Page 4 of Queen of the Night
And there’s my answer—the charm has worn off.
I slide my pack off my shoulders and kneel to find what I’m searching for—it doesn’t take long for my fingers to graze its smooth surface.
I stand and hand the enormous ivory bantha claw to Renoff. “Can you craft me a short sword? I’d like this to be the hilt.” I can barely suppress the grin that twitches about my lips as I imagine Vera’s expression when she sees her new weapon. “I’ll need it in two days.”
“Two days?” Renoff takes the claw with a frown and carefully inspects its length and width.
I see the doubt in his furrowed brow. “I’ll pay triple. I’d like it enchanted as well.”
He growls as he considers, still turning it in his hands. I know I ask much. He looks up at me. “As you know, enchantments have become the last of lucent to weaken, but they arewearing off faster than ever. I’ll do it, but don’t expect it to last longer than a few months now.”
Neither of us points out the sad fact that an enchanted weapon used to only have to be enchantedoncein its lifetime.
My mark seems to burn with guilt at the sight of the weariness on his face. Why is it that lucent seems to be decaying so much more quickly duringmyreign? My chest tightens, reminding me of the likely reason—myworthiness.Or lack thereof.
I nod. “I’ll send my team’s weapons to be reenchanted, as well.”
I give him a few other details about the style and length before I lift my hood once more and duck out the door.
I finally throw my hood back when I’ve reached the castle doors.
“Your Majesty.” The guard snaps to attention, eyes wide with surprise at my abrupt and unusual entry—no guards, no entourage, no other soldiers at my side… no Darvy or Rhosse.
“My first and second commanders, are they here?” I try to keep my voice even.
“Not yet, but they?—”
I don’t hear what else he says as the grief I’ve kept at bay with shreds of hope comes to the surface and tightens my chest until I fear it will never expand again.My brothers.I pull my hood back over my head and continue walking, slipping into a hallway drenched in shadows from the angle of the three suns. I don’t have the privilege of showing emotion of this depth beyond my private rooms… but my rooms are the last place I want to be.
I lean against the cold stone wall in the shadows with a fist pressed against the pressure building painfully in my chest and will the burning behind my eyes to ease. But waves of sorrow keep building, and suddenly this shadowy hallway feels so suffocating it’s as if a tight hand is wrapped around my throat. I turn and stalk toward the training grounds where I know there will besomeoneto spar with.
I grip the pommel of my sword like a lifeline, but I can’t summon enough mercy to feel bad for whatever poor soul will face me. Sword fighting has always been my outlet for emotion, and right now I need it more than ever.
I yank my hood off before I enter the training grounds. My soldiers jerk to attention as I walk past, startled by my sudden presence. Groups of soldiers are split up across the grounds in fenced-off areas. Distant cheers and shouts echo from one group along with the clashing of weapons, but in moments, everything is quiet, and I have their complete attention.
I whip off my cloak, hop a fence into one of the arenas, and pull my sword with so much speed it leaves a sharp ring in the air. Emotion causes an impulsiveness I don’t usually cater to as anger and sorrow mix into duty-bound recklessness. I want to punch something, fall to my knees alone in the woods and scream to Lucentia over my brothers.
But I have a kingdom to save, and my team isn’t going to form itself.
“You will compete to join my team to journey into the Lucent Mountains.” My voice carries easily, the challenge clear. I eye the men I grudgingly listed as candidates for my team if it turned out that Darvy and Rhosse had actually d?—
I shake my head, refusing to finish the thought.
Donovan, my third commander, steps forward. I press my lips together. He’s a worthy fighter, one I putat the top of my new list. He scales the fence easily and swings his sword around, preparing for the fight. He’s already drenched in sweat, and it’s apparent he’s already been training hard.
I waste no time, show no mercy.
Our swords hit hard, the shock of the collision reverberating up my arm.
“Welcome back, Your Majesty,” he grunts as steel slides along steel. He steps back and then swings again. I block it easily. In moments I fall into a rhythm I haven’t felt since before I left to find a Black Tulip. We go on that way for several minutes, but I know I’ll need to pick it up to beat Donovan—there’s a reason he’s a commander. Before I can, I sense another presence behind me. Probably one of Donovan’s tricks to try to beat me as he’s tried in the past.I spin around, prepared to take on a second opponent as my sword, already swinging, hits another’s loudly.
“I do hope you saved me a spot on the team,” Darvy says with a cocky grin as our swords stay crossed at the blades between us. “I think Rhosse’ll be hurt if you don’t invite him too, even though we knowI’mthe better swordsman.”
“You willing to bet on that?” Rhosse drawls as he jumps the fence.
They’re alive.
I freeze, the steel of our swords still pressed together, unbelieving that my friends stand before me. “The guard said you hadn’t returned yet...”
