Queen of Lost Souls, page 19
I immediately deflate as a sense of dread fills my stomach.
“Then what do we do? How do we stop some all consuming spirit from coming and destroying us all?” The Sages stand quietly for a moment, unmoving. The fact that they can stand so starkly still is unnerving.
“It’s time for us to go to war. The only thing capable enough to defeat the Queen Eater, is a panacea made with the essence of the euphorbia flower.”
“The euphorbia flower? The Ringmaster has some growing here in his temple!” I inform them.
“We’re going to need a lot more than that to cast the Queen Eater away.”
“The royal conservatory.” Malala’s eyes sparkle. “Not only is there an ample amount of euphorbia flowers there, we already have a pantry with a stockpile of harvested royal jelly.”
I look between her, the Sages, and the Ringmaster who all seem to have a knowing look about them. This causes my stomach to drop, but we may not have any other choice. If this Queen Eater is really coming, and The People have successfully lured it here, then we have to find a way to stop it immediately before the whole world is in danger. If the euphorbia flower is the only way to stop it...then we have no other choice.
With a heavy heart, I clench my fists and voice exactly what I know they’re all thinking. Even though we just fought for our lives trying to escape, if we want to continue to survive and save everyone we love and care about...
“We have to get back to the Hivena castle.”
DAYS GO BY AS THE LOST Souls prepare for battle and a long trek back to Hivena. Word of us going to war spread fast amongst us, with my valiant sister, the Queen of Hivena, leading the charge. I didn’t realize how many people would be itching for this war and a way to fight back for their injustices that they’ve suffered. I, on the other hand, am feeling leery.
The Sages just confirmed that this entity is real and has destroyed many worlds before. Not only that, we no longer have an advantage. Some of The People are also magic users who I’m sure will know how to use it.
What if we aren’t strong enough to fight this thing, or The People, and we’re just marching everyone to their deaths.
It was a miracle that we escaped the first time, especially considering some of The People and Obediah surprised us with their magic. That completely changes the dynamics of what we thought they were capable of!
Maybe I should have fought harder for everyone to run away to Veah. At least everyone would be safe there.
Jabari ambles up to me in his training clothes.
“Hey, you ready?” he asks, bringing me out of my thoughts. I nod. Him and Rowan have been taking turns training me with my newfound abilities. They didn’t want to completely bombard me with techniques, so we’ve been starting off small.
Jabari helps me to run through some meditative exercises to improve my focus and help me unlock and control my abilities. Only once I’m in a state where I can feel them can I actually use them.
I sit down in the middle of the training tent, just like all the other sessions, and focus, breathing in and out as Jabari guides me.
Our training usually takes place when no one else is around so I’m not distracted, and to ease my anxiety about anyone getting hurt from my uncontrolled abilities.
After what feels like ages of listening to Jabari’s voice and focusing, I finally feel a spark... but I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. It’s illusive and falls right through my hands when I’m trying to access it, as if it’s made of a vaporous liquid. I sigh, frustrated, and open my eyes.
“I can’t grab it.” I grumble. He rubs the back of his head. It’s been this way all the other training sessions too. Once I get the spark I usually have a hard time touching it, and that’s only if I manage to make the spark.
“What did you feel the first time that you accessed your magic?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“It just came out of nowhere the first time. I felt an overwhelming sense of Obediah’s magic and I panicked, and suddenly...”
Jabari looks at me in thought as he rubs his chin.
“Give me a minute,” he mumbles. Then he leaves the tent. Minutes later he comes back with Scirocco in tow. I watch them curiously as he has her stand in the middle of the room. He walks a few feet away from her before looking at me.
Then, without warning, he attacks her with a raging stream of fire from his hands that encompasses her entire body. My heart drops.
What is he doing?!
“Jabari!” I instinctively reach out to Sciocco and a surge ripples through me, coming out as a thin blue light that extends towards her and blows the fire back on Jabari. He flies backward with the reverberation and tumbles to the ground. Without missing a beat, he jumps to his feet to put out the small fires around the tent.
I run over to Scirocco to look her over and she’s...fine. No burns...nothing. Her clothes aren’t even singed.
Jabari jogs up to us with a smile and wide eyes.
“You didn’t think I’d actually hurt her did you?” I look between the both of them, worried.
“No I...it was just... I’m sorry, I didn’t know how else to–”
“That was amazing!” Scirocco gushes, staring at me as if I’ve grown wings and a halo. Jabari nods in agreement.
“Wait until Rowan here’s about this. I’ve never seen a power like it....let’s try again.” He smiles, then looks around at some of the smoldering spots in the tent. “But, maybe we should take this outside.”
With excitement I nod in agreement and we make our way outside, away from the cabin, the tent, and the others milling about out front. We wind up in a small clearing not too far from the camp.
“Now, I need you to hold on to that feeling, Zemira. You need to start recognizing when your magic is being triggered and discern the difference between your emotions and your magic so you can use it at will.”
“Okay.” I nod, feeling invigorated and anxious.
We practice over and over again as Jabari does various attacks against me and Scirocco with his magic and I try my best to deflect them. Some attempts were more effective than others.
At first it was hard to coax my abilities because, unlike the first time that took me by surprise, I knew that Jabari had no intention of hurting us and is very skilled with his powers. Just like in the tent, he can engulf someone in flames without actually letting the flames touch them, but I quickly had to learn that just because he has no intention of hurting us, doesn’t mean his powers can’t. If this was a real battle, I wouldn’t be able to rely on my opponent pulling back at the last second.
After a while of some hard training, we finally make some ground. I began to become familiar with the sense of my own magic and I’m able to tap into it at will and deflect Jabari’s magic. It still requires a great amount of effort that takes most of my mental strength, but Jabari says with time I’ll become stronger.
“There you guys are.” Veronica says as she emerges through the bushes to all of us sweating and taking a breather. “Zemira, we've been looking for you. You have a visitor here to see you!”
I look from Veronica to Jabari and Scirocco confused.
“A visitor?” Everyone I know is already here at the camp.
We end our training and follow Veronica back to the cabin where a regime of Drones from Zaphire and their caravans are outside standing at attention. I gasp at the sea of blue and silver uniforms scattered across the front yard and between the forest trees. Many of the new magic users and refugees are enamored by their intense presence too.
My steps falter as I notice that standing right by a grand steam carriage is... the prince.
“Prince Kuruk?” He turns to me with a dazzling smile on his face that makes me feel warm and giddy on the inside. I’m suddenly very conscious of the layer of sweat and dirt covering me from training.
Then, a sense of anxiousness fills me. Since the last time he saw me I was just Zemira, a Lost Souls performer. But now, I’m a magic user. I’m not just associated with magic users anymore. I’m officially one myself, and considering the philosophies many people have about magic users and the dangerous climate we’re in regarding them, I’m not sure how well he’d accept that.
Will he look at me in pity and not as a friend? Will he decide to distance himself from me because it’s easier to associate with non magic users.
I hesitantly make my way over to him and I’m startled when he openly pulls me into a tight hug.
“I’ve been so worried about you. You stopped answering my letters when you were away.”
God he smells so good.
He pulls back and looks me in the eyes.
“Zaphyre has been receiving word of what’s happening to magic users all over the world. So when I received your letter that you were back, I had to come see you. I wanted to be sure you were okay.”
I hear sniffling behind me and turn to see Scirocco, Sol, and Jubilee on the porch wiping away fake tears and grabbing at their hearts.
I ignore them, my face flushing.
“I-I missed you too.” I rasp. Let’s walk this way... so we can talk in private.”
He extends his arm and I take it, guiding him down the winding dirt trail towards the direction of the waterfall. He does a hand gesture to let his soldiers know to not follow, and when we’re far enough away from the others, he turns to me.
“I want to know everything that’s happened.” I smile shyly.
“I don’t want to burden you with all the details.” He makes us stop and grabs my hands, looking me in the eyes. It catches me off guard and steals my breath away, which only causes me to feel upset.
Why does he have to be so informal and friendly? It confuses me.
“Zemira, nothing you say is a burden to me. I’m here to support you. I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to carry things alone and you can’t tell me things.”
My cheeks catch on fire as I nod slowly. I resume pulling him towards the waterfall so I can break the intensity of his eye contact. I motion towards the big rocks to sit on, more for my benefit than his. With how close he’s standing and all of the words he’s saying, I fear my knees might buckle and I’ll pass out. This attention from him, although it feels really nice, is overwhelming, and makes me uncomfortable. I’m not used to anyone who I admire so much showing me this much genuine care back. It makes me feel unsteady. Like I don’t know what to do with myself and I’m afraid I’ll mess it up.
When my emotions have calmed from the sprinkles of cool water reaching us from the waterfall, I tell him everything that’s happened since I left, what’s going on in Hivena, and what the Ringmaster and Sages said.
“I-I also have developed new found...abilities...I’m a magic user. I haven’t fully learned how to control them yet, but I’m learning.” After pausing for such a long time, he gives me a humorous smile and squeezes my hands.
“I always knew there was something special about you, Zemira. You being a magic user doesn’t change that.” I smile at his words, feeling light and warm. Then his face slowly falls. “So does this mean...you’re going to war with them? The Lost Souls?” I nod.
“Yes.” He stares at me for a moment with a worried expression. Then he lets go of my hands and stands.
“Okay then, let’s go.” I look at him with wide eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t think that I’d let you go off to war by yourself when I just got you back did you? This world has gotten so dangerous Zemira, I’ll follow you wherever you go from this point on. And I have an army that I think could help your situation.”
I stare at him in awe.
“You’d do that?”
“Of course.” Then he takes a step closer to me. “Our relationship–this friendship, means a lot to me Zemira. I wouldn’t let you handle something like this on your own. Anything I can do to help, I’m here for you”
Overcome with emotion I jump from my seat and hug him tightly. Having an army from Zaphyre would help Malala tremendously. That type of power could really boost our chances of at least surviving this thing.
He pulls me close and his body feels so warm. I know I should pull away and set some boundaries, but I don't want to.
He suddenly pulls back and gently places a firm kiss on my lips that makes my knees wobble. I stare at him in surprise.
“I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time.” He breathes.
“Prince Kuruk–”
“It’s just Kuruk...for you.” My face warms.
“Kuruk...” I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to make of this situation. I like him a lot, and now I know for sure that he likes me, but this isn’t a love story. This isn’t how political systems work. In reality, we’re going off to war in which I may not survive. He’s a prince of a well established kingdom and I’m a runaway dwarf queen who’s supposed to be dead.
I think for a moment if I should tell him. If I should tell him my former status within Hivena, but I can’t bring the words to come past my lips. I’m afraid of what he might think, since technically, I’m not supposed to have a title and ran away from my duties.
His parents would also never accept him ignoring an alliance as great as a marriage with the kingdom of Farrah. If what I saw when we were there for the prince’s birthday is any consolation, that’s what both nations have been hoping for and nourishing since the two royals were born. And he has to know that too.
Regardless, I can’t bring myself to tear away. If I can have this kind of joy in my life, if only for a while before we go to war, then I’ll take every drop.
I grab his hand and take him back to camp so his guards don’t worry, and introduce him to my sister Malala, who’s standing on the porch. They hit it off and I don’t miss the look of approval she sends me as we’re all talking. And I also don’t miss the inquisitive look in his eyes as he looks between me and Malala and our unusual statures.
“Queen Malala, will you join us for dinner?” A group of subjects call from the firepit that they’re gathered around a few yards away. She waves to them and nods, and I can’t ignore the look Kuruk gives me as he begins to piece together how my sister is the current Queen Of Hivena. My cheeks warm in embarrassment.
“I–”
He grabs my hand and kisses the back of my knuckles before I can say anything.
“You don’t have to say anything. We can talk about it when you’re ready.” His words cause me to feel even more embarrassed, but I nod in relief. The story is long, and exhausting...and shameful. I’m afraid what he’ll think after I tell him everything.
THAT NIGHT, PRINCE Kuruk heads back to Zaphyre to make arrangements for their army to travel with us to Hivena. He said the process for getting approval for this will take some days, but that’s plenty of time for everyone to prepare and get their affairs in order.
I practice more of my magic with Jabari, Rowan, and the other Lost Souls. I discover more of how I can not only deflect but also redirect other people's magic, and even use it temporarily in my deflections. None of the others have ever seen a power like it before. And Rowan says it’s understandable that I didn’t discover any hint of my abilities until later in life, especially since I haven’t grown up around magic users or been around them for long periods of time. My ability requires the presence of other magic users to even discover that I have them.
As time goes by I get better and better at my abilities, and I feel a sense of pride I don’t think I’ve ever felt before growing in my chest. Even when I first started performing with the Lost Souls, I don’t think I’ve felt this invigorated. Finally having access to my magic just feels so...right.
One night, Rowan knocks on our door and interrupts Scirocco’s story on how she was recruited by a gang who encouraged her to use her powers of agility and flexibility to steal, to call me out into the hall.
I close the door behind me.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I ask.
“The Ringmaster would like to speak with you in private.” My heart hammers in my chest. Talking to the Ringmaster is always a nerve racking experience. You never really know what’s going to happen. I wonder what he wants to see me about.
I nod and follow him outside where we hop into one of the caravans and drive in silence to the cave.
When we enter the temple, Rowan leads me to the domed main room where the Ringmaster is sitting in a chair next to the pedestal and magical rock. He motions for me to continue on my own and I clear my throat as I approach the Ringmaster.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Yes.” I look down at him as he gets up from his chair and stands before me, his frame slightly bent. “I wanted to officially congratulate you on your growth...and your initiation into the Lost Souls.” It takes a moment for me to register what he’s saying, then a disbelieving smile stretches across my face.
“Really?” He nods with a proud smile.
“Yes. You have come so far into your own. Not only that, along the way you’ve shown great care for the magic users. You’re willing to go great lengths for justice. When you came here from Hivena, you were running away from your past. Now you’ll be going back, to fight for your future.” My cheeks flush. I’ve been waiting patiently to be a part of the Lost Souls, now that it’s here, it feels so sudden. I feel...undeserving.
“B-but I’ve only just come into my magic. I’ve only been practicing for a few weeks.” He looks at me with humor in his eyes.
“Nonsense. You’ve been using your powers sense you got here.” I stare at him confused.
What?
“Do you think other magic users have just been finding their way here and showing up where you are by happenstance?” He places a frail hand on my shoulder. “You’re a beacon Zemira. A guiding light for all the Lost Souls left in the dark to find their way here. To find their way home. I saw it as soon as you stepped foot in my temple. It just wasn’t fully developed yet.”
