Page 13 of Midnight Kingdom

Baron turns around once he reaches the top of the stairs and comes back down, passing me on his way.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“We should have barricaded the door,” he responds. I glance down the flight of stairs to where Baron stands on the ground floor, facing the door. Then I watch him as he reaches inside the leather sack of potions around his waist and pulls out a vial of something I can’t make out. He simply dumps the vial on the door and whatever was inside it singes the stone floor, creating a wall of fog that surrounds the door.

My heart pounds in my chest as I crest the top of the stairs, Baron, right behind me. Dragan was correct—there isn’t another door at the top of the stairs, just a room. Crimson curtains flutter as the wind blows through an open window. Gilded molding frames the tops and bottoms of the walls, nearly outdone by the beauty of the marble floors.

The smell of lilies and vanilla tickles my nose as I scan the room, taking in its opulence. Standing against the far wall, with the light of the pale moon illuminating her profile, is a beautiful woman. She doesn’t turn to face us right away, but continues gazing out of her window. When she does finally turn toward us, I’m taken aback by her large and expressive eyes.

“The Midnight Queen,” someone says but I don’t know who. I can’t concentrate on anything other than this regal figure before me.

I can’t draw my eyes away from her. Her alabaster skin glistens in the faint light, causing the cascade of dark waves down her back to appear even darker. She smiles at each of the men before her attention falls on me and I feel the weight of her expression crushing me.

It’s her.

It’s the Midnight Queen.

Morrigan.

I feel myself curtseying in her direction as I catch the light that reflects off her jeweled crown. The jewels are of every color of the rainbow and they sparkle from her crown, somehow paling in comparison to her own beauty. I find myself entranced by her.

She stands and walks over to me, ignoring the others. The purple, velvet robes that drape from her shoulders reveal a tall, lean body with the curves of a goddess. In comparison to her otherworldly glory, I feel inadequate in my maid’s outfit.

The Midnight Queen wraps her arms around my shoulders and she smiles broadly, taking me in from head to toe.

“Eilish,” she whispers. Then she just stares at me and smiles as she holds me at arm’s length.

“Morrigan,” I say in a such a small voice, I wonder if she even hears me.

I feel her warmth surround me and I sigh. It takes me another few seconds to realize I haven’t had to fight the Succubus for the last few moments. It’s as though she’s as much in awe by this vision of a woman as I am.

“I am so pleased to finally meet you, Eilish.”

***

DRAGAN

The Castle in the Sky

It’s been a long time since I’ve laid eyes on the Midnight Queen.

Years.

Decades.

I’ve lost count.

But, now, as I look at her… I’m not sure how I feel or how I should feel.

She appears... well cared for despite her status as a prisoner in Variant’s palace. I’m surprised by this and also not surprised. Even if she is Variant’s prisoner, he’s treated her with the respect she deserves.

I come to stand beside Eilish, and that’s when Morrigan turns her gaze on me. She just stands there for a few moments as she takes me in and I return the expression. Then without any warning, she pulls me into an awkward embrace. Tears sparkle in her eyes and I feel a bitter sense of rebellion in my gut.

I’m not happy to see her and I don’t share the same joy she does.

I can’t explain why.

But, as the seconds tick by, I begin to take more notice of the prison surrounding us. The tower is nothing like the hole in the ground where we found ourselves. In fact, the Midnight Queen has a perfect view of the gardens below her. There appears to be nothing keeping her from escaping. Not even bars on the windows.

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