Queen Of Shadows
‘Death is coming. It arrives on swift wings of blood and mortar. It circles the Castle of the Piper, as war rises higher and higher in its depths. Both friend and foe are one as they join to face the one true enemy of the realm.
Here Shazir will face his final test.
His final stand.
Death and love will meet on the battlefield, but only one shall rise the victor.’
Tariq watched solemnly, as the vision left his wife, the white of her eyes fading to the clear blue that was her regular color. She lowered her head a twinge of pain in her eyes. She looked at Tariq, whose lips thinned at her expression. “I owe him nothing,” he barked.
“We owe Seraphina much. If you hadn’t gone with her, I might never have been free.” Astraea murmured. “He was with the Queen days ago. She would know where he must’ve gone.”
Tariq closed his eyes. “I know where he is. He could only be one place. The Monster’s realm. Where he should have been the entire time.” He opened his eyes, now laced with fury. “I am not leaving you, after I’ve just found you again.”
Astraea walked up to her stubborn husband, always so fierce. She lifted a hand caressing his jaw, a hand going into his soft hair. He closed his eyes once more breathing heavily, his body as tense as a bow ready to spring. “We cannot just stay in this house, forever happy.” She whispered.
“Why not.” He asked, his eyes snapping open.
“You are a Naga, forever. Even in giving up your vows, there are other duties you are bound to.” Astraea murmured. “Even if there wasn’t,” she insisted, her hand tightening on his hair. “I would ask you to help Seraphina on my behalf. There was a time when we hadn’t met, where she had been the only one in my corner, keeping me safe. Keeping me sane. I owe much of my life to her, even before I knew she was a magical creature.”
“Don’t go after Shazir, go make sure Seraphina knows where her love is. Let her pick up the pieces of her life. Whether you choose to go to that dark realm or not is your choice. Regardless of what you choose I will be here. As I always have been.”
“How do I even start?” he asked.
“How else?” Astraea murmured with a smile. “Go to the Queen, I’m sure she’ll give you a place to start.”
Xoxoxoxox
Flames erupted in different points of the courtyard. The monsters were at the gate fighting to be let in. The guards in front of the gate barely able to fend them off. They were using long spears, that were easily dodged by the monsters that came in all shapes and sizes, arrow tipped tongues sliding through the hole of the gates, as if they could already taste the people within. Kagan was in the middle of the mayhem blowing into his flute trying with all his might to guide the monsters away, to no avail.
Violet where she stood above the courtyard raised her bow, aligning one of her black arrows in its place and aimed for her husband a small smile on her face, it would’ve been a perfect shot, if her bow hadn’t been lifted at the last moment, her body lifted and thrown against one of the many columns. She looked up fiercely before she realized who had changed her target she glanced back quickly, more to check that Kagan wasn’t currently looking here. Satisfied, that he had moved closer to the monsters that had finally breached the gates she turned to look at the love of her life.
The pitiful life that it was.
“Ettrick, how did you get here so fast?” she asked as she looked up at him.
He smiled grimly a hand running down her cheek as he stared at her darkly. “You saw me from your window?”
She smiled widely. “I still see you’re ignoring my questions,” she glanced back at the courtyard. “Why did you stop me?”
“It would be a pity for all of us to have come this way and not have you alive,” he tapped her on her nose. “Are you so determined not to see your sister again?”
Violet’s eyes lit up. “Where is she?”
Ettrick grinned and pulled her after him. Violet laughed as she ran through the castle with him. This castle that had been more prison then home, seemed brighter as she ran hand in hand with her love, like they had once they’d been children. They pushed their way through a crowd of people, her sister at the front yelling for revolution, a man leaning on a table beside her surveying everything with dark eyes.
She knew this man was Shazir. The man who gave up his own vengeance so that they could have theirs. Violet looked at Ettrick who grinned widely as the crowd around them erupted in cheers. Swords, hammers, arrows and even clubs raised. They all ran out, most likely to attack the guards and Kagan. Leaving the four of them in the room. The two sisters, the handsome wood carver, and the sorcerer turned monster.
“Violet.” Vanna’s quiet voice murmured as she faced her sister, tears filling her eyes as she faced her lovely older sister.
“It has been too long, young one.” Violet whispered, as she jumped up the dais, and embraced her sister her own tears falling from her eyes.
“I see you made it,” Shazir muttered, to Ettrick, who joined him.
“Feeling better old man?” Ettrick asked, Shazir scoffing, as he stood straight and cracked his back.
“We just need to hold off long enough.” Shazir replied.