Page 46 of Queen of Stars and Shadows

I wrap my arms around her, and she nestles back into my chest. Nothing has ever felt more right in the world.

“Hold on,” she says, and Astherius launches skyward with awhooshof her leathery wings.

I have flown myself, but not like this. The powerful force with which we cut through the night sky takes my breath away. We’re so high it seems we’re skimming the stars, the air cold as death. I still don’t have a shirt, and it would be unbearable except for Sarielle’s warm body against mine, and the heat coming off the massive creature beneath us.

Below us, the mountains look like the waves of an endless ocean, each capped with snow like diamond dust. I’m filled with a sensation of incredible peace, a perfect moment I wish I could freeze. A moment without the risk of death hanging over my head, a moment without crazed, power hungry traitors or demons or stolen thrones.

But then I hear the sharp exhale from Sarielle’s lips and the moment is shattered.

I look down to see a massive gash in the mountains below us, as if the earth had been split apart by giant claws. Smoke rises out of it. Countless times I’ve traversed the Forever Mountains,and this chasm has definitely never been there before. It stretches for miles, cutting like a jagged scar across the land.

“The earthquakes,” Sarielle says over the wind. “They must have gotten worse.”

Astherius cuts north, presumably at some unspoken command by Sarielle, and we head out over the plains and forests beyond the mountains. As we fly, we see more evidence of destruction. More deep chasms that seem to cut to the core of the realm, towns and cities razed to the ground.

Eventually, we cut back south before reaching the ocean, which I can see far in the distance. We fly back over the Forever Mountains again, and then I see Selaye in the distance, and the Court of Nightmares sitting above it. Astherius circles the valley once, and even from high above I can see that half the buildings are demolished, lying in piles of crumbled stone. It’s also swarming with warriors from House Septarus, no doubt left by Avonia to guard the place while she pursued Sarielle across two realms.

I’m about to ask Sarielle what our plan is when Astherius dives from the sky. She swoops in above the palace of white marble, landing on the highest tower with a tremendousboom. A sky-shattering roar blasts from her jaws. The city below us erupts into chaos. Soldiers dash back and forth, several teams of archers in the courtyard below turning and aiming for Astherius.

“Take us down,” Sarielle commands.

Astherius dives from her perch atop the tower and plummets toward the courtyard, pulling up at the last moment. The earth shakes beneath us and the stone tiles crack outward like spider webs. Astherius flaps her wings and a huge wave of shadows moves across the space, knocking warriors over where they stand, sending the archers tumbling off their posts along the palace walls.

Sarielle rises into a half-crouch on Astherius’ neck. Her voice carries across the courtyard for all to hear.

“I am Sarielle Otreyas, rightful Queen of Nightmares! Bow before me now and I will show you mercy. Selaye ismine. Any who stand in my way will know pain tonight!”

There is a moment of silence, followed by the cacophony of weapons collectively clattering to the ground.

Sarielle continues. “Warriors of House Septarus! Release any prisoners from the dungeon and place yourselves in the cells there. Anyone found outside a cell in a quarter hours’ time will become a meal for Astherius.”

To punctuate the statement, Astherius sends another wave of dark magic across the courtyard. The warriors begin to rush madly for the gate on the left side of the courtyard, which leads to the prison. Within a few minutes, a few dozen dirty and starved looking warriors emerge from the dungeon, and no one wearing the house sigil of the Septarus can be seen. Sarielle and I climb down from the nightmare’s back and go to check the cells, ensuring our enemies are secure.

“I thought you never showed mercy?” I ask Sarielle as we walk back out of the prison ward.

She snorts. “I also told you I was finding balance with my darkness.”

We return to the courtyard, where the warriors we’d just released are waiting, staring nervously at Astherius. We greet them, and several servants exit the palace to help with getting everyone fed and properly clothed. Including us, since I am without a tunic and Sarielle is without pants. Within a short time, we’re fully dressed, and the warriors are sitting down to a meal.

Giving them a chance to enjoy their freedom, we turn toward the palace. It’s been years since I’ve seen this place, or at least, since I can last remember seeing this place. The palace andthe throne that should have been mine, if I hadn’t forsaken my inheritance and become a guardian. Shame fills me as I look up at it, the reminder of what I gave up because of the darkness living within me. But also hope. Because Sarielle is shining light on things I never considered before. A way to be at ease and balance with my inner nightmare. A path to possible peace in Valaron between fae and nightmare, an end to the struggles of more than two thousand years.

Sarielle pauses and looks back out over the courtyard. A frown tugs at her lips, her expression grim. “Taking back Selaye from a few dozen soldiers was the easy part. Avonia is going to catch wind of this soon, and then she will come for us. The battle hasn’t even begun.”

“We’ll be ready when it does,” I reply, taking her hand and squeezing her fingers in mine.

She nods and we stride for the steps leading into the palace. When we reach the base of them, I see a figure standing at the top. He’s wearing robes, and has long, straight hair several shades darker than flame.

“Xinius!” Sarielle calls, her tone carrying surprise.

We reach the top of the steps and the sorcerer bows to us. “Queen of Nightmares. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Part Three

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sarielle

Xinius gestures towardthe doors of the palace. “We have much to discuss and very little time. Follow me.”

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