The shadowed queen, p.8
The Shadowed Queen, page 8
“If you do speak with our mother, can you ask her something for me?”
“Anything.”
“Can you ask her to set me free? I...” her ethereal voice grows dark, like tinted glass. “I do not wish to reside in this plane anymore. Sometimes I wish..." she trails off, her eyes blinking rapidly, like she's trying to blink back tears. "I know I can not die but I grow tired of this life. I wish, just for once, I could fly in a different environment.”
“Eleni, I think I can do that for you now. I can create those portals, you could come live in Asphelia, or you could fly out into the other realms.” I look up at her, she cranes her neck to look deep into my eyes, her beak touching my chest.
“You could do that for me, little one? You would grant me freedom?”
“You can make the sun rise and set from anywhere right?”
“Yes, I can.. I used to sit in my sisters trees and we would watch the sunsets together, just like you and I are now. I... I miss them Annabelle.”
Without hesitation, I stand up from where I was laying at her feet and create a massive portal. Eleni is the size of the whole castle, it takes some adjusting to make it big enough.
“Let's go to the other realms then,” I say with a grin, transforming into a bird and flying up next to her head. She looks nervous, she's been banished to this realm for over 400 years. This tree has been all she's known in that entire span of time. She takes a cautious step through the portal and I follow her. We fall through the sky high above the Autumn realm. She stretches out her massive wings and catches wind, gliding through the air. I put a shadow barrier around us so those below can't see.
We fly in silence for hours, We coast over Autumn, Summer, and Spring. I point out new cities or landmarks that have been created since she's been gone. She laughs, I have never heard a more beautiful laugh. Like pure, unfiltered happiness. The air around her almost twinkles, like the sky surrounding us is welcoming her home.
“Thank you Annabelle, this is... I do not have words. Thank you. My sisters- I wonder if they miss me, if they remember me.”
“Of course, they remember you, you should visit them sometime. I will leave that portal for you. You've helped me more than I can ever repay, this is the least I can do.”
“Thank you, Annabelle," she repeats, her eyes shining with unshed tears, "I never thought I'd see these lands again.”
“You're welcome Eleni, I'm just glad I could give something back,” I reply.
We slowly make our way back to the portal, back to the Shadow Court. I can sense her reluctance to return, like I'm going to close the portal behind us and never let her out again. As we land back at the tree, I turn back into my normal form. I can see her eye the portal, like it's going to disappear.
“I have to go now, but you'll have to let me know if you end up visiting your sisters. I'm sure you will have a lot to update each other on.”
“I will, thank you again, sister, if you ever need anything, do not hesitate to call upon me.”
Back at the castle, I wander the halls, admiring the artwork adorning the walls, wasting time. Oberon still isn't back yet from his meetings, and everyone else is in bed... Apparently, there's not much to do in a castle at night when you’re by yourself. It's at an odd time of night when even the servants and maids are all gone. The eerie grey corridors echo every footstep, every breath.
I make my way downstairs to the gallery, where my sister's painting hangs. I look up at it, twisting the rabbit earrings that she had gotten me all those years ago.
“I miss you Little Rabbit.” I say, touching the frame around the painting, “I wish you were here with me.”
I find myself wondering how things would be different if she were still here, even if it was just her ghost. What advice would she give me? She would no doubt be happy I've found myself surrounded by friends, real friends. I can’t remember the last time I felt sad or empty at the loss of her. I feel like I've finally processed things. I've been distracted enough to actually feel happy. I don’t feel guilty for surviving anymore, Ophelia and Aspen both would want me to move on, be happy.
“Is that you and your sister?” Aelinor asks meekly from the doorway. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn’t even hear her approach.
I clear my throat, stepping back from the framed work, “Yes, this is Ophelia, she painted it.”
“She's beautiful, you both are. Was she younger? She's smaller than you here.”
“We were- are twins. I was always taller and a bit stronger. She never developed any magic.” I reply with a chuckle.
“How old was she? When...” she trails off.
“Sixteen, we were sixteen, seven years ago. It's hard to think about sometimes, the hardest part of getting older is that sometimes, the people you love don’t age with you.” She doesn’t reply, and I instantly feel like I said too much. I turn towards Aelinor and we walk out of the gallery together, “I didn’t realize you were still awake.”
“I just woke up a while ago, started wandering,” she says, looking at the ground, our bare feet barely make a sound against the stone tile.
“I just got back from meeting with Eleni a little while ago, I didn’t realize I had even been gone so long.”
“Is Eleni more family?”
“I suppose as much as Eira is yours.”
She doesn’t reply, we walk in silence back to the living room on my end of the castle. I add a few logs to the fire and we sit on the couches, books in hand. I have started to get used to her, she's quiet, like Ophelia was. Often times I find myself just enjoying sharing the space with someone else. We usually don’t talk much, we just do our own thing, but neither of us is alone. Sometimes Oberon will join us, sometimes he sits in his study and works on, whatever he works on. Looking into the flickering flames, my vision tunnels, and that’s all I can focus on. Only one thought bounces around in my brain, the hardest part of getting older is that sometimes, the people you love don’t age with you.
“What do you mean he's still not back yet? Where did he go yesterday?” I shout at Tyron.
“He went to meet with a group of our scouts, apparently Leanne's family is still gathering numbers against us. They heard you were back and are trying to cause more issues. I swear Annabelle I thought this whole thing was taken care of.”
Leanne's family, my mother's family, has been trying to kill me since she became pregnant. They are still convinced they can stop the prophecy, little do they know not only is it already taking place, but they can’t kill me even if they wanted to.
“Thinking doesn’t get him back. I’ll go after him. Where are they?” I ask. Our bond is being blocked by something, it must be those damn collars they used against us when they kidnapped us the first time. Eleni had told me they were being made by harnessing the magic from the fog escaping the portals. The fog is coming from the Underworld, dampening all magic, and I suppose now we know that includes our bond. I woke up this morning feeling detached like a whole part of me had been severed. I immediately knew something was wrong, I should've checked in with him before I fell asleep, but I was so tired from flying all day that I ended up passing out on the couch. Idiot.
“They're holed up in Starcoast, but Annabelle, I don’t think you should go. It's clearly-”
“A trap, I know. But I'm going and you can’t stop me. Don’t send anyone in after me, you know I don’t need it.” I snap back through gritted teeth.
I look to Tyron, his emotions are so easy to read. His usually bright eyes, now clouded with concern, tiny creases form at the corners, mirroring a furrowed brow. His lips, which often curved into a warm smile, were now pressed into a thin line, revealing his frustration. His normally rosy cheeks seem to lose their glow, taking on a slight pallor, almost as if the color had been drained from them.
His shoulders, usually held high with confidence, now slump slightly, a visible sign of his disappointment in himself. His usually vibrant and animated demeanor seems subdued as if the weight of his emotions were causing him to withdraw into himself.
He absentmindedly runs his fingers through his long white hair, the strands seeming dull and lifeless. He tries to hide it, but his features and actions betray his true feelings. He's worried, worried that Oberon is gone again, and pissed that I'm going in after him alone.
“If you insist, I know I can’t stop you. Just please, please be careful.” For a moment, a flicker of sadness crosses his features. I've lost you once I can’t lose you again. I can read him like a book, without looking into his soul.
“You know I will be okay, I can’t promise the same for them. Acts against the Court, punishable by death?”
A small smile breaks through, and he replies, “Yes, I suppose that is the law.”
“I'm leaving now,” I say, pushing my chair out from the table. He goes to follow but I'm already walking away. I create a portal on the ground and drop into it, falling from the sky near Starcoast. I transform into a raven and make my way to the city. How many times will I have to save this man?
I fly for what feels like hours, my heart pounding in my chest. I dash over city streets, my mind clouded with determination. The shadowed alleys seem to mock me as I desperately search for any sign of Oberon.
I had only been to the outskirts of Starcoast before, it was far too dangerous to actually go in. The civil war was still brewing, Tyron tried to assure me he had it under control but Oberon and I knew better. I had left a raven here to watch over things but she didn’t say anything about them moving. They were gathering troops sure, but she hadn't seen them making any big moves lately.
I scan the city with my powers, searching every soul for any thoughts or traces of Oberon. Finally, I see one man, one of the men who is holding him hostage. His soul is filled with guilt, and images of Oberon's bloody face shine brightly, like a beacon.
Rage fills my veins as I land in an alley, and begin to look around. I am on the very outskirts of the city, a large barn sits in front of me. Several men stand guard at the doorway. I reach up through their shadows and quickly dispose of them, dropping them into a pit and crushing them.
I sneak silently through the doorway into the large open space. Relief nearly causes me to shout for him as I spot my mate. Oberon sits in the center of the room, tied to a chair. I look around and count 8 men. After taking a moment to calm my breathing, I plaster a cool smile on my face and stand to lean against the doorway, making eye contact with Oberon. He grins back at me with a blood and bruise-covered face. Anger boils my blood and my hands itch, ready to take action.
Oberon bursts out into laughter. His voice hoarse, making this action sound half-crazed.
“What the fuck is so funny?” One of the men says, kicking the side of Oberon's chair, knocking him to the ground with a thud.
“I didn’t make it home for dinner last night, the ol' lady’s probably pissed,” he replies, laughing again. A few of the men look at each other in confusion.
“Do you not understand? You’re not getting out of this alive. As soon as the bitch shows, you re dead,” the man says, kicking Oberon in the ribs. I grab one of my swords from a shadow below me. In that split second, I see a glimmer of something I hadn't seen in Oberon before. He knew I would come, he wasn't even worried.
“No, you don’t understand.” Oberon says between coughs, “You’re fucked, you’re all dead.” he says in a singsong voice, he lets out another sickening laugh. His words strike the air like lightning, and for a moment the room falls into silence.
I leap into action.
Before the men can even blink, I dash around the room, cutting off each and every one of their hands. These men dared to put their hands on what was mine. In an instant, the room is filled with the beautiful sound of screams. They drop to their knees, crying and screaming, and a few throw-up. We pay them no mind as I take my time helping Oberon out of his restraints, and up to his feet.
“Ol’ lady huh?” I joke, putting his arm over my shoulder.
“Something like that,” he replies with a smile. “Are you going to finish them off, my love?”
“I think I’ll leave them like this, send a message.” I walk us over to the man who seemed to be the leader. We look down on him in disgust. He's leaning against a pole, holding himself and shouting at us. I support Oberon so he can kick the man with all the force he can muster, which isn't much but it gets his point across.
“Tell them to leave us the fuck alone. I don’t want to have to wipe out an entire city but I will. No hesitation. The prophecy is in full effect, I have come into my powers, and so have others. Don't make me repeat myself.” I say to the man, stabbing my sword through his foot for good measure. His eyes go wide and he lets out another screech.
Two women come running out from a back room, shouting and holding staffs. They sling shadow spears at us. I shove Oberon out of the way of one of them and barely dodge another. Oberon lets out a pained huff as he hits the ground, but leans up on his elbow, making to stand and fight.
“Stay down!” I shout at him and dash towards the women.
One continues to throw spears at me, while the other grabs a sword from the ground and dashes to meet me. I conjure my own sword again and we clash with a resounding metallic echo. For just a moment, I consider how easy I could make this, I could slow down time and kill them before they even knew what hit them, but I reconsider. If I want to send a message, I don’t want the enemy side to know how strong I am, I like the idea of them underestimating me. This will be good practice for me anyway, I had gotten too relaxed, too comfortable. Sometimes a good fight is all you need to warm the blood.
I focus back on the two women ahead of me, the woman with the sword continues to attack, she is decently skilled with a blade. Our swords move with precision and agility. Her eyes blaze with determination, mirrored in my own gaze. We circle each other, assessing each move. With every parry and thrust, the air crackles with tension, and the clash of steel rings out like a war cry.
Meanwhile, the second woman lurks nearby -a woman with an unyielding aim, shooting shadow spears at me, their path aimed at my chest. But my instincts and years of training kick in, guiding my body with uncanny speed and precision. I dodge and weave through the flurry of spears, feeling a rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. My mind and body move as one, a deadly combination of skill and instinct.
With a sudden surge of strength, I disarm my sword-wielding opponent, her weapon clattering to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, I lunge forward, my blade poised to strike. As I prepare to deliver the final blow, a voice rings out -a plea from the archer, begging me to spare her sister. I look between the two, and the realization hits me, they're twins. They look exactly alike. Oberon seems to notice at the same time and stands, reaching for me.
For a brief moment, hesitation flickers within me. they're just girls, doing what they were told to do. This is no different than what I had done in the past, following orders. They don’t know they're on the wrong side. I look down at the woman in front of me, my blade to her throat, tears flowing from her eyes.
"Switch sides." I demand, "Ally with your High Lord."
"N-never! We serve Starcoast!" The woman below me shouts, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.
"You?" I glance to the sister, who raises another spear, poised to strike. "Fine, you may go." I raise my hands in mock surrender.
I decide to spare them, but not without altering their lives, as I did the men who abused Oberon. I take a step back from the woman now sobbing on the ground, her sister rushes down to hug her, thanking me. I shake my head, she won’t be thanking me for long.
I focus on their souls, I can see their connection, their magic, their very essence. I reach in, and snip that thread, disconnecting their bond, and taking their magic from them. I instantly see the joy drain from their faces, their eyes become dull as they feel their magic disappear. They look at each other in horror, looking at their hands, clearly trying to conjure something, and realizing that they can’t. They look back at me, their expressions tell me all I need to know.
“How-what did you do to us?” One sister demands, struggling to stand.
“Like I said before, tell your leader to leave us alone,” I reply simply and return to Oberon. I don't look back, but hear them mumbling to themselves through silent sobs.
Wasting no more time, we turn to leave and I create a portal to Asphelia for us. I lay Oberon in the shadow pool and let him go to let him float. I pull the shadows over him and heal all of his wounds, broken ribs, a few scrapes, and a few broken fingers. The rage within me doesn't die down, if anything, seeing the extent of his injuries, it just fans the flames.
“I’ll never get used to this.” He says, trying to smile.
“Those motherfuckers need to leave us alone. And how did they even get you anyway? You need to be paying more attention. They could've killed you. You’re so soft and vulnerable I can’t always be around to protect you.” I'm shouting at him now.
“I knew you would come, my shadow. I was safe.” he reaches up and caresses my cheek.
“Don’t you ‘my shadow’ me, I'm pissed.”
“Back there... did you take their magic?” He asks, a somber look on his face, trying to change the subject.
“I snipped it from them yes, and disconnected their bond as sisters. I imagine they will slowly fall out and lose each other. I think that’s probably worse than death. To be honest, I wasn't sure it would work. I was just so mad, it felt right.”
“I'm sorry I scared you, Annabelle. It was supposed to just be a routine check-in, but we were ambushed, I didn’t have time to alert you, I was knocked out from behind.” he looks off into the sky, avoiding my gaze.
My chest clenches at the thought of losing him. I had made the mistake of getting attached to someone. We’ve had this talk a million times now, everyone around me dies or gets hurt, it's why I wanted to travel alone in the first place.
