Page 46 of Red Queen

I draw my sword with a swift, ringing sound, the blade catching the moonlight as Alexandru unsheathes his own weapon.

“Stand ready,” I command, though my pulse thrums wildly beneath my skin.

Nadia inches her horse forward, her voice steady as she utters a string of melodic syllables in an ancient tongue. The creature cocks its head, regarding her with an intelligence that belies its bestial appearance.

Nadia turns back to us, her expression composed. “His name is Carwyn. Guardian of the threshold.”

“Ask him about the phoenix,” I say, tightening my grip around the hilt of my sword.

She nods and speaks again to the creature, her question hanging in the expectant air. Carwyn responds in the same arcane language, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through the ground beneath our feet.

With a fluid bow, Carwyn steps aside, his massive form receding into the trees as he clears the path for us.

“He bids us go northward. The phoenix awaits at dawn’s first light,” Nadia says.

“Then it’s northward,” I say, sheathing my sword.

My heart races, not from fear, but from the thrill of the quest. The air’s thick with tensions and I cast a glance at the general who rides beside me, a man whose very presence sets my blood on fire. And I know some of that tension rises from us.

The magic of the Ebonwood Forest wraps around me, a cloak woven from secrets and spells. As we ride deeper, its enchantment seeps into my skin like icy needles, an intrusion I neither welcome nor enjoy. The air thickens more, saturatedwith power that makes the horses skittish and my skin break out in gooseflesh.

I catch brief glimpses of myself in the darkened mirrors of ice that line our path—pale skin almost glowing against the night, hair like spilled blood over shoulders that bear the weight of my lineage. My reflection haunts me, a reminder of what I am, of what I must be—ruthless, unyielding, a sovereign clad in Gothic reds who fears nothing.

Alexandru demands I turn my back on that, become soft, weak, which would invite more enemies in. The system works. I can’t begin to picture the death toll if I’d been that weak leader, entertaining all ideas when Catarina decimated my court.

All I have is strength, the old ways, my father’s teachings. If vampires like the general don’t understand they should be banished. To be in my vicinity should be enough. Perhaps it’s lonely, but I?—

“Something’s not right,” Nadia murmurs, her hand resting on the pommel of her saddle.

I snap back from my cold and heavy thoughts, dark and stained with ancient blood and I suck in the air. “Maybe we should?—”

“Keep our eyes open. We’re not alone,” Alexandru says, low but authoritative.

A sudden rustle sounds to our left, and I sense it before I see it—a presence, massive and malevolent. It emerges from the shadows, a grotesque parody of nature, with twisted limbs and a maw lined with jagged teeth. Its eyes are pits of hopelessness, pulling at my soul, demanding surrender.

Fear is a foreign sensation, one I despise, but it claws up my throat now, threatening to unseat me from the power I wield with such iron control. My steed rears, its terror matching my growing panic.

“Steady, Eleanna.” Ivan’s already off his horse, sword drawn. “General Amanar, with me!”

Both men position themselves between the beast and me and Nadia. Though the claws are deep within, I start to dismount until his voice stops me.

“Stay back, Eleanna,” Alexandru orders, not looking at me, focused wholly on the looming threat.

I hesitate but Nadia takes all the decisions from me as she lurches and clutches my arm, a plea for caution. I nod sharply, unwilling to admit the tightness in my chest, the way my breath comes too fast.

My heart pounds as the two men move fluidly, their swords flashing silver in the dim light. Their feet seem to barely touch the ground as they dodge and parry the beast’s attacks with synchronized movements. Each strike is calculated and swift, their bodies a well-oiled machine. The creature’s claws and teeth are no match for their skill and experience as they slice through the air with savage accuracy.

The monster, with its twisted form, looks almost clumsy in comparison to their lithe movements. But its fury is evident in the wildness of its strikes, with sharp teeth and claws bared as it lunges forward.

“By the blood, we will not fall this night!” Alexandru’s blade finds flesh, and the creature howls in rage and pain.

Together, they are calculated and precise, relentless and unbreakable, a testament to their skill and strength. And I’m the eye, watching, waiting, my power coiled tight within me, ready to strike if they falter.

But they don’t falter. They can’t. Not when so much hangs in the balance. Not when the quest drives us forward, binding us with threads stronger than steel—the potential of victory, of a legacy written in the blood of our enemies.

“Eleanna!” Alexandru pulls me from my thoughts, as the creature stumble, its body yielding to the onslaught of their blades.

“Finish it,” I say, and my command’s like a death knell that seals the creature’s fate.

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