The Crown Prophecy

by M. D. Laird

  Queene Orrla was the last to arrive, and she came with an entourage of twenty-four fae. They had made good time in the fleet of aerial vectors they had purchased from the Procnatus after they were offered allegiance. Eve was nervous about telling Orrla that she had lost her horse, but Orrla hugged her and told her that Aethon would find her.

  “I have heard of rare occasions when lost souls can rise again,” said Orrla, “but they can only meet the actual death if they are reunited with their bodies which, if these are the souls taken by the dark alchemist, were burned a long time ago. The only other option would be to return them to their limbo, which does seem rather cruel, but I can see no other alternative. It is a very ancient magic and not one I’m familiar with. My brethren and I have been reading through some texts on the way here. We should be able to banish them though it will take time and we don’t know how many there are. We will also need to know where the spell or magic that was used to awaken them was cast and perform our rite there.”

  “You certainly don’t mess about,” said Tharazan. “Is there any magical way to locate them?”

  “I have my brethren searching for pockets of magical activity which may give us a place to start. We have made a start researching how to defend against them. It will be quite tricky; they will not have a physical form to fight with weapons though it is likely that demon claws and angel blades will have an effect on them to slow them down. They are trapped between Heaven and Hell so they can be marked by Heaven and Hell, but as they are not anchored in either plane or this one, it cannot be permanent. They have limited powers against anyone though the one they have is frightening—they can dislodge a soul from its body.” The alliance sucked in their breath.

  “This must be the work of the dark alchemists,” said Ester. “They must want to retrieve the queen’s soul so they can take the Crown. We have to hide the queen.”

  “I took the liberty of concealing a rescue cabin in the Empedocles Mountains in the Cambrian forest with fae magic on the way here,” said Orrla. “It isn’t much, but it will be safe as it is not anchored in this plane and will be untraceable to alchemists.” The alliance seemed impressed. Even Ester who was firmly against their inclusion in the Crown Alliance, could not hide her admiration.

  “Thank you, Queene Orrla,” said Eve, “but if it is me that they are after, then I will not hide, you must use me as bait.”

  “Your Majesty,” said Tharazan. “We cannot use our Crown as bait, it is too dangerous.”

  “It is practical,” she said, looking around the room. The princes seemed to agree except for Calab who looked anxious. The hominem patriarchs also agreed, but the sons, Thalia and Tharazan looked torn.

  “Is there any protection you could offer Her Majesty if we were to use her as bait?” asked Tharazan.

  “We can try to shield her,” said Orrla, “but shields are tricky. They are draining and difficult to maintain for very long, and we would need to focus our shields on the one performing the magic. Cloaking would be ideal though it cannot be done instantly. It may be best for her to be taken to the safe place as soon as the wraiths arrive.”

  “Just to be clear then,” said Tharazan. “Once you have located the epicentre, the queen is to be taken there to lure them in and once they arrive the queen is taken to safety whilst the angels and demons slow them down and you work your magic to banish them.”

  “Yes,” said Orrla, “obviously it is unlikely to be as straightforward as that.”

  “Of course,” said Tharazan. “What do the rest of us do? Do we just sit on the sidelines?” Orrla shrugged apologetically, and Tharazan smiled. “I’m not precious about joining in the war effort—I just don’t like to feel I’m doing nothing. But I suppose it is more important to use the right skills in the right places.”

  The alliance decided to remain at the guild and Charon found rooms for them. Most of the fae had to camp in a training room, as there were not enough rooms. Eve offered to share a room with Thalia or Orrla though Calab informed her that she would be sleeping on a temporary bed in his quarters with him and four of her guards keeping watch. Eve had telephoned the Impærielas to update them on the situation. Ezra did not seem overly concerned and said that he was sure whatever the danger was, the alliance could handle it. Eve did not know whether she was more disappointed with that remark or with the fact that Aethon had not turned up. Both were equally painful blows. She wished the Impærielas would take some responsibility for their own safety.

  Eve ate supper with Calab in his quarters that night. She had felt tired after a full day surrounded by the alliance and was relieved when Calab asked her to dine with him instead of everyone else. Mostly, she thought it was part of his ongoing plan to keep her detached from the alliance though she also got the impression that he was not quite as distant as he usually was. He had asked the guards to wait outside until they were ready to sleep. They dined and spent the evening chatting over a few glasses of wine.

  “I re-read the de Quincey murder essays,” he said. “I’m inclined to agree with your theory regarding the number twelve. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it the first time as I kept seeing references everywhere.”

  Eve laughed. “In the diary you gave me, he makes a list of his twelve favourite poets,” she said, “though he does cross one out so I’m not sure if that’s significant, and he only really timestamps his entries at twelve o’clock.”

  “I think it is maybe you that is preoccupied.” He laughed. “You seem to have a mind for odd details.” His expression was curious and Eve could tell he meant something more than de Quincey though she did not know what. She wished she had a mind for figuring out Asmodeus Prince Calab details.

  “I don’t have a mind for anything useful.”

  “Just one for making reckless and impulsive decisions.”

  She gave a slow smile. “If I can help, then I should.”

  “It could be dangerous.”

  “It could be more hazardous to a lot of people if the wraiths are left to roam Arkazatinia snatching souls while they are looking for me.”

  “I agree with your plan,” he said. “I just wish someone else was the bait.”

  He seemed to regret his last comment and sipped his wine quickly. Eve got the feeling she was verging on awkward conversation territory again and rather than show him how flattered she was, she continued as though he had not said it. “If it works, it should earn me some respect from the alliance. Though I’d probably earn more respect if I were to die.”

  He shook his head and smiled weakly. “They were all impressed with Queene Orrla, with her planning, knowledge and abilities. If they can pull it off and banish the souls, your alliance with the fae could be the greatest alliance in the history of the Crown Alliance.”

  “No pressure then,” she said. He gave her a lazy smile that made her flutter. She wanted to kiss him and had to sip at her wine and think of the horrors of the vexed souls to disguise the blush in her cheeks.

  It took two days for the fae to locate the magical epicentre and during that time, Queene Orrla advised that they were confident that they had magic that would banish the souls back to the limbo from which they came. Of course, that would still leave the issue of the one who had released them in the first place, but they planned to deal with the souls first.

  The epicentre was located in the Parmenides Mountains, and the plan was for Eve to travel there with the fae, angels and demons and lure the souls to her. The fae would then work on banishing the souls while Calab and her guards took her to the cabin in the Empedocles Mountains. It was quite a distance between the two mountain ranges, but Calab assured her he could fly the distance in a few hours and they would lose any pursuing souls well before they got to the cabin.

  The team set off before dawn and flew to the mountains under cover of darkness with Calab carrying Eve and the fae transported by the angels and demons. One of the fae identified the location, and they all descended. The air was death
ly quiet—not even a whisper of the breeze or the rustle of the trees. The alliance made the only sounds. Eve felt nausea rise in her throat, she could see nothing but she knew they were there. She stayed close to Calab whose every sense was on high alert, he held her close to him and ordered her guard to surround her—they crouched ready to pounce with their claws and blades bared ready to fight.

  “They’re coming.” She heard one of the angels say. The fae started their spell as the sun was beginning to rise. Eve heard a hissing and then multiple hisses as the souls approached.

  The fae took turns in powering shields around Queene Orrla and the sorcerers performing the spell, and they appeared not to notice or not to focus on the hissing that was becoming so loud it vibrated painfully through Eve’s ears. She saw the angels and demons begin to fight—she could see nothing of the enemy other than the glow of blade and claw when they made contact. Eve hated not knowing where the enemy was, she found the veiled threat terrifying.

  The angels and demons closer to them were beginning to fight, and Calab lifted Eve in preparation to leave. The souls had started to reach some of the fae sorcerers, and she saw the ripple of the shields as they hit them and was relieved to see that they held. Her surrounding guards began to fight, and Calab took to the air with extraordinary speed. The world whizzed past her and made her dizzy; she had to turn her head into his chest to catch her breath.

  “You know it said nothing in that guardian book about demons having wings,” said Eve when Calab slowed a little to check they were not followed and allow Eve time to collect her breath.

  He laughed. “Well, after all the misinformation they probably had no room for any real facts.”

  They soared higher as they approached the mountains in the Forest of Cambria. She held herself closer to Calab, partly for security as the height increased and partly to feel the warmth of his body as the air grew colder. She could not deny that, despite the circumstances, it felt good to be near him. She could not help but notice how wonderful it felt to have his large arms around her or how amazing his muscular back and shoulders felt under her hands. She looked up at his face, and he gave her a tender smile. Upon her first meeting, Eve had found that Calab’s countenance did not offer a great aesthetic appeal—his features were heavy and his thickset jaw combined with glassy eyes made a frightening impression. Once arranged into a smile his features softened, his black hair fell in soft curls around his face, and his eyes glistened—she felt her heart flutter again.

  All too soon, the flight was over, and they arrived at a small wooden cabin on the mountainside. Calab and her guards surveyed the skies and sniffed the air for signs of any enemies having followed them. When they were happy, Calab descended towards the cabin and the guards took positions surrounding the cabin. He set her down on the floor and opened the door.

  “It’s not much,” he said, “but you should be safe in here. Queene Orrla has had it Cloaked in fae magic. Whilst you are here you are hidden.”

  “Are you going back?” she asked.

  “No,” he said, “but I need to sweep the perimeter and ensure the area is clear—I’ll come back as soon as I can.” She nodded, and he took to the sky once more.

  Eve let out a sigh. Her guards could have surveyed the perimeter. She guessed that he had noticed that she liked the closeness between them on the way to the cabin and wanted to reduce the time they spent alone. She cursed at herself for her foolishness and took in her surroundings.

  The cabin was small, about the size of a one-car garage, and had only one main room. There was a tiny room that looked as though it intended to hold a toilet but didn’t. Eve presumed she’d have to hide behind a bush and hoped she could avoid doing so. The only furniture was a camp bed with a thin mattress and a thin, coarse wool blanket, a small log stove, and a small table holding a few basic essentials including some food ration packs, a kit to collect rainwater, and some steel and flint. As Eve did not know how long she would be in the cabin, she set up the rain collection set through the window. Though she felt, hungry she avoided touching the rations believing it was wiser to conserve them.

  The air was cold and the stove, with a selection of logs at its side, looked tempting, but she dared not risk lighting it for fear of attracting attention. Calab had said she was hidden, but she did not know if the rising smoke would be. She wrapped herself in the blanket and lay on the bed. The blanket was so thin that it did nothing to warm her.

  Calab had been gone for the whole day, and Eve had started to panic that something had happened to him. The room had become bitterly cold as night fell and she slept fitfully—her thoughts were preoccupied with the cold and with the battle. She dreamt of Calab arriving to tell her different friends had died. She dreamt that Calab had died and no one came for her. She shivered and her teeth chattered so much she did not hear the door open, or the footsteps make their way across the room. The figure was close when she heard it, and she leapt up in panic.

  “It’s me, Your Majesty,” said Calab gently. “I’m sorry, I thought you were sleeping.”

  “Calab,” she said, relieved to see it was really him. ”I can’t sleep, I’m too cold.”

  “Lie down.”

  She lay down, and he climbed onto the bed beside her putting his strong, muscular arms around her and pulling her close. He unfurled one wing and covered her body. The heat radiating from his body warmed her quickly and brought the feeling back to her hands and feet. The heat was wonderful and lying there, curled up under his wing, Eve had forgotten the freezing temperature of a few moments before. “Have you spoken to anyone? Is the battle over? Is everyone ok?” she asked, trying to keep herself from sleeping as her eyes were forcing themselves to close.

  “For now,” he said. “They managed to banish most of the souls before some escaped. Don’t worry about that now, go to sleep.” She could not keep her eyes open any longer and fell into a deep sleep.

  Eve woke in the morning and had almost forgotten where she was. She felt warm and comfortable and could have been in a cosy bed instead of a rickety camp bed. During the night, she had turned over and had put her arms around Calab, and her head rested on his chest. His arms were no longer around her. She closed her eyes in an attempt to savour the closeness, but Calab had already realised she was awake.

  “Good morning,” he said, she raised her eyes to meet his, and his emerald eyes sparkled at her.

  “Morning.” She smiled at him.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  Eve returned her head to lie on his chest. “Can we not just stay here?”

  He chuckled. “I’m hungry, and not for ration packs. I need real food.” Calab was airing his more amiable personality, but she could see that he felt uncomfortable with their proximity and seemed in a rush to leave. She groaned and sat up.

  “That guardian book said that you have an eternal hunger—is that right?”

  He smirked. “No, we felt hunger for the first time when we fell and probably overindulged at first, but having grown accustomed to it now after many a year we don’t require vast amounts as that book infers.”

  “Why did you give me that book if it’s so inaccurate?”

  “It’s fine as a brief introduction,” he said. “There is no other guide to Arkazatinia.”

  “It’s out of date anyway,” she said. “Perhaps we should re-write it.”

  “One day,” he said, “perhaps when our lives are not in danger.”

  “Will that day be anytime soon?”

  Eve found herself in Calab’s arms once more as he carried her through the air towards the Guild of Asmodeus. The other leaders had assembled in the library when Calab and Eve arrived. They sat down to join them and were each handed a cup of steaming coffee by Orrla.

  “Welcome, Your Majesty,” she said. Eve nodded and felt embarrassed. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, I just don’t like hiding while everyone else risks their lives.”

  �
�Don’t feel bad,” she said. “You should be proud. You did lure them, and we got most of them because of that.”

  With the fae sorcerers’ energy regenerated, they set out the next morning towards the mountains to try to lure the rest of the wraiths. Eve soon found herself surrounded by Calab and her guards. It was a while before the hissing came and the sun was already up. She squinted into the distance and tried to sense every change in the atmosphere. The angels and demons noticed the change well before she did and the wraiths were upon them before she heard the hissing. It was louder than the last time and Eve could see the angels and demons beginning to fall.

  “They are stronger today,” said Barakel. “I think it’s a trap.”

  Calab growled, grabbed the queen and began to fly. The thing moved at him with blinding speed and knocked him. He dropped the queen—she was falling! He stared in horror as a soul moved towards her. The demons and angels slashed at it, but their claws and weapons had no effect. Before she could hit the ground, he saw a soul rush through her and then it was running, and her soul was running with it. Her guards pursued, but it was too fast. Calab caught the queen’s body before she hit the ground and lay her in his arms. A fae sorcerer ran over to him and cast a spell to create a small shield around them.

  “What’s happened?” he asked quickly.

  “They’ve taken her,” screamed Calab. “She’s gone.” The fae placed his hands over her heart and closed his eyes.

  Eve was travelling fast through the mountains. Rocks and trees hit her face, but she felt nothing. An ordinary looking man, a good-looking man who could have been thorian, was pulling her along.