Made From Death (The Darkest Queens Series Book 1), page 14
“I didn’t think there was any other option!" he huffed back at his grandma.
"I didn’t think I could ever miss someone so bad just to be completely annoyed by them when they finally visited—”
“Grandma!” Shelby practically gasped, “I was enslaved to the queen. I couldn’t just pop by and visit!”
The old lady clicked her tongue and shook her head.
Ace shook her head no, trying to redirect the conversation. She hadn't seen anything in the cave. "And you weren't praying?" She offered.
"I wasn't praying. I was making a spell.”
“Just had to ask." She shrugged her shoulders and ran her thumbs over the cucumber. She had time to ponder why she had been able to see the spell he just created in her head as if the gods were talking to her before the event. Her silence to think, or rather try and think, would give Shelby quiet to concentrate on creating more spells for her. It would be nice to have another grimoire. Even now she had to suppress the urge to reach out and take the book from him just to use a spell. Magic was like a drug to those who didn’t come by it naturally.
Once the book was complete Shelby would expect Ace to be gone. She would keep her word and once the book was in her hands she would disappear.
And then she would be alone again.
Just her and the gods on their mission to kill the queens. Of course, they favored Shelby’s request to free the warlocks, but Ace supposed that with the queens out of the picture that wouldn’t be too hard of a task to accomplish. Well, that would also depend on who would ascend to the throne after.
Ace already asked the gods and they had not responded so she had no answer but she often wondered if she completed her mission, if all the queens were dead, if she too would finally get to truly die. Then she would be able to go back to that place of peace, instead of this world filled with chaos and hate. She had never wanted something and been so terrified of it at the same time. Why was that? Why did people cling to this fragile human existence even when they knew that something better awaited? That’s the thought Ace chewed on as she watched Shelby’s hands go blue and press to the page once more.
"Shit!"
“This looks…extravagant," Ace said, glancing back at Shelby who looked as if he’d suddenly seen a monster with two heads. Sweat was already forming in droplets on his temples.
“They have warlocks everywhere. They are going to sniff out any spells I make."
"Okay, so we do the paper trick!" she offered her best solution.
"I left the grimoire with my grandma so that it wouldn't get lost or put in the wrong hands.” He kicked his boots at the dirt behind the tree he leaned on.
"What about a cucumber?" Ace dug in the pocket of her pants for the vegetable his grandma had given her. She hadn’t the heart to leave it on the table after she’d been given such a gift and after a gentle nudge from the gods, she’d brought it with. She thought perhaps it would make a good snack while they were out and about. Not that it was really fun eating green things when she was so often eating bread and sugar. However, she knew that food wasn't always easy to come by and she couldn't quite give up the cucumber yet.
"Do you think I can write on a cucumber?" Shelby pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know if that would work. Do you have a pen?"
Ace began searching the ground, earning herself an inquisitive look from the warlock. Eventually, she stood up, holding a small twig. "What if you use this stick to carve the spell into the cucumber?"
“Ace…” Shelby stared at her. He blinked once and then extended a hand, taking the cucumber and the stick.
She smiled up at him warmly and he only returned her attention with a look of disdain. "This is so stupid. We can try, I guess."
"No harm in trying!" Ace repeated and patted his arm. He stared down at her hand until she removed it and took a good step away from him.
Shelby glared at the cucumber as if this was the final straw. He brought the stick to the peel and there was a faint glow to his hands as he began to carve into it.
Ace watched through the trees towards the budding festivities. There was already a crowd and more were filtering in. There were double the guards at the gates checking invitations and warlocks with their purple scarves standing silently beside them. Their eyes were on a constant sweep and occasionally they would walk or pace, casually stretching their hand toward something or someone.
Ace wondered if they could feel magic, specifically minor spells that the public would be allowed to use. She was just starting to wonder what sort of spell Shelby was crafting when an image started forming in her head. The spells felt like a prayer, but instead of being able to hear the words he spoke, or in this case wrote, she was able to picture whatever it was he pictured in his mind. Or she assumed that's what it was.
The blurry edges of an image finally came into focus, giving way to a picture of Ace. Her eyes. Air filled her lungs, the memory of what she’d looked like when she was younger filling her mind’s eye. That too began to focus on her gaze. Until it stopped. Until the young child who’d always sought the approval of her family was gone.
“Well, here you go," Shelby said, offering the cucumber back to her. "I can't believe it but I think it actually worked."
Ace didn’t even try to hide her smirk as she took the cucumber and repeated the spell out loud. The vegetable warmed in her palms, heating until her fingers couldn't stand the touch of it anymore before it began to dissolve. In its wake, sparks danced across her skin, chasing up her veins toward her face. She squeezed her eyes shut trying not to let the panic flood her as the warmth settled in her face. She shook off the leftover residue of the cucumber that looked more like mush than ash.
When she met his gaze she could tell that she looked different. Shelby squinted and stepped closer. A strange fuzzy feeling turned over in her stomach. It was almost pleasant but more than that it was a little bit scary.
He reached toward Ace’s face, setting his palms against her temples. She looked up at him blinking. "What are you doing?" Her voice went up an octave as that fuzzy feeling in her stomach turned into dangerous butterflies.
“I’m looking at my work to make sure it’s convincing.” He tipped her chin. “If they can sense this magic they’ll just assume it was a basic beauty spell sold at market. Unless they’re investigating every little bit of magic they feel. Then…good luck.” His slight chuckle was without any actual humor.
"Oh," Ace whispered.
She couldn't stare up into his hazel eyes any longer. And the longer she examined his face the more her mind wandered to the possibility of closing the space between them. That had to be a thought placed in her head by the gods because it was absolutely ridiculous! Shelby could barely stand being around her. She couldn’t imagine he’d have any interest in kissing her. This…feeling…whatever it was, was all probably because he was her first real human contact since she came back to life. That’s all.
I liked your orange eyes. There is beauty in the unique, Tamar whined.
The girl must do what she has to do. Sylik tried to shush the goddess of beauty. Maybe it wasn't wise of you to send her back with orange eyes.
I can't do anything about the amount of holy fire her body took in. Her eyes are an example of that.
One of Shelby’s thumbs drew a line over her eyebrow and then abruptly stopped. They stayed still like that for a minute looking at each other until Shelby finally exhaled. "It’s so weird. I guess I got used to your orange eyes. This is what your natural eyes used to look like then?"
"I don't know. What do they look like?"
"Well, part of the spell was to revive your natural eye color. They are brown."
His hands were still on her face. Did he know his hands were still on her face?
"Oh, that must be them then. Brown, plain unattractive brown."
Shelby pursed his lips. "They're not plain unattractive brown. Around your pupils is a lighter color that looks more like tea once you've added milk. And… " He turned her face until he found a spot where the sun came through the leaves and hit her eyes just right. "In the sun, even more stunning. I would say your eyes could never just be plain brown."
Shelby's words made those little butterflies take flight. He thought her eyes were pretty!
Slowly, he let go of her face, catching a bit of hair that had fallen over his hand as he pulled away and ran it through his fingers before he dropped it. “I also changed the shape of your jaw and nose just slightly so that you aren’t so easily recognized.” Shelby cleared his throat and then pointed toward the line of guests. "Now that you look almost like your old self, should we find ourselves some disguises? Sounds easier said than done.”
He scrubbed his hand together and began pushing through the woods. They skirted the castle until they got to where the trees ended and the road that led to the castle began. Vendors and their booths were all along the street that normally remained empty. Luckily, there was a pretty decent crowd which meant that Ace could blend in and be easily lost amongst everyone else.
A plan was already forming in her mind. She blended in just fine, leaving Shelby in the forest. She made her rounds as she tried to take in all the different booths and what they could offer her. She was ready to grab a cloak off of a hanger, a beautifully embroidered one too, that someone had put a lot of time and effort into, but then she saw the carriage.
Inside the carriage she saw a man with skin as dark as Shelby’s and a woman a little bit smaller than her with brown hair and brown eyes. She knew this couple. She’d seen this couple…stolen from this couple before. They were wealthy, so of course they were making their way to the castle by invitation only.
That was it! That was their in.
Ace pushed through the throngs of people, careful not to bump anyone too hard until she made it back to the forest where Shelby waited patiently. "Come on, I've got an idea." She waved him forward.
"Are we sure about that?”
“No, I'm never sure, but when an idea feels right it just feels right. We're going to give it a go." She looped her fingers around his wrist taking him into the crowd with her this time. They stood at the edge of the market as Ace tried to look inconspicuous as she pointed to the carriage. "All we do is get inside there, take their clothes and pretend to be them."
"I think I can find about a billion things wrong with that plan."
"You could find a billion things wrong with literally anything. Think positively!"
It’s a terrible plan, Greshta interjected. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree with the warlock.
It’s not the most put together plan, Bedesh agreed, but with a bit of luck…
It could work, Sylik finished for him.
“What about an invitation?” Shelby pressed, trying to keep his voice low.
“Obviously they have one!” They were rolling their way right to the castle gates… they had to have one…right?
A woman with a couple of children at her side passed by the pair. Ace jumped at the opportunity, without thinking, and moved behind her, grabbing the woman's shoulders and pointing her down the road away from the carriages. "Oh my God! What is that over there?!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping that the woman shielded her enough.
Everyone turned to look in the direction the woman was facing including the people nearest the carriage. Except Ace didn’t wait to make sure that any of them looked, she sprinted up to the carriage dragging Shelby behind her, threw the door open, and shoved themselves inside. The girl was leaning toward the opposite window trying to see whatever it was that was causing a ruckus outside. Both she and the man gasped as Ace and Shelby found the seat across from them.
“For the second time today, I’m amazed. That actually worked.” Shelby shook his head.
“The key is to not think and just to act…and maybe have Bedesh on your side.” Ace winked at the couple, taking a long minute to close the small curtains that hung over the windows on the side.
"What are you doing?" the man demanded.
"What a good question." Shelby deadpanned, looking from Ace to the couple. She couldn't read his thoughts but she guessed that he'd be saying something along the lines of ‘what now?’
The truth was Ace hadn’t entirely thought it through. Perhaps this had been a little bit impulsive…
This is where you thrive, Ramdon reminded her. Which made all the other gods frown. Ace wasn’t ever sure how she knew they were frowning but she always did.
He was right.
Ace did the only thing that she could think of. She twisted in her seat throwing her fist out in front of her following through with the movement as her knuckle collided with the woman's head. Her face snapped to the side, her eyes wide with shock before closing and her body fell limp into the seat.
“Oh my God! Is she dead?" the man shouted but it was already too late. Ace’s hand was already flying towards him too. He moved, anticipating the blow, and grabbed her hand. Her hand ached as his fingers dug into her skin. She tried to yank her hand free but that only made his grip tighten.
“I'm calling for the—”
“No you're not." Shelby ground out before Ace watched his fist connect with the man's nose. There was a crack as the man’s head thrust upward. Blood trickled out of his nostrils and dripped into his open mouth. It wasn’t perfect but the hit had done what it needed to.
"Now what are we gonna do with their bodies?"
"Well, they're not dead!” Ace said. “We just need to strip them out of their clothes and…” She felt underneath them on the lip of their seat. “Move." She shooed Shelby to the other side of the carriage.
He sat delicately on the seat next to the woman, looking at her uneasily. He put a finger under her nose to feel for her breath. When he was satisfied that she was indeed breathing, he pulled his hand away.
Under the bench, there was a small latch that Ace flipped open before she lifted the seat up to reveal the empty space underneath. "I knew some of these fancy carriages had storage under the seat for when they go shopping!” She cocked her head examining the small space, then looked back at the couple. "Do you think both will fit in here?"
The carriage rocked a little bit as they rolled forward inching closer toward the castle. "Do we have any other choice?"
Ace shook her head and set the lid down moving over towards the girl. "They're not gonna be out for long so we need to undress them quickly and shove them into the compartment."
She tipped the woman forward and her face fell into Ace’s chest. The brim of the small green hat the girl had been wearing started to bend between them. She tugged at the ribbon tied around her neck, took the hat off, and set it on her head as she began undoing the laces of the girl’s dress. She looked up at Shelby who was watching her in silence.
"Hurry up!"
“I hate this. I hate all of this," he muttered still sitting there.
"Yeah, you've said that a few times. If you had a better plan then you should've probably suggested it by now. Instead, we're just making it up as we go."
“Maybe we shouldn't have come to this event at all," he said under his breath.
Ace mocked him under her breath but stopped the moment the laces came completely undone and she began pulling the woman's arms out of the gown like she was a giant doll. The woman had bloomers on under the dress so Ace felt pretty comfortable knowing that she wasn't going to be completely naked. And she’d leave her clothes behind in case she needed them.
How kind of you, Greshta mumbled. She was in a particularly sour mood today considering Ace was doing what they wanted…mostly.
Ace grunted. Lifting the woman off her seat, she pushed the gown off her legs and when she had her feet successfully out of the dress she hoisted the woman up and tried her best to carefully set her in the storage bin. Ace was breathing hard and her muscles were fatiguing as she worked to hold her own.
By the time the woman was in the bin and she turned back to look at Shelby he’d almost completely gotten the suit pieces off of the man. The carriage stopped. Ace peeked out the closed curtains to the street side. They were so close to the gates; they would have to really hurry now.
“Go, move faster,” she warned, as she began peeling off her clothes and chucking them at the woman without a care as to what Shelby might or might not see. She shoved her legs into the dress, shimmying it up her hips, and pushing her arms through.
The carriage rocked as Shelby dropped the large male body into the storage bin. The lid remained cracked as Shelby tried to close the man inside.
"Get dressed.” Ace commanded. The carriage was rolling again, nearer and nearer to the waiting guards. The waiting warlocks.
Either this was Ace’s best idea or the stupidest thing she'd ever done. She spared a glance as she tried to maneuver the couple so the bin would close. They looked peaceful now. Expressions of the shock gave way to something more lax. Ace pushed the lid back down, even though it tried to pop it open again, she sat on it forcing it to close and shoved the lock through.
She looked up. Fabric stretched across Shelby’s broad shoulders as he shrugged into the jacket. He looked nothing short of regal, pulling off the suit far better than Ace had expected. Well, maybe she’d spoken too soon. When she looked at them a little bit harder, she realized the arms of the sleeves were a tad bit short as was the length of the jacket and pants.
He held his hands out, palms up. "This does not fit well."
"Well, unless you would like to do a little spell there's nothing we can do about it,” Ace said pleasantly.
He lowered to the seat, brows pinching at the sound of paper crinkling. He opened the jacket pulling out a cream-colored envelope with a bright red wax seal. He gave Ace a half smile.
“Told you so.” She wrinkled her nose.
There were voices outside now and Ace hadn’t even gotten the back of the dress laced up before she threw herself in the seat next to Shelby, adjusted her hat, and heard the tapping guard at the window.
“Invitation?" the guard said.
Shelby held the invitation in one hand using the other to move the curtains back from the window and crank the handle down. He jutted the letter through the window trying his best to stay back in his seat and therefore somewhat hidden from the guard’s line of sight. The guard looked over the invitation, touching the wax seal briefly.
