The glowing being turned and gazed at her with a familiar smile, one so like her own that her heart stopped for the tiniest of moments.
“Daddy?” she questioned, not truly expecting an answer.
“My Zoey, you have grown my child. I apologize for not being there to see it. I am glad you finally found me. I have waited so long to see you.” The spectral version of King Anthony replied.
“How is this possible?” Zoey asked, scared, and overjoyed in one fleeting moment.
“It is a simple spell to give a strong magical being the gift of one last conversation with those they love. I knew the day I died that your mother had joined me in death as our bond was so close, her heart would stop with mine. Only you remained.” The king said.
“Why did no one tell me? I could have changed the world with the knowledge I have gained in the last few hours.” Zoey hissed her anger coming out in fits and starts.
“Those who held such knowledge were instructed to wait and tell you once you had become strong enough to make the changes and keep Astra safe. As a child, Elise would have killed you to see her whims met. She is an evil beast, and so is her daughter. I never wanted to leave you, my Zoey. I hope you can believe these words.”
Tears dug a trail hot and angry down Zoey’s face. She wanted to rage and scream, but she knew that even this moment would be limited, and she needed to use it to the fullest extent. Oh, the rage she felt at being orphaned and raised by the very beast she would have to overcome to save all of the races in this world. It wasn’t fair in the slightest, and Zoey had no way to express her frustration, so she let it go. Wiping her tears away, she stood tall and waited to learn more.
“You must let the other races know that the beast is free. She was never supposed to be born, but my stupid brother believed in fairy tales, and my ignorant mother never told him their true meaning. I knew, and I tried to tell him that he could not marry another lion, but he would never listen. It was his need for the spotlight and his jealousy that drove him. Little did I know my mother gave in to the whims of her favorite child. Each race will have a gift or a being that will help you defeat Sasha. Know I never wanted this for you. I never wanted you to grow up without your mother or me, yet fate had other plans. Save Astra Zoey and keep Zephyr close He is the answer and the question to the burdens in your heart.”
“Is there nothing more you can tell me, father? Have you not seen the suffering I have endured to please what I thought was my mother?” Zoey asked her voice rough with the urge to scream. Her fury riding her as deeply as the broken heart that beat in her chest.
“We both have seen it and watched you endure even with the lies you were told. You have handled ever task before you as if your life depended on it. Now hold this last task as if the very world would cease to exist without your strength because if the beast has her way, Astra will be destroyed forever. Send her back, dear Zoey, to the oblivion of hell where she belongs and send that lich Malenhiem with her. They are a mated pair of destruction not meant to walk the world for any reason. We thought separating them would keep the prophecy from coming to fruition, but even with the help of the gods, we were mistaken. You have been given all you need, including the talisman that lets you open the door to this room. Everything in here will give you aid. In the cabinet, you will find your mother’s grimoire. For the jaguar clans held more magic than any other species. Even the dragons have no real idea of the power they wield, Use your birthright wisely and save this world. I love you, my dearest daughter.” With that, the spirit of her father vanished, leaving the room to feel vaguely cold.
Zoey shuddered as the tears burned an angry trail down her face. It left her speechless and breathless in anger and grief. So much killing had already fallen from her fingertips. Her soul wanted peace, but she knew in her heart that she would find none unless this beast was destroyed or sent away from this world. She walked towards the cabinet that had popped open upon her father’s spirits departure. She carefully eased open the door to find a book the size of her palm lying inside on a crushed piece of purple velvet. She picked it up, amazed at how light it was. As she held it, the book grew to a great tome of magic.
Zoey was so startled she almost dropped the book her face holding a wondrous smile. She opened the first page to find a letter from a woman she had never met but knew as her mother.
“My Dearest Zoey,
It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter. I will never get to hold or love you as you should be loved, for your father has found a way for you to be raised as the princess you are. In his final days, he will choose you as heir to the throne instead of the little princess Sasha. Beware, Sasha, for she is the beast of prophecy and a dangerous creature. I wanted you to know how much I love you. From the moment you took your first breath, I knew you would be destined for great things, even your two-toned eyes mismatched in color are a gift from the very gods and goddesses themselves.
Your turquoise blue eye should give you the magic sight of the Jaguar clan, and your emerald green eye shall be the seer of truths. Use these gifts well daughter, for they will guide you when you are called upon to fight the beast. I wanted peace for you, my daughter, and a normal childhood, but all that was spoiled by your uncle Royal. You must eliminate him if you are to succeed at all. Take no gifts from him or the lich Malenhiem. They will try to trap you, dishonor you, and have you killed. They long for a power that no one person should ever lay claim to. Not even the gods and goddesses hold the power they seek.
Fight them, dear daughter, and keep Astra safe. In the pages of this book, you will find countless spells to aid you on your journey. It is your birthright as queen and sorcerous of Astra. You are and will be the last great guardian to restore a peace that should have never been disrupted. I leave you with my love and my power. The only gift I could give you without me there to hold you. Use them well, my Zoey girl, savior, and light of the Astra Kingdom.
Love Your Mother,
Princess Nethra”
Zoey jumped when a ball of purple light swept up from the letter in the book and dove for her chest. She felt the power nestle its way into her heart and join with her own magic like a missing piece. She could feel her mother for that one moment, and it as like the hug she had always longed for as a child. She let the peace it produced in her soul wrap around her like a warm blanket. Nothing would ever take this feeling from her heart. It was like her first and the last touch from her real mother. A cherished gift like the magic her mother had left her that pulsed like a star within her chest.
Zoey felt as if she could fly and never come down from the stars she had found for friends in the sky. It was a feeling of completion, unlike anything she had ever felt. She wondered if Zeohyr’s kiss would feel this good, and then her mind came back to earth. She heard her Chamber doors open and was dismayed to see Malenhiem creep into her room. He had become one of her targets, but not one she was ready to eliminate just yet. She knew he would have a purpose before his end could be met.
The first thorn in her side that had to be removed would be her Uncle Royal. Knowing now that he had fathered the downfall of all the races of Astra in a lust for power had her temper well above boiling. He was an unforgivable wretch, one she would see die in anguish if possible. She wondered if she could pull Sasha’s strings to commit the crime of regicide. If all she had learned of the beast was true, it should be an easy thing to accomplish.
Zoey watched threw the wall as Malenhiem placed a nightmare charm within her pillows. One that was designed to produce a hatred of her sister Sasha. It looked as if the lIch had his own designs in play. Zoey smirked as she thought of throwing the pillows in the fire. Not in her room but in Royal’s room. The smoke from the pillows would induce the same effect and would pit father against daughter in a game of power. She gave Sasha a two-day spread before she destroyed her own father for treason. Zoey waited as the lich left her chambers, giggling to himself like a madman. It was strange that people saw a man at all, but she w
ould guess it was part of his glamour. To her eyes, she saw the walking corpse for what he truly was, a rotted piece of filth like no other, and it upset her that Queen Elise would keep such a creature so close to the royal family, but then again Queen Elise was a form of beast herself.
Humming her way out of her father’s secret room Zoey put on her gloves a retrieved the enchanted pillow from her bed. Stealing down the hall, she gently laid them under the firewood for Royal’s bedchamber and lit a match. He never heard her and slept the drunken sleep he was accustom to, except that his mind was ravaged by nightmares of his darling Sasha killing him over and over again. His restless sleep began as soon as Zoey closed the door. Now she had to see if her spread won out. With stealth on her side, Zoey crept to Zephyr’s chambers to see if he had returned yet.
Worry bloomed in her chest for the words of her father lay heavy in her mind. She would protect Zephyr with all she had, for he was the one who held her heart.
Chapter 18
Eros and Nyx
Eros shed his Zephyr glamour and held Nyx close to his chest. He could feel her fatigue after a few glorious hours of love making. He had but one hour left before the beast princess would need to be returned. Using a burst of raw magic, he sent her form flying in thousands of particles to reassemble itself in her own bed. The beast princess would think her last few experiences but a dream. His concern was for how much his goddess of the night had given up to fight the beast.
Her semi mortal form lay sweating and drained of her natural magical energy. It was as if she had fallen from the heavens lacking the gifts she had always held since the beginning of time. It made him cry tears of fear instead of joy. He held her in his arms and let her sleep. With each breath, he gave her a piece of her divine power back. She should have not been stripped of magic in such a way. It made him wonder how much more her poor body could take before she would be forced back to her celestial form.
He used the energy it produces to fuel the spell that had let him mold his charge with a reliable companion and source of love for Zoey. Eating mortal food was an easy trade for the benefits it would reap. Zoey slipped into his room after he had managed to polish off half of the meal. She crossed the room quietly, holding a finger to her lips. This use of stealth was unlike her, Zephyr scanned her image to make sure that he was actually looking at his charge. It was her, but her body held an urgent tone he had not seen since she was a young assassin.
Intrigued, he followed her movements and slipped through the shadows following her to her chamber. She made him wait as she checked her quarters for bugs or spying spells before he was even allowed to enter. Whatever had spooked her, had done a good job. Eros had never seen her this way and nor had Zephyr. Eros had checked all his memories. Zoey wanted their conversation to be kept from all ears, and he feared this type of precaution. What could be so great that she would go through these measures? What had she discovered while Eros had been retrieving the beast princess for the wicked queen?
Zoey waved Zephyr in but still held her finger to her lips. She approached a wall and began to hum in a low tone as she waved Zephyr forward before following quickly behind him. Never did the melody that slipped from her lips falter until everyone was through where the wall had been thinned by magical song. Zephyr was impressed, Zoey had skills he was not aware of, maybe now was not the time for Eros to shed his Zephyr disguise. She seemed far more troubled than he could imagine her circumstances to warrant. What had he missed when he had seen her fate in the mirrors of truth so long ago?
Zoey sighed, “Zephyr, I am so glad you are alive.”
“What would give you a reason to think I would not make it back? It was just a simple retrieving mission.”
Blushing, Zoey looked him over from head to toe. It was as if she was scanning for something more than she used to. He had hidden his god-like glamour deep enough that her natural magic detecting eye would not see him, and he knew it didn’t see him now. So what was really going on with this young woman?
“I had to make sure it was actually you who returned. The beast has risen.” Zoey said, her voice held fear unlike I had ever heard in a mortal soul. Though long-lived, werelions could and did die if they didn’t take care of themselves.
“How?” Slipped from Zephyr’s lips before he could stop it. However, Zoey failed to notice as she began to explain a tale he knew so well as he had watched it unfold.
“So Sasha must be destroyed or all of Astra as we know it will cease to exist,” Zoey said as she finished explaining. Now Zephyr could see her reasoning for the stealth and the use of her father’s magically hidden chamber to speak. It was the only untainted room in this whole castle in her mind. They needed to complete the ball and get the fuck out of this place fast. They needed to warn the other kingdoms and make sure the weapons the prophecy promised all fell into Zoey’s hands and not Sasha’s.
Eros knew his timing would be better than ever and grabbed the shaking Zoey into his embrace. He held her like she was his only tomorrow before he pulled back enough to look into her eyes. “You are all I have ever needed. Never doubt that, and let me help you.” Zephyr/Eros said as he took her lips in his own. It was the best way to ensure the spark and light the fire. Zoey’s body trembled under the onslaught of Zephyr’s kiss, and Eros would make sure Zephyr felt every moment of this new beginning in his soul. For as soon as Zoey was safely away from this castle, it would be the real Zephyr in charge while Eros took the long route to help along the way.
Zoey pulled back her eyes shining with hope, she had loved Zephyr for so long. Could he really love her as he just claimed? She scanned him one more time, seeing only the Zephyr she knew and loved. Her fears began to melt away as she answered Zephyr’s kiss with a kiss of her own. For what seemed like hours, the battle with their kisses and touches, each trying to stoke the heat within the other. Their game was gentle but urgent and far more complicated than either could imagine.
They battled with their kiss alone until Zephyr broke from Zoey’s lips hungry for air and panting like a cat in heat. “Zoey, say you will let me help you?” He questioned only to stop them from going too far. Their first lovemaking would happen only when the real Zephyr was in place. Eros could not take that chance when The Fates had spoken against such a union.
“I need you to help, and I need you to truly love me. The players around us all have motives, and ours need to align if I am ever to survive this whole mission. Will you do this for me, Zephyr?” Zoey asked her eyes, pleading for him to hear the love in her words. Zephyr’s heart swelled as he took Zoey’s lips again, his promise was made with no sound.
Chapter 18
Regicide
Royal paced his chambers needing and wanting to see his daughter before she was granted the throne he had coveted for so long. She needed to know she was his child and that she owed him allegiance if he was ever to gain the power he craved and had all but been promised by his mother’s stories. He just had to find a way to make Sasha believe him. Would removing Zoey from the equation be the fastest way to his cherished daughter’s heart. He had heard of her cruelty and refused to believe her such a beast.
It was her nickname the beast princess that raised his hackles and made his lion purr in distress. The whine almost a keening noise like a warning in his mind. He ignored it all. He had come too far to see his plans thwarted. He would use that damned lich master Malenhim if he had too. Nothing was above any method when it came to him securing his power. He paced his mind flexing, his pupils dilated as he planned his words carefully.
The Lich Master was enamored of his daughter Sasha and always had been. The creature seemed to be drawn to her. Unlike Queen Elise, he knew the Lich was no longer a thing that was part of the living world. The queen claimed she could hear a beating heart and smell his spirit, but Royal knew better. He absently scratched one arm as he paced. Dry flaking skin fell to the ground in a fine white powder. He had not been aging well, and the dry patches were just the beginning if he didn�
��t copy his daughter and start eating magic. It was a price all secondary children paid.
With his brother’s death, the symptoms had all but faded away. It wasn’t until Sasha returned home that he noticed the symptoms had returned. Something had to have changed, and he knew the only factor was that the true heir knew her place. The magic of their family line only worked when the heir was aware of their place, and Zoey had never been aware.
Who or what had told her? Would a simple mind erasing spell help to counter the degeneration he could feel in his bones? Even his beast had begun to age. He had to find a way to stop it and to warn his daughter. Summoning a powerful barber Royal ate his fill, He didn’t want Sasha to see him in a withered state. He wanted her devotion, not her fear. As he combed his greasy, unkempt hair into a sweeping ponytail of brown gray-streaked hair, he soundlessly practices the speech he would give. When he was satisfied, he began to plan Zoey’s demise.
He had tried years ago to smother her as a newborn kit, but Nethra had caught him before he could get into the nursey. The only reason his brother never found out was that Nethra had believed him drunk beyond rational thought. She had even helped him to his own chambers. It was a benefit of a drink after dinner that had saved his ass from a traitor's death. It had also saved the new little princess’s life. His brother had sent him away after that little incident.
Royal had always wondered if Anthony had thwarted the plan on purpose. He knew Anthony was a handsome face, but he never thought of him as intelligent. He couldn’t be with the way he leaned on his advisors for every detail of running this kingdom. He never bothered with the little things, so Royal took control of them from his brother.
As a brother to the king, most would not deny his every want for fear of the king’s wrath. Anthony never policed these tiny lies, so Royal hand assumed he never followed up on his information. How could his brother had ever found out if he was that stupid? It had always been a puzzle that had bothered his mind. A tiny voice that questioned how much he was monitored while his brother lived.
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