Of Shadows and Death, page 22
The words on the ceiling glisten and glow, and I read them aloud first.
Five hundred
Years filled with gloom
But one by one
Our magic blooms
The words darken, and I turn around and look at the statues, finding the next verse. The words next to Queen Selene glow first, and I read them.
One queen
To rule the night
And walk in day
Next to Queen Luliana:
One queen
To rule the land
And heal its wounds
Next to Queen Carla:
One queen
To rule below
And free the souls
Next to Queen Marianne:
One queen
To rule the air
And calm the storms
Next to Queen Allura:
One queen
To rule the sea
And rouse the waves
The words fade, and the inscription under my feet lights up and glows.
One by one
They will rise and rule
And cleanse the realm
From those too cruel
As soon as I’m done reading the last words, the tomb rumbles again, softer this time, and a strange song floats through the air. Whispers float along with the music, too convoluted for me to make out at first. After concentrating for a minute, though, I can make out what they say. A promise, a promise, a promise for the curse we made.
I think back to the story Carmen told me, the very first day I met her, about the five queens cursing the land. This inscription must be some kind of remedy for the curse.
The words continue to cycle, lighting up then darkening again, causing the room to brighten.
I sit down in the center of the room, watching the inscriptions. My stomach rumbles, and I abandon the light show for now. I pull my bag close to me and take out some food. As I eat a soft roll, I study the statue of Queen Selene.
“Did you know Queen Selene, Nava?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer, so I take another bite of my food. She’s still there; I feel the slight pricks of her legs as she moves down my neck to my shoulder. She still doesn’t answer, so I shrug and turn back to the statue.
It’s interesting to me that even though Queen Selene is a vampire, she is holding a sun. I slide closer to her statue, examining it further. The cut of her dress seems simple but elegant. There are four lines on her chest at the top of her dress. I examine the lines, but they do not seem to make out any shapes or recognizable objects.
I stand up and study her face. There’s nothing unusual or significant about it. She definitely doesn’t look like the woman in the mirror asking me to find her. In fact, none of the queens do. I put my hands on my hips and stare at the statue, my lips pursed. “I wish I knew more about these queens.”
The inscriptions light up again, and I scramble back to the door as the floor wobbles, crouching down. A loud screaming pierces my ears, and I slam my hands against them to muffle the sound. The inscriptions burn brighter, and I shut my eyes.
I shake as the room continues to rumble. All of a sudden, everything is calm and quiet, the words glowing only slightly, my light orb still floating in the air. I crack an eye open to see if anything in the room had changed and gasp at the figure standing before me.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
My mouth continues to stay open like a gaping fish as I stare. The woman in front of me looks back, then smiles. She crouches in front of me and puts a finger under my chin, raising it up and closing my mouth. “I thank you. It is about time someone visits. What is your name?”
“Penny,” I squeak, my eyes wide. “Who are you?”
She tsks and looks disappointed. “Queen Selene, thank you very much.”
My mouth drops open again. Now that she says that, she does bear a remarkable resemblance to the statue. Her hair reaches down to the middle of her back, a midnight color laced with silver. Her eyes are a warm golden color, like the sun during summer.
“Are you… are you a ghost?” I ask hesitantly. My other sight sees shadows swirling around her, but a glittering gold intertwines them.
She shakes her head, lowering herself to the ground to sit across from me. It takes everything in me not to move farther away, the air of confidence and power surrounding her palpable. “It is complicated, the afterlife. I am not a ghost, yet not alive as you are. Let us say I am visiting from beyond.”
I’m even more confused than before, so I simply nod. Unsure what to do, I am momentarily distracted by my half-eaten roll that had fallen to the ground. Taking deep breaths, I pick it up and dust it off.
“Oh, may I have a piece, please? It’s been a long time since I ate human food.”
I raise my eyebrows and hand her the roll. She takes a bite and sighs. “I do not need to eat, but it is entertaining every now and then.”
A grin splits my face before I sober up again. “What are you doing here?”
She lifts her shoulders slightly before letting them fall. “You called, and I came.”
Nava skitters down my arm and heads toward Queen Selene.
My heart jumps and I reach forward, trying to catch her, but Nava is too quick and is on Queen Selene’s hand before I can blink. Queen Selene lifts Nava up to her face and smiles widely. “Nava, dearest. You are still here?”
I am my queen, she says.
Immediately, Queen Selene’s eyes snap to mine, narrowing in suspicion. “Why is Nava with you?”
Under her stare, I stutter about how I used the animal companion spell. Queen Selene’s face relaxes, and she turns to Nava. For the next few minutes, I do not hear a word from either of them. Queen Selene laughs at one point, and it’s obvious they must be talking with their minds. I don’t know why she couldn’t have asked Nava why she was with me.
Another handful of minutes pass, and my stomach growls. While they talk, I take out another roll and bite into it. Finally, Queen Selene nods and places Nava on the ground. Nava crawls up my dress and settles into her usual spot while Queen Selene studies me with arms crossed.
“Nava has told me much. This witch that is after you, Airalin, I believe. You are right, she will not stop. Not if you’re the seventh child three times over.”
“What does that mean?” I ask. “I’ve been searching in the library and have found nothing.”
Queen Selene holds out her hand, gesturing to my roll. I break off half and hand it to her. She takes a few bites and swallows before answering. “The seventh child of the seventh child of the seventh child is a magic amplifier. Any mage in possession of such a child will have unlimited stores of magic.” She eyes my hair. “How long has she made you grow your hair?”
“Since before I can remember.”
Queen Selene nods knowingly. “By keeping your hair long, she ensures she can take pieces of it with her. Away from you, the magic does not last longer than a month, though.”
I think back to all of Airalin’s times away from the tower. Never longer than a month. “But when I cut my hair, I have magic.” I pause. “Well, at least the first time I cut it.”
Queen Selene reaches forward and tugs one of the braids into her hand. “Of course you did. The strands are storing the magic from your body. The magic has nowhere to go but back inside you when you cut it.”
She lets go of my braid, and it falls to my feet. She waves her hand. “No matter. Tell me about my vampires. I haven’t watched them in a century.”
With a shrug, I start telling her everything I know about the vampires, including the rebellion. There will be time later to experiment with my hair, but I don’t know how long Queen Selene can stay.
When I finish relating the tale of the battle, Queen Selene shakes her head. “There were always rebellions until I took the throne.” She eyes me. “What they need is a new queen, one to bring them together.”
The thought of Raúl married to another woman, touching another woman, loving another woman, makes me seethe. I clench my fist, squeezing the fabric of my dress. “Perhaps the next king will find one.”
She tilts her head. “You object to this king?”
“He is mine,” I say, the words spilling out of my mouth before I can stop them.
She shrugs. “My people need a queen. Your feelings are of no consequence in this matter. He requires a wife to support him and a queen to rule. Vampire queens hold special power on the throne, and my people need this power.”
I stand up, rage flowing through me, not quite understanding where all of this jealousy is coming from. “I will never let another woman touch him, ever!”
She stares at me intensely. “Then why are you here instead of there with him?”
The fight drains from me, and I hesitate. “The mirror. A woman appeared, directing me here.”
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Queen Selene watches me, a small smile on her face. “I see.”
I stare at her. “See what?”
“Have you seen this woman before?”
“No, never.”
Queen Selene nods. “Give me your hand.”
Curious, I place my hand in hers. She closes her eyes, and warmth washes over me. Then suddenly, it disappears, leaving cold in its wake. “You are not quite ready. Return to me when you are. I must go for now.”
“How will I know when I’m ready?” I ask, but she’s already leaving. I reach out to keep her here a moment longer, but she disappears. My hand drops into my lap and I sigh, slumping to the floor.
The cold stone tile causes goosebumps to appear across my arms, and I shiver, hugging myself to get warm. I gaze at the ceiling, surprised at the constellations now glowing, ones I’ve never seen before. There are five of them, and I wonder if they correspond with the five queens.
Exhausted, I stop thinking about it and close my eyes, welcoming the sleep that overcomes me.
I jolt awake, a metal twisting sound at the door making my heart pound. I whip my head around, but there is no place to hide. The metal wheel clamors even more, and I know my time is running short. My heart pounding, I crawl to the farthest corner of the tomb, waiting with trembling hands, holding on to my magic.
Finally, after what seems like centuries, the large door opens, grating across the floor with an awful squeak. It is dark outside, and I cannot see who enters.
I raise my hand, ready to blast whoever it is, but then I hear a familiar voice. “Penny?” says Raúl, walking into the tomb.
“Raúl? What are you doing here?” I stand up, gaping at him. I left no note, no direction to where I was going.
In an instant, he’s in front of me, his arms wrapped around me. “Penny. Thank the abyss you’re safe. I was afraid Julian had gotten you.”
He moves his head, planting his lips on mine, moving softly against me. My body responds willingly until I break contact and gently push him away. “Raúl, I’ve just learned some things. I don’t believe it’s safe for us to be together. Airalin won’t stop coming for me. I’m the seventh child three times over.”
Raúl takes my hands, holding them in his own, staring into my eyes. “Airalin has been our enemy for years, always a threat lurking from the forest, causing death if we get too close. You being with us may fuel her attacks more, but it won’t change her view of us. Trust me.”
“You don’t understand,” I say, the desperation creeping into my voice. “I can’t watch you die.”
Raúl growls and pulls me into his arms, holding me against his hard body. “You’ll never have to.”
I shake my head adamantly. “She will kill you. Helena. Everyone. To get to me. I can’t watch that. Raúl, I can’t do it.”
He threads his hands into my hair, tilting my head back. “Oh, Penny. I will never let that happen.”
“You can’t guarantee that,” I say.
There is one way, says Nava.
Her cryptic words send a shock through my system. “What, Nava?”
“What did she say?” asks Raúl.
I tell him and he shakes his head, unsure of what she means.
There is a way. An ancient ritual, one older than even I. It shares the life force between two people.
“I don’t understand,” I say. “How will that prevent him from dying?”
If he is injured, he will use your life force to survive. If you are injured, you will use his to survive.
I tell Raúl, and his eyebrows draw together. “Won’t that simply kill both of us?”
No. The ritual will not allow it. But you can still die of natural causes.
Excitement fills my heart, a strange giddiness at the possibility. “There must be something horrible about it.”
To some, yes. You can never be more than a certain distance from each other, or pain will pierce your heart.
“How far?” asks Raúl after I translate for him.
One league for the first century of time together. Additional leagues for additional centuries.
Raúl looks at me. “You will only ever live far less than a century as a human. I don’t think this is a good idea.”
I nod my head emphatically. “Yes, it is a good idea. I want to do it.”
A flash of uncertainty covers his face. “Penny. You will have to be around me for the rest of your life. What if you tire of me and want to settle down on a farm on the outskirts of the realm?”
“No,” I say, reaching a hand up to stroke his cheek. “I will never tire of you. Haven’t you realized yet, Raúl? I love you.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Raúl’s face splits into a massive grin, and he lifts me off the ground, whirling me around in a circle. As soon as my feet hit the floor, his lips are on mine. His hands travel down my body as he deepens the kiss. I moan softly, and he draws back, stroking a hand down my hair. “Oh, Penny. I have loved you the moment I saw you sitting at your window, staring at the sky. You were, at once, the single most beautiful and mournful person I had ever seen.”
Joy spreads through me, and I smile at Raúl.
Are you agreed, then? asks Nava.
Raúl and I, grinning at each other like fools, both nod at the same time.
Nava lists ingredients for Raúl to bring back to the tomb, while I am to stay here and clean the space. She informs us this coming sunrise will be the only time for the next four months to perform the ritual.
I use my magic, gathering the dirt and sending it out of the cracked door. As I work, I can’t help but marvel at the lightness in my soul. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I am sure there is someone in the world who loves me. Someone I can depend on. Someone who lets me love him.
I hum as I polish the floor with a rag—a remnant of my dress. Raúl laughed when he saw my disgusted expression as I tore the dress for the fabric, telling me he would buy me all the dresses in the world if I wanted them.
Standing up, I brush off my hands and peer outside. Dawn is on the horizon, and sunrise is steadily approaching. Raúl is still not here. I go outside to wait. The view here isn’t as pretty as home. The trees are evergreen, unchanging with the weather, and only a few bushes dot the land. The mountains, though, are glorious.
The sun is nearly in the sky when Raúl appears before me, disheveled and covered in dirt, carrying a canvas bag. He rushes inside, closing the door shut. He gives me a quick kiss before setting the bag on the floor, the contents spilling out. “I went as fast as I could,” he says.
Our time is running out, and we rush around the tomb, following Nava’s instructions. Candles dot each major direction, while an intricate chalk design now decorates the floor. Raúl places the ingredients Nava asked for where she indicates; I recognize a few herbs, such as chamomile in the mix. He crushes mint and sprinkles it around the chalk circle.
Hurry, says Nava. We must say the words right at sunrise.
Raúl and I lay down in the circle, our hands joined. Nava tells us the words to repeat one by one.
Let souls intertwine.
We chant the words easily, and Nava continues. Their spirits ignite.
As soon as the last word leaves our mouths, a searing hot pain stabs my heart and I cry out. Raúl’s grunt of pain tells me he feels it, too.
In love’s embrace, their paths unite.
Tears stream down my face as the pain becomes unbearable and we choke out the words.
For true love binds not with force.
Every single part of my body is in pain now, and I cannot even move. Raúl’s hand on mine is the only way I am staying anchored to reality.
But with pure delight.
A bright white light flashes throughout the room, blinding us momentarily. Then, suddenly, it’s gone, along with the pain. I take a second to breathe, glad my body is back to normal.
Nava whispers, It is done.
Raúl turns his head to me, relief and surprise on his face. “Was that Nava? I believe I heard her.”
Yes, now you will. As long as I want you to, Nava says, a hint of snark in her voice.
“I don’t think I can move,” I say, gently squeezing his hand.
“Me either,” he says with his mischievous grin. We lay there for a while, my eyes closed, breathing deep. My entire body is sore, as if I have walked an eternity without stopping.
After a long time, Raúl is the first to move, rolling closer to me. I watch as the circle smudges under him and the candlelight flickers against the dark walls. He gently kisses me on the lips.
“Since we are bound together, what would you think about ruling with me?”
“Ruling with you?”
He leans closer and nibbles on my ear, causing me to giggle. “As queen.”
“What?” I say with a screech. “Raúl, your vampires would never agree. I am human. I can’t rule vampires.”
Raúl shakes his head, then leans forward and kisses his way down my neck. A strange energy fills me as I gasp. “Penny. When will you learn? You can do whatever you want. Only a few vampires would not want a human queen, but there will always be critics. Even if you were the most perfect vampire queen. The real question is, what do you want, Penny?”
