"She was none too pleased to see her likeness holding the symbol of Thoris."
"Hmm. That's very interesting."
"What'd I miss?" Sanarius asked as he joined the pair. Donned in his green robe with pink vines, he was holding a cup of bhudan.
Marco inhaled deeply through his nose and shivered as he exhaled. "Oh man, why didn't you tell me you were brewing some bhudan. Is there any left?"
Sanarius gestured down the hall. "Should be. It's in the main kitchen."
The jester bid the founders farewell and bolted for the exit.
"He's an addict. You know that, right?" Mortis asked.
Sanarius giggled. "It comes from a plant, there's no harm in it."
"So do some poisons."
A door opened a little farther down the hall, and Shinigami popped his head out. "I thought I heard your voices. What are you waiting for?"
Mortis and Sanarius made their way toward the meeting room. As he slipped past Shinigami's black robe with red figure-eight patterns, Mortis noticed there was no one else in the room.
"Where's Drevarius?" he asked.
"Gone." Shinigami closed the door. "Dolore needs help with a friend in Memorial City, and Drevarius is the only one she'll trust with the details. So, when he asked me if I had any problem with him leaving, I said no."
Sanarius took a seat at one end of the horseshoe-shaped table and sipped his bhudan.
Mortis mirrored his position. "A friend, huh? Her secret contact?"
Shinigami shrugged "I would assume so, but I don't have any more information than you do. Why are you two sitting at the ends of the table?"
Sanarius put his cup down and scanned the room. "This is where I usually sit." The truth was that his chair was normally empty since he rarely attended these meetings unless he was the topic of discussion.
Mortis grunted. "I sat here because he sat there. No point in shouting across the room."
"Fine." Shinigami moved in between the two prongs of the table and lowered himself into the lone chair that was normally reserved for non-founders.
Relieved to be in a room with those he trusted with his secret, Mortis pulled back the hood that covered the left half of his face. Even though he couldn't see well out of his left eye, he pushed back the wiry white hair behind his left ear. "So, why are we here?"
Shinigami placed his hands in his lap. "We need to discuss our next steps. With Aksilacarn on the mend and in safe hands, our original quest is complete. Since Dolore will only work with Drevarius on her personal mission, we need to decide what to do with Warbison, Ivochna, and Eriph."
"They should immediately escort the ambassadors in Memorial City to Alovajj."
"I disagree. With the Prima's blessing, we have better access to the city now. And there are a couple of pressing matters we must still deal with. The most glaring is Don Pike. He's still missing, but he can't hide forever. When Candelux finally finds him, we need to be there to examine the effects of deathroot. This is why I asked for you to come to this meeting, Sanarius. I think you should go to Memorial City."
Sanarius leaned back. "Pass."
Shinigami held up his hand. "I understand your reservations, but I don't make this request lightly. Warbison consulted with a master sen'dya in the Azapaar, Rosethorn. You know her?"
"I know of her."
"She had a chance to read Pike's energy after the Brotherhood had administered the deathroot. I have no doubt this curse messes with the mind, but I'm concerned it may also affect the soul. No priest will be able to detect that. Neither will a pinkleaf."
Sanarius narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. Prior to his induction into Summa Arcana decades earlier, pan-mage healers barely existed. But once Sanarius's method of accelerated mending gained notoriety, he created the pinkleaf sect, spawning a respected profession that many citizens came to prefer over priest healers.
"What I'm trying to say is, you're probably the only one who can figure out what deathroot does and what's wrong with Pike. And since I seriously doubt Kyara will allow us to bring Pike to Alovajj"—Shinigami clicked his tongue—"the only option is for you to go to Memorial City."
"Don't worry." Mortis smirked. "You'll have Warbison and Iva to keep you company."
"I assume you want Eriph to stay as well?" Shinigami asked.
"Absolutely. He has the best relationship with Millan, and we need to keep a close eye on that priest."
"And Aksilacarn? It was your decision to engage him in the first place."
Mortis thought for a moment. "I no longer require his services. He can return to Light's Haven once he's healed."
"Perfect, because I think I have a job for him."
"Oh?"
Shinigami nodded. "I received a letter from Djjatol about an hour ago. After weeks of nothing, they've finally been able to pinpoint the creators of deathroot."
Mortis straightened up. "Creators? Plural?"
"Yes, there's a group of iymed in Djjatol who are making the seeds. Now, since deathroot has popped up in both Memorial City and Light's Haven, there's clearly a system in place for transporting it off the Coast on a regular basis. If Kolokajja is planning on ascending to Grand Overseer, my guess is he or she will not be circumvented in this process."
"You think Kolokajja is the courier?"
"I do," Shinigami said. "And since it's uncommon for demons to travel back and forth between the cities and the Coast, we can safely assume that—despite the name—Kolokajja is a person and not a demon."
Mortis leaned in and rested his right elbow on the table. "So, what's the plan?"
"We keep an eye on the roads in and out of the cities, particularly the west gates. For Memorial City, we have Blackleaf and Warbison in the Azapaar. That should be sufficient for now. And as for Light's Haven? Well, if you're done using him, I'd like to hire Aksilacarn."
✽✽✽
With her head against the stone wall, Ezmirelda observed the small, rusty chandelier hanging in the rectory's prison. Though it had six total candles, the five on the perimeter weren't lit. Only the middle candle flickered, albeit weakly as its light barely made it into her cell. But, no matter how small it was, it was always dangerous. Any mistake that allowed the fire to touch wood or straw would give it the chance to escape its prison and roar back to life. However, constrained to its wick, there was nothing it could do on its own but fade away. And, even if it persevered through the night, it would likely be snuffed out by dawn.
Moving shadows in the jail caught the queen's attention. They approached her cell and unlocked the door. Shackled to the wall, she made no effort to move. Two figures entered while the third locked the gate behind them and walked away.
"Sir Tothoros, please wait by the door," a female voice said.
A wall of light appeared, overlaying the metal bars that constituted the jail cell, and shined throughout the prison. Ezmirelda recognized the white robe with red scarf that belonged to the head of the Candelux guild. This was Prima Mashira. She assumed the second visitor was a paladin, based on how the Prima had addressed him.
"Mjja tizi?" the queen asked.
"I thought we might talk first," the Prima said. "Archdon Maxiteer tells me you're calling yourself Ezmirelda now. Is that true?"
"It is. It's who I truly am."
"Ezmirelda. The Queen of Alova?"
The queen leaned forward. "You don't believe me."
Mashira stepped closer. "Actually, I do. But, I'm still not entirely convinced this isn't all a trick of some sort. Why the sudden change of heart?"
"It is not so much a change of heart, but a change of mind, or rather a change of spirit."
"Care to explain?"
"You are right to have ambassadors on the Frozen Coast since you have much to learn from the Para Paya. But simply put, I am not the same as the one who terrorized your cities for centuries."
"You're not?"
Ezmirelda shook her head. "I was trapped inside, forced to witness her disturbing act
s of violence. But now, it is she who is locked away."
"So, who is she exactly?"
"Agalia, my demon side."
"Your demon side?" Mashira repeated.
"After you die, the human spirit can be easily divided into two. You could say it's like separating good from bad, but that's not entirely accurate."
"Why not?"
"Because Verago's focus is on loyalty. He gives control to the side that pledges allegiance to him, the side that's willing to kill for him."
"The demon side."
"Yes," Ezmirelda said. "And the human side, like me, is locked away."
"So, how did you break free?"
"With some help and a bit of luck. The demon lord needed me."
"To save Sereyna?"
"Yes, that's right. How is she?"
"Alive," Mashira answered. "Our best healers spent hours working to remove the needle in her neck. Everyone's getting some rest now."
"Did she wake up?"
"Not that I'm aware of, but she probably just needs some time to recover."
Ezmirelda smiled. "Probably. May I offer you some advice?"
"Uh…" The Prima hesitated. "Regarding?"
"The demon lord. I take it you've figured out who he is."
"It was a little obvious when he arranged for his wife and daughter to visit him."
"The one who did that was Altheus. I spoke at length with him. He cares deeply about his family."
"Did he tell you about his mission to murder his brother?"
Ezmirelda nodded. "He is trying to find another path. Which is why I strongly recommend you leave him alone."
"I lead Candelux. The demon lord is a greater threat than the Seductress ever posed. You couldn't possibly believe I would heed such advice."
"The threat you speak of is not from Altheus. It's from Erynion. The one who destroyed Nesinu? The one who crippled Royal Oak? That was Erynion. And, right now, his two sides have a mutual understanding with each other. When one is in control, the other is still free inside their shared mind. If you ever hope to stop Erynion, you will need Altheus to remain free."
"And you think interference from Candelux would do what exactly?"
The queen rested her head against the wall. "Isn't it obvious? You would force the demon lord to defend himself. To fight back. To survive. Erynion is the fighter. Altheus is his restraint when it comes to taking lives. The more you provoke Erynion, the less likely he'll let Altheus stay free. He may one day come to see his human side as a weakness."
"So, who's in control of the demon lord now?"
"Unfortunately, Altheus was injured during our plan to stop Agalia. Erynion had to take back control."
Mashira paced back and forth. "So, your suggestion is we wait. We do nothing because angering him might actually make him stronger. It's ludicrous. I couldn't possibly accept that as a course of action. Or rather, inaction. I have to assume Erynion is planning on killing Batar, and I will do everything in my power to stop that."
"Yes, I know. That's why you gave him the Talisman of Zavi, right? And sure, he'll stay protected as long as he wears it. But, death is inescapable. And when he dies—and he will die—you'll have wished you didn't waste such a precious artifact."
"Why? Why is the Devil so fixated on Batar?"
"It must be terrifying to be so far in the dark. You priests have forgotten everything. Sure, you know some prayers and some spells, passed down through the generations. But you've completely lost what it means to harness the power of one's soul. You go through the motions without understanding how any of it works. And so, you can't learn more. You can't grow, adapt, improve. You're at a major disadvantage, and if you don't change that, your defeat is inevitable."
Mashira folded her arms. "We've survived this long."
"Survived, yes. Much like how Batar simply survives with the Talisman. And while you maintain the same strength as the first priests, Verago has learned to create more powerful demons. If one demon lord frightens you, imagine two, or three. Each with a purge strong enough to decimate a city."
"So, that's why Verago wants him so badly. Batar is capable of becoming a demon lord."
"It was always supposed to be him. But when you interfered, Verago took the next best thing."
"Altheus. Either prince can become a demon lord?"
"Of course. They're family. Power lies in blood."
Mashira was silent for a moment. "That would mean…their children…Sereyna."
"That's right," Ezmirelda said. "However, it's unlikely a child would become a wanderer."
"But, if she recovers and grows up, she'll become a target too."
"Then, pray she dies with no regret. The Devil can't capture what's transcended. Batar is a lost cause though, since his soul is bound."
Mashira snorted. "Yes, and I nearly forgot. It was you who gave him those seeds, wasn't it? In the Azapaar all those years ago?"
Ezmirelda sighed. "Agalia, technically. But, I still feel remorse for what she did. Jealousy is a powerful emotion. I should know."
"Who were you jealous of?"
"My younger sister. It was all so petty. I was jealous of her name because I absolutely despised mine."
"Ezmirelda sounds like a lovely name."
"It's not the name itself, but rather who it represented. I was named after my grandmother, Ezmira. Everything you know about my demon side, her deceit, her manipulation, her cruelty, it was all learned from my grandmother. I hated her, and thanks to my parents, I would always be reminded of her."
"And your sister?"
"Despite my jealousy, I loved her very much. But, she died young. Eight or nine years old. It breaks my heart that her name was snatched up by the embodiment of everything I hated."
"Your sister's name was Agalia?"
"Yes, and now, by cleansing me, her name will finally be put to rest. I can't thank you enough for that."
The Prima quietly rubbed her lower lip.
The longer the silence lingered, the greater the pang of anxiety Ezmirelda felt in her chest. Wary of the answer, she asked her question. "What's the matter?"
"I was just thinking. Something I would never have considered before stepping into this cell. You hold a wealth of knowledge, a connection back to a time when the Senarod still existed. If you truly want to redeem yourself for what Agalia has done, you should stay and tell us everything. Help us find a way to defeat Verago."
"What you're suggesting is a Dardan fool's errand. If there was an obvious way to stop Verago, Agalia would have done it years ago. Her sole purpose as a demon has been to kill him and reclaim the Amulet for herself. And the closest she's come to an idea that might work was using Erynion against Verago."
"How?"
"Curse of Allegiance. That's why Agalia took Sereyna hostage. She wanted Erynion's loyalty in exchange for his daughter's life. But she failed, and it's all over now. Besides, there's really only one way to stop Verago, and you already know what that is."
Though nothing hung there, Mashira touched her chest. "The Talisman."
"And keeping me around for any reason is a mistake. Agalia will eventually regain her strength and take back control. You'll have no idea when she has, and she'll figure a way out of this prison. She doesn't need her energy to manipulate people. As long as she is somewhere on the Surface, no one will ever be safe."
"I see."
"Then you'll do it?"
Mashira nodded. "Is there anything else you'd like to say? Given your strength, the cleansing will be quick."
Ezmirelda breathed a sigh of relief as tears welled up in her eyes. This was it. This was the moment she had prayed for. And after centuries of waiting, her prayers were about to be answered. "I only wish to say thank you, Prima Mashira. Thank you for speaking with me and listening to my story. But more importantly, thank you for allowing this old woman to finally rest."
The Prima knelt down in front of the queen. The prison was dead silent as Mashira's hands started to glow. She gen
tly brushed aside the long, flowing black hair of the demon to reveal the hiding place of her heart. Mashira's hand drifted through the air and landed on the neckline of the red dress. The warmth from the light energy stung, but Ezmirelda closed her eyes and welcomed it. Her lips couldn't help but smile as she thought she could hear the Seductress, screaming from deep inside her mind.
"No more, Agalia," the queen whispered to herself.
"Ezmirelda," Mashira said. "Queen of Alova. By the power of the angels, let the holy light free your soul from the darkness, so that it may be pure and incorruptible. Be at peace."
DEDICATION
To my lovely wife, Ivana. Thank you for continuing to support and encourage my dream of bringing this world into reality.
Volim te uvijek i zauvijek.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A special thanks to my beta/draft readers. Your extra pair of eyes have greatly helped in getting this story to its final stage. I consider myself lucky to have friends who were willing to take the time to read through the initial manuscript and share their feedback:
My wife, Ivana
My good friends, Paul and Will
Thank you to my editor, Laura. You always seem to find the weak spots and help me make them solid. With each book, I learn more and more from you.
To my cover illustrator, Nele (www.nelediel.com), thank you so much for your beautiful cover design. Your ability to bring my visions to life is a true talent.
The Forgotten Queen Page 42