A Power of Old

I walked back to the bedroom door and knocked. It had been an hour since Hazel had disappeared into it, and I hadn’t heard a thing from her since.

  “Hazel?” I called.

  I hoped she was sleeping, but after a pause, a wavering voice replied.

  “Yes?”

  “I need to go with Ash to the pavilion. There will be guards stationed outside your door. Let them know if you need anything.”

  “Okay,” came the reply.

  “Can I get you anything before I leave?” I asked.

  “I’m fine – I’m just…a bit freaked out. Go… I’ll be okay.”

  I waited for a few moments, leaning my head on the doorframe. I hoped that she would come out, but she made no further sound as I left. Despite what I wanted to do, giving her some space to process everything was probably the best course of action…and it didn’t look like I had much choice in the matter anyway.

  When I reached the courtyard the guard left me, and I stood opposite Lithan and Qentos who were waiting with four vultures.

  “Where’s Ash?” I asked curtly.

  “On his way,” replied Lithan with a malicious smile. “No doubt finishing up some kitchen duties.”

  “Careful, Lithan. In a few short hours, Ash will be your king—and I hope for your sake, you find a more dignified manner with which to address him.”

  “We shall see about that,” he retorted.

  “Ah. I suppose you hope that Queen Trina will stand in the way of his coronation? You’re a fool, Lithan. Queen Trina wants to rise to power—she’ll see this as a blessing.”

  Lithan’s face fell. I would enjoy watching Lithan’s political desires sink into the gutter—it might be one of the very few things I would enjoy after giving up the crown.

  “Tejus.”

  Ash appeared in the entranceway to the castle.

  “Ash,” I replied courteously, noticing the red robe he was wearing, no doubt stolen from my or Jenus’s wardrobe. Jenney was obviously proving to be an effective ally.

  Good, I thought. He was going to need all the help he could get.

  “Let’s not keep the Impartial Ministers waiting.” Ash addressed Qentos and Lithan. I hid a smirk, and mounted my vulture. I wondered how much time it would take Ash to reorder the Hellswan ministry once the entity was re-imprisoned…I didn’t imagine it would be long.

  We flew to the pavilion, chasing the early dawn. When we arrived, the Impartial Ministers and the remaining champions were already there and waiting. Even from this distance, I could sense the glee spewing forth from Queen Trina.

  The four of us approached the pavilion. As soon as we were close, Ash started to shake, his eyes fixed on the queen. Glancing up at his face, I saw it was blind rage that was causing his reaction—and if he wasn’t careful, Ash was going to blow his chances.

  “Steady,” I murmured, pulling on his robe. “There’s going to be another opportunity—remember what you’re here for.”

  “I want her dead,” he growled.

  “You’re not the only one,” I replied, nodding in Memenion’s direction. “But right now you’re at the mercy of the Impartial Ministers, so pull yourself together.”

  Ash straightened his robe and nodded curtly in understanding as we walked up the stone steps of the Pavilion. The Impartial Ministers eyed him warily—clearly word had already gotten around.

  “King Tejus, what is the meaning of this?” one of the Impartial Ministers barked at me. I smiled back, knowing full well what their response was going to be. I had put them in a near impossible situation, and it was unlikely they would reject Ash’s bid for kingship. If they wanted the trials to continue, then they needed him.

  “I have abdicated from the throne, and nominate Ash in my place. The true winner of the trials.” Amidst the uproar that greeted my announcement, I continued to explain about Hazel and the stone from the entity lock.

  “But it is a mistake then!” one of the ministers blustered. “We cannot hold you accountable for that.”

  “I hold myself accountable, and do not believe my crown was rightfully won.”

  The group fell silent as Queen Trina’s laughter pierced the air.

  “This is too wonderful!” she exclaimed. “The brave, gallant Tejus giving up his crown so the kitchen boy gets his day in the sun!”

  I ignored her after sending a warning glance to Ash, ensuring he did the same. The Impartial Ministers looked around the pavilion, clearly waiting for another royal to step forward and object.

  “He was Queen Trina Seraq’s advisor,” one of the ministers burst out after both Memenion and Hadalix remained silent. “I’m not entirely sure that is permissible—especially as he will be entered into the Imperial trials!”

  “I have no objection. Do you, Hadalix?” Memenion asked the other king.

  Hadalix looked confused, and suspicious, but shook his head. “No…I don’t think I have any objections.”

  “And clearly Queen Trina doesn’t.” Memenion rolled his eyes.

  The Impartial Ministers started to mutter amongst themselves, and Ash glanced at me, his features tense.

  I looked over at Memenion, who nodded slowly in my direction. It seemed like my plan was going to work…as long as the ministers couldn’t come up with anymore objections.

  Their huddle ended, and my heart sank as I regarded their smug expressions.

  They’ve found an excuse.

  “Do forgive us, Ashbik,” one of them whined in a nasal voice, “but we are not entirely sure of the kingdom’s safety in the hands of someone who has had no political experience in the past.” He held up a hand to stop Ash interrupting. “However, your success in the trials can’t be ignored.”

  The minister smiled at me.

  “There was also another who was entered into the trials who may have been affected by this stone of yours, and that is your brother, Jenus Hellswan. We would like him to be brought out of banishment, and they will compete for the Hellswan crown—a little unprecedented, but it has been done before.”

  Oh, hell no.

  My brother. Of course.

  I should have anticipated this.

  “You want me to bring Jenus out of banishment?” I hissed. “He is a danger to the Hellswan kingdom and has never been anything less. You are making a mistake.”

  “We don’t want you to, Tejus. As an abdicator of the throne, you no longer have the power to refuse us. We are commanding you to do so.”

  I kept myself from reacting further, though it took all my willpower to keep my fists at my side. Ash chose to show no such restraint.

  “Are you mad?” he cried.

  “Ash,” I snapped. “Let the Impartial Ministers have their way if it so pleases them. What do you propose to do, put them through another trial?” I asked the minister through gritted teeth.

  “Exactly that. Ashbik and Jenus will compete for the crown, and the winner shall be put through to the Imperial trials. I don’t believe you can ask for more benevolence than that, surely?”

  “It is very generous of you,” I replied, my voice drenched in sarcasm.

  “Then we will reconvene here at dusk. The trial will commence then—I take it that will give you enough time?” the minister asked, his veneer of faux politeness as practiced as mine.

  “Of course.”

  “Very well then.”

  The Impartial Ministers all exited the pavilion together, and I leant back against one of the arches, feeling completely powerless. My brother returning as the entity rose to power was a deadly combination…Hellswan could not afford more enemies within its walls.

  “I have the feeling this has backfired somewhat,” commented Memenion as he approached Ash and me.

  “They always find a way.” I sighed. “It just infuriates me that they can’t see the danger in returning Jenus from banishment. Who knows what evil flows through my brother’s mind? What form his revenge will take?”

  Memenion sighed.

  “I imagine they believe that you alone w
ill be his enemy—the one who will have to bear the brunt of his wrath. In their mind, I imagine it is a win-win situation. Clearly they don’t know what he is capable of.”

  I agreed with Memenion—that was probably what the fools thought, but I knew my brother and I knew his temper. I wasn’t afraid for myself. I had been coming up against Jenus for years. It was Hazel I was concerned about, and what might happen to her friends were my brother to gain power.

  “He won’t get the chance,” Ash grumbled. “I won’t let him.”

  I nodded, hoping that Ash’s rage toward my brother would be more of an incentive to beat him in the trials. I hadn’t forgotten that it was Jenus who had locked Ruby up in a cellar, and I was sure Ash hadn’t either.

  “Let’s get going. If we’re going to reach him before sundown we need to hurry—I want to stop at the castle first.”

  Ash and I left the pavilion, followed by Lithan and Qentos. The former was barely bothering to try to hide his delight at the outcome of the meeting. When we reached the birds, I commanded Lithan and Qentos to go on ahead—I’d had enough of their company for one day.

  “Why did you keep Lithan on after your father’s death?” Ash asked, as the ministers’ birds rose up into the sky.

  “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. If you rule in a kingdom where you are loathed, it is better that the men who intend to stab you in the back are kept in sight at all times.”

  Ash looked surprised at my declaration, and I laughed.

  “Did you think I didn’t know that I was hated?” I asked.

  He looked at me for a few moments, as if trying to comprehend something that was a great mystery to him.

  “Why are you doing this?” he asked after a pause.

  I smiled.

  “I know you think the worst of me, Ash. Perhaps rightly. But please believe me when I say that I have always tried to put the interests of Hellswan and Nevertide first. I want what is best for this land—and at the moment, that means the entity being stopped and Queen Trina staying well away from the seat of power.”

  “And you think I am the best choice to accomplish that?” he asked skeptically.

  Yes.

  “You are a viable option,” I retorted.

  Ash burst out laughing. “Right.” He nodded. “A viable option. And this has nothing to do with Hazel?”

  “What do you mean?” I frowned.

  Ash smiled in an irritating fashion. “I just thought that maybe she had an opinion on you becoming emperor. An opinion that was so strong it may have swayed you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped. “We need to get going.”

  “What’s up with her anyway?” he probed as we prepared the birds.

  “Nothing I’m willing to discuss with you. You’re not king yet, kitchen boy.”

  We flew back to the castle. Jenus’s location was out by the borders of Hellswan, but I felt it would be a better idea to take bull-horses than vultures. Jenus would be weak, but it was better not to risk him mind-controlling a bird mid-flight on our return to the pavilion. This would mean leaving Hazel alone in the castle for more time than I would like. I felt it wouldn’t be long till the hunger got to her, and if she lost her control around her friends, she would never forgive herself…or me.

  Ruby

  I had tried to keep myself busy. I had spent about an hour rearranging and changing all the bedding for the kids, finding more suitable locations for them to sleep, locations that would mean they weren’t constantly sleeping in the living room. It meant that I was now sharing my room with two others, but that didn’t matter much at the moment—it wasn’t like I was getting much sleep anyway.

  According to Jenney, the kids had livened up a bit ever since Benedict had been possessed completely by the entity and had vanished off to the temple where Hazel said he was trapped. It made me feel slightly nauseous that he had obviously been syphoning off them while they slept with none of us ever knowing. Now the kids kept mainly to themselves, spending most of their time in the servants’ quarters or in the garden outside during the day, avoiding the castle as best they could. I was hugely grateful for Jenney—without her, they would have been completely abandoned in this strange place, and I doubted that many of them would be dealing with it as well as Yelena. She was a weird kid, but weird was clearly what was needed around here to survive.

  I had just finished putting her to bed—it was morning now, but she hadn’t slept much either in the last few days, and she looked exhausted. Julian wasn’t really looking any better, so I had given him strict instructions to do the same. After moaning that I was treating him like a kid, mid-yawn he had closed his eyes and a moment later had started snoring.

  Jenney came into the living room with yet another pile of fresh laundry.

  “Thanks, Jenney.” I smiled. “Are the kids downstairs?”

  “Yes—they’re in one of the old abandoned rooms, complaining that they don’t have ‘Internet’…does that mean anything to you?”

  I laughed. “Yeah.”

  “Well…” She shrugged, and dumped the laundry down on one of the less cluttered sofas. “I’m going to get them something to eat. Do you want anything?”

  “Maybe later.”

  She was halfway to the door when she turned around and gave me a reassuring smile.

  “Ruby, Ash is going to be fine. You know how stubborn he is—he’s not going to let this chance slip away from him.”

  I groaned. “It’s his stubbornness that worries me. He won’t give up—and that means that he’s going to try to outdo himself in the trials to prove his worth, and if the kingship trials were anything to go by, it’s going to be dangerous.”

  “He’s lived in Hellswan all his life—he knows danger. And he knows how to survive. You’re just going to worry yourself sick if you keep thinking about it.”

  “I know.” I sighed. “I’m trying to keep busy but…anyway, they’ll be back soon, right?”

  “Right,” Jenney confirmed. “I’ll see you later. Stay calm.”

  I nodded, leaning back against the sofa. I could stay calm. Jenney left and I looked over at the windows. Dawn had long passed and now the morning sun was shining as brightly as it ever did in Nevertide, which wasn’t much. The peace was kind of unnerving. The apocalyptic signs were over, and apart from Benedict coming to take another stone, it felt like we were on pause, waiting for the entity to come—waiting for the destruction of Hellswan and all the other kingdoms to commence.

  I shifted on the sofa, trying to get comfortable, and heard the crumple of paper in the pocket of my robe.

  The letter.

  I reached inside and pulled it out. I stared down at the handwritten scrawl of my name, thinking how strange it was to be looking at a dead man’s penmanship. I turned it over, about to open it, when the main door swung open.

  Hazel stood in the doorway, her arms wrapped around her, but this time she was dressed properly, and her eyes no longer looked as wild and unhinged as I’d seen them earlier.

  “Oh, Hazel, thank God! Are you okay?” I shoved the letter back inside my robe and hurried over to her. Before I could get close, she held her arm out, warning me back.

  “Wait! Ruby, I need you to…hang back, okay?” she replied in a wobbly, scratchy voice. “There’s something I need to tell you, and it’s not good…and I just need some space while I try to get it out.”

  “Okay,” I replied slowly, not having the faintest idea what was going on. I’d never seen Hazel like this. She could be a little dramatic sometimes, but this wasn’t like that—something had clearly scared the living daylights out of her, but other than Benedict, I couldn’t really imagine what that was.

  She was silent, watching me take a few steps back.

  “The suspense is killing me,” I said, trying to lighten the mood, but clearly not doing a very good job of it.

  “I’m sorry. It’s difficult…” She twisted her fingers around one another as she stood there, like she wa
s waiting for a firing squad. “I got… kind of intimate with Tejus last night…and now…” She swallowed hard. “N-Now I’m a sentry.”

  “What?” I burst out, half wanting to laugh.

  “Yeah…a sentry. Turns out, the powers are transferable.” She gulped.

  “Hazel, you’re not a sentry—of course you’re not. That’s…impossible! What makes you think that?”

  Had my friend gone completely mad?

  “The fact that I started to syphon off Tejus was the first clue.” She smiled weakly.

  What the heck…

  “Okay. You need to explain—from the beginning.”

  Hazel nodded, but remained standing where she was, eyeing me nervously.

  “And you’re starting to freak me out, so can you please come and sit down?” I gestured to the sofas, going to perch on the end of one myself—it kind of felt like my legs weren’t going to hold me up much longer.

  Hazel looked at the sofa and then at me. She nodded, and then walked slowly, coming to sit on the sofa that faced mine.

  “This has happened before,” she breathed. “Tejus told me…but it was different…it was the marriage ceremony—it wasn’t meant to happen like this…”

  I waited for her to take another deep breath, and then I interrupted. “You’re really not making any sense!”

  “Sorry—I’m just…” She ran her hands through her hair, and I noticed they were shaking. “I’m crazy—I feel like I’m going crazy.”

  She took another deep breath and then finally started to tell me the story. I sat there with my mouth open, disbelieving and overwhelmed in equal measure…and mostly thinking what a giant idiot Tejus was.

  I leaned forward when she had finished, trying to touch her hand. She jumped backward on the sofa.

  “Don’t! You don’t understand, Ruby—I’m so hungry.” Her eyes widened. “And you’re so…your energy is amazing—it’s like—glowing or something…”

  Hazel trailed off and I started to feel flutters at my temple. I looked at Hazel in shock, but it was like she was no longer seeing me, but what was inside of me. Suddenly I cried out as searing pain shot through my mind—like a migraine, only a thousand times worse, and similar to what Jenus had done in the storm cellar.