Shattered Heir (Broken Gods Book 1)

by N. M. Howell

  Traemarr took a step back, and she steadied him by massaging her fingers into his mane.

  Slowly, the woman’s large hands raised to her hood. Heavy iron bracers clambered around her hands and forearms. Her fingers met the edge of her hood and she slowly pulled it back, revealing a stern yet beautiful face. Her sapphire eyes gazed up at Rhea with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

  A deep scar slashed across the woman’s face, drawing away from her beauty but adding an element of intrigue and intensity to her expression. The scar made its way through one of her eyes, and the deep sapphire orb was cut with an icy-blue slash right in the center.

  The woman offered a small smile, revealing sharp teeth and a sly grin as she allowed her hood to fall, revealing tattered long blond hair, bound and tied with small strips of fabric, the braids and dreadlocks cascading down past her shoulders.

  Rhea stared down at her, unblinking. She couldn’t speak, because her voice caught in her throat each time she attempted a word.

  The woman was a sight to behold, terrifying and beautiful all at once. If Rhea hadn’t seen her with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed a woman such as this could’ve existed in her world. She had seen creatures of all kinds, but the woman who stood before her was more than anything she ever could have imagined.

  The smile on the woman’s face faltered, replaced with a deep frown. She looked up at Rhea on horseback, her expression growing severe.

  “Hello, cousin.”

  23

  “Are you Crystalline?” Rhea asked, her voice steady now.

  Gazing down at the woman, she couldn’t pull her eyes away. Her cousin made her feel exceptionally inadequate, all five-foot-four of her perched atop a high horse, still nearly barely standing as tall as she.

  The smile returned to the woman’s face, softening the harsh expression and severity caused by the scar. She bowed her head slightly, gazing up at Rhea with her mesmerizing eyes. “I am, Princess. Welcome home.”

  Rhea smiled back, allowing her muscles to finally relax and the tension to ease from her shoulders. “Thank you,” she said with a smile. “And thank you for your note.”

  A slight smirk appeared on Crystalline’s face as she bowed her head once more. “I’m glad you could read it,” she said slowly.

  Rhea was about to open her mouth to speak, but Crystalline stepped forward and placed a hand on the horse’s back, leading him forward. “Come with us. I have much to show you.”

  Rhea nodded and awkwardly slid off Traemarr, landing with a soft thud on the rocky ground. She was reluctant to let her horse be taken from her, but she allowed Crystalline to lead him on as they walked side by side down the soft slope toward the nearest hill.

  Rhea stood straight up, her shoulders back and her posture tall as she looked up at her cousin, standing a full two heads higher than she did. She felt positively diminutive next to the towering woman whose muscles gleaned in the dimming light and whose armor gave her the appearance of a seasoned warrior.

  The eight warriors followed just a little bit too closely, making Rhea stand on edge as they walked. She followed her cousin down to a narrow passage cut between the rocks. She hadn’t seen the path before from her vantage point up above, but it led them down and around the mountain and through a small cave. The cave dripped with moisture and sent a cold shiver up Rhea’s spine.

  She could feel the wetness against her skin, the smell of mildew and wet mud filling her nose as they walked. Traemarr’s hooves clomped on the slippery floor, and she held her hand against his mane as they walked together in silence.

  Rhea was about to protest their journey after another few long minutes, to ask where Crystalline was leading them, when they finally arrived at a large opening. The air cleared and the smell dissipated as the new cave passage opened into a massive cavern, open to the sky on the other side.

  Crystalline stopped, halting their party at the edge of a tall cliff, and gazed down at a settlement below.

  Rhea gasped as she looked out at the scene before her. A small network of roads had been carved into the rock and makeshift houses and lean-tos lined the winding paths. Hundreds of people bustled about, swarming like ants throughout the winding passages.

  She looked up to Crystalline, her eyes wide. “What is this place?”

  Crystalline slid a hand into her pocket and looked down at the village below, quiet approval in her eyes. “This, my dear cousin,” she began, her voice low as she motioned before them with her free hand. “This is the resistance.”

  Rhea raised an eyebrow and looked back down on the village, focusing her attention on a nearby cluster of people at the bottom of the hill on which they stood. Three large men and two women all clad in dented armor stood about, repairing a crumbling stone structure. Their weapons leaned against the wall, and even from standing far above them, Rhea could see their muscles glistening with sweat in the setting sun.

  “How many of them are there?” Rhea asked.

  “About six hundred, at my last count,” Crystalline said with pride.

  Rhea couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She simply stood there shaking her head slowly as she gazed down at the people below who were building or sharpening their weapons, or training. A group of a few dozen warriors on the far side of the village ran back and forth, followed by the shouting of their trainer. They still wore their armor, heavy metal weighing them down as they fought through their exercises.

  She couldn’t help but think at how impressed Taelor would be. A heavy feeling sank in her stomach as she thought of him and her other guardians back at Greystone. She didn’t know whether they were alive or not, having traveled so far. She couldn’t feel the thread that pulled her toward them anymore. She closed her eyes and let the cool breeze wash over her, calming her mind as best she could.

  Looking up to Crystalline, Rhea said, “You’ve built so much here, why bother reaching out to me? What do you think I could offer that you don’t already have?”

  Crystalline smiled down at her with an amused expression on her face. She crossed her arms as she pressed her lips together. “I’m surprised you deciphered the code,” she said, not answering the question.

  She then turned to lead them down the small path and Rhea moved to follow, curious as to what her cousin meant. She felt so out of place among these warriors, so inadequate next to their strong statures and heavy training. She really had nothing to offer.

  When they neared the bottom, she continued to speak. “Where are your guardians? I’m surprised you came without them.”

  Rhea faltered, her voice catching in her throat.

  Crystalline turned to her, her eyebrows raised. “Or do they not know that you came?” Her eyes sparkled at the prospect, looking down at her smaller cousin with a look of absolute approval at the idea that she had gone against her guardians’ advice.

  Rhea frowned at her and finally spoke, her voice hoarse when the words finally came. “Aelon has them.”

  The words hung in the air for a long moment before Crystalline gasped. “Where?”

  Rhea let out a slow sigh, rubbing her dust-filled eyes. She was exhausted and stressed and so filled with worry that every ounce of her body ached. “At the castle. We returned and he greeted us, though his welcome didn’t last long.”

  Crystalline nodded slowly along to Rhea’s words, and led them once more down the rest of the path toward the temporary rebellion village below. “You were right to return,” she finally said.

  Rhea’s heart ached in her chest but she followed along listening to her cousin in silence.

  “It was a great risk, but we are all glad that you have returned to the Otherworld at last.”

  Rhea shook her head, running her hands through her hair. “I don’t understand. How did you know I came back? How did Aelon know I came back?”

  “There have been whisperings throughout the Otherworld since your arrival. We have been waiting for this day for a long time, Rhea. The world has seen great darknes
s with you gone.”

  “The world saw great darkness while I was still here, too,” she replied.

  Crystalline nodded quickly, a deep frown setting in on her severe face. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

  When they reached the edge of the village, the eight guards parted ways, leaving the two of them and Traemarr alone to walk around the perimeter of the camp together. Crystalline raised her hand, motioning around her as they wound their way through the outer streets. “We have been working on this new home for the last four years.”

  Rhea’s eyes darted around, falling on each structure in turn as Crystalline pointed things out. “We have been building and gathering forces. I imagine our numbers would be much higher had Aelon and the other gods not destroyed so many lands and people already.”

  “Where do all these people come from?”

  Rhea watched as three young women walked by, all wearing armor that looked far too heavy for them to comfortably carry. They were chatting amongst themselves, smiling and relatively upbeat considering the grim circumstance of their world.

  “Oh, from all over, I suppose,” Crystalline replied, smiling and nodding at the women as they passed. “Pretty much anyone who is not directly tied to any of the gods has joined our forces. And even those who once fought for the various gods have come to our side once they realized the evil that their rulers planned for the world.”

  “It seems everyone wants a piece of the throne these days,” Rhea said, her voice sullen. “I don’t understand how the world could have fallen to such destruction.”

  “You’d be amazed at what people will do for power,” Crystalline said.

  They walked together in silence for some time, Crystalline pointing out different parts of the village to her, introducing her to the area that they called the RC, or Rebellion Camp.

  “And is that what you want?” Rhea finally asked her as they neared the far edge of the village.

  Crystalline turned to her, handing back the reins of her horse. “Is what, what I want?”

  “Power.”

  The two women stared at each other for a long moment, their gazes locked on one another’s. Finally, Crystalline pulled her eyes away, gazing out into the horizon of the setting sun. “No, power is not what I seek.”

  “Peace?” Rhea asked, her neck sore from looking up at the woman who stood so much taller than she.

  Crystalline slowly shook her head. “No. It is retribution that I seek.”

  Rhea nodded. “I suppose I understand that.”

  Crystalline remained silent, her gaze lost in the distant colors of the sunset.

  “And how exactly do you think I can help?” Rhea finally said, pulling the woman’s gaze back down to her.

  “You are our princess,” Crystalline replied. She placed a heavy hand on Rhea’s shoulder, firmly grasping her sore muscles. “You are heir to the Otherworld throne. The world does want to see you return to your home, Rhea.”

  Rhea shook her head and pulled her shoulder from her cousin’s grasp. “I have no interest in sitting on my father’s throne.”

  Crystalline frowned and took a step back. “Surely you want to fulfill your destiny.”

  Rhea let out a sudden laugh, shaking her head and wiping a tear from her eye that fell against her will. “Destiny? There is no such thing as destiny.”

  “One day you will come to see that there is, Princess,” she said.

  Rhea turned away from her, gazing out over the sprawling village. Seeing all these people banding together, working as one to fight evil, brought strength back to her heart. It made her feel more confident about her cause, and she now knew that she wasn’t alone in opposing her uncle’s claim.

  That didn’t mean that she was interested in holding the throne for herself, though. They would have to find someone else to rule their world. Perhaps even Crystalline would be interested. She was part of the family, after all, and much stronger and more powerful than Rhea.

  “Why did you send such a cryptic message?” Rhea finally asked.

  “Cryptic? I thought you managed to read it.” She looked amused, her lips pressed together in a sly smirk.

  “It was a series of symbols that we couldn’t read. We lucked out and found someone who could decipher them, but if we hadn’t come across help, we wouldn’t have had any idea what it said.”

  “Interesting,” Crystalline said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. She studied her cousin with imploring eyes, silent for a long moment. Her long silences made Rhea uneasy.

  “What is?” Rhea crossed her arms and tucked her makeshift dress around her to fight off the chill from the wind.

  “The symbols were the language of the gods, albeit a very ancient one,” Crystalline said. “It’s curious that you were unable to read it.”

  Rhea’s eyes shot up as she reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a small piece of paper, unfolding it and inspecting it once more. She traced her fingers along the strange and unfamiliar symbols that intricately wound around each other on the flat surface. She shook her head and frowned. “No, these mean nothing to me.”

  Crystalline continued to rub her chin, nodding slowly. “Fascinating.”

  Rhea raised her eyebrows as she looked up at the puzzled woman, more puzzled herself than anything. She tucked the paper back away, looking up into her cousin’s eyes with a curious expression. “Fortunately, we came about a scribe who interpreted it for us.”

  Crystalline smiled. “How lucky, indeed.”

  As if on cue, a small woman came around the corner and approached them. Rhea gasped and took a step back. It was the scribe from the group of bandits.

  “I don’t understand,” Rhea finally managed, looking back and forth between the woman and her cousin.

  “This is Aurelia,” Crystalline said, bowing her head to the woman.

  The woman bowed her head back and smiled. She then turned to Rhea and offered a soft shrug. “Nice to meet you, Princess,” she said warmly.

  Rhea shook her head. “I don’t understand. Who exactly are you?”

  “I sent a team after you when I found out your whereabouts after you left Circus,” Crystalline said, crossing her arms in amusement.

  “How did you know we were at the circus?” Rhea asked.

  Crystalline rolled her eyes and chose to ignore her. “You’re quite easy to follow, you and your five guardians. You are quite a remarkable group.”

  Rhea’s heart sank and the mention of her guardians. She wrapped her arms around herself to try to dissipate the building feeling of dread that set in in the pit of her stomach.

  “You sent the bandits?” she finally asked, her eyes shooting up to her cousin with rage as understanding dawned on her. “They could have killed us.”

  Crystalline shrugged, gazing out at the surrounding village, distracted.

  Rhea’s eyes grew wide as she gasped. “Oh my God, we killed them!”

  Crystalline nodded her approval, smiling down at her. “Yes, you did prove yourselves as quite capable. I was impressed.”

  Rhea took a step back from her cousin, suddenly worried that perhaps she had made a huge mistake in coming there. “I still don’t understand. Why would you send bandits to kill us?”

  Crystalline rolled her eyes again, groaning. “We didn’t send them to kill you, silly girl. I sent them to bring you back, by force if necessary. It looked like your guardians made quick work of them, though. I am grateful you spared our scribe,” she said.

  Rhea couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I…”

  “Now’s not the time to discuss such things,” Crystalline said to her. She took hold of Traemarr’s mane and led them down a winding wooden path toward a large building that smelled of straw and animal.

  “Can you please care for this beautiful horse, Aurelia?” she asked the woman.

  The scribe bowed and took hold of the horse, leading him away.

  Rhea reluctantly let him go, squaring her shoulders once again to face her cousin.
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” she finally said. It was too much for her to take, she still couldn’t believe her ears. “We killed them. Surely you didn’t mean to send them to their deaths?”

  Crystalline shrugged once more. “I doubt you killed them for no reason, they probably jumped you or threatened you in some way. Not everyone here obeys orders; I do not claim to be their ruler. I doubt your guardians would harm them otherwise. I know many of them from long ago, they’re not the type.”

  Rhea blinked, unsure what to say.

  “It’s a good thing I thought to send our scribe then,” Crystalline added, her gaze intense. “Seeing as you were unable to read the note yourself.”

  Rhea’s mouth hung open. “I…”

  Crystalline gazed off into the distance, her words hollow as she spoke to the air around her. “Let’s go inside to talk. You look cold in your…dress?” Her eyes flickered down to the gray wraparound Rhea was wearing, and snorted.

  Rhea rolled her own eyes and ignored her. She followed her tall cousin as she led her down the winding streets toward a small building with a heavy wooden door, a small cast iron circle hanging from the front of the wooden slab. Crystalline’s heavily muscled arm flexed as she tugged the heavy wood from its opening.

  Rhea stepped inside, her eyes adjusting slowly to the dark dusty room. A large table sat in the middle, complete with six chairs strewn around its perimeter. Rhea found a chair and sat down, waiting for Crystalline to join her after she shut and locked the door behind her.

  “Why did you summon me?” Rhea finally asked her again when her cousin had settled.

  “We need you for this war, Rhea,” she said.

  Rhea shook her head. “I don’t see how I can be of any help, though. I’m nobody in the grand scheme of all of this.”

  Crystalline frowned. “On the contrary, Princess,” she said, her voice low. “You are everything.”

  Rhea let out an exhausted sigh, rolling her shoulders back as she leaned in the chair, trying to allow her body to relax. She couldn’t, though. She was too tense. There was simply too much at stake. Her world was burning and her guardians were likely dead. She still hung to the small thread of hope though that remained in her heart at the thought that they were alive. They were strong, all of them. She had a feeling they would survive, but for how long, she did not know.