Page 63

sixty-two

Queen Natala

I stand outside the castle, watching as the moon eclipses the sun. The loyal heir has fallen. If it is the one of blood or the one bound by duty, I don’t know. That verse could refer to either. But it doesn’t matter. Eternal night is upon us.

Around us we hear the khind roar, my people barely holding on. We’ve fared better than I expected, magic helping us keep the khind at bay. Thankfully, the Antalian Shayi arrived before Shaston infiltrated their kingdom. The men and women of the Shayi gave us a chance that our people, not accustomed to fighting, wouldn’t have had. We value peace, prosperity, and keeping the records of old. Now … our kingdom knows only fear and we’ve had to learn the strength required to continue on.

“Did Shahri make it?” Elino asks from beside me, his large arms wrapping around my waist.

“It doesn’t matter,” I say harsher than I mean to. “The prophecy is coming to pass anyway.”

He kisses my cheek, his hot breath tickling my neck. “What can we do?”

“Wait …” I close my eyes. “This is a part of a bigger plan.”

When Ivalion confided in me that she was the Goddess, I didn’t fully believe her. How could she be both the same woman I became friends with and the one I worshiped? These past few moons, watching the change happen, I can’t help but smile. She is part of the Hasǔ , but I watched her cry and laugh just like the rest of us. She worried about her daughter, her husband. And she even worried about me.

Why did she tell me what she did? I’ll never know. She had Clennom, her reincarnated twin drop from the Great War but before that … she had been alone for many years wandering Antalis. Maybe it was wanting a genuine friendship, one we found in one another. Regardless, because of our friendship, she warned me of what was to come. Promised me that in the end, the Creator wouldn’t abandon us and neither would she — even if she wasn’t physically here. But knowing something is happening doesn’t erase the doubt that plagues the mind.

“Did you send the Antalian Shayi home?” I turn to Elino.

“We needed them. We still need them,” he says, turning sharply. “But yes.”

“They’ll go one way or another if I am right about what is happening. Let them help their own kingdom however they can. The time is almost upon us.”

Horns sound around me and two scouts, who were originally stationed on the outskirts of Midaeliea to keep eyes on the neighboring kingdoms, ride through the castle gates. Their chests rising and falling as they stumble from their horses.

Their eyes are wide as the first begins to speak, “Antalis …” The blonde-headed messenger from the north tries to get out, winded. “Waters are rising in Antalis. They are being drowned.”

“And you?” I ask the one who returned from Shaston.

“Reports state that fires blaze inside the castle,” he says, running a hand across the sword at his side. “The flames can be seen from those on the ground, outside the castle walls. It’s too hot, many are running from it ...”

I turn away from them, once again looking up at the eclipsed sun. The waters will rise, and the fires will blaze. I ring my hands together. All that is left are the sacrifices that must be made. I don’t know where the waters will crest and I need my people safe.

“Is everyone back inside Midaliea’s borders?” I turn to Elino and he nods his head.

“As many as I could get word to when we sent the Antalians on their way.”

“Soon … so soon … the world will be different.” I take a deep breath looking once more at my kingdom in front of me. I send up a silent prayer and Elino grasps my hand, kissing my knuckles.

“Do what you need to, my love.” He lets go of my hand and takes a step back.

Turning away from him, I feel the power inside my veins. My magic connects to the trees and the earth that surrounds me. I take a deep breath, grabbing the precious stones inside the pockets of my dress. Presents from Ivalion. She never explained why, or what they are meant for, simply saying that one day the power of my heart may not be enough to protect those of my kingdom. And she’s right, I don’t have enough power to do what needs to be done right now. But with her forethought and the stones humming with magic of their own — I do now.

I run my fingers across the polished rocks, their smoothness cool beneath my touch. I crouch down with them in my fist and breathe in the rich scent of the soil, giving me strength to ground myself. The purple fabric at my knees darkens with the dirt that clings to it, but I don’t mind. Dresses can be mended, and right now everyone trusts me to keep them safe.

Slowly, I press my hands to the earth, feeling the soft give of the soil beneath my palms. A stillness descends upon my senses. The magic hums around me. I let the magic settle, let it seep into my core, until I can feel the threads of it tying me to everything around me. The trees, the dirt, the stones.

Then, with every ounce of will, I release it. The magic surges from me in a deluge, rushing through the soil and into the cracks of the earth like the unstoppable flood soon to happen in Antalis. The ground trembles beneath my hands, a low vibration that grows into a resonant roar. Sounds rise in the distance, deep thunder rolling, and the rumble of shifting lands signaling that the magic is working.

In the distance, the earth heeds to my power, rising in a formidable wall that splits the horizon. Its raw, jagged surface towers above. The edges are alive with faint cracks of glowing energy that pulse against the warring sky. The earthen barrier stretches high on both sides, isolating us from Antalis and Shaston, a declaration of power and protection. I hope it will be enough.