by Amy Sumida
“I'm listening.” I sat back down.
“So are we,” Torin announced as he strode in with Banning, Declan, and Gage. “What do you know, Eileen?”
“I know who pushed Elaria off that cliff,” she said smugly.
“Bullshit,” Banning said. “You were under guard at the time. There's no way you could have seen her attacker.”
“Isn't there?” She smirked.
My mind started to race as I thought back to that night. I felt the pressure on my shoulders again, the biting wind, and the fear that filled my chest. I saw the cliff's edge as I rose back up to it, and the rustling bushes as my would-be murderer fled. And just for the briefest moment, I had seen a shape. It wasn't enough to pinpoint the pusher, but after I'd heard Eileen's tone, it was enough to hone my suspicions. How could she know if she were under guard? There was only one way.
“One of them left,” I whispered.
Eileen smiled wider. “You know; you're not as stupid as I assumed you were.”
“Which one, Eileen?” I growled.
“Does it matter who did the deed?” She made a derisive sound. “They were all in agreement.”
“The kyanite knights?” Torin asked with horror. “No; they need Elaria. To kill your own queen would leave your kingdom in jeopardy.”
“Unless they already had a ruler they thought to be better suited,” I murmured. “One that's been ruling for years, despite the lack of a crown.”
“Kieran,” Declan hissed. “That son of a bitch.”
“How do we know that she's telling the truth?” Gage huffed. “She's tried to kill all of us, and now we're just going to believe that she's had a change of heart?”
“I'm telling you this so that you'll believe my innocence in regards to the events in Primeval,” Eileen growled. “As far as my other actions; I take full responsibility for them.”
“She's given me a story that I'm not inclined to believe,” I explained to the men. “But there's an easy way to validate this particular claim. Kyanite?” I called to my stone.
The power of Kyanite surged through me, and its sentience filled my mind. I didn't have to ask it anything; it immediately knew what I questioned, and I felt it pulse as it searched its stores of knowledge and memories. I'd been slowly learning how jewel-consciousness worked. It was a collective mind—the hive mind, if you will. Wherever there were pieces of a gemstone, the consciousness could reach, and then, through that touch, they could access previously recorded information. The gemstones weren't omniscient; they didn't know everything that happened around them. It was more like; they absorbed information and then could research it later. So, it didn't surprise me that Kyanite was unaware of the traitors in our midst. It did, however, surprise him.
They will pay! Kyanite rumbled; the vibrations shivering through my body.
“It's true,” I whispered in horror as I stared at Eileen.
“You'd best go and set your kingdom to rights, Queen of Kyanite,” Eileen said simply—surprisingly without venom or hostility. “An action which should have been done when you first claimed the throne.”
“When I return, we'll speak again,” I promised her.
“Thank you,” Eileen said primly. “And be wary, Queen Elaria. If the knights are against you, most of the court will be too.”
“Sarah,” I whispered as my gaze widened. “Fuck! Sarah is there alone.”
“We're with you,” Banning said as he pulled out his traveling stone. “Let's go.”
“We should take more soldiers with us,” Gage said. “Their numbers alone will overpower us.”
Tell the griffin who he's dealing with, Kyanite said with grim confidence. Any kyanite Shining One who stands against you will find themselves cut off from their magic in the most painful of ways.
I began to smile.
Chapter Twenty-Three
We traveled to the royal tower—my private rooms. It was empty; all of my rooms were. I immediately felt my connection to Kyanite flare brighter. We were most powerful in our own kingdom. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; feeling my way through the castle via my jewel. The sparks of all of the lives connected to kyanite burst into light within my mind. If I concentrated hard enough, I could see where every one of my people were. But, as it was with every kingdom, not all of my court was kyanite. I knew there would be several fairies who I'd have to deal with without my gemstone's help. Not to mention the fact that my Shining Ones weren't entirely defenseless without their magic. They were still able-bodied men and women.
And I had no idea how many were against me.
Two-hundred-forty-three definite traitors, Kyanite said to my unspoken question. Three-thousand-four-hundred-eighty-one undecided minds who have gone along with the stronger fairies in court for survival purposes. They have been oppressed for a very long time.
Kyanite went silent, but I felt his rage building inside of me.
“What is it?” I whispered.
They killed her! Kyanite roared in my head.
“Who did they kill?” I held a restraining hand out when my men started to speak.
My queen, Kyanite's voice was filled with furious sorrow. Kieran and his cohorts killed the last Queen of Kyanite. They betrayed me and murdered their monarch. Oh, my beautiful Venna. I'm so sorry I failed to protect you.
His sorrow was mine; we were that closely connected. Tears slid down my cheeks as his heartache filled me. Kyanite truly did love his queens.
“You didn't fail,” I said gently. “You just didn't know.”
I should have known! He shouted. I was her sword and her shield, and they got past me.
“Then show them now what it means to betray their jewel,” I snarled. “Let me be the hand to hold your sword; I will give your fury a voice.”
My love, Kyanite whispered tenderly to me, we shall bring them to their knees.
“You're damn straight we will,” I growled.
“Elaria?” Torin asked with concern as I strode past him.
“I need you to contact Sarah,” I said to Torin. “Tell her to hide somewhere safe until the screaming stops.”
Torin's magnificent, cerulean eyes went wide, but he didn't waste time with questions; he simply pulled out his contact charm and slid it into his ear. I heard him calling for Sarah as I strode out onto the balcony that wrapped around my tower. All of Kyanite was laid out before me, but I wasn't concerned with the common citizens at the moment. They knew nothing of court politics, and—thankfully—they were not guilty of treason. No; the traitors were in my home, under my roof, and I was about to do a little spring cleaning.
“Kyanite Castle!” I shouted; Kyanite amplifying my voice so that it echoed throughout the courtyard. “Come forth and face your reckoning!”
The stone beneath my feet trembled as Kyanite sent my voice roaring through the halls. It sounded through every room in the palace; no one would be able to ignore my summons. The world went still, and then there was a great pounding of feet as my entire court rushed out into the courtyard. The soldiers on duty gaped up at me from the ramparts, and further below me, I saw Duke Kieran stride into the middle of the assemblage to stare up at me in shock. Near him were the three knights who had joined me in Primeval.
That was convenient.
“Kyanite has spoken! It has revealed traitors to me,” I called down to my Shining Ones. “Traitors within our court!”
They were hundreds of feet below me, but Kyanite carried my voice wherever I willed it. I saw the courtiers glancing around themselves warily. Their expressions were hard to make out at such a distance, but there was a general air of unease apparent in their movements. They knew of the betrayal, but they didn't know how far I would cast the blame. They didn't know if I would hold their silence and inaction against them. I could have, but what kind of queen would I be if I punished my people for being afraid? For being targeted? No; the blame would go where it belonged. Then I would do my duty as their queen and protect them from ever being targeted again.
; “I have seen the guilty and the innocent,” I declared. “I know what you've done, Duke Kieran! And soon, all of Tír na nÓg will know it too.”
The Shining Ones around Kieran drew back from him as if he had the plague. Kieran just stood there; frozen in shock.
“Murderer!” I cried as I pointed at him. “You killed your queen! You assassinated your people's path to magic, and Kyanite knows of your deeds. He has seen your supporters and has revealed to me your efforts to commit murder once more. I charge you with murder, and I charge the knights: Samuel, Nial, and Jin with conspiracy to commit murder. Your sentence is death; to be served immediately.”
I could see the knights pleading with me, but I couldn't hear them. Nor did I care. They had tried to toss me off a cliff after I'd given them my trust and gratitude. I had no mercy for them.
And neither did Kyanite. The jewel stripped the four men—Kieran, Samuel, Nial, and Jin—of their magic, and they dropped to their knees from the pain of it. Their screams were so violent that I heard them clearly. The rest of the court watched in horror as more men and women fell to the stones around them; writhing through the loss of their magic.
I didn't bother explaining that these other Shining Ones would not be executed like the four I'd sentenced; let them fear me a bit longer. Yes; I was that fucking mad. I launched instantly into a song that I've previously used only as a last resort, and then only against a single opponent. I wasn't sure if it could handle four targets, but I had a feeling that with my consorts and Kyanite backing me, it would work just fine. The results it gave were final, abrupt, and very effective if you were desperate. I wasn't desperate, but I did want my court to see how quickly I could dispense justice. The time for playing nice had passed; now I had to lay down the law. And vengeance came courtesy of the Misfits (or Metallica, if you prefer that rendition). All I needed was the first line from “Die, Die, My Darling” to do the deed. Kyanite didn't even bother to provide the music.
The words shot out of me on a vicious shout; an arrow—no; a barrage of arrows—launched at the traitors. I felt Kyanite's satisfaction seep through me; a steady rise and release of vengeance. We watched the men fall onto their backs and convulse through their slow deaths. The Shining Ones around them screamed, shouted, and pulled away, but no one ran. They knew that it would do them no good.
“There lie four murderers!” I pointed at the corpses. “Their bodies shall be taken beyond the Kyanite Gardens and left for the carrion birds. Do not mourn them, for they betrayed us all.”
The Shining Ones who had been cut off from Kyanite, but who still lived, started whimpering and wailing; begging for mercy.
“Yes; Kyanite has seen your traitorous hearts!” I pointed at the crying crowd as the innocent fairies drew further away. “We know who you've supported, and we know how you've plotted against me. This will not be tolerated. I am your path to power; without me, you are without magic. Now that you have chosen a different path; you must walk it.”
Music rose around us; an echoing chord and then an almost villainous sound of horns. The traitorous Shining Ones cringed as I began to sing “Showdown” by Svrcina. Justice rose in my heart, and Kyanite thrummed through me along with it. I felt his power and his devotion to me. We were in this together; no one would hurt another one of his queens, and no one would hurt Kyanite while I lived. United, we would clean our court and lay a new guard upon it.
I let the lyrics climbed to a furious height; the accusation and the righteous indignation in them. How dare you come at me here; in my home? How dare you lie to me and then smile in my face? How dare you betray your magic? The music called to the truth, and let the entire court see all of it. The crying magnified as the guilty Shining Ones got to their feet and began to file through the main gates of the castle; on their way out of Kyanite entirely. To the rhythm of the music, they marched; faces forward and wet with tears. They were outcasts now; banished from their kingdom and from the magic that made them fey. I didn't know where they'd go or how they'd manage to survive, and I didn't care. They were lucky that I let them live.
Or perhaps they weren't.
It didn't matter to me any longer. I sent the filth out of my kingdom and on its way. If they wandered forever, it still would not be enough punishment. But I would be satisfied to see them gone. That was enough for Kyanite and me.
The song ended with a haunting, drawn-out, growling note; my satisfaction obvious. The rest of my court fell to their knees in relief and gratitude. I didn't bother to accept their devotion; they'd already made their vows to me when I took the crown. Those who had broken their vows were gone now, and those who didn't would continue to make the right decision. I knew that with absolute certainty.
I strode back into the bedroom, past my silent and amazed consorts. They followed me in quietly. Then I turned to them.
“I feel better now,” I said casually.
Declan began to laugh his ass off.
Chapter Twenty-Four
After checking on Sarah, and setting up a new steward (a steadfast knight named Sir Malcolm), my men and I traveled back to Coven Cay. I needed to speak with Eileen again.
Odin let us down to his workroom again with a confused look, but he just shook his head and closed the door behind us. He knew how tenacious I could be. I suppose I should have told him what had just gone down in Kyanite, but I was too focused to stop, and he saw that as well.
“What else do you know?” I asked Eileen as I strode down the aisle to her cell.
“So, you believe me now?” She smirked.
“I believe that you told the truth about the knights who tried to kill me,” I said. “And I'm inclined to believe you about the Trinity of Strengths. But more information would take that inclination much further.”
“I don't know anything else,” she snapped. “I told you everything. They took me to the temple. I escaped, the dryads—”
“Did you see any hidden rooms in the temple?” I interrupted her.
“Hidden rooms?” Eileen scowled. “No. If they had any such rooms, they didn't share their secrets with me. Why would they?”
Before I could ask anything else, my contact charm chimed. I pulled out the cone-shaped piece of barite and tucked it into my ear.
“Go ahead,” I said crisply.
I heard Sarah's voice, but I couldn't hear what she was saying because Cerberus came into the room at the same time and started shouting at me.
“What the fuck?” Cer yelled. “You just fucking dig out without me?”
“Sorry, Cer,” I said. “It was a last minute thing. But can you do me a solid and shut the fuck up?”
“Hey,” Cerberus whined.
“I'm on the charm, man.” I waved to the contact charm in my ear.
“Oh, excuse the fuck out of me,” Cerberus huffed. “Go ahead and take your call while I wait to bitch at you for being left behind like a chained-up junkyard dog.”
“Well, if the collar fits.” Torin smirked.
“Watch it, King Dick.” Cerberus pointed in Torin's face. “I haven't forgotten how you left my girl hanging.”
“Can everyone shut up, please?” I shouted.
They went quiet.
“Thank you.” Then, I focused on my call. “Can you repeat that, Sarah?”
“A dryad showed up just after you left,” Sarah said urgently. “He says his name is Reyne, and he needs to talk to you right now.”
“Reyne?” I asked. “Yeah; put him on the charm.”
A few seconds passed as I exchanged worried glances with my men and Cerberus.
“Queen Elaria?” Reyne's strained voice came through my contact charm.
“Reyne? What's happened?”
“The Trinity didn't take the barghest children home to their families,” Reyne announced.
“What?” I nearly screeched.
“And it gets worse,” he said cryptically. “There are more children missing. Spriggan, gnome, bean-sidhe, dryad, redcap, leanan-sidhe, faun, and imp children
have disappeared. Notes were found in their stead.”
“Notes?” I asked.
“They say only that the children will be safe as long as their parents refuse to assist you,” Reyne said.
“That's a lot of missing children,” I whispered.
“And a lot of Lesser Fey who won't help us now,” Reyne added.
“Won't help us fight the Trinity, you mean?” I asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said softly. “But they will not oppose us either. Please; my daughter was one of the children taken.” Reyne's voice broke. “We have been betrayed again, Elaria. Our very protectors have turned against us. It was a devious plan; they took the children all at once. We didn't have any warning.”
“I know exactly how you feel, Reyne,” I said gently. “I promise you that we'll get the children back, and I'll do for you what I just did for myself.”
“What's that?”
“I'll destroy your enemies.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
We used our traveling stones to go straight into the suite the Trinity had provided for us in the Amber Temple. Cerberus, my consorts, and I looked around the empty room cautiously. Sounds of activity filtered in through the balcony, and I eased over to the archway to peer over the railing and down into the courtyard. It was full of soldiers arming themselves for war.
“Trinity's army is assembling,” I whispered to the men.
“Hopefully, Reyne will be able to gather a few soldiers for us as well,” Torin murmured.
We hadn't bothered to bring any knights with us. We would have had to go to Onyx and then Alexandrite—jumping to Earth between each journey—before we could bring everyone to the Amber Temple. We did consider asking Odin to bring some of his Witches and to send Gage to fetch some Griffins, but I was hoping that we could sneak through the temple without notice, and a bigger group would be harder to sneak around with. So, it was only the six of us. Considering the power each of us held, and the power we could manifest together, we were confident that we could handle things on our own.