A Rule of Queens (Book #13 in the Sorcerer's Ring) (5 page)

Darius walked slowly down the dirt path, Loti
by his side, the air filled with the tension of their silence. Neither had said
a word since their encounter with the taskmaster and his men, and Darius’s mind
swarmed with a million thoughts as he walked beside her, accompanying her back
to their village. Darius wanted to drape an arm around her, to tell her how grateful
he was that she was alive, that she had saved him as he had saved her, how
determined he was to never let her leave his side again. He wanted to see her
eyes filled with joy and relief, he wanted to hear her say how much it meant to
her that he had risked his life for her—or at the very least, that she was
happy to see him.

Yet as they walked in the deep, awkward
silence, Loti said nothing, would not even look at him. She had not said a word
to him since he had caused the avalanche, had not even met his eyes. Darius’s
heart pounded, wondering what she was thinking. She had witnessed him summoning
his power, had witnessed the avalanche. In its wake, she had given him a
horrified look, and had not looked at him again since.

Perhaps, Darius thought, in her view, he had
broken the sacred taboo of her people in drawing on magic, the one thing her
people looked down upon more than anything. Perhaps she was afraid of him; or
even worse, perhaps she no longer loved him. Perhaps she thought of him as some
sort of freak.

Darius felt his heart breaking as they walked
slowly back to the village, and wondered what it was all for. He had just
risked his life to save a girl who no longer loved him. He would pay anything
to read her thoughts, anything. But she would not even speak. Was she in shock?

Darius wanted to say something to her, anything
to break the silence. But he did not know where to begin. He had thought he’d
known her, but now he was not so sure. A part of him felt indignant, too proud
to speak, given her reaction, and yet another part of him was somewhat ashamed.
He knew what his people thought of the use of magic. Was his use of magic such
a terrible thing? Even if he’d saved her life? Would she tell the others? If
the villagers found out, he knew, they would surely exile him.

They walked and walked, and Darius finally
could stand it no longer; he had to say something.

“I’m sure your family will be happy to see you
back safely,” Darius said.

Loti, to his disappointment, did not take the opportunity
to look his way; instead, she just remained expressionless as they continued to
walk in silence. Finally, after a long while, she shook her head.

“Perhaps,” she said. “But I should think they will
be more worried than anything. Our entire village will be.”

“What do you mean?” Darius asked.

“You’ve killed a taskmaster.
We’ve
killed a taskmaster. The entire Empire will be out looking for us. They’ll
destroy our village. Our people. We have done a terrible, selfish thing.”

“Terrible thing? I saved your life!” Darius
said, exasperated.

She shrugged.

“My life is not worth the lives of all of our
people.”

Darius fumed, not knowing what to say as they
walked. Loti, he was beginning to realize, was a difficult girl, hard to
understand. She had been too indoctrinated with the rigid thought of her
parents, of their people.

“So you hate me then,” he said. “You hate me
for saving you.”

She refused to look at him, continued to walk.

“I saved you, too,” she retorted proudly.
“Don’t you remember?”

Darius reddened; he could not understand her.
She was too proud.

“I don’t hate you,” she finally added. “But I
saw how you did it. I saw what you did.”

Darius found himself shaking inside, hurt at
her words. They came out like an accusation. It wasn’t fair, especially after
he had just saved her life.

“And is that such an awful thing?” he asked. “Whatever
power it was that I used?”

Loti did not reply.

“I am who I am,” Darius said. “I was born this
way. I did not ask for it. I do not entirely understand it myself. I do not
know when it comes and when it leaves. I do not know if I shall ever be able to
use it again. I did not want to use it. It was as if…it used me.”

Loti continued to look down, not responding,
not meeting his eyes, and Darius felt a sinking feeling of regret. Had he made
a mistake in rescuing her? Should he be ashamed of who he was?

“Would you rather be dead than for me to have
used…whatever it was I used?” Darius asked.

Again Loti did not reply as they walked, and Darius’s
regret deepened.

“Do not speak of it to anyone,” she said. “We
must never speak of what happened here today. We will both be outcasts.”

They turned the corner and their village came
into view. They walked down the main pathway and as they did, they were spotted
by villagers, who let out a great shout of joy.

Within moments there was a great commotion as
villagers swarmed out to meet them, hundreds of them, excitedly rushing to
embrace Loti and Darius. Breaking through the crowd was Loti’s mother, joined
by her father and two of her brothers, tall men with broad shoulders, short
hair, and proud jaws. They all looked down at Darius, summing him up. Standing
beside them was Loti’s third brother, smaller than the others and lame in one
leg.

“My love,” Loti’s mother said, rushing through
the crowd and embracing her, hugging her tight.

Darius hung back, unsure what to do.

“What happened to you?” her mother demanded. “I
thought the Empire took you away. How did you get free?”

The villagers all fell grave, silent, as all
eyes turned to Darius. He stood there, not knowing what to say. This should be
a moment, he felt, of great joy and celebration for what he did, a moment for
him to take great pride, for him to be welcomed home as a hero. After all, he
alone, of all of them, had had the courage to go after Loti.

Instead, it was a moment of confusion for him.
And perhaps even shame. Loti gave him a meaningful look, as it to warn him not
to reveal their secret.

“Nothing happened, Mother,” Loti said. “The
Empire changed their mind. They let me go.”

“Let you go?” she echoed, flabbergasted.

Loti nodded.

“They let me go far from here. I was lost in
the woods, and Darius found me. He led me back.”

The villager, silent, all looked skeptically back
and forth between Darius and Loti. Darius sensed they did not believe them.

“And what is that mark on your face?” her
father asked, stepping forward, rubbing his thumb on her cheek, turning her
head to examine it.

Darius looked over and saw a large black and
blue welt.

Loti looked up at her father, unsure.

“I…tripped,” she said. “On a root. As I said, I
am fine,” she insisted, defiant.

All eyes turned to Darius, and Bokbu, the
village chief, stepped forward.

“Darius, is this true?” he asked, his voice
somber. “You brought her back peacefully? You had no encounter with the Empire?”

Darius stood there, his heart pounding,
hundreds of eye staring at him. He knew if he told them of their encounter, told
them what he had done, they would all fear the reprisal to come. And he would
have no way to explain how he killed them all without speaking of his magic. He
would be an outcast, and so would Loti—and he did not want to strike panic in
all of the people’s hearts.

Darius did not want to lie. But he did not know
what else to do.

So instead, Darius merely nodded back to the elders,
without speaking. Let them interpret that as they would, he thought.

Slowly, the people, relieved, all turned and
looked to Loti. Finally, one of her brothers stepped forward and draped an arm
around her.

“She’s safe!” he called out, breaking the tension.
“That’s all that matters!”

There came a great shout in the village, as the
tension broke, and Loti was embraced by her family and all the others.

Darius stood there and watched, receiving a few
halfhearted pats of approval on his back, as Loti turned alone with her family,
and was ushered off into the village. He watched her go, waiting, hoping she
would turn around to look at him, just once.

But his heart dried up within him as he watched
her disappear, folded into the crowd, and never turning back.

Volusia stood proudly atop her golden carriage,
mounted atop her golden vessel gleaming in the sun, as she drifted her way slowly
down the waterways of Volusia, her arms outstretched, taking in the adulation
of her people. Thousands of them came out, rushed to the edge of the waterways,
lined the streets and alleys, and shouted her name from all directions.

As she drifted down the narrow waterways that
wound their way through the city, Volusia could almost reach out and touch her
people, all hailing her name, crying and screaming in adulation as they threw torn-up
shreds of scrolls of all different colors, sparkling in the light as they
rained down on her. It was the greatest sign of respect their people could
offer. It was their way of welcoming a returning hero.

“Long live Volusia! Long live Volusia!” came
the chant, echoed down one alleyway after the next as she passed through the
masses, the waterways taking her straight through her magnificent city, its
streets and buildings all lined with gold.

Volusia leaned back and took it all in,
thrilled that she had defeated Romulus, had slaughtered the Supreme Ruler of
the Empire, and had murdered his contingent of soldiers. Her people were one
with her, and they felt emboldened when she felt emboldened, and she had never
felt stronger in her life—not since the day she’d murdered her mother.

Volusia looked up at her magnificent city, at
the two towering pillars leading into it, shining gold and green in the sun;
she took in the endless array of ancient buildings erected in her ancestors’ time,
hundreds of years old, well worn. The shining, immaculate streets were bustling
with thousands of people, guards on every corner, the precise waterways cut
through them in perfect angles, connecting everything. There were small
footbridges on which could be seen horses clomping, bearing golden carriages,
people dressed in their finest silks and jewels. The entire city had declared a
holiday, and all had come out to greet her, all calling her name on this holy day.
She was more than a leader to them—she was a goddess.

It was even more auspicious that this day
should coincide with a festival, the Day of Lights, the day in which they bowed
to the seven gods of the sun. Volusia, as leader of the city, was always the one
to initiate the festivities, and as she sailed through, the two immense golden
torches burned brightly behind her, brighter than the day, ready to light the
Grand Fountain.

All the people followed her, hurrying along the
streets, chasing after her boat; she knew they would accompany her all the way,
until she reached the center of the six circles of the city, where she would
disembark and set fire to the fountains that would mark the day’s holiday and sacrifices.
It was a glorious day for her city and her people, a day to praise the fourteen
gods, the ones that were rumored to circle her city, to guard the fourteen
entrances against all unwanted invaders. Her people prayed to all of them, and
today, as on all days, thanks was due.

This year, her people would be in for a
surprise: Volusia had added a fifteenth god, the first time in centuries, since
the found of the city, that a god had been added. And that god was herself.
Volusia had erected a towering golden statue of herself in the center of the seven
circles, and she had declared this day her name day, her holiday. As it was
unveiled, all her people would see it for the first time, would see that she, Volusia,
was more than her mother, more than a leader, more than a mere human. She was a
goddess, who deserved to be worshipped every day. They would pray and bow down to
her along with all the others—they would do it, or she would have their blood.

Volusia smiled to herself as her boat drifted
ever closer to the city center. She could hardly wait to see their expressions,
to have them all worship her just as the other fourteen gods. They did not know
it yet, but one day, she would destroy the other gods, one by one, until all
that was left was her.

Volusia, excited, checked back over her
shoulder and she saw behind her an endless array of vessels following, all
carrying live bulls and goats and rams, shifting and noisy in the sun, all in
preparation of the day’s sacrifice to the gods. She would slaughter the biggest
and best one before her own statue.

Volusia’s boat finally reached the open
waterway to the seven golden circles, each one wider than the next, wide golden
plazas that were separated by rings of water. Her boat made its way slowly
through the circles, ever closer towards the center, passing each of the
fourteen gods, and her heart pounded in excitement. Each god towered over them
as they went, each statue gleaming gold, twenty feet high. In the very center
of all this, in the plaza that had always been kept empty for sacrifice and
congregation, there now stood a newly constructed golden pedestal, atop of
which was a fifty-foot structure covered in a white silk cloth. Volusia smiled:
she alone of all her people knew what lay beneath that cloth.

Volusia disembarked, her servants rushing
forward to help her down, as they reached the innermost plaza. She watched as
another vessel was brought forward, and the largest bull she had ever seen was
taken off and led right to her by a dozen men. Each held a thick rope, leading
the beast carefully. This bull was special, procured in the Lower Provinces:
fifteen feet high, with bright red skin, it was a beacon of strength. It was
also filled with fury. It resisted, but the men held it in place as they led it
before her statue.

Volusia heard a sword being drawn, and she
turned and saw Aksan, her personal assassin, standing beside her, holding out
the ceremonial sword. Aksan was the most loyal man she’d ever met, willing to
kill anyone she asked him with just so much as a nod of her head. He was also
sadistic, which was why she liked him, and he had earned her respect many
times. He was one of the few people she allowed to stay close to her side.

Aksan stared back at her, with his sunken,
pockmarked face, his horns visible behind his thick, curly hair.

Volusia reached out and took the long, golden
ceremonial sword, its blade six feet long, and tightened her grip on the hilt
with both hands. A hushed silence fell over her people as she wheeled, raised
it high, and brought it down on the back of bull’s neck with all her might.

The blade, as sharp as could be, as thin as
parchment, sliced right through, and Volusia grinned as she heard the
satisfying sound of sword piercing flesh, felt it cutting all the way through,
and felt its hot blood spraying her face. It gushed everywhere, a huge puddle oozing
onto her feet, and the bull stumbled, headless, and fell at the base of her still-covered
statue. The blood gushed all over the silk and the gold, staining it, as her
people let out a great cheer.

“A great omen, my lady,” Aksan leaned over and said.

The ceremonies had begun. All around her,
trumpets sounded, and hundreds of animals were brought forth, as her officers
began slaughtering them on all sides of her. It would be a long day of
slaughtering and raping and gorging on food and wine—and then doing it all over
again, for another day, and another. Volusia would make sure she joined them,
would take some men and wine for herself, and would slit their throats as a
sacrifice to her idols. She looked forward to a long day of sadism and
brutality.

But first, there was one thing left to do.

The crowd quieted as Volusia ascended the pedestal
at the base of her statue and turned and faced her people. Climbing up on the other
side of her was Koolian, another trusted advisor, a dark sorcerer wearing a
black hood and cloak, with glowing green eyes and a wart-lined face, the
creature who had helped guide her to her own mother’s assassination. It was he,
Koolian, who had advised her to build this statue to herself.

The people stared at her, silent as could be.
She waited, savoring the drama of the moment.

“Great people of Volusia!” she boomed. “I
present to you the statue of your newest and greatest god!”

With a flourish Volusia pulled back the silk
sheet, to a gasp of the crowd.

“Your new goddess, the fifteenth goddess,
Volusia!” Koolian boomed to the people.

The people let out a hushed sound of awe, as
they all looked up at it in wonder. Volusia looked up at the shining golden
statue, twice as high as the others, a perfect model of her. She waited,
nervous, to see how her people would react. It had been centuries since anyone
had introduced a new god, and she was gambling to see if their love for her was
as strong as she needed it to be. She didn’t just need them to love her; she
needed them to worship her.

To her great satisfaction, her people, as one,
all suddenly dropped to their faces, bowing down, worshiping her idol.

“Volusia,” they chanted sacredly, again and
again. “Volusia. Volusia.”

Volusia stood there, arms out wide, breathing
deep, taking it all in. It was enough praise to satisfy any human. Any leader.
Any god.

But it was still not enough for her.

*

Volusia walked through the wide, open-air arched
entrance to her castle, passing marble columns a hundred feet high, the halls
lined with gardens and guards, Empire soldiers, standing perfectly erect,
holding golden spears, lined up as far as the eye could see. She walked slowly,
the golden heels of her boots clicking, accompanied, on either side Koolian,
her sorcerer, Aksan, her assassin, and Soku, the commander of her army.

“My lady, if I could just have a word with you,”
Soku said. He’d been trying to talk to her all day, and she’d been ignoring
him, not interested in his fears, in his fixation on reality. She had her own
reality, and she would address him when the time suited her.

Volusia continued marching until she reached
another entrance to another corridor, this one bedecked with long strips of
emerald beads. Immediately, soldiers rushed forward and pulled them to the side,
allowing a passage for her.

As she entered, all the chanting and cheering
and reveling of the sacred ceremonies outdoors began to fade away. She’d had a
long day of slaughtering and drinking and raping and feasting, and Volusia wanted
some time to collect herself. She would recharge, then go back for another
round.

Volusia entered the solemn chambers, dark and
heavy, just a few torches lighting it. What lit the room mostly was the sole
shaft of green light, shooting down from the oculus high above in the center of
the hundred-foot-high ceiling, straight down to a singular object that sat
alone in the center of the room.

The emerald spear.

Volusia approached it, in awe, as it sat there,
as it had for centuries, pointing straight up into the light. With its emerald
shaft and emerald spear point, it glistened in the light, aimed straight up at
the heavens, as if challenging the gods. It had always been a sacred object for
her people, one that her people believed sustained the entire city. She stood
before it in awe, watching the particles swirl about it in the green light.

“My lady,” Soku said softly, his voice echoing
in the silence. “May I speak?”

Volusia stood a long time, her back to him, examining
the spear, admiring its craftsmanship as she had every day of her life, until
finally she felt ready to hear her councilor’s words.

“You may,” she said.

“My lady,” he said, “you have killed the ruler
of the Empire. Surely, word has spread. Armies will be marching for Volusia
right now. Massive armies, larger than we could ever defend against. We must
prepare. What is your strategy?”

“Strategy?” Volusia asked, still not looking at
him, annoyed.

“How will you broker peace?” he pressed. “How will
you surrender?”

She turned to him and fixed her eyes on him
coldly.

“There will be no peace,” she said. “Until I
accept their surrender and their oath of fealty to me.”

He looked back, fear in his face.

“But my lady, they outnumber us a hundred to
one,” he said. “We cannot possibly defend against them.”

She turned back to the spear, and he stepped
forward, desperate.

“My Empress,” he persisted. “You’ve achieved a
remarkable victory in usurping your mother’s throne. She was not loved by the
people, and you are. They worship you. None will speak to you frankly. But I
shall. You surround yourself by people who tell you what you wish to hear. Who
fear you. But I shall tell you the truth, the reality of our situation. The Empire
will surround us. And we will be crushed. There will be nothing left of us, of
our city. You must take action. You must broker a truce. Pay whatever price
they want. Before they kill us all.”

Volusia smiled as she studied the spear.

“Do you know what they said about my mother?”
she asked.

Soku stood there and looked back at her
blankly, and shook his head.

“They said she was the Chosen One. They said
she would never be defeated. They said she would never die. Do you know why?
Because no one had wielded this spear in six centuries. And she came along and wielded
it with one hand. And she used it to kill her father and take his throne.”