "I like my color," Coal said.

  "Humans have been known to kill over the color of their skin. So your species must think it's important." Queen Tasla walked back into the crowd with Tetrick trailing behind.

  "You should come live with us. It seems like it may be getting crowded here," Alisha said.

  "No," Coal replied. "I'm fine where I am."

  He couldn't stop staring at her neck. Alisha noticed and trailed a finger along the scars. "My new beauty mark, thanks to a rogue troll in the human realm. Your princess will start collecting her own scars once Tetrick stops doing the dirty work for her."

  She took her finger and touched Coal's lips. "Think about coming to our land. Your princess has replaced you. And by the heat emanating from you, it's obvious she hasn't been using you properly."

  "Um," he stuttered. He wasn't sure if it was the wine or Alisha's touch, but his mouth went dry, and his lips were on fire.

  "Coal isn't going anywhere, Alisha." Chalcedony had moved across the room and was standing beside Coal.

  Alisha leaned her head to one side and rolled her eyes. "You should share your toys, Chalcedony."

  "He's not a toy."

  "Alisha, stop teasing the boy. You are here as a shadow, not as a spoiled princess." It was Tetrick's voice, but he was nowhere in sight.

  Alisha frowned and stepped back. "Yes, Tetrick." Her expression turned emotionless and focused before she disappeared.

  Coal swallowed the lump in his throat. Chalcedony had changed, but not completely. Her intense red eyes were the same. Her scent--jasmine and vanilla--hadn't changed. Whatever it was that drew him to her, hadn't changed. She was still his Chaley.

  "Your dress is beautiful," he said. Her blue gown caught the light, held it for a few seconds and returned it a few shades brighter.

  She eyed him suspiciously. "Thank you. I thought maybe you'd be a little upset with me."

  "Because of your skin color?" He shrugged. "I was, but as Grigory pointed out, you were never my color to begin with. Now that you're near me, I see that it doesn't matter. You're still the most beautiful person I know."

  Chalcedony's cheeks turned crimson, something he'd never seen her do. He stepped closer and inhaled her perfume, before he whispered, "This color gives away your emotions."

  "Coal, I think you've had too much wine." She backed away, cheeks blazing with fire. The sight warmed his heart even more than the wine. "There are fey watching. I ..." she started, but a scream on the other side of the room drew her attention.

  "No, I don't want to go with you!" Elizabeth struggled to pull her hand from Mireya. Chalcedony walked away from Coal, welcoming the distraction the little child provided. How much wine had he drunk?

  "What's going on, Mireya?"

  "She's falling asleep, but she refuses to go to bed," Mireya said.

  "Let me go!" Elizabeth screamed.

  "Lizzy, calm down," Chalcedony said, aware of the increasing crowd.

  "I hate you!" Elizabeth screeched. "And I hate it here!"

  "Let her go, Mireya. I'll take her." Chalcedony reached towards the struggling child while Mireya lifted her. In protest, Elizabeth kicked out, and her foot hit Chalcedony directly on the nose. The force and the pain sent Chalcedony falling to the floor. For a moment, Chalcedony forgot where she was. When the pain eased a bit, she forced herself back onto her feet and checked her nose. Her hand came away covered in blood. The room, which had been eerily quiet, buzzed with life again. A guard took Elizabeth from Mireya as a second guard aimed her sword at Elizabeth's neck. Coal appeared, standing between the armed guard and Elizabeth.

  Chalcedony felt, more than saw, the entire guard draw their weapons.

  "Stop!" Chalcedony screamed. A burst of pain exploded behind her eyes, and the room began to spin. She never would have thought the girl kicked so hard. "Leave them alone."

  "You heard the princess. Leave the girl alone," Coal said, with a combination of authority and relief.

  Chalcedony scanned the crowd. They were all watching her. She ignored her throbbing nose and waved away the servants trying to help.

  "But ... she hurt you. She drew blood," mumbled the guard standing directly in front of Coal.

  "Yes," Queen Tasla said. "She drew blood. You know what the law says."

  Chalcedony wiped the blood from her nose onto the back of her hand. The dark substance contrasted sharply against her new pale skin.

  "What do you know of our laws, Queen Tasla?" Chalcedony had only asked her to the party out of obligation, just as she did the other queens. Chalcedony hadn't expected or wanted her to come.

  "I know enough to know that this particular law is the same throughout the realm." Queen Tasla gestured to Madoc. "Or have you not been taught your own laws?"

  "She's right. Execution is required for anyone that draws the queen's or princess's blood," Madoc said as if he was reading a page out of a rulebook instead of condemning a child to death. "It is one of the first things the guards are taught."

  "But she's only a child!" Coal exclaimed. He looked from Madoc to Chalcedony as if he was expecting Chalcedony to label Madoc a liar. But it wasn't a lie. It was one of the reasons the other children were not allowed to play with her as a child. Only royalty could hurt royalty. That law was one of the numerous reasons she'd brought Coal back with her from the human realm. She couldn't find a royal playmate, so she had to bring one back from the human realm. He hadn't known about the law because she'd forbidden anyone to tell him.

  Thankfully, he'd never drawn any of her blood.

  "The law makes no exception for age." Queen Tasla frowned. Chalcedony didn't let the queen's show of pity fool her. Tetrick's mother was not known for mercy.

  "I know the law," Chalcedony growled. She may be forced to show the queen gratitude for allowing Tetrick to train her, but this was still her land, her home. Queen Tasla nodded and stepped back into the crowd, but Chalcedony felt the queen watching her, waiting for Chalcedony to make a mistake.

  "Coal, take Lizzy to your room. The party is over. Everyone leave." Chalcedony forced herself to breathe through her swollen nose. She succeeded. Mostly. "Madoc, come with me."

  Chapter Eight

  "I didn't mean to kick her," Elizabeth cried, sitting next to Coal on the bed.
"I just wanted to go home. Do you really think they're going to kill me?"

  "No." He tried his best to sound reassuring. "Chaley knows it was an accident. She would never let anything like that happen to you."

  "She doesn't like me anymore." Elizabeth sobbed. Her eyes were filled with tears, exhaustion, and fear. "I just want to go home."

  A knock came from the door, and Elizabeth shrieked before she moved behind Coal and shielded herself. Mireya peeked through the slightly opened door as if she were looking for a threat. Satisfied with what she saw, she stepped through.

  "Goodness, Coal. I'm so sorry. I had no idea the child would kick Chalcedony." Mireya clasped her hands in front of her face. When she stopped talking, she chewed anxiously on her thumbnails. "Do you really think they would execute a child?"

  Elizabeth let out a muffled gasp and cried again.

  "Oh!" Mireya cried in distress. "I didn't see her back there."

  Mireya walked behind Coal and picked up Elizabeth. This time, Elizabeth didn't fight as Mireya reached for her. "Shh..." Mireya held Elizabeth against her breast. "Calm down. I'm sorry. Of course, they're not going to hurt you."

  "Yes, they are. I hit a real princess. Not a fake one. A real one. They're going to hang me in front of an angry mob. That's what they do on TV."

  "Shush, child. I've never heard of such a thing." Mireya laughed, but the joy never reached her eyes.

  "Will you stay with her?" Coal asked.

  "Of course." Mireya rocked Elizabeth back and forth while she stroked the girl's hair.

  "Thanks." Coal stood. "I need to talk to Chalcedony and find out what's going on."

  "She's just a kid." Chalcedony had only requested Madoc, but, of course, every single ambassador--most had only come for free food--felt they had to give their opinion.

  "The rule still applies. If anyone ever hurt you, they'd be executed. If Coal ever injured you, even as a small child, it would have applied to him," Madoc said. "You know the rules. You've always known the rules."

  "They are waiting for you to slip so they can judge you weak. You were almost knocked unconscious by a human child. How much more weak can that be?" Troysten asked. The giant had to stoop in order to stand in the room. She'd chosen this room, hoping that at least he would be left out of the discussion. Of course, he wouldn't let a small thing like being uncomfortable keep him out. He was enjoying this. They all were.

  The look on Queen Tasla's face still disturbed Chalcedony, like a cat waiting to pounce. She'd probably put Alisha in Chalcedony's place as soon as she found a way to do it legally.

  "All the queens have agreed to leave Everleaf in peace until your coronation. But if you don't follow your own law and make an example of the child, they will not wait long before Everleaf is attacked," Ambassador Eli said.

  Chalcedony was about to argue, but Coal stepped into the room. It was too much to have expected for him to stay in his room for the rest of the night.

  "Coal, where is Lizzy?" Chalcedony asked.

  "With Mireya," he answered.

  "Why are you here?" Madoc asked. "This doesn't concern you."

  Coal stiffened. "I brought Lizzy here to the fey realm. I'm just as responsible for her as Princess Chalcedony. Punish me, and let Elizabeth go home."

  Madoc laughed. "That's so noble of you. I would never have thought you'd volunteer for execution."

  Coal flinched but stood firm, his back straight and chest out.

  "We're not executing anyone, Madoc," Chalcedony remarked. If Madoc had his way, he'd execute Coal just for breathing.

  "We could publicly whip her," Ambassador Eli said. "It's better than hanging."

  "A whipping is not severe enough. Perhaps she should be sent to the weavers for a few years. She will be domesticated, if nothing else," Ambassador Troysten said.

  "Yes," Ambassador Eli agreed, nodding his head. "Execution may be too harsh, but the weavers would be a fair punishment."

  This morning, they were threatening to wage war on each other. Now, they were bonding over sending a human child to a labor camp? Madoc's Rule Number Five: A Common Enemy Will Make Two Foes Friends.

  Coal raised his voice over the murmurs of agreement. "You cannot do that. The weavers work adult fey within an inch of their lives. How would a child possibly survive?"

  "She would live. There are potions and magic to ensure she stays alive," Ambassador Troysten said.

  "She is a magic null. None of those things will work on her."

  "Yes," the head sorcerer said with a mouthful of cake he'd brought from the party. "I have never seen one of those. Perhaps you can donate her to me for experiments?"

  "Chaley, you can't let them--" Coal said.

  "Boy, silence!" Madoc shouted. "You have no say in this matter."

  "Coal, please leave, and make sure Lizzy is okay." Chalcedony passed a weary hand over her eyes. Her nose still throbbed, and she couldn't wait to get out of her damn dress.

  "You want her to sleep now so she can be well rested to be tortured tomorrow?" Coal snapped.

  "Boy, you're stepping outside of your role as the princess's toy." Madoc's words were flat and calm, but Chalcedony heard the threat laced in them.

  "Coal," Chalcedony ordered. "Leave."

  "Can I speak to you in the hall?" Coal held her gaze, pleading with his eyes.

  Madoc spoke up. "Princess, we need to--"

  "I'll be right back," she said, interrupting Madoc before she followed Coal into the hall. If she didn't go with Coal, she'd have two human lives to protect instead of one.

  Once they were in the hall and the door was closed, he grasped her chin and studied her face. "How is your nose?" Wine lingered on his breath.

  Despite everything, she couldn't help but be flattered by his attention. "I feel like I'm speaking underwater. Other than that, I'm fine." Feeling herself blushing, she stepped back, hoping the distance would quench some of the heat. "Is that why you called me out here?"

  "You promised me that if Lizzy didn't like it here, we'd take her home."

  "That was before she assaulted me. The law supersedes that promise."

  "Damn the laws! You are going to be queen. You dictate the law, not your advisors, and especially not Madoc."

  "He only wants the best for Everleaf. If I am weak, we all pay."

  "Madoc is determined to turn you into a monster."

  "He is training me to be a queen."

  "To him, a monster is no different than a queen."

  "You don't know what it's like out there. My name protects you."

  "Let me see what the world is like without your protection."

  Chalcedony clenched her fist. "Why do you want to break my heart?" How had they gotten onto this subject again?

  "Because every day with you is breaking mine. Chaley, please let me go. Allow me to take Lizzy back to her family."

  She tried to think of the perfect rebuttal--the solution that would solve all of their problems. Unable to think of anything, she walked towards the door. "You are free."

  "What about Lizzy?" Coal asked.

  "I was naive to think anyone could replace you." She fought the urge to reach for his hand. "Now, Lizzy will have to pay for my mistake."

  "Chalcedony."

  "Go away." She'd always tried to keep her duties separate from her relationship with Coal. Now, they were coming to a disastrous head. "If you stay any longer, they will expect your life for disrespecting me." He didn't move. Chalcedony saw him searching for something to say to change her mind. "There is nothing more you can do for her. Leave, or I'll have you sent away."

  He didn't listen. He was right behind her when she stepped back into the room. "Djamel, take Coal to his room and make sure he stays there for the rest of the night."

  "Yes, Princess." Djamel was instantly at Coal's side.

  Why hadn't Djamel been so quick when I was getting kicked in the face?

  "Chaley!" Coal shouted. "Don't do this. We can take her home!"

  "The nois
e, Djamel," Chalcedony said.

  Djamel covered Coal's mouth with his hand and dragged him from the room.

  "Just let me talk to them. I can make them understand," Coal pleaded after being shoved into his room.

  "You're not going to make them do anything, little man. You are only making it worse. Stay out of it. Let Princess Chalcedony take care of this."

  "Djamel ..." Coal tried to push past, but he found himself lying on the floor holding his cheek before he even realized he'd been hit.

  "I'm finished talking." His face hardened into something unrelenting. "Shut up, and go to sleep. Or do you want me to put you to sleep?"

  Coal's eyes teared up from pain. He wiped them before he righted himself.

  Djamel's voice softened as he spoke to Mireya and Elizabeth. They were holding each other as they sat shivering on the bed. They'd watched the whole thing in silence. "Sorry about that, Miss Elizabeth and Mireya. I didn't mean to scare you."

  Mireya nodded before Djamel walked out of the room and closed the door. Cowardice won out over Coal's desire to leave. Reluctantly, he stood. "Mireya, you can go."

  "I'm so sorry. I had no idea she would kick Chalcedony. I swear I didn't."

  "It's okay." Coal rubbed his cheek. "I'll sit with Elizabeth until morning."

  Mireya kissed Elizabeth on the forehead before she approached Coal. She said in a hushed tone, almost whispering, "I'm sorry. The child and I weren't getting along. I should have had Chalcedony find another caretaker."

  Coal shrugged. It was done and over with now. They couldn't change what happened, no matter how much they wanted to.

  "Did you talk to Chalcedony? What are they going to do?"

  Coal stayed silent.

  "It was that bad?"

  "Yes," Coal admitted.

  "She told me you were going to take her home. If Chalcedony was going to let anyone do it, it would be you."

  "But--" Coal said.

  "Hush, boy. Don't argue with me. Did you promise to take her home?" Mireya asked.

  "Yeah, but--"