Soul Stone Mage Complete Collection Boxed Set

by Sarah Noffke

  “Queen Azure, you’re not going to like this one bit, but I have to do it.” Ever sank into a low bow, sweeping his hand in front of him. He leaned forward on one knee, extending his hand. “It would be my honor to sit on your cabinet.”

  A smile as dazzling as the diamonds laced through Azure’s hair sprang to her lips. “You’re right, I don’t like that bowing and kneeling crap. Thank you, and please get up now.”

  “Absolutely,” Ever said, standing again, his movements trailed by sparks. “And I’ll be happy to advise you as long as you don’t mind me popping off every now and then to go on random secret adventures.”

  “We’ll consider it vacation time,” Azure said in a conspiratorial whisper.

  “Enjoy your night, Queen Azure,” Ever said, retreating down the steps. He turned at the bottom, his eyes roaming over her long blue ringlets and flowing dress. “And may I just say, you wear the part of queen just as well as you do the role of avenger.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Emeri directed staff to remove her personal effects from her erstwhile office the next day. Azure had thought that the hand-off of queenly duties would take place gradually, but they were dumped straight onto her shoulders the day after her coronation.

  “Under different circumstances I’d ease you into the role, but...” her mother’s voice trailed off as they strolled through the House of Enchanted.

  “You need to preserve your health, isn’t that right?” Azure asked, hoisting the front of her long blue-and-white-striped dress to climb some steps.

  “I’ve pretty much recovered as much as I think I will. My strength is back, but yes, I’d like to take a much-needed break. And you have your gran and your cabinet, so you’ll be fine. And I’m always here if you really need me.” Emeri paused outside the main audience chamber.

  Inside the chamber, Azure would act as Queen. “It’s okay, Mother. And I never got a chance to thank you for what you did.”

  Emeri’s face tilted to the side as her emerald-green eyebrows knitted together.

  “You gave Duke Phillip your soul stone in order to keep my father’s species a secret. In order to protect me.”

  “Oh, you know about that! I guess you would,” Emeri said.

  “Yes, I know. You gave up a part of yourself for me. Even then you were protecting me.”

  “You’ll understand one day, if you ever have your own children. A mother would do anything for her offspring. There’s no one more deserving of a sacrifice than your own child.”

  Azure nodded, not really able to do much more than that.

  “Your father…” Emeri began, a question in her eyes.

  “He sent a message to me this morning. He’s all right at the beach for the moment. I’ll have someone bring food and supplies to him today. I’m not sure how much longer he’ll need to stay there, but it will be at least until I know it’s safe to bring him inside our borders. Maybe once things have died down a bit. I don’t want to upset any of our people by bringing the emperor of Terran here.”

  “But you said he wasn’t responsible for the virus, right?”

  “From what I learned, Richard wasn’t responsible for any of the ill conduct in Terran. He can only be charged with being lax. I think he spent most of his time with his head in the clouds, examining maps of Oriceran.”

  “That sounds like your father,” Emeri said, fondness whisking across her face.

  “It might be best for everyone if I just give him enough provisions to travel the globe. Then he’ll be out of my hair and off on a journey I know he’ll enjoy. He’s been released to do what he’s always wanted, in a way.”

  “You know I don’t think of giving up the crown the same way, right?” Emeri asked.

  “No, I know you forfeited it early. I know you enjoyed being queen, but things beyond your control dictated your choices.”

  “I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it. Being cooped up here wouldn’t have been my first choice,” Emeri said, turning her gaze to the carved pillars in the hallway. “Your father and I dreamed of traveling, but that was before we realized we both had separate duties to our respective peoples.”

  Azure recalled that this place she’d loved all her life, the House of Enchanted, was now her prison. Most days she’d be confined to the house, to rule the people from this one location. She gulped, already feeling claustrophobic.

  “I must be going. There’s a court full of people waiting for me to hear their concerns, issues, and pleas,” Azure said, turning to the door which only the queen entered through.

  “You’ll be great,” Emeri said, squeezing her daughter’s shoulder before sweeping past her down the hall.

  Azure hurried through the inner chamber to a long oval table, where her cabinet would meet in the future. She charged past the bookshelves and the black and white cat who was eyeing her like she’d stolen his food.

  “I know I’ve been busy, Finswick. I’m sorry,” she said to the feline, who jumped down from his perch and followed her. She’d had no time for her familiar since she’d been back in Virgo, and by the look on his face he was going to make her pay for it. “I’m so sorry that my suddenly becoming queen has caused you such inconvenience.” Azure yanked open the door on the other side of the chamber and immediately pulled back an inch or twelve. In the court sat benches and benches of witches and wizards, all of them staring at her.

  She pulled in a breath and then entered the court, her chin held high although her chest was rattling. Azure paused as she studied the large throne at the front of the room. She was supposed to sit there and hear the concerns of her people, presiding over trivial matters every single day. Shouldn’t she be out, forging relationships with distant lands and helping Virgo build an economy that would allow her people to further prosper?

  Her eyes roamed over the waiting citizens. The wizard in the front row, the one they’d affectionately named Captain Santrock, would want to fill an hour of her time with stories about his voyages on the open seas. Then he’d ask for resources so he could spend the next year writing memoirs of his journeys. The answer should be no, but her mother had always said yes to appease him. The witches next to him, Malissey and Allisondra, only came to court to complain about their disputes. One used too much out of the community garden and the other cast a curse on the first for whatnot. Their issues never really changed. Azure had watched these court proceedings many times, and not much had differed from day to day. Shouldn’t the queen be spending her time doing something more important than settling pesky complaints?

  Azure let out a soft sigh and took a step forward just as a hand reached for her. She started, twisting to find a face that filled her with instant calm.

  “Gran, what is it?” Azure asked, staring at the old witch.

  Queen Mother Sari tugged her back into the empty chamber, shaking her head as she did. “It’s nothing good, I assure you.” Thrusting a roll of parchment into Azure’s hand, her gran pursed her withered lips.

  “The seal is broken.” Azure saw that it was addressed to the Queen of Virgo.

  “Naturally. I read all the mail, stamped and sealed or not.” The queen mother shrugged.

  “For a woman who gave up the role of Queen willingly, you sure have control issues,” Azure said, unrolling the parchment.

  “Look, I don’t like being responsible—that’s mostly why I gave up the crown—but I enjoy being in the know.”

  “You’re a real weirdo.” Azure turned her attention to the letter, which wasn’t handwritten but rather looked to be printed block letters. Azure squinted at the words, trying to decipher them.

  “It was created on a typewriter. The humans in the Land of Terran love using that junk for correspondence.” She grabbed the parchment from Azure. “Let me save you the headache of reading that mess. It’s from Emperor Frederick, Richard’s son and his successor. It says he’ll forgive you for escaping from their jail since you’re now Queen, but he’s unwilling to overlook the fact that you released his father, a p
risoner of Terran. Unless you turn Richard over to them, they will be forced to take drastic action. He makes the presumption that it would be supported by the council, since you’ve violated the treaty.”

  “That’s bullshit. There’s no way I’m going to turn Richard over to them,” Azure scoffed.

  “Of course you won’t do anything so foolish,” Gran said, shaking her head.

  “What does he mean by drastic action?” Azure asked, her heart suddenly pounding with dread.

  “It’s hard to tell with a new emperor, especially one who is most likely under the influence of Duke Phillip. The Duke is just like his father, Emperor Henry. That man was the reason for this silent war between the humans and the people of Virgo.”

  “Well, what should I do?” Azure asked, and then shook her head. She was Queen, and needed to start making these decisions on her own. Turning, she stared at the bookshelves filled with the grimoires of past monarchs.

  “What do you think you should do, dear Azure?” Gran asked, her voice careful.

  Azure turned, her chin down and her eyes intent. “I need to fight back. I know that Mother would have tried to find a peaceful solution. She would have written back something to stall. I know that she would have trudged off to the court to hear the complaints of her people. However, I don’t want to do that. I want…”

  “What? Go on, Azure. What do you want to do? This is your reign, not your mother’s.”

  Azure bit her lip. “The humans are in the wrong. They’ve hurt the Dark Forest. Frederick, my brother, he’s under Phillip’s control. That’s the man who needs to be stopped. Order needs to be reestablished in Terran.”

  “And you think you can do that?” Gran asked, hiding a sneaky grin.

  “Well, not if I have to sit around listening to the picayune arguments of our people. Gran, I need to go and find a solution that will stop Phillip from furthering his corruption. I know it will take me away from my role as Queen, but—”

  Gran held up her hand, silencing Azure. “Dear, your role as Queen is dictated by you alone. If you think you need to leave these borders to fix problems, then that’s what you’ll do. But one thing is certain—you no longer have to ask anyone for permission. Actually, you need to start giving some orders, because you’re the one in charge,” Gran told her, and her face looked prouder than Azure could ever remember seeing it.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Azure reached for her wand just as a set of hands pinned her wrists at her back.

  “First the woods, and now I find you here.” The Duke of Terran’s small brown eyes narrowed.

  “This is Candace,” Heidi chirped from immediately in front of Azure. “She’s new, but I can vouch that she’s a good human. Actually, she might be able to help us with things about Earth.”

  The Duke seemed to measure Heidi with his eyes and then smiled slightly, his gaze returning to Azure. “A good human, is she?” he asked, raising a hand at Azure. She was fighting the restraints at her back, but the guard had gripped her tightly and her words were momentarily locked in her mouth. The crowd around her had turned to stare, distracted from fighting each other for broken objects now. “I suspect no one here in Terran knows who this girl is,” the Duke snapped and flicked his hand in her direction. She felt the cold splash of magic on her face. It was human magic, and it had been used to power a charm, one she recognized. It was a revealing spell.

  The gasp that emerged from Heidi’s mouth was echoed by the people around them. Azure looked down to see her long hair turn blue. She guessed her eyes were again bright blue, her contacts having vanished.

  “She’s a witch,” someone in the crowd murmured, his voice hostile.

  “How dare a witch invade our land?” another voice asked.

  “We should burn her!” a woman cried, her voice vibrating with anger.

  Azure twisted in the guard’s grasp. “No! I’m not what you think. I’m good. You have to believe me,” she said, her gaze centering on Heidi, who looked as if she’d been scorned.

  “Believe you? You told me you were human. I thought were my friend,” she whimpered, shaking her head at Azure.

  “I am. And I’m half human,” Azure said. Something vibrated at her throat. She realized that the soul stone was working; the charm she’d used had in fact been successful. It was trying to draw her to her father, but everything was happening too fast. She could feel the crowd around her growing more violent. She was now grateful that the guards were flanking her, not allowing the mob to pull her limb from limb.

  “Half human, you say,” the Duke drawled, his tone much too pleased. “How very interesting. A witch who is also half human.”

  “It’s true. And my father is from the Land of Terran,” Azure yelled, her voice not her own. It was all coming from the soul stone. But why?

  “Oh, is he?” the Duke asked, crossing his arms on his chest, the glint in his eyes reeking of satisfaction. He turned to the crowd at his back. “But isn’t it a crime punishable by imprisonment to breed with a witch or a wizard?”

  The crowd murmured assent to this question.

  “So now the question is, who is your father? Because this man will be in a great deal of trouble,” the Duke said.

  “Find him! Find him! Find him!” the crowd sang in unison.

  “Oh, I plan to, and I think that we will start by throwing this witch at the emperor’s feet. He will be ever so interested to know that a witch has illegally crossed our borders, and inside our land is a traitor.” The Duke beckoned the guards forward.

  They marched away, dragging Azure along as the crowd parted for them to pass. She lifted her feet one at a time, not at all certain what she should do now. Her wand was safely hidden in her bosom, but her hands were currently pinned by someone who possessed more strength than she did.

  “Dear Emperor Fuckface. Fuck you! There’s no fucking way we’re turning over Richard to you. Wishing you all the best and all that jazz. Cordially, Monet Torrance, Chief of Staff, Virgo.” Monet rolled up the parchment he’d read from, looking triumphantly at the cabinet members.

  “It’s a good first draft,” Ever said, brushing a speck of dust from the oval table at which they all sat.

  “First draft? It took me hours to craft the right language. I was going for something that rode the fine line of diplomacy, and think this just about nails it.” Monet shook his head at the Light Elf.

  “May I suggest we write one more draft?” Ever sat back in his chair, the firelight reflecting from his spiky black hair.

  “You can suggest that we all stick pokers up our asses, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to do it.” Monet reached for the candle in front of him, pouring a bit of wax on the parchment in preparation for sealing it.

  “I for one think the letter is perfect.” Gran popped into the conversation. The old witch had said she didn’t want to be on the cabinet, but she’d been the first one to the meeting. Azure knew that her gran wanted to be involved in state business, but she didn’t want the constant decision-making that came with being Queen. Being in the cabinet gave her all the perks without the responsibility.

  “Queen Mother, you can’t be serious?” Gillian asked from the far side of the long table.

  “Of course I’m serious. What are we going to do, offend them? Let them clutch their pearls and scoff at our brazen retort! Why should we care? I’ve tried diplomacy with the humans of Terran. Emeri tried it. Nothing works. Whatever they’re planning to do, they’ll do it whether we tell them in a nice way or in a crass one. At least with this approach we get to snigger a bit.”

  “Then it’s final,” Monet said, pressing the seal of the House of Enchanted into the cooling wax, thus marking the letter with the official emblem of the Queen of Virgo.

  Azure slid her palm over Finswick’s back. He sat on the table next to her, purring loudly. “Now the question is, what will they do in retaliation? What is the drastic action they have in mind?”

  “Oh, you dumb queen,” Monet said,
shaking his head and clicking his tongue at her. “That’s not the question. They’ll obviously do something foul. The real question is, how many stink grenades can we launch over their walls when we deliver the letter?”

  “I do believe that employing Monet as Chief of Staff was the smartest thing you’ve done in ages,” Gran said.

  “You two share a strict inclination towards mischief, which is why I’ve countered you with these two,” Azure said, waving at the gnome and the Light Elf.

  “Witches and wizards are mischievous by nature,” Gillian observed, eyeing the scofflaws on the other side of the table.

  “The Orcs are guarding the border. I think they’ll stay as long as we continue to give them food and supplies. Richard, on the other hand, can’t live at the beach too much longer,” Azure said, standing and pacing in front of the gentle fire that burned in the hearth.

  “Now that you’re Queen, can the people of Virgo protest him finding asylum within your borders?” Ever asked.

  “Azure can invite dragons to sleep at the foot of her bed if she pleases,” Gran said.

  “I want a pet dragon,” Monet whined.

  “Let’s focus, people. Richard. I want him brought to Virgo. He’s not safe camping on the beach while the humans are searching for him.” Azure stared at the faces of her cabinet, but no one said anything.

  “I’ll do it.” Ever held up his hand. “I know where he is, and have the most experience in the Dark Forest.”

  Azure paused in her pacing to turn and appraise Ever. “Okay, but I want you to make it fast. And before you leave, I need a lesson in how to use my human magic.”

  “Demanding little thing, isn’t she?” Monet leaned forward, not really aiming his comment in Ever’s direction.