Meanmna: Book One of the Daearen Realms (20 page)

I sat at the front of the passenger car for most of the trip, everything happening around me in a blur. I had a physical pain in my chest. My tears wouldn’t stop flowing and I did nothing to try to stop them. The guards occasionally tried to get my attention by making rude remarks, but I just stared out the window and wouldn’t respond to anyone. I had given up.

“Princess
, would you like to see your castle? You’ll be able to see it soon,” Ray said from behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Come with me. I’ll show you.” I refused to respond or move a muscle at his command.

“You’re so mopey.
Get over it already. Today is your bonding day. Look! You’re even wearing white, like in a traditional human wedding. How sweet and sentimental. You’re a mess, get up.” Ray tightened his grip on my shoulder, but I just continued to stare out the window. “Fine, Princess, I don’t need your cooperation to get what I want.” He must have lifted and twisted his wand, because I rose above my seat and was turned to face him. I hung like dead weight when he magically dragged me across the train car to a window on the opposite side. “Take a look, Princess. This will all be ours.” Ray pointed out the window.

I squeeze
d my eyes shut and said, “No!”

“Open your eyes
, Sarette.” I kept them shut. “You are acting like a child.” Ray’s voice was getting terse. “I. Said. Open. Your. Eyes.
Now
.”

“
No. Elwin wanted to see my face the first time I saw Meanmna. I am not opening my eyes for anyone but him!”

“Elwin is as good as dead
, Sarette,” Ray said with contempt in his voice.

“Well, he is
not
dead yet, I am
not
opening my eyes, but, you
can
take a long walk off a short pier, asshole!”
Ray spun me around so I was facing him. My eyes were still shut, it may have been childish but it really ticked Ray off, so I kept it up.

“Have it your way
, Princess. I will quite enjoy teaching you your place.” Ray slapped me so hard that my suspended body flew into the window, cracking the glass. When I felt something drip down the right side of my face, I opened my eyes. There was blood on the cracked window and from the gash on my cheek onto my white cape. “Go clean yourself up. It’s our wedding day and you look a mess.” Ray walked over and opened a door, then pointed his wand at me. He used it to magically drag me into the bathroom. He slammed the door and locked it from the outside.

“When you are ready to be more pleasant
, I will let you out. If you are not ready when we get to Meanmna, I will have no problem dragging you—in whatever state you are in—to meet your family. They will give me whatever I want in order to save your life.”

“
You will never really get what you want.
Tessa doesn’t love you and never will,” I screamed at the shut door. Ray punched it.

I look
ed around the small windowless bathroom. It had a toilet, sink, mirror and a stool. I should have watched more
MacGyver
episodes; he would have been able to make a bomb out of this stuff. I walked to the mirror.
What the hell!
It was the first time I saw that thing around my neck. It was a two-inch silver metal strip etched with Celtic knot pattern. It went around my neck and rose from the back two feet up.
That asshole put a dog collar on me! Are you freaking kidding me?
I washed the blood off my face, staring at my collar as I did so. The more I looked at it, the angrier I became.

The
re had to be a way to get it off. Ray had said that any magic I did would come back to me. He was so caught up with his personal issues I doubted the contraption was foolproof. I took off my cape and looked at what else I had on me. Ray’s guards had removed my weapons belt, spirit dagger and wand. But they left my necklace. Elwin did say he wanted to teach me tricks with it. We ended up making out that night, instead of learning what else my necklace and pendant could do. I looked closer and saw that my necklace chain had very similar knot work to the band around my neck. I picked up the pendant and rubbed my thumb across its surface.

“W
hat the hell am I going to do?” I said out loud to no one and felt a slight buzz under my thumb. The knot work that circled the crystals began to glow and the glow spread up the length of the chain. I picked up the chain and touched my “dog collar” with it. I heard a hiss and there was a small area that had melted and burned where I had touched it. I twisted the dog collar around, bringing the part that was joined was in front. I took a deep breath and pressed the chain to the collar. The entire collar heated up, my skin underneath where the two pieces met was literary burning. I clenched my teeth and pushed the chain harder into the choker. There was a click and the collar disengaged. I couldn’t believe that actually worked. I checked the damage in the mirror. My neck was really red and some ugly nasty blisters were forming where the collar was broken. But I was free of my restraint!

I hated to do it
, but I needed to get the collar back on so Ray would not notice. I ripped a small piece of lining out of my cape, folded it, and I put it over the blisters. It hurt so bad that I had to bite my other hand so I wouldn’t scream. I looked at the leash and thought,
Do whatever Ray says to do, except hurt me.
The collar lifted out of my hands, wrapped itself around my neck, and stretched up behind me.
Shoot! I should have asked for it to bounce Ray’s spells back to him.

I needed to get word to Meanmna about what was happening, but I had never met anyone from there in person—only my grandmother, and it wasn’t really her
, just a projection of her five-year-old self. I wondered if that would be enough to establish a connection with her. It was worth a shot.

Grandma Paige, queen of the
Spirit Fey, please tell me you can hear me.

Sarette
? Sweetheart, is that you?

Yes G
randma, um, I don’t want to be rude or anything, but there’s no time to chat. Listen, Ray Jones of the Water Fey is a bad guy. He probably had all of your guards on the sky train killed; he showed up with his own followers on it. They hurt Elwin and left him to die. They kidnapped me and I’m on the sky train to you now. Ray thinks that I’m under his control and I’m going to let him continue to think that until I come up with a better plan. You have to send help for Elwin. Will of the Earth Fey was supposed to arrive at the base when we did, but I didn’t see him. You have to do something. Elwin is my chosen mate. Please, save him.

Are you hurt?
Grandma asked.

Don’t worry about me
. I’ve got this. You have to help
Elwin.

I will send help and
prepare for your arrival. I know you can handle this situation. I’m so proud of you and love you so much.
My grandma ended our connection before I could tell her I loved her too.

“Knock, knock
, Princess!” Ray shouted through the door, “We will be arriving at
our
castle in the next couple of minutes.” He unlocked the door.

“Just a minute!”

“I’m dragging you out in thirty seconds!” He yelled, but he didn’t open the door.

I put my cape back on, adjusted my
collar in the mirror, and walked out.

“My queen,” Ray said with an elaborate bow
. I stopped just outside of the bathroom and glared at him at the other end of the car. Ray gave me a diabolical smile; he looked overly confident and smug. It took every bit of restraint I had to not wipe that dastardly smile from his face.

“I am not your queen.
”

Ray pointed his wand at me.
Please God and Goddess, let my spell work
. Ray moved his wand up, my collar followed his command and I was lifted several inches off the ground. Ray moved me through the train car to him. The sudden pressure on my blisters made me grimace and brought tears to my eyes. Ray’s smile grew even larger when he saw my tears.

“Now, now, my queen, don’t cry. It’ll all be over soon.” Ray grabbed my cape and pulled me to him. I grunted in surprise
and nearly gagged when he thrust his tongue into my mouth. I bit down on it so hard it I drew blood.

“
Bitch
!” screamed Ray. He slapped me across the face. My body jerked and the collar dug into my blisters, bringing another set of tears streaming down my face. Ray spit blood on the floor and looked at me. My eyes were already unfocused from the slap, and I could see the black, smoky aura around his body. There was an overwhelming feeling of evil emanating from it.

Ray began straightening my hair and clothes. “First impression
s are the most important, my dear.”

“You
’re certifiably crazy.”

Ray yanked me closer to him.
“I am
so
going to enjoy breaking you.” He stared at me. His blue irises now had a black ring around them. His aura touching me felt like a million no-see-ums biting me at once. I was filled with such a sense of dread that I started gasping for breath. Ray was pure evil and if he succeeded, I would wish I was dead.

“Oh
, Goddess,” I choked out of pure fear. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths to stave off the eminent panic attack. The train stopped. I took one more calming breath and opened my eyes.

Ray smiled
. “All better? I am certainly ready to meet the in-laws. Are you ready to meet the family for the first time?” He opened the door, walked out, down the steps, and out of sight.

I heard a powerful male voice.
“Ray? Where is my daughter? Where are Elwin and the royal guard?”

“All indisposed at the moment
, I’m afraid,” Ray responded.

“Where is Sarette, Ray?”
It was my grandmother’s voice.

“I guess you
would
be anxious to see her, wouldn’t you?”

“Why are you here
, Ray?” The male had to be my father. Who else would it be?

“I suppose you’ve waited long enough
for the long lost heir.” Ray walked into my field of vision and said, “Come, pet!” Ray moved his wand and I floated out the door and down the stairs. “King Roland and Queen Paige, I would like you to meet your daughter, granddaughter, and my future mate, Sarette.” I was turned to face them and saw my family for the first time. I couldn’t believe how much my features resembled my dad’s. We had the same hair color, same nose, same mouth and chin. He was dressed like Elwin always did: cammo utility pants, black tee shirt, boots, and a weapon belt around his hips. He looked more warrior-like than regal and as soon as he saw me, he took his sword out of his belt and glared at Ray. “What have you done to my daughter?”

Ray
adjusted my clothes and touched my face. “Perhaps if you hadn’t abandoned Sarette to the humans, she would be more gentile and lady-like. As she is right now though, she needs to be trained into her place. No worries, Roland, I will take great pleasure in breaking her.” Ray grabbed me by the chin and yanked me into a hard kiss. I was pushing and hitting him until he grabbed me by my hair and yanked my head back. “Paige, I think it’s time to bond us, don’t you?”

“I think it’s time for you to let my granddaughter go, don’t you?” My grandma raised her wand and pointed it at Ray. She was stunning
; five-foot-nine and slender, with strawberry-blond hair streaked with white and high cheekbones. Her hazel eyes were wide with shock and looked like they were glowing. She had the same silver band across her forehead—I guess it was a crown—and the same wand that I saw her with at Vision’s, crystal clear with an amethyst spirit crystal at the end. She was dressed in a floor-length royal blue dress.

Ray let go of my hair and pointed his wand at my father. “I will be king, one way or another
,” he said to Paige. “You can mate your granddaughter and me and
then
we will ascend the throne.
Or,
I kill the king
and
you, take the throne, and still keep Sarette as my pet. Your choice. Tick, tock.” Ray looked away from my grandmother for a moment and she caught my eye.

Sarette, it’s time for you to become queen.

What? Wait!
Without thinking, I moved my hand in a “stop” motion.
Unfortunately, that was the moment Ray looked back to me and noticed that my grandmother and I were communicating with one another. “You stupid bitch! Tighten!” Ray flicked his wand at me. I felt nothing, but he started clawing at his throat, like something had tightened around it. His eyes were bulging from the lack of oxygen. Ray pointed his wand at me again and croaked out, “Release.”

A black light flashed from the end
of his wand and my collar and I clattered to the ground. With my bounce-back spell, Ray’s invisible collar released him too. He pointed his wand at my grandmother and a giant black plume of smoke came out of the end. It hit my grandmother and she went flying some twenty feet and landed in a heap. I got up and ran toward her. Ray ran in the opposite direction, with my father in close pursuit.
I reached my grandma and rolled her over; she was knocked out. I sat down and put her head in my lap.

“Grandma, I’m not ready to be queen
,” I whispered as I shook her gently, trying to wake her. Just then, a bright flash of black light filled the courtyard and when it faded the courtyard was filled with fey. I checked everyone’s aura and they all were black and smoky. “Oh crap,” I muttered and looked down.

My grandmother’s eyes
were open and she had a slight smile. “Help me sit,” she said. She looked at me and touched the side of my face with her free hand. Then she put her hand down, gave me a toothy grin, and said, “How did you put it? No worries, I’ve got this?” She held out her wand and started speaking under her breath. The spirit crystal at the end began to glow brightly. A purple light burst out of the crystal, spreading in all directions and filling the courtyard and beyond. As the light faded, good and loyal fey appeared. No one moved. All was silent for what seemed like forever, and then all hell broke loose.