“How?”
“The moment I fall asleep, it begins a metamorphosis. My guess is that I’m so old, it can’t remember what age it’s supposed to be.”
“Are you serious?”
“Why would I lie?”
I didn’t know, but the truth was so farfetched. “How long has it been malfunctioning?” I asked instead.
“Oh, for fifty years now.”
“So, you’re saying Melia had to grow up with—”
“A mother that was sometimes a child, like she was? Yes. Although my age never drops lower than puberty.”
I grunted. “That would be interesting. For Melia.”
“I assume it was, although she’s never talked to me about it. It was even stranger for people to see me pregnant as an eighty-year-old woman or even worse, a thirteen-year-old girl.”
“Actually, the thought makes me laugh,” Melia said, interjecting. She led her mother’s horse to her, a curious expression upon her beautiful features. She shifted her attention to me. “And you were right about the shack. Someone should set it on fire.”
Melora smiled and then allowed her daughter to assist her in mounting.
Castiel’s spoke from over my shoulder. “We’re just about ready. You’ll ride with me, Princess.”
His voice tantalized. I released my breath slowly. “Perhaps I should walk, since I was the one to scare away the other horses.” In truth, I wasn’t sure sitting with him would be wise. Already, I had made a scene, throwing myself into his arms. Stories would spread abundantly when we returned, and with them a possible backlash.
But it was more than that. Now I was acutely aware of just how much I liked being in his arms.
“I could sit with Melia,” I added.
“My saddle’s too small,” she said, not meeting my gaze.
My face heated.
Castiel guided me to Dhema. The blue roan lightly stamped his foot and shook his mane for attention.
“Come, Princess Ilianna,” the prince said, gliding his hand down his horse’s flank. “I’m sure the great warrior is used to having her own horse, but that’s not an option. We’ve got a lot to discuss and a long way to go.”
“Alright,” I said, scratching at the space between the horse’s ears.
“Is there something wrong with sitting with me?” A wicked glint sparkled in his eyes.
“Nothing at all. It’s just that you are a prince. You deserve your own horse. But if you don’t mind, I’d love to ride with you.”
The rest of the unit had already mounted. Melia and Melora led them away. Only Reese stayed, pretending not to watch our exchange. Castiel cupped his hand to give me a lift-up. To avoid any more of a spectacle, I pushed my boot into his make-shift stirrup and swung my leg over the saddle. Dhema held steady when the prince mounted next.
“Excuse me,” he said, before he placed his hands on my hips. I inhaled as he shifted closer, settling me more comfortably in front of him.
He took the reins, his arms around me, and at his touch a jolt of adrenaline pumped through my blood. I sat rigid, but as he urged his horse forward the constant motion of the ride made noncontact impossible.
My mind trailed back to Weylan and the shack. To Nolen and his countless pictures. I shuddered despite the warmth of Castiel’s body.
“What is it?” he asked, concern etched in his words.
“Is—is that what I look like?” I asked, my voice low.
“Pardon?”
“In Nolen’s shack. Is that what I really look like when the Demon Daughter takes over?”
He hesitated a moment before answering. “Yes.”
I shook my head. “When you showed me that sketch in your office, that was the first time I realized she was… real.”
“When did she first come?”
Within the pit of my stomach, nausea churned. I shrugged, and my shoulders tingled as they brushed against his chest. “I don’t remember.” It was a partial truth, but what I did recall didn’t make sense. Something warned that I might not want to know.
Castiel’s reluctance played in the space between us. “Sometimes a magical awakening can be traumatic for a young magician. The power can wipe clean its wielders temporary memory, sapping their physical and mental strength. Perhaps it was the same for you when the Demon Daughter first entered.
“Maybe.”
And with that, the conversation dropped. Soon we caught up with the others, who moved out of the way as Castiel pressed forward to take the lead with Melia and Melora.
“So, what must we discuss?” I asked when they were in earshot, partly to get my mind off of Castiel’s nearness.
But Melora put a finger to her lips. “Not here. We’re being watched.”
“What?” I tensed and Castiel’s arms tightened around mine. My gaze darted from tree to tree. “I thought you said it would be safer in the forest.”
“No,” Melora answered. “I said the demons in the forest would leave us alone, but that doesn’t mean they won’t watch.”
My eyes scanned the trees, its features now too dark to see anything clearly.
Castiel leaned down and spoke into my ear, his breath warm on my neck. “Don’t worry, Ilianna. You’re safe.”
I gazed back to meet his blue eyes, and that was a mistake. His mouth hovered so close, his beautiful lips parted as if to say something more, but he froze. I twisted back around, flushed.
We rode through the forest two by two. Castiel led the unit with Reese at his side. After a few hours, my muscles unclenched, and I found myself leaning into him. His arms tightened around me and my heart swelled. His scent comforted, and the constant, rhythmic walk of the horse soon lulled me into sleep. I dropped my head against his chest and allowed the warmth of his body to infiltrate every cold space in my heart.
Wraith Tales
“Ilianna.” Castiel woke me from a deep sleep. His hands gently rubbed mine; heat from his breath tickled my neck. I smiled and peeled myself from him. His leathers had worn marks into the side of my face, my mouth dry from being open while I slept.
Lovely.
I quickly wiped the sleep from my eyes. Dhema shifted beneath my jerky movements. I patted his neck to calm him. It was still dark, but we had stopped in front of a large stable and barn attached to an inn. An old woman holding a candle stood beneath the entrance while Melia spoke to a thin, white-bearded man.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Castiel shifted behind me. “We’re changing horses and hopefully getting something to eat.”
The old man looked to the prince and nodded, signaling we could enter.
“Wonderful,” he said.
I moved forward as he slid from the horse. He lifted me from the saddle with ease. I didn’t need his help. I shouldn’t have accepted his help either, but I wanted it. I wanted more of it. More of his touch. More of his nearness. More.
Something warned from within that it wasn’t mine to have, but I ignored it and followed close to him. Melora stepped in front to block our entry. Castiel reached back to take my hand, halting me.
The seer’s blonde braids were darker from days of not being washed. Dirt smudged her cheeks. “Conduct your business with the innkeeper, Prince,” she said, her eyes never leaving mine, “but the princess I must take. She needs instruction.”
Castiel pulled me behind him further.
Melora smiled at his reaction. “Don’t worry. We will not stray far. You may have our food brought to us.” She pointed to a nearby soldier as he passed. “Young man, build a fire. There.” And she gestured to a place near the forest line.
The soldier paled then hustled to obey without waiting for the prince’s consent.
Castiel watched Melora pointedly. “You shouldn’t go near the edge of the forest.”
Melora removed dirt beneath her nails. “I’ll have the wraith with me. He’d be better to guard against what lurks in the trees.”
“In that case, I would prefer to join you.”
<
br /> Her gaze slid to his face. A slow smile spread her lips. “You can trust Cyris.”
“I’d rather not.”
Her chin raised as she tried to stare him down even though she was a whole head shorter. “You dare go against my wishes?”
“My lady, you cannot ask me to have faith in what I should naturally mistrust. Besides, Ilianna’s is a magician in training and I’m her teacher. Whatever you’re introducing her to, I need to be made aware.” His grip tightened on my hand.
She glared, one brow raised. “I could curse you, you know.”
His head dropped to the side. “But you’ve known me since I was a child.” He reached to tug on a stray wisp of her hair. “Would you really do that to me?”
Was he flirting with her? My face flushed.
“Bah.” She batted away his hand with a roll of her eyes. “You’re lucky I like you, but mark my words, Prince.” She poked his chest hard with a thin finger. “You’re not going to like what you hear.” She stomped away to where the guard was busily constructing her fire. He gazed up from his work, double-timing his efforts when the seer drew near.
Dread kneaded my stomach into painful knots. What would the seer say that would affect the prince? I extracted myself from his grasp. “Perhaps it would be better—”
“Go to the fire with Melora,” he said, cutting me off. “I’ll be there with food and drink as soon as I finish with the innkeeper. His finger softly traced a line down the side of my cheek, then he vanished inside the darkened inn.
By the time I sat on the cold ground, the fire was well on its way to a nice blaze. Melora rested across from me, her gaze transfixed on the brilliant flames. A few moments later, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, indicating the nearness of the wraith, Cy. He claimed the spot at Melora’s side and examined me unabashed as I examined him. It was Lucan’s body, but everything else had changed. His expressions, the way he spoke, the calm air surrounding him.
He winked, and I looked away.
Castiel arrived with the innkeeper’s wife and daughter in tow. The women carried bowls of stew with a side of bread and butter.
Before she left, the wife promised to have everyone fed within the hour. Her husband would have a change of horses finished in no longer than two. The prince gave her his thanks, and the women left us to eat in silence. Castiel sat between me and Melora and ate his dinner quietly. My eyes traveled the length of his face, but whatever emotions he had, he tucked them close.
I ladled hurried bites of stew, barely tasting them as they burned my tongue and slid to my empty stomach. When we were finished, a soldier carried off our dinnerware.
“So, what’s this about?” Castiel started, an annoyed tint to his words. “And why are you here, Cyris? Who are you?”
Cyris wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve but didn’t meet the prince’s gaze. “The answer to those questions is one and the same. I am the reason the Wraith Queen exists. I’m her creator.”
Silence enveloped the space between us. Finally, Castiel spoke, his voice deep. Deadly. “If that’s true, why shouldn’t I kill you now?”
The threat had no effect on the creature. “Because no one knows more about her than I do. More importantly, I’m the only one who knows how to kill her.”
Melora cleared her throat, setting a hand to Castiel’s crossed legs, then releasing it. “The Wraith Queen has a name. It’s Theia.”
I gasped, leaning away. “Don’t say her name.”
Castiel’s brow tipped up. “I thought you said you didn’t believe such superstitions.”
I glared. “I was only surprised you believed them. I never said I didn’t.”
He hummed, accusingly.
“She’s right, of course,” Cyris said. “But even if she did hear us, there’s nothing the Wraith Queen could do about it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, the distance is one problem. A wraith must be relatively close for that to work, but even if the need was strong enough, or the wraith was powerful enough, they couldn’t come just by command. I’ll get to that later, but as of right now, we’re safe. But—”
I interrupted again. “So, it’s true then. If I called your name…?”
One side of his lips tipped up. “Maybe I’d come, maybe I wouldn’t.”
My eyes narrowed, but he only smiled.
“As I was trying to explain,” Melora said, annoyed. “Theia once belonged to one of the most powerful families within the kingdom of Ardenya.”
“Ardenya?” I asked, glancing over to Castiel. Our eyes met, and the same recognition lit his features. The ambassador.
“My home,” Cy said. “It was a kingdom of magicians and seers. Dark magicians and seers. Home to some of the most powerful families and ancestral magic ever known. Seekers from all over the world would face the seas to travel to our country in search of the darker arts.”
“Then why isn’t your kingdom more common knowledge?” I asked. If my uncle had heard of it, I would know. He might have even tried to send me there.
“We worked hard to keep our home hidden through powerful enchantments. Only rumors of it existed, but those brave enough to venture were tested before entrance was permitted. We knew our gifts were special, valuable, so we stocked this knowledge in our secret vaults, only ever revealing our powers for the right price. Our kingdom grew in wealth, but it was a deadly trade. If our visitors survived, they would leave with information too evil for anyone’s good.”
I sat transfixed as Cyris’s story played out in the flames. The brilliant glow of the fire threw shadows on the surrounding woods, making the trees dance. My heart beat an irregular cadence to his words.
He continued. “The larger, more celebrated clans in Ardenya feuded among themselves, not satisfied with their lot. They wanted more—more power, more wealth, more prestige. Whole families were slaughtered without any repercussions to the murderers. They had to be stopped. They needed to die. So, I cursed them.”
“Why you?” Castiel said abruptly. “What made you take it upon yourself to stop them?”
He swallowed. Raw emotion blazed in his eyes. “My family name was well-known, and one of the worst. Our biggest rival was the family of Meurig. Theia Meurig—now the Wraith Queen, killed my wife and children. My parents. Everyone I loved.” The wraith waited for Castiel to respond, but that seemed to be a good enough explanation for the prince.
“I wanted them punished. All of them. They didn’t deserve to live. I didn’t deserve to live. I shut myself away in my parents’ library and devoted my remaining life to creating something powerful enough to affect the entire kingdom. After months of study, I concocted a magnificent curse, both dark and pure. A righteous ending to a truly wicked people.
“I went to the center of the kingdom and released my creation. Something that potent should have killed me, but instead of dying, I was flung from my body and land, doomed to never return.”
My words nearly stuck in my throat. “And your kingdom?”
Cyris’s brows pinched together as his voice faltered. “My magic was supposed to bind every dark magician to the continent, so they could never pass on their wicked traditions. This worked for the most part, and it’s the reason Theia won’t come to you when she hears her name. I hoped that when they continued to kill each other off, or when their lifespans were over, their souls would be bound to the land as wraiths to haunt it forever. In the end, it would be an entire kingdom of wraiths—not quite dead, but not alive either. Centuries of investigation, of searching for those who survived the trip to Ardenya, confirmed my curse had worked. But then Theia—the very one responsible for the slaughter of my family—stumbled upon a loophole.
“Our enchantments didn’t work against those ignorant to our location. Occasionally, a storm would maroon a ship on our land. A sailor named Isaac wrecked his ship upon the island. Normally the wraiths would kill any trespassers instantly, but Theia was at the shore that day and this particula
r sailor was handsome—the first human she had seen in years. She was not yet a wraith. She took compassion on him and protected him, kept him. They had a child. A girl. I assume by then the sailor realized what was happening. He killed Theia as she slept and escaped with the babe.”
My heart picked up speed as Cyris continued his narrative.
“Now a wraith herself, Theia was enraged, but after a time she sensed a bond forming between her and her child. It grew stronger day by day and when the child became of age, the connection solidified. The link to the girl allowed Theia to leave her home. She crossed the seas. The bond was so strong that the daughter, too, waited for her mother to come. When Theia found her, she immediately took over, inhabiting her body… and thus she discovered a magic more powerful than even the dark magic she and her family had wielded before. Ancestral magic.”
I shivered despite the heat from the fire. “That’s disgusting.”
Cyris viewed me curiously. “Wraiths are pulled to occupy that which is stronger than themselves, but there has to be a certain level of… damage to that soul. However, because the girl was her offspring, no matter the level of corruption, Theia could infect her without too much effort. She took over the girl. The girl’s kingdom was now connected to the Wraith Queen, and because of her presence, Theia was able to bring over any wraith in Ardenya that would follow. And with every generational member, Theia’s power increases.”
“Wait.” Castiel held up a hand, his eyes narrowed. “She becomes more powerful in her offspring?”
“Generational magic. Magicians naturally grow more powerful with each generation. This is the same concept. Theia’s power grows with each host. She has repeated this pattern time and time again to kingdoms all over our world. As a result, demons not of her kingdom are drawn to her rising strength. It’s those demonic creatures that she sends against the nations she cannot yet take over.”
Cyris paused in his tale, allowing us to finally speak, but no one did. What could we say?
Melora finally interjected. “The curse has become warped. It has shifted from what Cyris created it for into an entity all its own. Now it protects itself. It wants to survive.”
Of Blood and Deceit Page 24