Shadow Queen (7 page)

“
All?
” Astrid looked up to see several
smudged and murky faces poking around from behind the weathered
stone. They emerged one by one, each with a small beautiful flower
in their hand. They scurried to where she sat and placed the blooms
gently at her feet. Astrid stared wide-eyed at the scene.
I’ve
surely lost my mind
.

The little girl looked up at Astrid, her soft
brown eyes wet with tears. Astrid could feel her throat tighten. So
much had happened, to them both. Both had cheated death and now
both were seeking how to carry on with life.

A quaking rumble of thunder sent the children
scattering into the growing darkness. Astrid glanced up at the sky
toward the desert. A bruised storm cloud gathered in the distance.
Lightening danced around its edges, lighting up the blackening sky.
Biting wind scattered the precious blossoms into the shadows of the
city.

The girl lingered, clinging to Astrid.

“We need to go!” Her brother clutched at her
and heaved her up. He gave Astrid a quick nod and disappeared into
the night.

Astrid looked down at her crumpled flower.
She tucked it carefully inside the fold of her jacket and turned
her gaze toward the approaching storm.

The wicked clouds made her long for the
safety of home. Ilsie would be worried out of her mind by now.
Having no children of her own, Astrid and Ethen was all she had. It
was a fact that Ilsie never let them forget.

The wind howled at her back as she hurried
through the abandoned city streets. Windows were lashed shut and
the doors were bolted. Limra had survived many storms from the sea,
but all could feel that the approaching wrath was different,
darker. The taint settled in the bones with the ache of a cold,
hopeless fate.

Astrid could feel it with each step. Evil was
coming—it hovered overhead and hung heavy in the air. It was
coming, and she couldn’t help but feel it was coming for her.

“He’s lucky we got here when we did,” said
Luka as he washed his agile hands in a large jeweled basin. He
looked up when Fryx didn’t answer. “He’s not going to die. Not
anytime soon. He just needs rest.”

Fryx nodded as he ran his fingers through his
rumpled beard. “Yes, of course. I apologize. I’m not myself at all.
My poor Alistair… he’ll be furious about his leg.”

Luka dried his hands and tossed the towel
over the basin’s side. “It was either his leg or his life. The rot
had set in so deep he’s lucky I was able to do anything at all. I’m
afraid Fae flesh doesn’t heal the same as a dwarve or an elf.”

Fryx sighed and shook his head. “Yes, I
suppose so,” he said, his voice weary. “I am indebted to you.
Anything you wish, name it and it will be yours.”

Luka smiled at the ragged dwarve. “A hot meal
would be nice, and maybe a soft bed…”

The sea dwarve’s mouth hung agape. “You do
realize that you could be rich! You would never want for anything
again. Surely there’s something you desire!”

Luka stretched his arms out in a great yawn
and folded his wings behind his back. “I’ve been cooped up in a
cave for the past twelve years, eating whatever beast happened to
scurry near enough to capture. I desire no more than a full belly
and a good night’s sleep. I have no use for gold or jewels. They
cannot buy what I truly desire.”

“And what is that?” Fryx’s sapphire blue eyes
glinted in the flickering candle light.

“To be left alone,” said Luka, turning his
gaze away from his eager host. “I mean no offense to you, but I
have had my fill of this world.”

“I understand greater than you know,” said
Fryx as he led him to the door. “The world is full of cruelty and
wickedness. I assure you, though, you will find none here. I’d like
you to think of this as a place of safety. You’re welcome here as
long as you wish to stay.”

Luka followed Fryx out into the hall. The
dwarve whispered an order to a nearby goblin. The goblin nodded and
bustled into Alistair’s room. Quibell emerged from an adjoining
hall, taking the place of the previous goblin, and bobbed a small
bow before Fryx.

“My lord, I—”

“—
Later
, Quibell. Please show our
guest to his room and fetch him something hot to eat,” said Fryx,
dismissing the goblin with a wave of his ring-clad hand.

“But my lord, there’s—” A loud crash of
thunder tore through Quibell’s words, sending the goblin’s knees
knocking together with fear.

Ethen skidded into the hall, his face pale as
sea foam. A small trickle of red crept down the side of his brow.
“The storm’s getting worse and Astrid’s been gone far too long,” he
said between heaving breaths. “I just got back from my village and
no one has seen her there. The wind nearly tore me apart! My damn
glider got smashed into the rocks…”

Luka hissed a curse under his breath. “Why
would she leave? She should have known better! She’s still weak. If
she’s caught out there, she’s as good as dead.” He unfurled his
wings in a furious shake and headed toward the villa’s
entrance.

“Wait!” Ethen dashed after him, followed by
Fryx and Quibell. “You’ll be swept out to sea if you try flying in
that! Trust me—the wind’s only got death on its mind.”

Luka’s brow darkened as he weighed Ethen’s
words. The howling storm echoed throughout the silenced villa as he
contemplated his fate.

“How do you know she’s even out there? She
could just as well be safely stowed away in Limra,” said Fryx,
laying a comforting hand on Ethen’s quivering shoulder. Ethen
jerked away and towered over the sea dwarve.

“Astrid would never seek shelter in a strange
place, not if it could be helped. She would have headed for home.
Or at least here…” Ethen’s voice dwindled, his energy spent. He
kicked at a low silken sofa before crashing down into it, his head
buried in his hands. After a pause, he turned his gaze upward
toward Luka. “You’re the only one strong enough to find her.
Please… help me.”

I should have never left my cave
, Luka
thought as his eyes scanned the walls of the villa for something
useful.
Ah, that’ll do.
He reached for a vast jeweled shield
and ripped it from its fixture on the wall. He winced at the sound
of Fryx gasping. “Sorry about that,” said Luka, his eyes low. He
hefted the shield onto his forearm and tested its weight. It was
sturdy and surely would withstand any debris the storm would toss
his way.

Luka charged out the villa’s doorway before
another word was uttered.

***

Fatigue had driven Astrid into the ground,
too weak to stand. She couldn’t remember ever feeling such strain
to take a step, let alone walk. The wind roared overhead as she
buried her face in her arms. Rain pelted her from above. Flashes of
lightning lit up the flesh of her closed eyes. Thunder shook the
world around her with a fury she had never imagined possible.

Astrid lay bowed down against the storm, the
rain beating her further into a muddy grave.
No
, she
thought, snaking a shaky arm out before her,
I’ll not die like
this. I’ve cheated Death before, I’ll do it again.

She spat the dusty rain water from her gaping
mouth and started to crawl her way to safety. One labored claw
after another, she pulled herself across the storm-ravaged earth.
Her breaths were ragged and came in great gasps. She feared
stopping, knowing that she would not have to strength to keep
moving.

Lighting flashed about her with blast of
white light. A face from a distant past flooded her vision— an elf
with troubled blue eyes and wild blond hair. His stare jarred her,
chilling her heart with fear. The lightening gave a second flash,
revealing a much more familiar face. Luka blinked at her through
the rain, his phoenix face easing into a smile.

Astrid could feel her body relax from its
state of panic. “It’s about damn time you showed up,” she said,
latching onto his outstretched hand. “I was beginning to think you
finally got tired of rescuing me.”

He laughed, plucking her from the mud. “I
figured I may have to have the favor returned someday. It’s helpful
if the indebted individual is
alive
, though.”

Luka sheltered Astrid beneath a large golden
shield. She watched as the heavy droplets fell helpless of its
jeweled surface. “That’s a nice shield. Did you rob a tomb on the
way here?”

Luka smirked as he cast Astrid an irritated
gaze. “Perhaps I would have if I had the time. Unfortunately, I was
preoccupied looking for your sorry self. I’ve been out here at
least an hour, if not more. I’ll be lucky if my feathers ever dry
out.”

Astrid’s pale face tugged at a smile. “You
sound like a sorry old hen.” She could feel her strength returning
with each step. She didn’t know if it was his presence alone or
some kind of effect of his powers. Astrid felt herself drawn to his
warmth. She laid her head against his chest, feeling safe for the
first time in a long time.

Astrid looked up into his eyes. They were
deep blue and filled with a dark sadness. The words left her mouth
without a thought. “
What happened to you?”

Gusts of wind swirled around them while
thunder continued its chorus of quaking rumbles. Luka stood still,
staring back into Astrid’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but
the words refused to budge. A bolt of lightning pounded into ground
near them, sending them crashing back into the mud.

“We have to go! It isn’t safe here—” Luka was
cut off by another fist of blazing lightning crashing into the
nearby earth. He cast away the shield, grabbed Astrid and cradled
her in his massive arms. The motion knocked the breath from her
lungs and sent her head spinning. Luka broke into a run, pommeling
over slick rocks and through violent rivers of mud. Crashes of
lightning chased behind him, biting at his ankles.

Luka slid into Fryx’s villa, spilling out
onto the polished sandstone floor. Astrid toppled out his arms only
to be swept up by Ethen.

“Astrid! Are you okay? I went out to look for
you but—”

“—I’m fine, really,” she said, pulling
herself free. She looked at him. A trickle of blood hung on his
brow and his sea green eyes were frantic. “You’ve looked better.
Have you had that looked at?”

Ethen touched his brow and looked down at the
red on his fingertips. “Oh, that—it’s fine, it’s just a scratch…”
His face blanched at the sight of blood. “I may need to sit
down.”

Astrid eased him onto a silky stool. “Some
warrior you are.”

“At least I haven’t gotten myself killed,” he
said, regretting his words. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that
up.”

“Ethen,” she said, digging through the
pockets of her jacket, “really, it’s fine.” She cast him a look
that read
leave it alone
. “Ah, here it is.” She pulled the
blood weed from an inside pocket and rubbed it into the gash on
Ethen’s head.

“Damn, that
stings
!” Ethen shot her a
dark glare. She could see the hidden smile teasing his lips.
“
Some healer you are.”

Luka placed a hand on her shoulder. “Astrid…
Fryx wishes to speak to you.” Quibell stood at his side, his
normally smug blue face somber.

Astrid nodded, unsure of what to expect. Had
the Phooka’s death upset him? Did Alistair not make it—
surely
Luka was able to heal him
. She swallowed hard and followed the
stern-faced goblin down a darkened side hall. He led her to a drift
wood door. It was a smaller version of the one at the entrance of
the villa. Quibell stroked the outside with his spindly-fingered
hand. The drift wood snaked apart and opened.

“This way,
idiot
,” Quibell said, his
voice harsh. Astrid rested her hands on her blades, weary of what
lay on the other side of the doorway.

“Please,” she said, “
ugliness before
stupidity
.”

The goblin grunted and shot into the shadowy
room. “I’ve brought the girl, my Lord.”

“Yes, of course,” said Fryx. He sat with his
short legs kicked up at a dark wooden desk. A wide candle burned
deep inside cream-colored wax on the desk, casting long shadows on
the wall. A familiar goblin sat beside the desk, his eyes squinted
into an icy glare. “Come in, Astrid. Have a seat. We have much to
discuss.”

Astrid slipped onto a nearby stool, her hands
never leaving her blades.

“Lyell here has come on behalf of the
governor of Limra requesting our assistance,” said Fryx, stroking
his beard. “The storm outside seems to have something sinister
controlling it. This presence has asked for an ambassador from
Limra to discuss conditions of
surrender
.”

“That’s where you two come in,” said Lyell,
his shriveled mouth twisting into a grin.

Fryx rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yes, I’m
afraid we have no choice in the matter.”

“No choice?” Astrid shot up from her seat,
sending it skittering across the cool sandstone. “This is really
none of my business. I’m no diplomat. And I’m certainly no
pawn.”

Fryx raised his gaze to meet Astrid’s. “I’m
not giving you a choice. From what I hear, you’re in my debt. Or do
you care to
pay
for the loss of my Phooka,” he said, wrath
edging into his voice. “No? The decision has been made. Luka has
agreed to accompany us—”

“—he what? That steaming pile of troll—”

“—I suggest you prepare for our departure in
the morning,” Fryx said, cutting off Astrid’s tirade. “I have
appropriate clothes and weapons waiting for you. Quibell will show
you to your room.” The dwarve snapped his stubby fingers. Astrid
found herself being swept away from the room by a snickering
goblin.

“
Idiot girl
,” he said, dragging her
down the hall. He threw open a door and shoved her inside into a
group of bickering goblinesses.