Crown of Sunlight
Page 27
Trying not to lose hope, Sunny dug from deep within, renewing her strength. She came back at him with everything she had.
Distracted as she was, she almost didn’t see the dark-haired woman come up behind her sister.
She sensed she was a Murmur too late. Before she could alert Jo of her presence, she heard the woman whisper in their minds, Faint, before they both fell to the ground, unconscious.
Chapter 39
Jo
Writhia, 5220
Ettria
Jo was used to passing out by now, and familiar with the groggy feeling that accompanied the regaining of consciousness. She was in her bed in Ettria, dim evening light streaming in through the windows. There was something she needed, something important.
Sunny!
The thought streaked through her mind, accompanied by the events of the night before. At least, she thought it was the night before. The escape. The failure. Cerise, that bitch, making them faint.
But where was Sunny? The panic rose, choking her and freezing her limbs as an ice-cold thought washed over her.
What if Sunny was dead?
What if Azmodeous and Cerise had killed her?
Jo bolted out of bed and out of her bedroom and collided with a solid form as she came into her sitting room. Strong hands encircled her upper arms, their heat seeping through the fabric of her dress to warm her chilled skin, accompanied by a strange static shock on both arms.
Distractedly wrapping her arms around herself to rub at the still-tingling spots, she retreated a step to tell whoever it was to move, that she had to find her sister.
Leo’s dark brown eyes gazed down at her.
She froze at the sight of him.
His eyes, which were now bruised, were wide, and there was a slight tremble to his hands, and then he took a step back. Jo thought this could only mean one thing.
"Oh my god, Sunny! Is she okay? Where is my sister?" Jo asked.
At the same moment, Leo said, “Seph, I—”
She gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "No, don't say it. She's okay, she's gotta be. . ." she interrupted in a whisper. Then her voice rose, "TELL ME SHE'S OKAY, LEO!"
“She’s alive. The king. . .he has her. . .” he trailed off as Jo tensed. His eyes roved over her, taking note of her clenched fists and stiff shoulders and the way they didn’t even have a chance to relax before she was rigid again with worry.
The king. . .he has her. . .
He didn’t want to tell her the rest, she didn’t even need her Gift to know he was hiding something.
Leo was a spy and he had disappeared on them. Of course he was hiding something.
A tornado of thoughts started spiraling through her mind.
He’s a spy. He’s a playboy.
He can turn invisible.
He’s the Ettrian King’s spy.
He had disappeared last night when they had needed him most.
Jo cleared her throat and wiped all emotion from her face. What was he doing in her room?
How many times had he watched her and she hadn’t known? He’d always seemed like he didn’t approve of the king, but he could have been lying. This whole time he had played her like a fool.
He’s the Ettrian King’s spy.
His eyes looked at her now filled with what looked like concern. What a great liar he was.
Jo hardened her heart and numbed herself to his betrayal. She felt her lips tug up in a smile, forcing as much maliciousness in it as she could, and her hands began a slow clap. “Well done,” she said.
His brow furrowed in confusion.
How cute, she thought.
“I’m sure you and good ol’ Dad had a good laugh at my naivete, but rest assured the jig is up. You don’t have to pretend to hate him anymore.
What was in it for you? Money? Whores? My virtue?”
Leo blinked, his lips parting. His head shook slowly back and forth.
“Oh, what is it, Leo? Out of words now?
The one who knows everything now has nothing to say?”
He looked down to his feet with a clenched jaw, body tense.
Jo shook her head and tutted, “And here I thought, in some weird way, we had become friends.” Her voice cracked at the end and his head snapped up, gaze locking on hers and she didn’t expect to see the deep sadness beneath the surface. Nor did she expect to see the fear in his eyes. Jo was dimly aware that this was the first time he had ever appeared uncomfortable.
“You thought we were friends?” he asked softly.
She did.
Jo didn’t know when she had begun to consider Leo a friend or, at the very least an. . . ally of sorts.
“Just go, Leo.”
“Seph—”
“GO!”
Jo refused to look at him as he melted away. She felt that familiar absence of thoughts that she’d come to associate with Leo and his mental shield retreat further and further until it had reached the other end of the massive hall.
She stood still, thinking and worrying. Until she felt a presence approach on the other side of the door. Jo realized she could feel the person on the other side. Concentrating, she pushed her thoughts out, searching.
And she felt. . .everyone.
She could sense the mind of every person in the palace. The guard approaching the door, the servant down the hall. The king was downstairs, in the dining room. And there, with him, was Sunny. She was alright. She was alive.
And Jo could feel everyone.
Five of the king’s Quellers were dead, and she felt stronger. Powerful.
A small smile slowly took form on Jo’s lips.
Then, the door banging open had her whirling around. A guard with a black eye stood there, sneering. She gave Jo a once over before saying, “Get ready. I’m to escort you to dinner.”
Jo looked at her reflection in the mirror on the wall. Her hair was a mess, and her dress was wrinkled. There were specks of blood down the front, and dark, dried blood under her nose.
Quickly, she ran to her room and washed her face, changed her dress, and smoothed her hair, paying no attention to the clothes she took from her closet. She needed to play dumb. Leo might be untrustworthy, but he was right. She couldn’t let the king know that she knew as much as she did, that her powers were stronger now.
As she returned to the guard, she asked, “Have you seen my sister?” putting as much fear and anxiety in her voice as she could.
To her surprise, the guard smirked. “You’ll see.”
She followed the guard to the downstairs, imagining a thousand different scenarios of how this dinner could play out. But none of them compared to what she found when she walked into the dining room.
The king sat at the head of the table as usual.
But to his right sat Sunny, looking like a statue frozen in fear. She was wearing a black gown with a plunging neckline, her blonde hair—the king must have made her wash out whatever dye she had used—swept up into an elegant updo. She was wearing dramatic dark makeup, dark gray and black eyeshadow, and blood-red lipstick. She looked like a doll the king had dressed himself, none of it anything she would normally wear.
The king looked up and smiled at Jo and gestured for her to sit to his left. She usually sat at the other end of the table, but, wanting to be closer to Sunny, she sat in the indicated seat.
As she sat in her seat, the king smiled that strange smile and placed his hand on top of Sunny’s. Sunny immediately jerked her hand back, causing him to frown in displeasure before he quickly replaced it with a smile.
“Josephine,” he said brightly, “your mother and I are so glad you didn’t sleep through dinner.”
Recoiling at the fact that he’d just called
Sunny her mother, Jo looked at her sister.
Sunny’s eyes were wide with horror, darting back and forth as if looking for an escape. They weren’t surprised, though, as if this weren’t the first time the king had referred to her as her mother.
Sunny looked a
t Jo, her eyes warning her not to say anything.
Beside her, the king spoke, “My family, together at last! You don’t know how long I searched for you.”
At first, Jo thought it must be some sort of hoax, meant to play with her mind. But there was real joy in the king’s eyes, next to a sort of manic insanity. He really felt that they were a family.
He really thought Sunny was Eleyna.
Azmodeous was still talking, explaining how things were going to be now. “Jo, I’ll let you stay in your rooms for now, but one more upset and I’ll be forced to move you closer to my suite, where your mother and I can keep an eye on you.” Jo almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. “And, of course, your mother will be staying in my suite. In a different room, though, until she heals from the trauma that was forced on her by that Combatant.” He spat the word.
Jo looked to Sunny, who wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“Um, Father?” she tried, and the word tasted like acid on her tongue. “Can I at least visit,” she paused looking back at Sunny, “Mother, whenever I please?”
Sunny nodded. “I think that would help me recover,” she said quietly.
The king seemed to think on it for a moment. “I don’t see how it could hurt. The bond between a mother and daughter is strong, after all.”
Jo thought she was going to be sick.
“Now, your mother and I have an announcement.”
Jo swallowed, wondering what could possibly come next.
The king smiled brightly. “Eleyna and I have finally been given the chance to plan our Match ceremony!”
Sunny flinched, but Jo forced herself to remain still.
She knew what she had to do.
Steeling herself, she shaped her expression into one of excitement. “A Match ceremony? Really?” Her smile felt as if it would split the skin of her face. “Can I help? I’ve always wanted to plan a wedding!”
Sunny met her eyes before stretching her own face into the same strained expression of mock joy that Jo wore. “Of course you can, honey,” she said, forcing her voice to sound older and more motherly. She spoke with authority, without even looking to Azmodeous for his permission. She spoke like the queen Azmodeous thought she was. “Your father and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The king looked back and forth between them, a content smile on his face. “I am overjoyed at your reaction, Josephine. I was worried you’d be confused or distraught.”
Jo smiled wider, wondering if this could be easier than she had anticipated. “I am so sorry for my actions yesterday. I don’t know what came over me, Father—please forgive me.”
But it wasn’t that easy.
At her mention of her actions the day before, the king’s face clouded over, his smile erased. The slap seemed to come from nowhere.
Jo felt her neck strain as her head jerked to the side and she tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.
Across the table, she heard Sunny’s gasp and the table shook as she shot to her feet.
Then Azmodeous was there beside her, his hand on her back. “Are you alright, love? You’re bleeding! What happened?”
Jo and Sunny gaped at him, open-mouthed.
That gleam was back in his eye again, his expression the picture of a concerned parent. His mind reached for hers, probing for the source of her upset.
Jo built a wall around her mind, solid and impenetrable. She forced thoughts through for the king to read. She had bitten her lip while chewing. She was alright, just a little embarrassed.
Azmodeous rubbed her back for a moment before he stood and handed her her napkin from the table.
Jo took it and thanked him and dabbed at the blood seeping from her lip.
Across the table, Sunny’s eyes were furious blue flames in her carefully neutral face. There was nothing she could do, and she knew it.
But the king hadn’t seen through Jo’s shield. And judging by his actions, he was clearly teetering on the edge of insanity.
We can use this, Jo thought. They could make this work.
So she dabbed her lip and held back a grimace from the pain as she laughed at the king’s jokes. And she held her cards close to her chest, where no one could see. This was a deadly game she and Sunny had entered. It had been from the start.
And Jo was finally ready to play.
Epilogue
Azmodeous
Writhia, 5220
Ettria
You hurt her, my thoughts whispered.
She deserved it, a guttural, foreign voice growled.
I tried not to flinch at the harsh reprimand. I missed the luxury of being alone in my own thoughts. People were always afraid of my ability to control their minds. They should have counted their lucky stars that I was the only one inside their heads.
There were much bigger, scarier things than me out there.
I forced myself to cut off that line of thinking before He caught wind of it.
Instead, I focused on the positive. Eleyna was back, and this time she chose me. Everything was falling into place. This was my last chance at happiness and this time Sylvius wasn't around to get in the way.
His laughter echoed in my mind and, though
I knew it wasn’t possible, I swear it held affection.
My thoughts turned back to Josephine.
Maybe I could make it up to her.
Perhaps she will forgive me.
I didn't want to hurt her, but children needed discipline. I knew better than most how strong one must be to rule a country like Ettria. To make her strong enough, I would need to raise her as my father raised me.
Come, Azmodeous, He whispered.
I stood from my desk and walked to the mirror. No one was around, so there was no need to hide my limp.
My limp. The proof of my last failure— Eleyna stabbing me and escaping my life.
Forever.
I had been so panicked the night she’d left that I didn't think to have a healer nearby.
A mistake I wouldn’t make again.
Now that she was there, she wouldn't get away this time.
She is back and she is mine.
The thought filled me with satisfaction causing me to meet my reflection with a pleasant smile.
My reflection smiled back at me, though it didn’t match the one that was on my face.
There was a crow perched upon my shoulder. Though I stood in my study, my reflection was standing in a swamp. Crocodiles swam through the water behind me.
“Well done,” my reflection told me.
I bowed my head in gratitude.
Then, the smile disappeared, “How much longer?”
“Soon,” I replied. “I am so close.”
“It’s in the bloodlines,” He said. “Remember the bloodlines.”
Then, we spoke together, a goal and a reminder.
“Two sisters arrive, here at last Having no idea of their past One path of darkness One of light
Only they can hold back the blight.
Strength or weakness, What will it be? Against all odds, they’ll stay or flee.”
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If you want to know more of Sunny and Jo’s story, check out book two, Palace of Moonlight!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, we’d like to thank our parents and siblings for always believing in us. For pushing us forward when all we want to do is give up, and for loving us unconditionally.
Taylor’s husband who has been super supportive, and probably super annoyed at having to listen to us hash out story ideas, fix plot holes, and jump with joy over all the craziness that is writing a book.
Our huge family and close friends (you know who you are) who have supported us and read through our first draft even though it was horrible.
And everyone who ever showed any excitement for this series. It’s made our hearts so happy and we thank you all so much for giving us that happiness. We’ll never forget it.
About the authors:
Payton Salmons is a hybrid product of small-town Ohio and West Virginia. She's a fan of chocolate, space cowboys, and creatures both fluffy and scaly.
: @Payton_Taylor_Author
@taylor_bivens_author
@paysalmon
Copyright © 2019 by Payton Taylor
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