Three Steps From Hell, Pt. 4

250 years ago…

And like that I can feel a tangible shift in the room. Murmurs break out amongst the crowd at the demon’s declaration.

“They beat the light elves?”

“This has to be a trick.”

“What does this mean for the Land of Myths?”

“We can go home…” I murmur. The thought is bittersweet. Home isn’t what it used to be. For all I know it could’ve been razed to the ground since the light elves chased us out some two centuries ago. All for the love of mortals, I think with a sneer.

Now, being surrounded by creatures impervious to our bite and unable to procreate by any other means, the light elves made us truly the last of our race. Unless…

I can see my thoughts mirrored in Scark as our gazes meet across the room. I turn back to King Xander, as the murmurs grow louder around us. The King’s face has turned nearly beet red, his nostrils flaring as he glares daggers at Pestis.

“I will not have you disrupt my court, filling their heads with false hope!” he growls, his voice growing in intensity as he stalks down from the dais.

“But Sire, what if it’s true? Perhaps we should hear him out—” Scark tries to get through to him. More voices rise up, many in resounding agreement and others just as cynical as the King. The room heats up as people start shouting over each other, and arguments break out. I bite my lip the tension grows thicker and thicker. 

“SILENCE!!!” Xander’s voice slices through the din. “I will hear no more of this!! The Darkling cannot be trusted, and I will not risk my people for the sake of a hunch. Now get this demon out of my sight!!”

Instead you would sentence us to extinction. What’s a little risk if the rewards are unfathomable? I want to say, but I bite my tongue for my own sake. I have no power here, not yet…

Scark dips his head to the King in seeming submission, but I can see the tension in his body and the hint of defiance in his eyes that says otherwise. He turns and stalks over to Pestis, grabbing him roughly by the arm. I see the demon murmur something to Scark that I can’t quite catch, before he’s dragged out of the throne room…

. . .

Days later, I’m approached by Scark whilst perusing the King’s expansive library. “Can you spare a moment to talk?”

I put the book back onto the shelf, turning my attention to him. “But of course. What do you wish to discuss?”

“Not here.” He glances around the room, before tapping his ears and mouthing, “The walls have ears.” He beckons me to follow him.

He leads me through the winding halls to the war room. “This room is soundproofed. We won’t have to worry about eavesdroppers here.”

I nod my head, as my gaze does a sweep of the room. A large map of the Land of Myths is laid out across the table. Dotted across it are what look like different colored chess pieces. I eye them, curious as to what exactly each piece marked. Sentry positions? Troop movements? Enemy compounds?

I shook my head at myself. Surely, he didn’t bring me here to talk military strategy. The King had not allowed me to be privy to such matters, so why on earth would his second… But if not that, then what? I cock my head, arching a brow at him.

“I saw your face at the court hearing. You don’t agree with the King shutting down the demon’s offer, do you?” My face falls at his words, and I stiffen. Was this an interrogation? Had he ratted me out to the King?! I shove down the fear bubbling up to the surface and steel myself. I raise my chin up and look him dead in the eyes.

“I could say the same for you. You seemed awfully interested in what the Demon had to say,” I retort. He takes my hands in his so suddenly that the move startles me.

“I’m not accusing you of anything, Inferna. In actuality, I agree with you. Wholeheartedly. Xander has no right to keep us from our homeland, from what was rightfully ours.” The pad of his thumb caresses the back of my hands, as his brown eyes search my blue ones. My mouth opens and closes as I try to form words.

“I-I don’t know why you’re telling me this, what you’re expecting of me. There’s nothing that can be done. The King clearly has a huge grudge against the Darkling and is not going to budge on the matter.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong.” His hands leave mine, and a part of me can’t help but miss their warmth. He pulls a small pouch from his belt. Opening it up, he takes out a vial necklace and presents it to me. “Before he left, the Demon said that you are the key to bringing us back to our homeland. Here take this.”

He places the necklace into my hands. I roll it around between my fingers, examining it. The vial itself is opaque, so I can’t see the contents of it. “Open it, carefully,” he urges me. I delicately pull the stopper off and take a peek inside. My breath leaves me in a woosh, and I quickly close it, my gaze snapping back up to him. Silver powder.

“What are you expecting me to do?” I gasp.

He leans in, his breath on my ear sending a shiver down my spine. “I want you to seduce and kill the King.” 

. . .

Read the epilogue Long Live the Queen...