《Uprising: The Fight for Clydonia》


 Chapter 1

    The sun beat down on the crystal clear pool, and I watched in rapt fascination as my friends debated who to push in first. I laughed at a safe distance enjoying the chaise lounge tucked away in the corner, out of the sun, under the cover of the deck above. I wiped away the beads of sweat off of my forehead as the great debate raged on, grateful their attentions hadn¡¯t shifted to me. Rubbing another layer of sunscreen on my pale and sensitive skin, I knew that the second the sun kissed me, it would only be a matter of minutes before my color turned from pale to a fiery red, proof of how much the giant ball of gas disliked my kind. Sighing, my attention returned to my book, the laughter and taunting of my friends, a soothing background noise. Sinking lower into the lounge, I lifted my finely worn paperback right at eye level, ignoring the shift of debate to who¡¯s muscles were larger or more defined. My mind drifted into the world of the novel, a welcome distraction to my constant anxiety, even when surrounded by friends. I fell deeper into the story until a persistent cacophony pulled me back to reality.


    ¡°Birdie!¡± I snapped back to attention at hearing the name I¡¯d chosen for myself. My friend, Chris, waved wildly from beside the pool. His toned body was on full display, the muscles standing at attention against his short stature. Only a day into our vacation, and his skin turned golden-brown.


    ¡°Yea?¡± I asked, cautiously.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you go?¡± he teased, humor lighting up his face. His easy-going personality made him the most likable of the group. I envied his stress-free way of life while the constant pressures of this world bore down on me like a boulder.


    I matched his expression and replied, ¡°To a far off land filled with terrifying creatures.¡±


    He cocked his head and furrowed his brows. I often wondered if the lack of stress had to do with how little he thought, living a carefree lifestyle. I shook my head and placed my feet on the patio floor, setting my book gently aside. ¡°Got way too into my reading, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Oh! One of those romance novels?¡± he winked and I rolled my eyes and laughed.


    ¡°No, no, nothing that exciting.¡±


    ¡°Well, enough reading for the day! Come on, jump in the pool and have a drink,¡± he motioned to the poolside bar. I hesitated, reaching to the table beside me and lathering on more sunscreen, a pathetic excuse of potion to protect me from the oppressive rays of the ball of fire. Throwing on a hat to help shield my sensitive skin, I hoisted myself off the slats of the chaise lounge and joined my friends by the pool, carefully sitting on the edge and dipping my legs into the cool water. My thick red hair fell in waves against my back, and I absentmindedly braided it, bringing it over my shoulder.Marisol waded over from the bar, two drinks in hand, both ornately decorated with cherries and a festive umbrella, and handed one to me, beaming. My typically quiet friend bounced up and down in the pool, her lopsided bun flailing about her head.


    ¡°Here you are!¡± she exclaimed, excitedly. I thanked her, grabbed the tumblr, and raised the drink to my lips, sipping the sweet liquid. Grimacing as it slid down my throat, I asked, ¡°Mar, how much alcohol is in here?!¡±


    Her responding fit of giggles told me all I needed to know. Her husband, Steve, floated over to us on one of the many pool toys and added, ¡°Strong enough to help us relax.¡± He grabbed the side of the pool, bringing his floating to a stop, as he sucked on a straw to enjoy a similar drink. I braved another sip, my body tingling from the effects of the alcohol as a calmness washed over me. ¡°See,¡± Steve noticed the infinitesimal relaxation of my body, ¡°we needed this vacation, Birdie.¡±


    I sighed, knowing how right he was. Our friendship stemmed from working together, sharing the pressures of the finance world, an industry completely foreign to me when I first joined, in more ways than one. Since starting with the company eight years ago, Steve, Chris, and Lawrence, welcomed me into their lives and families, and I worked harder than most to maintain my position within the firm, the chance of them finding out my truth lurking around every corner. But, this was a vacation, a celebration of our accomplishments, and I reveled in the opportunity to leave my worries behind, enjoying the time off and the presence of my friends.


    A firm hand on my back had me squinting into the blazing sun above as Lawrence towered over me. He noticed my strained gaze and stood, moving an inch to one side, effectively blocking it out. I smiled underneath the brim of my wide hat and nodded in thanks.


    ¡°Enjoying the fruits of my labor?¡± He asked, motioning to the drink in my hand.


    I sipped it again, savoring the alcohol barely hidden under the delicate cranberry and cherry flavorings, ¡°It¡¯s¡­well, it¡¯s strong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way he knows how to make it,¡± Annie, Lawrence¡¯s wife, admitted, joining his side.


    ¡°CANNONBALL!¡± Chris bellowed, running wildly from the grass and leaping into the pool, sending waves out from his forceful entrance. The water lapped aggressively in every direction, driving Marisol to the side of the pool as Steve gripped the ledge harder and the water careened, spilling out onto the concrete surrounding the pool. Chris sunk to the bottom before propelling himself above the surface, wiping the water dripping from his face off and turning to us with a wolfish grin. ¡°Everyone still dry?¡± A beat of our silence and a glowering stare from Marisol answered the question for him.


    He threw his head back and his easy laughter rang through the backyard. Lawrence snickered at my side, and I stole a glance at Annie as she rolled her eyes. Chris swam over to our little circle, treading the water between Marisol and Steve, and my stomach growled audibly. Steve perked up from his float, ¡°Time for lunch, Birdie?¡± I snorted, ¡°Obviously.¡± Lawrence extended a hand, lifting me up from the side as I gripped onto the tumblr, grateful for an opportunity to remove myself from the oppressive star above, tearing through the layers of sunscreen, ready to light my skin on fire. I rushed into the house while the rest of my friends meandered slowly, drying off, enjoying their time. Breathing a sigh of relief in the shade of the interior, I discarded my hat on the table next to the glass sliding door and pressed the tumblr gently along my skin, cooling the redness creeping in.


    ¡°Blasted star,¡± I cursed under my breath. My friends¡¯ voices drew near to the house, and I sat at the table, hunger pangs winning out over my patience. I crossed my hands in my lap, wringing out my fingers. Marisol slid into the seat next to mine and leaned over, ¡°Steve had the chef make something extra yummy for lunch.¡±


    My eyebrows flicked up in approval, ¡°Please tell me it¡¯s full of carbs and absolutely horrid for us.¡±


    She giggled, her sweetness contagious, ¡°I hope so¡­this is vacation after all.¡± The rest of the group settled into their seats, and Steve called to the chef in the kitchen preparing the meal. The door separating the dining area from the kitchen slid open, and trays of steaming food exited, carried by the stoudt chef and his kitchen helper. My mouth watered as they served us, but impatiently waited until everyone had a healthy heaping on their plate.


    Steve lifted his glass, and offered a toast. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes but knew his well-intentioned toast was out of respect and not a way to delay my hunger even longer. ¡°Friends. We wouldn¡¯t be here today if it wasn¡¯t for each of you. So thank you again for all that you do, and I¡¯m glad we¡¯re all able to celebrate together.¡± A murmuring of here-heres resounded at the table, and before anyone set down their glass, I lifted a portion of the crab something-or-other to my mouth, inhaling it.


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    ¡°We¡¯re lucky Birdie didn¡¯t try to eat one of us,¡± Lawrence teased, humor alighting in his eyes.


    ¡°I was this close,¡± I said, ignoring all decorum and talking with my mouth full. The others at the table laughed. The chef¡¯s helper exited the kitchen, refilling our drinks. I waved off the offer of mine with a no thank you, the impact of the last one coursing through my veins.


    ¡°So who thinks Birdie¡¯s marrying the current guy she¡¯s dating?¡± Chris asked. I snorted. As the only single person of the group, the topic of my love life was constant discourse and amusing to them all.


    Steve quipped, ¡°This guy? No way. She barely enjoys spending one night a week with him. It¡¯ll be over within a month.¡±


    He had a point. My love life was a revolving door of men I got sick of rather quickly. They were all so¨Cso needy. I valued my alone time on the rare chance it happened. And my life was complicated as it is. I didn¡¯t need the added burden of a man to confuse things even more.


    ¡°Remember the one guy who kept buying her gifts?¡± Marisol threw out, ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    I set down my spoon long enough to remind them, ¡°He went off his meds and had a manic episode. Scared the living daylights out of me.¡±


    Chris smacked the table, ¡°That¡¯s right! Oh man, I swear, he was gonna be the way you got on the news.¡±


    Lawrence added, ¡°What about the other guy who cried when she dumped him?¡±


    I groaned, ¡°Oh god. Listen, I¡¯m all about men showing their emotion, but come on! We had been dating for a week!¡±


    Steve corrected me, ¡°Birdie, you were with him for six months.¡±


    I knitted my brows together, realizing he was right, ¡°Oh¡­ok, yea, I guess it makes sense why he cried then.¡±


    He went on, ¡°Your list of boyfriends is starting to resemble the list of hurricanes they release every year.¡±


    ¡°Yea, well, dating freaking sucks. I¡¯m just going to buy a bunch of cats and call it a day,¡± I decided.


    ¡°Lawrence will set you up with one of his friends,¡± Annie volunteered her husband, patting him on the arm. He rolled his eyes, ¡°Not the way she chews them up and spits them out!¡±


    I feigned hurt, clutching a hand over my chest, ¡°I do no such thing! Wait¡­you know what, on second thought, you¡¯re right. Yea, don¡¯t set me up with anyone.¡±


    The meal continued without any further dissection of my dating life, and I ate quietly as they started discussing business, much to the chagrin of their wives. I excused myself from the table after I finished and escaped up to my room. Closing the door and turning the lock, my skin burned as I desperately searched for lotion. Reaching for the duffel bag on top of my dresser, I dug around, hoping it wasn¡¯t the one thing I failed to pack. Breathing a sigh of relief as my fingertips brushed the familiar shaped bottle, I pulled it out and lathered the green slimy liquid all over my body. Shivering slightly at the cold but welcoming the relief it brought, I set it down on the dresser and collapsed on the bed behind me, careful not to transfer any of the gel onto the nice white comforter. I closed my eyes, welcoming the silence of the room, the brief moment to myself until¡­


    ¡°Birdie!¡± A loud holler from the floor below pierced my alone time. I grabbed a pillow from the bed and smashed it over my face, groaning into it. ¡°Come on!¡± Chris called again, ¡°The games are starting!¡± Setting the pillow to the side, I trudged out of my room and down the stairs, grabbing my hat and following the cacophony of laughter outside. They had set up boards for cornhole in my absence and divided into two teams.


    ¡°Ok, Birdie¡¯s on my team,¡± Chris decided, pointing for me to stand at the other board, next to Steve. Lawrence opted to be his partner. I glanced around the backyard, noticing the emptiness of the pool.


    ¡°Where are the other ladies?¡± I asked.


    Lawrence picked up a sack of beans and started tossing it in his hand, ¡°Annie went upstairs to change¡­and hopefully take a nap. She chugged some cocktails at lunch.¡±


    Steve chimed in, ¡°Mari called home to check in on the dog.¡± I nodded absentmindedly, and we started the worst game of cornhole, thanks to everyone¡¯s low drink tolerance. I laughed as Chris threw his one bean bag straight into the pool, many feet away from the board. Pretending to be a flight attendant, I waved my arms, motioning, ¡°Right here, Chris. Right here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I hear ya¡­you¡¯re not doing much better though.¡± He had a point. My last toss nearly destroyed a bottle on the poolside bar.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Annie called from above us. We looked up, seeing her walking onto the balcony out of their room, the one overlooking the backyard.


    ¡°Hun, maybe you should go to sleep?¡± Lawrence suggested as she teetered to the railing, losing her balance.


    ¡°Nooo! It¡¯s so fun up here,¡± she held a drink in one hand and lost her balance, sending the contents of the drink flying all across the floor, dripping through the slats. She pouted, ¡°Oh man! That was so yummy. I want another one.¡± She stood against the railing of the balcony and leaned over, ¡°Baby, hand me a drink.¡± She extended her arm down to him, but he shook his head, ¡°Nuh uh, babe, you come down here and get it yourself.¡±


    Her pout deepened, ¡°Baaaby, I¡¯m right here!¡± She insisted, leaning farther over. Lawrence grabbed his forehead, ¡°Ann, you are making me nervous. Please stop.¡±


    ¡°Oooh,¡± she mocked, laughing, pretending to lean too far forward, but then her laugh turned to a scream.


    My heart leapt into my throat at the scene laid before my eyes. Her grip slipped and her body reared forwards, the impact of the fall sure to end her life or seriously alter it. Without another thought, I raised my hands, calling that dormant power to life. It responded, awakening in my soul. My spine shuddered as it flowed through me. Time froze, and I stared, aware of the few precious moments I had to alter the situation before my whole existence would cease its normalcy. I raced up the stairs to the balcony, her precarious body teetering on the edge. Pulling her back to safety, I placed her body far away from the railing so at most she may smack her head against the wood. After ensuring her safe position, I rushed down the stairs and outside, carefully resuming my stance before I froze everything. Raising my hands again, placing my arms out, time marched on, and she fell forward, stumbling a bit, but catching herself on the railing instead of falling over it.


    Collapsing on the floor, she started crying. Lawrence¡¯s outstretched arms fell to his side as he looked around, confused. He bolted up the stairs, and Chris and Steve also looked flabbergasted. I schooled my face to match theirs as Marisol padded outside, wiping sleep from her eyes.


    ¡°What happened,¡± she asked, glancing between us and Annie crying on the balcony, Lawrence reaching her in time to scoop her up in his arms.


    Steve spoke first, ¡°I have¡­there¡¯s no explanation. Do you guys have any idea what just happened?¡± He looked between me and Chris.


    I swallowed hard, ¡°No clue.¡± Lawrence walked Annie outside to join us, and Steve rushed to her, ¡°Are you ok? What can we do for you?¡±


    Lawrence explained, ¡°She doesn¡¯t really know what happened. But she didn¡¯t want to be alone.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Chris said, joining them. He ushered them to the dining room, ¡°Let¡¯s all sit down. Maybe play a board game or something?¡± Lawrence shot him a grateful look and they all moved to sit in the dining room. I followed, apprehension picking apart my carefully crafted mask of calm. Walking over to Annie, I placed a gentle hand on her arm and kissed the top of her forehead, murmuring, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re ok.¡±


    She smiled at me, weakly, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Addressing the group, I said, ¡°I¡¯m going to run upstairs real quick. Need to make a call.¡± Heads nodded around the table as I turned my back and hurried away.


    Reaching my room, I headed straight for my phone sitting on the charger and didn¡¯t waste another moment. Clicking on the emergency contact and typing out the briefest message, I pressed send on the last text of desperation, the one worded plea of warning. The seconds ticked by on the clock sitting on the empty dresser, filling the silence of the room. Slipping my white linen pants over my bathing suit and tucking the phone safely in the deep pocket, I placed my hat on the bed and traipsed into the hallway, holding my breath.


    The earth shuddered, my hint of her impending arrival. Standing on the top landing of the stairwell, I gripped the wooden railing, launching myself over. As I tumbled onto the first floor below, my heart clenched as the house rattled. Cursing myself for forgetting my other-worldly strength, I threw out my hands again, freezing the moment. My heart pounded in time with my feet as they raced through the house, and I tore into the backyard in time to see the sky above rip open and a bright white light beamed down, right next to the pool. The ground burned from the impact, and I watched in horror as her retinue landed in front of me, shrouded in dark robes, hoods thrown over their heads. My knees buckled, my body¡¯s second-nature kicking in as they begged to bow. The white light dissipated, smoke clearing from the burning of their means of transportation, and she appeared at the forefront, flanked by her guards. Hers was the darkest of the cloaks and the train of it pooled on the ground behind her. Her fur-lined hood remained firmly in place, protecting her from the unrelenting sun. Gold laced the fur, glinting in the light, her face shadowed by it. But those eyes, those golden eyes, peered out from underneath, honing in on me. I swallowed, my throat tight, refusing to break the silence first. We continued our staring contest, neither of us faltering. She took a step forward, her cloak brushing the edge of the pool. Her gloved hands lifted out from under the robe as she pulled back her hood just enough for her face to come fully into view. My breath hitched as she revealed herself, and for the first time in eight years, I was finally face to face with the reason I left my home. The leader, the queen of Clydonia. My mother.

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Birgitta,¡± she smiled, as chills skittered down my spine hearing my given-name on her lips.


    ¡°Mother,¡± I bit out through clenched teeth.


    She motioned towards the house where the glass door stood open, my friends frozen at the dining room table. ¡°Your talents are wasted on this planet. Unfreeze them, my dear,¡± she commanded, speaking in our native tongue.


    ¡°Why?¡± I shifted on my foot, and a flutter of activity amongst her flank of guards caught my attention. My insolence clearly rankled them. I smirked at her, irritating them even more, their gloved hands reaching for the weapons at their side. She tsked at them and they relaxed a fraction, clasping their hands behind their backs.


    ¡°Birgitta,¡± the queen tilted her head, a hint of her annoyance peeking through her typical mask of indifference, ¡°there are matters we must discuss with these people.¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°There is nothing to discuss. And I want nothing to do with you or your horde. Leave. Now.¡± She bristled at the rage in my tone, but smiled in spite of it, ¡°My dear, how you speak to me? What sort of manners are taught on this planet?¡± She wrinkled her nose and motioned her gloved-hands around her. The guards snickered at her clear disgust for the home I¡¯d chosen.


    ¡°Well, for starters,¡± I lifted my hand and began ticking on my fingers, ¡°this planet isn¡¯t ruled by one tyrant, seeking thrills by murdering innocents simply because they disagreed with her, and yielding powers against those who have nothing to protect themselves.¡± Her golden eyes flared, and I lowered my slightly-shaking hand.


    ¡°Enough of this,¡± she declared, waving her hand as the moment in time unfroze. My scream of panic was quickly cut off by another tendril of her power, and I was kept in place, as my friends¡¯ laughter rang out in the dining room. It was instantly halted as they noticed the unwelcome presence outside.


    ¡°What the fuck,¡± Steve exclaimed, shooting up from the table and charging outside to demand answers. The others stayed back, throwing anxious glances my way.


    ¡°Uh uh uh,¡± my mother warned, halting Steve as he stepped on the grass at the end of the pool.


    ¡°Birdie,¡± he turned to me, ¡°who the fuck are these people?¡±


    A peal of laughter rang out, ¡°Birdie?!¡± my mother exclaimed, breaking from her practiced indifferent nature. ¡°Birdie,¡± she tasted the name on her tongue, switching to English, ¡°well, that¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Released from her power, I stepped forward to the edge of the pool, cringing slightly at the touch of the sun on my skin. ¡°Please,¡± I begged, hating the sound of it, ¡°please leave. They have nothing to do with this,¡± I motioned between her and me, our fractured relationship deeper than my betrayal of leaving our home.


    ¡°Birgitta,¡± she purred, ¡°the moment you used your powers, you involved them.¡±


    ¡°Powers?¡± Steve sputtered, the rest of the group slowly joining behind him to stare at me, ¡°what powers?¡±


    ¡°She was going to die!¡± I stressed, ¡°I am not like you, Mother,¡± I jeered, the eyes of my friends widening in shock. ¡°I had to save her¡­had to.¡±


    She brought a gloved-hand to her paled lips, the hood still providing coverage from the sun while I stood there, roasting, ¡°So admirable, Birgitta darling. Choosing to save her, after all this time of having your powers go unused.¡±


    ¡°What powers?!¡± cried Steve and Marisol. The others muttered similarly.


    I moved towards them but stopped as my friends visibly flinched backwards. My mother laughed again, and I hated myself, hated her, hated everything in that moment. But I faced them and admitted, ¡°My powers,¡± I looked down at my hands then up again, ¡°I stopped time to save you.¡±


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    ¡°How?¡± Steve asked, disbelievingly. ¡°Who are you? What is going on?¡±


    I swallowed, my throat tight from the facade of my life falling apart, ¡°I¡­¡± I stammered, ¡°I¡¯m not¨Cfrom here,¡± I finally admitted.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Chris called out, standing at a safe distance, ¡°you¡¯re from California.¡±


    Another chuckle from the guards and my mother. ¡°Cal-i-forn-ia,¡± she drew out the word, ¡°is not a familiar place to me. Your friend,¡± she waved her hand gracefully at me, ¡°is from Clydonia.¡±


    ¡°Is that in Europe or something?¡± Chris asked, completely oblivious. I resisted the urge to smack my hand into my face as my mother chuckled again, ¡°What rare and intelligent creatures you¡¯ve surrounded yourself with, Birgitta. No, human,¡± she condescended, ¡°Clydonia is a planet. Far from here.¡± Murmured curses escaped from my friends as the shame of my secrets flooded my cheeks. She continued, ¡°Birgitta hails from this magnificent planet and chose to leave against my wishes years ago.¡±


    ¡°You forced me to leave,¡± I countered aggressively, taking a step towards the pool as the tendrils of her power slinked over the water, locking me into place once more.


    ¡°My dear, why would you say such a thing?¡± She feigned hurt, placing a hand over her cold heart.


    I withered a stare, ignoring the bait, ¡°Mother, please¡­leave.¡±


    Steve interrupted our stare-off, exasperated, ¡°Bird..Brig¡­whatever your name is, listen, tell us what is going on. Also, why do you keep calling her Mother?¡±


    I sighed, turning my head, still rooted in place, unwilling to fight against her power. ¡°I left out of sheer necessity and came here to start my life again. Keeping everything about myself hidden, I never once used my powers because I knew the moment I did, it would alert her,¡± I jerked my chin towards the invaders, ¡°to my presence. And I¡¯ve avoided it so well. But the second I saw Annie,¡± she looked away at the mention of her name, ¡°almost die, nothing mattered. Nothing. I just knew I had to save her. And she,¡± I motioned across the pool, ¡°is my mother. I¡¯ve lied to you, and I am deeply sorry. But please, you have to trust me. I lied to protect you all.¡±


    Steve and Marisol exchanged a look, and I wondered what unspoken message passed between the two of them as Steve nodded, then glanced at me, ¡°Ok¡­ok, we¡¯ll talk about this later. Whoever you are, we still love you. But we need to talk.¡± I swallowed hard at their unwavering support and nodded. Fighting against my mother¡¯s powers, I stepped out of her strong, invisible hold. A surge of surprise flowed through the guards at my strength against the ruler, and I threw them a tight smile as I paced the pool to stand directly across from her.


    ¡°Leave,¡± I asked again. She looked down at her hands, inspecting them as she turned them over. My heart faltered as her head lifted, and she decided, ¡°No,¡± throwing out her arm towards my friends.


    Annie shrieked as my mother bent her to her will and she came crashing down on her knees. Lawrence fell down beside her, holding her in his arms as tears escaped down his cheeks, ¡°Help her!¡± he cried to no one in particular as she writhed in pain. My mother stayed firmly in place, a malicious grin ticking up at the corners of her mouth.


    ¡°Mother!¡± I screamed, ¡°Stop this!¡±


    She cocked her head, furrowing her brows, as if surprised by my request, ¡°My dear, you know how this works. You interfered with her fate. You risked our entire existence with that little stunt. And now she must die.¡±


    Another cry from Lawrence and Annie, and I ignored my mother entirely as I rushed to Annie¡¯s side. Lawrence hesitated at my approach, but stepped aside. I took Annie¡¯s trembling hands in mine, and sent my own power through her, defeating my mother¡¯s. She instantly stopped shaking and sighed with relief, meeting my gaze. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered, ¡°thank you for saving me.¡±


    I nodded, my throat tight. Standing to face the queen again, I stayed in close proximity to my friends, guarding them at my back. ¡°Leave. Now,¡± I repeated my demand, gathering the courage in my voice to convey the severity.


    ¡°Settle the debt owed. And we will,¡± she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders, her cloak rippling with the movement. ¡°And come home, my dear. We miss you.¡±


    I laughed, and her eyes widened infinitesimally, ¡°No, Mother, you miss the idea of another cog in your machine.¡± I marched away from my friends, ensuring their safety with a wave of my hand. I faced off against her, standing directly across from her on the other side of the pool. ¡°You miss ensuring your horrific regime continues with me. Well, I¡¯ve got some news for you. I¡¯m never coming home. And when you die¡­and you will die¡­your precious war-mongering regime will come to a beautiful stop, allowing the people of our home to live freely once more.¡±


    I gripped my throat as her power choked me, tightening around my windpipes. I struggled for air as my friends¡¯ panicked screams reached me.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Her voice was full of a familiar fury. She demanded answers, and released the invisible hold around my throat. I coughed and heaved, placing my hands on my knees as I gasped for air.


    ¡°They mean nothing to you,¡± I spat, her eyes widening at my refusal to obey.


    ¡°Oh no, my dear,¡± she threatened, hovering over the pool to close the space between us. I staggered back, finding relief in the shade under the deck, ¡°but they mean everything to you, don¡¯t they? Your pathetic attempt at a human life would have been so lonely without them.¡± She grabbed a handful of my hair in her hand, pulling back my head. I bit back my cry.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Steve cried, storming over with some type of umbrella in his hand. Out of the corner of my eye, the guards moved in unison, reaching for their weapon.


    ¡°No!¡± I shouted, hoping to halt them, but my mother pulled back on my hair harder. I squinted as my eyes were forced to stare into the sun. She angled herself over me, ¡°You do not tell my guards what to do.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± I bit out, ¡°old habit¡­sorry. Steve,¡± I called out in my strange position, unable to see him, ¡°please drop the umbrella and walk away. I¡¯m fine. I can handle her.¡± All I heard was him sigh and the clangor of the object hitting the ground. My mother loosened my grip on my hair, and I slowly rose back up. She stayed at my side, and I stiffened as she raised her hands. Smirking, my mother merely pushed back in her hood in the safety of the shade, revealing her wild curly hair and pale skin. Her golden eyes glowed, but her face fell as she took me in.


    ¡°Birgitta¡­your eyes are very distorted here,¡± she noticed.


    ¡°Contacts, Mother. Golden eyes are not common here,¡± I explained. She clicked her tongue and brought a finger under my chin, moving my head around for further inspection, ¡°Your skin is frying on this planet.¡± Dropping her finger, she added, ¡°This is why you need to come home immediately. But not before we fix the little problem you created,¡± she jerked her chin to my friends and I saw them stiffen.


    ¡°No,¡± I sighed, choosing my next words wisely, knowing everything I was giving up, feeling my heart crack in two as I uttered my compromise, ¡°Let her live. Leave the others alone. And I will come home.¡±


    She pursed her lips and shut her eyes momentarily, ¡°Birgitta, you will be welcomed with open arms.¡± I grimaced, her lie so apparent to me.


    ¡°Can I say goodbye to my friends?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she motioned and stepped aside, staying safely in the shade. I walked away from her, gulping in deep breaths, resisting the tears welling at the corners of my eyes. This is the only way, I told myself. No matter how much it hurts, it has to be done.


    My friends approached me with so many questions written on their faces, questions I could never answer. ¡°I have to go home. I have to go with her,¡± I half heartedly explained, ¡°it¡¯s the only way.¡±


    Annie and Lawrence embraced me first, murmuring their thanks and placing kisses on my cheeks. Chris followed, enveloping me in a bear hug. Steve and Marisol grabbed each of my hands and squeezed. I expected them to release quickly, making it a short goodbye, but Steve asked, ¡°What about Penelope?¡±


    My blood froze in my veins, and I lost my breath as my heart stuttered to a halt. He noticed the panic written on my face and lowered his head slightly in apology. Too late. My mother spoke up from behind us, ¡°Who is Penelope?¡±


    ¡°My best friend,¡± I answered quickly as the tears spilled onto my face, ¡°she is the one I¡¯ll miss the most.¡± Marisol squeezed my hand and dropped it, but my mother refused to stop. She wrapped her power around Steve¡¯s throat and asked again, ¡°Who. Is. Penelope.¡±


    I started lifting my hands to fight against her until they were no longer free. A guard came up behind me and restrained them. ¡°Steve. No!¡± I begged, ¡°Mother, please, she¡¯s my best friend. Please let him go.¡±


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    His face turned pale, and I kicked backwards, hoping to free myself from the guard¡¯s grasp. He dodged it and swung me around to face him. I shoved into him with his own hands, and he stumbled for a moment until regaining his balance and pulling my hands into him.


    ¡°She¡¯s her daughter!¡± Marisol screamed and the guard dropped my hands as I turned to see my mother release Steve and face me. I shuddered a sigh, falling to my knees. They cracked on the impact, and I whimpered, but not from the physical pain.


    ¡°My granddaughter?¡± She approached me, her powers raising me onto my feet. I avoided her gaze and looked to Steve who was recovering with Marisol at his side. She shot me the briefest of apologetic looks, but I ignored it. ¡°Birgitta,¡± the queen commanded my attention and I begrudgingly obeyed, ¡°I refuse your request to leave the others behind. At the very least, your daughter comes with us.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I bit out.


    She cocked her head, ¡°You would leave your own blood behind to suffer on this planet?¡±


    I bit my lip so hard, I grimaced from the pain, ¡°I would leave her behind because it¡¯s her home. And I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself to ensure her safety.¡±


    My mother feigned shock, ¡°My dear, I would never hurt you or my granddaughter, even if she is half-human.¡± She picked a piece of fuzz from her gloves, and it floated to the ground. ¡°Now,¡± she clapped her gloved hands together, ¡°bring me to your daughter.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She heaved a dramatic sigh, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll kill everyone in this home. One by one. Hmmm,¡± she brought a gloved finger up to her lips, ¡°who shall I start with?¡±


    I turned back to the guard, his face hidden in swaths of cloth, and grabbed a sword from his side, flicking my other hand to propel him backwards. The other guards caught him before he fell into the pool. Raising the sword to my neck, I said to my mother, ¡°Hurt any of them, and I will slit open my throat. And then your reign is truly over. You will never find my daughter. Leave, or I end my life.¡±


    A glimmer of panic shone in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an eerie calm. ¡°Oh Birgitta, please. Stop this nonsense.¡±


    I pressed the sword into my throat, and a bead of blue blood dripped onto the blade. ¡°Mother, do not tempt me,¡± I said as the blade dug in deeper. She froze it with a tendril of her power before I finished the job and it flew out of my hand, clattering to the ground.


    Approaching me with her stalking grace, she purred, ¡°Have you forgotten my strength?¡± Closing the distance between us, she held my gaze with her damned power, ¡°Have you forgotten how easily I could destroy this pathetic excuse for a planet?¡± No, I hadn¡¯t forgotten. Most nights the threat of her finding me here tore me from my sleep. She continued, ¡°My sweet girl, come home. Bring your daughter. Your place is beside me¡­ruling.¡± She ran a hand over the cut on my neck. I shivered as the tendrils of her might closed the wound, stopping the blood.


    Clenching my teeth, I disagreed, ¡°I can never be what you want me to be.¡±


    ¡°Oh Birgitta,¡± she placed a gloved hand on my arm, and I flinched under her touch, ¡°it is necessary, you know that. And you will adapt and learn, I promise.¡±


    Her complete disregard for anyone beside herself reared its ugly head, rankling me, and I lashed out, ¡°No! No, Your Highness, killing innocents, innocent people under your rule, is not necessary. Bending people to your will if they so much as disagree with one thing is not necessary. Thinking you are superior because you inherit powers from your line and then wielding your superiority to berate and punish others is not necessary!¡± My knees cracked as they fell to the ground, forced by her hand. I refused to give her the satisfaction of my cry and blinked my tears away.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she sighed, and my stomach clenched as I waited for her next directive, very aware of this woman who consistently dismissed me, ignoring all of my ideas for a better life. ¡°Guards!¡± she called to her retinue. ¡°We¡¯re departing. Leave her behind. Leave them all.¡± She raised me to my feet once again, taking her gloved hand to grip my chin, ¡°I shall miss you, my dear.¡± I said nothing as she pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear, ¡°But I think I shall enjoy watching this world burn.¡±


    My heart plummeted in my chest and the roaring in my ears drowned out everything around me. ¡°Mother,¡± I choked out, returning her embrace to buy myself time. I flicked out one hand to freeze my friends who stood by watching, terrified to interfere. ¡°Please,¡± I begged, tasting the insincerity of my words, squeezing her tighter, ¡°please don¡¯t do this. I love you,¡± I lied easily, as the knife from the table materialized in my hand.


    ¡°Oh Birgitta,¡± she replied, ¡°what a pathetic profession. It¡¯s over.¡± She pulled away, and I sheathed the knife by my side.


    I swallowed hard as I admitted, ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    Her eyes widened in real shock as I plunged the knife straight into her heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my Queen,¡± I whispered as the tears streamed down my cheeks. She crumpled to the floor, and I threw out another hand, freezing her guards in place as they clambered to reach her, save her. But as her body disintegrated into ash and her power left, slamming into me, I knew it was done. She was dead.

 Chapter 4

    My body trembled as I collapsed to the ground, heaving with sobs. I killed her. My own mother. I shook uncontrollably as her powers met my own, the excessiveness terrifying. Waving my hand, I resumed the moment in time, and my friends glanced around, still confused and hesitant to move from their spot.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± I croaked out, my throat sore from the sobs. Steve and Chris exchanged a worried glance as Marisol stepped forward, ¡°Birdie, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I shook my head, her apology unnecessary, and wiped the tears from my face.


    ¡°What about them?¡± Steve asked, motioning to the guards rooted to the spot behind me. I turned around, blowing out a breath, and inhaled deeply to prepare for the ramifications of my actions.


    ¡°Stay back,¡± I advised my friends, ¡°in fact, go inside. I can protect you all, but it¡¯s best if none of you are here to see this.¡± They steadfastly ignored me but moved closer to the sliding door. I sighed, too tired to insist they go into the house. I flicked my hand, the guards unfreezing and stumbling forwards.


    ¡°Where is she,¡± one of them asked, the deep voice ringing through the backyard. My heart constricted as I swallowed down the fear of the impending doom as I uttered the next words, ¡°She is dead. I killed her.¡±


    Gasps echoed from behind me as the guards pulled their swords in unison and marched towards me. I spread my feet out a little wider than my hips and clasped my hands in front of me, bowing my head a fraction. ¡°Birdie!¡± my friends called out on their approach, but I shouted to them, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    The guards formed a line, their swords raised in the air, stopping just short of me. They bent down on one knee in unison and kissed the blades to their hooded brows. ¡°My Queen,¡± they said, ¡°we aim to serve.¡± I pursed my lips, choking back the bile building as they shouted their next words, ¡°Long live Queen Birgitta of Clydonia, Ruler and God of Her Creation.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I murmured, then raised my voice. It trembled slightly as I commanded, ¡°Stand.¡± They obeyed, and I turned to face my friends who stared at me, gaping. Chris broke the silence first as he mocked a bow, and addressed me, ¡°Your Majesty,¡± his voice laced with sarcasm.


    I offered them a weak smile, ¡°Yes, so this,¡± I motioned around us, ¡°isn¡¯t really how I expected the trip to go.¡±


    ¡°What the actual fuck is going on?¡± Lawrence asked, bluntly.


    My phone trilled in my pocket, and I held up a finger to them, fishing it out. Not recognizing the number, I decided to answer it. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Birdie, thank fuck,¡± came the relieved voice of my cousin, Kiki, ¡°are you okay?¡±


    I brought one hand to my forehead and rubbed, wincing at the pain on my skin. Moving to the shade to avoid being burned alive, I explained, ¡°She¡¯s dead, Keek. I killed her.¡±


    Silence. ¡°Kiki?¡± I sent a tendril of power through the phone to ensure she was still standing and hadn¡¯t passed out from the news.


    ¡°Fuck, Birdie¡­are you okay,¡± she repeated.


    I bit my lip, ¡°No, no I¡¯m not. Is PJ ok?¡±


    ¡°Yea, she¡¯s fine. Freaked out a little when I started packing up the house, but I told her we were going to Disney World, so she¡¯s better now.¡±


    I huffed a laugh, ¡°Well¡­ok, I guess we¡¯re going to Disney.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say Disney is far down the list of priorities, Your Highness.¡±


    I groaned at the title, ¡°Kiki, please, not you too.¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok. Listen, come home, and we¡¯ll figure all of this out,¡± she promised. I raised my eyebrows and glanced between my group of friends who retreated to the dining room and were now awkwardly chatting and avoiding the elephant sitting on the lawn and the guards who stood at attention.


    ¡°Keek, her ¡ª my,¡± I corrected myself, ¡°guards are here. I doubt they¡¯ll willingly go to Clydonia.¡±


    ¡°Is he¡­¡± she started and paused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That wasn¡¯t my main focus, to tell the truth.¡±


    She blew out a breath, ¡°Well, this should be interesting. Can we come to you instead?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± I stared at the behemoth of a vacation home, filled to the brim with enough personalities and unnecessary guards, ¡°maybe see if you can rent another home close by and then yes, come down. Bring your brother, too.¡±


    She agreed and promised to be there as soon as possible. Thanking her, I added, ¡°Tell Penelope I can¡¯t wait to see her, ok?¡±


    ¡°You got it, Birdie. I guess she has a few surprises coming her way, huh?¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Yea, she does.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll handle it well. She¡¯s like you, you know.¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers, ¡°Yea, I know.¡±


    Hearing the pain in my voice, she said, ¡°Hey, please don¡¯t beat yourself up about this one. Our entire world is better off for it. Both of our worlds. And yes, I know what it means. Yea, things are going to suck for a while and be confusing and hard. But you just save thousands of people¡¯s lives with one act.¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± I agreed, ¡°but there are going to be people who don¡¯t see it that way. I¡¯ve got a long road ahead of me.¡± I left it there and wished her safe travels before hanging up.


    Moving to join my friends, I glanced at the guards, maintaining their position. ¡°You all¡­I mean, please feel free to sit out here. Maybe take off the hoods or something because it is sweltering.¡± Not one of them moved. ¡°Ok, suit yourself.¡±


    I headed into the dining room, relishing the enclosed space, and stood by an empty chair. ¡°Mind if I sit?¡± I asked, aware of all their eyes on me.


    ¡°You better,¡± Lawrence said, ¡°you have a lot of fucking explaining to do.¡± I heaved a sigh, looking around the table at the expectant faces, and slid into the chair.


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    ¡°Well,¡± I started, placing my hands on the table, tapping my fingers nervously, ¡°it all began eight years ago.¡± And then I dove into a tale no one on this planet had ever heard before. ¡°There is a planet far away, in another galaxy, called Clydonia. And it is ruled, has always been ruled, by gods. For a very long time, we lived peacefully, or at least that¡¯s how history remembers it. But my mother rose to power after hers perished. And I don¡¯t really know what happened to her or how she became so evil. Perhaps it¡¯s a topic for another day. Needless to say, hers was the reign of terror. We never saw eye to eye. I was her failure. You see, it¡¯s difficult for gods to procreate. Not impossible, obviously, but very difficult. So I was her chance. Gods live for quite a long time, but we¡¯re not invincible. Again, obviously. So to ensure her rule was maintained, she did try to have another child. It never worked though. Once she knew having another child was out of the question, she focused on me. Fitting me into this box of her desire. Forcing me to see things her way, to see the others around us as ¡®less than¡¯. Nothing ever worked. And I rebelled every step of the way. And then one day,¡± I shuddered a breath, willing the memory out of my mind, ¡°she made a decision so reprehensible and I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. I had to leave. My two cousins, Kiki and Alexi, left with me. You know them as my brother and sister. That was eight years ago. I have powers, yes. And before today, I refused to call them to life. They were a beacon for her. But¡­well you know the rest. So¡­questions?¡±


    Everyone stared at me, gobsmacked. Steve spoke first, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill her back then? Why wait until today?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders, shaking my head, ¡°I was a coward. And selfish. And maybe a part of me thought leaving would teach her enough of a lesson to change. Maybe I hoped the pain of losing me would cause her to rethink her future actions.¡±


    ¡°What about Penelope?¡± Marisol asked, cautiously.


    I cocked my head, confused, ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­I mean, she¡¯s a little over seven. And you¡¯re a single mom. We¡¯ve never¡­you¡¯ve never talked about¡­¡±


    I lowered my head, always amazed by Marisol¡¯s perception. ¡°Yea, she¡¯s¡­she¡¯s a god too. And has no idea.¡± I lowered my voice, ¡°Neither does her father.¡±


    Steve hissed, ¡°What?¡±


    I glanced behind me at the guards who stood in the same position as before, ¡°Please, do not say a word. It¡¯s complicated as is. She is at risk if people knew her father hails from Clydonia. So, please, for the sake of her safety, please allow them to think she is half-human too.¡±


    They nodded, and Lawrence piped up, ¡°What are your powers?¡±


    It felt so weird to be sitting here, revealing everything to my friends after spending so long hiding. I sat up in my seat a bit, excited at the prospect to finally discuss it, something I took pride in long ago. ¡°Yea, so I can freeze time and manifest objects. For example, let¡¯s say I¡¯d like an apple,¡± I closed my eyes and opened my palms, picturing an apple from the kitchen, and when I opened my eyes it had materialized in my hands.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± was all Lawrence said, in awe.


    ¡°And now I¡¯ve inherited my mother¡¯s powers, which is what happens to heirs upon their predecessor¡¯s death. Honestly, her powers¡­some of them you saw¡­they¡¯re a little too terrifying to delve into. I think I¡¯m safe with what I know.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Chris asked, curiously.


    I groaned, covering my face with my hands, ¡°That¡¯s a great fucking question.¡± I rubbed my temples, ¡°I have no clue. Technically, I am required to return to Clydonia. I have to¡­dear god, I have to have a stupid fucking coronation and be crowned Queen.¡±


    Annie snorted, ¡°That sounds horrible.¡±


    Dropping my hands to the table, I whined, ¡°It is when you¡¯ve built a life here.¡±


    ¡°So this is it?¡± Steve asked softly. ¡°We¡¯ll never see you again?¡±


    I smirked, ¡°Consider this my two weeks¡¯ notice. But there is something I¡¯ll need to do before I go. And I¡¯m really fucking sorry about this next part.¡±


    ¡°O¨Cok,¡± Steve stammered, surely reliving his encounter with my mother.


    ¡°I need you all to take a blood oath, swearing on your lives to never speak of what happened here today. Unfortunately, if you break the oath, you die. Again, really sorry, but yea. Soooo¡­¡± I waited for any of them to disagree but they all nodded albeit a little hesitantly.


    ¡°Thanks. Um, I guess I¡¯ll grab one of the guards then to help out.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Steve asked, flabbergasted.


    I pushed back my chair, ¡°Well, yea. I¡¯m kind of leaving soon, so it has to be now.¡± He didn¡¯t refuse, so I braced myself for the sun¡¯s impact and headed outside to where the guards were stationed.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I addressed them, unsure who was the main guard. One stepped forward and bowed deeply, ¡°Your Majesty. How can we be of service?¡±


    I should be used to this, I reminded myself. They bowed and addressed me as Your Highness constantly while I was growing up. But there was something so grating in my new title, something so unnerving in knowing I was the ruler of them all. I shivered slightly then composed myself. ¡°Right, so I need to enact the blood oath. I was wondering if I could borrow one of your swords? Or,¡± I added, ¡°I am a bit squeamish, so maybe one of you could help out.¡±


    The guard who spoke up nodded his head and agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll assist you with the blood oath, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Great, thanks. Um, come with me,¡± I motioned to him.


    He joined my side and we walked across the yard to the dining area. He surprised me by dipping his head to my ear and whispering, ¡°A bit squeamish yet you stuck a knife through the old bat¡¯s heart?¡± I opened my mouth to issue a smart retort until I remembered the nickname and thought of the only person to have the gall to speak to me in such a familiar way. ¡°Einar,¡± I whispered half-relieved as he chuckled, ¡°you got a promotion?¡±


    ¡°A lot has changed since you left. Still mad at you for leaving, by the way.¡± We reached the dining area and stepped aside as I said, ¡°Join the club. Ok,¡± I raised my voice, calling to my friends, ¡°This guard will be assisting with the blood oath.¡± Einar removed his sword from his side and a few of my friends flinched back.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I promised, holding out my palm, ¡°he¡¯ll just slice your palm here and you¡¯ll squeeze a droplet of blood onto the ground. Once all our blood is there, I say a few words and viola! Easy peasy.¡± I could feel Einar¡¯s gaze boring into the side of my head. I looked at him and raised my eyebrows as if to say ¡®what?¡¯. He gave a slight shake of his head and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s first?¡±


    Steve rose on shaky feet and walked over to Einar holding out his palm. Einar sliced quick and easy and beads of blood swelled on the surface. Steve held his hand in a fist over the spot on the ground I pointed to and squeezed. A few drops dripped, and he walked over to Marisol who offered him a napkin. The rest of them followed the process, and then it was my turn. Einar hesitated, pausing the blad over my palm. Saving him the pain of needing to cut me, I held out my other hand and motioned, ¡°Give me.¡± He handed it over and flinched as I swiftly cut through my palm, grimacing slightly. As my blood joined the pool on the floor, I kneeled down and whispered the familiar words in my native tongue. The blood boiled then fizzled into the ground, a promise of the oath¡¯s magic working.


    ¡°It worked,¡± I announced, as I stood, ignoring the offered hand from Einar. ¡°Thank you, all,¡± I addressed my friends, ¡°it means a great deal to me.¡±


    ¡°How long until you leave?¡± Marisol asked as I took my seat at the table and with a nod of dismissal, Einar rejoined his ranks outside.


    ¡°Kiki is looking to rent a place down here to spend a few days, maybe a week. Preparing Penelope for the journey is my top priority. And apparently, I have to take her to Disney World first,¡± I added, shrugging my shoulders.


    ¡°Will anyone come back here? After you leave, I mean,¡± Steve added, nervously.


    ¡°The only person with power to travel to different worlds is me. Technically, Penelope can as well, but I¡¯d have to teach her first. It¡¯s incredibly challenging to harness it. Only the immediate members of the royal family are granted the power to travel across worlds. And PJ and I are all that¡¯s left.¡± Changing the subject and finally asking a question of my own, I broached a particularly awkward topic, ¡°Hey, until my daughter and cousins arrive, are you all ok if I stay here? It¡¯ll just be for tonight. The guards can sleep outside. I¡¯ll set them up appropriately. If not, I completely understand. You¡¯ve just been handed a ridiculous card.¡±


    My friends smiled at me, Marisol reaching over to grab my hand and squeeze. She spoke first, ¡°Of course you can stay here.¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± Steve smirked, ¡°Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Of all the ridiculous asinine situations I¡¯ve experienced, this tipped the scale. Of the ten bedroom mansion we rented for the vacation, originally only four of the rooms were used. Now we maxed out the rooms teeming with guards clearly uncomfortable on this planet. But who could blame them. It took me several years to adjust to the oppressive star beating down on my skin and the unpredictable nature. And then the homes¡­built by plaster and a nail, barely constructed to withstand a strong wind. My mother¡¯s¡­my retinue of guards, all ten of them, were shoved like sardines into the six rooms. Not a single one complained, though. I expected nothing less.


    Flopping onto my bed, exhausted from the events of the afternoon, I rolled on my side and grabbed a pillow in my hands. Squeezing the pillow into my face, I screamed as loud as possible but still ensuring the sound was muffled. The release of the anger, fear, and overwhelming sadness I felt was channeled into my cathartic scream until the sound of the door slamming open jolted me out of my therapy session with the pillow. I rolled off the bed and scattered to my feet, ready to fight the intruder. But there stood one of the guards, filling the doorframe, still swathed in the cloth of the uniform.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he bowed his head, and his voice wasn¡¯t familiar, ¡°are you alright? I heard a scream.¡±


    I offered him a small smile, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Just¡­a good old fashioned scream. No need to worry.¡± He cocked his head, clearly confused by my reasoning, but only said, ¡°Does Your Majesty require assistance?¡±


    A giggle bubbled to the surface, and I disguised it with a cough, ¡°With screaming? I think I¡¯m alright, thank you though.¡± Stepping around the bed, I placed my hand on my chest and asked, ¡°Forgive me, but what is your name?¡±


    ¡°Rune, Your Highness,¡± he bowed again.


    A sob caught in my throat, and I whispered, ¡°Rune?¡± as I approached him, slowly. He nodded. I hesitated, ¡°My¡­I mean, we know each other?¡±


    ¡°I believe so, Your Majesty.¡± The timbre of his voice was deeper than I remembered.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± I begged. He shook his head, shifting his feet slightly in the doorframe, widening them an inch.


    ¡°Stop what, Your Majesty?¡±


    My voice shook, and my hands trembled. I shoved them in my pockets, ¡°Stop calling me that.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what Your Majesty wishes. How shall I address you?¡± His formality was unnerving but expected after all these years.


    ¡°Call me what you called me before¡­all of this. Please.¡±


    ¡°That was a long time ago. I don¡¯t believe I remember.¡± His words shattered my heart, and I refused to let him see me broken again. Straightening my back, I switched into the part he expected me to play, ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you for reminding me. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


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    He bowed his head and stalked out of the room. I slammed the door behind him, forgoing any attempt at ladylike behavior. A tentative knock on my door sounded a few seconds later. ¡°Go away,¡± I yelled, throwing my pillow at the door.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what Your Majesty wishes,¡± came Einar¡¯s teasing voice from the other side. I groaned and reluctantly opened the door, standing to the side and motioning him to come in. He bowed dramatically, so I materialized the pillow into my hand and chucked it at him. He laughed, striding into my bedroom, and positioning himself on my windowsill. Of all the guards, he was the only one out of the headpiece hiding his face. I smiled, the familiarity of him flooding back.


    Einar was my best friend, my confidant, growing up. He even joined the royal guards so we could spend as much time as possible together. Before I left, he had been assigned to me, making my time in the palace bearable. Back then, he had short black hair, shorn close to his scalp. Now, it had grown out and was tied neatly in a knot on top of his head. His skin was many shades darker than mine, although both of ours reacted negatively under Earth¡¯s blazing star, thanks to the many layers of Ozone removed.


    He patted on the windowsill next to him, ¡°Join me, my Queen.¡±


    I snorted and hopped onto the bed, laying on my side, and propping myself onto my elbow. I patted next to me, ¡°Join me, my Protector.¡± He huffed a laugh and obeyed, setting his sword on the dresser then laying down next to me. I moved to my back and sighed, ¡°I missed you, Einar. I guess we have a lot of catching up to do.¡±


    He slipped into our native tongue, ¡°We do. And I missed you too. But I¡¯m still rather upset you didn¡¯t take me with you. Kiki and Alexi? Come on, Birdie. I would have helped you, you know.¡±


    I ran my hands over my face, ¡°Of course I know. I couldn¡¯t do that to your life¡­uproot it so extensively. It would have been very selfish of me.¡±


    He groaned, ¡°Kiki and Alexi deserved to have theirs uprooted?¡±


    Ouch. Leave it to Einar to hit me over the head with the blunt stick. I whispered a secret only very few knew, ¡°They were next, Einar. You were safe, but they were next. I had to take them with me.¡±


    He blew out a breath and cursed. ¡°How did they handle that particular blow?¡±


    I turned on my side again, facing him, ¡°Not particularly well. It¡¯s how we¡¯ve stayed hidden here for so long. Once it became about our survival, nothing warranted the use of powers.¡±


    He smirked, ¡°Until today apparently.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Yea, not how I intended my vacation to go. But I had to save her, Einar. Even if it meant destroying everything I worked so hard to create. I couldn¡¯t let her die.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said softly. ¡°Can we talk about the fact that you have a daughter though? Gods almighty, what¡¯s that like?¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± I rolled onto my back, ¡°the greatest gift ever. And she¡¯s exactly like me.¡±


    Einar groaned again, and I slapped him.


    He hedged his next question carefully, ¡°Will the father be very upset when you take her to an entirely different world?¡±


    I swallowed, ¡°The father doesn¡¯t know she exists. So, no, he won¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, got it,¡± and he dropped the subject much to my relief. We laid there for a few more moments in silence. He broke it first, admitting, ¡°I really really missed you. Bird.¡±


    And with those words, the gates to my pain ripped wide open. Tears poured down my face as I scooted closer to him and wrapped my arms around his chest. Burrowing my face in his side, I sobbed, and he said, ¡°I guess you missed me too.¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°I¡¯m going for a jog,¡± I announced to no one in particular, standing in the dining room. The kitchen door was slid open, allowing Steve to traipse in and out carrying our breakfast with ease. We agreed the night before it was best to dismiss the chef and helper for the rest of the trip as to not add a layer of unnecessary explanation outside our core group. And Steve jumped at the chance to cook for us all. No one argued his superior place in the kitchen, so he cooked us a brilliant meal of five courses in the evening. We enjoyed it, mostly in silence, since the awkwardness of the events superseded any opportunity for normal conversations. The guards stayed stationed around the house and refused my many offers of food. Einar informed me they eventually ate after I had fallen asleep rather fitfully. He chose to stand watch in my room, so he surely saw how my nightmares found me again. When I woke, his arms were the arms wrapped around my waist, presumably to help limit the tossing and turning inevitably leading to my fall off the bed. At home, I slept on a mattress on the floor after several painful instances of waking up due to a banging of my head against my nightstand or the floor. But no matter how hard I tried, no matter what pills the doctors subscribed, nothing stopped the terrors from finding me in my sleep.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Einar said, the only guard who removed his head and face covering and deigned to sit with us at the dining room table. His offering pulled me from my thoughts, and I narrowed my eyes at him, ¡°I did not request nor do I desire company.¡±


    He raised his brows, ¡°Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I will not allow you to wander the streets without company.¡±


    I snorted, lifting the mug in my hand to my lips, taking a sip of the hot tea, ¡°You will not allow me? Einar, please, you realize I¡¯ve lived here long enough to handle myself, right? Besides, there¡¯s no threat of alerting you all to my presence, so if I need to use my powers to protect myself, I will.¡±


    He slid back his chair and stood, ¡°Your Majesty fails to understand how detrimental it would be to use her powers and further risk our presence on this planet.¡±


    The cup in my hand shattered under the strength in my grip, and rematerialized, but not before several heads at the table whipped in my direction, concern flooding their faces. I cleared my throat, ¡°I fail to understand?¡± Taking a deep breath, remembering the power I inherited, I settled myself, ¡°You¡¯re right, Einar. That was shortsighted of me. While I appreciate the offer of company, I would prefer a few moments alone.¡±


    He cocked his head and smirked, ¡°No problem, I know how to keep a safe distance.¡± Swallowing down the scream building in my throat, I smiled tightly at him, set my cup down gently on the table, and stormed out of the room. I stomped rather unnecessarily up the stairs then gently nicked the door to my room shut before grabbing the pillow from the bed, holding it to my face, and screaming, the muffled sound barely audible. A quick rapt at the door broke my rage, and I prepared an apology for my outburst as I walked over and opened the door. I was momentarily taken aback at one of my guard¡¯s presence instead of the anticipated Einar.


    He bowed, ¡°Your Majesty.¡± My heart sped up, and heat crept into my face. His voice, knowing who it belonged to now sent a shiver down my spine. ¡°I heard screaming,¡± he stated, simply.


    I brushed my long wild hair over my shoulder and willed the flush of my cheeks to dissipate, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Rune. I thought the pillow muffled any sound. I¡¯m fine,¡± I shrugged my shoulder. Clearly, I failed to convince him as he hesitated in the doorframe. Feeling raw and vulnerable in front of him, I added, ¡°Listen, I know it¡¯s your duty to guarantee my safety, but I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t check on me because your job requires it, ok?¡±


    ¡°Would Your Majesty prefer I resign my position?¡±


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    Flustered by the suggestion and angry at myself for my emotions besting me, I stammered, ¡°No¨CI¨CNo¡­that¡¯s not. You should still be my guard¡­if you want to be my guard.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Your Majesty. Will that be all?¡± I gave him a curt nod, and he bowed, walking away to resume his position.


    Shutting the door, I placed my forehead against the wall and murmured, ¡°I just wish you checked on me because you cared. I wish we could go back to how we were before.¡±


    Another knock at the door startled me, and I swung it open, half-expecting Rune to be standing there again. My face fell as Einar filled the space instead. ¡°I¡¯m here to change,¡± he said to my unasked question. I stood to the side, welcoming him into the room. He waited by the dresser as I waded in my bag, pulling out my running clothes. I started pulling off my top until Einar interrupted with an incessant tapping of his foot.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, slightly annoyed.


    ¡°Bird,¡± he motioned to his guard¡¯s uniform, ¡°a little help?¡±


    I smacked my hand onto my forehead, cursing in our native tongue. Holding out my hands, I closed my eyes, envisioning clothes of Einar¡¯s size and appropriate running shoes. They materialized in my outstretched arms a few moments later.


    ¡°Nice,¡± he commented, ¡°where¡¯d you snag those from?¡±


    ¡°Some warehouse. They won¡¯t be missed.¡± We turned away from one another as we changed into our clothes. In our younger, more wild days, Einar and I had a number of romantic entanglements, but we always realized we were much better off as best friends, regardless of the many times we slipped back into warming each other¡¯s beds. Our sexual endeavours provided comfort more than anything. It took every ounce of self-restraint to keep my back turned to him, and once I was finished changing, I called out, ¡°All done?¡±


    He mumbled yes, and I turned around, finding him huddled in the corner on the opposite side of the room. I furrowed my brows at the discomfort etched in his face, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I did not turn around,¡± he murmured, his gaze roving my body. I inhaled deeply, ¡°Oh. Umm.¡± I bit my lip, unsure of how to proceed. He bowed his head reluctantly, ¡°Your Majesty wishes to run, so a running we shall go.¡±


    I moved to close the space between us, but he held out an arm, ¡°Bird, if you want to go for a run, I insist you keep distance between us. Come any closer, and I very much doubt we¡¯ll leave this room.¡±


    As incredibly tempting as the offer sounded, especially as I desired some type of release to reduce the nerves overwhelming my body, I stayed put and offered a change of subject while he collected himself, ¡°Kiki, Alexi, and Penelope are catching a flight out tonight. They¡¯ll be here in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Yes, so Kiki found a place across the street, and they¡¯ll post up there. I¡¯ll ask half the guards to stay here, and then you and I, and a few others, will join them.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked, presumably feigning interest.


    ¡°My friends are trustworthy, don¡¯t get me wrong, and the blood pact all but ensured their compliance. Still, I¡¯d appreciate a watchful eye while we stay in the area.¡±


    ¡°Wise decision, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± I added, carefully broaching a subject on my mind since the events of the previous day, ¡°a woman could use someone wise, thoughtful, and caring as her right-hand. Know anyone fitting the description? Someone in this house?¡±


    His eyes widened in shock, all traces of lingering arousal gone, ¡°Birdie. Absolutely not.


    ¡°Why?¡± I nearly whined.


    He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, ¡°You know exactly why. They would have a fit!¡±


    I closed the space between us, my arousal be damned, and shoved a finger in his chest, ¡°They are not the rule of Clydonia. They do not have a say in how things operate. They do not have the people¡¯s best interest at heart. You do,¡± I jabbed one final time and dropped my hand to the side. He sighed, ¡°They have gained more power since you were gone. A lot has changed, Birdie. And I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to like it.¡±

 Chapter 7

    I stared at him, my head pounding from the new information, my mouth dry with fear. Taking my fingers to my temples and rubbing in a circular motion, I asked, ¡°How is that even possible? My mother never would have let anyone take power away from her.¡±


    ¡°But their agendas aligned so perfectly. While your mother assumed she held the power, they slowly siphoned some off from her, acting on her behalf, her will. If you want to bring peace to our world, it will be an uphill battle.¡±


    The Council, created by my mother¡¯s mother, the last ruler of peace, was intended to be an intermediary between the queen and her subjects. A god so powerful and mighty was seen as too daunting to the people she ruled over. Therefore, my grandmother designed a group of Clydonians to see the people, hear out any issues arising, settle debates, and for whatever they deemed too big for them to solve, they took it to the queen. Before I left, I witnessed them behaving abysmally, and I assumed it was on my mother¡¯s request. But apparently, it was the start of a downward spiral. I clenched my teeth together so hard, my jaw ached. Einar, witnessing my emotional combustion, gently placed his hands on my shoulders.


    ¡°We will figure this out. Together. I will be your guard, your main guard but not your advisor. Let¡¯s take it slowly. Your daughter is too young to rule.¡±


    I snorted, ¡°A god is hard to kill though. If I insist you are to be my advisor, what are they going to do about it?¡±


    Einar raised a brow, ¡°Hard to kill? Then explain how you managed.¡±


    My chest tightened, ¡°A god against another god is a different story. And last time I checked, I¡¯m one of very few left.¡± Another part of my mother¡¯s horrific plan. Tears welled in my eyes, my vision blurring. Blinking rapidly, I raised a hand to wipe away the escaped tears falling on my cheek, but my best friend got there first.


    ¡°Come,¡± he said softly, ¡°I believe my Queen is overdue for a run.¡±


    I sniffled and nodded my head, thanking him.


    ~


    ¡°I want¡­a jump¡­in the pool,¡± I declared, panting as we finished the run and collapsed on the porch.


    Einar coughed violently, sprawling on his back, before adding, ¡°A large glass¡­of something cold¡­too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and some fucking lotion for my skin,¡± I gasped out, crawling onto my knees. Reaching the front door, I knocked, still in a kneeling position.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Lawrence answered and looked down at us, ¡°do y¡¯all need help or something?¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I realized, and Lawrence¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°I can finally use my powers here!¡±


    Einar groaned, unwilling to move, ¡°Wait¡­until¡­we¡¯re inside.¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± I agreed, ¡°so help inside would be lovely.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡± Lawrence¡¯s hand stretched to grab mine but was pushed out of the way and a gloved one grabbed me instead.


    ¡°I will help Her Majesty,¡± Rune¡¯s voice rattled me, and I nearly pulled my hand away. Remembering the part I played, I offered Lawrence an apologetic stare as he stepped back. Rune lifted me off the ground while Lawrence moved to the porch to help Einar. His hand was still in mine as he escorted me back into the house, but it was dropped as I was deemed safe and sound. Standing in the foyer, unwilling to move further, I closed my eyes and held out my hands, summoning a large bottle of water and my lotion. Setting the lotion on the floor, I chugged the water first, sweat from the run dripping down my back as the condensation from the bottle ran down my front. Satiated, I handed off the water as Einar limped into the foyer and picked up the lotion from the ground. My skin burned, and I applied generous amounts of the ointment to my arms and face. Realizing I couldn¡¯t go much further without assistance, I called for Einar who had walked away from me with my water bottle.


    Rune startled me as he spoke, ¡°If I can be of assistance to Your Highness?¡±


    I waved him off, ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. That¡¯s below your pay.¡±


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    His presence at my back drew closer and he held out his hand, motioning for the lotion, ¡°Your Highness¡¯s health and well-being is exactly my pay. Besides, the star did a number on your back. The sooner the better.¡± I heard something drop on the floor, presumably his glove, as his bare hand touched my back with a glob of lotion. I shivered under his touch, something for which I had longed.


    ¡°Cold?¡± He asked, sounding slightly concerned.


    ¡°Yea,¡± I lied, an old habit with him, ¡°cold.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, Your Highness.¡± I bit down on my lip so hard, almost drawing blood, wishing to ask him again to stop calling me that. Wanting to slip back into the way it used to be. Resisting the urge to beg once more, I said, ¡°How are the other guards faring? I imagine the lodging isn¡¯t ideal. And gods know the food doesn¡¯t hold a candle to back home.¡± His hand paused at my back, but I continued, ¡°But is there anything you all need?¡± His silence hung in the air around us, so I slipped into my old rambling habit, ¡°We won¡¯t be here for much longer anyway. I promise. I mean, my daughter is arriving with my cousins soon, and I do need to prepare her before we make the trip home. And apparently I need to take her to Disney World too. But, I don¡¯t know, maybe she¡¯ll forgive me for not taking her to Disney if I tell her about Clydonia. What kid finds out she¡¯s from a different planet and still wants to go to Disney? Especially with the powers¡­oh gods, that¡¯ll take some explaining.¡± His hand on my shoulder paused my incessant digressive monologue. I turned to face him, his expression hidden behind the mask of the guards.


    His voice was low as he admitted, ¡°I forgot¡­I forgot how different you are.¡± My heart stumbled then galloped, its beat audibly pounding out of my chest.


    I pursed my lips, ¡°Like a good different? Or¨Cor a bad different?¡±


    ¡°Why¡­¡± His question was interrupted by screams from somewhere, and I was immediately thrown behind him as he drew his sword and charged ahead. The other guards descended down the stairs in a swarm. My heart sank into my stomach, and I called the ancient power coursing through my veins to life, throwing out my hands, freezing the moment in time. Slipping past the stilled men, I ran through the hall and dining room searching for the source of the sound. Stumbling outside and cursing in my native tongue as my skin burned under the oppressive rays, I looked wildly around the empty backyard.


    All the breath whooshed out of my body as I noticed fresh scorch marks on the ground. With a flick of my hand, time resumed and inside, I heard someone bellow, ¡°MY QUEEN!¡± I opened my mouth to respond but no sound came out. The voice came closer, more urgent and panicked as he yelled, ¡°BIRGITTA!¡± And my retinue, led by Rune, found me, hands on my knees, struggling to breath.


    He stood in front of me, searching my face for the source of my pain. ¡°Birgitta,¡± he uttered my name, breaking my heart, ¡°what happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I only pointed to the scorched Earth and he cursed.


    ¡°How?¡± I managed. Rune commanded the guards to retreat inside and he slipped a gloved hand under my elbow, ushering me to the shade. Guiding me to the chaise lounge, he sat me down and kneeled at my side.


    ¡°Your mother granted the council limited powers to act on her behalf. But we never knew¡­we never knew it was this¡­¡± As he explained, tears rushed down my face, the harsh reality slamming into me, as I interrupted him and acknowledged, ¡°They took them¡­my friends. Einar¡­¡± I choked out.


    A groan sounded from a bush on the other side of the pool, and I shot up from the lounge, barely noticing Rune falling onto his back from my speed. He caught up to me though as we hurtled for the bush, and my heart leapt into my throat seeing my best friend lying behind it, holding his stomach, blue blood staining the grass beneath him. I swallowed down the bile and knelt next to him, thrusting my hand against the wound.


    ¡°Einar,¡± I whimpered, blinking away the tears, ¡°please, please stay with me.¡± His eyes were shut, but he groaned again. Rune placed a hand on my shoulder, urging me, ¡°Use your powers.¡±


    I ignored him, shaking my head to forget the last time I tried, ¡°Give me something to stop the bleeding.¡± The command in my voice staggered under my bleating panic. He thrust fabric into my hand, and I applied pressure. ¡°Come on, Einar, stay with me.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­Birgitta,¡± Rune slipped out of formality, ¡°you have to try. It is different.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I snapped, not removing my eyes from the wound gaping open in Einar¡¯s stomach, ¡°I am much more out of practice than I was back then.¡±He sighed, ¡°It is different because you have inherited the ruler¡¯s powers. Try.¡± A fluttering of Einar¡¯s eyelids sparked an infinitesimal amount of hope in me. Her powers were something I wished to never access since it caused such toxicity during her reign. Einar, I focused on the purpose of my powers, the good they would do. Hovering my hands over his wound, I closed my eyes, calling the ancient power to life. I¡¯d never seen my mother do this and had only heard stories of my grandmother¡¯s healing. But the ability existed. I summoned my will, how I usually froze time or manifested objects, it operated on my desire. Einar, I spoke to the humming force of my ancestors, those who created everything in their image. Heal Einar, I guided and drove the energy of my mind to the forefront, focusing with intensity. My hands heated and a gasp escaped from Rune as the tendrils floated free. I reluctantly opened my eyes and witnessed my strength as those tendrils slowly stitched the wound back together and the blue blood leached away from the ground into Einar¡¯s body once more. His eyes flew open and he gasped for a breath, attempting to sit up, but I held him down on the ground with one hand. Panicked, he grabbed my arm and wheezed out, ¡°They took them all. And they¡¯re not coming back.¡±

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Rune leaned down and I had to keep from reacting as I realized his headpiece was off. I looked down at my hand then up at him. The fabric soaked in blood¡­it was from Rune¡¯s uniform. Aging suited him well as I noted his longer black hair, streaked with gray. His brown skin was a contrast to my pale white, but both were burning under the oppressive heat. I bit my lip and his golden eyes zeroed in on the small movement. ¡°We must go¡­now.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I blurted out, ¡°Kiki¡­Alexi¡­and my daughter. They¡¯re not even here. I am not leaving without them.¡±


    His eyes softened and he spoke to me as if he was calming a feral creature, ¡°You were willing to do so the first time.¡± Anger coursed through me and I stood abruptly, stepping closer to him as he followed my lead.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Rune,¡± I bit out, staring up at him and craning my neck thanks to the obnoxious height difference, ¡°when I thought my daughter¡¯s life was in danger in Clydonia under my mother¡¯s rule. But as the new ruler of our world, she will be safe and protected. As my daughter, the next in line to the throne, is it not the guards¡¯ duty to protect her as you would me?¡± I challenged him, knowing how seriously he and the others took their oath to the crown.


    He bowed his head, looking shamefaced, ¡°My apologies, Your Highness. You are right. We wait for your daughter.¡± Einar had joined us, his face still paled from the debacle, and added, ¡°Summon them, now, Birdie. We can¡¯t waste any time.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him, ¡°You would like me to summon my daughter, with powers she has no idea I possess, and tell her I¡¯m taking her to a world she doesn¡¯t realize exists? Would you also like me to inform her Santa isn¡¯t real? Because I can make this an entire day of bringing down every small piece of innocence she has left.¡± The two men exchanged silent glances, neither one willing to defy me. Einar opened his mouth then immediately shut it as Rune said, ¡°You are her mother. She will have to learn to understand.¡±


    I threw up my hands and shouted, ¡°Just like I learned to understand my mother? What if she hates me? What if she refuses to leave?¡± I buried my face in my hands and quietly voiced my greatest fear, ¡°What if I end up like the woman I despised the most?¡±


    Someone, Einar probably, enveloped me in a hug. I dropped my hands and wrapped my arms around his waist, sighing into his chest. He leaned down and whispered into my ear, a shock traveling to my core as Rune¡¯s voice promised, ¡°You are too good to ever become like her and too aware of all there is to lose.¡± He released me gently, and I grabbed onto Einar¡¯s arm to keep from stumbling backwards as the look of shock on his face matched my own.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I relented, pulling my phone from my pocket, ¡°I¡¯ll call Kiki. And prepare her.¡±


    ¡°You do that,¡± Einar suggested, pointing to the shade under the deck, ¡°over there.¡±


    I nodded absentmindedly as we all walked together and Rune noted, ¡°Truly, Your Highness, how you managed this oppressive ball of fire for so long is beyond me.¡±


    I shrugged and admitted, ¡°When it¡¯s your only option, you just kinda put up with it.¡± Sitting on the lounge chair with Kiki¡¯s number dialed, I pressed the green button, gathering the courage to throw her plans wildly off-kilter.


    ¡°Oh thank the gods,¡± she picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, panic flooding my voice.


    ¡°Birdie, your daughter is freaking out over here. I have called you 27 fucking times.¡±


    I stood up, pacing in the shade, holding out a hand to keep my two protectors in place, ¡°Kiki, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Penelope used her powers without realizing it. I don¡¯t know why it took this long, but she did something, and, Birdie, she is freaking the fuck out.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered, then my chest tightened with a realization, ¡°Kiki, you need to get Alexi and Penelope together right now. This is not a joke. We are hanging up, you are grabbing them, and I am summoning you to me.¡±


    ¡°Birdie, what?!¡± she nearly shrieked.


    ¡°Kiki, I swear to the gods, if you don¡¯t do exactly as I say, you will be next. How far away are they?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in the other room¡­hold on,¡± I heard some muffled sounds on her end and then she said, ¡°Ok, hang up. We¡¯re ready.¡±


    Throwing the phone on the lounge, I ignored the confused stares of Rune and Einar as I gathered the energy to bring them here, calling on yet another power I only used once¡­eight years ago. Envisioning them standing in our home, huddled together, holding hands, pierced my heart with hurt as the portal of my mind opened. Here, I manifested my desires, they are here. The white light beamed from above, scorching the pavement in front of me and smoke filled the yard. Einar¡¯s distant voice commanded the guards inside to stay as three bodies appeared in front of us. My knees buckled as my daughter let go of my cousins and ran straight for me, eyes wide with panic.


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    ¡°Mommy!¡± she cried, her flaming red hair, wildly untamed, streaming behind her.


    I gathered her in my arms, soothing, ¡°It¡¯s ok, I¡¯ve got you, girl. I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    She sobbed in my chest, ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s going on?¡± I felt Kiki and Alexi join my side, safely under the shade, as I stayed on my knees, holding my daughter as close as possible.


    ¡°Baby, there are so many things I need to tell you, and we don¡¯t have a lot of time.¡± Pulling back, she rubbed at her eyes, the golden hue I never tried to hide disarmingly beautiful. Her mouth turned down as she asked, ¡°Is it about what I did? I¡¯m so sorry, Mommy¡­Aunt Kiki and Uncle Alexi weren¡¯t mad, I promise.¡±


    I shot an anxious glance up at my cousins and both their faces looked grim. Turning back to Penelope, I promised, ¡°No one¡¯s mad at you, baby. Whatever happened wasn¡¯t on purpose. You didn¡¯t know¡­I didn¡¯t tell you¨CI never thought¡­¡± I stumbled for an explanation. Kiki placed a reassuring hand on my back, kneeling down beside me and tried, ¡°PJ, your mommy just became very special because of some unfortunate events. And, because of that, we¡¯re going home. Where your mommy, me, and Alexi grew up.¡±


    Her brows furrowed and her button nose crinkled as she asked, ¡°California?¡± Einar disguised his laugh as a cough, and for the first time, my guards¡¯ presence was noted. ¡°Who are you?¡± my daughter asked cautiously, wary of strangers.


    Einar mocked a bow, ¡°I¡¯m your mommy¡¯s best friend¡­at your service.¡± I withered a stare at him as he wagged his eyebrows. Rune, on the other hand, struggled to resist a full bow as he explained, ¡°I¡¯m your mommy¡¯s¨CI help to protect your mommy.¡± I rolled my eyes at him then looked back at my daughter whose face was in full disbelief.


    ¡°Protect her from what?¡± she asked. I scooped her lithe body into my arms, her tan skin a stark contrast to mine. Sitting her in my lap on the lounge, I started, ¡°Mommy is from a place far away from here¡­not California. It¡¯s a planet¡­called Clydonia. And eight years ago, Mommy, Aunt Kiki, and Uncle Alexi escaped from there.¡± She interrupted, ¡°Why?¡±


    I smiled, weakly, ¡°Because there were very bad people who did very bad things. And Mommy wanted to¡­needed to protect the people who she cared for more than anything in the entire world. So, we came here. Started a new life. Avoided doing anything resulting in those bad people from finding us. And it worked. Until yesterday. You see, my love, Mommy has these special powers,¡±


    ¡°Like magic?¡± Her interest instantly piqued, her eyes lighting up with excitement.


    I tapped her lightly on the nose, ¡°Exactly. Like magic. And I never used my magic¡­but then someone¡¯s life was at risk. They were going to die. So, I risked everything¡­and saved her. Unfortunately, the bad people¨Cwell, the bad person¨Cusing my magic alerted her to my location. And she arrived, threatening everything I worked so hard to protect. I reacted,¡± I swallowed, unsure of how to frame my actions to a seven year old, ¡°and she no longer exists. Because she no longer exists, I have taken her place. And her powers. She was the ruler of my home.¡±


    ¡°Mommy,¡± she put up a hand, ¡°are you telling me you are now the ruler? What does that make me?¡±


    I huffed a laugh, ¡°Well, my love, it makes you a princess.¡±


    Penelope squealed with delight, clapping her hands together, ¡°A princess?! Wait until I tell everyone at school!¡±


    Rubbing her back and shaking my head, I explained, ¡°Oh my love, we can¡¯t stay here anymore. We have to go home. The bad people? They took my friends. All because of me. And I need to save them. It¡¯s my fault they were taken, so now it¡¯s my responsibility to bring them to their home. Do you understand?¡±


    She nodded, but tilted her head, ¡°Mommy¡­do I¡­am I magic too?¡±


    ¡°I believe¡­when I inherited my new powers, it awakened yours. Unfortunately, and this is not your fault at all, I think the bad people are coming back. So, we have to leave for our home now. And I know this is a lot to take in, but know this, I am here for you. I will protect you. And I am so sorry I kept all of this from you.¡± I blinked back tears as she brought her hands up to either side of my face, ¡°I love you, Mommy. More than birthdays, popsicles, and rainbows.¡±


    ¡°Aww baby,¡± I said, leaning forward to kiss her brow, ¡°more than anything in the world.¡± Giving her another hug, I held her close to me as I looked around at my group. Kiki and Alexi stood off to the side with Einar, quietly talking, but Rune hovered close by, watching our interaction with an unreadable expression. I furrowed my brows and mouthed What? but he shook himself out of his reverie and dipped his head. I sighed and called everyone to attention, ¡°We need to gather the guards, pack as little as possible, and leave within the next five minutes. Keek, can you and Alexi head into the kitchen with Penelope and snag a few snacks? Rune will show you the way.¡± They nodded. ¡°Einar, please accompany me upstairs to help me pack.¡±


    He jumped to attention and teased, ¡°Right away, Your Majesty.¡±


    I stood, holding Penelope¡¯s hand, and smacked his arm, ¡°You¡¯re so dramatic.¡±


    He winked and leaned down to Penelope¡¯s eye level, ¡°Your Royal Highness, it pleases me greatly to have you joining us, and I do hope we spend more time together.¡±


    She giggled and muttered a thank you before my cousins whisked her away to the kitchen, following an uncomfortable Rune. Einar and I split off and headed up the stairs where he shouted a quick command to the guards. We hurried into my room and shut the door. I ran to the dresser and started throwing clothes into my bag while he stood with his back against the door and let out a long whistle. I twirled to face him, hands on my hips, and demanded, ¡°What?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Bird¡­I cannot believe you.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I asked again, carefully keeping my temper in check.


    He shook his head, ¡°Honestly, I knew you had every right to leave, after what she did, but seeing Penelope? Gods, it makes so much sense now.¡±


    I closed my eyes, blowing out a breath, ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    He snorted, ¡°Figure it out?¡± He cursed in our native tongue, ¡°She looks exactly like him¡­except for the hair. She got that from you.¡±


    Rubbing my temples, I begged him, ¡°Do not say a single word, Einar. I mean it.¡±


    ¡°Tell Rune he¡¯s a dad? Not a chance. I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡±

 Chapter 9

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± I bit out, refusing to acknowledge him.


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± he stalked over to the dresser, halting my hand as I reached for more clothes, ¡°Birgitta, she is his daughter. And you left him behind? It all adds up! She¡¯s seven. You left eight years ago. You needed to remove Kiki and Alexi from harm¡¯s way and hide your pregnancy. But why not him? Why not tell him? He would have gone with you. Gods, Birdie, he was head over heels in love with you.¡±


    I huffed a breath, shaking off his hand, ¡°No, Einar, he was infatuated with me¡­his duty required him to care for me. But his allegiance? His allegiance was always with the Crown. With her.¡±


    ¡°Gods, Birdie, I love you, but you¡¯re daft.¡±


    I gaped at him, mouth hanging open, ¡°Excuse me? Daft?!¡±


    He tilted his head up to the ceiling, ¡°I said what I said. And I¡¯m not playing middle man in this anymore. If either of you want to talk about it, talk to each other. I¡¯m out.¡±


    Throwing my duffel bag at him, I ignored his remarks again, ¡°Please take this downstairs.¡± He stuck out his tongue at me, and I laughed, forever amazed at his ability to cross from serious to silly in a matter of seconds. A knock at the door startled us, and I called out, ¡°Come in!¡±


    Penelope peeked her head around, ¡°Mommy, Aunt Kiki told me to tell you everyone is outside in the shade waiting.¡±


    I smiled, motioning for her to come in, ¡°Ok, my love, thank you.¡± Grabbing her and Einar¡¯s hand, I pulled them out into the hallway and down the stairs. My heart pounded audibly as we stepped into the yard, the other guards fully swathed in uniform, standing at attention. Their height loomed over Kiki, but Alexi towered over even them, a considerable feat. We used to tease him and swear he descended from the giants, a former race on our planet. Their natural icy blue hair color was hidden by layers of brown dye, something I figured they¡¯d be happy to stop upon returning home.


    Gripping Penelope¡¯s hand tighter, I motioned for everyone to gather and instructed them, ¡°We hold onto one another¡¯s hands. No one is to let go. Penelope,¡± I glanced to her at my side, and she looked up with a slight terror in her eyes, ¡°you must hold on, ok? It¡¯s a rather long journey.¡±


    She sniffled, ¡°Mommy, can¡¯t you hold me?¡± I glanced at the others and Einar offered a slight nod of his head.


    ¡°Of course, Penelope, I¡¯ll hold you.¡± I hoisted her onto my hip, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. Without free hands, Einar hooked one arm around my waist, squeezing tightly by my side. Kiki did the same, using all her strength to latch onto me. The others formed a circle, joining hands. I waited until we were all connected. Holding Penelope the tightest, I squeezed my eyes shut, conjuring the image of home, something I hid in the deep recess of my mind. Breathing deeply, I summoned my strength, aware of the distance to carry all of us and terrified to mess it up.


    ¡°Deep breaths,¡± Kiki whispered, leaning her head into mine, ¡°it¡¯ll all be ok.¡±


    Swallowing back tears, I nodded, and pictured my home planet. Home, I willed, take us home. Penelope whimpered softly as the beam enveloped us, a roaring sounding in our ears as the force of my powers lifted us up. I gripped her tightly, nuzzling my head into her hair, breathing deeply as my power surged, leaving another scorch mark in the earth. I felt our bodies dematerialize into the source of the transportation, preparing to send us through lightyears. I clung on to Penelope for dear life, praying to the ancient deities who created me our journey would be seamless and quick. We left the atmosphere of Earth like a whisper on the wind and only the sense of our travel remained as our physical presence disappeared.


    Our home atmosphere¡¯s impact hit me like a brick and as we rematerialized on entrance, I clutched for my daughter, breathing a sigh of relief feeling her in my arms. My eyes stayed shut, and I whispered words of comfort into Penelope¡¯s ear as my powers aimed for the familiar landing at the entrance of the castle. Once I felt my feet firmly planted on the ground, my eyes slowly opened, and, as the white smoke of our arrival settled, I took in my home for the first time in eight years.


    My guards dropped hands and moved to stan protectively at my back, Einar and Rune included, while Kiki and Alexi stayed at my side and Penelope in my arms. She buried her face in my neck and refused to look up. We stood in the courtyard, surrounded by the mazes of gardens I loved wandering as a child. In the distance was a mountain range, the longest range of Clydonia, separating our palace from the other towns in our world. At our back, the waves of the sea crashed, a soothing sound I fell asleep to on a nightly basis. And then in front of us, the castle. Unlike any castle I visited on Earth. Instead of fortified walls with towers shooting up everywhere and a portcullis for a door, this reminded me of the fancier mansions, but built even more ostentatiously. And instead of the size of one mansion, it could fit ten. As a child, I loved it, roaming the halls, getting lost in its majesties, hosting guests, and showing off a bit. But now, it sickened me. Especially as I considered how our wealth affected those we ruled over. The moment I left the security of the palace¡¯s walls, my eyes were opened to the life the other half lived, and how continuing to live the way I did was robbing them of a comfortable existence. I started rebelling shortly thereafter, siphoning off funds to send to people who needed it more. Of course, I had help in my venture. As much as I tried to manage alone, rumors circulated in the palace and people approached me. I hesitated accepting their help, tried pushing them away, but they insisted. But I warned them of the risk. My throat tightened remembering the moment we were found out. I squeezed my eyes shut and willed the tears away. Forgetting my power, they instantly disappeared.


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    ¡°Mommy?¡± Penelope¡¯s voice jolted me back to reality. I smiled at her and looked down, ¡°Yes, my love?¡±


    ¡°Is it over?¡± she asked, referring to our travel.


    I pursed my lips, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over. Would you like to see our home?¡±


    She nodded, and I set her down, holding onto one hand as she turned to survey her new surroundings. Her mouth hung open as we moved in a circle, taking it all in, from the mountains to the sea to the palace. Einar and Rune kept their swaths of cloth on their head, and I caught their eyes as they stood side by side, watching my daughter¡¯s reaction carefully. Einar winked but Rune stared, an unreadable expression on his face. I smiled tightly, and he bowed his head before turning his attention to my daughter¡­our daughter. My heart squeezed in my chest, the first moment I allowed myself to acknowledge the truth. I hoped he never asked why she looked so similar to him, but I was kidding myself.. The shape of their mouths, their full apple cheeks, and the tan of their skin, so unlike my own. Einar was right. The only resemblance my daughter and I shared was our flaming red curly hair. I had bow-shaped lips with a long face and the palest skin. I hated how I lied to her for so long, telling a story of how her father died before she was born. On top of all the other lies I heaped onto her since the moment she started asking questions.


    ¡°Will I make friends here?¡± her voice was so soft, it broke my heart. I kneeled down to meet her at eye-level and took her hands to my heart, ¡°Yes, my love, I promise. For a little bit, it may be only a few of us.¡± Her face fell, and I reassured her, ¡°Until we get settled, ok?¡± Kiki kneeled next to me, ¡°PJ, we have so much exploring to do in this castle,¡± she pointed behind her, ¡°did you know, me and Uncle Alexi grew up here with your mommy?¡±


    Penelope¡¯s mouth turned up and her eyes widened with excitement, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Your Uncle Alexi knows all the best hiding spots. I bet we could convince him to play hide and seek¡­want to?¡± She nodded enthusiastically, and I threw her a grateful smile, mouthing thank you. She dipped her head, stood up, and took my daughter¡¯s hand in hers. Turning to my guards, I instructed, ¡°Will some of you please escort my daughter, Lady Kikana, Lord Alexi, and her Royal Highness, Penelope through the gardens while they play a game?¡± The guards stood at attention, and Einar shouted out names of those to follow, leaving only him, Rune, and one other guard standing behind me.


    I stepped towards the castle but stopped as I looked down at my outfit, furrowing my brows. Still in my exercise clothes from the morning run and covered in blue blood from reviving my best friend, I closed my eyes, imagining a more regal outfit to enter the palace. A favorite dress of mine took form in my mind. I doubted it still existed, but I pictured it. Dark blue all over, like the night sky of our planet a few moments after the sun sets. Its full skirt floated right above the ground with a tight pearl embroidered bodice and short cap sleeves. And the crown I wore with it one night. A diadem dotted with pearls and diamonds flanking a larger stone sitting in the center. I opened my eyes as someone gasped but looking down, I saw why. The dress in my vision appeared on my body, exactly as I remembered it. I smiled, my first genuine smile since my daughter ran into my arms. This dress brought back precious memories I buried so deep. Turning around to face my retinue, I was met by curious expressions, at least on the two faces not hidden by their uniform. Both of them looked as though they¡¯d just seen a ghost.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, my voice slightly raised by nerves. The one guard in full uniform only bowed deeply. Rune said nothing as Einar walked to me, hooking a hand under my elbow and pulling me towards the castle. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, ¡°You realize you dematerialized your outfit and there were quite a few long moments before your other outfit rematerialized?!¡± I stopped dead in my tracks, the others halting a few steps behind us, ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? So you all just saw me very naked?¡± I wanted to scream. Instead, my face turned a shade of red almost matching my hair.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± was all he said, but I shook off his arm as he tried to steer me to the castle again.


    ¡°What am I walking into, Einar? We have no plan. How do we even find the council and my friends in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Birgitta, you are the ruler. So you are going to walk into your home and demand the council show you to your friends, presumably in your dungeons.¡±


    I closed the space between us, and grabbed a handful of his uniform, pulling him down to me, ¡°You say the council has garnered more power, enough so to have a problem with me appointing you as advisor. And now you¡¯re telling me to pretend as though you said nothing and walk in there owning the place?¡±


    He smirked, ¡°Exactly. Own it, Your Highness.¡± Shaking off my hold on him, he bowed deeply and stepped back. I breathed through my nose and out through my mouth, calming my wildly beating heart. Own it, I thought, own my birthright. I brought a finger to my lips, remembering a trick I learned long ago. Staring at the castle door, I held out my hands. Widening my fingers, I wiggled them then released the energy stored deep inside. The door of the castle blew wide open, and my eyes widened. Biting my lip, rapt with anticipation, I guided my power to my feet, allowing the tendrils to lift me up off the ground and carrying me over the gravel of the courtyard. Rune, Einar and the other guard kept pace, as I heard the pieces of Clydonia crunch under their feet. Levitating through the doorway, the remains of the door under my feet, I cleared my throat and called back to Einar, ¡°Guard, announce my presence.¡±

 Chapter 10

    Einar joined my side, at my height as I remained a few feet off the ground, and bellowed, ¡°Her Royal Majesty, Queen of Clydonia, God of These Lands, Ruler of the World, demands your presence in the Great Hall IMMEDIATELY!¡±


    Here we go, I told myself, play the part of Wicked Queen, get your friends back, destroy the council, and right the wrongs your mother set in place. I can do this. I can do this. I repeated the words over and over, willing my heart to settle. My powers assisted and my heart obeyed, calming to a tolerable beat.


    Pounding footsteps echoed in every direction, like a stampede. I lowered myself to the ground and adjusted the crown on my head, the teeth on either side sinking deeper into my wild tresses. Clasping my hands in front of me and breathing deeply in and out of my nose, a flicker of my power reached out, searching for the grounds for my daughter. I sighed internally, feeling her laughter in my bones.


    On either side of us were long hallways, filling quickly with the uniformed guards, rushing to stand at attention in front of their queen. But in front of me stood the grand staircase, empty. I shot a worried look at Einar, and he glanced at me but shrugged his shoulders, an indication not to worry. The council room was housed upstairs. A call from the queen required everyone¡¯s presence. To refuse under my mother¡¯s rule usually resulted in death. I tapped my foot in annoyance, a move I witnessed on far too many occasions from my mother, hoping to ignite the spark of fear in her¨Cmy guards¡­at least until I freed my friends. ¡°Enough with this,¡± I decided, angrily, waving a hand. The ancient power thrummed in my veins and curled around my hand. I flicked it away, sending it through the castle halls, searching for its next victims. No guard dared move as I stood there waiting for the report. My power returned to me quickly, winding its way back into my hands, delivering the news of no other souls in the grand palace.


    ¡°Where are the council members?¡± I asked the room, detached and disinterested, holding out an arm to inspect my gown. My question was met with silence. Einar spoke up, ¡°Her Royal Majesty asked a question. And she demands an answer.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean Her Royal Highness?¡± A high-pitched voice floated down to us, and my head whipped to the direction of the intruder standing at the top of the stairs. Hulda, an older member of the council, smirked. Her age hadn¡¯t withered her as much as I hoped. She stood with her back straight, her long blue hair flowing down past her shoulders. Her dark skin looked pristine from a distance, unaffected by wrinkles, but her body was thinner than I remembered.


    ¡°Hulda,¡± I addressed her, aware of the informality clearly rankling her, ¡°come down and address your queen properly or risk a promise of swift death. Her laughter rang out in the echo of the staircase, and I fisted my hands at my side. ¡°I¡¯ll come down when the queen arrives, Birgitta.¡± The power pulsated under my skin, and I allowed it to flow freely, relishing the feel of it in my hands as I lifted them up and pulled her toward me. Her shock sent a thrill through me as she floated down the stairs against her will, landing with a thud in front of me. ¡°Bow,¡± I commanded, and she narrowed her eyes, but sank to her knees under the pressure of my tendrils ready to strike. ¡°Good,¡± I said, my voice dispassionate and insincere. She lifted her head, ¡°Where is Her Royal Highness?¡±


    I stepped forward, closing the space between us, and she stiffened as I leaned over to whisper, ¡°You¡¯re looking at her.¡± Taking my one hand, I placed it gently on her throat, but she stayed still. ¡°Now, Hulda, you have two options. One,¡± I squeezed, ¡°tell me where the council is holding my friends. Or two,¡± slightly harder so her breath stuttered, ¡°die.¡± She said nothing, so I tightened my grip, and she gasped. Loosening it, I asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you have something to say?¡±


    Her brow crinkled, and she spit out, ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°Very well then,¡± I decided, closing my eyes and holding out my free hand, summoning the blade at Einar¡¯s side. I closed my fingers around the hilt and positioned my hand above her heart, ready to plunge. Her eyes widened with terror and she shouted, ¡°Wait!¡±


    I kept one hand at her throat but dropped my other arm to my side, smiling, ¡°There, that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡±


    She cursed, and I bit back the urge to slash her throat for the insolence. ¡°The council decided your friends are to be held in the dungeon of their choosing. When you relinquish your throne, they will return home.¡±


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    I nearly dropped my knife, ¡°Relinquish my throne?! My birthright? How dare you all.¡±


    ¡°Birg¨C¡± my fingers tightened once more as she uttered my name spoken in defiance, ¡°Your Majesty¡­how do you explain attaining the throne from your mother?¡±


    I lifted her up off the ground, using the strength I inherited from the woman I killed, tiring of Hulda quickly, ¡°How did she attain the throne from her mother, Hulda? It¡¯s the curse of the women ruling Clydonia.¡±


    Her eyes bulged from her head as I squeezed the life out of her. A gentle cough at my side tore me from my rage, and I loosened my grip, allowing her to speak once more. ¡°You left,¡± she spit out with enough venom to make me flinch, but I maintained my composure. ¡°You think we would welcome you back with open arms? After you betrayed us and escaped to another planet?¡±


    I swallowed, dropping her to the ground where she crumpled and gasped for breath. My worries of returning home were justified, I realized. Leaving cost me the support of the few who tired of my mother¡¯s reign, seeing me as a coward for running away. Dropping the facade of the cruel queen, I dismissed my guards with a wave of my hand. Einar shouted out orders to occupy the exterior, and his voice faded into the background as I extended a hand to Hulda. She stared at my offer, confused, but begrudgingly took it and I hoisted her up. Gripping her hand tightly and pulling her in, I lowered my voice, narrowing my eyes, ¡°I will not relinquish my crown, Hulda. But I am willing to discuss a compromise with the council.¡±


    She gritted her teeth and bit out, ¡°And how do we know you keep your promise this time? And stay?¡±


    Steadying my breath and preparing for the truth, I explained, keeping my voice a low whisper, ¡°Because my reason for leaving the first time has returned with me.¡± Hulda ripped her hands from me, staggering back, the realization dawning on her. Her breathing came in short spurts and she bowed her head to me, the first sign of respect clearing away some of my nerves and anger. With her head still lowered, she spoke in a shaky voice, ¡°We thought¡­after what happened¡­we thought you turned your back on us. And some of us assumed you fled to the nearest planet to seek help and destroy us all.¡± Lifting her eyes up, she blinked away tears as they cascaded down her cheeks, ¡°Why did you come back?¡±


    Exasperated, I huffed a sigh, ¡°Hulda, I had to come back. It is my gods-given duty to rule. Not to mention, the council stole away my friends from their home. Perhaps you all have some explaining to do as well.¡±


    She shook her head, wiping at her face, ¡°We¡­they¡­Your High¨CMajesty, your mother weakened inexplicably in your absence, and there are those on the council who took advantage, usurping some of her powers.¡±


    Stepping forward, threateningly, my tone went icy as I asked, ¡°How do I know you are not one who preyed on my mother, Hulda?¡±


    She averted her gaze, ¡°How can you question me, Birgitta? After everything we¡¯ve been through?¡±


    ¡°Hulda, please!¡± I shouted then quickly lowered my voice again, ¡°You stormed down these steps questioning my rule, demanding I relinquish my throne, and you have the audacity to ask how I can question you?¡±


    We stood alone in the hall save for Einar hovering closeby, but our voices stayed below a whisper, despite the intensity of our conversation. She grimaced at my challenge, a hint I hit my mark, ¡°I assumed you returned to destroy us. I apologize, Your Majesty, it seems you have quite the story to share. This news causes me pause though, and a part of me wishes to ask you to return to whatever planet you called home since you¡¯ve been gone.¡±


    I bit my lip, ¡°A part of me regrets feels like a coward for leaving, but I refused to fulfill my destiny.¡± She raised her eyebrows and I snorted sardonically, ¡°Yes, I know, my efforts failed miserably.¡±


    Hulda took a slow inhale of breath before asking, ¡°How will you tell your daughter of her future already promised? Of your own?¡±


    My eyes fluttered shut, unwilling to shed a tear. The prophecy of the gods of Clydonia revealed how my story will end long ago. Every daughter kills her mother and assumes the throne. Nothing has ever stopped it from happening. Not in the thousands of years our planet has existed. I hoped to avoid it and prayed to the ancient powers to write my own path. But it never changed. One day, it¡¯ll be me on the other end of the knife and Penelope the culprit. Perhaps I¡¯ll deserve it too, just like my mother.

 Chapter 11

    Living a life knowing exactly how you¡¯ll die is quite exhausting. Growing up, I found my ways to escape the haunting truth, the distractions providing a peace of mind. I hated thinking my future included killing my own mother, even though her erroneous behavior proved the prophecy fortuitous. As I entered my formidable years, avoiding all possibilities of ever having a child of my own was a top priority, dreading the inevitable outcome. Outside of the palace walls, away from preening eyes, I visited apothecaries, relying on their discretion in exchange for tinctures limiting my chances of bearing a child. My mother foolishly believed keeping me under the watchful eye of the guards provided a convenient barrier thwarting any dalliance with men of whom she didn¡¯t approve.


    Hulda and I walked out onto the palace grounds, in my resolution to introduce her to my daughter. Our feet crunched under the familiar gravel path, surrounding the castle, and headed to the maze of bushes, tall enough to meet my hip. The bushes outlined the garden, every square holding a different variety of Clydonia¡¯s treasured plants and flowers, flowing beautifully over the landscape. We trailed slowly along the path, the sky turning a jewel-toned blue as the three moons lit up our evening. My back stiffened suddenly, my godly instincts alerting me to an additional presence. I placed a hand on Hulda¡¯s arm, stopping us in our tracks. Turning around, I faced Rune, still without the swathes of cloth covering him. He bowed.


    ¡°What¨Cwhat are you doing here,¡± I stammered, specifically remembering dismissing all the guards, especially him. The last thing I needed was for one more person to notice the distinct shared features between Penelope and Rune.


    ¡°Einar suggested I accompany you on your walk,¡± he held out his hands at his side.


    Withering a stare, I asked saltily, ¡°And Einar gives the orders?¡± He blinked, mouth open, and, after another beat of silence, ran his hands through his hair, ¡°Would Your Majesty prefer I take leave and find another part of the palace to guard?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, annoyed at myself for acting so abominably, ¡°No, join us. Please keep your distance though. Hulda and I have sensitive subjects to discuss.¡± A flash of hurt crossed his face, replaced instantly with a mask of indifference and he bowed again, allowing us to pace ahead of him.


    We resumed our silent walk until Hulda observed, ¡°Your time away did nothing to lessen your temper, I see.¡±


    ¡°Hulda, just because I found it in my best interest to keep you alive a few moments ago does not mean I¡¯m guaranteeing your safety. Please keep your observations regarding my personality to yourself.¡±


    She coughed, presumably covering her laugh, ¡°You get that from your father, you know.¡± My chest tightened, and I fought the urge to scream at the top of my lungs. Instead, I said in a hushed whisper, masking the pain, ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    Bowing her head in deference, she changed the subject, ¡°Your daughter. Does she know?¡±


    ¡°Up until today, she was under the impression no world outside of the planet we resided on existed. She assumed we were humans with very normal lives. And then, as soon as I inherited my mother¡¯s powers, she took on my own. I¡¯ve had very little time to explain anything to her as I¡¯m trying to tread carefully. And she doesn''t even know our native tongue.¡± Hulda clicked her tongue. ¡°Careful,¡± I warned, my tendrils of power wrapping around me, ready to strike at any minute.


    ¡°What about her father,¡± she asked instead. I mentally prepared for this question. Steadying my breath, feigning the emotions of a grieving widow, I explained, shakily, ¡°A human. He died. A long time ago. She never knew him.¡±


    A hiss escaped her, ¡°She¡¯s a half-human.¡± Forgoing all pretenses and acting purely on instinct of protecting my daughter and our secrets, I growled and whirled on her. Using nothing but my powers, I crossed my arms in front of me and the tendrils did the rest, rooting her to the spot, stopping any speech from escaping her wicked mouth. Rune approached my side and halted, widening his stance, preparing to strike at my command. ¡°Do not speak of what you don¡¯t understand. She is the princess, future ruler of our world, and a god in her right,¡± her eyes narrowed at my insistence, so those tendrils snaked their way around her throat. Her chin jerked upwards. ¡°I swear it on the ancient dieties, the creators, if you so much as utter one word remotely offensive, I will not hesitate to cut off your head and display it in the hall. Do I make myself clear?¡± My tendrils slipped enough for her to croak a one-worded yes. Releasing her for the second time, my body shivered under the draining use of my powers. Staggering slightly, I bumped into Rune, who caught me and held me up, lowering his mouth to my ear. ¡°Are you ok, Your Majesty?¡±


    Steadying myself and resting an hand on his, I replied, ¡°Yes, just tired is all.¡± Hulda zeroed in on me, composing herself once more, ¡°Your Majesty needs to rest. You are not used to weaponizing your powers in such a way.¡±


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    Rune¡¯s next words sent a shock to my heart, ¡°Perhaps if you stopped baiting her, she wouldn¡¯t exhaust herself by protecting what she holds most dear.¡± My mouth dropped open, and I stared up at him, his face full of rage. Hulda addressed me, jerking her chin to him, ¡°You¡¯re going to let a guard speak to me with such disrespect?¡±


    Straightening my back, I nodded my head, ¡°He has every right to speak the truth, Hulda.¡± A trill of laughter distracted me, my daughter and Kiki somewhere close by. Wanting to shove Rune as far away as possible but keeping my cool, I gently rested a hand on his and muttered, ¡°Would you mind standing guard over there?¡± I motioned to a cluster of bright yellow bushes a fair distance behind us. He pursed his lips and offered a curt nod. Hating the way I hurt him, I added, ¡°It¡¯s just¨CPenelope¡­this is all very overwhelming for her. Maybe the less people around, the better?¡± His eyes softened infinitesimally before turning and stalking to the bush.


    ¡°Over here!¡± I called out as their voices drew closer. Kiki¡¯s brown hair pulled up in a knot on top of her head peaked over the maze of bushes first. I held my breath, waiting for them to turn the corner, darting worried glances out the corner of my eye to Hulda who stilled. My daughter¡¯s form came flying around the corner into the square where we waited.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± she squealed, running into my open arms. Scooping her up and pulling her into my chest, I twirled us around, and her laughter filled the air, lightening my soul. Gently placing her down and catching my own balance, I kneeled in front of her. ¡°How are you enjoying the palace grounds, my love?¡± I asked, tucking a few pieces of red hair behind her ear. She grinned, glancing at her aunt, ¡°I love it, Mommy! It¡¯s big¡­so big! Are we staying here forever?¡± Kissing her on her forehead, I promised, ¡°Cross my heart, forever and always.¡± Her hands clapped together in glee as she jumped up and down.


    Hulda cleared her throat and I stood, placing myself next to my daughter. ¡°Your Highness,¡± she addressed Penelope, approaching slowly. My daughter furrowed her brows and scooted closer to me, wrapping an arm around my leg.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, my love, this is a coworker of Mommy¡¯s,¡± I explained as Kiki joined Penelope¡¯s other side, protectively.


    Hulda¡¯s responding laugh startled my daughter as her grip tightened around my leg. Sensing her fear or my wariness of the council member¡¯s potentially erratic behavior, Rune moved swiftly from his station, despite my command, and stood at Penelope¡¯s back. Hulda attempted another step, but my powers held her in place. She narrowed her gaze at me and said, ¡°Your Majesty, forgive me, please. I only wanted to properly greet my great-niece.¡±


    ¡°Step back, Mother,¡± Kiki bit out, and Penelope looked up at me for an explanation. A gentle shake of my head had her shrugging her shoulders and fixing her gaze back on the interaction between Hulda and her aunt.


    ¡°Kikana, it¡¯s so good to see you. Where is my son?¡± she asked.


    Kiki cocked her head and smiled, devilishly, ¡°He¡¯s off with a guard¡­exploring.¡± She relished rattling her mother by mentioning her brother¡¯s preference towards the same sex. ¡°And is it so good to see me? I could have sworn you had a hand in adding my and Alexi¡¯s name to the list of the former queen.¡±


    ¡°Kikana, I always knew you had a flair for the dramatics, but what in all the ancient dieties are you talking about?¡± Hulda slipped into our native tongue, eliciting another confused look from my daughter. Rune tapped me on the shoulder, but I ignored him, confused by Hulda¡¯s feigned innocence of the plot to kill her daughter.


    Kiki responded in Clydonian, ¡°Mother, the list. Alexi and I were next. After¡­¡± my stomach clenched, but she refused to utter his name. Hulda¡¯s face fell into disbelief, ¡°No. Kikana, stop. You are making up horrible accusations!¡± Rune tapped again, and I waved him off, stepping forward, ¡°Hulda, stop, please. Stop pretending you didn¡¯t know what would happen if they stayed. I saw it¡­I knew what my mother had planned. You really expect us to believe you had no idea? After what happened?¡±


    Her mouth fell open, and her eyes filled with tears, ¡°It is not possible¡­my sister¡­she would have never¡­¡±


    I scoffed, and Rune¡¯s insistent tapping interrupted again. Whipping around, I controlled my temper and asked as politely as possible, ¡°What?¡±


    He jerked his head to his side, and my eyes widened at my daughter clinging to his leg. ¡°My love, what are you doing?¡± I asked, my heart beating wildly at the sight of her so comfortable with him. ¡°Mommy, you all are speaking in words I don¡¯t get. I want a snack.¡± She tugged on Rune¡¯s leg and stared up at him, ¡°You know where the snacks are. Take me?¡±


    ¡°O¨Cok, Your Highness¡­I mean¨Cas long as it¡¯s fine with your mother.¡± I closed my eyes and nodded. She flung herself into my arms and kissed my cheek before gluing herself to his side again. I mouthed thank you and they turned to head to the palace. Once they were out of earshot, I turned back to Hulda, whose red face and tear-stained cheeks did nothing to assuage me of any guilt. Closing the distance between us, I fisted a handful of her dress, using only my strength to lift her off the ground, gathering all my courage to speak the next words, resurfacing a memory I hoped to have stayed buried forever. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me my mother would never kill your children. Not even after she killed her own husband? My father? How do you figure, Hulda? Please¡­enlighten us.¡±

 Chapter 12

    ¡°PJ, what did you just say?!¡± Kiki placed a hand on my daughter¡¯s arm, standing next to her as she sat cross-legged on the counter. Penelope furrowed her brows in confusion and stared at her aunt, ¡°He¡¯s Mommy¡¯s forever, Aunt Kiki. I saw it.¡±


    Kiki¡¯s eyes darted to me then back to her niece. ¡°Ok, sweetheart,¡± she soothed in the calming tone I recognized from growing up. It was as if she spoke to a wild animal. ¡°Help me understand how you saw it.¡±


    My daughter huffed a breath, as if annoyed with the audacity of her aunt to ask. As if we should see as clearly as her. ¡°Aunt Kiki,¡± she tapped the side of her head, ¡°I saw it in here. The future. Mommy and Roomy. They¡¯re together. Their hearts are one.¡±


    I bit my cheek, swallowing down every rattling instinct to scream. My daughter, my beautiful angel, had a vision. Of me and her father no less. ¡°Baby¡­maybe you only saw what you wanted to see,¡± I offered, trying to explain away this unfathomable development. Only seers in our world possessed the ability to see the future. The ancient dieties created the seers long ago and never gifted a god with the power. From my studies, I read the ancient dieties worried of the potential disaster if a god also knew of the future. No, instead, we just bent the future to our will with all of our other powers.


    Penelope balled her fists at her side, the precursor to an ensuing tantrum. She scrunched up her adorable face and reiterated, ¡°No, Mommy, the witch told me. What I¡¯m seeing is real.¡±


    My vision blurred, and I held onto the counter for support. Steadying myself with deep breaths, I glared at Kiki, ¡°Kikana, I asked you and Alexi to stay with her and not let her out of your sight? What the fuck?!¡±


    Kiki¡¯s mouth dropped open, and PJ scolded me, ¡°Mommy! That¡¯s potty language.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, my love, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I rubbed her arm, and Kiki explained, ¡°Birdie, I swear it on all of Clydonia, PJ never left our sight.¡±


    ¡°The witch came to me in my head, Mommy,¡± Penelope explained, reaching up and grabbing my face, ¡°it¡¯s ok.¡± My heart broke as I looked into my child¡¯s golden-hued eyes, so full of innocence. In one day, I managed to rip her from the comfort of her own home and thrust her into an entirely different planet, so foreign and strange, and shatter every truth she held about me and herself. And here she was, comforting me, telling me it was ok. Failing as a mother must have been genetic. A knock on the door startled us all, and I walked over ready to tell whoever was there to bugger off.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I startled once more, surprised to find Rune standing on the other side instead of Hulda, who I assumed impatiently stalked off to sulk. ¡°Everything ok?¡± His face was drawn together, and beads of sweat gathered around his forehead.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he panted and dipped his head, ¡°I should be asking you the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, genuinely confused, wondering if he heard our entire conversation.


    ¡°You¨Cyou screamed,¡± he got out through gasps of breath.


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    ¡°Rune,¡± I gently touched his arm, ¡°I did no such thing. Why are you out of breath?¡±


    He stopped himself from fully rolling his eyes, ¡°I heard Your Majesty scream from outside in the gardens.¡±


    My hand flew up to my chest, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. What if it was my friends? Oh dear gods,¡± I cried, hanging onto the handle of the door to keep myself from sinking onto the floor. ¡°Hulda!¡± I called out, ¡°Get here right now!¡± My voice rang through the halls.


    Rune shook his head, ¡°My Queen, I swear it, I heard your scream. No one else¡¯s. I can differentiate.¡±


    Kiki came up behind me, Penelope in her arms on her hip, ¡°You know my cousin¡¯s scream so distinctly? Really, Rune, care to enlighten us?¡±


    His gaze darkened, and I whipped around to scold Kiki, ¡°Absolutely not, Keek.¡± She chuckled, but added, ¡°Her Majesty did not scream, Rune, I promise.¡±


    He rubbed his fingers along his temple, ¡°Then what was¡­¡±


    ¡°You summoned?¡± Hulda joined Rune in the doorway, looking very annoyed. I placed my hands across my chest and straightened my back, emanating the queenly presence I learned at a young age, ¡°Hulda. The screams a few moments ago¡­did they come from the palace dungeons?¡±


    Her genuine confusion shone through, ¡°Screams? Your Majesty, I heard nothing. And I¡¯ve been in the hall waiting until it¡¯s deemed appropriate for me to re-enter the kitchen. But no, there were no screams.¡±


    Rune¡¯s baffled expression caused me pain, so I lightly touched his arm and encouraged, ¡°Get some sleep, ok? It¡¯s been¡­well, I don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s been, but I think you need to rest. And that¡¯s an order from your queen.¡±


    The side of his mouth ticked up in a smile and he said nothing before bowing and taking leave.


    ¡°Am I allowed back now, Your Highness?¡± Hulda addressed my daughter who ignored her and buried her face in her aunt¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Hulda, I want my friends back. Now,¡± I demanded, tired of playing her games. She smiled a familiar smile, one reminding me of my mother. ¡°Your Majesty, the council feels it¡¯s appropriate to hold them here until we can determine their loyalty in not speaking of this to anyone back on their home planet. But not to worry. We¡¯re taking care of them.¡± Her nostrils flared infinitesimally, a tell of hers I learned long ago when she lied. I managed my anger, quelling the urge to rip out her throat. ¡°Please inform the council of the blood oath every one of them took, securing their allegiance to keep Clydonia a secret.¡±


    She lifted her hand up to her face, placing a finger over her lip, another tell, ¡°Might I remind you, Your Majesty, of my involvement on the council? I am not a messenger. But when we reconvene, I will include the information regarding the blood oath.¡±


    I had the equivalent of twenty Earth years on this planet before I fled. And while I wasted away the first thirteen of those enjoying the spoils of childhood, the moment I saw my mother murder someone in cold blood was the moment I started paying attention. And maybe no one realized. Maybe all they saw was a child clinging to the skirts of her mother, unable to separate and enjoy a normal life. So maybe they didn¡¯t see how I watched them, observing every action and counter-action, playing spy and learning the secrets of the court. They opened their doors, finding my general shy demeanor unthreatening. But when I slipped into my fits of rage, usually provoked by my mother¡¯s heinous behavior, the council was split. Some found it detracting from my potential as a future ruler while others thought it boded well to continue the reign of terror. Either way, they groomed me, taking me under their wing, all the while, I bided my time, thinking of how to take each of them down. The moment my father died, every thought of my future reign dissolved. And the moment I learned of my pregnancy, shortly thereafter, I created a way to escape. By myself. I never had any intention of bringing Kiki or Alexi with me. Until my mother revealed her list. And it changed everything. But now here I was, playing the game again, hiding all my motives and creating the facade of adhering to their rules instead of destroying them with a flick of my wrist.

 Chapter 13

    I plastered on a serene look, ¡°Hulda, thank you. The Council will meet in the morning here at the Palace. As you are on the council, I appreciate you sharing this information with them.¡± I allowed my powers free from the tips of my fingers, crawling across the floor and wrapping themselves around her body. She flinched, but stayed in place. ¡°And need I remind you, this is not a request. By the order of me, the Queen, all of you shall be here upon the moons¡¯ setting.¡±


    She sneered, ¡°As you wish,¡± and I released my hold. Without a second look to her daughter or mine, she dipped her chin and whipped around, stalking out of the room. Penelope nudged out of Kiki¡¯s hold and my cousin set her on the ground, but my daughter stuck close by as I surveyed the kitchen, fighting off the exhaustion from the day.


    ¡°Keek, what¡¯s for dinner?¡± I asked, my voice nearing a whine, as I slipped into an old habit of relying on my older cousin for so much.


    She snorted and rolled her eyes, ¡°Birdie, I¡¯ve been gone just as long as you. I have no idea who runs the palace anymore. Trust me, if I did, I¡¯d be demanding they order the cooks in to prepare a four-course meal.¡±


    ¡°Mommy,¡± my daughter tugged on my hand, ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± Kiki leaned down meeting Penelope at eye-level and said, ¡°Shall we show you to your room then? I think it¡¯s time for someone to go to bed.¡±


    My heart constricted with panic. Our first night home, my home, not hers. The unfamiliarity of it all must have been overwhelming. On Earth, the four of us shared a modest house in a small town, barely having enough space for two full baths. And now, here we were in a sprawling castle, big enough to fit fifty of our houses. The unnaturalness of it all clawed at me, my overwhelming urge to run or scream kicking in. Breathing through my nose and releasing a long sigh, I squatted next to my cousin. ¡°Baby,¡± I said, tucking a strand of wild red hair behind her ear, ¡°if we find some snacks, can Kiki take you to your room? She¡¯s right¡­you need to rest.¡±


    ¡°Mommy, will you cuddle with me for five minutes?¡± She asked, her eyes wide and hopeful, expecting me to fulfill our typical nighttime routine. I smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll do you one better. How about a sleepover?¡± She clapped her hands together and squealed with joy.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Kiki stood up, ¡°let¡¯s grab some snacks.¡±


    Desperate for a moment to myself, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll meet you up there. I¡¯m going to fix something for myself quick.¡± My cousin picked up on my lie, detected the longing in my voice and nodded, snatching some snacks off the counter by the door and shooing my daughter out into the hall. Waiting until their footsteps faded down the hall, I sunk onto the floor and wrapped my arms around my legs, bringing my forehead against my knees. Sitting in the silence of the kitchen, I waited, anticipating the adrenaline to dissipate any second. No clocks existed in Clydonia. We told time through the suns and moons in the sky, so nothing alluded to the amount of time I sat there. But as the last drop wore off, my body shook. The sobs released from me so violently, I feared I might crack a hole beneath me. Holding onto myself as I shook and cried, my body settled into a rhythm, rocking myself back and forth, the smallest measure of comfort. I barely noticed the warm hand on my shoulder as I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my forehead harder into my knees. ¡°Why?¡± I cried, speaking the rhetorical question plaguing my mind since the day I learned of my own fate. Strong hands pulled me into a warm chest, and I released my legs, allowing the arms to cradle me. My life decided for me before I even had a chance to think for myself. My mother, a cruel horrible woman destined to die by my hands. But why reign over her people so vindictively. Why did she stop caring about the people relying on her? Why murder a man who dedicated his life to her? Why stop at nothing to turn away anyone who ever mattered? And why did I have to be such a coward and run away?


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    ¡°You weren¡¯t a coward,¡± Rune whispered. I cursed myself for thinking the last part out loud. Or perhaps I said everything out loud.


    I sniffled against his uniform, ¡°You thought I was. You¨Cyou wouldn¡¯t even look at me¡­treat me the way you treated me before I left. I¡¯m a coward, Rune.¡±


    ¡°Birgitta,¡± he murmured into my hair, ¡°no. I was hurt. You left me. I thought¨CI thought I mattered to you, but you left.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ask you to go¡­because I was afraid of how broken I¡¯d be if you said no.¡±


    He surprised me by pushing me away and holding me out at arm¡¯s length, his face terrifyingly serious. ¡°What?¡± Shaking his head, he said, ¡°Birgitta, you have to be kidding me.¡±


    My bottom lip trembled, ¡°What was I supposed to think? Your loyalty lied with her. I never¨CI worried about pushing you.¡± He let go of me and rubbed his face in his hands, murmuring something incoherent.


    I clicked my tongue, ¡°Really, Rune? Is now the time to talk under your breath?¡±


    He dropped his hands, mouth turned down, ¡°All this time. Good gods, Birgitta, all this fucking time, I thought you knew how I felt. But here you are telling me you doubted my loyalty? To you? I loved you.¡± I winced on his use of the past tense, my heart sinking into my stomach. ¡°And now I find out, you weren¡¯t sure of that? What did I have to do?¡± He ticked off a list, ¡°I told you I loved you, promised to leave the guard if it meant I could be with you¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I interrupted him, holding out my hand, ¡°No, you absolutely did not.¡± My anger boiled under the surface at the audacity. Surely, if the man of my dreams, the father of my child, shared these facts with me, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated or doubted anything.


    ¡°Birgitta, yes I did. And you said nothing. I waited, thinking perhaps you were shocked by my admission, thinking I had scared you a little. When I heard you left, I gave up hope entirely.¡±


    Now, it was my turn to push away from him. I stood up, stomping away from him, throwing my hair back over my shoulders, ¡°Had you said any of that to me, I would have asked you to come away. But I swear it on the ancient powers,¡± his eyes widened, the sacredness of swearing on the ancient dieties so rare, ¡°you never said a word to me.¡±


    He hoisted himself off the ground and walked over to me, running a hand through his hair in exasperation, ¡°Then who did I tell it to?¡±


    The floor dropped out from under me and I steadied myself, reaching out to grab his arm. ¡°My Queen?¡± he asked, concerned, ¡°Your face is rather pale¡­r than normal.¡± Had the breath not left me entirely, I may have laughed. But the realization of whom he shared his truths rocked me to my core. ¡°Rune,¡± I started, ¡°my mother¡¯s powers¡­my powers now. Well, I think they include some type of, I don¡¯t know, gods, this is going to sound crazy. But what if she could take another person¡¯s form?¡±

 Chapter 14

    Rune¡¯s pallor changed drastically, and I instinctively looked round the room for a bucket in case he were to get sick. Instead, he took a step towards me. I froze, unsure of how to react as he closed the space between us, breathing heavily, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.


    ¡°Please do not punish me by getting sick all over my beautiful dress,¡± I begged, holding out my arms to emphasize how it hugged my hips, ¡°It¡¯s my favorite.¡± He said nothing, only stared, and I worried someone had tricked him into a trance. Waving my hand in front of his face to garner a reaction, I asked, ¡°Rune? Where¡¯d you go?¡±


    His lips parted, and he shuddered a breath. He bleated, ¡°It wasn¡¯t¡­you never knew?¡±


    I shook my head and threw all caution to the wind by admitting my deepest desires, ¡°If I had, I would have taken you with me. You were my everything. Leaving you hurt my heart in a way I never thought imaginable, but it was easier than breaking me entirely if I found you didn¡¯t return the sentiment.¡± His eyes softened as a tear rolled down his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry your profession fell on the wrong ears. It makes me want to bring her back to life and kill her all over again knowing she intercepted words meant for me and surely used them to her advantage.¡±


    He huffed a breath, admitting, ¡°You have no idea.¡± I cocked my head, but he ignored my piqued interest in his choice of words and changed the subject, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s better for everything to have happened the way it did. Had you not left without me, you never would have had Penelope.¡± I schooled my face, limiting any reaction, as he continued, ¡°She¡¯s incredible, Bird, truly.¡± My heart thundered in my chest, a voice whispering in the back of my mind to tell him, especially as he asked, ¡°Does her father¡­is he¡­will he um¡­¡± He stumbled over his question, so I saved him the awkwardness, committing to the lie, as I placed a hand on his arm and explained, ¡°Her father died before she was born. And he had no idea I was with child.¡±


    Something shifted in his features, an unreadable emotion. It disappeared in a flash as his face returned to the somewhat severe look I grew to love. He placed his other hand over mine, still on his arm and asked, ¡°Do you miss him?¡± My throat tightened, and my voice was thick with emotion as I answered, ¡°I miss you, Rune. I¡¯ve always missed you. I know I deserve whatever massive change in our relationship has occurred. Too much time passed, we both have lived lives of which neither were a part. I¡¯d be a fool to expect us to slip back into our synchronicity.¡± My lip trembled as I took into account the very obvious, fearing its truth, ¡°For all I know, you¡¯ve moved on and have a family now.¡± His face revealed nothing, so I went on, bearing my soul, ¡°But through everything, pretending to lead a normal existence on another planet, fearing every day for my daughter¡¯s safety, destroying my mother, taking the throne, realizing this battle has only begun, having to play the damn game again. Rune,¡± I squeezed his arm, and his eyes bore into mine, ¡°you have been what I missed most of all.¡± Expecting no answer to my declaration and taking his extended silence as my leave, I pulled my hand from under his and turned to walk away.


    ¡°¨¢stin m¨ªn,¡± he called out as I reached the door. I froze in place, goosebumps skittering over my skin, hearing our old tongue and his nickname for me spoken. ¡°¨¢stin m¨ªn,¡± he repeated, but my body refused to turn around. His heavy footsteps sounded behind me, and a warm hand clasped on my shoulder, turning me around to face him. His eyes were full of tears as he clasped his hands on either side of my face, and whispered in our old tongue again, ¡°My love.¡± I shook with anticipation as he bent down and planted his lips on mine. Wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, our lips parted and his tongue swept in, deepening the kiss. Whimpering in response to the warmth of him, the connection I missed so terribly, I pressed my body into his and he groaned, his hands roving from my face down my chest and then around to my back. A cry in the distance broke off our kiss immediately, him springing to action and throwing open the door behind us.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Penelope¡¯s voice cried out from somewhere in the palace, and my tendrils of power shot out from me, readying to take down the unseen threat. Rune and I raced down the hallway towards the grand staircase. Einar appeared, sprinting from the opposite end. He shot us a weird look before we all darted up the stairs and raced toward the bedrooms in the first corridor. ¡°Momma!¡± she screamed again, and I cursed my ineffective control of inherited powers as my speed increased through the ornate hall with high ceilings and endless doors. Ahead of us, a door flung open with Kiki, pale-faced, meeting our panicked strides. ¡°In here,¡± she called, pointing to a golden door across from her, etched with the signia of the royal family. My daughter¡¯s scream sounded on the other side, and I blasted it open, charging into my bedroom. Penelope laid out on the golden bed in the middle of the room, the curtains of the bed wide open revealing her little body curled in a ball. I ran to her, jumping up on the mattress, and scooping her into my arms. She screamed again, and I realized her eyes were squeezed shut, her face drawn into terror. Calling on my powers, I placed a hand on her forehead, summoning a wave of calm to cool whatever nightmare trapped her in a state of fear. ¡°Open the windows,¡± I commanded to whoever listened. Out of the corner of my eye, Rune and Einar jumped into action, each heading to a window on either side of the bed, opening panes of glass. ¡°Come on, baby,¡± I urged, my tendrils cascading from me to her.


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    Her body relaxed in my arms, and I loosed a breath as her face settled, though her eyes were still shut. My head jerked up as I searched the room for Kiki. Finding her standing by the door, I asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    She peaked her head into the hall then shut the door and walked over to join us on the bed. Rune and Einar maintained a position at the windows. ¡°She passed out so quickly, and I went to my room to change. I was going to come back in and stay with her until you came upstairs, but I guess I laid down on my bed and fell asleep too. Birdie, I didn¡¯t even hear her scream until your power summoned me, I swear. I have no idea how I slept so soundly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Keek,¡± I tried assuaging her of the guilt written all over her face. Keeping my palm pressed firmly into my daughter¡¯s forehead, I whispered, ¡°What the fuck is going on in this palace?¡±


    Kiki rolled her eyes and guessed, ¡°My mother probably knows.¡± Refusing to involve Hulda in any more of our day¡¯s activities, I clicked my tongue and directed my next command to Einar, ¡°I want five guards stationed with PJ at all times. No matter who is with her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Her Highness will be well guarded,¡± Rune added, ¡°I will see to it personally.¡± Einar disagreed, ¡°Rune, you¡¯re needed with the Queen. You are our most skilled guard.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he raised his voice, ¡°and the most skilled guard stays with Her Highness. Our Queen is very capable of handling herself.¡± Penelope stirred in my arms, a smile creeping on her face.


    ¡°Please keep it down,¡± I hissed, and they dipped their heads in apologies, ¡°And Rune is right, Einar. Penelope¡¯s powers are new to her. I¡¯ve had plenty of years with mine, even taking into consideration my eight-year break.¡±


    He hissed back, ¡°Not your new powers, Birdie. You have no idea what they even are.¡±


    ¡°I hear you. But this is my daughter. The future ruler of our world. Her protection and safety is our number one priority.¡±


    ¡°How about the current ruler of our world? And the mess our world is in right now? Where on your agenda are those priorities?¡± He challenged despite a withering stare from both my cousin and Rune.


    ¡°Einar, in order to work on righting the wrongs my mother so severely put in place, I need to focus. I cannot focus if I am constantly worried about my daughter. Therefore, the person who I hold in the highest esteem, who protected me, will watch over her. One day, and we all know this, so please don¡¯t pretend to play dumb,¡± I met all their stares, ¡°when she fulfills the prophecy, I will have left our world a better place for her.¡±


    ¡°What prophecy,¡± my daughter¡¯s voice squeaked from my arms.


    I grimaced, ¡°Nothing, baby, go back to sleep.¡± She clambored out of my arms, and I hesitated to release her. Moving away from me and Kiki towards the pillows at the top of the bed, ¡°Mommy, please, stop keeping secrets. Please tell me. I¡¯m not a baby.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I agreed and scooted closer to her, ¡°My love, this is very hard for me to tell you. But there is a prophecy, written long ago, of every queen¡¯s fate.¡± Her brows drew together as I explained, ¡°Every queen has a daughter, and every daughter kills her mother, one way or another. Some kill them as they¡¯re born, others retaliate in anger or hate, but it always happens. And when it does, the crown is passed to the daughter, along with the ancient powers of those who created us all.¡±


    She looked around, her mind piecing together the puzzles, and she asked, ¡°Your mother?¡± I shuddered a sigh and admitted, ¡°I killed her. This is not an excuse, but my mother was not a very nice woman. She did very terrible things. And tried to hurt people in this room. So, we left. But when she found us, I tried keeping you a secret.¡± Her lips turned down, and I realized my mistake, ¡°Oh, baby, no, not like that. My mother,¡± I pursed my lips, thinking of a way to appropriately explain this to an eight year old, ¡°she sees people as players in a game, controlling them and moving them to her advantage. So, I knew finding out about you would be an invitation to dominate your life. And I wanted you free. I prepared to return to Clydonia without you, keeping you safe. But¨Cbut someone revealed to her your existence, so she threatened all of our lives. Killing her fulfilled the prophecy. One day¨Cone day, it will end the same for me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head hard, as if erasing the words I spoke, ¡°Mommy, no, it¡¯s not possible.¡± Opening my mouth to offer some sort of explanation or reassurance for our future, I stopped myself upon seeing the look in her eyes, one of sheer determination and stubbornness, an inherited look from both her father and myself. She moved into my lap, grabbing my face in her little hands, and said, ¡°Mommy, tell me what to do. Tell me how to fight.¡± My heart swelled with pride, the fierceness and courage of this little girl already outweighing my own. Her influential mood contagious, I heard myself saying, ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but there may be a way.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Kiki cleared her throat from behind us on the bed, and I slowly turned to face my cousin, her eyes wide with disbelief. I raised my eyebrows, a silent ask of Yes? She kept her comment to herself in the presence of her niece, but I assumed she¡¯d fill me in on the ridiculousness of my notion at another time. I wasn¡¯t so naive to believe in the thousand of years of our planet¡¯s existence, no other generation had tried to break the cycle of the prophecy. Stories passed down told me of the exact opposite. Every queen had a tale exploiting their darker side, the lengths they took to ensure their survival. I scrubbed some of the more heinous accounts from my memory, disbelieving anyone to stoop to a certain level of depravity. My mother¡¯s behaviors paled in comparison to the worst of them, her only slightly redeeming quality. At least, I told myself in moments of doubt, she hadn¡¯t killed me first. Or perhaps it¡¯s only because she learned from the mistake of her predecessors who chose the greatest of evils and wound up with child again, renewing the prophecy once more. But once she killed my father, I had no hope left. Without him, there was no chance to bear another successor.


    Kiki cleared me from my reverie and asked, ¡°PJ, what troubled you awake?¡± My daughter scrambled off my lap and onto the pillow again, fear shadowing her face, ¡°Nothing, Aunt Kiki.¡± Einar and I shared a glance over Penelope¡¯s head, neither of us believing her. He spoke up, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re welcome to dismiss us if you¡¯d rather tell your mother and aunt in private of your nightmares.¡± She looked at me hesitantly, and I nodded in encouragement. ¡°Ok, you and Roomy can leave.¡± I mouthed my thanks and he dipped his head. He left the room first with Rune close behind him. My daughter¡¯s nightmare took precedence over our kitchen kiss, and I briefly wondered if he¡¯d pretend it never happened, if he regretted it. As if hearing my thoughts, he turned around, his back to the door. ¡°Goodnight, Kikana and Your Highness. Your Majesty, may I have a quick moment in the hall?¡±


    I stuttered in surprise, ¡°Of¨Cof course.¡± Kiki shot me a look and I withered a stare at her before hopping off the bed, carefully controlling my pace to the door. Meeting him in the hallway, I stood with my back against the ornate wall, the corset of my dress digging into the gold stucco. His eyes were drawn together and he opened his mouth, but I blurted out, ¡°I don¡¯t regret it. And I hope you don¡¯t either.¡± His face instantly relaxed, and he reached out an arm, placing it on my hip, ¡°Thank the gods. So¡­we¡¯ll continue this later?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± I quickly glanced down both sides of the corridor then leaned in, standing on my tiptoes, and placed a kiss on his lips. He shuddered a sigh as I pulled away and whispered, ¡°¨¢stin m¨ªn.¡± I smiled brightly and he bowed. Promising to see him later, I slipped into my room, meeting two quizzical gazes on the bed.


    ¡°Mommy,¡± my daughter started, tilting her head to the side, ¡°why are your cheeks so red?¡± My hands flew up to them, my damn pale skin giving me away, and I said, ¡°No reason¡­just¡­um¡­it¡¯s hot.¡± Kiki rolled her eyes at me and turned back to my daughter, ¡°PJ, you ready to tell us what happened?¡±


    My daughter reached out her arms to me, and I went to her, taking a place on the bed and wrapping an arm around to bring her close to me. She let out a shaky breath, ¡°It was really scary. Mommy was on this huge field and¡­and there were monsters everywhere.¡± She furrowed her brows and squinted her eyes as she continued to recall the nightmare. ¡°I don¡¯t think the monsters were trying to hurt her. But there were people coming¡­running towards her¡­and they,¡± she choked on a sob, ¡°they had s¨Cswords.¡± Penelope collapsed into my chest, her body heaving with sobs. Rubbing her back soothingly and switching to Clydonian, I said to Kiki, ¡°These have to be visions, right? How is she having them though?¡±


    Kiki¡¯s face was drawn in concern, ¡°It makes no sense. We need to take her to someone. Have them check her out.¡±


    ¡°Who can we trust? Your mother thinks I left to find a way and take down Clydonia. How many others hold the same belief?¡±


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    She cursed her mother in our tongue, ¡°Tell your story then.¡± I clicked my tongue, but Kiki continued, ¡°The truth, Birdie. I know you are protecting PJ, but if the people knew of your father¡¯s death and then the subsequent pregnancy, they would understand your reasoning for leaving. You acted selflessly.¡±


    ¡°And in the process of my selflessness, I allowed the hurting and suffering of my people to continue? I was a coward. I doubt they¡¯ll ever forgive or trust me,¡± I sighed, pulling my daughter, who had dozed off in my arms, closer to my chest, still rubbing her back rhythmically.


    ¡°Start by reversing decrees put in place by your mother, suffocating those not deemed ¡®superior¡¯ and ¡®elite¡¯.¡±


    Bile rose in my throat at the mention of my mother¡¯s decrees, ones forcing select groups of people into work camps. For absolutely no reason at all. Before she came into power, her mother had brought a sustainable peace to the world, something tentatively celebrated since all know of the prophecy. And then my mother killed her. Out of pure spite and hatred. Throwing our world into disarray once more. My responsibility and duty to the people was to right her wrongs and somehow maintain it past my ultimate demise. Simple enough. Especially considering the over-involvment of the council and my still enslaved friends. Breathing deeply to cool the fire of rage building in my body, I asked my cousin, ¡°What takes precedence?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this alone, you know. Lean on me and Alexi. And Einar¡­maybe even Rune. Let us help you,¡± she reached out a hand and placed it on my shoulder.


    ¡°Keek, none of you signed up for this. You and Alexi were born into a royal family, and Einar and Rune signed up for a job,¡± I stressed, unwilling to inconvenience them.


    ¡°Birgitta,¡± she squeezed my shoulder, narrowing her eyes. Using my name meant something serious with her, ¡°don¡¯t you dare do this self-sacrificing shit. You may be indestructible, but your stubbornness is inhibiting your success. Open yourself up to the possibility our helping you comes from a place of love for you but also for Clydonia. No, we are not required to help you. But we want to.¡±


    My older cousin¡¯s no-nonsense, take no prisoners attitude endeared me to her once more, and I nodded. ¡°Good,¡± she patted me on the back and glanced down at the slumbering child in my arms, ¡°meet with the council tomorrow, and allow Einar to escort you. Alexi, Rune, and I will bring Penelope to the closest city and start planting seeds of your story. But in order to get help for your daughter, we are telling the truth.¡± I sucked in a breath, and she shook her head, ¡°If you want answers, Bird, a seer needs to know her patronage. Half-human, half-god, and has powers of a seer? Not possible. Half-god and half-Clydonian? Plausible.¡±


    I bit my lip, unsure of how to unweave the web of lies to Rune, considering the moment we shared in the kitchen and hallway. Kiki read me like a book, ¡°Tell him, Birdie. He deserves to know.¡±


    My chest tightened, the anxiety of my secrets sitting there heavily. ¡°Not yet,¡± I countered, ¡°please. Take Einar with you tomorrow instead of Rune. I need time.¡±


    She blew out a breath. ¡°You¡¯re still madly in love with him, you know.¡±


    I carefully placed my daughter in the bed, tucking her under the covers before motioning to Kiki over the window. The wide glass pane looked out over the gardens of the palace, and my impressive vision spotted the sea in the far distance. Our three moons cast a beautiful light in the considerable darkness of the night. Staring into the vastness, I admitted to Kiki standing at my side, still speaking in our native tongue. ¡°Of course I love him. Having Penelope only strengthened it for me. And tonight¡­tonight, we kissed. My gods-damn mother interfered eight years ago. She¡­she took my form and lied to him,¡± I spit out and Kiki sucked in a breath. Keeping my gaze steady on the horizon to control the boiling rage, I said, ¡°He was ready to give it all up¡­for me. But my mother¡­¡± I winced in pain as my nails dug into my palms, my fists balled up so hard. ¡°My mother heard his professions¡­not me.¡± The tendrils of power snaked out, ready to lash at the presumed threat enraging my soul. Kiki noticed and quietly suggested, ¡°Breath, Birdie. Maybe step outside? I¡¯ll watch PJ until you calm down.¡±


    Not saying a word, I quickly nodded, the need to scream and cry overwhelming, and I stalked to the door, quietly opening it, and storming out into the hallway. As I opened my mouth and prepared to silently scream, something slipped over my eyes and blackness caved in.