by Zoey Ellis
The man inhaled sharply. “The queen that died?”
“No. I am his new queen. He considers me to be his true queen.”
The man was silent for a long moment. “He never announced it.” He shifted on his feet, and his heavy cloak swayed around his body. “Did he instruct you to destroy Brecc's house?”
“No.”
“Then why did you?”
“I was attacked when I went to examine the magical force on the outskirts of Eiros,” Amara explained. “When I fell from the sky, I woke up tied and bound inside a room that I did not recognize. I didn’t know I was in Brecc's manor, but the men inside handled me roughly and then attacked me with the Talent when I tried to resist. It wasn't my intention to destroy the entire house, but I was protecting myself.”
“Why are you so powerful? Did Malloron make you that way to strengthen his rule?”
Amara hesitated before answering, but she had already committed to taking the risk. “Yes,” she said, as earnestly as she could. “But he did it without my full understanding of why he was doing it.”
“How?”
Amara shook her head. “I cannot tell you that.”
“Is that why you attacked him above Norryth Sea?”
“Partly.”
The man's fist clenched. “If he has the capability to make someone as powerful as you have shown yourself to be, then the rest of the Western Lands need to know and protect themselves,” the man said irritably. “These Lands exist as they have through the balance of power held by each of the territories. If one territory becomes more powerful than the rest, it will cause a civil war.”
“Isn't that what you're doing now with Brecc?” Amara shot back at him. “If Malloron is removed from power do you think the citizens will feel secure that the most powerful Talent-crafter in the known Lands, who is also royalty, has been eliminated?”
“He is a threat! The people know that.”
“You underestimate the comfort of familiarity. The royal family have been in existence since these Lands began, and whether the citizens like him or not, the throne has been somewhat of a regulatory force. Without it, you risk severe unrest, perhaps even chaos.” She shook her head. “Besides, do you think Brecc will not want more and more power once Malloron is out of the way?”
“I can deal with Brecc.”
“Can you?” Amara squinted her eyes, searching for his as she stared up at him. “Did you have any reservations about the magical power that he created? And did you share those reservations with him?”
The man hesitated.
“And yet he did it anyway,” Amara confirmed. “Do you even know how he managed to get the kind of knowledge to create something like that? What if he used that secret knowledge to remove you from your country? If he cannot share how he is doing any of this, you are leading him straight to the ruling seat.”
“He, of all people, will not be leading the Western Lands,” the man boomed.
“How will you stop him?” Amara snapped. “He is using magic he has no understanding of and you have not been able to stop him so far, Duke Valinor.”
The man jerked in surprise, but she continued on.
“What if that energy he created had destroyed Eiros?” Her gaze on him hardened. “Magic can be fierce, and powerful, and uncontrollable. Used by the wrong person it can destroy entire sections of land. There is a land the size of a country, larger than some countries, in the Eastern Lands that is a wasteland. Wild, brutal magic scorched the land and the sky. Nobody can survive there; nobody can even breathe the air. That is what magic is capable of.”
Duke Valinor said nothing for a long moment, but his body was still. “I've heard of the Wastelands,” he said finally. “Did magic cause that or is it a natural phenomenon?”
“Magic is natural,” Amara pointed out. “But whether someone made a mistake or whether the magic naturally damaged the land, it doesn't matter. It was still magic that did it.”
Valinor turned sharply, his hands pressed against his waist as he stepped slowly over to one side of the cell. “Are you saying that it is better to ignore King Malloron’s indiscretions because he’s the better option? Because he's not. Just because he has a better understanding of magic, doesn't mean that he has the integrity to hold up his agreements with the rest of us. He has already adapted most of our negotiations so that he benefits more than we do. He doesn't give a shit if the rest of the countries are poor, while he makes Eiros the richest in the entire Western Lands. It cannot be allowed to happen.”
“It has already happened,” Amara said. “He has control over the most important merchants across the entire Western Lands. He can take control of your most precious cargo right now if he chooses to, and there isn't anything anyone can do about it.”
Valinor turned to her and cursed long and loud, his deep voice echoing around the cell.
Amara watched him closely. “Tell me. Has he ever lied to you in an agreement?”
“Not directly,” Valinor said as he began to pace. “But he has twisted the truth and left out details. But the way I see it, he might as well have lied.”
Amara nodded. “And you do the same to him, I assume.”
Valinor stopped abruptly, throwing her a sharp look. “It is the way business is done here.”
“Then how can you blame him for something you do yourself?” Amara said bitterly.
“Because it is different when we are on an equal footing of some degree,” Valinor argued. “But when one ruler has all the power, that person has no obligation to do business the way we have been doing it for years. And that is why the Western Lands has always rejected the idea of one ruler.”
“And yet you are supporting Brecc? Surely you can see that is exactly what he wants for himself?”
Valinor stepped forward under the lamp and suddenly the hulking black figure in her cell had a face. The light cut angled shadows over his eyes and his nose, making him look sinister and strange. “The only reason why Brecc has my support is because he wants to remove King Malloron as a threat. He doesn't want to become ruler, even if it seems that way.”
“Then why hasn't he told you everything he is doing?” Amara shot back at him. “Why don't you ask him to tell you everything about what happened over the last day or so? Ask him how he obtained me. Ask him how he created the magical force. Ask him what he intends to do with Eiros once Malloron is gone.” She leaned forward slightly, determination burning through her as she stared at the Alpha before her. “And ask yourself what you will tell your people once you have helped put someone like Brecc in the position to destroy us all.”
***
Amara paced for what felt like an hour after Valinor left, her mind switching between wondering if she got through to him and worrying about Malloron.
The possibility of him not surviving suddenly seemed very real. There were times sharp stabs of anger prickled on the edge of her mind that seemed to come out of nowhere, and she was unsure whether it was the one-way connection with him, or her own anger at herself for not listening to him about Brecc. Malloron's decision to bite her still infuriated her, but Brecc’s ability to control her so completely with the Ancient Tongue, absolutely terrified her. She couldn't deny that Malloron had cause to try to protect her in that way, and even if he had been trying to control her, Brecc could actually do so. And that was worse.
As time went on, she huddled against the wall attempting to sleep but also trying to keep a keen eye on the door for Brecc’s entrance. Surely the injury on his neck was serious enough to stop him from coming back in here for the next few days, but she couldn't even tell how fast time was passing in this place. Over the hours that passed, the prickles on the edge of her mind fluctuated, and she knew it was Malloron. Whether he was suffering or whether the bond between them was stable, she couldn't tell. But it did tell her that he was alive at least, and for that she was grateful.
In between cycles of short dozes, she paced around the walls of the cell, trying to keep her
body and mind active, and eventually noticed that the tremble grew stronger when she passed the door. Pausing by it, she placed a hand on it, and on impulse, closed her eyes and focused on the magic. At the edges of her senses, she detected magic drifting beyond the door, but she wasn't able to connect with it—the feeling was too faint.
She closed her eyes and tried again to visualize the magic. Surely if she could feel it so close with her usual ability, she could access it with the tenebris. She pressed herself up against the door, pressing her cheek against the rough wood, then slowed her breathing.
In her mind's eye, magical vibrations slowly formed to show her an image of the cell around her. She held her breath, focusing as firmly as she could, until the entire room and its walls were visible as magic.
The only problem was, it was not vibrant and colorful or moving the way it should. The magic seemed dead or completely disarmed; it existed in varying tones of gray and was still and quiet, unlike anything she had seen before. It had to be the spell around the room that kept her from fully accessing it.
Amara turned her attention to the door and could see that the colorful vibrant magic that she was familiar with was seeping in around it, but quickly deadening as soon as it passed into the room. Cautiously, she called to it.
The magic slowly turned its attention to her, but not all of the vibrations did. She instructed the ones that sensed her to press against the other side of the door, and then slowly, she began weaving together a portal.
Since it was on the other side of the door it would be impossible to use it to escape, but maybe she could use it to communicate.
It was gradual and steady work. The magic sometimes slipped from her attention, and drifted away, causing her to have to start again with new magical strands that she managed to catch onto. But the more she was able to focus and weave them into an instruction, the firmer the portal became. Since she couldn’t pull the magic into her own mind, she spent a significant amount of time visualizing who she wanted to speak to, then pulled magic from the portal to aid her.
“Amara?” Mother Orlee's voice sounded as though it was far away. “Amara, is that you?”
“Yes, Mother,” Amara said, relieved she could hear her even if she couldn’t see her.
“Identity check.”
A thrill ran through Amara. “Vic-cay-am-sixteen-honeyguide-oh-eight-thirty-oh-four.”
Mother Orlee breathed a sigh of relief. “Amara, what is going on in your Land? We've heard so many rumors about things happening there—all of the Omegas in the castle have been telling us different stories. Is Eiros under attack?”
“I'm not in Eiros,” Amara said. “And when I was, I never had access to some parts of the castle or the rest of the country.”
Mother Orlee was quiet for a moment. “What is he doing to you?”
“He did what he had to,” Amara said, somewhat defensively. “But it may not have been enough to protect his territory. In fact, he might be…” Amara didn't know how to finish that sentence. If Malloron did truly die… A strange mournful sensation twisted up in her stomach. She didn't want him to die.
“Amara? Are you still there?”
“Duke Brecc has access to old, powerful, magic,” she explained. “And he's used it to take control of me.”
“Take control of you? How?”
“I cannot explain it all right now, but he needs to be stopped.”
“But Duke Brecc was never on our list of concerns,” Mother Orlee said, somewhat frustrated. “You never mentioned him once in any of your reports. None of you did. We are focusing on the children now.”
“What about the children?” Amara asked quickly. “Are you getting them out?”
“Yes. Based on your descriptions of the chamber, your team was able to locate the magic that runs along the walls. It is highly sophisticated, so we have had to examine it extensively before deciding what to do.”
“And what are you going to do?”
“We might have to remove the entire chamber with them in it. But if we can disconnect them, that is preferable.”
“And that won’t hurt them?”
“The magic doesn’t seem to be connecting to them in any deep way that we think will cause them damage if removed,” Mother Orlee explained. “We think it’s being used more as a conduit, but we can’t tell what for.”
Amara's breath caught in her throat as conflicting emotions battled for dominance within her. While she was relieved and grateful that the Mothers were moving forward to try to complete her original mission, and had conducted their own examination, what if it wasn’t enough? Malloron’s vague response was that the tenebris was not made of their souls, but it still came from them. What if what the Mothers did made it worse? What if removing the children did something to Malloron? Or her? Now that she was holding the tenebris, would there be a significant risk to her if they were relocated?
“When?” she asked. “When do you intend to do this?”
“As quickly as possible,” Mother Orlee replied, “but with these conflicting reports, we’re struggling to make solid plans.”
“Mother,” Amara began hesitantly, “King Malloron's family have old traditions that are steeped heavily in the Ancient Tongue and experiments with decades of magic. You have to be very careful what you do with the children.”
Mother Orlee was quiet for a moment. “Do you know something that could help us?”
“I don't know enough,” Amara admitted. “All I can tell you is that there is energy being taken from them somehow that cannot be disrupted without consequence. It's important to understand what is happening to them before you try anything.”
Mother Orlee sighed, her frustration clear. “We have been unable to examine the chamber properly, Amara. There is only so much we can do from a distance. We have to get them here so we can find out exactly how to treat and protect them without—”
Mother Orlee's voice began to deteriorate.
“Mother?” Amara asked, trying not to panic. She had barely gotten any of the information she wanted. “Mother, can you hear me?”
“Amara, the connection is fading. We have to be quick. I will see if your team can help you with Brecc, but I'm not sure who they can spare, and I'm not sure how long it will take them to get there.”
“I don't think I'm in Norryth,” Amara said quickly. “But tell me when you are going to take the children? I need to know.”
“Our current plan is to take them within the next month,” Mother Orlee said. “But I will discuss with the other Mothers and we will try and formulate a plan that ensures…” Orlee continued talking, but Amara was only able to hear muffled sounds until finally the connection flickered and faded.
Amara leaned forward, bracing herself with her hands on her knees as she breathed heavily. The Mothers were taking the children! A gleeful joy skipped across her nerves. She should have known they wouldn't have abandoned them, and she was so glad to hear that her team was still operational. Whether or not they would be able to help her get out of the situation she was in, she didn't know and she wasn’t sure it mattered now.
Amara made her way back to the wall opposite the door and slid down to sit with her back against the wall, her arms hugging her knees. The news that the children would be taken lifted a weight off her and suddenly made it easier to breathe. She may have failed, but the Mothers were not letting her failure affect the children.
She rested her head on her knees and rocked, trying to get warm. The chill in her bones made every part of her tremble. She hadn’t eaten in hours and a dull pain gnawed in her stomach. She closed her eyes trying to imagine herself somewhere else, but no matter what she did, Malloron was the only thought that settled her. Those moments when he had so roughly claimed her, when he had claimed she was his queen, when he bound her and twisted her body in any way he pleased, when his hands and mouth worshiped every inch of her body… the memories of when she was with him comforted her more than she expected and she actually found herself
relaxing.
She abruptly sat up, somewhat shocked at her thoughts. Was it the bond making her feel this way? She searched within her, but the bond wasn’t even inside her yet—it had only been made one way. All she felt from it was pricklings of emotions that lingered just out of reach. Amara moved to sit in a cross-legged position, an uncomfortable realization emerging. She loved being with Malloron. All those moments that she fought to escape from him, all those suspicions of his intentions, they seemed to fade into the background of her memory, dominated by the pleasure of being with him the way an Omega was destined to be with her Alpha.
Agitated, Amara got to her feet and began pacing around the room again.
Had she been trying to find excuses for the way she felt? The tenebris, the poisoned food, the bond… Had she been putting the blame everywhere except where it really belonged? Her body had accepted long ago that Malloron ruled it, but the concern for him and the comfort she was taking in memories of him… she shouldn’t be feeling that way. And she had to admit, the despair about his potential death shook her harder than any of the happier, more elated joy of being in his arms, even though they were as powerful. What if she had feelings for Malloron? And if she did, then what if he wasn't wrong about being her Alpha?
She continued to stalk up and down in the darkened cell, her thoughts revolving as quickly and as jumbled as her emotions. The problem was, even as her Alpha, she could not agree with the way he treated others; the restrained, the children, his siblings… it wasn't just about vengeance or power, it was about him understanding that all life had value and no one person had the right to dictate what value it had, no matter how royal their blood.
Amara thought she could persuade him of this after hearing about his siblings but the news about the children had convinced her it was impossible. And yet…
She slowed her pacing.