“Busy?”
Queen Trina stood in the doorway, a sly smile on her face. She reminded me of a viper, snaking through long grass, poised for a moment of stillness before darting forward to claim its prey.
I lowered myself deeper into the black tar, letting its thickness pull at my shoulder blades, slowly starting to snake up around my neck like some living thing. She couldn’t touch me while I was so close to our master.
“Be careful not to submerge yourself, Jenus. It’s hungry.”
She smirked, coming to seat herself on the edge of the pool. She dipped her long nails into the liquid, her pupils dilating as the waters called to her.
“What do you want?” I asked sharply. I was in no mood for her games today—or her interruptions.
“I had a vision last night,” she announced.
Now she had my attention. The visions were the way our master communicated with Queen Trina, and she had been anxiously waiting for another one since the night before the earthquake.
“Well?”
“The plan to use the unexpected visitors our master sensed at the mouth of the portal has failed – the boy’s stone did little use. Someone on the other side of the portal interfered, keeping it closed.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we go back to the original plan. Nevertide’s purest energy needs to be collected, and then drained to generate enough power to reopen the portal.”
“And you’ve seen this?” I asked.
“I’ve seen it.” Queen Trina’s eyes flashed at the suggestion I might doubt her. I returned her glare, not willing to back down, not anymore—not since the master had started to communicate with me, too.
“He wishes you to perform this task.” She smiled. “It is what I saw, and so is what shall be.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then you will not have proved your worth—to him, or to me.”
I remained silent, contemplating my response. Sometimes I doubted whether these ‘visions’ Queen Trina received were accurately communicated to me, they differed so greatly to the ones that I had been receiving. The dark dreams that came to me in the middle of the night were only glimpses of images—faces of strangers contorted in pain and misery, screams so loud they would wake me, thinking that there was either human or animal at the end of my bed in unimaginable pain. I also saw death; I saw the bodies of the sentries crushed beneath the arch at Hellswan, souls trapped in stones, frozen in their horror for eternity, children bleeding, their crimson blood falling on an ocean.
When Queen Trina told me of her visions, she spoke of a benevolent spirit whispering to her, weaving tales of things which were to come and things which had passed.
Did the entity favor her above me?
Perhaps that was why her visions were of love and guidance, and mine were nightmares—dark, unforgettable nightmares.
“I will do it, gladly,” I replied.
She smiled at me, and this time it was almost genuine.
“I am pleased to hear it. We shall make an Acolyte out of you yet, Jenus.”
“I want assistance,” I interjected hastily before she could leave. I was suddenly wary that this could be a ploy of hers to be rid of me. “I will need a distraction, and time to formulate a plan.”
“And you shall have them,” she replied, “as much as you like. We will not abandon you, not while you faithfully follow the cause.”
I nodded, only half reassured. She wasn’t to be trusted, and until the task was completed, I wouldn’t know for sure whether or not her promise was a genuine one. She knew I didn’t trust her either—the smirk she gave me as she rose from the side of the pool made me grit my teeth.
She was a malicious, calculating monster.
I watched her retreating figure as she sauntered out the door, shutting it behind her.
I settled back into the black tar, waiting to hear the soft, soothing whispers of the voices once again. I didn’t have to wait long.
Lord…King…Master…
We are waiting for you…
The world, and all other worlds are waiting for you…
Ash
We clambered down to join Julian, Ruby and Hazel back on the ground. When they reached us, their faces were downcast.
“There’s nothing in it,” Julian panted as he stumbled toward us, the book held out for me to take.
“It’s for the emperor’s eyes only,” corrected one of the ministers, “of course you wouldn’t be able to see it.”
I took the book from Julian’s hands. As soon as my fingers touched the cold, gold metal of the cover, the book started to hum with energy. A white light burnt brilliantly across it. I turned my face to shield my eyes from the glare for a moment, and when I turned back, the book had changed.