Page 18 of A Traitor Sister (Remnants of the Fallen Kingdom #2)

18

TARLIA

S omeone’s trying to kidnap or kill me, their strong arms surrounding me, a scent of ale and sour breath on my neck. Time slows down as my senses awaken and I recall what I learned about escaping a situation like this.

Instead of resisting the pull, I push my weight back, then put a leg behind theirs and trip them. We both fall to the ground, and I roll away. Renel is beside us, a sword pointed to my attacker’s throat—an old fae man. Two more attackers are coming from both sides and I raise my skewer, ready to stab anyone, but the attackers gasp for air. Meanwhile, two guards approach us, stepping between us and the men, who are now on the ground.

I look back and see Lidiane, her eyes wide staring at us, and then Azur collapsing and falling from the table. The only reason he doesn’t reach the ground is that Lidiane slows his fall, and then a guard grabs him.

The three attackers are unconscious, and I think Azur just used air magic on them, and must have used so much of it that it made him faint.

“Today is a day of celebration,” Renel says, his voice incredibly loud and confident. “Therefore, I ask for clemency, and that their lives be spared.”

He’s addressing the guards, but not only the guards; everyone around us, probably to make them think he’s some kind of compassionate king.

With a lower voice, he asks the guards, “Is there a flying carriage nearby?”

A man nods.

“We’ll have to borrow it,” Renel says, then turns to me. “Would you like to fly over the Solemn River?”

“Sure.” In reality, the idea of going anywhere above ground spooks me, but I’m not the one making the decisions here.

Renel nods, then picks up Azur and throws him against his shoulder, his guardian’s long blond hair hanging behind him. With his free hand, he grabs his guardian’s hat.

Beside me, Lidiane looks thoughtful and worried. Is she worried about Azur? I can’t wait to have a moment alone with her and ask what in the world that is all about.

This whole trip is so strange that I don’t even feel scared or traumatized anymore. Perhaps I got numbed after the Krastel guards attacked our carriage, after thinking Ziven was dead. That pain is still raw, torturing my flesh.

In comparison, whatever happened now feels like one of those strange dreams that makes no sense when you wake up. I glance at Renel carrying his naked guardian and change my mind; this is more like a feverish, never-ending weird dream.

Five guards surround us as we walk away from the festival until we approach a large, two-story wooden building. In front of it, there’s a strange, round carriage. I suppose that’s the vehicle Renel is going to borrow. I can’t imagine what magic makes it fly, until I see four winged pixies, their faces gaunt and tired—and realize they’re going to carry us. I don’t want to imagine what will happen if they falter. Maybe it’s better not to imagine it.

A guard opens the door and Renel gestures for me and Lidiane to enter, and we sit on a luxurious, cushioned velvet seat. Renel sits across from us, then places his guardian beside him, covering his private parts with a shirt.

The carriage rises, and I shut my eyes tight as if it could change the feeling that there’s nothing beneath us.

“You don’t like flying?” Renel asks.

“I’m not used to it.”

He looks outside. “It is strange.”

Beside me, Lidiane fidgets, then asks, “Doesn’t it bother you? The pixies?” She’s staring at Renel.

I’m wondering if she’s had enough of all this insanity and wants to be expelled from the castle. That’s the only explanation for this provocation.

His expression is thoughtful. “You mean because they’re enchanted?”

“That’s part of it, yes.” At least she toned down her voice and now sounds only curious.

“The tradition of having enchanted workers goes down a long way, from the time fae enchanted humans.” His tone is polite and friendly. “Since I came to power, I made changes, and now only convicted criminals can be enchanted.”

She raises an eyebrow. “And who convicts them?”

Why is she irritating him when we’re up in the air?

“You should know that,” he says, his voice level. “There are courts everywhere, and in fact, most courts have at least one lower fae. That wasn’t always the case either. What’s your name?”

She hesitates, then says, “Lidiane.”

“Lidiane, if your concern is for the lower fae, you should know I share it.”

“I was curious.”

He nods. “Your questions are fair. I suppose I’d ask them too, if I had the chance to speak with the acting monarch.” He turns to me. “Do you have any questions?”

“I wouldn’t even know where to start. Do you like being king?” Maybe the question is silly, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind.

“I do my best to honor the responsibility I hold. Now I have a question.” He points at us. “How come you two know each other?”

I have to answer that, since I can lie. “We bonded right away, from the moment she was assigned as my lady-in-waiting.”

Renel looks more carefully at Lidiane. “Oh. So you…”

Azur opens his eyes and sits up. “What happened?”

“It depends. What’s the last thing you remember?” Renel asks.

“I need to think.” The guardian glances at me and Lidiane, then adds, “But I’m fine.”

For some reason, my eyelids feel heavy. This is some magic, I know it is, and I have to fight it—but my body is feeling so soothed, relaxed, so at ease…

“Sleep,” I hear in my mind, and I realize it’s a brilliant idea.

ASTRA

I feel water being pulled out of my chest, then take a deep breath as I lie on the ground of a strange, small cave, illuminated with some kind of lightstones. An odd, fae-looking nymph sits by me. I realize then that his eyes look like fae—or human eyes, deep brown and shaped like normal eyes, while his body looks like a nymph’s, with green skin and fins. I take another look at the cave and see water outside it, as if we were in a gigantic air bubble.

“Where am I?” I ask.

“Near the Nymph throne. You swallowed some water. Our queen apologizes for her oversight.” He passes me a strange contraption, with a tube and something to put over my mouth. “This will allow you to breathe for a few minutes down there.”

After almost dying, perhaps I should be more careful, and yet for some reason I trust him, and still trust the Nymph Queen. Either way, if I’m deep underwater, I have worse things to fear. And I have one question.

“Are you half-fae?”

He nods. “Yes. And before you ask, it’s extremely rare. Few couples like my parents have children.”

“But they can…” Oh, what kind of inappropriate question was I almost about to ask? I smile. “Be couples?”

He smirks. “Yes, intercourse is possible, Astra. With humans too.”

I truly hope he’s not offering, and he’s so strange that I don’t think I would be able to know. “Interesting. But fae and nymphs don’t interact a lot, do they?”

“No. Most of us can’t breathe outside the water for long, and most fae can’t breathe underwater. The exception is the Sea Court, but they’re no friends of ours.”

“You don’t need to be friends to… I mean, relationships can happen, right? People sometimes pick… weird partners.” I don’t know if I’m making any sense.

“True. But the Sea Court is known for killing anyone who disobeys their rules, so it would be dangerous.”

“I see. What’s your name?”

“Ether.” He extends a webbed hand. “Humans shake hands, right?”

I take it and shake it. “Yes, we do.”

I put the tube around me, then he helps me place the part that should cover my mouth and nose.

“You’ll be able to breathe using this, but not for long.” He stares at me. “Do you need anything? Have any questions? Otherwise, we’re on our way to the Nymph Queen.”

“Why is she helping me?”

He tilts his head. “You’d need to ask her that.”

“But can’t you give me your opinion?”

He takes a deep breath. “We don’t interfere in fae business or the business above the ground, but everyone can benefit from allies. Are you ready?”

“What’s the queen’s name?” I feel that it would be polite to know her name, even if I’ll probably still address her as Her Majesty or something.

“Nymph Queen. For us, being a monarch is a sacrifice of the self in exchange for the greater good. We don’t keep our names.”

I blink. “That’s… different.”

“I suppose.” He then asks, “Can we go?”

“Sure.” I’d rather make this fast, as Nelsin and Ferer are probably worried. I even regret asking questions and wasting time.

Ether pulls me by the arm and we dive into the water again. My heart speeds up as I hold my breath, the memory of passing out still fresh, with the horror and fear of drowning, of not being able to breathe.

As we descend, he points to my nose, to that strange thing around it. Despite my body’s protests, I force myself to inhale—and it’s air. It’s safe. Being submerged so deep still spooks me, but the queen didn’t exactly give me a choice on whether I could choose to see her or not.

Rude, I suppose.

We keep going down, then he takes me by the hand and the now familiar swirl spins me. This time, without Marlak or someone I trust, it’s somewhat terrifying.

My heart is at full speed when I find myself in that same strange chamber, in front of the Queen’s throne. There are no guards around us, just Ether, who stands at a distance.

“Apologies for forgetting you need help under water,” the queen says. “Understand, we have no time for cordiality, no time to wait until you decide to come to us. No time, Astra.”

I can feel her hurry, her desperation, and yet I don’t know what she means by no time . I don’t understand what she fears. “Why?”

Her dark eyes narrow. I used to think they were expressionless, and yet now, the feeling they convey is sadness, despair, not anger.

“Something stirs in the Shadow Lands. I do not know what. We can’t get near that place, and haven’t been able to find out. The giants are scared, and few things scare giants. Something’s about to happen. I can sense that old forces are converging, and moving faster and faster.”

“What forces?”

“I do not know, Astra. What I know is that you’ll need to be ready. Do you know who you are?”

“I’m Tiurian—but I know little about my magic.”

“I’ll tell you one thing: Tiurian magic hasn’t been seen or felt for about one hundred years.”

“That’s… around the time of the River Treaty.”

I feel the weight of her eyes on me. “Do you know how the humans managed to secure part of the continent for themselves? Make sure the fae would never enslave them?”

“They… fought.” At least that’s what I learned in the Elite Tower.

Her chuckle sounds odd and bitter. “If they had any fighting chance, it was thanks to Tiurian magic. Without the Tiurians, the humans would never have gained their freedom. And yet once the humans won, they turned their back to their supporters, declared them their enemies, despite their help. Or maybe turning their backs to the Tiurians was the condition the fae imposed to agree with the river treaty and grant humans their freedom. Interesting, right?”

“I… didn’t know that.”

“I don’t know the details either, but what I know is that the Tiurians disappeared. A few of them were caught and murdered, but overall, they vanished. And one of the ways in which they vanished was by suppressing their magic, so that their descendants would not be discovered.”

What she’s saying is surprising and isn’t, but there’s a part of it that doesn’t make sense. “How come there are creatures who can sense Tiurian magic? I was found because of it.”

“Fae used to live three hundred, even five hundred years, and there are still fae and other creatures from the time when they had long lives. Another possibility is that the knowledge on how to find Tiurian magic has been passed through generations. The thing is, Tiurian magic is extremely rare, practically extinguished. While there are many Tiurian descendants, their magic is dormant. But yours isn’t.”

Her words make my heart speed up. “You mean that even if they try to use it, they won’t have magic?”

“Exactly.”

“I always thought Tiurians suppressed their own magic either due to fear of being found or shame because they were told it was dark.”

“That’s not completely wrong. The magic was suppressed—intentionally, I believe. But it was done collectively. It was hidden. But not completely. And now we’ll need it.”

“How? I’m trying to connect with my power, but I don’t even know where to start. Can you… give me some advice?”

She gets up from her throne and approaches me. “Magic is not something external you connect to. It’s not a trick you learn. Magic is you, the essence of your being. It’s like breathing. You don’t need to figure out how it’s done. You just do it.”

Her words sound wise, but if I think about them, they sound shallow. “Walking is like that; I just do it. And yet there was a time when it wasn’t the case.”

“I’m sure you didn’t read a book on how to walk or had anyone explain it to you. You simply did it when you were ready. There’s no question you’re ready, or you wouldn’t have used your magic before. Now use it. Be ready. Find what you need to find. Time is running out.”

“Can you please be less vague?” I plead, aware I’m sounding whiny.

“I’m not trying to be wise or cryptic. I’m being vague because I don’t know the details of what’s about to happen, so all I can tell you is to be ready. Be the powerful Tiurian you are and trust your magic. Self-doubt is a luxury, Astra, one you can’t have.”

Wow. I’m feeling so luxurious.

I heard that , she says in my head, while staring at me with a smirk.

“Should we just talk without talking?”

“No need. We’re alone. Now go. You’re probably the most powerful Tiurian alive. Be that powerful Tiurian.”

“I guess all I need to do is trust myself, and then boom!” I know it sounds snarky, but if she’ll hear it in my head regardless, what can I do?

“Glad to hear you understand.”

“Please, explain more.” I’m absolutely whiny now. “Tell me about my kind.”

She shakes her head. “I just told you all I know. I don’t understand your magic. It’s up to you, Astra.”

Ether approaches me, takes my hand, and then pulls me back up, through strange swirls, and then up again, until we’re back in that cave.

He says, “I’ll need the breathing mask back, but the way to the surface is short. You won’t run out of air.”

I take off that tube, inhale a deep breath, then he pulls me by the hand again—and brings me down.

Why are we going down? We swirl and swirl, and then he pulls me up, and I see the rocks surrounding our island—and take a deep gulp of air. Goodness, I love air.

As I’m pushing myself up the rocks, Nelsin comes running and extends a hand to help me climb.

“Finally,” he says.

“I’m so sorry. I bet you were worried.”

Ferer approaches us. “The nymphs told us you were summoned to an audience, but it was so unlike them, so sudden. Are you all right?”

“Sort of. The nymphs fear something, but they don’t know what it is. The queen told me I had to figure out my magic soon, that there’s no time, and yet she wouldn’t explain why.”

“You’ll figure it out.” Nelsin waves a hand. “Also, time for them is different. When they mean something’s going to happen soon, they probably mean in ten years or so.”

Ferer frowns, his expression troubled. “Not necessarily.”

I sigh. “Well, I’ll do my best for my magic to…” I snap my fingers. “Come alive! Not that it’s dead. Or living. I don’t even know.”

Nelsin chuckles. “We’ll help you figure it out. But you should eat and rest first.”

Do you know who you are?

The queen’s question is still in my mind, getting louder and louder. Who am I? I’ve never even seen myself, the way I truly am.

An idea comes to me. “I need to wash my hair first, then I’ll eat and check the books. Do you have lime, vinegar, or both?”

Nelsin places his hands on his waist. “How do you think we season your salads?”

“I need some for my hair, ” I explain.

He raises an eyebrow. “Hair salad?”

“To get rid of the color, at least the one Otavio used to find me. By the way, what did you do with the hair coloring bottles?”

“They’re still here,” Ferer says. “Tarlia used some.”

Tarlia. Shit. But she’s in the castle now, so he won’t try to find her.

I turn to Ferer. “Throw the liquid from the bottles somewhere where nobody can find it. It’s how Otavio located me, so we need to get rid of that.” I touch my hair. “And I’ll get rid of my fake color—as much as I can, at least. Before you say anything, if we ever go somewhere, I can wear a hat, a wig, something. I need to be myself. Find my true self.”

“Your true self is not your hair color, Astra,” Nelsin says, then points to his chest. “It’s here.”

“For me it is. My hair color was always about hiding who I am. I’ll no longer hide it.”

The two knights stare at each other, perhaps worried.

Ferer sighs. “We’ll get you some lime and vinegar. And I’ll bring hoods, hats, and wigs next time I go to a village.”

“Thank you. And thank you both for your help in the Krastel castle.”

Nelsin smirks. “I have your papers. They didn’t get wet.” He then clears his throat, his top ears perked up. “Also, I’m not bragging or anything, but did you notice how disobedience can be useful sometimes? Aren’t you glad I didn’t wait outside?”

Ferer rolls his eyes. “Your disobedience, this time, was not a reckless decision that almost got you or Astra killed, so there’s a difference.”

“Of course.” Nelsin’s tone is playful. “We learn, evolve, and all that. It’s why we should forgive.” These last words are laced with a deep sadness, almost like an open wound.

“I forgive you,” I say. I know he doesn’t want to hear it from me, but I feel bad seeing him sad like that.

Ferer turns to me. “I’ll get you the lime and vinegar. Nelsin, can you fill her bath?”

“Of course!” His smile is wide even if his eyes don’t match his lips, and if his top ears are now hidden under his hair.

I follow him inside the house.

Now, I have no idea if removing my fake color will change anything. I obviously don’t even know how to awaken my magic or whatever. And then, while the nymph’s warnings were clearly urgent, they were so vague that they gave me nothing.

All I know is that there’s some kind of imminent danger, and that I should trust myself and use the magic I don’t know how to use.

Then again, perhaps the nymphs are mistaken. They can’t be counting on me to prevent or defeat some big evil, right? I mean, that doesn’t make any sense.

If the wellbeing of the world will soon depend on my magic, then we’re all doomed.