Forgotten Kingdom

by Stephany Wallace

  Nyx and I began to move through watery grounds. Every step took us further away from Ash, but there was something inside me that trusted Ylthay. Even in my rage—when we discovered he was under the Silestas' enchantment—the rational side of me told me there hadn't been any malice in the act. I might not fully remember my time here, but I must trust her blindly if I asked her to look after Ash and keep him with her. I would never let anything separate us. I would kill everyone or relinquish my life before leaving one of my brothers' behind.

  Whatever was beyond the borders of the Weeping Willow Lands was dangerous, and now it was up to Nyx and me to discover it on our own.

  We walked for two weeks without direction or reason. Guided only by the gut feeling I possessed and pushed us forwards.

  We were in the middle of crossing Desolation Hollow. A land as dry as the desert, void of life, and above all, of water. The ground crumpled in certain areas due to the parched terrain. The sun beamed down on us mercilessly, leaving no hope for shelter. I continued to question why I had chosen to leave Ash behind. My mind still couldn't come up with a logical explanation, and every hour that passed I wondered how he was. If I were honest with myself, I'd have to admit he was better than we were at the moment. No water had reached our insides in two days, and although my invulnerability kept my body from giving in to the dehydration, Nyx was feeling the effects.

  Nyx stumbled with his next step, and I gripped him, stopping him from falling on his face. Lifting his right arm around my neck and holding him to my side, I hoisted half his weight and continued forwards.

  "Not much longer until we reach water, brother. We shall find a lake, and you will drink and bathe to your heart's desire. We are almost there. Please hold on." A lazy smile stretched my brother's lips, and for a moment, I was afraid he had become delirious.

  "Did you know that there is a place on earth which holds much resemblance to Desolation Hollow?" Nope, he was fine. "It is called the Sahara Desert. There is no water or shelter, and the sun beams down on it unrelenting. Although, unlike ours, sand covers its ground in every direction as far as the eye can see. It is located on the African continent."

  "Very interesting brother," I answered, fixing my hold on him. "But I don't consider this is the best time for you to impart your knowledge. The more you talk, the worse it will be. You are dehydrated. We need to conserve your energy the best we can, until we get to the lake."

  “A mortal would have died already under these conditions,” he continued. “Unless of course, he wasn’t a man but a camel. Then he’d have water reserves in his humps to survive.”

  Okay, so I didn’t know nearly enough about earth as my brother did, but maybe he was delirious after all. I stopped, as Nyx’s feet finally gave out on him and he crumpled beside me. I struggled to keep him standing, until I brought him up, sliding both my arms under his and pressed him to my chest. He grinned, his eyes closing. “Do you know what else we have in common with the Sahara Desert? Mirages.” He answered his own question, nodding behind him.

  I frowned looking beyond, and my eyes widened. "That's not an illusion, Nyx. That is the entrance to the Autumn Court." I had been so busy trying to keep him conscious, that I hadn't noticed we were almost there. The Lake of Existence stared back at us, surrounded by trees filled with yellow, orange and red leaves. Its water sparkled brightly in the sunlight.

  "We are here, Nyx, only a hundred more feet. We are here." I said excitedly. My eyes returned to him, and dread filled me whole. He was unconscious. "Fuck."

  Taking a deep breath, I bent down and carried Nyx over my shoulder. I needed to get him to the water as soon as possible. If the situation were reversed, he would have gotten us there in seconds, but it was up to me to take him and I was not going to fail my little brother. I bounced on the balls of my feet, redistributing his weight on me, and calculating how fast I could get to the lake without collapsing. A battle roar left me as I began to run full force towards the threshold of the land, feeling Nyx's weight increase with each stride. "The law of physics," he would say.

  I gritted my teeth, grunting and pushing myself forwards as I ran to my brother’s salvation. There was no option; I needed to get him there before… no. I had no time to conjure scenarios for what would happen if I didn’t make it in time. Another loud cry left me as I ran, holding him to me, and suddenly the temperature around us dropped. We had crossed into the Autumn Court. Its coolness comforted our heated skin, but I didn’t stop. It wasn’t enough just to be here, I needed to get to the lake.

  My gaze was focused on the sparkling water as I forced every ounce of energy left in me to ignite my muscles and fuel me. In spite of my effort my legs gave out, and we fell. Our bodies hitting the ground with a harsh thud, on a small hill only twenty feet away from the lake. My hands reached for Nyx, and I pushed him over the hill. The next second he was rolling down and gaining speed until he plunged into the water. Using what was left in me, I dragged my body to the edge and threw myself down and after my brother.

  I fell into the lake, swallowing water I hadn't intended. I kicked, swimming up and coughed once I broke the surface, gasping for air all at the same time. My eyes frantically looked for Nyx, and I found him coughing too as he swam to the edge. He was still trying to catch his breath. The cold soak had woken him up. I swam towards him as he struggled to pull himself out of the lake. His body collapsed at the edge, and he lay on his side, pushing the water into his mouth. Relief traveled through me as I realized he was okay. I took small gulps of the water as I swam closer to him, feeling it replenish my body each time. Pulling myself up I sat beside him and patted his back as he continued to drink.

  “I would complain about your methods but—”

  He intentionally trailed off, and I laughed coughing in between. I helped him drink until I realized his glasses were missing. My gaze roamed the waters, and I saw them glinting under it, as the sun reached the crystals. "I'm going to get your glasses, wait for me here."

  Nyx complained but it was too late, I was already under water. Each stroke took me deeper as I followed their shimmer, until I reached the bottom of the lake. Sand half covered his glasses; I smiled, grasping them and pulling them free. Kicking the sand, I propelled myself upward, with every intention to return to him but something else glinted in the depths. My intake of oxygen was about run out, but I knew with my ability I could make it a bit farther. Turning my body, I began to swim to where the light shone, sending gleams through the darkness. My eyes widened, as I got closer. I couldn't yet reach them, but I saw them as clear as day.

  My silver daggers.

  I began to swim deeper, to get them, but suddenly muffled screams filtered through the water. My gaze shifted upwards, and I saw something that resembled a massive snake moving in the distance, it slithered through the water, coming towards me. I looked towards my daggers, and silently cursed swimming towards the surface. Whatever that was I needed my blades to fight it, but I was at a disadvantage with the lake being its home. I moved up as fast as I could, breaking the surface and gulping for air while Nyx yelled at me to hurry.

  I reached Nyx's side, and he helped me out of the water, but it made no difference as the creature's head burst out of the lake. We staggered back, realizing what it was. "A Beisht Kione”—The monster with the black head. My brother whispered while we stood.

  The said head was enormous, and the first half of the monster's body resembled a dragon's—horns and reptilian arms with claws included—but he had no neck, so the rest of his serpent-like body was the same width. His tail curved while it lifted him out of the lake and he stared at us. The ground beneath us trembled with his roar, and I cursed as the mirage disappeared, leaving coarse black sand under our feet. I cursed again at myself, for not using my ability to see through the illusion. Nyx had been right, except the mirage hadn't been water in the desert.

  Everything continued to transform around us, turning into charred ruins. We weren't in the Autumn Court, and this wasn't the
Lake of Existence. Instead, we stood in the Land of Ruins; in front of the last place, we would ever seek refuge… the Lagoon of Shadows. I had been so desperate to save Nyx, and feeling weak with exhaustion, that I didn't even stop to rationalize what I was seeing. The Autumn Court was on the other side of the White Haunted Mountain. If I didn't make a habit of blocking my abilities until I needed them, I would have seen through the farce.

  We had walked right into the Beisht Kione’s trap.

  The good news was, this was a desolate but small place to be. We could reach the limits quickly, we just needed an opportunity to escape. The bad news was, in order to escape we had to kill the monster… before it killed us.

  But two could play this game. The light encircled my irises as I stepped forwards. Nyx held my arm, stopping me from going any further, but I didn't need to. The sea monster roared, his head snapping to the other side and he lunged at the image of us that appeared there. I faced Nyx. "I was here before. My daggers lay at the bottom of the lake."

  Nyx took a deep breath. “Why the hell would you leave your daggers there?”

  I had no fucking idea, but we had no time to discuss that now. "How do I kill it?"

  My brother fixed his glasses as he searched his brain for the answer. “The only way is piercing his heart, which rests right in between the eyes.”

  "Of course," I answered sarcastically as the monster struck the earth with his claws and teeth over and over on the other side of the lagoon. The ground beneath us shook.

  My gaze shifted to the water, and I knew exactly why I had asked the Silesta to hypnotize my brother Ash and keep him safe. He was an Omni Shifter, which meant he could transform himself into anything he desired, no matter the size, race or species. If he were here, his hero complex would have pushed him to turn into a monster, and battle the Beisht Kione, head to head. Ash was impulsive and never thought about consequences, engaging a beast of that caliber—which happened to have experience in being, well, a sea monster—would have ensured his death.

  Being small was our advantage in this situation. I looked at Nyx once more. “How are you feeling?”

  He smirked at me, as a knowing gleam entered his ice blue eyes. “Filled with adrenaline and ready for a fight.”

  Before the last word left his lips, his shirt hit the ground, and the cracking of his shoulder-blade bones reached my ears. His back expanded, as the wings protruded from his skin with a span double his size. Unlike the Pixies' wings, his weren't see-through with a rainbow glimmer. No. Nyx's were leathery and long, with thin bones that stretched the tough skin that covered them. His second ability was Flight. He called them Vampire Wings—whatever those creatures were, he was obsessed with them.

  He straightened, flapping the magnificent wings.

  “The moment I hit the water my illusion will fade,” I informed him, eyeing the sea monster. “Can you distract him up there while I get my blades?”

  With a single nod, Nyx took off towards the sky, his wings wrapped around him as he twirled in the air like a bullet, achieving maximum height. Without a second to lose, I jumped into the water, going after the blades. I pushed myself, diving faster than I ever had until my hands gripped the handle of the daggers. I pulled them out of the sand, and secured them to my belt. Kicking the ground I hurled myself upwards again.

  When I broke the surface, Nyx was flying circles around the beast, he dashed upwards then twirled out of the way, and plunged down again missing every strike, which seemed to infuriate the Beisht Kione even more. I dragged myself out of the water and ran towards Nyx, counting on my little brother’s brilliance to anticipate my moves. He always did.

  I stepped on a boulder and jumped as high as I could, reaching for him just as Nyx dove down. He gripped my hands and gained altitude in seconds. When his body began to twirl in the air, gaining momentum, I prepared myself. The next second, he threw me towards the monster. I gripped the three daggers and flipped in the air to lift myself higher, avoiding his jaws. I landed on his nose and thrust myself forwards, swinging my arms towards his forehead. The blades found their mark. I pushed them until the hilt disappeared into the fibrous skin and I knew the second they reached his heart. His claws aimlessly swiped at the air behind me as a reflex, but the light was disappearing from his eyes.

  I turned and jumped off, diving into the lagoon and swimming away from him while he tumbled backwards. His black blood mixed with the water as I pulled myself out, panting. I wiped the water from my eyes as I desperately looked for Nyx.

  "No!" I bellowed in horror, and ran towards him. His body lay on the ground, his wings had retracted into his body, but his chest was sliced open by the monsters' claws. Without even stopping to think, I lifted him in my arms. A scream left his lips as the wounds ripped further with the movement, but there was no time for gentleness. There was only one place where I could get him help.

  Once again I began to run with the hopes of saving my little brother. I had never prayed before, but I did then. I prayed to Avra, our Dragon Lord, that my feet would carry me as fast as I needed them to, and I would reach the next stop in our journey before it was too late.

  The Istamae Othren, otherwise known as the Eternal Outlands, place of immortality and home of the Golden Elves.

  The good news was, we were only a few hundred yards away, and they had healers whose magic could save Nyx.

  The bad news was, the Elves were a very self-absorbed race, very powerful but usually unwilling to help an outsider… especially not one from the Winter Court.

  Chapter 8. Lost

  AVRIELLE

  * * *

  Life carries on. It’s just a matter of fact.

  No matter how much you are hurting. No matter how bad you want it to stop, and hold on to the one moment that made you feel alive, life continues, and sometimes it drags us along.

  I stared at myself in the mirror as Estharis, my lady in waiting, finished closing up the girdle behind me. The gown I wore was one of my favorites. The soft, see-through gauze wrapped around the corset in a multilayered sea of blues. Silver, midnight and sky blue mixed stunningly in the embroidery, resembling the petals of the twilight flowers Kyr loved so much along the bodice. It had a heart-shaped neckline with a deep plunge in the center, showing the skin between my breasts, and the skirt flowed in a full "A line" dragging on the floor. Its high slit allowed for my right leg to slide through as I walked.

  It was also Kyr’s favorite gown on me. His eyes always seemed to sparkle when he saw me in it. Then they filled with a desire he thought I couldn’t see, as they roamed the skin of my bare leg while I walked. It was the reason I had asked the seamstress to make sure every single one of my gowns had a high slit on the leg.

  I sighed.

  How could I not know he loved me? The way Kyr looked at me made my insides melt, what felt like bolts of lightning travel down my spine, and a kaleidoscope of butterflies take flight in my stomach.

  A small smile curved my lips, but pain quickly replaced it.

  “Are you thinking of him again, my child?” Estharis asked in a whisper, forcing me to look at her.

  I cleared my throat and straightened. “I’m not sure what you mean.” My hands nervously smoothed the material of my corset, while my eyes checked the maids in the background, to make sure they hadn’t heard her.

  A knowing smile curved her lips, and she motioned for the others to leave. "I will finish the duchess’ bed, thank you." She waited until the door closed behind them and held my shoulders, turning me around.

  Estharis was like a second mother to me. She had raised me here in the castle and my mother before that. She shared the beauty of our kind, with pale rose hair always held up in a knot, round blushed cheeks and eyes a shade lighter than her tresses. She was caring and understanding, and I trusted her with my life, but I had never confessed to her my feelings for Kyr.

  “My child…” She said lovingly, but almost in a chiding tone. Her tender gaze focused on mine, and my throat constricted
. “You never needed to say a word. I know your heart better than your own mother could.” She sighed, and held my hand, pulling me towards the bed. “I know what you feel for him. There’s no use in denying it.”

  The tears spilled from my eyes before I could stop them. "Will it always be like this? Will I be forced to relive the memories Kyr carved in me, although I'm destined for another?" My hand flew to my chest as the pain traveled through me. "I thought once I found my fated everything would change. I thought Kyr would be ripped from me, and I would have no choice but to love another, but I still feel him here in my heart, and to be honest I don't want him to leave. I don't want anyone to take him from me."

  I looked towards the window, remembering the Bloom's Ceremony.

  "I thought it would be different. That I would feel my fated so deeply, I'd be compelled to be with him, think about nothing else but him, yet when I saw Zeph rushing through the crowd to get to me, all I felt was dread." My eyes returned to hers, and I held her hands tighter, begging her to give me the answers. "How can Zeph feel me so strongly while I still think of Kyr?"

  "My dear, Avrielle." Her hand cupped my cheek. "I think you've loved Prince Kyr since you learned how to walk. In fact, it is quite possible he is the reason you learned to walk; so that you could run into his arms." A small laugh left me as another tear fell from my eyes. She wiped it with her thumb. "There's no magic in this world, no matter how powerful, that will make that disappear from one moment to the next."

  I nodded, taking a deep breath but the pain didn’t lessen. Estharis padded my hand, shaking her head slowly as though looking into the past. “I remember how much he loved spending time with you, especially after he’d been surrounded by boys for two thousand years, but the day you turned into a woman, something changed in him.” The light in her eyes transformed, trying to decipher it. “I’ve never seen a man love that fiercely in all my years. Some may say it’s wrong, but when love like this finds a way into our hearts, there is no reason or cause… and it’s not easy to let go.”