by Brandon Mull
Kendra knew it was time. Part of her was scared to put on the crown. If it didn’t work, her fate would be sealed. But there was no time for hesitation. The undead were seconds away from claiming her. The nearest wraith was barely ten steps away and closing.
Holding Mizarine’s chain in one hand, Kendra placed the Fairy Queen’s circlet on her head. Immediately the crown flared to life, exponentially outshining the nova song. With her ears and mind, Kendra heard agonized shrieks as the wraiths fell back and the revenants halted. Looking at her hand, Kendra found her skin radiating light. Glancing back at the entryway, she saw the sea zombies recoiling, eyes averted.
Hope and confidence flooded into Kendra, more than a response to how brightly she gleamed and how the undead reacted. Resolve and strength flowed directly into her mind and heart from the crown. The crown glared brighter in response to her growing confidence. Tendrils of smoke wafted up from the retreating wraiths.
“I don’t want to harm you,” Kendra announced. “You have taken things that don’t belong here. I have come to retrieve them.”
The nova song kept pulling Kendra forward, and she followed. The revenants turned and started moving sedately into side passages. Kendra walked straight down the hall. Wraiths fled the beacon she had become.
They were right to flee. Kendra knew she possessed in abundance something these shadow creatures lacked and feared. She was full of life and light. She could feel it coursing through her, radiating from her. She felt regal, like a queen. With the crown on, maybe she was a queen. No, not maybe. The truth of it became plain, and the realization freed her to burn even brighter.
A door at the end of the hall opened, and an intimidating figure emerged. He was dressed in black armor, and his translucent face allowed Kendra to see his skull. A dark aura around him resisted her brightness.
The figure raised a hand toward her. Halt, intruder, he thundered in her mind. I am Stavius the Obscure, door warden of the Under Realm, a captain among liches. Depart or suffer my wrath.
Kendra imagined creatures like him tormenting Bracken. “Step aside,” she commanded.
You have no authority here, Stavius warned. This is the seat of our power. He pointed at her. Writhe.
Kendra’s muscles suddenly felt sore, as if they were trying to cramp, and her vision became blurry. Gritting her teeth, she pictured Seth being indoctrinated by these foul beings. Power emanated from her crown, and Stavius staggered back. Strength flooded into her muscles and her vision sharpened. Looking down at herself, Kendra found her entire body shedding such glorious light that it almost looked like she was being consumed by white flames.
Impossible, Stavius expressed in dismay. Come no closer. My touch will stop your heart.
Kendra sensed his uncertainty. “You don’t get it. Warn your friends. Unlike you, I have a heart. I’m alive. And I’m not afraid of you.”
Begone, Stavius demanded. I had thought to show you mercy. No longer. I will drain you to the brink of death and hold you there for ages beyond counting.
Kendra was drawing near. The lich was significantly taller than she was. In his heavy armor, normally he would have been very frightening. But under the bright light, Kendra could see right through him. He wasn’t entirely tangible. The Fairy Queen had warned her to maintain her courage. If she backed down now, how would she save Bracken? How would she rescue Seth? How would she retrieve the Sunset Pearl? If this lich wanted to play chicken, he had picked the wrong girl on the wrong day.
“I wasn’t half this strong when I killed Gorgrog,” Kendra said. “Stand down, or there will be nothing left of you to cast a shadow.”
The lich took a step toward her. His next step was hesitant, and for the third, he looked as if he were leaning against a heavy wind. It ended up being only half a step.
Kendra was almost to the lich. Even bolstered by the power of the crown, Kendra felt hesitant to touch the creature. As she closed in, his aura of darkness was swept away, and he became even less substantial.
Standing his ground, the lich stretched a trembling hand toward Kendra. She pitied him. He looked feeble, almost invisible.
You . . . will . . . perish.
Did he believe that? Was he just being stubborn?
Kendra stopped. “I didn’t come here to harm you. I don’t even know you. Move out of the way.”
You . . . falter.
Kendra continued forward, barely able to see the dazzling flames consuming the lich because he had become so faint. But she heard the horrific scream in her mind. When she walked through the place where Stavius had stood, there was nothing left.
Pausing to look back, Kendra found the hallway bare. She wondered if the corridor had ever been so brightly lit.
“Hurry,” Mizarine urged. “Not much farther now.”
Kendra went through the door the lich had guarded and down a long flight of stairs. Though the nova song tugged her forward, Kendra did not hurry. What if going to the darkest place in the Under Realm led her to the Underking? Was she ready for that?
Then again, how was she supposed to find Seth, Bracken, and the Sunset Pearl without confronting the Underking? This was his domain. He would find her if he wanted. Judging by the splitting corridors and winding hallways, this place was a huge maze. Even if nobody attacked her, could she find what she was looking for amid all these twists and turns?
At least following the fairy to the darkest place in the Under Realm gave her a destination. She could make new plans from there. She found herself almost wanting to encounter the Underking. Confidence had worked against Stavius. She saw no advantage to fearfully avoiding the Underking.
The route wound onward, down inclines and stairs. At every junction, the nova song eagerly chose the next turn. Kendra was not simply lighting the halls—she was scorching them. Her own light reflected harshly off the rough stone walls, and though none of the brightness bothered her eyes, she could tell it was intense.
The lower they traveled, the more cavelike the corridors became, though the floor remained smooth and comfortable for walking. The entire complex seemed abandoned. Kendra assumed the undead were staying out of her way.
Coming around a corner, Kendra unexpectedly found a familiar face awaiting her. The Sphinx stood in the middle of the hall, wearing a leather overcoat.
“Wow, Kendra,” the Sphinx said, shielding his squinted eyes with one hand. “Looking bright. Unbelievably bright.”
“You betrayed us,” Kendra accused, stopping. He wasn’t undead, so she didn’t know if her brightness would repel him. She grabbed the sack of gales just in case.
“You’ll be glad to know Seth is alive and well,” the Sphinx said.
“Where is he?” Kendra asked.
“I honestly don’t know,” the Sphinx replied. “I don’t rank very high around here. Are you really wearing the crown of the Fairy Queen?”
“How can I find Bracken and Seth?”
“I see that you are,” the Sphinx said. “You and the crown really light each other up. I can’t believe she parted with it, even to help her son. That was quite a risk.”
“I’m also looking for the Sunset Pearl,” Kendra said.
“Why not?” the Sphinx said. “Might as well. You want it all. The risk was in coming. Take what you can, if you can. Why don’t I show you to the boss around here? The guy with the answers.”
“The Underking?” Kendra asked.
“He may not be happy to see you,” the Sphinx said.
“I haven’t seen anyone since leaving the entry hall,” Kendra said.
“They’re not used to light down here,” the Sphinx said. “That works in your favor. No missteps, though. They are all aware of you, and they will swarm if you stumble.”
“Don’t you try anything either,” Kendra said.
“I’m not your enemy, Kendra,” the Sphinx said. “I never set o
ut to hurt Seth. Just to help him reach his potential. He’s already a much more powerful shadow charmer than before he forgot everything.”
“What have you done to him?”
“I didn’t take his memory, Kendra,” the Sphinx said. “He made that choice. Ronodin and I have simply taught him about his powers.”
“After you kidnapped him.”
“I may have played a role,” the Sphinx said. “But you and I have different goals. You’re working to save the sanctuaries. I’m working to save the world. Our methods might never match up.”
“Was opening Zzyzx part of saving the world?” Kendra challenged.
“In fairness, you never got to see how that would have played out,” the Sphinx said. “You interfered with the dragons, which is what led to them making their play for power.”
“I don’t have all day,” Kendra said. “Where is the Underking?”
“You have a nova song,” the Sphinx said. “Good find. She can lead you to the Underking. I can lend some help with the door.”
“Lead the way,” Kendra said. “Don’t get close to me.”
“Come,” the Sphinx said.
Kendra followed the Sphinx, trying to restrain herself from blasting him with wind simply out of principle. He was as shameless as ever—unwilling to admit his crimes, quick to offer explanations. She decided evil was most dangerous when operating with a smile. She preferred creatures like Stavius who looked and acted evil without apologies or excuses.
They did not go far before the Sphinx stopped at a large black door decorated with skulls that blazed white beneath the glare of Kendra and her crown. “He’s in there. He generates the darkness your nova song is seeking. Take care—no darkness in the world can compete with his.”
“How do I open the door?” Kendra asked.
The Sphinx brushed a finger against a small, narrow skull with pointy teeth, and the door disappeared. Inky blackness awaited beyond the entryway. From where Kendra stood, her light did not seem to touch it.
“I heard the Underking can turn people undead,” Kendra said.
“Merely looking upon him will cause that transformation,” the Sphinx verified. “Move cautiously. He has a lot of power here. You’ve been protected thus far. I think your only option is to rely on the crown.”
The Fairy Queen had told her to be confident. So far that had gone well. The power from the crown filled her with surety, and her light grew brighter. Mizarine flapped her wings desperately, straining to pull Kendra forward.
Kendra stepped through the doorway into the darkness. The moment she entered, her light pressed the darkness back, forming a sphere around her. But the light did not extend to fill the room, and Kendra could feel the darkness squeezing the sphere of light smaller.
Beyond the bright sphere, the darkness seemed heavy, like molten tar. As Kendra began to fear, she watched the sphere shrink inward.
She stamped her foot. No! Her light was brighter than a bunch of darkness. The sphere expanded with the thought, and Kendra felt power from the crown reinforcing the sentiment. The sphere of light around her grew bigger than it had been when she first entered. The nova song perched on Kendra’s shoulder, singing softly and adding her light to the effort.
Whispered words burrowed into her mind, quiet but penetrating. What feeble light intrudes upon my sanctum?
“Feeble?” Kendra asked, insulted. As her light resisted the darkness, Kendra could feel the crown drawing upon her own energy. Focusing, Kendra forced more energy into the crown, and the sphere of light brightened and expanded.
You brought the crown of a rival into my presence, the voice observed. A foolhardy risk.
“We’ll find out,” Kendra said. “Are you the Underking?”
I am master of this realm, the voice responded.
“I’m not here to invade,” Kendra said. “I’m here to retrieve some things you have that don’t belong to you.”
Everything in the Under Realm belongs to me, the voice responded, incensed.
“I don’t,” Kendra said.
The Underking gave a slow, delighted laugh. You believe you can return to the surface?
“Yes,” Kendra said, trying not to entertain any uncertainty.
I lured you here. Removed all obstacles. Granted you access. Commanded the Sphinx to show you the way.
Kendra tried not to let the words frighten her, squeezing her eyes shut out of sheer anxiety. Should she keep them closed? If she saw the Underking would she become undead? Or would keeping them closed be more dangerous? When she opened her eyes, the sphere of light around her was smaller and still shrinking. “Where is Seth? Where is my brother?”
What does it matter? Worry about yourself. The Fairy Queen wields power, especially in her realm. I would not venture there. You, my dear, are not the Fairy Queen. You have strayed far from where you belong and are in grave danger. Would you rather be a lich or a revenant? A lich boasts more power and autonomy. It depends upon your willingness.
The whispered words were calm and certain, but also unclean, as if they were leaving stains on her mind. The sphere of light contracted a bit more. Kendra couldn’t think of a worse fate than joining the undead—neither living nor able to rest, cursed to hunt and crave that which she could no longer enjoy herself. She pictured herself as a revenant, body degenerating as she listlessly wandered the world, forever unsatisfied.
The darkness constricted tighter. Seth needed her. Bracken needed her. If she failed, not only would she suffer a fate worse than death, but Crescent Lagoon would fall and the Fairy Queen would lose her crown. That would all contribute to the dragons winning their war against humanity. When the darkness overtook her, she would have failed everyone.
If you kneel and remove that crown, I will show you mercy, the Underking offered.
The proposal struck Kendra like a slap. She remembered with a sharp pang how Celebrant had encouraged her to surrender Wyrmroost so that she and her loved ones could obtain mercy. It had been a lie. Agad had died believing a similar lie. She and her group would have been murdered had Andromadus not intervened.
Maybe the Underking could make her one of the undead. But if so, why talk about it? Why not take action? Confidence had brought her this far. Was she going to let him shake her? Why not doubt him instead of herself? If he was going to turn her into a revenant, he would have to fight for it. She wasn’t going to surrender.
Resolve flared inside Kendra, and the light of her sphere swelled bigger and brighter than ever. Nobody would rescue her here. It was up to her to save Bracken and Seth. And to save herself. She already had all the help she was going to get. The Fairy Queen had given her the crown, which meant the Fairy Queen believed she could succeed.
“You have this all wrong,” Kendra said, her light growing. “I didn’t come here to ask you for anything. I came here to tell you what I am taking. I’ll destroy anyone who gets in my way, including you. Show yourself!”
No answer came, and she started walking forward, her light growing. There were shallow pits in the black tile floor, and bones strewn off to the sides. She kicked a fragment of bone out of her path.
You are ensuring an eternity of suffering for yourself and those you love, the Underking threatened.
The voice seemed to be coming from up ahead. Kendra kept going. The darkness pressed more ferociously than ever, seeming to exert physical force against the sphere of brightness around her. Kendra had to lean forward to keep moving. Kendra pushed power into the crown and felt it feeding confidence back to her in return. After a moment of constricting, her sphere grew the largest it had been.
“You would know about an eternity of suffering,” Kendra said boldly. “You’re living it. That’s your best-case scenario. You need to do more than threaten. Where are you?”
No answer came, but the darkness pressed frantically.
“A
re you hiding from me?” Kendra asked. “Am I scaring you?”
Very well, the Underking answered coldly. You have been warned. Come to me, and we will finish this.
The darkness no longer pressed so hard against her light.
Follow my voice, the Underking invited. Come and behold me.
Kendra felt a chill as she took another step. Being invited was much creepier than forcing her way forward. What if she was playing right into his hands? What if she transformed the instant she saw him? She felt tempted to close her eyes. But the Underking lived in darkness. He wanted to hide. Wouldn’t closing her eyes help him? If she wanted to beat him, it would be with light. He might be encouraging her forward because all else had failed, and he hoped it would scare her. She had bet on confidence so far, and it had brought her to this point, including right through Stavius. If she was betting on confidence, she had to be brave. She kept walking.
“Where?” Kendra asked.
Here. Yes. Come meet your fate.
He sounded near. The front edge of her sphere would illuminate him at any moment.
And then the darkness surged in as never before. Gasping, Kendra pushed back against it, but her sphere was shrinking fast. Soon it was scarcely lighting where she stood. Kendra resisted with all she had, barely holding the light steady.
The nova song sprang from her shoulder. With the sphere of light so small, there was enough slack on the chain for the fairy to cross into the darkness. Instantly the chain went limp, and the shriveled corpse of the fairy swung back into view, dangling lifelessly.
“No!” Kendra cried, angry and horrified.
You’re next, the Underking jeered.
Outside the sphere of light, the nova song had instantly died. Kendra had to sustain her light. It was keeping her alive. And hopefully it could help her defeat the Underking. The chain dropped from her nervous fingers. Kendra took a step forward, walking over plain black tiles. One step. And then another.
The next step brought a skull into her circle of light. Browned with age, it was webbed with cracks and missing the jaw. Only two other bones rested beside it, also aged and discolored, an arm bone and a femur. A black crown rested on the brow of the skull. The crown reflected absolutely no light.