by Jaymin Eve
I would not be a failed heir. Whomever became queen would have the most powerful energy at her disposal, and I wasn’t sure I trusted any of the other heirs to wield it. Breanna, Selene, Devina, they weren’t good enough. I needed to make sure the house of red ruled again.
I couldn’t believe the queen was gone. She was … a true leader.
The cars were slowing now. We passed through the private gates and stopped outside the small industrial building that housed the vortex, the teleportation grid in the heart of the mecca. My guards stood twenty-four-hour watch on the perimeter to make sure no humans accidently wandered in and found themselves in the middle of a vortex that would shred their weaker human DNA to pieces. Only shifters could use the vortex, and nowhere else in the world did vortexes like these exist. That’s why New York City was special, a city I loved dearly, and would hopefully rule very soon.
Some of my determination must have shown in my gaze. Calista nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She knew I was ready.
My dominants exited the vehicle first, looking left and right before indicating it was safe for me to leave the car. I took a deep breath, preparing for what was to come. The moment I entered that vortex there was no going back. I would be in the Summit, and there was a very real chance I could die. The first few rounds tested intelligence and power, but the final round was a fight to the death. I needed to be focused, no distractions.
The eight of us wasted no time crossing the concrete parking lot of the warehouse which hid the vortex. It seemed unusually quiet out, and I sent my alpha senses across the area, trying to find the guards.
I reached out and halted Monica, the most dominant of my female guards. “Were there shifters on the front gate when we crossed into this property?” I hadn’t been paying attention when we drove in.
She nodded. “Yes, all the security was accounted for on the borderline.”
That was good, but I still could not sense the guards who should have been in this inner courtyard area. As an heir I was stronger and faster than even my most powerful dominants, and my nose was better than anyone’s, second only to our late queen and Finn. And I could scent no patrol nearby.
“Be on high alert,” I warned my people as we slowed our movements, creeping along and making our way to the double doors that housed the vortex.
A bird chirped nearby, and even though it was pitch black the sound of a distant garbage truck echoed through the city street. No one worked harder than New York City waste management—twelve-hour shifts, seven days a week. I wasn’t human, and didn’t have any real control over them, but I still thought of them as part of my people. I kept my Bronx pack in line and the humans who resided here safe.
Speaking of safe … there should definitely be guards on the main doors, but even in the dark I knew there were none. Maybe grief over the queen’s death had driven them from their post.
My wolves closed in around me, and as we stepped into the dark opening, magic surrounded us with a huge rush, like it had been hidden until we crossed the threshold of the room. We were now awash in the scent of spilled blood and death.
“It’s a trap!” I shouted. I knew, without having to see inside, that most of my guards who’d been protecting the vortex were dead.
Before we could retreat and gather more dominants, two women dropped from the second floor right above me. They looked and smelled human, but I could tell immediately from the way they moved that this was a disguise. Only in death would their true form show—bear, I assumed—my own people would never turn against me. Violet would have been able to see past this ruse. Dammit! I was missing my magic-born best friend even more now. Finn was closing in, but I sensed he wouldn’t make it in time.
One of the “humans” lunged at me then, and without thought I landed a solid punch on her throat. She folded forward, gasping. I could see Blaine out of the corner of my eye, pounding the other female with heavy blows. In my world it was all about equality, so if a woman tried to hit a man, the man hit her right back. Women weren’t delicate little flowers here. I didn’t know about the bears, but only females were true alphas of our packs. So … I guess it wasn’t really equal. Women would always lead. Males could be dominant, but they never ruled.
Half a dozen more attackers dropped to the ground around us, and as much as I wanted to stay and see how this played out, the tug on my arm from Calista got me moving. I had faith in my six dominants, they could handle most situations. But there was a real worry that since these bears were magically disguised as humans, there was a magic-born shifter in the vicinity, and like Violet, they were powerful and unpredictable. Most shifters had very little defense against magic. It was actually a good thing that there were minimal magic-born shifters. If they ever teamed up, they could dominate us.
Calista was shouting and pulling me along. “Come on, Arianna, they’ll be fine. You have to reach the Summit.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I shoved fear for my people down and started sprinting toward the vortex. Duty called.
Deeper into the building I stumbled through the entryway of the vortex chamber, tripping over something. Glancing down, I saw that it was two fallen guards. Tears sprang to my eyes – Damian and Marco, slashes bright across their throats, their blood spilling everywhere, sightless eyes staring up at me. A screaming howl built in my chest. While these dominants were not in my innermost circle, they had been protecting me for years. They were my friends. Family even. And they had been needlessly cut down. I knew this was to be my life now, one of death and loss. A queen learned to deal with that as part of her duty to her people. I had to become accustomed to the fact that others would die for me so that I could have a chance to rule.
I already hated it, and despite knowing my responsibilities, I decided right then that responsibility should never trump honor in death.
I stooped and dipped my finger in the blood on both of my guards’ chests. I dabbed their foreheads and then my own, leaving a dot right between my eyes.
“I will avenge thee,” I said, my voice thrumming with conviction. Those four words had been drilled into me since birth. A death must never go unpunished. I now carried these two shifters’ blood on my hands, and I would make it right.
Calista looked harried but proud as she again ushered me toward the ornate disc that harnessed the Bronx power of the mecca. As I stepped on top, one of the female attackers broke free of my dominants and rushed toward us. Ignoring her, I focused my thoughts. The vortexes were one of my favorite parts of the mecca. I had no idea where the large bronze discs – engraved with a slew of unreadable script – had come from, but they were definitely not Earth-made. Shifters long ago had discovered that they were all connected, and by placing one in each territory we were able to use the energy of the mecca as a form of instant transmission.
The teleportation process was not easy, learned through years of practice. I meditated regularly to keep my mind attuned to the energy. Harnessing the biting spike of mecca power and focused my breathing, I sent forth power to the Manhattan vortex, which was close to the royal house.
Once my mind was calm, I took Calista’s hand. My advisor was fierce and loyal, but her wolf was not dominant enough to be able to mentally travel the vortex pathways. She needed my help to get through. The female attacker, who had finally reached us, circled around unsure of the visible power of the vortex. Ignoring her, I sucked in a deep breath and allowed the slightest pull on that connection to Manhattan; like reaching out and grabbing a cord floating in the ocean. And all of a sudden we were snatched from Bronx, flung along the magical ley line, and deposited in Manhattan.
I don’t think I could ever describe the traveling process to a human. It was magical and if you had never felt magic, well … I guess the sensations were a lot like those really intense rollercoasters with the huge drops. During the entire thing, your stomach feels like it’s in your throat. Your equilibrium is gone, and so is all control. You are at the mercy of a force much bigger and mor
e powerful than you, and you know it could destroy you in an instant. Both scary as heck and absolutely exhilarating.
As my feet slammed down, I released Calista’s hand. I was already scanning around the space, assessing the threats which were surely near. Ten of the Red Queen’s royal guard were waiting for me.
They all bowed to one knee before me. “Your Majesty.”
Standing just behind them was Selene, five of her personal guards surrounding her. She looked her normal overly made-up self. Her dark Mediterranean skin tone and red hair, a mass of curls falling just below her shoulders, gave her an exotic look. Her large dark brown eyes looked black right now.
To give her credit, she did look a bit bent out of shape, possibly even upset that our queen had just died. I didn’t see any tears, but she wasn’t quite as composed as normal. She wore the deep purple of her house and nodded curtly to me. Her large, venomous snake familiar, Larak, curled snuggly around her shoulders.
I focused on the red guards. “There was an attack at the Bronx vortex, half a dozen or so magically cloaked individuals. The other heirs may be in danger.”
I knew Calista was already on her tablet warning my Bronx wolves to be on alert, and to expect attacks.
Five of the guards nodded, and as Calista and I stepped further away from the disc, they ran behind me and into the vortex. Selene merely stood there glaring at the blood on my forehead.
“What happened to the queen?” I asked, not caring which of the shifters before me answered.
One of the remaining members of the royal guard replied: “She was attacked in her library, murdered. There are signs of a struggle and the entire place smells of blood, but we couldn’t find any but the queen’s.” He paused uncomfortably. “We have no real leads.” There was true pain on the shifter’s face, but I hardened my heart. I could trust no one now except for those few who had proven their loyalty to me. Everyone else was a suspect in the queen’s death, even the royal guards.
“Take me to where she was killed.”
Without another word they turned, and I was surprised at their ready obedience of me.
Selene strode through her dominants then and blocked my way.
“You aren’t queen yet, Arianna. You don’t get to come into my territory and give orders.” She crossed her arms and I knew she would fight me all the way. Adrenalin and anger coursed through me. I’d lost the queen and some of my guards in one night. Maybe all of them, I had no idea what was happening back in Bronx. Selene had chosen the wrong time to throw her weight around. I was just figuring out the best way to get around protocol and knock her teeth down her throat when Calista stepped forward.
“Statute fifty-six of the bylaws: If a monarch dies, the Summit begins, during which time the previous ruling monarch’s heir holds a slightly more dominant position.” Calista smiled sweetly at Selene, and even though I’d have preferred to release my anger on her perfect face, I took a small victory at the rules being used against the purple heir for once.
Selene was alpha of the Manhattan borough. I had received multiple reports that she was a strict leader with no tolerance for wolves who slipped outside of her firm set of rules. Being strict was fine – I was strict – but I also loved my wolves. I would die for them, and Selene had shown not one ounce of compassion for her people. The few times we had met there was nothing but cunning in her actions. She was a power hungry, evil snob.
She’d fought for the Manhattan borough when we both came of age around the same time. It was my birthright to rule in the same home of the Red Queen, but Selene pulled her usual crap and threw our laws in my face. She was two months older than me, so she got first choice. The queen had allowed it, then to punish Selene secretly, made Devina and Breanna co-alphas of Queens, giving me my own territory to reside over, all of the Bronx.
For all intents and purposes I was the Red Queen’s niece. She was my mom’s sister, although I never thought of her as family. I’d never so much as hugged the woman. It was against the rules, and she sure as hell never made any move to touch me. To a certain extent I understood. The queen had no room for weakness or public affections. But still, it kind of hurt every time she brushed me aside.
Though there was one time, on my sixteenth birthday – the first year I was of age – that she told me I was her favorite heir. Which had meant a lot to me.
The guards began to lead the way, and I stepped in right behind them as Selene kept pace with me.
“You just had to show up for the Summit with honor marks, didn’t you?” she whispered. “Think that will gain favor with the council?”
Snide wench was probably wishing she’d thought of doing the same thing. Didn’t she realize for that to happen her guard would have to die? How dare she insinuate that I had done it on purpose. Damn protocol again. This chick was just screaming for me to punch her right in her fake nose. It was far too upturned to be real. I guess that’s what happens when you spend too long in Manhattan. But unfortunately there was to be no combat between the heirs outside of the Summit, so I bit my tongue, knowing one day soon, in one of the Summit tasks, I’d get a chance to officially kick her butt.
It took us no time to traverse the distance to the royal estate. It was a fifty-story, sprawling mansion skyscraper, housing hundreds if not thousands of guards, staff, and advisors. I had been here on a few occasions, but this time felt so different. This time the royal estate was my next possible home.
The lead guard held the opulent double doors for me.
“Welcome to the palace. I’ll take you straight to the library of the late queen now. Please note that you’re not to touch anything, and will only have moments at the scene. The council is waiting, and the Summit must be initiated with the blood of the four.”
I heard the underlying words he wasn’t saying. He should be taking us straight to the council, but he was hoping I would find a clue to help catch the queen’s killer. Which moved him a little further down my list of suspects. Just then I felt a gust of energy, and the scent of old magic. I smiled. Finn was finally here.
Turning, I locked eyes with my familiar as he bound over to me. His eyes were both fierce and kind, glowing with a yellow hue. The guards stood a bit straighter and even Selene held her breath. Finn was a force of nature. Never had I seen or read about a bigger, more imposing familiar. Even the Red Queen’s white lynx was smaller than my wolf. His blue dog collar jingled as he jogged to my side. I made him wear that while he was running around town so as not to scare the locals. The collar also stated that he was a Great Pyrenees mountain dog. Finn was born of magic and could slightly alter his appearance if needed. When humans were around he shifted to look more doglike. Even so, he was a massive sight to behold.
As I sank my fingers into the fur on his back, I felt completely at peace. Though some of the peace faded as I noticed the speckling of blood across his white fur and muzzle.
What happened?
Ran into some trouble on the way. Sorry I was delayed. I reached the Bronx vortex just as you left. The rest of your guards are okay.
I hugged him closer to me, thankful I hadn’t lost him or any more of my people. I couldn’t think about that though. One didn’t anticipate death, they fought against it with every step they had. I had to fight for what I wanted, and I wanted to be queen.
I never in a hundred years thought those words would form in my mind.
You will be queen, Finn assured me. His confidence fueled my own, but my familiar’s magic didn’t actually include future sight. Unfortunately.
We silently followed the royal guard as they weaved through the massive bottom floor of this building, which housed a dining area, huge kitchens, and lots of areas for entertainment and group meetings. Bypassing the opulent double staircase, we strode to the elevators and were taken up to level five, which I was told was the queen’s personal floor. As we exited and crossed the plushly carpeted space, I counted off the doors that spanned the hall. Twenty or more lined each side. The size of this p
lace was unprecedented. Finally, at the very end was a huge double set of doors. The queen’s library.
A somber mood fell over our large group, even Selene for once didn’t have anything to say. When we paused at the end, I could already scent the death that waited for us beyond those doors. New death. Lighter than I expected, which told me they had already removed the body. At least I wouldn’t have to stare at the broken body of my beloved queen.
The same guard stepped forward and unlocked the doors. “What’s your name, soldier?” I asked him.
His eyes dropped to Finn, who’d just pressed into my side. My familiar often got that reaction, even if people had seen him before. His massive size and fierce face was enough to stop most in their tracks. The guard recovered quickly.
“Cruz, originally of the Queens borough pack, now fifty years in the Red Queen’s service.”
I reached out and dropped my hand onto his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Cruz, we’ll find out who did this and they will pay. Tenfold.”
His blond good looks and blue eyes would have made him a favorite of the queen; she liked them sleek and pretty, I had heard. I preferred my boys to be a little manlier, rougher, but I could see that Cruz was going to miss his queen.
As I stepped over the threshold, the scent of death hit me strongly. The scent I’d already been picking up was much stronger on this side of the room. Mixed with the blood was the energy of my queen. Distinct.
Knowing my time was limited, I stepped away from the guards and into the former queen’s personal space. Selene and Calista were right behind me, with Finn at my side.
You can do this, Arianna. I had to give myself this pep talk more than once as I crossed the massive marble floors. I didn’t need directions toward the place of her death. The scent of blood was strong and coppery, the red pool contrasting the white marble, mixed with the burnt aftereffects of old magic. All of it left a bad taste in my mouth.
The blood was light in the outer corners of the room. But as we moved closer to the comfortable couches and table, which held the queen’s tea set, the spatters grew large and thick. My stomach churned. Wolf senses were already strong, but add in my heir abilities, and Selene and I were scenting twice as much as those around us. Finn gave a low growl that made the hairs on my arms stand up.