Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3) (7 page)

Now that it had…
what was next?

Scarlet frowned at the sky as she walked, the black of night spreading out above her. What was next? Of course, she had to learn to keep her joy from bursting out. It was similar to anger in its explosive capacity, but much different
…that was something to work on. But otherwise, what did she have to look forward to? 

Scarlet looked at Kyran striding forward with his tense shoulders, his black trench coat blending into the shadows
and his fists clenched, ready to remain in that state. Suddenly she realized that she no longer had that to look forward to. No purpose. No goals. Nothing. And that’s when the emptiness hit her in the stomach. Was it because she didn’t slay Chloe herself? Or was this an omen of something far worse?

Scarlet shuddered as she saw Kyr
an look back at her, and then continue moving forward. What she had felt towards Chloe, he was feeling towards her. And now that she was on the receiving end, she definitely didn’t like how that felt. She felt defenseless. Where was her fighting spirit? Her rage? Her anger?

Up ahead, Kyran’s eyes smiled as he sensed the change in the air. It was indistinguishable.

Scarlet was afraid...

Of him…

*
              *              *              *              *

His eyes shot open and immediately his retinas cowered under the flood of light piercing through. His breathing became erratic as he scurried to his feet in terror, stumbling three times before he was able to plant them firmly into the mud without falling. He studied the view around him and brushed his hands across his forearms. He was warm.

He touched his forehead and winced at the touch. The sun had been beating down upon him for…several hours
it felt like. Especially for his sunburn to be that advanced. His clothes were baking, and he felt lethargic. It was silent. Not an insect or bird in sight.

But despite the lack of noise, he was confident this wasn’t Paradise.

After all, he died under the ether, and he knew that meant his soul couldn’t be freed. But…didn’t that also mean he should be in Oblivion?

He looked around
for a familiar sight and felt a wave of relief and dread upon seeing a distinct marker in the distance: the Quietus forest.

Yes, he was still in the meadow. But how? Kyran was an assassin. He wouldn’t have missed unless he wanted to…

“He didn’t miss at all, if that is what you’re thinking,” a voice said. Dominic blinked in surprise and nearly tripped again. One second no one was in front of him and in the next, a stranger had appeared. He wasn’t very tall, and he didn’t appear very strong though he was not fat or lanky by any means. He looked no more than thirty years old and he had a smooth, baby face that was also riddled with deep, jagged scars. His eyes were a foggy green and he wore casual clothes - just a dark blue t-shirt, with no lettering or distinct symbols, and a pair of wool pants. He didn’t appear menacing, but his voice sounded powerful yet distant, as if Dominic was hearing the tail end of an echo.

“Excuse me?” Dominic asked, studying the stranger further. At least he wasn’t armed…unless he was a Quietus in disguise.

“I said that Kyran did not miss. That, I can assure you.”

“Then…where am I?”

“The meadow next to the Quietus forest. Though you were dying, you are very much alive now. Though…we can’t talk long. I have guests on their way to my palace.”

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“I am the King of Zen-echelon, and I come to you with a proposition.”

“Why would I talk to you?” Dominic spat. “You’re my enemy.”

“Funny, considering I wasn’t the one that killed you.”

“Where’s Catherine?! What did you do with her?”

“I said I don’t have much time,” the King scowled. “So try to refrain from talking while I explain. I’ve been observing you all, and I’ve noticed that you are the runt of the litter. Misunderstood, neglected, denied, overshadowed…murdered. You have no place with the Sages. And James has no place by Catherine’s side. I wish to restore all to its proper place. Join me. Assist me in my ambitions, and I will not only give you power beyond your imagination, I will also give you the Princess, and the head of James on your wall.”

“And what is your ambition?”

“Now…that doesn’t matter, does it? All that matters is that you get what you desire. Who cares what happens to everyone else? Follow me, and I will give you immortality.”

“If you can grant me what you say
, then I will be your warrior. I haven’t felt like I belonged with him for a while now. But tell me, how did you bring me back to life?”

“As long as your head isn’t severed, resurrection is not out of my grasp,” he stated. “And if you had denied me…death would have welcomed you once more.”

How could he have so much power?
Dominic thought as the King of Zen-echelon stretched out a hand. Dominic smiled, shook it, and in an instant, they disappeared.

The Quietus stared in a
we at the power of the Princess - winds originating from the stone swirling around her like a miniature tornado, her hair stretching to its limits towards the ceiling and the strange markings blazing so hot that the sight of them made the viewer temporarily blind. Her eyes had lost their pupils and the raw energy pouring out of her was nearly sending Jester off his chair and into the dirt. Jester was laughing manically as she contemplated her next move.

“WHEW!” he
laughed. “Before you blow dry my hair, can I get a shampoo?”

“How do I get to Zen-echelon?” Catherine ordered, but Jester just smiled.

“I already told you. Your threats mean nothing. You carry them out and people die.”

“We can defend ourselves,” Nadia declared.

“Maybe,” Jester said, “but the Princess doesn’t believe you.”

“If you’re here to rip out my heart,” Catherine said. “Why haven’t you done it yet?”

“Because I’m having fun. Simple as that.”

“Is there any way we can get the answers we need?” Catherine asked, turning to Nadia. “What of the warriors that encountered him?  Did any of them provide any vital information?”

“They’re not too much help,” Nadia admitted. “After Jester surrendered, it was like their minds got scrambled, like he infected them with a disease.”

“What are their symptoms?”

“They’ve gone deaf and blind, and they babble on and on. Nothing coherent. We haven’t figured out what to do with them yet.”

“Can you bring one of them to me? Preferably one that used to be quite bright. “

Nadia nodded towards the rooftops and the watchful Quietus began scurrying away to follow their leader’s orders. Catherine sighed and powered down, her hair falling back into its bouncy curls, the symbols crackling back under the surface of her olive skin and her beautiful green eyes flashing back to normal. Jester chuckled as he watched and closed his eyes as if he was to take a nap. Nadia and Catherine didn’t antagonize any further, deciding to wait for the soldier to return.

After a few minutes, a shuffli
ng was heard from above and two Quietus villagers came down with the prize in tow, held up by the arms on both sides. The former Quietus warrior was babbling alright, foaming at the mouth and letting his scythes unsheathe in and out of his forearms wildly. Catherine could see that the two who retrieved him had already been cut multiple times. One of them had sustained a deep gash across the abdomen and was already trying to regenerate it.

They placed the warrior in the dirt
, a few yards from Jester, and there he sat with maniacal eyes, staring at the ground like it was the most fascinating thing he had ever witnessed, still releasing and retracting his blades back and forth. Catherine walked towards the man and sat down next to him. Nadia became alarmed and reached out to pull her back but the Princess put up a hand to stop her.

“No, Nadia,” Catherine said. “This has to be done. Please don’t interfere.”

“I can’t promise he won’t attack you.”

“I know,” she said. “But this is the only way.”

Catherine closed her eyes and reached the palms of her hands forward, slowly extending toward the babbling man’s forehead. As she approached, his mumbling became less erratic and his twitching slowed, but his scythes were still moving at its frantic pace. Catherine ignored the warnings and plunged ahead, suddenly grabbing the temples of his head and powering up simultaneously, her hair exploding and the purple winds surrounding them both.

Cath
erine grit her teeth as she focused on healing his mind to unlock the treasures stored within. There was no guarantee it would work, but she was willing to give up many precious years of her life in order to find out.

After only a few seconds, the man’s scythes sheathed and stayed put. His babbling ceased and his eyes were
becoming steady. Soon, he looked directly at Catherine, studying and admiring her. The Princess was sweating now, and her curls had lost its buoyancy, becoming limp and damp. Seeing that she was stressed, the man suddenly grabbed her cheeks with the palm of his hands, making her snap open her eyes in shock. The man smiled.

“Hi, my name is Lex,” he said seductively
. “And what type of angelic creature might you be?”

“Lex, shut up,” Nadia snapped. “Geez, only two seconds back in reality and he’s already making moves.”

“No, Nadia, she’s different,” Lex said as he studied Catherine’s lips. “I think I might be in love with this one.”

“Catherine, are you okay?” Nadia asked, ignoring him. Catherine blinked and then took a deep breath before carefully removing Lex’s hands from her face. She stretched out a hand and together they helped each other stand to their feet. Jester tried clapping in the background but then realized he was still tied up. He began p
outing as Catherine wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Lex, we need your help,” Catherine said. “I understand you faced the creature behind me.”

“I have,” Lex said, glancing behind her, “but that’s kind of a sore memory. You can understand. Gorgeous specimen like myself drooling and foaming at the mouth is not exactly the look I was going for. The ladies were probably horrified! But…that doesn’t matter anymore. I have you now.”

“Lex,” Catherine blushed. “Please. You have to focus.”

“Tell me who you are first and then I’ll be very forward. And I do mean forward…about anything.”

“My name is Catherine,
and I -” she began before Lex cut her off.

“Ah! So that’s
what this goddess is called. Thank the Maker I have had the pleasure of –“

“LEX!!!” Nadia shouted. “Please answer the Princess’s question!”

“A Princess?” Lex said in surprise as Catherine shook her head in disbelief.

“
This is important, Lex.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, matting his hair and straightening his clothes. “Sometimes I get ahead of myself.”

“Do you know anything about this man? He claims to be from Zen-echelon.”

“I don’t know him too well,” Lex said, looking back again at Jester. “I was in the back of the mob when we engaged him…but Zen-echelon. That I do know…hey! What do you know? I can talk about it!”

“I…don’t understand,” Catherine chuckled as he straightened himself up again.

“I’ve
traveled to Zen-echelon actually,” he said. “But when I returned, it was like a spell was placed upon me. Every time I tried talking about it, my words would gain a life of their own and I began to mumble nonsense. It just got worse over the past few years and once that creature arrived, I completely lost my mind.”

“You have Catherine to thank,” Nadia replied. “She’s the one tha
t healed you, with the stone of Allay.”

“Allay?” Lex said in awe. “After our history together, you would come to Quietus? And heal a stranger like me?”