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Sylvanna

T he Queen’s reception hall is much as I remember it.

Huge marble pillars soar to the vaulted ceiling which is paned with skylights that let the moonlight in.

Brilliant diamond chandeliers hover above our heads, held aloft by a floating charm, no doubt worked by the Court Sorcerer—who is also the Queen’s closest advisor.

I wonder if old Genovine is still in that coveted position. He’s ancient but powerful—able to do almost anything that can be done by magic…when he remembers how to do it. He was getting just a bit senile last I saw him.

As I am a trusted friend to the Queen, she asked my help to find a replacement for him…

but not too soon. She didn’t want to disrespect him, as he had also been her father’s Court Sorcerer as well.

She just wanted to be prepared for when he eventually faded, as we of the High Born with magic in our veins do when our time here is done. He?—

My thoughts are interrupted by a most distressing sight. As the Royal Guard parts, I see the throne for the first time. It’s made of solid ivory bound in silver and gold and seems to gleam like a star against all the black marble of the room. Sitting upon it is the Queen—only she looks terrible.

Though she’s only five years older than me, she now looks three times my age or more.

She’s withered away almost to nothing, her once lush black hair gone gray and thin and her skin is papery and yellow.

Her thin frame is hunched over in the throne so that I can’t see her face and she seems to be talking to herself.

“My Queen!” I rush to her, my fear for my dear friend overcoming my sense of Royal decorum. She doesn’t seem to hear me, she just mutters to herself, hunched over like a crone.

“My Queen? It’s me—Sylvanna,” I say to her and dare to touch her on one bony shoulder.

She flinches away from me but looks up at last and I see what’s been holding her attention. It’s the Glass of Distraction—an ancient magical artifact which is dangerously addictive. It looks like a short, silver spy-glass but colored light glows from its eyepiece.

Instead of showing the user far away images, it feeds whoever looks into it a constant stream of dramatic stories—some say from a whole other realm. There is always a new plot twist, a new drama to absorb, and many who start using the Glass find they cannot look away.

The Queen was already in its grip when I had to flee the palace after Kraven tried to Drain me.

But back then, she was still able to step away from it—to put it down and tend to her royal duties.

It breaks my heart to see how the Glass of Distraction has gobbled her up and sucked her dry, leaving nothing but a muttering husk of her former glory.

“My Queen, do you not know me?” I ask her gently, fighting tears as I take her in.

Her blurry eyes focus on me for a moment and I see the light of recognition shine in them.

“Sylvanna?” she asks at last. “Is that…really you?”

“It is. Oh my Queen, I’ve missed you!”

I put my arms around her frail shoulders and hug her gently. Inside I feel like my heart is breaking. I never should have left her! But I was so close to death after Kraven’s attack, I barely got away. I hate to admit cowardice, but I haven’t felt able to come back until now.

“It’s good to see you again,” I say to her.

She smiles at me and I see the ghost of the ruler she once was. But then her eyes stray back to the silver glass clutched in her bony hands.

“It’s good to see you too, but I mustn’t talk for long—I can’t miss what happens next,” she tells me. “Duke told Sylvia that he loves her but she’s married to his half-brother, Alex. And then their stepmother found out and?—”

She’s already putting the Glass to her eye again and I see that I’m losing her attention.

“No, wait!” I beg. “Please, my Queen—put it down for just a little while. Let us go walk in the Royal Gardens as we used to do and catch up. After all, I haven’t seen you in three long years!”

“But my stories!” she protests, her grip tightening on the Glass until her bony knuckles turn white. “I cannot miss them! How will I know what happens if I look away?”

“These stories are about people you’ve never met—you don’t know them. Why should you care about their lives?” I ask her. “You have a country to run, my Queen. Your people miss you.”

“Don’t listen to her, Your Majesty! Attend to your stories—you don’t want to miss a single moment.”

The smooth, purring voice behind me sends an icy finger down my spine.

I whirl around to see Kraven standing there.

He’s as handsome as ever—his long black beard braided with a Cord of Persuasion—a magical artifact which makes the speech of the one who wears it sweet and believable.

It makes everyone who hears his words agree with him—everyone but me, that is.

After what he tried to do to me, I’m immune to his wiles.

I feel a sick mixture of emotions wash over me—fear, rage, betrayal, disgust. He used me to get close to the Queen—he swore his love before the Royal Court in a public ceremony and then he tried to take my power—to Drain me of both my magic and my blood.

I hate him with my whole heart.

“Kraven,” I say, lifting my chin. “I see you’re still here.”

“Why of course, my love,” he says smoothly. “Where else would I be? I’m the Royal Sorcerer now, after all.”

I suck in a breath. This is the worst news I could hear.

To know that Kraven—who was nothing but a minor Noble before his Blood-Oath with me elevated him to the topmost ranks of the High Born—is now the Queen’s closest advisor and by extension, the one closest to the Throne should anything happen to her… No, it’s too much.

“You bastard!” I say in a low voice. “How did you insinuate yourself into the Queen’s good graces?

” But I already know the answer—it was Kraven who gifted the Glass of Distraction to the Queen in the first place.

He must have done it on purpose—knowing that she would get addicted and leave the running of the Court to him.

I remember how he presented the Glass to her.

“Just a charming little bauble I happened to find during my research, Your Majesty,” he’d said, handing it over on a velvet cushion. “A toy really, but I thought you might find some amusement in it.”

“ You did this,” I say to him now, pointing at the Queen. “You gave her an artifact you knew would drive her mad so you could rule the Court and the country in her name!”

“Careful, my love.” His purring voice is filled with menace now. “Don’t you know it’s a grave offense to speak slightingly to the Royal Sorcerer? I could have you thrown into the dungeons for those insulting accusations.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” I shoot back. “Or maybe you would—you’ve already proved how shameless you are!”

“Ah yes, well—one does what one must.” A slow smile curves the corners of his mouth. “How are you feeling, my darling Blood-Partner? You looked a bit pale and peaked the last time we were together.”

“Because of what you did!” I accuse him. “And look what you’ve done to the Queen! Just look at her—she’s near to Fading!”

Indeed, my old friend looks almost translucent to me—the moonbeams coming from the skylights above seem to almost shine through her frail frame.

“Her Majesty is perfectly fine and quite content to follow her ‘stories’ I assure you,” Kraven says coolly. “You, on the other hand, are about to face judgment for your ridiculous accusations!”

He takes a step towards me, his hands raised when Alaric is suddenly between us.

“You’re not touching a hair on Sylvanna’s head,” he growls, glaring down at Kraven, who’s a head shorter than my tall Paladin.

“My, my—aren’t you a large specimen of a DayBorn,” Kraven remarks, sounding amused. “Wherever did my ex-Blood-Partner find you, barbarian?”

“It doesn’t matter where she found me—what matters is you’re going to find your fucking self on the floor if you take one more step in my Mistress’s direction,” Alaric growls.

I’m close enough to feel the Celestial Fire rising in my Paladin’s blood—the air around him fairly crackles with power and his eyes…his eyes have flames in them again. They don’t look human anymore—not a bit.

Kraven looks slightly uneasy and takes a step back, his gaze fixed on Alaric.

“What sort of creature is this, Sylvanna?” he asks, speaking to me though he doesn’t take his eyes off my Paladin. “He’s not human or a regular DayBorn—that’s for certain. He’s not even Dark Fey. There’s something about him—something strange.”

“Alaric is a keeper of the Celestial Fire,” I say, stepping forward again. I’ve never been so glad to have my Paladin at my back! “I’ve been helping him learn how to train his magic and he’s sworn to my service. He doesn’t take well to those who try to mistreat me,” I add.

“Well…who said anything about mistreating you?” Kraven takes another step back. “On the contrary, my only wish is to welcome you to the Palace. I assume you’ll be taking your old rooms while you’re here?”

“That’s none of your business,” I say coldly. “Come, Alaric—we’re going.”

I turn my back and sweep from the Audience Chamber, though what I really want to do is strangle Kraven and try again to free the Queen from the insidious power of the Glass of Distraction.

But I can’t do either of those things—not yet. I need The Heart of the Eclipse first—it will restore balance.

For now, all I can do is go to my rooms here in the palace to plan my next move.