by Beth Hodgson
Auron smiled, and Vala gave him a quick hug. “I will see you in three days’ time. Hopefully with more gifted other than yourself.”
“Your name has much sway in this court, Uncle. Your visions have always been deemed exact and accurate,” she said with a small smile. “And it always helps that your heritage dates back to the first priest. That says something in itself. I merely have to vouch for you, and it could influence people. Wish me luck.”
Auron bowed one last time, heading for the door. “I pray they will understand the extremity of the situation.”
Auron was about to walk out of her chambers, then stopped, realizing he hadn’t taken an airship there. Geeta had brought him, and now he was stranded.
Turning to Vala, he asked, “Actually, I will need help getting back to my sector…”
Vala grinned.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
BLUE
The God of Light fragmented the light in his right hand, each strand becoming a new color into the world. Blue arose from the colored depths, and with it, sadness came upon the earth, bearing terrible darkness. Then the God of Light took dimensions within the sadness, bending it, then bestowing it to his chosen, allowing the gifted to travel across the chasms of time and space.
—account of Ardashir Rahbar’s vision, 2594 B.E.
The cold hard floor was uncomfortable, causing Derek to wake from his sleep. His body was stiff from the discomfort of lying on the ground.
Through a window, Derek saw gray, thundering clouds that filled the sky, hiding the tops of the other skyscrapers. His head ached, and he gave it a good rub to alleviate the pain. It didn’t help. He felt like he had the worst hangover ever, like he’d drunk too much wine at a party. But there had been no party, and no wine.
Derek’s thoughts turned to the sorceress. He recalled a darkness forming around her, and her orgasmic screams echoing in his ears. Then there was blue. Blue… from Emerald’s blood.
He had drunk Emerald’s blood.
Derek shuddered at the thought. His heart felt heavy, causing his body to twitch in disgust. Bile shot up his throat.
Derek ran to the bathroom, vomiting everything he had inside. His mind was the clearest it had been since Ikaria had first appeared to him. How could he live with himself? He’d wanted Emerald so bad that he let Ikaria warp the mind of Damaris and had let her convince him to drink Emerald’s enchanted blood. He was so caught up with his emotions that it controlled his reckless actions.
After he finished showering and brushing his teeth, he walked back into his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his lowers, and there was Ikaria. She lazily opened her eyes, giving him a wicked smile.
“Good morning, my prince,” she said, smiling and flashing her dark eyes. “Did you sleep well?”
Her eyes were no longer violet. Instead, they were the color of polished onyx.
Derek quickly averted his gaze, as her breasts were practically falling out of her armored corset.
“You need to leave,” he said. “If someone walks in, they might think… that I was unfaithful to the princess.”
“Oh, quiet, you. No one has morals in this time. Except you, perhaps.” She gave him a wicked look, then sat in a chair next to his bed. “Hello? Can I get some wine, please?” Ikaria called out to one of his servants in the sitting room.
Silas appeared, giving Derek and Ikaria a questionable look.
“The prince and I would like a glass of wine,” Ikaria said, smiling.
“This isn’t what you think,” Derek told Silas, then immediately turned to Ikaria. “I just woke up. I don’t need wine. What I need is for you to get out of here while I change.”
Ikaria didn’t budge. Instead she looked at Silas. “Well, are you going to get me a drink or do I have to serve myself?”
Silas bowed to Ikaria. “Forgive me, madam, but the master said—”
“I don’t have time for this,” Ikaria said, sighing. Her eyes began to burn a radiant black. Derek quickly jerked his head in Silas’s direction, morbidly curious to see Ikaria’s spell on his servant.
Silas bowed to Ikaria mindlessly, then left the room, most likely to fetch her a drink.
Derek opened his mouth in protest, then closed it as he watched her magic control Silas’s body. The use of her magic and the power it radiated amazed him, though he felt sorry for Silas.
“Is that what a woman needs to do to get service around here?” Ikaria sprawled herself on one of Derek’s plush blue chairs, making herself comfortable.
Silas returned immediately, offering him and the sorceress a glass, then vacated the room. She glanced casually in Derek’s direction, studying him. “You don’t look any different.”
“Different? You mean from the magic?”
Ikaria nodded. “Usually the magic changes your eyes, but I suppose since your eyes were already a pale blue, the gift didn’t find it necessary. But your hair will grow in blue.” She leaned in, and a wicked smile appeared. “I wonder if your hair will be deep blue? That would suit you, wouldn’t it?”
Had he truly received the magic? He had dreamt in shades of blue, but had he actually received that power? He didn’t feel anything.
“Are you sure that I have magic?”
“I can feel it flowing through you. With this green magic mixed in my blood… I can feel other magics in my presence.” She turned to face him, indifferently drinking her wine. “You have been given a deep, strong magic, my prince.”
Derek quickly sat down next to her, at full attention. He remembered seeing images from the past, present, and future. He saw different peoples, extraordinary cities, and fantastical lands.
“Does the… I mean, does my magic allow me to see things from other times?”
“Yes, my prince. The gift of the blue is the magic of time and space dimensions. You have the ability to glance into time—forward and backward, as well as stop it. You can also travel through time and dimensions. However, you will need some help from the gift of the green to stay in another time, as your body would dissolve into nothingness.”
It finally struck him. That was why Ikaria never traveled back in time with her body. That was why she needed the green blood.
“Why is that? It seems that puts this blue color at a disadvantage.”
“Apparently the God of Light wanted to be cruel. Who knows.” Ikaria shrugged. “It is said that one is not meant to interrupt the flow of time. That it’s time’s way of paying back in retribution if a gifted dared to do so, causing them to wither away. It is a violation of magic to inherit another gifted’s power, so no blue-gifted would ever dream of consuming green-gifted blood.”
Derek’s eyes sharply locked onto hers. “Violation of magic? You mean… you just… we…”
Ikaria laughed. “How does it feel in that moral soul of yours, that you, a common man, inherited great power and impossible abilities?”
He lowered his eyes, then took the cup of wine that he’d refused to drink, finally taking a sip. “I… don’t feel like I have done anything wrong,” he said quietly. It was true, he actually felt empowered, like he had the ability to control his terrible luck for the first time since coming to Arcadia.
Ikaria leaned in. “Neither do I.” She snapped her head back, drinking the wine casually. “And that is where I differ with all the other gifted.”
The power… he could feel it now. It ran wildly through his veins, gathering more energy with every heartbeat. It felt invigorating. He felt the urge, the desire, to tap into it.
“How do I… use my power?” Derek asked curiously.
“You want me to throw in a teaching lesson too? That will cost you more cyborgs.”
“I don’t care about the cyborgs.”
“Fine.” Ikaria smiled, leaning back in the sofa, kicking up her legs and caressing them. “You must be able to tap into your emotions, which are attached to your core being. Each magic is associated with a feeling. In your case, it would be sadness and depression. It should be ra
ther easy for you, considering everything that’s happened to you.”
“Thanks for making me feel worse,” he said flatly.
“That is what I am here for,” Ikaria said, lazily eyeing her goblet. “Just close your eyes. Think about your pain, your sadness. Remember the princess is in love with another man. If that doesn’t give you a shove, I don’t know what will.”
He shot her a look at the mention of Emerald. Ikaria gave him a crooked half smile, narrowing her black eyes, daring him.
“Will I be able to use it right away?”
“It depends. Some people have a natural talent like myself. Others need lots of practice.”
“Natural talent?”
“Yes. It’s just like anything else,” Ikaria said. “Some people can pick up an instrument, practice very little, and be the most talented musician. Others can practice their whole life and just be mediocre. But one thing is common with everyone: You won’t be able to use your magic unless you use the specific emotion that is tied to that particular color.” She fluttered her hand, gesturing to him. “Go on, try it.”
Derek took a deep breath, then shut out the world around him, thinking only of Emerald. Her words. Her last words.
I need time to think.
About what?
About us.
The conversation played over and over in his mind, digging into his soul.
Pictures flooded his mind. Pictures that hung all over Emerald’s room. Pictures of that man…
Out of the blue darkness of his heart, Derek saw Emerald.
Emerald? Derek called out to her.
Emerald spun around in every direction, her gaze searching. When she made another swift turn of her body, a look of recognition came over her face.
Emerald! I’m here! Derek called out to her.
The princess ran in the same direction that her eyes were locked upon. Moments later, she landed into a man’s arms, embracing him.
It was that man. Kyle.
Time slowed.
Emerald smiled at Kyle, the one who stole her affections. Her hands ran up his chest and around his neck, pulling him close. Their motions were slow, and every second seemed like an eternity.
Kyle’s lips closed in onto Emerald’s, gently kissing her.
Time halted.
No, Derek screamed in his heart! I cannot let you go! I won’t let you go! You are mine!
The image of Emerald looked so happy, so enraptured by the other man. She answered Kyle’s kisses back with passion. Her hands savagely combed the back of his neck and up through his white hair. Each moment her kisses became more climactic. And they didn’t stop.
NO!
Derek jerked his eyes open. The world had a blue tint to it, and the air felt incredibly still around him. He glanced at the window outside—the city was paused. The air transports were frozen in midair. The people within the platforms, the skyways, all were like still ants, unmoving. There was even a lightning bolt frozen in time, a rod joining heaven and earth. Derek looked over at Ikaria, who seemed to be the only one with the ability to move, all in full color.
“Very good, my prince,” she said, smiling. “I had to give you a little push, though. Sorry about that,” she said nonchalantly.
Derek looked at her within the frozen world. “You placed that image in my mind?”
“Well, yes. You are so simple, driven by only one passion. Didn’t it make it easy for you?”
“I guess. But why is it that you are moving?” he wondered, looking at his hands where he felt the magic release.
“No one can stop me from moving, my dear prince. Unless there is someone who is as talented or as powerful as me.”
“You mean it’s hard to get rid of you?” Derek muttered.
Ikaria laughed at his poor joke. “I am afraid that you will never be able to get rid of me. Especially now that I have the gift of the black.”
“Is that why your eyes have changed? You have black magic?”
“Precisely. There is no stopping my magic, and I have you to thank for that.” Ikaria smiled wickedly at him.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“I would think it would be at least a highlight of your time here in Arcadia.”
Derek sighed. Ikaria irritated him to no end. But he apparently wouldn’t be ridding himself of her. Not yet anyway.
Ikaria noticed his disgruntled look. “I have a little secret that can cheer you up.”
“I don’t like your secrets. The last one was about my father having an affair, and I am still processing that one.”
“Oh, hush. It’s nothing like that.” Ikaria laughed. “It’s about your magic. All gifted have the power to tap into colors that are next to yours in the spectrum. You can possess certain abilities of the power of violet and green, but only to a small degree.”
Derek looked at Ikaria in full color within the blue world, trying to search his power deep within his soul. His power was like a soft breeze, gently running through his body. He did feel the other strange powers within, tingling within his blood. They were there, but not as prominent as the blue that spoke to him.
The blue magic grew within him, making him aware of being devoid of Emerald, painfully crushing his insides. Pushing back his thoughts and his feelings, the azure world melted away into color, and the world instantly came back to life.
His heart raced at the feeling of the power that rocked his body. It made him feel so alive, like his soul had awakened for the first time in his life. The thought of being in the presence of Emerald was the only other comparison he could ever make, although he didn’t have her. Not yet.
He had a lot to think about as well.
First things first. I must go see Emerald.
Derek turned to Ikaria, casting her a glance. “I need to get dressed,” he said, waving her away.
“By all means, get dressed. I need some good morning entertainment.”
Derek gave her a look of annoyance. “I need my privacy. I am going to dress now,” he repeated firmly.
“Don’t worry, my prince. You aren’t my type anyway. If you were blond, on the other hand, I would have had my way with you several times already.”
“You are sickening,” Derek said in disgust. He gave her a cold hard stare, then went to his wardrobe to look for some garments to wear for the day.
Silas came back with another glass of wine, offering it to Ikaria. She took the glass, then took a long, deep drink. “I beg to differ, my prince. Don’t play innocent with me. I have seen your dirty mind playing with Emerald the last week or so.”
Derek jerked his head in her direction.
Ikaria didn’t even flinch, staying focused on her glass of wine, admiring the shape of it.
“Wonderful,” he said sarcastically.
“I must say, with how much you think of her, you almost had me convinced that I needed to fornicate with her too.”
Derek’s mouth dropped, dumbstruck. “Those are my most private thoughts! Those are meant for me, and me alone!”
“Nothing is private with me, my prince. What is it about the princess, anyway?”
“Get out of here!” Derek roared, running his fingers through his sweaty curls.
“Fine.” Ikaria got up, downing her glass of wine, then strutted past him. “I was getting bored with you, anyway. So dull, you are.”
She turned her head slightly, then held out her hand in the direction of the vanity. Slowly, the floating holographic circlet became opaque, then dropped onto the vanity with a clink. “As promised,” she said, referring to the circlet. “Come talk to me when you have finally had a good romp with your princess, as I can see you have much frustration that you need to get out. I, on the other hand, have business to take care of.”
Derek watched her about to leave, then called out. “What are you going to do? Aren’t you not supposed to disrupt time?”
“Has that stopped either one of us?” she asked, fading away into the air.
Der
ek walked to the vanity and picked up the crown. It still had a violet glow, but it was solid in his hands.
He felt violet power surging from the metal, vibrating through his body, mixing with his blue magic.
It made him feel alive. So very alive. And in control.
In the back of his mind, he felt a small hint of guilt poke at him. Clenching the circlet, Derek turned away, thinking of the odd scientist.
“Silas!”
Silas entered almost immediately, glancing cautiously around the room. “Yes, Your Highness?”
“Find the number for the head director of the King’s corporation. I would like to talk to them within the hour.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
It was time for him to honor his end of the bargain.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
BLACK
The Lord of Darkness called upon me into his service, in exchange for his eternal power. The darkness, the ultimate combination of all colors of the spectrum, empowered my spirit, and emboldened my heart. He commanded my life-force and consumed by whole being. I was no longer on my own, for he was there with me in everything I did.
—from the banned works of Dreyfus the Elder, 1379 B.E.
Ikaria stopped and lingered occasionally as she walked through the palace, touching each and every one of the technological devices that were scattered throughout the halls. Lords and ladies passing by gave her curious looks as she caressed the machinery. Some were heard making comments on who the new woman in the palace was, but most continued down the halls to their intended destinations in silence. Ikaria didn’t care what anyone thought. Had she ever? She was stopped and questioned by guards a few times, but Ikaria just told them that she was Derek’s royal advisor from the Kingdom of York, and they let her be. After all, he was soon to be king of Arcadia.
When Ikaria had completed the Spectrum of Magic, the gift of the black spoke inside of her, granting Ikaria a power of her choosing. Not only did the black gift amplify her magic, it blessed her with her greatest desire—to understand how the machines worked, from their conception to when they were built to their engineering and design and how they ran. The knowledge was far greater than any book that Ikaria had read, and she hungered to know more. With each new heightened awareness, Ikaria thought of the countless possibilities that could change the face of the future, starting with World Sector Six. And she had information that no one, not even the High Court, could steal from her because it was stored within her consciousness.